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MasterCard Worldwide today announced a 5 year Premium Debit MasterCard® exclusivity agreement with Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), Qatar's first Islamic bank and a key MasterCard issuer.
The strategic agreement will streamline QIB's Premium Debit MasterCard issuance, while offering more benefits and enhanced insight as the Bank manages its premium debit portfolio. Initiated to provide added value to QIB's premium customers, the MasterCard-QIB agreement will give customers the flexibility, convenience and security they have come to expect when using MasterCard cards.
"This collaboration reflects the Bank's vision to offer innovative MasterCard payment solutions to its customers," said Salah Jaidah QIB's CEO. "We have worked with MasterCard since 2003, and have developed a strong, value-based relationship that meets the evolving needs of QIB MasterCard cardholders. QIB chose to collaborate with MasterCard because of the company's fundamental understanding of the payments market, expertise and product innovation; elements that fall in line with the Bank's customer service mission. Through this agreement, QIB is able to differentiate its product offerings, better serve its clients and further deliver enhanced and customized product features and privileges."
"This agreement underscores our commitment to work with our customers to develop products and solutions that are customized to cater to the diverse needs of consumers," said Eyad Al-Kourdi, vice president and country manager, Southern Gulf - UAE, Qatar & Oman, MasterCard Worldwide. "MasterCard is delighted to cooperate with Qatar Islamic Bank to develop a payment solution tailored to appeal to the affluent consumer. We are delighted that Qatar Islamic Bank has collaborated with us to further develop their debit portfolio business."
QIB has been a MasterCard issuer for more than seven years. As part of the latest multi-year MasterCard agreement, QIB will issue PIN based Premium Debit Cards to its VVIP and affluent client base. This agreement will add value in the form of lounge access, concierge service and many other privileged benefits. Debit MasterCard cards enjoy global acceptance at more than 30.2 million acceptance locations, including ATMs.
© 2000 - 2022 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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The burger giant selected Lowe Lintas Mumbai to launch a new campaign.
The campaign will mainly target India’s millennial generation and will focus on strengthening brand awareness within the demographic.
Burger King India’s chief marketing officer Kapil Grover said: “Creative agencies are like an extended marketing team. It’s important to have partners who understand the brand and share the same passion.”
Do you know more about this story? Contact us anonymously through this link.

domain: news


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Another week of disruption across the majority of the processing sector has been reported by Thames Valley Cambac.
“Reduced kills in many places as a result of the well documented staff shortages was compounded by a number of factory breakdowns which meant we are backed up further going in to this week than we were when we completed the week before,” TVC said in its latest weekly update.
Issues are beginning with stocking levels on farms and unfortunately there looks to be little respite from this over the coming weeks which will create significant challenges on farms. From an actual trade perspective demand from retail we are told is reasonably good although year-on-year sales are down, which is not surprising as we were in full lockdown this time last year so virtually no food service to detract from retail sales.
TVC said: “But year on two years ago retail is up. Export appears to be a problem, from an ability to process, back to staff shortages and, from a price perspective, the delivered price China is considerably lower than it was and with our pig price currently where it is with the SPP up 0.03p to 160.93p even if they could get product through is would have to be discounted considerably against the UK trade.”
This may need to be considered if someone could actually get product through the system. Fresh wholesalers reported much the same as the previous week but did not require any more volume!
In Europe, both Denmark and Germany lost five euro cents, and prices quotes in sterling were curtailed further by a weaker Euro that ended the week down 0.30p at 84.84p – a level not seen in 17 months.
European Prices (p/kg.dwt) w/c 08/08/21 Movement on last week
GB SPP 160.90 +0.24
Tribune Spot Bacon 159.88 –0.48
European Av. 121.99 –3.00
Belgium 99.18 –2.56
Denmark 108.34 –4.98
France 136.93 –0.49
Germany 116.23 –4.67
Ireland 142.53 –1.36
Holland 111.14 –3.71
Spain 139.90 –3.00
(Ref Weekly Tribune)


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The highly anticipated XianJian QiXia Zhuan 5 PC game is released on July 7th according to plan.
Battle music (one of many):
Does it sound familiar to you?
The digital version can be downloaded from the official website (3.91GB):
Physical copies can be ordered online, information at:
The game requires an activation code, which needs to be obtained from the official website.


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Holly Hotel, Other Restaurants Adapt to Dining at a Distance, Outdoor Seating
(Crystal A. Proxmire, June 10, 2020)
Holly, MI – As hungry guests return June 12 to the elegance of fine dining in a historic, Victorian atmosphere, they will do so differently than in pre-COVID days.
The servers and other staff will be wearing face masks and frequently sanitizing surfaces. Each employee will be checked for temperature and be screened for symptoms.
There is a hand sink just outside the restaurant’s entrance for every guest to wash their hands before entering, and a “Sanitation Concierge” on hand to greet guests. Guests will be asked to wear face masks until seated at their table.
There will be a more open ambiance as there is much more space for each guest to enjoy their meal, as the restaurant may only serve at 50% capacity.
Like thousands of restaurants throughout Oakland County, they’ve been working with experts at the Health Division and with the Holly Downtown Development Authority to implement best practices and keep diners, and employees, safe.
One of the ways is by adding outdoor seating. Outdoor environments are less risky for spreading the coronavirus, so the Village of Holly is allowing temporary outdoor seating in Battle Alley to help the local restaurants stay afloat and give people a chance to dine outside who may not feel comfortable doing so inside yet.
Holly Hotel has purchased five tables that will be in a roped off area for their guest. This area of tables is in addition to about a dozen various sized tables set up by the DDA for carry out dining and public enjoyment. Battle Alley Coffee also has joined in, putting out several pieces of furniture for visitors.
Other restaurants, like the Holly Café and Andy’s Place already have their own private outdoor seating areas. Holly Cafe is not currently open, but hopes to soon.
Restaurants like Avia, Blackthorn Pub, Red Devil, Northern Oak Brewery and more have all been included in the County’s guidance. Patrons can dine in or carryout, and are welcome to enjoy the tables in the Battle Alley space.
“I am thrilled to see businesses and restaurants able to open again. This has been a long hard struggle for many of them. I feel like together we have made it through! As I see the pleasure they are experiencing to serve their customers again I am also heartbroken for the businesses that did not make it to this day,” said Holly Chamber Executive Director Richard Kinnamon.
The Chamber has been helping businesses through the shut down and the reopen process. This includes sitting in on many meetings to gather information to pass along to members, helping members through the Small Business Association loan process and Oakland County grant process, and hosting weekly virtual coffee connections over Zoom.
“We will be changing our focus from preparing to reopen to focusing on best practices and growth strategies for businesses,” Kinnamon said.
The Chamber, along with the Holly DDA, have partnered on a #HollyCARES movement, using the hashtag on social media to help build solidarity in the community. They’ve even ordered #HollyCARES masks for businesses to give employees, and handed out over 100 reopening kits from Oakland County that include masks, gloves, sanitizer, floor stickers, signage and more.
So as the Holly Hotel prepares to open, they’re doing so with the support of the county and the community.
Guests to the Holly Hotel can opt for traditional favorites like the Beef Wellington or Chicken Strudel, or any number of items which change daily. Among the offerings of the opening weekend are Lingonberry Duck, Lake Superior Whitefish, Victorian Onion Soup, Liver Pate, Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms and more.
“We are ready to welcome you back safe and elegant! With warmth and the professionalism you have come to expect from the Holly Hotel!” said Holly Hotel owner Chrissy Haas Kutlenios, adding that they’ll be smiling with their eyes as they greet their longtime customers and friends.
Because of social distancing, reservations are required. Call 248-634-5208 to reserve. For more info visit their website www.HollyHotel.com.
For information about more Holly restaurants and other businesses visit the Downtown Holly website and the Holly Area Chamber of Commerce website.


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Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Regions Financial Corp., ranked 10th by deposits among U.S. commercial lenders, won’t charge its customers a monthly fee for using debit cards, effective Nov. 1.
Regions will refund fees already incurred, according to a statement today from the Birmingham, Alabama-based lender. The change follows a similar move by Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks Inc. as lenders react to a backlash from customers and lawmakers over the fees. The extra charge was designed to replace revenue lost after the U.S. capped how much banks could charge merchants for debit-card transactions.
To contact the reporter on this story: Laura Marcinek in New York at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Rick Green at email@example.com


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With a new strategic partnership just formed from the outset of 2018, Crayfish.io can now offer significant cost savings to large translation and website localisation projects, in addition to our popular freelancing translation services via the platform www.crayfish.io. This means we can now cater for the needs in multi-lingual support, no matter the size of the businesses and their location. This new partnership will help solve language barriers for trading between China and the world.
Our founder and CEO Ting Zhang had the pleasure to meet with Mr Qing Wu (Chairman of Shanghai Stock Exchange) and Ms Elisha Ding (CEO of Glodom) during her recent trip to China. As one of the most competent techcrats in the Chinese capital markets, Mr Qing Wu will add a lot to the further development of Shanghai as the country’s financial capital.


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Honor is all set to launch its Magicbook 15. The company is rumored to launch its new laptop on july 31 on the e-commerce platform Flipkart.
Smartphone make Honor has partnered with Flipkart to venture into the laptop segment into the country with Magicbook 15.
Talking about launching the laptop on Flipkart., Charles Peng , President, honor India said, Our partnership with flipkart goes a a long way and we are delighted to mark our foray into the indian laptop industry with our first flagship laptop – Magicbook 15. “As we into this journey as a part of our strategy in India, reflects our dedication towards providing quality as well as meeting their increasing demands and changing needs with industries best offering at competitive pricing.”
The company claims that the Magicbook 15 with its cutting edge technology and powerful performance will be perfect multi-tasker for young professionals. It will also be extremely light-weighted, so portability will no be an issue here. Apart from all of that, it will also come with fast charging technology and enhanced privacy and safety features.
It will feature a 15.6 inch display, with a resolution of 1920*1080 pixels. It will be powered with AMD Ryzen 5 Processor coupled with 8 GB ram and 256 GB of SSD storage. Rest of the details will be unveiled on the launch date.


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(Yicai Global) Jan. 21 -- Tesla has continued with an extensive recruitment drive in China despite the new energy vehicle giant's plans to reduce its workforce in the US due to spiraling production costs.
Shares in the Paolo Alto-based firm [NASDAQ:TSLA] slid 10 percent intraday on Jan. 18 after Chief Executive Elon Musk confirmed plans in a letter to employees to cut about 7 percent of its full-time workforce and boost Model 3 output.
The layoffs could affect some 3,000 positions based on a tweet sent out by Musk last year, which stated that the NEV maker employed some 45,000 people globally as of the end of the third quarter. It wasn't specified whether all of these were with Tesla on a full-time basis.
In China, the company is forging ahead with its Gigafactory 3 facility in Shanghai, where it broke ground two weeks ago. The vast majority of the 50 positions that have been on offer in recent weeks in the country are related to the facility, slated to open before the end of the year.
Musk emphasized the need for Chinese talent at the facility when he attended its groundbreaking. "We have been looking for top talents to join Tesla China," he said.
Editor: William Clegg


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LTO Gen 6 Licenses Now Available
June 28, 2011 Alex Woodie
The companies behind the Linear Tape Open (LTO) format announced last week that they have begun selling licenses the LTO Gen 6 format. While the release of the final LTO Gen 6 specifications won’t happen for at least 12-24 months, the LTO group says giving licensees a sneak peak into the development of the LTO Gen 6 format will allow them to enhance their own products.
It’s been just over a year since the companies behind the LTO program–IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Quantum–extended the roadmap for the LTO Ultrium half-inch tape format out to eight generations. LTO Gen 6 is expected to carry a native capacity of 3.2 TB, a native data transfer rate of 210 megabytes per second, and 2.5-to-1 compression. By comparison, the current LTO Gen 5 tape drives, which were officially unveiled in January 2010, offered 1.5 TB of native capacity, a native data transfer rate of 140 MBps, and 2-to-1 compression.
But there might be some unexpected goodies in LTO Gen 6 to sweeten the deal, as LTO program officials hinted might occur during an interview with IT Jungle earlier this year. LTO Gen 5 included the linear tape file system, which allows a tape drive to be self-identifying and allow customers to use it as a giant memory stick on Windows and Linux servers.
What could be in the LTO Gen 6 cookie jar? Only the LTO group members and its licensees will know. There are several different license packages in the LTO program, including basic packages that just include LTO format specifications, and more enhanced packages that provide the specs as well as the license to manufacture LTO tape drives and media. More information is available at www.ultrium.com.


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Kampala, Uganda | URN | Telecommunications service centers, internet cafes and sports betting shops are among the businesses that were directly affected by the internet shutdown during the Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary elections on 14th, January 2021.
Betting and gambling companies are largely dependent on foreign sports like football leagues in Europe which are followed by virtual sports fans.
More than 80 per cent of their businesses were brought to a halt when the internet was shutdown. The companies were just recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which hit the sports industry following the suspension of sports activities globally to contain the spread of the pandemic.
There are about 60 licensed operators with more than 1,500 branches countrywide, but there are also many unlicensed stand-alone operators. These say they conduct more than 80 per cent of their businesses online especially when it comes to foreign sports.
Sports betting market analyst, Ivan Kalanzi says the COVID-19 pandemic had made the industry adopt mobile phone and internet-based activities, encouraging their clients to bet without necessarily going physically to the outlets.
He however says that most clients were finding it easier to use the internet as opposed to mobile-phone USSDs where a client stakes the bet by sending the message via a short-code on the phone allocated to a specific betting or gambling company.
He says those who log into the websites of the companies are the most affected and that these were becoming the dominant segment of the customers.
However, the bigger part played by the internet is where the companies have to electronically relay developments happening in other parts of the world using their computers. This is what forced them to close their shops as they could no longer offer their products to their clients.
Kalanzi however says many companies have never reopened their betting halls since the lockdown meaning they are conducting businesses online. On average, a betting house received 50 to 100 visitors daily down from over 200 that used to go to the halls physically before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the shut-down of the internet even meant these were further reduced.
Some gamblers prefer using internet cafés to follow the events online, place bets and lodge claims because they argue that internet cafes are cheaper compared to using mobile phones.
However, internet cafes have also been closed and only open to offer other services like secretarial and stationery. A café operator along Kyaggwe road, Alex Kaggwa says his business was totally affected as his revenues fell more than 80 percent of the half a million he used to realize and gross.
Meanwhile, telecommunications service companies had to close their customer service centers leaving customers more frustrated. The companies said most of their operations could not be conducted without the internet.
According to MTN Brand and Communications Manager, Martin Sebuliba, MTN alone has more than 250 service centers countrywide carrying out businesses like sales of products and services but also attending to customer queries and after-sales needs.
He said this was something beyond their control, since it was a regulatory directive that internet is switched off.


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Bitfinex and Coinbase now support SegWit. Bitcoin investors can expect to see lower fees and faster processing times, but please remember that SegWit has been implemented for Bitcoin only, and not Bitcoin Cash.
Major hack in Japan has become a reason of considering a necessity to create a new entity that will regulate the cryptocurrency industry in the country.
Coinspeaker partnered with ICOBox to provide our readers with this weekly analysis conducted by Professor Dima Kornilov and Dima Zaitsev devoted to cryptocurrency and digital assets markets changes that took place in February 2018, including over the last week (February 12-18, 2018).
The MCC code changes made by the card issuers and the card networks resulted in charging extra fees to the customers.
The US largest cryptocurrency exchange, has made several important announcements in its latest blog post, mostly regarding PayPal withdrawals and accepting new US credit cards.
Coinspeaker partnered with ICOBox to provide our readers with this weekly analysis conducted by Professor Dima Kornilov and Dima Zaitsev devoted to cryptocurrency and digital assets markets changes that took place in February 2018, including over the last week (February 5-11, 2018).
More Bitcoins are in circulation, more powerful computers are needed to keep up with mathematical calculations which means more energy required for mining.
The new Coinbase Commerce button will be integrated on merchant websites and used by customers to make payment from four different crypto options.
Suspension of trading activities due to an update on Binance sparked confusion of hacking. However, the update is done and trading has resumed to normal again.
Mike Novogratz hopes to make the Galaxy Digital merchant bank as the “Goldman Sachs of crypto”.
In a few weeks, Coinbase will offer their customers an update on Bitcoin SegWit which is expected to improve transaction capacity of the Bitcoin network.
JoyToken is committed to deliver smarter games with the help of its new blockchain-based platform created for both players and developers.
Grain’s blockchain solution is to revolutionize the working process by facilitating instant payments and reducing overhead costs.


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Surrounded by records, DVDs and cassettes, with music trickling out of his shop, Sam Carvajal waves to everyone walking by at Wonderland of the Americas.
Some passersby wander in en route to another store, flanked by regulars swinging by and others who’ve seen Carvajal’s posts about new music or movie arrivals on Instagram and Facebook. Some stumble across the store during weekend events that draw crowds to the mall.
CD Sam’s is part of an area at Wonderland known as the Little Shops, a mish-mash of small businesses and entrepreneurs selling all manner of goods — action figures, costumes, steampunk accessories.
“I’ve never seen this concept in a mall before,” Carvajal said.
An affordable lease and pleasant management brought Carvajal and his loyal customers to Wonderland a decade ago. Sales have gone up 20 percent every year.
“I’m just going to stay here for as long as the mall is here,” he said. “I’m here for the long haul.”
Some call the quiet mall a ghost town and a museum, noting its emptiness and vacant storefronts in online reviews, while others say it’s a place to find unique gifts, a “nice place to go and read a book” and an experience akin to going “back in time to a gentle and kind world.”
For locals wondering what’s keeping Wonderland going — at a time when the mall and others across the country are struggling to draw customers and fill empty space — its owners and tenants point to a mix of mom-and-pop shops, discount stores, art house films, quirky events and medical offices.
Visitors can find vintage video games and school uniforms, quinceañera dresses and church collection plates. Others come for medical and dental appointments, cosmetology classes, movies at Santikos’ Bijou or to shop at Burlington, Ross and Hobby Lobby. Walkers pound the shiny tile, and events like the Balcones Heights Jazz Festival and the horror-themed Monster-Con draw thousands on the weekends.
“If you’re into the nerdy, geeky stuff, this is a mecca,” said Justin Surface, who owns Nine Tails, a shop that carries Japanese pop culture items.
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The Little Shops also caught Surface’s eye. After opening Nine Tails, he expanded the shop to a bigger space in another part of the mall. He has no plans to move.
Wonderland may not have the foot traffic of North Star Mall, he acknowledges, but the rent is lower, management lets him host events and he’s surrounded by other small business owners.
“If you’re looking for something completely different, this is the place,” Surface said.
Stephanie Herrera Byrom comes to Wonderland for Nine Tails’ anime, Studio Ghibli merchandise and cute gifts, and CD Sam’s records. The people who run the shops are friendly and knowledgeable, she said.
“There aren’t many places in San Antonio where you can just drive down the street and purchase these things,” she said.
On ExpressNews.com: H-E-B to open new store on the far West Side
Word of mouth
Adriana Sharp hopes her business is drawing more customers to the mall at 4522 Fredericksburg Road.
Sharp owns Adriana’s Casa de Novias, which sells baptism gowns, quinceañera dresses and other formal wear and accessories. Most of her patrons find her through word of mouth and online advertising; about one in five was at the mall for something else and dropped in to look around.
Wonderland is affordable and the mall’s staff is pleasant to work with, said Sharp, who has another store at South Park Mall. Some of the Wonderland events, like the Mexican expos, help.
“I try to pull from the outside to the inside,” she said.
When the mall opened in 1961 as Wonderland Shopping City, it was San Antonio’s newest and largest mall and the priciest to build at roughly $7 million. Corporations opened offices there and restaurants moved in. Retailers like F.W. Woolworth's, Sommers Drugs, Winn's and Handy Andy opened stores there along with Paris Hatters and Satel’s.
Lori Haecker, a local real estate agent, remembers learning how to curtsy and set a table in an etiquette class hosted by Montgomery Ward, a chain that opened its first San Antonio store at Wonderland.
The mall changed hands and names over the years, becoming Crossroads in 1986. Haecker’s father helped convert it, she said, and her mother bought fabric and sewing patterns at a store there.
“It was like a downtown in one facility, indoors,” she said.
But despite renovations, the mall gradually fell into a decline. When Crossroads Mall Partners Ltd. bought it in 2009 and renamed it Wonderland of the Americas, occupancy was around 39 percent, said managing partner Sid Weiss.
“It basically had a bad image, bad name, bad everything,” he said. “I saw it as an opportunity to convert the property into a mixed-use property ... I knew that the retail business was changing and that that mall had to change in order to survive.”
On ExpressNews.com: Macy’s launching free same-day delivery in San Antonio
That meant turning Wonderland — which spans roughly 740,000 square feet — into a blend of value retail and entertainment and medical services, capitalizing on its proximity to the South Texas Medical Center.
The Ross and Burlington stores are a big draw, larger events have attracted thousands and businesses participating in Little Shops have expanded at the mall, Weiss said. Santikos Entertainment recently upgraded the Bijou.
The mall was more than 90 percent full until Career Point College left in 2016. Occupancy has since fallen to the mid-70s, though leases in the works are expected to bring it back up to the mid-80s, Weiss said.
Discussions with the city and VIA Metropolitan Transit about a multi-family development also stalled when Career Point departed, but Weiss said talks are resuming.
Weiss’ medical focus has been beneficial for Crossroads Medical Group, which moved into the mall about 20 years ago, said manager Roland Vasquez. Much of the mall’s lower level is now dental and medical offices.
“It was a ghost mall before,” he said.
On ExpressNews.com: Jenny Lawson, ‘The Bloggess,’ is opening a bookstore and bar in the San Antonio area
As malls across the country struggle with dwindling foot traffic, Wonderland’s owners are working to re-brand it and “re-create a sense of place that it had lost there for a while,” said Jonathan Haag, a senior associate at real estate firm JLL.
While it isn’t handling the volumes of the Shops at La Cantera, North Star Mall, South Park Mall or Rivercenter Mall, Wonderland’s outward-facing anchor tenants mean it can compete with big-box shopping centers in the area. And turning it into a mixed-use property brings more people in on a regular basis.
“That’s very helpful in keeping the mall going,” Haag said.
The demographics around Wonderland are changing, as San Antonio’s growth pushes residents and higher-end retail outward. When that happens, discount stores tend to fill empty space in the city’s core, Haag said.
While Target is perhaps the mall’s biggest asset, patrons can’t access Wonderland from inside the store. People probably don’t drive across town to visit it since they may pass several other locations along the way. But attractions like the Bijou are unique, Haag said.
“They’ve done a good job of changing the mall,” he said. “It’s reinventing itself, but it still has a ways to go to get there.”


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Western Australia could soon be exporting millions of dollars of high quality grainfed beef to South East Asia if a new feedlotting trial begun this month is successful.
Agriculture Minister Ernie Bridge said the market potential for high quality grainfed beef was recognised last year by the Department of Agriculture and the Angus and Murray Grey breed societies, which jointly instigated a detailed assessment.
The result of that work was a major feedlotting trial now underway to produce high quality grainfed beef for test marketing in selected supermarkets, hotels and restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia.
Support from Clover Meats and Charla Downs feedlot had resulted in 350 Angus and Murray Grey steers being placed on feed at Waroona, where they would be grainfed for around 90 days to produce carcasses of between 250 and 300 kilograms, before being slaughtered at Clover Meats Waroona abattoir.
The beef from the steers would then be test marketed in early April through a supermarket chain in Singapore and top international hotels and restaurants in Malaysia.
Mr Bridge said investigations last year by the Department of Agriculture's adviser in beef marketing, Mr Alan Peggs, and Angus and Murray Grey Marketing and Research technical consultant, Mr Don Nicol, had indicated significant market potential for quality grainfed beef.
This had led to major feedlotters and beef exporters being approached about feedlotting cattle for 12 months of the year to supply high quality grainfed beef on a year round basis to markets in South East Asia.
All had been enthusiastic, and in particular Mr John Payne, export manager Asia for Clover Meats, indicated his company would assist in test marketing, while John and Len Snell of Charla Downs feedlot at Waroona indicated they would assist in feedlotting.
That support had enabled the project to be further developed by the Department, with the industry trial formally commencing this month.
"Preliminary projections suggest that if the test marketing is successful, the demand for Western Australian high quality grainfed beef in South East Asia could rise to 20,000 head by 1995 and generate an extra $10 million in beef exports," Mr Bridge said.
As part of the marketing plan, it was intended that the beef would be marketed as a branded product to enhance its recognition by consumers in supermarkets and restaurants.
Mr Bridge praised the role of the Department of Agriculture in the project and the willingness of the Angus and Murray Grey breed societies, Charla Downs and Clover Meats to support it so wholeheartedly.
"What began as an idea has been transformed into a working trial after industry threw its support behind the Department and the Ministerial Export Marketing Unit, which funded the initial investigation into market potential," he said.
"I have every confidence that we are now seeing the start of an important new export industry for Western Australia."


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Amplience, an eCommerce software platform, has secured $37m (£26.57m) Series C funding led by Octopus Ventures.
Founded in London in 2008, Amplience has created a SaaS platform for retail brands to try and drive sales. It functions as a content manager, supporting editorial features and blogs, shoppable videos and lookbooks, rich product configurators and campaigns.
This latest cash injection will be used to expand sales and marketing and develop the platform that intends to streamline the shopping experience.
James Brooke, founder and CEO of Amplience, commented on the funding announcement: “We would like to thank our customers, partners and investors for the confidence they have placed in us.
“2017 was an amazing year in terms of growth and innovation. No other software vendor is able to provide the range of content production, management and delivery capabilities, from the cloud, that branded manufactures and retailers need in order to compete in a mobile-first world.”
London and New York based venture capital firm Octopus Ventures, which counts graze.com, Eve, Magic Pony, Secret Escapes, Sofar Sounds in its repertoire, has backed Amplience since 2011, when it led its £1.6M Seed round.
Jo Oliver, investment director at Octopus Ventures, explained the decision: “All retail businesses are waking up to a new era, one in which the customer is in control.
“The Amplience team is absolutely focused on the future of content and asset management – and we’re delighted to once again lead the investment round and support their ambitious plans to become the leading platform for brand and retail engagement.”
The funding follows the launch of Amplience’s API Content Management System (CMS), which integrates with retail systems like eCommerce to improve the mobile shopping experience.
According to the company, it does so by speeding up content production cycles and simplifying the management and delivery of image and videos.
In 2017, Amplience launched over 20 new cloud-platform features, which vastly increased traffic. In November 2017 the company says it delivered 171 billion content objects, which at peak was 154,000 requests per a second – supporting over 2 million shopper journeys per hour.
Amplience counts Boohoo, Nelly and Mulberry among its customers.


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After announcing the brand new Windows 10 for PCs, tablets, and laptops, Microsoft also confirmed today at the San Francisco event that a new version of the operating system is also coming for Windows Phone, but more specifics would only be provided at a later time.
Today’s event was all about the desktop and the improvements that Microsoft is making to the PC version of the operating system, but Joe Belfiore, who’s in charge with the mobile business at the company, confirmed that Windows Phone 10 would be launched next year.
Windows Phone 10 will be a natural step forward, he said, and will come without a desktop, which is more or less a hint that Redmond is working to merge its smartphone platform with Windows RT.
The desktop could thus disappear from these versions of Windows 10, as Microsoft is working to make touch the key focus and make it easier for users to perform specific tasks.
Such a change doesn’t come as a surprise and previous reports on the matter said that Microsoft could launch a testing version of the next Windows Phone version in early 2015, most likely in January or February. The stable build could debut together with the desktop sibling, which is due in April 2015.


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Slowly on the rise
Black-owned businesses are on the rise. Despite the recession, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that the number of black-owned businesses actually increased 2.3 percent between 2007 and 2012, bringing the total number to 9.4 percent of U.S. businesses overall.
About they survey
This statistic made researchers over at Thumbtack, a consumer services website that generates an annual Small Business Friendliness Survey, curious to find out more about which cities are the most supportive of black-owned businesses.
The general survey asks 18,000 small business owners to rate their city or state’s government when it comes to the tax and licensing laws and regulations that can either smooth the way for small businesses, or make things impossibly difficult. From this data, Thumbtack ranks cities and states from best to worst.
Usually younger and event-based
This time around, Thumbtack specifically surveyed 1,663 black small business owners. They found that, in general, black business owners tend to be younger than business owners of other races, and are more likely to work alone.
Thumbtack also looked at what types of businesses blacks own. Black business ownership was particularly concentrated in events (such as caterers or DJs), cleaning services, moving services, tax preparation, and computer repair.
9 of 10 in the South
When assessing the “friendliness” of their cities, black business owners had the same concerns as other races: are there government-sponsored training or networking programs available? How easy is it to manage your taxes? And are licensing rules doable, yet well-enforced?
Hats off to those cities who ranked in Thumbtack’s top ten for friendliness towards black-owned businesses, including Austin, Dallas, Columbus, West Palm Beach, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Kansas City, Nashville, Jacksonville, and Raleigh.
Nine of the top ten cities are in the South. Three have black mayors, and six have a median household income for black families that is above the national average.
Thumbtack also noted a few cities where black business owners rated their city more highly than business owners of other races, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, Oakland, New York, and Chicago, to name a few.


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Study finds most plan to spend the same or less this year at restaurants
The focus on frugality will continue to dampen dining-out trends in 2011 with many consumers still looking for value on restaurant menus, according to a survey by Mintel. In a survey of 2,000 consumers in October, research firm Mintel found 24 percent plan to spend less at restaurants in 2011 than they did in 2010, while 66 percent plan to spend the same. The survey also found 63 percent of respondents said it’s too expensive to eat out regularly. “Even with the economy on the ...
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Capcom USA Nets Rob Dyer as New Chief Operating Officer
Capcom USA has received a new COO in Rob Dyer after a successful 2018 and prior to an exciting 2019.
This last year has been very productive for Capcom as a whole. Despite the closure of Capcom Vancouver, in 2018 the longtime Japanese publisher has gone from being heavily disliked for things like the botched launch of Street Fighter V to beloved publisher of popular and highly successful titles, both released (Monster Hunter: World) and upcoming (Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry 5).
Today, Capcom USA topped off this productive year by appointing Rob Dyer as their new Chief Operating Officer, or COO. Starting today he is reporting directly to CEO Kiichiro Urata, and will now “be responsible for all aspects of the company’s publishing business including sales, marketing and operations in the Americas.” Urata-san also commented on the appointment of Rob Dyer, and seems quite pleased with the decision:
“Rob’s strategic acumen, deep industry knowledge and established networks will play a vital role for Capcom’s business goals. He will help steer the success of our incredible portfolio of popular brands such as Monster Hunter, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Devil May Cry, and more.”
A brief look at Rob Dyer’s LinkedIn page also highlights his storied career moreso than the above quote. Since being in charge of publishing at Crystal Dynamics beginning in 1994, Rob Dyer has worked at companies like Eidos during the period that produced franchises like Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain, and Hitman as well as Crave Publishing, Sony Computer Entertainment America, and Zynga.
Due to his experience at “leading initiatives on a global scale,” Capcom USA decided to bring him in as their new COO. While this shouldn’t have an immediate effect on any announced titles, Rob will be in charge of how Capcom titles are brought over and presented in the Americas from here on out, so his impact will likely be felt in the coming years.


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Kalyan Jewellers announced that it will be supporting the daily wage worker community from the gems and jewellery industry as well as the film industry, in association with Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘We Are One’ initiative that aims to support 1,00,000 families. On its part, Kalyan Jewellers will provide 50,000 households with monetary relief during these tough times.
For the ‘kaarigars’ or artisans and the daily wage workers who are part of the gems and jewellery industry, Kalyan Jewellers has launched the ‘Goldsmith Relief Fund’ and will be working closely with Jewellery Manufactures Association (Kerala), Coimbatore Jewellers Association and Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (Mumbai). The fund will be used to provide relief material and monetary assistance to the daily wage workers.
Talking about the initiative, T S Kalyanaraman, Chairman and Managing Director, Kalyan Jewellers said, “We are witnessing an unprecedented global pandemic. During these testing times, it is important to support the daily wage worker community which has been most affected due to the shutdown. The Goldsmith Relief Fund is a humble initiative that we have put together to try and bring some semblance of financial relief to the artisans working in our industry.”
Simultaneously, the company will be working closely with All India Film Employees Confederation (Mumbai) and Film Employees Federation of Kerala (Kochi) to support workers from across the country with effective distribution of monitory funds and/or rations.
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has decided to contribute a fund of Rs.100 million to support the daily wage workers in the Media & Entertainment industry.
With the entire media ecosystem including all television, cinema shows and films production coming to a halt since 20th March, the M&E industry is grappling with mass unemployment. It has especially impacted the sustenance of the daily wage earners from production crew involving a gamut of people like artists, camera men, spot boys, light boys and their dependent families.
N.P. Singh, Managing Director and CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India, “In light of the global pandemic, we are witnessing large communities across the world coming together to tide over the crisis. These unprecedented times have had a cascading impact on the media and entertainment industry, which employs a huge number of daily wage workers. As a conscientious conglomerate, it is our responsibility to direct efforts towards ensuring aid reaches our primary beneficiaries who have contributed to the success of the network.
Besides this initiative, we are also providing coupons to the migrant workers from this daily wage workforce, which they can trade off at certain retail outlets for groceries and essential supplies. We will leverage every opportunity to help our country at large to get through trying times like these.”
The network is reaching out to the daily wage earners identified by their respective trade associations with free coupons which they and their families can exchange for their daily necessities like food and essential items at select retail stores. SPN is also working with its various commissioned production houses to disburse a month’s salary to each daily wage earner.


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|Bid||52.31 x 900|
|Ask||52.45 x 800|
|Day's range||51.76 - 52.85|
|52-week range||21.00 - 61.25|
|Beta (5Y monthly)||2.52|
|PE ratio (TTM)||23.57|
|Earnings date||03 Nov 2021|
|Forward dividend & yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y target est||71.84|
After half a year or more of growth, luxury stocks such as LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (OTC: LVMHF) and Capri Holdings (NYSE: CPRI) took a hit recently when China cracked down on Macao casinos as part of a wider cultural offensive against westernization. After getting bid down, however, the luxury sector got a boost this week when Moet Hennessy's third-quarter 2021 results came in strong. The positive data that perked up the stock market arguably provides a basis for a bullish outlook -- with a few lingering caveats.
Pauline Brown, Former LVMH Chairman of North America and Author of 'Aesthetic Intelligence’, joins Yahoo Finance to discuss the state of luxury retail, sales growth, and supply chain issues.
Capri Holdings' (CPRI) strengthening of omni-channel solutions, expanding customer reach and focus on brand innovation are likely to yield results.


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Today, we have six distinct generations of Americans.
Some generational names – like Baby Boomers – have become household words.
Others – like the Silent Generation – are not as well known.
How do generations get their names? And, what’s in the running for America’s newest, youngest generation, the one that follows the Millennial Generation?
Check out this article in the American Marketing Association’s newsletter, Marketing Insights, for all the answers!


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New coffee shop opens
By Tech. Sgt. Dorian Chapman , Public Affairs
/ Published November 15, 2006
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --
White Chocolate Mocha, Caramel Macchiato, and Tazo Hot Tea are just a few of the tantalizing menu items available at the X-Press-O's Café scheduled to open in the lobby of the wing headquarters building.
Far from just another "cup of Joe," the new establishment is to offer a lengthy list of both hot and cold beverages favored by coffee connoisseurs around the world.
And as their cups proudly state, X-Press-O's brews genuine Starbucks brand coffee, intent on satisfying the most particular taste buds.
The café will operate from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and is available to all base personnel. Military students passing by the facility on their way to school in the mornings are expected to make up a large portion of the customer base. "It's their culture," commented Bowling Center Manager Michael Birriel, also the manager of X-Press-O's Café, referencing the iconic status flavored coffees and lattes have reached with America's younger generations.
Aside from the popular hot beverages, the café will offer an array of blended drinks and gourmet ice smoothies which could prove to be a hit during the Texas heat waves with which Goodfellow personnel are all too familiar.
The café is also planning to offer an assortment of muffins, croissants and breads to compliment its beverages.
After a week of training and giving out free samples, Birriel said he has high hopes for the little coffee shop operated by the 17th Services Division. "I've hired a good crew and I think we'll do well," he stated with confidence.
With morning temperatures dropping and winter weather on its way, the odds are looking pretty good.


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This week’s agreement regarding the Northern Ireland Protocol is a crucial development in the EU and UK trade relationship.
The introduction of a green and red lane system for goods traveling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will ease the burden of checks and paperwork. The removal of existing requirements on trade from Northern Ireland to Great Britain is a huge weight off many businesses’ shoulders.
According to Stephen Bottomley, Privalgo Corporate Partnerships division, “This progress in UK-EU trade relations is a major development for businesses on both sides of the border.”
“An amicable conclusion to talks is expected to be a boost for sterling, and we may see it move back to levels not seen for many months.”


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Luxury confectioner Hotel Chocolat has just concluded a sweet deal – by gobbling up a cosmetics business that specialises in "cacao-powered beauty".
The firm paid just £4 to take full control of Rabot 1745, which it set up five years ago in partnership with businessman Andrew Gerrie.
The amount is less than Hotel Chocolat's cheapest selection box, which costs £5.
Rabot lost £400,000 last year but Hotel Chocolat says it can turn it around.
The beauty business, founded in 2016, is described as having a range of products "inspired by the wild beauty of the group's St Lucian cacao farm and rainforest spa".
Its range includes a variety of chocolate-themed products, from Almond Chocolat lip balm to Cacao, Almond and Coconut Three Shell Scrub.
It calls itself a "responsible, engaged business" and pledges that by the end of this year, 100% of its packaging will be compostable, reusable or recyclable.
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Hotel Chocolat chief executive and co-founder Angus Thirlwell told the BBC that Rabot was "Hotel Chocolat's best-kept secret", since not many buyers of its chocolates knew about it as yet.
"We've been incubating a beauty business," he said. "We're not interested in quick wins, we like to build things up from a solid foundation."
He said Hotel Chocolat had always intended to make Rabot a part of its main business, but the catalyst had been the opening two weeks ago of a massive 5,000-sq-ft Hotel Chocolat outlet in the Japanese city of Oita, with a large dedicated space given over to beauty products.
"Sales have been very encouraging," he said. "Japanese consumers love our take on the natural power of cacao."
Mr Thirlwell said Japan was a great market to experiment in, because Japanese consumers were "very demanding".
"If we can meet those demands in Japan, we stand a great chance of being successful in other markets," he added.
image captionIt's all about the power of cacao, says Angus Thirlwell
Other chocolate makers are unlikely to follow him into the beauty market any time soon, but that doesn't worry Mr Thirlwell.
"We've always been a contemporary version of luxury chocolate and the companies we compete against are more heritage European brands," he said.
"We're younger in our outlook."
Hotel Chocolat owns several cacao plantations on the island of St Lucia and a luxury hotel, where it started using cacao-based beauty products at the spa. They expanded the range and it's been in store and online for the last three years. Despite the losses, the products are said to have been selling well as we treated ourselves during lockdown.
Hotel Chocolat has branched out into selling all sorts of cacao-based products, from cacao gin and salted caramel vodka to posh chocolate ice cream and hot drinks. Diversifying your product offering can be a risky distraction for any business, but it's also a way to boost sales and profits. Hotel Chocolat thinks it's a recipe for success and will hopefully lure new customers, as well as add value to the brand.
The Hotel Chocolat group already owns 47% of Rabot, while Mr Gerrie, who is also the group's non-executive chairman, owns 40.5%.
Mr Gerrie will receive £3 in exchange for his stake, while the remaining investors will share the other £1 between them.
After it buys his stake in Rabot, Hotel Chocolat will pay back a £744,000 loan that Mr Gerrie provided to the beauty business.
It will give him more than 200,000 newly issued Hotel Chocolat shares, increasing his stake in the group by about 40%.
Wayne Brown, an analyst at Liberum, said the deal would help Hotel Chocolat to differentiate itself from other chocolate brands.
He also added that it would allow operations to be integrated, which should eventually "see Rabot begin to turn a profit versus the current slight loss".


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The pandemic has dramatically changed the world by reshaping and remodeling our livelihoods. The economy has faced multiple crises, like health, and financial. With an average rate of contraction recorded at 7.3 per cent for the entire financial year 2020-21, the country recorded its largest drop in GDP in history. The hardest hit were the Indian households, workers, and small businesses. Around 10 million people lost their jobs during the second wave of Covid, leaving many people with no income.
However, as every cloud has a silver lining, some people proved how moments of adversity in life can be the greatest opportunities. Chef Amit Wadhawan from Gurgaon lost his job in May 2020 and that’s when he decided to follow his passion. He soon launched his range of jams (from Kiwi to apple jam), malted chocolate, gluten-free options, and more, which soon became a hit.
Pooja Goel, an MBA in marketing, lost her job offer with a digital business transformation company due to the pandemic, which came through an end-to-end campus recruitment campaign. Initially bewildered, she then came up with the idea of launching a platform (Pink Collar Professionals) that supports small businesses (edtech, clothing, handmade ornaments) led by women. The company helps promote its business through different digital marketing strategies and ideas. Goel, in association with the Smile Foundation, also imparts digital skills training to rural women.
So, what was the driving force behind all these small business success stories? While the will to get going and creating an income stream is the primary motive, technology, here, plays a significant role in the economic recovery of people who lost their jobs and incomes at the time of the pandemic. Thus, it has shown a ray of hope for the economic revival of the nation as a whole.
Healing Covid Wounds
For budding entrepreneurs, digital technology like social media platforms (Facebook or WhatsApp) or websites served as their promotional or marketing strategy. Although not all companies can set up websites or purchase expensive software packages, there is still hope for them by utilising free online tools that help them grow their business and make it easier for customers to find them. Digital adoption has played a major role in the business revival post-Covid by bringing in more opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
For many business owners like Sunita Anil Agarwal, going digital was the turning point for their businesses. Agarwal’s was one among the many businesses that were hit by the pandemic. As she dealt with low-value, high-volume transactions, Khatabook, (a ledger account book app, based on the traditional “under bahi khata” concept), helped her control the losses by and large. The app now helps her to manage and keep records for the sales numbers or send payment reminders to customers, eliminating the need for the traditional bahi khata for her.
A study conducted by Google and KPMG says that digital SMEs have recorded almost twice the forecasted revenue growth as opposed to the ones operating offline.
Some of the small businesses that were forced to adopt technology and operate online are ration stores and restaurants. While they started accepting payments through UPI or digital wallets, the restaurants started delivering food through apps like Swiggy and Zomato. Among other online services that recorded a rise in business were home service businesses like the Urban Company, HomeTriangle and Housejoy, besides online learning.
However, social media is just one part of the digitalisation of SMEs or MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises). Let’s look at some of the other major applications of technology that can help small businesses grow.
From individuals to small or large enterprises, mobile technology has made its presence felt all over. However, the most benefitted are the small businesses due to their power to generate omnipresent customers. By the same token, if the business has a website and it’s responsive, the chances of ranking high in the search results are higher. It’s a bonus if the business operates through an app.
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IN THE MIX: Marnie Ashcroft’s Glow Juicery helps BaM participants re-hydrate during the event.
When Marnie Ashcroft first set foot in the Edmonton EXPO Centre at Northlands during the 2014 Bust a Move for Breast Health fundraiser, she was blown away with what she saw. Ashcroft, the founder of a chain of juice bars located across Edmonton (and one soon to open in Kelowna, B.C.), says she was inspired by the “levels of engagement Bust a Move attracts from corporate sponsors and individuals. It’s a really amazing awareness opportunity, and it’s something that we want to be a part of,” she says. “It’s in alignment with many parts of the Glow vision and values.”
This year, she knew that she wanted to up Glow’s participation level in the event. The company has registered a team of 16 participants, and they hope to raise between $16,000 and $20,000 in donations for the event. They’ll also be working with various instructors and vendors to provide juice and support, during the fundraiser.
Glow Juicery offers a variety of juicing options for clients that want everything from a quick pick-me-up to a full juice cleanse experience. There are three levels of juice cleanses offered through the business, from a beginner’s pack to a regular monthly option that delivers juicing options to a customer’s front door. The company was founded in 2012 under the auspices of “food is medicine.” Ashcroft was inspired by Kris Carr, an American author and wellness activist who made a documentary called Crazy Sexy Cancer after being diagnosed with stage four liver cancer in in 2003, at the age of 31. Karr has gone on to write various books about her cancer experience, and is an advocate for clean eating and a healthy diet.
“I thought, if juice could have that impact on someone in a critical care situation, what could it do for the average person?” says Ashcroft. “I want people to think of it as a tool in a tool kit.”
When she started the company, Ashcroft’s goal was to,“shake up the food landscape a bit and create a way for people to connect with raw nutrition.” The response has been incredible. Glow Juicery now has locations across Alberta and has partnered with 13 other businesses which sell their juice in-house. “We have people coming in and saying they have felt a real impact on their life. There are moments when I’m brought to tears, it keeps me going and really excited,” says Ashcroft.
In 2014, Glow Juicery was a vendor at Bust a Move, and they donated juice to all the volunteers at the day-long event. But Ashcroft made a note that for this year, she wanted to show up, “in a big way. Part of what support looks like is getting people excited about it beforehand, through marketing and social media engagement and attending the different events leading up to it,” she says. “I’m one of those people who just wants everyone to come and party, and we do everything we can to share our excitement about that.” She says the company feels a strong tie the fundraiser because of its overall focus and spirit. “It’s fitness-focused. We believe that a combination of nutrition and fitness are critical to health.”


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Published on : Thursday, January 28, 2016
The board of directors of Interface, Inc. has appointed Jay D. Gould as the company President. Gould had joined Interface in 2015 as the Chief Operating Officer. He has been handling global operations, marketing, and organizational development for the carpet tile manufacturing company.
Chairman and CEO of Interface, Dan Hendrix says, “This appointment recognizes that in the past year, Jay has been a great partner as well as a good cultural fit at Interface. He has earned the confidence of our board of directors with his strategic vision, operational talents and business acumen. I’m especially grateful to Jay for his leadership around our brand and purpose.”
Before joining Interface, Gould served as the CEO of American Standard Brands. Prior to that, he held senior executive roles at Newell Rubbermaid, The Campbell Soup Company, The Coca-Cola Company, and General Mills.
Gould adds, “It’s an amazing time to be at Interface. Apart from the great year, it has been incredibly gratifying to become a part of a team that has a unique combination of talent and shared mission. I appreciate the partnership of Dan and the entire executive team, and look forward to the year ahead.”


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Renault-Nissan's EV dreams for India look cloudy
If you have been waiting to get your hands on an electric vehicle from Renault or Nissan, then you could be in for some disappoint. Both, Renault and Nissan have been talking about bringing electric vehicles to India, but those plans seem to be dwindling away. Nissan has been talking about the Leaf for a while now, while Renault showcased the possible Kwid Electric in the form of the K-ZE - neither of which could make it to India anytime soon.
The Leaf test mule was spotted in India on multiple occasions in the past couple of years. Photo courtesy: Rush Lane
In our conversation with Toyota last week, the carmaker mentioned how it is difficult to make an electric vehicle seem like a viable option in the value-conscious Indian market unless the government steps in and makes policies that will make EVs a more affordable affair for the common man. Looks like Renault-Nissan's difficulties to bring the likes of the K-ZE and Leaf to India stems from similar problems.
While the Hyundai Kona EV has been fairly successful and the MG ZS EV is following suit, a similar Rs 20-30 lakh price point may not work in favour for the Nissan Leaf, and pricing the car any lower than that seems unachievable for Nissan India at this point. Similarly, Renault's Kwid EV or K-ZE could very well cost as much as a premium hatchback (if not more), which is unlikely to find many takers in the current situation of the Indian car market. In fact, these unfavourable conditions are also one of the primary reasons why the Tata Altroz EV could see a delayed launch.
While we haven't been able to get an official quote from Nissan or Renault on this topic, our sources close to the alliance reveal that the Leaf and the K-ZE projects from the respective brands could be shelved all together as they don't foresee much good in the Indian EV space in the near future.
Starts Rs 23.72 Lakhs
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Parma aims to scoop the cream of Central America
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Backed by a history almost half a century, Guatemala’s Parma accounts for 43 percent of the country market in dairy products. Now it aims to broaden its horizons.
Parma already exports about 10 percent of its production to El Salvador and Honduras. The company is also in talks with Walmart for the distribution of its products throughout Central America.
Parma has seven shops of its own in Guatemala. Five are in the capital, one in Quetzaltenango, and the other in the processing plant.
Original source (in Spanish): Prensa Libre


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European establishments have reached an interim consensus on a set of EU rules that may burden crypto corporations with the duty to assist stop cash laundering, amongst different illicit actions doubtlessly involving digital belongings. The progress comes because the Union seeks to comprehensively regulate the continent’s cryptocurrency market.
EU Officers and Lawmakers Agree on AML Measures in Crypto Area
Negotiators representing the important thing contributors within the EU’s decision-making course of have reached an settlement on anti-money laundering (AML) guidelines that may require companies within the crypto business to confirm the identities of their prospects and report suspicious transactions. Sooner or later, Europe’s Switch of Funds Regulation (ToFR) can even cowl cryptocurrency transactions.
The rules are but to be finalized and permitted by the related European establishments however the provisional deal alerts an upcoming tightening for the sector. Crypto companies must help monetary authorities in efforts to crack down on soiled cash, the European Parliament and EU Council indicated on Wednesday.
The improved oversight ought to be certain that crypto belongings will be traced identical to conventional cash transfers, Reuters reported, referring to a launched official assertion. Quoted by the information company, Spanish Inexperienced Celebration lawmaker Ernest Urtasun, who took half within the course of, elaborated:
The brand new guidelines will allow regulation enforcement officers to have the ability to hyperlink sure transfers to felony actions and determine the actual particular person behind these transactions.
The EU our bodies additional famous that the principles would additionally cowl ‘unhosted‘ crypto wallets, a time period utilized by European officers to designate wallets held by non-public people that aren’t managed by a licensed platform. That can apply to transactions with crypto service suppliers exceeding €1,000 in fiat worth (round $1,040).
The proposals haven’t been met with enthusiasm by the crypto business. In a letter addressed to the finance ministers of the 27 EU member states, despatched in mid-April, companies working with crypto belongings urged European policymakers to make sure that their rules didn’t transcend the requirements adopted by FATF, the worldwide Monetary Motion Activity Pressure (on Cash Laundering).
On Thursday, the EU additionally seeks settlement on a broad framework designed to control crypto-related actions throughout the Union. Members of the European Parliament and representatives of the EU states must align their positions on the brand new Markets in Crypto Property (MiCA) legislative proposal, which is anticipated enter into pressure earlier than the tip of subsequent yr. Crypto corporations could have 18 months after that to acquire a MiCA license to function within the European Union.
What impact, do you suppose, will the upcoming EU rules have on the crypto business? Share your opinion within the feedback part beneath.
Picture Credit: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, Alexandros Michailidis
Disclaimer: This text is for informational functions solely. It isn’t a direct provide or solicitation of a suggestion to purchase or promote, or a advice or endorsement of any merchandise, companies, or corporations. Bitcoin.com doesn’t present funding, tax, authorized, or accounting recommendation. Neither the corporate nor the writer is accountable, immediately or not directly, for any injury or loss brought about or alleged to be attributable to or in reference to the usage of or reliance on any content material, items or companies talked about on this article.


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Elon Musk unveils Tesla robot, baffling analysts and thrilling the Internet
You gotta give Elon Musk one thing: The man knows how to get attention.
As part of Tesla’s A.I. Day, the entrepreneur announced plans to build a humanoid robot, called the Tesla Bot, which he envisions will “eliminate dangerous, repetitive, and boring tasks.”
Rather than just announcing the robot or showing a prototype, though, he brought up an actor in a body suit modeled after the Tesla Bot, who then shifted from robotic moves to a dance that looked like it had been choreographed by Napoleon Dynamite. It was one of those jaw-dropping, head-scratching moments that Musk has become famous for—and is certain to be one of the Internet’s most popular memes for months to come.
See for yourself:
Analysts weren’t real impressed, with the dancing or the concept.
“Unfortunately, as we have seen with robotaxis and other future sci-fi projects for Musk, we view this Tesla Bot as an absolute head-scratcher that will further agitate investors at a time the Street is showing growing concern around rising EV competition and safety issues for Tesla,” said Daniel Ives of Wedbush. “The Street wants Musk to focus on driving near-term battery technology enhancements, capacity build-outs…and fending off rising EV competition from all angles globally—and not humanoid robots.”
Musk himself issued some warnings about the robot, which is code-named Optimus, saying it “probably won’t work” at first.
The 5-foot-8 robot will use the same chips and sensors used to power Tesla’s self-driving features. It will be able to carry 45 pounds, lift 150 pounds, and run five miles per hour. The head will be a screen, presenting useful information.
And perhaps anticipating the obvious Skynet references, Musk said Tesla is designing it so humans will be able to run away from it or overpower it.
But beat it at a dance-off? Not a chance.
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Boots has chosen online GP provider, LIVI, as its preferred partner as the retailer looks to expand its digital offering for customers.
More details have been revealed about the partnership after it was initially announced at Digital Health Rewired in March. The partnership marks a step up in the collaboration they have been working on over the last nine months, which includes a pilot of an in-store LIVI service in two Boots UK stores.
The new partnership will include a further rollout of new stores offering digital services, as well as a deepening of in-store innovations such as diagnostics capabilities, making digital care more accessible for Boots customers.
There will also be a trial of a new online GP and pharmacy video consultation service, which has been brought forward to assist patients isolating due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
LIVI’s managing director, Juliet Bauer, presented the partnership at Rewired saying it would bring together the company’s “deep digital experience” with Boots’ “unique physical footprint, retail and pharmacy expertise”.
She added: “We are extremely proud to be chosen by Boots UK to be its preferred digital health partner, bringing together our companies’ world-class respective expertise. With our NHS facing unprecedented pressure, we are pleased to be opening up access to pharmacists on our platform and offering more people digital healthcare opportunities.
“Boots UK shares our ethos that the health system should be responsive to the needs of patients. By tapping into our digital health tech, millions of Boots UK customers will be able to access a more responsive and flexible health service.”
The two organisations have been clear that they are working closely with the local and national NHS to launch new services in support of its long-term vision.
They are both working together to look into trialling how patients could remotely access a Boots pharmacist via the LIVI app, to get general health advice and to have a conversation face-to-face about their own prescription medications.
Richard Corbridge, director of high street healthcare at Boots UK, added: “We announced at the Rewired conference in early March that the Boots LIVI partnership is just the start of a collaboration to bring access to health, care and wellness for as many customers and patients as possible during the current crisis and beyond.
“The ability to connect the primary care journey to the pharmacy outcome is high on everyone’s agenda right now, to be able to do this digitally will bring huge benefit, improving the way care can be delivered to our customers and patients.”
Other partnerships announced by Boots include ones with Public Health England for the How Are You quiz that was delivered in January and with Doctor Care Anywhere (DCA) offering digital prescriptions for patients that have had a virtual consultation with a DCA GP and are insured through AXA in the London area.


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SEOUL, July 6 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's trade ministry said Tuesday it will hold working-level talks with China this week on various pending issues related to a bilateral free trade deal.
According to the ministry, the one-day meeting will be held in Tangshan, Hebei Province of China on Wednesday.
Seoul and Beijing have recently completed a joint study on the feasibility of a bilateral free trade agreement, which led to a sealing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to hold additional talks on thorny issues.
The two-way trade volume reached 73.7 billion U.S. dollars last year, with China importing 46.1 billion U.S. dollars, said the trade ministry.
In May, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said to beef up efforts to settle a free trade agreement between the two countries.
- S. Korea: Exports up in June 2010-07-02
- Wen calls for FTA negotiations between China and S. Korea 2010-05-29


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At the close of the first First Forum on Cultural Industries, held in Monza, Italy, on September 24 to 26, UNESCO announced the creation of a new International Chair for performance in the cultural industries, as well as a laboratory for cultural innovation for developing countries.
Under the theme “Creativity, innovation and excellence: from crafts to the design and fashion industry,” the forum brought together some 200 international personalities from design and fashion, crafts, culture and international business.
Providing a platform for exchanges and meetings, the Forum aimed to highlight culture’s major role in economic and social development. For the first Forum, UNESCO has chosen to explore the relationship between crafts and the design and fashion industry.
“The purpose of the Forum is to demonstrate the potential and the dynamism of the culture sector, measured not only in terms of its percentage of GDP (7% of the global GDP), but also its ability to transform societies. A source of employment and income as well as human and social development, culture is a key component of the economy,” UNESCO stated on its website.
For more information in this event, please visit the UNESCO website.


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Mercedes-Benz S-Class XL spied, could receive the S600 Maybach nameplate
The extra-long wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class was caught on camera in Stuttgart, ahead of this year's launch.
It will reportedly be stretched by 200mm compared to the current long wheelbase S-Class which has a 5246mm...
My dad was at the Ford Sharonville (Cincinnati) plant today and a guy was telling him that they're going to redo most of the plant in 1-2 years for the new 9 speed. So I figure it will be available in 2016 as a result.
The Next Wave Begins
May 16, 2012
By: Austin Rutherford
Now that the Fusion/Mondeo and MkZ are nearing completion. Ford is putting all efforts into the next stage of CD4 on the front burner. FIN has now learned of some interesting information of this product cadence.
1.6L EcoBoost comes later in the year
April 20, 2012
This morning, the EPA finally released official MPG figures for the 2013 Escape. Due to the 1.6L I-4 EcoBoost's late availability, only the 2.5L and 2.0L EcoBoost's ratings were released. All the power train...
Sources Say: Ford Planning Innovative Changes Aimed at Fuel Efficiency in Next F-150
by Mike Levine
November 14, 2010
In order to meet tough new federal regulations that raise fuel economy requirements to 30 mpg for light trucks and SUVs by 2016, Ford is considering radical ways...
While in California this week taking our first turn behind the wheel of the new Equus luxury sedan, we got confirmation from Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik that the big barge will be getting all-wheel drive in the near future, as will its platform-mate, the Genesis, and the Genesis’s...


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Microsoft prepares to emulate Apple with launch of retail chain
LONDON - Microsoft has announced plans to open a number of retail stores across the US to showcase its products in an attempt to match the success of Apple's lucrative branded shops.
Microsoft has appointed two former Wal-Mart executives to lead the project -- Kevin Turner, Microsoft's chief operating officer, and David Porter, currently Dreamworks' head of product distribution, who has been tasked with assigning store locations.
Microsoft, in a statement, said: "The purpose of opening these stores is to create deeper engagement with consumers and continue to learn what they want and how they buy."
The stores will give Microsoft a chance to showcase a number of its products from desktop computers and software, to entertainment based products such as its Zune mp3 player and Xbox gaming consol.
Analysts have warned that Microsoft risks aggravating its US retail partners, such as Best Buy, Dell, Radio Shack and CompUSA, who already sell its products.
A number of electronic companies, such as Sony and Bose, have seen success with their own concept stores.
The benchmark remains with Apple's distinctive outlets. As well as topping up sales of its products, Apple has used the stores to promote the brand.
Microsoft's retail stores will aim to provide a boost in revenue amid difficult trading conditions.
Last month the company announcing 5,000 jobs would be cut worldwide following an 11% fall in net income during the second quarter.
Elsewhere electronic sales have been struggling in the US.
Last November, Circuit City filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, resulting in the closure of over 550 stores and 34,000 job losses.
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Updated, 12:14 p.m. |
The activist hedge fund Starboard Value is urging an overhaul at the MeadWestvaco Corporation, disclosing on Monday that it had taken a 5.6 percent ownership interest in the packaging company.
At that level, Starboard would be the company’s fifth-largest shareholder.
In a letter to MeadWestvaco’s chairman and chief executive, John A. Luke Jr., Starboard wrote: “We believe that the combined value of MeadWestvaco’s assets far exceeds the company’s current share price, and this value is being obscured by MeadWestvaco’s excessive corporate overhead and conglomerate structure.”
Starboard, which has previously pushed for changes at AOL, Office Depot and Compuware – and more recently, at Darden Restaurants – is pushing a number of changes at MeadWestvaco to improve shareholder value, including exploring the separation of its specialty chemical business and selling its South Carolina real estate and Brazilian timberlands.
The hedge fund contends that if the chemicals business were spun off, it could be worth $3.5 billion, based on a valuation of 11 to 13 times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Starboard says that “a separation of the chemicals business could be structured as a tax-free spinoff to MeadWestvaco’s existing shareholders, a tax-free Reverse Morris Trust merger transaction or a taxable sale.”
MeadWestvaco responded by saying that it “welcomes open communications with shareholders, values input toward our common goal of enhancing shareholder value, and will consider Starboard’s suggestions as we would if received from any other shareholder.”
The company noted that it had already taken a number of steps to bolster shareholder value, including the sale of more than $6 billion in non-core assets and returning more than $4 billion to shareholders through dividends, stock buybacks and spinoff distributions.
Shares of MeadWestvaco were up around 4 percent in midday trading.


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If you are a fan of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), BlackBerry has announced that it would make its flagship product available on other platforms by the summer of 2013.
BlackBerry made this announcement at it annual three day BlackBerry Live. Now for the first time the mobile messaging service will be available to iOS and Android users in summer subject to approval by Google Play and the Apple App Store.
This means that one would now be able to connect with friends and family using other platforms to connect over BBM.
Customers on other mobile platforms will enjoy the same services as those presently on the BlackBerry platform.
Users will enjoy the immediacy of BBM chats, multi-person chats, voice notes sharing, files sharing and blackberry groups where BBM users can set up group chat with a maximum of 30 other users.
The BlackBerry team has definitely been working hard to bring the much-adored BBM experience to a wider group of mobile users.
In a recent press conference at BlackBerry Live 2013, Andrew Bocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem said
- For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service.
BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community.
BBM set the standard for mobile instant messaging with fast and reliable service and an added layer of engagement with delivered and read statuses.
Upon release of the multi-platform BBM service, you can broaden that real-time connection to friends and colleagues on other supported mobile platforms.
BBM currently has more than 60 million active and 51 million daily active users who are connecting with friends and colleagues an average of one and half hours everyday.
BBM users send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps. Almost half of BBM messages are read within 20 seconds of being received; indicating how truly engaged BBM customers are.
Today, BlackBerry also announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow customers to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups they are passionate about.
BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later this year, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. If approved by Apple and Google, the BBM app will be available as a free download in the Apple App StoreSM and Google Play store. Additional details about system requirements and availability will be announced closer to the launch.
It is no news that Blackberry is currently witnessing a boom in demand in many African countries. What would their recent decision to make the Blackberry Messenger service available on iOS and Android have on demand for the Blackberry service in African countries?
We think this would lead to a net migration of customers to iOS and Android. The Blackberry Messenger is a core feature behind Africans love for Blackberry smart phones. BBM drastically reduces the cost of instant messaging for users and portability to other smart phone platforms means that Africans would no longer be locked to Blackberry devices to enjoy the BBM experience.
BlackBerry is making its Messenger (BBM) real-time messaging service available on Apple's iPhone and iPad and Google's Android platforms from summer, abandoning the platform exclusivity that had for years been a crucial tool in attracting and retaining users.
Announcing the move at the company's developer conference, software vice president Andrew Bocking said: "the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We're excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community."
Chief executive Thorsten Heins called the move "a statement of confidence". BlackBerry says that BBM has more than 60 million monthly active users, with more than 51 million using BBM for an average of 90 minutes per day. Its customers collectively send and receive more than 10bn messages daily, with almost half read within 20 second of being received, it said.
The free app will be available once approved for Apple's iOS 6 software released last year and devices running Android 4.0 or higher, released in late 2011.
BBM was once seen as an iconic messaging system which drew both teenagers and business people onto the BlackBerry platform because messages could only be swapped between its own handsets. But with its installed base of users falling, the company has had to look for ways to generate revenues from its software expertise.
The move pitches BBM into a fight with other cross-platform data-reliant apps - known as "over the top" services - such as WhatsApp, WeChat and Viber. On Apple's iOS, it will put it up against the company's own iMessage app - though that does not work across different platforms.
But BBM is now one of the smallest cross-platform apps, with WhatsApp claiming more than 200 million active users, and WeChat around 190 million.
In the planned initial release, iOS and Android users would be able to experience the immediacy of BBM chats, including multi-person chats, as well as the ability to share photos and voice notes, and engage in BBM Groups, which allows BBM customers to create groups of up to 30 people.
BlackBerry says BBM provides customers with a high level of control and privacy over who they add to their contact list and how they engage with them, as invites are two-way opt-in. iOS and Android users would be able to add their contacts through PIN, email, SMS or QR code scan, regardless of platform. Android users would also be able to connect using a compatible NFC-capable device.
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For only the Nigerians! pls


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Get used to seeing this; it’s Britney’s brand new, black on black, two-seater, SLK 350 Mercedes Benz, in which she paid straight up about $55,000 cash.
It was delivered to her home in Beverly Hills today.
Britney, accompanied by mom Lynne, and friend Sam, were seen at the Mercedes dealership this morning. Britney reportedly had picked out the car on Saturday, but only today got around to signing the papers for it.
Here’s to gas stations, convenient stores, Starbucks runs, and aimless drives all in this new black whip.


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The exclusivity period for the upcoming timed PS5 exclusive Deathloop has been revealed.
During its showing at the recent State of Play event, a small disclaimer at the bottom of the screen revealed that the game “Not available on other consoles until at least September 14, 2022,” which is a year after its PS5 and PC release on September 14, 2021.
Given the game’s developer Arkane is now part of the Microsoft and Xbox family, Deathloop was always going to hit Xbox platforms and services when the exclusivity period ends. It creates a unique situation for the game, with PlayStation spending big dollars on locking it to the PS5 for a year and the marketing that comes with it, only for players to know it’s eventually going to be on Xbox Game Pass when it does land on Xbox platforms.
It’s going to be interesting to see how the game does perform on PS5 come September and the months that follow. But as a huge fan of Arkane’s work, Deathloop is one of my most anticipated titles of the year, with my recent hands-off preview session justifying my hype for the game.
Shoutouts to Twisted Voxel


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When the machine automatically prompts you to tip for your coffee, “you should be able to leave a loonie or a couple of quarters, whatever you can afford and feel is reasonable, without being judged,” says Bayer. “You shouldn’t have to automatically give 18% on something that you’re walking in and picking up. It doesn’t seem reasonable to me.”
What about delivery people, from pizza delivery to Instacart, Uber Eats, Door Dash and others? Although you already pay a delivery fee and, in the case of food delivery platforms, service fees, these go to the company. With Door Dash and Uber Eats, 100% of the tips go directly to the drivers, who have to cover costs like gas, auto insurance and car maintenance, and possibly even parking.
Why some restaurants have banned tipping
In a surprising turn of events, some restaurant owners have banned tipping, and a few others are avoiding the practice from day one—like Then and Now, an Asian fusion restaurant in Toronto. Since owner-operator Eric Y. Wang launched the business in February 2023, there has been no tip prompt on its point-of-sale machines, and no automatic gratuity on the bill for groups.
Wang says he has been working in the restaurant industry for 12 years, in various positions including dishwasher, bartender and server. Before opening Then and Now, he was a restaurant manager. These experiences have shaped his views of tipping. “The simplest way to say it, really, is that it’s just not fair to ask the guests to pay a portion of the salary that people need in order to thrive in the city, or really anywhere,” Wang says.
He has observed that, at some restaurants, people who work in the kitchen, and even management, make less money than customer-facing servers because of how tips are distributed—that is, servers keep the bulk of tips. Wang says this has contributed to a culture of negativity at some restaurants, because when servers make a mistake, they may face more resentment from their managers or superiors, who earn less than them because of the tip structure.
Wang adds that racial stereotyping can impact a customer’s experience at a restaurant—another reason why he has banned tipping at Then and Now. Tipping is primarily a North American practice, and it’s not common in other countries around the world, he explains: “Over time, servers and bartenders start to collect data and they see somewhat of a trend—when people don’t tip at restaurants, typically they are someone with an accent, a visible minority, perhaps a student or a tourist.” He says that servers may subconsciously judge guests by their appearance and assume that they may not tip, before they even sit down at their table. Without the incentive of a tip, a server might not give the customer their best service.
“I’ve had many instances where servers will say to me: ‘I’m not going to serve that table,’” Wang says. “It’s just not right. It doesn’t matter what they’re tipping as long as people are respectful and not causing any trouble. We should treat everyone equally.”
At Then and Now, servers and staff are paid at least the certified Ontario living wage for the Greater Toronto Area, which is $23.15 per hour, and all also get workplace benefits. Wang says that having a predictable income allows his staff to have proof of employment for rental applications, for example, as well as to experience a greater sense of stability because they aren’t relying on fluctuating tips for their primary source of income.


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NYC Fashion Week to move from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center, away from Garment District
February 3, 2009
by Sara Kugler, AP Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Every year during New York Fashion Week, designers can be seen wheeling racks of clothes in their new collections to the tents at Bryant Park, just blocks from their studios in the garment district.
That is all going to change next year, when the twice-annual event moves from its original home at the park on 42nd Street to a plaza within Lincoln Center further uptown.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Council of Fashion Designers of America and IMG Fashion, which runs the shows, announced Tuesday that they had settled on the new location after more than two years of searching and negotiating.
"It has not been easy to find a place for us, a place that was big enough, that was centralized enough, that was right enough," said designer Diane von Furstenberg, CFDA President. "Since we're starting fresh we will try to make them better than the previous one."
Designer Nanette Lepore, a regular at the Bryant Park tents, told The Associated Press that she was saddened by the move because of the history at Bryant Park and its proximity to the historic fashion center. But she added that she liked the idea of a space that won't require a constant struggle.
The mayor has maintained for some time that Fashion Week was outgrowing Bryant Park. The event, which lets designers from all over the world show their collections, began in 1993 with about 35 shows and has grown to some 70 per season.
It takes some three weeks to set up, stage and clean up after the star-studded invitation-only shows at the park behind the New York Public Library. Last year, according to the city, the two events drew 232,000 attendees and generated $466 million in visitor spending.
Bloomberg said Tuesday that his administration worked hard to find a new location because there had been increasing pressure for the events to move to Los Angeles. "That would be a real hit to our economy," he said.
The new space at Lincoln Center is about half a mile to the west and another mile uptown from Bryant Park.
Lincoln Center may be further away from many designers' offices and studios, but they will have more space to present their collections in the new location — about 87,000 square feet, compared to the 70,000 square feet available at Bryant Park, the city said. Lincoln Center also has one of the largest underground parking garages in the city.
IMG Fashion Senior Vice President Fern Mallis said plans for the new space are still being developed, but said there will be more room at Lincoln Center for more than three runways, which was Bryant Park's limit.
Associated Press Writer Samantha Critchell contributed to this story.


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On May 10th, the All Pakistan Gems and Jewelers Association reported a sharp increase in the price of gold. The price of 10 grams of gold surged by Rs 8,487, reaching a historic high of Rs 205,761. This marks the first time in the country’s history that 10 grams of gold has crossed the Rs 2 lakh mark.
Meanwhile, the price of gold per tola also saw a significant increase, soaring by Rs 9,900 to reach Rs 240,000. According to the association, this value is the highest ever recorded for gold in the country’s exchange.
It should be noted that the surge in gold prices is not limited to Pakistan. The association reported that the price of gold in the world exchange is steady at $2031 per ounce.
The steep rise in gold prices is attributed to various factors, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the economic downturn, and the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar.
Despite the soaring gold prices, experts suggest that the demand for gold is unlikely to decrease in Pakistan. Gold is a popular investment and gift item, especially during the wedding and festival seasons.