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Sonia, Indra among 10 powerful women
Gandhi has been placed sixth, a notch behind PepsiCo chief Nooyi, in Forbes list of 100 most powerful women. Read on.Updated: Aug 31, 2007 15:50 IST
Congress party president Sonia Gandhi has been placed sixth, a notch behind Indra Nooyi, the Indian American chairman and chief executive of PepsiCo, in the Forbes list of the world's 100 most powerful women.
Ranking Angela Merkel, the first woman to become chancellor of Germany, No 1 for the second year in a row, the US business magazine said, "She continued to impress the world with her cool leadership at two back-to-back summits."
Placed above Nooyi and Sonia Gandhi were Chinese Vice premier Wu Yi at No 2, Ho Ching, chief executive of Temasek Holdings, Singapore's largest business conglomerate, at No 3 and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at No 4.
<b1>Gandhi, "the Italian-born leader of India's most powerful political party, the Indian National Congress Party, has come far since entering politics in the 1990s", Forbes said, noting Indian lawmakers recently elected her choice for president, Pratibha Patil.
Describing it as "a historic vote seen as a step forward for India's women and girls who endure daily discrimination", the magazine said, "The vote, however, saw angry allegations levelled against Patil, over purported corruption and criminal activity in her family. Though the position is largely ceremonial, Patil is now India's first female president, and her victory is a sign that the role of women in the country's often male-dominated political scene may improve," Forbes said.
"This is a special moment for women across the country," the magazine quoted Gandhi as saying. "It shows India is committed to women."
Gandhi, it said, is "widely revered by her fellow countrymen, especially among India's poor as well as its vast agricultural population" and is continuously concerned that India's rapid economic growth is leaving the poor behind, and that her country is not doing enough to help its farmers.
"She has opposed a government plan to introduce special economic zones to encourage foreign investment in the country. Recently Gandhi stood up to politically powerful opponents in blocking their attempt to nullify an anti-corruption law meant to curb corruption among the country's massive bureaucracy."
Forbes said Nooyi has been steadily consolidating her power at PepsiCo, one of the largest companies in the world with $35 billion in annual revenue and a $105 billion market capitalisation.
Last February, Nooyi added the title of chairman to her chief executive position at the food-and-beverage giant, maker of Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods; a whopping 17 PepsiCo brands each generate $1 billion or more in annual sales.
Nooyi has pushed PepsiCo to move beyond soda, first by helping to start the company's fast-food chains in 1997, and later by spearheading the purchase of Tropicana in 1998. In an effort to offset slowing business in the Gatorade division, Nooyi advocates vitamin and energy-infused water drinks.
"Being a woman, being foreign-born, you've got to be smarter than anyone else," Forbes said citing Indian-born Nooyi who came to the US from India in 1978. Prior to joining PepsiCo in 1994, Nooyi did stints at the Boston Consulting Group and Motorola.
Another person of Indian origin on the list is Vidya Chhabria, chairperson Jumbo Group, UAE, at No. 97.
Chhabria became chairperson of the $2 billion conglomerate, the Jumbo Group, when her husband, takeover titan Manu Chhabria, died in 2002, Forbes noted. Headquartered in Dubai, the company oversees 28 companies operating in as many as 50 countries, with interests in durables, chemicals, machinery, liquor products and agriculture.
The company is best known for its ownership of Jumbo Electronics, one of the world's largest distributors of consumer electronics, information technology, telecom products and home appliances. Two years after divesting most of its businesses in India, the Jumbo Group is considering re-entering India this year.
Forbes said while there have been plenty of hand-wringing studies arguing that the corporate glass ceiling for women has turned into concrete, it had no difficulty turning up 66 business executives worthy of inclusion on the list.
The remaining 34 are mostly in government.
"If women aren't being stopped by any ceiling, it still can be argued that they have a tough go on the way to the top," it said.
First Published: Aug 31, 2007 10:32 IST


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“ILLYRIAN TSX”, is the Albanian supercar which was displayed at the ‘TREDITECH’ exhibition based in Turin, Italy.
Featuring a captivating design inspired by racing prototypes, the ‘TSX’ embodies the core principles of Arrera Automobili.
“The masterpiece was designed by the same designer who realized the Porsche 9RE, effective aerodynamics, dynamic handling and perfect handling.” said Qendrim Thaçi, founder of Arrera Automobili.
In the near future, the Albanian “ILLYRIAN TSX” will join the luxury car market.
The new Illyrian Pure Sport supercar will have a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 engine, with 840 horsepower.
The maximum speed is expected to reach 375 kilometers per hour.
He long ago dreamed of creating the first Albanian super car and now he has succeeded in making his dream come true.
Illyrian Pure Sport will be the first car with international standards to be produced in Albania, and its price will start from 1.2 million euros to 1.7 million euros – based on the specifications.
Qendrim is from the village of Llapushnik in the Municipality of Drenas, who had immigrated with his family to Italy and lived there for 15 years.
He had always been a fan of cars since childhood, but despite the challenges, he managed to produce a car which is now expected to compete with well-known models such as Lamborghini Aventador, or Ferrari 812 Superfast.
“My grandfather told me to carry this work to the end”, he said during an interview with the local media.
“I learned honor from my Albanian family, Albanians have great honor. We work hard with honor. For this reason, I returned to Kosovo, since we can do very good things”.
Thaçi is certified in the Italian school for industrial designs known as eAD, although earlier he received a master’s degree in dentistry. He has been involved in very large projects such as for the Ferrari and Lamborghini brands.
“I work together with TREDITECH who produce the fastest cars in the world”, he said.
In 2016, he founded the company Arrera, which was initially just a non-profit company, but over the years he made it profitable.

domain: news


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Shoprite set to sell off its Nigerian operations
Popular South Africa retail outfit, Shoprite, has announced her consideration of a formal process to sell-off its operation...
Two days to resumption, Lagos State yet to decontaminate 70 per cent of schools
Despite claims that the Government of Lagos would be fumigating public secondary schools, in preparation for the...
Nigeria: Worshippers relieved as Lagos Churches, Mosques open Aug. 7
Disenchanted worshippers in Lagos will have some reasons to cool their tempers as Lagos State Government on...
Record breakers at English FA Cup final
Except Arsenal FC digs deep, this could be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's last march for the Gunners as the...
Nigerian students scamper for ” expo” following reports of WAEC questions “leakages” in Ghana
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BBNaija Announces Commencement date of the 2020 Edition
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Pandora Adopts Fully Recycled Silver and Gold for Jewelries By 2025
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Matching Face Mask Sets is a wearable Trend Here to Stay
Ever since the Coronavirus pandemic threw the world into a shock, killing a huge number of people, health practitioners hurriedly came up with measures to curtail its spread both in Africa...
Daily African Quotes
Without a dream, you will not get anywhere.- Kofi Anan
While revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas.- Thomas Sankara
There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living- Nelson Mandela
It is better to die for an idea that will live, than to live for an idea that will die- Steven Biko
A man who makes trouble for others is also making trouble for himself- Chinua Achebe
“I am an African, not because I was born in Africa but because Africa is born in me”- Kwame Nkrumah
Half education is more dangerous than no education- Chris Ukaobasi
Traveling- it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller- Ibn Battuta.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.- Nelson Mandela
Hold a true friend with both of your hands.- Nigerian Quote
It is much easier to show compassion to animals.They are never wicked.- Haile Selassie


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How would you like to slash your grocery bill by $5,000 a year - just by shopping with your smartphone?
For Jenny Martin and her husband, feeding five daughters on a budget is a full-time job.
"It can be a little overwhelming to keep enough food stocked in the pantry and fridge, to handle, ‘Mama I'm hungry!’ all the time!” Martin told NBC News.
To help cut down on the family's annual grocery budget, she turned to one of the many new mobile apps that claim to cut grocery bills in half. With these apps, Martin said her family can save as much as $5,000 a year.
The average family of four spends about $250 a week on groceries, but savings experts say much of that can be cut down with new mobile phone applications.
"For our family of seven, a weekly budget for us is now $75 or less,” Martin told NBC News.
Martin took NBC News on a shopping trip to show first hand how she saves money. At the register, her original total for 16 items came out to $47.25. But, using mobile apps, she saved $37.00. Her final total was just $10.30.
However, securing such savings does take time, Martin admitted.
"For me to get together a big shopping trip, I will usually spend about 45 minutes making sure I have the mobile apps lined up and sales lined up,” she said.
And, privacy experts warn that these mobile deals come at a price: Like most apps, electronic coupon services collect personal information about your shopping and social media habits.
"Typically what they're doing is collecting data from consumers and repackaging and reselling that information to retailers," says Lauren Lyons Cole, money editor at Consumer Reports. “As a consumer, you want to consider the value of that to you before you start using one of these apps - and if it's not worth the amount that you're saving, take the app off your smartphone.”
Martin is such a believer, she's started a website to share tips with other families.
Her biggest advice for families is to start small.
“Focus on the things that you regularly purchase," she advised. "Don't feel like you need to run out and grab things you wouldn't normally grab, but focus on them when they're on sale, and then start to pair in all those offers that we have."


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Adidas Announces New Germany Kit Deal
Confirming the latest rumors, Adidas has just revealed that it has finally extended its contract with the Germany national team. Continuing a seemingly eternal partnership, the new Germany Adidas jersey deal will run until the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Adidas Extends Germany Kit Deal
Germany will wear Adidas-branded kits until at least 2022.
Adidas has confirmed it will pay around €50 million per year as part of the new Germany shirt contract, a steep increase from the estimated €25 million it has paid until now. This makes Germany the highest-paid international football team, ahead of France and England.
Most valuable International Football Shirt Sponsorship Deals
|Country||Kit Supplier||Value||Deal ends|
"We are looking forward to continuing our close and trusting cooperation with the DFB", said Herbert Hainer, CEO of the adidas Group. "We belong together, as both the DFB with its national teams and we as an international sporting goods company excellently present Germany around the globe. We represent everything the 'made in Germany' seal of quality stands for: we are successful, we are innovative and we deliver quality; we are cosmopolitan, multi-cultural and bring joy. As part of our long-term strategy, we will increase our production volume in Germany again and plan to also produce the DFB jerseys directly in our home market.
"These were the most transparent, most demanding and ultimately for the DFB the economically most successful negotiations in the history of our Association. I am very pleased that we've managed to extend the contract with adidas, our partner for decades. adidas is reliable, knows the DFB and is supporting us with upcoming innovations such as the construction of the new DFB academy or the further development of fussball.de. We will use the money to make the DFB and German football even better. Our investments will be focused on both professional football and the work done at the grassroots level. We will also strengthen our national associations and further improve in particular our talent promotion programmes," said DFB President Reinhard Grindel.
Are you happy to see Germany remain with Adidas until at least the 2022 World Cup? Let us know in the comments below.


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Volkswagen's Electrify America subsidiary has put out a commercial that aims to spread awareness of electric vehicles and how far the industry has progressed, Reuters reports. The ad is part of a $45 million public education initiative. "We're trying to say with this campaign that electric vehicles are fun to drive, the range is great and charging is more widely available than people know," Richard Steinberg, Electrify America's senior director of green cities, marketing and communications, told Reuters.
With it's unveiling set for Sept 9th inside a Boeing 777F from the Lufthansa Cargo fleet, BMW has given a sneak peek at their next gen electric car.
"While the video is edited so that we can barely see the vehicle, it’s another thing if you use freeze-frame and tweak the exposure a little," says Fred Lambert of Elecktrek. "We can see that it is more of a crossover than a sedan – meaning that it is sitting a little higher."
[Fred Lambert - Electrek - 4 Sept 2018]
Drive Electric Week starts in New Zealand on September 8 with a growing number of events being added to the list.
It will be launched first internationally on September 8 from 7am with an EV display at the Whangarei Growers Market, the display returning on September 15.
The September 8 event is followed by a morning tea at the Totara Cafe in Tikipunga, Whangarei, 10.30am.
Corporate EVs will be displayed and rides and drives available at QBE Stadium in Albany, Auckland, September 8, noon-4pm.
Wellington EV advocates Sigurd Magnusson and Jorn Scherzer talk EVs at the War Memorial Library in Lower Hutt on September 8, 1.3pm-2.30pm.
Flip the Fleet’s Henrik Moller provides short presentations at an EV presentations and drives afternoon the same day at the Central Stories Museum & Art Gallery in Alexandra from 3pm. The event links with an exhibition on climate change.
[Geoff Dobson - EV Talk - 1 September 2018]
More than three-quarters of owners who took part in a new "Flip the Fleet" poll believed cash incentives would be needed if more than half of new vehicle registrations were to be electric by 2025.
Of more than 66,000 new or used light vehicle registrations in the first three months of this year, just over 800 were EVs.
As at last month, New Zealand's EV fleet stood at 9,241 - although that was still a big leap from the 206 EVs recorded at the same time five years ago.
Richard Pither's workshop (Porirua Motors) is one of 24 around the country that have banded together to offer customers electric courtesy cars while their own cars are in for repairs.
Most of the workshops are also sending technicians on training courses to upskill in electric vehicle (EV) service, maintenance and repair. EVs have only a fraction of the moving parts in a typical petrol or diesel car so are much cheaper to maintain. But they still have brakes, wheels, tyres and electronic issues, and they still need regular checks and servicing. "We're fully trained to look after the whole EV," says Pither.
Courtesy EVs give people a convenient way to see what the electric cars are like to drive and to practice charging up at home – a first step to buying one in the future, says Mark Nixon, EV advocate and driving force behind the scheme.
[Stuff Motoring - 26 Aug 2018]
This week, Opel has revealed its concept car and renewed their intention to release four BEV/PHEV by 2020 and an ambitious complete electrification of its lineup by 2024.
Earlier this year, Opel announced plans to build its own electric cars as its Chevy Bolt EV deal with GM isn’t working out.
The newly unveiled concept car will be released in the competitive Compact SUV segment of the market.
[Fred Lambert - Electrek - 23 Aug 2018]
Tesla plans to open-source its vehicle security software for free to other automakers for safer self-driving futureRead more
A leading New Zealand electricity generator and retailer, Contact Energy, is well on track to electrifying its fleet, with the charge being led by the organisation’s geothermal operations near Taupo.
“We have nine EVs at the moment,” fleet manager Chris Girling says.
These comprise four Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs, three Renault Zoes, a Hyundai Ioniq and a Gen 1 Nissan Leaf.
Professor John Goodenough, celebrated his 95th birthday last year An immigrant to the United States, a World War II veteran, a graduate from Yale University, a physics doctorate from the University of Chicago, a research scientist at MIT, a tenured departmental head at Oxford University, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, an emeritus professor at the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas, Austin, a multi-award recipient, and a multi-society active and honorary member, has been involved in lithium batteries since at least 1980 when he was 57-years of age. Now, at the tender age of 96-years old he continues to develop the field.
A low-cost, safe, high-energy-density, long-life, and low-degradation battery has been designed in a paper co-authored by John Goodenough, Maria Helena Braga, Chandrasekar M Subramaniya, Andrew J. Murchison (all four from the Texas Materials Institute and the Materials Science and Engineering Program at The University of Texas at Austin) and Maria Helena Braga (from LAETA, Engineering Physics Department, FEUP, at the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.)
It overcomes every single problem of current battery technology. In my (Eric Cosak) opinion, this happens as a result of overcoming both the lithium-ion SEI (solid electrolyte interphase) battery problem and material degradation due to volume expansion.
[Eric Cosak - EV Obsession - 23 July 2018]
EVworld organiser Conferenz has announced the finalists for its ‘champions’ awards – set to be revealed at the August event.
The awards recognise the pioneering individuals, businesses and towns who are committed to championing the uptake of EVs in New Zealand.
[Richard Edwards - EV Talk - 18 July 2018]Read more


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BEIJING, Dec. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — On December 14, 2023, TAILG, a global leader in electric two-wheelers, announced the release of its latest sodium-ion battery technology, marking the beginning of a new era for electric two-wheelers. The technology features exceptional long-range capabilities, extended warranties, superior low-temperature resistance, and enhanced safety. TAILG’s luxury e-bikes will be the first to feature the sodium-ion batteries, and they will initially be available in China.
TAILG’s first electric two-wheelers with sodium-ion battery technology are now available
The global electric two-wheeler market is currently growing at a rate of over 20% per year. Despite this progress, range anxiety remains a significant hurdle to the industry’s advancement.
TAILG’s sodium-ion battery solution, which was launched globally at the China (Beijing) Light Electric Vehicle Battery Forum, marks a significant milestone in the two-wheeler sector, ushering in a new era of sodium-ion batteries. As TAILG’s first sodium-ion battery, it also demonstrates TAILG’s strong commitment to long-range solutions.
Sun Muchu, Executive President of TAILG Group, highlighted the four major advantages of their battery technology:
- The battery has a super long range, capable of reaching 115 kilometers even in temperatures below 0°C, while maintaining a speed of 25km/h.
- The lifecycle exceeds 2,000 cycles, 5-7 times longer than conventional lead-acid batteries.
- The battery retains about 93% of its capacity even in the extreme cold of -20°C, making it exceptionally suitable for winter use.
- Additionally, the battery’s safety performance exceeds industry standards due to the IPX7-grade waterproof technology that covers the entire pack.
TAILG will apply the sodium-ion battery to its luxury e-bike range for the mid-to-premium consumer market.
As the first in the industry to launch electric two-wheelers equipped with sodium-ion batteries, TAILG aims to capitalize on its first-mover advantage to create a complete ecosystem. The strategy involves developing a comprehensive ecosystem encompassing R&D, products, and marketing, positioning TAILG for a systematic competitive edge in the sodium-ion battery market.
Named as a global pioneer of long-range solutions
At TAILG’s recent 20th anniversary celebration, the company’s board reiterated its commitment to prioritizing customer needs and enhancing the user experience in their future endeavors. Additionally, they announced intentions to broaden their global reach, aligning with their ambition to emerge as the world’s top brand.
Chen Yingsheng, Vice President and President of the Overseas Business Group at TAILG, announced the formation of an operation team as part of their localization strategy. This move aims to set a global benchmark. TAILG, already renowned for its worldwide R&D and design center, is committed to innovation and efficiency. Leveraging the Group’s robust manufacturing and supply chain capabilities, TAILG has effectively established a global footprint in intelligent manufacturing.
On December 15, TAILG was named as one of the global pioneers in long-range electric two-wheelers by Frost & Sullivan, a world-renowned growth strategy consulting firm. Following its certification under China’s long-range electric vehicle standards in September, TAILG completed the certification that allows for a 100km travel on just 1 kWh of electricity. This achievement positions TAILG as an industry exemplar, spearheading the adoption and execution of innovative standards.
As a global leader in long-range electric two-wheelers, TAILG is at the forefront of sustainable electric mobility solutions. In collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), TAILG actively participates in worldwide electric mobility projects. Moreover, TAILG is the exclusive supplier of electric two-wheelers to the United Nations, bolstering its international footprint.
TAILG has progressively enhanced its long-range technology, increasing capabilities from 50km to 75km and, in this latest round, up to 100km per kilowatt-hour. This improvement marks the company’s entry into the new era of long-range electric two-wheelers.


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Common Ice Universe has common display dimensions for the upcoming performance of Samsung's 2019 flagship.
The exact size of the Galaxy's future screen:
S10 Lite: 5.75 inches
S10: 6.11 inches
S10 +: 6.44 inches
S10 5G version: 6.66 inches
Note10: 6.75 inches
– Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) December 24, 2018
The owner says the S10 Lite, S10, S10 +, S10 5G and Note 10 will feature 5.75-inch, 6.11-inch, 6.44-inch, 6.66-inch and 6.75-inch displays, respectively .
These sizes are correlated with previous leaks on Samsung's upcoming smartphones.
The smoker even noticed the size of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, a smartphone that has been more than half a year since the official discovery. Ice Universe suggests that the phone will have a 6.75-inch display, which will be one of Samsung's biggest phones so far. In 2014, Samsung released the Galaxy W phone with a 7-inch screen. The phone was available only on selected markets.
At present, leaks on the Galaxy Note 10 are rare. However, as early as September, a report appeared that Samsung's code name for the phone was "Da Vinci".
It is best to take this leak, like many others, with salt of salt, because Samsung can potentially change its plans for upcoming devices at any moment.
It is speculated that Samsung will reveal the Galaxy S series during its Unpacked event before the Mobile World Conference. In the meantime, Samsung is likely to disclose Note 10 in August, similar to Note 9 earlier this year.
Source: Ice Universe


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Jegs Car Parts has released a new app to help car buyers get more out of their car parts online.
The app lets users search for parts, purchase parts from manufacturers and track their progress online.
The app, called JegS, works in conjunction with car-parts.com, a platform that provides manufacturers with data about customer requests and car parts.
In exchange, the manufacturers get to keep any payments received for their parts.
The site also provides car-part manufacturers with the ability to add the app to their sites, including with a link to a “buyer profile” that is similar to a store page.
This means that the app makes it easier for users to track their parts progress online, and to check out the parts they need.
But it also provides some new features for car buyers.
One is that parts are listed on the car’s online shop page, rather than on a separate page.
The shop page also has a “Buyer” section that lists manufacturers and their customers, and also gives the option to “receive a coupon code for your next order.”
This code can be used to purchase the car part directly from Jeg’s online store.
Jegs says that this new feature is a step toward “enhancing the overall experience of purchasing parts online.”
“We want to make it easier to find and buy your parts online,” said Josh Parnell, the vice president of marketing for Jeg.
“The online shop is where you will find the best price, and we want to improve the process to make sure the car is delivered as quickly as possible.”
But while the app is a new feature for car shoppers, it does seem like it could be a big boost for car-related businesses.
Jeg has had some success in the car-tech market, and its product has made it to several of the top tech retailers like Amazon, Apple, Google and more.
Jig’s Car Parts app has been downloaded over 1.3 million times, according to the company.
The company said it plans to expand the app in the coming months.
Jig said that the number of customers who have downloaded its app will continue to grow, but that the company is focusing on growing its business in the automotive industry.
“Our focus is to continue to build and support the industry with the highest quality, most trusted brands, and continue to deliver great value to our customers,” Parnill said.


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adidas Runners steps out in Auckland
10 February 2017, 2:02PM
Spark PR & Activate
Jump the gun on your 2017 fitness goals thanks to adidas who are offering Aucklanders the opportunity to be part of a global running community via its new look running group, adidas Runners Auckland. The re-brand of its running club coincides with the launch of the adidas Runners Training Programme, offering free run coaching and group runs in the lead up to the 2017 Ports of Auckland Round the Bays event.
adidas’ existing popular RunClub is joining the global adidas Runners community that brings together likeminded people across the world for unique running experiences, so they can achieve their goals to become better runners as part of a healthy and successful lifestyle.
Now known as adidas Runners Auckland, the free running club meets every Tuesday 6pm at Platinum Sports Co., Victoria Park Market and caters for a variety of different running levels and distances.
Following the Tuesday night run, the club offers runners regular social events and guest speaker sessions, with past speakers at the club including fitness, wellness and nutrition experts and adidas athletes like All Black Sonny Bill Williams and Olympian Rose Keddell.
To fine tune your running skills ahead of the Ports of Auckland Round the Bays race on 5th March, the running club is offering a three-week training programme in the lead up to the event.
The three week programme includes two running sessions per week, with group runs at the Tuesday evening sessions, plus an additional weekly running coaching session on Saturday mornings at 9am in Victoria Park, Auckland City on Saturday 11th, 18th and 25th February. There will also be spot prizes at the Saturday training sessions for runners who wear adidas running shoes.
See adidas Runners Auckland on Facebook for upcoming activity and detail on the adidas Runners training programme www.facebook.com/adidasRunnersAuckland.


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Published: 08:52, 19 March 2020
| Updated: 10:25, 19 March 2020
Huge queues built up outside supermarkets across Kent this morning when the first hour was reserved for the over 70s and vulnerable people.
Customers at Sainsbury's in Sittingbourne
Sainsbury's customers responded to the idea in great numbers after shelves were being stripped in response to the coronavirus.
There were about 200 people queuing outside the Sittingbourne branch waiting for it to open at 7am.
Among them was Mike Grantham, 83, who had finished his shop by just after 7.10am. "I was about 10th in the queue and I understood that coming at this time they would have stock - but I got the last pack of toilet roll.
"Even the staff said they hadn't been able to get any. I can't understand it. Some idiot somewhere in the world decided toilet rolls are a must. It does not give you diarrhoea, this thing.
"If everyone bought the normal amount, we'd be alright."
Others such as Miriam and Chris Riddles, of Bay View, on Sheppey, left empty handed.
"We are mortified," said Miriam, who is 75. "We left at 6.30am to get here and found everyone queuing up going around the whole building.
"The lady in charge said they were not even well stocked, so we are going home."
Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe said setting aside an hour for older and vulnerable people was an idea that had come from customers.
"I hope that you can respect this decision and will work with us as we try our best to help those that need it the most," he added.
Shoppers were being restricted to a limit of two items per product.
Others in the queue were concerned they might have to show ID.
Bernard Poultney, of School Lane, Iwade, said: "I think it's a good thing they are doing but they should have said if you have to bring proof."
Over in Ashford reader Simon Higgins took the below photo at 5.50am.
Shop bosses have started rationing and, as one trade union put it, "there is enough for everyone".
Over in Maidstone Patrick Horgan, 69, said the shelves were mostly empty: "I didn't manage to get everything I needed. I wanted flour and they didn't have any at all and no bars of soap," he said, but added: "It gives us a little bit more of a chance this hour so I think it's a good idea."
Clive Bradburn, 73, said: "I'm not just buying for me, I'm buying for my 95-year-old mother who can not get out the house so being over 70 myself that's a double whammy.
"I've bought more than I would normally get but I'm certainly not stockpiling.
"I got here dead on 7am and we were queuing round the car park.
"It's a good idea this hour, I hope they'll continue to do it, maybe the novelty will wear off and there will be fewer people."
Sonya Walsh, 71, didn't get everything she needed and said the queues to pay were horrendous.
"There was no broccoli or cauliflower but I did manage to get most of what I wanted so I'm happy," she revealed, adding: "I didn't need toilet roll but it did look like the shelves were empty.
"I wanted to buy flour for cake making but they didn't have any. It's an excellent idea this reserved hour, even if you can't get everything."
Store manager Mani Powar said staff are constantly getting deliveries in and are doing all they can to make sure people get what they need.
He added: "This morning was a huge success."
Colin Wallsgrove, 83, said: "I was very disappointed the shelves were empty. I came for bread flour but there was no flour at all. I queued from 6.45am this morning."
More by this authorSteve Waite


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Veramark Simplifies Telecom Expense Management
August 09, 2011
By Anuradha Shukla, TMCnet Contributor
Veramark Technologies (News - Alert) has released a cost saving tool for managing wireless expenses and usage. The new VeraSMART Wireless Call Accounting software was developed following extensive customer research conducted by Telecom Expense Management (TEM) solutions specialist Veramark Technologies.
The company’s latest release allows businesses to contain and reduce expenses; manage and monitor corporate and employee usage; optimize actual usage and service fees; and allocate expenses with cost center chargeback.
VeraSMART Wireless Call Accounting has the ability to scale from 100 to 100,000+ devices. The solution is available as a SaaS (News - Alert) subscription or on-premise licensing, starting at $1,595.
"With the explosion in the number of smart phones, tablets, air cards, and other wireless devices that are being deployed within organizations today, enterprises are under pressure to control and manage wireless usage and optimize service-to-cost performance," said Kari Bittner, Veramark's director of Telephony and Communications Products.
"Based on our market research, we became aware that many organizations are manually managing their wireless expenses and are buried in spreadsheets. VeraSMART Wireless Call Accounting now brings that portion of communications expense under management; it provides a streamlined view of wireline and wireless usage and expenses, all within the user-friendly VeraSMART technology that our customers already know and trust."
Businesses can use Veramark Technologies’ VeraSMART Wireless Call Accounting as a standalone application. The solution, notes the company can also be added to an existing VeraSMART Call Accounting deployment.
Veramark adds that this solution supports major US wireless carriers and offers many time-saving features including wireless savings analysis of every invoice. By leveraging this useful feature, businesses can eliminate the time spent manually reviewing wireless usage and device charge data for potential savings.
Read a related article at TMCnet “Veramark Announces Fourth Quarter Results.”
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.Anuradha Shukla is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Juliana Kenny


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Q3 Group RevPAR Up More Than 10 Percent
Revenue per available room for group business is 10.8 percent higher for the third quarter than it was a year ago, according to the September 2014 TravelClick North American Hospitality Review. That's based on data from July and August, in addition to the reserved occupancy and rates for September. "We're starting to see an emerging trend toward the reduction of transient discounting for RevPAR improvement," said John Hach, senior vice president, global product management, of TravelClick. "When demand is strong and sustainable, savvy hoteliers actively manage to minimize discounts for increased RevPAR performance. We anticipate this trend to continue, especially in markets experiencing strong group advance reservation volume. Ultimately, hoteliers are set up to generate more revenue for the remainder of this year into 2015." Group reserved occupancy is up by 7.1 percent year-over-year for the third quarter, and average daily rate for the segment has increased by 3.4 percent. Across all travel segments for the third quarter, rate is up by 5.3 percent, reserved occupancy has increased by 4.3 percent and RevPAR is 9.9 percent higher than it was a year ago. The outlook for the next 12 months is likewise good for hoteliers: Overall committed occupancy is up by 4.4 percent compared with this time last year, and average daily rate is 4.1 percent higher based on reservations on the books.


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India: Gold futures rise to Rs. 25,300 per 10 gm
New Delhi-India (Dec 21) Gold prices rose 0.36 per cent to Rs. 25,300 per 10 grams at the futures trade today as speculators created fresh positions, taking positive cues from global markets.
At the Multi Commodity Exchange, gold for delivery in far-month April was trading higher by Rs. 92 or 0.36 per cent to Rs. 25,300 per 10 grams in a business turnover of four lots.
The metal for delivery in February moved up Rs. 169 or 0.22 per cent to Rs. 25,151 per 10 grams in a turnover of 121 lots.
Market analysts said a firm trend in overseas market where gold extended gains as investors assessed the pace of future US interest-rate increases, which the Federal Reserve has stressed would be gradual, influenced gold futures here.
Meanwhile, gold climbed as much as 0.2 per cent to $1,068.72 an ounce in Singapore today.


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Once an ephemeral messaging app, Snapchat is trying to solidify itself as a platform for creators to turn a profit. Today, Snap announced that it plans to introduce mid-roll advertisements during Snapchat stories for Snap Stars (which is what the platform calls its biggest creators, who must apply for the Snap Star distinction).
A Snapchat spokesperson told TechCrunch that this feature is already in very early beta for a small set of U.S.-based creators, but the platform plans to roll it out more broadly to Snap Stars in the coming months. These advertisements will appear as mid-roll ads inside of their stories, and the creator will earn a share of the ad revenue. That payout is determined by a payment formula, which weighs factors like posting frequency and audience engagement. Snapchat declined to comment further on the nature of these payouts.
Through its TikTok clone Spotlight alone, Snapchat paid creators $250 million last year. Creators can also profit on Spotlight through in-app gifting and Snap’s creator marketplace, which allows brands to more easily collaborate with AR developers and influencers.
This test follows ongoing discussion among creators about the differences between creator fund payouts and revenue sharing models. Longtime YouTuber and Vidcon co-founder Hank Green pointed out last month that the size of TikTok’s creator fund has not grown at the same rate as its user base, meaning that over time, TikTok creators are earning less for their contributions to the platform — plus, when TikTok’s parent company ByteDance earns $58 billion in a year, the size of a $200 million creator fund feels paltry (even if it’s supposed to grow to $1 billion). Meanwhile, YouTube paid out $10 billion from ad revenue sharing over the last three years. But at the same time, short-form platforms like TikTok and Snapchat Spotlight would feel unusable if they had as many ads as YouTube.
With this test, Snapchat is attempting to combine the models of both creator funds and revenue sharing. But it’s hard to say how advantageous this product will be for creators when the payout formula remains a mystery.


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One of many main cryptocurrency derivatives exchanges, BitMEX, mentioned a complete of $1.0 trillion was traded on the platform over the previous one year.
BitMEX, the most important coin-margined swaps trade, added that this milestone comes after it accomplished the month-long technique of verifying its total person base in December. Verified customers can commerce on the go along with BitMEX Cellular, which was launched final 12 months in over 140 international locations.
Over $335 billion value of cryptocurrency derivatives have been traded following the verification deadline. Following the completion of the method, BitMEX recorded in January and February 2021 two of the very best month-to-month volumes in its historical past.
Alexander Höptner, Chief Govt Officer of 100x Group, the holding firm for the BitMEX platform, mentioned: “2021 will probably be a resurgent 12 months for BitMEX and the pillars of this platform have confirmed themselves to be rock stable. In 2021, which we expect might be a sea-change 12 months for the cryptocurrency panorama, BitMEX will differentiate itself by providing the perfect of each worlds – a good buying and selling atmosphere composed of verified customers alongside top-tier liquidity, efficiency and safety.”
Within the combination, development in crypto derivatives buying and selling quantity is now outpacing that of spot buying and selling. In line with information analytics firm, CryptoCompare, cryptocurrency derivatives buying and selling volumes greater than doubled in January to $2.9 trillion. That was a brand new all-time excessive, breaking the earlier report of $1.43 trillion set in December, additionally highlighting the buying and selling frenzy that has accompanied bitcoin’s cost to uncharted highs.
Nonetheless, BitMEX lags behind its main rivals. The biggest derivatives trade by month-to-month buying and selling quantity in January was Binance, which traded a complete of $890 billion. It was adopted by OKEx, which noticed its derivatives buying and selling quantity go up 102% to $582 billion, and by Huobi, whose quantity elevated to $499 billion.
On the regulation entrance, US authorities declare BitMEX served US prospects whereas flouting the nation’s banking legal guidelines. The favored bitcoin futures platform defended itself explaining that whereas Individuals can not entry its buying and selling companies by means of IP addresses based mostly within the US, some customers might have masked their precise identities by means of digital personal networks, or VPNs, to disguise their areas.


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'We need to develop some kind of critical mass that can support some concept, whether it's the governor's value-added tax or the general sales tax.' - Bob Anderson, executive director School Boards AssociationHELENA - The Montana Tax Policy Coalition wants to meet with Gov. Marc Racicot soon to see if it can persuade him to drop his proposed value-added consumption tax in favor of a general sales tax, members decided Tuesday.
However, the coalition generally liked how Racicot proposed to distribute the money raised by the value-added tax to reduce residential and business property taxes and income taxes and believe it also could be used in conjunction with a sales tax. It will seek figures from the Revenue Department to see how much a 4 percent general sales tax will raise.
Yet there was virtually no backing for the value-added tax among the members of the coalition. Its members included representatives of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, Taxpayers Association, Innkeepers Association, Association of Counties, Education Association, Association of Realtors, School Boards Association, Chamber of Commerce, Wood Products Association, Contractors Association, Grain Growers Association and Farm Bureau Federation.
Racicot has proposed raising $376 million a year through a value-added or business consumption tax.
Unlike tagging a 4 percent sales tax on the retail price of goods and services, under Racicot's plan, every business will pay a 4 percent value-added tax on the total of labor costs, depreciation, interest and profit and in theory would be able to pass on the tax to consumers. Critics say many Montana businesses like farmers and ranchers won't be able to pass along the tax because their prices are set by international markets.
"I don't see support for a value-added tax," said Dennis Burr, president of the Montana Taxpayers Association. "It's not a consumption tax; it's a business tax."
Unlike a value-added tax, the retail sales tax is "an up-front, open proposal that Montanans are familiar with," even though "they may not be enamored of it."
Jim Peterson, executive vice president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association and coalition spokesman, said he heard Racicot and Revenue Director Mary Bryson talk about the value-added tax at the cattle group's convention last week.
"I got the distinct feeling from the governor that he's keeping the door open, but he's not quite ready to give up," Peterson said of the value-added tax.
Gordon Morris, executive director of the Montana Association of Counties, said the group must find out if Racicot is open to discussion and "whether the value-added tax is negotiable." Morris said there are some good elements in Racicot's distribution plan, and wondered if he would be agreeable to replacing the value-added tax with a sales tax.
Bob Anderson, executive director of the School Boards Association, said, "We need to develop some kind of critical mass that can support some concept, whether it's the governor's value-added tax or the general sales tax."
The coalition and Racicot need to reach some agreement on a common tax plan, Anderson said: "Otherwise, I don't see much chance of getting anything passed."
Cary Hegreberg, executive director of the Wood Products Association, said the businesses he represents add value to wood products. Racicot's economic development plan seeks to spur adding more value to Montana products, he said, yet the governor also wants to tax that added value.
"On the face of it, it seems suspicious to try to be taxing something you're trying to encourage," Hegreberg said.
Rep. Robert Story, R-Park City, vice chairman of the House Taxation Committee, said he has heard two administration presentations on the value-added tax and they change each time, unlike a sales tax that has 20 years of work behind it.
"It's a good concept if it were a national tax or in a state that had a value-added economy," Story said, but it would reduce any incentive to add value in Montana.
He encouraged the group to keep working on a sales tax, saying it would win far more support from lawmakers than a value-added tax.
Montana Education Association President Eric Feaver said his group will back a consumption tax, noting it has been behind a broad-based sa
les tax for at least a decade.
Anderson said he was somewhat surprised the administration was still pushing the value-added tax. After the coalition raised similar criticism at a meeting last month, Revenue Director Bryson said she needed to go back to the drawing board, yet is still promoting the value-added tax, he said.
"Maybe it's pride of authorship," Peterson said.
There was some debate among coalition members on whether a sales tax should be on both goods and services. Mike Foster, executive director of the Contractors Association, suggested a sales tax on goods only. Margaret Morgan, executive director of the Association of Realtors, said group supports a sales tax on goods, but was uncertain whether it would back a sales tax on services.
But Tom Bilodeau, MEA research director, said taxing goods only would cut in half the amount of revenue raised by a tax on both goods and services.


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Many people are looking for ways to live longer. The good news is, there are simple ways that can be done to decrease the risk of getting sick and add few years to your lifespan. Over the years, researchers have found that lifestyle modification can help like changing your eating habit. Experts recommended adding avocado in the diet to achieve it but the question is, how much and how often do we need to eat it?
Many people are looking to find an answer on how to live longer. One of the ways that most would suggest is to quit smoking to minimize the risk of having cancer or to die from stroke. NHS added that physical activity combined with a balanced diet can also be beneficial to live healthier and longer.
Dr. Sarah Brewer, a medical consultant, and Juliette Kellow, a dietician both recommended the consumption of avocado. They both agreed that this fruit is full of good fats that can aid in wrinkle protection and lower cholesterol. It is also loaded with a lot of vitamins and minerals that can help regulate blood pressure and maintain a healthy eyesight.
Most would still ask how often we should eat avocado. As per the book of Brewer and Kellow, eating half of avocado three to four times per week is recommended.
They state: “Keep in mind the calorie content of avocado despite the fact that the super fruit offers several health benefits.”
The two stated some of the health benefits of avocado, these are:
Prostate health improvement
The lutein that is naturally found in avocados can reduce the growth of prostate cancer according to lab tests by 25 percent.
The same study also showed that lycopene can diminish the growth of a cell by 20 percent. When lutein and lycopene are combined, it can naturally minimize the growth of cell growth a whole lot better.
The advice of Dr. Brewer and Ms. Kellow is to enjoy a salad with a mixture of tomato and avocado. Tomato is filled with lycopene while avocado has lutein in order to fight against prostate cancer.
When you add avocado to your diet, it showed that it reduces triglycerides and the bad cholesterol while at the same time can increase the good cholesterol. They write: “The hearty benefits mostly came from avocados as it has a high content of monounsaturated fat.”
“Avocados have phytosterols like beta-sitosterol which is heart friendly that can help in lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood.”
Say goodbye to wrinkles
A study was made to participants aged over 70 discovered that with higher intake of monounsaturated fats, fewer wrinkles were noticeable. Take into account that around two-thirds of avocados are monounsaturated.
Brewer and Kellow added that the fruit likewise has vitamin E which is a potent antioxidant that can help in protecting the skin from cell damage as it keeps the skin protected from the UV rays of the sun.


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McDonald's will debut a line of meat-free burgers dubbed 'McPlant' in 2021 as it ramps up more vegetarian and vegan options.
The fast food chain said the new line, which will roll out next year, may include items such as burgers, chicken substitutes and breakfast sandwiches.
The move comes after McDonald's was criticised earlier this year for not having any vegan options on the main menu in the UK.
Furious customers took to social media to complain after lockdown issues saw Veggie Dippers and the Vegetable Deluxe withdrawn.
"Plant-based products are an ongoing consumer trend," McDonald's chief executive Chris Kempczinski said on a call with analysts.
"It's not a matter of if McDonald's will get into plant-based, it's a matter of when."
The McPlant could be tested as early as 2021,but it is unclear if the meat-free burger will be available across the UK.
McDonald's began testing a meatless burger called the PLT restaurants in Canada last year, according to CNBC.
The vegan patties were made from Beyond Meat, a producer of meatless products based in Los Angeles.
McDonald’s international president Ian Borden said: “As we have worked to better understand customer demand, some markets around the world have tested plant-based products.
"Informed by those learnings, we have created a delicious burger that will be the first menu option in a plant-based platform we are calling McPlant.
"McPlant is crafted exclusively for McDonald’s, by McDonald’s."
He added: “In the future, McPlant could extend across a line of plant-based products including burgers, chicken-substitutes and breakfast sandwiches.
"And, we expect some markets will test the burger next year.
"We are excited about the opportunity because we believe we have a proven, delicious-tasting product. When customers are ready for it, we are ready for them.”


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A Dublin schoolboy has fulfilled his dream by having a meet and greet with his football hero -- Manchester City player Joleon Lescott.
Ethan McGarry (11) won the chance to meet his idol after taking top spot in an international T-shirt design competition.
The star, who like Ethan is dyslexic, took the youngster from Skerries in Dublin on a tour of the football club last Saturday following his team's 1-0 victory over Swansea.
Football-mad Ethan was also introduced to Lescott's teammates, including Carlos Tevez and YaYa Toure, before Lescott presented him with a pair of football boots and the shirt he had worn for the game.
Then on Monday, Ethan was given a personal tour of the Manchester City Stadium, which included a chance to sit in the player's dug-out.
Ethan, whose dream is to become a professional football er, told the Herald his four day trip was "really great".
Talented Ethan, who is in sixth class at St Brendan's national school in Skerries, took top spot in the Aspire Attire competition for 11-16- year-olds, which is run by the National Literacy Association in the UK but is also open to Ireland.
The youngster is excited about his upcoming T-shirt on the theme of dreams and aspirations for the new clothing line launched by Lescott and Jordan Stewart.
Lescott said: "Ethan's design puts out a very positive message about believing in yourself no matter what obstacles you have to overcome. It will be a privilege to include it in the LescottStewart clothing line."
Proceeds from the T-shirt, which goes on sale next March, will go to the National Literacy Association to support their work with children who struggle with reading, writing and communication.


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Summer is hear and its time to hit the mall and whip out you loot so you can swoop up a pair of new kicks from Rapper Meek Mill who Previews Another Collab with PUMA!!!
Get the details on the flip via Meek Mill and his new collab with PUMA…
Sorry, but Rihanna isn’t the only artist that PUMA is working with at the moment, Meek Mill has his own line of sneakers for all to love and buy!
Aparently house arrest isn’t letting any grass grow under his feet because he and PUMA have come up with some sic new sneakers.
The Philly rapper, who is currently on house arrest, recently posted two teaser images of his upcoming “Dreamchasers” PUMA collab and we can only hope that they’re an upgrade from the trash that they’ve produced thus far.
Nobody is expecting the duo to produce a sneaker as popular as Yeezys, but there’s undoubtedly room for improvement here.
We hope the sneakers from Meek work this time around at least for Nikki’s and Philly’s sake, And Especilly, For Meek’s sake. For Nikki’s sake. For Philly’s sake.
In case you forgot, here are some of Meek Mill’s previous PUMA collabs, the ’24K White Gold’ Pack and the ‘Patent Pack’:
Here are all the photos:


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Cousineau Eye Centre Joins FYidoctors Press release
FYidoctors, the world’s largest optometrist-owned eye care company, has announced that Cousineau Eye Centre has joined the FYidoctors brand. The addition of the Cousineau Eye Centre marks the first FYidoctors location in Fort Frances, ON and the Northwestern Ontario region.
The Cousineau Eye Centre was established over 30 years ago by Dr. Thomas Cousineau who received his Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Waterloo in 1987. The clinic offers a complete range of family eye care services with a major emphasis in ocular health. The Cousineau Eye Centre also specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye syndrome using a variety of screening and treatment options.
“Any instance where we’re able to reach new consumers and deliver on our mission to enhancing the lives of Canadians, is one which we celebrate,” said Dr. Alan Ulsifer, CEO and Chairman of FYidoctors. “We’re thrilled to have Dr. Thomas Cousineau and his experienced team join the FYi family. We look forward to serving the people of Fort Frances and the Rainy River District with the same calibre of experience they’ve come to know – just now with a more robust product offering and increased services.”
Dr. Cousineau echoed the sentiment and commented on his excitement to relay the benefits of the partnership to his patients and community.
“We are extremely proud to be partnering with FYidoctors, the largest and most respected optometrist-owned eye care company in the world,” said Dr. Thomas Cousineau. “Joining forces with FYidoctors brings tremendous value to our patients by enhancing our ability to deliver leading edge products, services and technologies. FYidoctors also offers valuable industry resources and support systems which will serve to strengthen the level of care and service we provide.”
Cousineau Eye Centre is pleased to once again offer comprehensive eye care in a safe clinic environment and have implemented a new examination process with enhanced safety procedures, in addition to extensive cleaning of all equipment and touch points throughout the clinic. Operating under the FYidoctors brand, they will receive benefits such as access to exclusive brands, efficiencies passed on from the fully automated laboratory and distribution centre in Delta, British Columbia, and internal freeform technology that offers high-quality lenses.


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BlackBerry 10 phones, which will not be shipped until later this year, are again in the news due to some leaked images that were posted on Crackberry. The images, however, started receiving rave reviews from BB fanatics.
The BlackBerry news Web site has released some screenshots and pictures of a phone running BlackBerry 10 software.
The images of BB's much-hyped operating system show a great number of changes that have been incorporated including new user interface elements, implementation of home screen widgets on the devices, an updated icon tray with search, camera, and call buttons, quarter-screen widgets and so on.
The new screen, however, has a great resemblance with iOS, Android and Windows operating system and for the menu screen, BlackBerry maintained a striking similarity with the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0.
The new UI of BB phone call icon indicates that this time the company might include the video calling feature on its devices. The feature, however, can be made exclusive for BB devices (via BBM) as it is in the PlayBooks.
BlackBerry 10, which is being marketed as a brand new and completely refreshed operating system for a new breed of BlackBerry smartphones and tablets, is based on QNX software.
Although it is yet to be confirmed whether BB will finally launch the same design concepts for the OS, the leaked images strongly suggest that the BlackBerry's image of being ancient and irrelevant is in for a makeover to match the likes of the iPhone, Android and Windows phone.


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You might have thought the whole iPhone 6 Bendgate controversy had been put to bed following extensive testing and responses from Apple, but Samsung wants you to know that, unlike the new iPhones, its new Galaxy Note 4 won’t bend in your back pocket:
And apparently, our hips are strong – stronger than we give it credit for. Leaving things in your back pocket can lead to, well, bent things. Hence the question: what about my phone? Namely, the Galaxy Note 4…
Samsung didn’t mention the iPhone by name, but it’s a clear jab at Apple after the company has come under heat in recent weeks over the fact its new iPhones may be less durable than previous generations. Samsung posted the video above and images below showing off its durability testing procedures “to give you, and your back pocket, peace of mind.” In addition to the usual stress tests, Samsung also points out that it performs human weight tests to simulate users sitting on the device with it in their back pocket (pictured below). For what it’s worth, Apple gave its own look into durability testing procedures for the iPhone 6 following media attention over the bending controversy.
You know what this means. We’re about to see a ton of YouTubers sitting on their new Galaxy Note 4 when the device launches stateside this month. The device officially went on sale in Korea on Sept 26 and is rolling out to additional countries in the coming weeks. While sitting on Note 4 might not be an issue, you will have to deal with a large, unsightly gap around the display that Samsung said is a necessary manufacturing feature.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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The Path to Success for Youth Entrepreneurs in Singapore
A shot of Singapore by Lily Banse
In Singapore, the path to success is often laid out in a step-by-step manner as dictated by our education system. Like a virtual game, a character has to succeed constantly to progress to the next level. However, the beauty of entrepreneurship is that it thrives on failures – it is part and parcel of the route to success. One may easily assume that an entrepreneur packs up and leaves a start-up to work for someone else after facing failure. That is not the mind-set of a true entrepreneur.
In Singapore’s Asian culture, which is charged with the constant race to succeed, speculation can be made that the youth are afraid to make risky decisions or take the first step towards building their dream start-up company.
This may not be the case with today’s generation. According to website-hosting company GoDaddy, three-quarters of millennials in Singapore intend to become entrepreneurs in the next 10 years.
At a fireside chat with undergraduates at Singapore University of Social Sciences on 4 September 2019, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong dispelled stigma or shame attached to failure encountered by entrepreneurs. Instead of advising youths to keep at projects that are not working, he urged youths to work hard but recognise when something is not working, when to drop it and start something else.
PM Lee revealed that when he interviewed candidates to be part of his party and noticed failed businesses attached to resumes, he would be intrigued to know why. The candidate would explain that they were committed and believed in their business ideas, but couldn’t help that it didn’t work. He would still take them in.
“I do not expect to see somebody sail in and say ‘I started 10 companies and all of them became unicorns’. Life is not like that,” said PM Lee.
Singapore has catered to the many rising needs of entrepreneurs in Singapore. Banks and governmental schemes offer start-up loans. Many co-working spaces have popped up all over the island, made affordable for entrepreneurs and small businesses. There are also a number of entrepreneurship clubs and networks that provide support for entrepreneurs, from IHLs to independent agencies.
One such network that entrepreneurs have been tapping on is Heartware Network – Youth Business Singapore (YBS). YBS provides the entrepreneurs in their network with strategic business mentors to guide the entrepreneurs in their start-up journey, they also provide loans at an affordable rate, along with networking opportunities at a local and regional level.
Out of the many entrepreneurs who have joined YBS, one of them is a Mr Woo Sze Ming.
In 2010, Woo Sze Ming graduated from the Singapore Management University with a degree in Business Management. He could have easily settled for a high-paying job, but he chose to traverse a different path instead and started a business.
Gamurai is venturing into the Chinese market.
Fuelled by the passion of wanting to make an impact in Singapore’s 3D industry, he founded Gamurai Pte Ltd, a photo realistic, 3D virtual try-on service to allow users to create personalized 3D avatars effortlessly. Without support from friends and family, Sze Ming started the business even when others did not believe in his goals. When asked if he planned to do this for the rest of his life, he replied “Yes!” without hesitation.
Encouraged by his strong spirit of enterprise and the promising viability of his business venture, YBS decided to support Sze Ming and his business. His company received an interest-free loan of SGD$10,000.
In line with YBS’ structured and holistic approach towards enterprise development, Sze Ming was also attached to business mentor Mr Goh Yong Seng, Managing Director of MPayment Pte Ltd. Sze Ming also had a chance to be part of a 2-week YBS-YBC (Fujian) Entrepreneurs Exchange Programme.
Mr Goh’s advice and engagement with Sze Ming was certainly invaluable. Mr Goh provided great insight on what to look out for when he was planning to make important decisions for his business. Mr Goh also shared with Sze Ming challenges that he had faced as an entrepreneur in the past. This gave Sze Ming greater clarity on how he wanted to bring the company forward.
“YBS has provided a great Mentor, Mr Goh Yong Seng, to us and we have benefited much from his experience and advice. As youth entrepreneurs with no track record to prove ourselves, we may not know a lot of things. But we are prepared to learn, and do whatever it takes to make things happen.”
Now Gamurai works closely with research institutes, industry partners, governmental bodies and world class investors to help change and make a difference to the industry. Their product, Veon@Experience, is a software tool that empowers hair salons in their daily operations as a cloud-based business administrative tool.
Woo Sze Ming founder of Gamurai Pte Ltd at the Smart China Expo Cup 2019. Photo courtesy of: Smart China Expo 2019
Recently, Veon@Experience won the third prize under the overseas group category of ‘Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition on Big Data and Smart Technology’ at the Smart China Expo Cup 2019 that was held at Chongqing, China on 30th July, 2019.
Furthermore, Sze Ming also represented Singapore as a young entrepreneur speaker for the 4th ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Carnival 2019 held in Thailand.
The route Sze Ming took to become a successful entrepreneur is available to everyone who is passionate to succeed and works hard to achieve their dreams. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur who needs a helping hand, apply to join YBS. Email firstname.lastname@example.org for more information.


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Cyber Polygon to focus on secure development of digital ecosystems
The event is hosted by BI.ZONE, an expert in strategic management of digital risks (a part of Sber Ecosystem), and with the support of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Centre for Cybersecurity and INTERPOL. This is an annual event with 2021 marking its third occasion.
The key objective of Cyber Polygon is to enhance cybersecurity across all levels. It will traditionally feature two parallel tracks: an online conference for the general public and practical activities for security specialists.
The conference will bring together speakers to discuss the key risks posed by digitalization and share best practices in developing secure ecosystems. The participants of the technical training will practice their skills in mitigating a targeted supply chain attack.
One of the new features to be introduced this year is the real-time updates for cybersecurity specialists who couldn’t join the exercise. On the day of the event, recorded presentations from cybersecurity experts and the organizers’ insight into the training scenarios will be posted to the Cyber Polygon website. The materials will also be available after the event.
The key message voiced by experts at WEF and other international platforms is that supply chain security is to become a major cybersecurity issue in 2021. The ever-expanding digitalization tightens the interconnectivity between people, devices, companies and countries. Thus, the resilience of an entire system depends on the ability of each link within a chain to withstand threats of various grades.
Last year, the live stream attracted 5 million spectators from 57 nations. The technical training gathered 120 of the largest Russian and international organizations from 29 countries. The teams practiced targeted attack response, aimed at compromising company data and undermining its reputation. The attackers’ actions were simulated by the BI.ZONE team.


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Member States have until tomorrow, 1 May 2021, to transpose EU rules banning unfair trading practices into national law. The Directive, adopted on 17 April 2019, ensures protection of 100% of European farmers as well as small and mid-range suppliers against unfair trading practices from larger buyers in the food supply chain. It covers agricultural and food products traded in the supply chain, banning for the first time at EU level 16 unfair trading practices imposed unilaterally by one trading partner on another.
Farmers and small and medium sized suppliers, and their organisations, will have the possibility to file complaints against such practices from their buyers. Member States should put in place designated national authorities that will handle the complaints. Confidentiality is protected under these rules to avoid any retaliation from buyers.
The unfair trading practices to be banned include, among others, late payments and last minute order cancellations for perishable food products; unilateral or retroactive changes to contracts; or forcing the supplier to pay for wasted products and refusing written contracts.
Other practices will only be permitted if subject to a clear and unambiguous upfront agreement between the parties: a buyer returning unsold food products to a supplier; a buyer charging a supplier payment to secure or maintain a supply agreement on food products; a supplier paying for a buyer's promotion, advertising or marketing campaign.
The rules provide minimum harmonisation on unfair trading practices in all Member States, while Member States retain their right to go further than the Directive’s minimum standard.
The Commission will actively follow up with Member States concerning the transposition of the Directive. By November 2021, the Commission will present a first report on the transposition and implementation of the Directive.
In 2025, the Commission will present an evaluation on the effectiveness of the Directive. This evaluation will be based on Member States’ annual reports and results from the Commission surveys targeting stakeholders on the state of unfair trading practices in the agri-food supply chain.
This Directive contributes to strengthening the farmers’ position in the food supply chain. The Commission has also taken steps to increase market transparency and promote producer cooperation in this context. Together these will ensure a more balanced, fair and efficient supply chain in the agri-food sector.
- Publication date
- 30 April 2021
- Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development


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Hoax or no, Pinterest users should beware of spammers, security expert warns
PINTEREST users are being warned of scams that could dupe them in to making purchases on online shopping websites.
The warning comes after an anonymous user publicly claimed to be making thousands of dollars by spamming the picture-based social networking site.
“As a growing service, Pinterest is not immune to challenges faced by sites across the web, including spam,” the website said in a statement issued to Mashable.
“However, it is a tremendous priority for us to quickly address them. Our engineers are actively working to manage issues as they arise and are revisiting the nature of public feeds on the site to make it harder for fake or harmful content to get into them.”
The website has become one of the most popular social networks, allowing users to post photos to online pin boards and share ideas or inspirations in areas like fashion.
While in this case the spammer later retracted his claims as a “hoax”, security advisor for online security company AVG Michael McKinnon told news.com.au the threat was very real.
“Most scammers live for short term money,” Mr McKinnon said.
“They're going to exploit weaknesses in new sites, knowing full well that the operators would become better at blocking these things as time goes on.
"Pinterest is a very visually-based website and there is a strong consumer focus, it terms of the appeal of products.
“When you use compelling images, you've already got someone at your behest. You can persuade them more easily than just plain text.”
Tech website The Daily Dot initially reported the spammer was using automated computer programs - or “spambots” - to post fashion products to the Pinterest community, who then “re-pinned” the posts and bought the items linked to his Amazon accounts.
Amazon affiliates make money by driving users to sites owned by Amazon from other sites, such as Pinterest. The affiliates are also paid for any purchases made within 89 days of the initial click through.
The spammer - known as “Steve” - later contacted the site and said the claims were a prank.
“It was a hoax, period,” he told the site. “I thought it would be funny to play this prank seeing how popular Pinterest is and see how fast it could go viral. Honestly, if it hadn’t grabbed this much attention I probably would have kept playing along.”


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Dollar Tree Offers ‘Copy and Paste’ Sustainability Report, Shows No Progress on Chemical Safety
After Three Years, The Discount Retail Giant Reports No New Policies To Reduce Toxic Chemicals Found In Its Products, Despite Advances By Other Retail Chains
[Washington, DC] – Today, a coalition of consumers, concerned parents, health experts, business leaders, and scientists responded to Dollar Tree’s recently released 2016 ‘Sustainability Report’ expressing deep concern that the company has made no improvements or adopted new policies to identify and phase out toxic chemicals from products it sells since its last report in 2013. Public health advocates noted that a comparison of the product safety policy sections in Dollar Tree’s 2013 and 2016 Sustainability Reports are almost wordfor-word identical in language and content, with no new actions or policies listed since 2013. Observers are led to believe that one of the nation’s largest retail chains may not have taken any action to further protect the health and safety of its customers and employees now for several years. [Follow this link to read the full news release].


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Fitbit is reportedly looking to acquire wearables brand Pebble in a deal which is expected to be around $34 to $40 million. This comes after a financially difficult year for Pebble.
After a successful launch of its first product in 2012, pebble has only witnessed financial troubles in recent times. The company fired 25 percent of its workforce in March. Even after two rounds of funding which collectively raised $26 million, the company is largely in debt.
Having refused two previous acquisition proposals of $740 Million and $70 Million by Citizen and Intel respectively in 2015, the company has now run out of options.
Once the acquisition is complete, Fitbit plans to phase out the brand’s devices as its only interests lie in Pebble’s technology.


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New trade body for craft distillers launched
A new trade body set up to promote the interests of Britain’s growing craft spirits industry has launched in the UK, backed by the founder of the Cotswold Distillery.
Daniel Szor, founder and CEO of the Cotswold Distillery
The British Distillers Alliance (BDA) has been formed by by Alan Powell, a specialist independent excise duties consultant, with the intention of supporting British distillers and other artisanal spirits producers.
Announcing the launch of the trade body this morning, Powell said he had been “delighted” with the “overwhelmingly positive” response from craft producers throughout the UK.
One of its founding members is The Cotswold Distillery, which opened in 2014 and produces English whisky and gin.
Voicing his support for the venture Daniel Szor, CEO and founder of the distillery, said: “It’s great news that we’ve set up a distiller’s alliance specifically for craft producers”.
“This is something which is long overdue – our young, dynamic and fast-growing industry desperately needs a voice in Westminster and with HMRC, among others. We are an extremely positive force for employment, exports and tourism, and our story needs to be heard. We’ve known Alan for several years as one of the leading experts in fiscal and regulatory issues regarding beverage alcohol. His assistance to us, as to many small start-up distillers, has been invaluable.”
The UK’s craft spirits scene has mushroomed the past five years with distilleries springing up across the country at a phenomenal rate. In 2015 49 new distilleries opened across the UK, with that number rising to 117 in the last five years.
The trend is being largely being driven by millennials seeking authentic craft spirits and supported by the growing popularity of gin. Exports have risen by 37% in the past five years, with sales to 139 countries, worth £1.76 billion.
Further highlighting demand for the juniper-based spirit, Portobello Gin announced in May that it was investing millions in building a four-storey “gin mecca” comprising a distillery, hotel and restaurant on London’s Portobello Road.
Any members of the trade that would like support with spirits regulation or customs issues, or would like to discuss membership, should email email@example.com


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The decision to name Mr. O'Brien, 46, former president of ConAgra's Grocery Foods Group, comes as part of yet another round of changes as the former commodity agriculture company tries to remake itself into a premier package goods marketer. That mission, not yet achieved according to industry observers, has sparked many re-organizations at the Omaha-based marketer over the last five years.
Mr. Thrasher, 53, came on board in mid-2001 to help CEO Bruce Rohde streamline operations and reduce costs. Now, while ConAgra credits Mr. Thrasher in its announcement for helping evolve the business, specifically naming his achievement in realigning its retail sales force, it is placing its bets on Mr. O'Brien.
Mr. Rohde in a statement said Mr. O'Brien "has what it takes to fast forward our retail efforts to the next level."
ConAgra said Mr. Thrasher is leaving to "pursue other opportunities."


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Stocks in Asia sank behind European and US share futures as investors braced for a busy week with news on Chinese activity indices and the Federal Reserve’s favoured measure of inflation.
MSCI’s Asia Pacific index reversed earlier advances as Hong Kong and mainland China equities fell. Contracts for European and US equities also fell after the S&P 500 surge stopped at the end of last week, driven down by profit-taking in megacap tech sectors.
Concerns about China arose after Moody’s Investors Service removed credit ratings for 11 Chinese companies on Friday, in an extraordinary frenzy that highlights the repercussions from record default rates. Traders are now waiting to see if the government would provide additional stimulus after President Xi Jinping urged for a boost in traditional consumer product sales, such as cars and home appliances.
Expectations for new measures were also spurred by weak borrowing by local governments, sparking speculation that Beijing will pick up the slack and incur more debt. When China releases purchasing managers’ statistics later this week, whether or not current stimulus is beneficial to the economy will be scrutinised.


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May 23, 6:58 PM CDT
Media & Culture
HP sued, allegedly stole printer cartridge secrets
By IBT Staff Reporter on 06/09/10 AT 8:56 PM
Hewlett-Packard Co was sued on Wednesday by a New Jersey company that accused it of stealing and using its trade secrets to make replacement laser printer cartridges, and threatening its survival.


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CHICAGO — Standing in the dim basement of a meatpacking plant in the West Loop neighborhood, a 35-year-old start-up founder named Travis Pyykkonen conjured up a wholesome vision that was almost bucolic.
In one corner, Mr. Pyykkonen imagined a milk bar where customers could add blackberry-basil or banana-almond butter to fresh milk pasteurized on site. Over by some derelict filing cabinets, he saw a case for yogurt parfaits and house-made ice creams.
“What do we call ourselves?” he asked. “A microdairy. Like a microbrewery.”
His company, 1871 Dairy, already supplies grass-fed cow’s milk to Chicago’s top restaurants, including Alinea, Next and Blackbird. In the coming months, Mr. Pyykkonen will move his processing operation from Wisconsin to this au courant neighborhood a mile west of downtown, where meatpackers and fish smokehouses are making way for small-batch salumerias and coffee roasters.
Add milk to the long list of traditional foods that are being rediscovered by young entrepreneurs and reintroduced in small-batch — and often high-priced — form. That 1871 Dairy aims to process organic milk in a city, far from the dairy industry’s rural roots, makes it unusual in its ambition.
But the advent of high-end milk is about more than just a fashionable business venture. As historically low milk prices leave many mom-and-pop farmers struggling, some are choosing to ride the wave of the nation’s new food awareness. They are eschewing the traditional model of selling to commercial processors, instead bottling their own milk (and ice cream and yogurt) and selling it directly to customers. And they are heralding the various ways it may be different from conventional milk — whether unhomogenized, organic, from grass-fed cows or locally produced.
Milk, by its perishable nature, has always been a local product; most milk in this country travels less than 100 miles from farm to bottling plant, according to Dairy Management Incorporated, a national trade organization that helped promote the “Got Milk?” advertising campaign. Yet only in the last few years has it been widely marketed to consumers striving to “eat local.”
Now many restaurant menus cite the provenance of their dairy products in the same way they boast of grass-fed rib-eyes and hydroponic tomatoes. And consumers are willing to spend more for boutique milk at farmers’ markets and upscale grocers. At Whole Foods Markets nationwide, sales of grass-fed cow’s milk — much of it locally produced — have experienced “high double-digit growth during the past two years and will likely increase in 2016,” said Julie Blubaugh, the manager of local products for the company’s Midwest division. That surge is even more remarkable given the long slump in overall milk sales. Annual fluid-milk consumption has fallen to 159 pounds per person in 2014, from 247 pounds in 1975, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture. (Yet American milk production is at an all-time high, buoyed by demand for cheese, yogurt and butter.)
In East Homer, N.Y., a half-hour drive south of Syracuse, a small dairy called Trinity Valley began bottling its own products in 2014 in addition to selling its raw milk to larger commercial processors. Branden Brown, who runs the farm with his wife, Rebekah, and her parents, Ken and Sue Poole, said they were losing money after several years of record low prices, and saw the chance to charge more for premium products.
“In this day and age, with the milk market so volatile, farmers have three options: You get a niche and process your own milk, you get bigger, or you get out of dairy farming,” said Mr. Brown, 26.
TO READ FULL STORY: Follow the link Below>


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Mmode to host first annual general meeting April 19
Mmode, Montreal’s industrial cluster that aims to reassert the city’s place in the global fashion market, will host its first annual general meeting on April 19.
At this meeting, Debbie Zakaib, mmode General Manager, will discuss this year’s action plan as well as elect group administrators.
The action plan will focus on Mmode’s four pillars; brand image in an attempt to reinforce Montreal’s position as a global fashion city; workforce to find solutions to workforce issues and assist in developing training and mentorship programs; new technologies and investment support to grow productivity and create a repertoire of current support programs; and finally, market development and export tactics will be discussed.
This will be Mmode’s first annual general meeting since it launched last year.
President and CEO of La Vie en Rose and President of mmode, François Roberge, will also be in attendance as well as other Montreal fashion industry leaders like Éric Wazana
President, Second Clothing Inc., and Anna Martini
President, Groupe Dynamite Inc.
The event will be held at the Groupe Dynamite head office – located at 5550 Ferrier Street, in Montreal, a 5 pm.
Copyright © 2022 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Against the odds, Art Dubai kicked off on Monday.
The fair, now in its 14th year, was among the first to be disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Art Basel Hong Kong cancelled its March event as coronavirus began to spread. Soon after, the team behind the annual Dubai event took its programming to the virtual realm, creating an online catalogue and hosting the annual Global Art Forum via livestream.
It seems things are coming full circle for organisers this year, however, as Art Dubai is now among the first to stage a physical art fair in 2021, although this has come with a few adjustments.
For starters, it has had to move from its usual home of Madinat Jumeirah to Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), where booths are housed in purpose-built tents under the Gate Avenue building. The number of participating galleries has also been reduced from the typical 90 galleries to 50. The smaller set-up does have its advantages, as we bypass the often dizzying experience of large fairs.
Another change is that this year’s booths have been divided up into three halls, with no obvious categories, unlike previous years’ curated sections. Stripped of the themes and expansive public programming, Art Dubai 2021 hones in on what it needs to do – sell art.
With the lockdowns and cancelled events of 2020, the art world has taken various measures to try and stay afloat. Many boosted their online marketing, joining art market platforms and revamping their own websites to keep collectors’ interest. Galleries at Art Dubai 2021 see the physical fair as an opportunity to make up for what the virtual world has not quite delivered – making connections with collectors.
Personal connections lead business
Circle Art Gallery from Nairobi, Kenya, for example, is participating in an in-person art fair for the first time since the pandemic started. Its booth features works by Sudanese artist Salah Elmur, whose retrospective was shown at Sharjah Art Museum in 2018 and whose paintings have been recently been acquired by Centre Pompidou, and Egyptian artist Souad Abdel Rasoul.
Danda Jaroljmek, the gallery’s director, says that despite boosting their online profiles and joining virtual fairs, the efforts have “not been hugely successful”.
"Our business is really based on personal connections," she told The National. "While we get enquiries from new networks, it's mostly the people we do know and built relationships with are the ones who come back."
Now, she is waiting to see if the international crowd will show up. “It’s only the beginning of day two, so it’s hard to tell what type of collectors are actually here, whether people have flown in,” she says.
Online sales expected to rise
Erica Kyung, a sales associate at Aicon Gallery, unlike Jaroljmek, expects that its sales will still take place online. She sees the fair as an opportunity for patrons, collectors, dealers and artists to meet and catch up, with those interactions becoming the focus of their attendance.
“While there are people coming and everyone is excited to see each other again, I think where the actual art acquiring comes from will be the online enquiries. Even with the physical component, we are seeing a shift for more serious enquiries online.”
Located in New York, Aicon has brought over works by a mix of established, mid-career and emerging artists such as Rasheed Araeen, Rachid Koraichi, Khadim Ali, Saba Qizilbash and Saad Qureshi.
'Masks are inhibiting'
For the Tropical Futures Institute, a gallery from the Philippines, the first day already brought in regional institutional interest, with one work by Kristoffer Ardena being sold. Gallery director Chris Fussner says the decision to come to Art Dubai was "nerve-racking", with the general cloud of uncertainty hanging over many events in the last year. "It was intense to say the least," he says.
While the hand-wringing over the opening is over, Fussner says the gallery still has to consider how it will manage fees and the artists when sales come in. The fair’s new payment structure, where organisers take a cut of the proceeds instead of the usual stand fee, has made it “a little easier to come in and participate”, says Fussner, though he still has to cross a certain threshold to make the venture worthwhile.
The gallery may be off to a good start, but he says Covid-19 guidelines are making it harder to establish connections. “The masks are inhibiting in terms of micro-expressions and communicating,” he says. The absence of social events this year – parties and private lounges were once staples of any fair – might also hinder chances to network, he adds.
Elodie Cassamajor, a consultant for Tafeta gallery in London, echoes the same sentiment. "With the masks, sometimes it's hard to understand what people are saying or make myself understood, but I think we have to get used to it," she says. Her gallery, which has experienced cancelled events in the past, namely The European Fine Art Fair (Tefaf) Maastricht in the Netherlands, which was shut down early in March 2020 because of a Covid-19 outbreak, is showing the works of Niyi Olagunju and Nkechi Ebubedike, and Babajide Olatunji, whose delicate hyper-realistic drawings are magnetic.
Tafeta – among others – are hoping that Art Dubai 2021 won’t meet the same fate as the Dutch event. There have been hiccups along the way, after all, including a delayed shipment that meant an artwork could not be not shown in time for the first day, something which seems to be a pattern, with many booths still welcoming artworks on the morning of the second day.
Nevertheless, Cassamajor is grateful the event has been able to go ahead. “We feel lucky to participate in a physical fair," she said. "The collectors need to see the works in person and to engage with the artwork in person. It’s not the same [as it was before], but we have tried to adapt and move forward."


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On Tuesday, a Northern Irish supermarket opened one hour early to permit older customers to shop safely and get rid of the panic related to coronavirus-related buying, sparking similar moves south of the border in Ireland.
Saving time-slot for the Elderly
The west Belfast store of the Iceland chain of supermarkets is going to continue to begin its operation at 0800 GMT each day, saving the first hour for elderly customers, after tensed shoppers started rushing to grocery stores last week hustling to purchase essentials that have flown off shelves. Older shoppers, some with family members to support and one carrying a walking stick, queued up next to each other at the Kennedy shopping center before the shutters came up.
“I thought it was a great thing that they did this morning, it saved the rush and was nice and relaxed,” said Mary Heaney, a local resident after shopping for some groceries.
James McDonnell, who only had to buy few items, said he hoped other shops would do the same.
“There were too many pictures of older folk stalking aisles empty because everybody was in panic buying. This is a great idea,” he said.
Every step Helps!
Beyond the border in Ireland, where unlike Northern Ireland, schools, universities, and pubs have been closed; Lidl (German-owned discount chain) started imposing priority shopping for the older shoppers from 0900 to 1100 every day until further notice across each of its 163 stores.
Assuring priority queuing and additional assistance, Lidl requested asked other customers to respect the idea and plan their shopping trips accordingly as it may be unable to actively keep a check on compliance.
Tesco, one of Ireland’s three largest supermarket chains, is going to introduce dedicated time in-store three days a week for people over 65 and family care workers from Wednesday.
“Because now more than ever, every little helps,” the British retailer said on its Irish Twitter page, tweaking its famous slogan to fit the times.
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The inner-Brisbane suburb of West End will gain a sizeable second supermarket in the form of no-frills discounter Aldi.
The German supermarket chain, which specialises in selling bulk food items, has gained approval from Brisbane City Council to build a store on the corner of Montague Road and Victoria Street.
"The approval is a significant step in enabling Aldi to offer local residents the opportunity to experience high-quality exclusive brands at permanently low prices," an Aldi Australia spokeswoman said.
"There are still a number of steps that need to be undertaken before we can commit to this store.
"Once details are finalised will be in a better position to communicate store particulars, including the expected opening day."
Existing buildings on Montague Road will be demolished to make way for the discount chain, but president of the West End Community Association, Darren Godwell, welcomed the store, saying another supermarket was desperately needed in the suburb to serve its growing population.
"We absolutely think it's a good thing," he said.
Currently, residents rely on a Coles supermarket and an IGA supermarket on Melbourne Street.
"But part of the profile of the diverse retail market in West End is one of the largest fresh food and vegetable markets every Saturday, as well as a high number of independent retailers," Mr Godwell said.
"So the big-box retailer needs to be able to amend their format and their offering to best suit the demands of the neighbourhood, and that's what Aldi has done."
Aldi, which has 67 stores in south-east Queensland, is also seeking approval to trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the West End store.
But it is unlikely the store will be allowed to operate beyond Aldi's standard trading hours of 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm on Saturday, and 8am to 6pm on Sunday.
The supermarket has included space for 78 car parks over two levels of basement parking in the design.
The company, which is controlled by a reclusive family in Germany that tries to keep its profitability confidential, has invested almost $200 million in its Australian operations since 2011.
Yet the retailer is in the process of increasing its capital investment in Australia to more than $2.5 billion after deciding to expand from the eastern states into South Australia and Western Australia.
According to a recent Choice survey, a basket of mainly private label groceries at Aldi is on average 25 per cent cheaper than a similar basket of branded groceries sold in Woolworths and Coles.


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Developing nations move to break WTO impasse
Developing nations are working on a compromise which they hope can help break a deadlock in global trade talks, Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Pangestu said yesterday.
The Group of 33 (G33) developing states' secretariat was working to convene a meeting of officials to draw up a compromise, Pangestu said on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting in Singapore.
"We're working hard to come up with a compromise which we think is doable," she told reporters. Indonesia is coordinator of the G33.
"The secretariat of G33 is working hard right now as we speak. There will be, probably beginning next week, the beginning of informal discussions between senior officials to find the technical compromise."
The Doha Round of global trade negotiations broke down in Geneva last month after India and the US failed to agree on a safeguard mechanism allowing for special tariffs on agricultural goods if imports surge or prices fall.
Washington rejected Indian proposals that developing nations should be allowed to boost duties by an additional 25 percent on farm products if imports surged by 15 percent.
Washington insisted extra duties should be allowed only if imports rose by 40 percent.
Pangestu said a compromise was needed on the issue, adding the mechanism must be effective and easy to use, as requested by developing countries, but also "that this is not being abused, that there's discipline to using it."
She said the technical discussions hope to make progress by September in order to get the World Trade Organisation ministers back to a meeting.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on the leaders of fellow developing countries Brazil, China and India to help revive the stalled negotiations.


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VidCon Unveils New Logo, Plans Anaheim Convention in 2021 and Will Host Virtual Events Year-Round
VidCon has a new logo — and a new hybrid events strategy.
As part of launching the new look, the ViacomCBS-owned online video and digital creator events division announced that it’s adopting a combo digital and in-person model going forward.
VidCon said it has begun planning its annual U.S. event for summer 2021 in its regular home at the Anaheim Convention Center. For the first time, it will offer two digital-ticketing options: one that will provide access to livestreams of key fan-focused sessions from Anaheim, and one that includes on-demand access to VidCon’s Industry and Creator Track workshops, panels and keynotes.
In addition, VidCon is expanding virtual event programming to occur year-round. Necessity became the mother of invention after it was forced to cancel 2020 VidCon US because of the coronavirus pandemic, leading to the launch of the VidCon Now digital series.