text:
Women entrepreneurs and business executives say the abortion bans are harmful and terrible for business
"Politicians and healthcare companies have owned sexual health and reproductive rights for far too long," one female founder told INSIDER.
We asked female founders and CEOs of popular retail startups like Parachute, Brandless, and Cuyana for their top Mother’s Day gift ideas
With their busy schedules balancing motherhood and running a business, they know exactly what gifts will delight and properly pamper your own mom.
Female CEOs are paying up to $8,000 for executive coaching sessions in a swanky new NYC 'clubhouse' — and there's already a 3,000-person wait list
Chief, an exclusive private network for aspiring or current women executives that focuses on mentorship, launched on Tuesday.
Chief product officer April Underwood announced she's leaving Slack to focus on investing. Underwood was a vital part of launching Slack's platform.
A little-known venture fund is raising $36 million to invest exclusively in black female founders, and the head of the firm is calling it the 'About Damn Time fund'
Arlan Hamilton's firm Backstage Capital invests in underrepresented founders such as people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ community. The firm just announced a new $36 million fund that will invest exclusively in black female founders, who earn less than 1% of all venture capital funding.
These startups are disrupting major markets and getting at ton of interest from investors.
AllBright is launching a private members club for female founders after it scrapped its crowdfunding platform and lost a bunch of staff
Female founders have started to ask questions about how much money AllBright has to invest.
Here are 30 female founders who are innovating the fashion, beauty, health, pet, and technology industries one company at a time.
How a first-time entrepreneur invented a gluten-free pizza that became Amazon's biggest seller in just six months
Caulipower was created out of the social media crazy for cauliflower based pizza, as well as the need for better tasting gluten-free food.
These women-run companies are about to do big things this year.
The woman behind 'female Viagra' sold her company for $1 billion — that's when everything fell apart
More than a year after she became one of the only women to have a billion-dollar exit in pharma, Cindy Whitehead is launching a venture firm.


text:
A multimedia messaging app, Snapchat now allows their users to delete sent messages before they are opened. The company stated that the intended recipient will get the notification when a user deletes a message like screenshot alerts. Even, the company is also making it easier to buy its photo as well as video capturing shades.
Sources stated that the social networking service is rolling out the update for iOS as well as Android users., however, the latest update does not bring any other specific new features for the users.
Snapchat said that to delete a sent message you basically press and hang on the media you’d get a kick out of the chance to dispose of and a fly up will show up inquiring as to whether you’d jump at the chance to erase. Simply tap and substance will expel. The individual you sent the message to will even now get a notice that something was sent to them and erased, yet as long as it was never opened in any case, they won’t comprehend what it was.
Clear Chats’ Feature making people more comfortable sending sensitive information over the application. With the new update, Snapchat expanded the availability of its recently introduced 2nd generation spectacles. The app is now making it easier for users to buy the new spectacles on Amazon with a price tag of 149.99.

domain: news


text:
While the Powerstar brand of Ever Star Industries performed exceptionally well in 2017, Ever Star Industries still has big plans for 2018 – from introducing
Engen, in collaboration with FUEL
Interview data from 450 transport
The BMW i brand, which
FOCUS on Transport and Logistics is South Africa’s leading transport magazine. Established more than 36 years ago and covering transport by road, air, sea and rail, it is by far the most widely read magazine in its sector.


text:
In an effort to bury passwords, Google, Microsoft, and Apple are expanding support for a common passwordless sign-in standard created by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium. The FIDO Alliance promotes the development of standards for authentication and device attestation. FIDO is short for Fast Identity Online.
The companies said Thursday the new capability will allow websites and apps that enable the function to offer consistent, secure, and easy passwordless sign-ins to consumers across devices and platforms.
The new approach, which involves the storage of a credential or passkey on a smartphone, “will be radically more secure when compared to passwords and legacy multi-factor technologies such as one-time passcodes sent over SMS,” the FIDO Alliance said in a statement.
Google, Microsoft, and Apple platforms already support FIDO Alliance standards to enable passwordless sign-in on smartphones, laptops and tablets. But users have to sign in to each website or app with each device before they can use passwordless functionality. The expanded capabilities will give websites and apps the ability to offer an end-to-end passwordless option, the FIDO Alliance said in a statement.
Users will sign in as they do now, by fingerprint or face scan or with a device PIN. This capability will allow users to automatically access their FIDO sign-in credentials (referred to by some as a “passkey”) on many of their devices, even new ones, without having to re-enroll every account. It will also enable users to use FIDO authentication on their mobile device to sign in to an app or website on a nearby device, regardless of the OS platform or browser they are running.
“These multi-device FIDO credentials … represent a monumental step toward a world without passwords,” Alex Simons, vice-president of product management in Microsoft’s identity and network access division, said in a blog.
Windows users can use Windows Hello today to sign in to any site that supports passkeys, he said. “In the near future, you’ll be able to sign in to your Microsoft account with a passkey from an Apple or Google device.”
Passwordless support for Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is in preview with Windows 11 Insiders, he added, and is on the way for Windows 10.
Google said it plans to implement passwordless support for FIDO Sign-in standards in the Android operating system and Chrome browser.
Google explains that to sign into a website on a computer, a user will need their smartphone nearby. The website or app sends a verification to the phone and asks the user to unlock the phone with a biometric or PIN number for access. Even if the user loses their phone, passkeys will securely sync to a new phone from cloud backup.


text:
Description: International Women’s Day on Thursday is intended to celebrate women’s cultural and economic achievements and call for more gender parity. But as the calendar turns to March 8, it’s also time for the corporate pile-on of feel-good ads and product rollouts as brands rush to chime in on the pro-woman conversation.
Source: Fortune.com – video report
Date: Mar 08, 2018
Questions for discussion:
- What are the pros and cons for corporate use of International Women’s Day to promote their brands?
- Which brands do you think should make more use of events like International Women’s day? Explain.


text:
Bitcoin is the first successful internet money based on peer-to-peer technology; whereby no central bank or authority is involved in the transaction and production of the Bitcoin currency. It was created by an anonymous individual/group under the name, Satoshi Nakamoto. The source code is available publicly as an open source project, anybody can look at it and be part of the developmental process.
The chain of luxury resorts Soneva of Thailand and Maldives begins accepting cryptocurrencies.
- You can pay with crypto at luxury resorts in Thailand and Maldives
- This is thanks to the Soneva chain’s decision to accept Bitcoin and Ethereum.
- They are 100% non-refundable payments, clarifies the company
The chain of luxury resorts Soneva , which has properties in Thailand and the Maldives in Asia, has said that it now accepts Bitcoin the biggest and most popular cryptocurrency in the world. It is a decentralized digital currency that enables users to make trustless peer-to-peer transactions. y Ethereum a decentralized open-source blockchain with smart contracts functionality. as means of payment.
The cryptocurrency cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that use cryptographic technologies to secure their operation. payment option a contract giving the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset or instrument at a specified strike price. will be available at Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani y Soneva in Aqua in the Maldives, and Soneva Kiri en Tailandia.
Both Bitcoin like Ethereum can also be used for Soneva Villa Ownership, which says it is the first and only project to offer real estate to foreign buyers in the Maldives.
To achieve these payments, Soneva has partnered with cryptocurrency payment solutions provider TripleA and payment platform a place to buy, sell and store cryptocurrency provider Pomelo Pay.
TripleA is an authorized entity that allows guests of Soneva make crypto-payments without any risk of price volatility, offering instant confirmation, fixed exchange businesses that allow customers to trade cryptocurrencies for fiat money or other cryptocurrencies. rates, real-time conversions and no chargebacks. To be used in conjunction with Pomelo Pay a payment platform that facilitates cryptocurrency payments using QR code the action of coding is to write programming statements for a program. and payment link technology.
The reservations department of Soneva accepts direct bookings with securely organized cryptocurrency payment links.
Soneva adds that while payments made with Bitcoin o Ethereum are 100 percent non-refundable, credits may be applied in accordance with their flexible cancellation policy.
“At Soneva, we have always strived to be pioneers in the hotel industry, so accepting cryptocurrencies as a payment method is another example of enabling our international guests to easily make payments from anywhere in the world.” said Bruce Bromley, chief financial officer. and deputy chief executive officer of Soneva.
There are many luxury brands in the world that accept Bitcoin and other crypto as a means of payment. Among them, and among the most recent ones, there are the high-end fashion house Balenciaga , the known U.S. luxury gyms Equinox and the exclusive clothing brand Off-White .
Version of DiarioBitcoin
Imagen de Unsplash (Soneva hotel en Maldives)


text:
Online fashion retailer
LAST UPDATED : Dec 04, 2020, 06:42 PM IST
- How luxury fashion shopping is changing due to the pandemic
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, luxury fashion shopping has faced its biggest disruption till date. Luxury shoppers all over the world are not just shifting towards the online luxury shopping space but adapting to the same as well due to Covid-19. This change is not a temporary change during the pandemic only and is touted to change the entire dynamics of luxury shopping by itself.
- Reliance Industries, Future Group stocks rally on strong demand
Shares of Reliance Industries (RIL) jumped nearly 4 per cent in early trade on Monday after the Competition Commission approved the company's proposed acquisition of retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing businesses of Future Group.
- Tata Group chases e-commerce deals to bolster retail
Tata Group, India’s conglomerate that sells almost everything from cars to apparel and steel, is seeking to buy Indian online retailers to beef up its presence in e-commerce. The group has reached out to IndiaMart InterMesh Ltd, a business-to-business marketplace, for a potential stake purchase.
- Aditya Birla Fashion in tie-up talks with Flipkart
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFR) is in talks with Walmart-owned Flipkart for a strategic alliance, through which it can sell a minority stake, two sources aware of the matter said. ABFR has also scheduled a board meeting to discuss a fund-raise on Friday where the proposal may be taken up.


text:
Previous news said LG has prepared 13 Q series smartphones for the global market this year.
It turns out that some models are phones that support 5G. This is taken from the new details about the naming of the trademark that just appeared. The LG Q92 5G (LM-Q920N) is one of the 5G phones and is believed to be a cheaper alternative to the well-received LG Velvet 5G.
Gizmo China reported, LG originally planned to launch the Q92 5G as the LG Q9 2020 5G, but that might have been thrown out.
The list also shows that LG will launch two special operator models – LG KT and LG U +, Korea Telecoms, and U + are two of the top three operators in South Korea.
In addition, this list also shows that there will be a 128GB storage model and will be available in various colors.
Apart from Q92, the list also shows the Q series will consist of Q3x, Q5x, Q6x, and Q9x. This means there is another Q9 model in the pipeline which is likely for next year and beyond.


text:
Prices of 16Mb memory chips were pushed down this week to $3.50 by US-based Micron Technology, as trade wars with Asian suppliers loomed large.
Korean and Japanese manufacturers continue to suffer from over capacity and underpricing on memory. Two weeks ago, both Samsung and LG Semiconductors reported a fall in profits because of low prices and slackness in the market, and the latest move is likely to make their position even worse for the second half of this year.
Yesterday, a group of Japanese memory manufacturers including Toshiba and Hitachi complained that prices of 16Mb parts had fallen in August and would continue to do so.
Now Micron, a US company, has caused fears of a fresh trade war between the US and the Far East on memory. According to John Byrne, joint managing director of Vanguard UK, Micron?s process technology was such that it was able to produce many more chips from wafers, so driving down prices still further.
He said: ?Micron stated it would sell [16Mb] chips for $3.50 while the Korean and Japanese manufacturers had wanted to sell them for $5.?
Meanwhile, prices of 16Mb parts continue to fall in Europe too, said Byrne. That follows a glut of 16Mb parts being offered by brokers as the result of a suspected VAT fraud, where memory purchased outside Europe and so not liable to VAT is sold at knockdown prices.
Byrne said: ?We thought supplies of these parts were now exhausted, but on Tuesday we discovered a fresh batch of 16Mb units being offered to UK dealers.?
Cotton seedling freezes to death as Chang'e-4 shuts down for the Moon's 14-day lunar night
Fortnite easily out-earns PUBG, Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018
Meteor showers as a service will be visible for about 100 kilometres in all directions
Saturn's rings only formed in the past 100 million years, suggests analysis of Cassini space probe data
New findings contradict conventional belief that Saturn's rings were formed along with the planet about 4.5 billion years ago


text:
Post by MM
On Sun, 19 Oct 2014 16:06:35 +0100, "michael adams"
Post by michael adams Post by MM Post by Graham.
Tesco, isn't that the store that is in danger of going under if it
doesn't get its act together?
In the past week that danger seems to be reaching boiling point as
more senior managers are suspended, the share price falls again and
Warren Buffet sells 245 million Tesco shares, saying that his decision
to invest in Tesco had been a "huge mistake".
We could hold a competition as to which company will take over the
empty stores once Tesco folds.
"Tesco has reported a 6% fall in group trading annual profit to £3.3bn
as it continues to lose market share to discount rivals."
To repeat: £3.3 billion profit.
Amazon: founded 1994.
Total profits after 20 years of trading £0, $0 , zilch, zero
Will Amazon ever be profitable?
Seems to me that Amazon have their heads screwed on, because no profit
= no tax!
"as it continues to lose market share to discount rivals"
Tuesday 11 March 2014 13.38 GMT
The latest data from Kantar Worldpanel shows Tesco's market share
dropped to 28.7% in the 12 weeks to 2 March. That compares with
29.6% a year ago and turns back the clock to late 2004 when the
retailer was in the ascendant. At its peak, in October 2007,
Tesco's share hit 31.8%.
So the most market share it's ever lost, is 3% over 7 years.
31.8% to 28.7%.
Regardless of who that was to.
The fact that the discounters are showing a large percentage
gain in their "own" market share is due to the fact that they're
starting from a much smaller base.
A small corner grocery store which opened another branch would double
its market within a year.
The Warren Buffett remarks can only be judged in the context of
when he bought, and at what price.
If he'd applied his well known principles to Tesco he'd have
bought 20 or more years ago and sold out at just past their peak.
The fact that he's apparently been caught with his trousers down
is hardly a ringing endorsement.


text:
The food industry use a range of marketing techniques to keep the spotlight on their products.
The government should introduce a 9pm watershed on junk food advertising to protect children's health and human rights, a report argues.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) said countries including the UK are failing to protect children from the effects of "harmful" junk food marketing.
This a human rights issue, the report argues, because the UK has a duty to "protect, respect and fulfil children's right to health".
Previous research has shown that seeing 4.4 minutes of food advertising was associated with children eating 60 more calories a day, while eating as little as 46 extra calories each day could lead to excess weight.
The body says marketing restrictions are "urgently required" because limiting children's exposure to products high in fat, salt and sugar would reduce how much of them they consume.
Restrictions would limit the impact on children's food and drink preferences, their eating behaviour, food intake and carers' food selection.
Caroline Cerny, from the Obesity Health Alliance, said: "The food industry use a range of marketing techniques to keep the spotlight on their products and evidence shows that children are particularly vulnerable.
"TV shows and websites popular with children are flooded with adverts for high fat and sugary products and the government needs to do more to ensure that children are adequately protected.
"There is overwhelming public support for a 9pm watershed on junk food adverts across all types of media.
"If we ignore the evidence and calls for stronger marketing restrictions to uphold child rights and improve child health, the UK will not make progress on reversing its childhood obesity rates."
In the UK, advertising of high fat, salt and sugar foods is banned on dedicated children's television channels and also around programmes "of particular appeal" to the under-16s (where they make up over 25% of the audience).
In 2017 the Government introduced self-regulatory rules applying to traditional and online non-broadcast media, such as magazines, cinema billboards near schools, social media platforms and apps.
Campaigners argue that existing regulations around junk food advertising introduced in 2007 for television and in 2017 for non-broadcast formats have significant loopholes by only applying to programmes, films or websites considered to be "of particular appeal" to children.
Last year, the Government opened a consultation on broader broadcast and online marketing restrictions, such as a potential 9pm watershed, as well as on product placement and promotions.
According to research commissioned by the Cancer Research UK, 49% of the food adverts between 6pm and 9pm in May 2018 were directly advertising high fat, salt and sugar foods, WCRF said.
Campaigners, doctors and politicians previously welcomed the announcement about the proposed advertising ban.
The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department of Digital, Media, Culture and Sport lead the policy development process relating to new food marketing restrictions.
A government spokeswoman said: "As part of the government's strategy to tackle childhood obesity, we have consulted on further advertising restrictions for sugary and fatty products on TV and online. We will respond to that consultation as soon as possible."
Jemma Crew is the PA health and science correspondent.


text:
Nashville’s pedal tavern is about to open its doors for business.
According to owner Mike Manuels, it’s been a long time coming, but that’s about to change.
Manuels says that he’s hoping to open a pedal tavern in time for the holidays.
According, the pedal tavern’s not a traditional bar.
Instead, the tavern’s open for the first time in 2018.
“We really want to open it this year, but it’s definitely going to be an opportunity for us to be able to expand into a bar.
We’re really looking forward to it,” Manuel said.
Manuel says he’s looking to start serving more drinks this holiday season.
“We’re going to have some new beers, we’re going be opening up our taproom.
And hopefully we can get some new music on the road this year,” he said.


text:
Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond have fallen significantly since the CFO's fatal jump
Bed Bath & Beyond opened 15% lower in early trading
In the past, it has spent a lot of money purchasing its own shares at prices significantly higher than the current market price.
In response to the passing of one of its top executives, shares of Bed Bath & Beyond opened 15% lower in early trading.
The struggling retailer had just announced that it would be closing stores and firing staff when the suicide occurred.
According to a company spokesperson, Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) is "profoundly saddened by this shocking loss.
A class action lawsuit named Arnal as a defendant and accused him, Ryan Cohen, and other significant shareholders of engaging in a "pump and dump" scheme to inflate the price of the business's stock.
Arnal and others are accused in the lawsuit of communicating to investors false information about the company's financial situation and strategic plans.
In order to spark a stock buying frenzy, the lawsuit also claims that the stakeholders disseminated fictitious revenue estimates and company plans for spinning off its "Buy Buy Baby" brand.
Bed Bath & Beyond's financial situation is dire. By reducing its size, the company is attempting to save itself and avoid bankruptcy.
The chain announced last week that it would close about 150 stores, lay off about 20% of its corporate staff, and reduce the number of its in-house home goods brands.
Euro hits new 20-year low after Russia halts gas supplies
The risk-sensitive Australian dollar fell 0.5 percent to $0.6774, a seven-week low.


text:
SANTIAGO, Chile, December 29, 2008 – The United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has put the region on warning that it be hardest hit by the stagnation in tourism caused by the financial crisis.
According to it’s recently published ‘Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean 2008’, about 75 per cent of tourists to the English-speaking Caribbean come from developed economies that are in recession.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) estimates that in 2008, tourism grew between two and three per cent, compared to the 6.6 per cent last year. It is projected that in 2009 it will expand even less – between zero and two per cent.
“In the first eight months of 2008, the arrival of tourists to Central America and South America continued rising by 9.4 per cent and 7.2 per cent, respectively. However, in the Caribbean it grew only three per cent,” ECLAC said, noting that tourism began experiencing a strong deceleration between June and August.
It said that drop was due to “the increasing deterioration of real income and consumer expectations, the volatility of exchange rates, and restraints on consumer loans due to the financial crisis”.
“Between June and August, demand for tourism services in the Caribbean (came) to a standstill due to the lower number of visitors to the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermudas and Puerto Rico – four destinations visited mainly by United States and European travellers,” ECLAC added.
The UN agency suggested that lower inflation and currency depreciation in several Latin American and Caribbean nations could partially compensate the impact on regional tourism caused by the financial crisis.
“Competitive prices and the exchange rate in tourism destinations may play a significant role in sustaining the activity,” it said, adding that investments in recent years in several countries have placed them in a better position to compete for the decreasing demand for tourism services expected in the near future.
According to the ECLAC report, tourism’s importance has increased as a generator of value-added and income in the region.
Tourism related exports compose about 20 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the Caribbean.
Tourism expenditures in the English-speaking Caribbean, with the exception of Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, are equivalent to 15 to 41 per cent of GDP. ECLAC also noted that as a proportion of total exports of goods and services, expenditures are even greater, given that tourism is the main source of income and the motor of these economies.


text:
EIM SA founder Arpad Busson agreed to sell his funds-of-funds firm to Gottex Fund Management Holdings.
EIM, based in Nyon, Switzerland, will receive as many as 14 million Gottex shares as part of the purchase, the companies said in a statement Monday. That values the acquisition around 31.5 million Swiss francs ($36 million), based on Gottex's closing price on Dec. 13.
EIM's AUM fell to about $3 billion at the end of September from more than $14 billion before the 2008 global financial crisis.
“Combining our respective businesses will enable us to create a major industry player with a global footprint,” Mr. Busson, who will become non-executive chairman of the combined business, said in the statement.
Mr. Busson founded EIM in 1992. Gottex, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, oversees $5.8 billion of what it calls “fee-earning” assets, according to the statement.


text:
03 December 2003 | Gareth Mytton
Activity in the UK services sector grew in November at the fastest rate since June 1997, according to the latest PMI reports.
Several companies said the cause was the improved business climate since the end of major hostilities in Iraq, as the CIPS/Reuters business activity index rose to 59.6, well above the 50 figure that indicates no change on the previous month.
Companies were also encouraged to launch new products and step up their marketing campaigns, which helped 27 per cent of businesses to increase their activity in November.
The new orders index climbed to 60.1, the fastest rise since May 1997. Financial intermediation companies reported a particularly big jump in new business.
Companies took on more staff (51.4), although the rise was modest. They were also able to raise prices owing to stronger demand. Some financial intermediation companies increased their charges in line with the recent rise in base rates.
The increased minimum wage led to higher labour costs, pushing the input prices index up to 56.3. Some transport and communication firms added that fuel price rises had increased operating costs.
In the euro-zone, NTC Research said that the business activity index had risen to 57.5, the highest figure since October 2000. The growth was strongest in France, followed by Italy and Spain.
And in the US, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported that November's business activity index was up to 60.1. Thirteen industry sectors recorded expansion, including agriculture and entertainment, and only two said activity had dropped.
* More information on the UK and euro-zone PMIs is available at www.ntc-research.com
. The full text of the ISM reports on the US economy for November, and previous reports, is available at http://www.ism.ws/ISMReport/index.cfm.


text:
Conversations about conserving the Amazon rainforest often focus on the global impact. But stewardship can also be born from direct, individual experience – something this former logging company owner knows well.
JANUARY 6, 2020 - MANAUS, BRAZIL - As the long wooden canoe weaves among tree trunks in the flooded forest, Mark Baker lifts his binoculars and scans the canopy.
The Tucano transports ecotourists through the igap, or flooded forest, on the Rio Negro for a few days in April 2019.Melissa Gaskill
“Yellow-rumped cacique,” he says, pointing, as the rest of us strain to find it. Then, a string of pips come from a towering tree nearby. He turns. “Straight-billed woodcreeper.” On the hourlong outing, he identifies one bird after another.
Mr. Baker owns and operates Amazon Nature Tours, taking tourists along Brazil’s Rio Negro aboard his custom-built boat. Although he’s long been a nature enthusiast, Mr. Baker hasn’t always championed the rainforest’s rugged beauty. He used to cut down its trees for export.
But for the past three decades, he’s fashioned himself as a sort of protector of the Amazon rainforest. Mr. Baker’s tour company focuses on fostering appreciation and a sense of stewardship among global citizens – something that grew out of his own personal transformation.
Such ecotourism is on the rise globally. And in the Amazon, it could prove vital to protecting the unique ecosystem, says João Ferraz, a researcher at Brazil’s National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA) and a colleague of Mr. Baker’s. “It’s important to have a lot of people come and see the forest is under threat,” he says, “to go back with that knowledge and keep up the pressure for NGOs and governments to take action. Ecotourism has an impact on the economy and on the tourists themselves.”
Loving the rainforest in a new way
Mr. Baker’s appreciation for nature runs deep. As a boy in North Carolina, he spent a lot of time outdoors. In 1977, fresh out of college, he drove to Rhode Island looking for something to do – ideally outside – for six months before graduate school. An ad in The Newport Daily News for a boat builder, no experience necessary, caught his eye.
Mark Baker, seen here on the Rio Negro river in Brazil, founded Amazon Nature Cruises in 1997 to introduce tourists to the wonders of the rainforest, April 29, 2019.Eric Gorleer
Six months stretched into years before an economic recession halted boat building. Young and unencumbered, Mr. Baker joined a crew delivering a yacht to Venezuela. From there, he decided to explore the Amazon rainforest. He walked, rode buses, and hitched rides in military vehicles, reveling in his surroundings. Weeks later, he arrived in the inland port city of Manaus, Brazil.
“By that time, I was so entranced with this forest. It had everything I loved: boats, nature, wilderness,” he recalls. “So, I got a haircut, bought a white shirt, met with the American consul in Manaus, and started a lumber business.” It seemed like a natural step, as boat building taught him much about the properties of tropical wood.
For eight years, Mr. Baker’s business, Amazonex Lumber Co., sold rare tropical wood from the Amazon to customers across the United States. Exporting wood provided him with an excuse to spend a lot of time in the rainforest, taking him back to his boyhood days. Mr. Baker told himself that selective harvest was just part of managing the resource.
But gradually he began to notice on his birding outings that the forest had grown quieter. He came across cleared areas more and more frequently. And on the Manaus docks, he saw wood for export labeled with the name of a type of timber legal to export, but knew that it was another illegal type.
“It took me eight years to come to the realization that the construct that you can selectively harvest and manage the forest was a bunch of malarkey,” he says. “I couldn’t do it anymore.”
Mr. Baker took a mental inventory of his skills – familiarity with nature and boats, experience in the complex culture of Brazil, fluency in its language – and launched a boat tour company in 1989. It had a simple mission: to offer travelers an authentic and nonexploitative experience with nature.
Evolving an eco-friendly business
At the time, ecotourism was a new concept, and Mr. Baker learned by doing. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing.
One of his early expeditions wandered channels through the flooded forest for days before the boat captain found his way out. Local sensibilities about what foreigners would want to see also created challenges. “One of our first trips, the guests said they really wanted to see toucans,” he recalls. “We get in a launch and go looking. About 20 minutes later we hear gunfire and spin around to go back. It was the staff. They say, you wanted to see toucans, right? Fortunately, they were bad shots. That sort of misunderstanding came up for years.”
Initially Mr. Baker chartered boats for the tours, but he soon realized that the only way to ensure a good experience without damaging the environment was to own a vessel – custom-built. His 18-passenger river cruise boat now boasts sustainable features like a gravity-operated water system, solar electric generation, and thermal water heating. The small launches used for short excursions use electric motors.
He’s also worked to develop a team with a sustainability mindset. “Guides, boat drivers, cooks, everybody involved, has that same desire to enjoy and not affect in any negative way the places we visit,” he says. Local people that the tours come in contact with have started to embrace the concept, too. “Our influence, such as it is, has been in attitudes. But it requires constant vigilance, because the smallest behaviors in those places can have big consequences.”
The Amazon rainforest covers more than 2.3 million square miles and is the biggest carbon store in the world, according to Giordane Martins, a biologist at the INPA. Forty percent of Brazil’s land lies in the Amazon, but roughly 20% of it is already deforested. Mr. Baker laments his contribution to that statistic, but opening a tour company may have offered a bit of atonement.
“No government has invested sufficiently in environmental enforcement in the Amazon,” says Dr. Ferraz. “Ecotourism, what Mark is doing, has a positive impact.”
Mr. Baker’s company, Amazon Nature Tours, now operates about 45 cruises per year.
“Our role is to educate,” he says. “Many people arrive with that nature sensibility. Some acquire it on our tours. We take out a lot of U.S. high school groups as well. I had a parent call and say, ‘It’s your fault my son now studies gorillas in Africa.’”
Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox.
The rate of deforestation in Brazil is on the rise after falling for years, but Mr. Baker remains optimistic. “One of the goals of ecotourism is to share the economic benefits of travel. The other is to help promote conservation, to generate income and help protect the forest. We’ve seen that happen,” he says. “I wish we could say we saved the rainforest. We haven’t. But we have had an impact.”
This story was produced with support from an Energy Foundation grant to cover the environment.


text:
INDIANAPOLIS — The variety of soy foods once was limited to
items such as frozen tofu patties, but soy foods aren’t what they used to be.
With more flavors and types of soy products on the market
than ever, soy foods offer a healthy, viable meal option for families.
“There are more and more choices every day and
better-tasting choices,” said Kim Galeaz, registered dietitian and culinary
nutritionist. “We used to only have water-packed tofu, but then all of these
companies started making flavored tofu.
“And now we have all kinds of cheese, milk and ice cream.
Since 1999, things have changed. Food technology allows great-tasting soybean
options for all incomes.”
April has been designated as National Soyfoods Month, and
members of the Soyfoods Association of North America are working to increase
awareness of soy foods as part of a healthy diet. They are reaching out through
retail stores in select locations to offer samples and recipes for shoppers.
“Soybeans are the earth’s best plant protein,” said Nancy
Chapman, executive director of the Soyfoods Association of North America. “It
has all the amino acids necessary to promote growth, unlike other plant
proteins, so it’s unique.”
Chapman said soy foods are recognized as an important
alternative to those who don’t consume dairy or meat and to some that are trying
to lower cholesterol and saturated fat. Soy foods also contain magnesium,
potassium and calcium.
“The bean is converted to soy milk, and the milk converted
to meat, cheese or other cultured products,” the director said. “It has had a
tremendous amount of innovation over the last 10 years.”
Chapman said there are many soy products, including soymilk,
soy protein powder, soy nutrition, breakfast and energy bars, ice cream, tofu
varieties and more.
“The soybean itself can be roasted into nuts,” she said.
“Edamame is popular now. It’s grown in Minnesota and in colder climates and is
harvested early in August. It’s a sweet bean and is frozen in or out of the
Chapman mentioned that edamame is kid-friendly because of
its sweet flavor and that her daughter enjoyed squeezing the beans out of each
Galeaz also recommended edamame and other soy foods such as
“One of the most family-friendly foods is soy crumbles that
look like ground beef,” the dietitian said “It comes in a freezer bag or in a
tube, but I love the freezer bags because it looks like already-ground
hamburger. You can use it anywhere you’d use regular hamburger, and it has a
fraction of the fat and saturated fat that a regular ground hamburger would
Galeaz also said that a staple in her freezer are soy
sausage patties and links.
“Soy foods provide health benefits for every stage of life,”
she said. “Children can start eating soy foods from a very young age and reap
benefits throughout growing years and through adulthood.”
Galeaz explained that soybeans have nutrients called
isoflavones that provide heart-protecting, bone-protecting and cancer-fighting
benefits. She said the isoflavones have been studied extensively in the soybean,
and they can help reduce cholesterol if consumed with a low-fat, healthy
The implications of this for those struggling with weight
are valuable, according to Galeaz.
“Lean protein, like that in soy foods, has been studied, and
there are so many benefits for weight maintenance,” she noted. “Especially as
you age, it helps preserve muscle mass. I love these components because so many
people are struggling with weight.”
She said that soy foods can provide a feeling of fullness
and satisfaction, which prevents overeating.
There is some negative connotation behind the taste of soy
foods, but Chapman said that is changing. She said the milk now has a sweeter
flavor and less of a grassy flavor, and technology has helped bring flavors that
increase acceptability of soy foods.
“Americans have been introduced to new cuisines, such as
Indian, Mexican and Japanese, so we have really turned on our pallets to accept
a wider variety of flavors,” she said. “That has been a major piece of bringing
consumers to want to explore new flavors.”
For recipes and more information, visit www.soyfoods.org.


text:
Summary List Placement
There’s still time to apply to Y Combinator.
Since the accelerator opened its doors in 2005, more than 2,500 startups have gone through the program.
Many of those startups have since achieved tremendous success. Think Airbnb, Dropbox, Instacart, Coinbase, and Brex.
The admissions process at Y Combinator is very selective: About 1.5% of the companies that apply make it in. Once they do, those companies receive seed funding, plus advice from seasoned founders. The program culminates in a Demo Day, when founders get to pitch investors on their business. This year, the accelerator is holding demo day online on March 23.
The deadline to participate in Y Combinator’s summer 2021 batch is March 19. To convince the admissions committee that you deserve a spot in the program, you’ll have to craft an impressive pitch.
Insider has talked to several founders who have done just that — and we’ve shared the original applications that got them in.
Below, we’ve listed those applications, which you can use as inspiration when you’re writing your own.
InEvent: The startup accelerator that launched Airbnb and Dropbox rejected 3 founders in 2015 — so they rewrote their application and tried again. Read the form that finally won them a spot last year.
Prolific: Less than 2% of applicants get accepted to Y Combinator, the startup accelerator that launched Airbnb and Dropbox. Read the application that helped 2 scientists who bootstrapped their business get in.
Are you a startup founder who’s participated in Y Combinator and wants to share your story? Contact Insider correspondent Shana Lebowitz at email@example.com.


text:
The board of supervisors voted 5-0 Monday to adopt an ordinance banning single-use plastic carryout bags in unincorporated areas of Mendocino County.
The ban will be phased in, taking effect in six months for supermarkets and large pharmacies, and in 18 months for smaller stores. The ordinance will apply to carryout bags at the point of purchase only. It does not apply to?plastic?bags used to hold produce, meat or bulk items, and it does not apply to restaurant carryout bags.
Businesses inside City of Willits limits will not be affected by the new ordinance. The cities of Ukiah and Fort Bragg are adopting similar ordinances, but the Willits City Council has chosen to "wait and see," according to Councilman Victor Hanson.
The ordinance also requires stores to charge 10 cents for each full-size paper bag it provides to customers and requires paper bags be manufactured from at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled materials.
Supervisor John Pinches didn't like the idea of the government telling stores they had to charge 10 cents for a paper bag, saying he thought the actual cost was less than that. Also, Pinches said, if the point of charging for bags was to promote the use of reusable bags: "instead of eliminating plastic bags, let's just charge for them."
Mike Sweeney, manager of the county's garbage agency, who's been working on all of the plastic carryout bag ban ordinances, said his research affirmed the 10-cent cost, including handling and taxes. All of the 45 cities and counties in California that have adopted similar ordinances, Sweeney said, have established the 10-cent charge, and "San Jose will go to 25 cents."
Requiring the charge, and detailing it on the purchase receipt, Sweeney said, "makes the legal point that this is not a government tax, it is a fee collected by the store to compensate for the cost of the bag." Also, the office of the state Board of Equalization has confirmed the separate charge for bags will be exempt from sales tax.
Customers who've already switched to reusable bags have been subsidizing the cost of carryout bags, Sweeney said, with the cost hidden in the price of goods.
As far as simply charging for plastic bags, he said, the plastic bag industry, in the form of the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition, successfully lobbied for a state law that prohibits local jurisdictions from imposing any fee on a plastic carryout bag. "The only way jurisdictions can regulate plastic bags is to eliminate them outright," he said.
Data from ordinances requiring a 10 cent fee in Los Angeles and San Jose have had "a dramatic effect," Sweeney told the board, "with reports of reduction of total bag use of up to 94 percent."
The ordinance supervisors approved was tweaked a bit in response to public comments given about the original environmental impact report. Stores that don't now offer carryout bags won't be required to offer reusable bags for sale. And certified farmers markets will not be defined as "stores" under the new ordinance, allowing market vendors who use plastic bags to continue to use them.
The ordinance requires a written warning of violation before any store can be penalized; penalties include an infraction citation or an administrative fine, as well as civil action by the county's attorney.
Sweeney said his office would give "plenty of advance warning and information to the public" before the ordinance kicks in, including personally contacting the "first-tier" stores.
"We're not anticipating there'll be any problems with first-tier compliances," Sweeney said, as no problems have been reported in other areas with similar ordinances.


text:
Котик бубу игра мод много денег
Ранее стало известно, что чаще всего злоумышленники используют поддельные документы для перевыпуска сим-карты, получая таким образом доступ к информации, которую банк высылает своим клиентам. Учредитель: Харитонов Константин Николаевич. Главный редактор: Чухутова Мария Николаевна.
They also stole enough game maps and other components to put together a playable build of the game. Today, five days after the first leak, they have released that build.
Message boards and chat rooms were buzzing Tuesday morning with word of the leaked game. Some fan-based and hacker sites were even displaying in-game images. It is unclear whether котик бубу игра мод много денег leaked version features the entire game or a limited number of levels.
Also unclear is how current the assets used to create the game are. Earlier today, Christophe Ramboz, VU Games president of international operations, told Reuters the source code theft would result in a four month delay, pushing Half-Life 2 back to April 2004.
Valve, though, has not confirmed that delay. The hunt for the thieves is ongoing, but a rough timeline of events has emerged. Somewhere on or around Sept.
Keystroke recorders were also installed on the computers of several other employees. The invasion котик бубу игра мод много денег methodical and seems deliberately aimed at the developer. In the same post, Newell said the company had been subject деньги с теле2 на игру "a variety of denial of service attacks" over the past year. He was unsure whether these were related to the code theft.]


text:
International display screen manufacturing giant, AOC has launched a new range of gaming monitors AGON X-Series exclusively for the professional gamers. The new AGON...
The guys at AT&T have some suggestions for last minute gift for anyone short of ideas on what to give over the festive period,...
The latest video on our YouTube Channel see's Lenny unboxing the Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows 10, that includes a VR Headset. The Idol...
Microsoft has proven be one of the top innovators of this century, evident by products such as HoloLens and Surface Studio. Microsoft continues to...
We have already reported about the newly released insider preview build 14986. We hope every one of you is already downloading the build. But,...
Today, Microsoft has rolled out a new build to the Windows insiders in the fast ring. The new build 14986 is now live for...
HP Business's Official Channel has uploaded a promotional video for HP Elite X3, subtitled "Day in a life of a Salesperson". The video showcases...
- Black Friday
- Error Log
- Microsoft Band
- Nokia Networks
- Surface Dial
- Surface Studio
- Windows 10
- Windows 10 anniversary update
- Windows 10 Mobile
- Windows Phone
- Windows RT
Insider builds are no longer rolling out, and this might be for the greater good. Microsoft has announced that they will pause Fast and...
Microsoft is still running the Windows Insider Preview Program to give users the ability to have a look at new features and improvements before...
Microsoft has proven be one of the top innovators of this century, evident by products...
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpBRZGuXGX0] Today, Microsoft has published a new promo video on their official Youtube channel. The...
Microsoft are giving away a collection of festive albums to Groove Music Pass subscribers in...
I have been using a trial LG HBS-A100 Tone Active Wireless Stereo Headset for a about two months, thanks to the good people from AT&T. I work outdoors, I am a Letter Carrier for the USPS and I need a good sweat...
What is Dopamine eh? Seriously even i didn't know when i read it at first but here's what Raphaël , the developer has to say about the name, DOPAMINE?! WHAT A STRANGE NAME... DON'T WORRY, I MYSELF HAD TO GET...


text:
Way back in November, LG took to Facebook to announce that its high-end handsets would be receiving an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich. Of course, that was eight months ago. A lot can change in that time. Now, LG Canada's twitter account is saying that the Optimus 2X will not be upgraded, and that LG's previous comment on the subject was a "general statement issued from HQ."
Of course, it's a little hard to understand how "the LG Optimus 2X will receive an upgrade to ICS" could be interpreted as a "general statement". We've reached out to LG for comment and will update as soon as we hear more. Hopefully it is simply a mistake on the part of LG's Twitter account. Unfortunately, in the Android world, it's become imprudent to bet on the update.


text:
With an estimated 9.7 million Americans switching to a plant-based diet, new research has revealed the top ten states to live in as a vegan, based on the number of grocery stores catering to vegan diets.
“Safeway, Kroger, Albertsons, Whole Foods and Publix are leading the way in adapting for shifting consumer needs”
The Food Specialty Index looked at the number of popular US grocery stores in each state which offer the most gluten-free, lactose-free, dairy-free, organic, vegan and sugar-free products.
The study found that Safeway, Kroger, Albertsons, Whole Foods and Publix rank as the top five grocery stores to offer the most alternatives for those with food sensitivities and those following a vegan diet, and analysed the number of specialist grocery stores catering to vegans per capita.
Montana reportedly has the highest number of specialist dietary-friendly grocery stores per capita, ahead of Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.
The top 10 states according to grocery stores catering to vegans
Despite its relatively small population, Montana was found to offer the highest number of such grocery stores per capita with nine Safeways, 29 Albertsons, one Whole Foods, and four Krogers, leading the way in products for vegan, organic, dairy-free and sugar-free diets.
Dr Gill Hart, scientific director at YorkTest, said: “The number of people switching to an alternative diet after experiencing food sensitivity has increased hugely in the last few years. This, plus a recent report announcing 9.7 million Americans have turned to a plant-based diet has seen a steep increase in the demand for ‘free-from and organic produce.
“Changing diets and increasingly complex dietary requirements causes great confusion and frustration for many consumers when trying to find food and drink substitutes. Safeway, Kroger, Albertsons, Whole Foods and Publix are leading the way in adapting for shifting consumer needs, and building their reputations as America’s best grocery stores for the food sensitivity market.”
For more information, and to see the full study, visit: https://www.yorktest.com/us/blog/united-states-specialty-diet-index/


text:
The Electric New Paper :
$5,000 poorer in 20 mins
By Veena Bharwani
18 June 2009
WHENEVER he goes shopping in Johor Baru, he leaves his car locked, but with his valuables in the back seat.
It is something Mr Md Aliff says he does 'all the time'.
The 23-year-old studio engineer's habit finally proved costly last Sunday when his Toyata Wish was broken into while he was shopping with his family in Johor Baru.
The Singaporean lost more than $5,000 worth of belongings, comprising two laptops, two memory cards, an iPod Classic, a Nokia 6280 handphone and a hard drive.
He said he goes to JB at least twice a month to shop.
On Sunday, he drove up to JB with his mother, two younger brothers, two aunts and two uncles. The family was attending another aunt's housewarming party in Taman Tampoi Indah, a 15-minute drive from the Woodlands Checkpoint.
He recalled: 'We got there after noon and after several hours all of us wanted to shop at a nearby shopping centre called Kipmart, a three-minute drive from my aunt's place.'
Mr Md Aliff said it was his first visit to this particular shopping centre.
When he drove his MPV to the open carpark of the shopping centre at about 5pm, it was filled with vehicles.
Just before he and his family left the car, Mr Md Aliff took his backpack from the trunk of the car and placed it on the back row seat of his MPV.
His belongings were in the backpack.
He said: 'My car windows are tinted and I thought it was safer to leave my belongings in the back seat because people can't look in.
'Also, I had a lot of food in the boot of my car at the time, and I didn't want my laptop to get dirty.'
He had another laptop in a case on the same seat. 'I then placed a cushion over the bag to further conceal it before locking the car,' he said.
When the family returned to the car less than 20 minutes later, none of them noticed anything amiss.
The lock of the car did not appear to have been tampered with, he said.
'I was in a hurry to go back to Singapore as my father needed the car. So I didn't check the back seat to see if my backpack was still there,' he said.
He only realised something was wrong when he reached his office in Woodlands.
He said: 'I asked my younger brother to give me my backpack as he was seated in the back seat, but he said there was nothing there.
'The entire backpack and the extra laptop placed below the backpack was gone.'
It was then that he realised that something was not right with the locking system of the car.
'I tried to lock the car but the lock on the driver's side was jammed. That was when I knew someone had broken into the car.'
He said he knew that JB is not always safe but didn't really think he would be affected.
He said: 'I thought if I locked my car and placed my bag under cushions, it was enough.'
He said it is more convenient to take his valuables along to JB as it is easier to go to his office in Woodlands after returning.
He lives in Jurong.
He said he plans to make a police report soon.
While JB police data show that crime rates in JB have improved over the past few months, the public is frequently warned to be careful.
In early May, JB's South district police chief, Assistant Commissioner Zainuddin Yaakob, became a victim of robbery himself.
China Press reported that ACP Zainuddin, who is in his 40s, was surprised by robbers in his home in Damansara Alif early in the morning.
When the robbers broke in, he and his family members were sound asleep. He woke up when he felt a blade against his throat.
The district police chief watched helplessly as the robbers ransacked his home before leaving with RM10,500 ($6,000) worth of valuables and cash, including jewellery and RM700 from ACP Zainuddin's wallet.
ACP Zainuddin, his wife and two children were unharmed.
now... this is what i call stupid.... i cannot tahan ppl that are so damn stupid and not street smart at all. stupid stupid stupid... lemme highlight a few stupid points:
"WHENEVER he goes shopping in Johor Baru, he leaves his car locked, but with his valuables in the back seat."
"Just before he and his family left the car, Mr Md Aliff took his backpack from the trunk of the car and placed it on the back row seat of his MPV."
"'Also, I had a lot of food in the boot of my car at the time, and I didn't want my laptop to get dirty.'
He had another laptop in a case on the same seat. 'I then placed a cushion over the bag to further conceal it before locking the car,' he said."
"He said: 'I thought if I locked my car and placed my bag under cushions, it was enough.'"


text:
Textile industry needs an export boost to buck slowdown
Textile industry plays a significant role in the economy contributing to over 13 per cent of the industrial output, over 2 per cent to the GDP of India.
Textile industry plays a significant role in the economy contributing to over 13 per cent of the industrial output, over 2 per cent to the GDP of India. The industry employed more than 4.5 crore citizens and contributed approximately 15 per cent to the export earnings of India FY19.
In addition to this, the support from the government has aided the industries effort to grow and contribute further. Government has been extremely responsive and have been listening to the industries and taking measures on real time basis like reshuffling of GST rates, allowing refund accumulated taxes in case of textiles etc. With the bold reforms taken by government in the recent past including tax reforms, Skill India mission, RoSCTL Scheme for textile sector to defray / rebate the embedded taxes, etc. has helped the industry to remain hopeful on the announcements in budget to be presented on February 1, 2020.
However, the sector has been experiencing a pressure on exports across segments in the past few years resulting into fall in exports. Apart from global slowdown witnessed recently, there are few other factor affecting Indian Textile industry which renders exports from India un-competitive vis-Ã -vis other countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, China. These are high cost of working capital and power, low average productivity from un-skilled operators, challenges in infrastructure, logistics costs as well as longer turnaround time at port.
Fragmented and smaller size of operations deters Indian manufacturers to capitalize on economies of scale. Clusters in India are often 1/5th of the size of competing nations. Countries like China, Bangladesh and Vietnam enjoy comparative advantage given the scales of operation they operate in.
Recent withdrawal of MEIS at 4 per cent on Made-ups and garments with retrospective effect has added to the woes of Indian textile manufacturers and will hit the textile exports.
The government can support the Indian textile manufacturers by taking measures like swift execution of FTA with UK, EU and USA, remove cap on benefit under the TUF scheme in order to encourage large scale projects, bring relaxation in labour laws, improve infrastructure and provide plug and play mega textile zones near port cities to enhance textile export, and introduce an alternative to MEIS to provide level playing field for Indian exporters. The government can facilitate financing against government receivable from banks at benchmark rates with low margin of say 10 per cent without any restriction on the tenor/aging.


text:
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 7 June 2023 — Marrero has already arrived in Moscow, in what the state press says is his first visit as Cuba’s prime minister. Apparently, as soon as he arrived, he went to the summit in Sochi of the Eurasian Council, an organization in which the communist regime has high hopes, and which the media of the state press are in charge of turning into something exceptional. Now let’s see what it’s all about.
In another entry on this blog it was already explained that going to look for economic and commercial relations almost 10,000 kilometers away has little to do with geopolitics, and a lot to do with walking like a headless duck in the world economy. The Cuban economy still does not define its competitive position in the international division of labor, and the communists have caused with this type of operation a collapse from which it will be difficult to get out.
What is the Eurasian Economic Union? Basically, a union of countries for the purpose of economic and commercial cooperation, which came into operation on January 1, 2015, composed of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Subsequently, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia were also incorporated, so there are currently five countries in Putin’s sphere of influence, with a total of 180 million inhabitants in an area of 20 million square kilometers that represents 15% of the total land.
As indicated in the founding documents, the objective of the Single Economic Area was the development of an integrated market and the achievement of the “four freedoms”: the free movement of goods, capital, services and people within the single market.
The free movement of people allowed the free movement between Member States to live, work, study or retire in another EU country. The Member States had a common external tariff on all goods entering the market and have unified the valuation methods of imported goods since the creation of the Eurasian Customs Union. The objectives include the joint coordination of projects in the fields of infrastructure, energy, industry, agriculture and transport.
The Eurasian Economic Union has tried to base its model on the European Union. The decisions are made by the Eurasian Economic Council, composed of the heads of state of the member countries. The Supreme Council determines the strategy, direction and prospects of integration and makes decisions aimed at achieving the objectives of the Union.
The Eurasian Economic Commission carries out its work in accordance with the Treaty of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and with the international agreements that constitute the legal and regulatory framework of the Eurasian Customs Union and the Single Economic Area. In addition to the Commission, a Eurasian Development Bank has been created with headquarters in Kazakhstan, and a Court of Justice for the resolution of conflicts and the interpretation of the legal system of the Eurasian Economic Union has it headquarters in Minsk.
And seeing all this, what is Cuba doing in the EEU?
The Castroite state press celebrates the fact that Cuba is the only country in Latin America that has achieved the status of observer state in the Eurasian Economic Union, because “it gives us prestige and presents a great challenge,” according to a Minrex specialist who leads the Directorate of Europe and Canada. Now tell me how this fits.
It is as simple as affirming that for Cuba it is “an honor to participate in this integrationist bloc, because it allows us to know first-hand where its development is going,” and, therefore, the Cuban Prime Minister, Marrero, with everything that is falling apart on the Island, goes to Sochi to have the dubious honor of “observing the EEU.” Incredible.
Apparently it is the first time that Cuba is attending this forum in person, and Marrero has declared in Sochi that “we reaffirm the commitment to enhance our insertion in this integration mechanism and honor the condition that we received a little more than two years ago.” Another nonsense.
Along with Cuba, Moldova and Uzbekistan also participate as observers and are not so euphoric. There were plans to attract Ukraine, but no one expects them to materialize after the devastating war. The fact that the ESA is paralyzed, without new additions, says very little about the achievement of its foundational objectives. There is a feeling that Cuba arrived to the party late and may find the environment strained after the Russian destruction in Ukraine.
The objectives of economic modernization of the ESA, of cooperating and increasing the competitiveness of national economies and creating the conditions for sustainable development, have been interrupted, perhaps forever, after Putin’s war action in Russia, with the fear that the criminal sequence may continue.
The fact is that, quietly, Castro’s diplomacy had been working for years, practically since 2015, to put its nose in this forum almost 10,000 kilometers away from the Island’s borders, and apparently they have achieved their goal that was accelerated from 2019 after the visit to Cuba of Sergei Glazyev, Minister of Integration and Macroeconomics of the Union, who participated in the International Fair of Havana. The application was formally submitted in January 2020 and was finalized at the end of that year, despite the pandemic.
The regime has detected opportunities to expand economic, commercial and cooperation relations with observer status, and specifically “for the registration and positioning of biotechnological and pharmaceutical products, as well as services in high purchasing power markets, such as the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan.”
With this clarification, it seems that Castroite leaders seek to place Cuba in the Eurasian market as a supplier of medicines and medical services. More or less, the same as going to China with honey when the Asian giant is the world’s leading producer of honey. But that’s how the communists are, and here in Sochi they propose, as observers, “to negotiate cooperative or licensed productions in nations whose manufacturing cost is low, as is the case of the republics of Armenia, Belarus or Kyrgyzstan, to later market them within the EEU or other markets.”
I’ll translate for you. This is neither more nor less than decentralization, the same strategy implemented by Western multinationals in Asia to produce goods at low cost. This is what the “revolution of the poor” has come to, the model of collectivism that leaves no one abandoned.
Cuba even intends to get from Sochi the aid for “the creation of industrial parks, the foundation of joint ventures and the promotion of integral digitization of the productive sectors, the expansion of access to foreign markets, as well as the possibility of insertion in Eurasian initiatives focused on the energy, industrial, transport and tourism financial spheres, and the elimination of trade barriers.” The same thing they ask of Moscow. And then they talk about the embargo/blockade. Really?
To distract itself, the Cuban delegation participates in the Eurasia-Our Home International Exhibition, in different panels and stands based on the themes of tourism, health, food safety and industry. Cuban communists are going to sell their paradigm of solidarity, multilateralism and cooperation as the most effective way to face common challenges. But the EU countries are in other coordinates, and the commitment to economic freedoms has advanced so much that the creation of a common currency has even been proposed. It should not be forgotten that the model is Western Europe, so they will continue to take steps to achieve that full integration. Seen from this perspective, Cuban participation is that of a mere puppet. Observe and applaud.
Apart from folklore, it will be necessary to closely follow the results of the regime’s participation, once again as an observer, in two mechanisms that already work within the Union: the Pharmacopoeia Committee and the Working Group on the regulations of medical teams. It should not be forgotten that the acquisition of pieces of equipment and products is a priority for Cuban communists, and where they can earn a dollar they will not waste time. But 10,000 kilometers away is a long distance, geopolitics in reverse. Will it be worth it for Cuba?
Translated by Regina Anavy
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.


text:
Pivoting Amid COVID: Immertec Secures $6M Series A Extension To Advance VR Surgical Platform
0 Tampa, Florida-based surgical training company Immertec was working on a slow-growth plan of securing new customers that would take it into 2021.
Its VR technology offers fully-immersive surgical and medical training.
The original $3 million extension was oversubscribed and ended up being a total of $6 million, Maltais said.
Next up, Immertec is creating 100 units of its VR platform and deploying them across the country.
“We plan to provide international growth in 2021, as well as help with educational training at medical schools.”Illustration: Dom Guzman
Disclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated & summarized by a computer program and has not been created by StartupAround.
In the first three quarters of 2018, both blockchain and cryptocurrency-focused startups have raised close to $3.9 billion in venture capital, which is up 280% compared to 2017.
Search Startup Around
Boost Your Discovery with Us
Advertise with us to boost your article, content pience, product, event, conference discovery to our readers which includes founders, startup enablers, investors and every key stakeholders from global startup eco-system.


text:
Lexus Leads 2012 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey as Industry Keeps Improving
There were no big surprises for the 2012 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey awards' top five finishers. Lexus was awarded the highest-ranked overall nameplate award for the second year in a row with 73 problems per 100 vehicles, the same as it had last year. Porsche and Jaguar tied for second with just 75 problems each, beating last year's runner-up Honda by a significant 11-point margin. Honda finished this year behind Cadillac with 83 problems per 100 vehicles, an improvement of three problems. What was surprising, however, is Ford's lack of improvement, actually gaining two additional problems per 100 vehicles for 2012 after becoming well aware of its massive falloff last year. Last year, Ford had to contend with a MyFord Touch infotainment system and Sync not responding to voice commands as well as it should. It was thought that a programming improvement that was rushed out for 2013 models and retrofitted to earlier models equipped with MyFord Touch would solve the problems, but whether it's measuring non-updated systems, or the update itself, Ford stayed in the doldrums. J.D. Power says the industry improved by five problems per 100 vehicles to 102 total for 2012, but audio, entertainment, and navigation problems have actually worsened by 8 percent since 2011. The survey noted that for the first time in its 26-year history, audio, entertainment, and navigation—shortened to "infotainment"—was the biggest problem area category of all those polled. It's actually increased 137 percent over the past four years, largely because infotainment technology has begun trickling into mainstream offerings."As smartphones become ubiquitous in the lives of consumers and are ever0more sophisticated, expectations about the complementary technologies being offered in new models will only get higher," says David Sargent, global vice president of J.D. Power's automotive division, in a statement. "Automakers and suppliers are working hard to meet those expectations with systems intended to make the deicing experience safer, more convenient, and more entertaining. However, the most innovative technology in the world will quickly create dissatisfaction if owners can't get it to work." While Lexus continued its stronghold of the top nameplate award, many other segment breakout stars came from other brands—14 in all—including Toyota (Yaris, Corolla); Mazda (MX-5 Miata); Volvo (C70), Lexus (ES 350, LS, RX); Infiniti (M, EX); Ford (Mustang, Taurus, Expedition); Chevrolet (Malibu); Honda (CR-V); Kia (Soul); Buick (Enclave); Cadillac (Escalade); GMC (Sierra 1500); Nissan (Quest, Frontier); and Porsche, which scored a record-setting 44 problems per 100 vehicles with its previous-generation 997-series 911. The survey was taken by 74,000 new car purchasers or lessees for 2012-model vehicles after their first 90 days of ownership. It was conducted between February and May of this year, with survey takers filling out 228 questions concerning their new vehicles. Click below to see the polls and individual award winners in our photo gallery. Do any of the award recipients surprise you? Source: J.D. Power
According to a report released today from National Automobile Dealers Association, a temperate seasonal...


text:
The chamber, the city of Lebanon and Historic Lebanon got together to hold “Shop Small Saturday,” where citizens were encouraged to shop at locally owned businesses.
See a full gallery of photos from the event.
“Small businesses are the foundation of our community,” said chamber president Melanie Minter. “We wanted to take a day to encourage everyone to shop locally.”
Several local businesses participated, including Poppies Boutique, Urban Mills Promotions, Venue 142, the Faith Store, Simply Southern, Friends and Stitches, Silver Ridge Pottery, Beauty Boutique, 3:Sixteen, Trends Salon, Wilkie’s Outfitters, the Jewelers, Posh, Dreams Boutique, Square Market, Grace Dining, Sammy B’s, Iddy and Oscars, Lookers Spa and Salon, Chain Reaction, Grass Leaf Publishing, Petopia and Jesse’s Boutique.
According to Minter, 35 local businesses participated in the event.
Later Saturday evening, the chamber held the annual Christmas tree lighting on the square.
Before lighting the tree, a choir of students from Coles Ferry Elementary School, Byars Dowdy Elementary School and Sam Houston Elementary School sang the Christmas Tree Feud for the crowd.
Art classes from the Lebanon Special School District also designed ornaments that decorated the tree.
The lighting of the tree at just after 5 p.m. was met by applause from everyone in attendance.


text:
This year’s X019 is bringing even more game announcements than last year, with 12 Xbox Games Studios games planned to be shown at the event in London. Some of these 12 titles will be brand new reveals for both Xbox One and PC, and if last year’s event is anything to go by, there will be tons of Xbox Game Pass additions as well. The highlight of X019, aside from the games, of course, is “Big Project xCloud news” according to the promotional material.
#X019 kicks off with an episode of Inside Xbox you won’t want to miss.
✅ 12 Xbox Game Studios titles (including new reveals and PC)
✅ New PC and Console game reveals for @XboxGamePass
✅ Big Project xCloud news
— Xbox ➡ X019 🇬🇧 (@Xbox) November 8, 2019
12 games is quite a few, and with multiple developers joining the Xbox Games Studios family over the past few years, we’re sure to see a wide variety of titles. Don’t get your hopes up too high, though. Because X019 is not an E3 level event, most of X019 is likely to be updates about previously announced titles like Ninja Theory’s Bleeding Edge, Moon Studios’ Ori and the Will of the Wisps, or maybe even a brief snippet about Halo Infinite.
Still, last year’s event was packed full of smaller but meaningful announcements for first-party titles like Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves, and State of Decay 2 alongside development updates and new features for at the time unreleased third-party games like Devil May Cry V and Battlefield V. Don’t expect any huge reveals, but definitely look forward to some nice surprises.
Where X019 is likely to bring the heat is with Xbox Game Pass. Last year, X018 added a ton of noteworthy games to the Xbox Game Pass library like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. With Game Pass being expanded to PC and with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate recently being launched, expect Microsoft to double down on Game Pass news. There will most likely be exciting shadow drops and heavy-hitting big names joining the Game Pass library. It should be fun!
Project xCloud is arguably the most exciting bit of news that we can expect at X019. Public trials for the game streaming service have been slowly rolled out to select users over the past few months, and now is the perfect time to hear about a release date. Google Stadia is releasing just a few days after X019, and if Microsoft wants to compete, an open beta for everyone needs to be launched soon after X019 and there needs to be a release date sometime soon.
The fact that xCloud is one of the three main talking points at this year’s event makes me think that they’re pretty likely to do something like that, though.If you’re curious as to how well xCloud works, our very own Keith Mitchell talked about his hands-on experience with the service on the Spectator Mode Podcast.
The X019 episode of Inside Xbox will be streamed live on Mixer on November 14 at 12 PM Pacific Time. Stay tuned to The Outerhaven to catch all the news that comes out of the event.


text:
Former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson fired from J.C. PenneyApril 8, 2013: 6:06 PM ET
Fixing a broken retail business turns out to be a lot harder than building a new one.
"I've always dreamed of leading a major retail company as CEO," Johnson said when the move to Penney was announced nearly two years ago, "and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help J. C. Penney re-imagine what I believe to be the single greatest opportunity in American retailing today, the Department Store."
But his strategy -- selling boutique brands at fixed prices to customers raised on clearance sales -- failed spectacularly. The company lost $4.3 billion in sales in 2012, including a 28.4% drop in the all-important holiday season.
His replacement at Apple -- former Dixon's CEO John Browett -- also failed spectacularly. He was hired in April last year and fired in October. Tim Cook has yet to name a replacement, which means Johnson's old post is still vacant.


text:
ALD Installs First Charging Point With Schneider Electric
The EVlink unit recently became the first charging point to be certified Z.E. Ready by Renault, ahead of the launch of the carmaker’s electric range next year, in a scheme aimed at standardising charging equipment.
ALD said it will be used to provide staff with a free recharging point.
Jerry Clist, maintenance controller at ALD Automotive, said: ‘We are witnessing a growing demand for quotes for electric vehicles and to help gain a better insight into all the issues with EV’s we wanted to have a charging service on site as part of this evaluation.
‘The Schneider Electric charger is fast, convenient and extremely easy to use and will come as a great benefit for EV customers looking to run their business more efficiently.’


text:
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor, October 2, 2012
Nike outfitted Ohio State with Pro Combat uniforms for its games against Michigan in 2009 and 2010. So when an Ohio State journalism student tweeted pictures of what he said was a Nike Pro Combat uniform for this year's game, it got our attention. Ohio State's response? It told me it has not announced anything with regard to any uniform change for a game in 2012.
[LostLettermen.com: Ohio State Getting Combat Unis for 'The Game'?]
For what it's worth, it doesn't seem like this is a legit uniform. There's these tweets:
Ohio State also wore Nike Pro Combat uniforms in last season's win over Wisconsin.
|BTN.com web editor Brent Yarina covers football and men's basketball for BTN.com. He writes the popular uniform feature "Clothes Call," which also focuses on the latest cosmetic changes across Big Ten arenas and stadiums. Read all of his work here. You can subscribe to Yarina's RSS feed and follow him on Twitter @BTNBrentYarina.|


text:
The Food Development Centre in Portage la Prairie has been assisting Manitoba’s agri-food industry in the development and commercialization of food products for 40 years.
“For 40 years, the Food Development Centre has helped Manitoba’s food and beverage industry grow, and be competitive on the international stage,” said Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler. “Manitoba has an exciting future in this field and we’re fortunate to have a facility like the Food Development Centre to work with industry to develop new and innovative products.”
The Food Development Centre (FDC) was established in 1978 as a joint venture of the federal and provincial governments, and in 1999, became a Special Operating Agency under the Department of Manitoba Agriculture.
The centre works with food companies of all sizes from start up entrepreneurs to multinational corporations. During its 40-year tenure, the Food Development Centre has helped thousands of businesses develop new products to give them a competitive edge and to access new markets.
The facility is a focal point for food industry research, professional services and technology, both provincially and globally.


text:
USA-based trade associations the International Housewares Association (IHA) and the Global Market Development Centre GMDC|Retail Tomorrow are coming together to facilitate GMDC|Retail Tomorrow’s 2021 Fall Strategic Meetings. From October 12-15, housewares retailers and wholesalers and their supplier and service companies will be able to participate in collaborative trading partner sessions.
Attendees (including IHA members) will have the opportunity to discuss merchandising, marketing, ecommerce, consumer and shopper insights, omnichannel agility, sales trends and business strategies.
Patrick Spear, president and ceo of GMDC|Retail Tomorrow recognises that housewares is one of the sectors that has evolved “at a rapid pace throughout the past year, and as this trajectory continues, this event series is an opportunity to address these changes and prepare for more as we approach the latter half of 2021.”
Meanwhile, Derek Miller, IHA president comments: “IHA’s mission is to bring buyers and sellers together regardless of format, and we are excited to work again with GMDC|Retail Tomorrow to connect our supplier members with their buyer members during this virtual event.” He continued: “Non-foods is an important and profitable category for grocery retailers, and until the industry gathers again in-person next March at The Inspired Home Show, this type of opportunity delivers the kind of new product and supplier discovery that retailers are craving.”
Similar to the successful joint spring event, attendees will be able to take part in 45-minute meetings via the GMDC Connect video conferencing platform.
The event registration deadline for housewares categories is August 20. For more information and to register for the GMDC|Retail Tomorrow and IHA’s Fall Strategic Meetings, please visit: gmdc.org/virtual-event-fall/.
Top: Buyers and suppliers will come together for the online GMDC|Retail Tomorrow event. Photo from GMDC|Retail Tomorrow.


text:
According to the trademark application, the company will provide “virtual goods,” namely “virtual food and drink.”
Through online retail services, Wingstop plans to provide users with the ability to buy, sell, and trade these virtual goods.
Among the company’s upcoming plans is the creation of virtual worlds featuring restaurants, food, and drink.
The news was announced by trademark attorney Michael Kondoudis, who posted a tweet headlined “Wingstop is coming to the Metaverse!”.
Wingstop is coming to the Metaverse!— Mike Kondoudis (@KondoudisLaw) March 2, 2022
The company has filed a trademark application for:
2. Virtual foods and drink
3. A marketplace to trade NFTs#NFT #Cryptocurrency #Metaverse #Web3 pic.twitter.com/DbetEzpHfG
Wingstop is not the only multinational chain of restaurants to announce its plans to enter the metaverse.
Last month, Panera Bread, the renowned American chain of bakery-café fast-casual restaurants, filed a trademark application titled “Paneraverse” to express its intention to enter the metaverse.
A few weeks ago, McDonald’s filed ten trademark applications in order to establish a digital presence within the metaverse, and later filed an additional trademark application titled “McDelivery” to indicate its intention to develop a virtual restaurant featuring real home delivery.
Similarly, Panda Express filed a trademark application for “PANDAVERSE,” indicating its intention to enter the metaverse.


text:
The Steam retailer will quickly inform you if a recreation helps Sony’s DualSense or DualShock controllers. Valve posted an update for developers this week, saying that the function would go reside in Steam’s retailer and desktop app beginning in October. Valve hints that extra controller-friendly options might be on their method to Steam. “This is step one towards serving to gamers discover video games that assist essentially the most commonly-used PC online game controllers,” the corporate wrote.
Builders ought to now see a brand new questionnaire in Steamworks, Valve’s recreation creation instruments for its ubiquitous digital storefront. The survey lets devs specify whether or not their recreation provides full or partial assist for Xbox, DualShock and DualSense controllers. Valve says the filters may even show every PlayStation controller’s utilization degree, serving to players be taught which gamepads individuals use essentially the most.
Valve chalks up the choice to rising numbers of gamers utilizing PlayStation controllers. It says Sony controller utilization has grown from 11 % of periods in 2018 to 27 % right now. The corporate provides that, since 2017, over 87 million Steam customers have performed no less than as soon as utilizing a controller. Amongst that group, 69 % have used “some model of Xbox controllers,” whereas the rest used “a mixture of PlayStation controllers, Change Professional Controllers, and a whole bunch of different units.”


text:
Jul 09, 2018 at 16:34
ImmVRse VR Showcase Steals the Show at London Blockchain Summit
Blockchain-based virtual reality (VR) solutions firm ImmVRse proved that the excitement of VR hasn’t lost its appeal to the general crowd when it showcased at the recent 2018 Blockchain Summit held at the Olympia London on June 26th and 27th, 2018.
Jul 07, 2018 at 13:57
ImmVRse Showcases at the London Blockchain Summit
ImmVRse was an instant hit at the 2018 Blockchain Summit held in Olympia London on the 26th and 27th June. As one of the sponsors and exhibitioners, crowds flocked to meet and greet the team, as well as to enjoy a chance to experience a dose of Virtual Reality.
ImmVRse Announces Official Pre-Sale Dates
ImmVRse has announced their much-anticipated pre-token generation event, which is set to officially take place the following month. The blockchain-VR platform has decided to partner with TokenGet in order to run the token sale in a safe and secure platform, as well as ensuring a pleasant experience for all of their users. TokenGet is a cutting-edge and secure token sale turnkey solution provider that supplies a comprehensive set of tools to act as a crowdsale platform for blockchain businesses.


text:
Canadian Solar Inc., the world’s fifth-largest maker of solar modules, plans to build a plant in Japan as soon as fiscal 2013 to become the first foreign company to produce solar panels here, company sources said.
The Ontario-based firm is just one of many companies vying for a foothold in Japan as a new government incentive program this July is expected to spur demand for green energy amid public furor over the Fukushima disaster.
“It will be more efficient to produce (the solar panels) where consumers will be using them,” Yu Kaname, president of Canadian Solar Japan K.K., said of the decision to manufacture domestically to meet the anticipated demand. The firm currently imports its solar panels from China.
Canadian Solar expects to invest several billion yen in the plant, which will have an annual production capacity of 150 mw. Solar firms measure production in megawatts.
In March, the firm announced a separate project to build a 2,000-kw solar power plant in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, scheduled for launch by March 2013.
The company is reviewing candidate sites in Fukushima Prefecture and other areas devastated by the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. It is also considering building a training center for solar panel maintenance and other facilities at the plant to help boost employment in the disaster-hit region.
Canadian Solar, which boasts high-quality solar photovoltaic products and low cost structures, has a roughly 3 percent share of the Japanese market and aims to raise this to 10 percent in five years.
Under the government’s renewable energy feed-in tariff scheme, major utilities will be required to buy all solar electricity generated in principle by companies, households and others for ¥42 per kwh, including sales tax, a price almost equivalent to that being demanded by green-energy providers.
“Japan has set a high buyback price, which is very attractive, so there is no reason for foreign companies not to enter the market,” said Hiroharu Watanabe, a senior analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.
China’s Suntech Power Holdings Co., the world’s largest producer of solar panels, will revamp its maintenance site in Saku, Nagano Prefecture, in July with a showroom and upgraded equipment to improve customer service.
Meanwhile, Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., also from China, and U.S. energy services provider SunEdison, have recently announced full-fledged forays into Japan at a time when demand for solar in large markets like Europe is waning.
To fend off the jump in competition from foreign players, companies like Sharp Corp., Kyocera Corp., Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and Panasonic Corp., which recently took over Sanyo Electric Co., are focusing on high power generation efficiencies and stepping up efforts to expand businesses targeting households and industrial companies to meet demand triggered by the quake and government incentives.
20% power-saving plea
Companies and households in much of central and western Japan will be asked to cut electricity use by up to 20 percent, reports said Sunday as threats of summer blackouts loomed.
A government panel expects Kansai Electric Power Co. to come up 14.9 percent short of peak demand in August. To avoid blackouts, the panel plans to seek around a 20 percent cut in usage in Kansai from 2010 levels, the Asahi Shimbun and the Mainichi Shimbun dailies said.


text:
The founders of a new cosmetics retail concept aimed at young girls are on the hunt for branding and graphics designers. Called Pout, the first store will open in October at an undisclosed London location, with interiors designed by General Practice. The venture is the brainchild of Emily Cohen and Chantal Laren.
The West Midlands city has been awarded £3 million, and will host a year-long series of events that will encompass art, design, theatre and more.
Calling out sexism, making hospitals happier places to be and reviving classic designs through crowdfunding; we honour the people who have made a difference to the industry over the last
The blue-based purple has been selected for its “provocative” and “thoughtful” shade, which nods to current trends in areas like spirituality and space exploration.
Ivan Chermayeff died aged 85, a logo was launched to tackle “fake news” and designers offered advice on getting a pay rise – the news from the last seven days.


text:
The Internet is abuzz with concern about the fate of farmer's markets under the newly proposed House Bill 875: Food and Safety Modernization Act of 2009. Many are alarmed that organic growers of local produce and even those gardening for themselves could be lumped in with commercial food vendors, calling them to meet new requirements for processes, record-keeping, and inspections.
I spoke with a spokesperson for Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro of Connecticut, who introduced the bill. The spokesperson assured me that the bill does not apply to vendors at farmer's markets, and therefore will not change the way this business runs. It is meant to address food sold in supermarkets.
A press release from DeLauro's office states, "There is no language in the bill that would result in farmers markets being regulated, penalized by any fines, or shut down. Farmers markets would be able to continue to flourish under the bill. In fact, the bill would insist that imported foods meet strict safety standards to ensure that unsafe imported foods are not competing with locally-grown foods."


text:
The fashion industry has called for the government “to start listening” to businesses after prime minister Theresa May announced she will consult companies further as part of her Brexit “Plan B”’.
After her initial Brexit deal was overwhelmingly rejected by parliament last week – by a majority of 230 – May was forced to present with an alternative proposal.
Under “Plan B”, May has said she will meet with businesses, MPs, trade unions and civil society representatives to develop proposals so that she can try and find the “broadest consensus” for the next phase of negotiations on leaving the European Union.
Retailers and industry bodies have told Drapers the government has been talking to businesses since the Brexit referendum result and should have already taken their input on board, adding that “it’s time they started to listen.”
Adam Mansell, chief executive of UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT), said businesses are “desperate for certainty”: “Businesses have been pressing the government for clarity on trading arrangements, customs procedures and all the rest pretty much since the day after the referendum. UKFT has had many meetings with ministers and civil servants, as well as giving evidence at two select committees. The government set up a committee with leading business organisations and in November last year the prime minister announced a series of five business councils to advise on Brexit. Businesses have been talking to government – it’s time they started to listen.”
John Saunders, chief executive of the British Footwear Association, agreed: “I think it is too late to ask businesses for their input – they have already given their direction. The government needs to sort out the current trading situation because at the moment it’s like throwing the baby out with the bath water. Europe is big for footwear companies, and where the future of the country lies will affect future investment decisions. We need clarity for businesses. We need a firm decision.”
The managing director of one high street chain said: “May has already been talking to businesses since the referendum result was announced. However, what works for some businesses doesn’t work for all businesses, so now is her chance to find the right balance in this short amount of time. I remain optimistic because people in Europe have to trade together, and businesses have to try and ignore the scaremongering tactics.”
One department store source said: “It’s a positive thing that the government will be talking to businesses. However small-to-medium-sized businesses don’t have the resources to make contingency plans for every eventuality. We cannot possibly plan ahead. Businesses are as uncertain as before about what the outcome will be – it is not clear at all.”
Richard Lim, chief executive at analyst Retail Economics, echoed these concerns: “The government needs to create certainty for businesses. Businesses need clarity about what is going to unfold. With regards to Plan B, the government has been talking to businesses throughout the process. For example, the manufacturing industry is very engaged, but discussions with retailers have not been as transparent or conducive.”
The government tabled an amendable motion on 21 January that will be voted on by MPs on 29 January, before being negotiated with the EU and then voted on again by the UK parliament next month.
- Is your business affected? What measures are you taking and what do you think the government should do now? Email us


text:
ZIWI has agreed to purchase Hastings, New Zealand-based Freeze Dried Foods NZ LTD (FDF) and its subsidiary Kiwigarden LTD for an undisclosed amount. ZIWI Limited sells its air-dried raw pet food, wet pet food and treats for dogs and cats in more than 25 countries, according to Petfood Industry’s Top Pet Food Companies Current Data. All meat and seafood are sourced in New Zealand and all Ziwi products are manufactured in New Zealand. The company’s annual revenue reached US$16,320,000 in 2021.
FDF was established in 1997 and employs roughly 140 people, FDF has over 26 million pounds of freeze-drying capacity. It is continuing to invest in technology to ensure it can keep up with the growth for New Zealand produced freeze-dried products. FDF has long-term third-party manufacturing partnerships with many New Zealand brands, including subsidiary Kiwigarden which exports children’s snacks to Australia, China and North America.
ZIWI managing director Richard Lawrence says the investment in FDF is about delivering sustainable innovative growth for ZIWI, and its commitment to ZIWI-owned manufacturing providing peak nutrition without compromise. This can best be achieved with access to FDF’s patented continuous freeze-drying process. This investment builds on ZIWI’s successful brand strategy of owning and investing in processing technology to meet strong global demand for its premium product range, said Lawrence.
In 2021, China-based private equity firm Fountainvest Partners acquired pet food company ZIWI Ltd., maker of Ziwi Peak brand, reported Radio New Zealand. The acquisition will fund Ziwi’s further growth. Although the terms were not disclosed, the reporter speculated that the private equity firm bought the New Zealand-based pet food company for nearly NZD1.5 billion (US$1.04billion). Ziwi has sales of approximately NZD 50 million (US$35 million) annually. Despite the acquisition, Ziwi executives expect business to continue as usual.
Ziwi was founded in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand by a free-range deer farmer, Peter Mitchell, who had supplied deer meat to pet food companies internally previously, according to the company’s website.
Tim Wall covers the dog, cat and other pet food industries as a senior reporter for WATT Global Media. His work has appeared in Scientific American, Live Science, Discovery News, Honduras Weekly, Global Journalist and other outlets. He holds an M.A. in journalism and an M.S. in natural resources, both from the University of Missouri - Columbia, along with a bachelor's degree in biology.
Wall served in the Peace Corps in Honduras from 2005 to 2007, where he coordinated with the town government of Moroceli to organize a municipal trash collection system, taught environmental science, translated for medical brigades and facilitated sustainable agriculture, along with other projects.
Contact Wall via https://www.wattglobalmedia.com/contact-us/
By Lindsay Beaton
Pet food safety is top-of-mind all along the production line, and everything from the ingredients to the equipment must offer solutions.
By Debbie Phillips-Donaldson
Many hours, efforts, dollars and brainpower go into pet food companies’ and regulatory bodies’ efforts to ensure that products on the market are safe and healthy for pets.