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UPI Now Accepted in Sri Lanka
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has done a lot to change how digital payments are made in India. Now, countries other than India are using this new payment service. The most recent country to use it is Sri Lanka. During his two-day trip to India, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a deal. This helped UPI gain a good reputation in Sri Lanka’s business world.
India-Sri Lanka Collaboration
India and Sri Lanka do more than just adopt UPI together. The two countries are also doing feasibility studies on oil pipes and land bridges to improve trade and economic cooperation. This move could help the two countries connect and deal better, which would be good for both of them.
By giving Sri Lanka money, India is making their bond even stronger. India gave Sri Lanka about 30,000 crores Rupees ($4 billion) in financial help in 2022. This money came in the form of lines of credit. During Sri Lanka’s economic disaster, this help was very important because it allowed the country to buy things like food and fuel.
UPI Goes Global: Other Countries Embrace the Payment System
After UPI in Sri Lanka, this isn’t the only country that uses India’s UPI payment service. During Prime Minister Modi’s trip to France, it was reported that UPI payments would be accepted in the European country, starting with the Eiffel Tower. With this change, Indian tourists will be able to use their own currency to pay to visit the famous spot.
UPI payments are used in more places than just France. The PayNow system in Singapore and the UPI system in India have made a deal to make it easier, faster, and safer to send money across borders. This deal is a big step toward making the economies of the two countries work together better.
India and the UAE also worked together to add UPI to the UAE’s Instant Payments Platform (IPP). The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of the UAE have signed an MoU to link their payment and message systems. People from both countries will find it easier to do business with each other across lines because of this integration.
Also, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is constantly talking with many other countries, such as the USA, Europe, and West Asia, to make UPI services available in more places around the world.
Impressive Figures and Growth Prospects
There has been a lot of increase and use of the UPI in India. In 2022, the RBI said that about 73% of all non-cash purchases in India were done with UPI. The huge amount of Rs 139.2 trillion that UPI transactions were worth in FY23 shows how many people use and trust this payment system.
According to a study from PwC, there will probably be 1 billion UPI transactions every day by 2026 or 2027. This fast rise shows how easy, quick, and trustworthy UPI is. According to the same study, about 90% of all non-cash transactions will be UPI transactions. This will show even more clearly that UPI is the most popular way for people in India to pay online.
In India, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has changed everything. It has changed how digital payments are made in India and is now moving to other countries. With UPI in Sri Lanka, the number of countries that use it keeps growing. This is good for the business and makes things easier for people who use it.
The success of UPI in India and the fact that more and more countries are starting to use it show how innovative solutions could change the future of business and banking. As more countries see how useful this easy-to-use payment system is, we can expect to see more global progress in the area of digital payments.


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Advitech enters France and Belgium via pharma
product Dermylex to France and Belgium through a distribution
agreement with a pharmaceutical corporation, Iprad Santé S.A.
This represents a major shift in direction for the Quebec-based company as it initially unveiled Dermylex as a dietary supplement ingredient, then formulated it into a product, and now comes the news it is partnering with the manufacturer of dermatological and gynecological products for the European pharmaceutical industry. "There is a new interest from psoriasis patients for products like Dermylex and, after analysis by our experts of the scientific and technical documentation available on Dermylex, we are confident to effectively position Dermylex in the French and Belgian dermatologic markets," said Pierre-Marie Defrance, president and chairman of Iprad Group. Psoriasis, is an inflammatory skin condition for which, in its mild to medium forms, topical therapies or aggressive drug treatments have typically been used. However, these are accompanied by significant side effects and as such Advitech saw an opportunity to launch its gentler ingredient. Dermylex is a patented blend of naturally derived bioactive peptides that comes in the form of a tablet to be taken orally. After numerous years of development, Advitech has begun to roll out Dermylex via distribution agreements with companies such as Canadian Jamieson Laboratories and most recently two partners in the US. "With this agreement for the French and Belgian markets, added to last week's partnership announcement with Thorne Research and Diversified Natural Product for the U.S. market, Advitech is now active in two of the most important markets for dermatological products," said Renaud Beauchesne, president and CEO of Advitech. Under the agreement, the distribution of Dermylex in these two new markets for the company is set to begin in the third quarter of 2007 and the product will be available in a network of more than 22,000 drugstores. Last week the companies carried out a promotional launch in Paris at the 2nd International Congress on Psoriasis. In North America, Advitech has employed another tactic and secured numerous athletic spokespeople to represent the branded product. The recent deals with Thorne Research and Diversified Natural Products were also steps into new territory for Advitech as New York-based DNP markets specialty ingredients and Thorne specializes in the health practitioners segment.

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— California regulators have approved a mandate requiring truck manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of electric vehicles.
— The rule is the first of its kind in the world.
— Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are leery, while startups Tesla and Nikola back the standard.
In a highly anticipated vote, the 12-member California Air Resources Board (CARB) has unanimously approved an electric truck mandate that will require medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of zero emission vehicles in the state starting in 2024.
The Advanced Clean Truck rule, the first of its kind in the world, sets out different sales targets based on the vehicle class. By 2035, about 75% of Class 8 big rigs sold in the state will need to be electric.
More than 150 people testified during Thursday’s seven-hour board hearing.
Dawn Fenton, director of sustainability and public affairs for Volvo Trucks, said the manufacturer “doubts the market’s readiness to absorb the volumes in this regulation.”
Full deployment of Volvo’s electric truck pilot in Southern California has been delayed due to a lack of charging stations, she testified, while the coronavirus downturn has negatively impacted the heavy-duty truck market and eroded public funding intended to support and incentivize zero emission vehicle projects.
Fenton asked the board to insert a provision into the regulation “to ensure truck manufacturers are not deemed not compliant” if they don’t meet sales requirements. “We ask for [a rule based on] realistic success rather than unrealistic expectations.”
Jed Mandel, president of the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, referred to the sales mandate as “fundamentally flawed” in lieu of an accompanying fleet purchasing standard. He urged the board to either delay implementation of the rule by two years — until 2026 — or link the sales mandate with a fleet purchasing mandate.
CARB will hold hearings on an electric truck fleet purchasing standard this summer or early fall.
Electric truck startups
Alana Langdon, Nikola Motor’s vice chair of public affairs, spoke in favor of the standard, saying the hybrid truck maker views the sales mandate as “critical public policy” to transition away from fossil fuels and “achieve a more sustainable future.” She urged CARB to support policies that encourage fleet operators to purchase vehicles, alongside the sales standard.
Andy Schwartz, senior policy advisor for Tesla, affirmed the electric vehicle company’s support of the rule, citing overwhelming demand for both the Tesla Semi and cybertruck.
“There are those who continue to say the Air Resources Board is doing too much,” Schwartz testified. He rejected that stance, noting that “heavy-duty charging infrastructure can and will be built.”
“Fundamentally, the point of regulation is not to simply require things,” Schwartz said, “it is to push the market more quickly, transitioning away from fossil fuels as fast and effectively as we can.”
Drayage driver reaction
Gustavo Villa, a self-described “misclassified” port driver,” testified in favor of the standard. “By misclassifying employees as contractors, companies don’t take [environmental] responsibility for fleets,” Villa added. Replacing his diesel particulate filter cost thousands of dollars, he explained, “so I had to put off replacing the diesel particulate filter until I could afford it.”
About 8,000 trucks in the Southern California ports will be out of compliance with California emissions regulations by 2022, CARB board members said.
Board heralds ‘revolutionary’ rule
In a discussion before the vote, CARB members referred to the electric truck rule as “revolutionary,” “on the right side of history” and “a bold step.” Board members called on CARB staff to work with other states to help scale the electric truck market, continue moving forward with charging infrastructure and accelerate development of the fleet purchasing standard.
“There needs to be mutual assurance: that there will be vehicles for the purchasers and purchasers for the vehicles,” CARB board chair Mary Nichols said.
Ensuring the burden of compliance falls on operators and not misclassified contractors was another concern, board members said.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Linda Baker.


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With nice year-round weather, Los Angeles is a city that could be a cycling city; find out how the city is trying to promote, health, well-being and less cars in this great city.
So many other cities have been cycle-friendly for decades that it is high time that Los Angeles jumped on this bandwagon. From the Paris velib hire system that lets you hop on a bike and visit the Eiffel Tower, Palais Omnisports and Notre Dame without having to step foot on the maze that is the metro, to Copenhagen with its thriving cycle chic fashion movement, and London’s Boris bikes, Europe seems to be pretty on the ball when it comes to sustainable and health-promoting transport. And this side of the Atlantic, New York, Boston, as well as many Canadian cities also boast improving cycle lanes and facilities too.
So where does this leave Los Angeles, a city that loves its cars? Well, actually, things are beginning to improve here. This summer saw the roll out of the city’s first bike share system, the Metro Bike Share which is already proving popular; you can out more about it here.
Also opened this summer was the impressive half mile long stretch of protected bike lanes in the city center. LA is notoriously car-centric, but things are beginning to move forward now, as proven by these safer and less stressful routes for cyclists. With many celebrity cycling fans, it’s time other citizens dusted off their bikes too and got pedaling.
Although slow and perhaps a little tardy, change is finally coming and we’re hoping it leads to a cleaner and safer city, as well as an easy way to get in a little exercise!


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Independent Motor Auctions has expanded its fleet with an additional two DAF trucks and its fourth six-vehicle transporter.
The new truck was supplied by Imperial Trucks and the transporter unit from Belle Trailers.
The truck features a DAF FAR CF330 6x2 rigid chassis with a DAF Day cab, with a wheelbase of 5.90 metres. The truck has a Paccar MX11 litre engine, rated at 326 bhp with a Euro 6 rating.
Independent Motor Auctions’ managing director Justin Lane said: “Our expanding fleet of transporters will enable us to manage the sharp increase in vehicle volumes, thanks to our growing roster of customers.
“We have seen a 20% year on year increase at our Leeds facility.
"Our six -strong fleet of transporters will enable us to collect cars and vans from across the UK.
“All the trucks have been purchased outright and represent a significant investment in our fleet, over £400,000 over the last six months.
“We now have six delivery vehicles in our fleet, ranging from one five-car transporter, four six-car transporters and a nine-car transporters, which service both our auction facilities at Leeds and Blackpool.
“The transporters enable us to collect vehicles quickly and efficiently for our daily auctions so we can offer buyers a great selection of cars and vans.
"We operate a maximum of 48 hour turn round which is one of the fastest in the auction industry.”


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These global brands have built outstanding localization strategies in China by rethinking their marketing offers and tailoring content to their regional consumers.
China is a complex and diverse market, where brand-conscious consumers dominate luxury purchases. Yet, personal consumption expenditures are wildly different. And still, most international brands employ a homogenous marketing strategy in China.
“The Chinese market is very interesting for many companies that want to go global,” says Marketing to China. “But while this huge market presents huge commercial opportunities, entry into China poses its own unique set of localization challenges.”
Some global brands like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Gucci have built outstanding localization strategies by rethinking their marketing offers and tailoring their content to the experiences their regional consumers prefer. But not all global brands have curated their content according to regional needs yet. Let’s look at the Western brands that are already resonating with Chinese consumers.
According to Vogue Business, the search volume for Gucci increased ahead of the Lunar New Year, and the brand’s New Year’s collaboration with Japanese manga character Doraemon generated a serious buzz.
Opinions on the campaign were divided. Several netizens left rave reviews. However, the more skeptical ones lamented the move as a “lazy” marketing trick, Jing Daily’s Wenzhuo Wu reports. Despite the mixed reactions, Gucci succeeded at word-of-mouth marketing, confirming that nostalgic branding is still an effective marketing tactic.
During the year, Gucci maintained its relevance through a smart digital strategy and a targeted localization strategy. And its focus on lower-tier cities has allowed the Kering-owned brand to expand its product offering. The Business of Fashion reports that Kering’s strategy for China “is to tap on the network it’s already created in top-tier cities such as Shanghai and Beijing while opening new stores in so-called tier 2 cities.”
Gucci also launched on the Little Red Book and the short video app Douyin, where it engaged a younger and more diversified demographic. Moreover, Gucci got quite a buzz with its “apple of my eye” collection, released for the Qixi Festival. And while the Qixi capsule collection could have spelled disaster for the brand, the promotional video that showcased a friendship blossoming into teen love saved the day. Continue to read the full article here


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Fuel prices are driving the fastest price rises for UK consumers in 30 years, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The UK inflation rate rose to 7% in the year to March 2022 as prices grew faster than wages, putting pressure on the government to do more to help those struggling.
Fuel had the biggest impact on the inflation rate, with average petrol prices rising by 12.6p per litre between February and March, the largest monthly rise since records began. The cost of living is expected to rise even further as spiralling fuel costs impact the supply of other goods and services such as food, furniture and eating out and UK householders feel the impact of the increased energy price cap on their gas and electricity bills.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is also adding to the pain felt by UK consumers as the price of oil and other commodities climb higher. Ukraine and Russia are also the world’s main suppliers of sunflower oil and the conflict has led to a 7.2% increase in the price of oils and fats in food production. Other food stuffs such as wheat-based products, chicken and fish are also experiencing increased production costs. Whilst the industry can absorb some of the increases, it is inevitable that some of the costs will be passed on to consumers.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak acknowledged the pressure on families, commenting; “I know this is a worrying time for many families, which is why we are taking action to ease the burdens by providing support worth around £22bn in this financial year, including for the most vulnerable through our household support fund. We’re also helping as many people as possible into work – the best way for families to gain economic security in the longer term.”
His words will come as cold comfort to some however, as the ONS reported that there were ‘no large offsetting downward contributions’ to the inflation rate, or in other words, predicting that nothing was going to get significantly cheaper. In fact, the Bank of England has warned that inflation is on track to reach 8% by the end of April and possibly 10% by the end of 2022.


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Sports Authority is making good on its promise to make its online site more robust and engaging.
A new report from MSLGROUP and the Hartman Group is underscoring grocers’ need to appeal to millennial shoppers in unique ways.
Consumers love their smartphones, but retailers shouldn’t count out the “old tech” yet in terms of customer appeal.
Macy’s CEO and chairman Terry Lundgren is talking about why the department store giant decided to stop carrying Donald Trump’s menswear collection.
Smartphones are quickly becoming the first screen for consumers — even in retail stores.
Macy’s on Wednesday announced several key initiatives to drive its growth going forward, ranging from new store ventures to digital efforts to an international foray.
Get ready for Irish fast-fashion.
Female millennial shoppers still like the mall when it comes to shopping for back-to- school goods, and they are also using social media platforms to talk about it.
Barnes & Noble claims the top position in a list of the most powerful “Back-to-School” retail brands, according to Tenet Partners’ Top 20 ranking.
As Costco Wholesale inches closer to opening its first location in France, the retailer may not find the country such an easy target by any measure, reported the Seattle Times.


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Planet Dog Foundation Awards Grants to Seven Canine Service Organizations
Since January, 2006, the Planet Dog Foundation has donated more than a half a million dollars in cash grants and product donations to non- profit organizations across the country. In addition to awarding grants, the Planet Dog Foundation also extends its support to non-profit organizations nationwide through product donations. "Planet Dog has been sending product donations to about 25 non-profit organizations each month," says Smith. "Unfortunately, we cannot meet the financial needs of every grant applicant so we are thankful to be able to support them in other ways," adds Smith. To learn more, visit www.planetdogfoundation.org.
Planet Dog, PDF's corporate partner, is a socially responsible, globally recognized designer and developer of innovative, high quality, award-winning dog products. "As a small company doing big things, we are proud to support like-minded organizations that will most benefit from our support," says Alex Fisher, Planet Dog's Founder. "From the beginning, we knew we wanted to build a socially responsible company that not only enhanced the lives of dogs and their people, but one that also improved the world around us by giving back," adds Fisher.
“We’re doing what no other pet product company is doing," says Catherine Frost, Planet Dog's Brand and Product Champion. “We offer innovative, top-quality products that dogs love, all while supporting service dog programs, encouraging pet adoption and protecting Planet Earth. Our goal is for our actions to speak louder than woofs,” adds Frost. To learn more about the Planet Dog, visit www.planetdog.com.


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Good news from the Budget. The Chancellor has confirmed the final Soft Drinks Industry Levy rates of 18 pence per litre and 24 pence per litre for the two sugar bands at 5g/100ml and 8g/100ml respectively. It is now over to MPs to pass the legislation, and then manufacturers and retailers to continue to raise their sugar reduction game.
Malcolm Clark, co-ordinator of Children's Food Campaign, welcoming the Budget 2017 news about the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, said:
“The Chancellor’s confirmation of the sugary drinks tax rates today is vindication of the efforts parents, campaigners and health professionals have made to counteract industry’s opposition to the tax."
"It is now over to MPs to pass the legislation, and then manufacturers and retailers to continue to raise their sugar reduction game.”
As the Treasury itself confirms:
- The levy is already working. Since we announced the measure last March several major companies have accelerated their reformulation work to cut sugar ahead of introduction in April 2018. These include Tesco, Lucozade-Ribena-Suntory and AG Barr.
- We now expect more than 40% of all drinks that would otherwise have been in-scope to have been reformulated by the introduction of the levy.
- This means that the forecast revenues for the levy are now, but we will continue to fund schools with the £1 billion we originally expected from the levy this Parliament – including money for schools sports, breakfast clubs and a new Healthy Pupils Capital Fund.
Malcolm Clark, of Children's Food Campaign, further commented:
“It is welcome news that the Chancellor has held his nerve and kept the Soft Drinks Industry Levy rates at the meaningful levels originally proposed. The prospect of those rates has already led to significant sugar reduction moves, and had a positive ripple effect on other sectors, as well as in Ireland and further afield."
"The experience from other countries shows that the biggest health impact is felt only when sugar-free products are priced cheaper than their sugary counterparts. That £1billion funding to help schools promote healthier lifestyles has been guaranteed is also great news for children’s health.”
The Obesity Health Alliance, which Children's Food Campaign is a member of, also issued this response to today's Budget:
“The Soft Drinks Industry Levy is a bold, positive and necessary move we believe will help reduce the amount of sugar our children consume.
“There is evidence from other countries that show similar taxes have helped to reduce the amount of sugary soft drinks consumed.
“We’ve already seen a number of companies in the UK announce plans to reduce sugar content in their products, so clearly the potential impact is huge. This is a significant step in the battle against obesity and the Government should be applauded for its commitment to seeing it through.”
8 Mar 2017
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Children's Food Campaign: Better food and food teaching for children in schools, and protection of children from junk food marketing are the aims of Sustain's high-profile Children's Food Campaign. We also want clear food labelling that can be understood by everyone, including children.
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The High School Financial Literacy (HiFi) Program, which trains teachers, financial professionals, and representatives of community-based organizations to teach financial literacy to teens, will hold free classes for interested instructors at two locations in May and June.
The financial challenges facing today’s students are many and complex. The HiFi Program helps provide them with the tools to make informed financial decisions that will positively affect their futures. Sponsored by the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, HiFi is a comprehensive effort to bring financial literacy education into the classroom through those who have gone through the HiFi training process.
The HiFi program has been successful with more than 850 educators trained, representing over 330 high schools and community-based organizations. In addition, more than 100 financial representatives have been trained and are available to lend their expertise in the classroom.
Immigration Scams posted on Mar 27
The call to strengthen the United States’ borders has opened a new window of opportunity for con artists who are capitalizing on fear and uncertainty. The Boston Globe reported earlier this month that there has been an uptick in scammers posing as federal agents, …Continue Reading Immigration Scams
Car Buyer Beware: ”Buy Here Pay Here” Used Car Financing and Sales are Riddled with Pitfalls posted on Mar 23
Many consumers need a loan to purchase a used vehicle. Consumers with poor or no credit will often seek financing from the dealer they are buying a car from. This financing is commonly referred to as “Buy Here Pay Here,” and it lets dealers …Continue Reading Car Buyer Beware: ”Buy Here Pay Here” Used Car Financing and Sales are Riddled with Pitfalls
Apps – Access Denied posted on Mar 21
Almost everyone is guilty of passively downloading a new app for their mobile device. And why not? Apps are great. But consumers should recognize that there are risks in the marketplace. A woman from California used her debit card to buy a slot machine …Continue Reading Apps – Access Denied


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Ripple, the cross-border payment firm, has recently announced a partnership between RippleNet and Lemonway, the pan-European payment solution for online marketplaces, to unlock faster Euro-to-Euro payments.
This new partnership means that the firm is now in an association with Nium to significantly reduce the payout times and at the same time to transform its international payments for its customers.
RippleNet Will Enhance Lemonway Services
According to the report, 200 crowdfunding platforms and over 1,400 European marketplaces, depend on Lemonway’s advanced payment processing and management solution. However, having to manage increased transaction volumes across hundreds of merchants at scales comes with several hindrances, especially the long processing times of traditional cross-border payment services.
Reacting to the new development, Martin-Pierre Gaultier, Lemon Way’s Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer said, “As a firm that welcomes innovation, we are always on the lookout for new business models and technological capabilities that can help us to grant better services to our merchants.”
He continued by saying, “Our partnership with Ripple is a testament to this, and we’re excited to be able to offer faster and more cost-effective payouts to support the evolving needs of our customers and merchants.”
With their recent association with RippleNet and their connection with Niums global money transfer network, Lemonway is working on improving its euro-to-euro payment corridors and also spread to other currencies and segments in the future.
With this partnership and most especially with RippleNet’s access to lots of global financial institutions in their hundreds, Lemonway guarantees reliability, transparency, and real-time payment. All these will be at a lower cost which will be the key factor in helping Lemonway attract new customers.
The statement below was made by RohitBammi, the Global Head of Institutional Business, Nium:
“We are happy to announce the enhancement of payment routes for Lemonway users. Nium looks to create a fintech infrastructure that can help banks and financial institutions launch and scale innovative digital financial services without the complexity, time and cost previously required to do so, and this partnership with Lemonway through RippleNet to enhance their payments capabilities is a testament of that.”
To maintain an accurate financial record, online marketplaces depend on swift and transparent cross-border transactions.
Marketplaces yield an estimated $6-$8 Trillion per year in global payment volume, growing at 10% per year. But, the current unreliable and slow cross-border payments experienced by global merchants keep them waiting for up to seven days before their payments can be processed.
We live in a global age where information moves instantly to all corners of the world, therefore, it is unacceptable that payments can take up to seven days before arriving at their destination.
RippleNet aims at fulfilling customers’ demands, especially where the legacy system suffers. The traditional process of making payments is fast changing. Lemonway in an association with Ripple is able to build significantly faster payout methods and at the same time offer a better customer service experience.
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Micromax has announced that it has retained ZenithOptimedia to handle its media duties and appointed Isobar as the digital marketing agency following multi-agency pitches.
Prior to this, Interactive Avenues handled the brand's digital mandate. Isobar's Delhi office will now work on the brand.
Shubhajit Sen, chief marketing officer, Micromax Informatics, said, “We are delighted that post the pitch process we have two of the most competitive agencies on board with Micromax. While Isobar will lead our digital mandate and we are impressed with their team of young, intuitive professionals bringing in a fresh perspective, ZenithOptimedia will continue to be our agency to manage traditional media. We would also want to place on record our appreciation for Interactive Avenues (IA) and their team – they helped build Micromax brand with some real great work.”
Tanmay Mohanty, group CEO, ZenithOptimedia, said, “We share a wonderful working relationship with Micromax. The client was impressed with our fresh approach on the Micromax brand, and the innovative thinking and rich consumer insights that we bring to the table.Going forward, we will continue to put in the best of our resources, people, tools and processes behind the Micromax brand.”


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MSC Cruises is to partner with ABP Southampton on a new fifth cruise terminal at the port.
The new terminal will be ready for the 2021 cruise season and will be home to MSC Magnifica for her second ex-UK season.
MSC confirmed that it will continue to homeport at least one ship throughout the partnership with Southampton, while it also expects other ships within it 17 strong fleet to make calls at the new terminal.
The new terminal, which has received support from the Solent LEP and the Government’s ‘Getting Building’ fund, will have Shore Power connectivity – meaning that ships can plug-in to shore-side power, reducing emissions.
Antonio Paradiso, managing director MSC Cruises UK & Ireland said: “Whilst we’ve always had loyal passengers from the UK & Ireland, over the last five years we’ve been on a real journey in the UK market. We were delighted to see such strong organic growth which led to our first ever full season sailing from the UK in 2018, followed by the naming ceremony of MSC Bellissima in the port of Southampton bringing guests from around the world to the city to celebrate the milestone event in 2019. We ended 2019 with the most successful year of sales ever in the UK & Ireland, something we are incredibly proud of.
“MSC Cruises is serious about the UK market and now more than ever we believe in the potential here and making this long term commitment to bringing even more passengers to Southampton is evidence of that. In 2017 we invested in a new office in the UK, we then focused on growing our teams and putting the right expertise in place to ensure we can provide the best possible support to our passengers and our travel agent partners, and now we are really proud to be further investing in the UK cruise industry at this incredibly important time for both the industry and the UK economy in having a home for our ships here in the UK.”
Of the 21 available sailings the cruise line has further enhanced the itineraries available from Southampton with two 14 night sailings to the Mediterranean departing in July and August calling at ports including Malaga, Lisbon and Monte Carlo, weekend mini sailings to Northern Europe and seven night cruises to the Norwegian Fjords.
Paradiso, added: “We have seen good demand for our ex-UK sailings for 2021 despite the difficult circumstances and are sure this demand will continue into 2021 as we see more travel corridors open up and guests start to feel more confident in booking holidays. MSC Magnifica EX-UK 2021 presents a great opportunity for travel agents looking for new and different ex-UK itineraries for the guests. With port intensive itineraries , Saturday departures and the onboard experience offering the Best of British enhancements that were so popular during the 2018 season there are many reasons MSC Magnifica provides a great sales opportunity for our travel partners.”
To find out more information about sailing from the UK with MSC Cruises visit msccruises.co.uk or speak to your travel agent.


text: One Million A MonthMicrosoft is preparing to double the shipments of its Xbox 360 games console to one million a month, chip makers in Taiwan have confirmed. The software giant has asked local suppliers to double their output of several key chips for the console during the second quarter of the year, according to the Commercial Times, citing unnamed industry sources in Taiwan. As a result, Microsoft will be able to satisfy demand of up to three million units in the three months to June, compared with 1.5 million in the first quarter, the paper reported. Local suppliers of Xbox 360 chips include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, which manufactures the ATI graphics chip used in the console, and Silicon Integrated Systems, which makes the south bridge chip set. The release of Sonys rival PlayStation 3 console was recently put back several months to November, giving Microsoft more time to establish a hold on the market. As previously reported by vnunet.com, Microsoft decided last month to add a third lead contractor to the two that already build Xbox 360 consoles. The chips from the Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturers are delivered to these contractors for assembly into the consoles main circuit board.


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Volvo says the new Volvo V40 will account for about 90,000 annual sales, with Europe taking 85 per cent of production.
The Volvo V40 will be built at the company’s Ghent plant in Belgium, and the five-door hatch is expected to go on sale in Australia in late 2012 or early 2013.
The Volvo V40 will be offered with an extensive choice of petrol and diesel engines, all featuring stop-start and teamed with either manual or automatic gearboxes.
Volvo has released only a few details of the engines, but says a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol T5 model will produce 187kW and propel the Volvo V50 T5 from 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds.
The cleanest turbo diesel will have emissions of just 94g/km.
Volvo claims the V40 will offer “class-leading driving dynamics”, which is a big call considering the handling abilities of the rear-wheel-drive BMW 1-Series and the fact the Swedish car maker has yet to lead any vehicle segment in regards to dynamics.
The picture of the Volvo V40 cabin suggests the hatch will have a sufficiently premium interior that builds on the design flair and material quality that has impressed in the XC60 SUV, S60 sedan and V60 wagon.
The Volvo V40 model pictured features stitched leather seats and door trim, with leather applied to other areas such as the steering wheel and handbrake lever.
The instrument panel includes a colour display with digital speedo and tachometer, while a multi-function screen in the centre of the dash is likely to feature interchangeable information such as audio and safety systems.
The safety systems will include Volvo’s City Safety system that can automatically brake the car to a standstill to help avoid a rear-end collision, now from a speed of up to 50km/h (from 30km/h on other Volvos).
Volvo’s Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake system also transfers into the V40, along with other technologies such as active cruise control and lane departure warning.
It’s not yet clear which features would be standard or optional in the Volvo V40 range.
Volvo isn’t expected to replace the C30 three-door coupe, which costs from $36,990.
Pricing for the new Volvo V40 could start from a similar price point to ensure it’s within striking range of the VW Golf while also being competitive against the luxury German hatchbacks.
The 2012 Geneva motor show will also see the unveiling of the new Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class luxury hatchbacks.
Read CarAdvice's 2012 Geneva motor show preview.


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The U.S. is being hit by an epidemic that is affecting our nation’s farmers most.
A bird flu outbreak has caused the government to reduce poultry export forecasts by almost 6% from last month. This news came just after the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that a second flock of turkeys had come down with the H5N2 flu, a strain that can kill an entire flock in 48 hours.
Birds in eight states have tested positive for this same deadly strain since the beginning of 2015. This has caused other countries to limit imports of American poultry and eggs. The most shocking and damaging restrictions have been the countrywide import bans of these products by South Korea and China. Our poultry market with these two nations is a $5.7 billion industry, so these bans came as a devastating blow.
“We didn’t expect China or South Korea really to take as severe, drastic action as they did,” said Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council.
Though no human infections of bird flu have been detected yet, it could spread to us at any times. The flock of 34,000 recently infected in South Dakota has been hulled in an attempt to stop the spread of infection. We can only pray that this works.


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Interceptor Studios co-owners SDN Invest have confirmed its purchase of Apogee Software LTD and 3D Realms.
Spurned on by a Tweet from CEO Frederik Schreiber, many gamers were mistakenly led to believe yesterday that Interceptor Studios, the developer behind the recent Rise of the Triad remake, had purchased classic game makers 3D Realms and Apogee. The deal was eventually debunked by Apogee LLC which said via its own Tweet that the Interceptor itself hadn’t acquired anything. That being the case, a recent release has revealed that the original story did contained a portion of the truth.
While it’s true that Interceptor itself didn’t purchase Apogee Software, it’s been confirmed that the studio’s co-owners at SDN Invest have, in fact, acquired Apogee Software (not to be confused with publisher Apogee LLC) and 3D Realms. In turn, SDN has named Apogee’s Mike Nielsen as CEO at 3D Realms. The new partnership, he hopes, will be beneficial for both parties. “Duke Nukem, Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, Raptor, Shadow Warrior and Prey. There are only a handful of independent studios with a better track record of original game,” he said. Yet even with this stellar track record, we hope we can take the company to new heights.”
While this acquisition is potentially exciting on a number of levels, it will be interesting to just what affect it has on the involved companies. For instance, Gearbox is still in the middle of suing Interceptor and 3D Realms for copyright infringement based on a recently revealed Duke Nume action RPG. Whether or not this acquisition will lead to any changes in that case is something time will have to tell.


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Rockstar has been slowly revealing details about how the PSP version of Chinatown Wars will differ from its Nintendo DS (and ultimately iPhone) counterparts on its official website. Last week it revealed the exclusive mission, "Factory Fun" which is an homage to the "classic" Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas mission "Are You Going to San Fierro?" In "Factory Fun" Chinatown Wars protagonist Huang must destroy a warehouse full of "illicit crops" with a flamethrower before escaping unharmed.
Today, the studio unveiled a new character in the shape of Melanie Mallard, an aspiring journalist and documentary filmmaker who gets caught up in a plot involving the criminal activities of Liberty City's Triad gang. Melanie has made a deal with Chan Jaoming to get a behind-the-scenes look at his business in hopes that she will emerge with a career-making story. As you can imagine, this doesn't go according to plan. Mallard, we're told, also makes an appearance in "Factory Fun" as a journalist covering the resulting blaze.


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One of the best Twitter clients for Windows Phone Rowi is getting updated to v2.0 soon. The developer team behind Rowi has just posted the demo video of their upcoming version of Rowi which you can watch it above. The real disappointment is that even this version of Rowi will not feature Nest integration with Metrotwit desktop client. Besides that the app now has some neat UI tweaks such as the new context menu and other improvements over the previous version of this app.
What’s your favorite Twitter client on Windows Phone ? Heard of Mehdoh ?


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Until this morning I couldn’t reliably spell Koenigsegg. It was a little company of fewer than 50 employees making fewer than 20 cars a year. Now it has effectively taken over Saab.
Accepted wisdom is that to compete long-term, smallish car companies (of which Saab is one) need to be in the hands of bigger car corporations. Not tiny cottage industries.
But there you are. Given the way the industry is in turmoil, we can assume that accepted wisdom has all sorts of flaws. So can the Koenigsegg Group pull Saab out of its tailspin? The Group, by the way, includes the supercar company and other private investors, supported by enough loans from the European Investment Bank to get Saab out of its immediate bankruptcy.
As Foreman has written often enough, Saab has a tragically threadbare car range with which to tackle the likes of Audi. The first priority has to be getting new cars onto the road.
OK, GM has said it will allow Saab under Koenigsegg to put into production both the Vauxhall Insignia-derived new 9-5 and the Cadillac SRX-based Saab 9-4X. They should both be good, as the Insignia and new SRX are fine machines.
The new 9-5 will be at the Frankfurt Show this September, and the 9-4X comes in next year. So Saab has the prospect of a sales uplift over the next couple of years.
But GM is being cagey about how long it will continue co-operating with Saab after that. Small wonder. GM has long wanted to position Cadillac as its ‘global luxury brand’ and even when it owned Saab it strangled it in favour of Cadillac. This might have been misguided – Cadillac has been a notable flop in Europe, but even now GM is showing no signs of learning its lesson. So GM won’t be keen on helping Saab develop Cadillac competitors.
Saab, with no other parent, is going to have to find creative new ways of developing cars. Working with suppliers, possibly. Did you know, for instance, that the current Fiat Bravo was developed and got ready for production as a contract job by a supplier called Magna? So it’s been done before. (And yes, that’s the same Magna that is currently buying Opel/Vauxhall.)
What is for sure is that existing motor industry wisdom about shared platforms is about to go out of the window. The existing idea is that a global car company would develop one platform and then dress it up as different cars to be sold by its different brands.
Look at the Vauxhall Insignia as an example. The Insignia was designed to be sold as an Opel/Vauxhall. But other versions of that platform would be sold as a Buick. A Chevrolet. A Pontiac. A Saturn. And a Saab. All GM subsidiaries, enabling the platform to be built in huge numbers, and components to be bought by the million, which cuts the cost of building each car.
Well now GM has sold Saab to Koenigsegg. Sold Vauxhall/Opel to Magna. Shut down Pontiac. And sold Saturn to Roger Penske – who says he will just buy and re-badge versions of all sorts of cars, maybe not the GM ones.
Now what happens to the great co-operative venture of the Insignia platform? There will be some complex negotiations to keep the flow of components moving to the right factories now they’re all owned by different people. And the cost of building those cars might well rise.
Which means that unless they do some very clever deals, it will be hard for the new Saab or the new Opel/Vauxhall to stay in business long-term.


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Activision has just announced a new Skylanders game.
And the milking begins.
Perhaps not just yet, I mean if they keep coming out with decent games and a few new toys each year I don't see it being a problem.
The question is, will Activision make the toys with for the older games compatible with the new ones?
Hope so cos my stealth elf is maxed out and I want to see if there is a higher level to reach beyond 10 on the new game
Yes, the toys are compatible and the progress you made so far is kept. There are only 8 new toys so I don't see a huge issue.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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According to the latest TechCrunch report, Apple has acquired the Cue personal assistant app. Numerous users inform that the application is now removed from the App Store, moreover, there’s a short statement on the Cue official website that proves the acquisition:
The GM release indicates that a Mavericks launch is near, and this build will most likely be what is released to the public (bearing any major bugs).
According to TechWorld, Anand Chandrasekher, Qualcomm SVP and Chief Marketing Officer, has recently said that Apple’s new 64-bit A7 processor is nothing else but a marketing trick. A very successful one, I must admit.
Martin Hajek, whose iPhone 5c concepts looked almost like the original Apple devices, has posted a couple of renderings on his website that show something he calls the new iPad Mini S and iPad Mini C.
Apple is expected to unveil its new iPad mini with Retina display very soon. However, it is still unclear when this tablet will be actually released - there’s no exact date. Some say, the company from Cupertino will announce the gadget in October and ship it in some weeks after the media event for reporters, but this is unlikely to happen as Apple is currently experiencing some manufacturing delays.
According to the
The author of the video took apart his gold iPhone 5s and transplanted the fingerprint sensor into the iPad 5 front panel. As we can see in the clip, it fits perfectly - unlike the old home button which is too big.
The company from Cupertino is said to release its iPad 5 this month. However, it is still unclear, whether this new device will feature the Touch ID fingerprint sensor or not.
Apple assures the bug will be fixed as soon as possible:
We are aware of an issue that affects a fraction of a percent of our iMessage users, and we will have a fix available in an upcoming software update. In the meantime, we encourage any users having problems to reference our troubleshooting documents or contact AppleCare to help resolve their issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes impacted users.
Looks like all those who have problems with iMessage have to wait for another iOS update. iOS 7.0.3, by the way, is expected to be released next week.
Adobe Photoshop Express for iOS has been updated recently with a bunch of new effects and some other features. So, if you use your iPhone or iPad to take, edit and share high-quality images, grab the opportunity and download the application right now.
According to the Korean website
As we know, the iPhone 5s is working on Apple A7 processor - the one manufactured by Samsung.
Despite the fact, that the company from Cupertino has signed a deal with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. earlier this year, it looks like nothing will seriously change. At least in 2014.
iTunes Festival is almost over - it will come to an end this Monday, September 30th with a performance from Katy Perry. Below you may see a short video that highlights the best performances, which took place in London over the past 30 days.
According to Tim Cook’s recent announcements, more than 20 million people applied for free tickets for iTunes Festival, moreover, Apple managed to stream the autumn’s largest music event to more than 100 countries.
Another app has been optimized for iOS 7. This time it’s Facebook, so if you’re an active social media user, read the rest of this article to find out what new features one can find in the application.


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Her Universe, a lifestyle brand that creates Disney-inspired clothing and merchandise, has just announced that they will be expanding their collection in a new partnership with Disney. The goal is to bring Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel merchandise to a larger group of consumers. The new line will include an “athleisure” line for kids and tweens called “Our Universe.”
In a statement, Disney said the deal between Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media and Her Universe will extend beyond the lines currently licensed which include Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars apparel, accessories, and home goods.
In the new “Our Universe” line, consumers can look forward to seeing activewear, swimwear, footwear, and accessories. These new pieces will be sold exclusively online and at Disney stores. “The first wave of the collection is inspired by Marvel Entertainment’s Black Panther and Disney Princess, with a Star Wars line coming soon for kids, tweens, and adults. Pieces include leggings, sweatpants, zip-up hoodies, and headbands.”
Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, referred to Ashley Eckstein, the creator of Her Universe, as a “trailblazer” and said:
“Her Universe has been at the forefront of creating stylish, fashion-forward, and authentic merchandise for fangirls, and Eckstein has been a force in creating a more inclusive environment for science fiction and fantasy fans and opening up opportunities for fangirls to express their fandom and individuality.”
Her Universe was founded in 2010 by Eckstein, who voiced Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.
Senior Editor for the DIS and DCL Fan | Disney Vacation Club Member | Thrilled to have been a '13/'14 Disney Parks Moms Panelist (now planDisney) | Lover of all things Disney; the Magic of Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disney Cruise Line | ºoº


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Synopsis: New updates on covid rules were presented by the government authority for the international travelers planning to visit Thailand. They are no longer to present their vaccination certification beginning from October 1.
New updates on covid rules were presented by the government authority for the international travelers planning to visit Thailand. They are no longer to present their vaccination certification beginning from October 1. New plans and policies are introduced to attract international tourists.
International visitors entering Thailand will no longer be needed to present evidence of immunization or the results of an ATK test beginning on October 1. This will boost tourism in Thailand and make it a favorite tourist spot for international travelers.
In addition, the Thailand Cabinet has authorized extending the term of stay for visitors from regions and nations eligible for visa exemption from 30 days to 45 days. Additionally, the 15-day window has been increased to 30 days for individuals who qualify for a Visa on Arrival (VOA). According to reports, this will likewise take effect on October 1, 2022.
The action was taken in response to the announcement made on September 30 by Thailand’s Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) that the national COVID-19 Emergency Decree had come to an end. Beginning on October 1, 2022, the monarchy will likewise downgrade COVID-19 from “a serious communicable illness” to “a communicable disease under monitoring.”
The CCSA will be automatically disbanded as a result of this pronouncement, and any statements, directives, and instructions made by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet in accordance with the decree would be nullified. Now tourists can freely travel to the best places in Thailand without any restrictions.
With the help of special initiatives like the Phuket Sandbox, Samui Plus, and 7+7 Extension programs, Thailand slowly began to reopen to foreign tourists in July 2021 after the epidemic. This was then followed by a four-phase reopening timetable from October 2021 to January 2022.


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3DS Games 2012
For a while there, it looked like 2011 would be a rough year for the Nintendo 3DS, but one big price drop later, the handheld has finally hit its stride, and the future has never looked brighter.
Sure, Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land will be a pretty hard act to top, but 2012 is already shaping up to be a phenomenal year for the handheld. In the last month alone, we've already gotten two fantastic titles in the form of Resident Evil Revelations and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, and things don't look to be slowing down one bit between now and December.
Should these games be every bit as successful as their predecessors on the original Nintendo DS, we can certainly hope—if not expect—to see even better games in the years to come as more developers flock over to the 3DS in the same way they did for the older generation handheld. We're betting Nintendo is counting on these games to be successful, so expect some major polish.
To help you round out your 3DS wishlist, we've put together a list of the ten upcoming releases that have our thumbs twitching with anticipation. Here's the skinny on the games that will help the 3DS shine in 2012.


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If you have been waiting for the two latest Archos G9 slates to hit the shelves so you can finally jump on Honeycomb bandwagon, we are afraid we have some bad news for you. The French manufacturer confirmed that only the Archos 80 G9 will be meeting its promised September release schedule for the Archos 80 G9, while the Archos 101 G9 has been delayed to October.
The TI OMAP4-based 8″ Archos 80 G9 and 0.1″ Archos 101 G9 prices will be starting at $299 and $399, respectively and they will both have HDD versions for those in need of high storage capacities.
The 8-incher will have three different versions – the cheapest of them ($299) will come with 1GHz dual-core CPU and 8GB of flash storage and it will actually be the only one on sale this month.
The other two versions of the Archos 80 G9 (16GB SSD, 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, $329 and 250GB HDD, 1.5GHz dual-core CPU, $369) will appear in October, along with the two version of the Archos 101 G9. Those are looking to be much better deals than the bare-bone version, so they are probably worth the wait, though.
The Archos 101 G9 wil come in either 16GB SSD or 250GB HDD flavor and will feature one of those sweet 1.5GHz dual-core CPUs. Priced at $399 (SSD) and $469 (HDD) it’s looking like a pretty hot deal. There’s no other Honeycomb tablet on the market to give you similar processing power and we doubt things will change in the next month.
Now let’s just hope that the will be no more delays.
Source | Via


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Get a fresh start.
Add this topic to your myFT Digest for news straight to your inbox
Late embrace of internet blamed as traditional chains report poor digital Christmas?
Company founder praises country days after regulator launches inquiry into its activities
After muscling out their competitors, the start-ups face a new fight for profitability
Silicon Valley investor leads $40m funding into ultrafast delivery company Getir
Online retailer has bet on celebrity collaborations but profitability is hurting
Merchants say China’s ecommerce giant pushes them off its Tmall platform if they use rival
Asia’s richest man set to shake up online shopping sector
Indian conglomerate’s JioMart venture will connect local shops to customers
Online purchases in the US almost three times more likely to be sent back
Ecommerce groups’ use of air freight to hit shorter deadlines fuels environmental concerns
Recommendation puts Dutch group within reach of merger target after a takeover battle
Andy Dunn exits as US retailer tries to turnround online operations
Regulator expresses concerns and says it will investigate if groups do not offer remedies
One-time unicorn quits Rwanda after Cameroon and Tanzania as US-listed shares fall 90% from high
Online retailer has struck series of deal with overseas groups including Kroger
Falling Black Friday footfall raises concerns for future of weaker chains
Black Friday visualised via Shopify.
Shares of FTSE 100 grocer jump on news of deal with supermarket group Aeon?
It seems that competing online platforms are eating the online seller’s share lunch
Deal will reunite online ticketing reseller with co-founder Eric Baker
The fashion boss on running a public company that aims to keep an entrepreneurial spirit
A new breed of start-ups battle for the country’s next 100m consumers
Hackers target distracted consumers and weak ecommerce defences
World’s biggest retailer strives to ‘move faster’ on its digital transformation strategy
Investor demand for the stock will ensure the Hong Kong listing succeeds


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A roundup of the top news for area small businesses. Check back Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the latest edition.
Economy: The state's jobless rate dropped below 9 percent, but economists remain wary.
Flooding: Local hardware and plumbing stores report a bump in water-logged customers.
Legislature: Oregon Democratic lawmakers release their plan to help struggling families and small businesses.
On the calendar: The leaders of Portland's Neighborhood Economic Development initiative meet at noon today at the Portland Development Commission's Old Town headquarters. And the Small Business Development Center is kicking off its federal contracting series with a free afternoon symposium.
Storefronts: This week's "New in Northeast" features vegan truffle maker Missionary Chocolates and its new digs on Northeast Glisan Street (video).
Startups: Nike alumni lead RYU into battle as the mixed martial arts apparel line aims for a mid-February launch. An Aloha pastry chef tries out for Season 5 of "Cupcake Wars." And the Tillamook Headlight Herald’s headline says it all: “He sells sea salt from the sea shore.”
Q&A: The Oregonian's Sally Ho interviews Sherwood Chamber of Commerce director Nancy Burton.
Anything missing? Leave your news below.


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By Lisa Johnston
New products on display at the American International Toy Fair, held in N
Fagor America, makers of premium major appliances and cookware, has redesigned www.fagoramerica.com with a new "green" focus that reflects the company's revamped corporate image.
According to Fagor, the new site aligns with the company's commitment to the environment, as reflected in its eco-friendly products. The site allows users to easily locate key product information, register products, view instructional videos, request literature and shop for accessories and replacement parts.
The site also features technical information including manuals, specifications and FAQs for consumers, architects, builders, and kitchen designers to reference. Professionals will be able to receive new product updates by registering for an e-newsletter, and resellers can readily download new product information, promotional offers, ad campaigns, and point of sale materials, Fagor said.
This TWICE webinar, hosted by senior editor Alan Wolf, will take a look at what may be the hottest CE products at retail that will be sold during the all-important fourth quarter. Top technologies, market strategies and industry trends will be discussed with industry analysts and executives.


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Take a break from all the bad news and dream about flying taxis.
Travel Startup Funding This Week
Each week we round up travel startups that have recently received or announced funding. Please email Travel Tech Reporter Justin Dawes at [email protected] if you have funding news.
This week, travel startups announced more than $240 million in funding.
Travel startups need help due to the economic impact of coronavirus. Seed-stage funding has been hit the most worldwide, dropping 22 percent since January, estimated CB Insights, a market intelligence company.
Growth-stage startups are also struggling. On March 17, Skift interviewed travel startup investors about their areas of concern, and investors mentioned short-term rental startups and corporate travel startups as yellow-flag categories.
This week, alternative accommodation brand Sonder laid off and furloughed about 400 people, or a third of its staff, The Information reported, while rival Lyric has also made deep cuts. Corporate-travel startup TripActions laid off nearly 300 employees to save cash.
Some help for travel startups may be on the way. This week, France became the first Western country to aid struggling startups. The French ministry of state for digital affairs and investment bank Bpifrance announced $4.3 billion (€4 billion) in refinancing help for startups needing bridge loans to maintain liquidity.
Meanwhile, the German government offered help to startups that have valuations of more than $54 million (€50 million).
Here’s this week’s funding news:
>>Lilium, a startup building an air taxi service, has raised $240 million in additional funding in what was nominally a Series C round.
Tencent led the round. Atomico, Freigeist, and LGT also participated. The Munich-based startup has now raised more than $340 million to date.
Lilium is creating so-called vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Each vehicle seats five and promises be able to fly 186 miles in an hour.
The startup hopes to open a full-scale factory by 2025. After that, it wants to run a branded fleet of air taxis.
Rivals to Lilium include Volocopter, a German firm which has raised $89.7 million (€88.1 million) in funding to date and which wants to launch its VoloCity air taxis commercially by 2023. Other companies working on similar products include Uber, Boeing, Airbus, NEC, and Toyota. Plus, Austria’s FACC is working to produce hundreds of passenger drones for Chinese partner EHang by the end of this year.
Skift Cheat Sheet:
We define a startup as a company formed to test and build a repeatable and scalable business model. Few companies meet that definition. The rare ones that do often attract venture capital. Their funding rounds come in waves.
Seed capital is money used to start a business, often led by angel investors and friends or family.
Series A financing is typically drawn from venture capitalists. The round aims to help a startup’s founders make sure that their product is something that customers truly want to buy.
Series B financing is mainly about venture capitalist firms helping a company grow faster. These fundraising rounds can assist in recruiting skilled workers and developing cost-effective marketing.
Series C financing is ordinarily about helping a company expand, such as through acquisitions. In addition to VCs, hedge funds, investment banks, and private equity firms often participate.
Series D, E and beyond These mainly mature businesses and the funding round may help a company prepare to go public or be acquired. A variety of types of private investors might participate.
Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch
Photo credit: Lilium's new vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft seats five and promises be able to fly 186 miles in an hour. The travel startup is building a flying taxi service, and it has raised $240 million in additional funding, led by Tencent. Lilium


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You can now mix on vinyl using virtual reality
The next frontier...?
DJ'ing may never be the same again as German virtual reality company EntroPi Games has just revealed the world's first DJ mixing application that accurately recreates a traditional vinyl DJ setup in virtual reality.
With help from professional DJs, Vinyl Reality has been created to provide an accurate and realistic simulation of DJ'ing with vinyl inside virtual reality with the help of two VR controllers and VR headset.
The software features two accurately modelled turntables, with realistic behaviour, and a two-channel mixer with EQs, PLF and gains.
The German software developer has even gone to the trouble of creating a record crate so users can sift through virtual records in between mixes.
For users who might want to broadcast their wares, the app also supports separate audio output for live streams or performances and the ability to record and export your mixes as .wav files.
In a recent interview with Billboard Magazine, Deadmau5 declared VR as the next big thing in the music industry and Vinyl Reality could be at the forefront of this revolution.
Vinyl Reality is available now via early access.
Head here for more info.


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AN afternoon of pampering, beauty and fun has managed to raise hundreds for charity.
The event was held at Orby Village Hall, last Saturday (May 19) from 2pm to 5pm, to help raise money for the charity, Breakthrough for Breast Cancer.
So far, £576 has been raised but organiser Angela Holmes hopes they can reach about £700.
“The whole day was fantastic and it was very well attended. I’m delighted with how much money we’ve managed to raise so far,” said Angela.
There were a number of stalls, selling crafts and luxurious beauty treatments and more selling chocolate and treats.
Stalls ranged from the Little Chocolatier from Louth, Sweet Fa selling handbags from Louth, Flutterbys who provided manicures, The Body Shop At Home, Heartofbuttons selling hand-made jewellery and many, many more on the day.
“There was over 100 people who attended throughout the day and it was a huge success. I would like to do another event for charity but not just yet,” added Angela.
Lots of prizes were provided by local businesses for the raffle which Angela is very grateful for, she added: “I would like to thank all the businesses who generously donated to the raffle with prizes. Also thanks go to everyone who took part and everyone who attended, it is very much appreciated,” said Angela.


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By Stephen McConnell, Business Services Partner
2020 has certainly been a challenging year for businesses not only here in Northern Ireland, but globally. Locally, city centre locations are of course struggling. Office workers are working from home and so vital footfall has drastically decreased. Stores in residential areas however are seeing their sales spike, with the most successful stores found in the middle of chimney pots. It’s this irregularity that means whatever type of store owner you are, there’s never been a more important time to ensure that you are working with trusted advisers. With more and more businesses choosing to outsource their financial requirements, such as accounting and payroll, the benefits of doing so are now clearer than ever. Retailers are offered the opportunity to save time, increase their profitability and reduce risk – and crucially, allow them time to focus on their business strategy with access to information in real time.
Looking beyond Covid-19, whenever that might be, and into 2021, we know already that Brexit will have a major impact on the variety of foods that will come in to Northern Ireland – and that could have an impact on sales. Major supermarkets have already said that new regulations will see a reduction in the amount of different types of products that will be available on shelves. Where once we might have had the choice of seven different brands of pasta, now we’ll have three or four.
We anticipate a similar picture in 2021 for convenience retailers as we predict that until a vaccine is rolled out across the country, customers will continue to shop locally in their own communities.
This article was first published in the Ulster Grocer, January 2021. To discuss any of the issues raised please contact Stephen McConnell, Business Services Partner Email email@example.com or Tel: 028 9032 3466.


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Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul has just tabled the federal budget for 2021, with the Perikatan Nasional government aiming to boost the economy with a larger allocation compared to 2020. Budget 2021 also comes at a time of economic uncertainty for Malaysia amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such, all eyes were peeled on Tengku Zafrul this afternoon. But did you notice what the minister was using while presenting the budget?
If you look carefully, Tengku Zafrul appeared to be using an iPad Pro. Obviously, we can’t confirm this detail, but from what we can tell, it turns out that our Finance Minister shares the widely-held view that the iPad Pro is one of, if not the best tablet you can find.
Based on the proportions, it also looks like this is the top-of-the-line 12.9″ iPad Pro, although it isn’t clear if this is the 2020 edition of the Pro or near-identical 2018 version. The key to this is the black/dark grey Apple Pencil mount on the edge of the purported iPad, something that is pretty distinctive to the Pro. It also looks like the left side (from Tengku Azrul’s POV) of the iPad Pro is slightly raised, which matches the camera bump on the iPad Pro.
It may not seen like a crucial detail—and it isn’t, compared to federal budget allocations—but it’s still significant that the Finance Minister is using an iPad Pro to table one of the nation’s most important documents. Due to the ongoing political situation in Malaysia coupled with the ongoing COVID-19 situation, Budget 2021 is also one of the more controversial federal budgets of recent times.
Information that Tengku Zafrul referred to was clearly confidential in nature, which is a testament to the iPad Pro’s security and privacy features. The iPad Pro comes with Face ID for biometric authentication, and this data is then encrypted and protected by the iPad’s Secure Enclave—as opposed to being backed up on a cloud-based server. There are also other safeguards like Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention to prevent personal data from being collected via websites.
It isn’t supposed to be an advert, of course, which is why we can’t say with 100 percent certainty that this is the iPad Pro 12.9″. But that’s our educated guess. Take a look yourself, and let us know if you agree—we’d love to hear from you. Meanwhile, for the full coverage on Budget 2021, click here.
[ IMAGE SOURCE ]


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Chandigarh, (Gurpreet) : Clix Capital Services Pvt Ltd (‘Clix Capital’) – one of India’s leading digital-lending NBFCs – announced that it aims to disburse INR 1000 crore in unsecured MSME loans to the underserved micro enterprises across India in line with the Company’s vision to simplify lending and enable financial inclusion. The offering is readily available to MSMEs in Delhi, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. Having recently relaunched its operations in Jaipur and Ahmedabad, the lender plans on scaling up its operations to five additional cities by the end of this financial year.
“Working capital financing remains a major challenge for MSMEs across India, especially after the pandemic broke out. While digitalisation and pandemic-linked tailwinds have helped digitize the supply and demand side of digital lending significantly, smaller businesses in India still lack a formal digital footprint. At Clix Capital, this is precisely the gap we have been working tirelessly to bridge. Whatever be the business requirements of our consumers, whether for business expansion or working capital, we have this covered. Our customers range from manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers and even service providers since we service the entire spectrum of MSMEs. We have been focusing all efforts on aiding MSMEs in India to emerge strongly from this pandemic,” said Rakesh Kaul, CEO – Clix Capital.


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The Pixel 4a unveiled this week will be available Aug. 20 after months of delay caused by supply problems triggered by the pandemic.
It will cost $349, a $50 discount from a cheap Pixel released last year. It’s also a major markdown from other higher-end models in the existing product line-up that start at $799. The next versions of Google’s top-of-the-line Pixel phones will be released sometime this fall, Google said, without revealing their price.
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Techlife News #458


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DALLAS–(BUSINESS MANAGER)– Cigniti Technologies, the world’s leading AI and IP-driven digital assurance and digital technology services company, today announced that it has partnered Lambda test – the leading continuous quality testing cloud platform that helps developers and testers deliver code faster. The partnership enables Cignit to leverage LambdaTest’s innovative HyperExecute platform, which provides customers with secure, scalable, and intuitive test orchestration at various points in their DevOps (CI/CD) lifecycle.
Through this collaboration, Cigniti and LambdaTest provide their customers with a smart test orchestration platform that helps customers run ultra-fast automation tests that enable faster time-to-market across industries and geographies.
Commenting on the strategic partnership, Cignit CEO Srikanth Chakkilam said, “As the world moves into the era of cloud orchestration and DevOps, the soon-to-be transformative software-based digital platform, customers across industries are constantly looking to deliver frictionless digital experiences at breakneck speed. . At Cignitis, we believe that our world-leading AI-driven digital assurance services expertise is strategically complemented by the highly acclaimed capabilities of the LambdaTest platform for cloud testing. This is a solid step towards our efforts to accelerate the digital transformation initiatives of global enterprises through IP and platform-led digital assurance capabilities.
Asad Khan, CEO of LambdaTest, said: “We are delighted to have Cigniti as a partner. We believe that joining forces with Cigniti will strengthen our mission of making life easier for testers and developers. As we continue to strengthen our HyperExecute platform and its ecosystem, adds Cignit’s continued market leadership and company’s deeper understanding of the digital QA and test automation market globally will add tremendous value to our journey ahead. Cignit’s world-class service delivery and innovation labs will add more value to our collective efforts to delight customers with superior solutions.
from Cigniti Technologies
Cigniti Technologies Limited (NSE: CIGNITITEC; BSE: 534758) is a world-leading AI and IP-led digital assurance and digital technology services company. 4,100+ Cignitians worldwide help Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies in 24 countries accelerate their digital transformation journey through the various stages of digital adoption and help them achieve market leadership by providing transformation services that leverage IP and platform-based innovation and experience across multiple verticals and industries. Our industry-leading digital assurance and AI-driven digital engineering services help global clients achieve measurable results, save millions of dollars and achieve significant ROI. We are headquartered in Hyderabad, India and have global presence in the US, Canada, UK, UAE, Australia, South Africa, Czech Republic and Singapore.
Visit for more information www.cigniti.com.
LambdaTest is a continuous quality testing cloud platform that helps developers and testers deliver code faster. More than 10,000 customers and over 2 million users in 130+ countries rely on LambdaTest for their testing needs. The LambdaTest platform provides customers with secure, scalable and comprehensive test orchestration at various points in their DevOps (CI/CD) lifecycle:-
- Cloud for browser and application testing enables users to run both manual and automated web and mobile application tests on 3,000+ different browsers, real-world devices and operating system environments.
- HyperExecute helps customers run and orchestrate ultra-fast test networks in the cloud for any platform and programming language to reduce quality test time, helping developers build software faster. Visit for more information


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The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) just released the results of a new study that examines if including mobile and desktop ads in a multi-platform campaign can improve brand impact.
The research, conducted by Research Now examines major brands’ live campaigns running across five verticals – Automotive, CPG, Retail, Finance, and Media – to reveal if mobile web, app, and desktop ads are effective in driving brand impact.
The research shows that whilst digital campaigns alone are effective for brand metrics, in combination with other media they become an even more valuable tool to drive new messages.
For example, the inclusion of mobile web advertising drove an automotive campaign’s brand familiarity by 19%.
For an improved mixture of campaign channels, IAB recommends at least one digital option such as mobile web, app or desktop and TV. Indeed, the same automotive campaign was found to drive up brand awareness by 211% when desktop ads were combined with mobile web and TV.
This also drove 47% of total campaign lift in purchase intent for a known food brand.
Anna Bager, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mobile and Video, IAB, explains:
“The findings from this study confirm to marketers the tremendous impact of the addition of digital to brand marketing campaigns. As interactive screens take an even more central role in our lives, they need to become a fixture in the media mix. Digital is crucial, if brands want to get the most out of any advertising investment.”
For maximum brand lift, advertisers are advised to combine their digital ad efforts with other media, reinforcing their messages online and offline.
Desktop, mobile and in-app campaigns are all effective in driving campaign messaging. As such, the current market presents an opportunity to optimise a campaign’s digital frequency.


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Students and retailers are in a confusing spot as back-to-school season approaches. Some states and schools are delaying class indefinitely, others are hoping to carry on as normal. People aren’t sure what to prepare for, or what to buy.
Only 10% of families surveyed by the National Retail Federation said they received a list of school supplies in early July. 40% expected to get one by the end of the month, and 30% expected a supplies list by the end of August. 54% of families don’t know what they’ll need for the impending school season.
Who’s buying binders?
With traditional class looking increasingly unlikely (and unsanitary), Staples is lowering prices and cutting inventory on items like binders, notebooks, and pencils. Product listings of binders on the office retailer’s website have dropped by 15% since the start of 2020. Meanwhile, discounts on binders continue to rise. Pencil inventory is down 18% since last year.
It might be too late to back-order those backpacks. Staples backpack inventory has grown by 33% since November
iPads are the new composition books
Best Buy is increasing its product listings for laptops, iPads, tablets, and monitors, hoping to cash in on virtual school practices. And with Zoom as the new classroom, the average price for webcams is on the rise.
Retail experts are divided on how all this uncertainty will affect family spending. The NRF predicts that parents with children in elementary school through high school will actually end up spending more on school supplies, an average $789.49 per family, compared to the previous record of $696.70. A laptop is an expensive school supply for your first grader.
The Wall Street Journal, on the other hand, estimates back-to-college spending to drop 37.8% from last year and elementary and high school spending to be at its lowest since 2015.
Pajamas are the new school uniforms
Kids and juniors clothing companies will certainly take a hit this fall. Retailers like American Eagle, Abercrombie, and The Children’s Place generate around 30% of revenue in Q3 (back-to-school season). Dillard’s has already reduced its children’s clothing inventory by 33% since this time last year.
How are retailers handling the heat?
In addition to its yearly back-to-college sales push, Bed Bath & Beyond is cutting prices on household goods. As WSJ points out, the chain has created a “one-stop college shop” near store entrances so shoppers can grab what they need and go without spending too much time in enclosed spaces.
Staples is doubling down on cleaning supplies and protective safety gear. J.C. Penney, which filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in May, is selling masks.
Big box retailers with a wide range of offerings are best positioned for this unusual back-to-school season, along with the rest of this year from hell.


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MasterCard Acquires Travelex's Prepaid Card Programme Management
MasterCard has purchased the prepaid Card Programme Management (CPM) operations of Travelex for £290m in cash, with an earn-out of up to an additional £35m if certain performance targets are met. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2011.
MasterCard is acquiring the Travelex operations that manage and deliver consumer and corporate prepaid travel cards to business partners around the world, including financial institutions, retailers, travel agents and foreign exchange (FX) bureaus. These operations also manage cross-border payroll, per-diem and expense-management prepaid cards for corporations. MasterCard has no plans to issue cards directly as a result of this transaction, but will provide programme management services for the Travelex Cash Passport prepaid card sold through Travelex stores and online channels.
“The acquisition of Travelex’s CPM operations underscores MasterCard’s commitment to the global prepaid business, which remains a key strategic focus for us,” said Ajay Banga, MasterCard president and chief executive officer (CEO). “This acquisition enables MasterCard to play a greater role in the prepaid value chain, allowing us to shape the future of prepaid, especially in high-growth markets and in the attractive cross-border payments space where we can displace cash and traveller’s cheques.”


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Ever since Avatar hit the theaters last year–its been clear that audiences would pay for 3-D. Hollywood has rushed films into production, and the consumer electronics industry has declared we are all to go out and buy 3-D TV’s just as soon as we can.
Well, at CES this year, the sweet smell of 3-D was everywhere. The marketing so pervasive, the screens so sexy, you could almost be forgiven if you forgot just how murky the path to 3-D in the home truly remains.
First, the good news. 3-D production, the recording of 3-D video, is quickly arriving on store shelves. Sony wowed the crowed with the HDR-TD10, a simple and tiny HD camcorder that records and plays back in 3-D. The price is $1499.99, and the Sony rep I spoke to said you’d see it in Best Buy in the spring–and I’d venture to guess that the it will be moderately priced. After all, Sony really wants to sell pricey flat screens–and a home camcorder is one way to get families to jump in to 3-D recording with both feet.
The problem is of course the dorky glasses. They’re expensive, uncomfortable, and just plain horrible. It’s hard to imagine most TV users having to keep track of both their remote and a pair of 3-D glasses. The style issues not withstanding, how do you deal with the fact that the flatscreen is in the living room, junior is playing a game or watching a 3-D movie, and other family members are reading, cooking, and glance over at a blurry mess? 3-D puts a wrench in the whole ‘communal viewing’ experience.
The expensive powered, “active-shutter” glasses that are incompatible from vendor to vendor. Sony glasses won’t work with Samsung’s 3-D TV’s. Now–we have passive 3-D glasses. They’re cheaper–$10 or $20. But the passive glasses result in half-resolution 3-D images Different glasses, different tech, and a very expensive entry point may keep buyers sitting on their hands for a bit.
And–just to further muddy the waters–Toshiba is touting “Glasses-Free 3-D TV”–and did a demonstration at CES of just such an innovation. But those that made it in to the inner sanctum of the demo described a 3-D experience that had a very narrow viewing range–and tended to make viewers nauseous. The 3-D is reported to be nowhere near as immersive or impressive as a screen that uses active shutter glasses. But Toshiba is going to release a high end glasses free model by the end of the year, sure to confuse already confused consumers.
So 3-D may not ready for prime time. Expensive, exclusionary, and stomach turning–hardly seems like a technology that is going to fly off the shelves. But early adopters will be there in droves, and unless holographic images show up soon–you can bet that folks will shell out for 3-D once the standards war over glasses and technology settles down a bit.


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A: China has taken note of the new export control regulations issued by the US against Huawei. China firmly opposes this.
The United States, using its national strength and under the pretext of the so-called national security, abusing export control and other measures to keep down and contain specific enterprises of other countries, is a violation of market principles and fair competition, a disregard for the basic rules of international trade and economic cooperation, and a serious threat to the security of the global industrial chain supply chain. This damages the interests of Chinese enterprises, American enterprises and other countries.
China urges the us to immediately stop its wrong practices and create conditions for normal trade and cooperation between enterprises. China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.


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SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Teens have significantly slowed their spending.
That was the consensus among many of the 200 apparel manufacturers and retailers who confabbed with Wall Street analysts Jan. 14-15 at the fifth annual Integrated Corporate Relations (ICR) XChange conference here.
A drop in mall traffic and few new fashion trends to serve the increasingly tightfisted consumer also were among the chief concerns. But it was the once-impervious teen factor that clearly worried many attendees.
Retail executives and those who track their shopping patterns have blamed much of the sales shortfall on lack of newness and duplication of merchandise within the mall. This has casted dark shadows on chains such as Wet Seal, Charlotte Russe and Rampage that also are being undercut by cheaper stores like Forever 21 and Reference stepping into grab-market share.
Anecdotally, it confirms reports by research firm NPDFashionworld that teens’ overall expenditures this past back-to-school season dropped 20 percent from 2001, and clothing purchases declined some 23 percent. While they might be more resilient to economic downturns than adults, they are not entirely immune.
Charlotte Russe’s chief financial officer Daniel Carter blamed the deterioration of mall traffic for the 4 to 5 percent drop in the junior chain’s average retail transaction during the third and fourth quarters, or the last half of 2002. Steep discounting caused by the collapse of the prairie and bohemian looks contributed to six straight months of negative comp-store sales, he said.
For the first three weeks of January, the San Diego-based company had been able to turn sales around to positive low-teen levels by upping inventory levels 28 percent over prior-year levels. "For spring, the look is short skirts, shorts and capris in bright, Pucci-inspired colors and white," said chief operating officer Mark Hoffman, anticipating that the new looks will mean new interest in shopping.
Fashion faux pas can cost companies dearly on Wall Street, as Wet Seal can attest. It will take the Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based retailer a year-and-a-half to recover from its fashion missteps of holding on to the peasant look too long. The chain’s comp-store sales plunged 9.6 percent in the third quarter and 19.4 percent in December, and "sharply" lowered its profit expectations in the fourth quarter, according to cfo Bill Langsdorf. "We didn’t have the right goods," he said, noting February and March will continue to be difficult. "The looks were just too old."Analysts on the conference floor said price continues to be one of the most important factors in the much-talked-about "value equation," or what it takes to get customers in a store’s door.
But executives at PacSun, Quiksilver and Hot Topic said they suffered little downturn as a result of not taking a crowbar to their prices during the holidays, an act that could’ve deteriorated the perceived value of the brands. "That’s why we’re probably on more of an even keel because brand diversity, not price, is the driver to our stores," said Greg Weaver, chairman and chief executive officer of Anaheim-based PacSun.
Hot Topic president and ceo Betsy McLaughlin, based in the City of Industry, Calif., echoed the sentiment, noting product — not sales — at the plus-size, 27-unit Torrid division propels "customers to drive 300 miles to come to a Torrid store."
"I think serving a niche almost helps kids focus on buying less and on what’s important to them," said Bob McKnight, chairman and ceo of Quiksilver, noting that the surf company’s business in fiscal 2002 grew at a record pace, up 13.8 percent in sales and 34.2 percent in net income. McKnight continues to believe Quiksilver’s sister label, Roxy, which accounts for 40 percent of the Huntington Beach-based company’s $650 million annual sales, is one of Quiksilver’s most important growth vehicles and has the potential to overtake the 33-year-old men’s brand one day. Asked whether the company benefited from surf as the flavor of the moment in fashion, he responded: "Our game never changes. When it’s over with, we’ll still be focused on surf style."
Retailers and analysts leaned forward in their chairs as a trend panel comprised of about 20 teens from Malibu High School backed up the niche retailers’ view on price. "I’d buy something high quality with trend longevity that costs more," said one young man, eliciting approving nods from the rest of the group. The young women voiced their preferences for retro styles, such as Seventies-inspired ponchos and low-waisted, wide-leg pants. They singled out Puma and Volcom among their favorite brands.
Showing Wall Street growth is a sure way to keep up investor interest, companies put forward their best pitches to analysts.Laura Weil, cfo of American Eagle Outfitters, said that despite its 700 stores in the U.S., Los Angeles, where 5 percent of the chain’s target customers live, is an underserved market that should be filled by yearend. There are a total of 55 new stores planned, between 20 and 30 in urban locations, and another 60 in renovations. "Our new store economics are very strong and our best chance for new cash," Weil said.
Bebe Stores chairman and ceo Manny Mashouf took a bold position, stating that the Los Angeles-based, 178-unit chain is going back to its roots: suits. "We want to create a new niche that has never been done on a national basis," he said. Meanwhile, BebeSport, the fledgling activewear concept the retailer is currently testing in a handful of locations, has the potential to be a 500-unit chain and will pick up Bebe’s younger customer, he said. Of the 25 to 30 new stores to bow in 2003, about one-third will be BebeSport.
Finally, Mossimo is ready to spread its wings globally. Because of the Santa Monica-based company’s exclusive deal with Target’s 1,100 stores in the U.S. and Zellers’ 300 stores in Canada, cfo Manny Marrero said several times during his presentation that the brand is searching for international growth opportunities. In what was perhaps an attempt to spread the word to potential overseas partners, he said: "The balance of the world is still available," but he stopped short of spelling out the company’s aspirations.
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
For men’s fall 2018, @giuseppezanotti drew on elements from streetwear, sport, biker, combat and rock ‘n’ roll. Pictured here are a pair of shoes from the collection, featuring zippers, rhinestones, and silver hardware. Head to WWD.com to see a roundup of the accessories from Milan’s men’s fall 2018 shows. #wwdfashion (📷: Andrea Delb)
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of @ralphlauren’s snowboarding collection, the brand is mining its archives. The iconic brand is reintroducing vintage styles and dropping new designs for a color capsule that will be available in Ralph Lauren stores and @openingceremony on January 25. The capsule will consist of 10 pieces, including the Snow Beach Pullover, pictured here, which is a collector’s item that rapper Raekwon wore in Wu-Tang Clan’s “Can It Be All So Simple” video. #wwdfashion (📷: Tom Gould)
For @rochasofficial’s pre-fall 2018 collection, creative director Alessandro Dell’Acqua channeled the sophisticated and intriguing Catherine Denevue in the film “Belle de Jour.” Polished collarless coats, midi skirts, suits and ’60s graphic motifs were all featured in the collection, adding a sense of discreet luxury. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion
“We tried to produce clothing of that couture quality, but the most daunting part was that we only had a matter of days [to do it],” said costume designer Lou Eyrich, who recreated Gianni Versace’s iconic looks for @americancrimestoryfx. Eyrich searched online retailers and vintage shops for original pieces from the design house and for @penelopecruzoficial, who plays Donatella Versace. Head to WWD.com to read how she created the Versace world. #wwdfashion
Only three months after her stellar debut catwalk season, @kaiagerber has inked her first big design collaboration –– with @karllagerfeld. The collection blends Lagerfeld’s Parisian chic aesthetic and the model’s signature West Coast casual style via RTW, accessories, footwear and more. The #KarlLagerfeldxKaia collection will launch in September with a series of events. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
Harrods plans to remove the famous statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed from the bottom of the Egyptian escalators and hand it back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. “We are very proud to have played our role in celebrating the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed at Harrods and to have welcomed people from around the world to visit the memorial for the past 20 years,” said Michael Ward, Harrods managing director. “With the announcement of the new official memorial statue to Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, we feel that the time is right to return this memorial to Mr. Al Fayed and for the public to be invited to pay their respects at the palace.” More on the news, with reporting by @loreleimarfil, at WWD.com. #wwdnews