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On March 7, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order (EO) instructing numerous government agencies to begin research on the possible uses and regulations for a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
The executive order reads, “My Administration places the highest urgency on research and development efforts into the potential design and deployment options of a United States CBDC.”
David Yermack, a professor and the chair of the finance department at New York University told NBC News, “It’s not a question of if but when,” the U.S. will adopt a CBDC adding that, “Once the central banks start co-opting the technology, it’s pretty much game over.”
The EO directs agencies to submit reports within 180 days on a variety of issues surrounding digital currencies from design and security to financial and societal impacts.
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In addition, the EO requires the Treasury Department and the Office of the Attorney General and Federal Reserve to collaborate to produce a “legislative proposal” to create a digital currency within 210 days or about 7 months indicating that the deployment of a CBDC is not something that will be implemented in the far off future but may be imminent.
According to NBC News, a senior administration official told reporters, “We know the implications of potentially issuing a digital dollar are profound. They’re extraordinarily wide-ranging.”
Digital currencies are widely supported by the World Economic Forum (WEF) that says “leaders must help develop and regulate them effectively in order for people to harness their benefits safely and securely.”
Following the issuance of the EO, voices have emerged in opposition of the creation of a CBDC with many calling the move “dangerous” while some say that U.S. citizens should be “very worried.”
Why you should be worried
Justin Haskins, director of the Socialism Research Center at the Heartland Institute and co-author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Great Reset: Joe Biden and the Rise of Twenty-First Century Fascism, penned an opinion piece published by The Hill entitled “Biden is planning a new digital currency. Here’s why you should be worried” raising several concerns around the U.S. implementing a CBDC.
Haskins is concerned that should the U.S. adopt a digital currency ,like the one Biden’s EO calls for, that it would be “one of the most dramatic expansions of federal power ever made, one that could put individuals and businesses in grave danger of losing their social and economic freedoms.”
The Biden Administration, in a background press call, has said that the creation of a new digital currency will be in partnership with “all stakeholders — including industry, labor, consumer, and environmental groups, international allies and partners.”
Haskins questions why there is a need for labor unions, industry organizations and environmental groups to be involved in the creation of a U.S. CBDC, “unless, of course, there is a plan to program the currency to advance various causes special interest groups care about.”
The implementation of a CBDC has the potential to transform the banking and financial industry in profound ways.
Yermack suggests that financial transactions would flow directly to and from the Fed, dispensing with the need for banks to maintain payment systems. A CBDC could potentially eliminate retail banking, threatening hundreds of thousands of jobs.
CBDC must mitigate climate change
Biden’s EO states that policies surrounding the U.S. CBDC must mitigate “climate change and pollution” and promote “financial inclusion and equity.”
Haskins points out that the EO mentions “financial inclusion” five times and the terms “equity” and “climate change” are mentioned a total of four times each.
In 2021, David Andolfatto, a senior vice president and economist in the St. Louis Fed’s Research Division, when asked if the Fed could “assure us [the public] that these digital currencies won’t ever be used to tell us when, how, [or] where our money can be spent” replied, “In life one can’t give absolute assurances of anything,” a response Haskin’s referred to as “stunning.”
A CBDC should not be confused with cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, which operates on blockchain technology and is decentralized by design. “No group or individual can truly control cryptocurrencies once they are launched,” Haskins asserts.
However, a CBDC is fully traceable and programmable. The Fed, hypothetically, would have the ability to forumate as many rules around the currency as it sees fit and potentially formulate restrictions built into its design.
A CBDC could be crafted in such a way as to give bonuses to people for spending in a particular business, or could prohibit users from spending too much on particular products. In an extreme scenario Haskins says a CBDC could facilitate the redistribution of wealth.
In a report, published by the Federal Reserve in January 2022 the Fed even went as far as to consider a possible “design choice” that could limit the amount of CBDC someone could hold.
While the Fed says the U.S. CBDC should “complement, rather than replace, current forms of money and methods for providing financial services,” the implementation of one could give the federal government or the Fed control of much of society and the economy, representing a transfer of power unprecedented in modern times.
- Understanding Alberta and Ontario Digital ID Systems
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- Ukraine Is Quietly Unveiling Digital Currency and a Social Credit System
Numerous countries implementing a CBDC
Numerous countries are moving forward with research into the deployment and use of digital currencies, or have already implemented one, not unlike the digital renminbi, also referred to as the digital yuan, that has been deployed in Communist China.
According to a report, published by Investopedia on March 11, “The number of countries considering launching a CBDC has soared in the past two years.”
According to data, supplied by the Atlantic Council, a total of 91 countries are exploring CBDCs or have implemented them.
To date, nine countries have launched CBDCs, 15 are piloting them, 16 countries have one under development and some 40 other countries are researching them.
Of the nine countries that have implemented a CBDC eight of them are located in the Caribbean and Nigeria is the ninth one being the first African country to issue a CBDC, the e-Naira.
Canada’s central bank, the Bank of Canada (BoC), according to its website, has been researching the benefits and risks of digital currencies for some time.
The BoC claims the research is part of its “contingency planning to be ready to issue a CBDC in the future if the need were to arise.” However, last month, the BoC and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced a joint Central Bank digital currency collaboration.
The collaboration is expected to last 12-months and aims to “explore how advanced technologies could affect the potential design of a CBDC, building on the DCI’s [Digital Currency Initiative] ongoing research into CBDC.”


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A new expansion set will be released for the Star Trek Expeditions cooperative mission game.
Star Trek Expeditions released in June, and in the game, the crew of the USS Enterprise was on the planet Nibia to facilitate the entrance of Nibia into the United Federation of Planets. But when they got there, all was not as it should have been; the planet was in chaos and there was the threat of a Klingon invasion.
Now, in the Expansion Set, due to be released on November 9, players will have three new crewmembers added to the game; Sulu, Scotty and Chekov.
Each player has their “own unique talents and skills” to bring to the game. In addition, the Expansion Set permits players to add one more character on the away mission, bringing the total to five characters.
To find a store that will be selling the expansion set, head to the link located here.

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One of my biggest cannabis public policy pet peeves is when governments institute THC percentage caps on products, primarily due to the negative impact it has on the suffering patients that desperately need cannabis products containing higher amounts of THC. I extend my distain for THC percentage caps to the adult-use industry because whether people realize it or not, many suffering patients obtain their medicine via the adult-use industry when possible, including in Uruguay where low-THC percentage limits have been in place in pharmacies since legal sales began in 2017.
Uruguay first passed a national adult-use legalization measure back in 2013, making it the first country on the planet to do so since the dawn of prohibition. The historic legalization measure provided for various ways for consumers to obtain cannabis, including private clubs and home cultivation. It also provided for eventual legal sales through pharmacies for two varieties of cannabis flower, “alpha” and “beta” flower. Both options have a THC level of less than or equal to 9% and a CBD level of greater than or equal to 3%. Thankfully, a third option is on the way, and the cannabinoid limits are much more favorable.
“Gamma” Cannabis Flower
Juan Ignacio Tastás, the executive director of the Institute for the Regulation and Control of Cannabis (Ircca), announced recently that Uruguay is set to launch a third variety of cannabis to be sold through pharmacies. The new variety is called “gamma” and will contain a THC percentage that is less than or equal to 15%, and a CBD percentage that is less than or equal to 1%. The new option is expected to be available to consumers in Uruguay starting around December 20th.
To put things into perspective, cannabis flower that tops 30% THC is common in many legal states in the U.S. and in Canada. For some consumers, anything less than 30% is often deemed as not being strong enough. For patients, especially those that suffer from chronic and severe pain, high-potency cannabis flower is an optimal form of medicine.
A huge benefit of adult-use legalization is that patients don’t have to jump through all the hoops of a medical cannabis program to obtain their medicine. In Uruguay, they simply must be of legal age and go to a licensed pharmacy that sells adult-use cannabis. However, that only works out if the pharmacy actually sells cannabis that is strong enough to help the suffering patient.
An Evolving Model
Part of the reporting out of Uruguay indicates that yet another strain, a fourth option, is being considered for pharmacies, with a potential release date being next December. No details seem to be available regarding what cannabinoid levels will be involved. It’s definitely possible that an option with an even higher level of THC could be involved, however, without any details surfacing I suppose it’s also possible that it could be a low-THC, high-CBD strain. We will all just have to wait and see.
One thing that is clear is that Uruguay’s adult-use cannabis regulation model, the first one in the history of the world at a national level, is still evolving. That provides a learning moment for other countries that are exploring which components to include and exclude for their legalization frameworks. Lawmakers and regulators in those countries need to approach cannabinoid level limits objectively. By doing so they will no doubt realize that THC percentage limits do not serve any actual scientific purpose, but rather, are born out of reefer madness and as a result they should never be a part of any sensible cannabis public policy.
This article first appeared at Internationalcbc.com and is syndicated with special permission
Follow Johnny Green on social media: @RealJohnny Green on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Social Club and at: YouTube.com/c/TheHigherThingsClub
Johnny Green is the Media and Content Director for the International Cannabis Business Conference. Upcoming conferences include Rovinj, Croatia (September 22-23, 2022), Barcelona (March 9, 2023), Berlin Global Investment Forum (June 27, 2023), and Berlin B2B Trade Show (June 29-30, 2023).


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This issue also sees a new LOGO by the rather talented Kevin Levell, which he talks about on his own blog
The issue will be on sale officially at the >BICS show on the weekend of 3-4 October and is already shaping up to be a classic. As well as Rogue Trooper we have strips featuring Judge Dredd, Fr1day (oh, yes!) and a story set in a series you might not expect. More news as we get closer, but as usual, the Thrill bar is being set waay high.
PJ Also shows his Rogue muscles over on his own blog:Rogue in Colour


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Former President Obama, who used to occasionally visit Rancho Mirage before it was cool for a President to spend millions of dollars to secretly golf every weekend, has been rumored for some time to have discreetly purchased a home in Rancho Mirage, despite their being no proof of such purchase. Now, the guy who the Obamas have stayed with in Rancho Mirage says that, nope, there was never any purchase of a home – so you probably won’t be seeing Barack and Michelle as regulars at Cheesecake Factory Happy Hour just yet.
“They clearly like the desert, but they’ve never even looked for a house, and my house is certainly not for sale,” interior designer Michael S. Smith told the Hollywood Reporter.
Smith, who was the Obama’s White House designer and his partner, ex-ambassador James Costos, would probably know this – as the Obamas have stayed at their home numerous times – and now Smith says he would like to see the rumor put to an end.
“It’s the real estate story that will not die. It would be great to put it to rest.”
You can read the entire interview here.


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PipelineDB, a Y Combinator Winter 2014 graduate, announced the availability of the open source version of its streaming SQL database product today. A commercial version is expected later this year.
The product is an open-source database that runs SQL queries continuously in streams, incrementally storing the results in tables, company co-founder Derek Nelson explained. “[The product] unifies continuous processing and relational storage, making it unnecessary to manage an external storage system alongside the stream-processing system,” he added.
The typical use case for this product involves reporting and analytics and real-time monitoring, he said. For instance, an e-commerce website running A/B testing might use the product to get the results of a change in real time, as opposed to waiting until the next day.
Nelson claims that this product can do away with ETL (extract, transform and load), which has been the way databases have been traditionally created. PipelineDB wants to make it a more streamlined process that happens in real time.
The company differentiates itself from the database pack by offering a streaming product that uses SQL queries instead of a special programming language. That means anyone familiar with SQL queries should be able to get up and running with the product quickly.
Nelson came up with the idea for the company when he was working at his former job at AdRoll and kept wishing he had a tool with this functionality. He finally decided to leave the company and create the tool himself and PipelineDB was born.
He said the four-employee company made the decision to offer an open source version of the product for rather pragmatic reasons. First of all, they realized that it’s difficult to get a company to place a long-term bet on a startup and offering an open source version gives a potential customer time to get comfortable with the product.
Secondly, Nelson said that the biggest technology companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon are obsessed with open source and he can’t expect to compete with that with a proprietary product.
“Being a part of Y Combinator was awesome,” Nelson said. The company was probably the most technical in the class, which made it a bit of a black sheep, but also made it easier for them because they weren’t competing with more commercial offerings.
Overall he says, being part of YC helped them build a network, get into companies for pre-sales conversations and it gave them access to the wisdom and experience of the YC partners, which was also extremely valuable, Nelson said.
Today, with the release of the open source product, the company took another step on that journey.
So far, PipelineDB has received a seed funding round. It chose not to disclose the amount, but investors included SV Angel, Data Collective, Paul Buchheit, Susa Ventures, TenOneTen, and a few other angels Nelson didn’t name.


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Sorry, Stoners: Most Cannabis Users Do So For Health And Wellness, Says New Study
One of the biggest misconceptions that continues to plague the cannabis community is that most users are habitual stoners. However, a new study is dispelling that old myth. Its most telling finding is that an overwhelming majority (91%) of adults 21 years old and over, consume cannabis for health and wellness purposes. Also, 75% said […]
Purple Moose Cannabis Toronto’s Official Grand Opening!
Come join us Saturday June 18, 2022 from 1 pm to 5 pm for our Toronto locations grand opening! Live DJ Mike Stoan will be here!
Games, free swag and many brand popups.
1383 Lawrence Ave. W, North Park Plaza
Don’t Miss out!
38 New Cannabis Products!
We just got 38 brand new cannabis products added to our Purple Moose Cannabis locations, including infused prerolls, blunts, vape carts, new gummies, delicious edibles, beverages, disposable pens and so much more!!
Who runs Toronto’s many cannabis stores?
To mark 4/20, the day that celebrates cannabis culture worldwide, we spoke to the owners of three Toronto pot shops. Coincidentally, they’re also a great joke setup: a rabbi, a lawyer and millennial walk into a cannabis shop. (Insert your own punch line here.)
Ontario Cannabis Study Shows Illegal Cannabis Fails to Deliver the Goods
Ontario cannabis study shows illegal cannabis fails to deliver the goods
Rated Top 10 Cannabis Dispensary in Ontario!
If you find yourself in Durham Region, Purple Moose in Oshawa is the must-visit spot for green…
Staff Pick: Big Budda Cheese by Cali
Miss Jordan from our Toronto store has chosen Big Budda Cheese by Cali! With 24% THC, it has a faint herbal cheese scent.
New Drops and Price Changes!
Check out our new products that have just arrived and our new lower prices!
Up To 20% Off St. Patrick’s Day Sale!
cannabis, cannabis deals, flower, gummies, Oshawa, oshawa cannabis, oshawa dispensary, weed
Purple Moose Cannabis Quickly Expanding – Adds Two New Stores In Two Months
Weeks after opening their 2nd location at 1383 Lawrence Avenue W., a 3rd Purple Moose Cannabis store opens at Cedarcroft Plaza in North York.


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For BMW, the IAA in Münich is some home match and now is the time to show the world a glimpse of its (electric) future, with a wink to its heritage: the BMW Vision Neue Klasse. It shows how the successor of BMW’s most successful model, the 3-Series, might look when it arrives in 2025.
Despite the optimistic, futuristic prospects, CEO Oliver Zipse warns at the same time in an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt that Europe is walking on thin ice by phasing out the combustion engine by 2035,
He says it is a misconception that you only have to ban the combustion engine, and the rest will take care of itself. He warns Europe could become the victim of blackmail in the future, being too dependent on raw materials for its EV production today.
Major technological leap
Nevertheless, “the Neue Klasse is already bringing the mobility of the next decade to the roads in 2025 – and leading BMW into a new era,” BMW says with confidence. It promises a major technological leap with “30 percent more range, 30 percent faster charging, 25 percent more efficiency”.
It will include an all-new BMW Drive, a new display, and an operating system showing the next technological leap that enables a modern, characteristically BMW interior design focusing on touch and advanced voice interaction.
The most striking feature will be the BMW Panoramic Vision, based on a new head-up display technology. It projects information at a height perfectly matched to the driver across the entire width of the windscreen. It is complemented by the new 3D head-up display for active driving situations, which displays the required information, like traffic guidance, as 3D animations. All can be controlled with a few buttons from the new multifunction steering wheel.
Looking at the exterior, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse will introduce a new design language to mark future models. But some might consider this a new future tech in a retro-modern wrapper.
The original ‘Neue Klasse’ was a line of models produced by BMW between 1962 and 1972. They ensured BMW’s solvency after the company’s financial crisis of the 1950s and established its identity as a sports sedan. Especially the 2000-series with the 2000 C and 2000 CS from 1965, the later six-cylinder 2800 CS from 1969, or the iconic 02-series that later became the 3-Series.
In the design of the Vision Neue Klasse, some elements are recognizable as a homage to the famous 2002 model. Still, with the extra-large kidney-shaped ‘faux grill’ and lights that pulse suggesting the car is breathing, it’s no remake of the sixties style.
BMW calls it “a fresh interpretation of the brand’s signature design elements, like the BMW kidney grille and double headlights, transform the vehicle’s front-end into a single interaction area.”
Individual back seats
The design of the interior, which is completely free of decorative chrome or leather, helps optimize the carbon footprint of the production process, the brand claims. A striking feature here is the central display in the outline of a parallelogram.
Another newly designed feature is the front seat attached to the floor by a single bracket, freeing up additional legroom in the rear compartment so passengers can enjoy the spaciousness of two individual seats.


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Paul blasts some chicken, pork importers
Chief executive officer of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) James Paul is slamming a group of businesses he says is involved in the importation and sale of chicken breasts and pork chops.
Deeming their actions as “unjust”, “reckless”, “undermining” and “unacceptable”, he called on the relevant authorities to review the process through which the importers brought in the meats and check to see if it was in accordance with the regulations that govern their licence.
Speaking during a press conference at the BAS’ headquarters, The Grotto, St Michael, on Thursday, Paul claimed there were at least two businesses involved in bringing in the meats but he could not give details as to when the shipment arrived or the quantity.
However, he said he was made aware of the imported goods being sold at two outlets on Wednesday.
Subscribe now to our eNATION edition for the full story.
For the latest stories and breaking news updates download the Nationnews apps for iOS and Android.


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We had earlier reported that the Samsung S6 and S6 Edge would be announcing a huge price cut, due to the fall in their sales during the last quarter. Today, the exact amount of this price drop has been announced in Netherlands, Europe.
The Galaxy S6 (32GB) had originally been priced at 699 Euros (approx Rs.49,250), but will now be priced at 599 Euros (approx. Rs.42,199), which is 100 euros less. The Galaxy S6 Edge (32GB), on the other hand, has had a further drop of 150 euros, from 849 euros (approx. Rs.59,800) to 699 euros (approx. Rs.49,250).
The Galaxy S6 (64GB) will be for 699 euros (approx. Rs.49,250) and the S6 Edge will be 799 euros (approx. [...]
The Samsung S6 arrived in India on the 10th of April 2014, it was touted as being the only Samsung smartphone that could perhaps finally compete with the other high-end smartphones such as the iPhone 6.
It’s specifications included a metal body casing, a 5.1 inches display with1440 x 2560 pixels resolution, a16 MP, 2988 x 5312 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash camera, an internal memory of 32/64/128 GB with a 3 GB RAM, a non-removable Li-Ion 2550 mAh battery and run by Quad-core 1.5 GHz with the Android OS, v5.0.2 (Lollipop), upgradable to v5.1.1 (Lollipop). Despite this Samsung reported a fall in sales in the second quarter with the [...]


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Kellogg’s has announced the brand new Minecraft Creeper Crunch Cereal, which contains a mix of cinnamon-flavoured cereal and green square-shaped marshmallows.
As originally spotted by Gaming Trend, the cereal is set to hit store shelves across the United States of America in August, 2020. The box will come in two different sizes, with an 8oz box going for $3.99 and a 12.7oz box going for around $5.
Minecraft Creeper Crunch Cereal is also just 140 calories per one 1/3 cup serving, with 0g of saturated fat, 130mg of sodium, and 12g total sugars.
“With a global audience of over 126MM players per month, Minecraft is bringing the creative, adventurous spirit of its wildly popular game to another platform — cereal!” The press release reads. “Introducing Kellogg’s® Minecraft Creeper Crunch Cereal; a tasty, cinnamon-flavored cereal featuring green square-shaped “Creeper Bit” marshmallows that delivers the vibrant world of Minecraft.”
Along with cinnamon-flavoured cereal and green marshmallows, each box of Minecraft Creeper Crunch Cereal will also contain a unique code that you can use in Minecraft to unlock one of ten in-game clothing items.


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Retail News Breaks Archives
NABP: Rogue online pharmacies squelched by global collaboration
October 26th, 2012
MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. – The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has released a report highlighting the need for members to the international pharmacy community to collaborate in the battle against illegal online drug sellers.
NABP said Friday that according to its "Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators" report, global cooperation from public and private organizations has resulted in the shutdown of thousands of websites selling prescription drugs illicitly, also known as rogue online pharmacies.
Of more than 10,000 websites analyzed, about 97% operate out of compliance with pharmacy laws and practice standards established in the United States and many other developed countries, the NABP report found. These sites provide an outlet for counterfeit medicines to enter the U.S. drug supply, endangering public health and safety, the association noted.
Collaborative efforts over the last six months cited in the report include the following:
• Operation Pangea, which included 100 countries and resulted in thousands of illegal sites being shut down.
• An investigation by LegitScript.com, which gave NABP and other stakeholders the proof to persuade a domain name registrar to suspend about 5,000 rogue websites and to modify its policies to prevent such abuses in the future.
• Collaboration with Canadian regulators to extend the VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites) accreditation program to include Canadian-based websites selling Health Canada-approved medications to consumers in Canada.
• NABP's application, suppored a global coalition of stakeholders, to be the registry for the new .PHARMACY domain.
• A meeting hosted by NABP with China's State Food and Drug Administration to discuss pharmacy prescription drug regulation, particularly as it relates to the Internet and illegal online drug sellers.
Of the 9,830 websites found to be operating out of compliance with U.S. pharmacy laws and listed as "Not Recommended" on NABP's AWARErx.org consumer protection website, 9,543 appear to be affiliated with a network that obtains drugs from questionable sources; 4,832 offer drugs that are foreign or not approved by the Food and Drug Administration; 8,594 don't require a valid prescription; 2,274 have a physical address outside of U.S. (most rogue sites post no address whatsoever, NABP noted), and 3,708 have server locations in foreign countries.
NABP's VIPPS program is designed to help consumers find the safest sources for purchasing medicine online, and its VIPPS Seal designates an accredited pharmacy website.


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Striking back at the “bad politicians” in the White House for the “unparalleled” supply-chain crisis, the largest GOP caucus on Capitol Hill is issuing a memo to its membership on messaging to call out President Joe Biden’s effort “to ruin Christmas.”
“Many are saying the current supply chain crisis is ‘unparalleled in American history,'” reads a Republican Study Committee (RSC) memo, obtained by The Hill. “How did we get here?
“Bad luck? Nope. Bad politicians,” the memo to be sent Thursday reads.
“The Biden administration caused it,” it continued. “And our job as Republicans is to explain to the American people what the grinches at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave did to ruin Christmas.”
Among the talking points outlined for Biden’s causing the supply-chain crisis:
- Biden’s economic policies, including billions in unemployment aid, have reduced availability of truckers and port workers.
- Biden’s Green New Deal agenda has caused shipping prices to skyrocket, oil production to plummet, and fueled massive inflation
- Biden’s “soft China policies” reopened supply-chain dependence on China again after Trump sought to reduce it.
“When the power goes out in China, Christmas is canceled in America,” according to the RSC memo.
The supply chain crisis will resonate with many Americans, particularly with regard to Christmas, and will be a useful campaign talking point for the 2022 midterms, when Republicans seek to overcome slight minorities in the House and Senate.
“It’s more than fair to say that Joe Biden has caused the current supply chain crisis,” the memo to House Republicans added. “It’s our job — even our duty — to explain to the American people who is at fault for the skyrocketing cost of living.”
Biden has moved the Port of Los Angeles to 24 hours a day service for the hundreds of cargo ships waiting in the Pacific off the coast of California, but even that move has critics noting there is little space to store the containers and too few trucks to haul the goods out of the port.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who took a paternity leave during the crisis, claims the $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal would help alleviate some backlogs, but Republicans note it was not necessary to fix the supply chain problems that have been created since Biden took office in January.
Experts expect, even if things suddenly and surprisingly pick up amid the worker shortages, the problems on shipping backlogs will last until next summer.


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President Akufo-Addo says the government cannot remove taxes on petroleum products because the taxes are used for the payment of monthly salaries of workers on the government’s payroll.
According to the President, a large volume of the taxes on petroleum products are used to pay salaries of some public sector workers.
“Removing taxes on petroleum products will reduce Government revenues by some four billion cedis (GH¢4 billion). At this time, when we are determined to expand Government revenues in order to increase our capacity to finance our own development, can we afford to reduce tax revenues by four billion cedis (GH¢4 billion)?.
“Government is currently confronted by very tight financing conditions, in the wake of inadequate domestic revenue mobilisation. Indeed, some of the revenues from these same taxes on petroleum products is what is used to pay some of the salaries of some of the seven hundred thousand (700,000) public sector workers on Government’s payroll,” the President said in his Workers Day address.
The President however noted government is implementing measures that will help stabilise fuel prices.
“We are addressing the issue of fuel price increases by implementing measures that are succeeding in stabilising the exchange rate, a key determinant of fuel prices.””
“Government is also working hard to ensure reliable supply and availability of petroleum products, thereby preventing shortages, a phenomenon which is being experienced in some other neighbouring countries. By the same token, we are keeping the lights on in Ghana”.


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It’s a very important week for trading. Traders will be on the edge due to the fact that the US banks have started the first quarter’s earnings. JP Morgan, BlackRock and Morgan Stanley will report their numbers Wednesday. On Thursday, we will hear the earnings results of Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley. When it comes to bank earnings, traders would be focusing on two aspects. They would like to hear what Wall Street giants think about the Fed’s current policy. Their profit margins will be more valuable if they have a higher interest rate environment. These two factors will likely influence their price action this week.
The US CPI number is another important event traders will be closely watching. The CPI number for the United States will be released Tuesday. The forecast is for 1.2%. Already, inflation is way too high. If the actual number is even higher than forecast, volatility will be much greater in equity, forex, fixed-income markets. A strong inflation number will likely cause traders to be concerned. This will confirm that the Fed is more likely than 25 to raise the interest rate by 50 basis point. We believe March will be the most inflationary month in terms of rate of change.
Thursday will see the release of economic data on retail sales and consumer sentiment. Friday, which is a day off, will see the release of Empire State Manufacturing and Industrial Production data.
The ECB will probably remain silent on Thursday, but it will still express its desire to normalize monetary policy. Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, might hint at a liftoff occurring in the second part of the year without giving any specifics. Canada and the RBNZ may raise interest rates this week while Turkey remains unchanged.


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We’ll see you in there.
Connect to customize your food & drink discovery.
Kitchen Hub, Canada's first virtual food hall, has a new location in Toronto’s Cabbagetown neighbourhood.
The new outpost opened on March 23 and has since welcomed locals to enjoy food, desserts, and drinks from their favourite Toronto restaurants and brands like Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen, The Cheesecake Factory, Ben & Jerry’s, Greenhouse Juice Co., Daan Go Maracons and more.
Kitchen Hub provides infrastructure and services optimized for takeout and delivery for restaurants and offers consumers a great variety of options from some of Toronto’s top restaurants.
This is the concept's second location in Toronto -- Kitchen Hub has been established since opening its first location at 935 The Queensway in Etobicoke at the beginning of 2020, just days before the first lockdown restrictions were announced in Ontario.
Ghost kitchens and virtual food halls like Kitchen Hub are gaining popularity during the pandemic because restaurants are looking for more cost-effective alternatives to offer their products, while consumers are looking for creative and convenient takeout options. With the pandemic continuing to rage on, innovative businesses like Kitchen Hub provides solutions for this new reality of the food industry.
“As the restaurant industry adapts to the pandemic, our second Kitchen Hub location and continued expansion will provide a much-needed opportunity for restaurants to continue operating affordably while meeting the increased demands and discerning palettes of customers,” said Oren Borovitch, COO and Co-Founder of Kitchen Hub, in a press release.
Kitchen Hub's newest facility is located on 234 Parliament Street, and is available for delivery and pickup through their website and popular delivery platforms.


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Many shareholders of Stratasys (SSYS) have been discouraged a bit lately by news coming from their subsidiary, MakerBot. Perhaps, it’s the recent layoffs that were announced back in April, or perhaps the issues experienced with the early versions of the Smart Extruders. Whatever it is though, one thing is for sure; CEO Jonathan Jaglom appears to be a breath of fresh air for the company, at least when it comes to making changes within, in order to help the company fit his vision of how the world’s top manufacturer of desktop 3D printers should operate.
Jaglom has been no slouch when it comes to running the company. He has taken initiative in order to run things his way, and only time will tell if that way is the “right way”. Today MakerBot seems to be taking a step in the right direction, as they inform 3DPrint.com that they have opened a new factory at Industry City in Brooklyn, NY.
“The opening of the new factory reinforces MakerBot’s commitment to manufacturing in Brooklyn and is an important step in preparing the company for growth in the 3D printing market,” Johan Broer, PR Manager for MakerBot tells 3DPrint.com this morning. “The new facility measures 170,000 square feet, which doubles production capacity compared to MakerBot’s previous Industry City factory. A new layout streamlines the production process to help MakerBot advance its lean manufacturing methods and dedicate an even larger space to product testing.”
One thing is for sure, Jonathan Jaglom envisions his company’s production and sale of 3D printers to increase in the future, and that can only be a good thing for shareholders who have recently been discouraged.
This morning at 10:00 AM ET, a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place to inaugurate the opening of the new factory. Jaglom, was on hand, along with Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams; Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at SUNY New Paltz, Dan Freedman; Brooklyn Technical High School Principal, Randy Asher; Tech Alumni Foundation Chief Education Officer, Matt Mandery, and many others.
“Since MakerBot was founded in 2009, we have been leading the desktop 3D printing revolution from Brooklyn and this has spearheaded a renaissance of manufacturing here,” said Jonathan Jaglom. “Brooklyn has defined what MakerBot is today and I couldn’t think of a better place for our new factory. The new MakerBot factory is a state-of-the-art facility with a focus on lean manufacturing and efficiency, making it one of the most advanced factories in New York City and in the global 3D printing industry. Close proximity to our R&D teams and corporate headquarters is a huge advantage as it allows us to adapt quickly to changes in the growing market of 3D printing.”
To think back, it was just six years ago that MakerBot opened their first factory in Brooklyn. Located on Dean Street, it became a breeding ground for new ideas and innovations within the desktop 3D printing space. Led by visionary and marketing guru Bre Pettis, the company rapidly grew to become the leading manufacturer of desktop 3D printers.
The new factory looks to solve several issues that were experienced at the previous facility and its predecessors. This 170,000 sq. foot building will enable the company to streamline the manufacturing of their products by bringing the various functions in the manufacturing process closer together. These include materials, product testing, production, and shipping, while also allowing the company to continue making the manufacturing process more efficient and less wasteful.
“The future has arrived, and its first stop is Brooklyn. We are witnessing the growth and evolution of 3D printing technology in our borough, a rapidly growing industry with infinite potential,” explained Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “MakerBot is bound to thrive in their new expanded factory at Industry City, innovating solutions to everyday real-world challenges in the marketplace while inspiring new opportunities for economic and technological development. I thank MakerBot and their development team for calling Brooklyn, the new Silicon Valley, their home.”
MakerBot cites a recent industry research report by Canalys as one of the motivating factors for the move. Canalys forecasts that 3D printing revenues will grow to more than $20 billion worldwide by the start of 2020.
The current MakerBot factory employs 140 individuals which include staff who are involved in shipping, receiving, quality engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, engineering, and production. It should be interesting to see if the company begins increasing its workforce in the coming months to amp up for what may be an increase in production in the near future.
What do you think about this move from MakerBot? Is this a signal that the company will be seeing an increase in sales? Discuss in the MakerBot Opens New Factory forum thread on 3DPB.com.
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Toronto Hot Docs: “Toxic Beauty”; Make-up as the New Cigarette?
The personal care product industry is probably even more deleterious for your health than cigarettes. Imagine led in lipstick. Asbestos in talcum powder. Formaldehyde in shampoo and 10,000 other chemicals in make-up and other personal care products!
The dangers of make-up were initially enunciated in the 1930’s yet production methods remain largely unchanged and unregulated particularly in the United States where several attempts at introducing regulations pertaining to personal care products have failed. An 84-billion-dollar industry has great lobbying power.
As one commentator states there are comprehensive testing of drugs and what is sprayed on crops but as far as the US FDA is concerned cosmetics are not even the back seat of the car.
Researchers are busy attempting to firmly establish that many of the chemicals in personal care products are hazardous. Particularly dangerous seems to be talcum powder which has strong links to ovarian cancer where sprinkled in underwear. Currently there are some 11,000 people involved in lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson for the damages claimed to be caused by its baby powder. Currently in Canada there is a class action against them. They have already lost two cases and the current CEO actually claims J&J baby powder prevents ovarian cancer! Tell that to the victims you’ll see in the film two of which died before they went to trial.
In February 2018 Health Canada issued a warning of the potential risk of Lung Effects and Ovarian Cancer attributable to talcum powder. Meanwhile Canada has banned 459 chemicals for personal care products, the EU 1,394 and the wild west United States a whopping 11.
Now the great fear in the medical community is what effects are these products going to have on children. Some research indicates a link to ADHD.
Given the level and intensity of research I would not be surprised if the cosmetic industry slides into bankruptcy like so many Canadian tobacco companies.
Director of this 90 minute film is Phyllis Ellis. It shows at Hot Docs Theatre on April 28 at 6:30 p.m.


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Chennai, Jan 11 (): The 37th edition of the Chennai Book Fair has been inaugurated on January 10 at the YMCA College of Physical Education, Nandanam. It will be held for 12 days till January 22, 2014.
The book fair has been organised by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI). This year’s fair will have more than five lakh books in Tamil and English in 777 stalls. About 10 lakh visitors are expected this year by the organisers. Tickets are priced at 10 and free entry for children below 12 years. Apart from this, a total of 7 lakh free tickets will be issued to school students, said Meenakshi Somasundaram, the president of BAPASI.
A discount of 10% on all books has been announced by the organizers. On weekdays, the fair will be open from 2pm to 9pm and from 11am to 9pm during weekends.
A special mobile phone app has been developed for both Android and Apple phones to guide visitors to find out their favourite book stalls in the maze of 700-odd stalls, titles carried by various publishers, location of the stalls and inform them about daily programmes.
For the benefit of the visitors, the organisers have arranged for facilities such as free pick-ups and drops at the entrance of the venue, a food court, drinking water, a resting area, ATM machines, wheelchairs and ambulance services. Ten ‘Namma’ autorickshaws will be available at the venue for the benefit of visitors.
Drawing and elocution competitions are also conducted for the students. A blood donation camp has also been organised.
New book launches and interesting lectures by well-known personalities will also be held daily between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Everyday programmes and the following day’s programmes are being informed to the visitors well in advance through text messages.


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KARACHI: Cotton prices rose by Rs300 on Wednesday on forecasts of global shortage of cotton this season against higher consumption.
Market sources said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its recent report has estimated lesser cotton production this season against higher cotton demand the world over.
Though there was some panic buying from spinners at the outset, ginners’ reluctance to sell their stocks in anticipation of getting higher prices in the coming days stifled activity.
During the last three days cotton prices have moved up by Rs500 per maund (around 38 kilograms) with a gain of Rs300 recorded on Wednesday alone, brokers said.
The fear of heavy downpour continues to panic ginners and spinners alike as it may damage standing cotton crop in many parts of the country. The overall world cotton production scenario as painted by the USDA was not encouraging.
Consequently, prices in most of the world cotton markets soared with the New York cotton reported to have moved up by 7.5 US cents per lb to touch a record high level in six years at 71.25 US cents per lb. The Indian and Chinese markets also remained volatile with prices ending at fresh high level.
According to reports, Indian cotton prices soared by Rs1,200 per 356kg to touch Rs4,500. Similarly, Chinese cotton market is also reported to have touched record level.
Though there was strong demand for cotton from spinners, many bids offered were rejected by ginners who are marking time to get higher prices. At one stage prices touched peak level of Rs6,200 per maund but towards closing stages closed lower at Rs6,100 per maund.
The Karachi Cotton Association also revised its spot rates upward by Rs100 per maund, to Rs5,850.
Trading on ready counter remained moderate to active but prices moved higher between Rs100 to Rs300 per maund. The following deals were reported: 400 bales from Sanghar (at Rs5,950 to Rs6,000 per maund), 600 bales Mirpur Khas at Rs5,950 to Rs5,025, 1,200 bales Tando Adam at Rs5,975 to Rs6,050, 200 bales Hyderabad at Rs6,000, 200 bales Golarchi at Rs6,000, 200 bales Kotri at Rs6,000, 400 bales Burewala at Rs6,100, 400 bales Gojra at Rs6,100, 200 bales Sahiwal at Rs6,100, and 200 bales Vehari at Rs6,100.
Courtesy : Dawn News


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The Dean’s List, a new Dallas-Fort Worth-based online wine retailer, creates an experience that makes buying wine fun, educational and approachable. For more than 30 years, Dean’s List founder Dean McSherry has established his career in the restaurant business and wine industry. With the creation of The Dean’s List, Dean and the team believe that everyone deserves to enjoy great wines with the convenience of delivery services. Its website allows clients and subscribers in 39 states to shop for wines, order online and have wines shipped directly to their home or business.
Dallas-Fort Worth area customers receive free delivery. Not only does The Dean’s List source great wines, but it also believes in giving back to the community through its “Taste, Buy, Give” wine tasting event concept. This allows 20 percent of all proceeds from the wine tasting event to be donated back to the charity of choice. Continue reading


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Review: Ultrathin, metal, inexpensive
Chinese smartphone maker Cubot recently upped the ante in the $150 to $200 budget smartphone segment with a couple of ultrathin phones. Both sport a metal frame, good build quality, and look like pricey devices, but they offer limited performance due to their anorexic profile.
Begun the Gen.3.14 FinFet wars have
Samsung and TSMC are starting to slug it out introducing Gen.3 14 and 16-nano FinFET system semiconductor processes, but the cost could mean that smartphone makers shy away from the technology in the short term.
With 160Hz MVA panel and FreeSync suport
AOC has announced its newest 35-inch C3583FQ 21:9 aspect ratio curved monitor which will be based on an MVA panel with 160Hz refresh rate and 2560x1080 resolution.
Brighter stars, galaxy systems in future GPU codenames
Over the past few years, Radeon Technologies Group (RTG) has tread many uncharted waters near and far to gather enough "island" codenames for over five generations of graphics processing units. According to Raja Koduri, Senior Vice President and Chief Architect of the Radeon Technologies Group, all of that is about to change.


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The world's largest vacation rental property manager has made its first foray into the Canadian market with the recent purchase of ResortQuest Whistler, adding nearly 600 condo units to its portfolio.
Wyndham Vacation Rentals is a New Jersey-based company that manages more than 105,000 rental properties in 33 countries worldwide, and has picked Whistler to join its list of vacation destinations.
Mary Lynn Clark, the company's North American president, said Whistler's top ranking as a mountain destination played a big role in moving ahead with the deal.
"Whistler is a great fit for our brand and for our customer base as a premier ski and mountain destination," she wrote in an email. "Whistler is world-renowned for its skiing, as well as its numerous hiking and biking trails in the summer months, which is why it attracts more than two million people each year."
Clark also noted how ResortQuest Whistler, the resort's largest vacation rentals manager, is "a great complement to our current North American ski portfolio," which includes properties in Aspen, Colo., Beaver Creek and Sun Valley, Idaho.
ResortQuest Whistler president Paul Sanderson said with more homeowners moving to largely unregulated home-sharing services like Airbnb and HomeAway in recent years, he decided to focus his business primarily on Phase 2 units, which limits the number of days a year an owner can rent out their property.
Without as many Phase 1 units in the portfolio, Sanderson said it only made sense to look for ways to expand the company. This is where Wyndham, which purchased the U.S. division of ResortQuest several years ago, came in.
"For the last four or five months we've been dating and dancing before (Wyndham) finally purchased ResortQuest Whistler," said Sanderson, who added that all 150 ResortQuest staff and management would be staying on.
"I wouldn't have sold the business unless I felt comfortable with that because this team has helped us grow to where we are now," he added.
Clark also touched on the impact home-sharing sites have had on the industry and outlined the efforts Wyndham undertakes to ensure their vacation rental properties follow local zoning laws.
"We make sure that all our rentals are vetted and comply with all appropriate rules and regulations," she wrote. "We offer certain services and standards that come with a trusted hospitality company... that you won't necessarily have when you rent through a homeowner directly. These include true-to-life photography, real-time availability, online payment methods and a team to turn to if something should go wrong before, during and after your stay."
Visit www.wyndhamvacationrentals.com for more information.


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Social impact brand Thx! continues to expand its product range, this time with the introduction of Bartlett pears from Argentina.
The pears are available to customers in North America in 2lb bags as well as in loose pack cases.
As always, the labels feature a worker from the farm where the product was grown, allowing the shopper to learn more about his or her dream by clicking on a printed QR code that links to a video.
“This is an exciting time for us”, said Martin Casanova, who co-founded Thx! with Raul Fernandez. “We believe the bagged pears will create another opportunity for an even more engaging experience for the shopper.”
Fernandez sais the label was set up to connect shoppers with farm workers as a way to create awareness of the positive impact of the produce industry in the communities where the products are grown.
“By creating this awareness we allow shoppers to be part of a virtuous cycle, where purchasing healthy good-for-you products, like our pears, also benefit those at the starting point of the supply chain,” he explained.
“Our labels and our embedded QR code will make this connection feel even more fluid and real”.
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Hunting season is in full swing and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is reminding all hunters they must report their harvest. The state has made it easier than ever to do so.
It seems that every week there is another major credit card breech. Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but there is yet another one to report. This one hit one of the largest retailers in the country with a store in Crossgates Mall.
As we get ready for Danielle to join us for our Shop with A Cop show tomorrow night, she joined me to talk about the Houston Astros, how much trash Blake Shelton will talk on the Voice about being the sexiest man alive, new music and more!


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The next Civilization is in development at Firaxis Games, the studio’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, confirmed in a statement on Friday. Though no launch date or window was offered, the news comes six years after the launch of Civilization 6, a critical and commercial success across five platforms.
Take-Two and 2K Games announced the development in a news release also promoting Heather Hazen to Firaxis’ studio head, while also announcing the departure of longtime developer Jake Solomon. Formerly, Hazen was Firaxis Games’ chief operating officer.
“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to carry on the studio’s storied legacy, beginning with the announcement that Firaxis is in development on the next iteration of the legendary Civilization franchise,” Hazen said in the statement.
Hazen continued, “I’m lucky to be working with some of the best developers in our industry, and we have plans to take the Civilization franchise to exciting new heights for our millions of players around the world. In addition, we will continue to support Marvel’s Midnight Suns with post-launch content, and explore new creative projects for our teams.”
Firaxis’ Marvel’s Midnight Suns launched in December to positive reviews, but did not perform as well commercially, according to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.
The Civilization franchise, begun by Sid Meier at Microprose more than 30 years ago, most recently launched Civilization 6 in the fall of 2016. The game was supported by two major expansions (Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm) and additional post-launch downloadable content, the last of which released in November. Civilization 6 has sold more than 65 million copies to date, Take-Two said.
Take-Two’s statement said that Ed Beach would continue as creative director for the next Civilization. Beach directed Civilization 6 and was a designer on 2010’s Civilization 5.


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By Tim Biggs
Samsung has revealed an extensive range of new smartphones at its Unpacked event on Thursday morning, although the two most ambitious models — one with a foldable screen and one which can connect to 5G networks — will not be available to purchase until later in the first half of 2019.
The highly-anticipated foldable phone, revealed as the Galaxy Fold, was first teased by Samsung back in 2011, and will finally be available for purchase some time in the next four months. It comprises a 7.3-inch flexible display that can be opened like a book and used like a tablet, as well as a secondary rigid display on the cover for use when it's closed.
When open the Fold can run up to three Android apps at once, and apps you open on one display will move to the other as you open and close. The device has a total of six cameras (three on the back and two inside the fold, plus one forward-facing on the cover screen), features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, is powered by a massive 12GB of RAM and has 512GB of internal storage. Unlike with the other phones announced today, there is no microSD card slot in the Fold.
No Australian price has been announced so far, but there's little doubt this device will be incredibly expensive. In the US it will start at $US1980 ($2763). Samsung is encouraging would-be purchasers to register an expression of interest at its website, indicating that it may be available in limited quantities.
As far as more traditional phones go, the flagship Galaxy S10 features a 6.1-inch screen boasting a new technology Samsung calls Dynamic AMOLED, supposedly making for better contrast, more accurate colours, better performance in direct sun and less blue light hitting your eyes. The 10MP selfie camera sits with an array of sensors inside a cutout at the top corner of the display, and the fingerprint reader sits invisibly under the screen itself, making for little wasted space.
Around the back sits a stabilised panel of three cameras, including a wide-angle, ultra wide and a telephoto for 2x optical zoom. The device is powered by 8GB of RAM and runs Android 9 Pie.
As usual the phone is joined by a plus-sized variant, with the S10+ moving to a 6.4-inch screen and adding a depth-sensing camera to the front, but otherwise not changing much. New this time is an additional smaller model, the S10e, which drops the curvy edges and the telephoto lens.
The S10e, S10 and S10+ will all be available in Australia on March 8, starting at $1199, $1349 and $1499 respectively, in black, white or green. Premium ceramic versions of the S10+, in black or white, will also be available at $1849 for a 512GB model or $2399 for a 1TB.
At some point in the next few months the trio of phones will be joined by the Galaxy S10 5G, which is essentially an ultra-premium version of this year's Samsung flagship. Packing a huge 6.7-inch screen and four rear cameras (it has a depth-sensing lens on both the front and back), the phone will also obviously be able to connect to the next generation of mobile networks. In Australia it will be available first through Telstra
The price is yet to be set, but Telstra announced at Unpacked that any Australian who purchases a Galaxy S10+ through the telco will be eligible to upgrade to the S10 5G when it releases at no extra cost.
Samsung's long-rumoured take on Apple's AirPods made an appearance too, in the shape of the Galaxy Buds. These are wireless, in-ear, touch-enabled buds that come in black, white or yellow and are housed in a small ovular case that also keeps them charged. They're compatible with wireless chargers and can even steal a bit of juice from a Galaxy S10 if you sit the case on the back of the phone. This is a trick we've seen previously from Huawei and its Mate20 Pro.
Samsung says Australian customers who pre-order an S10 from participating retailers by March 7 will receive a free set of Galaxy Buds, worth $249, though it did not confirm that the buds would be releasing on the same day as the phones.
Aside from phones and earbuds, Samsung also unveiled three new wearables. The Galaxy Watch Active is a sports-focused variant of last years watch, which drops the rotating dial and adds the ability to monitor blood pressure. Meanwhile the Galaxy Fit and Galaxy Fit e are simpler, less expensive fitness trackers which do not use the usual Tizen operating system seen on other Samsung watches, instead offering new streamlined software that syncs and displays information from a paired phone.
Prices and release dates for the wearables are yet to be confirmed, though they will be coming to Australia.


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The iPhone 12 will come out in a little less than a year but already, Apple’s plans are unfolding little by little. It is now certain that the 2020 models will have 5G and many are afraid of a surge in prices, especially if the brand has a new design for its upcoming smartphones. Yes, the 2020 iPhone will be more expensive, but “not too much” according to a reputable analyst.
The iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max have been out for just two months, but all eyes are already turned to their successors. By 2020, Apple would launch no less than 4 iPhone, all 5G compatible. They would also have a new metal design inspired by the design of the iPhone 4. So many factors are here that could result in a significant increase in prices.
According to the well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, components related to these developments will cost between $30 and $100 depending on the models. However, Apple does not intend to transpose these costs to final prices. At least, not in full.
Gizchina News of the week
iPhone 12: a “reasonable” price increase in 2020
How will Apple manage to absorb the rising costs associated with iPhone 12? Kuo says this will be done by cutting back on supply chain spending, primarily on non-recurring charges to suppliers. In fact, in addition to paying the unit cost of each component, the firm pays a fixed amount corresponding to engineering and R & D costs. Non-recurring expense payments have often helped make partnerships more financially viable for suppliers, especially in the spring and summer, when iPhone demand drops.
However, given that Apple is now considering a bi-annual cycle for the iPhone. Kuo explains that Apple can more easily convince its partners to reduce the amount of these upstream charges and to bet on the volume of flows over time in compensation. The new note from the analyst confirms that the new chassis and materials of the next iPhone will cost much more to Apple. The design promises to be premium. Added to this is the arrival of 5G which will further increase the cost of the iPhone 2020. However, a drastic rise in prices is not in the program.


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- Language Tips
BEIJING - China's authorities retrieved 990 million yuan ($156.3 million) for consumers last year as the country places greater efforts to protect consumers' rights, official figures showed on Wednesday.
In 2011, China's industry and commerce institutions processed 846,000 cases of complaints filed by consumers via an online service platform "12315," officials said at a conference observing the International Consumer Rights Day.
Wang Dongfeng, deputy director of the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, said China will improve its current system to increase efficiency in responding to consumers' demands.
China's authorities retrieved 980 million yuan for cheated buyers in 2010.
With heavier purses and wider choices, Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly aware of their rights at a time when the country aims to boost domestic consumption.


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Apple is reportedly planning to launch a completely overhauled model of Apple Watch in 2024. The new Apple Watch, which is being dubbed as ‘Watch X’ will be Apple’s ‘biggest overhaul yet’. The launch of this new model will mark the 10-year anniversary of the Apple Watch, which is going to be in 2024.
The report comes from Bloomberg Newsletter PowerOn by Mark Gurman, who says the Watch X will either be launched in 2024 or 2025.
The new X model of the Apple Watch will have a thinner watch case and introduce a new way to attach bands to the Apple Watch. The current mechanism that involves bands being slid inside the Watch’s body has remained unchanged ever since the first Apple Watch launched.
Although keeping the same mechanism has been beneficial for users, who can use the watch bands from the older Apple Watch with new models, it has several technical disadvantages. The current mechanism takes up a lot of space, which could be better used by other components, such as a larger battery. The Watch X could feature a new magnetic system of band attachment.
Other changes that the report says are coming in Apple Watch X include a microLED display, new blood pressure monitoring feature, and more.
While big changes are coming next year, this year’s Apple Watch Series 9 will be a minor update with processor upgrades and new color options.


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Rumors, information, hints, and whispers about CD Projekt Red's upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 have been popping up more frequently than ever. The latest rumors seem to suggest that the futuristic, action-RPG may be further along than we all originally thought. We might actually get a trailer at E3 this year.
GamePressure is reporting that Polish sources close to the subject have revealed to them that there will be a brand new, explosive E3 trailer that will make the rounds at this year's upcoming event in Los Angeles, California. Of course, this news hasn't been confirmed by the developer, so take it with a grain of salt.
There are no details on what will be in the trailer, but the outlet is reporting that Cyberpunk 2077 won't just be appearing for the glitz and glamor of showcasing some fancy visuals for the upcoming title. Apparently, there are rumors that CD Projekt Red will be flying out to Los Angeles and bringing the tech team to set up playable demonstrations of Cyberpunk 2077 for media personalities and for press. This would be an unprecedented move for the game given that it's been shrouded in secrecy since its debut back in 2013, five years ago.
There's no word on how long the rumored demo will be or what exactly it will contain, and we have no idea what platforms CD Projekt will be targeting with the game, given that it's likely going to be on the PS4, Xbox One and PC. Then again, with the advent of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, there's a possibility that Microsoft or Sony would want the game looking and running its best on the newer, higher-end consoles than the vanilla Xbox or PS4. But, given that most E3 demos run on high-end PCs, it's also very likely that CD Projekt will just stick to demonstrating the game on the platform it's most familiar with.
Of course, all of this is assuming that there will be a demo at this year's E3 and that a new trailer will drop during one of the major conferences.
These rumors are most certainly to be taken with a grain of salt until the development studio confirms the news.
What we do know is that the company recently revived the official Twitter account for Cyberpunk 2077 after five years of silence. It came back with a resounding "Beep." No... really, it did.
The "Beep" seems to indicate that there really is a resurgence for the game. This comes after lots of news about various top talent leaving the studio and other hiccups and road bumps that some believed would set the game back or cause delays in development. CD Projekt also had to switch over to the new RedEngine 4, which is an upgraded engine over what was used for The Witcher series.
However, if the rumors are true that the new futuristic cyberpunk title will make an appearance at this year's E3, then many of the doubts and reservations about the game could finally be put to rest. Of course, a lot of gamers will be holding their breath in anticipation for which platforms Cyberpunk 2077 will support when it finally does reemerge.
Staff Writer at CinemaBlend.
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The latest video report from the Tesla Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai, registered on February 27, 2020 by Jason Yang, reveals that Tesla started the next phase of construction.
Construction work is conducted on a high scale on the southern side, where we expect to see another big building a few months from now. The question is whether it will be an additional car assembly facility or something else?
Video Description via Jason Yang on YouTube:
(Feb 27) Start the third phase of Gigafactory 3 !? Crazy !It is shocking that in such a short period of time, the construction project has been fully launched and a loan has been obtained before the end of 2019. It seems that COVID-19 cannot stop the implementation of the plan at all.
More about Tesla
A quick look at the parking lot shows more Made-in-China (MIC) Model 3 waiting for the delivery and more trucks ready to go. That suggests a general higher turnover.
New construction front:
Tesla Gigafactory 3 facts:
- location: Shanghai, China
- wholly-owned subsidiary (not joint venture)
- expected total investment: about $2 billion
- construction was started in January 2019
- purpose: production of affordable versions of Model 3/Model Y for greater China region (higher cost versions of 3/Y and all S/X to be produced in the U.S.)
- battery packs will be assembled using lithium-ion cells from various suppliers, including Panasonic
- expected volume: 150,000 per year in the first phase and 500,000 per year in the future
- Targets: production of cars (between 1,000 to 2,000 per week by the end of 2019) to start in the second-half of 2019 (volume production, of 3,000 cars per week initially, from 2020),
- First customer deliveries of Made-in-China (MIC) Model 3 happened on December 30, 2019
- Elon Musk officially announced Model Y program at Gigafactory 3 on January 7, 2020
- Tesla was able to achieve a production rate of about 280 cars a day (10-hour shift) or almost 2,000 a week in December 2019. The production capacity was up to 3,000 cars per week. Production of battery packs started in December 2019 (but at the time not yet at the rate of car production).
- The production was resumed on February 10, 2020, after an extended break, caused by the fight with coronavirus


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Former NFT Distribution sales and marketing manager Dale Fiddy has joined Fowler Welch as its strategic development director. Fiddy (pictured below) had worked at NFT since 2009, before which he spent 10 years with Culina. Starting in his new role today (6 June) Fiddy will initially be responsible for developing the benefits of collaborative working in the food sector between manufacturers and retailers, notably operator’s relationship with Dairy Crest at its Nuneaton NDC. The operator saw an increase in its […]
UK logistics is pretty much a private, and foreign, affair. The operators sitting at the top of the MT Top 100 are German, Swiss, Dutch , French and American. Looking at UK-based firms, very few sit on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). The number of UK logistics firms turning to the City as a means of investment has dwindled, ever since the Malcolm Group withdrew its listing in 2005. Last month Autologic was struck of the list after fellow publicly-listed […]
Turnover decreased by 1%, while pre-tax profit was static at Fowler Welch as it off-set the full year impact of the closure of its European operating base in the Netherlands with new contract wins and organic growth.
NFT has revealed more details in regards its plan to venture south and open a substantial new facility, in its bid to take a larger slice of the UK’s £38bn imported food market.


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Fans of the strange and spooky, take note: there’s a paranormal expo coming to Cache Valley.
Bridgerland ParaX will take place Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cache Valley Event Center and will feature stories, shopping, food trucks and more.
Guest speakers so far include Shannon LeGro, Annette Bunce, Shane Keith Daniel Jr., Kristen Clay and the Destiny Mystery podcast.
Shannon LeGro, the headline speaker, has several shows on Amazon Prime in which she looks for Bigfoot or UFOs. She is also an author and has a podcast titled “Into the Fray.”
The event was created by author and paranormal expert John Olsen with the help of his wife, Annie. Olsen grew up in Cache Valley and has spent the last 30 years documenting firsthand experiences of those who have witnessed unusual events. He has published five books in the series “Stranger Bridgerland” that contains firsthand accounts of everything from ghosts and monsters to UFOs and Bigfoot.
Olsen’s experience with the paranormal began when he was a young child. When he was in eighth grade, he sat down to watch television only to discover a transparent man with a wide-brimmed hat sitting in a nearby rocking chair.
“I closed my eyes and counted to 10. When I opened my eyes he was gone, but the rocking chair was still rocking. I jumped up and ran out,” Olsen said. “That was one of the only times I was actually really scared. I never really got too scared because I was growing up with it. There were a lot of footsteps and stuff like that.”
Olsen’s wife encouraged him to turn his collected stories into a series. He started in Cache Valley and has now collected firsthand accounts stretching from Canada all the way to Mexico. Olsen has also spoken at paranormal conventions, which is where the inspiration to host one in Cache Valley came from.
“I thought one would be really fun to do here because we haven’t had one,” Olsen said. “There’s a lot of interest in folklore and ghosts and all that stuff.”
In addition to shopping booths and guest speakers, the expo will also have a haunted object exhibit, a full-size display of Bigfoot, and tarot card readings. The events will be family friendly and people are encouraged to dress up.
Annie explained how excited she was that so many vendors wanted to participate. So far they have gathered nearly 50 booths for the event.
“I thought we’d have a hard time finding booths because I figured people would be like ‘Ew, I don’t want anything to do with that,’ but it has really taken off. I think we’ve gotten more vendors than we would have during COVID because they are excited to participate in something like this,” she said.
Olsen expressed his hope that Bridgerland ParaX can be a “staple” of Cache Valley like Summerfest, the Cruise In and the rodeo.
“I want this to be something people look forward to in the fall,” he said.
More information can be found at strangerbridgerland.com/b.


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It’s time for an Australian Modern Day Slavery Act
The 25th March is the UN International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Heartbreakingly for 45.8 million people around the world slavery is still their reality, this includes 4,300 people living right here in Australia (Global Index 2016).
Child marriages, forced labour, sex trade and domestic servitude are just the few painted pictures of modern day slavery.
In 2011 the Uniting Church in Australia with Stop the Traffik and Oaktree, through an extensive report, urged the Australian Government to create standards for industries to ensure that human trafficking or slavery is not present in the production of imported goods.
Last month, in response to the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Australian Government launched an inquiry into whether Australia should adopt a similar national legislation.
Individuals and organisations are able to make submissions/proposals to the government to help push for a modern day slavery act to be adopted. Stop the Traffik is providing video conferences as a resource for anyone who is looking to submit. The next video conference is on the 30th March with the Director of Anti-Slavery Australia, Professor Jennifer Burn.
Walk Free Foundation founder and Australian businessman Andrew Forrest, spoke to the Guardian about the importance of businesses to address whether their production is tainted by slavery and for the public to ask questions.
“We need to make it unacceptable for people to buy something without asking the company where it was made and who made and who made it. If they can’t answer that question clearly then the next question clearly then the next question must be ‘how do you know it wasn’t made with slave labour?” said Mr Forrest.
What you can do now
Easter is fast approaching which means, Easter eggs and just chocolate in general, are likely to be on top of the shopping list.
What you may not know is that 70% of the world’s cocoa, which is then made into chocolate, is harvested in West Africa, a hot-spot for child labour. Communities are encouraged to look out for the Fairtrade, UTZ or Rainforest Alliance certification on chocolate packaging to ensure that no slavery was used in its production.
You can find where to buy your ‘traffik-free’ Easter chocolate through the Good Egg Guide. You can also organise a traffik free Easter egg hunt to help raise awareness for the children trapped in slavery.
Learn more about modern day slavery in Australia.
Servant or Slave? You know about the Stolen Generation but have you heard about the Stolen Wages? Read more here.
Find out how to make a submission to the Australian government here.


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Mahindra Electric Mobility aims to double sales of its electric vehicles, including passenger cars which run on batteries, in the current year
Kolkata: Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd on Wednesday said it will join forces with fleet operators and cab aggregators such as Zoomcar, Ola and Uber to shore up sales of its electric passenger vehicles.
The company aims to double sales of its electric vehicles, including passenger cars which run on batteries, in the current year, said Mahindra Electric CEO Mahesh Babu. Last year, the company sold 4,000 electric vehicles of which 1,300 were passenger cars.
Sales of electric passenger vehicles are not growing unlike commercial vehicles, Babu said, adding that it was expected to be easier to sell battery-operated passenger vehicles to fleet operators and cab aggregators than to individuals.
The company has recently tied up with Bengaluru-based Zoomcar India Pvt Ltd, which lets out cars without drivers. Zoomcar is looking to build a fleet of 2,000 electric cars by the end of the current year from 300 currently, said its chief executive officer Greg Moran.
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Adam&eveDDB’s eagerly awaited John Lewis Christmas ad surfaces next week – I’m told it’s a cheerier effort than last year’s ‘Man on the Moon’ – and agency, retailer and media agency Manning Gottlieb OMD have won their second IPA Effectiveness Grand Prix (the first was in 2012).
The somewhat labour intensive award is awarded every two years and this makes a unique hat trick for adam&eve as it also won for Foster’s in 2014. The agency won other gongs this year for Save the Children, John Lewis Insurance, Wall’s and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The Grand Prix was for a number of John Lewis campaigns. The agency’s planning wizards are CSO David Golding and the aptly titled head of effectiveness Les Binet.
Client and agency also won the Cannes Creative Effectiveness award (for fabled ‘Monty the Penguin’) in the summer.
John Lewis apparently makes 40 per cent of its profit at Christmas and the ads return £8 for every £1 spent.


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The objective of the site is to become China's top eCommerce platform. Alibaba's marketplace Taobao currently holds 75% of all online transactions operated in China in Q2, according to Beijing-based consulting firm Analysys International.
Products sold on the platform mostly come from Chinese and foreign SMEs. Lekutian will help businesses to market their products.
Lekutian must benefit of Priceminister's experience in eCommerce, notably with tools to monitor vendors and detect counterfeit goods.


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StoreHub announced today that it has raised $13.5 million (RM60.7 million) in its pre-Series B round. The investment was led by venture capital firm 500 Global, along with participation from existing investors Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India, OSK Ventures and others.
This round follows the 2020 Series A+ round, which raised $8.9 million. This pre-Series B round brings their total funding to $28.5 million.
In an interview with Vulcan Post, StoreHub co-founder and chief executive Wai Hong Fong said the new round of funding will help the company drive further investment in technological innovation while deepening the value and quality of StoreHub’s services.
Strengthen dealers sustainably
According to Wai Hong, the fresh funds will be used to further scale the number of stores using StoreHub, but “in a sustainable and healthy way.”
“Positive unit economics has always been a key feature of our scaling engine and we intend to continue to grow in this way,” explained the co-founder.
As previously mentioned, the company will also invest in technological innovation to meet the challenges faced by retailers and restaurants during this post-pandemic era.
“We’ve seen the pain of market and operational changes that businesses are facing, and we want to make sure we can do even more to empower and support them,” he said.
The press release also states that the team is considering “revenge travel” and “revenge eating” as they believe these trends will continue to influence consumer behavior in Malaysia and across the region post-pandemic.
With this in mind, Wai Hong said in the press release that retail and F&B business owners are looking for ways to improve operational efficiencies and maximize their revenue per customer. These are things he believes StoreHub’s platform can help do.
However, amid the pandemic, StoreHub has continued to grow. In the last 12 months, StoreHub said it processed over 128 million transactions worth over RM7.2 billion in gross transaction volume, a 40% increase year-over-year.
To meet this increased demand, StoreHub has expanded its team and hired over 100 new employees in the last six months.
For Wai Hong, this growth in transaction volume is a natural result of the team’s continued growth in strengthening its merchants.
“Our team has also constantly evolved to build improved processes and scalable systems to ensure our merchants have a seamless experience with the product and our service,” he said.
According to a press release, 500 Global managing partner Khailee Ng said StoreHub’s round is one of the first of many “really big bets” the company is making on its top-performing companies.
Khailee went on to explain to Vulcan Post that this is because StoreHub is “Southeast Asia’s only multi-country player with the most paying customers and the most VC support,” which puts them in a great position to build a regional giant.
Khailee also said StoreHub is creating a playbook for the rest of the world. For him, enrolling and retaining thousands of paying customers in the Philippines and Thailand is different from how it’s done in the US.
“More emerging markets will benefit from the lessons StoreHub has learned, which also paves the way for StoreHub’s future market entries,” he said.
A start for future plans
According to StoreHub, it’s come close to net profitability a few times over the years, most recently in December 2021.
“Each time we launched a round, we have prepared a financial plan that aims to achieve net profitability within an 18-24 month timeframe,” Wai Hong shared.
However, due to investor confidence and the company’s appetite for growth, StoreHub typically ends up triggering a new round before the end of those cycles is reached.
“We will continue to take a similar approach this round,” Wai Hong said.
According to the Chief, this pre-Series B round is a prelude to his Series B round that they have already planned.
Until then, Wai Hong said we can expect to see more depth in how the company is enabling traders to be more efficient and sophisticated.
Given the exponential growth in checks StoreHub has received, we’ll continue to keep an eye on this Malaysian startup.
- Learn more about StoreHub here.
- Read more about what we wrote on StoreHub here.
Credit for select images: StoreHub


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Norwood-based National Sleep Therapy, a supplier of equipment to treat sleep apnea, has expanded into Connecticut through an acquisition that President Eric Cohen says is part of a plan to grow by as much as five times in coming years.
National Sleep Therapy, or NST, has acquired Gaylord Sleep Medicine Equipment of Wallingford, Conn., a division of Gaylord Hospital. Cohen said his company will take over treatment of Gaylord’s current clients, but has not acquired any buildings, equipment or employees in the deal. The new location will operate under the name Gaylord National Sleep Therapy through the end of the year, and then will be called National Sleep Therapy of Connecticut.
NST now has 22 employees and has centers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in addition to Connecticut and its Norwood headquarters.
The company was started in 2009 by Cohen, an engineer who has helped develop a product for sleep apnea, and CEO Peter Falkson, who headed a durable medical device company. The two have self-financing the company so far.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which the airway collapses multiple times a night, causing sufferers to wake up suddenly. It is estimated to affect 18 million adults in the U.S., and at least 2 to 3 percent of children. Cohen says that after patients are diagnosed, they come to NST where they meet with specialists for an hour or more to be fitted for a mask with a hose attached to a small fan device the size of a small toaster. The equipment increases pressure in the airway to prevent collapse, he said, but working with patients to get used to the device is the most challenging part.
“The whole trick in the business is to increase adherence,” he said. “It’s hard to sleep with a mask on your face.”
Cohen says the whole durable medical goods industry is in a phase where small companies need to grow to survive, and that’s the motivation behind the fast expansion underway now. Ideally, he says he would like to grow the company by four to five times to about $30 million in annual revenue. He said the company is now in discussions with a couple of Boston-based equity firms who specialize in health care to fuel further growth.


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Regina Askia (in black) and daughter; brand new car. Photo: Regina Askia / Instagram
A former beauty queen and Nollywood star, Regina Askia, has gifted a new car to her daughter, Teesa, who recently turned 20 years old.
The proud mother, who is now a New York-based nurse, noted that she had promised to buy her daughter a car.
Teesa turned 20 years on January 3, 2022 and in fulfilling her promise, Askia gifted her child a brand new car.
Sharing a picture of the car, the proud mother said, “A belated birthday present, a promise kept. Because my little girl kept her promise to stay in college, get a job and do the right thing.
“May this car be the beginning of many great adventures for you, in God’s safety and protection. Love you always. (Please, join your prayers here to bless Ms T’s first car with me, thank you).”
The former beauty queen also shared a video where she presented the car to the excited 20-year-old.
Watch video below:


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Hyundai unveils a new Grandeur
The IG model comes five years after the Grandeur HG and has undergone a design transformation and technological upgrade.
“Grandeur used to symbolize power and solemnity but now it will step closer to being the vehicle for future leaders,” Jung Rag, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor General PM, said at a media preview.
“Inheriting the heritage that the Grandeur model possesses since 1986, we are going to provide Grandeur IG at a reasonable price.” The price has not been set.
The biggest noticeable change is the front and rear side facelifts.
The front face implemented what’s called a cascading grille, which Hyundai Motor introduced in its i30 hatchback and said would be a signature feature for Hyundai’s future models.
Replacing the more straight-lined and stern-looking hexagonal grille in the previous model, the new curvy grille is stamped in the center with the Hyundai Motor logo that is two times larger.
The rear lights have been changed as well. A slim LED-lit straight line bridges the two eyes in the back. The signature look for Grandeur model’s rear side used to be the connected rear ramp, but it is the first time that the bridge is lit along with two rear lights. It is designed to give the model a more sophisticated and sharp look to entice younger drivers.
Koo Min-chul, an exterior design team leader at Hyundai Motor, emphasized the amplified volume on the vehicle’s curves that connect the front hood to the rear ramp. “Creating a flowing, streamlined sideline” was one of the distinctive points when designing the model, said Koo.
Grandeur IG also gives a sneak peek into how Hyundai Motor is approaching autonomous driving technology.
The auto company implemented Hyundai Smart Sense, which is installed with autonomous emergency braking, a lane-keeping assist system, blind-spot detection and a driver attention alert system, all of which are supposed to keep the driver safer.
Hyundai Motor says these safety tools will help reduce car accidents by 40 percent.
Hyundai Smart Sense enables advanced smart cruise control which helps maintain a certain speed in long-distance drives and a monitor that gives a 360-view of its surroundings, even when not parking.
“Smart Sense is a more commercialized version of what’s implemented in Genesis. This is supposed to reach out to wider range of drivers,” said Yang Joo-wong with the Advance Driver Assistance Systems development team.
The Grandeur launch comes at a crucial time for Hyundai Motor, which has had a troublesome year with repeated labor strikes and a series of recalls over defective airbags and engines. In order to break through the dwindling domestic demand, Hyundai Motor upped the launch date for Grandeur, which was scheduled to be unveiled next year.
Grandeur was introduced in 1986 in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors. In 1988, Hyundai started developing the model on its own. The premium sedan has sold 1.85 million units since it was introduced 30 years ago.
Hyundai Motor will reveal the prices and interior space in mid-November.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, executives of Hyundai Motor and its affiliates voluntarily decided to cut their monthly pay by 10 percent starting this month as the company struggles. It hasn’t yet been decided when wages will be reduced.
BY JIN EUN-SOO [firstname.lastname@example.org]


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10 Jan 2018 - Technology company Nuheara (ASX:NUH) partners with a global semiconductor manufacturer ams AG to launch its LiveIQ noise cancelling wireless earbuds.
10 Jan 2018 - It was a positive day of trade in yesterday’s session on Wall Street, with the major indicies finished at record highs. Insurance company QBE (ASX:QBE) announces the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer for its Australian and New Zealand operations. Gaming company Aristocrat (ASX:ALL) completes of the acquisition of social gaming company Big Fish.
10 Jan 2018 - Mining company Australian Vanadium (ASX:AVL) said it has received encouraging test results from initial testing of vanadium, iron and titanium on its Gabanintha project near Meekathara in Western Australia.
10 Jan 2018 - Global software company LiveTiles (ASX:LVT) announces a strategic partnership with US Department of Energy-backed Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII).
09 Jan 2018 - 5 points up on 5th day of gains: Aus shares close 0.09% higher. APN Outdoor (ASX:APO) announces CFO and acting CEO Wayne Castle has resigned, effective immediately. ABS building permits post a healthy 11.7% gain in November. Sigma Healthcare tumbles 6.09%, dragging Health Care sector lower.
09 Jan 2018 - Exuberance continues for 5th straight day: Aus shares 0.3% higher at noon. Noni B Limited (ASX:NBL) provides a positive trading update for the first half of FY2018. Retail Food Group (ASX:RFG) tumbles on profit downgrade. January consumer confidence highest since late 2013. Job Ads up 11.4% on annualised basis.
09 Jan 2018 - Supply chain logistics company Brambles (ASX:BXB) announces the sale of its in North American CHEP Recycled business for US$115 million.
09 Jan 2018 - Waste management company Bingo Industries (ASX:BIN) announces it has completed the Patons Lane and National Recycling Group acquisitions, and has also received approval to build an advanced recycling facility at the Mortdale resources recovery centre in Sydney.
09 Jan 2018 - Self-storage provider National Storage REIT (ASX:NSR) is intending to raise $15 million through a share purchase plan, offering eligible shareholders the opportunity to purchase up to $15,000 worth of shares.
09 Jan 2018 - Gold producer and explorer St Barbara (ASX:SBM) has revised its FY2018 gold production guidance, after exceeding half year gold production.


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30th March 2005 - With ACON5 Qualifying under way in the Warcraft III: Frozen Throne tournament, and the qualifying weekend for Counter Strike fast approaching, leading clan "Four Kings Intel" today announced their players participation in ACON5.
"We are proud to join ACON5 and hopefully have several of our players represent the UK at this important worldwide gaming tournament", says Four Kings manager Philip Wride. Commenting on the make-up of the team, Wride says "because of the tournament rules, we will not be fielding a 4Kings line-up but will be allowing our British players to compete in this highly prized competition".
Although the team boasting the 4Kings players will be the favourites to win the UK crown, other top clans and Warcraft players are preparing to assemble at the Uttoxeter venue on the weekend of 22nd-24th April, in what promises to be one of the most talent-filled UK gaming events in recent months.
ACON5 UK Prizes Announced
Intel & ATI contribute to hardware prize pool
Organisers also today revealed further details about prizes on offer at the ACON5 UK National Final. These will include CPUs from Intel and Radeon X850 graphics cards courtesy of ATI.
Other prizes will also include memory modules from Corsair, soundcards, MP3 players and headsets from Creative, a range of cool gaming cases from Chenbro, and gaming accessories (including performance mice and keyboards) from Logitech.
ABIT will also be on hand with a selection of goodies including Fatal1ty motherboards, graphics cards and other motherboard products.
With the winners in each game being sent all-expenses paid to the Global Final in China, there will be plenty of goodies for runners-up, according to UK organiser Michael Littler; "with the quality and range of prizes we have from ACON5 sponsors, it's clear that even for runners-up, getting to the UK final will be well worth the qualifying effort!"
UK National Final and ACON5 LAN Party
LAN Party and Global Gaming Competition under one roof
With expertise from Gameon (http://www.gameon.co.uk), one of the UK's leading LAN organiser's, the ACON5 LAN Party promises to be a fantastic frag fest, and will run simultaneously with the ACON5 UK National Final.
The ACON5 LAN Party is open to everybody - gamers can book a place online by visiting the ACON5 website (http://www.acon5.com). Three days of gaming, commencing on the evening of Friday 22nd April at Uttoxeter Racecourse, can be purchased for just £35.00 thanks to the support of ACON5 sponsors such as ATI, Corsair, Intel, LG, and local sponsors Chenbro and Logitech.
ABIT customers will join ACON5 Global Final
One lucky ABIT customer will win a trip for 2 people to the ACON5 Global Final
From April, ABIT will be running an exclusive competition to send one lucky ABIT UK customer and their guest to the ACON5 Global Final in June. Motherboard and VGA products bearing a promotional sticker will invite end users to submit their details into the draw on the ACON5 website (http://www.acon5.com).
ACON5 Schedule Summary
Battle commences this Wednesday, 9th March, and continues through until the Global Final in June...
DATE - Specifications
Weds 9th March - Warcraft III Qualifying begins
1st-3rd April - Counter-Strike 1.6 Qualifiers
Weds 13th April - Final Warcraft III Qualifying session
Friday 22nd April - ACON5 UK National Final Weekend and LAN Party opens
Saturday 23rd April - ACON5 UK National Final - Counter-Strike Finals
Sunday 24th April - ACON5 UK National Final - Warcraft III Finals
June - ACON5 Global Final, China
ABIT is proud to announce the following companies are supporting ACON5 and ACON5 UK...
ACON5 is an international Gaming Event, created by ABIT for gamers. With qualifying in 150 cities worldwide, and a global final to be held in China, June 2005 - it truly is a global event.
For more information on ACON5, visit:
Editors and Public Relations: Michael Littler Email: email@example.com Tel: 01438 223005