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Don’t be discouraged by today’s announcement that RE Services Inc. has been sold. I have it on good word of co-owner Stan Ledbetter that the company, one of the nation’s largest vending/OCS/foodservice providers, was on a growth curve, as are all the acquiring companies – Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Five Star Food Service Inc., Tucker, Ga.-based Southern Refreshment Services, Hampton Roads, Va.-based Cardinal Services, corporate Canteen and HIG Capital.
Brothers Stan and Steve Ledbetter, age 65 and 62, came to a decision last March that after spending many years building the company their parents founded in 1963, the time had come for a change in lifestyle. Stan Ledbetter is anything but pessimistic about automatic merchandising’s future.
He noted that RE Services took its share of hits in 2008 and 2009 when the recession struck. But since that time, sales have improved. More importantly, the ability to offer better products and services spells a bright future for the Ledbetters’ 600 employees who have moved to the acquiring companies.
Ledbetter insists that the combination of vending, manual feeding, OCS and micro markets is a powerful business proposition. The brothers have long been technology leaders in automatic merchandising, and they think the innovations of the past few years have raised the bar.
The brothers started Debitek, one of the first prepaid cashless systems introduced to vending, in 1986. They sold Debitek in the early 1990s and it is now part of Heartland Payment Systems.
The brothers continued to expand cashless vending as the systems improved over the years. Stan Ledbetter claimed that 8 percent of all vending sales are now cashless, and rising.
The brothers were paying close attention to automated warehouse packing and to remote machine monitoring and they were planning to invest in these areas.
They were also paying attention to micro markets, which they see as a powerful complement to manual feeding. Ledbetter said the micro market offers a great solution to the need for satellite cafeterias, which are often unprofitable. Large cafeteria customers often ask for secondary feeding sites to save employees from having to walk long distances to eat.
The micro market allows the fresh food to be provided in a satellite site with minimal overhead, Ledbetter said.
The Ledbetters’ own commissary sales have reflected the recent growth in micro markets. Because of micro markets, commissary orders from other Canteen franchisees were rising in the last year. Ledbetter said micro market orders accounted for 10 percent of commissary sales this year.
Don’t get me wrong: the Ledbetters will be missed. Stan and Steve have been strong operators and active over the years in industry organizations. They invested more in employee training than most operators.
After buying the company from their parents in 1992, they grew the company tenfold, acquiring 13 operations in eight years. Automatic Merchandiser honored them as 1997 Vending Operator of the Year.
The decision to sell the company was based on personal needs and was not a reflection of the industry’s future.
Congratulations to Stan and Steve for their contributions to our industry. And a heartfelt thanks for their optimistic assessment of the industry’s future.


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Freshfully to expand to 11 new cities
- Staff Birmingham Business Journal
Freshfully plans to expand its online farmers market offerings into 11 additional cities.
According to the Birmingham News, the Birmingham-based startup, which recently received our Entrepreneur Spotlight award, will launch this week sister online farmer market websites in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee, as well as Tallahassee, Fla., Charleston, S.C., Little Rock, Ark., and Savannah, Ga.
The company also plans to expand in Atlanta and Macon, Ga., later this month.
In addition to its online farmers market, the company also operates a brick-and-mortar market in Avondale.
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Hackers targeting blockchain platform Multichain have launched a new phishing attack on Twitter to steal users’ assets.
In a false claim, hackers have told users that they are distributing FTM tokens to them. The tweets in which such a claim is made are being circulated at a high speed. The original tweet has been retweeted many times and bookmarked by some users.
The tweet stated that due to the hack of the Multichain platform, Fantom Foundation decided to distribute the FTM token to users immediately: “All users who have interacted with the FTM chain are eligible.”
According to CoingapHackers have also published a phishing link along with the tweet to encourage users to click on it. In fact, the hackers have identified themselves as the Fantom Foundation. The Fantom Foundation is a non-profit organization and the owner of the Fantom Protocol (FTM).
Last Thursday, the managers of the Multichain platform noticed that the volume of withdrawals increased abnormally; For this reason, they decided to suspend all activities until the root of the problem is found.
By the end of Thursday, $125 million had been stolen from Multichain’s assets. Most of this amount ($122 million) was stolen through Fantom Bridge in the form of wBTC, USDC, USDT and other altcoins.
C.ZThe CEO of Binance said after the hack of Multichain that all the assets of the exchange under his management are safe. He said that Binance had withdrawn all its assets from Multichain some time ago.


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Winter weather is finally setting in and the experts warn — this is when kids tend to share hats, coats and — head lice. Pharmacist Mark Christensen says parents should discourage the sharing of clothes and outerwear to halt spreading the bug. He says it’s a good idea to wash clothes and clean your house frequently. If prevention fails, Christensen says there are plenty of treatments for the little pests.
Christenson says "We recommend going to a pharmacy, buying a product that’s been tested thoroughly by the Insect Control Center in Washington D.C.," and use the products from the store to treat head lice. Your grandmother or mother may have handed down some rather creative home remedies for head lice, though Doctor Christensen says it’s likely best to avoid them.
He says things like vinegar or mayonnaise don’t work. They might immobilize the head lice for a time, but you still have to comb them out and if you miss one, the infestation will keep coming back. He adds, using a hairdryer also will not work to kill lice. He says you should look for a product that kills the lice and their eggs.
New products are being designed without the pesticide chemicals used in past years and he says they’re not only more environmentally-friendly and scalp-friendly, lice won’t develop resistance like they tended to do with the old treatments.
This year pharmacists and the National PTA have teamed up to offer a DVD that shows parents how to diagnose and treat lice. If your local PTA doesn’t have it available yet, he says you can surf to "lice-free-dot-com" or phone 1-800- "itching" and they’ll send you a copy of the DVD so you can find out more about things you should look for and things you should do. Ask the pharmacist at your local drugstore for brand names and other recommendations.


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According to a September 24 ToI report, though, the Indian government so far is “comfortable” as far as the import of this item is concerned. Nearly lakh tonnes of it have arrived at Indian ports amid the ongoing diplomatic tiff, ToI said citing officials.
“Against our annual consumption of 23 lakh tonne of lentils, the domestic production is around 16 lakh tonne. As nearly six lakh tonne of it has reached our ports we are comfortable and confident of not facing any problem,” an official told ToI.
Sources also said the government is likely to continue zero import duty on lentils beyond March 2024 to give a clear hint to overseas growers.
According to government data, in 2022-23, India imported 4.85 lakh tonnes of lentil worth Rs 3,012 crore from Canada and between April and June this year, nearly one lakh tonnes of lentil has been brought in from Canada.
The import of lentils from Australia has risen to nearly two lakh tonnes. India has also started importing masur dal from Russia. A consignment of Russian lentils landed at Chennai port in August.
In September 2021, the government okayed import of masur from Russia. However, due to phytosanitary concerns and high cost of pulses the kitchen staple were not imported from Russia. India is also expanding the basket of countries from which import of lentils is possible to meet domestic demand.
The overall domestic pulses production has increased in the recent years and campaigns have been launched to motivate people to consume alternative pulses such as chana (gram) dal. The prices of lentils has increased marginally to Rs 93 a kg compared to Rs 92 a month.
Tuesday, 28 Nov, 2023
- GenAI Models Not Always Factual, Issue Needs Fixing: Google’s Jeff Dean
Jeff Dean, chief scientist, Google Deep Mind and Google Research, spearheads Alphabet Inc’s recently merged artificial intelligence groups – Deep Mind and Google Brain. Among its most famous engineers, Dean joined Google in 1999 and has since been at the forefront of AI research in Silicon Valley.Subsidies may Run up ₹50k cr Higher Bill
India’s overall subsidy bill may surge by ₹50,000 crore this fiscal year because of increased expenditure on fertilizer, cooking gas and food security.Voda Idea may Miss Dec Deadline for Fund raise
Vodafone Idea (Vi) may miss the December deadline to raise fresh funding as the debt-laden telecom operator has yet to finalize the terms of the potential deal with investors, officials aware of the discussions told ET.
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Three-dimensional-printed ghosts are back with a spooky friend — and a cause.
MakerSpace and the Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre) have introduced a heart-warming twist to their production of the light-up accessories.
Instead of selling them, they’re spreading the spirit of giving by giving away these charming ghosts in return for support for students in need.
Bring at least one non-perishable food item to the MakerSpace and you can take home either a ghost or a bewitching black cauldron. Those with extra holiday spirit who donate as many non-perishables as they can will receive not one, but two of these spooky friends.
All donations will go directly to support UWindsor students.
The program runs on a first-come, first-served basis Oct. 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the MakerSpace, room 1110, Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation.


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|Day Low/High||1,780.92 / 1,830.63|
|52 Wk Low/High||1,307.00 / 2,035.80|
Amazon.com, Facebook and American Express could begin to break down in the near future based on their charts.
Roku's shares have fallen sharply in response to Comcast's decision to provide a free set-top to Internet-only customers. But the impact of this move on Roku's account growth will probably be limited.
Both companies are struggling to understand what this competitive e-commerce environment means for future guidance.
FedEx's weak quarterly earnings -- even with TNT Express costs aside -- give us some real-world proof that global growth is slowing.
As the shipping company reports Tuesday night, headwinds blowing from Amazon and China trade are strong, but there's a chance of an unexpected move to the upside or activist investor news.
* Fears of a passive investing bubble are overstated. * Apple's services strategy. * Amazon's changing search algos.
The U.S. economy may see a real lift-off in consumer prices due to higher energy prices, even if certain sectors stand to benefit greatly -- as might the trade deficit.
While recent concerns about the impact of Apple's TV+ service look overblown, Roku's big 2019 run-up has left it sporting rich multiples.
I added further to my long but that was it for my trading today. (VXX is my Trade of the Week) At 3:20 p.m. the indices are more or less where they opened. Breadth was only modestly negative. FANG got walloped, banks were only modestly lower (a "win...
Amazon is getting hit badly today (-$33). The company is the unexpected victim of the spike in oil prices (given its vulnerability to higher transportation/energy costs). I am a $1,800 buyer.
Larry Ellison's company continues to grow much more slowly than the broader enterprise software market. And it just declined to reiterate its full-year revenue growth guidance.
Our latest analysis and strategy on these FAANG shares.
* I continue to trade opportunistically and unemotionally - with a calculator in one hand and a contrarian viewpoint on the other hand * The overnight +20 futures rise (China trade-related) has been reversed to a gain of only 3 handles by 6: 30 am *...
Apple appears to be wagering its new services will boost ecosystem stickiness and drive hardware upgrades.
While politicians, media and government agencies take aim at tech giants, understand that these are the ones helping keep our nation strong and innovative -- and have the love of the people.
Investors need to have patience, but this is a solid strategic move by the company.
Apple is taking the necessary steps in order to set up future success ahead of the advent of 5G technology.
When you get a chance to buy the best of the best stocks down around 10%, that's a gift.
Owning a retailer like GME that is wholly dependent on such a specialized market is a bad bet -- as confirmed by the company's second-quarter earnings miss.
According to a report over at The Information, Amazon expects "annual revenue from all Amazon Go stores would balloon from a mere $28 million in 2018 to as much as $639 million in 2020." The same article puts the total number of Amazon Go stores at ...
Elliott Management has expressed concern over not just the expense made in diversifying AT&T's overall business direction, but also in the reshuffling of leadership at the C-level.
Should competitors act in a way that puts the U.S. economy at a disadvantage, then by all means the FOMC must act with a level of anger that intimidates.
Market participants are beginning to recognize that there's no stopping the avalanche in selling of the expensive stocks to buy the cheaper stocks like AT&T.
Jack Ma, the face of Alibaba and its Taobao e-commerce marketplace, will step down on Tuesday. How will the company he co-founded in his apartment fare without him?
LULU rocked its recent earnings report and is killing it, generally -- and here is why.
Everyone keeps asking me if there's a recession around the corner. My answer: I don't see it.
* makes a new high and I am sticking with my small long investment position. * , a recent buy, is up another $3 after climbing by nearly $4 yesterday. Holding on. * also on a tear, up by over +$33. Though its been an amazing multiple day upturn I am...
Williams-Sonoma has a 3% dividend yield and the potential for double-digit dividend increases each year, thanks to its strong earnings per share growth.


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Americans just can’t stop sticking things in themselves and each other.
Renewing an inward-looking annual tradition, Deadspin has released an inventory of items that people stuffed, shoehorned or otherwise deposited into human orifices across the nation.
Culling emergency-room data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the site organized the list by cavity — ranging from the nostrils to the nether regions. The website did not always specify just why these items ended up where they did.
But American ears, for example, attracted all sorts of odds and ends, from an unspecified chess piece to a deceased beetle.
One person opted for a flammable liquid and filled his ear canal with gasoline.
American noses were subjected to a startling array of insertions, including a plastic snake and miniature hockey sticks.
The commission offered a detailed description of one wayward nasal project involving a raisin:
“STUCK A RAISIN UP HIS RIGHT NOSTRIL, BROTHER TRIED TO REMOVE WITH TWEEZERS BUT PATIENT MOVED,” one emergency-room report read.


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New Delhi: The Company Law Board today stayed Telenor-controlled telecom firm Uninor's planned auction of its assets observing that the process followed appeared "very clever".
Passing an interim order on company's minority partner Unitech's application, CLB Chairman Justice DR Deshmukh stayed the 1 August auction notice issued by Uninor observing that the proposed auction process appeared to be "very clever".
It said that the Board would hear both the parties in length and directed Uninor and Telenor to file their reply by Monday. He listed the matter for hearing on 8 August.
Unitech, which holds 32.75 percent stake in Unitech Wireless that operates under the Uninor brand, had sought stopping of the sale fearing Telenor may be the only bidder in the auction.
Reacting to CLB order, Uninor said, "It is unfortunate that the stay has been granted."
"Uninor will pursue every legal measure available to it in the Indian courts to secure the interest of the company's creditors, customers and employees," it said in a statement.
The firm had on 1 August invited potential bidders to express interest by 6 August and said its majority owner, Norway's Telenor, was willing to pay Rs 4,190 crore for its 30 million customers and assets in case no other bidder turns up.
During the proceedings at CLB today, Telenor counsels contended that the decision to auction was taken in the interest of the company and its creditors who have invested more than Rs 5,000 crore in the business.
But Unitech lawyers raised questions on validity of Uninor's 31 July board meeting that decided on the auction saying the entire process was drafted just to handover the entire telecom business to Telenor.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
Updated Date: Dec 20, 2014 10:56:20 IST


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Paradox profits up 36% in Q3 thanks to Age of Wonders: Planetfall
Cities: Skylines and Stellaris expansions plus ongoing sales of Hearts of Iron IV and Surviving Mars also drove revenues to $29.4 million
Paradox Interactive has released its latest financial results, showing growth in both profit and revenues in its last quarter.
For the three months ended September 30, 2019, the publisher reported revenues of SEK 282.6 million ($29.3 million), a year-on-year increase of 26% from SEK 225 million ($23.3 million).
Operating profit rose by 36% from SEK 68.3 million ($7.07 million) to SEK 93.1 million ($9.6 million). Profit before tax increased to SEK 92.9 million ($9.6 million), while profit after tax rose to SEK 74 million ($7.66 million).
Paradox Interactive attributed the quarter's revenues to the release of Age of Wonders: Planetfall, as well as previously released titles Cities: Skylines, Stellaris, Hearts of Iron IV and Surviving Mars. The Steam Summer Sale was also a significant factor.
Both Cities: Skylines and Stellaris received new ports of their expansions for their console editions, which boosted the company's earnings. While predominantly known for its PC business, CEO Ebba Ljungerud noted that, "console games are an important platform for us."
"So far this year, [they] have generated more than 16% of our revenue, and we expect continued growth in console gaming in the coming years."
Ljungerud also pointed to this quarter's results at proof that its strategy -- which centres on releasing more and more expansions for evergreen titles to support them for years after launch -- is working.
Elsewhere during the quarter, Paradox noted that it sold an unannounced externally developed title to a third-party for SEK 80 million ($8.28 million), representing a net loss of SEK 1.1 million ($113,829).
The company also disclosed its results for the first nine months of 2019. Revenues are up 15% year-on-year from SEK 790.8 million ($81.8 million) to SEK 908 million ($93.96 million). Operating profit is relatively flat, up just 1% to SEK 310 million ($32.08 million).


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Oppo has launched its new smartphone Oppo A54s in the UK. The device is the successor to the Oppo A54 smartphone that was launched in India in April. Price and global availability of the new smartphone are not officially announced by the company yet but it can be expected that the device will make its way in the Indian market soon. Oppo A54s: Design and display
Oppo A54s smartphone will be available in two colour options - Crystal Black and Pearl Blue. The device sports a 6.52-inch HD+ display with 60Hz refresh rate and 269ppi pixel density. It also has a water drop style notch at the front that houses the selfie camera. The device is IPX4 water-resistant, 8.4mm thick and weighs 190 grams. Oppo A54s: Performance
The new Oppo smartphone is powered by octa-core MediaTek Helio G35 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Out of the box, the device will run on Android 11 based ColorOS 11.1 operating system. When it comes to sensors, the device has an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, geomagnetic sensor, gravity sensor and proximity sensor on board. It is a dual SIM smartphone and it supports 5G connectivity. For security, the device sports a side-mounted fingerprint sensor along with a face unlock feature. Oppo A54s: Camera
When it comes to camera, the Oppo A54s smartphone has an AI-supported triple camera setup at the back. The setup includes a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 2-megapixel mono sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. At the front, the device sports an 8-megapixel selfie shooter. Oppo A54s: Battery
The smartphone packs a 5000mAh battery and a listing on Amazon Italy suggests that it gets 10W charging support. To boost the battery life of the device, the company has added super power-saving mode and super nighttime standby mode.


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Four storage capacities are available for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, including 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
Key features of the iPhone 13 Pro models include a ProMotion display with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, a smaller notch, a faster A15 Bionic chip, longer battery life, several camera improvements, expanded 5G connectivity, and more.
All four iPhone 13 models will be available to pre-order starting this Friday, September 17 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, and all the devices will launch one week later on Friday, September 24. There’s a new Sierra Blue color available for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max in addition to the existing Silver, Gold, and Graphite finishes.
This article, “iPhone 13 Pro Available With Up to 1TB of Storage, Pricing Tops Out at Record $1,599” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums


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Cadbury’s Caramel is being relaunched as a standalone brand – a complete U-turn on the company’s master branding strategy. It follows the successful relaunch of Wispa.
The Caramel bar will be reintroduced early next year and will return to its distinctive yellow packaging. A dedicated advertising campaign is planned to raise awareness of the relaunch, although the Caramel bunny will not be returning to screens.
Cadbury moved the Caramel bar under the Dairy Milk umbrella brand in 2003 at the same time as it ditched the Wispa brand (MW May 8, 2003). The aim was to help Cadbury better support a number of variants with one brand campaign, and create a distinctive “purple patch” on shelves.
Cadbury marketing director Phil Rumbol is known to favour promoting individual brands instead of master branding, and is thought to have been keen to move away from such a strategy since joining in 2006.
One source says that the success of Wispa, which was reintroduced permanently earlier this year (MW April 10), has convinced Cadbury to completely scrap the Dairy Milk strategy, despite spending millions of pounds on the repositionings. It is thought Cadbury’s Caramel will sit alongside the Dairy Milk fruit variants – apricot crumble, and cranberry and granola – launched earlier this year to appeal to women (MW June 5).
Meanwhile, Cadbury is launching a range of chocolate-covered raisins, peanuts and crumbles in an attempt to make a major assault on the bite-size market (MW November 8).
It is understood the range, which will be available in hanging bags and single servings, will be launched under the Cadbury brand.
One source says it is a “major departure” for Cadbury because this is an area where it is “not as big as Mars”.


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Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. shares surged more than 20 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday after the company reported better-than-expected earnings, despite higher chicken wing prices.
The Minneapolis-based chain said that net income adjusted for one-time events declined 10.7 percent in the third quarter ended Sept. 24 to $21.2 million, or $1.36 per share. That easily bested analysts’ expectation for earnings in the period.
The higher-than-expected earnings came even though the company is paying 25.6 percent more for its chicken wings than it did a year ago.
The company said it paid $2.16 per pound for wings, a 44-cent increase over last year. Traditional wings remain a big cost for the 1,271-unit chain, representing 28.8 percent of the company’s cost of sales.
Yet the company shifted to boneless wings for its popular Wings Tuesday promotion, which increased profitability, executives said on Buffalo Wild Wings’ third-quarter earnings call. Boneless wings are cheaper than traditional, bone-in wings.
While that shift hurt same-store sales, mostly through lower traffic, CEO Sally Smith said, it improved profits. And executives said that the improvements should continue into the fourth quarter. Executives increased their expectations for earnings for the full year, to between $4.85 and $5.15 per share.
Smith said that half of the traffic decline for its Wings Tuesday promotion came from takeout orders, which are less profitable.
The wing price spike comes as same-store sales at the chain continue to be weak, down 2.3 percent at company-operated restaurants and 3.2 percent at franchise units. Buffalo Wild Wings’ unit count is about equally divided between company and franchised units.
Revenue increased $2.5 million in the quarter, to $496.7 million from $494.2 million.
Contact Jonathan Maze at [email protected]
Follow him on Twitter at @jonathanmaze


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ReutersMay 16, 2019 12:44:04 IST
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order declaring a national emergency and barring US companies from using telecommunications equipment made by firms posing a national security risk, paving the way for a ban on doing business with China's Huawei Technologies Co.
The executive order invokes the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which gives the president the authority to regulate commerce in response to a national emergency that threatens the United States. The order directs the Commerce Department, working with other government agencies, to draw up a plan for enforcement within 150 days.
The order, which has been under review for more than a year, is aimed at protecting the supply chain from "foreign adversaries to the nation's information and communications technology and services supply chain," said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
"Under President Trump's leadership, Americans will be able to trust that our data and infrastructure are secure," he said.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that Trump was expected to take action on the long-awaited proposal this week. The order does not specifically name any country or company, but US officials have previously labelled Huawei a "threat" and actively lobbied allies to not using Huawei network equipment in next generation 5G networks.
The executive order comes at a delicate time in relations between China and the United States as the world's two largest economies ratchet up tariffs in a battle over what U.S. officials call China's unfair trade practices.
Washington believes equipment made by Huawei could be used by the Chinese state to spy. Huawei, which has repeatedly denied the allegations, did not immediately comment.
The United States has been actively pushing other countries not to use Huawei's equipment in next-generation 5G networks that it calls "untrustworthy." In August, Trump signed a bill that barred the US government itself from using equipment from Huawei and another Chinese provider, ZTE Corp.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, who has called Huawei a threat to US security, said Wednesday that "given the threats presented by certain foreign companies’ equipment and services, this is a significant step toward securing America’s networks."
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.


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The Coronavirus and the Stock Market
If you’ve been connected to the grid at all over the past week, you’ll have seen unnerving headlines about China’s pneumonia-like coronavirus outbreak. The truth is, ‘2019-nCov’ infects new stocks every day. Maybe yours!
Get a quote for shares in Air Canada, down 7% last week. Toronto has become a no-go zone for travelers, having been the Western epicenter of Asia’s previous SARs outbreak in 2002. Forty-four died nationwide, so traumatic memories have gripped holidaymakers and ticket sales to the Great White North.
Mining companies in North America have also taken massive drawdowns since the outbreak. Crescent Point Energy and CONSOL were the worst hit, down 13%, and 9% respectively on fears that Chinese demand for natural gases, oil, coal, steel, and other commodities will fade. These stocks will remain in the red until the germ is brought under control. However, it’s not clear when that will be.
Someone healthy with the coronavirus can go about life normally without symptoms of fever for days, spreading the virus unknowingly to friends, families, and coworkers. Official cases have been reported in the Ivory Coast, France, Australia, and the Cali shores. However, way more unofficial cases exist. That’s forced the closure of every single cinema in China, an extension of the Chinese New Year holiday to hold off mass travel, and more people on lockdown than currently live in Spain. SOS!
Some investors have their money on the virus escalating into an official epidemic (worldwide outbreak), not just a pandemic (local community outbreak).
In such a scenario, shoppers would stay home, and shares in consumer discretionaries would fall. Take note of the world economy’s main support beam as well, consumer confidence. Some countries may revise their monetary policies if the situation worsens, going interest rate-negative to push the public back out into the zombie land to spend!
What more in terms of specific trading opportunities? Short interest in warm jacket retailer Canada Goose has spiked, and food-maker Maple Leaf Goods could benefit from rising pork prices if the virus spreads to Chinese animal products. Investing safe havens like government bonds and gold are going up, counter to American stocks generally!
Profiting from an illness that has killed 56 people and had its fear factor exacerbated by click-greed media outlets might cross the ethical line for some investors. That’s cool.
We’ll find out over the next month whether ‘2019-nCov’ should be a genuine point of concern for long-term investors. For now, it’s a temporary event. What goes down must come up, but there’s alpha to be found across all markets!


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Nam Hai Dinh Vu Port in Hai Phong city. (Photo: VNA)
This is one of the factors that make the demand for logistics real estate increase sharply, it said.
A survey by Savills Vietnam showed that Vietnam’s logistics industry is enjoying significant growth due to the development of the national economy, and the manufacturing and e-commerce sectors.
According to a report on the emerging market logistics index released earlier this year by Agility, a leading logistics and transportation service provider in 2022, Vietnam ranks 11th among the world's top 50 emerging markets, only behind Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in the Association of Southeast Asia Nations.
Vietnam’s transport and logistics market is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% in the 2021-2026 period. The Vietnamese government encourages enterprises manufacturing and attracts investment by establishing industrial and economic zones. Despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, this industry still thrives thanks to opportunities brought about by domestic production and consumption, economic growth, free trade agreements (FTAs) and the e-commerce boom.
According to Matthew Powell, Director of Savills Hanoi, Vietnam is a destination for many businesses in the manufacturing and logistics sectors, especially before the development of the e-commerce industry. This is coupled with an increased demand for high quality industrial real estate.
Currently, many businesses find it difficult in the search for locations for their factories and warehouses. Industrial parks and warehouse logistics, especially around big cities like Hanoi, have high occupancy rates even up to nearly 100% in many places. The supply of industrial real estate is falling to keep up with the demand of enterprises.
This offers an opportunity for international real estate developers to invest in Vietnam, he said.
Many investors are seizing the opportunity to launch products that are suitable for the market, therefore, the supply shortage will soon be resolved in the coming months, Powell said.
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Demand for logistics real estate increases sharply: Savills Vietnam have 501 words, post on dtinews.vn at August 16, 2022. This is cached page on Talk Vietnam. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


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A 7-Eleven in Arlington Heights will be the first convenience store in the village to sell alcohol in nearly 40 years.
"This is somewhat of a momentous occasion," Trustee Thomas Glasgow said. "Liquor being sold in convenience stores has not been allowed in Arlington Heights since the early '70s."
The village board this month approved a liquor license for the 7-Eleven store at 1418 Hintz Road in the Brook Run Plaza to sell packaged alcohol.
Trustee Bert Rosenberg, who has spoken out about tightening other village alcohol policies, passed on the vote.
Four Walgreens drug stores also sought liquor licenses. The locations at 3 E. Golf Road, 235 E. Palatine Road, 1000 E. Northwest Highway and 1711 W. Campbell St. were all approved to alcohol.
The approvals come just months after the village amended its previous policy that prohibited convenience and drug stores from selling alcohol. The policy dated back to 1976.
The old policy had been revisited many times over the years, according to officials, because previous village leaders took it on as a social issue and wanted to limit the proliferation of alcohol sellers.
"There was some rationale to that at the time, but this board and the members of this board had a lot of foresight to sit down and review that," Glasgow said.
The latest leaders of the village cited missed business and sales-tax opportunities in changing the law.
Since December, Arlington Heights has allowed convenience stores and drug stores that are at least 2,500 square feet in size to sell alcohol. The policy grandfathers in any shops under the size limit, though gas stations still aren't allowed to sell alcohol.
The stores can now sell any kind of liquor, although customers cannot drink it on site.
The village has discussed at length other parts of its liquor code in recent months, too.
As a result, the board decided to back away from regulating "Bring Your Own Bottle" concepts in restaurants and eliminated a requirement that liquor stores sell their alcohol in a separate part of the store.
And all employees — not just their supervising managers — serving or selling alcohol in a business are also now required to be trained in the state-licensed Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training program.Copyright © 2014, The Morning Call


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While our focus for the waste management sector has largely been placed on diverting waste streams from landfill to create a circular economy, a priority of equal importance is keeping waste contained so that it does not pollute the surrounding areas. The new challenge of baboons in many parts of the Western Cape is forcing many companies that produce high volumes of food and organic waste, to implement new ways to prevent their bins being raided and emptied to pollute the environment.
Offering a completely contained food and organic waste management solution, BiobiN is in discussions with the food, retail and hospitality sectors to use their on-site composting units as a baboon-proof waste management option.
“In Durban this has been a consideration for years with the Vervet monkey population frequently found in Urban areas of high commercial activity. You will notice that public bins have a design that prevents monkeys from accessing the bin contents,” says Brian Küsel, director of BiobiN South Africa. “In areas like Tokia, Constantia and Hout Bay we are seeing baboons moving closer to restaurants, shops and households. In many of these areas, baboons are likely to target restaurants in the attempt to access food scraps and waste. A facility should no longer place food and organic waste in a standard bin or bag as this is likely to get raided by baboons.”
We have seen instances where local wine farms frequently get raided by baboons as the troop has come to realise that food is easily accessible via the bins. Baboons have a diverse diet and can consume a wide range of food items, including fruits, vegetables, and even meat. When they come across a bin filled with food waste, they will not hesitate to rummage through it and consume whatever they find. This behaviour not only leads to on-site pollution, but it also disrupts the natural feeding patterns of baboons, potentially affecting their health.
“BiobiN offers an on-site composting unit that is completely enclosed and releases no odours that would attract baboons to the area in the first place. When enclosed bins are used, this will eventually deter baboons from the facility,” adds Küsel.
Baboons are highly adaptable creatures that quickly learn and remember patterns of behaviour. If they discover that a particular bin consistently provides them with a source of food, they will return to it repeatedly, causing ongoing problems and potentially attracting more baboons to the area. This can lead to increased conflicts between humans and baboons, as they may become more aggressive and assertive in their search for food. By using a bin that baboons cannot access, a commercial facility, like a restaurant, can effectively mitigate these issues. Using a contained waste management solution, like a BiobiN composting unit, will help to prevent unwanted raids and even the presence of baboons. This will also help to maintain their natural feeding patterns.
To find out more, visit www.biobin.co.za


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Is Iowa or Illinois the Most Dangerous State to Shop on Black Friday?
Over the past several years, Black Friday has developed a reputation as a wild and dangerous shopping day. Frantic shoppers are obsessed with getting the most expensive items for the cheapest prices. In fact, some people are so obsessed with getting the best deals that they have no problems standing outside a store several hours before it opens, no matter what the weather may be. Just like Christmas music playing immediately after Halloween, the shoppers start piling into the stores right after Thanksgiving, on the night of Thanksgiving even! Not saying that shopping is bad, but this specific day designated for shopping is sure to cause some problems.
Here are some problems you could possibly run into on Black Friday.
Car Accidents. Millions of people go out in the early morning hours of Black Friday seeking deals. With so much more traffic on the roads, bad road conditions, and distracted drivers, Progressive Insurance shows that car accidents spike 34% on Black Friday.
Personal Injuries. As you may already know, people...are...crazy! There are people out there who are not afraid to trample you and take that new iPhone 13 right out of your shopping cart! If you would like a real-life example; In 2010, several people were injured while fighting over towels that cost $1.28 at a WalMart on Black Friday in Atlanta, Texas. One year after that, a woman at a Porter Ranch, Calif., Wal-Mart used pepper spray on shoppers battling for XBox 360 video game units. Roughly 20 people were injured. Not only could you be injured by other people, but you could also accidentally injure yourself. Especially in the winter, there is always a bigger risk of slipping and falling due to ice outside and snow tracked into buildings creating puddles. Falling down in a big store swarmed with hundreds of aggressive shoppers is not how you want to spend your holiday season. So please be careful.
Potential for Theft. With such big crowds, shoplifting is harder to detect on Black Friday. Thieves try to take advantage of how busy the store personnel are. They do this by slipping stuff into their pockets and bags or hiding things under their clothes before exiting. Items left inside vehicles are also the main focal point for thieves. A lesson to be learned here, don't leave any money or expensive items sitting in your car!
Reviews.org shows a list of all 50 States with the highest chance of Black Friday violence.
Highest risk of Black Friday violence:
- West Virginia
- North Carolina
Lowest risk of Black Friday violence:
- Rhode Island
Illinois made the top ten list of being "highest chance of Black Friday violence", sitting right at the #10 spot while Iowa was in the middle at #23. According to the list, more people in Iowa seem to be interested in Black Friday shopping, however, Illinois has a higher violent crime ranking when it comes to it. Though the two states are side by side it looks like your best bet for safe shopping is on the west side of the Mississippi.
Violent Crime ranking
Interest in Black Friday
Hopefully, you are not too distressed about everything you just read, if you are, here are some Black Friday Survival Tips to help ease your mind and prepare you for the event.
- Make a plan
- Carry only what you need
- Keep your phone charged
- Leave if you sense danger
- Avoid Friday altogether and just do Cyber Monday
Safe Shopping Everyone!


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Last year, average phone prices hit a record, riding on $900+ handsets like the iPhone X
, Note 8
, or Pixel 2 XL
. This year, the trend is here to stay, it seems, yet at least one cohort may be jolly about it, and it's mobile game developers.
Users with expensive phones from Apple, Samsung and Google, it turns out, spend the most on games, too. In fact, research firm DeltaDNA has pegged the latest smartphones from these makers to have almost three times the monetization ratio, compared to the plebeian average of 2-3% of freemium
gamers making in-app purchase for the grand total of $1.50.
The Pixel 2 XL
users topped the chart with 11% conversion rate, and $3.46 spent, but it's 6.72% of iPhone 8
uses that spend the most on average - nearly $4. Above are the current record high monetization ratios, and DeltaDNA's CEO sound pretty upbeat for the mobile gaming future going forward, too, claiming that "this latest study should make encouraging reading for game publishers and developers as it reinforces the trend that better performing smartphone models deliver more positive game monetization KPIs


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According to a study by Boston Consulting Group, Electric vehicles are unlikely to become a mainstream phenomenon by 2020. Price is the main culprit as automakers maintain a long-term cost target of $250 per kilowatt-hour for lithium-ion batteries; the current price is between $1,000 and $2,000.
By the current price, a 20 kilowatt hour EV battery costs about $20,000 and are expected to fall to about $8,000 by 2020, but that is still not enough, according to the study which claims that consumers seek a three-year payback on EVs.
“Nobody so far has found the silver bullet,” Xavier Mosquet, leader of the firm’s global automotive practice, said. “A number of OEMs are going to invest money and not get the return unless there is a new technology or a new oil shock.”
The report also projects however that 265 of cars sold in major markets will derive some power from a form of battery, but these are mostly hybrid vehicles.
– By: Stephen Calogera
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)


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Valvoline Announces Line of EV Fluids, Grease
September 30, 2019—Responding to a growing electric vehicle market, Valvoline revealed a line of three fluids and one grease aimed squarely at EV operations.
The new products include heat transfer fluid, drive system fluid, brake fluid and a grease. According to a press release, Valvoline had an EV strategy team leading the development of these fluids.
"We've researched, tested and proven this line's capabilities in our own labs and using real-time data in real-world conditions," chief technology officer Fran Lockwood said in the release. "That rigorous testing process from our technical team ensures that each EV Performance Fluid meets the highest standards of this rapidly advancing category."
The products will help EV batteries maintain temperature, protect powertrains, prevent brake corrosion and help avoid seal bearing failure. Valvoline says it expects to present more similar products in the coming weeks.


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LuLu Hypermarket's Bahrain operations has won the Middle East Retail Academy (MERA) "Best Retailer of the Year" award for its performance as a consumer information technology (IT) supplies retailer.
The annual award,
LuLu Group International managing director Yusuffali M A has topped the Forbes Middle East 'Top Indian Leaders in the Arab World' list of business owners and founders, cementing his position as an unmatched business leader.
The Middle East has been portrayed as a key market with vast retail industry growth opportunities in a report that ranked the 250 largest retailers in the world.
The Global Powers of Retail 2014 published by Deloitte, a major prof
A campaign to promote and generate awareness of the locally-manufactured products in Oman kicked off at Baushar’s Lulu Hypermarket recently.
The Omani Products Exhibition is a part of a series of exhibitions of the Omani Pro
A hypermarket has been stocking its shelves with British meat, fish, cheese, bread, fruits and vegetables.
LuLu Hypermarket is marking Great British Week by selling the products, specially flown in from the UK, as well as decorati
UAE-based LuLu Group will open three more hypermarkets in Bahrain and also make a foray into the kingdom’s healthcare sector, its managing director said.
Yusuffali said the group had many more interesting projects in the pip
UAE-based LuLu Group yesterday opened the first branch of its remittance and foreign exchange business in Bahrain, with its managing director announcing plans of three more hypermarkets and an entry into the kingdom's healthcare industry.
LuLu Group International managing director Yusuffali MA has topped the inaugural Forbes "100 Top Indian leaders in the UAE" list.
Forbes, the world's top business and financial source, unveiled the list at an event h
Two UAE-based retailers - Emke Group and Landmark Group - have been named among the world's fastest 50 growing retail chains by auditing and research firm Deloitte.
Emke Group, which operates the region's largest retail ch


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A display contains frozen items, and the shelves are stocked with jars and cans. But there’s just one reason to visit this Boerum Hill business: meat.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
FEBRUARY 04, 2014
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
2014 - CELL FILM PRODUCTIONS NY, INC.
AROUND THE WEB
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By ANDREW COTTO - Wednesday Jun 14, 2017
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By SYLVIE BIGAR - Wednesday Jun 28, 2017
For 36 years, Bilal Egilmez, who learned his trade in Turkey, has altered and mended clothing at Genius Tailor, his Upper East Side shop.
- Bijan's Beverly Hills Estate for $12 Million
Thursday Jun 7, 2012
The estate of Bijan Pakzad, the Iranian fashion designer who died last year, is putting his Beverly Hills, Calif., home on the market for $12 million. Lauren Schuker has details on The News Hub. Photo: Marc Angeles/Unlimited Styles Studio.
- Food & Wine Magazine Will Leave New York for Alabama
By STEPHANIE STROM - Friday Jun 23, 2017
The move reflects a changing business in which traditional food magazines, and a Manhattan address, are less important.
- NY hospital offers to treat stricken British infant
By firstname.lastname@example.org (Fox News Online) - Saturday Jul 8, 2017
- NY couple 'enslaved' South Korean kids for 6 years: DA
By email@example.com (Fox News Online) - Thursday Jul 20, 2017


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Bordeaux in crisis as the tipple loses its flavour
A look at proud vignerons choking on the idea of promoting wine with takeaway food
THE vignerons of Bordeaux, the world’s wine capital, have met at a crisis summit in a desperate effort to reverse the region’s collapse in wine sales.
The summit, the second meeting in less than a week, was arranged after the publication of devastating figures showing that bordeaux wine sold through bistros, restaurants and bars across the region had fallen by 15 per cent last year.
The figures also showed that bordeaux’s exports — 280 million bottles were sold overseas for a total of €1.4 billion (£980 million) — were down 3 per cent.
Overall, in France and abroad, 716 million bottles of bordeaux were sold in the 12 months to July, down from 730 million — itself considered a disastrous figure — the previous year.


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While Gegard Mousasi has recently been at the center of a story highlighting sponsorship woes, the UFC middleweight contender was announced as a brand ambassador for Bridgestone, the world’s largest manufacturer of automobile tires.
“This is a meaningful sponsorship for me and a milestone in my career,” Mousasi told MMAjunkie. “Bridgestone is the most-recognized tire company globally. It is an honor to have been chosen by them to be their first sponsored professional MMA athlete. I am proud to be their recognized brand ambassador.”
Mousasi (37-5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is currently ranked at No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings. On Saturday, he scored a one-sided decision win over Costas Philippou (13-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) in FOX Sports 1’s UFC Fight Night 66 co-headliner at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Philippines.
Ahead of the contest, Mousasi was announced as a brand ambassador for the Japanese-based tire manufacturer, the first time the multi-national corporation has ventured into the world of MMA.
“Gegard Mousasi has always been known as one of the best and most exciting fighters in the world,” Mousasi’s manager, Nima Safapour, told MMAjunkie. “He is a sportsman of great character and principle. Based on these qualities, Bridgestone recognizes the tremendous value that Gegard offers for any global brand.
“Bridgestone is a blue-chip company that has sponsored such mainstream arenas as NASCAR and Formula 1. With this partnership, Gegard has become a pioneer; he is the first elite MMA athletes that has become a brand ambassador for the largest and most established tire company globally.”
Mousasi, of course, has been in the news as of late after filing suit against former sponsor Fear the Fighter, so landing such a high-profile partner is likely a relief in some ways.
Safapour also insists it shows the value of his client’s brand in a competitive landscape.
“The challenges that Gegard has faced with sponsors have not been unique to him,” Mousasi said. “It is an industry-wide epidemic for most all fighters. What the Bridgestone partnership represents is that professional MMA athletes do possess the star power to represent elite companies. It also confirms that Gegard has the international star power to attract such brands.
“This deal is monumental as he, along with a very select group of elite fighters, are helping pave the way for our sport to be recognized as mainstream entertainers. Only a handful of UFC stars have been sponsored by companies of Bridgestone’s caliber.”
Financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
Mousasi’s deal also comes at a critical time in the MMA space, as he wore the brand at Saturday’s fight. In July, the UFC’s new athlete outfitting policy takes place, leaving Reebok as the lone logo that will be displayed on fight gear.
“There is no secret that now it is going to become harder for MMA fighters to earn income with the mandatory Reebok uniform requirement starting in July,” Safapour said. “The earning capacity of most fighters will go down consequently. So the burden is on management to become more creative and aggressive with out-of-cage opportunities.
“Athletes are also going to have to take more ownership over their commercial careers with how they market themselves. They are going to have to be more active in self-promotion and networking with companies.”
For more on UFC Fight Night 66, check out the UFC Events section of the site.


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Absences, Surprises in Amazon’s Final List of 20 Cities for HQ2
And then there were 20.
Amazon has winnowed down the field of 238 submissions from communities around North America vying to host a second headquarters (HQ2) of the Seattle-based tech giant. Most large cities with existing or emerging tech hubs appear on the list, from Austin, TX, and Boston, MA, to Washington, DC, and Toronto, Canada—the only non-U.S. city to make the finals.
There were a few notable absences from the list, released early today. Detroit, MI, which had high expectations as a competitor, was left out, as was Madison, WI, and most of California. San Diego and San Francisco both didn’t make the cut, though Los Angeles did.
Of course, Amazon maintains satellite offices throughout the U.S. In San Diego, for example, CEO Mark Cafferty of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. expressed disappointment at missing the cut for HQ2. But in a statement today, Cafferty also noted that Amazon has been expanding its operations in San Diego and plans to employ as many as 500 developers and engineers there. It’s worth noting that Amazon has kept the purpose of its San Diego operations mostly under wraps, although The San Diego Union-Tribune suggests the operation appears to be focused on game development.
Nashville, TN, Pittsburgh, PA, and Newark, NJ, are finalists that aren’t often included in discussions about tech hubs, though each have everything Amazon asked for, such as professional workforce, land, and incentives.
Amazon plans to make a selection later this year.
In the request for proposals it sprung upon the continent last fall, Amazon outlined a massive investment and influx of high-paying jobs for the city that won the HQ2 prize. Cities have offered the company enticements from tax breaks to job-training grants to money for utilities. (The whole process has drawn criticism from some who see the company playing cities against each other to squeeze out the biggest giveaways of public funds.) Amazon says it will invest $5 billion to build HQ2 and bring as many as 50,000 jobs to the city it picks.
Access to humans with technology training will be a key part of Amazon’s decision, and its new HQ2 will likely make the winning city a company town, as it has done to Seattle. While Amazon’s growth in Seattle has come with some drawbacks, from traffic to cost of living, technologists in Seattle told Xconomy in January that the benefits outweighed the costs.
Here’s the full list of 20 cities that Amazon selected. Notably, Austin and Toronto have both been pointed to as favorites for the new headquarters.
—Los Angeles, CA
—Montgomery County, MD
—New York City, NY*
—Northern Virginia, VA
*Cities covered by the Xconomy network.
(Xconomy San Diego Editor Bruce V. Bigelow contributed to this report.)


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- By Editorial Team
Instagram Shopping Feature Rolled Out With Limited Access in the US
Last November, Instagram began testing a feature to allow users to shop directly from the photo-sharing platform — now it appears that feature has been officially rolled out, as American businesses using e-commerce platform Bigcommerce have access to shoppable posts.
Instagram’s shopping feature uses tags directly embedded into a posted photo (links continue to not be allowed within post captions), singling out specific items that users can either find more information about or purchase directly. Its initial tests started with 20 brands — including Kate Spade, JackThreads and Warby Parker — and will eventually allow companies to display shoppable photos as paid advertisements.
While Bigcommerce’s access to this feature is only available to American customers shopping in US Dollars for the time-being, it’s currently unknown how long until Instagram opens up the feature to other companies and other countries.
Quebec Grocery and Pharmacy Giants Join Forces
Business just picked up in Quebec with the announcement of the planned merger between two of its homegrown brands, grocery giant Metro and the province’s second-largest pharmacy network Jean Coutu, worth around $4.5 billion.
The news comes at a particularly interesting time, as traditional supermarket chains and major department stores, some of which have dipped their hands into the grocery cookie jar, appear to be beefing up efforts to compete for market shares.
Metro and Jean Coutu’s merger follows Loblaw’s $12.4-billion takeover of Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix back in 2014, as well as another recent acquisition — that of Amazon purchasing Whole Foods for a cool $13.7 billion back in June — that put players across North America on high alert and signalled a game-changing shift in the way people buy groceries.
According to both sides, there have been “exclusive discussions” of creating a combined grocery-pharmacy group with over 1,300 locations across Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick.
Twitter Tests Out Doubling Its Character Limit
Hold onto your hats, tweeps — Twitter might soon be giving you more characters to work with.
Last week, the popular social network upped the character limit for which it’s famously known from 140 to 280 for a group of test users, in order to gather data and feedback that will help determine whether or not the double-wide character count becomes permanent.
Twitter product manager Aliza Rosen notes that the sudden impetus for the increase is to afford speakers of most Germanic and Romantic languages (i.e. English, French, Spanish, etc.) more room to type, relative to speakers whose languages can say more in a single character.
For those who can’t wait and are looking to gatecrash the 280 party right away, several savvy developers have found workarounds allowing anyone to extend their character limit. (If you decide to try it out, let us know if it works!)


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Today, the focus is on a major Ebay deal, rising unemployment in Hong Kong, and progress in negotiations at the EU leaders’ summit.
The EU leaders reached a number of agreements on the regional economic stabilization fund, which caused an increase in demand for the European currency. Affects EUR
Ebay sells its advertising division for $9 billion to Norwegian group Adevinta. Affects Ebay
Starbucks began selling drinks to Chinese citizens on the Taobao marketplace. Impacts Starbucks
Hong Kong’s unemployment rate surpassed a fifteen-year high. Affects Hang Seng
ECB officials are revising the forecast for the EU’s GDP for the better. Affects EUR
Core Retail Sales for Canada will be released. Growth is forecast at 12%. If the real data is lower, CAD may decline.
The optimism of the European currency was due to market expectations for agreeing on the details of the EU stimulus fund, which will spend €750 billion for its purposes. However, the time has not yet come to resolve all differences. Therefore, EUR/GBP has sharply changed the direction of its trend.
According to technical analysis, the asset will continue to decline to the upward support level. Confidence in the direction is underpinned by declining price highs.
Basic dollar index
Pay attention to the US Dollar as the currency is in a very profitable place to buy. The dollar index is trading at annual lows.
To implement the idea of investing in the growth of gold, you can choose NZD/USD, which is suitable for sale. The pair has been near the resistance level for a long time, which caused high interest among the bears.
NZD/USD on this day in history
- Since 2000, July 21st has been a trading day 13 times.
- On 46% of those days, the asset finished trading with growth.
- The maximum strengthening range was 1.14%.
- The downward trend was limited to 2.29%.


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Parker McCollum is set to head out on the road on Thomas Rhett‘s Bring The Bar To You Tour, beginning June 17th in Gilford, New Hampshire and visit more than 30 cities throughout the U.S. Tickets for the trek, which also features newcomer Conner Smith, go on sale to the general public next Friday (January 28th) at 10am local time.
Stoked to be joining @ThomasRhett's #BringTheBarToYou Tour with @ConnerVSmith this summer. Gonna be a hell of a show! Tickets on sale next Friday 1/28. Can't wait to see y'all there pic.twitter.com/Q23O0nAmGO
— Parker McCollum (@ParkerMcCollum) January 21, 2022
Jordan Davis has released a couple of new versions of his hit “Buy Dirt” to fans. “I’m so excited to share my brand new solo versions of “Buy Dirt” with you,” writes Jordan. “The love y’all have shown this song over the past year is insane and I wanted to do something special to show how much I appreciate ya. This song is so personal to me and I’ve loved seeing what it means for y’all, too.”
— Jordan Davis Music (@JordanCWDavis) January 21, 2022
Mickey Guyton is featured at No. 6 on InStyle’s Badass list of 50 women who are making the world a better place, alongside leaders, activists, actresses, entrepreneurs and athletes.


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Festivals are the ultimate proof of life for a city’s craft beer industry. They provide a temperature check for craft beer’s broader social and brand relevance.
Is there healthy competition and cooperation amongst brewers, big and small? How does each brewery’s core range stack up in terms of quality and consistency? Can you taste the sophistication and innovation behind more experimental and seasonal brews?
Across all these tests and metrics, Singapore’s recent Urban Beer Festival proved the island state’s craft industry is sprinting into recovery.
Over two rainy days in March, Singapore’s brewers, beer geeks, thirsty office workers, friendly dogs and curious onlookers gathered in downtown Tanjong Pagar.
The motley Festgoers enjoyed a range of primarily locally-made beverages spanning craft beer to cider as DJs provided a background track.
Picking things up post-pandemic
“We just felt that it’s about time we bring everyone together to celebrate as an industry after a long winter – the first proper festival to happen post-COVID,” shares organiser Kevin Ngan.
“We were honestly not expecting such a good turnout. The show of support from all stakeholders was amazing”.
Defying the stereotype of doing anything to avoid the rain, over 2,000 Singaporeans came out over the two days. Queues remained until late into the evening on Day 2.
One brewery owner reckoned the crowd was “70% new faces”, a remarkable achievement in any craft beer scene.
Fortunately for fest-goers, not only was the whole event underneath a boulevard between two office buildings, but the inclement weather kept the temperature pleasant to remain outdoors – and enjoy a beer with a bit less sweat than usual.
“It was great and totally exceeded our expectations. We initially weren’t sure about the turnout given it’s the first event since Covid, but it was encouraging to see the industry come together, “ shares Brewlander Founder & CEO John Wei.
“We had to head back to our brewery three times to replenish beers because everyone was having such a good time.”
The interest wasn’t restricted to beer, either. Local meadery Lion City had a successful weekend.
“It’s been long overdue since we were able to have an event the likes of the Urban Beer Festival,” shared Lion City Meadery Co-Founder Justin Herson.
“I’m just really glad for the opportunity to hang out and catch up with everyone from the industry as well as old and new friends from the community.”
Cautious optimism across the island nation
The festival’s success underlines a cautious optimism in the brewing industry after the incredibly strict lockdowns Singapore imposed for a more extended period than many other countries in the region.
Some of the more notorious challenges included F&B venues following complex rules on group sizes, table spacing and closing hours – strictly enforced by a special task force of red-shirted ‘Safe Distancing Ambassadors’. Challenges also emerged around license types for craft beer-focused bars and restaurants.
“I’m very optimistic over the mid-term because now most restrictions are lifted, tourism is coming back. The initial revenge travel of folks domiciled in Singapore should be reducing, and more companies are requiring employees to return to the office,” shares Mr Wei.
There are still obstacles to growth, though:“Inflation has eroded the disposable income of most consumers, and it will be a challenge “fighting” for a share of their wallet”, he continues.
‘There are some major headwinds like raw material prices and energy costs that will persist, and in some cases may even end businesses that aren’t fundamentally sound.”
Singapore’s domestic beer production grew from 1.75 million hl in 2020 to 1.9 million hl in 2021, according to a recent global beer market report from hop supplier BarthHaas.
While craft beer was estimated to be only around 3% of domestic consumption in 2020, this market share will likely increase with more local craft beer production and increasing demand by Singaporeans for premium craft beer at restaurants and bars.
From an asset management firm taking over the previous Starker brewery to the aforementioned Brewlander building a bespoke brewery, Singapore’s domestic craft beer production has seen solid, consistent growth in recent years.
While on-trade remains dominated by larger commercial breweries due to larger sales teams, incentives and better pricing, visitors to Singapore can increasingly find craft beer served alongside traditional local fare in hawker centres and even into the early morning hours in mainstream nightlife districts like Boat Quay.
But back to the festival. As the final day wound down, Singapore’s brewery owners and staff gathered for a celebratory photo – exhausted but happy after their successful turnout.
“A rising tide lifts all boats: we hope to see more people enjoying good beers, which will only spur the us on as a community” shares Mr Ngan.
“We hope that Urban Beer Fest can also act as the catalyst to drive innovation within the industry, which will help Singapore to continue to set the bar for quality beers in the region.”


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'Pokemon Go' creators are making a 'Harry Potter' AR game
Accio smartphone! "Harry Potter" fans will soon get a chance to explore the Wizarding World in real life with a new mobile game from "Pokemon Go" creators Niantic.
Niantic announced that it will team up with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and WB Games San Francisco for "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite," a new location-based augmented reality game based on the world of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series.
"With 'Harry Potter: Wizards Unite,' players that have been dreaming of becoming real life Wizards will finally get the chance to experience J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World," Niantic said in its announcement.
In "Wizards Unite" players will learn spells while exploring real-world locations, encounter legendary beasts and team up with other players to fight powerful enemies. Fans were also teased that the game will include encounters with "iconic characters."
Like 2016's "Pokemon Go," "Wizards Unite" builds on the framework set by "Ingress," Niantic's first augmented reality mobile game. But the game, Niantic said, will also provide "an opportunity to pioneer all new technology and gameplay mechanics."
No word yet on an official release date for "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite."
©2017 Los Angeles Times
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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What a busy year 2015 was and we expect 2016 to be the same. Our highlights included over 100 emerging entrepreneurs starting their journey with Innovate, local team Generation Zedd being recognised in the Young Enterprise Scheme and over 200 participating in Startup Weekend style events in the Manawatu. Calfsmart and Biolumic completed significant capital raises and Sprout Agritech Accelerator was launched with the first cohort featuring eight companies from around NZ. With the launch of The Factory, our co-working, coffee lounge space, there has never been a better time to start a technology company. Rest assured that in 2016 BCC will again focus on playing its role in contributing to the growing entrepreneurial sectors in Manawatu and New Zealand.
We wish all of our partners and supporters a prosperous and rewarding 2016.
Dean and the BCC CrewPosted by


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Unsold Yeezys have been hanging over Adidas ever since the German sportswear company decided to end its partnership with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.
The company stands to lose more than $770 million if it doesn’t sell the millions of Yeezys piled up in its warehouses, it said while reporting earnings on May 5.
However, Adidas has been wary of profiteering off shoes designed alongside Ye since the collaboration ended over the rapper’s anti-semitic comments. Yeezy sales were halted immediately.
At Adidas’s annual shareholder meeting yesterday (May 11), CEO Bjørn Gulden announced the brand seeks to “sell parts of this inventory and donate money to the organizations that are helping us and that were also hurt by Kanye’s statements,” quoted in CBS news.
But selling Yeezys wouldn’t just be an act of charity. The rapper stands to gain from royalties of any stock Adidas sells, as Guden confirmed in March.
Although the line has been shelved, trashing existing products was a step too far. Gulden told investors that “burning several million pairs [of shoes] does not make sense.” Details of how and when the inventory will be offloaded are yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, Adidas can technically produce more Yeezy sneakers even without Ye. The company has all the patents and copyrights for the IP, designs, and colorways. It can omit the branding, give up the name “Yeezy,” and continue selling the shoe.
However, analysts warn against it. The shoes “will always be synonymous with West, and this would likely result in muted customer demand,” GlobalData apparel analyst Darcey Jupp said.
$2 billion: Yeezy sales in 2021
8%: Share of Adidas’s overall sales Yeezys accounted for
€1.2 billion ($1.3 billion): Revenue Adidas will forego in 2023 if it doesn’t sell Yeezy inventory
20%: Sales decline in North America as “the region is particularly affected by the discontinuation of the Yeezy business.” Excluding Yeezy, sales were down 5%.
Several businesses, including fashion house Balenciaga and retailer FootLocker, cut ties with Ye in the aftermath of his anti-semitic tirade. But the Adidas severance hurt the most. Just losing the Yeezy contract was enough to demote Ye from billionaire status since the deal was the largest share of the musician’s net worth, according to Forbes.


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Managers at Amazon’s JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island illegally threatened employees with loss of benefits and withholding or reducing wages if they voted to unionize over a period of about a year prior to the union vote in April, which the union ultimately won, according to a new complaint filed by the National Labor Relations Board.
“I think it’s historic,” Seth Goldstein, a pro bono attorney for the Amazon Labor Union, said regarding the NLRB complaint. “I think it’s going to reverse decades’ worth of anti-union decisions.”
Most of the alleged violations in the complaint have to do with what was said during so-called captive audience meetings, or when companies require employees engaged in union drives to sit through anti-union presentations or speeches, a common tactic by companies opposing unionization. In April, a top lawyer at the NLRB called on the board to ban such meetings, saying they “inherently involve an unlawful threat that employees will be disciplined or suffer other reprisals if they exercise their protected right not to listen to such speech.”
Goldstein sees this complaint against Amazon as proof the NLRB is moving ahead with that recommendation. “The historic nature of it is that it is actually a complaint that’s issued. The board is actually moving on this.”
The complaint alleges paid anti-union consultants engaged in union-busting tactics ranging from compulsory anti-union meetings, promising employees better pay and benefits if they voted against the union, threatening employees with worse pay and benefits or outright termination if they voted for the union, and addressing specific issues employees have if they promised to vote against the union, among others. The meetings, where Amazon representatives made these statements, were held between November 2021 and March 2022.
The NLRB also says Amazon distributed messages via text and its internal messaging app “Amazon A to Z” that also threatened employees with a loss of benefits and withheld wages. The company also banned workers from posting a call for Juneteenth to be recognized as an official holiday on Amazon’s internal “Voice of Associates” digital bulletin board, and revoked a worker’s ability to post on the board after they made the call for the day to be recognized as a holiday.
This is not the first time the NLRB has accused Amazon of engaging in union-busting tactics and audio of one of the captive audience meetings was previously leaked to Motherboard, in which Amazon representatives referred workers to anti-union websites, disparaged the Amazon Labor Union, and misled employees about unions are.
The NLRB has asked Amazon to post a notice about workers’ union rights under the National Labor Relations Act in all of its Staten Island facilities, including all bathrooms and individual bathroom stalls, and send the same message to all employees via text message, email, social media, and the internal Voice of Associates board. The labor board is also asking Amazon to read the notice aloud in front of all employees at JFK8 and schedule mandatory training sessions for all supervisors, managers, and anti-union consultants on workers’ union rights, and to submit an attendance list to the board.
Amazon will now have the opportunity to settle with the NLRB. If a settlement is not reached, the case will go to trial before an administrative judge. Amazon did not immediately respond to a Motherboard request for comment.
Goldstein said he hoped the case goes to trial, likely in September, so there is a public hearing. “The world is going to understand why captive audience meetings are inherently coercive.”
Update: After publication, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel provided the following statement: “Our focus remains on working directly with our team to make Amazon a great place to work. The allegations in NLRB complaint are without merit, and we look forward to showing that through this process.”


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Only 46 percent of surgeons who received at least $1 million from orthopedic device makers disclosed their relationships in their published scientific articles, according to a study by theInstitute on Medicine as a Profession, a think tank based at the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons.
IMAP examined the 2007 physician payment info from five device makers - Biomet, Smith & Nephew, Stryker, Zimmer and Johnson & Johnson's DePuy - that made 1,654 payments totaling $248 million consulting, honoraria or other activities, according to an analysis of publicly available data. Such info is increasingly posted by drug and device makers due to large settlements with federal prosecutors (look here), negative publicity over conflicts of interest and a new federal law that requires disclosure by 2013 (see this).
The study found that payments to 41 orthopedic surgeon researchers ranged from more than $1 million to a high of $8.8 million, and these payments represented 62 percent of all such expenditures. However, only 7 percent of 95 articles reviewed had disclosed any financial ties between device makers and journal authors. And all of these appeared in one particular journal that asked authors to disclose whether the company in question had paid them in excess of $10,000.
Moreover, none of the articles revealed the extent of the payments, even though almost all of the articles were related directly related to a device made by the device maker. Those who were paid $1 million or more appeared as first or sole authors in 26 percent of the studies, as middle authors in 36 percent of the studies and as senior authors in 38 percent of the studies. The study appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine (read it here).
“The findings raise troubling questions about undisclosed payments or royalties and other fees from medical device companies that could lead to biased scientific conclusions,” senior author and IMAP president David Rothman says in a statement, who argues that journal readers are not adequately informed of conflicts even when payments to authors are significant and that medical journals must become more aggressive in monitoring such financial relationships. Specifically, he suggests journal editors modify their forms to do a better job of gathering such info and the publicizing that the relationships in published articles.


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The foodtech innovator gave the choice of traditional vs. cultivated crispy chicken sandwiches and found 72% chose cultivated chicken
TEL AVIV, Israel /PRNewswire/ — SuperMeat, a foodtech company working to supply the world with high-quality cultivated meat, recently executed the largest cultivated meat consumer acceptance test in the industry, live from a food truck. The truck served a lunch-goer favorite – the crispy chicken sandwich – with options to choose a classic variety, or one made with cultivated meat. This industry-first look at a real-life dining scenario found 72% of participants chose the cultivated option, signifying an important first step in consumer acceptance as the industry approaches commercialization.
Despite the rapid growth of the cultivated meat category, there has been little done to-date in the realm of real-world product immersion. Inspired by the glowing results of its recent blind tasting, where professional chefs found cultivated and traditional chicken to be indistinguishable, SuperMeat decided to take to the streets and see how its cultivated chicken sandwich would hold up in a traditional lunch setting – compared to a traditional chicken sandwich – with real consumers.
Immediate feedback saw that not only were consumers willing and interested to try cultivated meat, with many saying they would purchase it if given the opportunity, but also had a baseline awareness of the benefits, including being a more climate-friendly option. The overwhelming majority who chose to have the cultivated chicken also cited genuine curiosity in the new way of producing meat – and overall they really enjoyed the sandwich, with several saying they would have never known it was not traditional chicken.
“Seeing so many consumers choose, and enjoy, cultivated meat validates the work SuperMeat has been doing to set the stage for products to enter the market in the near future,” says Ido Savir, CEO of SuperMeat. “With this milestone, SuperMeat, one of a select few companies nearing commercialization, demonstrated that consumers are ready for this more sustainable option.”
The consumer test showcased the potential for adoption from a major set of purchasing power, including meat-eaters, reducetarians and vegetarians alike. Among the first to serve diners cultivated meat entrees in a restaurant-like setting, SuperMeat opened The Chicken Restaurant experience alongside its production plant to showcase the transparent plant-to-fork process, helping garner favor for the approachability of lab-grown meat options. SuperMeat plans to open its first US facility in 2023, pending regulatory approval.
For more information on the company, visit www.SuperMeat.com.About SuperMeat
SuperMeat, headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, is a food-tech company working to supply the world with high-quality meat grown directly from animal cells. The company’s products offer a delicious meat experience and a high-quality nutritional profile, while being manufactured in a sustainable, slaughter-free way. SuperMeat’s proprietary cultivated meat platform allows food companies to be at the forefront of the emerging cultivated meat industry and manufacture a wide range of products containing cultivated meat inside. SuperMeat is the first B2B company to address the entire category of poultry meat from fat to muscle, providing a complete solution to cultivated meat production. The company has been showcasing the versatility of its meat platform in various events at its pilot production plant, The Chicken, the world’s first farm-to-fork facility for local meat production, and is planning to host additional events in the near future.
Rod Washington: Rod is a blogger, writer, filmmaker, photographer, daydreamer who likes to cook. Rod produces and directs the web series, CUPIC: Diary of an Investigator. He also produces news and documentary video projects. Check out his podcast StoriesThisMoment at https://m3e.d71.myftpupload.com/stm-tncn-podcasts/


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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) -
The new 2006 Dodge Charger, brandishing a nameplate made famous in the late-1960s era of powerful muscle cars, is being revealed in Detroit today at the 2005 North American International Auto Show.
|2006 Dodge Charger
Unlike the original Chargers of the 1960s and '70s, or subsequent versions before now, the new Charger is a four-door sedan. The car's sloping roofline and triangular rear side windows disguise this fact somewhat, creating an appearance similar to a slope-backed 2-door coupe.
"It's a car that evokes power and performance under the hood, yet provides everyday functionality and convenience," said Craig Love, vice president of Chrysler Group's rear-wheel-drive product team. "We have the proven technologies and the legendary Hemi engine that allow us to produce a modern rear-wheel-drive muscle car."
The Chrysler Group, which includes the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands, is part of DaimlerChrysler (Research).
Like the original Chargers, this one will be available with the Chrysler Group's Hemi engine, in this case a 5.7 liter V-8 with cylinder deactivation, a feature that imperceptibly shuts down four of the cylinders when full power is not heeded.
The Hemi engine, which will be offered in the Dodge Charger R/T, produces a maximum of 340 horsepower. It is the same engine that powers the Chrysler 300C and Dodge Mangum RT.
Production of the cars is expected to begin in May of 2005 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, where the Chrysler 300 sedan and Dodge Magnum wagon are currently built. All three cars share the same fundamental design.
The Charger will be available with two engine choices. Besides the Hemi, it will also be available with a 3.5-liter V-6 producing a maximum of 250 horsepower.
"With the HEMI V-8 engine and (cylinder deactivation), the new Dodge Charger has more power per cubic inch than its ancestors and provides all the glory of the muscle car era more efficiently than ever before," said Love. "With modern technology, this Dodge Charger rides securely on the road, stays planted through the corners and stops with assurance."
Mix of design cues
The rear fenders of the 2006 Charger have the same "Coke bottle" shape of the early Chargers but in a more truncated form.
The front end, meanwhile, carries the modern Dodge "face," a prominent grill carved into four sections.
"The Chargers of the '60s were distinctly styled, conveying fast, powerful and affordable performance," said said Trevor Creed, Chrysler Group's senior vice president for design. "That was a winning design formula then, and that's our design formula for 2006."
The new Charger sits 2-inches higher than previous Chrysler Group sedans, according to the company.
The fact that the new Charger isn't a true 2-door coupe is already causing controversy. The Chrysler Group has already received many letters of complaint about the Charger name being used on a sedan, according to media reports.
"If this vehicle has the characteristics, the driveability, the looks, the aggressiveness and the power of the former Charger, I quite frankly don't care if it's got two doors or six doors," Michael Robinet, an analyst at CSM Worldwide, an automotive consultant, Michigan, told Reuters.
"The fact that this thing has the power to back up what the former Charger used to be is extremely important," he added.


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Al Zayani launches Tunland and View CS2 from Foton
Kuwait Published on: 07 March, 2017 @ 4:11 PM
Al-Zayani Trading Co, the official distributor of Foton vehicles in Kuwait, launched for the first time in town the Pickups Tunland, and the visionary bus View CS2 van, during a ceremony attended by a crowd of officials, clients, and journalists in Foton Showroom.
The event comes as a part of AlZayani’s relentless endeavor to present automotive enthusiasts with innovative and sustainable vehicles that go beyond the expectations of its customers and meet their needs.
On his part, Ma Canliang, Foton West Asia Region General Manager said that” As a global commercial vehicle industry leader, and transport solutions provider, we always seek to establish a solid presence in dynamic markets like Kuwait in cooperation with trusted local partners such as Al- Zayani Trading Co. He added, “our trusted brand image and innovative technologies led us to be the Leading Brand Value for Chinese Commercial Vehicles, and the world’s highest commercial vehicle sales volume. As we expand in the Middle East, offering our clients in Kuwait, an outstanding customer service as well as added — value vehicles will always be a top priority”.
He went on to say “However, we have a solid believe that Al-Zayani Trading Co will utilize their expertise in the automotive industry, and excellence in customer service to sustain our excellence”. He concluded, “We expect high demand in Kuwait because our innovative vehicles have a badge of proven Japanese quality, components from top companies such as Mitsubishi, Cummins, Bosch and others”.
On this occasion, Vinod, General Manager, Al Zayani Trading Co, said that “today we present The Tunland, Foton’s signature next-generation pickup and the iconic View CS2 van and 15 seats Bus with different models and a variety of seat layouts to satisfy different seat demands, where both vehicles feature leading the state of the art and technology”.
He added, ”these three stunning vehicles with Japanese technologies, supported by Al Zayani professionals, will create new benchmarks in their segments and will dominate the sales in Kuwait”. He concluded “a 5 Years, 200,000 km warranty", Japanese technology and a dedicated service center in Al-Ahmadi.
News Source: Arab TimesLike


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Covid-19 is slowly but surely wiping out the contest season this year – with all FISE events and the Olympics on hold, Vans have just announced there will be NO Pro Cups this year. Here’s the official word!
Dear VANS PRO CUP friends,
Hope you are staying healthy and safe during this time of uncertainty.
As we’ve all come to witness, we are currently facing an unprecedented global crisis that has impacted the way we live, work and interact as a global community. It has caused global disruptions and changes to the way businesses operate beyond what could have been imagined. In light of the COVID-19 situation, our brand has been taking a series of precautionary steps to ensure that the health and wellbeing of our Vans Family and the global community remain our top priority. This has involved postponing or canceling upcoming owned events globally through to closing our corporate offices and Vans retail locations across North America, Europe, and select locations in Asia Pacific.
As a global brand focused on connecting with our consumers around the world through experiences and spaces that bring their creativity to life, Vans will always prioritize the health and wellbeing of our consumers and staff.
With that said, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Vans BMX Pro Cup Series season.
This was not an easy decision, but one we feel is necessary in the current state of uncertainty.
We will be sharing this news with our fans and the general public on vansbmxprocup.com and across our social channels Friday. Out of respect, we wanted to share this news with our partners first and foremost.
We recognize the inconvenience this may cause for each and every one of you and we are here to support you as we work together to find solutions. We deeply value your support of the Pro Cup Series over the years, and thank you for your cooperation as we continue to navigate this global crisis. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely, Andrew Mapstone, Andy Zeiss, Colin Mackay, & VANS Family


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The demand for currency from the population no longer plays a significant role.
According to analysts, since the beginning of the fall of the hryvnia will gradually fall in price. How fast to devalue the national currency depends on many factors.
As told by Professor, doctor of Economics Oleksiy Plotnikov, the fall of the hryvnia in the last days of August is the first indication that the national currency will continue to weaken.
“The illusion of stability vanished. The government is beneficial to the hryvnia weakened because for this year laid the course, 27.2 hryvnia per dollar,” he said.
The expert added that the country has not yet recovered from the crisis. Besides, the main sources of foreign exchange earnings in Ukraine demonstrate positive dynamics.
Meanwhile, economic expert Vsevolod Stepaniuk reminded that 40% of Ukrainian exports of agricultural products (mainly grains and oilseeds and products of their processing).
“Farmers started to sell their crops at the rate of 25.5 hryvnia to the dollar, so now they lose 1.5 HR on every dollar in the currency difference. Naturally, they are interested in the “alignment “of course,” said Stepanyuk.
He also suggested that in summer, hryvnia strengthened through the sale of foreign currency by the population.
Citizens donate currency more actively, than last year. For example, in may the sale of foreign currency by the population exceeded the purchase by $ 500 million in June — $ 400 million, in July — $ 350 million — said the expert.
Stepaniuc added that in the fall the need to pay for heating and other utilities again will force the Ukrainians to get into their nest egg, and thus slightly slow down the fall of the hryvnia.
According to experts, if the people buy foreign currency, which exerted significant pressure on the hryvnia, but now the picture is just the opposite. This suggests that a “safety cushion” is disappearing. And the former savings eaten away.
Therefore, financial experts expect that by the end of the year, the rate drops to the level of 27.2 hryvnia to the dollar, as planned by the government, or even 27,5-28,5 hryvnia per dollar. However, above 30 hryvnia per dollar rate is unlikely to subside.
© 2017 – 2019, paradox. All rights reserved.


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Jim Witt, Senior Attorney, National Legal Research Group
The virtual currency known as "Bitcoin," created by anonymous computer programmers, has been traded on online exchanges as an item of investment, subject to few fees and no government regulation. The price has fluctuated wildly, from a few cents to more than $1,000 per Bitcoin unit. Programmers are able to obtain new coins through a computer technique known as "mining."
With a growing number of merchants now accepting Bitcoin as payment and general pressure on governments to regulate virtual currency (especially in view of the collapse of the largest virtual currency exchange, Mt. Gox), the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") has announced its position on the income tax treatment of Bitcoin. I.R.S. Notice 2014-21, 2014-16 I.R.B. 938.
The IRS defined "virtual currency" as "a digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and/or a store of value," id. sec. 2, and noted that Bitcoin fit this definition as a form of currency convertible into legal tender.
The general announcement was that virtual currency such as Bitcoin would be treated as property rather than currency and that the sale or exchange of such convertible virtual currency, or the use of convertible virtual currency to pay for goods or services, has tax consequences.
General tax principles applicable to property transactions apply to transactions using virtual currency such as Bitcoin. A taxpayer who receives virtual currency as payment for goods or services must, in computing gross income, include the fair market value of the virtual currency, measured in U.S. dollars, as of the date that the virtual currency was received. With its classification as property, Bitcoin sales are subject to capital gains taxes but with long-term gains subject to a top rate of 20%, as opposed to the general top rate of 39.6%. Employers who pay in Bitcoin will have to report those wages in the same manner that they report any payment made with property; Bitcoin income will be subject to federal income tax withholding and payroll taxes.
Online exchanges that include Bitcoin in their dealings will have to provide customers with annual reports of the exchanges' Bitcoin transactions in the same way that stock brokerages and investment firms do.
The reaction by Bitcoin advocates to the IRS's announcement has been generally positive, on the basis that this is a step toward the legitimization of virtual currency.