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Energy supergiant Shell recently encountered a significant setback when its marketing strategy came under the scanner of The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The watchdog’s stringent assessment concluded that Shell’s advertisements had been endorsing misleading claims about the environmental purity of its energy production. This decision has been declared in a recent statement by the ASA, paving the way for a significant rethink in how energy companies advertise their products and services.
The deceptive advertisements under contention consisted of a poster, a television commercial, and a YouTube video. On first glance, the poster declared “Bristol is ready for cleaner energy.” However, it followed up with a somewhat obscure assertion that “In the Southwest, 78,000 homes use 100% renewable electricity from Shell Energy,”. This declaration was then reinforced by a note stating, “Shell Energy’s renewable electricity is supplied by the National Grid and certified by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin, matching electricity bought with an equivalent amount from 100% renewable sources”.
The television commercial played into a similar narrative, opening with a claim that, “In the UK, 1.4 million households use 100% renewable electricity from Shell.” The commercial additionally cited Shell’s experts working on a wind energy project that could power up to six million homes. It also projected Shell’s intent to install 50,000 electric vehicle chargers nationwide by 2025.
The YouTube video further continued this pattern of misleading information. It purportedly provided viewers with the impression that Shell is spearheading the UK’s energy transition by providing numerous low-carbon alternatives, from electric vehicle charging to renewable electricity for homes. It boldly claimed, “The UK is ready for cleaner energy.”
Also Read: Sustaining Leadership In the Asia Pacific: Shell Lubricants APAC Navigates Energy Sector Challenges
However, Adfree Cities, a UK-based network focused on the impact of corporate advertising, identified the omissions in these advertisements. The organization highlighted that these ads failed to provide “significant information” about the overall environmental impact of Shell’s business activities in 2022.
Shell UK responded by stating that its ads were intended to heighten consumer awareness about their range of low-emission energy products and services. They argued that these were accurately represented in their advertisements and did not withhold information about their more environmentally detrimental energy products.
Independent market research supported Shell’s claim that 83% of consumers primarily associated their brand with petrol sales. Shell aimed to bridge the knowledge gap about their newer products through their advertising, promoting their overarching goal of helping customers transition to lower-emission energy sources.
Yet, the ASA was unconvinced. Upon careful investigation, it determined that Shell’s ads could no longer be showcased in their current form. The regulator maintained that these ads delivered a misleading impression about the total environmental impact associated with Shell’s operations. It highlighted that the YouTube ad was particularly misleading, giving an exaggerated impression of the proportion of low-carbon energy products in Shell’s portfolio.
Although Shell was taking steps towards net zero and promoting sustainable energy, its operations in 2021 resulted in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1375 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. The ASA decision, therefore, serves as a wake-up call not only for Shell but for other corporations who might be tempted to ‘greenwash’ their environmental performance.
This report is based on information from the marketing-interactive website.


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The fastest growing conservative news aggregator in America.
Smart robotic food holding a hamburger in a restaurant futuristic robot automation increase efficiency Major fast-food chains like White Castle and Chipotle have started employing restaurant robots as labor shortages continue to impact the industry while the price of food increases in the aftermath of COVID and crippling inflation.
According to a report , automated machines will grill burgers, brew coffee, and welcome customers for a fraction of the cost compared to paying human workers — as governments nationwide imposed draconian lockdown orders, forcing restaurants to close down temporarily and, in some cases, permanently.
The National Restaurant Association said in a […]
Article Source: www.dailywire.com
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According to this TechCrunch report, EA is about to buy Shawn Fanning’s social-network-gaming startup Rupture for $30 million, according to sources with knowledge of the deal.
Fanning is best known as the creator of Napster. From the site:
Electronic Arts is buying the company for its technology, since it doesn’t have a lot of users (it was only ever in beta) and never launched the second version of its service. Presumably, creating social networks around massively multiplayer video games is a key component of its online strategy. The company has not yet officially announced the acquisition, but it is expected to do so soon. [Update: The closing of the deal is imminent, but there are still some papers to sign].


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New WRX Revealed, Revered
We're talking about Subie-grokking enthusiasts. What brought this to mind: the automaker's announcement [reported by our slack-jawed pals at Autoblog] that the current WRX will become the Impreza GT. The new WRX will be a fanboy's wet dream. She'll be packing 265hp, an upgraded suspension and fancy-schmancy-trim,. And get this: no slushbox. Manual transmission only. Considering Subaru has been ditching stick shift trannies like bad dates, it's a win for pistonheads everywhere. The new Lancer Raillart had a hand in this. And even though Subies aren't the most fuel-efficient vehicles on planet Earth, they're still a hit with that part of the North American continent we call the snow belt. Not to mention various other inclement weather enclaves (so to speak). In a decidedly down U.S. new car market, Subie sales rose 5.3 percent in June, up 4.4 percent year-to-date. Impreza sales rose two percent in June, 12 percent year-to-date. So Subie can well afford to hone for hoons.
I'm a computer security geek raised in Nebraska and recently transplanted to Atlanta. I like me some cars, got into car geekery a few years ago and haven't looked back since. I also volunteer at a local ferret shelter and participate in various charity and fund-raising events related to that.
More by Megan Benoit


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Recently, Google Stadia has received a mighty class action lawsuit due to it claiming to play games at a 4K resolution, even though it instead was upscaling the resolution rather than producing a straight 4K image.
The lawsuit was first reported on by ClassAction.org, and was actually filed last year, even though it was only recently taken to a New York federal court on February 12. Plaintiff Jacqueline Sheperd is looking "to secure monetary damages for current and former Stadia subscribers and a court order requiring Google to publicly display the viewing resolution and frames per second of each game sold on Stadia," as ClassAction reports.
Google Stadia was previously slated to be "more powerful than the Xbox One X and the PlayStation 4 Pro combined," as Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced back at the reveal of the product. According to the lawsuit, Stadia was also expected to "provide fast, high-quality 4K 60-frames-per-second resolution gaming," although that has seemingly been debunked for several titles on the service.
Id Software and Bungie were both named in parts of the lawsuit, as Doom Eternal and Destiny 2 were both previously advertised to play at a 4K resolution at the launch of the service - even though neither game ran at true 4K. According to the plaintiff, id Software in particular allegedly "wrongfully generated millions of dollars in revenue as a result."
Stadia has had a rough run these past few weeks, even so much as closing down its own developer studios recently, taking the focus of first party games away from the service. This lawsuit just adds to the misery, and as more unfolds, we'll be sure to keep you updated.
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Kedai Ayamas has launched its special Golden Sesame Roaster in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration along with Mutiara Johor Corporation’s Cookbook titled “Nak Masak Apa Mak? Meh Mak Tunjuk…” at a ceremony held in kedai Ayamas outlet in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail recently.
A perfect combination of sweet, sour and savory, the Golden Sesame Roaster is Ayamas’ juicy roaster that is vacuum-tumbled with a special marinade packed with roasted sesame flavour, capturing the unique taste in each and every bite that will leave you craving for more!
“I am sure the Golden Sesame Roaster is going to be a big hit for our customers, not to just for those celebrating Chinese New Year but also by all Malaysians to enjoy,” said Mr. Calvin Ang, Executive Director, KARA Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Also launched at the event is a traditional cook book created by Mutiara Johor Corporation in collaboration with Women OnWards Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad (WOW), with the support of Johor Corporation (JCORP) and its strategic partner, QSR Brands (M) Holdings Bhd and KARA Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Titled “Nak Masak Apa Mak? Meh Mak Tunjuk…”, the recipe book contains 60 types of all-time favourite traditional recipes that include salad and veggie dishes, lauk-pauk, pastries, cakes, biscuits and desserts. Almost 40 of the WOW members were involved in the creation of the cookbook. Priced at RM29.90 per copy, the publication of the cookbook is intended to raise funds for charity and social-wellbeing programmes as well community activities for women organized by WOW with Mutiara JCORP, in the Kulim-owned estates. The proceeds from the sales of these books will be channeled through welfare activities for those in need.
“The cookbook is a collection of favourite traditional Malay recipes contributed by the women of Kulim (Malaysia) Berhad which are also members of WOW. With its own nostalgic nuances, the cookbook is hoped to be a legacy that will be left to the younger generation for their references in preparing traditional dishes,” said Datin Noor Laila Yahaya, Chairman of the Mutiara Johor Corporation.
A whole Golden Sesame Roaster costs RM26.88, and for those who prefer bigger eats, the sets which are the “Prosperity Feast” are available at RM44.88 and “Prosperity Dinner” at RM22.88 via Ayamas Roaster Express and Deli Ayamas outlets only.
The new Golden Sesame Roaster is available starting from now until 12th March 2018 at all Kedai Ayamas shops, Rasamas restaurants, Ayamas Roaster Express and Deli Ayamas, while stocks last.
*This promotion in not valid for Kedai Ayamas 15th & 30th Offer.


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PARIS, Texas — The Campbell Soup Co. is voluntarily pulling 15 million pounds of SpaghettiOs with Meatballs due to a cooker malfunction discovered in a plant here last week.
Affected varieties are 14.75-ounce cans of SpaghettiOs with Meatballs, SpaghettiOs A to Z with Meatballs, and SpaghettiOs Fun Shapes with Meatballs with use-by dates between June 2010 and December 2011 and the plant code EST4K.
The problem was discovered through a routine warehouse inspection on June 15. The recall was issued two days later.
Cans of fully cooked pasta and meatballs are placed in the cooker and heated for sterilization, spokesman Anthony Sanzio explained.
“We’re fairly confident that the malfunction was a recent event but we couldn’t be certain so in the interest of consumer safety we recalled the full shelf life of the product,” said Sanzio, who would not provide information about the frequency of inspections. There have been no reports of illness.
In other recall news, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has discovered a possible association between ConAgra Foods’ Marie Callender’s Cheesy Chicken & Rice single-serve frozen entrees and eight people diagnosed with salmonellosis linked to Salmonella Chester.
The discovery prompted a precautionary recall of the product by ConAgra. CDC interviews identified people who reported eating the meal in April and May. The last illness was reported May 22.
Read More of Today's Headlines


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It appears that we’re very close to the release of the iPhone 5 (or 4S). Rumors about Apple’s next iPhone are all over the internet but they are just too many I no longer bother to check which ones are credible and which ones are not. But recent rumors of an iPhone 5 launch are becoming more believable and most of them point to a very imminent launch. If recent rumors are to be believed, pre-sales of the iPhone 5 might be starting in a couple of weeks and release will be during the first week of October. This has recently been revealed by some Best Buy documents in the US.
The latest news that seems confirm the release of the iPhone 5 is that Deutsche Telekom just allowed customers to reserve the next generation iPhone “in anticipation of supply bottlenecks for the device”. The telecom said it will hand out coupons to people who expressly request the next iPhone but it will not be revealing the details. Not even the launch date.


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The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s officials during the board of directors meeting.
The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) commended the wise approach and vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah,
The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has wrapped up two days of participation in the 11th Arab-Hellenic Economic Forum,
The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has participated in the international conference to mark the 100th anniversary of the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce
Tesla will lay off more than 10% of its global workforce, an internal memo seen by Reuters on Monday shows, as it grapples with falling sales
The World Bank has raised its forecast for the UAE’s real GDP growth to 3.9% in 2024, compared to its previous forecast in January of 3.7%.
Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, has welcomed 25 new startups as part of its latest cohort. The selected startups will enter Hub71’s ‘Access’ program,


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Key WTO panel endorses Vanuatu membership
A key World Trade Organization panel on Monday endorsed Vanuatu's membership bid, paving the way for the Pacific island state's accession to the global free trade system, officials said.
A working party on Vanuatu, composed of interested WTO member states, wrapped up negotiations during a meeting in Geneva, 16 years after country applied.
The deal will now be submitted for formal approval by all 153 members at a special session of the organisation’s governing General Council at the end of May, a step that is usually a formality, a WTO spokeswoman added.
The terms then have to be ratified by Vanuatu’s parliament.
“There has been approval of accession by the working party which takes us into the final, final phase,” Lamy told journalists after the meeting, underlining the value of integrating one of the world’s least developed countries into the free trade system.
“It’s also a sign of confidence for the organisation at a time of turbulence for the WTO,” he added, referring to the ailing Doha round of talks on expanding free trade, which are meant to benefit developing nations.
Vanuatu trade minister Sela Molisa welcomed Monday’s step and said membership “will enhance our economy and contribute to the well being of our region.”
Vanuatu’s accession reached the same stage in 2001 but the tiny country asked for more time to consider the terms of its entry. The process was frozen until it was revived in 2008.


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Dr. Ian Mitchell says that in an ideal world, physicians would learn about the medicinal properties of cannabis in medical school. Doctors would be trained about different extracts from marijuana plants, including cannabidiol, aka CBD, and tetrahydrocannabinol, aka THC.
But the Kamloops emergency-room physician tells the Georgia Straight by phone that the vast majority of doctors haven’t been educated in this area.
As a result, some are not aware that the CBD extract has proven useful in sharply reducing seizures in children with a rare condition called Dravet syndrome, as well as in other situations.
“It’s been tested in studies to be an effective antipsychotic,” Mitchell says. “It can be used as an anti-anxiety medication and it’s also anti-inflammatory. So it has great potential for inflammatory diseases like arthritis and Crohn’s disease.”
CBD and THC differences not well understood
Mitchell says knowledge of CBD and THC is essential in properly prescribing cannabis to patients suffering from pain linked to cancer, AIDS, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. He points out that some people’s stomachs can’t tolerate traditional anti-inflammatory medications, which can cause gastrointestinal bleeding.
“I have a few little old ladies in my practice,” he reveals. “They have a cookie every night and say, ‘I don’t take my Percocet anymore.’ I would consider that a success because that’s a far less harmful way to treat their pain.”
Mitchell says that CBD is normally about one to two percent of a marijuana plant, whereas the psychoactive agent THC is over 10 percent and getting closer to 20 percent.
Drug prohibition has led to plants being grown with a higher THC percentage because that’s what buyers prefer. The downside, he says, is that plants with higher THC levels often have drastically lower levels of CBD.
“You don’t have the antipsychotic and anti-anxiety properties,” Mitchell explains. “So all of the sudden, you’re smoking this very intense stuff that in the U.K. they call skunk. That probably does make people a bit psychotic and probably does make people very anxious, but this is because of prohibition.
“That’s part of the argument for proper regulations—so that you could choose stuff to have cannabidiol,” he adds. “I consider that essential in a medical-cannabis situation. I want to know what my patients are getting as far as the THC and CBD content.”
Research planned into PTSD and cannabis
He's part of a team awaiting approval from UBC and Health Canada to launch a study into the effect of different preparations of cannabis on posttraumatic stress disorder. He points out that PTSD is taking a tremendous toll on military families in particular.
"This is a huge deal in America," Mitchell says. "Right now, there are 22 veterans a day who commit suicide."
Paxil is the only medication that's approved for treating PTSD, but according to Mitchell, it doesn't work for most people. He says that there is "very good preliminary evidence that cannabis can be effective".
"Some of the synthetic cannabinoids like nabilone have been shown effective for nightmares associated with PTSD," Mitchell states.
He reveals that in the pending research study—the first trial of its kind—one group of research subjects would receive cannabis with CBD but no THC. Another group would consume cannabis with CBD and THC. Another would get cannabis with THC but no CBD and others would receive a placebo.
"Even looking at the THC alone versus the THC and cannabidiol [offers] an the opportunity to test out the effect of this cannabidiol in a real-world situation," he said.
The researchers are hoping to recruit participants in the fall.
ReaLeaf offers advice to those seeking legal cannabis
Meanwhile, Mitchell is a consultant with ReaLeaf Wellness Centres, which counsels patients who want to obtain cannabis legally through the federal government’s Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations. After paying a fee, ReaLeaf clients obtain discounts from licensed producers. To buy marijuana legally, a patient requires a physician’s signature.
“The authorization document is similar to a prescription,” he says. “Generally, it contains the patient’s demographic information and the physician’s information.”
The document sets out how much cannabis can be used per day—the maximum is five grams—and the length of time the patient will be using it. The maximum is one year.
Mitchell says that licensed producers are only permitted to supply dried herbs from marijuana plants.
“You can’t order any edibles and you can’t order any oils,” he notes. “So you’re going to be smoking, vaporizing, or possibly cooking it.”
This has created a niche for dispensaries, which sell extracts, oils, and edibles. Dispensaries operate in a grey area since the Harper government required Canadians to buy medical cannabis from licensed suppliers.
"It just seems like right now, they have free rein to open up," Mitchell says. "You can go in and buy a cookie from them or buy one of these cannabinoid extracts. You can't do that from the licensed producers. That's the biggest difficulty that patients have right now in dealing with the licensed producers. They don't have that variety of product."


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The Indian Railways is on a spree of creating new records and touching setting up new benchmarks. In one such initiative, Indian Railways set up a world record by becoming the first-ever to run Double Stack Container Trains in high-rise Over Head Equipment (OHE) electrified sections having a contact wire height of about 7.57 meter.
In a press release shared by the Indian Railways, the ministry mentioned that with the testing it looks forward to implementing innovation, speed, and customization in freight operations. The operations commenced on 10th June 2020 from the Palanpur and Botad stations of Gujarat.
The press release further mentioned about the possible influence of the operations on the Green India initiative.
Apart from the official press release from the ministry, the Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal took to his official social media handle to announce the achieved feat. He tweeted, “Railways creates a new world benchmark by successfully running first Double Stack Container Train in high rise Over Head Equipment (OHE) electrified sections. Govt under PM @NarendraModi JI propels innovation, speed & customization in freight operations.”
Railways creates a new world benchmark by successfully running 1st Double Stack Container Train in high rise Over Head Equipment (OHE) electrified sections 🚊
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) June 11, 2020
The press release also talked about the lockdown achievements of the Indian Railways & its freight operations. The railways managed to transport 178.68 million tonnes of commodities from 1st April 2020 to 10th June 2020 through its uninterrupted 24×7 freight services.
The authorities look forward to covering up the losses incurred during the lockdown period while surpassing the profits recorded in yesteryear through the running of Double stack container trains.


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In its first year of standalone operations, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is living up to CEO Meg Whitman’s expectations. Hewlett Packard split into two companies in 2015, with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) handling the enterprise business and HP Inc taking over the PC and printer business.
HPE reported its fourth quarter and full fiscal 2016 year results on November 22. Revenue for the fourth quarter was reported at $12.5 billion, with full year revenue coming in at $50.1 billion.
“During our first year as a standalone company, HPE delivered the business performance we promised, fulfilled our commitment to introduce groundbreaking innovation, and began to transform the company through strategic changes designed to enable even better focus, flexibility and financial performance,” Whitman said during her company’s earnings call.
A key part of HPE’s growth is the company’s Strategic Enterprise Services group, which includes its Helion Managed Cloud platform Revenues for Helion Managed Cloud grew by over 50 percent in the fourth quarter. HPE also announced new versions of its Gen9 Servers and 3PAR StoreServ systems. Additionally HPE acquired SGI, expanding the company’s high performance computing capabilities.
HPE is also optimistic about its growth opportunities in the storage market. Whitman said that Flash-based storage today only comprises 10 percent of the data center.
“We see more running room in our all-flash business,” Whitman said. “We’re introducing new de-duplication technology that should provide some further uplift in our all-flash array, because there has been a gap in our portfolio.”
HPE has also been busy in its first year divesting assets in what the company refers to as ‘spin-merge’ (spinoff/merger) deals. HPE announced a spin-merge deal with CSC in May for HPE’s Enterprise Services business. In September, HPE announced a spin-merge of its software business to MicroFocus.
“Together, these transactions are valued at over $20 billion,” Whitman said. “They will enable us to be more nimble, provide cutting edge solutions, play in higher growth markets, and have an enhanced financial profile.”
Whitman was asked during the earning call about any potential impact on HPE from the U.S election. She responded that there was no direct impact or spending slowdown.
“Actually, we saw a bigger impact of Brexit when the UK decided to leave European Union, because it actually froze purchasing quite broadly across Europe for a bit,” Whitman said. “We didn’t see that in the U.S.”
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at Datamation and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist


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Elon Musk has mentioned his X social media platform can pay the authorized payments and sue on the behalf of people that have been handled unfairly by employers due to posting or liking one thing on the positioning previously often known as Twitter.
“In case you have been unfairly handled by your employer attributable to posting or liking one thing on this platform, we’ll fund your authorized invoice,” Musk mentioned in a publish on X late on Saturday, including that there will probably be no limits to funding the payments.
“And we can’t simply sue, it will likely be extraordinarily loud and we’ll go after the boards of administrators of the businesses too,” Musk mentioned later in response to a publish about nothing altering behaviour within the US quicker than a menace of authorized motion.
Late final month, Musk mentioned that month-to-month customers of X reached a “new excessive” and shared a graph that confirmed the most recent depend as over 540 million.
The figures got here as the corporate goes by organizational adjustments and is trying to increase falling promoting income.
It was additionally the most recent in a collection of feedback from X executives claiming robust traction in utilization, after Meta Platforms launched a competing platform known as Threads on July 5.
After 17 years with an iconic blue chook emblem that got here to represent the broadcasting of concepts to the world, billionaire Musk renamed Twitter as X and unveiled a brand new emblem in July, marking a give attention to constructing an “the whole lot app.”
Musk earlier in July had mentioned that the platform’s money movement stays unfavourable due to an almost 50 p.c drop in promoting income and a heavy debt load. An upturn in promoting income that had been anticipated in June did not materialize.
© Thomson Reuters 2023


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Stockholm police say they have received several reports of individuals being handed fake euros as payment for electronics purchased through internet classified adverts
“This is a new phenomenon that we haven’t seen before,” said inspector Stig Sandgren of the Stockholm City police fraud unit to the TT news agency.
Police have already received ten reports from people claiming to have been duped by the scam, and they expect to receive more in the coming weeks.
Victims of the fraud have all placed advertisements on popular buy-sell websites such as Blocket.se offering electronic goods, most often computers.
After making contact, the buyer and seller agree on a price and then decide on a time and place to meet to complete the transaction.
The seller is then given euro bills, usually between 4,000 and 5,000 kronor worth ($570 – $710), as payment.
What the seller of the goods don’t know, however, is that the bills they’ve just been given are in fact counterfeit.
Sandgren fears that more people attempting to sell goods over the internet may get caught in the same trap.
“We’re warning people now to not accept euro bills for these types of transactions with unknown people,” he said.
He suggests that sellers request deals be completed at currency exchange offices where buyers can first exchange their euro bills for Swedish kronor before handing cash over to the seller.
Sandgren also believes it’s possible that several different fraudsters are involved because the method is spreading quickly among other pranksters and criminals.
According to Sandgren, the perpetrators have somehow come into possession of fake euro bills which have made their way onto the market through the purchase of goods over the internet.


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Builders Vote Armstrong Flooring a Top Brand in BUILDER Magazine Study
Armstrong Flooring recognized as top flooring brand by building professionals across three categories.
LANCASTER, Pennsylvania (April 13, 2021) – Armstrong Flooring was voted a brand leader in BUILDER Magazine’s 2020 Brand Use Study, an annual survey of building professionals. The survey found Armstrong Flooring voted as the top flooring brand across three categories: Brand Familiarity, Brands Used in the Past 2 Years, and Highest Overall Quality Rating.
Armstrong Flooring has been recognized as a top flooring brand in the survey for five consecutive years.
“We’re extremely proud of this recognition from the building community,” says Tom Cole, Vice President, Residential Sales at Armstrong Flooring. “We have many exciting new products and programs that we plan to bring to builders in 2021 and this honor is a great foundation as we continue to evolve our business to better serve home builders and their customers.”
For more than 25 years, the annual BUILDER Brand Use Study has measured the current product choices and attitudes of U.S. builders, contractors, and developers, and it has become a staple for educating builders about products and brands. This year’s survey included over 1,000 respondents from across the country who weighed in to share their brand choice preferences and practices for the coming year.
Armstrong Flooring, Inc. (NYSE: AFI) is
a leading global manufacturer of flooring products and one of the industry’s
most trusted and celebrated brands. The company continually builds on its
resilient, 150-year legacy by delivering on its mission to create a stronger
future for customers through adaptive and inventive solutions. Headquartered in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Armstrong Flooring safely and responsibly operates
eight manufacturing facilities globally. Learn more armstrongflooring.com.


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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Bob Mariano has joined Superior Farms as its new director of marketing. Mariano has more than 16 years of retail marketing experience, most recently as the director of Omnichannel Production with Sacramento-based Raley’s.
“I’m pleased to announce that Bob Mariano has joined Superior Farms as our new Director of Marketing,” said Anders Hemphill, vice president of marketing & brand strategy for Superior Farms, who led the search. “Bob comes to us with a wealth of digital marketing and customer engagement experience. His experience with a significant retailer will provide us with good perspective on connecting and communicating with our retail customers. Bob’s expertise will be instrumental in our ongoing social media strategy, website design and customer engagement activities.”
|Bob Mariano, Superior Farms new director of marketing|
Hemphill and Mariano will work together on the company’s marketing efforts to drive consumers’ growing taste for American lamb. The addition of Mariano will bring greater insight to the ever-changing landscape of retail supermarkets.
“Lamb is hot right now and Superior Farms has played a leadership role in creating products that meet consumers’ evolving tastes, while syncing with their lifestyle needs,” Mariano said. “I look forward to working with Anders and the entire Superior Farms team to continue to implement relevant marketing campaigns that tell our story and inspire more consumers, chefs, foodservice directors and the like to try our lamb.”


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In 2009, Samsung and Qualcomm signed a licensing agreement covering 3G and 4G for the use of the CDMA2000, WCDMA, TD-SCDMA and OFDMA patents of the chip manufacturer. This allowed South Korea to use the patents for 15 years. Now companies have announced an expansion of the global contract covering mobile devices and infrastructure equipment.
Details on the new deal were not provided but Qualcomm’s licensing division chief Alex Rogers said Samsung will continue to pay royalties on handset sales.
They have also signed a multi-year strategic relationship agreement to enhance cooperation in various technology areas and on a variety of mobile devices. This agreement broadens the relationship of companies during the transition to 5G.
It is worth remembering that Qualcomm received a $ 825 million fine from the South Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) in December last year after a three-year investigation. KFTC has accused Qualcomm of having an “unfair business model” and creating a monopoly. The company was also “invited” to negotiate with rival chip makers in patent licensing and renegotiate its chip supply contracts with smartphone makers if requested.
Samsung was one of the few companies listed for reference by KFTC during its investigation. Samsung will now withdraw its interventions in the appeal against Qualcomm to the KFTC decision in Seoul High Court as part of this new agreement.
This agreement came at a crucial time for Qualcomm, which seeks to resolve its legal issues and tries to break away from a hostile takeover bid by Broadcom.


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Some big news out of China: On the 29th of November, a Chinese court of law in the city of Hangzhou ruled that NFTs are virtual property that the law must protect.
Blockchain technology has always been a challenge to the establishment. It threatens to bring a new dawn of de-centralized gaming, finance, and ownership which big money and government could have little control over. The popularity of this new tech, however, cannot be squashed. This has led governments and legacy organizations to take an ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ philosophy as more big names have jumped in on the blockchain bonanza.
The Future is Uncertain
Despite the watershed ruling, the court admitted that there is currently no legal definition for NFTs in China’s laws.
China has somewhat of a troubled relationship with blockchain tech. In June of 2022, the country’s most popular social network, WeChat put a ban on all NFT and crypto activity. While In 2021, the government also banned cryptocurrency trading and mining.
As NFTs are built using blockchain technologies, many assumed they would be entirely prohibited. However, this has yet to be the case. The government implemented its “Blockchain Services Network (BSN),” which has somewhat capitalized on the popularity of NFTs while disconnecting them from the crypto-currencies surrounding them. NFT minting and circulation are still allowed, however, trading is strictly prohibited.
Source NFT Plazas


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Lahore, February 27, 2018 (PPI-OT): The top trade-fair organizer of Pakistan – Ecommerce Gateway is all set to organize 5 international mega-exhibitions, starting in Karachi from 13th March and concluding on 15th of March 2018. The multiple events will be held at the Karachi Expo Center. These 3 day events will include Auto and Transport Asia, Engineering Asia, Oil and Gas Asia and Power and Alternative Energy Asia.
These events will feature more than 1000 local and foreign exhibitors and is expected to be attended by more than 100,000 people, whereby all major players will get an opportunity to display and market their products and services. It will also give a platform to the international investors, manufacturers, traders and foreign entrepreneurs to interact with various segments of Pakistani consumers.
These diversified events include: The 17th International Auto, Transport and Logistics Asia– the biggest platform for the presentation of the products from Automobile industry, Commercial Vehicle industry, Railway Industry, Next-Gen Battery Industry and Airlines Industry. The 17th International Engineering Show- a leading event featuring the advancements in technology and breakthrough inventions in the Engineering Sector.
The 17th International Oil and Gas Machinery and Technology Asia – is the largest platform in the continent for exhibiting high-end products and services of this sector. The International Mines, Mineral and Metal Expo Fair – is a vibrant platform for all international and national stakeholders to showcase the latest products and innovations of this highly lucrative industry.
Dr. Khurshid Nizam – President of Ecommerce Gateway Pvt. Ltd. stated that; “It is matter of pride for us to organize these 5 different International events here in Pakistan, during the month of March 2018. These events will be the biggest interactive platforms for the relevant companies to expand their customer-outreach and customer engagement. Companies belonging to different industrial sectors of the country can take great advantage of the attentive and receptive target audience, to inspire and create new customers.”
These 3-day events will provide all stakeholders to explore fresh business opportunities in Pakistan. The liberal Investment policy adopted by the Government of Pakistan will attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) from International Businesses and entrepreneurs. Pakistan’s economy is gaining more momentum as the country is maintaining a steady growth. As the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Product (GNP) of the nation improve, it will further increase the confidence of the foreign stakeholders.
The enthusiastic participation of local and foreign companies in these exhibitions will further strengthen the trade-volume and brand-image of Pakistan. These spectacular events will contribute to economic growth and thus establish a pathway for a progressive Pakistan. With the increase in the market size and an increase in demand for quality products and better services in Pakistan, these events will create a positive impact on the wellbeing of the people.
These mega-events being organized by Ecommerce Gateway will also provided valuable opportunities to overseas exhibitors and investors to interact with local entrepreneurs for joint ventures, transfer of technologies and appointing agents, distributors and partners in Pakistan.
For more information, contact:
Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited
8, Kokan Society, Dr. Azhar Hussain Road,
Near Kokan Park, Off: Shaheed-e-Millat Road,
Karachi – 74000, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-34536321, 38709970
Fax: +92-21-34536330, 34860830


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Tobacco giant Altria Group (NYSE: MO) has given long-term investors extremely high returns over time, and the success of its cigarette business has played the key role in producing and building the profits that have funded its dividend payments and sent its stock price soaring.
Yet when you take a look at the results Altria has had so far during 2016, the cigarette business doesn't stand out as the top performer in Altria's arsenal. You have to look elsewhere in the tobacco market to find the fastest-growing part of Altria's business. Although it doesn't make up a huge portion of Altria's overall revenue, it shows signs of dominating its industry niche, and should continue to add to the tobacco giant's overall financial success.
Image source: Altria.
For all the attention that Altria's Marlboro cigarette brand gets, many investors don't realize that Altria has a business other than smokeable products. Yet Altria's smokeless products segment has seen much better performance so far in 2016 than its cigarette segment, and that stems from having the most popular brand in the industry under its corporate umbrella.
Looking at first-half results, Altria has seen total revenue from smokeless products climb above the $1 billion mark; after accounting forexcise taxes, top-line net sales of $935 million are up almost 11% from the year-ago period. Altria has done an even better job of raising profitability from the unit, boosting adjusted operating company income by more than 15% to $631 million. That produced margins of 67.5%, which are far more impressive than the roughly 49% figure that the cigarette business posted during the first half of 2016.
In addition, shipment volumes have been higher in the smokeless arena than for cigarettes. During the first half of 2016, shipment volumes for smokeless products were up 6%. Even after accounting for favorable trade inventory movements and other factors, an adjusted increase of 4% in first-half volume outpaced Altria's estimate of how much growth the overall industry experienced during the same period.
How Copenhagen has come to dominate smokeless tobacco
The primary brands that Altria offers in the smokeless realm are Copenhagen and Skoal, and in recent years, Copenhagen has taken a huge lead over its peer. During the first half, Copenhagen made up almost two-thirds of Altria's premium-brand smokeless tobacco shipments, and nearly 60% of total volume including discount and other products. Copenhagen's market share rose to 34% in the second quarter, and the brand has enjoyed a nearly two-percentage-point gain in the first half of the year, compared to 2015's first half. By contrast, Skoal has seen its market share slip lately. Nevertheless, Copenhagen's success has pushed the overall smokeless tobacco business higher, and Altria boasted 55.5% share of the smokeless market in the first six months of 2016.
What Altria sees in smokeless products
Altria believes that smokeless tobacco can produce long-term benefits for the company, and it has doubled down on the success of Copenhagen. The company has invested most of its efforts toward building up Copenhagen's business, accepting the resulting loss of importance for Skoal.
At the same time, Altria has centered innovation on Copenhagen. The company has expanded its Copenhagen Mint line of smokeless tobacco, with a national retail presence helping to push market share higher. As CEO Marty Barrington noted following Altria's most recent financial report, Copenhagen Mint "has performed extremely well, bringing excitement to the brand for both adult dippers and for the trade."
Altria has high hopes for smokeless products, with the expectation that the division will continue to press for a share of resources to bolster its business prospects for the long run. Even though smokeless makes up only a small portion of the company's overall sales, Altria and its shareholders benefit from the high-margin business, and that could lead to better results well into the future.
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AVONDALE — An Avondale maker has launched an online craft fair that mimics the experience of a traditional market so local makers don’t miss out on holiday sales and shoppers can still get handmade gifts.
The online fair comes as similar fairs and events, typically held in person, have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Craft fairs, in general, offer a unique opportunity for people to create wonderful things but don’t have the time, capacity or interest to actually run a shop,” said Lisa Sierra, who makes hand-knit hats, headbands and other items under the moniker Woven Dove.
“This is a chance for shoppers to buy unique gifts that are meaningful in the purchasing and the giving, and support people in their endeavors.”
The craft fair is set for Friday-Sunday. All shoppers have to do is pull up the Facebook group to shop. Instead of booths, makers will have their own albums shoppers can peruse.
All 20 of the participating vendors, selling everything from clay jewelry to novelty soaps based on TV shows, live in Avondale or the surrounding communities.
Sierra said she was inspired by an online craft fair in Vancouver. She threw out the idea for an Avondale-specific event in a neighborhood Facebook group, expecting only a few people to respond. But the comments kept pouring in.
“The response was honestly overwhelmingly positive,” she said.
“I was really hoping for 10, and I ended up instead needing to narrow it down from how many people have reached out.”
The experience has been so positive that Sierra already knows she wants to host another craft fair next year. She said next year she’ll start planning earlier so she can include more makers.
By day, Sierra handles social media for a Canada-based company called Lil Helper. She and her family are new to Avondale; they’ve only lived in the neighborhood since September. The craft fair has allowed her to get to know her neighbors at a time when gatherings are restricted due to the pandemic, she said.
“It’s been really fun,” she said. “So many of the ways you would normally meet people aren’t happening right now, so it’s been a way for me to meet a lot of really awesome people.”
Anyone who joins the Facebook group before Friday will be entered to win $50 to spend at any of the craft fair booths.


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In 2012, the African Union (AU) resolved to establish the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). African Heads of State and Governments set a 2017 deadline for the treaty’s implementation. But, there is no consensus yet on the agreement as some member-nations have requested for more time to widen consultations on the treaty’s likely impact on their economies. OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE and CHARLES OKONJI write on AfCFTA’s implications for local manufacturers, the economy and Africa.
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) plans to take advantage of Africa’s 1.2 billion population and its more than $2 trillion combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to create a single continental market for goods and services.
But, those opposed to the treaty see it as an indirect colonisation from Europe, arguing that the move will give unfettered access to goods manufactured outside the continent into the market, thereby creating a dumping ground.
The AfCFTA treaty covers goods, services, investment rules and procedures on dispute settlement, including a range of provisions to facilitate trade, reduce transaction costs, provide exceptions, flexibilities and safeguards for vulnerable groups and countries.
Forty-five out of the 55 African countries have so far signed the treaty. Surprisingly, South Africa, that led the countries who suspected the treaty as not-too-good, made a U-turn two weeks ago to sign the agreement. It joined Rwanda, Niger, Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, The Gambia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Cote D’Ivoire, Seychelles, Algeria and Equatorial Guinea.
Others include: Morocco, Swaziland, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, South Sudan, Uganda, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sao Tome and Principle, Togo and Tunisia, among others.
The eight others yet to endorse AfCFTA are: Nigeria, Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, Eritrea, Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has estimated that the agreement’s implementation could shore up intra-African trade by 52 per cent by 2022.
The agreement is expected to liberalise services and aims to tackle the so-called “non-tariff barriers” which hamper trade among African countries, such as long delays at the borders.
Free movement of people and the use of a single currency could become part of the treaty.
The Federal Government said it was delaying its signature to widen and deepen domestic consultations. It promised not to sign any agreement that will not fairly and equitably represent its interest and that of other countries in the continent.
Arguments for and against treaty
Some argue the treaty will impact on government revenue and social welfare. The elimination of all tariffs among African countries, they believe, will erode the trading states’ treasury by up to $4.1 billion annually and deepen poverty, with millions of Africans exposed to starvation and death.
Others, particularly among the poorer economies, are afraid the benefits in the free trade area may not be equitably distributed.
To the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of $405 billion and a population of about 180 million. It is also Africa’s largest market, followed by Egypt ($332 billion) and South Africa ($295 billion). But, criticisms trail the seeming positive body language of the Federal Government towards joining other countries in signing it.
Nigeria’s Chief Trade Negotiator /Director-General Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN), Stage 1 of the AfCFTA, Ambassador Chiedu Osakwe, said the treaty would create a single market, progressively reducing restrictions to trade in goods and services, based on the agreed modalities of a 90 per cent level of ambition, a 10 per cent exclusion and sensitive list, as well as identified priority sectors for trade in services.
Osakwe pointed out that the AfCFTA implementation has been estimated to boost intra-African trade from 16 per cent to 52 per cent by 2022, adding that Stage 2 of the AfCFTA negotiations would cover investment, competition and intellectual property.
Osakwe said: “The AfCFTA potential is considerable with an estimated population increase in Africa to 4 billion and a GDP increase of $25 trillion, by 2050. Any cost/benefit analysis of AfCFTA accession should estimate the cost of non-accession.”
At the forefront of those opposed to the treaty is the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). The congress has described signing the treaty as “extremely dangerous” as it would open the country’s seaports, airports and other businesses to unbridled foreign interference and domination.
NLC President Ayuba Wabba said that AfCFTA) will lead to massive job loss, closure of businesses and incapacitate local technological advancement.
He berated the Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, for spearheading the agreement, which was roundly rejected when it was christened Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
In Wabba’s argument, the AfCFTA seeks to open Africa’s seaports, airports and other businesses to unbridled foreign interference. According to him, the Nigerian local business community and organised labour have not been consulted even when the government directed the promoters of the agreement to do so.
He said: “The drivers of this policy initiative, without consulting the relevant stakeholders for possible impact assessment, perfected plans to pressurise President Muhammadu Buhari to sign it.
“We at the NLC are shocked by the sheer impunity or blatant lack of consultation in the process that has led to this. We are more worried by the probable outcome of this policy initiative if it is given life because of its crippling effect on the local businesses and attendant effects on jobs.”
Wabba added that the NLC found it confounding that at a time nations, including the United States (U.S.) are resorting to protectionism in defence of their local businesses and protection of jobs, Nigeria and Africa have the audacity to want to fling open its doors, windows and rooftops.
He added: “We have no doubt this policy initiative will spell the death knell of the Nigerian economy. Accordingly, we urge Mr. President not to sign this agreement either in Kigali or anywhere. We believe our national interest is at stake and nothing should be done to compromise this.”
Manufacturers also kick
The Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN) also rejected the move to sign the treaty until proper consultations and inputs of all interest groups have been received on issues concerning market access and enforcement of rules of origin were addressed.
MAN President Frank Udemba Jacob urged the government to continue to withhold its sign-on to the agreement until a credible outcome from an ongoing study initiated by the government on the matter was received.
He said that Nigeria could become the key driver of improved volume of intra-African trade if the rules of origin, countervailing measures, dispute settlement, amongst other, were addressed.
Dr. Jacob, however, reiterated that the only way to guarantee this positive proposition was to ensure that the negotiating team was guided by a credible and strategic study.
He said: “In the light of recent developments, we considered it necessary to intimate you (Federal Government) that an insignificant number of non-real sector operators in the private sector are tactfully recommending that Mr. President signs the agreement.
“MAN is not at home with the technicalities of a trade agreement of this magnitude. The pronouncement of this group of actors is not representative of the views of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) of Nigeria”.
He further stressed the need ensure that “the agreement is in sync and not constraining the nation’s extant economic policies, including the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
The MAN chief reiterated that concerns on the implications of signing the agreement, which had been raised since March, had not been addressed.
His words: “We are concerned about the impact of AfCFTA on the nation’s tax structure, the government revenue, the welfare of over 180 million Nigerians and its impact on the industrialisation and economic development aspirations of Nigeria. For the avoidance of doubt, we again request that Mr. President should not sign the AfCFTA agreement until the outcome of a credible study so indicates.
“He should but graciously allow the nation’s team to resume participation in the negotiation processes only to ensure that the country is abreast of developments.
“This will not jeopardise or constrain the reservation of our assent, should we eventually decide that the agreement is definitely not in our favour.
“Rather, it will only mean that, whilst keeping our eyes on the goings-on, we can continue with our much-needed and sovereign path to determine whether we should sign-on or not.”
He lauded the clear demonstration of the commitment of Buhari and his government to the growth of the manufacturing sector; its preservation and the improvement of the wellbeing of the citizenry and the economy.
At a policy round table discussion on: “Business environment & excise duty: Maximising economic opportunities through effective anti-illicit trade enforcement” organised in Lagos by the Initiative For Public Policy Analysis (IPPA), experts cautioned that to curtail the activities and the ills of illicit trade ravaging the country’s economy, the government should not rush into signing the controversial AfCFTA.
They advised that government must not succumb to pressures to sign the agreement until some identified grey areas have been taken care of.
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Consultant John Isemede recommended the review of the composition of the 20-member committee where the Organised Private Sector (OPS) will take centre stage to explore the salient but critical issues like the nation’s comparative advantage to avoid making the country a dumping ground for goods and services as one of such issues that must be addressed.
Dr. Isemede, a former director-general of Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) said: “The country is already overloaded with imports. I am not saying that the federal government should not sign at all, but to put the necessary infrastructure on ground, something to sell, something to offer before rushing into the agreement.
“For instance, the tea you sip comes from Kenya; the Titus fish you eat every day comes from Morocco; there is Shoprite here owned by South Africans; the fruits, vegetables, wines and other things sold there are imported from South Africa with the South African Airline. What is Nigeria bringing to the table and what are we going to sell?” Isemede queried.
According to the UNIDO consultant, the government should review the membership of the committee where the OPS will take charge in contrast with the current arrangement, get the transport sector up and doing, especially the rail system must be on track. This is in addition with more local industries looking towards export and the government possibly considering the re-introduction of commodity board to optimise the nation’s comparative advantage.
Isemede said: “You know that Nigerian market is the target because of the size. To me, signing AfCFTA without putting the necessary things in place and without more involvement of the OPS is like a landlord handing over his Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) to the tenant.”
The chairman of New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Business Group and former Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Mrs. Nike Akande, said Nigeria was not yet ripe for the AfCFTA.
She warned that Nigeria will become a dumping ground for all kinds of goods until its goods and services become competitive.
A Senior Research Fellow at IPPA and University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom (UK), Dr. Olajide Damilola, described Nigeria’s absence in the world ranking on IT as captured by the Global Illicit Trade Index (GITEI), the global body rating countries on illegal trade as worrisome.
The absence, according to him, is due to dearth of data. The situation is more precarious because the trade could be causing serious harm to the economy unnoticed and a big scare to prospective investors.
He said: “As an emerging economy laden with socio-economic obstacles, the challenges of doing business in Nigeria are several and these issues affect the growth of the economy as well as making it difficult to attract investors and successful investment.
“The challenges range from multiple infrastructural inadequacy, policy inconsistencies, corruption, insecurity, bureaucratic bottlenecks, infringements on rule of law and sometimes a lack of political will to implement business friendly policies.
“In such an adverse environment, companies operating legally as net economic contributors deserve government encouragement and protection of their goods and services from losing commercial viability to illicit perpetrators.”
According to him, the country must urgently work on the critical factors encouraging IT in order not to compound the problems of the economy.
“Some of the critical factors considered to be contributing to illicit trade are weak and unimplemented government policies, supply and demand of illicit products, transparency and trade environment and customs enforcement,” he said.
To address the problem, the research fellow advised that certain questions must be answered to properly direct policy at the fight.
He listed them as: “The government action or inaction that create incentives for illicit trade to thrive in the country; how do we benefit from illicit trade compare to the costs?; what categories of GITEI should Nigeria aim to improve upon; and whether the Netherlands approach (where when illicit drug market was on the increase, the government legalised it leading to a drop in hard drug market and crime rate) is practicable in Nigeria and Africa.
“The answers to these questions are very crucial to the fight as according to him, illicit trade is a global phenomenon whose solution should be global in nature, aimed at international cooperation and harmonisation of laws and regulations beyond borders, citing the global fight against money laundering as atypical example.
“A holistic approach is required which also involves strategies beyond the jurisdiction of a country,” he stressed, adding that there can be no single policy framework to address the problem but a case-to-case approach targeting products.
“Though illicit trade could be revenue source for some input suppliers, consumers having access to lower prices and greater brand variety, and sometimes translates into lower unemployment and less demand on public funds, its dangers outweighs such imagined benefits.”
According to him, the dangers include serious health risks to consumers, reduction of tax revenues and increase in instability, reduction of market share and capacity of local businesses.
“Others are possible brand image damage of illicit manufacturers and as underground economy, it does not reflect in the country’s GDP,” he added.
The Nigerian Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (NASME) President, Degun Agboade, said since the Small& Medium Enterprises (SMEs) constitute 80 per cent of the workforce as the engine growth of the economy, the government must explain and assure them that it will not hurt the local economy.
He urged the government to check smuggling, noting that if only approved goods and services are allowed into the country, it may attract gains from the advanced economies.
But, former President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed disappointment that Nigeria was not among the 44 signatories to the treaty in view of its pivotal role in promoting the vision.
By creating a single continental market for goods and services, the member states of the African Union (AU) hope to boost trade between African countries.
Intra-African trade is relatively limited; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the main UN body dealing with trade, said it made up only 10.2 per cent of the continent’s total trade in 2010.
The Coordinator of the African Trade Policy Centre at UNECA, David Luke, hopes the free trade area will correct this “historical anomaly”.
He said: “Colonialism created a situation where neighbours stopped trading with each other. The main trading route was between African countries and European countries and between African countries and the U.S.”.
According to Luke, removing barriers to trade is expected to not just grow trade within Africa, but also grow relevant trade in the continent.
He revealed that between 2010 and 2015, oil represented more than half of Africa’s exports to non-African countries, while manufactured goods made up only 18 per cent of exports to the rest of the world, a UNECA report said.
“When you have this kind of economy, your young people cannot find jobs. And when they cannot find jobs, you see them trying to get to Europe and drowning in the Mediterranean,” Luke added.
He said that the free trade area will also make Africa more competitive outwardly noting that any of the African countries that can move further up the supply chain would be better placed in a global context as well.
What are the challenges?
After the cancellation of his trip to the signing of the AfCFTA, President Muhammadu Buhari said the decision was “to allow time for broader consultation.” But the NLC warned the President against signing the agreement which it called , a “renewed, extremely dangerous and radioactive neo-liberal policy initiative”.
Observers have, however, stated that Nigeria’s sudden stalling signals that not everybody is satisfied individual countries will be better off under the deal.
A research paper by UNCTAD concedes that elimination of all tariffs between African countries would take an annual $4.1 billion out of the trading states’ coffers, but would create an overall annual welfare gain of $16.1billion on the long run.
But there are fears that the benefits of the free trade area could be unevenly distributed.
A programme officer at Third World Network Africa, Sylvester Bagooroo, believed the treaty laid much emphasis tariff cut without sufficient consideration for the production capabilities of member countries.
He said the continent’s advanced countries will take advantage of the treaty to push their products, goods and services to less-developed nations.
“If you don’t build on productive capacities, when you liberalise, you are only going to be trading imported goods across Africa, and that will be a big blow to domestic manufacturing across the continent,” Bagooroo said.
Cautioning that attention should be paid to the big economies against the small economies, he said: “We need to pay attention to the dominant sectors against the weaker sectors.”
A research fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Africa Growth Initiative, Eyerusalem Siba, described the idea as a welcome development, but doubted the readiness of Africa for such.
He advised on the need to develop a more skilled workforce adaptable to the demands of globalisation and at the same time create social policies for those who will lose jobs due to increased competition.
“It’s a good idea to integrate eventually, but are we ready for it? Not every expert I have spoken with agrees with it,” she said.
Experts described the AfCFTA as an important step to integrate African economies, boost intra-African trade and attain sustainable development in the continent in line with the African Union Agenda 2063 and global goals on sustainable development.
They, however, argued that liberalisation of trade in goods and services may entail adjustment costs for the AU member states that have been outweighed by significantly higher long-term gains.
Two long-term scenarios have been predicted. One scenario eliminates all tariffs on intra-African trade. The other allows the permanent exemption of sensitive products from tariff liberalisation.
It is hoped that African countries can benefit from expanded markets for African goods and services, free movement of factors of production and more efficient allocation of resources to promote economic diversification, technological progress and human capital development.


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Xiaomi to partner with Three, owned by Asia's richest billionaire, for overseas expansion?
Xiaomi Inc, a Chinese vendor notablefor its aggressively-priced handsets, is looking to secure anoverseas expansion deal with 3 (Three), a mobile carrier owned byAsia's richest man - Li Ka-shing. The 85 year old Hong Kong businessmagnate, whose net worth amounts to $28.8 billion, is head of aglobal business empire - Hutchison Whampoa. It spanstelecommunication operations in 14 countries along with ports,real estate, infrastructure, and retail businesses. In addition, Hutchison owns stakes in Facebook, Spotify, Waze, and Summly. It seems Mr. Ka-shing has a fine flair for young and promising companies. It's no surprise then that he's set his sights on Xiaomi, as it's one of the most popular smartphone brands in China.
The Chinese vendor will partner with 3 Hong Kong tolaunch its flagship phone, the Mi 3, in the country. Presumably, itwill be looking to extend this cooperation into the internationalmarkets in which the carrier operates. Outside of China, 3 is presentin Australia, Austria, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Sweden,and the UK. This makes a list of countries that the company couldgrace with its smartphones sometime in the future. However, the firstplaces outside of China in the pipeline are Indonesia and Vietnam, while Singapore is already done, and Malaysia is in the plans.
Xiaomi's initiative for partnering with3 is spearheaded by none other than Hugo Barra, former VP of ProductManagement for Android and current Global VP at the Chinese vendor."We would love to partner with Hutch in other markets, forexample, Indonesia and Vietnam where Xiaomi plans to roll outproducts in the coming months.” he said at a Hong Kong event.
Last Sunday, Xiaomi unveiled a $1615.5-inch phablet, the Redmi Note. Alas, this one is only available inChina for now. Let's hope that Xiaomi's future expansion into theWestern world will go over smoother than Meizu's (a rival to Xiaomi)scramble to the French market. About two weeks ago, it launched itscurrent flagship, the Meizu MX3, in France at the salty price of $763(549 euros) for the 16GB variant. Meanwhile, the 128GB version of theMX3, which is the most expensive, costs about $650 in China.


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A cannabis line from Future is on its way.
Apr 14, 2023
Method Man’s TICAL cannabis brand has gone from being available at Denver, CO dispensaries to now, a new state. Benzinga reports that the rapper has joined Glorious Cannabis Co. to bring the brand to Michigan.
May 18, 2022
Soulja Boy may not be the first rapper to break into the cannabis industry, but he is the latest Hip-Hop artist to cash in on the business. According to a press release, Soulja Boy is launching his own cannabis brand called Soulja Exotics™ with a line of medicinal-quality marijuana in partnership with Grizzly Peak™. The rapper’s brand of marijuana will be distributed exclusively in legal cannabis dispensaries throughout California. For many rappers, the cannabis industry has become a new avenue of revenue that’s getting them more involved in the business. While people like Jay-Z, Wiz Khalifa and others making moves on behalf of Hip-Hop and Black and brown people, Soulja Boy is forging his own path to better connect with fellow smokers. “For years, I’ve been looking for a premium cannabis company to bring my product to market,” Soulja Boy said in a statement. “Grizzly Peak grows their medicinal quality cannabis indoors in coco fiber giving it a smooth inhale and exhale. I have so...
Jul 30, 2021
Every day is Friday thanks to Ice Cube’s new line of cannabis products! The rapper, born O’Shea Jackson, has announced his own line of cannabis called Fryday Kush, inspired by his cult-classic movie “Friday.” “Fryday Kush is made with that good stuff,” wrote the “Today Was A Good Day,” rapper in an Instagram post. Now available in Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, and California — Ice Cube has partnered with the company Caviar Gold to produce his new line of kush. “From the man that needs no introduction — these infused cones & high potency buds are the strongest nugs on the market, personally developed by Ice Cube,” reads the description for the product on Caviar’s website. Ice Cube’s new strain contains 46.2 percent THC and 10.78 percent CBD and according to its website, Caviar is the only brand in the marijuana industry to have a patented production process. “I partnered with Caviar Gold, so you know Fryday Kush is the best,” Ice Cube said in a tweet. “Caviar Gold is the original...
Feb 15, 2021


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By Roger J Kerr
There were plenty of reasons why the NZ dollar should have been sold lower in the foreign exchange markets last week.
The fact that the Kiwi, for the most part, has remained above 0.7200 against the USD is testimony to the lack of international interest in our currency now that there is no interest rate return advantage in buying and holding the currency.
However, the Kiwi’s stability above 0.7200 may not be too long lasting as it has rather surprisingly outperformed the AUD against the USD, forcing the NZD/AUD cross-rate back up to 0.9400.
There is no justification for the Kiwi dollar gains against the AUD at this time; both interest rate and commodity price differentials suggest a lower cross-rate.
The speculative fraternity are likely to sell the Kiwi against the Aussie at 0.9400. The Kiwi has some catching up to do to the lower AUD/USD exchange rate that is now trading below 0.7700. The NZD/USD rate did briefly dip below the key support level of 0.7180; however, it did not close below that point.
Over coming weeks and months, it is difficult to see what domestic economic factors could move the Kiwi dollar upwards or downwards. The economy continues to expand at a decent clip with our export commodity prices at multi-year highs. Counter-acting those positives are potential risks around disruptive industrial action and policy changes like the minimum wage and youth wage having unintended negative consequences for jobs and the economy.
The tit-for-tat retaliatory trade tariff announcements and measures between the US and China are not good news for the US economy, the Chinese economy and the global economy.
President Trump does not seem to understand or care about the damage he is doing to the US economy by initiating trade wars.
For an export/import economy like New Zealand, relying on free global trading conditions, the recent development towards outright trade wars is very bad news indeed. We rely heavily on both China and Australia and we have seen the immediate reaction by the financial/investment markets to the trade wars is to sell Chinese equities and sell the Aussie dollar.
The escalation of import tariff barriers is negative for the Kiwi dollar for the following reasons:-
- The NZ economy has benefited and reaped the rewards of free-trade agreements over the last 30 years; the world now heading in the opposite direction to protectionism reduces our balance sheet value.
- Weaker than expected global growth means lower commodity prices and thus a growth/commodity currency like the Kiwi dollar falling out of favour.
- Retreating global equity markets has investors in “risk-off” mode and the NZD always weakens in this environment.
- US inflation increases at a faster rate than what would otherwise been the case with tariffs on imported products being passed through to US consumers. The Federal Reserve may well need to lift the tempo of interest rate increases above current market expectations and thus the US dollar strengthens as a result.
The new Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Adrian Orr is in place this week; however, the FX markets will have to wait until the next Monetary Policy Statement on 10 May before they can get a read as to whether the change in personnel will alter monetary policy direction.
Roger J Kerr contracts to PwC in the treasury advisory area. He specialises in fixed interest securities and is a commentator on economics and markets.


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India Online Food Delivery Market Outlook
According to the report by Expert Market Research (EMR), the India online food delivery market analysis reached a value of approximately USD 7.4 billion in 2022. Aided by the technological advancements in the digital realm, and an expanding base of internet-savvy users, the market is expected to witness a robust growth in the coming few years.
The online food delivery market consists of services that provide customers with meals prepared in restaurants or centralised kitchens, delivered through an online platform. It has witnessed a surge in demand due to the changing lifestyle of consumers, rapid urbanisation, and the convenience associated with ordering food online.
A significant driver of India online food delivery market growth is the escalating demand for comfort and ease in the food ordering process. The expanding digital infrastructure, coupled with a robust increase in smartphone usage in India has made it possible for consumers to order food from a wide range of restaurants and cuisines with just a few clicks. Moreover, the flexibility in payment options, such as cash on delivery, debit/credit card payments, and digital wallets, have augmented the popularity of online food delivery services.
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The growing trend of nuclear families and increasing number of working professionals who rely on these services for their daily meals have also significantly contributed to the India online food delivery market expansion. This shift is especially noticeable in metropolitan cities, where hectic work schedules and increasing disposable income influence the increased reliance on online food delivery platforms.
Furthermore, with the pandemic-induced lockdowns and the subsequent emergence of a contactless economy, the demand for online food delivery services have skyrocketed. Consumers are becoming more conscious of their health and hygiene, prompting them to opt for online food delivery, which ensures minimal human contact and offers hygienic food packaging.
Online food delivery platforms have been innovative in extending their services beyond conventional meals. Today, consumers can order groceries, gourmet foods, desserts, and beverages from their favourite establishments. This diversification in services has boosted the user base of these platforms, thus contributing to the India online food delivery market growth.
Moreover, the government’s efforts to encourage digitalisation and the proliferation of startup culture in India have acted as catalysts for the online food delivery market’s growth. Numerous startups in this sector have secured substantial investments, enabling them to expand their services and improve their technology, thereby enhancing user experience.
India Online Food Delivery Market Segmentation
The market can be divided based on cuisine, platform, delivery type, payment method, and region.
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Market Breakup by Cuisine
Market Breakup by Platform
- Mobile Application
Market Breakup by Delivery Type
- Restaurant-to-Consumer Delivery
- Platform-to-Consumer Delivery
Market Breakup by Payment Method
- Cash on Delivery
Market Breakup by Region
- North India
- East and Central India
- West India
- South India
The EMR report looks into the market shares, plant turnarounds, capacities, investments, and acquisitions and mergers, among other major developments, of the India online food delivery companies. Some of the major key players explored in the report by Expert Market Research are as follows:
- Zomato Limited
- Bundl Technologies Pvt Ltd (Swiggy)
- Foodvista India Private Limited (FreshMenu)
- Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd.
- Yum! Brands, Inc.
- Plaza Restaurants Private Limited
- Curefoods India Private Limited
- Rebel Foods
- Sky Gate Hospitality Pvt Ltd
- Poncho Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
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Our high-quality, data-driven analyses provide the essential framework for organisations seeking to make informed and strategic decisions in an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving business environment. By investing in our market research reports, you can ensure your organisation remains agile, proactive, and poised for success in today’s competitive market.
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Kojima Productions has announced that the Death Stranding Director’s Cut will come to PC later this year. This expanded version of the game was released in September of last year on PlayStation 5, and adds several enhancements as well as new features and story content to the game. Some more information can be found here.
On PlayStation 5, owners of the original PlayStation 4 game could upgrade to the new version for €/$10. Kojima Productions has said they will share information on the upgrade path for the PC version soon. The game will release on Steam and Epic Games Store.
Source: Kojima Productions


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Solar PV manufacturing in China to grow to over 230GW in 2026
This is more than enough to supply global market demand, Wood Mackenzie reported.
Solar PV manufacturing in China is expected to grow to more than 230 gigawatts in 2026, Wood Makenzie reported.
This is more than sufficient to meet global market demand outside China which stands at around 170GW.
The report also noted that the available module capacity for export in China is seen to grow to 149GW by 2026.
“As more markets demand local jobs and investment for solar, Chinese manufacturers are well positioned to grow as global technology providers,” Alex Whitworth, research director from Wood Mackenzie, said.
“China’s massive domestic market scale and supply chain are in a league of their own and appear to be on a sustainable growth trajectory, making it hard for other global players to displace. The race to dominate global solar markets this century is not over, but Chinese companies have a strong lead and are not slowing down.”


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Amazon has opened its 12th Go grocery store in New York City, marking the first store from the retailer which will accept physical cash.
This is a significant new direction for Amazon Go, which has been hailed by many as the next step in physical retail, doing away with cashiers and, until now, cash altogether.
Its high-tech store concept works by allowing users to scan their smartphones upon entry, linking to their Amazon accounts, then using cameras and sensors to determine every item a shopper picks up and charging their accounts automatically, leaving no need to visit a cashier.
However, concerns have been raised that this format discriminates against socioeconomic classes who only have access to cash.
In March Philadelphia passed a law stating that after July 1 almost all businesses in the city will be required by law to accept cash payments and any retailers who fails to accept cash after July 1 could face a fine of up to $2000.
This follows a similar bill from the state of New Jersey a month prior.
With ambitious plans to role out 3000 stores over the coming few years, and growing resistance against cashless formats across the US including in San Francisco where Amazon Go has three stores, this move marks a significant turning point.
Customers who prefer to pay by cash in Amazon’s new location will have to have a store employee scan them into store, as opposed to cashless shoppers who scan their app to enter through a turn style.
Much like a traditional grocery store, once a cash shopper selects all their items a store employee will have to scan every item, accept the cash and check them out.
Many have raised concerns that the addition will essentially defeat the purpose of Amazon’s cashierless technology altogether, however it will allow the tech giant to bypass growing legislative resistance to the format.


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Daimler invests in Volkswagen’s used car platform
13 September 2018
13 September 2018
Daimler is buying a 20% stake in Volkswagen’s (VW) used car platform Heycar. The purchase was announced on Thursday 13 September for an undisclosed fee.
VW launched the platform in 2017, with aim of toppling some of the big players in the German used car market.
Dr. Christian Dahlheim, Chief Sales Officer of VW Financial Services AG, explains: ′With HeyCar, we will not only take away market shares from the current top dogs in the market, mobile.de and Autoscout.24.de, we also have the aspiration of positioning ourselves in the medium to long term as the Number One platform for premium pre-owned cars in Germany.’
Heycar aims to have a more rigorous vetting process than its competitors and to provide a unique level of quality and reliability in its services.
Anthony Bandmann, Chairman of the Management Board of VW Leasing GmbH said: ′HeyCar operates agilely and independently of the Group – it’s a genuine and dynamic start-up. Already by the end of 2017, HeyCar will be working with over 100 affiliated dealers and list more than 70,000 vehicles. By the middle of 2018, HeyCar will then be active throughout the whole of Germany.’
PSA Group is also hopping on the trend of carmakers developing used car sales, with a reinvigorated effort to raise sales and profits in its second-hand vehicle division. The new push is part of PSA’s strategic ′Push to Pass’ plan for 2021. The company is targeting 600,000 sales in 2018 whereas the group previously set a long-term target for sales of 800,000 by 2021.
Digital used car services are on the rise in Europe; last year Catalan dealer group Quadis launched Webycar, an online platform for used cars, in Spain.
Josep Guasch, CEO of Webycar, said: ′We digitised the process and improved the customer experience, all with the added safety of working under the seal of Quadis, a company with more than 77 years of history in the automotive market.’


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Transparency Market Research has published a new research report titled “Carboxymethyl Cellulose Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 – 2019” to their report store.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/06/2016 -- The study presented here is based on a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR) titled "Carboxymethyl Cellulose Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019." According to the research study, the worldwide market for carboxymethyl cellulose presented an opportunity worth US$0.8 bn in 2012. Rising at a CAGR of 3.20% during the period from 2013 to 2019, it is estimated to increase to US$1.0 bn by the end of the forecast period. Carboxymethyl cellulose finds a widespread usage as a water binder, stabilizer, rheology controller, and thickener in the food and beverage industry. However, over the next few years, it will witness a remarkable surge in the demand from the personal care products sector.
The leading companies are predicted to explore viable prospects through mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliance in a bid to sustain in this competitive environment. The construction of new manufacturing facilities, in order to cater to the increased demand for carboxymethyl cellulose, is also projected to emerge as a prominent trend in this market over the next few years.
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Asia Pacific to Lead Demand for Carboxymethyl Cellulose
Among regional markets, Asia Pacific led the demand for carboxymethyl cellulose in 2012, with a share of 35%, notes the study. The substantial rise in the Asia Pacific food and beverage industry has fueled the demand for carboxymethyl cellulose in this region over the last few years.
The significant rise in oil exploration activities in Asian economies is expected to maintain a high demand for carboxymethyl cellulose throughout the forecast period, ensuring the dominance of Asia pacific. Latin America and the Middle East and Africa will also witness a steady rise in the demand for carboxymethyl cellulose in the near future.
Growing Awareness Regarding Health and Fitness to Boost Demand for Carboxymethyl Cellulose
"The demand for carboxymethyl cellulose is highly influenced by the increasing preference for low-fat and gluten-free food," states an analyst at TMR. The growing awareness among consumer pertaining to health and fitness has triggered a massive shift toward healthy food products, especially gluten-free low-fat frozen desserts. As carboxymethyl cellulose helps in decreasing fat content in food and beverage items, its demand has been remarkably increased in the recent times.
Due to its cost-efficiency, carboxymethyl cellulose has also surfaced as a preferred option among hydrocolloids, increasing its usage in the food and beverage industry. In addition, the rise in the exploration of oil across the world is likely to fuel the demand for carboxymethyl cellulose in the near future.
Stringent U.S. FDA Regulations to Restrict Usage of Carboxymethyl Cellulose
In the coming years, although the market is expected to witness a robust rise, stringent rules implemented by the U.S. FDA regulating the usage of carboxymethyl cellulose are likely to limit their applications to some extent. Other than this, the easy availability of environment-friendly substitutes are also expected to obstruct the growth trajectory of this market, states the report.
Browse The Full Research Report At : http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/carboxymethyl-cellulose-industry.html
The global Carboxymethyl cellulose market is witnessing a high degree of competition, thanks to the presence of a large pool of multinational players, finds a research report published by Transparency Market Research (TMR). With two massive manufacturing facilities, CP Kelco emerged as the leading producers of carboxymethyl cellulose across the world in 2012 and was closely followed by Ashland Inc. and Akzo Nobel N.V. No significant change is expected in this scenario over the forthcoming years.
The carboxymethyl cellulose market is segmented as:
-Food and beverages
-Oil drilling fluids
-Paints and adhesives
-Others (Including industrial detergents, mining, etc.)
About Transparency Market Research
Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.
TMR's data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.


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Economic Development Around the State
News from Bainbridge, Athens, Chattooga County and more.
Bainbridge Manufacturing: A-1 Roof Trusses is investing $17 million into a new manufacturing facility in Decatur County, creating 130 jobs. The 150,000-square-foot building is the company’s first outside of its Florida headquarters.
Athens Biotech: Biotechnology company RWDC Industries, which was founded in a UGA innovation lab in 2015, is expanding into a 400,000-square-foot facility in Athens-Clarke County. The $260-million investment will create 200 jobs.
Chattooga Carpet: High-end carpet producer Try-Con Tufters is expanding in Chattooga County. The new 109,000-square-foot building will allow the company to grow its commercial manufacturing operations, a $5-million investment that will add 104 jobs.
High-tech Jobs: Microsoft Corp. is opening a 523,000-square-foot facility in Atlanta’s Atlantic Station in 2021. The $75-million investment will include retail space and create 1,500 new high-tech jobs, with a focus on artificial intelligence and cloud services.
More Flooring: Chinese company Huali Floors, which makes resilient flooring, is establishing its first U.S. headquarters and manufacturing space in Murray County. The $27-million investment will create 315 jobs.
Smyrna Pharma: UCB, a Belgian pharmaceuticals firm, is expanding its U.S. headquarters in Cobb County on its existing 47-acre campus. The $47.5-million investment will bring 100 new jobs and will be the first in Georgia to be both LEED- and WELL-certified.
Covington Plastics: Indiana-based Mytex Polymers US Corp., which is owned by Mitsubishi Chemical Corp., is investing more than $7 million to expand its Newton County facility, adding a new product line in 140,000-square-feet of space and creating 15 jobs.


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TikTok sets screen time limit for under-18s: How kids can help parents learn about online safety
TikTok has said it will impose a default 60-minute screen time limit for anyone under the age of 18 in the coming weeks.
Cormac Keenan, head of trust and safety at TikTok said in a blog post on Wednesday that when the 60-minute limit is reached, minors will be prompted to enter a passcode and make an “active decision” to keep watching.
For accounts where the user is under the age of 13, a parent or guardian will have to set or enter an existing passcode to allow 30 minutes of extra viewing time, once the initial 60-minute limit is reached.
TikTok said it came up with the 60-minute threshold by consulting academic research and experts from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital.
The news comes as families are struggling to limit the amount of time children spend on the video sharing app.
According to research by the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC), 36% of parents aren’t sure where to go should young people need online support.
Perhaps the secret is learning more from those who use these apps every day, with 57% of young people feeling they can help educate their parents and carers about being safe online.
A study by Vodafone revealed almost half (47%) of parents feel from the age of around 12 their children know more than them when it comes to digital technology, with 60% saying they wish they were more digitally savvy, with digital safety topping the poll of areas where parents feel most ill-equipped to help their children.
More than a quarter (27%) of parents say they’d feel more at ease with their child using the internet if they had a better understanding of how to keep them safe, particularly on social media. And that’s where parents and children talking about life online, and parents learning from their kids’ digital expertise, can be key.
UKSIC director Will Gardner says: “Most parents want to start a conversation about online safety with their children. However, our research highlights that not only do young people want to have this conversation too, but that over half have a real desire to educate their parents or carers about being safe online.”
Here’s how Gardner says young people can help parents learn about online safety…
Talk about what you learn online
“The internet is a great place to learn and explore, and it can be really interesting to talk to your parents about the things you find out,” says Gardner.
However, he warns that not everything online is trustworthy, and adds: “If something seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t true. Make sure to check information, and to work out if it’s from a reliable source.”
Show parents how to report inappropriate behaviour online
If children or young people hear or see something upsetting online, they should talk to their parents about it, and report it if necessary, advises Gardner.
“You probably spend a lot more time in the apps and websites you use than your parents do,” he observes, “So it can be a great chance to show them how to do things. For example, you could show your parents how to report something on Snapchat or TikTok.”
Talk to your parents about how you live online
Young people can make it easier for their parents to help keep them safe by being clear about the apps, games and websites they use.
Engaging in conversations regularly will help your parents know more about your life online and feel like they’re sharing more of your experiences, says Gardner.
“Not all conversations have to be negative or scary, but allowing them to understand your life online, even in positive ways, can help them know how to best deal with something if it does go wrong,” he says. “Speaking to them about what you enjoy about being online or what you use the internet for can help them understand it better.”
What parents can do…
When parents and carers learn more about how their child is online and the apps, websites and games they use, Gardner advises: “Research age ratings, privacy settings and safety features like the block and report button, so you’re best placed to help your child should anything go wrong.”
Gardner says parents should encourage meaningful use of technology, in the same way they set boundaries in other areas of their child’s life.
“It might be no tech at dinner, blocks on certain sites, or only using devices when there’s an adult in the room. Discuss these with your family, and review and adapt them as time passes and their internet usage changes.”
And when it comes to the internet, Gardner says parents should remind their children they can talk to them about anything, and they should listen and respond with reassurance and kindness, and stay calm if something’s gone wrong.
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