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South Africa: The government has approved the submission to Parliament of the 2018 Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, which will regulate e-cigarettes both with and without nicotine. Among other things, the bill – the latest version of which has not yet been published – proposes “100% smoke-free indoor” and some outdoor non-smoking and non-vaping areas, and strengthens the rules on packaging and health warnings.
From February 2022, subscribers can view and filter individual regulatory alerts per region. If you want to get our monthly compilations, visit our alerts round-up section.
South Africa: The Department of Health has told ECigIntelligence that the draft Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill, first put forward in 2018, has been approved by the Forum of South African Directors General for presentation to the cabinet. Ministers will now either agree and submit the bill to parliament or suggest changes. The next steps, including the timetable, will be guided by the cabinet.
South Africa: The Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that the regulations banning the sale of tobacco products during the Covid-19 lockdown were invalid and unconstitutional. This comes after the minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs imposed a series of regulations to contain Covid-19, including a ban on the sale of heated tobacco and e-cigarettes.
South Africa: The libertarian think think the Free Market Foundation is reportedly concerned that the government’s plans for regulating vaping products will push more people back toward smoking and to buying from the black market. The South African Treasury’s director for economic tax analysis, Chris Axelson, told press that a flat tax rate based on e-liquid volume, regardless of nicotine concentration, had been agreed in principle. He said the Treasury would draft a bill aiming to have a tax in force from 1st January 2023.


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Some small business owners in the Sunset and Richmond districts have a new tool to stave off predatory lawsuits and bring their shops into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
A $200,000 pilot program Mayor Ed Lee launched with Supervisor Carmen Chu on Tuesday allows small business owners in select areas to get a free inspection and a plan for compliance. It also gives them access to grant money and a $1 million loan fund to make needed improvements.
The idea is twofold: to stave off what Lee called “drive-by lawsuits” where the cost of litigation and fines can drive shop owners out of business, while also getting owners on track to have their shop accessible to those in wheelchairs or with other disabilities as required by federal law.
“We want everyone to comply, (and) we don’t want them to be victims of irrational and abusive lawsuits,” Lee said in announcing the program in front of the Goodwill store in the Sunset.
Since 2005, there have been at least 300 lawsuits brought in San Francisco alleging failure to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, Chu said, although it was unknown how many of those fell into the “drive-by” category.
Still, that total number “is not insignificant for a city of our size,” she said.
It was also unclear how many local businesses had actually folded because of such lawsuits, but Chu, who represents the Sunset, said there had been at least one in her district – the iCafe at 20th Avenue and Irving Street, five blocks from where Tuesday’s announcement was made.
“Right now it’s an empty storefront,” Chu said.
The issue of predatory disabilities act lawsuits has been recognized at the state level.
As our colleague Andrew S. Ross noted, Gov. Jerry Brown in September signed into law a bill that bans “pre-litigation demands” — letters demanding money from small businesses under threat of an ADA suit being filed. The new law also reduces fines for violations if they’re fixed within a certain period.
Under the city’s pilot program, the $200,000 is enough for more than 40 businesses to get a CASp inspection, a state-certified inspection to determine what, if any, improvements are needed to comply with ADA requirements.
Having that assessment report should inoculate small business owners from a lawsuit by demonstrating an effort to comply with the federal law, city officials said. The initial funding will also cover an estimated 13 compliance improvements. Once it runs out, businesses can apply for a loan through a city program.
To qualify for the pilot, businesses have to be on one of four west-side commercial corridors. Details on applying are here. Lee is looking to expand the program if it proves successful.
“We talk a lot about supporting our small businesses, and a lot of times you hear a lot of lip service to it,” said Chu, who, instead of hiring a third aide like most of her colleagues, is using $20,000 of that money to fund the program. “This is actually putting your pocket where your mouth is and actually making that investment.”

domain: news


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Google Android sounds like the name of a mobile phone, but it’s actually not. The name Google Android is used to refer to the OS of the mobile phone. The market is flooded with with mobile phones these days, and consumers are spoilt for choice. So what makes Google Android so different? And why should anyone start using a totally different OS altogether?
Today, many are confused by the wide-ranging spectrum of mobile phone models and capabilities. For those seeking a phone with the greatest expanse of functionality, there is no better choice than a smart phone.
The cat is out of the bag. Lifestyle gadget enthusiasts are whispering to one another the prospects of Google Android – a new OS that looks to be a strong contender against Apple’s iPhone. For years, Apple has had very little competition. The iPhone appeared to have dominated the mobile community, and to date, it’s still the most popular mobile gadget around.


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The iPhone’s slightly astronomical price has been all over the news recently, as we prepare for the iPhone 8 to be the first smartphone to cost more than $1,000. An alien coming down from outer space would probably find it hard to justify spending a grand on a smartphone when you can get a brand-new Android phone for $100, but Apple’s other founder Steve Wozniak still thinks it’s worth it.
China is one of the most price-sensitive smartphone markets in the world, and it’s the one in which Apple struggles the most. The company is the fourth-largest smartphone vendor in China, but those numbers are falling a little. Apple sold 9.6 million iPhones in China in Q1 this year, a decrease of nearly 27 percent from the same time last year. Apple’s market share also fell to under 10% over the same period.
You can blame a lot of that on the price. Apple is being beaten in China not by Samsung and the Galaxy S8, but by home-grown competitors like Vivo and Huawei, who specialize in feature-rich Android phones that cost around $500.
Speaking to reporters at an artificial intelligence event in Dongguan, Guangdong province, Steve Wozniak defended Apple’s position in China. “In life I don’t believe in quantity as much as I do in quality. So you may not have the hugest share in the market or be the No 1, but you should have the best product you can possibly build and Apple qualifies for that,” he said.
“Apple products are safe. And Apple’s pricing is high in the extreme. It’s a safe bet for a lot of people, and when you love Apple you are willing to pay for it. But Apple is not falling behind [in terms of features] at all. You can’t be No 1 at everything when you make a huge volume, tens of millions of a product. You cannot make the best product you possibly could. You have to figure out the manufacturing steps to make something reliably in those quantities,” the South China Morning Post reports.
Those words could come back to haunt him later in the year. The iPhone 8 is set to be Apple’s most expensive phone ever, and some analysts have the starting price set at well over $1,000. If all the rumors about under-screen fingerprint readers come together, it could well be worth it. But the onus is going to be on Apple to prove that its (expensive) products still provide value for money, especially when it’s already losing ground to the cheaper competition.


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Black Shark 3 5G, the upcoming Xiaomi phone has been certified by MIIT, a Chinese certification website. Renders reveal that the phone will come with 16GB of RAM.
This means the RAM capacity of the device will be more powerful than some of the budget laptops. And also the first phone device to support a 16 GB RAM.
Asus, Samsung and Black Shark have broken the 10 GB RAM. The Black Shark 2, Samsung Galaxy Note Plus and the ROG phone 2 currently offer up to 12 GB RAM.
Having a notable of history of releasing phones bove the 10 GB RAM mark. There is a sure possibility that Shark 3 will be a 16GB.
A tipster Sudhanshu also notes, the phone should be the worlds first phone with a 16 GB RAM.
Black Shark 3 is expected to be the successor to the Black Shark 2 Pro, which launched with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset and a 4,000mAh battery.
Reports indicate that the phone could pack a similar 4,000mAh battery as its predecessor.
Likewise, It’s believed that the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 5G smartphone is going to wow potential buyers with up to 16 GB of RAM. Beyond the RAM and the 5G network, there have been no other rumours on other functionalities of the phone.
Other speculations around the device reveal that. Xiaomi might be after bragging rights in the case of the Black Shark 3 5G. The fact that it could end up being the world’s first smartphone to feature such a hefty amount of RAM will give them bragging rights
The memory would be a boon for users who already find themselves struggling with devices with “only” up to 12 GB RAM, such.
Following reports and tipsters, the phone is said to be a gaming smartphone. However, there are no accurate features of the device.
Presumably, it could feature a 6.39-inches TrueView full HD+ Pressure-Sensitive AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels.
Besides, the phone might sport a dual-camera setup with a combination of 48-megapixel IMX586 primary lens along with a 13-megapixel telephoto lens with f/2.2 aperture and LED flash.


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Disneyland Halts Pass Sales With New Park Soon to Open
Concerned that the highly anticipated opening of its neighboring park may lead to overcrowding, Disneyland cut off sales of its yearlong “passports” for the first time in park history Saturday.
The move, which park officials called temporary, came five days before the opening of the California Adventure theme park and follows three rare Disneyland sellouts in December.
Passports, the Disneyland equivalent of a season pass, allowed guests park access for a year. Prices depended on whether guests were willing to accept blackout dates when their passes would not be honored. A premium passport good at both parks, 365 days a year, sold for $299.
Guests who already own passports to Disneyland and California Adventure will be able to renew them when they expire, said Disneyland spokesman Ray Gomez.
He said the passports will go on sale again, but when is unknown.
With a limit of 30,000 guests at California Adventure, Disney officials were concerned that so many passport holders might show up at the park that it would prohibit others from buying tickets at the gate, Gomez said.
Disneyland has heavily promoted its annual passport for several years in hopes of filling the park on less popular days. By mid-January, 35,000 Disneyland passport owners had paid an additional fee to add California Adventure to their passports, a park manager said.
Overcrowding has been a serious concern at the new park, which has 23 attractions--a third as many as Disneyland. Each park charges $43 admission.
Disneyland took the rare step of cutting off gate sales three times in December, the first time it did so since the final days of the popular Main Street Electrical Parade in 1996.
A trade magazine put Disneyland attendance at nearly 14 million guests last year. Officials expect 7 million guests at California Adventure in its first year, Gomez said.
The passport suspension comes as Disney officials prepare for a crowd of up to 24,000 expected to line up overnight to get into the new park on its first day.
The same day Disney cut off passport sales, the company evacuated about 90 people from a theater simulation ride after an amplifier started to smoke during previews in the California Adventure park.
Anaheim firefighters cleared the smoke from the “Soarin’ Over California” ride shortly after 7 p.m. and determined there was no fire. Park officials replaced the amplifier and the ride was reopened two hours later, Gomez said. No one was hurt, authorities said.
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Small businesses should support “Common Ground” paid sick days proposal
Jody Hall, Cupcake Royale & Verite Coffee
From the day I started my business, taking care of my people has been my utmost priority. Within a year of opening, I offered heath insurance for employees who worked 30+ hours. As our business grew, I added paid vacation for our hourly baristas, bakers and drivers, in addition to paid time off for our management staff.
The paid sick days ordinance is sparking great debate among small businesses in Seattle. At first, I was reluctant to support the effort. I thought that the original proposal requiring 9 paid days a year (based on a voter-approved law in San Francisco) seemed steep for the majority of small businesses in Seattle.
But instead of deciding to be against it, I wanted to be a part of an effort to share concerns to shape something that works for small businesses and is unique for the city of Seattle.
I joined with a group of small business owners, including Joe Fugere (Tutta Bella), David Meinert (Big Mario’s & 5 Point Café), and Linda Derschang (Linda’s Tavern, Oddfellows, Smith & King’s Hardware), to sit down with public health advocates and labor unions and develop a new paid sick days proposal based on common ground.
For everyone involved, it seemed that by working together we could do better, and offer a fair solution that creates a healthy environment for employees, small businesses and the community.
We met for about 2 months to build this agreement – and presented our proposal to City Council and the Mayor just last week, built around core common ground principles:
· Promote public health by making sure no one comes to work sick.
· Ensure no worker loses income or their job because they are sick.
· Support the success of local, vibrant small businesses in our city.
Our proposal is flexible and fair for small businesses. Small and mid-sized businesses provide fewer sick days. Businesses with Paid Time Off (PTO) policies that meet ordinance standards don’t have to change policies. There is flexibility for shift trading. Part-time employees earn fewer sick days than full-time.
I feel proud of this effort. Instead of the usual ways of bare-knuckle, fight-to-the-death politics, we met as a group of concerned parties to figure out a solution that works for Seattle. I think it's a solution that many small businesses will be excited about supporting, and I think it's the right solution for the employees that make our businesses shine.
Note: Cupcake Royale & Verite Coffee is a wholesale and retail business with five locations in Seattle and Bellevue. Hall buys from local farmers, helping to create jobs and support the local economy. Hall also supports community efforts helping to raise money by donating over 40,000 cupcakes. In June, Hall decided to give half of the proceeds of "The Gay" cupcake to the It Gets Better Project – raising $10,000 for the effort.


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Simon Roberts has only just got his feet under the desk at Sainsbury’s, but shareholders are already asking whether the supermarket’s new chief executive can follow the retailer’s own advertising slogan and “live well for less”.
Roberts will get his first outing before shareholders at the company’s quarterly results on Wednesday before the annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, where questions are expected to be asked about both his potential bonuses and finance director Kevin O’Byrne’s pension.
Pirc, the shareholder advisory group, is urging investors to oppose Sainsbury’s remuneration report. Admittedly, most of its ire is directed at the payout to Roberts’s predecessor Mike Coupe, who stepped down last month. However, Pirc says that potential bonuses for the year ahead could add up to 470% of salary, which it believes is excessive. It also raises concern about the basis on which long-term bonuses are earned.
The Observer has also learned that the influential Investment Association’s Institutional Voting Information Service (Ivis) has slapped Sainsbury’s report with a “red top” alert – its strongest possible objection – over pay arrangements for O’Byrne.
The Investment Association, which represents City fund manager with a combined £7.7tn worth of assets, warned companies last year to publish credible plans to cut retirement packages down to size by 2022.
But Sainsbury’s is set to blow through the IA’s deadline. O’Byrne, who has been pocketing pension payments worth about 25% of his salary, will gradually see his pension pay reduced over the next four years until it is worth 7.5% in March 2024. It is that long goodbye to the annual cash handout that the IA objects to.
The row, which follows similar recent battles at Morrisons and Tesco, comes as Sainsbury’s is expected to unveil healthy trading figures. In an ideal world Roberts might not have chosen to present his first set of results during a pandemic. But the UK’s attempt to limit the virus with a lockdown on restaurants, cafes and a shift to working from home has been a huge boost for supermarkets.
Sainsbury’s is growing faster than German discounter Aldi for the first time in about a decade. Analysts expect Sainsbury’s grocery sales in the three months to the end of June to be up by 12%. A long spell of unusually warm and sunny weather, and the enforced closure of many of its high street rivals, is also likely to have helped Sainsbury’s Argos chain to a better than expected start to the year. Unlike many rivals, the catalogue shop was able to keep dozens of its sites open within Sainsbury’s stores.
Roberts, who has worked for Sainsbury’s for about four years and shared in many of Coupe’s decisions, is unlikely to be unveiling any major strategic changes. His challenge will be to convince investors that the retailer has an exciting story beyond this short-term growth spurt.
The shares have yet to recover from the collapse of Coupe’s attempted merger with Asda just over a year ago and the group will be wary of other major takeovers in the near future.
Investors will want to know how Sainsbury’s plans to cater to the shift online and to more local shopping without blowing the budget.
The impending recession in the UK is also likely to mean a new wave of tough price battles with the discount chains. Tesco kicked things off by more than doubling its Aldi price-match promotion last week. The ball is now in Sainsbury’s court.


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Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading.
Enphase Energy — Shares jumped 7.7% after Enphase topped earnings expectations on the top and bottom lines. The energy company reported record revenues, and said it’s setting its sights on Europe as a growth area during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Visa — Shares of the credit card company jumped 6.5% following a stronger-than-expected quarterly report. Visa reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.79 on revenues of $7.19 billion. Analysts expected $1.65 adjusted earnings per share and $6.83 billion in revenue, according to Refinitiv. The company cheered a continued recovery in travel spending and said there’s no evident impact on its global payments volumes from inflation and supply chain disruptions.
Mastercard — Shares for Mastercard jumped 5.1% on the back of competitor Visa’s strong earnings report. The payments company is expected to disclose its own quarterly earnings on Thursday.
Microsoft — Microsoft’s stock price surged 4.8% after the company reported an earnings beat in its most recent quarter. The company’s revenue guidance for each of Microsoft’s three business segments also exceeded the expectations of analysts surveyed by FactSet’s StreetAccount.
CME Group — Shares popped 5.9% after CME Group surpassed expectations on the top and bottom lines in its most recent quarter. The company also reaffirmed guidance for the 2022 fiscal year.
F5 Inc — The app security company’s share price tumbled 12.9% despite the firm reporting earnings that topped analysts’ expectations. The company cut revenue guidance for its 2022 fiscal year.
Boeing — Shares of the aircraft maker lost 7.% after the company reported first-quarter sales and revenue that missed analysts’ estimates. Boeing also said it’s pausing production of its 777X plane, and that deliveries may not start until 2025.
Capital One Financial — Capital One’s stock price dropped 6% even after the company exceeded Wall Street’s expectations on the top and bottom lines. The company reported a pre-tax impact of $192 million from gains on partnership card portfolios, as well as weaker than expected net interest margins.
Robinhood — Shares of the brokerage firm dropped 4.9% a day after the company announced that it was reducing the number of its full-time employees by about 9%. The announcement comes shortly ahead of Robinhood’s first-quarter earnings report, which is due out on Thursday afternoon.
Juniper Networks — Shares declined 5.1% after Juniper Networks reported earnings that were a little lower than estimates. The maker of markets networking products, such as routers and switches, cited ongoing supply chain challenges.
Edwards Lifesciences — Edwards Lifesciences’ stock price tumbled 5.6%. The medical equipment maker beat revenue expectations for its most recent quarter, but the company issued weak revenue guidance.
— CNBC’s Yun Li, Tanaya Macheel and Jesse Pound contributed reporting.
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Airbus A321LR Gets Safety Approval, New Launch Customer After Primera Bankruptcy
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Airbus’ latest jet has received one of the most important regulatory approvals it can get before it enters commercial service — but the company has had to find a new launch customer for its newest aircraft.
The Airbus A321LR received safety approval from US and European regulators, Airbus announced today. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) both certified the aircraft for ETOPS operations (extended-range twin-engine operational performance standards) — approving the aircraft to operate with three fuel tanks. Before, the A321 could only fly with two fuel tanks.
This means that the A321LR, a member of the A321neo family, can fly 4,000 nautical miles with 206 passengers aboard. The regulators said the aircraft can fly for 180 minutes on a single-engine, which would be enough time for the jet to divert in case of an engine failure on transatlantic routes.
While this is great news for Airbus and gets the jet one step closer to entering commercial service — the A321LR’s launch customer just announced that it will be shutting down.
Yesterday, ultra-low cost carrier Primera Air declared bankruptcy and announced it would immediately cease all operations. Although the airline had been around for 14 years, it had recently rebranded and launched a series of transatlantic flights between the US and Europe.
Primera was supposed to be the launch customer for the Airbus A321LR, which was hailed as a new way to operate transatlantic routes. It allows for a fuel efficient narrow-body aircraft to fly thinner routes more cost effectively, say between Baltimore (BWI) and Brussels (BRU). Primera was supposed to take delivery of the aircraft by the end of 2018.
Now that Primera is defunct, the launch customer for the A321LR will be ARKIA, an Israeli carrier. ARKIA was already slated to receive the aircraft after Primera, so it’s logical that the airline would be the next to take delivery of the new jet.
The aircraft manufacturer is working on a supplemental version of its newest jet, the A321XLR (XLR standing for extended long range) which could fly 4,500 nautical miles. It hopes to use the XLR to compete with against new Boeing middle of market aircraft like the upcoming 797.
Featured image courtesy of Airbus.
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After a day of applying their best advertising skills, two students from Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School showed their marketing talents as members of the top placing teams at this year’s Houston Advertising Federation’s annual student advertising competition. Mays students Kenya Madyun ’09 and J.T. Steinert ’09, both marketing majors, served as consultants for their respective teams, developing creative business strategies for one of today’s top corporate firms, Hewlett Packard. Madyun’s group took first in the contest and Steinert’s took second.
Sponsored by HP, the event challenged student participants from around the region to develop and prepare a comprehensive multi-media campaign for the company’s small business market. The five Aggie participants dispersed into twenty competing teams, made up of students from Oklahoma State University, the University of Texas at Austin, Louisiana State University, Sam Houston State University, Stephen F. Austin State University, and other Houston area schools.
“The opportunity to work for a real client, in a high-pressure environment, with members from other schools and other disciplines is something we just cannot recreate in the classroom,” said Lisa Troy, AAF faculty advisor.
The student American Advertising Federation is a multi-disciplinary organization open to any Texas A&M University student interested in advertising or related fields. AAF helps its student members to better understand the ins and outs of the advertising profession, while emphasizing the importance of professionalism and creative problem solving. Throughout the year, AAF members participate in competitions like the one held in Houston, tours of advertising agencies, meetings with guest speakers from advertising and related industries, in addition to taking on advertising plans for various student organizations.
“The Houston American Advertising Federation conference was an amazing experience. I had so much fun working with a group in a real life situation to reach a common goal. It’s reassuring to know that advertising is definitely what I would like to pursue after college and that I’m good at it,” said Mays’ winner Kenya Madyun.


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May 21, 2020 — Although there are risks, national digital currency can have significant benefits, said participants in a Center for Data Innovation webinar on Thursday.
Although many Americans have received their $1200 stimulus checks from April’s CARES Act, those who do not have a bank account or are married to non-citizens have not.
The “Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act” and the “Financial Protections and Assistance for America’s Consumers, States, Businesses, and Vulnerable Populations Act,” both introduced in late March, would allow the Federal Reserve to create digital currency and hasten the process of delivering stimulus checks to Americans.
However, critics worry that such a development would give the federal government too much power. The U.S. Constitution prohibits state governments from issuing currency; if implemented, the digital currency would be at the federal level.
When asked if officials should consider amending this, Daniel Gorfine, founder of Gattaca Horizons LLC, said it would be unwise.
“I do not think that states or cities or municipalities should be in the business of trying to essentially tokenize or mint tokenized currencies competitive with the U.S. dollar,” he said.
Nonetheless, Gorfine said that states would play a crucial role in the implementation of such currency. “If you’re trying to pilot the benefits of tokenization, you could imagine the tokenizing of things like unemployment benefits,” he said.
Other participants argued that digital currency was a necessity in a world where China and other countries are preparing their own digitized monies.
“It’s about getting ready for a future where you have a lot of tokenized assets,” Policy 4.0 CEO Tanvi Ratna said. “You have a lot of tokenized contracts, you have machine-to-machine communication, you have borderless communication, and if you don’t have a currency that can deal with that sort of an environment then it doesn’t matter.”
“It’s not about money,” she continued. “It’s about what you’re unlocking for the future.”
A recording of the webinar can be viewed here.
Commodity Futures Chairman Calls for Single Regulator as Crypto Falls and Fraud Rises
‘Our guiding principle at the CFTC must be to stop fraud or harmful conduct that harms our markets.’
WASHINGTON, July 26, 2022 – In light of dwindling crypto stock prices and reports of the increasing risk of fraud associated with the digital currencies, the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said at a Brookings Institution event Monday that there needs to be more regulation.
Rostin Behnam said amid the crypto market chaos, regulation is needed to protect Americans. Since the beginning of 2021, “More than 46,000 people reported losing over a billion dollars in crypto to scams” and that the median loss per individual was $2600 from crypto, Behnam said.
“Our guiding principle at the CFTC must be to stop fraud or harmful conduct that harms our markets,” Behnam said, explaining the need to use CFTC authority to bring justice to those who harm our markets. However, without current regulation, Behnam added that “existing ambiguities force hard decisions at the CFTC.”
Behnam praised recently introduced legislation – the Responsible Financial Innovation Act –which proposes a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency under the CFTC’s authority. “I’m encouraged by the bipartisan, bicameral support for legislation that recognizes the need for guardrails around the digital asset economy,” he said.
Behnam has previously pitched his commission as the preferred regulator. In February, he said there needs to be a single regulator to “fully police conflicts of interest and deceptive trading practices impacting retail customers.
“The CFTC is well situated to play an increasingly central role in overseeing the cash digital asset commodity market,” he said then.
Until then, Behnam said the CFTC is monitoring how it can get mitigate some harms in lieu of legislation. We “need to constantly monitor risky behavior,” he said, adding the commission is thinking “creatively about how [to] use existing regulatory authority to root out fraud and manipulation in the market.”
There has been debate about what type of regulation should be imposed on the digital currencies and who should be administering that. Some have suggested that there should be a singular regulatory body, as there is confusion as to whether the currencies are commodities or securities, which would but them under the purview of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In June, the Department of Justice announced four cases of criminal offenses of cryptocurrency fraud, one of which was the largest non-fungible token scheme ever brought. All cases involved over $100 million in losses.
“As cryptocurrency marketplaces advance and offer new opportunities for consumers, criminals also seek ways to exploit them,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
“We have moved past the stage where digital assets were once a research project,” Behnam said. “There is a critical need to educate and protect the public.”
Deepfakes Pose National Security Threat, Private Sector Tackles Issue
Content manipulation can include misinformation from authoritarian governments.
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2022 – Content manipulation techniques known as deepfakes are concerning policy makers and forcing the public and private sectors to work together to tackle the problem, a Center for Democracy and Technology event heard on Wednesday.
A deepfake is a technical method of generating synthetic media in which a person’s likeness is inserted into a photograph or video in such a way that creates the illusion that they were actually there. Policymakers are concerned that deepfakes could pose a threat to the country’s national security as the technology is being increasingly offered to the general population.
Deepfake concerns that policymakers have identified, said participants at Wednesday’s event, include misinformation from authoritarian governments, faked compromising and abusive images, and illegal profiting from faked celebrity content.
“We should not and cannot have our guard down in the cyberspace,” said Representative John Katko, R-NY, ranking member of House Committee on homeland security.
Adobe pitches technology to identify deepfakes
Software company Adobe released an open-source toolkit to counter deepfake concerns earlier this month, said Dana Rao, executive vice president of Adobe. The companies’ Content Credentials feature is a technology developed over three years that tracks changes made to images, videos, and audio recordings.
Content Credentials is now an opt-in feature in the company’s photo editing software Photoshop that it says will help establish credibility for creators by adding “robust, tamper-evident provenance data about how a piece of content was produced, edited, and published,” read the announcement.
Adobe’s Connect Authenticity Initiative project is dedicated to addressing problems establishing trust after the damage caused by deepfakes. “Once we stop believing in true things, I don’t know how we are going to be able to function in society,” said Rao. “We have to believe in something.”
As part of its initiative, Adobe is working with the public sector in supporting the Deepfake Task Force Act, which was introduced in August of 2021. If adopted, the bill would establish a National Deepfake and Digital task force comprised of members from the private sector, public sector, and academia to address disinformation.
For now, said Cailin Crockett, senior advisor to the White House Gender Policy Council, it is important to educate the public on the threat of disinformation.
Hunter Abramson: Why Ticket Sales are the Next Stage of Non-Fungible Tokens on the Blockchain
NFT ticketing also enables a safer, fairer secondary market.
Many new technologies tend to evolve rapidly, and that has particularly been the case with non-fungible tokens. It’s a technology that has shown vast potential, and early adopters picked up on this, starting an early — and short-lived — NFT craze that has since passed its initial height. However, new developments in NFTs have led to a possible course correction with exciting implications for the blockchain and every industry it touches.
The issue with early NFTs, and what caused the trend to be met with such initial hesitance, is that the general public is hesitant to accept anything without a tangible benefit to them. However, the recent trend towards utility NFTs — in other words, NFTs that offer some value or benefit to the user beyond the string of blockchain code they are composed of — has opened up the door to numerous opportunities for their implementation in various industries.
Why NFTs are the future of ticketing
The ticketing industry is a perfect match for the NFT revolution. For one, the technology used in the ticketing industry has been around for decades. QR codes, which make up most ticketing operations, were introduced in the 1990s, and the barcode system two decades before. The industry has primarily operated on an “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset, but it is time that leaders begin to embrace this shift towards newer, better technologies.
NFT ticketing will help combat many issues plaguing the ticketing industry right now. Fraud will be discouraged — if not entirely eliminated — thanks to the blockchain technology upon which NFT tickets are built. Blockchain code is virtually impossible to replicate, which means that fake tickets cannot be produced. When combined with the revolving QR code technology that has been implemented in NFT ticketing systems, this means that virtually no money will be lost by event organizers, and thus, no unhappy customers being scammed.
From the consumer’s perspective, there aren’t many differences between using an NFT ticket and a standard ticket. Like any other ticket, you simply scan its code and enter the event. But the greater security features will assure customers they aren’t being ripped off, and the pre, during, and post-event benefits that come along with an NFT ticket will be highly desirable.
After a ticket is scanned, the ticket becomes a collectible NFT in the ticket-holder’s Ethereum-based digital wallet. For one, it’s a unique souvenir that fans can keep to remember their experience of going to the event, but the NFT could provide value in and of itself. Trading and selling the collectible NFT after the event could continue its influence long after it is over.
Building a community with NFT ticketing
In addition to these utilities, NFT ticketing benefits from the feeling of community that is associated with going to events. For example, because concerts are generally attended by fans of the artists performing, attendees are relatively like-minded in their interests, creating a built-in audience for NFTs. Many NFT projects fail due to a lack of community support, but with NFT tickets, there is no need to build that community from scratch.
NFT ticketing also enables a safer, fairer secondary market, further establishing that sense of community and protection for the consumer against ticket scalping or fraud. Thanks to the built-in verification of blockchain, Consumers are able to buy tickets on the secondary market without worrying about whether or not they are legitimate. Furthermore, blockchain technology prevents massive purchasing transactions. thanks to its more easily verifiable record-keeping, meaning scalping in the secondary market is substantially reduced, if not outright eliminated.
These advantages offered by NFT tickets show the potential of the technology to make the consumer experience significantly better. Many NFT projects have failed because of their lack of utility — and thus, relevance — to the user and inability to form a community around them. NFT ticketing is not susceptible to either of these issues, making them the future of NFT technology.
Throughout his career as a marketer, Hunter Abramson has contributed to all aspects of experience, from cross-promotional marketing to operations to ticket sales. He always pushes the limits to create positive experiences for both the enterprise and the consumer. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of Relic Tickets, which aims to disrupt the ticketing industry with NFT tickets.This piece is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.
Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to email@example.com. The views expressed in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.
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Coke CEO reduces earnings forecasts
By Theresa Howard, USA TODAY
NEW YORK In a nod to Wall Street's frustrations with his company's repeated failure to meet earnings expectations, Coca-Cola (KO)
CEO Neville Isdell on Thursday cut Coke's long-term forecasts, while announcing a big boost in annual marketing dollars.
Speaking to analysts and reporters, Isdell cut earnings forecasts for beyond 2005 to high single digits annually from the current 11% to 12%. He forecast volume growth — a key measure for beverage companies — of 3% to 4%, down from 5% to 6%.
Wall Street's response: a 21-cent drop (0.5%) in Coca-Cola's stock price, which closed at $40.96. The stock is down more than 50% from a peak of $88.94 in 1998.
At Coke's helm since June 1, Isdell, 61, attributes Coke's underperformance to:
• A tardy response to fast-growth products such as water and other non-fizzy soft drinks.
• Reduced marketing dollars for core carbonated products.
• Miscues with bottlers who make and distribute Coke products.
• A lack of innovation.
"We have had ideas that haven't gotten out there fast enough," he said. "Part of it has been the culture, and part of it has been fear of failure."
The somber meeting lacked the flash that often marks Coke presentations. Though Isdell called his plans a "manifesto for change," he was careful not to overpromise.
"We're not talking about a radical change in strategy," he said. "We're talking about a dramatic change in execution. We've got to put the drive, energy and fuel back into the system."
Isdell said the strategy wasn't a quick fix. "Our focus is on the long term. We have to get the short term right, but we will judge what we do against long-term growth."
Gary Fayard, chief financial officer, said the company "expects continued weakness" next year: "Our new earnings model doesn't apply to 2005."
Among Isdell's promises:
•More marketing. Isdell said spending would rise by $350 million to $400 million a year "forever." The company spent $1.9 billion on advertising in 2003.
•New products. While diet drinks will be a priority, "we will have an aggressive innovation calendar that brings major news to all categories," Isdell said.
•Better ads. Coke will give Coca-Cola and its brand siblings new advertising in 2005. "We have to re-establish our marketing leadership," Isdell said. "That is job No. 1."
More ads will be designed to run globally. A couple of examples were shown at the meeting, including an upcoming European holiday ad by McCann Spain that also might air in the USA. It's a lighthearted look at people doing holiday good deeds, set to a fast, rock version of I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas.
•Training. So far, 1,000 managers have been trained in revenue-growth management. An additional 25,000 will be trained next year. The program includes "internal incentives that will be aligned with external objectives," said Fayard.


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Two years after it acquired Quarzt for $86 million
with FLUTTERWAVE & ENDEAVOR
Good morning.Is that the
smell of normalcy?Pfizer and Biontech have announced a COVID19 vaccine candidate that’s showing more than 90% effectiveness in preventing the virus.
In today’s edition:
-MultiChoice Half Year results
-Quartz is private again
Bamboo, a Flutterwave merchant, gives you unrestricted access to over 3,000 stocks listed on the Nigerian stock exchange and U.S. stock exchanges, right from your mobile phone or computer. With as little as $20, you can create and fund your Bamboo account with your Dollar or Naira cards and through bank transfers. Start buying and selling shares or stock bundles (called Exchange Traded Funds) in just a few taps, begin here.
MAKING BETTER LENDING DECISIONS
In the last few years, the Digital lending business in Nigeria has grown.
Access to credit has long been a problem in the lending space. Before digital lenders came along, this credit problem was said to be the fault of retail banks. Why were retail banks so risk averse that they happily waved away the chance to make revenue from
Well, digital lenders are finding out first hand.
With no effective credit bureaus, the average Nigerian does not have a credit history. There are also no real institutional disincentives to prevent people from owing lenders.
The summary: Nigeria’s digital lending space could use some startups that could help with some structure. Those structures would benefit the
lenders and borrowers.
Last month, we talked about Evolve Credit providing a loan marketplace where people can compare rates from digital lenders.
Enter CARMA, a data startup helps lenders make better credit assessment decisions by giving them access to a “real time credit data on a peer to peer basis.”
While CARMA was launched in Nairobi this year, it has now received funding in a
round led by Nigerian VC, Microtraction.
Up next: CARMA has now launched in Nigeria and it will mean an extra tool in the digital lenders arsenal to make better lending decisions.
A WINDFALL FOR MULTICHOICE
While MultiChoice’s half year results aren’t due until November 12, the PayTV company is expecting a surge in profits.
company says it is expecting a 45% increase in profits for HY 2020. One reason profits are up is because it cut cost.
While we’re not entirely certain what that means right now, November 12 will provide a clearer picture. What we can say for certain is that MultiChoice has had an interesting year.
It has responded well to competition from Netflix, launching its own digital products and pushing
adoption for them. It has also seen some interest from the Canal Group, with the French company buying a 12% stake in MultiChoice.
What to watch out for: Our analysis of MultiChoice’s HY 2020 results later this week


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Guess? (GES) Lowered to “Hold” at Zacks Investment Research
Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Guess? (NYSE:GES) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Friday morning.
According to Zacks, “Shares of Guess? have outperformed the industry over the past six months, courtesy of a solid surprise history. The third quarter of fiscal 2018 marked the company’s third-consecutive earnings beat. During the quarter the company’s performance mainly gained from continued strength in European and Asia business segments. The regions have been depicting robust growth backed by store openings, positive comps and wholesale growth. Driven by such upsides, management raised fiscal 2018 earnings view. Further, management is optimistic about e-commerce business that has been improving steadily. However, Guess? has been facing a tough retail environment in the Americas, due to lower consumer spending. As a result, the company has resorted to store closures in these regions to focus on other prospective areas. Also, the company remains exposed to the unfavorable currency fluctuations.”
A number of other research firms have also recently commented on GES. Cowen restated a hold rating and issued a $17.00 price objective on shares of Guess? in a research report on Wednesday, November 22nd. B. Riley began coverage on Guess? in a research report on Friday, December 22nd. They issued a neutral rating and a $17.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Jefferies Group restated a hold rating and issued a $13.00 price objective on shares of Guess? in a research report on Thursday, September 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Guess? has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $15.21.
Guess? (NYSE:GES) traded up $0.19 during trading on Friday, hitting $17.52. The stock had a trading volume of 1,042,429 shares, compared to its average volume of 808,162. The stock has a market capitalization of $1,425.81, a PE ratio of -438.00, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.42. Guess? has a 1-year low of $9.56 and a 1-year high of $18.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 2.58 and a quick ratio of 1.36.
Guess? (NYSE:GES) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 21st. The company reported $0.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $554.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $569.75 million. Guess? had a positive return on equity of 4.35% and a negative net margin of 0.10%. The business’s revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.11 earnings per share. equities analysts forecast that Guess? will post 0.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 13th were paid a $0.225 dividend. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.14%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 12th. Guess?’s dividend payout ratio is presently -2,250.00%.
In other news, Director Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz sold 4,000 shares of Guess? stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.73, for a total value of $70,920.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 38,433 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $681,417.09. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 29.60% of the company’s stock.
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of GES. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Guess? by 1,461.9% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 15,400 shares of the company’s stock worth $197,000 after acquiring an additional 14,414 shares during the last quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Guess? by 192.6% in the second quarter. Schwab Charles Investment Management Inc. now owns 993,471 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,697,000 after acquiring an additional 653,957 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in shares of Guess? by 1.4% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 183,896 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,350,000 after acquiring an additional 2,514 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA boosted its stake in shares of Guess? by 23.4% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 35,908 shares of the company’s stock worth $459,000 after acquiring an additional 6,810 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Company LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Guess? in the second quarter worth approximately $166,000. 82.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
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Guess?, Inc designs, markets, distributes and licenses a lifestyle collections of apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company operates through five segments: Americas Retail, Europe, Asia, Americas Wholesale and Licensing. The Americas Retail segment includes the Company’s retail and e-commerce operations in North and Central America and its retail operations in South America.
For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com
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Asian stock markets were putting in a mixed performance, while currencies fluctuated as markets braced for the impact of a speech by UK Prime Minister Theresa May laying out her administration's Brexit blueprint.
Baidu has announced the appointment of Dr Qi Lu as its group president and chief operating officer, who will be responsible for the organisation's products, technology, sales, marketing, and operations, effective immediately.
For years, Leonardo Del Vecchio has sought to find a successor at Luxottica Group SpA, the eyewear retailer and manufacturer he founded in 1961.
President-elect Donald Trump · Donald TrumpMcCain leans toward voting for Tillerson CIA director on Trump dossier: 'Was I a leaker of this?
British American Tobacco Plc said Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to buy the remaining stake of Reynolds American it doesn't already own for just under $50 billion.


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Lichtenstein’s $43 Million Pouting Redhead Helps Revive Market
Roy Lichtenstein’s 1964 painting of a pouting redhead sold for an artist record $42.6 million last night at Christie’s International in New York, as buyers stuck with 1960s pop art to sustain a market recovery.
Lichtenstein’s “Ohhh...Alright...” soared past his previous auction peak of $16.3 million, to help the closely held auctioneer reach $272.9 million in sales for the evening, its biggest total in the category since May 2008 and nearly four times last year’s result. The tally brings the sum for the three-night autumn series of postwar art auctions, including sales by rivals Phillips de Pury & Co. and Sotheby’s, to $632 million, almost triple the $216 million a year ago.
“The patient has made a full recovery,” said New York art adviser Stefano Basilico. “Not that we are back to 2007, to those crazy levels, but we are back to healthy, good shape.”
The two-hour, 75-lot sale left collectors complaining about the long evening, but that didn’t hurt results as 93 percent of lots found buyers. Auction records tumbled for six artists, including abstract painter Mark Grotjahn, mobile maker Alexander Calder, and canvas stainer Morris Louis. Americans dominated buying, taking home 63 percent of lots, according to Christie’s.
The packed salesroom included familiar power names like Princess Gloria Thurn und Taxis and Warhol Foundation President Joel Wachs. Actress Kate Hudson watched from a back corner, decked out in a brown velvet hat and leopard-spotted coat.
“It’s my first sale and it was totally fascinating,” she said. “A friend of mine was selling something.”
The top lot was Lichtenstein’s comic-strip-inspired rendering, once owned by actor and art collector Steve Martin and sold by casino magnate Steve Wynn. Though the price tag was huge, a single bidder, who had contractually agreed in advance to bid, was the lone interested party.
Similarly anticlimactic was the result for the evening’s second-highest priced trophy: Andy Warhol’s six-foot tall 1962 painting of a soup can and giant can opener that sold for $23.9 million, well below the $30 million to $50 million estimate.
One Warhol collector quipped that the seminal work with a somewhat awkward composition was “too much opener, not enough can.” It was sold by Seattle collector Barney Ebsworth, whose charitable foundation will use sale proceeds to construct a chapel by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Ebsworth acquired the painting from a dealer in 1986, the same year it sold at Christie’s for $264,000.
‘Too Many Warhols’
Christie’s sale, which fell in the middle of its pre- auction estimate range of $237 million to $346 million, was the third in a series of New York contemporary evening auctions this week dominated by Warhol.
“We dealers thought: Here were too many Warhols,” said New York-based Christophe Van de Weghe. “But it was the exact opposite effect.”
On Nov. 8, Warhol’s depiction of actress Elizabeth Taylor stunned dealers by fetching $63 million at Phillips de Pury, far above its $40 million estimate. The next night the pop artist from Pittsburgh topped Sotheby’s contemporary sale with a $35 million Coke bottle.
Among the few disappointments were a Jasper Johns painting that didn’t sell and a Jeff Koons sculpture. Koons’s shiny 1995- 2000 “Balloon Flower (Blue),” went for $16.9 million to New York’s L & M Arts. A hot-pink version from the same series, “Balloon Flower (Magenta)” sold at the market’s peak in 2008 for a then-record $25.8 million. Last night’s seller was the Daimler Art Collection, which had installed the work in Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz.
The auction continued German painter Gerhard Richter’s winning week. The 1982 photorealist “Zwei Kerzen” went for $13 million, near the low end of the $12 million to $16 million estimate. The artist created the pair of lit candles when he turned 50 and considered his own mortality.
One of the evening’s cheaper Warhols hailed from the estate of actor Dennis Hopper. The blue streaked portrait of Hopper in a cowboy hat was one of the few lots to sell for under $1 million, attaining a hammer price of $962,500 before commissions.
“He’s a very good artist and very safe,” dealer Hugo Nathan of Dickinson Roundell Inc. said of Warhol.
Christie’s charges buyers 25 percent of the hammer price up to $50,000, plus 20 percent from $50,000 to $1 million, and 12 percent above $1 million.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at email@example.com.


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Last week Dignitana lost a quarter of its value in one day. This came after a press release titled ‘Dignitana clarifies the company’s position’. On different forums the have been a more and more sour debate on the company before and after the release. The debate has many themes – some more, some less serious. The most serious is lack of prober information, on which I will focus.
The art of (market) communication
In the best of all worlds, full transparency into companies makes investors safe and makes markets work. You and I need to know a lot before investing. Otherwise, we cannot judge the investment opportunity and the validity of the investment. This is why there are obligations for listed companies to report regularly and not hesitate to give market information, which will affect the pricing of the company. Investors can then make their choices accordingly.
In the real world, however there is a number of limitations to full transparency when it comes to small companies with one or two products. Some has to do with competitors. No company wants the competitors to gain an upper hand on basis of information they provide themselves in order to make the company transparent to investors. This will make an unfair competition between listed and unlisted companies.
Then there is the ability of the company to provide the market information. The information requirements for companies listed on First North and Aktietorget are less strict than on main lists because it often requires specialized competencies to deliver first class market information. Often small companies does not have this competence in-house – and cannot afford to buy it.
No doubt, there is a lot of debate on the art of (market) communication. It is not specifically about Dignitana but on smaller companies in general.
Now, let us take a closer look at the communication from Dignitana. First, there is a press release from 29th September on production halt which cots 4 MSEK in lost sales in Q3 and Q4. The title is “Dignitana revises 2017 projections following production delays”. Secondly, there is a release titled “Clarification on the company’s position” from 10th October. In my view, the first amateurish release caused the second. Simply because it raised more questions than it answered.
First question raised by the September-release is this: how does the lost sales affect the possibility for break-even? The reader asks this question because most readers are investors as well. Second question: what are the ‘2017 projections’? When the headline reads, “Dignitana revises 2017 projections following production delays” we must expect both the projections and the revised to be present in the text. They are not. Fundamentally this awful and amateurish communication. It does not address the readers nor does it give the information it pretends. Worst thing is that Dignitana has hired an external communication provider unlike many other small companies. It really gives no credit to Trägårdh Kommunikation.
Then the new release. It stated that break even moves from start-2018 to end-2018. That the projected number of installed systems in 2017 will be 130 and not 200 as hitherto said. There is a next-generation system ready in 2018 and that of the loan of 2.5 M$ from Union Business Leasing, 1.5 M$ has been used for expansion in the US and that the company considers different possibilities to secure funding for the future. ‘When everything else fails, try the truth’ seems finally to be the motto.
Dignitana will get there
I think we could have avoided this heavy fall, if the company in the Q2 report had told about the situation. This is really an own goal the company made by its amateurish communication … and investors pay heavily.
Personally, I favour conservative projections and open communication, since they gives higher possibility of upwards revisions throughout the year. Fundamentally, there are no crisis in Dignitana. At least not to justify such a heavy fall in share price.
If we look at the company today, growth is high, the business model in the US seems to work, and we see orders from other parts of the world. Dignitana has nothing to hide, market penetration takes time, that’s all.
Find my latest post on Dignitana, dating between the two releases, here


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There has been almost endless speculation about how businesses trading between the United Kingdom and the European Union will be affected by Brexit.
Helpfully, in a recently published online document, the European Union outlined the likely value-added tax consequences of Brexit.
Current VAT Rules
Significantly, VAT is the only tax that is substantially harmonised at EU level under the VAT directives, meaning that the same broad framework applies in all 28 member states. While this framework is by no means simple, harmonisation does mean that the same rules generally apply to transactions made within the EU, regardless of the member states of the supplier and the consumer.
Post Brexit it is presumed that the UK would no longer be part of this framework, meaning that different VAT rules could apply to goods and services supplied from the UK to the EU and vice versa. This could therefore have important ramifications for businesses.
Post-Brexit VAT Rules
The EU has said that subject to any transitional arrangement that may be contained in a possible withdrawal agreement, as of the withdrawal date (currently 30 March 2019), the EU rules in the field of customs and indirect taxation (VAT and excise duties) will no longer apply to the UK.
According to the EU guidance, this has the following consequences as of the withdrawal date:
- Goods entering the VAT territory of the EU from the UK or are dispatched or transported from the VAT territory of the EU to the UK will be treated as imports or exports of goods respectively. The means VAT must be charged at importation, although exports will not be subject to VAT.
- UK businesses supplying telecommunications, broadcasting, or electronic services to consumers in the EU will have to register for the VAT MOSS scheme in an EU member state. This scheme was introduced in every member state, including the UK, to simplify compliancewith VAT on business-to-consumer sales, preventing the need for traders to register for VAT in the member states of all their customers.
- UK businesses purchasing goods and services, or importing goods subject to VAT in an EU member states, would have to claim refunds under a 1986 EU law that deals with VAT refund claims by taxable persons not established in the EU. At present, such refunds can be filed electronically under a directive introduced in 2008, which governs VAT refunds between EU member states.
- UK businesses carrying out taxable transactions in the EU may be required to appoint a tax representative in an EU member state, who would be liable for the payment of VAT.
The guidance suggests more administration for businesses trading between the UK and the EU for excise purposes. This is because movements of excise goods to the UK will require an export declaration as well as an electronic administrative document. Also, excise goods moving in the opposite direction will have to be released from customs formalities before a movement under the computerised system for monitoring the movement of excise goods under duty suspension in the EU can begin (known as the Excise Movement and Control System).
Complying with VAT rules is likely to put some pressure on resources for companies making and receiving supplies to and from the UK and other EU member states. However, as UK VAT law is expected to mirror EU rules after Brexit, the system will be familiar and compliance with same should not therefore be too onerous.


text: World of Coffee Dublin is set to host the first ever Sustainability Forum, being held alongside the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe’s (SCAE) flagship event from 23-25 June. The new Sustainability Forum will feature key talks on the economic, environmental and social challenges that the industry faces with regard to sustainability, as well as debate, innovation and knowledge sharing throughout the event. “The creation of a Sustainability Policy is just the beginning of an exciting road ahead for us working towards new initiatives, each designed to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, research and innovation for the general benefit of everyone working in the industry,” says Alberto Polojac, Chair of the International Development Committee. “We are very excited to be leading this initiative and making this idea a reality and the hope is that we all will be inspired to implement change within our own organisation.” Ireland is home to one of the world’s most sustainable food industries, and visitors to World of Coffee Dublin, which is sponsored by BWTwater+more, will be able to learn from some of the pioneering food businesses who are at the forefront of sustainability in the nation. The Speciality Food Hall, supported by the Irish Foodservice Suppliers Alliance (IFSA), will be located next to the Sustainability Forum, providing visitors with easy access to a wealth of knowledge and experience. Surrounding the main stage area, several of the world’s leading associations and charities in sustainability will be on hand to discuss ground breaking trends from other industries and market sectors and share some of the lessons they have learned.


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PCH opens tech hardware incubator program in San Francisco
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Electronics supplier PCH International is launching a new tech hardware incubator program called Highway1 in San Francisco, where it is building a U.S. headquarters.
The incubator will include a four month educational curriculum in San Francisco and a two week module taught in Shenzen, China, with a focus on the electronics supply chain in the Pearl River Delta, which is the main hub of China’s manufacturing sector.
PCH International is an Irish supplier to electronics companies that has operational headquarters in China. It recently bought Lime Lab, a small San Francisco product development firm run by former Ideo Design Director Andre Yousefi and Kurt Dammermann, a former Design Within Reach product development director and manager in the iPod division at Apple.
Highway1 classes will start in late September at Lime Lab, and will move later to PCH’s new space at 135 Mississippi Street in the Potrero Hill District, where the company is creating a three-story, 30,000-square-foot home with a state-of-the-art prototyping lab.
Program participants can get up to $20,000 in seed capital for 3 to 6 months. Highway1 is now taking applications for up to ten hardware startups.
Patrick Hoge covers technology for the San Francisco Business Times.
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(CNN) — A shortage of one of the most mundane items in daily life — the humble aluminum can — means beer fans are likely to find that some of their favorite brews are out of stock right now.
The supply problemis prompting brewers like Molson Coors, Brooklyn Brewery and Karl Strauss to cut back on some of the brands they sell and raising concerns of out-of-stocks.
COVID-19 has been a major factor in the uptick of can usage as consumers stock up on their favorite brews.
Beer that would have ended up in kegs at restaurants and bars has shifted, along with other kinds of alcohol, to being sold in retail stores and through online channels and consumed at home — often in cans.
The boom inpantry loading in the spring has compounded the problem by throwing brewer supply chains out of whack.
Another factor: the White Claw-driven hard seltzer trend. The fervor for those drinks has spurred shortages in the tall, slim varietals of the 12-ounce can, which has become a popular format for alcoholic sparkling seltzers, light beer and some craft brands.
“This is a little bit of COVID-19, a little bit of market dynamics over the long run,” said Lester Jones, the Wholesalers Association chief economist.??
Molson Coors, which sells brands like Blue Moon and Coors Light, shifted production in its portfolio away from smaller, slower-moving brands as a result of the can shortage, Collins said. He declined to name specific beers, citing competitive concerns.
Others have made similar moves. Karl Strauss has whittled down the number of beers it typically makes, putting the pause on specialty releases and seasonal beers. And Brooklyn Brewery is focusing on its best-selling brands rather than its newer beers, its CEO said.
Surging demand for cans
The “unprecedented demand” for cans has prompted US manufacturers to take the unusual step of importing billions of empty cans from overseas, according to the Can Manufacturers Institute.
In particular, the turnaround time for shrink-sleeve cans, in which plastic labels are shrink-wrapped onto containers, has grown to 4 to 5 weeks from 4 to 5 days and the printed cans have doubled in price, said Chad Heath, vice president of sales and marketing for Karl Strauss Brewing, the 31-year-old San Diego brewery known for beers such as Red Trolley Ale and Boat Shoes Hazy IPA.
To be sure, not everyone says they’ve been hurt by the shortages in cans. Beer-makers such as D.G. Yuengling & Son, Oskar Blues and Artisanal Brewing Ventures say their supplies have not been interrupted.
Still, in a research note released Friday, Evercore analysts warned of potential “rampant and unprecedented” beer out-of-stocks from the nation’s largest suppliers, notably the publicly traded alcohol companies they cover.
That’s partly because of the can shortage as well as increased consumer demand for brewers’ biggest brands.
From what we can piece together, everyone is now having issues meeting demand, and there is fear of lost business to wine and spirits,” analysts Robert Ottenstein and Eric Serotta wrote.
™ & © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.


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THE PRINTING EXPERTS CAN HARDLY BELIEVE THE SENSATIONS OF THEIR FINGERTIPS
They repeatedly stroke the foil bearing the distinctly raised Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany logo and other motifs made with the silver-shimmering pearl luster pigment Iriodin® 6123. Visually, the printing process clearly seems to have embossed the foil. Only the sensory cells of the hands reveal that the 340 millimeter wide foil strip has an absolutely smooth surface. The effect is made possible by the 3D Evolution technique, which was jointly developed by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Rudolf Reproflex.
Erwin Graf is responsible for the development and testing of business label printing at the Swiss printing press manufacturer Gallus. "It’s already looking pretty good," he says after he lays a test print pattern on the worktop. He then takes out a linen tester — a printer’s magnifying glass for taking especially close-up views. On this cool morning in St. Gallen, Switzerland, in July 2014, 3D Evolution is being tested for the first time on a rotary printing press. Even before it is time to take a coffee break, it is clear that 3D Evolution is a perfect match for the digitally controlled machine that can process printing substrates at a speed of up to 150 meters per minute.


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Infections would certainly plunge if 80 percent of people wore masks, research states – Minnesota Downer – oh k face mask
Infections would definitely dive if 80 percent of individuals wearing masks, research claims– New York Rouses Factor–.
face mask levels.
In the air, there are different fragments of dust and also irritants that can cause severe harm to the human body. Although no person can regulate this, they can take precautions to manage the circumstance. PPE masks can strain more than 95% of air particles, vapors, as well as smells. It likewise helps solve the problem of the coronavirus clinically. People who have symptoms of the disease will certainly often cough and also sneeze. A face mask to shield versus infections will avoid the release of breathing drops into the air or spread to an additional individual.
Online face mask sell shop.
Make certain to put on a mask when you remain in a congested area; You ought to additionally maintain it while you exist. If you care about an unwell loved one, then you need to also shield on your own with a mask. You ought to also utilize one if you recognize that you are sick to prevent the transmission of the infection to your loved ones.


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https://the-media-network.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Figjam-logo.jpg 180 180 Team TMN http://the-media-network.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Logo-300x70.png Team TMN2014-04-29 00:02:342015-12-09 11:14:19Figjam wins Urban Bites contract
Figjam wins Urban Bites contract
Figjam has signed a brand development and marketing contract with Urban Bites, a ready-to-eat outlet brand based in Abu Dhabi. The concept offers a ready-to-eat menu for dine in or take away, and the appointment of Figjam coincides with Urban Bites’ upcoming launch of a new outlet on Airport Road.
“Helping to develop and market a concept which is relatively new to the UAE market is a great opportunity,” says Sanjay Murthy, Managing Director, Figjam. “We look forward to enhancing the brand through the region and beyond over the coming years.”
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Photos: Customers line up for long-awaited China Mobile launch of Apple's iPhoneThousands of Chinese consumers descended on China Mobile stores across the Middle Kingdom Friday as the iPhone made its official debut on the world's largest wireless carrier.
Friday's launch marked the culmination of years of stop-and-start negotiations between Apple and China Mobile, the last of China's three state-owned wireless telecommunications companies to gain access to Cupertino's handset. Joining the crowds to celebrate the occasion in Beijing were Apple CEO Tim Cook and China Mobile chairman Xi Guohua — the duo autographed ten handsets given to contest winners from across the nation.
Neither company has commented thus far on first-day sales, though they are expected to be brisk. China Mobile is said to have received "millions" of iPhone pre-orders following the partnership's announcement.
The photos below were collated by Singapore-based Flickr user jnaina and first spotted by Fortune's Philip Elmer-Dewitt.
On Topic: iPhone
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- Speculators drive up Asian sapphire stocks amid questionable rumors about Apple's 2015 iPhone
- T-Mobile pledges to FCC it will be more transparent about data speed caps
- Apple's latest iPhone 6 ads focus on Continuity, gaming prowess


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over a week befo上海会所品茶微信re the G20 summit suggests the DPRK nuclear issue could be discussed between Xi and Trump on the sidelines of the summit.
With Pyongyang seeking economic development, there is an opportunity for China and the DPRK to strengthen their compre
hensive friendship and deepen cooperation. The two sides have already strengthened cooperation in tourism, pe
ople-to-people exchanges and pharmaceuticals, which are allowed by the UN sanctions.
During their meeting, Xi and Kim might discuss how to deepen cooperation in security, including den
uclearization, and trade and regional development, including exploring the potential of T
umen River economic cooperation, and cooperation in developing China’s northeast region.
To work with other countries in such programs, the DPRK has to expedite the denuclearization process and focus on its eco
nomy, because a peaceful Korean Peninsula will be conducive to the DPRK’s economic development, and vice-versa.
Despite a general decline, great difficulties still exist for China to bring
down the percentage of smokers to 20 percent by 2030, China CDC said in a statement.
The survey, released ahead of World No Tobacco Day, which falls on Friday, showed increasing public support for tobacco
control. More than 90 percent of those surveyed said they support a total ban on tobacco in the workplace, and mo
re than 95 percent said they support banning smoking in hospitals, middle and primary schools and public tr
ansportation. Nearly 80 percent said they hope to see a ban on tobacco in restaurants.
The survey showed adult smokers generally lack the willingness to quit, with only 16 percent planning to quit within the year.
Zhi Xiuyi, vice-president of the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control, said Chin
a faces severe challenges in tobacco control to protect people’s health, despite the progress ma
Shares of Luckin Coffee, a fast-growing rival to Starbucks in China, rose 20 percent in their US stock market debut Friday.
The Chinese company, which opened its first store in Beijing less than two years ago, has 2,370
locations and plans to surpass the 3,700 stores Starbucks has in China by the end of the year.
It brought in $125 million in revenue last year, but spent much more than
that on coffee beans, store rent and other costs. Last year, it lost $475 million.
Most of Luckin’s stores are small, have few seats and are used mainly as a place to pick up mobile orders.
It also offers delivery in 30 minutes and promises a refund for delays or spilled drinks.
Various cultural activities, including art performances, parades and food festivals, are offering visitors a taste of the colorful cultures of Asian countries.
The events, part of Asian Civilization Week, are auxiliary activities of the Confere
nce on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, which kicked off on Wednesday in Beijing.
The Asian Food Festival runs until Wednesday. It has received wide attention from the public, has its main venue b
etween Beijing National Stadium, commonly known as the Bird’s Nest, and the Beijing National Aquatics Center, or Water Cube.
Food-related activities are also being held in three other cities-Hangzh
ou, Chengdu and Guangzhou. Visitors can enjoy a pepper eating competition in Chengdu, or at
tend a food container exhibition in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, according to event organizers


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Many Gujarat Ayurvedic manufacturing companies are all set to set up R&D Facilities
With increasing global demand and popularity of ayurvedic medicines, Gujarat based ayurvedic product manufacturers have started diverting their funds and investment towards Research and Development.
Many companies have planned and some have already started working on dedicated R&D departments.
A company like Vadodara based Vasu Health care has already established an R&D centre for ayurvedic medicines and herbal products
Company MD Mr Hardic Ukani has shared that they have a team of 25 people for R&D Facilities which is recognised by the central government, and they are also planning to set up one of the biggest ayurvedic medicinal plants in Vadodara.
A family business which is serving India for over four generations ” Ayukalp UAP Pharma ( Unjha Pharmacy) is planning to invest around Rs 2.5 cr in the R&D centre. 40% of companies turnover is from export so the MD of Ayukalp UAP Pharma Dr Kuntal Shah
Share that ” Given the rising popularity of traditional medicines abroad, we want to invest in R&D.”
Many other companies like Sunrise Remedies, Vivaan Herbals, Shriji Herbal products also have plans to set up their own R&D Centres
ET- Health World


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IBM: Ginni Rometty's Turnaround Shows Progress, But Hardware Is Still A Problem (IBM)
IBM has been spurting out good news this month like dandelions gone to seed.
Here's a few highlights:
- A huge agreement with Apple to sell iPads and iPhones to corporate customers including offering businesses a bunch of apps hosted on IBM's cloud.
- An agreement with Pratt & Whitney to do big data apps for more than 4,000 aircraft engines.
- An extension to its contract withWhirlpool to move Whirlpool's apps to the cloud.
- A huge $3 billion R&D plan to create an impossibly small 7nm transistor using materials other than silicon that could revolutionize the chip industry.
- A project to help China solve its pollution and energy problems.
Then it celebrated all this news with a much-needed beat over Wall Street's expectations on both revenue and profits when reporting its second quarter on Thursday.
But the company isn't out of the woods yet. Revenue still declined 2% overall.
IBM is banking on several areas to help it grow again: cloud, mobile, and big data.
And it had good news to report on all of those fronts, too. Mobile revenue is up 100%, it says, though didn't give the actual revenue number. Cloud revenue us up more than 50% year-to-date, it says, with hosted services on track to be a $2.8 billion business this year. Big data is up 7% this year, and security revenue up more than 20% year-to-date.
That said, nerves are still high in the company, particularly in its hardware division and especially its microprocessor unit. Rumors have been floating through much of this year that IBM wants to sell that unit and get out of the chip-manufacturing business.
Today's earnings did nothing to calm those fears. Revenues from its microprocessor chip unit were down a big 18% over the year-ago quarter.
Revenues from Power Systems, which use IBM's homegrown Power chips, were down 28%. Plus storage was down 12%, and the unit IBM has agreed to sell to Lenovo, System x, was down 3%. All told, revenues from the hardware unit, Systems and Technology, were $3.3 billion for the quarter, down 11% from the year-ago quarter.
And that means that despite the good progress report, investors are feeling cautious. Shares were down slightly, not quite 2%, in after-hours trading.


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Interesting news that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has bought privately held Business Wire. There is more here than meets the eye, because Business Wire is poised to become much more than a distribution hub for press releases. Competitor PR Newswire, no doubt, will be on a similar march.
As I recently chatted about with Media Survey's Sam Whitmore, the combination of what Business Wire has traditionally done -- now combined with RSS and such direct informational rich media avenues as B2B podcasts -- offers businesses powerful new ways to spur viral online attraction to their brands, products, and value.
Whereas Business Wire traditionally delivered text-based distribution of marketing communications and required public distribution of various informational materials, it is now poised to be a hub for rich media business communications. In other words, syndicated multimedia business knowledge distribution.
In a sense, ironically, the popularity of blogging, tagged search, and the blurring of the lines between information, opinion, and journalism, allows for Business Wire and its ilk to vastly expand their purview. A disintermediated mainstream media greases the skids not only for grassroots journalism, but grassroots B2B communications as well.
In other words, what has worked so well -- viral adoption via online discussion and burgeoning linked communities of affinity -- for open source software, blogs, and now podcasts, can be well extended across any and all business and consumer communications. Business Wire, as a well-backed wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, will work to show them how. The cost of creating and distributing such content has plummeted.
This amounts to just the kind of business Mr. Buffett likes: steady stream of recurring revenues, new growth and productivity from technological innovation, few competitors, and a strong global brand.
Incidentally, I had the pleasure last summer of moderating a well-attended panel discussion of how blogging is affecting the business of business communications. The event, in Waltham, Mass., was organized and hosted by the Boston office of Business Wire.
Business Wire at the time was explaining and evangelizing to its clients how RSS feeds and online syndication in general offered a bright new way for companies and PR agencies to reach out to and better define their core constituencies and end-user business ecologies. Business Wire smartly and correctly identified RSS as not a threat, but as a great new opportunity.
So, take it from the Sage of Omaha, now is the time for businesses to begin injecting more than press releases into the powerful distribution networks, such as Business Wire, to directly reach their customers and prospects. Start the discussion directly with those most interested, those who search and syndicate.
I also think some high-quality, low-cost, knowledge-based informational B2B podcasts about new products and technologies -- the equivalent of a deep-dive briefing but open to all interested listeners -- make an excellent addition to press releases when it comes to getting the word out on business news.


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Back in February 2014 we talked about Mojo Bones who is the company behind the mystery adventure game called The Curse. Since the company's announcement of that game's sequel, fans of The Curse have been waiting patiently for The Voyage to arrive onto Google Play and now the wait is over.
PAX East is underway and Harmonix is showing off their upcoming mobile game called Record Run. While mobile has a slew of endless running games already, it is still always good to see something a little bit different when it comes to games released in this genre. In the case of Record Run, this game is a combination of endless runner and a rhythm-based game.
Gameloft has announced the release date for the next installment into the Spider-Man series of games they are making. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be landing on all mobile platforms, including Android, on April 17th, 2014 and will feature a more open-world style of gameplay than the original had.
As many of you may have noticed DroidGamers was down for roughly 34 hours starting Monday morning and ending with us coming back online late yesterday afternoon. Many of you are probably wondering what the hell happened but rest assured it was nothing bad, more like bad timing as we are preparing to open up the Mecha store.
As many of you have probably noticed, the Android-powered game console Ouya has been announcing a lot of exclusive titles over the past few months. While this is something that should have probably been happening when it originally was released, it's better later than never right? The newest game announced as an exclusive for Ouya is actually already on PC via Steam Greenlight and is called Magnetic By Nature.
Finally the wait is over and Telltale Games has brought their hit point-and-click adventure series The Walking Dead: Season One to Android devices. In case you aren't familiar with this series, The Walking Dead video games are based off of the TV Show of the same name. Zombies, the apocalypse, all that good stuff along with trying to survive.
Android gamers who enjoy playing their games on tablets have yet another game heading their way in a couple of months. Instead of a MOBA like we just reported on earlier today, this one is an interesting gold rush city themed sim / city management game called 1849.
Nvidia has done pretty good with their Nvidia Shield portable Android gaming system, especially with the updates as of late improving all the features that gamers have wanted to have improved including the GameStream technology and button mapping. A new benchmark report from AnTuTu now has the Nvidia Shield 2
Not too long ago Google announced that they were indeed working on a modular phone which was called Project Ara. At that time there was not real date as to when we would see this phone hit the market so consumers could purchase it. Well word is that we will
Hello readers of DroidGamers, I am Samir. I will be writing articles as much as possible around here, and I am very excited. Writing on a tech/gaming site has been a small dream of mine. I'm in high school, and I get loads of homework that is unfortunately more important
In Hope the player’s actions are limited by the character’s confinement. There is not much to do in the damp tower you’re trapped in besides walking, sighing and crying. And sleeping at night, of course. Nothing you can do will affect the development of the story, although you may find a way to know about the Prince’s journey. You may also be able to find out about the Princess’ background, that part of the tale nobody ever cares about. And of course, there will be an ending, although it may not look as heroic from this point of view… or does it?


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Carl Icahn is giving up a proxy fight focused on treating pregnant pigs at grocery chain Kroger Co.
after concluding, he is likely to lose in a similar fight at McDonald’s Corp.
“I congratulate the McDonald’s team on their victory in this proxy engagement, and after much consideration, based on the company’s financial position, I believe Kroger will have a similar outcome,” he said in a statement. letter intended to be sent to Kroger and McDonald’s shareholders. was viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
He writes that these campaigns are different from his typical fights because the two companies are doing well financially, which makes it less likely that these campaigns will receive adequate support. of shareholders. However, he said he did not believe their board was holding their management team accountable for the treatment of animals or the welfare of their employees.
At the heart of both campaigns are pregnancy crates used by companies’ pork suppliers to house pregnant pigs. Farmers argue that the small crates make livestock more efficient and safer, while Mr Icahn and his nominees say they are inhumane because the space is so small that the pigs cannot turn around. .
He also criticized the pay disparity at Kroger and McDonald’s between average workers and executives, arguing that their compensation policies contribute to productivity lag. This is a problem he regularly pays at a variety of companies.
“It is unconscionable that it takes the average employee at these companies years to earn what their CEO makes in a single day,” he wrote in the letter.
Mr. Icahn has nominated two directors to Kroger’s board, and the company’s shareholders will vote for them at its annual meeting on June 23. He owns shares in both Kroger and McDonald’s under 0.1%, which is also atypical for him and made them long campaigns in the first place.
Mr. Icahn’s two candidates for McDonald’s board failed in a shareholder vote at the end of May, winning only about 1% of the vote after failing to receive support from only funds. large numbers whose results the vote frequently affects.
Mr. Icahn writes that he will continue to focus on issues related to the treatment of animals and that his work has helped raise awareness. He points to changes other companies have made recently, including General Mills Inc.
and Denny are both aiming for non-pregnant pork.
Mr. Icahn, better known for his high-profile clashes with companies ranging from eBay Inc.
to Occidental Oil Corp.
first became involved in the matter about a decade ago at the behest of his daughter and the Humane Society of the United States.
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/carl-icahn-dropping-proxy-fight-over-pig-treatment-at-kroger-11654469911?mod=rss_markets_main Carl Icahn Dropping Proxy Fight Over Pig Treatment at Kroger