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UK-based Currencies Direct Ltd, a privately owned provider of foreign exchange and payment services, has hired the former CEO of Barclays Bank Anthony Jenkins as non-executive chairman.
The company said Mr. Jenkins will be tasked with advancing its digital offering and expanding the existing international footprint, a year after it was acquired by Corsair Capital and Palamon Capital Partners, two private equity firms. The company which acts for both retail and institutional investors, and serves more than 150,000 clients was valued at more than £200m. In addition, it has shifted £4 billion in consumer and business payments in 2015, operating under a low-cost, fee-free model.
During his tenure at Barclays, which was overshadowed by misconduct fines levied on the bank, Mr. Jenkins laid the foundations for his own venture in the financial technology realm. He focused for three years on technology developments, such as mobile payment app Pingit.
Ready to kick-off your Trading Game with Manchester United?Go to article >>
Mr. Jenkins is known as a passionate advocate of the need for radical tech-driven change in traditional banking practices. Earlier this years, he predicted in a speech a 50% cut in bank branches and staffing over the next ten years due to digital upheavals in the sector.
Keith Hatton, CEO of Currencies Direct, commented on the appointment in an official statement: “Currencies Direct plans to boost its share of the growing £380 billion currency market for retail and small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK, while also expanding its existing market presence in Continental Europe, Australia, South Africa, China, India and the US. Antony’s knowledge, reach and insights into how technologies are changing the industry will play a major role in driving the growth of Currencies Direct.”
“New technologies are revolutionising financial services, creating substantial opportunities for companies with a digital strategy at their core, a deep understanding of the needs of the customer and the right values. Currencies Direct is successfully capitalising on the fast-growing demand for digital financial services offerings, and has a sound strategy combined with the infrastructure to continue its rapid expansion,” added Anthony Jenkins.


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Tuesday, June 06, 2023
Commentary: Boycotts Aren’t Enough
Department store superchain Target has lost over $10 billion in value since conservatives across the U.S. started boycotting the woke corporation for pushing “pride” merchandise on children, including pro-trans “tucking” and binding” clothes designed for toddlers. This follows Anheuser-Busch’s reaching a six-month low after consumers started boycotting Bud Light, which the beer manufacturing giant decided to brand with the face of biological male Dylan Mulvaney, who now dresses and acts as a grotesque caricature of a woman. Although these are, from an authentic conservative perspective, positive results, boycotts aren’t enough.
Posted by wirecutter

domain: news


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News Infrastructure maritime industry 01 November 2019
Over 2 months, ship delays in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk almost tripled
According to BlackSea News, vessels going from the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk cannot smoothly pass through the Kerch Strait again — in August and September, the time of average vessel delay almost tripled.
In particular, vessel delay in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk increased 2.4 times for vessels entering the Sea of Azov and 3.2 times for vessels exiting the Sea.
At the same time, vessel delay at the exit from the Kerch Strait was twice as long as the delay at the entry to the Strait.
According to BlackSea News analysts, stormy weather lasted for five days in September and did not significantly affect the process. The storm increased the delays only by 10–12%.
Cargo owners redirected their shipments from the Sea of Azov to the southern ports of Ukraine due to the difficulties caused by the incident between Russia and Ukraine in the Kerch Strait.
As a result, in H1 2019, the Mariupol Sea Port moved from the second down to the fourth position in the ranking of volumes of transshipments of steel companies’ cargoes.
In January to September 2019, transshipments of steel products in the Mariupol Sea Port dropped by 12.9% to 2.8 million tons compared to the same period of 2018. Processing of ore cargo decreased by 70.2% to 12.9 thousand tons.
“Despite the Kerch crisis, the port of Mariupol was and remains a priority for the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority,” said Raivis Veckagans, CEO at USPA, in his interview to GMK Center.
According to Mr Veckagans, USPA is planning to restore the nominal depths in Mariupol and Berdyansk. This will make transshipment in the ports in the Sea of Azov more profitable for cargo owners, and their products more competitive in the global market.


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Expect it to be a year of guarded optimism
- Rs 870 crore money trail: Why the Bhujbals are under scanner
- SC allows 'Make in India' event at Mumbai beach, PM to inaugurate
- Pawar defends Bhujbals, says Fadnavis govt indulging in vendetta politics
- Anupam Kher a great artiste, welcome to visit Pakistan: Abdul Basit
- Indian helicopters helped war against militants in Afghanistan: US General
What can one say about a city which has grown multifold in the last ten years, surpassing the growth rates of all cities in the state, and indeed most cities in the country and the world? The manufacturing sector has remained robust with over a hundred German companies now headquartered in the city and home-grown majors like Bharat Forge, Tata Motors and Bajaj Auto scaling new heights. The IT sector has galloped from a few hundred crores of exports in 2001 to over Rs 30,000 crore and the city's population has probably grown by at least a million, with students and job seekers thronging for their place under the Pune sun.
In 2012, like everywhere else, Pune too showed economic sluggishness. The leading indicator of growth, the capital goods industry has been on a slow track while the automotive sector has held its own, though not at the scorching pace of growth of earlier years. In IT and BPO, there has been a definite slowing of revenue growth; and fresh employment and the slower rate of increments in this and other sectors have also resulted in lower spending on retail ó not a very pretty picture all in all, though the last quarter pickup in the Indian economy does hold out some hope of a near term revival in the fortunes of many firms.
I would expect 2013 to be a year of guarded optimism. Capital investments, at least in the first six months, will be judicious and hiring pickup by summer will be predicated upon a definite revival in the economic fortunes of key sectors. Exporters, depending on the global economy, will be watching America's ride towards the fiscal cliff and Europe's adventures with Greece with considerable trepidation, and domestic manufacturers will look hopefully towards a strong political will and implementation of many announcements that could boost the Indian economy. With the government in more proactive mode since the return of Mr P Chidambaram as Finance Minister, one can expect to see a growth-oriented budget and there are hopes that the Reserve Bank will finally play ball and join hands in the revival of industry fortunes.
- Outcome on Section 377 will depend on composition of the Constitution bench
- Inadequate staff, payment delays undermine MGNREGA in drought-hit Mahabubnagar
- ICDS, the primary scheme targeting malnutrition, needs to be broadened
- Rohith's death must focus attention on the rites of exclusion in the university
- Telescope: State in the bedroom
- The economy is best served by lowering interest rates and blocking protectionism


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NEW YORK – Today’s MPA Digital: Swipe event brought the consumer magazine industry together to focus on what’s next in tablet editions. Paul Verna, senior analyst with eMarketer, framed the conference with a number of stats and reflections on what has transpired in the tablet industry thus far, and what publishers can look forward to as it continues to grow.
By 2014, it’s estimated there will be 89.5 million tablets users in the United States; this represents 27.7 percent of the total population. These users will reportedly generate a content business worth $5.25 billion for the Kindle Fire (though Verna is quick to point out this number does not consist solely of magazine content).
Currently, the iPad (which sold over 3 million units of its third incarnation after its launch last week) makes up 83 percent of the U.S. tablet market. Apple’s tablet business also represents 20 percent of the company’s $9.15 billion revenue stream during the last fiscal quarter.
After the round of current and forecasted numbers, Verna addressed the struggles and opportunities now facing publishers in the digital space. He cited Bob Sauerberg, Conde Nast president, who said of the tablet space, “We have a $15 million business that came out of nowhere, that we didn’t have last year.”
Verna then cited Jann Wenner, famous for founding Rolling Stone and his hesitance to plunge into the digital world, who said, “People’s habits will shift, but you’re talking about a generation, maybe two generations, before the shift is decisive.”
Despite conflicting digital viewpoints, the Apple Newsstand is one facet of the tablet space participating publishers seem to be unanimously benefitting from. Future Publishing’s UK division saw a $1 million increase in new revenue after the Newsstand launch; publishers like Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Bonnier and Hearst are seeing large sales numbers for back and single copy issues.
Verna briefly touched upon the e-commerce opportunity; not only in edit, but in advertising as well. A recent MPA data point that reports 59 percent of surveyed users would like to purchase directly from magazine ads in-app.
To close, Verna left the audience with a number of simple (in theory) takeaways:
• Think of tablets as a new medium – it’s not print, it’s not Web, it’s not mobile.
• Develop for all platforms, but if you must choose, iOS comes first, Android second.
• Your readers will migrate to tablets. Follow them.
• Digital monetization is challenging, but opportunities will increase as device adoption grows and audiences scale.
• Tablets will continue to get better, faster and cheaper. Print won’t.


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Astorg Partners, a French private equity company, and Bridgepoint, an alternative asset fund management company, have announced the acquisition of the Irish fintech company Fenergo Group.
The investment companies have joined the growing list of financial firms that have been investing in the hot fintech space over the last couple of years as the fintech industry has been witnessing exponential growth during this period. The fintech company Finrego has developed a SaaS platform for know your customer and client life cycle management solutions and has been growing strongly due to the recent wave towards digitalization.
It counts Mizuho, Santander, and BNP Paribas as its clients and in the last fiscal year that ended on March 31, it showed an impressive 17% growth in its revenues to $107 million which would have caught the eyes of the investors. The company was founded in 2009 and the recent acquisition has happened by buying out the shares of its founder, Marc Murphy, and a private equity company Insight Partners that had invested into the company in 2015.
“Continued pressure on financial institutions to improve their compliance work, while at the same time managing margins and increased regulation, has created the need for integrated digital solutions that enable reduced operating costs, improve capital allocation and comply with regulations,” explained Bridgepoint’s partner in charge of technology investment activity David Nicault in a statement.
While there have been some big growth in the fintech segment, one of the aspects that the companies seem to be struggling with, is their relationship with the regulators in each region and falling in line with compliance in those. This has been a pretty tough task as it places a lot of cost on the company and also in many regions, it hinders innovation as the regulation are unable to keep pace with the fast developments that happen in the industry. Also, the companies struggle with the different compliance procedures in different regions and this places a lot of pressure on their growth.
This is the reason why compliance and regulatory companies that help other firms be in line with the regulations as they expand to new regions are always in demand. This helps the fintech companies to focus on their growth and leave the regulatory headache to the third-party companies that are experts in this field and hence save a lot of time and money as well. It is for this reason why the products from Finergo have been in demand over the last couple of years and Astorg and Bridgepoint would believe that this would be the case going forward as well.


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On July 13, Tai'an municipal government released a four-year plan (2017-2020) for its tourism reform that aimed to make the city's total tourism consumption reach 100 billion yuan, accounting for 25 percent of the city's GDP.
Goals of short-medium-long terms
Goals of short term (2017-2018): To continue the steady development of tourism economy. By 2018, the total amount of tourism consumption will reach 80 billion yuan, forming a four-function-in-one industrial mode integrating tours, holiday relaxation, cultural experiences and commercial exhibitions. It will build a new pattern for tourism development with a vivid brand image, rich leisure products, improved service functions and harmonious relationship between tourists and tourism business runners.
Goals of medium term (2019-2020)
To fully complete the overall transformation of the tourism industry. By 2020, the total amount of tourism consumption will reach 100 billion yuan, accounting for 25 percent of the city's GDP and 45 percent of service industry's added value; rural tourism revenue will account for more than 30 percent of total tourism revenue; tourism-driven employment will account for more than 20 percent of the total social employment. Tourism will become Tai'an's pillar industry in the national economic system.
Goals of long term (2021-2025)
To realize tourism's internationalization, quality-orientation and intelligent development and build tourist resort in Tai'an suitable for living, touring and doing business, making the city a globally influential and attractive place to attract international and domestic tourists.
Improvements on core scenic area
Tai'an will integrate the idea of tourism development into national economy, social development, urban and rural construction, land utilization and ecological environment protection.
The plan will make improve the core scenic area, build Taishan Mountain into a scenic spot for sightseeing, leisure, religious tourism and heritage tourism. By 2020, the annual reception capacity of Taishan Mountain scenic spot is expected to reach 10 million people and the income is expected to reach two billion yuan.
Reform of supply front for tourism products
Tai'an will speed up the reconstruction of old urban areas and the restoration of the ancient city, digging out the history and culture of the city. It will construct cultural block integrated with history, culture, shopping and sightseeing. The city will build new urban area with resort hotels, entertainment, lakeside landscape and health care center. It will focus on the construction of blocks for food and accommodation.
Tai'an will actively promote the integration of tourism with industrialization, modern agriculture, cultural industry, health industry, information industry, sport industry and education industry.


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JPMorgan Chase, the largest US bank
by market capitalisation, has introduced an innovative mortgage
cash-back programme offering customers the chance to recoup a
portion of their annual home loan payments either in the form of a
cash rebate or a reduction on loan payments.
The programme, which applies to customers with
a Chase mortgage who arrange for monthly payments to be deducted
from their Chase current account, will return 1 percent of
customers’ scheduled monthly principal and interest mortgage
The offer will be rolled out under the Chase
Exclusives brand, which also offers eligible customers a series of
rewards programmes and other loan discounts.
“Chase Exclusives make a Chase checking
account a smart choice for consumers because we provide special
offers on mortgage, credit cards, savings accounts and debit
cards,” said Michael Cleary, chief marketing officer for Chase


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The Spanish company is expanding its offering with the launch of its "Active" capsule collection, featuring accessible pieces designed for yoga and meditation, which aim to inspire the brand's community to get moving.
With Covid-19 forcing brands and influencers to take on a more responsible role in relation to consumers, a recent study from Launchmetrics analyses the future of the sector and highlights top quarantine trends.
H&M, Uniqlo, Gap and Starbucks among others have taken measures to deal with the coronavirus outbreak in China, closing several branches in the Wuhan area and, in some cases, elsewhere in the country too.
Inditex continued to go from strength to strength in the latest quarter and first nine months of its financial year as its omnichannel strategy and focus on stores in the best locations paid off for all brands.
Zara continues to be the group’s largest brand, while Stradivarius and Uterqüe are the fastest-growing formats. FashionNetwork.com takes an in depth look at brand performance and Inditex’s long-term vision.


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Published on Sunday, 16 June 2013 21:33
Coca-Cola factory in Hmawbi Township, Yangon (Photo - EMG)
Giant soft-drink producer Coca-Cola, which recently re-entered Myanmar, is planning to expand the production lines in its Myanmar factory before the end of this year, said Aung Win, Commercial Director of Pinya Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Coca-Cola is a joint venture with Pinya Manufacturing Co. Ltd from Myanmar.
“At present, our production line is short. If we manufacture a product, we have to halt another product. So we will expand the factory and we are negotiating how many production lines should be expanded,” Aung Win explained.
World famous soft-drink and beverage producer, Coca-Cola will invest US$200 million in Myanmar. It will create more than 20,000 jobs, according to Coca-Cola on June 4 when they launched their products in Myanmar.
The expansion is a part of the investment plan for coming five years.
The company is distributing its two famous brands Coca-Cola and Sprite in Myanmar. The drinks are packed in plastic bottles, glass bottles and aluminum cans, which are labeled in local language.
Coca-Cola has dominated the global soft drink industry since the 20th century. Its most brands include Diet Coke, Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola, Diet Coke Caffeine-Free, Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Vanilla, and special cokes with lemon, lime or coffee. The company also produces Sparkling, ready-made coffee and beverages.
Pinya Manufacturing Co. Ltd. is a leading soft drink and beverage maker in Myanmar. It has already sold hundreds of millions of soft drink bottles, according to the beverages market reports.
Business Latest News
- Myanmar's clothing industry promises growth
- Myanmar businesses accuse construction firms of tax evasion
- Over 140 joint ventures in Myanmar's growing oil and gas sector
- Hin Leong Group to expand business in Myanmar
- SingTel and partners to create job opportunities
- China's Huawei to work with Myanmar state-owned telecom
- KIA Motors to open new showrooms in Myanmar
- UK Trade Minister stresses 4 hindrances for investments in Myanmar
- Coca-Cola to expand Myanmar factory in 2013
- Sixteen companies granted to operate the garment industry with CMP system


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The Colorado marijuana industry has now resulted in more than $1 billion in revenue for the state, the Colorado Department of Revenue announced this week.
Revenue from marijuana taxes, licenses and fees hit just over $1.02 billion, according to the department's latest monthly report.
Marijuana sales have hit a total of $6.56 billion , an average of more than $1 billion per year since marijuana sales began in 2014. Colorado has 2,917 licensed marijuana businesses and 41,076 people who are licensed to work in the industry.
Marijuana tax revenue – which goes toward an array of state services, including educational programs and health and human services – has grown each year since 2014, when about $67 million was collected. That number jumped to $130 million in 2015; $193 million in 2016; $247 million in 2017 and $266 million in 2018.
This year, through May, the marijuana revenue is at more than $111 million.


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Midsize sedans have long been a dependable, versatile choice for daily commutes. As automakers continue to realize the popularity of the midsize class, they are sure to put their best foot forward with constant innovation and improvement. While the competition heats up year after year, the 2015 Ford Fusion near Portland ME continues to evolve to remain one of the most popular choices in the class. Now, Maine car shoppers will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the latest edition of the Fusion at Wiscasset Ford.
The first shipment of Ford Fusions marked the first 2015 sedans on the Wiscasset Ford lot. The Fusion joins 2015 Super Duty pickup trucks and utility vehicles as the latest arrivals from the new model year.
Despite no substantial changes to its platform or powertrain offerings, Ford was sure to add new features to the 2015 Fusion to deliver even better value for midsize sedan shoppers. Among those new features is a standard rearview camera, which is more common as a standard feature in luxury sedans. Additionally, the MyFord Touch multimedia interface has become more robust in recent years, and with continuous upgrades, is among the most intuitive systems available. reporter by Dailyreleased.
As one of the few midsize sedans with available all-wheel drive, the 2015 Ford Fusion is more capable than most of its competitors when it comes to winter driving. And with a number of turbocharged, direct-injection EcoBoost engines, premier fuel-economy ratings don’t come at the expense of power.
Interested parties can find Wiscasset Ford’s selection of 2015 Ford Fusion models at www.wiscassetford.com.


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The digital era is colored with diverse technologies. Some of which you may have often heard is wearable devices, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), to the Internet of Things (IOT).
It also fueled the growth of mobile applications in the world. However, the research institute Gartner assess the presence of diverse technologies mentioned above will have a major impact on the business. For the financial problems you can see it in overnight personal loans.
As reported by Cellular-News, Saturday (06/02/2016), at a session in the event that took place in Sydney, Australia, Gartner Research Vice President, Brian Blau, uncovering five (5) consumer technology that will positively affect their business scope in next few years.
- Augmented and Virtual Reality
On the mat Consumers Electronic Show (CES) some time ago, Google and Microsoft reveal the use of AR and VR technology to extend the experience to other devices, such as smartphones.
Although VR greater adoption in the consumer segment, the enterprise seems to be more adopted the AR. “The potential for wider user experience to make the employment situation will be bound and opens the door to behavioral change,” said Blau.
For example, the logistics company DHL has improved warehouse operations by utilizing wearable devices and AR. Use of the device Head mounted displays (HMDS) will replace the use of hand-held scanners and paper making it more efficient.
- Virtual Personal Assistant
Applications will still be there in the future given the growing mobile ecosystem in the world. However, the use of the application will be more interactive and integrated.
In the future, applications can provide reports to the user through a personal virtual assistant. The user interface of your device will appear more seamlessly with a variety of content.
In addition to the consumer segment, the virtual assistant will have a positive impact on the business because they will have easier access to applications, data, or content.
Internet of Things
- Sensor Internet of Things (IOT)
In 2021, there will be one million devices based on IOT purchased every hour of every day. This new device will open up new opportunities for the other business segments. For example, the maintenance of which is predictable by using a device that is not requiring human intervention (autonomous). Gartner predicts 6 billion devices connected to each other in 2018.
- Wearable Device
The use of a display device and a camera mounted on the head, the sensor, until other smart devices will expand the product segments wearable device market. Smartwatch will become common devices like cell phones and the platform will push will drive enterprise adoption.
Gartner estimates that the sale of wearable device per year will reach 227 million in 2020, up from 88 million this year.
- Camera and Vision Technology
In 2016 and 2017, Gartner estimates that the camera will be a priority for the feature phone vendors. Some of the features of the camera will be the trend this year is auto focus, wide-angle lens, and a multi-lens.
Actually, the camera feature development will provide a new experience in communication. For example, use the camera as a digital assistant at a retail outlet.
The camera can identify people from the face and voice on a wide range of channels and partners, so as to enhance the in-store experience.
In addition, the high consumption of video on mobile devices in the consumer segment would create a different experience for the working environment. Multi lensa and 360 degree camera can be utilized on the needs of Internet communications for remote meetings.


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EOS huge proponent and Block.One CEO, Brendan Blumer is confronted for his statement on Bitcoin earlier last month.
Brendan Blumer, the CEO of Block.One, an EOS-based blockchain solutions provider made some comments regarding Bitcoin during the 4th annual DC Blockchain Summit 2019 earlier last month.
He started by commending the first and largest cryptocurrency for being “fundamentally transformative” when it comes to reforming the traditional financial transactions along with the existing limitations.
Having said that, he considered that Bitcoin is expensive if “annual inflation from block rewards is considered”, which he estimated to be around $50-$100 per transaction.
He also mentioned about the 3 transactions per second (TPS) limitation that the Bitcoin network has, calling it as “huge scaling limitations”, as reported by Cryptoslate.
His statement received comments from a Twitter user, which probably just watched the recorded session.
User @vakeraj claimed Blumer of spewing “lie after lie in service of his scam, EOS”, which unfortunately the interviewers were not technically-savvy enough to “pushback”.
The major EOS proponent responded by saying that he also loves Bitcoin, but it “won’t make it fast or cheap”.
He also referred to EOS as the “complainer” mentioned about it by saying, “#EOS isn’t designed to compete with Bitcoin, it’s optimized for different use cases.”
I love #Bitcoin too, but that won’t make it fast or cheap— Brendan Blumer (@BrendanBlumer) April 7, 2019
Bitcoin has everything it needs to succeed, and I think in time it will become the largest store of value in the world#EOS isn’t designed to compete with Bitcoin, it’s optimized for different use cases
Putting the bickering aside, Blumer's blockchain, EOS just achieved a new milestone recently, which is setting a new record for the number of "actions" processed in one day. The network sucessfully handled over 80 million in the 24h period, which averages at over 800 per second.
In the meantime, the crypto market has been looking good in the last couple of days. Many believe it is at the edge of the next bull run.


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Norway puts more pressure on Apple over iTunes DRM
Norway’s Consumer Ombudsman Bjoern Erik Thon is keeping his pledge to put more pressure on Apple to cut the DRM tie between its iPod models and music downloads from the iTunes download store. The consumer mediator gave Apple a November 3rd deadline back in September this year, and now that the deadline has passed without Apple making enough effort (in the Ombudsman’s opinion), it may face being brought before a government agency.
“iTunes has shown a lacking will to comply with our demand and we are now preparing to try this case in the Market Council,” Consumer Ombudsman Bjoern Erik Thon said in a statement. Back in 2006, Norway was among the world’s first countries to take issue with Apple’s FairPlay DRM, which while protecting music, also created a tie between hardware made by Apple and digital downloads it sells.
Apple responded to the pressure by providing certain information to its customers including a workaround that includes burning copy protected music to a CD with iTunes and then ripping to standard unprotected digital audio, which will work with pretty much all MP3 players on the market.
“iTunes maintains its previous views in its response to the Consumer Ombudsman. The company is in other words unwilling to make changes to make music in the iTunes Store available to all music players,” the agency said in its statement. Whether or not Apple will cave to the pressure remains to be seen.


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Americana Restaurants International, the operator of KFC and Pizza Hut restaurant brands in the Middle East and North Africa, has secured approval from the Saudi financial regulatory authority for concurrent and dual listing in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The company has received approval from Saudi’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) to sell 2.53 billion shares, representing 30% of the share capital.
With this approval, Americana Restaurants will become the first company to trade in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia exchanges.
Americana is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) as well as an investment consortium led by Emaar Properties founder Mohammed Alabbar, Reuters reported.
The restaurant company will publish its prospectus and prospectus supplement before the commencement of the subscription period.
In a statement, the Capital Market Authority said: “It is worth noting that this dual offering is the first of its kind in the Saudi Capital Market, and the decision to subscribe to foreign companies may involve high risk that require examining the number of regulations and instructions related to Saudi Capital Market and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.
“Therefore, investors should carefully read the prospectus and prospectus supplement, which include detailed information on the company, the offering and risk factors.”
In August, Americana Restaurants entered a master franchise agreement with Peet’s Coffee to launch coffee bar operations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, Zawya reported.
It agreed to launch Peet’s in the UAE in the fourth quarter of the year.


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Looks like Apple has mastered monopolistic modus operandi -- that won't be particularly helpful as credible iTunes competitors gain momentum...
Apple said in a press release that the dispute over price came after the iPod maker "declined to pay more than double the wholesale price for each NBC TV episode."
This, according to Apple, would have boosted the per-episode price of NBC shows on iTunes from $1.99 to $4.99. The move by Apple is an attempt to preempt a possible NBC pullout when their contract ends in December.
"Since NBC would withdraw their shows in the middle of the television season, Apple has decided to not offer NBC TV shows for the upcoming television season beginning in September," Apple said in its statement.


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Tags: Navistar CEO resigns
Daniel Ustian, president, chairman, and CEO of Navistar, is stepping down, the Lisle, Ill.-based company announced this morning. Navistar’s board of directors has appointed Lewis Campbell, former chairman, president, and CEO of Textron Inc., executive chairman of the board of ...
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2 Top UK Shares I’d Buy In January And Hold Until 2030
These two UK shares are set to release robust trading updates shortly. Here I explain why I’d buy them today and hold them for years to come.
Irish eyes are smiling
Many expected the economic impact of Covid-19 to have a devastating impact upon the housing market in the British Isles. So severe is the homes shortage in the UK and Ireland, however, that demand for newbuild properties continued to rip higher in 2020, and are likely to keep doing so in the new year.
It’s a phenomenon I expect Glenveagh Properties to mention when it releases its full-year trading statement on Wednesday, January 6. The Irish builder’s last update in early September certainly gave plenty of reason for cheer. It said that “continued strong demand from our private customers” helped private reservation rates whizz 213% higher in the third quarter.
The homes shortage that is powering profits at the likes of Glenveagh is here to stay. It’s why this particular builder recently increased its 2022 to 2024 production targets by 2,650 units. And it’s why I’d buy the Dublin firm and hold it through to the end of the decade at least. Today the firm trades on a low forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 2 times. And this makes it a steal in my book.
An e-commerce giant
THG Holdings (or The Hut Group as it’s more familiarly known) is another UK share worth keeping an eye on. The e-retailer is set to release fourth-quarter trading numbers on Tuesday, January 12. And I’m expecting it to announce that sales continued to detonate during the festive period.
In early December THG — whose brands include Zavvi, Christophe Robin and GLOSSYBOX — said that new active customers soared 74% year on year in November, to 1.7m, helped by Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Soaring customer demand across its divisions prompted it to supercharge its sales guidance for the fourth quarter of 2020, too. Growth of between 40% and 45% was now expected, it said, up from a previous estimate of 16% to 25%.
MORE FOR YOU
I’m not just excited by the proven power of THG’s acquisition-led growth strategy, though. I’m also encouraged by the pace at which its THG Ingenuity online e-commerce platform is being adopted by online retailers and fast-moving consumer goods (or FMCG) companies all over the globe. New contracts for the use of its technology have been signed with Microsoft MSFT , Warner Bros and Jack Wills amongst others in recent months.
THG’s shares traded at 500p per share at the time of its IPO in September. They are already more than 60% more expensive and as I type are trading at new record highs around 805p. I reckon that upcoming trading statement of next week could provide the share price with a fresh dose of rocket fuel too.


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Diverse food systems protect against supply backups
By Will Robinson, Brownfield
November 19, 2020
A University of Missouri rural sociology professor says the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted issues in the food chain.
Mary Hendrickson said the top four food processors in the U.S. make up more than 50 percent of the market.
“This concentration has real impacts for farmers,” Hendrickson said. “So, what we’ve seen in the last few decades, the last three decades, we’ve seen the number of farms decrease and we’ve seen the scale of those farms increase.”
She said in the last 33 years, the average swine farm went from managing 2,500 pigs to over 50,000 now and dairy farms went from 80 cows to 1,300. Hendrickson says because of consolidation in the food market, shutters in the supply chain, like packer shutdowns, are more extreme.
Hendrickson said to solve this, the organization of production and consumption needs to be rethought...


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It’s Day 4 already?
Before we dive into today’s happenings, let’s take a look back at Wednesday including the big night at the Majestic Theatre.
Shama Hyder, founder and CEO of Zen Media, emphasized marketing in the digital age in her Wednesday afternoon session and how to get information across to the connected consumer that is already inundated with information.
“Marketing is the oldest legal profession in the world,” Hyder said, after showing an excavated picture of Pompeii, where fisherman wrote that their fish was fresher than their competitors.
“Your customers aren’t comparing you to your competitors. They’re comparing you to the overall experience they have with everything else.”
“I really want you to start thinking about social media’s true definition which is this: people are now the media.”
She followed this statement with examples such as Yelp or Rotten Tomatoes, which are reliant on user’s reviews and thoughts that thus influence other consumers in their decisions.
On being more innovative than one’s competitors, Hyder said that doesn’t matter in the age of shopping ease with companies such as Amazon.
“Your customers aren’t comparing you to your competitors. They’re comparing you to the overall experience they have with everything else,” she said.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings presented the community with a challenge during the State of Entrepreneurship Wednesday night. He encouraged the Majestic Theatre audience to continue supporting each other and attracting talent to the area.
“We have the DNA for startups.”
Mayor Mike Rawlings
“Someone once said to the preacher ‘why you preaching to the choir?’ And he said ‘because I need them to sing.’ So, I need you guys to sing about the startup community here and what is happening,” Rawlings said.
That is, let others know about all the successes local entrepreneurs have experienced. Rawlings called out notables such as SoftLayer’s multibillion-dollar exit, rewardStyle’s impact in the retail realm, and OrderMyGear’s recent $35 million raise.
“We have the DNA for startups. You are starting to see it pay off,” Rawlings said.
The night also included an announcement of the Dallas finalists for the upcoming Rise of the Rest pitch contest and the awarding of the second Startup Evangelist of the Year, which went to fashion entrepreneur Leah Frazier. You can read more about her startup journey here.
Thursday led off with a session delving into blockchain’s use in health care and events giving tips in SEO, influencer marketing, and legal issues.
RevTech took over the lunch hour and more with its signature Tech Trends in Retail event at Neiman Marcus.
“Physical retail isn’t dying; boring retail is dying.”
Before breaking out into pitch presentations Jonathan Fine, RevTech director of business development, had a message for the crowd: “Physical retail isn’t dying; boring retail is dying.”
Pitches included: Katerina Axelsson of Bottlefly; Justin Stewart of Cherry Pick AI; Reza Raji of Xenio Systems; and Matt Alexander of Neighborhood Goods.
After all of the pitches, the audience texted in votes for their favorite pitch. Axelsson won for her business which implements technology in stores to generate recommendations for wine and other products.
“Technology is changing the way we buy everything. Across all industries, retailers are using technology to personalize the retail experience,” she said.
Still to come today are sessions on fashion and beauty tech, esports lifestyle, and education entrepreneurship. Plus, don’t miss Art House Exchange beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Then, you can rest up for the final day of offerings.
ICYMI: #DSW18 on Twitter
Meeting so many awesome startup people out at @DFWStartupWeek this week! #community #DSW18 #DFW #Texas @kelskamin @ChicagoGupta @raedchang @TheLeahFrazier @digitalrobert @courtneygdaily @MobyPixel @amirrajan pic.twitter.com/08uLher9pp
— Young Startup Pro's (@YSPDFW) April 5, 2018
#Dallas Mayor @Mike_Rawlings: #Startups Are Setting the Tone for the City #SOE18 #DSW18 Read more: https://t.co/lRPG81Fa6s pic.twitter.com/LfncDZTIOE
— Danielle Abril (@DanielleDigest) April 5, 2018
Akilah has a challenge for ya'll… Give more than you did last year. ♥ @BlackDFWGives #DSW18 #giving #socialgood pic.twitter.com/QmbdCtKRsl
— Isabel Prosper (@IsabelProsper) April 5, 2018
Your #giving can be #magnified by #collective giving. #dallasstartupweek #DSW18 #chasebasecamp pic.twitter.com/ztMiGZrFc3
— Prisma Garcia (@IrishLatina09) April 5, 2018
"There is no industry untouched by #influencers,"@ohsocynthia #DSW18 @DFWStartupWeek
— Embark (@embarkdallas) April 5, 2018
We've got a packed house for our "Ask an Investor" panel at #chasebasecamp for #dfwstartupweek! We've got @IntelisCapital, @InterlockVC, @SVB_Financial, and @TECHFortWorth represented! #dsw18 #dsw18capitalfunding pic.twitter.com/6smjQ4s9Ze
— Tech Wildcatters (@techwildcatters) April 5, 2018
Thanks #Dallas Mayor @Mike_Rawlings for spotlighting @GS10KSmallBiz and #10ksbGrad @CocoAndre Chocolatier at last night's #stateofentrepreneurship event. Your continued support resonated with #10ksb alum in attendance. #MakeSmallBig #SOE#18 #DSW18 #womenleaders #entrepreneurs https://t.co/fDGS3U6yJC
— 10ksbDCCCD (@10ksbDCCCD) April 5, 2018
The ladies of @CapitalFactory and @theDECtx at ‘Tech Trends in Retail 2018’ Session hosted by @REVTECHVentures!! #fam #DSW18 @DFWStartupWeek @catherinecole @kelskamin @kmleiber pic.twitter.com/7EpHxfL75j
— Rachel Chang (@raedchang) April 5, 2018
Last @DFWStartupWeek Education event is TONIGHT! Don’t miss Big Ideas in Education Entrepreneurship at Mac’s Southside from 5:30-7, featuring @MaggieRieth, principals from @IgniteDISD and @marshprep, @dmonaco, @JonathanSchick1, @GatewayGO, and Arts Mission Oak Cliff. #DSW18
— Ashley Bryan Flores (@ashbryanflores) April 5, 2018
Dallas Startup Week 2018: Day 1 Roundup
The Future of IoT Rests on Putting the Puzzle Pieces Together
Startup Week Launch Party: Scenes from the Longhorn Ballroom
Dallas Startup Week 2018: Day 2 Roundup
Experts: Choose an Accelerator or Incubator That Fits Your Startup’s Goals
Business of Social: Bringing the Entrepreneurial Mindset into Nonprofits
Dallas Startup Week 2018: Day 3 Roundup
Startup Evangelist of the Year:‘FashionPreneur’ Leah Frazier Helps Make ‘Other People’s Dreams Come True’
Dallas Finalists Named for Rise of the Rest Pitch
IN THE NEWS
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings: Startups Are Setting the Tone for the City
Why Championing Corporate Diversity Isn’t Enough
Panelists from Baylor Scott & White, UT Southwestern, and Children’s Weigh In On Hospital Innovation
STILL PLANNING YOUR WEEK?
Check the official schedule here to sign up for events.


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|| Print ||
|On the Scene|
|Tuesday, April 06, 2010|
BY KEVIN MANAHAN
Social networking can take place on everything from YouTube to the iPhone. The amount of time consumers spent on it tripled in 2009; 56% of Americans want companies to be involved with it; and 85% of social media users are expecting companies to interact with them using it. In short, you need social networks.
“You have to have an investment,” said Eric Peterson of Web Analytics Demystified. “If you don’t get on the social train, you’ll fall behind.”
“If you’re in fear of these grassroots people, you’re not alone,” Ripley Feller said. “I’ve talked to a lot of executives who fear social media because they think it’s going to jump from grassroots to adoption [without testing first].” So Ripley Feller said it’s important to slowly test different strategies to see which ones your audience responds to the most.
“We needed to move faster,” Kenny said. “We needed to break down the walls, and break out of some of that bad DNA, and the only way we were going to do that was to knock down some of the walls of communication. And the only way to do that was with social business software.”
Kevin Manahan is the online editor for Oregon Business.
|The List: 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon|
|Run, Nick, Run|
|100 Best Nonprofits: Working for equality inside and out|
|One Tough Mayor|
|Keep Pendleton Weird|
|Cream of the Crop|
|Portland State campus security to carry guns|
|Twitter's Steve Jobs?|
|American Apparel files for Ch. 11|
|Hiring report disappoints|
|Phil Knight memoir: Coming spring 2016|
|2 out of 5 millennials pay for their news|
|Oregon's graying workforce|
Engaging employees and customers along the way.
After first visiting as tourists, entrepreneurs relocate to Oregon and spur economic growth.


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In the year of its 50th anniversary Automobili Lamborghini is presenting an extremely exclusive model at the Geneva Motor Show 2013. Only three unique units of the Lamborghini Veneno will be built and sold. Its design is consistently focused on optimum aerodynamics and cornering stability, giving the Veneno the real dynamic experience of a racing prototype, yet it is fully homologated for the road.… Continue reading
Lamborghini has announced a new GT3 motorsport program. The long-term agreement will commence with a new car for the 2013 and 2014 seasons: the Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 FL2, developed by Reiter Engineering in cooperation with Lamborghini’s R&D motorsport department.
Based on the new Gallardo MY13, a focus of the new GT3 FL2′s development is on long-distance performance and includes ’24-hour’ brakes, improved engine cooling and reduced fuel consumption.… Continue reading
The performance tweaks include a carbon fiber airbox, remapped ECU and a stainless steel exhaust system with adjustable valves. As a result, the V12 6.5-liter normally-aspirated engine now develops 777 hp (579 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque, up from the standard 690 hp (515 kW) and 509 lb-ft (690 Nm).… Continue reading
Automobili Lamborghini presents the new Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster: the most exciting series production Lamborghini ever built and the new benchmark in the world of open-top luxury super sports cars.
On the heels of the successful coupe introduced in Summer 2011, and with over 1,300 units already delivered to customers, the House of the Raging Bull is now offering the convertible version of the Aventador, a vehicle that perfectly balances the ultimate driving experience with the ultimate in sports car sophistication.
Underground Racing has created the most powerful and fastest Lamborghini Gallardo ever. What is more, the sports car is street legal. … Continue reading
When it comes to Lamborghinis, DMC has been able to establish itself on the list of tuners that know how to tame the Bull from St’Agata. So it comes to no surprise that they are among the first, to present a styling kit for the brand new Aventador: The “Molto Veloce” Styling and Performance Kit.… Continue reading


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By now, you fully understand that having a mobile website is essential to your local search success. However, do you know what your mobile site should look like or what kinds of features it should have? In more general terms, do you know what mobile users want from your site?
As reported by Adam Stetzer of Search Engine Watch, the experts at HubShout recently did a study in which they polled 450 mobile users about their mobile-browsing habits. Their intent was to find out exactly what consumers are looking for in a mobile site.
Their findings were not shocking. According to the study, 94% of mobile users have used their phones to search for local businesses at some point. Of those people, 61% search for local businesses frequently or daily. Obviously, this proves what we and every other online marketer have been saying for the past couple of years: Mobile search optimization is crucial for local businesses.
But we already know this. Those stats are just the jumping-off point to demonstrate the large number of customers you would be neglecting if you didn’t incorporate the following pieces of information:
- 93% of users use a smartphone, which means drop-down menus and click-to-call capabilities are significant.
- 88% of users want to see business hours displayed clearly.
- 85% of users want to see a phone number clearly (with a click-to-call option being a plus).
- 82% of users want to see an address and/or driving directions easily.
- 70% of users want to see product pricing.
- 67% of users want to see a product/service menu.
As you can see, mobile users aren’t looking for a flashy presentation. They just want to find your company’s basic information quickly and easily (i.e. without much navigation). This is because mobile users are performing local searches on the go more often than not.
If mobile users don’t see the info they need right away or get annoyed because they have to zoom in to read text, they’re likely to navigate back to the search page and look for another site. So if your mobile site doesn’t meet the above criteria, you could be driving your customers straight to the competition.
Check out the full article over on Search Engine Watch to see all of the study’s findings and corresponding charts.


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Dallas — Since the Army & Air Force Exchange Service welcomed home all honorably discharged Veterans to ShopMyExchange.com one year ago, more than 62,000 Veterans have used their new benefit to save on low-cost, name-brand merchandise while also saving nearly $3.4 million in sales tax.
“In its first year, the Veterans online shopping benefit has brought significant savings to all whoraised their right hand and vowed to defend our Nation,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, a Vietnam-era Army Veteran who worked to secure the change in Department of Defense policy to give all honorably discharged Veterans shopping privileges at military exchanges online. “This benefit acknowledges sacrifices and makes a real difference to them and their families.”
Since Veterans Day 2017, Veterans have been eligible to shop their military exchanges online tax-free for life. Veterans have placed more than 200,000 tax-free orders at ShopMyExchange.com, which offers more than 2 million items—including name brands—with military-exclusive pricing.
With 100 percent of Exchange earnings supporting the military community including Quality-of-Life programs like Army Child Development Centers and fitness centers and Air Force Outdoor Recreation activities, Veterans are reconnecting to the military community, remaining Soldiers and Airmen for life.
“The Exchange helps save money, and we feel good about it,” said Matthew Garnes, an Army Veteran from Bluffton, S.C., who served in the Army Reserve from 2010 to 2014. “Everyone is on a budget, and this is a great way to save a couple bucks and give back to those who are still serving.”
Garnes and his wife, Carissa, shop at ShopMyExchange.com for everything from name-brand clothing and electronics to coffee and gifts for family.
“We have our dog food on an online subscription,” Garnes said. “I don’t even have to carry it out of the store.”
Michael Beaudoin, from Concord, N.H., appreciates the benefit, saying it serves as a thank-you for his time in Army.
“I served from 1975 to 1978,” he said. “Because I didn’t retire, I didn’t get any benefits. It’s huge to be able to shop with the Exchange again.”
Beaudoin volunteers with Pease Greeters, a group that welcomes troops home from deployment at Portsmouth (N.H.) International Airport. He connects with other Veterans and reminds them they are welcomed home to ShopMyExchange.com.
“We had a Korean War Veteran who wasn’t aware he could shop online,” he said. “I walked him through it. I love spreading the word about this.”
Veterans can determine their eligibility to shop at ShopMyExchange.com/veterans.


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In the first installment of ClickZ’s video series with David Edelman, the McKinsey partner and global co-leader of digital marketing strategy shared his thoughts on how digital is changing brands’ marketing approach to the consumer experience.
Technological advances are providing more opportunities for consumers to interact with brands. But at the same time, they are creating marketing disruptions.
“Today everyone talks about digital as disruptive,” Edelman tells ClickZ at a financial marketing conference.
He explains that in the digital age, customer decision journeys have led to two big changes on the marketing front. The first change is that brands armed with quality content are becoming increasingly influential even without large advertising budgets. The second change is that brands are forced to rethink their overall budget allocation; instead of heavily focusing on brand advertising and purchase promotions, brands must look more holistically at the whole customer journey.
Taking a step back, what does “digital” mean, exactly? What are the marketing disruptions Edelman has been seeing? And how do these disruptions change financial marketing specifically?
Watch the video below to hear what Edelman had to say.
Facebook isn't just the world's largest social network. In the past two years, it has also become one of the world's most popular online destinations for consuming video content.
In 2015, Verizon purchased AOL for $4.4 billion. Now, the mega wireless carrier is leveraging its wireless network as part of a new ad offering called BrandBuilder by AOL.
As the ball drops on December 31st, make sure your media strategies are stacked with timely resolutions to make the most of 2017.
Easily spotted on the mobile web: holiday ad next to plane crash story; Muslim dating ad next to KKK story; beauty ad next to domestic violence story; car ad next to emissions scandal story.


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Hair Across America
Great clips Regional Cos., the Minneapolis-based master franchisee of Great Clips Inc. in Minneapolis, is shearing its way through the Northwest in an expansion effort that will take its motto of giving a "great cut, every time, everywhere" to more cities nationwide.
Great Clips Regional became a master franchisee in 1992 in Seattle and Portland, Oregon, two of its fastest-growing markets to date. Three years later, the company made its way into Northern California where, by the end of 1997, it had opened 61 salons.
"We estimate that within [the Northwest], we have about a 1,200- to 1,500-store potential, and we're starting to reach that potential," says Great Clips Regional president Terry Eubanks. The company plans to use its Northwest development rights to expand even further into Northern California, including San Francisco, Sacramento and smaller surrounding cities; Reno and Lake Tahoe, Nevada; Idaho; Oregon; Washington; Montana; Wyoming; and Alberta and British Columbia. By year-end, Eubanks expects the regional company to have increased its current count of 206 salons to approximately 260.
Expansion efforts were prompted by an increasing consumer demand for affordable salons in the Northwest. "We're a convenience-oriented business, so we have to be where the consumers are," says Eubanks. By offering the "best cut available for a very favorable price" at convenient locations, Eubanks hopes to make Great Clips a cut above the competition.
Great Clips Regional Cos., (510) 713-2300, ext. 326


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- This is Guiyang
- Media Center
The APEC workshop on inclusive digital society is held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Guiyang, Guizhou province. [Photo by Chen Peng/For chinadaily.com.cn]
An APEC workshop on an inclusive digital society unfolded on Tuesday and Wednesday in Guiyang, Guizhou province, in a bid to discuss the role of digital technologies in eradicating poverty.
The two-day event established its purpose the sharing of experience in poverty alleviation and suggestions for improved living standards through the digital economy.
Sharing digital dividends, bridging the digital divide and further developing an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future through the digital economy would be discussed in the next symposiums, according to Qi Xiaoxia, director of the Global Cooperation Department of the State Internet Information Office.


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Jim Greer doesn’t know how many pieces of Steelers memorabilia he has in his restaurant, but he remembers how it first started.
“I used to wear Steelers sweatshirts and hats and stuff, I still do,” Greer said. “It was a little truck. An old couple brought me a Steelers (toy) truck and I put it out there and it snowballed from there.”
After 38 years of business, Sweet Treet in Kingston is covered from floor to ceiling in memorabilia, from hats to photographs, footballs, stuffed animals and bobble heads.
“Ninety-five percent of what’s in the restaurant has been given to me by customers,” Greer added.
The breakfast and lunch joint is open seven days a week and is especially known for its extreme breakfast deals: $2.19 for a full breakfast, which includes two eggs, toast and cottage fries.
Another special, the early bird, gives you the same including bacon for only $3.99.
The cottage fries, Greer said, are what people love most. It’s not the potatoes, but the special seasoning added in that is the diner’s secret. He said the restaurant goes through about 300 lbs of potatoes each week.
Before they served affordable breakfast food, Sweet Treet was an ice cream parlor when it first opened in April 1977, hence the name. The original name of the restaurant was Sweet Treet Ice Cream Parlor and Sandwich Shoppee — Greer’s wife liked the double E’s.
“The weather started changing and I knew I would have starved to death if I continued selling just ice cream,” Greer explained. A local breakfast place across the street from Sweet Treet closed down and that’s when Greer decided to fill in the hole and sell breakfast.
There were about seven or eight restaurants within a block and a half of Sweet Treet when they first opened, but Greer said there is not much competition around him now, spare the fast food chains like Burger King and McDonald’s.
“The restaurant business is probably one of the hardest,” Greer explained. “I think it has like, an 100 percent fatality rate. Something like 100,000 restaurants open a year and 100,000 close a year. Not the same ones, but still.”
But Greer has been working in the food industry since he was 14 years old, from working as a mess sergeant to working for the big food chain, Dutch Pantry.
“It’s like second nature to me,” he said. “Dealing with the public is probably the hardest part, increasing prices is hard. As anyone who goes to the grocery stores they know prices are rising, and people ask why I have to charge a little more.”
When asked if he had any plans for the future of the restaurant?
“Just keep it going. I have to keep it going for my people,” he said.


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London-based cryptocurrency startup bvnk has closed a $40m (£32. 8m) funding spherical at a $340m (£262m) valuation. The series a spherical turned into led through tiger international, with participation from the Raba partnership, Avenir, Kingsway capital, Northstar, concentric, base capital and a bunch of angel buyers. Tiger international led the round, despite reports earlier this week that the hedge fund has been hit by losses of $17bn (£13. 9bn), certainly, one of the most important declines for a hedge fund in history, first said by way of the financial times. Bvnk affords monetary services to businesses through the use of cryptocurrency. Trying to bridge the gap between crypto and fiat foreign money, bvnk gives banking and cash control services to corporations suffering to stable operations across traditional and digital belongings. Seeking to be a kind of financial institution for crypto businesses, bvnk claims it could update among the offerings traditional banks can offer to organizations. Clients could make and collect payments via their bvnk account in each fiat and cryptocurrency, as well as be able to buy new virtual property via bvnk. As an indication of the employer’s dedication to crypto technology, clients pays for its services with both fiat or cryptocurrency. The enterprise began as a consumer-targeted crypto trade, however, has considering pivoted to a business-going through product providing.
“we released at first as a retail business and now it’s a in basic terms b2b business. We spent the final year head-looking the best expertise inside the crypto area. We now have a hundred and twenty people in the organization,” stated the organization’s co-founder and CEO Jesse hems on-Struthers in an interview with TechCrunch. Bvnk have discovered new investment notwithstanding the present day turbulent duration for cryptocurrencies as digital assets like bitcoin are plummeting in price


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Under questioning by the dealers' lawyers, Rattner testified that the Obama administration's task force had doubts that Chrysler could be a viable company without a "more rational" dealer footprint, and acknowledged that it required a smaller retail network as a condition of additional government financing to keep Chrysler afloat through a Chapter 11 reorganization.
But he emphasized that it was Chrysler's decision whether to accept the government's financing offer and go through the bankruptcy on those terms.
"Chrysler always had all the choices as to what it did," Rattner testified.
Rattner said it was up to Chrysler to determine "whether to accept that money and file for bankruptcy," adding: "They had every choice not to and go in a different direction."
Whether that ultimatum amounted to a form of government coercion is the critical issue before the Court of Federal Claims, where dealers are seeking compensation for their lost franchises in a suit filed nine years ago. The trial began April 8, and Rattner is among some 40 witnesses who are expected to testify.
Leonard Bellavia, an attorney representing the dealers, believes Rattner's testimony helped the dealers make their case that the government forced Chrysler's hand.
"I think he proved the plaintiffs' case nicely in that, he pretty clearly and unequivocally, demonstrated that it was the government that was driving the bus here," Bellavia told Automotive News last week after Rattner's testimony. "And that although Chrysler had to capitulate — because they had a gun to their head — at the 11th hour, no one can credibly say that Chrysler was willingly a bankruptcy filer. They did so at the mandate of the government, so the government could effectuate the closure of the 789 dealers."


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SINGAPORE - For workshop supervisor Hanis Mohd Ariffin, indulging in a spot of shopping once a week or so is a way of relieving the stresses of life.
"Life can get hectic, so I feel it's okay to pamper yourself every now and then," the 28-year-old, who works in the oil and gas industry, told My Paper.
"After all, money is meant to be spent," she said, adding that she usually spends "several hundred" dollars monthly on shopping and entertainment.
Ms Hanis is one of many Singaporeans who remain upbeat about their personal finances.
According to the latest Consumer Confidence Index by global information and analytics firm Nielsen, consumer confidence here rebounded in the third quarter of the year to reach its highest level in more than 12 months.
The index rose four points to 98, up from 94 in the second quarter. The results are part of the Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions, which polled more than 29,000 consumers in 58 countries throughout the Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, among others.
Started in 2005, it tracks consumer confidence, major concerns and spending intentions.
Conducted online in August and September, the survey found that 57 per cent - a 7- percentage-point increase from the previous quarter - of the 512 Singaporeans polled view the state of their personal finances in the coming 12 months as "good" or "excellent".
Ms Joan Koh, managing director of Nielsen Singapore and Malaysia, said: "Consumers here are feeling more optimistic about their personal finances and job prospects."
Some 36 per cent of respondents said they felt the next 12 months would be "a good time to buy what they need or want", up from 30 per cent in the previous quarter of the year.


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When it comes to understanding the need for reliability and maintenance, it’s hard to look further than veterans — they know the stakes if a piece of equipment fails.
A government safety agency is fining General Motors $7,000 a day, saying the company failed to fully respond to its requests for information about a faulty ignition switch by an April 3 deadline.
The federal credit rewards companies anytime they are developing or improving their products and processes that are technological in nature.
Democrats are rallying behind campaign-season legislation curbing paycheck discrimination against women. The bill, partly designed to energize the party's core voters, stands little chance of surviving in the Senate.
If we try to outdo our KPIs by being just a little bit better than we were last year, we miss an opportunity to really focus on significant process and business improvement.
Today we’re asking Curtis Alexander — a digital marketing consultant and one of the speakers at the Distribution and Manufacturing Profitability Forum — some of the most burning questions we hear from you regarding online growth.
In this issue of IMPO, we recap MODEX 2014, discuss how creating a nimble production environment requires up-to-the-minute information, and learn how the latest technology can improve the ROI of predictive maintenance.
Honda is accelerating its efforts to advance the environmental performance of its products and its operations throughout North America.
Depending on the industry and size of the company, a business can spend more than 40 percent of its annual freight budget on inbound shipping. A more efficient inbound freight program can minimize delays, save money, and even reduce confusion.
Attorneys for a church in Manhattan are asking a federal judge in Delaware to prohibit Wal-Mart from sending its annual proxy statement to shareholders because it doesn't include its proposal for a shareholder vote involving gun sales.
There are diverse views on the impact that automating business processes can have on organizations. Though there may be some debate about the depth and breadth of process automation benefits, one fact is indisputable — Business Process Automation is on the rise.
Sam Adams' "Brewing The American Dream" initiative gives loans and advice to small businesses. Co-Founder and Chairman Jim Koch discusses the program, the company's fundraising, and the surging popularity of craft beer.
The fact that it took almost a decade for the company to recall vehicles it knew had problems is disgusting. And guess what? Mary Barra agrees.
After the bailout backlash, I didn’t think General Motors could face a bigger public relations nightmare. Clearly, I was wrong.
Here's just a sampling of lawmakers hammering General Motors CEO Mary Barra in a hearing over a delayed recall and vehicle malfunctions.
How could an international company that wants to be seen as an innovator and spends more than $11 billion a year on advertising and promotions so badly misjudge its audience?
Orange France has seen a second slew of worker suicides in the last decade. Some that work there say the stress of privatizing the telecom company has been overwhelming.
Load Testing is critical to ensure reliability of motors in the field and in mission-critical situations.
Adhesives and sealants are an essential asset of every maintenance and operation plan, and with technology and products always changing, it’s important to stay on top of these trends.
ALL-TEST Pro, LLC announces their accredited 2-part Electrical Machinery Diagnostics Workshop (EMDW) to be held May 5-9th in Indianapolis, IN.
It's a crucial test for General Motors CEO Mary Barra, as she heads to Washington to answer questions about the recall of 2.6 million vehicles.
Automation has traditionally meant replacing human activity. Now recent advances in automation technology and the demands of the future have moved the industry into a new age.
5S can serve as the backbone of everything that companies do in their manufacturing facilities. It is how companies can continuously improve, produce quality products, deliver products to customers on-time and do it all in a safe manner.
In this month’s Plant Practices, we take you offshore to a military application, where best practices around maintenance scheduling and planning can offer manufacturers some ideas.
Two animal welfare groups and dozens of lawmakers are citing statistics that show hundreds of thousands of chickens being accidentally dropped alive into scalding tanks every year.


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O2, Universal Music and Endemol have teamed up to create the first UK interactive reality series made exclusively for mobile phones. ‘Get Close To…’ is a daily show starring and filmed by pop group Sugababes.
Brands – both B2B and B2C – should focus less on keywords and more on making themselves memorable at the point of the buying decision.
Sebnem Erim believes emotional intelligence – in particular empathy – is as important as intelligence when it comes to building a global marketing career.
Cannes Lions may be a reflection of the best connected – rather than best – people in marketing, but when it comes to tackling issues from the reversal of women’s rights to inclusion, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The building society is on the lookout for a new CMO to replace Bennison, who has been chief product and marketing officer at Nationwide since 2016.


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Plymouth has been crowned the best city for escaping into nature
The Body Shop has uncovered the best places in Great Britain to trade in the hustle and bustle of London life for. To find out which cities are the best for those wanting to take the leap, The Body Shop launched the study using five key factors: urban greenspace per person, air quality, noise pollution, and the number of forests...
Plymouth property hunters are invited to the launch of a landmark apartment building at the heart of the city, which is currently undergoing a £1 million revamp following a buy-out by luxury property developer Burrington Estates.
The building, which is located opposite the Pavilions and close to the Millbay regeneration area, also benefits from 9,000 sq ft of space on the ground floor. Burrington Estates is in discussions with various synergistic prospective tenants from the leisure and retail sectors, including gym and business centre operators.


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Raise awareness around the brand Polar, focusing on its expertise regarding heart rate technology and distribute the right product to the right athlete/press.
Polar, the leader in heart rate technology for more than 40 years has a wide range of sports technology, from heart rate sensors to sports watches and it developed its own app. When it comes to heart rate, accuracy is extremely important. For decades Polar has been the gold standard of heart rate measurement. Professional teams and athletes, medical professionals, educational institutions, scientists and sports leagues trust Polar to measure the most accurate data.
2020 had to be a successful year for Polar, as the brand launches four, yes you read that right, F-O-U-R new products.
How we did it:
This year alone the brand came up with four new products, which we had to give a proper launch. Keeping Covid-19 in mind, we had to create a huge buzz around these products, without getting the help of a huge event. So we did it all VIRTUALLY!
The first product was a pretty straight forward one, we just sent out a press release which was very technical about the new heart rate sensor H9. But the real test laid with the launch of the three new sports watches: Grit X, Unite and Vantage V2. Three completely different watches with different target groups.
All three of them gotten the same launch. We’ve invited press and the right influencers to a virtual pre-launch (with embargo), which was hosted by two Polar-workers who explained the new Polar watch to the attendees. Afterwards the press and influencers had the chance to test the new product and write a review/blog post around it.


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The late designer was best known for her bridal and prom dresses.
The fashion world has lost another visionary. Jessica McClintock, a famous designer known for her work in bridal and prom dresses, has died at the age of 90.
In an obituary published in the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this month, it was revealed that McClintock died on Feb. 16, peacefully in her sleep.
McClintock had celebrated her 50th anniversary in the business in 2020. In addition to her designs being featured by a variety of retailers, McClintock also had a network of self-owned domestic retail boutiques. She retired at age 83 in 2013, though her brand and legacy continue on. She and her son, Scott McClintock, also created a self-titled environmental foundation to support global environmental causes in 2018.
McClintock has dressed many celebrities, including Sissy Spacek and Hillary Clinton, who wore one of McClintock's designs in her 1975 wedding to Bill Clinton.
McClintock is survived by her son, Scott.


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Xiaomi held its 5,000th Mi Home store in China yesterday, April 3, 2021.
Xiaomi has been rapidly expanding the number of branded retail stores in recent months. As of the end of 2019, there were only 630 Xiaomi stores in mainland China. On December 6, 2020, the 1000th Xiaomi store opened, and at the beginning of January, the number of branded stores reached two thousand.
On this trend, Vice President of Xiaomi China Gao Ziguang put it this way:
The offline business of Xiaomi mobile phones is selling mobile phones “like fast food” – we need to improve the efficiency of store turnover and increase supply to achieve profitability. “
The “Jubilee” 5,000th store opened in Shenyang, one of the largest cities in northeastern China. There are, among other things, the latest flagship smartphones of the manufacturer, including Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold, Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra.


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I’ve been away for the past week. You might not have noticed that I wasn’t in the country because I was still posting news even while I was away – that’s right, I’m officially not as lazy as the rest of the crew. Also, I had more spare time on my trip. But here’s some cool indie news for the week.
First, my favorite news of the week. Dead Run has released on iOS! Go play it, go buy it, go enjoy. Made by local developers, it’s a bunch of frustrating fun that will get you addicted far too quickly. Just check out the launch trailer:
I will be reviewing the game soon, but it’s worth it for you to just go buy the game already.
Remember that game, Hatred? It’s all about killing all the things and the developers were completely unapologetic for it? Well, now another company is making a game that’s the complete opposite. Just check out this announcement trailer:
Papers, Please – one of my favorite games of last year is making a comeback, this time on apple devices. Nudity had to be removed for the certification process but the game will be coming to your favorite iOS device very very soon:
December 12th pic.twitter.com/jczO9zbmah
— Lucas Pope (@dukope) December 11, 2014
Instead of a prototype of the week, I’m just going to tell you to go play those other awesome iOS games if you have the required device. They’re really cool and polished and awesome. Besides, I’m sure (like me) you’re all just waiting for the Steam Holiday sale to pick up a whole bunch of cheap indie (and maybe AAA) games. What’s on your wishlist?
Last Updated: December 11, 2014
Admiral Chief BellatorMachina
December 11, 2014 at 12:36


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Today it was confirmed that our team at MarketPryce, an online marketplace that empowers professional and student-athletes to connect with brands for marketing deals, closed a $3 million seed round. This funding will help meet the increased demand for sponsorship facilitation in the wake of July 1, 2021, the date when 500,000 student-athletes became eligible to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL) overnight.
“We’re thankful that there was lots of interest in this round as investors were really intrigued by this new NIL market,” said CEO Jason Bergman. “We believe there are massive network effects for this new market, which should lead to a winner-take-most dynamic, and we’re raising $3M to make sure we are the company who comes out on top.”
In the first month of this new era, MarketPryce has already seen promise in the student-athlete space and signed up hundreds of student-athletes, 93% of whom have already connected with at least one brand during their time on the site and over 50% for female student-athletes. In July 2021 alone, 40 brands sent marketing deals to student-athletes on MarketPryce and one female student-athlete was able to secure a paid opportunity within just three minutes of signing up for the site.
Less than a year after our launch, we are so proud of this progress. Tens of thousands of messages, applications, and deals have already been sent through MarketPryce. This round of funding will grow our technology and multiply that number significantly. It will also accelerate our position as a market leader in the athlete marketing space and allow us to continue building out its tech, sales, account management, and marketing team. In addition, we also will be releasing our mobile app.
“The potential for growth in this space is groundbreaking,” Bergman said. “In just seven months of operation, we’ve already established ourselves as a major player in the athlete marketing world and we know we’re still just getting started.”


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Number of breweries going bust triples in past year as drinkers opt for mass-produced, cheaper brands rather than premium craft tipples
The number of breweries going bust has tripled in the past year as drinkers opt for mass-produced, cheaper brands rather than premium craft tipples.
There were 45 insolvencies in the year to the end of March, up from 15 the year before, figures from accountant Mazars show.
Firms have been hit by rising costs and tough competition with the number of breweries now at more than 2,000, as well as drinkers put off by cost of living pressures.
Tough competition: There were 45 insolvencies in the year to the end of March, up from 15 the year before
Paul Maloney, associate director at Mazars, said: ‘Craft brewers often offer ‘premium’ beers, but consumers are turning to cheaper options.
‘Discounted brands produced by large international brewers and supermarket own brands are increasingly the choice for consumers.
‘The cost of living crisis now means many of these [craft] brewers are fighting for a place in a shrinking market. Some of them will not make it.’
Tyne Bank Brewery and Boxcar Brewery are among those that have gone into administration in the past year.


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comes the E-Cigarette. Touted as a "healthy alternative to smoking," the e-cigarette has been heavily marketed to smokers trying to quit for the past few months. They are marketed as healthier because most of the harmful material produced by the combustion of tobacco in traditional cigarettes is not present in the atomized liquid of electronic cigarettes.
Despite marketers' claims however, there have been no scientific tests to examine the overall "healthiness" of the e-cigarette. Some e-cigarette companies have posted information and quotes from the World Health Organization, giving the impression that the WHO endorses this product. In fact, the WHO has disclaimed all knowledge of the e-cigarette's therapeutic benefits as a cessation aid. That said, WHO does not "does not discount the possibility that the electronic cigarette could be useful as a smoking cessation aid. The only way to know is to test."
In a press release from the WHO, Douglas Bettcher, Director of WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative stated, "If the marketers of the electronic cigarette want to help smokers quit, then they need to conduct clinical studies and toxicity analyses and operate within the proper regulatory framework...Until they do that, WHO cannot consider the electronic cigarette to be an appropriate nicotine replacement therapy, and it certainly cannot accept false suggestions that it has approved and endorsed the product. "
Is the e-cigarette a safe alternative to smoking? Perhaps. We here at Tobacco Free Michigan are not completely discounting its potential benefits but, we're also not endorsing the product. The e-cigarette's current "scientific proponents" sound a lot like some other "scientific proponents" from yesteryear...
See if you can identify which statement was made by an e-cigarette company and which was made by a tobacco company:
1) a. "Eliminate bad breath and smoke odor on your body and clothes, as well as in your home and car. "


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People will emerge from lockdown and seek to start living again when the pandemic is over
The quest for new ways to support the economy against a fiscally constrained backdrop cannot be over
Women pay a steeper price than men from unemployment caused by measures to fight Covid-19
Are crypto-assets going mainstream or staying in the virtual shadows? Common sense dictates that increased and transparent regulation is inevitable
One of the most unsettling developments in business in 2020 was the trend for electric-vehicle companies to list on a stock exchange before they have their ...
The grueling, relentless discussions to arrive at a very thin trade deal is simply a taste of what’s to come
Government policy orientation needs to change from land governance to farmer support programmes
Along with mRNA vaccines, driverless and electric vehicles also had a year of great advances
The US middle-class split into lower and upper in the 1980s — only focusing on billionaires misses what this created in society entirely
Read about the new campaign for SA's foremost business publication
For four of the biggest US tech companies — Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google parent Alphabet — 2020 was one for the books.
Entrepreneurs running their business online, such as florists and luxury gifters, have become busier
Vaccines give hope for a more fashionable future, but men are likely to need less suits and women may stick to comfort over chic
The real change in state-led growth will be more about transparency, unless listing requirements are changed
Working from 合约数字货币_合约交易home has split property assets into the good, bad and ugly, as staying fit at 合约数字货币_合约交易home and eating at 合约数字货币_合约交易home also become the norm
Indlulamithi Scenario Project grapples with the notion of how to recognise and act on the obvious dangers we ignore


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NetApp has heralded the start of a "bolder" new era at its Estonia partner event as it opens up on its 25th anniversary and the launch of its first hyperconverged offering. Speaking to partners in Tallinn,...
Report claiming public cloud giant will launch a range of switches sends Cisco shares tumbling
As part of this year's European Elite report, Channelnomics Europe looks at the biggest VARs in the DACH channel
But Gartner analyst issues warning that slowdown in Windows 10 upgrades will hurt momentum from 2020 onwards
Semiconductor vendor raises eyebrows as it leaps into software industry


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It’s no surprise that gigantic, multinational companies own most of the dominant organic brands out there. Big Food’s tentacles stretch far: Just four companies control 80 percent of the beef market, and many competing brands in the snack aisle huddle under the umbrella of the same parent company.
The corporate control and consolidation of the food industry is the central theme of Wenonah Hauter’s new book, Foodopoly: The Battle Over the Future of Food and Farming in America. Hauter, the executive director of Food & Water Watch, explores “the battle over the food and farming in America” as independent farmers and companies struggle to stay afloat in the face of corporate mergers and bad food policy.
But before you put down your (Kellogg-produced) Gardenburger to protest your local cattle ranch, Hauter warns a bigger response is required. “[I]t’s time that we stop demonizing farmers as the chief culprits behind our dysfunctional food system and start addressing the structural issues,” she says.
I recently chatted with Hauter over email about Foodopoly. She talks about how the system got the way it did, and what you can do to fix it:
Q. Give us a snapshot of the history of food-industry consolidation.
A. Just 20 companies produce most of the food eaten by Americans (yes, even organic brands). These companies are so large, they have the economic and political power to dictate food policy, from laws on advertising junk food to children and manipulating nutrition standards to weakening federal pesticide regulations and blocking the labeling of genetically engineered foods.
They have been able to become so large because of the evisceration of antitrust law during the Reagan administration. And since that time, no U.S. president has been willing to tackle the issue of concentration. This is ironic since all of the rhetoric about our economic system revolves around competition in the marketplace, but all public policy drives a frenzy of mergers and acquisitions. This is especially true in the food industry.
Q. What are the prospects for reversing course in the near future?
A. Consolidation is likely to continue and even accelerate over the next few years. Although the pace of mergers stalled during the economic recession, there are signs that merger and acquisition activity has started to pick back up. Just since Thanksgiving, two [food] mega-mergers have been announced. ConAgra is purchasing Ralcorp, the nation’s leading manufacturer of store-brand food, and JBS, the world’s largest meatpacker, is purchasing the second-largest Canadian meatpacker, XL Foods. XL Foods made headlines earlier this year after significant food safety lapses allowed 2.5 million pounds of potentially E. coli-tainted ground beef to enter the marketplace.
Q. What does the ConAgra-Ralcorp merger mean for the food system?
A. The companies only compete head-to-head for a few products (like peanut butter and some frozen dinners), but they compete alongside one another for supermarket shelf space. For example, ConAgra makes a wide range of popcorn snacks (Jiffy Pop, Orville Redenbacher, Fiddle Faddle, and Act II) and half of store-brand pretzels. Ralcorp makes corn and tortilla chips, snack mixes, nearly half of store-brand snack nuts, and two-thirds of store-brand crackers. For a consumer standing in the snack aisle, choosing between different snacks based on price, these are competitors. Unfortunately, federal regulators do not believe that mergers between conglomerates affect consumers unless they compete directly for the same narrowly defined products.
Q. I don’t think most people get that very little of the money we spend on mass-produced foods goes to farmers. How much does a corn farmer get, for instance, when we buy soda made with corn syrup?
A. Tufts University researchers estimate that soft drink companies have saved almost a billion dollars during a nine-year period after deregulation when corn prices were lowered, and that large meat companies saved nearly $4 billion on animal feed between 1997 and 2005. Contrast this to what farmers receive for growing corn. They get 4 to 5 cents from the sale of a box of corn flakes and 2 to 3 cents from the sale of a full-sized bag of corn chips. The corn content of a soda in the form of high-fructose corn syrup nets the farmer 2 cents out of each consumer dollar. Ninety-eight cents goes to the food companies that make, market, and sell soda.
Q. As you mentioned earlier, since the 1980s, a plethora of deregulation has occurred. Is reversing some of that deregulation a plausible goal, or at this point is it more feasible to simply prevent further deregulation?
A. Ultimately, to create a fair and healthy food system we need to build the political power to create commonsense regulations — and enforce them — for food safety and labeling, antitrust policy, biotechnology, and other new technologies used in the food system. This means having our eye on the long-term prize of a regulatory system that really works. Laying out what this ideal regulatory system should look like also creates more political space for achieving short-term goals and mobilizing more people. Activists are really tired of fighting for just the best they can get in the latest fight over some terrible deregulation scheme. We must fight for what we really want.
We are always faced with attempts to weaken the rules that are already on the books, even if they are already inadequate. Food safety is a good example. We have spent the last year battling a proposal from the USDA to privatize the inspection of poultry products and allow much faster line speeds in poultry plants, a move that would put consumer and worker safety at risk. Stopping these current deregulation attempts is not only necessary, but it also helps us to build the political power we will need to eventually fight for better food policies in the future.
Q. What’s your advice to someone beginning to read about these issues who feels overwhelmed by the system?
A. A natural response is to try and “shop better.” That’s important, and as you learn more you may end up questioning some products you’ve been buying for years. But as I say throughout my book, we can’t shop our way out of the problems in the food system.
Find a way to get involved in building a food movement that has the political power to change the rules for our food system. Find a local organization working on food policy in your community or do research on your local officials and how to contact them — then call them up and tell them you expect them to step up on a food issue that matters to you, whether it’s labeling [genetically engineered] foods or passing a better farm bill.


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The UAE has preserved its global leadership in the Nation Brand Performance Index, maintaining the first place globally for the second year in a row. The UAE ranked 10th globally in Nation Brand Strength index and 16th globally and 1st in MENA in Nation Brand Value index.
Issued by the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy “Brand Finance”, the index surveyed more than 100,000 people from 121 countries.
His Excellency Saeed Al Eter, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic project, Chairman of the UAE Government Media Office, said that the development of the UAE is always supported by a strong and established global brand identity that reflects that ambitions of our leadership, to reach the top in all indicators.
His Excellency added: “The UAE’s soft power consolidates the country’s leading position in various fields and sectors, including economy, space, tourism, advanced technology and culture.”
Saeed Al Eter noted that the UAE’s leading position in the indices of the Brand Finance Report 2023, comes after surveying opinions of over 100,000 people from 121 countries.
Nation Brand Performance
The UAE ranked first globally in Nation Brand Performance for the second year in a row, achieving 83.5 points. Many reasons stand behind the UAE achievement, including its strategic location as a destination linking Asia, Europe and Africa, its strong financial solvency, and its continued success in implementing economic diversification policies.
UAE ranks 10th globally in Nation Brand Strength
The UAE ranked 10th in the Nation Brand Strength scoring 78.4 points out of 100. This was supported by the growth of its soft power at the global and regional levels, especially after its remarkable performance in the fields of international relations and good governance.
The strong economic performance in all sectors contributed to the UAE’s attainment of advanced ranks in main and sub-indicators, as the gross domestic product (GDP) continues to grow in 2022, in addition to high foreign trade volume. The country’s ability to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) from many countries of the world has also increased.
Nation Brand Value
The UAE ranked 16th globally and 1st in MENA region in the Nation Brand Value index. The UAE enhanced its position as and most valuable country brand in MENA in 2023 with a Nation Brand Value worth AED3.540 trillion ($957 billion).
The strong performance of the UAE economy during the last period contributed to the increase of the Nation Brand Value, especially with the projections of the UAE Central Bank that the economic growth rate for the year 2022 will reach 7.6%, the highest in more than a decade.
The various oil and non-oil economic sectors have also achieved strong performance during the past year, especially the tourism and hospitality, real estate, transportation, and industry sectors, in addition to the large number of encouraging legislations to promote sustainable growth.


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Kendall Jenner dressed up as a cucumber for Halloween and poked fun at a popular video
for halloween Kendall Jenner dressed as a cucumber poking fun at a meme that went viral earlier this year about her questionable cucumber-slicing abilities.
It’s no secret that when Halloween rolls around, many celebrities go all out. The Kardashians and Jenners, in particular, have built a reputation for their extravagant costumes, and as a result, fans look forward to and speculate about what they’ll be wearing each year.
Kendall Jenner chose to model a few different costumes for Halloween, unlike Kim Kardashian, who decided to prank her fans by dressing up as Mystique from the X-Men series and turning blue. Some people are much funnier than others.
First she wore a Jessie costume from Toy Story
She first put on a Toy Story Jessie costume. But the latest Halloween outfit she’s unveiled pays great homage to a popular meme the influencer got caught up in earlier this year.
In brand new TikTok, Kendall released a video of himself, disguised as a cucumber slice, posing for the camera, grinning and holding a knife. The supermodel rose to fame in May after a clip by the Kardashians showed her cutting a cucumber.
It’s clear from the scene that she’s having a hard time cutting him off. Kendall responded to her mother Kris Jenner’s warning to ‘be careful’ by stating: ‘I’m absolutely not a good cutter so don’t come near me. I am by no means a professional.
The incident quickly became a worldwide internet meme, with videos receiving millions of likes and comments. Although Kendall Jenner has not mentioned the incident as her cucumber Halloween costume is a fantastic tribute to it and is sure to go viral.
Kendall Jenner isn’t afraid to laugh at herself
The 26-year-old model dressed up as a cucumber for Halloween to parody a popular scene from a May episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Her second Halloween costume of the weekend is the one she’s wearing right now. A crop top with yellow and red embellishments, a red wide-brimmed cowgirl hat from Gladys Tamez Millinery and La Roxx cow print pants paired with sassy Y/Project belted denim pants were part of Kendall’s sexy interpretation of Jessie from Game of Thrones the toys.
She accessorized her cucumber costume with a fake kitchen knife, green spandex leggings, and bright green makeup. I’m giving away fruit and veg tonight,’ she captioned an Instagram photo of herself wearing the outfit.
Hailey Bieber just typed the word “Cryin” in response to Kim Kardashian’s three crying and laughing emojis.
In a scene from Mean Girls, Lindsay Lohan’s character says, “In the female world, Halloween is the only night of the year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girl can say anything about it.” Kendall also showed off the outfit in TikTok.
Kendall visited her mother, Kris Jenner, during the viral incident that served as inspiration for the Halloween costume, and started making herself a snack after turning down her mother’s offer to have their chef make one for her. She sliced the cucumber clumsily, holding the knife in one hand and the end of the cucumber in the other, at one point crossing her arms over each other.
Her mother had warned her: “I’m absolutely not a good cutter, so don’t go near me,” she advised viewers, admitting she was “a bit scared”. I am by no means a professional.”
When she shared a TikTok video of their sister Kourtney Kardashian’s Italian wedding to Travis Barker and captioned it, Kylie Jenner also poked fun at the trending topic.
Kendall Jenner dressed up as a cucumber for Halloween, a nod to a meme that went viral earlier this year about her questionable cucumber-slicing abilities. Her second Halloween costume. Kendall wore La Roxx cow print pants with Y/Project denim shorts with a belt, yellow and red embellished button-up, and a red wide-brimmed cowboy hat from Gladys Tamez Millinery.
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