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As the Obama administration pushes to do more business over the Internet, finally seeking to close the technology gap with the private sector, the digital makeover is running into a dogged opponent called Consumers for Paper Options.
The group is working the halls of Congress in closed-door meetings, underwriting research favorable to its position and mounting a news media campaign in an effort to preserve Washington as the capital of paper — and slow the move away from printed checks, forms and other paper communication.
The lobbying group has had some recent victories, including language tucked into last month’s budget deal that requires the government to plan for resuming paper delivery of annual Social Security earnings statements to some of the nation’s 150 million future retirees. And it’s been claiming these wins in the name of the elderly and low-income Americans the Internet has left behind.
Except Consumers for Paper Options is a creation of the paper industry.
The group — which bills itself as “a coalition of individuals and organizations advocating for access to paper-based services and information” — was set up by the Envelope Manufacturers Association (EMA), officials from both organizations said. It receives financial backing from the paper industry’s largest trade group, several of North America’s biggest paper manufacturers and EMA, according to documents and interviews with company and trade association officials. The EMA and other paper companies are also pushing for Congress to pass legislation to help stabilize the Postal Service.
Consumers for Paper Options is led by a veteran advocate for the industry’s interests on Capitol Hill. His previous posts include head of federal government relations for International Paper, the largest pulp and paper company in the world, and treasurer of its PAC.
“The glitzy new thing is to be pro-technology,” said John Runyan, Consumers for Paper Options’ executive director. “But a lot of government agencies are saying, ‘We’re going electronic and the heck with it.’ ”
With federal budgets under fire in Congress, the government’s move to the Internet has gained pace. An electronic payment, for instance, costs the government only 9 cents to process, compared with $1.25 for a paper check, the Treasury Department says.
At Treasury, which last year suspended most paper mailings for all but the very aged and those with “mental impairments,” officials estimate the shift will save $1 billion over 10 years. The move by the Social Security Administration in 2011 to stop mailing paper earnings statements to 150 million Americans is saving $72 million a year.
For the paper industry, the stakes are high. The digital age has ravaged sales of envelopes, office paper, catalogues and pulp products, with industry analysts saying that demand for paper products dropped 5 percent on average in each of the past five years. Mills have closed, and thousands of employees have been laid off.
So Consumers for Paper Options and industry officials have raised the banner of the digital divide, warning that putting government services online is creating hurdles for many Americans.
Runyan said his group is not against technology but rather is for choice: “If there are Americans who can’t use an iPhone to navigate the Internet, there ought to be an option for them.”
When asked whether Consumers for Paper Options represents consumers or the industry, Runyan said the point is that a quarter of Americans do not have Internet access. He added that its efforts have won support from ordinary Americans.
Maynard Benjamin, president of the EMA, said the “consumers” in the group’s name are “everybody’s mother and father and sister who care about the way government policy develops.”
While some traditional consumer groups have also asked the government to make accommodations for the elderly and others who do not use the Internet, it is Runyan’s organization that has been most active on the issue.
The group’s lobbyists have been meeting with members of Congress and their staffs, concentrating in particular on those from paper-producing states and districts with large elderly populations. Runyan and Benjamin said the goal is to “educate” lawmakers about what advocates describe as the government’s willy-nilly rush to digitize without proper oversight.
Runyan met with Rep. Susan A. Davis (D-Calif.) and pressed her to get language put into the budget bill requiring the Social Security Administration to develop a plan to restore the mailing of paper earnings statements, said Runyan and the lawmaker’s staff.
Late last year, Consumers for Paper Options scored another victory when Rep. Michael H. Michaud (D-Maine), working with the American Forest and Paper Association, used his influence to have language removed from a pharmaceutical bill that would have ended the practice of printing prescription information and inserting it into drug packages, instead requiring that it be posted online. The Food and Drug Administration has been pressing for the change, which the agency says would save money and ensure the information is up to date.
But Michaud warned that the change would put consumers at risk.
His argument about the dangers of the “rush to go paperless” was highlighted in a December op-ed article in Roll Call signed by Michaud and Rep. Sean P. Duffy (R-Wis.), which said the shift was “disenfranchising millions of seniors and other vulnerable Americans and making the digital divide even deeper.” Consumers for Paper Options helped craft the piece and got it placed in Roll Call, according to officials familiar with the article.
The group has conducted several studies of consumer preferences, Runyan said, including a poll last year that reportedly found that 73 percent of American adults do not think they should be required to interact with the government online. Those research findings have been repeatedly cited in newspapers and trade publications across the country and attributed to Consumers for Paper Options. In very few instances did they disclose that the group was set up by the paper industry.
Consumers for Paper Options started in 2010 as the Senate was debating the Dodd-Frank Act, which created new regulations for the financial industry. A little-noticed proposal would have required banks and credit-card companies to put all statements online. That provision was never enacted.
But the Obama administration had other plans to reduce paper services. The government, for instance, was looking to make use of direct deposit or prepaid debit cards for monthly checks for veterans, federal retirees, disabled Americans and 66 million retirees on Social Security. IRS tax forms and other government “paperwork” were also going online.
The paper industry was growing alarmed. Consumers for Paper Options stepped up its fundraising and outreach in Washington, arguing, for instance, that using debit cards would saddle the poor with high fees and that electronic tax refunds and checks would lead to stolen identities.
“I wish we had launched this effort 10 years ago,” said Thomas Howard, vice president of government relations for Domtar, one of North America’s largest paper manufacturers and a financial backer of Consumers for Paper Options. “But we’re on top of things now. Government agencies are in effect slamming citizens by determining how they will receive vital information.”
In the past year alone, 22 of the largest federal agencies have reduced their spending on paper by about 7 percent, to $64 million a year, according to data from the General Services Administration. With the trend likely to continue, Duffy and Michaud have introduced a resolution calling for government action to ensure that people be provided with “paper-based information” along with electronic. The measure is awaiting a hearing.
While government purchases of paper are a small share of overall demand, Runyan said that restoring the use of paper in federal transactions could set a precedent for the private sector, where the economic threat of financial firms and retailers going all-digital is far greater.
He says his group has enlisted many partners in the fight, including Consumer Action and the Gray Panthers, an advocacy group that focuses in part on issues affecting senior citizens. The organizations are not official members but like-minded groups in an “advocacy effort that’s trying to leverage resources. . . . We’re not just advocating on behalf of the industry,” Runyan said.
Officials from several traditional consumer groups said they had held discussions with Consumers for Paper Options about their shared concerns and ways that it could help them, for instance by conducting research.
Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League, said she’s a “big believer in getting a piece of paper sent to you at least once a year” and isn’t opposed to teaming up with others on the same side of the issue. But along with other advocates who held discussions with Consumers for Paper Options, she still wasn’t sure whom that group represents.
“I don’t know who’s behind them,” she said.
Alice Crites contributed to this report.


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Pan-Asian buffet chain Mimosa is expanding its UK presence after signing up to the £45m Dolphin Square leisure scheme in Weston town centre.
Mimosa, which offers more than 60 dishes from India, China, Malaysia and Thailand, has agreed tied up with property developer McLaren Life to take a corner unit at the site.
According to the Weston Mercury, Mimosa becomes the fifth restaurant chain to sign up to the development, following in the footsteps of Nando’s, Pizza Express, Prezzo and Real China.
The restaurant will be Mimosa’s fourth restaurant. It currently operates sites in Aldershot, Camberley and Telford.
Sundip Grewal, managing director of Mimosa, said the company is delighted to be part of this exciting scheme.
“We see this central location being ideal for our format to provide a lunchtime dining experience to appeal to shoppers and workers and also the night time experience to appeal to the visitors for the cinema. We also will be including a new concept for our business of an adjacent function room for parties or events.”
McLaren Life managing director, Alastair Bell, said Mimosa had agreed a 5,000 square foot premises at the site. “This is very positive news for the scheme…we hope to make further announcements in the near future.”

domain: news


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Volkswagen’s designers have chosen an unusual route to making the company’s new Beetle model appealing. The dashboard incorporates a vase so the interior can be brightened up with flowers. Less social drivers can, of course, put it to other uses, making up for the fact that modern cars never have big enough ashtrays.
The 30 shortlisted designs for this year’s Loewe Craft Prize will go on display at the museum this May, and the overall winner will be awarded €50,000.
The shortlist of 200 illustrators has been whittled down from over 3,000 entries, and will go on display at Somerset House in June.
A new research project by Thomas.Matthews and students from the RCA is aiming to “continue the conversation” about sustainability in the publishing industry.
D&AD has launched its eclectic branding for its annual festival and awards, taking place this week – we look at how it was co-designed by Hato and thousands of people


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Utilise the Pandemic as a tool to build a better, more ethical fashion industry. “If there is a green lining, it may be that we jointly have an opportunity to reset the (fashion) business”- Eva Kruse, CEO, Global Fashion Agenda.
The reach of COVID-19 has not spared creating an impact on any industry. The fashion industry has also become a witness to some harsh effects of global pandemic. Loss of jobs, reduction in incomes is now normalized. Thus, in such a difficult scenario, luxury clothing (or any, which is above essential need) is not a priority anymore. Even trend-conscious clients of the industry are now backing off, realizing the essentials of non-material roots also. The Indian fashion industry is also a witness to this dark side of decline too. It is time to now reevaluate the future!
Some major changes will also become a part of the industry. As Forbes reported, the expectation of conscious consumers will shift towards sustainable clothing. Thus, the brand purpose, commitment towards staff and customers will increase and maintained.
Karl-Hendrick Magnus, a partner at McKinsey says “Consumers have seen how vulnerable the entire world is, and the whole crisis has raised awareness for social and environmental sustainability, even among those that were not previously onto the topic.”
The psychology of affluent consumers might fluctuate. Yet the normal consumer behaviour will not go back to the pre-crisis culture! The pandemic proved to be a radical check on our blatant consumerism.
Issues – prevalent and especially highlighted in the times of COVID-19
Some of the major issues within fashion industry highlighted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Extremely fragile and loose-linked supply chains.- This is how the crisis of one country leads to detrimental consequences in others.
- Exploitation of cheap labour- Absence of social security for the workers, also taking care and precautions of health and safety of the workers.
- No financial buffer, at all- Leeching off of profits and concentrating on that has made sure there are no resources to cover for the current state.
- Lack of accountability– Lack of coming through, by the industry power players, on their legal responsibility and moral obligations.
- Overstocking– The issue has and will, in particular, get highlighted in the plummet of consumer demand.
The issues vary and exist in large numbers. It can’t be let to slip away this time. A strong case for social protection systems has developed. People are becoming aware! thus, 69% of people want the fashion industry to create better pay, conditions and job security for garment workers, and more than a third think that the industry should take responsibility for retraining workers if jobs are under threat.
Focus Areas for the link between Ethics and Sustainability
Addressing Greenwashing and Fast Fashion
Greenwashing is a marketing method. It uses climate crisis as a means to promote business without making any fundamental change to the business. Brands can make vague claims or omit important and relevant facts. Fashion industry exploits this method for their benefit. Many brands are guilty of this practice, including names like H&M and Lululemon among others. They capitalize such tactics on the basis of the ‘conscious’ customers, employing alleged “green” and “ethical” pathways.
“Lines of clothing labelled as ‘sustainable,’ such as H&M’s Conscious Collection, represent a small minority of a fashion brand’s overall stock, but a large proportion of what the brand shouts about in their marketing.”
The lack of apathy, responsibility and credibility is jarring. Case studies emphasize upon the fallibility of fast fashion’s attempts at becoming sustainable.
The link in Other Dimensions
The exploitation cancellations of Garment Industry Workers
The direct impact of COVID-19 on the garment industry is in the form of mass cancelations. This is due to travel hiatus, international lockdowns and also keeping in mind the health and safety concerns. This also due to the practice of brands paying up only after receiving all the goods. Thus goods that are already completed or are in production also end up being cancelled and unpaid for. Many factories and suppliers are also forced into insolvency.
Times are tough, brand behaviour is making it tougher. Accountable decisions have to be made and enforced by the power of the industry. This can help decide the fate of the crisis faced by garment workers. In India, approximately 300,000 garment factory workers left stranded without job, social, or health security.
Thus, the workers have been asked to not come to work, not stay in their ‘factory hostels’ since it is getting very difficult to maintain Social distancing, the primal requisite.
Approach for the future – with the integration of laws and regulations
Laws and regulations help govern the working and mechanism of the industry. Therefore, strengthening the
provisions within International Labour Organization Conventions and Labour laws of India must be the first direct approach adoption.
A better regulation/surveillance system may also work. But certain other factors are also at play which need consideration. A significant number of garment workers in India also operate in the informal economy means that even where national and international labour laws exists, workers in the informal economy often fall outside of their scope of protection. Widening the reach of the law is a necessity. But, other methods must stay in use.
The governments across the world must commit to bold steps with due diligence to help create an ethical, sustainable, and a resilient fashion industry.
Incorporation of ‘regenerative’ approach can enable sustainability as well as promote equality and upliftment. Boycotting greenwashing, and instead have a renewal and reuse mode of approach towards our consumption can go a long way!
Protection of Interests
To protect the interests and basic rights of the workers, brands can set up emergency relief funds. A very inspiring implementation of an ideal approach is visible in the case of Community Clothing. They aim to create quality and affordable clothes. Thus, their process of working also helps create good jobs and restore economic prosperity to some of the UK’s most deprived areas.
The current crisis also provides an opportunity to start building a bridge to better future for the fashion industry.
“If we fail to utilize this opportunity for change, we are going to see a crisis much bigger than coronavirus.”
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The first of many racecar drivers, crew chiefs and well-known personalities are already scheduled to be on-hand for NASCAR Celebrity Day, Wednesday, Oct. 31, during the 2007 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX). AAPEX will be held Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
Celebrities attend AAPEX as invited guests of exhibitors and will be at exhibitors’ booths on NASCAR Celebrity Day, as well as throughout the event.
The initial lineup for NASCAR Celebrity Day includes:
Michael Gallegos driver, Drive for Diversity participant, NASCAR booth #3238
Jessica Helberg driver, Drive for Diversity participant, NASCAR booth #3238
Larry McReynolds, NASCAR booth #3238
Paul Menard, driver, Turtle Wax booth #2826, 10 a.m. 12 p.m.
Ken Schrader, driver, Ford Motorcraft booth #1632, 11 a.m. 1 p.m.
Shannon Wiseman co-host, NASCAR Angels, NASCAR booth #3238
Greg Zipadelli crew chief, #20 Home Depot Chevrolet, NASCAR booth #3238
Maps, signs and big screen monitors within the registration areas at AAPEX will list the most up-to-date times and locations of celebrity appearances.
AAPEX is the annual business-to-business trade show representing the global automotive aftermarket and features more than 2,000 exhibitors.
AAPEX is jointly sponsored by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) and the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA).
Have your say:


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IDFA is inviting every member to sign a joint letter to Congress that calls for ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). With signatures from hundreds of dairy companies, as well as other food and agricultural organizations, the letter will demonstrate the powerful and unified support of the dairy industry and other segments of the U.S. food value chain for the trade pact. The deadline for signatures is May 28.
The joint letter will be sent to all members of Congress soon after they receive the draft statement of administrative action from the White House. This draft statement and the final text of the agreement must reach Congress at least 30 days before the implementing bill, according to the fast-track process under the Trade Promotion Authority. Although the exact timing is unknown, IDFA expects this next step could happen in the next few weeks.
“Thanks to strong advocacy by IDFA on your behalf, USMCA meets the U.S. dairy industry’s top priorities, including preserving duty-free market access to Mexico, eliminating the Canadian Class 7 pricing program and increasing market access to the Canadian market,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA. “Our members have continued to underscore that the new agreement includes important improvements that will expand exports of American dairy products to Canada and Mexico while enabling dairy products to trade more fairly—and for that, we are grateful to you.”
Dykes urges members to continue their efforts by signing the letter and helping to make dairy’s voice even stronger on Capitol Hill. Once they log in and read the letter, members may indicate their interest in signing here.
The International Trade Commission’s recent analysis showed that the USMCA would pump an additional $2.2 billion into the U.S. economy through increases in agricultural and food exports. Other expected benefits of the pact include enhancing standards for biotechnology; reducing the use of trade distorting policies; establishing modern, science-based sanitary and phytosanitary standards; reinforcing disciplines for science-based SPS measures; improving grading standards and services; facilitating the marketing of food and agricultural products; and strengthening safeguards for commonly used food names.
“These advances help provide certainty in the North American market, which is essential to the success of American agriculture and retailers,” the letter states. “Given the significance of USMCA for the U.S. agriculture and food industry, we strongly urge that it be considered quickly, and we respectfully ask you to vote to ratify the agreement.”
Members with questions may contact Beth Hughes, IDFA senior director of international affairs, at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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German economy contracted more than expected as new restrictions imposed at the end of the year dampened household spending, data from Destatis showed on Friday.
Gross domestic product fell 0.7% sequentially in the fourth quarter, reversing the 1.7% expansion in the third quarter. Economists had forecast the economy would contract by 0.3%.
On an annual basis, GDP grew by 1.4%, but slower than the 2.9% expansion recorded in the third quarter.
Compared to the end of 2019, the quarter before the Corona crisis started, GDP was 1.5% lower in the fourth quarter of 2021.
GDP growth for the whole of 2021 has been revised slightly to 2.8% from 2.7% estimated on January 14.
Previously, the government lowered its growth outlook for 2022 to 3.6% from 4.1%.
Private consumption, in particular, fell in the fourth quarter, while government consumption expenditure increased. Construction investment fell from the third quarter, the data showed. Detailed fourth quarter results are expected on February 25.
With this weak fourth quarter, the probability that Germany will be in recession at the start of the year has increased, said Carsten Brzeski, economist at ING.
Even if the economy were to fall into a technical recession, this recession will be mild and short-lived and should not hurt the labor market, the economist added. “On the contrary, we stick to our view that the German economy will make an impressive comeback in the spring.”
Andrew Kenningham, economist at Capital Economics, said: “We doubt Germany’s recovery will be very strong this year as supply chain issues are only expected to resolve slowly, but also due to ongoing Covid concerns. and high inflation.
For comments and feedback, contact: [email protected]


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Erwin Sanft, Head of China & HK Equity Research at Standard Chartered talks to CNBC's Cash Flow about the current spate of IPOs in China.» Read More
Dennis Gartman of The Gartman Letter foresees a bear market and is shorting bonds ahead of Janet Yellen's testimony to the Senate Banking Committee.
While managing $127 billion, Jim Leech, the Ontario Teacher's Pension Plan president and CEO, looks for value and invests to protect against movements on the liability side.
Liz Dunn, Macquire Capital, explains why this holiday season may be rough for retailers like JC Penney. Stocks with global story and a luxury angle are better places to be, she adds.
The Fast Money traders take a look at today's biggest market movers.
Is the market expectation of a pullback actually preventing a pullback from happening? Jeremy Hill, TF Market Advisors, and CNBC's Jeff Cox discuss the tone of the market with CNBC's Bill Griffeth and Maria Bartiromo.
With Priceline joining the $1000 club and up more than 75% this year, "Fast Money" traders Steve Weiss and Mike Murphy debate if the stock is a buy.
The FMHR traders discuss their top three trades including Tesla and Eli Lilly.
Digging into Twitter's performance as a public company thus far, and how the company will continue to make money, with Robert Peck, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, and Kim Forrest, Fort Pitt Capital.
Cramer shares six stocks to watch, and reveals them in under 60 seconds including Gogo and Deckers. Deckers is back and bigger than ever, Cramer says.
A rise in bond yields will pose a serious threat to the U.S. equity market at a time when earnings momentum remains weak, Societe Generale warns.
If you sold shares of these companies post earnings, Cramer says you’ve got it all wrong.
It’s time for the Lightning Round. Cramer makes the call on viewer favorites.
Cramer doesn't seem like the type to play games. What gives?
To find the best buy, "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer pits a few game publishers against one another, including Take-Two Interactive, Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts.
Clorox Chairman and CEO Don Knauss discusses how many veterans his company has hired, its focus on 4 major trends and double digits out of Burt's Bees.
Mad Money host Jim Cramer looks ahead to next week when Zulily comes public, and earnings from Costco and Bristol Myers.
Tesla falls well off its highs after a rough week, including disappointing earnings and a third report of a vehicle fire. With CNBC's Melissa Lee and the Options Action traders.
If you haven’t taken a look at Clorox lately, maybe you should. Cramer has.
Does the jobs report suggest the economy is kicking back into gear? Find out in the week ahead.
Mad Money surprises a bride-to-be as her fiancé proposes marriage on Friday's broadcast.


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The group, based in Leeds, imports cheap garments made in Rumania. Originally it sold only no- frills underpants in German department stores, which liked the low prices but were unwilling to deal directly with chaotic Rumanian manufacturers.
Stanley Wootliff, Caldwell's chairman, said German sales had been good for the first four months before falling 40 per cent in the subsequent two months.
The Chinese decision meant the forced cancellation of a US contract and a foreign exchange loss on dollars already purchased.
The setbacks cut profits before tax to pounds 147,500 in the six months to 30 April, compared with pounds 176,300 the previous year. Turnover rose 13 per cent to pounds 3.4m, while operating profits were 47 per cent higher at pounds 146,600.
Mr Wootliff said Caldwell's other businesses were developing well. In May it began importing Rumanian underwear into Britain, and is about to order a second container load.
'It is not the same as the German market - the sizing is different - but the principle is the same. We are selling on price, not quality,' Mr Wootliff said.
This month the group is to begin shipping sweatshirts to America, with an initial dollars 2m order.
The interim dividend was unchanged at 0.3875p. The shares fell 9p to 49p.Reuse content


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NEW YORK – Will the Google phone have you hanging up your iPhone?
Google unveiled the software for its much-anticipated new phone last week, and it's loaded with fun features, including an unlocking tool that allows users to create a secret shape that must be drawn on the screen.
The phone will, naturally, feature the Google Web browser, Google Mail and Google Maps. The Street View feature, similar to what you can get on your desktop with Google Maps, will turn in The same direction as the person holding the phone.
The phone will also include a compass, magnifying tool and a version of the game Pac-Man. Its touch-screen technology will be similar to that of an Apple iPhone, but it will also be able to work with a tracking ball.
Google is not making the phones, just working to develop the Android operating system that manufacturers will install. Companies such as Samsung and Motorola have said they will make phones that run on Android.


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The sun has set. A Thai college student texts a selfie to her boyfriend as she types up her homework in Bangkok. A businessman in Taipei swipes through the day’s news on his tablet while calling his wife. And in Sydney, an Aussie mom of two emails her boss a draft of a presentation before heading out for a walk with her wearable. Each is connecting—to friends, family, colleagues and the outside world—through multiple devices.
But what do these devices mean to people in Asia Pacific? Are they mere communication tools? Are some more valuable than others?
In an exploration of multidevice usage around the world, Facebook IQ commissioned GfK to conduct a study of multidevice users around the world. For this second post in our Multidevice Movement series, we surveyed 1,000 adults ages 18–54 who use a smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop at least once a week in three markets in Asia Pacific: up-and-coming Thailand and well-established Australia and Taiwan.
We saw near universal multidevice usage in each of the markets surveyed. Over 95% of people in each market use at least two devices and a third use three: a smartphone, a tablet and a desktop or laptop. For people in the emerging market of Thailand, this is a relatively recent phenomenon: 39% of Thais surveyed have gone from one to many devices in the past couple of years.
Young people are leading the multidevice movement on mobile. This is most noticeable in Thailand, where three out of four multidevice users are Millennials and almost one out of four are students. In the more mature markets of Australia and Taiwan, the majority of multidevice users are ages 35–54, and in Australia, half are parents.
We learned that despite cultural differences, people in these markets have something big in common: an appreciation for their devices.
A world of possibilities is at their fingertips
Beyond facilitating communication with others and providing greater access to entertainment, devices make people more aware of opportunities that were previously out of reach. Over 60% of multidevice users in each market say that using multiple devices has improved their lives—this is especially true in Thailand (83%).
And each device plays a part in people’s everyday lives. Smartphones help people connect with friends and family, like through the taking and sharing of photos. Tablets ease boredom, providing access to entertaining games and online videos. And desktops/laptops are productivity engines people use for day-to-day shopping and to look up information online.
A smart, inspiring sidekick
If any device reigns supreme, it is the smartphone. Smartphones are the favorite device for many people in Thailand (61%) and Taiwan (47%), and they’re tied with desktops/laptops in Australia (40%).
Why? Smartphones offer greater access to information, giving people more control over their future and inspiring them to feel more confident. 21% of people, on average, in the three markets say that smartphones make them feel empowered. And people want to share the wealth. While popular belief says that smartphones are our most personal device, people in Thailand (85%), Taiwan (76%) and Australia (68%) are happy to share their smartphones with others.
People in all three markets use their smartphones more than any other device throughout the day. Thais especially use their smartphones to get a head start on their morning. 79% of Thai multidevice users say they have used their smartphones by 9am—compared to 66% of Aussie and Taiwanese multidevice users—more than 2X the number who say they have used either their tablet or desktop/laptop.
Whether they are lying in bed, watching TV, doing household chores or even (yup!) using the bathroom, smartphones are people’s constant companions.
Just like smartphones once did, trendy devices like wearables are finding their way into the repertoire of multiple devices in people’s lives. One out of four people in Australia, Taiwan and Thailand say that wearing wearables makes them feel “advanced,” and it’s projected that shipments of wearable devices will have grown by 20% by 2019, reaching 173 million units worldwide.1
What it means for marketers
Brands can stay top of mind to the people who matter most by capturing their attention through their devices, both new and old, telling relevant and cohesive stories across multiple screens.
Deliver a seamless multidevice experience: Multidevice usage is near universal in Australia, Taiwan and Thailand. In Thailand, 30% of multidevice users own four or five devices. Throughout the day, people are carrying content with them seamlessly, with more than 75% of multidevice users syncing information between different devices. To deliver best-in-class experiences, brands should provide quality, integrated content across screens as people toggle between devices.
Leverage personalization: From young Thai students to mature Aussie parents, the Asia Pacific community is made up of an evolving and diverse tapestry. For example, we know that Aussies have a soft spot for their desktops/laptops, with as many multidevice users saying their desktop/laptop is their favorite device as the number who say their smartphone is. Brands can harness the power of personalization by tailoring messaging to the right person on the right device at the right time.
Be future-ready: People are challenging conventions by seeking out and experimenting with novel products, services and devices. Brands can keep pace by shifting with people’s changing behaviors, designing innovative creative with people’s modern tastes and device preferences in mind.


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"It isn’t hard to discuss the possibilities when your partner’s in the next room, but the homebrewers and craft-beer aficionados say working together is more like running a business with a best friend."
Suzanne Wilson and Ben Focht
It’s not easy starting a business in one of the worst economies in history. It’s not easy starting a business while working a full-time job. And it’s not easy starting a business while raising two children. But somehow, law alumna Suzanne Wilson (JD ’04) and husband Ben Focht, a DU assistant lacrosse coach from 2000–02, have found a way to do it.
The couple will set up shop at this year’s Great American Beer Festival to put their company — The Beer Stick — squarely in front of 49,000 beer lovers and representatives from 466 breweries attending the annual Denver event from Sept. 29–Oct 1. The stick’s schtick is that it’s a bottle opener that makes removing caps easier than a 12-ounce curl. The design is simple: an eight-inch-long chunk of North Carolina alder wood with a curved metal stud pressed into one end for cap liberation and a leather strap on the other end for stick storage.
During the day, Wilson — a Birmingham, Mich., native — is a partner with Raw Land Solutions, a real estate development consulting firm. Columbus, Ohio, native Focht works for a local biotechnology company in account management.
“You just have to prioritize and make sure the kids are taken care of first and do your other jobs as well as you can,” Wilson says. “It’s challenging — especially when we have a big order come in. We still both work during the day, so we take care of the kids after work and then burn the midnight oil to get the order done.”
Wilson and Focht use a small room in the basement of their Denver home to make the sticks — even applying a finishing coat of polish or tying on the leather straps from a couch in their TV room.
While they jokingly say they’ve found the one job people can do from a couch, it’s actually a creative way to reduce overhead and start-up costs. Because of the tight credit market, Wilson and Focht have had to self-finance the company.
“I tried to secure a line of credit last year, but it was a catch-22,” Focht says. “[Lenders] wanted to see two years of business history, and then the money was so expensive to borrow.”
While the start-up hasn’t been easy, the couple has sold around 4,000 sticks — enough to continue building the fledgling operation. They’ve drafted clients including beer brands such as Colorado Native and Coors Batch 19 as well as operations such as Location 3 Media and the Midwest Brewer Fest. Many clients purchase the sticks — which can be laser-etched to feature nearly any kind of logo or wording — as tradeshow giveaways or even wedding gifts. Individual customers use the stick in kitchens, home bars, and at the grill.
The couple got the idea for the business at a wedding in New Hampshire where attendees used a cruder version of the stick to open beers. Wilson and Focht noticed how most of the people who used the stick became fascinated with its design and novelty. That’s when they decided to spruce it up a bit and put it on the market.
The couple launched the company at last year’s beer festival, where they got feedback from patrons who, they say, wondered why the stick is any better for opening beers than a lighter or a truck bumper.
“Aside from dramatically reducing broken bottlenecks and deep cuts to the hand, the Beer Stick is an over-the-top tribute — you’ll get it when you use it — to the tasty brew you are about to enjoy,” Focht says. “And when we looked at how we are trying to position this — as a low-cost beer tool with quality — we thought it would fit into a $9-a-six-pack world.”
Wilson and Focht are working to expand the market for the sticks. For instance, they’re talking with a national fraternity organization to supply the sticks to members as a replacement for the more traditional paddles. They’re also working on a key-chain version they’re tentatively calling the “Beer Stick Lite.” While the sticks are currently made with wood from a sustainable Appalachian forest, Focht says they are working on a product that incorporates the wood from beetle-kill sites in Colorado.
“The polyester wicks away the moisture and the cotton breathes — so you’re getting the benefits of a Dry Max kind of situation.”
It isn’t hard to discuss the possibilities when your partner’s in the next room, but the homebrewers and craft-beer aficionados say working together is more like running a business with a best friend. Settling any differences over work responsibilities, company policies or expansion is easy, says Wilson, who sometimes introduces herself as Mrs. Beer Stick: “We just have a beer.”


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Pakistan Post Launches Same Day Delivery Service Update:
Pakistan Post has lunched a new delivery service “Same Day Delivery” for delivering goods in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on the same day. Pakistan Post Launches Same Day Delivery Service.
According to official sources, the people of federal capital and adjoining areas would be able to send their goods up to 20 KG through this service. The service will benefit business community. Pakistan Post Launches Same Day Delivery Service.
Pakistan Post has established especial desks at designated post offices of twin cities to facilitate clients. The clients will be informed through SMS about the latest status their mail, parcels and gifts sent to their dear ones on the same day of the booking. Pakistan Post Launches Same Day Delivery Service.
The people can acquire the Same Day Service by 11:30 daily. The charges included Rs 150 on first 500 gram weight and then Rs 50 on each and every additional 500 gram weight parcel.
The services are available at different designated post offices of Islamabad including Islamabad GPO, F-7 Post Mall, F-10 Markaz, G-5 Foreign Service, G-10, G-9 Markaz, I-10/4, I-8/4, F-6 Markaz, F-8 Markaz, G-7 Markaz, G-8 Markaz, I-9 Markaz’and the post office situated at Prime Minister office. Pakistan Post Launches Same Day Delivery Service.
The service is also available at Rawalpindi GPO, Katcheri, Urdu Bazar, West ridge, Lal Kurti, Gawalmandi, Bahria Town phase 8, 4 and Post office of Commercial Centre Satellite town, Rawalpindi.
A few months back the news came that the government of Pakistan will launch new services to pull Pakistan Post out from major losses. To remain in competition with the private sector, the government is introducing many new features and services as per the officials like ‘Labaiq Service’.
Pakistan Post has a broad and varied role to play beyond provision of communication link for individuals and businesses. pace with the changing communications market, Pakistan Post is emphasizing in the use of new communication and information technologies to move beyond what is traditionally regarded as a its core postal business. Pakistan post is committed to make secure and timely delivery of mail, money and material at the doorsteps of the customers at affordable cost.


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- The iPhone X became the best-selling smartphone model in the first quarter of 2018.
- Apple shipped 16 million units of the iPhone X in the three months ended March 31, according to Strategy Analytics.
- Samsung's Galaxy S9 Plus was the sixth most popular smartphone in the first quarter.
The iPhone X became the best-selling smartphone model in the first quarter of 2018, a new report shows, providing more good news for Apple investors following a better-than-expected earnings report earlier this week.
Apple shipped 16 million units of the iPhone X in the three months ended March 31, according to a study released by Strategy Analytics Thursday. It captured 4.6 percent market share of all models shipped in the quarter. The iPhone X was closely followed by Apple's iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus which shipped 12.5 million and 8.3 million units, respectively. And then the iPhone 7 with 5.6 million units.
related investing news
Xiaomi, which filed for an initial public offering on Thursday, saw its Redmi 5A low-priced device ship 5.4 million units.
It was followed by the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, its 6.2-inch flagship smartphone, which shipped 5.3 million units in the first quarter. It was only on sale however for a short time in the quarter, making Apple's iPhone X the major high-end rival on the market.
"For the second quarter running, the iPhone X remains the world's most popular smartphone model overall, due to a blend of good design, sophisticated camera, extensive apps, and widespread retail presence for the device," Juha Winter, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics, said in a press release.
The report from the analyst firm appears to back up the optimism Apple CEO Tim Cook had about the iPhone X during an earnings call earlier this week.
"Customers chose iPhone X more than any other iPhone each week in the March quarter, just as they did following its launch in the December quarter," Cook said.
Apple reported earnings Tuesday that beat expectations, despite bearish sentiment going into the event.
There are still voices that suggest that Apple could be winding down production of the iPhone X with the aim of scrapping it for new versions of the device. Several suppliers' earnings, that are key to the iPhone X supply chain, have pointed toward lower production, an analyst told CNBC earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Samsung's Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus were launched in February but didn't go on sale until mid-March, so they didn't have a full quarter to make an impact. But Strategy Analytics said the devices "are already off to a very good start."
"We expect the S9 Plus to become the best-selling Android smartphone globally in the second quarter of 2018," Woody Oh, director at Strategy Analytics, said in a press release.


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NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
on Monday said that post demonetisation
circulation of high currency notes in the country has come down.
Jaitley noted that the success of demonetisation drive should be looked through – lesser circulation of high value currency, increase in tax base and digital transactions.
“I have always had three important red lines as far as my own analysis is concerned,” he said adding that as of today the high denomination currency has squeezed, in terms of volume.
The latest RBI annual report states that the total currency in circulation of all denominations as on November 8, 2016 was 17.77 lakh crore as against 14.75 lakh crore as on August 4, 2017. In January, the government had launched ‘Operation Clean Money’ and scrutiny of about 18 lakh accounts, prima facie, did not appear to be in line with their tax profile.
“Second important test is as a consequence of this how much we are able to expand the number of assesses and tax base both direct and indirect. And the third important test is in terms of sheer volume what is going to be the increase in digital transactions itself,” he said.
The government has stated that there has been a substantial increase in the number of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) filed. The number of Returns filed as on August 2017 registered an increase of 24.7% compared to a growth rate of 9.9% in the previous year.
Jaitley observed that in the month of November, December and January a lot of people went in for digitisation in terms of mode of payment more out of compulsion rather than finding it a more convenient method to transact, but that compulsion created a habit for many.
“We reached a peak figure (after the demonetisation), then it marginally slipped and is now bound to pick up again,” the finance minister said during the launch of a mobile app for digital payments developed by Google.
“Now, the time has come with application as simple as this that what started as compulsion becomes a matter of convenience and eventually a matter of spending habit as far as Indian people are concerned,” said Jaitley.


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A recent truck delivery in Pakistan has demonstrated transit time savings of 80 per cent on the normal maritime route due to the launch of TIR.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is ready to work with Kenya to develop strategies and deepen cooperation in communications, healthcare and education.
The partners of Kögel Trailer have named a new CEO and Chairman of the Board.
German courier, Heinrich Langhorst, has expanded its fleet with 12 Kässbohrer light K.SHG L container chassis.
German supply chain management company, Deutsche Post DHL Group, has reported preliminary earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of €1,765 billion for Q3 2021.
For the Europe Container Terminal (ECT) in the Rotterdam seaport, VDL Containersystems together with eight other VDL companies have developed an Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) that can be used for unmanned sea container transport.
US-based company, ArcBest, has agreed to acquire a Chicago-based truckload freight brokerage for a cash payment of $235 million USD.
Brazil-based OEM, Librelato, has been awarded for environmental preservation.
US-based company, SEKO Logistics, is merging with a Paris-headquartered transport and logistics group.
In order to be able to easily manage different telematics systems via a single portal solution, Krone Telematics relies on a manufacturer-independent platform.


text: CarParts.com, a division of CarParts Technologies, and JC Whitney Company have announced that JC Whitney will become the exclusive licensee of CarParts.com consumer business. JC Whitney, based in Chicago, Ill., will license the CarParts.com URL and provide all sales and service fulfillment for the more than 1 million unique visitors that shop on the site each month. In addition, the two companies are discussing other ways to leverage CarParts Technologies’ supply chain solutions for the automotive aftermarket. Tim Ford, president of JC Whitney, said the licensing agreement would result in a superior shopping experience for automotive enthusiasts. "We are very glad to be working with CarParts.com," said Tim Ford, president of JC Whitney. "They have developed sophisticated systems and a strong following with their consumer business." JC Whitney, which has been operating since 1915, introduced its website as a complement to its direct marketing business in 1997. Since its launch, the site has been continually improved with new products and customer service features. "The customers and products that CarParts.com provides, supports our multi-channel approach to the automotive marketplace — furthering our vision of JC Whitney: ‘Everything Automotive,’" Ford said. Launched in April 1999, CarParts.com quickly became one of the leading e-tailing sites for automotive enthusiasts shopping for engine parts, accessories, and performance products. CarParts Technologies, the parent company, is one of the leading providers of supply chain management solutions to the automotive aftermarket, a $150 billion industry in the U.S. The company has more than 2,500 customers using its solutions, including manufacturers, warehouse distributors, jobbers, service chains and independent repair shops. Alan Bennett, CarParts Technologies chief executive officer, said the license agreement with JC Whitney is another milestone in the company’s mission to provide innovative and intelligent solutions to the automotive aftermarket. "Innovation, creativity and an unwavering commitment for superior design and performance are the hallmarks of our consumer technology division," Bennett said. "Those same practices apply in the development of our aftermarket business applications and they will serve us well in the years ahead as we expand our commercial customer base throughout North America."


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Drayson looks to smash own land speed record
The company, established by former UK science minister and racing driver Lord Paul Drayson, already broke the land speed record in the class in Elvington in the UK last June, with Lord Drayson achieving a 204.2mph average speed over the measured mile in his Drayson B12 69/EV electric Le Mans Prototype racing car.
Now Lord Drayson is taking the B12 to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in an attempt to raise the record at the much longer Bonneville track.
Lord Drayson said: ‘We are delighted to be invited to Bonneville and to be racing on the West Coast – without doubt the spiritual home of the electric vehicle.’
‘Back in June, the relatively short runway at Elvington limited our top speed as we had to brake as the car was still accelerating. We are looking forward to discovering just how fast the car can go on the wide-open spaces of the Bonneville salt flats, although its been a major engineering challenge to prepare the car for running on salt.’
By running in the sub-1000kg electric vehicle land speed record class, the team is aiming to demonstrate the future possibilities of EV technology and performance and to highlight the importance of lightweight in future electric car design.
Lord Drayson added: ‘The development of lightweight car technology is a key part of the drive to bring electric cars to market with the range and performance that consumers expect. That is why we are focused on the sub 1000kg category for the EV world record. It presents the greatest technical challenge to engineer a car that weighs under 1000kg, goes over 200mph and is purely driven by sustainable electric energy.’


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JABONG ONLINE FASHION WEEK- Season II with Sushmita Sen
India’s leading online fashion destination Jabong.com, announced the second edition of Jabong Online Fashion week (JOFW) at Dusit Devarana recently.In the esteemed presence of gorgeous Sushmita Sen the new edition of the only fashion week of its kind – Jabong Online Fashion Week along with the jury was announced.
Jabong.com through its second season endeavours to provide the industry with the most incredible talent from various genres including designing, modeling, hair styling, make up and fashion photography from a search held across the country. Apart from offering a platform to the winners to showcase their work, Jabong.com will also impart training from the illustrious jury comprising of Nandini Bhalla, Noyonika Chatterjee, Varun Bahl, VidyaTikari, Lubna Adams and Colston Julian who will be sharing their valuable expertise to further hone their skills
Undoubtedly Season II comes on the heels of the staggering success of season I. Last season’s winners included Ritu Chauhan De, Ravi Goswami and Sidharth K Kakkar who have achieved a name for themselves in their respective fields. Models-Ritu Chauhan De and Ravi Goswami, have walked for top designers in the country, and bagged projects with top media houses. Designer- Sidharth K Kakkar styled and designed an outfit for celebs such as Kapil Sharma, Gauhar Khan, Rajeev Khandelwal and so on. Jabong.com’s endeavor continues to promote and establish new talent in the industry, and give them a platform through which they can accomplish their dreams and rise further.
Commenting on the launch Praveen Sinha, MD & Founder Jabong.com says, “With Jabong Online Fashion Week, we aspire to represent the fashion industry and provide the fraternity an online platform to grow. JOFW is aimed at gathering best of talent and fashion aficionados giving them an opportunity to showcase their talent with the guidance of stalwarts of the industry. Jabong has always strived to provide the customers and industry, with the best of talent and services, and JOFW is one such initiative by the brand.”
Thrilled to be associated with the launch of JOFW, Sushmita Sen, said, “Online Shopping is the buzzword these days, and the shift has been evidently drastic from offline to online. Bearing in mind from where this industry started to where it has gone now, it’s a pleasure for me to launch Jabong Online Fashion Week! JOFW is a platform that will not only nurture young talent but also hone their skills with a thorough guidance from influencers of the industry. I would like to wish all the very best to all the participants.”
Jabong Online Fashion Week has on boarded Times Now, Dorothy Perkins, Microsoft, Cosmopolitan, PayU Money, Taxi For Sure and Chic-a-thon as partners.
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As part of the roadmap for the new update, it was revealed that a new weapon and a new Operator would be joining the games before Season 3 begins.
Those things are arriving this week.
Black Ops Cold War Update This Week
While there shouldn't be an actual update for you to download, new content will be coming to Treyarch's shooter this week.
As listed by Charlie Intel, various new things will come to the Cold War game:
- New Feature: Gunsmith Customs
- New Mode: Gunfight Tournaments
- New Mode: Gunfight Blueprints
- New Sniper: ZRG 20mm
- New Operator: Rivas
You'll be able to get the ZRG 20mm by completing a challenge, which has yet to be revealed, and the Rivas Operator should be available to everyone.
We will confirm what the challenges are as soon as the update is released later in the week.
The challenge to unlock the sniper might be a little different, but we'll be sure to let you know what it is once it's revealed.
As for the new modes and features, they will be exclusive to Cold War. There will inevitably be a playlist update later in the week and more bundles added to the store for you to check out.
Update Release Date
We would expect the new sniper and Operator to go live in Warzone and Black Ops Cold War on Thursday, April 8, alongside the weekly playlist update.
You can expect them to go live around 1pm ET/6pm BST, and we'll let you know as soon as they're out.


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While some sectors are heavily hit by the corona crisis, others tend to flourish. The superyacht industry proves to be less vulnerable for economic downturn.
During the webinar Marstrat partner Hein Velema will elaborate about challenges and opportunities the superyacht industry has to offer to the regional maritime cluster of Rotterdam.
Afterwards, Eddie Kloosterman – division manager Holland Yachting Group at NMT – will discuss the increased attention for sustainability among superyacht owners. It is key to understand how the Dutch maritime cluster can capitalise on these opportunities. Other speakers include Dennis Bravenboer (Hug Engineering) and Robert van der Tol (Water Revolution Foundation)
During a panel discussion industry experts will dive deeper into the refit market. Refits might be a smart and swift way to improve the sustainability of a vessel. Especially interesting for Dutch shipyards because they are already equipped for this kind of work.
- January 21st
- 16.00 – 17.00


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Generic Version of Fusilev Launched by Mylan
Mylan has launched a generic version of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals' levoleucovorin calcium injections.
Mylan has launched a generic version of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals’ levoleucovorin calcium injections (Fusilev).
The treatment is indicated for rescue use after high-dose methotrexate therapy in osteosarcoma. It can also be used to lower toxicity and counteract the effects of impaired methotrexate elimination and of inadvertent overdosage of folic acid antagonists, according to Mylan.
The new generic version, following the FDA’s approval of Mylan’s abbreviated new drug application (ANDA), comes in 10 mg, 175 mg, and 250 mg single-use vials.
Mylan currently has 259 ANDAs pending FDA approval. These ANDAs are valued at $98.5 billion, according to IMS Health.
US sales of the Fusilev injections brought in $200 million for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2015, according to IMS Health.
Sandoz launched its own generic version of Fusilev in May 2015.


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Laundry Owners Warehouse, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has named Robert Gonzalez its new foreman for growth and quality elevation in services.
With more than 42 years of experience in delivering laundry equipment and supplies, Gonzalez is a perfect fit to spearhead change and expansion of Laundry Owners Warehouse’s services, according to the company. His expertise in managing commercial laundry distribution comes with multiple “Distributor of the Year” accolades.
“The network and fresh perspective he brings will help Laundry Owners Warehouse explore more opportunities and avenues in the coming time,” the distributor stated. “This strategic partnership comes at a very exciting time for Laundry Owners Warehouse. In the recent years, the company has been achieving new heights of quality and excellence. With a large collection of commercial laundry equipment and supplies and a strong team offering support, Laundry Owners Warehouse is quickly becoming a favorite of laundromat owners and customers alike.”
With Gonzalez joining the growing organization, vended laundry owners can expect more services from Laundry Owners Warehouse in the future.


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Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. announced a number of changes in its North American management team, which will be effective April 1.
Judy Wheeler was appointed division vice president for U.S. and Canada dealer network strategy. She is currently division vice president for sales operations and North/West regions.
Billy Hayes was named division vice president for Nissan regional operations. Hayes is division vice president for trucks; light commercial vehicles, or LCV; and South/Mountain regions.
Claudia Marquez was promoted to vice president for sales and vehicle operations from her current role as senior director of sales operations for Infiniti USA.
David Kershaw was named vice president for Nissan Northeast region from his current role as vice president for dealer network development.
Fred DePerez was appointed vice president for the North America LCV business unit. DePerez currently is division general manager for global LCV marketing and sales for Nissan Motor Co.
Michael Colleran, who is currently vice president of Nissan Northeast region, was named vice president of Infiniti Americas.
Rob Pitt was promoted to vice president of purchasing for Renault-Nissan Purchasing Organization, or RNPO, North America. He is currently senior director of production purchasing for RNPO North America.
Masayuki Fukuda, who is currently vice president of R&D for Nissan Technical Center North America, or NTCNA, Mexico, was named vice president of vehicle engineering for NTCNA.
Kiichi Namba was named vice president of R&D for NTCNA-Mexico. He is currently deputy general manager of Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, Japan.


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- Wealth PMS (50L+)
Look at the first point in the First Quarter Review:
Taming inflation warrants continuation of anti-inflationary monetary stance
Inflation risks stay, while growth showed signs of moderation. On current reckoning, growth is likely to stay around trend growth of around 8.0 per cent. However, downside risks have increased. Overall some moderation in growth is expected in 2011-12. Various expectation surveys also indicate the same.
Near-term upside risks to inflation remain significant. Price pressures are expected to persist through Q2 as well and then moderate towards the later part of 2011-12. Breaking inertial dynamics of wage and food price rise is important for arresting inflation.
Risks to baseline growth and inflation projections may arise from three factors: (1) significant departure of monsoon from normal, (2) a collapse or re-build of global commodity price bubble, and (3) Euro zone debt crisis assuming full-blown proportions.
Notwithstanding the slowdown in growth, high inflation requires continued anti-inflationary bias with a close watch and responsiveness to new information.
Inflation is high and looks like it will stay high unless the RBI takes an "anti-inflationary bias", according to the release. This is suggestive that the rates will go up. We don’t know if it will be 0.25% (25 basis points) or 0.50%, yet.
RBI goes on to say that world inflation is rising preparing for an "exit from an excessively accommodative monetary policy". Basically, the western economies printed too much, and now stuff will go up in dollar/euro/yen denominations.
Also that inflation has become "generalized" (i.e. not just food) since Dec 2010. Plus, even with a good monsoon, food prices may not fall due to higher costs and higher support prices. That, says the RBI, will take structural reforms to fix, in the absence of which RBI will compensate by using monetary policy.
A quick survey on twitter showed that all respondents (bar one) saw a 25 bps rate hike about half of them saying that it *should* be 50bps but RBI’s chicken.
I expect a 25 bps rate hike, but the strong statements in there have given rise to a feeling, a 20% probability type of feeling, that we might see 50 bps. Few more minutes. Stay tuned.


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Minister Yıldırım recently revealed the third quarter figures from the Science, Technology and Communications Council (BTK) report on the informatics sector.
While ten years ago there were under 20,000 subscribers for wideband, today that figure is over 19.5 million. Reminding that nearly 11 million of Turkey's wideband subscribers are also mobile internet users, Yıldırım says, ''This shows that there are a total 48 million internet users in Turkey. In addition, figures show that there is an average 46.5 percent growth in internet subscribers annually."
Yıldırım went on to explain that BTK figures show that the number of mobile computer and cell phone internet users is on a fast rise in Turkey. Pointing out that 3G services only began in Turkey three years ago, Yıldırım, stated, "The number of 3G subscribers has surpassed 40 million. Out of our 67.2 million cell phone users, 59 percent access the internet from their cell phones. In Europe this figure is at 30 percent on average. In other words, we have doubled Europe's average in 3G usage."
Please click to read our informative text prepared pursuant to the Law on the Protection of Personal Data No. 6698 and to get information about the cookies used on our website in accordance with the relevant legislation.
6698 sayılı Kişisel Verilerin Korunması Kanunu uyarınca hazırlanmış aydınlatma metnimizi okumak ve sitemizde ilgili mevzuata uygun olarak kullanılan çerezlerle ilgili bilgi almak için lütfen tıklayınız.


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Bring back the dead, yes it’s very true as news has been trending about re-launch of the little beast by Nokia its 3310 handset Candy Bar design handset with upgrades to meet the current market requirement under price range of Rs. 5000.
Nokia brand’s name exclusive rights are with HMD Global, and the same company is reportedly planning to release a revamped version of the Nokia 3310 at the Mobile World Congress, which takes place in Barcelona at the end of February along with few more new Nokia phones.
The handset was huge success in early 2000 for its long battery life, messaging and Snakes game. When released, Nokia sold 126 million units worldwide, making it the world’s best-selling mobile phone. The phone is real tough as compare to current price handset.
The phone is yet to release, but its concept designs are already on the web with rumors of having Android as its Operating System.


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Streamlabs, which creates tools used by personal live-streamers like gamers, comes to the TwitchCon gaming convention in Las Vegas Friday with a new rebranding campaign, “Unleash Your Live,” from creative agency Catalyst.
While live-streamers may sound like a niche audience, they’re hardly a small one -- totaling some 10 million worldwide, Mikey Kilun, Streamlabs’ global head of marketing, tells Marketing Daily.
Streamlabs already has 30% share of their business, Kilun says, but a reranding campaign was in order for the nine-year-old Logitech subsidiary due to added tools in such areas as video editing, short-form clipping and podcast creation.
The campaign, which its creators say was 10 months in the making, features a :60 spot showing five diverse streamers in the process of creating content -- including an anime figure wearing her own headphones like the rest of the creators -- as multiple screens displaying their work and processes float by.
Meanwhile, voiceovers by the five begin with “Welcome to the stream, where our passions rule” and include “We demand intuitive tools… that keep our creativity streaming, the vibes flowing and our communities growing.”
The spot was produced by SixTwentySix, with Iris Kim directing. Shapes & Forms handled the post-production motion graphics and visual effects.
The production itself utilized many of Streamlabs tools, the creators say, while the shoot, done in a single day, “required authentic and unique set construction tailored to each gaming creator, turning one studio into five different rooms.’
At TwitchCon, attended by around 30,000 visitors annually, Streamlabs is debuting the spot on a large screen at its exhibit space, which will be decked out with a new visual look created for the campaign. It will then go global via organic digital, organic social, and sharing by content creators.
The five live-streamers starring in the spot are Valkyrae (Rachell Hofstetter), JWonggg (Justin Wong), DanucD (Dana Dima Gard), JaharaJayde (Jahara James), Halite (Hunter Frazier), and Spofie (Sofie Siegel)
Frazier/Halite and James/JaharaJayde will also appear on a Saturday Twitchcon panel delving into “The Future of Live-Streaming.”


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by Ashley Allen Reade
The most expensive time of the year is winding down and the numbers are in. Retail sales ended up being 7.6% higher for Christmas 2022 than for Christmas 2021. While that sounds like a good sign that Americans spent more, it isn’t because they are more prosperous.
They spent more because everything costs more. Inflation, officially up by 5.5%, has created artificial hope for those who look at the statistics without context.
In general, holiday spending in the United States can vary significantly from year to year and is influenced by a number of factors, including the state of the economy, consumer confidence, and cultural traditions. It is also worth noting that people’s holiday spending habits can vary widely depending on their individual circumstances and priorities.
What did they spend money on?
According to Fox Business:
Americans chose to eat out during the holidays, with restaurant spending up 15.1% over the same time frame in 2021. Clothing rose 4.4%, while in-store sales rose 6.8% and online sales rose 10.6%.
During the holiday season, people in the United States often spend money on gifts for friends and family, decorations for their homes, and travel. They may also spend money on food, parties, and other holiday-related expenses. If the price of these things has increased, so too will the spending of the public.
So why was spending really up?
The real question here is whether or not consumers got more stuff for the additional money or were forced to spend the additional money to get less stuff due to inflation.
CNN Business notes that consumers “spent like crazy” this year:
The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation — rose 5.5% in November from a year earlier, the Commerce Department reported Friday.
“Consumers and retailers navigated the season well, displaying resilience amid increasing economic pressures,” Michelle Meyer, North America Chief Economist at the Mastercard Economics Institute, said in a statement.
According to Mastercard, consumers diversified their spending to cope with higher prices and prioritized dining out and other experiences. Restaurant sales grew more than 15% compared to the same period last year.
American shoppers also displayed a growing preference for shopping online, with online sales growing 10.6% year-over-year and ecommerce making up 21.6% of total retail sales, up from 20.9% in 2021.
Inflation isn’t the only negative sign, however.
Putting it on plastic
The numbers are somewhat artificial because it isn’t money that many people spent, but credit. Credit card debt has been escalating as people try to maintain their previous standard of living despite soaring inflation and wages that don’t match it. The Deseret News reported:
…the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released data showing that household debt in the United States rose faster in the third quarter of this year than at any time since 2008. We added $351 billion in overall debt, with higher-interest mortgages leading the way.
But the report said we also added the most credit card debt in 20 years, increasing our collective balances by 15% over this time in 2021. This, at a time when interest rates are topping 19% on those cards, and when you don’t have to Google too hard to find warnings of a possible looming recession.
Experts were couching this news by noting that delinquency rates remain low. Wells Fargo economist Shannon Seery told Deseret News reporter Art Raymond that most households still have enough disposable income to handle a bit more debt. Seery said to expect a 6% increase in holiday spending this year, but most of that will be due to inflation.
This makes it more difficult to get a handle on inflation.
“It is tempting to cheer on the ‘resilience’ of the consumer, but the staying power of spending gives businesses no incentive to forgo price increases, thereby making the task of getting inflation in check more difficult for policymakers,” Seery wrote in a Federal Reserve blog, along with economist Tim Quinlan.
The buy-now-pay-later mindset is not feasible in an economy in which prices keep going up but people’s incomes are not keeping pace.
As usual, it’s the lower-income households that will suffer first and hardest.
Many families making less than $50,000 per year are already having difficulty meeting their minimum payments. Add more purchases to these balances and the strain will catch up with them almost immediately. What’s more, interest rates have also skyrocketed, making those debts increase far more rapidly.
From Yahoo News:
Once flush with additional savings from the pandemic, many consumers have exhausted that excess cash due to ongoing inflationary pressures and are now turning to credit cards to fund their holiday spending.
“Wage growth has been averaging about 5%, but inflation is running around 7%,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at and . “Consumers are upside down, essentially. That’s primarily why sentiment has been so depressed.”
But any gains in savings from the pandemic have been exhausted.
New data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that the U.S. personal savings rate has plummeted to 2.3%. That’s a 17-year low.
“People are also reluctant to scale back their standard of living and haven’t yet adjusted their budgets, so their first impulse is to borrow,” Barrington said…
…Americans are falling deeper into debt. Balances jumped 15% year-over-year in the third quarter. That’s the largest annual increase in more than 20 years.
“We’re back to pre-pandemic levels in terms of credit card balances,” said Rossman. “And those who are carrying balances are carrying them for a longer period of time.”
In fact, among Americans who carry credit card debt from month to month, 60% have been revolving this debt for at least a year, according to CreditCards.com. This is up from 50% last year.
So, folks are still trying to pay off last Christmas, while adding debt from this Christmas. Even if they never spent another penny on those cards, making minimum payments it would take them 5-7 years to pay off credit card debt, all the while paying up interest as high as 23%.
The New Year is not looking bright.
Unless something dramatic happens to turn things around – and I have no idea what that might be – we’re looking at a grim 2023 for many households. We’ll be facing a full-blown recession.
A recession is a period of economic downturn that is characterized by a reduction in economic activity, such as a decrease in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and an increase in unemployment. Recessions are typically accompanied by a decline in consumer spending and business investment, as well as other economic indicators.
During a recession, it is common for people to experience financial difficulties and may struggle to pay their bills or meet their basic needs. Some people may become unemployed or underemployed, which can lead to an increase in poverty and homelessness. It is also common for people to cut back on non-essential expenses, such as dining out or taking vacations, in order to save money. This, of course, means there’s even less money in the economy at large and there are even more people becoming unemployed as businesses suffer.
In terms of crime, it is difficult to make generalizations about how a recession may affect crime rates. Some studies have found that crime rates may increase during economic downturns, while others have found no correlation or even a decrease in crime during recessions. The relationship between crime and the economy is complex and may be influenced by a variety of factors, including unemployment, the availability of goods, and social and economic policies.
It’s my opinion that we will probably see an increase in property crime – after all, retailers have lost $100 billion to shoplifters since 2021. Alarmingly, much of that was due to organized retail crime such as flash mobs.
I think that we’re in for a 2023 that makes 2008 and 2009 look easy. That doesn’t mean all is lost. Americans are resilient and we’ve nearly all experienced personal hard times. We need to tap into our preparedness and self-reliance skills to ride out this storm just like we would handle an act of nature.
What do you think about the increase in spending? Is it a good sign or a bad one? What do you see happening with the economy in 2023? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
Ashley Allen Reade is part of a prepping family. She has spent her entire adult life getting prepared for one event or another. She enjoys traveling, gardening, and decorating.


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Swapp is the newest partner to be added to the Careem App
Careem recently announced its partnership with Swapp, a car rental service based in the UAE, to bring convenient and flexible car rental options to Customers.
Careem Customers in the UAE can now access Swapp’s car-rental service as a new tile on the Careem app and select and order their vehicle through a few simple taps for a seamless digital experience.
Customers can manage their monthly recurring payments using any card linked to their Careem pay wallet.
“Bringing Swapp onto the Careem app will enable our customers to win back even more time and money, and benefit from increased choice and flexibility when renting a vehicle,” remarked Adeeb Warsi, Managing Director of Platform, Careem.
“We believe in making car rental even more accessible to everyone and being part of the Careem Super App is one step closer to doing that,” Danny Laczo, Co-Founder, Swapp.
Swapp is the latest partner to be added to the Careem app, which offers businesses the chance to tap into the Careem brand, network, and infrastructure to scale and reach new customers.
Swapp offers an online car rental process, removing the need to visit a car rental company to complete administration. Instead, cars are delivered directly to the customer’s doorstep.
Want to stay updated on the latest industry news and trends? Subscribe today to receive your monthly news highlights directly in your inbox!


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- ‘Welcome to the edge of freedom’: Biden’s boots touch down in DMZ
- Obama: Hole U.S. ‘digging out of’ requires billions more in unemployment benefits
- Obama’s regulatory agenda will cost U.S. economy $143B next year: report
- Patriot Act author on James Clapper: Fire, prosecute him
- Russia P.M. Medvedev: No amnesty for political prisoners
- Michigan GOP Senate hopeful reminds government is the ‘servant’
- Christmas, by Congress: Members mull a 15-cent tax on trees
- U.S. unemployment falls to five-year low of 7 percent; 203K jobs added
- World mourns Nelson Mandela and celebrates his life; burial set for Dec. 15
- Bill O’Reilly reminds: Nelson Mandela ‘was a communist’
Mr. Barbour cited 2008 comments from Steven Chu, now President Obama’s energy secretary, that a gradual increase in gasoline taxes could coax consumers into dumping their gas-guzzlers and finding homes closer to where they work.
“This administration’s policies have been designed to drive up the cost of energy in the name of reducing pollution, in the name of making very expensive alternative fuels more economically competitive,” Mr. Barbour said during a U.S. Chamber of Commerce breakfast across the street from the White House.
Survey: Economy expands across U.S.
The U.S. economy expanded in January and early February in all parts of the country, but businesses are under pressure to raise their prices.
A Federal Reserve survey shows that all 12 of the Fed’s regions reported growth at a “modest to moderate pace,” though growth in the Chicago region was slower than at the end of last year.
Retail sales picked up in all regions, except for Richmond, Va., and Atlanta. Factory activity rose in all districts except St. Louis.
The survey hints at some inflationary concerns. Costs are rising for manufacturers and retailers in most areas. Manufacturers in many districts said they are increasingly able to pass on those costs to customers. Retailers in some districts said they have or soon will raise prices.
Agency cracks down on untested cold remedies
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it will remove roughly 500 unapproved cold and allergy medications from the market as part of an ongoing crackdown on ineffective prescription drugs.
The FDA requires companies to submit all new prescription drugs for scientific review before they are launched. However, thousands of drugs actually predate the FDA’s drug regulations and have escaped scrutiny for decades.
Most of the drugs targeted by the latest action are pills using untested combinations of decongestant and cough-suppressing ingredients. Since most Americans buy their cold medicines over the counter, the prescription medicines cited by the FDA represent a small portion of the market.
The agency said manufacturers who have not registered their products with the agency must halt production and shipments immediately.
- Bill OReilly reminds: Nelson Mandela was a communist
- Obama administration issues permits for wind farms to kill more eagles
- Spike in battlefield deaths linked to restrictive rules of engagement
- Kill team: Obama war chiefs widen drone death zones
- Rush Limbaugh: Obama trying to make Mandela death about himself
- Obama: Hole U.S. 'digging out of' requires billions more in unemployment benefits
- Activists urge Obama to go rogue, sidestep Congress
- NAPOLITANO: Pope Francis should be saving souls, not pocketbooks
- Colorado judge: Bakery owner discriminated against gay couple
- PRUDEN: British press horrified as London's new mayor dares to proclaim the truth
Independent voices from the The Washington Times Communities
A stat-head’s outlook, direct from his worn in couch cushion.
Classical music and the performing arts: news and reviews you can use.
Covering the world of soccer, including the World Cup, Major League Soccer, D.C. United and the English Premier League and other interesting sporting events.
Entertainment News and Reviews from Washington, D.C. and beyond.
White House pets gone wild!


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Ronald Hummons' business interests include Hometown Hoodies and Jetti Juice energy drink.
Hometown Hoodies feature a map of the region with a prominent tiger-striped "C."
Jetti Juice is an energy drink that also is designed to be an aphrodisiac.
Six and a half years in prison inspired Cincinnati man to change his future by starting a business. Now he's running several.
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CINCINNATI – Ronald Hummons didn’t become an entrepreneur to build a better mousetrap.
He became an entrepreneur to build a better life.
“I have to make it,” said Hummons, 40. “I don’t have anything to fall back on.”
In some ways, Hummons’ story isn’t all that different from other small business owners who start companies because they need to make a living.
But Hummons became an entrepreneur after getting out of prison. He figured nobody would hire a guy who had spent six and a half years behind bars and that creating his own job was his best shot at turning around his life.
He started by designing athletic shoes that featured maps of Cincinnati neighborhoods. He eventually got them produced overseas and made deals to sell his C-town shoes in several local stores. He expanded the line to include hoodies, too.
In the years since, he’s been teaching entrepreneurship to inmates at Warren Correctional Institute in Lebanon. He made a documentary film called “think!” to warn young people about snap decisions that can land them in prison. And he started a new business selling Jetti Juice, an energy drink he developed that’s also designed to be an aphrodisiac.
“He is very, very driven,” said Robert Mendelsohn, a Blue Ash lawyer and one of Hummons’ early business advisors. “He’s looking to make himself successful and achieve.”
As a former criminal lawyer, Mendelsohn has seen how tough that can be for people after they get out of prison.
“Yeah, he went to prison. He did this. He did that,” Mendelsohn said. “But he’s now out, striving to be great.”
A Difficult Journey
That’s not to say the journey has been easy. Hummons had a start in life that the typical entrepreneur would find tough to imagine.
He grew up in Over-the-Rhine. He and his crack-addicted father slept in abandoned houses when he was a boy. His dad put a pistol in his hand at age 12 so Hummons could help him rob people for drug money.
Hummons went to prison in his late teens for what he describes as “stupid stuff” that he now regrets.
When he got out in 2000, Hummons was 27. He had his dream to start the shoe line but little hope.
Hummons took a bottle of pills to try to kill himself. He survived, divorced his wife and started living on the streets. He was sleeping on a park bench when the manager of the Lord’s Gym found him.
Hummons started working out and attending Bible study at the Over-the-Rhine gym, which caters to men’s spiritual and physical development. Soon he was living at another Over-the-Rhine ministry affiliated with the gym.
Employees of FOCAS, the Foundation of Compassionate American Samaritans that operates the ministries, helped Hummons find investors to make samples of his shoes. He eventually found another investor to help him start Grapevine Ltd. LLC and launch the C-town shoe brand in 2006.
The business did well, bringing in as much as $225,000 annually in revenue in the years that Hummons released a new design.
But his efforts to grow C-town were thwarted, too. He lost nearly $300,000 overnight when the export agents he hired sent his money to an overseas manufacturer without a letter of credit.
Hummons got 6,500 pairs of shoes that were all defective with little recourse.
“It was an expensive lesson,” he said. “Now I do my own quality control. I do letters of credit now. The businessman I am now is definitely not the businessman I was six years ago.”
Now Hummons is focusing Grapevine on his Hometown Hoodies, which feature a map design that’s similar to the shoes but are less complicated and expensive to produce. He’s had samples made in Peru and is working to perfect them.
Next Step: Winning Over Investors
He has a C-Town Apparel Facebook page and plans to sell the hoodies online.
He’s also seeking investors for his Jetti Juice Brands so he can produce mass quantities of the drink. A Louisville company made about 1,500 cans for him, but that's just a start. Hummons has a distribution deal with GNC, he said, and needs $150,000 to produce enough of the drink to sell at the stores.
“It’s an interesting business concept. And done right, I think it could be profitable,” said Ron Meyers, who serves as chief financial officer for Jetti Juice Brands and teaches entrepreneurship courses at the University of Cincinnati.
Chris Berre, a partner in the Berre | Schirmang | Schmid law firm in East Hyde Park, has been working with Hummons for the past six months to help get a trademark for Jetti Juice.
“It’s an important step,” Berre said. “He wants to make sure that he’s protected and that he’s not stepping on anyone else’s toes. It’s good for approaching investors.”
Berre and Hummons both attend Crossroads Community Church in Oakley and met through the church’s Unpolished program for entrepreneurs.
Berre calls Hummons “the consummate entrepreneur.”
“He’s not some trust fund kid,” Berre said. “His background has given him that ‘go for it’ attitude, that chip on his shoulder that he’s going to find a way to make it happen.”
Meyers knows Hummons’
personal history could give investors pause initially.
“Once they get to know him, they can see that he’s trustworthy, he’s passionate,” he said. “Investors are looking to invest in the team more so than the product. They’re looking for that spark in people. I think Ron is investable.”
As Hummons works to convince investors to put money into Jetti Juice, he earns a living helping other small business owners, too.
He’s written several business plans for Nick Burnett, for example, said Burnett, the owner of Shoe Avenue Outlet on Race Street in Over-the-Rhine.
“He’s helped me really tell the story correctly about each business,” Burnett said. “He has experienced a lot of wins and a lot of losses in his own life and business. He brings experience.”
For his part, Hummons wants to translate that experience into building his Jetti Juice Brands and Hometown Hoodies. He’s still teaching entrepreneurship to inmates. And soon he plans to start production on another film called “When I Was A Child.” He wants to talk to crack addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes about the dreams they had as children and what changed in their lives to dash those dreams.
It’s all part of that drive to succeed, to build the life he wants for himself and his 10-year-old son.
He knows his past impacts the way people see him. But Hummons said he wants to use it as a “launch pad,” not a crutch.
“It’s kind of a gift and a curse,” Hummons said of his past. “It makes me want to just go even harder when it comes to this entrepreneur stuff. It’s part of my story. And I definitely don’t shy away from my story.”
For more stories by Lucy May, go to www.wcpo.com/may .


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MANILA, Philippines – Converge ICT, an internet service provider (ISP) in the Philippines, launched new broadband internet subscription plans on Wednesday, May 17.
The ISP, whose connections are fiber-only, introduced their new entry-level plan: a connection that can go up to 25 Mbps (Megabits per second) for P1500 a month without a data cap. The plan is an upgrade from their older 20Mbps/P1500 a month connection. (Read: Free WiFi in public places soon to be a law)
Users who are already subscribed to the said plan will receive the 5Mbps boost to their connections.
For the higher-end home market, Converge launched new “FiberXtreme” plans: 300Mbps/P4500 a month and 500Mbps/P7000 a month. The company retains existing 50Mbps/P2500 a month and 100Mbps/P3500 a month plans – all of which don’t have a data cap. ‘(Read: Faster, cheaper’ Internet via DICT’s national broadband plan)
For small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), Converge offers “iBIZ” plans designed for loads heavier than the typical home needs. For large enterprises, they offer “Converge Enterprise,” a package that includes a connnection with speeds of up to 1Gbps and other services such as disaster recovery and managed data center services.
Converge’s appeal is that their rates are cheaper than other available broadband services.
PLDT’s rates for their no-data-cap fiber connections are 5Mbps/P1699 a month, 20Mbps/P1899, and 50Mbps/P2899. Globe, meanwhile, has a 10Mbps/P1299 a month plan capped at 50GB (LTE) or 100GB (DSL), and a 15Mbps/P1599 a month capped at 150GB. Skycable has 3Mbps/P999, 8Mbps/P1399, and 16Mbps/P1999 a month plans. On a peso-per-Mbps basis, Converge’s broadband plans are cheaper. (Read: Here’s how much your broadband rates have dropped)
While cheaper, Converge is at a disadvantage in terms of its coverage area. It’s mostly available in Metro Manila and some parts of Luzon with the farthest from Manila being Baguio up north and Batangas down south. Currently, they plan to put up networks in Nasugbu, Batangas and San Fernando in La Union. Jesus Romero, the chief operating officer of the company, says they plan to be able to cover 100% of Luzon in 3 years, after which they’ll begin expanding to Visayas and Mindanao.
Globe, PLDT and Skycable reach more areas than Converge right now.
Rappler also conducted a one-on-one interview with Romero, where the executive discussed some of their processes in laying down their fiber network, their status as a “disruptive” player in a field of established titans, and their desire to deliver a solid customer experience in the hopes of encouraging word-of-mouth referrals:
You can also catch the Converge presentation streamed on Facebook Live, posted at the top. You can also watch the earlier part of the presentation here.
Interested parties can call (02) 667-0888 or visit www.convergeict.com to inquire about the broadband plans and other services. – Rappler.com
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Four Canadian ministers of Indian origin are traveling with Prime Minister Trudeau.
Abhishek Waghmare and Subhayan Chakraborty report.
IMAGE: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire and their children Ella Grace, Hadrien and Xavier arrive in New Delhi. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
As Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touches down in New Delhi, state and business delegates from both countries are looking at week-long discussions on trade and bilateral relations.
Of the imports worth $4.1 billion (Rs 26,399 crore) from Canada in 2016-2017, pulses -- yellow peas, green peas and red lentils (masur) -- amounted to $1.1 billion (Rs 7,082 crore), more than a quarter of the total, making pulses the central point of the forthcoming trade discussions.
The worth of import of pulses from Canada have come down to about $500 million (Rs 3,219 crore) in 2017-2018, owing to government caps and duties on imports following a supply glut in 2016-17.
The same restrictions this year as well are putting Canada's pulse exporting industry and African pulse growers in a fix.
While pulses would feature both at the dining table and discussions, India and Canada will be looking at realising broader aims of trade expansion and investment promotion.
Currently, both countries are engaged in negotiations of the proposed Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement or the free trade pact.
Talks on the FIPPA had earlier been stalled by India's decision to conduct negotiations for all investment pacts under the framework of the model Bilateral Investment Treaty issued by the government in 2015.
"Canada's prime concern is with the clause that in case of an investor-State dispute, a foreign investor can seek international arbitration only when all domestic legal options are exhausted," a senior government official said.
"While India feels this is required to keep control on litigation and reduce the chances of extremely high penalties from international tribunals, most developed nations believe the Indian legal system to be slow and corrupt," the government official added.
India's domestic markets had a deluge of pulses in the last two years: 23 million tonnes and an import of 6.6 million tonnes in 2016-2017, and an equal amount of production is estimated in 2017-2018 with 5 million tonnes of imports already reported till December.
India effectively had 58 million tonnes of pulses against a consumption of about 45 million tonnes for two years; a large excess, due to which the government put a cap on import of tur (red gram) at 200,000 tonnes and moong (black gram) and urad (green gram) at 300,000 tonnes in total, and also hiking import duty on yellow peas and chana while opening up exports of all pulses.
Yellow peas, with a 50 per cent import duty, form the bulk of Canadian pulses imports.
"Transparency, predictability and clarity in trade policy with regard to pulses is the most important point we are trying to put forward in the upcoming meetings," Gordon Bacon, CEO at Pulse Canada, the country's biggest pulses association, said.
Canada does not appear in the top 25 trade-friendly countries of India, with total trade amounting to about $6 billion (Rs 38,634 crore) in 2016-2017 and about $4.5 (Rs 28 crore) million in April-November 2017-2018, just 1 per cent of India's total trade.
"Apart from predictability, we expect that the cargo enroute should be exempt from the changed import policy, and fumigation -- a method of applying gaseous pesticides in the cargo vessel to prevent pest proliferation in India -- regulations should be science-based and country specific," Bacon added.
On the trade front, both governments urgently want to conclude the CEPA talks since trade volumes remain woefully low.
Despite Canada's southern neighbour, the USA, being India's largest export destination, bilateral trade has remained low with the Great White North.
Two-way trade was only $6.1 billion in 2016-2017, down two per cent from the year before.
Raw diamonds and gold are also important Canadian imports.
Exports from India are extremely broad-based with no commodity constituting more than eight per cent of all outbound trade.
Medicines, shrimps and prawns and jewellery are the major export items from India.
India had placed a conditionality that the trade pact cannot be discussed until both nations reach a possible conclusion on the investment deal.
There are 18 members of Indian-origin in the 338-strong Canadian parliament, while four of them are ministers, all of whom are participating in business forum and government-level discussions in Mumbai and Delhi.


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Handicraft exports enjoy uplift as demand recovers
Thailand's handicraft exports are expected to grow by nearly 20% this year, driven by increasing demand for silverware, goldware and ornaments.
Pornpon Akathaporn, acting chief executive officer of the Sustainable Arts and Crafts Institute of Thailand (SACIT), said export prospects for Thai arts and crafts products in the year to come are also promising thanks to the global economic recovery and higher international demand.
In the first seven months of 2021, outbound shipments of Thai handicrafts recorded growth of 18.4% to 146.72 billion baht compared with the same period last year.
The biggest export market for craft products was the United States, delivering 47.9 billion baht, followed by Japan worth 10.5 billion baht, Germany worth 10.4 billion baht, Hong Kong worth 6.98 billion baht, the United Kingdom worth 6.27 billion baht, China worth 5.9 billion baht, Australia worth 4.82 billion baht, Vietnam worth 3.64 billion baht, Singapore worth 3.63 billion baht, and Switzerland worth 2.88 billion baht.
In July, Thai handicraft exports rose significantly by 28.9% to 23.2 billion baht from the same period last year, driven by rising global demand in line with the world's economic recovery. Products with the highest export value were silver and gold handicrafts, with a value of 11 billion baht, up 48.5% from the same period last year.
Other gainers were handicraft products; furniture and parts; sculptures and wooden ornaments; artificial flowers, leaves and plants; hand-woven fabrics, silk fabric and ceramic bowls.
Mr Pornpon said SACIT is developing a "Thai Crafts Online" scheme to sell Thai handicraft products via e-commerce and other platforms. It is also developing virtual trade exhibitions and online business matching events to boost exports.
SACIT is also committed to developing and upgrading local communities and new generations to become SMEs and start-ups in arts and crafts, under the "Smart Craft CEO" project to increase their capacity to produce items to meet consumer demand.