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Havas has been appointed by youth cancer organisation, Canteen, to develop its integrated brand experience, strategy and marketing direction.
Established in 1985 by a group of young cancer patients, Canteen has grown to become the national support organisation for young people aged 12-25.
Whether it be their own diagnosis, a family member’s cancer journey, or involving the death of a loved one, Canteen provides practical and emotional support tailored to the needs of young people.
The partnership will see the Havas team create an updated identity for the organisation, including a new brand platform, brand architecture and core messaging.
Embracing all aspects of the Havas Village, the agency is also tasked to devise a new marketing strategy and implementation plan, which will be amplified across Havas’ creative, brand experience, digital, innovation and media teams.
Havas Blvd managing director, Steve Fontanot said: “Canteen has supported young people affected by cancer for over 34 years. Their passion and dedication is truly inspiring.
“At Havas, we centre our thinking around the concept of ‘Meaningful Brands’ and Canteen is a brand that has true meaning.
“We appreciate their trust in us and are humbled to play a role in this incredible organisation’s journey.”
Canteen CEO, Peter Orchard said: “Every year, another 23,000 young Australians have their world turned upside down by cancer.
“Cancer experiences in this age range come with an incredibly complex range of emotional and practical support needs, and they often don’t know where to turn for professional help.”
Orchard added: “That’s why it’s so important that we build on our outreach to all young people who need our help and having Havas with us on this journey will only strengthen our integrated approach and communications roll-out.
“Havas offers a multitude of services under the one roof which was a big drawcard for us.
“We know that partnering with them will allow us to reach as many young people that need our support as possible.”
DoubleVerify (DV) has released its state of retail media report, “The Rise of Retail Media: What to Expect in 2024,” surveying over 400 advertisers and agency executives about retail media networks (RMNs) in the UK, US, France, and Germany. The report explores the rapidly expanding retail media market, which includes RMNs provided by retailers or […]
Hot off the heels of winning an ARIA for its “Voice of the Sea” campaign, Innocean Australia has again teamed up with the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) to create an exhibition highlighting the silent extinction facing lesser-known Australian sharks and rays. These endangered species are so unique and live so deep beneath the ocean […]
Trends and issues, including AI, the inexorable rise of Baby Boomers, curated fandom, contextual commerce and cost of living concerns, are set to dominate the hearts and minds of consumers next year, according to The Media Store’s Consumer Trends 2024. The report, released today, outlines the top trends set to interest, impact and inspire consumers […]
Playschool’s Justine Clarke and Bluey’s Melanie Zanetti have fronted a new integrated campaign for Emergency Management Victoria ahead of the high-risk weather season. Summer in Australia is synonymous with festivals, BBQs, road trips and camping. However, it is also a time of increasingly extreme weather and natural disasters. With experts predicting an increased risk of […]
Independent brand and digital agency, Archibald Williams (AW) has been appointed to lead the NBA account across the APAC region. The NBA is one of the most prestigious sporting leagues in the world and basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in Australia. Effective immediately, AW said it was “excited” to work across all digital, […]
B&T's shining a light on industry folk prior to adland. Preference given to anyone purporting actual UFO abduction.
Leading digital outdoor company QMS has announced it is the first-ever inaugural partner for Most Contagious APAC, the landmark London event by creative and strategic intelligence company Contagious, which will be showcased in Australia on Tuesday, 12 December in Sydney and Wednesday, 13 December in Melbourne. Most Contagious is an event that delivers key advertising […]
Omnicom’s data and analytics division Annalect has partnered with Meta, giving it access to Advanced Analytics (AA) – one of Meta’s privacy-focused measurement solutions – to provide Omnicom’s clients with future-proof, next-level measurement. Omnicom is the first holding company to have access to AA. AA allows advertisers to combine their first-party data with Meta’s ads […]


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Being the world’s fifth-most populous country with a population exceeding 225.2 million, Pakistan has its own thriving e-sports community despite lacking in some much-needed development.
With local gamers facing severe issues such as load-shedding, the ever infuriating lag, and almost no gaming organizations (that have managed to last more than a few months at least), Pakistan has still managed to have notable success stories. The Hassan brothers of Dota, Arslan “Ash” Siddique, the king of Tekken, and the rising Valorant star Shahzeb Khan to name a few.
In this article, we will look at just some of the most popular e-sports in the country. We will only be looking at the ones that have a somewhat existing competitive scene.
While many in the gaming community may look down on mobile gamers as “not being real gamers,” in a country where most can’t even afford a PC, let alone a high-end one, they are left with no other options.
Belonging to the Battle Royale genre, the game can be seen being played in almost every street of the country. Especially popular among Pakistani youtube streamers who have gathered large follower bases showing off their plays.
Read More: Is online gaming all that bad?
While there have been no significant tournaments solely for PUBG, it is almost certainly part of every university/city level tournament. It always attracts players in large amounts due to ease of accessibility.
Going from mobile to console gaming might shock some not to see a PC game in the top two. Still, the reasoning here is the PC gamer base being much divided, as we will see later, and PC games requiring far more commitment, comparatively.
Being very easy to learn even for new gamers, the game has gained popularity primarily due to being fun and being football-based, a game quickly gaining popularity in most cities and also since cricket hasn’t had a good game in nearly a decade.
Since organizing a FIFA tournament takes minor effort/funds, out of all the games on the list, they are the most frequent and widespread.
Finally arriving our first PC game. If you have ever entered a gaming zone in Pakistan and heard people shouting at each other, they are probably playing Counter-Strike.
Since its older iteration, the game has been especially popular in the country; CS 1.6 could run on even low-end PCs, making it much more affordable for the average Pakistani.
Its latest version CS Global Offensive has managed to retain much of the original player base in the country. While almost no local player of the FPS game has made it to the international stage, it is still as popular as ever.
Our second PC game for the list. The king of e-sports (at least in monetary terms), the game has a huge player base in Pakistan. The game gained extreme notoriety when the Pakistani gamer Sumail “Suma1l” Hassan with his team EG won the TI5 (basically the world cup of DOTA 2 held every year) in 2015.
The news was on every major channel, and considering the prize money for the tournament was $18 million, a record for the time (also later broken by DOTA 2 itself in consecutive years), many parents seriously started to reconsider their children’s gaming careers.
5-Call of Duty
Our second PC FPS game for the list. While the game also has had a considerable gamer base, it mostly got overshadowed by the fore mentioned Counter-Strike due to requiring a better PC which has always been the bane of most games.
The game, however, is still in contention for most popular games in the country due to it also being a popular console game. While the PC version of the game is nearly dead, it successfully transitioned to the console gaming scene in Pakistan.

domain: news


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Yuri Krupitsky is eager, worried, and frustrated as he waits to find out whether or not he will be allowed to open one of the first legal marijuana shops for recreational use in New York.
He wrangled a lengthy application to become one of approximately 900 candidates for the first round of 150 licences, only to face further uncertainty due to a court judgement handed down last week. It temporarily holds the state’s ability to authorise cannabis dispensaries in Brooklyn, Krupitsky’s home turf, and in certain other districts.
In the meantime, many unlicensed cannabis businesses have opened their doors. People who shrug their shoulders at needing a licence can now openly sell marijuana over the entirety of New York City’s retail establishments.
Kuritsky referred to it as an instance of unfair competition. “Everyone is telling you to ‘Sit around and wait,’ while in the meantime, I see shop after shop, and the owners are making their money. I will wait until someone shows me the proper method to do it.
Medical home grow is now permitted in New York and while those qualified are 4-8 months from flowering, here’s a #FridayFadedFact to blow your mind.
🧊Ice water hash is one of the safest ways to extract cannabis and preserve the aroma and taste from the trichomes in your bud.
— NYS Office of Cannabis Management (@nys_cannabis) November 18, 2022
The state Cannabis Control Board, which is under pressure to launch one of the nation’s most hotly anticipated legal marijuana markets, is scheduled to consider awarding some dispensary licences to entrepreneurs and nonprofit groups on Monday. This is a significant step as cannabis regulators emphasise that they’re trying to stop unlicensed sellers.
“You can’t have a legal, regulated and illegal market at the same time,” Aaron Ghitelman, a spokesperson for the Office of Cannabis Management, said in a statement. “That goes against the goals of the state’s Cannabis Law, which are to protect public health and build an equitable market that works to fix the harms caused by the unfair enforcement of cannabis prohibition.”
In March 2021, New York made it legal for adults to use marijuana for fun, but the state is still giving licences to people who want to sell it. It gave its first round of retail grants to people convicted of marijuana crimes or related to them and some nonprofit groups. It also planned to set up a public-private fund with $200 million to help people who wanted “social equity.”
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Officials even went out of their way to find, design, and fix up storefronts for for-profit entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs must sublease a space picked out by the state and pay back the costs of fixing it up.
Ten groups of architects and builders have been chosen, and the state is talking to landlords about dozens of possible sites. About 20 are going through preliminary design reviews, said Jeffrey Gordon, a spokesman for DASNY, the state’s building arm. He said that the state has put money into the equity fund and is working on getting private money to pay for everything.
Gordon said that the agency wants to have a few dispensaries open by the end of the year, but “unexpected delays” like the court case, which challenges some of the state’s requirements for applicants, have slowed things down. “But a lot of the pieces are in place and ready to go,” he said. While these plans are being worked on, some people who want to sell pot have rented storefronts and opened them without permission.
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Empire Cannabis Club has a location in Brooklyn, two locations in Manhattan, and plans for more. Jonathan Elfand, the club’s owner, says it has been open for a year and sells marijuana products to thousands of members who pay daily or monthly fees.
He says the operation is allowed by the law. The state doesn’t agree, but Elfand isn’t afraid and says he’d be happy to fight in court. “Please bring the battle if you think we’re doing something wrong. “We’re ready,” Elfand said. He had also applied for a licence to run a dispensary.
The Cannabis Office has told Empire and dozens of other businesses to stop selling marijuana, and the Cannabis Office is working with local law enforcement to crack down. Also, on Thursday, the State Liquor Authority took away the liquor licence of a deli on Long Island, saying that the store sold marijuana.
The key to achieving New York's equity goals is creating a sustainable, consumer-driven cannabis market.
Monday, 11/21 the CCB will consider regulations to:
🏗Clarify market architecture
Authorize license activity
✅Establish enforcement rules & more
— NYS Office of Cannabis Management (@nys_cannabis) November 17, 2022
Enforcement can entail violation notices or arrests. Searches at a store in a suburb of Buffalo in February and a shop in Brooklyn on Wednesday led to felony charges of marijuana possession.
“We’re going to take all the legal action available to us” to ensure people understand they can’t sell unregulated pot with impunity, New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda said. His office and the New York Police Department also have cited parking and vending laws to tow trucks suspected of selling weed.
Craig Sweat and his business partners ran a fleet of trucks called “Uncle Budd” that were seized in September. He says that they didn’t sell marijuana but instead gave it to people who gave them money. Even with the seizure, he doesn’t think the government wants to shut down all illegal shops. “That would be like making marijuana illegal again,” he says.
In June, the state Senate passed a plan to increase fines for illegal sales and make it a misdemeanour to sell without a licence. The bill died in the Assembly, but the Democrat who sponsored it, Sen. Liz Krueger, is “optimistic” that it will be taken up again next year.
Jessica Naissant is one of the people who want to open a dispensary and hopes to get approved on Monday. She thinks she’s the best person for the job. She is a first-generation Haitian American, and until recently, she ran a store where she sold CBD, a chemical in cannabis that doesn’t make you high and is legal under federal law. She talks about marijuana legalisation as a volunteer to church groups and others. She also has a qualifying arrest record: in 2016, she was charged with having pot on her person.
Naissant said, “There was no way I would miss this chance.” But now she’s worried about how last week’s court decision will affect her chances since Brooklyn, where she grew up, was her first choice of place to live.
“It’s sad and happy simultaneously,” she said. Along with people who want to sell, hundreds of hemp farmers who just grew New York’s first legal crop of marijuana want to know when dispensaries will open so they can sell their crops.
Dan Livingston, who works for a trade group called the Cannabis Association of New York, said, “They don’t have much choice but to wait and hope they don’t have to take any losses.” Even with its flaws, New York’s approach to legalisation has been praised for being innovative and focused on fairness, and cannabis lawyer and applicant advocate Scheril Murray Powell advises patience. As the Justus Foundation’s chief operating officer, she works to help long-time sellers become legal.
She said, “They’ve been waiting for this moment for decades, and I think everyone is committed to ensuring it goes well.” “A few more months won’t take long to get it right.”
Please share your opinions on this story in the space provided below. And remember to check back here, Journalistpr.com. for updates on the situation.


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Last updated on June 12th, 2017 at 02:45 pm
Oliver’s Market, the largest locally-owned grocer in Sonoma County, California, has sold 43 percent of the company to employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
The four-store chain also registered with the state of California as a Social Purpose Corporation, allowing leadership to consider employees, the environment and the community in addition to financial position when considering any business decision.
“I am doing these things to preserve the legacy of Oliver’s for the future, and for our employees,” said Oliver’s Market Founder and President Steve Maass. “I have looked at many possible scenarios for securing the future of Oliver’s in recent years, and creating an ESOP company was a great move for us. We all see small, independent businesses disappear every day, and I am proud to say that we are doing everything in our power to remain local and independently run.”
The vesting program will give employees with more than 10 years of service full vesting in their allocated shares immediately, and all eligible associates employed on Jan. 1, 2017, will be fully vested in three years.
“Steve chose to sell Oliver’s to the employees instead of selling to an outside company to preserve the legacy of Oliver’s and remain locally and independently operated,” said Jill Olsen, Oliver’s CFO. “We are also more committed than ever to serving our employees, our customers and the communities where we do business as a Social Purpose Corporation. This is a pivotal moment in our company history. As we look to the future of Oliver’s and our commitment to serving Sonoma County, what can be more local than being employee owned?”
Established in 1988, Oliver’s Market has locations in Santa Rosa (2), Cotati and Windsor. Its stores carry more than 6,000 locally-produced products, which account for 26 percent of sales annually.


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In June, Vodafone and Hutchison-owned Three announced their plan to merge in a non-cash deal to create a $19B mega mobile operator. We predicted a significant regulatory hurdle. The country’s main antitrust regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority, announced an investigation into the deal today.
Today’s announcement invites competitors, companies, and other stakeholders to comment on how this deal will affect competition.
As of this summer’s announcement, Vodafone had nearly 18 million subscribers and Three just over 10 million, making the combined business worth £15 billion (nearly $19 billion at today’s rates). The two companies agreed to give Vodafone 51% and Hutchison 49% of the merged operator.
The CMA has not set dates for phase 1’s official close and the merger inquiry’s formal opening. The 2015 Hutchison, Three’s parent, attempt to buy O2 took years and appears to still be pending.
The tech landscape and startups are affected on multiple levels: The competitive landscape of carriers with which new virtual operators may negotiate bandwidth and other services is reduced.
That could simplify or cost more service deals, but it will make incumbents harder to beat. Those selling consumer-facing OTT apps, adtech, software, or back-end service management tools to carriers will have fewer potential customers. The result will be less competitive choice for consumers.
In a statement, CMA CEO Sarah Cardell said millions of UK consumers and businesses use Vodafone and Three’s mobile networks to stay connected. “We will carefully consider how this deal may affect UK competition, which could affect customer options and prices. We will also examine how it may affect UK mobile network quality investment incentives. This is a chance for merger supporters to voice their opinions before we investigate.
Conversely, telecom unit economics: Three was a new entrant that only emerged with 3G data-based services, hence its name. One of the key points of this merger is that Vodafone is taking on Three’s debt without paying any cash. The companies said the combined entity would help them invest in 5G and build a new mobile and fixed-line network with 82% of households covered by 2030.
The CMA stated that it “cannot consider other potential effects that a merger might have, for example, on employment or access to personal data” by law. Any national security concerns, possibly related to Hutchison’s Hong Kong and Chinese ties, would “be a matter for the UK government, which may choose to intervene under the National Security and Investment Act if it finds concerns.”


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Trans World Entertainment Corp. announced it has named Tom Seaver as CFO, effective immediately.
A report released by the Conference Board showed that consumer confidence experienced its biggest gain in more than eight years, jumping to 56 in November from a revised 40.9 reading in the month prior.
Walgreens said it has introduced online ordering and in-store pickup at 70+ stores in the Indianapolis market, with some stores offering curbside delivery.
Actian Corp. said that c-store chain Sheetz has selected its Vectorwise data analytics engine to optimize costs, maintain high quality and ensure a positive customer experience.
Dick's Sporting Goods said that it will build a new distribution center in Goodyear, Ariz., that will service the western United States.
Grocer Save-A-Lot, a subsidiary of SuperValu, said Tuesday it will open a 330,000-sq.-ft. distribution center in Lexington, N.C., on Nov. 30.
The Finish Line said that its chief administrative officer and corporate secretary Gary D. Cohen, will retire from the company effective March 29, 2012.
CiCi's Pizza said Tuesday it has partnered with strategic site modeling company Birchwood Resultants to add another 500 restaurants in the next eight to 10 years.
Mall owner General Growth Properties said Tuesday it has appointed Michael B. Berman as its new executive VP and CFO, effective Dec. 15.
Online sales on Cyber Monday were up 33% over 2010, with shopping peaks occurring at 2:05 p.m. EST, according to IBM’s fourth annual Cyber Monday Benchmark study.


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Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson and the National Arbitration Forum—the country’s largest administrator of credit card and consumer collections arbitrations—have reached an agreement that the company would get out of the business of arbitrating credit card and other consumer collection disputes.
“I am very pleased with the settlement. To consumers, the company said it was impartial, but behind the scenes, it worked alongside credit card companies to get them to put unfair arbitration clauses in the fine print of their contracts and to appoint the Forum as the arbitrator. Now the company is out of this business,” said Swanson.
Swanson sued the National Arbitration Forum on Tuesday, alleging that the company–which is named as the arbitrator of consumer disputes in tens of millions of credit card agreements–hid from the public its extensive ties to the collection industry. The lawsuit alleged that the Forum told consumers and the public that it is independent and neutral, operates like an impartial court system, and is not affiliated with and does not take sides between the parties. The lawsuit alleged that the Forum worked behind the scenes, however, to convince credit card companies and other creditors to insert arbitration provisions in their customer agreements and then appoint the Forum to decide the disputes. The suit also alleged that the Forum has financial ties to the collection industry. The suit alleged that the company arbitrated 214,000 consumer arbitration claims in 2006, nearly 60 percent of which were filed by laws firms with which the Forum is linked through ties to a New York hedge fund.
Under the settlement, the National Arbitration Forum will, by the end of the week, stop accepting any new consumer arbitrations or in any manner participate in the processing or administering of new consumer arbitrations. The company will permanently stop administering arbitrations involving consumer debt, including credit cards, consumer loans, telecommunications, utilities, health care, and consumer leases.
Credit card companies, banks, retail lenders, and cell phone companies increasingly place—in the fine print of their consumer agreements—what are known as “mandatory predispute arbitration clauses.” Through these clauses, the consumers waive, in advance, their right to have their day in court if a dispute arises. Instead, the consumer agrees—usually without knowing it—that any dispute will be resolved by an arbitrator selected by the credit card company or other creditor. Credit card companies are among the most prolific users of mandatory arbitration clauses. Just by keeping a credit card, the consumer agrees to the terms and conditions of the card, even if the arbitration provision was sent to the consumer after the card was issued. As a result of mandatory arbitration clauses, which appear in tens of millions of consumer agreements, hundreds of thousands of consumer disputes are resolved each year not by a judge or jury, but by a private arbitration system.
Swanson said that late this week she accepted an invitation from Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Chairman of the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to testify before the Committee this coming Wednesday in Washington, D.C. She said she will ask Congress to prohibit the use of mandatory pre-dispute arbitration clauses in consumer contracts.
“The playing field is tilted against the ordinary consumer when credit card companies bury unfair terms like forced arbitration clauses in fine print contacts. Congress should change that,” said Swanson.
Swanson also announced that she sent a letter to the American Arbitration Association asking it to play a leadership role by ceasing to accept arbitration filings on consumer credit and collection matters arising out of mandatory pre-dispute arbitration clauses.
Swanson noted that the City of San Francisco is in litigation with the Forum and that other state Attorneys General have contacted her about these issues since the announcement of the lawsuit. “I am very pleased with the results of our lawsuit. It is good for consumers that this company will no longer be able to administer credit card and consumer debt collection arbitrations. I hope other jurisdictions will use whatever authority they have to look at other possible remedial relief in this area,” said Swanson.
The settlement allows the Company to continue to arbitrate internet domain name disputes (which the company handles under an appointment from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)), personal injury protection claims (which the company performs under appointment and supervision under the New Jersey state government), and cargo disputes (which the company performs under rules established by the U.S. Department of Transportation). These areas were not part of the lawsuit, and the company performs the work under the supervision of government or non-government organizations (NGOs). Accordingly, the settlement does not affect this very limited activity.
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EDWARDSVILLE — Another national frozen yogurt chain has made its way into Luzerne County, and the owner of the newest local franchise said the reason is simple.
Melissa Posluszny, who co-owns and manages the YoGo Factory in the Gateway Shopping Center with Joe Digris of Frackville, said the model is expanding because it’s fun and it’s healthy.
The opening of the YoGo Factory marks the fifth frozen-yogurt business that’s opened in the past year locally. Last August, a sweetFrog opened in Wilkes-Barre Township in the Walmart plaza along Highland Park Boulevard. Froyo Mania opened along East Northampton Street in downtown Wilkes-Barre in May, and two locations of Loco Yoco opened, one in Dallas and one in West Pittston. A third location of Loco Yoco was in the works but has since been pulled off the drawing board, owner Nanda Palissery said.
Posluszny, of Shickshinny Lake, said what makes the YoGo Factory different is it offers the customer a “total frozen yogurt experience.”
“Our store is much larger than your typical frozen yogurt shop and offers an inviting feel, filled with family seating, a huge, 50-foot granite yogurt bar, and both free Wi-Fi and wall mounted iPads,” she said. “Our main focus is not just the best tasting, creamiest froyo, but also is to provide each and every customer a total frozen yogurt experience rather than a ‘get in, get out’ type of experience.”
The store employs 20 and offers 21 flavors at any given time out of 50 available flavors and more than 50 toppings. The toppings and frozen yogurt are self-serve, something else that Posluszny said is key to the customer experience.
“I think it’s a big thing for the younger generation to come in and be creative and have that control,” Posluszny said.
Palissery said he “absolutely” believes there is room in this region for multiple frozen yogurt locations as they’re like “mom and pop ice cream shops” serving each neighborhood. He said he does not believe each new store is siphoning off customers from another one; instead, they’re bringing in new customers that may not have been introduced to frozen yogurt.
Posluszny said the West Side has nothing like this and the community has been very welcoming and very supportive.
“It’s a hangout,” she said. “It offers another alternative for the healthy living lifestyle.”


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ProRoundup is a daily tech roundup of all news that you should know but just don’t make it through to our usual transmission. So warm up your tea (or coffee) and sip along as we summarize our hand picked content from around the world.
Make Android & iOS Apps with Java:
Intel has developed a Multi-OS Engine which allows Java developers to make apps for both Android and iOS using Java. It’s available as a technical preview for now. It’ll compete with other similar solutions like Microsoft’s Xamarin.
Storage woes, begone!
Samsung has released a 15 TB SSD with read and write speeds double that of traditional SSDs – but don’t get too excited since it’s aimed at enterprises.
Robots as Surgeons:
A major study of patients recovering from prostate cancer has found that robots are just as effective as human surgeons. In additions, patients that underwent robot surgery lost less blood and were in the hospital for far less time. Robodoctors incoming?
Yahoo’s Decline Isn’t Bad for CEO Marissa Meyer:
A Fortune estimate suggests that Marissa Meyer, CEO of the recently sold Yahoo, could make up to $122 million despite abysmal performance raising questions about CEO compensation at failed companies.
Amazon Now Features Kickstarter Products:
Successful Kickstarter projects now have a new home in a new dedicated section at Amazon. Over 300 products across multiple categories are up for sale. Could we see a Pakistani project there soon?
Pokemon Go Plus Delayed:
A wearable for the wildly popular Pokemon Go has been delayed till September. An app update to sync with the device isn’t ready yet. This compounds Nintendo’s worries after the stock price crash when it admitted the game wasn’t making as much money as investors were expecting.
Even Deep Web Isn’t Safe:
Researchers have uncovered 100 nodes in the Tor network that could be spying on Deep Web users. This comes as no surprise since previous revelations have suggested that governments are doing all they can to track people using the anonymizing network.
Popular password manager, Lastpass (which also happens to be a favorite at ProPakistani), is facing a massive security nightmare as a zero day bug was reveled. Clicking on a malicious link could lead to your entire password database being exposed to hackers.
G5 Disappoints for LG:
A less than enthusiastic response to LG’s latest flagship G5 has led to the company declaring a $132 million loss. Total Mobile shipments (13.9 million) also saw a slight decline compared to one year ago.


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STOP PRESS! The car news highlights of 2016
We round-up the car news that defined 2016 looking back at all the key new models and big consumer stories…
April 2016 car news
Tesla Model S tops Driver Power satisfaction chart
When we revealed the results of our annual Driver Power satisfaction survey in April, the Tesla Model S became the first electric vehicle to top the rankings. Not only that, it set a new record for the highest-ever score.
This year, nearly 50,000 owners rated their cars, and the American electric model came out as a clear winner with an incredible 97.46 per cent score. The Model S finished first in virtually every ranking category, from ease of driving to running costs.
A key trend in this year’s Driver Power survey was how the UK car-buying public is warming to electric and hybrid models, as six of this year’s top 10 vehicles come in ‘alternatively fuelled’ spec. Renault’s all-electric ZOE finished second, while four Lexus models – all of which come with hybrid options – ranked in the top 10. This included last year’s winner, the IS, in fourth place.
The biggest climber in the ratings this year was the Mazda 2, which rose by a whopping 133 places to sit in 28th position overall. Meanwhile, the Mk3 MINI was the biggest faller in the top 150 chart. After finishing in the top 10 in 2015, it tumbled 88 places to 97th in 2016.
Mazda turns on the style with hard-top MX-5
Mazda took the MX-5 formula a step further as it revealed a stunning folding hard-top model called the ‘RF’ (Retractable Fastback). It retains the regular roadster’s sharp front-end looks, but also features a sleek, hard-top roof that folds away automatically.
The folding process, which can be initiated at up to 6mph, takes around 12 seconds. MX-5 program manager Nobuhiro Yamamoto said: “We wanted the cars to have two different characters; the soft-top is more casual and the RF is a little bit more formal.”
This concept is reflected inside as well; the RF’s interior has a higher-quality feel and a new LCD display in the dash. Prices will start from £22,195 when the car goes on sale in the UK next year. The same 1.5 and 2.0-litre petrol engines are available with a manual box, although there will also be an automatic option. The RF follows the hard-top version of the Mk3 MX-5, which accounted for around 80 per cent of sales by the time the car was replaced in 2014.
Dieselgate’ prompts CO2 probe
The fallout from VW’s ‘Dieselgate’ scandal prompted the Department for Transport (DfT), along with its German counterpart, to conduct a £1million industry investigation.
No other manufacturer was found to have cheated, but the report revealed that most had used built-in temperature-based exhaust gas strategies to pass lab tests.
German authorities ordered 630,000 cars to be recalled, while the DfT took no action.
April 2016 in numbers
- • 1 in 5 - Van MoT failures
- Auto Express research found one in five new vans failed its first MoT after three years. Half of all vans in Great Britain failed the test last year.
- • 950% - Rise in eco-car costs
- The rise in ownership costs of some eco-friendly cars under new 2017 vehicle excise duty rates announced.
- • £150million - Hi-tech roads scheme
- UK Government investment into a four-year trial, starting in 2017, to include roads built with radar and Wi-Fi capabilities to support autonomous cars.
May 2016 car news
From bulky MPV to cool SUV for 3008
It wowed us with its spacious and classy cabin, and the promise of its efficient engines. The sharp look is down to a new grille design with distinctive headlamps, a floating roofline and a set of bold tail-lights.
Wraps off bold Volvo small SUV
Volvo had already confirmed that a new small SUV called the XC40 would soon join its range, but in May we were finally able to get an idea of what the car would look like.
The thinly veiled concept sat on a new CMA (Compact Modular Architecture) platform that’s been developed by Volvo with its Chinese owner Geely. Bosses also confirmeda 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine for the crossover, as well as a plug-in hybrid version.
Second Zafira fire recall
Vauxhall’s Zafira B had made headlines in 2015 when the company recalled the MPV, warning 234,938 UK owners about a potential fire hazard. However, the original fix did not conclude matters, and the company issued a second callback in May.
The widely publicised fires originated from poor repairs to the blower motor resistor, and Vauxhall’s own in-house investigation of 1,000 random models found 2.6 per cent had badly repaired fuses. This latest recall rectified the issue.
Chunky new Renault Koleos is go
The car was unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show. Its styling matches that of the new Mégane hatch, although the raised ride height meant Renault was pushing the newcomer as a genuine off-roader as well as a large, practical family runaround.
London stages its own motor show
The 2016 London Motor Show saw a total of 35 different car brands, including Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, Ford, Nissan, Jaguar, Land Rover and BMW, displaying their latest models to the public.
Big misfuelling repair bill for police
AN Auto Express investigation found police forces had spent nearly £400,000 over the past five years on repairing their patrol vehicles after officers misfuelled.
Since 2011, there have been 2,147 incidents in the UK, with the Metropolitan Police having the highest costs. London officers caused £167,118 worth of damage, plus the Met was the force with the biggest fuel bill – £64.6million in the past five years.
May 2016 in numbers
- • 7.6 million - Speeding fines
- Number of fines for speeding issued by police in UK since 2011. According to exclusive figures, 8.4 per cent of drivers successfully challenged their fines.
- • £1,197 - Driveway rental
- Average annual amount a homeowner in a major UK town or city could earn from renting out their empty drive for parking.
- • £71,000 - Evoque options
- To show how crazy it is possible to go on a configurator, we more than doubled the price of a Range Rover Evoque by choosing a host of options.
June 2016 car news
Rolls-Royce’s wild vision of future
Rolls-Royce gave the world a dramatic insight into its future with the 103EX Vision Next 100 concept – a “visionary” look at how its models will evolve in decades to come, and a celebration of its 112-year history.
The amazing car is roughly the same size as a Phantom, but features unique ‘floating’ wheel portions and a curved glass cockpit. It’s fully electric, with two high-performance 250kW motors on each axle, while under the skin is an advanced lightweight platform
Ford’s practical Ka+ promises city car shake-up
The budget city car market looked set to get a shake-up when Ford revealed its new Ka+ would be coming to the UK with a lower price and increased practicality. The Ka+ was already on sale in India, where it’s built, as well as in South America, but Ford developed the car with European buyers in mind.
Offering supermini space for less than £9,000, the Ka+ shares its platform with the current Fiesta. It’s almost as long as the big seller, too, and is 21mm taller, with a 270-litre boot.
Even base models get remote locking, as well as electric windows and mirrors. All models feature a 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual gearbox, with either 69bhp or 84bhp versions available.
AMG’s mean, green GT
At Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey, with F1 star Lewis Hamilton on hand, the bonkers AMG GT R supercar was revealed. It’s the pinnacle of the AMG GT range, with power upped to 577bhp and a serious, track-focused chassis makeover.
Mercedes is focusing on battling the Nürburgring with the GT R, as signified by the ‘Green Hell’ paint – a reference to the circuit’s nickname. A wider body and track, active aero tech, chunky rear wing and nine-way traction control should ensure the car gives Porsche’s 911 Turbo S sleepless nights.
Manley is Auto Express’s Brit of 2016
The Auto Express Brit List, which counts down the best UK talent in the car industry, named Mike Manley as winner. Manley has overseen Jeep’s revival and has now been put in charge of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in the Asia Pacific region, as well as joining the FCA Group Executive Council.
Manley was joined on the podium by Citroen CEO Linda Jackson and Duncan Aldred, US vice president of Buick-GMC.
Brexit shock has industry reeling
Brits went to the polls on 23 June and voted to leave the EU in a shock result. The referendum outcome left the nation’s economy reeling and forced Prime Minister David Cameron to step down.
The automotive industry called on the Government to ensure the UK remained “open for business”, and later in the year, the Business Secretary promised to protect makers if trade tariffs were introduced.
June 2016 in numbers
- • 1 - No1 media brand
- Auto Express was crowned Consumer Media Brand of the Year at the 2016 PPA awards, beating titles such as NME, Vogue and Grazia.
- • £344m - Collected by NHS
- Total raked in by NHS Foundation Trusts in England from parking fees in the past three years.
- • 53.5% - MoT failure rate
- Percentage of MoT failures in Britain’s test failure hotspot: Dundee. The Isle of Man had the lowest failure rate; only 28.2 per cent failed the test here.
Now jump to page 3 or click the links below to continue our review of 2016's big car stories...
January - February - March April - May - JuneJuly - August - SeptemberOctober - November - December
- 1STOP PRESS! The car news highlights of 2016We round-up the car news that defined 2016 looking back at all the key new models and big consumer stories…
- 2STOP PRESS! The car news highlights of 2016 - currently readingWe round-up the car news that defined 2016 looking back at all the key new models and big consumer stories…
- 3STOP PRESS! The car news highlights of 2016We round-up the car news that defined 2016 looking back at all the key new models and big consumer stories…
- 4STOP PRESS! The car news highlights of 2016We round-up the car news that defined 2016 looking back at all the key new models and big consumer stories…


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Royal Holdings' January-March pretax profit up 20%
TOKYO -- Royal Holdings Co. is expected to report a 20% year-on-year gain in pretax profit for the three months ended March 31 thanks in part to price hikes at its restaurants.
Pretax profit apparently topped 700 million yen ($6.7 million). The strong performance is partly attributed to a 5% increase in sales per customer after the company raised prices for some dishes at its Royal Host family restaurants last year.
Sales likely grew 4% to around 29 billion yen. The group's restaurants were busy in March as good weather prompted many people to go out to view cherry blossoms. The Tenya tempura chain logged a 10% sales increase because of the popularity of a once-a-month discount, which mainly drew seniors.
The occupancy rate was almost 90% at the group's Richmond Hotel properties. The hotels were used by the many people stuck in cities in February due to heavy snowfall.
For the current fiscal year through Dec. 31, Royal Holdings plans to launch new restaurants primarily under the popular Tenya brand. And it will focus on renovating existing Royal Host locations.


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The upcoming 3D gaming experience where players can freely negotiate stakes draws inspiration from RuneScape.
Rollbit has announced that it’s recreating the RuneScape Duel Arena and will soon launch the world’s first 0% edge 3D Person Vs Person (PvP) game.
“The Rollbot Duel Arena will allow players to negotiate their stakes with each other with no limitations or restrictions through an individual chat,” stated Rollbit co-founder Lucky @Lucky_Rollbit in an X post.
Profit is Not the Motive
In a reply to comments on X, the co-founder explained that generating additional revenue isn’t the motive, which is where the 0% edge is coming from.
“RuneScape staking created some of the most memorable moments of my life. I’m sure many OGs [original gangsters] will say the same,” the Rollbit co-founder explained.
The primary goal is to recreate the nostalgic experience of RuneScape and allow players to relive their fondest memories, they added.
Rollbit has also released a view of what its upcoming Duel Arena will look like.
“The Rollbot Duel Arena… here is where the euphoric emotional rollercoaster will take place. Similar to the 2011-2012 Runescape, players will start with 990 health points and battle it out in a winner-take-all boxing match that will last around 70 seconds. Prepare yourself for trash-talking, full HP comebacks, and turning rags to riches,” the premier crypto casino platform stated in an update.
Robust September Revenue
Earlier this month, Rollbit announced its September revenue was a hefty $38 million. Also, the number of on-chain RLB holders exceeded 10,000 in the same month. The figure surged to 19,600 when Rollbit.com holdings were considered.
Rollbit, established in 2020 as a casino platform and expanded to include futures trading in 2021, emphasized its commitment to the buy and burn program, allocating funds from crypto futures, sports betting, and casino games.
As part of this initiative, Rollbit implemented buy and burn of over $5 million in RLB tokens, equivalent to 1.265% of the circulating supply.


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U.S. produce lobbies: Specialty crop legislation promotes exports
The Senate passed legislation late Tuesday that lobbyists for the fresh fruit and vegetable industries say will improve the government’s handling of specialty crop exports.
The legislation defined specialty crops as fruits, vegetables, nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops.
The legislation authorizes an additional $2 million a year to the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crop program, a measure included in the 2002 Farm Bill to help producers, commodity groups, associations and others to challenge unscientific technical barriers to export trade.
The legislation also includes several provisions to deal with sanitary and phytosanitary protocols for shipping specialty crops. The legislation specifically directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to:
* Reduce the backlog in export applications for specialty crops, and report to Congress on its progress.
* Provide Congress a report within 180 days on significant sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to specialty crop exports.
* Enter into an agreement with the National Plant Board to conduct a peer review of the procedures and standards that govern the consideration of import and export requests.
In addition, the legislation authorizes an additional $5 million for research on agricultural commodity pest treatment alternatives to methyl bromide.
Industry groups that lobbied for passage of the Specialty Crop Competitiveness Act include United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association, Western Growers, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, Texas Produce Association, U.S. Apple Association, California Citrus Mutual, California Grape and Tree Fruit League, National Potato Council, Idaho Grower Shipper Association, and Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.
The legislation is headed to President Bush’s desk for signature.


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Technology is giving new meaning to girl power.
While it's commonly believed men are the tech industry’s most coveted market, The Peterson Group finds out that women are now dominating the worldwide trend.
According to Bell in an article in The Atlantic, women in Western countries use the Internet 17 per cent more than their male counterparts do every month. Women spend more time talking, sending text messages and skyping; they are almost the exclusive owners of Internet-enabled readers; and they're the fastest growing group of users on every social networking site with the exception of LinkedIn. Sites such as Pinterest are magnets for women: they appeal to a lady's innate tendencies to organize, categorize and collect.
The gender difference revolves around three distinct areas: our personal and professional relationships, the need for information and entertainment, and consumer behavior. On that note, we prepared this infographic based on those parameters for a broader look at how men and women differ. There are distinct variances.
And now, more than ever, women want to learn more and more about the technology they're using.
The good news is women are, indeed, making their mark as technology innovators and entrepreneurs. A good example is Ruchi Sanghvi, Faceboook’s first female engineer who launched the News feed. She made it possible for people to link Facebook identities and friends to almost any site online, completely rewriting the rules of web.
According to the review by Douglass Karr, founder of Marketing Technology, women are more likely to play games on their smartphones, more likely to get deals and more likely to utilize social media to keep tabs with family and communicate with one another.
Women also show to be patrons of social media for relationship, sharing, entertainment and self-support. Women are also fond of Uploading, gaming and taking pictures while men prefer video, news and GPS.
Unfortunately though, not only do women use their mobile phones and social media to interact with others but they are also using these media to do fraudulent act and of course, the victims are males. It is more likely effective to scam somebody when you are a woman especially through the internet. It is easier for women to interact to rich and innocent victims as stereotype has it that men are the more dangerous one. Western people shows to be the most frequent target as men, as studies show use social media mostly for dating. In developing cities like Singapore, Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, cyber scamming is widespread.


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Earlier, the US Senate passed a $2 trillion coronavirus bailout to support consumers and major businesses
According to LearnBonds, Netflix has risen up by more than 6% at $363 due to government bailouts. Besides, the data says that the company is well placed to gain more subscribers to its streaming platform as COVID-19 forces millions of people to stay in their homes.
Due to its monthly subscription-based revenue model, Netflix is likely to add subscribers over the next 12 to 18 months as the longer-term effects of the outbreak are felt. However, the company might not see a bump to its bottom line in the short-term.
In addition to that, a recent response plan from the US government states that the virus epidemic may last for 18 months or more. This way, recent social distancing and quarantine policies might bring dome positive impacts to Netflix.
- Borders closure & quarantine: measures taken globally to fight COVID-19
- How to shop during the quarantine
- Sales, discounts, special offers: how business facilitates social isolation


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The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association commissioned an Economic Impact Study on the RV industry, released on June 7, 2016. The study found that the RV industry contributes about $49.7 billion in economic output or 0.28 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. Through its production and distribution linkages, the industry impacts firms in 426 of the 440 sectors of the United States economy.
Nationwide, the industry is responsible for 216,170 jobs, both directly and inderectly, creating an economic impact of $37.5 billion. The full study results, along with each individual state and congressional district's economic impact is available on the website by clicking here .
Tue Jun 28, 2016
MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina — Campers Inn RV, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership, has announced it will host a ribbon cutting ceremony along with RV service and parts provider, Camping Connection, for their new stores in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on June 29 at 2 p.m.
The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce will join the dealership for the event and the ribbon cutting will feature food, entertainment and guest speakers from Campers Inn RV corporate management.
"We are honored we could share this important milestone with the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce,” Campers Inn General Sales Manager Jason Hoyle says. “We look forward to being an active member of the Myrtle Beach business community and we are thrilled to meet all the RV lovers who will visit this amazing vacation destination.”
"The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce is excited for the grand opening of Campers Inn RV of Myrtle Beach," MBACC Membership Retention and Services Manager Shannon Furtick adds. "We want to welcome Campers Inn RV to the area and your chamber is looking forward to working for and with you."
Opened in May 2016, the Myrtle Beach store is Campers Inn RV’s 14th location, and it is sharing a facility with Camping Connection, which offers RV service, parts and accessories. To help celebrate, the dealership will be grilling hot dogs, and it has brought in Tim the Balloon Man to make balloon animals and DJ Cecil Chandler to provide music. Chief Operating Officer Ben Hirsch will give a speech along with additional corporate managers and representatives from Camping Connection.
Campers Inn RV operates 15 RV dealerships throughout the eastern United States. For more information about Campers Inn RV, visit www.CampersInn.com, like Campers Inn RV on Facebook or follow @CampersInnRV on Twitter.


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The hospitality industry may be showing signs of recovery in Auckland, but the rest of the country still lags well behind, with one Christchurch operator describing the situation as “dire.”
Auckland appears to have started a gradual recovery in October/November last year, but Wellington and Christchurch has yet to see any such lift, in fact, alcohol sales since Christmas have continued to decline in many areas.
Andrew Harris, Partner Business Advisory for Chartered Accountants Grant Thornton New Zealand, who act for a range of clients in the hospitality industry, said that hospitality sales closely mirror retail sales.
“The recently released Retail Trade Survey showed the Auckland and Waikato regions pushing along, averaging a 5% growth over the previous six months, with the Wellington and Christchurch regions both showing negative growth.
“It is pretty much the same for the bars and restaurants that we act for, although restaurants and cafes appear to be doing slightly better than bars and clubs.
“The last supper for the Auckland hospitality industry was September/October 2008 with a gradual recovery for restaurants beginning October/November last year and bars about March this year.
“On the bar scene, it has been the higher end that has recovered first. The blue collar bars have had a double whammy. Some drinkers have moved to clubs like the RSA where they can drink more cheaply, while others are buying from the supermarkets and drinking at home because they have lost their jobs or had their hours cut.
“The corporate market does not seem to have been hit so hard,” he said.
Recent comments by the chief executive of the Hospitality Association of New Zealand, Bruce Robertson, back this trend, with 150 of his members having closed or been put in receivership in the past year.
Harris said that many bars only struggled through last winter, looking to the warmer summer months to build some fat to get them through this winter.
“Unfortunately for many, the summer did not give them the profit needed to see them through a second winter of discontent. There’s no fat left and not a lot they can do,” he said.
Harris’s comments were backed by a substantial South Island bar owner/operator. “Things are dire out there for many bars, definitely the toughest trading conditions seen in at least 20 years. For many it is going to be a long hard winter - one they may not be able to survive.
“Some suburban bars/restaurants are doing okay and a few inner city bars where the younger generation frequent on a Thursday and Saturday night are holding up. In Christchurch, the bars that make it through to Cup Week (second week in November) should survive, but that’s a long four months away.
Dunedin bars are believed to be in an even more precarious position than those in Christchurch and Wellington, although last weekend’s rugby test will have helped slightly. Queenstown is waiting for the ski season to kick in fully, while, for the first time, some of the regions such as the West Coast are also noticing a tightening in trading conditions.
“For those thinking of buying or opening a bar now is not the time, unless they are well supported by both banks and breweries. They have picked the players they will support, and if you are outside their respective teams, there are not a lot of places to hide.
“The recession further highlights the current oversupply of bars and restaurants with the weaker operators being found out and the stronger, with the backing of the banks and the breweries, now taking advantage,” he said.


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Marcy Coburn’s name is well known in sustainable-food circles, not only from her current position as the director of the Food Craft Institute, which also sponsors the Eat Real Festival, but as the former communications director for the Ecological Farming Association.
Raised on a citrus farm in the Central Valley, Coburn has worked with organic produce for two decades, ever since her days driving a delivery truck for San Francisco’s Veritable Vegetable. “It gave me the opportunity to visit every organic farm from here to Nevada City,” she says.
She says she comes to the organization at an interesting moment: Like many other “mature” organizations, CUESA has seen its initial goals succeed: promoting sustainable agriculture and bringing it to the public’s attention. “We’ve made so much progress,” she says. “We’ve reached the summit of this initial climb. Organic food is now seen as this legitimate, non revolutionary thing. It’s reached the point where Walmart is carrying it. So now what?”
What’s next for CUESA under Coburn’s leadership: Looking at the organization’s many educational programs to examine their impact. Thinking about how to deepen people’s experience of farmers’ markets experience in an era of proliferating Whole Foods stores and online grocery delivery. She also wants to strengthen the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market’s role as an economic incubator for farmers and small food producers.
“I feel like CUESA is making history, and has such a high profile that it has a responsibility to the rest of the country,” she says. “People look to CUESA for a model of cultivating a healthy food system. It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
She starts July 14.


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Vienna State Opera claims first live 4K-streamed broadcast
One of the world’s most famous performance institutions, the Vienna State Opera (VSO), has partnered with Elemental to stream what is claimed to be the world’s first live production in 4K video coding (HEVC).
Rapid TV News reports the performance will be delivered via MPEG-DASH over the Internet for global viewing on Samsung Smart TVs and on special public display in the opera house. The broadcast is set for 7pm CET on 7 May and will feature the production of Verdi’s Nabucco starring Plácido Domingo in the title role.
It will be streamed for global viewing on UltraHD smart TVs as well as to a 65″ Samsung UltraHD TV at the opera house.
Producing more than 40 live broadcasts annually, the Vienna State Opera, also known as Wiener Staatsoper, is a leader in the use of innovative technology for the arts and is making nearly all of its 2014/2015 season productions accessible to viewers via the Internet, smart TVs and mobile devices.
The new Wiener Staatsoper Samsung Smart TV app has already been released, is claimed to be the first of its kind. It has a fully integrated UltraHD playout functionality that will allow viewers worldwide to watch the broadcast at their respective prime time, through Vienna State Opera’s unique time-shift feature.
VSO’s broadcast is based on video processing solutions from Elemental Technologies. In addition to 4K HEVC real-time video streaming, Elemental will support live streaming and video-on-demand (VOD) for the Wiener Staatsoper full HD live streaming service, which enables viewers to purchase a selection of live performances over the Web to be enjoyed on computers, mobile devices (iOS and Android), connected TVs and on Samsung smart TVs, time-shifted for optimal viewing in each local market.


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For Nigeria to diversify its economy through agriculture, its products must be competitive enough to compete with other products in the international market. This will help accelerate the development of the agricultural sector and provide foreign exchange for the nation.
Diversifying the Nigerian economy away from oil would require paying more attention to the making of agriculture and value-adding manufacturing export more competitive.
Agricultural products constitute the bulk of Nigeria’s non-oil exports. The shares of these products both processed and unprocessed in total value of non-oil exports is as high as 70 percent, according to Analysts.
Good market penetration and effective packaging on the part of the exporter, as well as adequate financing from banks and government, among others would be key to achieving export competitiveness, Stakeholders said.
Several challenges needed to be addressed in order to expand the country’s export for it to contribute to structural change and help promote agric sector growth, which are vital for sustaining economic growth and development. These challenges are:
The world of product marketing is the world of appearance. Like the typical physicalist or materialist, the consumer believes in what he sees, feels, touches or perceives. The consumer tends to look at the physical attributes of a product first before considering whether it meets the standards or not.
“The international market is based on standard. You must meet the standard before your goods can go far; packaging is the key in export business,” said, Madu Obiora, chairman, export group, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in a telephone response to questions.
Competitiveness is being able to give a project that can beat your competitors, and the capacity to cope with the standard and strenuous demand of the international market, he adds.
Nigerian exporters used to have their products rejected at the borders of almost all the countries a few years back. It was not only too expensive to repatriate products already exported but also embarrassing and discouraging.
Tunde Oyelola, chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Export Group (MANEG), said packaging incentive had become necessary because meeting the taste of the European and American markets would require efficient packaging, which often could ramp up costs by between 20 percent and 30 percent, adding that this had the capacity to increase international market access for locally made products.
“Through the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Nigerian government can set up incentives to drive exports. Packaging is expensive, and if left in the hands of the exporters alone, it can increase their cost and reduce competitiveness of their products in the international market,” he further said.
For a product to be export competitive, the non-oil exporters should add value to their products, embrace innovation and technology, while ensuring that their product are desirous of competing favourably in the international market.
According to a wire report, Ibikunle Amosun, executive governor, Ogun State, said it was essential for non-oil exporters to process their raw materials, rather than push them out in raw forms, in order to boost their value and competitiveness in the global market.
Access to Market
Good market penetration on the part of the exporter is important to export competitiveness by providing products that can beat that of other competitors.
Access to the international market is very challenging due to variety of potential differences in culture, political and economic environments and regulations between domestic market and international markets.
Taking business global can provide numerous benefits including new opportunities and increased sales.
Increasing difficulties in accessing loans among micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) have been a major problem for those who are in the export business.
To be able to meet the standard in the international market, adequate finance is needed.
According to Fidel Anyanna, programme director, Dalehan Limited, traders and the financiers consider export finance high risk by banks because export cuts across two sovereign states and there are unrealistic assumptions.
“In export business, the need for up front fixed cost is high and incidentally, the large numbers of export firms in Nigeria are small sized firms,” he adds.


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June 18, 2020
What Can You Do to Make Consumers Feel Safer?
New Morning Consult polling explores what protocols businesses can implement to make customers feel more comfortable in the pandemic environment. Regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces topped the list with support from 81 percent of recipients. Other popular protocols include installing hand sanitizer dispensers at 77 percent, spacing-out seating at 72 percent, enforcing capacity limits at 70 percent, and requiring all employees to wear face masks at 69 percent. Imposing temperature screenings for consumers received the lowest support at 57 percent.


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Published on September 28th, 2012 | by Derek Strickland, Contributor
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Limited Edition Announced
Earlier today Konami announced that a Limited Edition of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance will be available at the game’s release on Feb. 19, 2013. The Limited Edition bundle includes a full copy of the game, the official soundtrack, a Limited Edition two-sided steelbook and a fully working high-frequency plasma lamp fashioned in the likeness of Raiden’s katana.
If you’re not familiar with the upcoming title, be sure to check out our coverage on the TGS 2012 trailer which pretty much sums the game’s incredible futuristic hack-and-slash action up in a nice visual package.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is being developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami, and will be available on Feb. 13, 2013. For more information be sure to check the game’s official website.


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In the March 2015 issue of Allure Magazine, Kendall Jenner gets candid about growing up in front of the camera, what it’s like to have Kim Kardashian-West as her older half-sis, and how she is breaking away from the “Kardashian Empire.”
Seen with curly hair and smudged black eye-liner, the 19-year-old model poses with co-star Marcel the Monkey who was also Ross’s pet on Friends.
From the beginning, Jenner says her and younger sister Kylie would take pictures of themselves in the backyard. “I would read magazines, and I would look at pictures with these women who looked so powerful,” Jenner says. “I wanted to be that to some little girl or little boy.”
After making it big in the modeling industry to the likes of Chanel, Givenchy, and Balmain (just to name a few), Jenner was criticized by some saying her new career was handed to her and that she didn’t work hard enough for it. While Jenner understands there will always be critics to fend off, she wants her work to stand apart from her older sisters.
At her first Marc Jacobs fashion show for the fall 2014 collection, she asked her sisters not to come. “I didn’t need it to be a family affair,” she says, almost apologetically.
“As selfish as this sounds, I wanted the attention to be on me for five seconds rather than my family. If they were sitting front row, it would have been all about, ‘Oh, Kim goes to Kendall’s first fashion show!'”
Later, she adds, “I love Kim, but for a minute I wanted it to be like, ‘OK, this is [Kendall’s] thing—she’s taking it seriously.”
For more on Kendall’s interview, pick up a copy of Allure Magazine on newsstands now.


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Doha: McDonald’s Qatar has issued a warning to customers on its official social media platforms about several fake websites imitating the company’s operations in the nation.
“We have been made aware of numerous fraudulent websites impersonating our business in Qatar. They are reportedly advertising fake offers and requesting bank details from customers for fake and fraudulent transactions,” said McDonald’s Qatar in the post.
It also stated that the issue has been notified and that it is working closely with local authorities to resolve the situation and remove the fake websites. Customers were also advised to avoid using non-verified McDonald’s social media channels. To maintain maximum security, it further recommended consumers only place orders through its official MyMcDonald’s App and official websites.


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V. Clark Vialle has joined the New Business Development Sales Team at Arandell to enhance the Northeastern/Greater Boston market.
Arandell announced that James Ford has joined the New Business Development sales team.
For those in the magazine and catalog printing and publishing segments, the past year has been nothing short of dynamic.
Arandell in Menomonee Falls, Wis., will install its sixth Goss Sunday Press in Q4 2016.
Recently, an increase in printed magazines and catalogs matched with online media has been used to drive awareness of a brand.
Undertaking its first major interior remodel in over 34 years, Arandell Corp. is redesigning its offices. The office remodel project will happen in phases throughout the coming years and will include an environmentally responsible design, open spaces and natural lighting. The last major update Arandell underwent was in 2007 with a building expansion.
As Arandell Corp. continues to grow, it has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Mark Heimerl as senior vice president of sales and marketing. He was previously the director of sales and marketing of printing at RBP Chemical Technology. “It is exciting to be part of a company that has such strong history and reputation in the industry," said Heimerl.
Commercial Printing Industry News Briefs from Printing Impressions' December 2014 edition, including Walsworth, Boyd Brothers Printing, Arandell Corp., Cenveo Corp., Becker, Burton & Mayer, World Marketing, Benny Landa and Graphic Arts Studio.
If catalogers and magazine publishers were looking for the right mix in 2013, their main challenge in 2014 was ensuring a seamless integration between print and the Web. As a result, more and more catalog and publication printers are changing their focus from solely providing ink-on-paper products to becoming true multi-channel partners.
Commercial printer company and personnel news from Printing Impressions’ December 2014 edition, including Burton & Mayer, Flesh Co., Kay Printing, Western States Envelope & Label, Dickinson Press, Dscoop, Capital Imaging, Beeline and Blue, HP, Arandell Corp., Cimpress and Vistaprint.


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The agreement includes development, marketing and distribution of fragrances and ancillary products.
"We are very enthusiastic about partnering with Taylor Swift," says Ronald Rolleston, executive vice president of Elizabeth Arden. "Her rise to superstardom has been meteoric, and her multiple awards and incredible record sales are a testament to her extraordinary talent. Equally important to us is what Taylor represents as an artist: a role model who inspires her global fan base every day. We look forward to launching a new fragrance brand that reflects every facet of this extremely talented young artist."
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Seoul, Feb 5 (IANS) Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong has been acquitted of any wrongdoing in a controversial 2015 merger case, a decision expected to strengthen his leadership to overcome mounting challenges and speed up decision-making at South Korea’s largest conglomerate.
The expected acquittal marks the resolution of legal uncertainties that Lee has faced for nine years since he was embroiled in a nationwide abuse of power scandal under former President Park Geun-hye’s administration, providing stability in Samsung.
Despite the possibility of an appeal by the prosecution, Lee can now concentrate on business and running the tech giant as the court-approved chairman, at least for now, Yonhap news agency reports.
This development is seen as crucial for Samsung in the face of geopolitical risks such as the US-China conflict and the protracted Russia-Ukraine war, along with a prolonged economic slowdown, high inflation and interest rates.
Lee is expected to play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of the semiconductor and smartphone businesses amid increased competition in the technology industry.
Last year, Samsung lost the top spot in semiconductor vendor revenue to Intel Corp. and came in second place well behind Apple Inc. in smartphone shipments.
With the clearance, Lee is expected to take on a more decisive leadership role in helping his company regain No. 1 status in the flagship semiconductor and smartphone businesses.
Its semiconductor business posted an operating loss of 14.88 trillion won (US$11.2 billion) last year alone due to declining demand.
Despite profits from its DRAM business in the fourth quarter, it wasn’t enough to turn around the entire chipmaking business.
In his closing statement at a court hearing in November, Lee stressed that his company is facing strong headwinds and needs strong leadership to overcome them.
Analysts expected Lee to navigate challenges through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and massive investments that could have been delayed by legal proceedings.
Samsung’s subdued presence in the global M&A market is also expected to change under Lee’s strengthened leadership.
The company’s last major M&A deal was in 2016, when it took over automotive and audio company Harman International for $8 billion.
Since he announced a 240 trillion won investment program by 2021 when he was released on parole, Lee is likely to unveil another massive investment plan in the near future. He also made this decision in 2018 after being released on a suspended sentence.


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Leicestershire retailer Next has today announced when it will fully open its new concept store at Fosse Park West.
The store - which covers 56,536 sq.ft - will be the third largest Next store in the UK.
It is currently open for click and collect only, but it will be fully open to customers from 9am on Monday, April 12.
The new store will include all the latest styles from Next’s ranges for women, men, children and home, and will also feature new areas including Baker byTed Baker for kids.
The store will be fitted with what the company describes as 'boutique-inspired' fitting rooms as well as the first ‘Home Fragrance Room’ from Next. The room will include 32 of Next's bestselling fragrances and feature fully interactive technology, for the customer to learn and discover their personal preferences.
Next will host lifestyle concessions including Costa Coffee, Virgin Holidays and Next's first Waterstones concession.
Costa Coffee will initially be opening for takeaways only, and Virgin Holidays is encouraging customers to book an appointment.
Next store manager, Megan Kay, said: “The team and I cannot wait to welcome everyone to the beautiful new Fosse Park West store. We are especially looking forward to opening our wonderful new home department, which features an experiential home-fragrance room, which is a first for Next.
"Alongside this, we are very excited for customers to explore and enjoy the new concessions available; including Virgin Holidays, as well as the first Waterstones concession at Next. Customers can also treat themselves to a handcrafted coffee from the nation’s favourite coffee shop, Costa Coffee.’’
The store has been designed to provide a contemporary and spacious feel. This includes new illuminated timber fins to soften the structure, both on the approach and in-store.
Warm light levels and the increased vision into the store are intended to act as an inviting beacon encouraging customers in, while internally the fins act as a feature, adding to the warm ambience.
According to Next, the introduction of different digital formats throughout the store adds movement, improving the customer journey and encouraging the customer to explore. Enhanced customer service touch points are at the forefront, such as additional fitting rooms, till points and customer collection stations, all adding to a connected store environment.
Michael Bell, senior asset manager at The Crown Estate, said: “I’m so pleased to announce the completion of our development at Fosse Park. The last year has been a challenging period for us all, but our team has worked hard to achieve our ambitions. We're delighted Next will be moving into a brand new store at Fosse Park that showcases everything they have to offer in a spacious, cutting edge retail environment.”
From Monday, the new Next store will be open Monday to Friday 9am-9m, Saturday 9am-8pm and Sunday 10.30am-5pm.


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By 2050, the world’s population will exceed 9 billion people, and, as we all know, the set of basic human needs throughout history has not transformed much. In these terms the finest hour of food industry is about to start (with growth estimates of up to 70% even according to the most conservative views).
Such forecasts are optimistic for the Latin American economy, which ranks first in terms of world food exports. But the new times set new standards: as to traceability of the supply chain, safety of raw materials and products, environmentally friendly approaches, ethical production and conformity with customers’ tastes.
Manufacturers and retailers are now assisted by modern technologies and digital solutions transforming the approach to food and its production. As Mordor Intelligence reports, Latin American AI-powered food tech sector would grow three and a half times by 2025.
A successful case that even got the attention of Jeff Bezos (the billionaire invested $30 M USD in the project) is the Chilean startup NotCo. A young team of specialists in biotechnology, plant genetics and IT-engineers are promoting a new approach to plant-based foods (for both economic and ethical reasons). With a focus on mayonnaise, one of the most beloved products of the Chileans, NotCo released its vegan version, which captured 10% of the domestic sales market and ended up on the shelves of 1,000 stores in just a couple of years, including the retail giant Walmart. Other products from NotCo’s portfolio – ice creams, burgers and alternative milks – are also fully plant-based, but their key feature is their complete similarity to the original animal-based products’ taste, smell and texture. The idea is based on a machine-learning algorithm that selects flavour combinations from a library of plant ingredients and then builds respective molecular structures. The products are marketed in Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, and the company reports that more than 92% of its customers are non-vegetarian.
To stay trendy in times of increased mindfulness, companies need to keep aligned with the flexible preferences of a new generation of consumers: millennials, who represent up to 30% of the region’s population, are reframe customer behaviour patterns and provide up to 70% of e-commerce demand. They appreciate traceability of the supply chain, usability of online service and are glad to follow the stream of mango harvesting from an organic plantation in the highlands of Peru.
Considered the global epidemiological situation and local outbreaks of livestock diseases, consumers’ attention to safety and manufacturing hygiene has also increased. A survey by Zebra Technologies Corporation found that 79% of Latin American participants would like to have access to information on the origin of what they eat, and 87% are worried about industrial hygiene. Innovations are helping here as well: blockchain technologies coupled with smartphones help to track the path from farm to shelf, while smart packaging serve to increase shelf life.
Another ambitious project of this year was the launch of an Argentine blockchain platform Carnes Validadas, which reveals all information about packed meat from the store: by scanning a QR code with a smartphone, the buyer gets access to massive of data, starting from the calf’s diet to the exact time and place of each stage of the supply chain. This brings transparency in terms of freshness and quality through information that was previously available only to businesses (but is now in the hands of end consumers). In addition, Carnes Validadas creators outline other advantages as well: reliable and easily traceable data on livestock and production processes could help farmers and small enterprises dealing with banks, insurance companies and new partners when applying for loans and entering new markets.
Increasing the shelf life is another critical point for the food industry, considered the global goal to fight hunger. According to statistics from FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, from 20% to 40% of harvested vegetables and fruits are spoiled and thrown away (and that’s in average 1,3 billion tons of food annually!). In these terms, and efficient and environmentally friendly solution is extremely urgent. Science-intensive approaches (e.g., application of radiation technologies) are competing with startups, and the artificial petrochemical waxes to cover fruits are being replaced by plant-based formulae. A solution was proposed by a Chilean startup PolyNatural that raised $800 million in investments offering a safe and natural solution for agribusiness. Their emulsion for fruit coating contains natural extracts, lipids and plant polymers that prevent the growth of bacteria and extend the shelf life, protecting avocados, oranges and berries from drying out.
Industry transformation has reached all segments of food and agro-industry supply chains and involves not only IT-enthusiasts and young scientists. Despite the fact that Latin American startups raised an aggregate of $1.4 billion in 2019, trends are being driven by such majors as IBM, Amazon and Oracle creating new full-cycle digital ecosystems in Latin America. Digital solutions penetrated the region later than the US, Asia and the EU and this supports the forecasts for intensive growth in the coming years. New digital platforms cover a wide range of segments: from intelligent farm management systems and irrigation scheduling linked to satellite climate data to universal cloud marketplaces. In the coming years, the food tech sector of the region would keep on growing and attracting institutional investors from all over the world. Regardless of the 2020 crisis the German BASF Venture Capital invested in several agrotech startups in Latin America through the Brazilian fund AgVentures II, while the Japanese Softbank Group holding plans to invest up to $1 billion in fast-growing regional projects and has already supported Rappi, the leading Colombian e-commerce service.


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You can expect quantities in Fall to be very limited.
The common sentiment has been that virtual reality’s best chance at mainstream success comes with Sony’s PlayStation VR, which will go on sale in October this year. Unlike other high end VR headsets, PlayStation VR is not obscenely expensive, and nor does it require a super high end PC to function, which most households do not own.
And, judging by remarks that GameStop made during a recent financial call (via DualShockers), it appears as though that expectation may be right- it appears as though Sony may have a hit on their hands here. GameStop claim that the last time the PlayStation VR was put up for pre-order, the entire allocation was sold out in literally five minutes, which is apparently the quickest sellout in GameStop history. As a result of this tremendous demand, GameStop expects there to be very constrained supply of the headset going into this Holiday.
I do expect the PlayStation VR to sell great to begin with, at least- even the PlayStation Vita and Wii U did at first, after all. But the main question in my mind is, will it be able to sustain that level of sales performance going forward? That is something I am truly interested in finding out.


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T-Mobile and Orange UK merger to create a carrier of monstrous proportions
Both companies seem intent on hammering out an agreement that will give them equal share of the new mega-carrier, expected to amass the mind-boggling 37% of all subscribers. The new super-company will be able to offer better services, improved coverage and put the parents into more advantageous position in terms of spending on new technologies. Certainly, the new carrier will have the upper hand over its two competitors as well.
source: Deutsche Telekom


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