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Italian supermarket chain Esselunga has reported €4.33 billion in sales in the first half of its financial year, up 6.7% year-on-year.
Growth was affected by COVID-19-related restrictions imposed on mobility between different municipalities, which also impacted its performance in the same period last year.
EBITDA saw a 9.9% growth, amounting to €427.1 million, and EBIT was up 5.6% to €241.8 million (+5.6%), positively affected by the closing of the five-year 'Fìdaty' loyalty programme.
Net profit amounted to €221.1 million, up 5.1% year-on-year thanks partly to €65 million in lower taxes, while capex reached €180.3 million.
According to the company, Esselunga remains at the top for price competitiveness, at 2.6% below the market average, while savings granted to customers amounted €791 million, up by more than €100 million compared to the first half of 2020.
During the first six months of 2021, Esselunga opened four new stores in Milan, Rome, Varese and Mantua, while another store re-opened in Varese following renovation.
Existing back-up credit facilities due August 2022 were closed and at the same time three revolving sustainability-linked facilities were signed for a total of €300 million with five-year tenure, linked to the goals set in the retailer's 2020-2025 Sustainability Plan.
These goals include the achievement of a 30% reduction of greenhouse emissions by 2025, and the donation of over €100 million in supplies for Italian schools in the 2018-2025 timeframe.
The board of directors of the company also appointed Gabriele Villa as general manager.
In July, the supermarket chain announced a pledge to use 100% guaranteed fair trade cocoa across its private-label range by 2025.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine


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Thu, 07 Jun 2012 08:44:00 EST
Jim Sharp of Elkhorn, Wisconsin needs a red 1967 Pontiac GTO to make his dad's Father's Day, possibly his last one, something extra special.
Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:31:00 EST
Back in the '60s, Jim's dad, Ken, drove a cherry red 1967 GTO to California for a job. He met a girl, got married and decided his wife's 1965 Ford Mustang was more fuel efficient than the Goat and the GTO was sold. As the story almost always goes, Ken has had seller's regret ever since.
Jim always meant to find a 1967 GTO and, with his dad's help, restore it. But life got in the way, time slipped by and Ken was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer and given about three months to live.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall for a number of General Motors cars and crossovers bought or currently registered in the hot-climate states of Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas. As many as 40,859 units consisting of the 2007 Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent and Saturn Ion and the 2007-2009 Chevrolet Cobalt (shown) and its Pontiac G5 twin are being recalled for potential fuel leaks.
Fri, 12 Sep 2014 00:01:00 EST
This recall is being issued due to potentially faulty fuel pump components that can crack and cause gasoline to leak from the return or supply ports and possibly cause a fire. NHTSA has not indicated how many fuel leaks or vehicle fires have been reported. As a fix, GM will replace the fuel pump modules on all affected vehicles free of charge. Since Pontiac and Saturn have been shuttered, owners will be able to go to another GM-brand dealership to have their vehicles repaired.
While the list of affected cars and crossovers varies by state and model year, if you own any of these models and live in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, Oklahoma or Texas, be sure to check the official notice below for more details.
Oprah kicked off her 19th season in dramatic fashion by giving all 276 members of the studio audience a free car.
Molly Vielweber's Pontiac G6 appears unremarkable at first glance. It wears forest green paint, rolls on five-spoke aluminum wheels, and it has a sizeable scrape in the driver's side door, the scar of a decade's worth of hard use. You wouldn't notice it parked at a big box store or cruising on the highway. Pontiac made hundreds of thousands of G6s in the 2000s, and a lot are still on the road. It's unremarkable in every way except for the front license plate, which reads, "Oprah 6."

domain: news


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LITTLE ROCK, AR – There’s a new television ad out from the Asa Hutchinson gubernatorial campaign.
The Republican nominee released the ad on Monday that stars his granddaughter.
The Hutchinson campaign says the new ad highlights the candidate’s plan to have all high schools across Arkansas offer computer science courses that include coding or software programming.
“This new ad is about creating opportunities for our kids. Students that learn computer coding learn to think logically and systematically about problems. The opportunities are almost endless for students that have these skills because the demand in the workplace is growing; and a boy or girl like my granddaughter Ella Beth can even use this knowledge to express their own ideas and create businesses. That’s how we can create jobs in Arkansas, by growing entrepreneurs with skills in demand across the country,” Hutchinson said in a statement included in a news release about the new ad.
“If only 20% of our high school students learn computer science, we will be graduating almost 6,000 students per year that can do computer programing. This has the potential of changing the economic future of Arkansas and creating thousands of high paying jobs,” Hutchinson’s statement continued.


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A NEW ‘member’ is on the road to joining Oldham Mountain Rescue Team thanks to the fundraising efforts of thousands of shoppers.
The Saddleworth-based organisation needs to replace one of its fleet of life-saving vehicles at a cost of £65,000.
So, a cheque for £10,000, raised by Co-op shops across Oldham, Rochdale and West Yorkshire is a welcome windfall for chairman Justin Parkinson and his team of volunteers at their Greenfield headquarters.
Stores involved in the year-long fund-raising campaign were: Moorside, Delph, Uppermill, Grotton, Rochdale, Norden, Rooley Moor, Castleton, Honley, Marsden, Blackley and Cathedral Road, Chadderton.
Darren Ramsden, manager at Marsden, was responsible for co-ordinating the campaign despite his own shop being on the doorstep of Holme Valley Mountain Rescue.
“At the start of 2019, as an area of Co-ops, we decided to raise money for charity,” explained Darren.
“Store managers came together to decide which ones we wanted to focus on.
“As you can imagine the popular cancer and children’s’ charities were mentioned.
“But we all saw the fires on the moors and the work these guys had put in.
“So, we all agreed monies raised would go to Mountain Rescue. After that we decided to go for £10,000.
For the next 12 months all stores organised fundraising events including raffles, sponsored walks and the sale of OMRT merchandiseDarren added: “It’s been phenomenal to give £10,000 to the team.
“We are aware Holme Valley Rescue Team is based in Marsden but our cluster of stores predominantly serve the Oldham and Rochdale areas.”
Regional manager Alex Cunningham added: “All the stores have done a fantastic job alongside all of the other community work they have done.”
Justin and his team welcomed managers to their base at Boarshurst Business Park saying: “This money is a huge help.
“It would usually take us many months, if not years, to raise this amount. The money will be so beneficial towards a new vehicle.
“The current control vehicle has served the team well but is now over 15 years old and a replacement is needed.
“The affection and warmth from the community has been incredible. The Co-op is at the heart of our community so their efforts have been really fitting.”


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Iveco has announced Scott Slater as its new general manager sales, replacing Geoff Buswell who has taken a new position within Iveco’s parent company the CNH Industrial Group Australia.
The new role will see Scott Slater assume sales responsibility for both Iveco’s national key accounts as well as dealers.
Prior to being appointed to the position, Slater spent 18 months as Iveco’snational key accounts manager and before that was general manager at Iveco’s Melbourne dealership, Melbourne Truck Centre. In total, he has been involved in commercial vehicle sales for more than18 years.
Scott Slater said he was looking forward to the challenges and opportunities the new role would bring.
“It’s an exciting time forIvecoin Australia, the product offering is the strongest it’s been in many years and this positions us well for future sales growth,” he said.
“The brand has performed strongly in the light market over the past 12-18 months and during this time has also set solid foundations for this momentum to continue across to the medium and heavy segments.
“Having the Ivecoheavy duty range with models such as the Stralis and ACCO being made locally, provides a real advantage for customers in terms of the flexibility and customisation levels we can provide them. I’ll be focusing on promoting these benefits to prospective IVECO customers in the months ahead,” he said.
IvecoAustralia business director, Bruce Healy thanked Geoff Buswell for his contribution to IVECO, and also said that Scott Slater was well credentialed to take on the new role.
“Geoff did a great job over the last three years in strengthening Iveco’s dealer network and played a pivotal role in introducing successful new initiatives such as Daily specialist Dealers to the network,” Bruce Healy said.
“Given Scott’s extensive heavy vehicle sales industry experience, both at the manufacturer level and in retail sales, he is very well suited to step-up into the new role. We look forward to him making a strong contribution.”


text: After taking another peek at the mulletgasmic commercial for the Ford Taurus we showed yesterday we realized it was missing something we've come to expect on all FoMoCo commercials as of late. To wit, where were the "Bold Moves?" Although the reduction in importance began with the pseudo-"Pepsi Challenge" ad campaign for the Ford Fusion. But even in those, there was a token B.M. placed at the end of the ad. But with this commercial, the ad slogan at the center of the most ambiguous motorized marketing messaging campaign in recent history (at least since "Hyundai. Yes, Hyundai.") appears to be quite noticeably missing. Wherefore have thou gone, sweet movement of boldness? Could it be Ford is no longer making "Bold Moves?" Maybe it's just that they're no longer happening every day in Dearborn. We're not sure, but we know one thing — if "Bold Moves" is gone, what's to take its place?


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As the new year comes up, many consumers may be focusing their efforts on eating healthier—and for some, part of eating healthier may mean eating more seafood. In fact, according to Technomic’s 2019 Center of the Plate: Seafood & Vegetarian Consumer Trend Report, 45% of consumers who say they are eating more seafood say they are doing so because they are trying to eat healthier and consider seafood options to be healthier. What’s more, nearly one-third (32%) of consumers said they expect to eat more seafood in the coming year. For grocers, the opportunity to capitalize on these shoppers’ desires toward seafood is big.
Technomic’s report found that a full 73% of consumers classify seafood as healthy or very healthy. To appeal to health-minded consumers, grocery stores should stock a variety of seafood, including all the incredible species coming from the icy, pristine waters of Alaska:
|King||Pollock||Crab- King, Snow, Dungeness|
To boost the appeal of seafood, retailers should use signage as well as train staff on how to educate shoppers on the quality of the seafood in stores. With sustainability top of mind for many consumers, it can be beneficial to highlight the origin of the seafood, especially since 46% of consumers said it was important to them to know which country the seafood they eat is from, according to Technomic’s report. Alaska has a long-standing commitment to maintaining a positive balance between the environment and its thriving fisheries—so much so that in 1959, when Alaska became a state and took over the management of its fisheries, the constitution mandated that fish be “utilized, developed and maintained on the sustained yield principle.” Additionally, the Technomic report found that 44% of consumers prefer to eat wild-caught seafood, so retailers should definitely make a point of calling out “wild” or “wild-caught” on packaging or in coolers where applicable.
By highlighting the inherent high quality of wild-caught, sustainable seafood from Alaska, consumers will be more likely to purchase over other options.
Boosting inspiration for meals
As shoppers dive into their healthy eating goals, it’s important for retailers to keep them interested in purchasing good-for-you items week after week. After all, no one wants to get into a recipe rut, cooking the same meals every day. To increase interest, retailers can consider hosting cooking demonstrations, emailing recipe cards in weekly newsletters or displaying unique ingredients near the fish counter to spur inspiration. For instance, retailers can set up a station near the salmon featuring teriyaki sauce, broccoli and brown rice, and put up signage suggesting a tasty stir-fry for a weeknight dinner, or display pasta, garlic and spinach near surimi seafood, suggesting a tasty pasta topped with spinach and surimi.
Seafood can be a great choice for shoppers looking to eat healthier in the new year. Fish is high in protein and relatively low in fat, making it perfect for those who are looking to eat a little leaner in 2020. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has recipes and merchandising materials to help retailers meet the needs of the ever-increasing health-minded consumer.
To learn more about how to best market and promote healthy and delicious seafood options in grocery stores and get support in doing so, visit alaskaseafood.org.
This post is sponsored by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute


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TOPEKA (KSNT) – Anyone who wants to drop the masks at Dillons stores and some Kwik Shops in Northeast Kansas needs one thing: a full vaccination.
Parent company Kroger announced Wednesday that it will drop mask requirements at its Kansas businesses for anyone who has been fully vaccinated beginning Thursday, May 20.
The only exception is in Lawrence where there is still a mask mandate, and so masks will stay on even for vaccinated visitors and employees. Kroger asked customers who aren’t vaccinated to keep wearing a mask as well.
Kroger also offered an incentive for its employees: any of their associates who get “recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine” can get a one-time payment of $100. Any employee who wants more info on Kroger’s initiative can click here.
Dillons is among some businesses selected in Kansas to help give COVID-19 vaccinations. Anyone who wants to schedule a vaccine appointment can click here.
Dillons joined Hy-Vee, another Kansas grocery chain, in dropping masks for vaccinated people.


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India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal presents a bouquet to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai before the start of their meeting in New Delhi, India, November 22, 2021. /Reuters
India and the U.S. on Monday agreed to look for ways to resolve differences on trade issues at the start of a two-day visit by U.S Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
Tai raised issues of market access restrictions, high tariffs, unpredictable regulations and restricted digital trade between the two countries.
"These are issues where we intent to make progress and they will be on the top of my list during the visit," Tai told Indian officials at a dinner hosted by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
"We have been uniquely tasked by our leaders, PM Modi and President Biden, to strengthen our economic ties and trade based on transparency and fairness," Goyal said at the dinner.
Both countries have agreed to revive their Trade Policy Forum, after a gap of four years, aiming to discuss ways to broaden trade relations.
The meeting follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington in September.
(With input from Reuters)
Copyright © 2020 CGTN. Beijing ICP prepared NO.16065310-3
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466


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Kiwi book publishers are struggling to regroup after seeing sales obliterated in April.
The Publishers Association of New Zealand/Te Rau o Tākupu (PANZ) says members are reporting zero or minimal sales for the month of the Level 4 lockdown.
The risk to the book industry is at its greatest since the Global Financial Crisis.
“Publishers, along with our authors, illustrators and booksellers, are caught up in a negative spiral,” says Julia Marshall, PANZ President.
Unlike in most countries, in New Zealand books were not classed as essential items during Level 4.
“Online sales of books made a massive difference to sustaining publishers in many markets, including Australia,” Marshall says.
“While New Zealand publishers have remained at work remotely, preparing books for 2020 and 2021, they couldn’t sell print books until Level 3 permitted online and click & collect sales.”
Despite some short-term rescheduling due to the lockdown, Marshall says that PANZ members are on track to produce many fine books this year.
Publishers have also stepped up to make content available digitally to schools and families, recognising the vital role of books in home-based learning and personal wellbeing.
Educational publishers entrusted design files for many textbooks to the Ministry of Education so it could print and despatch books to schools, ensuring students could go on studying.
Others have given free licence to libraries, booksellers and schools across the country to provide readings and content from New Zealand books during the lockdown period.
Now that it’s ok to shop for books, Marshall encouraged New Zealanders to support the Kiwi booksellers and authors who like all of us are facing major challenges with the Covid-19 epidemic .
“This is the year to buy New Zealand books, if you want to be sure our books are still around in the future.”
About the Publishers Association of New Zealand
PANZ represents educational, scholarly and trade publishers in New Zealand, from large international publishers to local independent presses. The book publishing industry produces over 2,000 New Zealand titles a year, contributing almost $400 million to GDP.
For any queries please contact:
Craig Gamble, Councillor
Email: firstname.lastname@example.org Tel: 021 402 977


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Provider of cannabis products and services, Valens GroWorks, has signed a letter of intent with Australian medicinal cannabis firm Medigrowth
Providing an initial three-year agreement term, the letter details plans for Valens to supply cannabis flower and oil products to Medigrowth for sale in the Australian market, as well as research and development initiatives.
Valens will also provide its expertise to Medigrowth in support of research collaborations with Australian universities and governments, the press release said.
“We are positioning Medigrowth for long term involvement in the industry as global leaders, and as such we are excited to secure a partnership with Valens”, said Medigrowth’s founder Adam Guskich.
Valens GroWorks’ CEO, Tyler Robson, said the move means the company is “strategically aligning itself with a company that shares in our commitment to innovation and premium product offerings to enhance patient care”.
The press release did not provide any financial details of the agreement.
Canada’s recreational cannabis market is set to boom, with nationwide legalization due on 17 October 2018.
Australia began legalizing medicinal cannabis across its states in 2017, with Victoria leading the way and other states quickly following suit. Recreational cannabis use remains illegal across all Australian territories.
The drug has a wide range of medicinal uses including management of pain, slowing of arthritic joint degeneration, reduction of nausea and vomiting symptoms in cancer patients, slowing of the degeneration of neural pathways caused by Alzheimer’s Disease, and more besides.


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Google Records First 10m Internet Users in Nigeria
Google has disclosed the geometric progressions in the number of internet users in Nigeria, as about 10milion visited the internet for the first time in 2014. Caesar Sengupta, vice president, Product Management at Google, made the disclosure during AndroidOne launch in Nigeria, adding that, globally, there are 3billion people connected online and the number is…
Towers Operators Spend N175m Daily to Power BTS
Telecommunications tower operators spend some N175 million every day on diesel which is used to power generators at their towers housing base transceiver stations (BTS) that make it possible for Nigerians to use GSM service to make and receive calls. Telecom towers house base stations that Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple…
Konga.com to Host Seller Summit for SMEs
Then get ready for the biggest Seller Summit specially organized for small and medium business owners in Nigeria. The theme for the event is The New Marketplace: Tapping into the Ecosystem. As an entrepreneur in Nigeria’s fast evolving trade environment, you must constantly adapt your business strategy and channels to ensure you stay relevant in…
ITU Announces Telecom World Entrepreneurship Awards
ITU has launched the ITU Telecom World Entrepreneurship Awards 2015, a new awards programme for the most innovative start-ups
Venture Garden Nigeria gets $20m Investment Fund from CPCIF
CONVERGENCE Partners has announced an investment of $20m by the Convergence Partners Communications Infrastructure Fund (CPCIF) for a strategic, minority stake in Venture Garden Nigeria (VGN), a diversified fintech company with significant operations in Nigeria.
Lagos Mulls Mobile App for Traffic Jams
LAGOS State government is to launch mobile apps on different operating systems as part of traffic management plans for the state, according to Adulahmed Mustapha, director general, Lagos State Financial Systems Management Bureau.
Software Practitioners Worry as Pirates Eat Ideas, Profits
LOCAL IT services are not improving in the country because of the high piracy rate. The local software companies have to compete with their pirated products and the pirated products of global competitors, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek has learnt.
Samsung, Tecno & Apple
Samsung, Tecno, and Apple were the leading smartphone vendors in Africa during the quarter, with Huawei being ousted from the top three. The three leading vendors accounted for a combined 55% share of Africa’s smartphone shipments in Q1 2015. Middle East and Africa (MEA) smartphone shipments are set to total 155 million units in 2015…
Insurers & Digital Consumers
Insurers who are able to innovate when it comes to the design and delivery of products and services will not only be fostering greater loyalty amongst their consumers, but they will also be helping to change the perception that the insurance industry is still playing catch up. “African insurers have a great opportunity to improve…
Dstv Eutelsat Star Awards
The 2015 edition of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards is now open. The Organisers are now calling all learners between the ages of 14 - 19 to write an essay or design a poster on how satellites have helped us to understand and take care of our planet. The DStv Eutelsat Star Awards is part…


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Tilt, Tap And Press In WarioWare Gold On Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo has announced that WarioWare Gold will release on Nintendo 3DS, seeing the frenetic WarioWare series hit the handheld for the first time and coming packed with 300 fast-paced microgames.
These can be controlled by pressing buttons, tilting the system, tapping the touchscreen, or using the microphone, and, with so many microgames, is the biggest entry that the series has ever seen. Also, for the first time, WarioWare Gold will have fully voiced characters.
WarioWare Gold will release exclusively for Nintendo 3DS on July 27th in Europe, and on August 3rd in North America.


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We have to say, f(x) fans have it pretty bad and can’t help but sympathize with them as it most definitely would be frustrating to see SM Entertainment remain silent and question as to whether there are any plans for the once popular girl group.
It’s been around three years since they were last active with all the members.
Just recently, it was the SM Entertainment girl group’s nine year debut anniversary. The hilarious part is that SM Entertainment released goods celebrating their anniversary. Fans responded by saying
“We want an album, not these goods.”
“Forget the goods, we want a comeback.”
It definitely didn’t seem like the most strategic move made by the agency. After all, how can you expect the fans to be thrilled about key chains and toy accessories when they’ve been screaming for a comeback since forever?


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Dataplor raises $2M to digitize small businesses in Latin America
There’s a gap forming in Latin America between the growing digital food delivery market and the number of businesses in the region that are actually online.
Food delivery startups continue to replicate and expand throughout the region, and VCs are channeling mega rounds into them with the hope of capitalizing on consumer online buying trends within growing digital populations.
VCs from all over the world have collectively invested billions into food delivery in the Latin American region. One of the largest rounds to date in Latin American startup history is Movile’s $400 million raise for Brazilian delivery business iFood. SoftBank recently confirmed a $1 billion investment into Colombia’s Rappi in March.
As big checks, new business models and consolidation mold a new on-demand landscape in Latin America, smaller players are coming in to supplement existing marketplaces like Rappi and iFood.
Dataplor founder and CEO Geoffrey Michener saw an opportunity to bring more vendors online. That’s why he invented Dataplor, a platform that indexes micro businesses in emerging markets. Now, Dataplor has raised a third round of seed capital, bringing the company’s total raised to $2 million. Quest Venture Partners led the company’s most recent funding, along with participation from


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China’s economy and financial system will be able to withstand the impact of the ever-escalating Sino-US trade friction, Guo Shuqing, chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) confidently predicted on May 28 during an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency and People’s Daily.
Press Release: Mysteel - First Chinese commodity business to receive IOSCO assurance for Financial Benchmarks Jan 24, 2019
Leading Chinese commodity market intelligence agency Mysteel has successfully completed an external assurance review of its iron ore price indices in relation to the IOSCO Principles for Financial Benchmarks.
Egypt cancels anti-dumping duties on clad, plated, and coated flat-rolled steel imports from China Oct 17, 2017
Egypt's Ministry of Trade & Industry (MTI) has decided to end anti-dumping investigations on clad, plated, and coated flat-rolled steel products from China and the European Union with no additional tax levy on future imports, according to news released by the Ministry of Commerce of China on Friday 13th October 2017.
Shandong Dingxin escapes Australian HDG duties Aug 23, 2017
In a review of anti-dumping and countervailing measures on zinc coated steel entering Australia, the Australian Anti-Dumping Commission has found that Shandong Dingxin Plate Technology should be set 0% dumping and subsidy margins respectively. The company is therefore exempt from duties.


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Global Aperture After three years of supply chain disruptions from the global pandemic, the Federal…
Flights out of Hong Kong International Airport Cancelled as Anti-Government Protesters Descend
Please be updated that Hong Kong CAD has just announced that as being affected by big lump of protesters crowding at HK international airport, the rest of flight schedules departing within Today (12 Aug) will be cancelled.
We have alerted job holders to try to reserve freighter schedules as much as we can, but ultimate arrangement and departure status, even for cargo freighter, will be subjected to conditions.Since airlines reservation staffs have already dismissed from their offices, further checking of flight status and re-arrangement will be processed soonest by tomorrow morning.
If you have any questions, please contact your local World Wide Customs Brokers representative.
Thank you, we appreciate your business.


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A controversial beer has been pulled from a British pub after some online critics branded both the beverage and its pump as "sexist".
The 'Beer Goggles' drink and its rotating clip featuring a haggard old woman on one side and a younger-looking woman on the other - caused a stir after an image was shared online.
West Sussex pub The Kings Arms was met with backlash over the pump clip after an image was shared on Twitter account WikiSussexPubs, with some people claiming it "belonged in the '70s", as reported by the West Sussex County Times.
In a statement, the bar said: "Our interests lie in selling good beer to all with cheer, as long as you're between 18 and 118 you're welcome. This pump clip or beer will not feature on our bar again!"
However, Elgoods Brewery the company behind the beer has spoken out to defend the label and name.
A spokesman said: "The pump clip and name is based on an old, traditional image (somewhat older than the 1970s!) and is meant to be, and is generally
accepted as, a little bit of fun."
Spanish police have seized 147 pounds of cocaine smuggled in hollowed-out pineapples.
The National Police has confirmed that the fruit was shipped from Costa Rica - via the Portuguese port of Setubal - and landed in Madrid, where the drugs were discovered.
Investigators have announced the arrest of seven suspects three in Madrid and four in Barcelona - in connection with the incident after the hidden cocaine was found at the MercaMardrid market.
According to a police statement, each individual pineapple was "perfectly hollowed out and stuffed with compact cylinders" containing cocaine. It was then coated with wax or yellow paraffin in order to mask the "odours of the chemical products which the drug contains and to avoid its detection".
A couple was left mortified when their three-year-old daughter posted their racy love letters to their neighbours.
The two long-distance partners who were kept apart when the gentleman was away at sea in the 1960s - turned to x-rated notes to keep the magic alive despite literally oceans between them.
However, just a few weeks later, the pair found out that their young daughter had decided to share the notes with their neighbours, and they were incredibly embarrassed.
The man who wanted to remain anonymous told the Mirror Online: "They (the letters) had been opened, my wife had read them and put them away, as she thought, safely, not the case. My daughter found them and went on her Postman Pat delivery. A neighbour returned some of them to my wife. "I think the neighbours read them because when I arrived home, I got some funny looks."
Heathrow Airport has encouraged travellers to capture their perfect 'Sound Escapes' as a way of remembering their holidays.
Europe's largest hub airport is inviting its passengers to share submissions of distinctive holiday sounds, which will be used in a collaboration between the airport and sound artist and composer Nick Ryan.
The award-winning musician said: "I am intrigued to hear which sounds holidaymakers bring back from their breaks and look forward to combining hundreds of these, from the thousands of people who jet away every, year into an immersive audio portrait of our Sound Escapes."
One of the lucky winners will also be entered into a prize draw to win PS500 in shopping vouchers to spend at the airport.


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Godrej has reduced the prices of its Protekt hand sanitisers and has joined peers HUL and ITC in the fight against coronavirus.
Godrej has reduced the prices of its Protekt sanitisers to one-third and has joined peers HUL and ITC in fight against coronavirus. “In public interest and in line with government regulations, we have reduced the price of our hand sanitisers by 66%. We are determined to help all Indians be safe and healthy, to tide over this pandemic together,” Nisaba Godrej, Executive Chairperson, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL), said in a statement on Tuesday. The company is also retailing its powder-to-liquid Mr Magic handwash for Rs 15. Earlier, HUL had reduced the prices of its handwash by 15% as coronavirus fears grip the country.
Godrej is also distributing free 10 lakh units of Mr Magic powder-to-liquid handwash in Maharashtra as the state has reported the highest number of coronavirus cases. The brand has partnered with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) for the same. “The packets will be distributed amongst municipal staff and various workers of the civic bodies for better hand hygiene as they serve citizens during this pandemic,” the FMCG company said.
The government also recently put a price cap on the handwashes as certain retailers allegedly were found to be selling the handwashes and hand sanitisers at exorbitant rates. Price 200 ml hand sanitiser bottle has been capped Rs 100 till 30 June 2020, consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in a tweet last week. The prices of other sizes of hand sanitiser bottles will also be in line with these prices. Hand sanitisers and masks have been declared “essential commodities” by the government.
Meanwhile, the coronavirus cases have been on a rise across the globe even as various measures have been put in place to curb the spread. In India, the total number of cases have climbed to over 500 and the country has reported at least ten deaths so far. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to address the nation today as the coronavirus scare continues.


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Motown registers growth, shrugs off excise rollback
The domestic passenger vehicle industry started the year on a positive note, registering a 3.17% growth in sales in January 2015, shrugging off withdrawal of excise concessions in December, which made vehicles expensive by at least 4%.
Domestic passenger car sales in January grew by 3.14% while utility vehicles and SUVs grew by 6.3% soothing the industry that in November was staring at a third consecutive annual dip in sales for 2014.
Trending CarsFind More Cars
"The 3% growth is not huge on face value, but after the withdrawal of excise concessions we thought sales might decline. To that extent it is positive for the industry," said Sugato Sen, deputy director general, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. "In the April-January period, sales have grown by 3.62% and we now expect it would stay in the region of 3-5% for the fiscal that ends on March 31."
Total two-wheeler sales also witnessed a growth of 1.07%, pulling the overall growth of the sector at 1.66%. Motorcycle sales, however, declined by 5.85%.


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Gwent was launched on PS4 last, but apparently the game is doing very well on the platform, according to a recent report from CD Projekt RED.
Um this is a card game....what am I missing?
Console war stuff.
Probably reading the article is what you're missing.
sales performance - maybe?
What does it matter what kind of game it is? They are simply saying that they are pleased with its commercial success on PS4. So what if its a card game? Would it make more sense for a company to say this if they were talking about an RPG? Or a shooter? No. Every company wants all of their games to do well, regardless of the genre. It really isn't difficult to understand and the article is pretty clear.
Pretty sure they mean "it's doing well", not "it's running well".
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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- UK wage growth increased to its highest level in a decade in the three months to October
- Pound dips to fresh 20-month low amid no-confidence vote rumours before slightly recovering
- European stocks rebound after turblent day of trade; FTSE up more than 2pc
- US stocks join rally with gains in industrial and technology sectors
- Interserve's rescue plan is a disaster for shareholders
- UK is in bargain basement and now is the time to buy
Market wrap: Pound tumbles as European markets rally
Stocks in Europe ended in a sea of green upon closing, with the FTSE 100 up 85.40 points, or 1.27pc to 6,806.94 while the FTSE 250 closed 160.95 points, or 0.92pc higher at 17,653.26.
In the eurozone the Paris CAC 40 was ahead 1.35pc to 4,806.20 and the Frankfurt DAX was 0.87pc up to 10,780.51.
As rumours circulated online about a possible no-confidence vote in Theresa May's leadership, the pound plummeted to a fresh 20-month low against the dollar.
It recovered slightly and it currently 0.29pc down against the dollar at $1.2523 and up 0.03pc against the euro at €1.1071.
More on the pound...
Neil Wilson of Markets.com said: “Sterling has slumped lower again, retreating to fresh 20-month lows on the 1.25 level against the dollar amid reports that Conservative MPs have sent the requisite 48 letters to trigger a vote of no confidence. Cable found support again on 1.250 and has pared losses but it’s being tested and as long as chaos reigns it seems likely it will go at some stage.
"The hardline Brexit ERG group is reported to have the required numbers – although this remains rumour at present and therefore we must treat the news with some degree of caution. Nevertheless this has a material impact for sterling positioning as it raises the stakes and political uncertainty.
"Meanwhile the SNP has piled pressure on Labour to call for a vote of no confidence – this may have prompted the ERG members to take control of the attack on May rather than handing the impetus to Labour."
Pound drops amid no-confidence rumours
The pound has fallen sharply amid reports that MPs may have enough letters to trigger a no-confidence vote in Theresa May's leadership, although numbers have not been confirmed.
It is trading 0.39pc down against the pound at $1.2514 to a fresh 20-month low, and 0.07pc lower against the euro.
"I detect in the last 24hrs people have decided this isn't going to work out...and people who wouldn't have put letters in are openly saying my letter is going in."— Daniel Hewitt (@DanielHewittITV) December 11, 2018
Iain Duncan Smith senses a "mood shift" against Theresa May, though he's yet to submit a letter of no confidence. pic.twitter.com/HqBVJBSC5W
Markets booming on US-China trade hopes
David Madden of CMC Markets said: "Markets are booming today as traders hold on to some hope that China and the US will strike a deal in relation to trade. There has been much detail around it, but it was confirmed that delegates from both sides are still in discussions.
"Perhaps, it’s a sign that traders are desperate to cling on to any belief that an agreement can be reached. Mining companies like BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, and Glencore are all helping the FTSE 100 today."
Possibility of no-confidence vote?
There are a lot of tweets online about a possible vote of no-confidence, there is no confirmation on the numbers yet though...
Confidence vote watch. I know it’s a dangerous game to play and Sir Graham is keeper of the list. But my ERG sources pretty confident now that 48 trigger been breached. Of course Sir Graham won’t announce while PM out of country - and we’ve been here before. But mood hardening— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) December 11, 2018
Theresa May has lost all authority. We are fully prepared to bring a no confidence motion for the purpose of defeating the Government and forcing a General Election.— Ian Lavery MP (@IanLaveryMP) December 11, 2018
But we aren’t going to table one for the purpose of it being defeated, strengthening May and uniting Tories. 3/3
And although it might be changing fast, was told pretty reliably an hour ago the level hadn’t been reached yet to trigger a vote— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) December 11, 2018
Anglo American coy on dividends as it eyes growth
Anglo American will resist pressure to put up dividends while it focuses on making its mines around the world work harder, its bosses have insisted.
The FTSE 100 miner will stick to a payout ratio of 40pc of its earnings despite expectation from some analysts that it may follow its peers in showering shareholders with cash.
Stephen Pearce, chief financial officer, deflected calls for more generous payouts, saying that while it would “always consider” its capital allocation, it had devised its current policy with “a forward view”.
“It’s great we’re in a position to have choices,” he said. “The business is in a better place.” Higher dividends is ”something that always has to be discussed”, he added.
US markets open higher
Wall Street has followed Europe's lead as stocks are up on opening.
The Dow Jones industrial average is ahead by 1.19pc to 24,715.05 while the S&P 500 is trading 1.27pc higher at 2,671.22
The Nasdaq has increased 1.40pc to 7,119.00.
Industrial and technology stocks are leading the winners on the hopes that China may cut US car tariffs.
Online shopping minnow MySale loses half its value after profit warning
MySale, the Australian online retailer backed by retail tycoons Mike Ashley and Phillip Green, lost half its market value as the fashion seller issued a profit warning amid “challenging” market conditions.
Carl Jackson, chief executive, said he was “very disappointed” with the performance after the company said that revenue and profit for the year to June 2019, would be “significantly” below market expectations
The Aim-listed retailer also said that it swung into a loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in the first half of the year, though it expected an improvement in the second half.
Shares in the company fell more than 50pc to 16p in afternoon trading. Its market cap fell to £25m.
Marks & Spencer adds former Sainsbury's boss Justin King to the board
Justin King, the former Sainsbury's boss, is to return to Marks & Spencer as a non-executive director as the struggling retailer beefs up its board.
Mr King was credited with reviving Sainsbury's during his decade-long rein at the supermarket between 2004 and 2014 by turning it from a retailer that struggled with empty shelves to spearheading its lucrative push into the convenience market, notching up nine years of sales increases.
He previously ran Marks & Spencer's food division and set up its Simply Food chains, which until recently had remained the biggest growth driver for the retailer.
Mr King has been described as the "love child" of Archie Norman and Allan Leighton after being part of the leadership team at Asda that turned the supermarket around in the 1990s before its sale to Walmart.
Trump tweets ahead of Wall Street opening
US stocks will open in just under half an hour's time. President Trump has tweeted an update on apparent progress China...
'Don't panic' says Ashtead boss as plant hire company defies slowdown concerns
Ashtead’s chief executive has dismissed worries about the economy’s health, issuing a firm “don’t panic” message as the tool and plant hire company posted surging revenues and profits.
Geoff Drabble, who has led the FTSE 100 business for 13 years, said that fears of a downturn in the construction sector were overdone and driven by “academic” concerns.
Speaking as Ashtead reported revenues up 19pc at £2.25bn in the six months to the end of October, with pre-tax profits rising 25pc to £610m, the chief executive played down worries that have hit the company’s shares recently.
Employers need to compete harder to attract workers
Businesses want to take on more workers but are struggling to find the staff. A total of 848,000 vacancies are available, down by just 1,000 from the record high in the three months to October.
It indicates employers need to compete harder to attract and retain the workers they need and so is a key factor behind rising wages.
'More people are being tempted back into the workforce'
Pawel Adrjan, UK economist at the global job site Indeed, said: “While wages are inching up, the rising cost of living means real progress is glacial. The average Briton’s weekly paypacket is now just £4.50 bigger than it was last Christmas – barely the cost of a mulled wine.
“Nevertheless this is the best jobs report we’ve seen in a while. More people are being tempted back into the workforce, and this will come as an early Christmas present for companies struggling to recruit.
“UK employers still have 848,000 vacancies, and the ratio of unemployed people per vacancy remains at a record low.
“As a result many employers have had to increase wages in order to poach recruits from elsewhere, or broaden their search to tap into underused talent pools."
More employment data
The number of people in employment in the UK rose by 396,000 to 32.48m compared to the previous year.
It was 79,000 more than for May to July.
The number of unemployed people dropped by 49,000 to 1.38m in three months to October, compared to last year. However, when compared to the May to July period, there were 20,000 more unemployed people, up from 1.36m.
Stock market update
Stocks in Europe are still in the green by late morning trade, with the FTSE 100 trading 1.06pc higher at 6,792.75.
The FTSE 250 is 0.65pc up at 17,605.20.
Carpetright is leading the winners, ahead 7.65pc at 17.60p despite widening its losses. WPP is also among the leaders, after announcing its plan to cut jobs, up 6.09pc to 854.0p.
Superdry is the top FTSE faller so far today, falling 8.25pc to 567.5p after co-founder Julian Dunkerton slammed management for 'halting innovation'.
Wage growth accelerates and employment highest since 1971
UK wage growth increased to 3.3pc in the three months to October, its highest level in a decade, compared to 3.2pc in the three months to September, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Employment was also at its highest since 1971...
Markets hate uncertainty
Russ Mould of AJ Bell said: "UK markets have started to bounce back after yesterday’s Brexit calamity. The FTSE 250, which is considered the benchmark index for UK-focused companies, has nudged up 0.2pc to 17,526 although that still leaves it trading well below the 21,324 year-to-date high.
“The FTSE 100 achieved a stronger lift, advancing 0.7pc to 6,766 off the back of gains in the mining and oil sectors, plus support from utilities and consumer goods stocks.
“Markets hate uncertainty and the even bigger question marks over how Brexit will now play out should theoretically have kept weighing on the market until Prime Minister Theresa May updated on her renewed talks with the EU.
“The fact that markets are actually moving forward shows that investors are perhaps scouting around for bargains amid this year’s turmoil rather than sitting on their hands in fear.”
December sales could reach £10bn says Kantar
Kantar Worldpanel says it expects Christmas spending "to break records" helped by an extra trading day, adding that December sales could reach £10bn.
"The last time Christmas Day fell on a Tuesday was in 2012 and the Saturday before was the busiest shopping day of the year," Kantar said. "We expect the same trend to hold true this year, with Saturday 22 December pulling in the last-minute Christmas crowds."
Philipp Gutzwiller, head of retail for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “While any top line growth is encouraging, it may have come at a high cost as we have seen some heavy discounting to lure shoppers into stores. Between a weak pound, preparations for a hard Brexit and increasingly price-savvy consumers, higher sales may not necessarily translate into higher profits.
“The real focus now switches to the final two weeks before December 24, as all the supermarkets jockey to be Christmas number one. Which grocers enjoy a bright end to a difficult 2018 will set the agenda for who fares best as they enter 2019.”
Grocery market growth cools in the run up to Christmas
Despite retailers and shoppers getting into the festive spirit, the latest grocery market share figures from Kantar Worldpanel show the sector is growing at a rate of 2pc, its slowest rate since March 2017.
Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons all lost market share in the 12 weeks to December 2 while Asda was the only 'Big Four' supermarket chain to hold its position at 15pc.
Sales at Tesco and Sainsbury’s fell 0.1pc and 0.2pc respectively, with Tesco’s market share standing at 27.6pc compared to 28.2pc this time last year, while Sainsbury’s dropped from 16.4pc to 16pc.
Morrisons edged lower from 10.6pc to 10.5pc.
German retailers Aldi and Lidl performed well with double-digit growth over the last 12 weeks. Aldi saw its market share rise by 0.7 percentage points to 7.6pc while Lidl’s market share also jumped 0.5 percentage points to 5.6pc.
WPP wields the axe on jobs in plan to grow 'simpler'
WPP plans to spend £300m over the next three years and cut 2,500 jobs in a bid to return to growth by reducing the number of agencies it runs and simplifying its structure.
The world's biggest ad agency, owner of the JWT and Ogilvy brands, has lost 40pc of its value in the last year and been forced to cut its sales and profit forecasts after it lost some major clients and others cut their spending.
In a sweeping strategy update, new boss Mark Read said WPP's clients wanted a "simpler, improved offer" and a "radical evolution" with more emphasis on data and technology.
WPP will cut 3,500 jobs and hire 1,000 in creative roles, mainly in New York, leaving a net loss of 2,500 staff. It has 134,000 employees globally.
Pound nudges higher
The pound is up against the dollar and the euro this morning but still remains near its 20-month low after Theresa May deepened Brexit uncertainty with her statement in the House of Commons yesterday.
The announcement that she would delay the vote on her Brexit deal, which was scheduled for this evening, spooked the market and sent the pound plummeting below $1.25.
It is currently trading 0.45pc higher against the dollar at $1.2619 and 0.17pc up against the euro at €1.1085.
Carpetright losses widen sharply as it closes stores
Carpetright’s losses have widened dramatically as the embattled retailer closes stores as a part of a major restructuring programme.
Pre-tax losses grew to £11.7m in the 26 weeks to Oct 30 compared losses of £600,000 in same period the year before.
Revenue fell 15.7pc to £191m as it shut 65 underperforming stores in the UK and two in Europe. A further nine are expected to close in the second half of the year.
Earlier this year Carpetright agreed a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), which allows firms to shut loss-making stores and secure deep discounts on rents. It plans to close around 90 of its 545 stores, putting 300 jobs at risk.
European stock recover at the open
The FTSE 100 is ahead 0.63pc at 6,763.71 and the FTSE 250 is 0.37pc up at 17,556.67 after Theresa May's key Brexit vote was postponed yesterday and shook the markets.
In the eurozone the Paris CAC 40 is 0.68pc higher, trading at 4,774.58 while the Frankfurt DAX has risen 0.83pc to 10,709.84.
Asian stocks mixed
Stocks in Asian were mixed on closing as investors remain uncertain about China-US trade tensions and Brexit.
The arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, is still weighing on markets.
She is facing extradition to America to face charges of violating US sanctions against Iran.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed 0.34pc down at 21,148.02 while the Hang Seng was 0.07pc up at 25,769.69.
The Shanghai Composite was 0.37pc higher at 2,594.09.
Trading Statements: Ashtead Group, Carpetright
Economics: UK unemployment statistics


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Epson ‘updates’ R-D1 digital rangefinder camera
February 27, 2009
Epson has updated its R-D1 digital rangefinder, a camera it discontinued two years ago.
The R-D1xG has been launched onto the Japanese market and is said to include a 2.5in LCD screen and ‘removable handgrip’.
The 6MP model is understood to shoot in raw and JPEG format and is compatible with Leica M lenses.
The story was reported on the Wired website earlier today.


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Pearhead of New York is recalling about 6,200 Ubbi Connecting Bath Toys.
The toys can break and create a sharp point, posing laceration and choking hazards to young children.
The firm has received two reports of broken bath toys. No injuries have been reported.
This recall involves Ubbi Connecting Bath Toys.
The toys are plastic with a big circle in the middle with an engraved smiley face attached to six smaller circles, and can be connected to one another.
They were sold in a set of six pieces in red, orange, yellow, navy, blue, and green colors.
They were also sold in an Ubbi Bath Toy Gift Set, which includes four sets of bath toys, including the Ubbi Connecting Bath Toy.
The toys, manufactured in China, were sold at buy buy BABY, Nordstrom, Bump Box and other specialty stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and ubbiworld.com from January 2019, through August 2019, for about $8 for Ubbi Connecting Bath Toys and $40 for the Ubbi Bath Toy Gift Set.
What to do
Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from children and return them to Pearhead for a full refund and a free replacement Ubbi Squeeze Bath Toy. Pearhead is contacting all known purchasers directly.
Consumers may contact Pearhead collect at (718) 422-0592 from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET) Monday through Friday, by email email@example.com or online at www.ubbiworld.com and click on “Product Recall” at the bottom of the page for more details.


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The internet is flooded with leaks about the Samsung Galaxy S10 right now. A total of three devices, the Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus and S10 E are expected to launch later this month. Amidst the hustle and bustle about the leaks has appeared another big thing, an S10 Limited Edition device.
First spotted by XDA Developers, an early pre-order page went live on the Samsung Philippines website, showcasing four smartphones, three of which are already known to us. The fourth one, listed as “Option A”, is being referred to as the Limited Edition S10 device around the internet. The S10 Limited Edition is expected to sport the same dimensions as the S10 Plus but with feature upgrades including a whopping 12 GB of Ram and 1 TB of eUFS Storage.
The listing reveals that the “Option A” aka S10 Limited Edition will be available starting March 15. Some rumours are suggesting that apart from the overkill Ram and Storage, the Limited Edition S10 will also come with design changes including a ceramic back. The smartphone might also turn out to be one of the very first devices to support 5G capabilities.
For rest of the S10 siblings listed a options ‘B’,’C’ and ‘D’, we did not find any launch dates or prices listed officially, although the leaks have revealed that the prices will be $750, $900 and $1000 for the S10 E, S10 and S10 Plus respectively. The Limited Edition S10 device could come with a very high price tag, $1200 or even higher.


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Binance Asia Services, the Singapore business division of crypto exchange Binance, acquired an 18% stake in HG Exchange (HGX), a trading platform where shares in private companies and tokenized assets are bought and sold. HGX was founded by Singapore-headquartered financial institutions, including PhillipCapital, PrimePartners, and Fundnel.
The investment took place six months after HGX received a Recognized Market Operator (RMO) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), which enables the firm to issue and trade both digital and non-digital capital market products, including security tokens for alternative assets like wine, art, and real estate.
“Crypto and traditional financial offerings continue to converge. Through this investment, we seek to work with HGX in enhancing offerings of products and services supported by blockchain technology,” said Richard Teng, CEO of Binance Singapore, an affiliate of Binance Asia Services.
The minority stake will give Binance Asia access to a regulated exchange platform, while its crypto exchange license application remains under review by the MAS. The firm is currently exempt from operating with a license under Singapore’s Payment Services Act (PSA), meaning its Singapore-based business division is not licensed under PSA but can continue to provide services.
As of July 26, MAS has received more than 480 applications under the Payment Services Act. Among the batch, 35% of the applicants plan to offer digital payment token services that would enable them to operate crypto exchanges, according to information from the MAS.
So far, the central bank has granted approval to crypto payment firm TripleA; DBS Vickers (DBSV), the brokerage arm of DBS Bank; Independent Reserve, an Australian crypto exchange; as well as local fintech startup Fomo Pay.


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Congratulations are in order for the winners of the 2017 James Beard Awards. Chosen from more than 20,000 entries, the best new U.S. restaurants, opened in the last calendar year, were selected based on their food (naturally) but also the expectation that they will make a significant impact on food culture in the future. And while five stellar restaurants made the cut as finalists, only Le Coucou emerged as the best new restaurant in the country.
More than 600 judges, from food editors and restaurant critics to past winners, whittled down the entries to five finalists and then ultimately came to a consensus on the winner. The award for best new restaurant—along with best chefs (take a bow, Michael Solomonov), outstanding bar program (Arnaud's French 75, New Orleans), and rising star chef of the year )(another NoLA fave)—was announced at the James Beard Foundation’s annual awards ceremony on Monday in Chicago.
The nominees were:
- In Situ, San Francisco
- Le Coucou, New York City
- Olmsted, Brooklyn
- Pineapple and Pearls, Washington, D.C.
- Tartine Manufactory, San Francisco
Named one of the best restaurants in New York City by Traveler, Le Coucou has already made a name for itself in the city, with some waiting weeks to try the deconstructed lobster salad that comes with a sidecar of sauce Lauris for dipping and the veal terrine served with pickled milkweed pods (rather than the traditional cornichons). While the Soho hotspot's decor has already caught eye of many a 'grammer, the cocktails by beverage director Aaron Thorp are, according to senior editor Paul Brady, "like none we’ve seen." So, if you can't make it to dinner service—or even breakfast—head for the bar and order one of the numerically named concoctions, like the #6, which blends cream sherry, rum, Salers, and lime.
Read on for the full list of 2017 James Beard award winners.


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Point to the food and discover its nutrition and how to dispose of the packaging… or visit the supermarket where the veg is actually growing – it doesn’t get fresher. From vertical farming to motion-sensitive displays, supermarkets across Europe are embracing new technology that caters to food-savvy, eco-aware consumers.
Why marine conservation and environmental packaging are set to change the way you sell in 2018, according to a new report from Mintel
Losses are estimated at Rand 800m in six provinces of the Western Cape where Avian flu has already caused egg prices to soar and two million chickens have been culled. There could be job losses too warn industry chiefs. Other parts of south Africa have been hit as migratory birds spread the killer disease, including Johannesburg Zoo.
South Africa’s agricultural sector leads the country out of recession – it expanded 33.6 per cent year on year thanks to the end of the three-year drought which caused a fall in crop production.


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Apple launched their watch at WWDC and we have seen a lot of variants and colors and Apple has classified them into three different parts but the price were not mentioned that day and Apple hinted that the price will start from $350. Now according to latest reports Apple Stainless version will cost $400.
Now lot of rumors are going on regarding the price. Earlier we have reported that the cost of Apple’s Gold variant will be $1000 but new reports suggest that it will cost $4000 to $5000. Apple Watch has already impressed a lot of people but we are not sure about the launch date and the final price tag. Rumors suggest that Apple will launch it on valentine’s day while Apple’s new video reveals that the Watch will be launch in Spring next year.
Gadget Updates: Samsung Galaxy S6 Specs leaked
Apple hadn’t provided the info that whether they will launch the Watch in India or not. However if Apple launches it in the country then they will face tough competition from other competitors.


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A previous employee of Sotto Pizzeria in Valletta left a sour review of the restaurant on Tripadvisor and it took no time, and no shame, for the restaurant owner Fausto to recover from it triumphantly.
In the post, Vittorio – the Sotto pizzeria alleged ex-employee who’s likely reviewing his life choices right now – complains about finding a hair in his ‘sour’ pizza.
In a clap back that tops all shady clap backs of 2018, Fausto immediately points out that 1) Vittorio only worked with Sotto Pizzeria for two days, 2) that Vittorio ate all the food, including four pizzas and six tiramisus, and 3) that Vittorio hit on Fausto’s daughter.
After we got over just how much Vittorio can eat in 48 hours, we had a look at Tripadvisor’s website to find Vittorio’s review. Despite a Facebook and Google search, we couldn’t find out who Vittorio is to be able to reach out to him for a comment.
Fausto had to wait for Tripadvisor to authenticate his reply, but in the meantime shared a screenshot of it to Sotto Pizzeria’s Facebook page, wittingly commenting that “If you also want hairy pizza with sour sauce at exorbitant prices come visit us! Only at Sotto Pizzeria Pelosa” (in English this kind of translates to Sotto Hairy Pizzeria).
The Times of Malta wrote up on this story, and most Facebook users commenting on the post showed love towards Fausto as they applauded him for his amazing pizzas and his amazing shade.


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App offers instant and easy small payment gift requests. Gain instant and exclusive access to over 5,000 of the most creative ideas, innovations and startups on our database and use our smart filters to take you direct to those that are most relevant to your industry and your needs.
Not interested? You can still browse articles published in the last 30 days from our homepage and receive your daily and weekly fix of entrepreneurial ideas through our free newsletters. Visa shifts focus from Usain Bolt to old man with new Flow Faster ad. While the overall message is similar to last year's Olympic-led campaign starring Usain Bolt, which was the first to feature the 'Flow Faster' message, Visa's new ad stars an old man racing to the birth of his grandchild.
Colin Clarke, senior vice-president of brand management at Visa Europe, said: "The idea of 'Flow' is really just to say that Visa’s role for consumers is to allow them to buy what they want without any hassle and without having to stop what they’re doing. "Last year, there was a bit more emphasis on speed, partly due to the connection with Usain and the Olympics, and while the overall message this year is the same, tonally we're trying to do that with a different energy. "We have a very democratic way of doing what we’re doing – we don’t discriminate against anybody.
Equally, it's not us forcing [these new products] on people – we're still happy to show chip-and-pin payments alongside these new technologies, which are there for everyone to use. " Lemon Way WebApp. Square Wallet. The mobile payments app for iPhone & Android. Starbucks Sells Square Readers For $10. Starbucks is selling Square's mobile card readers for $10 in the coffee retail giant's 7,000 locations nationwide, extending the companies' budding partnership.
The readers let users accept credit and debit card payments from individuals and are free after rebate. "We have a lot of small business owners who do business in our stores. So we wanted to offer them the reader for their business needs. And it just seemed like a good natural next step in our relationship with Square," a Starbucks spokesperson told Adweek. Indeed, the development comes just two months after Starbucks implemented the tech startup's mobile app-based payment system dubbed Square Wallet in its stores around the country. In addition to Starbucks, Square Wallet can be utilized by consumers at Walmart, Apple, Target, Walgreens, FedEx Office, AT&T, Best Buy, Staples and RadioShack. Black Friday: PayPal Sees Mobile Payments Jump 193 Percent; eBay Up 153 Percent.
Black Friday numbers are strong across the board, according to initial reports coming in today from retailers and payments companies.
As IBM reported earlier today, total online sales saw a surge of 20.7 percent in spending from last year. eBay-owned PayPal is reporting that Black Friday global mobile payments volume was up 193 percent from last year. eBay is also reporting a major increase in transactions; total mobile volume in the U.S. was up 153 percent, and GSI Commerce saw a 198 percent jump in mobile sales. PayPal spokesperson Anuj Nayar says that the payments giant believes that this is the year where holiday shopping on mobile devices has gone mainstream. Yesterday, shoppers in Houston made the most purchases via PayPal using mobile phones. For the previous three years, New York City has taken the top spot. For Thanksgiving, eBay saw a 133 percent increase in mobile volume transacted; and PayPal saw a 173 percent increase. PayPal Nearly Tripled Mobile Payment Volume on Cyber Monday. Dunkin' Donuts / #DresseDD.
Flat-Fee, Dongle-Free Card Payments Startup Emu Opens For Business In U.K., Registrations In Europe. Square better get a move on launching its first non-U.S. mobile payment service because the market for point-of-sale mobile payments continues to hot up.
We’ve been following the fortunes of Square-like competitors such as iZettle, mPowa and PayPal’s Here for a while. Now meet the latest addition to the space: Emu – a flat-fee card payment acceptance startup that’s launched its service in the U.K. today, with registrations open to the rest of Europe. Emu is offering the U.K.’s small businesses fee-less card payments for the first €1,250 ($1,600) of sales — after which it levies a flat per-month fee of €6.50 ($8.40), regardless of how many transactions are processed. Hence its claim of “unlimited free payments at 0% transaction fees”. Emu says it has its eye on the 20 million European sellers not currently accepting plastic. As well as accepting registrations across Europe, Emu is currently conducting seller trials in France — having trialled the service in the U.K. over the summer. Mobile payments battle starts to heat up: News from Warc.com - Aurora. Dunkin' Donuts / Mobile Payments.


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☛ Want the latest procurement and supply chain news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the Supply Management Daily
Procurement professionals should look for risks at every level of the supply chain and factor them into their strategies, according to a senior professional.
Addressing an audience of buyers in West Africa last week, Bola Afolabi, general manager at Nigerian National Petroleum raised the importance of buyers being risk aware. Highlighting issues such as the impact of kickbacks, sourcing from foreign countries and not keeping to agreed payment terms, he told buyers to look across the supply chain for risks.
He stressed that buyers must challenge themselves, as well as exploring various elements and parts of the procurement process: “Question yourself. Look for the risk in every level of the supply chain.” Other risks he picked out that buyers must be cognisant of included changes of ministers and leaders and the tendency for their replacement to change direction or scrap projects, delays in budgets, and bribery in the tendering process.
Afolabi, a former CIPS president, also told buyers that they would need to have a “thick skin” to work in procurement to counter issues such as corruption. He said that even friends and family might question why a buyer’s appointment to a senior position had not benefited them.
More directly though, buyers would need to show strength and honour to report corruption if they encountered it, he added.


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Home Depot’s top executive apologized online for his company’s poor customer service after a column appearing on MSN.com’s Money site lamenting the company’s one-time stellar service drew a record 3,000
Incoming PHCC President Jo Wagner will conduct a seminar on starting an apprentice program at this year's Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors (PHCC) - National Association 124th Annual Convention, Sept. 26-30, The Palmer
Plumbers know how to fix all types of equipment that need water to flush, flow, circulate, recirculate, pump, heat and cool. For the last few years, we've been championing the plumber who can also “fix” water.
In this issue of Supply House Times, check out our 2015 Premier 150 Rankings. The annual survey, conducted by Supply House Times and BNP Media Market Research, ranks the top PHCP wholesalers by their reported sales for the past year.


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LAKEWOOD, NJ -- Jersey Jack Pinball, a new manufacturer of pinball machines, reports that it has formed an agreement with Planetary Pinball Supply (San Jose, CA) under which Planetary -- a licensee of Williams Electronics -- becomes a supplier of parts for Jersey Jack's first game. The Wizard of Oz flipper game is slated to debut later this year.
The Wizard of Oz and subsequent Jersey Jack models will be produced with selected components from PPS, including some Williams and Bally replacement parts and assemblies. According to company founder Jack Guarnieri, this will enable Jersey Jack Pinball to build the best-playing games by using proven parts for reliability and durability.
Under the agreement, Jersey Jack Pinball will have full access to approximately 40 patents relating to pinball that are assigned to PPS.
"It's an amazing step toward building full-featured games where the player is connected to the game action for the ultimate fun experience," Guarnieri said.
He explained that Jersey Jack Pinball also would make use of PPS's parts manufacturing and artwork production capabilities, as well as its expertise with other elements supporting game design and manufacture. And PPS will distribute parts for Jersey Jack Pinball games through its international sales network.
Purchasers of the new pinball machines also will have the advantage of easy access to familiar parts. PPS president Rick Bartlett noted, "We are excited to help bring proven replacement-parts capability to the Jersey Jack Pinball platform, and look forward to world-class games using world-class parts."
Guarnieri reports that more than 300 of the new games have been preordered, even before the artwork and playfield layout have been finalized. Playfield design now is complete, he added, and the production team is assembling a "whitewood" model for design testing and modification. The company has rented a 5,000-sq.ft. workshop in Illinois and a 35,000-sq.ft. facility in New Jersey for game production.
"We fully expect to begin manufacturing cabinets and start building subassemblies and mechanisms in about six weeks," the Jersey Jack Pinball founder said.
Full production is planned for December, Guarnieri said. Prior to that, though, the company plans to turn out a limited-edition Emerald City version, and run it until 1,000 have been produced. Then full-scale production will get under way.
"I'm pretty sure, once everyone sees what we have created, we will be selling this game for a long time," he predicted. | SEE VT'S OZ STORY
Jersey Jack Pinball Inc. is headquartered at 1000 Towbin Ave., Lakewood, NJ 08701, tel. (800) 473-JACK [-5225]. Preorder information could be sent to email@example.com.
An arcade industry veteran, Guarnieri has been in the amusement industry since 1975; he got his start servicing electromechanical pinball machines. He founded PinballSales.com in 1999, and the enterprise has built a base of more than 12,000 customers.
The Wizard of Oz development team is led by Joe Balcer, who worked on Stern's South Park and Simpsons Pinball Party. Balcer also designed Apollo 13, Baywatch and Star Wars Trilogy, among other pinball titles. Several years ago, he aided in the development Guarnieri's modern adaption of the puck-bowling machine, Parker Bohn III Pro Bowler. | See ShuffleAlley.com
In late January, world-renowned designer Dennis Nordman joined the Jersey Jack team. He is known for his work on Pirates of the Caribbean, Whitewater, Scared Stiff, Elvira, along with Party Monsters, Demolition Man and Indy 500, among others. Nordman will reportedly lead the design of the new manufacturer's second game.
Nordman and Greg Freres own WhizBang Pinball, based in the Chicago area, which creates custom pinball machines. Freres will also be working on the Oz pinball.
Chris Granner, who will produce the audio effects for the inaugural pinball game, is the latest Oz team member. Granner was Williams Electronics' first full-time composer. He went on to launch his own company, CGmusic, and is regarded as a leading music composer and soundtrack designer for coin-op and console games, television advertising spots and other interactive media.
Granner's earlier game credits include Addams Family, Simpsons Pinball Party, Indiana Jones, White Water, Twilight Zone, Cyclone, Lord of the Rings and Funhouse. Most recently, he designed the soundtrack and directed voiceover asset creation for the X-Box title Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus, and composed music and post-produced audio for the cut-scenes for that Studio Gigante/Microsoft title.
Artists Jerry VanderStelt, modeling artist Matt Riesterer and programmer Keith Johnson round out the design team. Read more about the Jersey Jack Pinball team at jerseyjackpinball.com/ourteam.asp.
PHOTO: Shown here, from left to right, are Chris Granner, Greg Freres, Keith Johnson, Dennis Nordman, Jim Thornton, Joe Balcer and Matt Riesterer, along with Jack Guarnieri in front. Thornton is project manager in charge of materials and purchasing.


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Apple Updates Classic '1984' Spot
By Jonathan Angel
The original aired only once as a paid commercial.
SAN FRANCISCO More than ever, Apple Computer is becoming a music company. To underline that point, chief executive Steve Jobs began his keynote at San Francisco’s Macworld Expo on Tuesday by showing a version of the company’s famous “1984” Super Bowl spot, subtly re-edited to include the company’s best-selling iPod music player.
“This ad was only run on paid television one time, but has become acknowledged as the best ad ever made, so I thought I’d start out by showing it,” Jobs said. Audience members, many too young to have seen the Ridley Scott-directed ad first time out, cheered on the hammer-wielding runner.
This time around, though, she had an iPod strapped to her belt. That’s appropriate because the main product news at Macworld is the $249 iPod Mini, a music player approximately the length and width of a business card. Available in five different colors, it will supplement the existing iPod rather than replace it.
Release of the updated ad had been expected [ Adweek , Jan. 5].
Jobs told the estimated 10,000 attendees, some of whom began lining up at 2:30 a.m. to gain admittance to the show, that as of October the iPod had 31 percent of the music player market. The Apple Music Store has fared even better, according to Jobs, with 70 percent of the legal music downloading business.
Further underlining Apple’s music orientation, Jobs showed a new 15-second silhouetted spot for iPod, similar to others previously created by Omnicom Group agency TBWA\Chiat\Day. The edited version of “1984” is viewable online at Apple.com/hardware/ads/1984. It is unclear if it will run elsewhere.


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Ursus Breweries and Enery announce the signing of a multi-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA), which provides renewable energy needed for the production of the local breweries, according to a press release.
Ursus Breweries, part of the Asahi group, will take over the production of energy from a newly built photovoltaic park, with a capacity of over 50 MWp, located in Romania. “The agreement supports Asahi Europe & International in our wider sustainability ambition to be carbon neutral across all European breweries by 2030,” the statement added.
“This latest renewable energy supply agreement for our breweries in Romania marks another important step forward and a significant commitment towards our Legacy 2030 goal of becoming carbon neutral across all our breweries by 2030 and throughout our wider supply chain by 2050. Now more than ever, and together with our partners, we are committed to creating meaningful connections with people and the planet,” said Paolo Lanzarotti, CEO of Asahi Europe & International.
Asahi Europe & International is the international subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings, a global beverage and food company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan. In Europe, the group manages 19 production units in 8 countries. In Romania, the group owns four breweries, in Timisoara, Brasov, Buzau and Cluj-Napoca.
Enery is a green energy provider that currently generates over 200 GWh of electricity operating a capacity of 280 MW. The company’s plans include more than 7 GW worth of projects under development.


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New Albany’s Biscuits & Jam Farmers’ Market opened its 2018 season today. The Market, located in downtown New Albany on the banks of the Tallahatchie River, has changed its days of operation. The market will be open on Thursdays, from 4:00 – 7:00 PM, from June through August.
The market still boasts its locally grown veggies, live music and other homemade items. And, of course, lots of opportunity to visit with old friends and make new ones.
If you don’t have time to stop and shop, Jam Boxes will be available again this year, beginning June 28th. The boxes, which are filled with produce from the week’s vendors, are $20, and must be pre-paid.
The 3rd Thursday of every month is Children’s night. Children may go by the Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County tent and pick up a Produce Power Chip. The chip may then be spent to buy produce available at the market. Produce Power coins are sponsored by BNA Bank.


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The war in Thailand’s e-commerce landscape is escalating. Priceza E-Commerce Trends 2019 will share insights on what is coming, and what kind of strategies that we should prepare to win the competition.
We might already know that the e-commerce industry in Thailand is increasing rapidly in the past few years. As a result, the business model in this industry is consequently becoming more competitive.
This fact hence forced major players to develop new and different marketing strategies in order to compete with the new players that offered a more advanced approach that comes out from the traditional standard.
Highlighting the ongoing trend, Priceza, as the leading price comparison platform in Thailand, has setup a mission to take part in driving the country’s e-commerce growth into the global landscape, by hosting an annual conference event.
The event will be a medium to share knowledge and expertise, as well as strategies, under the theme “Futuristic of E-Commerce in Thailand”, hoping that it can be a solid step to help the industry in building a sustainable growth in Thailand’s e-commerce eco-system.
Priceza E-Commerce Trends 2019 will be held on November 28, 2018 at Hard Rock Cafe, Siam Paragon, Bangkok, from 2:30 – 8:00 pm, with participants from e-commerce owners, digital marketers, and leading reporters in Thailand.
Experts from Thailand’s Leading Organization
Three of the hottest topics in the industry which is; Seamless Chat Commerce, Online Marketplace in Thailand, and Winning the Heart of Online Shoppers, will be the main focus of the event. Joining as speakers:
- Mr. Siwagorn Siriwongpanapong, Head of Business Development for Shopee Thailand,
- Miss Rvisra Chirathivat, Chief Marketing Officer for JD Central,
- Mrs. Wanna Swuddigul, Vice President of Corporate Marketing,
- Miss Supaneewan Chutrakul, First Senior Vice President for Retail Business Division, Kasikornbank PCL, and
- Miss Thanida Suiwatana, Chief Marketing Officer for Lazada Thailand, will share their expertise.
Mr Thanawat Malabuppha, CEO & Co-Founder, and Mr Vachara Nivataphand, CPO & Co-Founder, both from Priceza, will also share their insights and experience in the industry.
Acting as a moderator, Sueching Jitsupa Chin from Voice TV, will lead the discussion on the three main topics that will be divided into four panel sessions.
The first panel will focus on the relationship between e-commerce and social media, and how it can give a big impact on the business.
Further more, the session will explore further on the online shopping behavior through social media and how to optimize the channel into reaching the consumer more effectively.
With the technology advancement on chat platform, the second panel will highlight on the importance of having a good communication between seller and buyer.
The discussion will focus on how a business needs to value a good relationship by using Omni Channel strategy, and how this will benefit every party involved.
The third panel will focus on the market adjustment, specifically on marketplace, that will highlight the comparison between Thailand’s local marketplace and cross border channel that have a significant impact on the market penetration, especially regarding sales. The discussion will explore on how this will impact the business and how to win the competition.
The forth panel will mainly focus on the e-commerce strategies for the future of e-commerce platform in Thailand, and highlighting the importance to optimize the use of variety platforms in the business.
The said platforms include; Commerce Platform, Social Media Platform and Search Platform, that can give positive effects on the business. Participants can learn to setup strategies to tackle the challenges on different platforms.


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GM has said its premium Cadillac brand is going all-in on electric powertrains. Starting with its latest vehicle the Lyriq, all vehicles will be EVs. Rory Harvey, the head of Cadillac, said that the brand will just focus on EVs. "We will be leaving this decade as an EV brand, as things stand today, which means we will not be selling ICE vehicles by 2030," said Harvey.
Cadillac has been teasing the Celestiq for a while now
Harvey did say for the time being Cadillac will sell its current portfolio of vehicles which are based on the internal combustion engine as they are relatively fresh. But what Harvey has said also means that Cadillac as a brand will be fully electric ahead of GM as a group because GM's deadline for electrification is 2035.
GM is already bringing back Hummer as an EV this year and there are other SUVs in the works as well. GM has been making EVs will the Chevrolet Cruise brand for a while as well.
The Lyriq will be in production in early 2022 and will be followed by the Celestiq. GM has also been investing heavily in next-generation battery technology. It already has its Ultium batteries in the works but is also a major investor and JV partner with SES batteries.


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KINGDOM HEARTS 3 Trailer Explores The World Of FROZEN
Microsoft E3 conference today, developer Square Enix released a new trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3. The new game will let players travel multiple Disney-worlds including lands featured on films released recently. The new trailer will take you into the icy world of Frozen where Sora, Donald, and Goofy meets and communicates with characters such as Olaf, Anna, and Elsa.
Frozen is not the only world in the new game, the latest trailer also showed clips of Tangled, Wreck-it-Ralph, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, and Hercules. Kingdom Hearts 3 is slated for release on January 29, 2019, and it will be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.


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Now that electric automaker Rivian has released its first R1T electric pickup, the Rivian SUV release date is soon to follow.
Rivian is expected to start delivering its R1S sport-utility vehicle sometime this fall. The Launch Edition of the R1S will be the only model available at first, reports Car and Driver. The price tag for the R1S Launch Edition SUV starts at $75,000. The company will eventually add more affordable Explore and more expensive Adventure models to its SUV lineup in 2022.
Rivian first electric pickup hit the roads in September.
Earlier this month, Rivian’s first R1T electric pickup rolled off the assembly line at the company’s Normal, Ill., production facility. The R1T truck has an EPA range of 314 miles, while the R1S SUV has a range of 316 miles.
“After months of building pre-production vehicles, this morning our first customer vehicle drove off our production line in Normal! Our team's collective efforts have made this moment possible. Can't wait to get these into the hands of our customers!” tweeted Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe.
Prototypes of the company’s all-electric R1T truck and R1S SUV were first introduced in 2018 at the LA Auto Show. The R1T was supposed to hit the streets in July with the R1S soon after.
Rivian faced delays from the COVID-19 pandemic and chip shortages.
However, vehicle production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the global chip shortage.
Scaringe notified the waiting customers in July about the production delays for the R1T, R1S, and commercial vans that Rivian is making for Amazon.
“We know you can’t wait to get behind the wheel of your vehicle,” Scaringe wrote. “We believe it is critical to both our long-term success and your ultimate satisfaction that the quality and robustness of our launch products truly sets the tone for what to expect from us as a brand.”
Scaringe also said that the company plans to roll out a multi-city, multi-format program with Rivian charging sites and service centers in local communities across the country.
Rivian confidentially filed for an IPO in August.
In August, Rivian filed a confidential IPO to go public. According to Bloomberg, the company could see about $70 billion. Because the filing was confidential, all of the details and information the company filed with the SEC are kept under wraps until 15 days before the IPO.
Since it first started in 2009 as Mainstream Motors, Rivian has grown from just 600 employees to over 7,000 employees. The company has raised almost $11 billion in funding since 2019.
Rivian investors include Amazon and Ford Motor Company.
Amazon invested $700 million in Rivian for a fleet of 100,000 battery-powered delivery vans. Ford Motor Company also invested $500 million in the company and entered into a collaboration agreement for using Rivian’s platform for a Ford brand EV vehicle.
Rivian’s EV vehicle business also got a boost from the Biden administration. In an August executive order, President Biden said that by 2030 he wants 50 percent of all new vehicles on U.S. road to be zero-emission vehicles.