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TV Check-in App IntoNow Downloads Coupon to Phone in Exchange for Watching
Watch an ad on TV, get a free Pepsi. Simple concept, tough to execute. But that will be a reality with a new app that allows users to “check in” to TV commercials, starting Wednesday.
Here is how it works: Consumers download the iPhone check-in app IntoNow and hit it while the commercial plays on TV. Audio-fingerprinting technology then recognizes the ad and a coupon gets downloaded to your phone for a free 20-ounce bottle of Pepsi Max.
Read the entire article at AdAge.


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BY: ONOME AMUGE
Commodity prices are skyrocketing globally as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to keep markets roiling, with agricultural products surging beyond projections, metals setting record highs, while oil and energy prices race towards highest valuations, altering the contours of policy making and corporate strategy globally.
Given Russia’s colossal position in the pricing of major global commodities such as aluminium, nickel, wheat, natural gas, crude oil, as well as concerns over shortages in energy, metals and the agricultural space, the world could be “sleepwalking into a recession,” MUFG, a global financial group, stated in its commodities weekly report.
With Western entities exiting Russia and the imposition of more stringent sanctions on the world’s largest country, the permanency of the bullish pivots across all commodities remains a central focus as prices sway towards inflationary pressure due to supply disruptions.
In an assessment of the potential effect of the geopolitical crisis on Nigeria’s domestic market, Paul Alaje, senior economist at SPM Professionals, an economic development research firm, explained that Nigeria, being a top producer of crude oil, is supposed to generate more revenue as the crisis has led to a sporadic increase in the cost of crude per barrel of which Nigeria produces about 1.8 million barrels a day.
Alaje, however, bemoaned that Nigeria is not prepared for gains as the country is a net-importer of petrol, which means that Nigeria will be forced to spend more on fuel importation which will in turn drive up local commodity prices and production costs.
“Government used to spend about N1.8 trillion on fuel subsidy payments, and will [now] be forced to spend more due to the increase in PMS and Nigeria’s negative exchange rate,” he added.
The economic analyst warned that if the situation between Russia and Ukraine is not urgently resolved, it is likely to lead to sporadic inflation in Nigeria with inflation figures rising to 18 percent in the next six months.
Sharing a similar sentiment, analysts at financial services group, Cordros Capital, opined that the impact of a prolonged Russian-Ukraine crisis will primarily impact inflation, the external sector account, and fiscal policy for the domestic economy.
They explained that the imminent upsurge in petrol import and subsidy bill has inflationary implications across sectors and the situation may worsen if the conflict escalates as it would affect cost of production, profit margins, purchasing power and may further worsen living conditions of the average Nigerian.
Commenting on the impending impact of the crisis on food commodities, Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, one of Africa’s largest conglomerates, said it is likely to lead to food scarcity in Africa’s most populous country within the next two to three months.
Dangote, while speaking at the recent annual Nigeria food processors and nutrition forum held in Lagos, explained that Russia and Ukraine produce 30 percent of the world’s urea, 26 percent of global potash and a significant amount of phosphate; major ingredients used in the production of fertilisers.
According to him, the scarcity of these products in the global market due to the conflict will consequently lead to a decline in the production of food products, especially wheat, maize and other staple foods.
Dangote further noted that the effects of the crisis are already being felt in the food processing chain as prices of fertiliser, wheat, maize, among other products, have already soared and are likely to surge if both countries fail to reach a ceasefire agreement.
To avert the impending food crisis in Nigeria, the business mogul advised export authorities to immediately halt the ongoing export of maize by some Nigerian producers/marketers.
He also called on the Nigerian government, food processors and stakeholders in the food production value chain to urgently meet and seek ways towards addressing the impending food crisis.
“Right now, you start seeing people exporting maize to earn foreign exchange, which I think we need to stop, so that we don’t create a shortage; and we need to make sure we grow more so we don’t have a shortage. It is about food security, and it is very, very serious,” he said.
According to the business mogul, the government and food processors and other concerned parties need to urgently sit at a round table to seek ways towards averting the impending crisis.
Boye Olusanya, chief executive officer of Flour Mills of Nigeria, who spoke in the same vein, expressed concern that Nigeria’s food production sector will be affected by the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Olusanya stressed that Russia and Ukraine occupy the first and fifth spots respectively in global wheat exportation, describing their production volume as almost one-third of global output.
He also observed that the prices of wheat have risen so far and there is a lag that comes due to inventory control, adding that it has become imperative that industry players meet with the government to discuss what measures can be put in place to alleviate the situation.
The Flour Mills CEO spoke further on the devastating impact of the conflict on fertiliser production, noting that the impact is not short term and could linger over a year to 18 months.
“When you look at all that and what then happens in pricing, obviously, if we don’t manage this well, there will be significant volume compression, in terms of material that comes in and therefore the volume of food that is sold,” he said.
The latest foreign trade data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Russia as Nigeria’s sixth largest trading partner.
According to the NBS, Nigeria imported N339.19 billion worth of goods including, durum wheat, fertiliser, iron, steel and mineral fuels from the transcontinental country, representing 4.16 percent of Nigeria’s total trade in the third quarter of 2021.
The NBS data further showed that Nigeria imported durum wheat worth over N128.1 billion between January to September 2021, reflecting Nigeria’s high dependency on Russian wheat.
Commenting on the geopolitical crisis, which has led to multi-year highs in the global wheat market, the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN), said the current situation will definitely lead to an increase in the prices of pasta, bread, cake and other confectioneries, leading to food inflation.
The association further projected that flour millers could capitalise on the situation to increase prices by hoarding the product to induce artificial scarcity.
AMBCN called on the government and players in the sector to intensify the usage of cassava flour as a substitute for wheat flour, noting that the move is capable of saving the country billions of naira.

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Tully: In Speedway, Main Street has come roaring back
It was a bit after 10 a.m. Wednesday, and that roar — that spectacular roar — filled the air in Speedway, as it does every May.
I love that sound. But what struck me as I drove up Main Street wasn’t the engine noise pouring out of nearby Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rather, it was the near lack of available parking spots, as well as the continued redevelopment and the exciting buzz of activity outside the track.
If it’s been a while since you’ve been to Speedway’s Main Street, a six-block stretch in the heart of the little town within a bigger city, it’s worth a visit. What was once a tired and empty patch of lost glory, a glaring example of untapped potential, is roaring back just like those race cars that were taking practice laps across 16th Street this week.
“I couldn’t believe how good it looked,” Carmen Price of Zionsville told me as she shopped Wednesday at Three Sisters and a Trunk, a local boutique. “I remember Speedway the way it used to be, when there wasn’t anything here and it seemed dirty.”
Next Mass Ave? Speedway loads up on food + drink
Motioning beyond the store’s windows at all of the new restaurants and others businesses, and toward the redesigned street and sidewalks, Price said, “Just look at it now. It’s beautiful.”
The evolution of the six-block stretch of Main Street has been playing out for several years. It’s been boosted by a smart master plan, public and private investment in the nearby track and the surrounding area, and an organic return by many to what had been both one of Indiana’s most famous locations and an underused asset.
I don’t visit Speedway often enough, but I do stop by every May, not just to hear the roar of the engines but also to check in on and write about Main Street’s progress. Year after year, that progress has impressed me. Time and again, I’ve found myself saying something along the lines of, “Main Street is right on the cusp on being something great.”
On Wednesday morning, it seemed closer to that destination than ever.
It was well before noon but already a dozen people were waiting to go into Dawson’s on Main, a popular lunch spot, and a half-dozen 20-somethings were drinking and eating outside Lino’s Coffee. Down the street, 15 people were in line at the spectacular new Speedway Indoor Karting facility, one of the businesses owned by former driver and former team owner Sarah Fisher. A large group, meantime, was holding a meeting among stunningly beautiful race cars at the Dallara IndyCar Factory.
Joggers, walkers and parents pushing strollers passed by. Robby Kendricks, an employee of Elemento Graphics, was in front of a building at 12th and Main streets installing one of what would soon be a dozen racing-themed murals. Not long ago, a walk along Main Street wouldn’t have provided much for you to do or see, or many people with whom to talk.
That’s not the case any longer.
“It’s changed tremendously,” said Anna Buck, owner of Tolen’s Florist, which sits on the northern end of Main Street. “There used to be so many vacant buildings. It really was a depressing area. It needed a lot of revitalization.”
It got it. A decade after buying her shop, Buck said foot traffic has increased dramatically. Main Street, which used to be little more than a shortcut between 16th and 10th streets, is now a destination. It’s not Mass Ave. or Fountain Square — not yet, at least — but its evolution is an inspiring reminder that struggling neighborhoods can be strengthened.
Business was bustling at Charlie Brown’s Pancake House. The family in the booth next to mine spent most of their meal talking about racing, and a police officer told me the past year has been a particularly booming one.
Walk up Main Street and you pass antique stores, restaurants, breweries and offices, as well as businesses whose names provide evidence of the area’s racing DNA: Foyt Wine Vault, Ed Carpenter Racing, Fisher’s business and the Dallara factory.
Such big names have received a lot of the attention as Main Street has been revitalized in recent years. But it’s also important to remember the role played by smart government decisions: Infrastructure investments that encourage walking and biking, a willingness to purchase old sites for redevelopment, carefully designed economic development incentives and a plan based, in part, on leveraging and growing the connection to racing.
“The town is doing everything right,” said Marie Hall, who came out of retirement to open the Three Sisters and a Trunk boutique two years ago. “They’re making it grow and it’s been wonderful.”
Are Indy 500 fans ready for Speedway's big roundabout?
Signs of future progress are easy to find. Across from Hall’s store, a new parking garage will soon go up, part of a project expected to include condominiums, apartments and a much-needed hotel. Nearby, construction is starting on another building that will house retail and restaurants. And just east of Main Street, Juncos Racing is building a new 41,000-square-foot headquarters.
As she sat in her boutique Wednesday helping a steady flow of customers, Hall laughed and said the redevelopment of Main Street has almost been too impressive.
“Have you ever heard anyone complain about business being too good?" she asked. “Well, I’m almost there.”
She’s there because a little town in the heart of Indianapolis, a town known for a very famous race, has both embraced its history and focused on its future. It’s a wonderful reminder of the art of the possible.
You can reach me at firstname.lastname@example.org or on Twitter: @matthewltully.


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Fast fashion retailer Quiz, a Top100 trader in IRUK Top500 research, has put digital centrestage in its Westfield Stratford City store.
The refurbished 2,400 sq ft shop includes an in-store digital kiosk where shoppers can browse and order the full collection online, either for home delivery or to collect from a branch. Staff in the store are equipped with iPads so they can advise customers on the wider range, order in a different size or arrange for home delivery or in-store pick up.
Social media has been brought into the store through a scatter wall that showcases social media content, campaign videos and photography from Quiz photoshoots.
“Just like our clothes, this store is designed to stand out,” said Omar Aziz, retail operations director at QUIZ. “Our products are designed to make women feel glamorous, so we want our store experience to reflect this by making our customers feel special and to leave them with a lasting impression.
“Social is huge for us so we are delighted to be able to incorporate this into our physical stores via the scatter wall. By bringing the latest technology in store, we can showcase our wider offering and bring the QUIZ brand to life.”
The reopened store comes after a financial year in which Quiz, which trades through more than 220 UK and Republic of Ireland outlets and 47 international stores in 20 countries as well as online, has reported revenues of £87.4m in the year to March 31 2016, up from £78.2m at the same time last year. It has also moved up from being an IRUK Top150 company to a Top100 retailer. During the year it invested in expanding its store estate, both in the UK and internationally, and invested £3m in a warehouse in Scotland to support further growth. It now trades in more than 20 countries around the world.


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Foldable phones have emerged as the next big thing in the smartphone industry, with phone makers including Samsung, Huawei and Motorola leading the race with devices of their own in the segment. Yet, Apple has distanced itself from the hustle as it has yet to step into the ring with a foldable phone.
But that could be about to change real soon.
A recent report has emerged which claims the company has recently filed a patent for a design that would use a flexible display. The design appears to be similar to clamshell ones we’ve seen on the Galaxy Z Flip and the Moto Razr.
This was revealed after the US Patent and Trademark Office published a patent filed by Apple titled "Electronic devices with flexible displays and hinges." The patent talks about a flexible display that can fold and unfold using a hinge mechanism to make sure there's adequate space between the folding portions of the display.
While patents are never a confirmation that something concrete is going on in the background, however, it is always a good enough indication of the plans of a company. It will also be prudent to note that the iPhone maker filed a similar patent for a folding device with a clamshell design last February.
So if anything this new patent is a stronger hint at what has been predicted quite a few times in the past. While a foldable iPhone is definitely a strong possibility for the future, Apple analysts in the past have suggested that the company could be making a folding iPad sometime in 2021.
But if and when this new foldable iPhone comes to the market, don’t expect to be cheap. Foldable phones right now are quite expensive, with the Galaxy Fold 2 retailing at Rs 1,64,990 last year. The foldable iPhone as such could be more expensive than this, thus making it an uber premium device, affordable only for the select few.


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Motorola and Verizon To Launch TV Tablet, Report Says
By Ian Paul
Rumors of an Android-based tablet from Motorola and Verizon have surfaced claiming the 10-inch device may be on store shelves by the fall. Motorola’s tablet would be a direct competitor to Apple’s iPad. But unlike Apple’s tablet, you would be able to watch television on the Motorola device thanks to integration with Verizon’s FIOS digital TV service, according to the Financial Times.
The Times doesn’t provide any detailed specs for the tablet, but does say it would support Flash video–another feature the iPad lacks. The 10-inch device would also have a rear-facing camera for taking snapshots and a front-facing camera for video conferencing. You would also be able to turn the tablet into a Wi-Fi hotspot, according to the Times, suggesting the device would likely have 3G connectivity provided by Verizon.
Reports have been circulating for some time that both Verizon and Motorola are planning Android-based tablets. In May, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam told The Wall Street Journal the carrier is collaborating with Google to produce an Android tablet that will compete directly with the iPad. McAdam did not say anything about a partnership with Motorola during the interview.
An Android tablet from Motorola and Verizon could be an exciting prospect. Especially if the device is able to stream live television and access Flash-based video Websites such as Hulu and Amazon Video On Demand. If the rumored Motorola tablet is integrated with Verizon’s digital TV service, I also have to wonder whether it will also support Google TV–an Android-based platform Google hopes will finally merge the Web with your living room television.
The device may be just rumors at this point, but a Motorola-Verizon partnership would make a lot of sense. The two companies are both heavily invested in the Android platform, and have already worked closely on popular Android products such as the newly launched Droid X. So far, there’s no word on pricing or storage capabilities for the rumored tablet.
If Motorola’s tablet does make an appearance this fall it may not be the only Android-based iPad competitor out this year. Samsung has invited the media to a press event scheduled for next Wednesday where the company is expected to unveil the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy tablet.


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Rio Tinto and AMP have proven that the corporate distrust caused by moral blindness is an increasingly important risk factor in the nation’s boardrooms. Ignore it at your peril, directors, writes Michele Levine.
The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry laid bare the consequences of moral blindness — and distrust in financial services companies soared. Data released in the most recent Roy Morgan Risk Monitor shows that moral blindness and its resultant distrust remains alive and active.
The report shows that since the Royal Commission, AMP, for instance, has moved from having virtually no distrust to being one of the most distrusted brands in Australia — and its share price has plummeted by more than 70 per cent.
The Risk Monitor also highlights the impact of Rio Tinto’s decision to destroy the 46,000-year-old Juukan Indigenous heritage site, with the mining company leaping into the top 10 of Australia’s most distrusted brands — even more distrusted than Adani. Senior AMP executives, including the CEO, have been forced to quit. In the top 10 of most-distrusted brands, AMP ranks number five, Rio Tinto, four.
The most-trusted list, on the other hand, is dominated by retail brands, perhaps unsurprisingly given their role during the health crisis. Woolworths and Coles have jumped into the top two spots on the top 10 most trusted brands in the country. While Bunnings and ALDI have dropped to third and fourth, they are still highly trusted by Australians. Given our reliance on technology during the lockdowns, it is also unsurprising that Apple and Microsoft have, for the first time, entered the top 10 most trusted list.
So, what does this data tell us about 2021? Moral blindness remains a significant risk factor in the nation’s boardrooms because its attendant distrust is the toxic element in brand equity: trust is a brand equity asset; distrust is a brand equity liability.
To fully recognise this, it’s important to understand distrust is not an uncertainty about whether to trust — or even a passive absence of trust. It is something separate, something darker and much more damaging — a hostile state of suspicion. Just look at Rio Tinto with its Juukan fallout, or AMP following the banking Royal Commission findings. Distrust should be on the risk register of every publicly listed company in Australia.
Michele Levine is CEO of Roy Morgan Research.
Most trusted brands
- Apple (new to top 10)
- Microsoft (new to top 10)
- Myer (new to top 10)
Most distrusted brands
- Telstra (new to top 10)
- NewsCorp/News Ltd
- Rio Tinto (new to top 10)
- Huawei (new to top 10)
- BP (new to top 10)
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Jason Crusan is from a small startup you may have heard of… called NASA. He’s the director of their Advanced Exploration Systems division, which is itself part of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. He came to speak at StartCon to update you all on changes in the space industry – and the huge opportunities ahead within that sector.
StartCon 2016 officially launches: Bonfire Of The Unicorns! Sold out six years running, Australia’s largest startup & growth conference is on November 26 and 27 at Randwick Racecourse.
Within one week of announcing the venue and date, StartCon 2016 pre-release tickets sold out completely. Now, the much-awaited conference is officially launching general ticket sales, along with a bold theme for this year’s event: Bonfire of the Unicorns.
Today’s business world, is one of instant gratification where things 'go viral' faster than it takes your morning coffee to kick in.
A viral blog post, YouTube video or tweet can gain huge exposure to your audience.
In a recent article, we focussed on how content marketing in the form of blogs can help grow your audience, but this is not the only content marketing strategy you could decide to adopt.


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Mediterranean Cuisine: More Than Just a Diet
Yes, Mediterranean food provides a healthy halo. But a growing number of fast-casual brands are showcasing the cuisine’s flavorful characteristics, too.
Playing with Fire
Flame grilling gives brands a point of flavor differentiation.
Scaling Food Safety
As quick-service brands scale their business for growth, food safety can become a tricky—but necessary—piece to master.
Their Life Depends On It
Fast casuals cater to customers with food allergies like gluten intolerance through customizable menu options, employee training.
Flavors of the World
Pizza and ethnic cuisines lend themselves to customer-created entrées.
The Extra Mile
Recognizing the people and brands that have gone above and beyond in the quest to make America healthier.
History in the Making
QSR celebrates 410 years of industry milestones.
Levantize Your Menu
The bold flavors from the eastern Mediterranean region are growing in popularity among American diners.
One to Watch: Garbanzo
Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill taps into the natural flavors and health benefits of an old-world diet.
Cheap Marketing Tips that Work
When it comes to marketing on a budget, there’s a fine line between terrific and terrible.
One Fast Casual Answers Panera's Kids' Menu Challenge
At least one fast casual brand is ready to take Panera Bread’s #KidsMenuChallenge.
Garbanzo Boosts Customer Experience
Paytronix Systems, Inc., a leading provider of reward program solutions to restaurants and retailers, announced that Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh has ...
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At Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, every day is Gyro Day, but this Friday is the official holiday for the beloved dish.
Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh Headed to St. Louis
Two proud St. Louis natives want to share the healthiest food on the planet with the city they love.
BOGO Gyros at Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh
National Gyro Day comes around just once every year, so you know Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh is planning to celebrate in style.
Garbanzo to 'Free the Falafel' with Month's Worth of Promos
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Garbanzo Exec Becomes New Pizza Inn President
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Denver-based Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant concept, announced the grand opening of its first Houston location.
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Marvel's Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition Appears on Amazon
A new version of Marvel's Spider-Man looks like it could be swinging into stores soon.
Over on Amazon UK, a new page for Marvel’s Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition has now been found. The page doesn’t contain much other additional information such as a price, box art, or even a thorough description of the product. It does however contain a release date, which is said to be September 4, 2019.
As of this writing, Sony hasn’t formally announced if a Game of the Year Edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man would be on its way, but it wouldn’t be surprising in the slightest. Marvel’s Spider-Man was one of the biggest games of 2018 and also had a decent chunk of post-launch DLC. Assuming this GOTY edition would include all of that additional content, which it absolutely would, then it’d make sense to see it all arrive in one package.
Considering Gamescom is happening this week, and also taking into account that Insomniac and Sony have already been in the news recently, perhaps we’ll hear more officially about this new version of the game soon. Considering it appeared on a retail site like Amazon, the likelihood that it is real is pretty high, so we should learn more at just about any time.
Until then, you can still pick up the standard edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man now, exclusively on PS4.


text: FPCCI president Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo welcomed Chief Collector Customs Enforcement and Compliance Abdul Qadir Memon’s visit to the FPCCI Head Office and lauded his efforts to alleviate trade and industry concerns. For Hanif Lakhany, the export-oriented companies turn to the customs department for additional facilitation at sea and airports, as customs plays a crucial role in achieving visible growth in exports to overseas clients. Customs is doing its best, but there is still room for improvement, such as providing customs service’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and making better use of IT systems. As a result of the post-pandemic era, airports have taken on the role of seaports in terms of exports. Additionally, locally and globally, our competitors’ profit from airports’ customs and shipment capabilities. It’s been reported that the COVID-19 epidemic has supplied support packages to small and medium-sized businesses and traders around the world; nevertheless, in Pakistan, we’ve been subjected to even more problems through customs and tax warnings, and investigations. After being passed at ports and borders, traders still have to go through a slew of extra checks, according to him. High-ranking customs officials were also notified by him that FPCCI has letters from airport terminal operators stating that they are eager and ready for their operation hours to be extended. Furthermore, he said, WBC should be more effective, with fewer containers opened for physical exams. Abdul Qadir Memon responded to inquiries and concerns by stating that 80 percent of the containers are currently cleared by WeBOC using scanners; only 20 percent of the containers are cleared manually, and only 8 percent of the containers are opened to conduct the physical inspection. According to him, in the next year, the customs department hopes to increase the digital and automated clearance rate through WeBOC to 90pc from the current 80pc level. Chief Collector further said, to thunderous applause, that he has asked the customs checkpoints in upcountry to discontinue the practice of inspecting cargo containers, except when there is an intelligence-based indication of some infraction. FPCCI is looking forward to hosting the Chief Collector of Customs again in the coming weeks to raise the remaining issues, create awareness and have a follow-up on the progress made on the promised steps to facilitate the business community.


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2010 March 11
Yohji's Tokyo Return
NICK HUNT / PatrickMcMullan.com View Gallery
(NEW YORK) After filing for bankruptcy protection last year, Yohji Yamamoto cancelled his men’s shows, instead presenting collections in showroom appointments. It seems the Japanese designer has missed the drama of the runway, though: the company announced today that it will produce a men’s fashion show in Tokyo on April 1. The collection itself is still in the works. “I have been [absent from the] Tokyo fashion shows for almost 20 years,” Yamamoto said in a statement. “The men’s fashion is suffering in Japan, so I hope to light a fire.”
In true Yohji fashion, the show will be more than a simple runway presentation. It will stand alone from Japan Fashion Week (which ends on March 26), and it will take place in one of Tokyo’s historic Olympic stadiums. A spokesperson for the company said the show won’t necessarily be specific to the Fall 2010 season.
Yamamoto showed his women's Fall 2010 collection in Paris on March 5.
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Cott Corp. earned a second-quarter profit of $25-million (U.S.) in its latest quarter, down from $27-million a year ago, as the beverage maker reported lower sales volume and revenue.
The company said the profit amounted to 26 cents per share, down from 28 cents per share a year ago.
Revenue totalled $626-million, down from $640-million.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 25 cents per share on $612-million in revenue, according to estimates compiled by Thomson Reuters.
Despite the drop in revenue and profits, Cott chief executive Jerry Fowden said the company improved its gross margins, a key priority.
"Lower volume and revenue reflected a combination of this previously communicated shift in prioritizing margin restoration versus volume and revenue growth as well as poor weather in the UK," Fowden said.
"Overall, I believe we had another solid quarter as we continue to improve the business and margin mix."
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue was 14.7 per cent for the quarter compared with 12.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2012 and 13.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2011.
Cott is the world's largest distributor of store-brand beverages, with about 4,000 employees and soft drink, juice, water and other beverage bottling plants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico.


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Covid-19 raids reduce US stock returns.
Recent improvements in the US Coronavirus Case counts weighed the key averages with the on Thursday Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite eking out modest profits in afternoon trading after sustained losses at the beginning of the session.
Market analysts took a longer term study of how a new wave of restrictions could affect stocks and the economy.
Here’s what four of them told CNBC on Thursday:
Joe Terranova, Senior Managing Director of Virtus Investment Partners, emphasized the market’s need for government support:
“Unfortunately, this is the kind of market behavior where fiscal policymakers actually really respond to their responsibilities. They know, if they want to examine the Great Depression and see what the lack of an answer looks like for capital markets, then they will understand what they are do here … remember to take this drive through the desert towards Las Vegas. You sit in the vehicle, comfortably drive that direction and finally see Las Vegas. The vaccines are in front of you. And suddenly the car stops and this one Fiscal policymakers say, “Go out and go.” I just don’t understand what we’re doing. We have to build a bridge. It has to come in the form of more loan programs, it has to come in the form of more support for small businesses and they have to act . And that’s exactly what the markets are currently doing. … We don’t need any restrictions from states or municipalities r basis of this resurgence. And I think there was a little bit of low expectations about it. So we see an increase there and unfortunately it is not answered with the type of response we get [had] in the second quarter the markets grew significantly. No, this is not a financial crisis. This is just a kind of stop of appreciation. And I believe that at some point we will rightly come back to the positive trend in risk assets as the liquidity in the system supports all risk assets. “
Simona Mocuta, senior economist at State Street Global Advisors, said vacation spending could offset the potential economic blow caused by the new Covid-19 restrictions:
“The good thing is that we’re already in the middle of the fourth quarter. These constraints, which you’re likely to see over the next few weeks, haven’t really hit the real economy yet, and you’re in a holiday season that, by default Spending tends to be focused these weeks, so I think if things get worse, the impact on consumer spending will actually be visible in the first quarter compared to now. Because, you know, Thanksgiving is coming, Christmas is coming. New Years. People will try to bring some joy into their lives and … can’t just sit in the basement. “
John Rogers, Co-CEO and Chairman of Ariel Investments, said a number of Names he bought during the March collapse turned out to be great bets:
“One of the things … I talk about a lot: our mutual friend Warren Buffett and his perspective, which you always think long term, and our capitalist democracy here in America is the best thing that has ever been invented. And we solve our problems. We’re getting through. And if you think with the forward-looking perspective, I believe you can make better decisions. So these companies were knocked down at the height of the pandemic. People didn’t believe in them. And it was an opportunity for some amazing brands to buy at bargain prices. “
Kanyi Maqubela, managing partner at Kindred Ventures, said certain trends that accelerated during the pandemic would continue over the long term:
“One of the most interesting things about this year … is that historically more than anything the market has hated uncertainty, and this has been an extraordinarily uncertain year, but with continued and robust growth. And so I guess what you are about to see now is, even though we are in the midst of a great deal of uncertainty due to the pandemic and we have some work to do due to the political situation, there is still so much liquidity in the market and there is still such a great transformation going on. So many consumer sectors. And what me interested is what happens to data centers, what happens to games, what happens to e-commerce, because all of these things continue to show extremely resilient growth even amid this uncertainty … What happened to Covid is that a number of trends are changing before Covid actually accelerated. For example, in e-commerce, e-commerce grew by 40% from Q1 to Q2 compared to the previous quarter ahr and we’re still only 16% compared to retail sales. So e-commerce itself is still so early on and you see a lot of benefits. The same applies to data centers and the public cloud. Forrester predicts it will grow another 30% next year. So these are actually worldly trends that have actually taken place independently of Covid and have only been accelerated. So I’m really interested in the relocation that some of these big aggregators are moving towards, for example in e-commerce and a growing number of small businesses selling digitally. And these types of trends are very resilient even to short-term market forces. “


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Cuba is showing its most renewed tourist product during the 51st edition of the International Tourism Exchange, ITB 2018, taking place in its usual venue in Berlin.
This is a sun and beach modality with an improved hotel industry to the demands of the international standards, as well as circuit products, nature and culture, highly demanded by the German market, according to a statement from the Cuban Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR).
The destination is present with a 176-square-meter stand, with a modern design that shows our Cuban identity, accompanied by good music and Cuban cigar that German participants and the rest of the world could enjoy until March 11, the MINTUR’s note stresses.
The island’s delegation is chaired by Tourism Minister, Manuel Marrero.
Directors of the main Cuban hotel chains (Gran Caribe, Cubanacan Hotels, Islazul, Gaviota) and the Travel Agencies of the tourist and cultural sector, as well as the associated Meliá International, Iberostar, Blue Diamond and Resorts, Roc Hotels, Sercotel Hotels, Hotel Manzana Kempiski, among others, are also participating.
The German market closed 2017 as Cuba’s fourth market, with a record 243,408 visitors, ‘an important figure for the Cuban tourism,’ the statement said.


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Dubai will set up a dedicated entity to ensure consumer protection and fair trade practices in the emirate.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of the Executive Council, directed the establishment of the specialised body on Thursday, a statement issued by Dubai Media Office said.
It aims to support economic growth in the emirate while ensuring stability and maturity of businesses and providing “pioneering and new opportunities for [the] business sector”.
“The trade sector is the backbone of our economy. Today, Dubai is a base for global, regional and local companies to tap opportunities in the world's most attractive and fastest-growing markets,” Sheikh Hamdan said.
“We continue to strengthen our position as a global leader in supporting businesses to enhance their success and innovation. We seek to build an integrated system that supports equal opportunities and ensures the protection of business and consumer rights.
“At the same time, we aim to create the optimal environment for fostering the development of human resources and logistical capabilities in an integrated manner. Dubai has constantly demonstrated its ability to adapt to changes and create new opportunities across various economic sectors.”
The Executive Council approved the new entity's objectives, focused on reducing anticompetitive practices, reviewing and developing consumer protection policies as well as educating consumers on their rights and responsibilities, the statement said.
It will also ensure commercial establishments’ compliance with laws governing businesses, strengthening corporate self-monitoring across institutions as well as provide a seamless retail experience in Dubai for the local and global community.
Dubai's economic strength, spurred by government initiatives and the resilience of the business sector, has been reflected in global indexes.
The emirate recently ranked among the top 35 cities in the world for attracting venture capital and the funding of start-ups, the first Innovation in Business Index from the Netherlands-based financial platform Finom showed.
In November, the Dubai Innovation Index, a report developed by the Dubai Chamber and PricewaterhouseCoopers, revealed that the emirate in 2020 led the Arab world in innovation and was positioned 20th globally. It ranked ahead of global cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Sao Paulo, scoring high in the areas of infrastructure, government and society.


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“Just imagine what we could do with big and small donations from the people that we reach, our corporate friends and ourselves.READ MORE: Maria’s devastation shuts down Puerto Rico economy, residents running out of money On Thursday morning, the White House waived the Jones Act, allowing for more relief resources to be shipped to Puerto Rico.
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ARECIBO, Puerto Rico – Prudo Jimenez was born on a sugar farm here in 1941, when agriculture ruled Puerto Rico’s economy. The peppy 75-year-old personifies an economic development movement designed to transform a generation from poor farmers to industry leaders.
Qualcomm is seeking to block Qualcomm plans to request the import ban Friday, July 7, 2017, with the U. International Trade Commission, which has the power to block shipments of products that violate intellectual property.
However, such disputes can take a long time to resolve, so imports aren‚Äôt immediately at risk.
We will get through this – and we will get through this TOGETHER! Trump (@real Donald Trump) September 26, 2017 A woman carts out her groceries from a Loblaws grocery store in Toronto in a May 1, 2014, file photo.
The company says a “technical error” forced the temporary closure of a number of its stores today, however the problem was fixed shortly afterwards.One education consultant said he lost a million government contract due to payment delays; another entrepreneur scrapped plans for an assisted living facility because of a five-year wait for permits; food truck operators are required mountains of government forms to work a single festival. Carlos spent nearly two decades building a car wash chain until recession doomed the business this year.Older brother Anjoe owned two agricultural supply stores before he shut down in 2010 and moved to Georgia, a bust he attributes to high taxes and competition from Wal-Mart Inc.“We didn’t have the foresight of developing local industry,” Prudo Jimenez said. The strategy calcified over decades into political and cultural norms.“We depended always on people from the outside.” The island’s historic dependence on mainland corporations – and the tax breaks needed to retain them – underpins its latest economic meltdown and its descent into the largest municipal debt crisis in U. Longstanding economic policies tend to favor outside corporations over local upstarts, and island universities are just now learning to teach business students how to start ventures after decades of training them for middle management.quality=70&strip=all&w=300" data-large-file="https://shawglobalnews.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/boston.jpg? quality=70&strip=all&w=720" /FILE – In this Friday, Sept.


text: Amsted Rail International, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of underwagon freight rail products, is excited to announce a landmark project with longstanding customer Tahawy Rail, DWC LLC. Amr Tahawy, CEO of Tahawy Rail and the Tahawy family of companies, has successfully represented Amsted Rail and its products in the Egyptian marketplace for the last four decades. Building on this success, Tahawy Rail has secured the single largest freight bogie system supply agreement in the history of this decades old relationship. As part of this award, complete Motion Control bogies, wheelsets, and automatic couplers with Endurance draft gears, will be manufactured by Amsted Rail and shipped to Egypt for the production of 1,000 wagons by SEMAF Railway Factor, a subsidiary of the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI), for the country’s state owned operator Egyptian National Railways (ENR). Wagon types will include Box Cars, Brake Vans, Flat Wagons, Side Dumpers, and Tank Cars. Amsted Rail, in close cooperation with Tahawy Rail, looks forward to executing on this breakthrough development in the region by continuing to showcase and provide our value added solutions as freight system suppliers for Egypt’s rail network.


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Nissan Reports Second-Worst Results in History
Tokyo, May 28 (Jiji Press)--Nissan Motor Co. <7201> on Thursday reported a group net loss of 671,216 million yen for the year ended in March, the second-worst results in its history, due to restructuring costs as well as weak vehicle demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Japanese automaker booked 603 billion yen in structural reform and fixed-asset impairment charges as it reduced its production capacity that ballooned under former Chairman Carlos Ghosn's expansionary policy.
The largest annual net loss in Nissan's history was 684.3 billion yen recorded in the year ended in March 2000, when it announced plans to close five plants in Japan.
For the year ended last March, the company posted an annual net loss for the first time in 11 years after reporting a profit of 319,138 million yen in the previous year.
Aiming to turn around its fortune, the automaker will implement additional restructuring measures, including closures of two factories abroad and a 20 pct reduction in global vehicle production capacity.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]


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Since India is a part of global system, such a trade war can have impact on its growth rate, economist Gita Gopinath said.
A full-blown trade war will definitely have an impact on India, economist Gita Gopinath told ET Now. As the US slows down due to trade war, India’s economy will also see an impact, the professor at Harvard University said. The worries related to trade war have now started to hold ground, and with tariffs being put in place, the entire scenario looks disruptive, she added. Not only the international trade but central banks, interest rates, inflation and other variables will also see an impact of a full-blown trade war, she said. It’s also not clear by what extent this trade war can be limited, she said.
Since India is a part of global system, such a trade war can have impact on its growth rate. Even if tariffs are not being imposed on India directly, just because rest of the world including the US may slow down will have an impact on India, she said.
Non-performing assets (NPAs) are posing big problem for India and with new bank fraud cases coming to light, larger problem related to governance at these financial institutions is emerging, she said.
CLSA on trade wars
Meanwhile, global brokerage CLSA told ET Now that trade wars are unlikely to impact India in any way. Macroeconomic numbers point to limited impact on the Indian economy, CLSA added.
What Macquarie said
Donald Trump’s trade war will hit the US economy hard and force it into a recession, Macquarie said citing a research paper by Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). In case of the trade war escalating, and China and Mexico retaliating through reciprocal trade barriers,only the US is to lose ultimately, the report said. “ A full-blown trade war with China and Mexico will only plunge the US economy in recession,” the paper said. The paper is written PIIE economists Pedro Nicolaci da Costa and Eitan Urkowitz. It will also lead to lower incomes, reduced consumption and investment flowing into the US, the paper said.


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Coimbatore, Oct. 13
THE Canada-headquartered IT and BPO major CGI is looking to tap India's back-office financial analysis services powers to enrich its value-added portfolio.
The multinational IT/ITES company ($3.2 billion turnover) proposes to scale up its Indian operations through knowledge process outsourcing (KPO).
Having a strong domain knowledge in accounting and loan processing, CGI is also looking at offering its financial verticals such as investment banking, credit and collection and wealth management to Indian clients with the help of its established global delivery models, Mr Anantha Krishnan Raman, Chief Executive Officer of CGI (India), told Business Line.
"We are also looking at the business proposition in opening centres in Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Hyderabad or even Mysore, though the challenges in setting the centres in tier-two cities would be in finding senior level talents to man the centres," said Mr Raman.
CGI's $3.2-billion annual income during the year ended September includes a chunk realised out of its financial services alone with its industry expertise lying in financial services, government, healthcare, telecom and manufacturing/retailing.


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Spanish business management consultancy Minsait has bought the entire stake of local fintech firm Afterbanks.
Financial and other details of the deal have not been made public.
Founded in 2012 by David Lozano, Afterbanks offers a bank aggregation system specifically designed for the Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Mexican financial services industry.
Its technology is used to recover and consolidate data from various banking institutions and quickly initiate payments.
Afterbanks acquisition is part of Minsait strategy to become a key player in the open banking sector. It will allow the company to offer data intelligence, security, and payments services.
Minsait leverage Afterbanks’ expertise and technology to deliver new payment alternatives to its clients, enable digital financing via advanced customer profiling in real-time.
The acquired firm’s technology is already being tested in advanced digital transformation projects that are managed by large institutions.
Its platform is being leveraged to carry out ‘invisible payments’ in shops through facial recognition.
Afterbanks, which has offices in Spain and the UK< presently offers connections with more than a hundred banks, most of which are located in its home market. However, up to 20 banks are located in countries such as Chile, Mexico, Canada, and the US.
Its technology is being leveraged by more than 120,000 companies and individuals.


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A maker of smart shopping carts, which use image recognition and artificial intelligence technologies.
Provider of financial services for underbanked customers.
Enables consumers to book personalized video messages, live video calls, and direct messages from athletes, entertainers, influencers, and other celebrities.
In 2020, Cameo launched a philanthropic program called Cameo Cares, which partners with charity initiatives in creating exclusive events that donate the company’s celebrity shoutout fees to worthy causes. The platform’s star power raised more than $1 million for multiple charities in its first six months, while advancing Cameo’s mission of creating unforgettable one-on-one interactions between talent and fans. The first Cameo Cares event was a three-day live-streamed festival in April that raised $725,000 for charities working to address problems caused by Covid-19. A second two-day affair raised $225,000 for organizations involved in the Black Lives Matter movement.


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Border reopening ‘ll not reduce food prices – Expert
Osifo Agharese, an associate professor of agricultural economics at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, on Tuesday, said that the Federal Government’s directive to reopen four borders that had been closed for over two years will not have any measurable impact on the nation’s economy.
The agricultural expert opined that the essence of closing the border was not achieved because it was a political move and not for economic reasons; hence, reopening them now will not affect the prices of goods and commodities, especially food stuff which according to him makes the majority of items that drive the economy.
“The prices of food commodities will not drop now that it has been reopened because prices have already adjusted to its closure, and it has hit the rooftop and will not come down. In Nigeria, prices do not come down. More so, inflation will continue to rise as we count down to the 2023 general election.
“The border has been closed for more than two years now, and the economy is getting used to it. So, we have been so used to it that it will hardly make any significant impact now that it has been opened,” Agharese told BusinessDay in Benin City.
The university teacher, while noting that during the closure, some commodities like rice and poultry products were smuggled through the borders, expressed worry over the high percentage of citizens’ income spent in buying food items.
“Nigerians do not see the dividends of democracy in the prices of food items. Nigeria is a developing country, and people spend about 70 percent of their income, whether as a government, private employee, or even self employed on food,” he said.
To bring down the prices of food items and other essential commodities, Agharese, a consultant agricultural finance and marketing practitioner to the Bank of Agriculture and Central Bank of Nigeria, urged the government to think outside the box and introduce microeconomic policies that will impact the lives of the ordinary man.
“Government should bring in palliative measures through fiscal and monetary policies. Today, 90 percent of what we consume comes from foreign countries and the naira is losing its value against the dollar.
“Government should bring out policies that will impact the prices of food stuff. The cost of energy, including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Diesel, should also be looked into. It is widely known that transportation is an integral part of marketing foods and other goods, and that is why the government should invest in the transportation sector directly to bring down the rising price of food stuff”, he added.
The government of Nigeria had in 2019 closed its land borders to control legitimate and illegitimate movement of goods to and from the country, including contraband food commodities with a bid to boost local production in the country.
Among the borders recently reopened include Idiroko in Ogun State; Jibiya, Katsina State; Kamba, Kebbi State; and Ikom, Cross River State.


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The Kansas Department of Agriculture is now taking cattle branding registration online through a new software program developed by Kelly Registration Systems. This first of its kind program will help manage Kansas’ 16,000 livestock brand registrations.
Historically, brand images have been hand-drawn and have included a 12-digit code, or “brandabetical,” to indicate which symbols made up the brand. A hardbound “brand book” was printed annually to catalog brands.
According to Dr. Justin Smith of the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the previous process took much more time to conduct as it was manually driven. Once submitted, brands were reviewed and approved, or rejected by mail, then payment had to be collected; the entire process could take several weeks to a month to complete. However, with KRS’ brands tool, brand images are uniquely drawn online by dragging and dropping approved symbols across the screen. Brandabeticals are automatically created and matched, thus the time to develop a brand image and associated data is drastically reduced, and all images are consistent. Since it is all managed online, and brands are searchable and updated in real time, paper records are no longer necessary.
States can see potential matches to a requested cattle branding image and make much quicker decisions about approval or denial of a new brand registration. Additionally, submitting registrations online means reduced turnaround time for applicants.
“Kelly’s brand registrations tool has surpassed everything we hoped it would be able to do,” said Smith. “While this tool is immensely helpful for the department staff internally, it ultimately empowers us to quicken the pace of commerce for the cattle business in our state by helping them get to their next step in the process more efficiently. Once we’re up and running with Kelly’s tool, we’ll optimally be able to review brands and complete registrations in significantly less time.
“Kansas had a need for a simpler, quicker process to manage its livestock brands and registrations, and we built a tool that does just that. This tool has relevance for any state that manages livestock brands. The capability is the same whether the tool is used as a standalone product for a group that manages only livestock registrations or as part of a larger state tool for managing licenses and registrations,” said Stuart Edmondson, chief technology officer, Kelly Registration Systems.


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In these first days of life Call of Duty Warzone 2 is already going through a series of difficulties. The new iteration of Activision's battle royale has been able to attract the attention of many fans, and in addition to the many praises that are coming from everywhere, there are, unfortunately, also many reports of glitches. But that's not all, as thanks to a number of geek players, we are discovering a lot of these days details and curiosities on the new chapter of Warzone.
For example, did you know it's possible play Call of Duty Warzone 2 even without a graphics card? The experiment was carried out by the RandomGaminginHD YouTube channel, already known for having offered its followers a series of PC gaming-themed content. In this recent video, however, these content creators have revealed how it is actually possible to play the new Warzone, even if you don't have a video card installed in your computer.
As we can see in the video, Call of Duty Warzone 2 now looks like a real demake, with graphics, textures and visual effects that are anything but new generation, on the contrary, it seems to be in front of a title of the Call of Duty saga released in the PlayStation 2 era. Of course, the title is incredibly playable even with these "settings", but it is clear that more than one eye must be turned a blind eye to a whole series of graphic artifacts that are created every time the view moves too frenetically.
It's certainly curious to see how the new Call of Duty Warzone 2 behaves in all graphical settings, and to see that the game has this diversity of possibilities it is certainly a big point in favor of the game. Furthermore, let's not forget that we are talking about a free-to-play game, and that by its nature it must be playable to a very large plethora of players.


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New Delhi: Telecom technology arm of the government, C-DoT, should interact more with the industry and try to develop products that they need, Telecom Secretary Rakesh Garg said today.
"There should be a mechanism in which C-DOT interacts with the industry before the development of a product. They should try to find the problem for which they can give a solution," Garg said at an event organised by C-DOT here.
Electronic manufacturing is not doing very well. There is something wrong," he said, adding that the government's 'Make in India' initiative aims at boosting manufacturing in the country.
Garg said India is importing about Rs 50,000 crore worth of electronic products while the exports are just in the range of Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000 crore.
The Centre for Development of Telematics was established in August 1984 as an autonomous body to promote telecom technology. Government has also announced setting up of an Electronic Development Fund which is aimed at addressing finance issue that sector faces in development of innovative products.


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The junk food aisles in today’s supermarkets are arguably the most vibrant and tempting. But imagine if they weren’t – instead of brightly coloured wrappers with mouth-wateringly tantalising descriptions, you faced shelf after shelf of sugary sweets wrapped in plain packaging with images of obese bodies emblazoned on the front. And imagine if adding a bottle of soft drink to your grocery haul meant asking an employee to get your chosen fizz from a locked cabinet behind a counter. Then, you find the bottle comes stamped with a picture of rotting teeth. Still thirsty?
It might sound confronting but it’s a similar approach to the one Australia has successfully taken against tobacco, and experts believe junk food is now as much a threat to our health as cigarettes.
“Overweight and obesity is the leading cause of disease and poor health in Australia,” Dr Gary Sacks, senior research fellow at the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, says. “It’s fair to compare junk food and tobacco and we can learn a lot from what’s been done with cigarettes.”
Overweight and obesity rates in this country are now higher than smoking rates ever were, with 63 per cent of the adult population – that’s 15 million people – now falling within the categories, and we’re getting bigger quicker than anywhere else in the world.
“It’s shocking, embarrassing and needs urgent action,” Suzie Ferrie, a clinical affiliate at The University of Sydney, says.
But should that include treating junk food in the way we now treat tobacco products? That is: hike prices, make plain packaging mandatory and slap packets with gory images of what obesity looks like and does. It depends on who you ask.
ARE LOLLIES THE NEW CIGARETTES?
The fact that smoking is deadly is undisputed, but some claim the link between junk food, obesity and death is less clear-cut. “It’s a lazy parallel,” Gary Dawson, of the Australian Food and Grocery Council, says. “There’s a proven, direct link between smoking and lung cancer but the causes of rising obesity are complex and multifactorial. Also, you can’t ‘run off’ a packet of cigarettes and there’s no safe smoking level. But you can have a treat in the context of a balanced diet and exercise.”
The Australian Dietary Guidelines agree. They state that discretionary foods “can be Included sometimes in small amounts by those who are physically active, but are not necessarily part of the diet”. The problem, though, is that Australian adults are getting 35 per cent of their energy from discretionary foods, which include desserts, confectionary, fried foods, processed meats and soft drinks. For those aged 14-18 that number is about 40 per cent.
“For tobacco, the evidence that it’s a uniquely harmful product is rock-solid,” Phillip Baker, a research fellow on health promotion at ANU, says. “While food and nutrition is more complex, the evidence against junk food is more than strong enough for us to push for regulation of these products.”
Professor Stephen Colagiuri, director of The Boden Institute in Sydney, is just as convinced: “Obesity kills us, absolutely. If you’re grossly obese, your risk of getting diabetes is 60 times that of someone who’s in a healthy weight range. Diabetes causes blindness, kidney problems, amputations and heart attacks. There’s no question that obesity is a killer.”
The World Health Organization has urged all countries to consider a tax on sugarsweetened drinks, a move Mexico, France and Chile have made and that the UK and Ireland have committed to making in the future. In Australia, political opinions are divided, with both major parties leaving it off their agenda and The Greens pushing for a 20 per cent tax.
Within 25 years, a 20 per cent tax could prevent 16,000 cases of type-2 diabetes, 4400 cases of heart disease and more than 1000 cases of stroke, a study co-written by the University of Queensland’s School of Public Health has found. It would also raise at least $400 million a year, and surveys show that public support for a tax is strong if that money goes to obesity prevention.
“A tax on sugary drinks is a no-brainer,” Ferrie says. “It’s simple, easy to define, has a good scientific basis and we know it would make a difference to consumption.”
Why stop at soft drinks? “There’s no reason we can’t tax junk foods more broadly,” Sacks says, adding that The Australian Dietary Guidelines offers a great evidence-based system to distinguish healthy food from junk. Not only would a tax change the way Aussies eat, Sacks believes it would put pressure on the junk-food industry to reformulate products so they’re healthy enough to avoid the tax.
Geoff Parker, chief executive of the Australian Beverages Council, believes a tax on unhealthy food or drink misses the mark: “Taxing people isn’t a way to teach them healthy behaviours. To bring about real change, people want education around the concept of a healthy diet and where physical activity plays in that space.”
THE PLAIN TRUTH
One way the federal and state governments are trying to help people make healthier choices is with the Health Star Rating system, which is voluntary and uses stars to show the nutritional profile of packaged foods. The system has copped its fair share of flack since being introduced in 2014.
“Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain has four stars and that’s 26.7 per cent sugar. Nestlé’s Milo has four and a half stars and that’s close to half sugar,” Baker explains. “Companies are using it as a marketing tool so it’s losing credibility. To be effective, the algorithm used for stars has to be overhauled and the system needs to be mandatory.”
One of the most effective measures for reducing smoking rates in Australia was theintroduction of plain packaging and graphic health warnings to cigarette packets. Following a similar tack with junk food packaging would cause a significant drop in obesity rates, say some experts.
“Plain packaging would definitely have an effect,” Ferrie says. “We don’t give much thought to just how much money, research and thinking goes into making those packs as appealing as possible. Chips are my favourite example. You’ll find limes, chillies and perfectly roasted chickens on the label but inside is just salt, flavouring and potato starch. As for warning images, I’m sure companies would do everything they could not to end up in the category that required an amputated leg on their packet, which could be a good thing.”
Or they’ll use their gargantuan influence to stop plain packaging and warnings from becoming a reality in the first place by arguing that it’s an “infringement on their freedoms”, as Dawson does: “Do we really want to go into a supermarket with rows of locked cabinets, with treats in plain wrappers? Better to treat adults as adults, capable of making responsible decisions for themselves and their families.”
For now, though, it’s agreed that refining the Health Star Rating system is a good place to start, with more drastic measures to come in the future. The fight against tobacco took time and so too will putting an end to the obesity epidemic.
“From a public health perspective, I would love all these measures to be introduced overnight but we need to stagger our approach,” Colagiuri says. “It’s important to remember that it’s taken 50 years to get where we are with tobacco and we’re really only just getting started with obesity.”


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World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Movies
May 09, 2008 at 4:28 PM -
For words and interviews hit up GameSpy's excellent Lich King portal
Vehicle Combat - WMV HD (37MB) / Flash SD (12MB)
Borean Tundra Zone Preview - WMV HD (74MB) /
WoW! Wrath of the Lich King Previews
Aug 05, 2007 at 3:08 PM -
Many people were expecting Diablo 3 to be the big new game announcement at BlizzCon this year, but it ended up being another expansion to World of WarCraft. Scope out a few previews of Wrath of ...
Wrath of the Lich King Trailer
Aug 03, 2007 at 3:12 PM -
There be dragons in them 'ills:
WoW! Wrath of the Lich King Details
Aug 03, 2007 at 12:21 PM -
The girls over at Games for Windows have a preview
of World of WarCraft: Wrath of the Witch King, which oddly enough, is the cover of its September issue. Highlights include:
Level Cap: 80 ...
Live BlizzCon Coverage
Aug 03, 2007 at 10:10 AM -
PC.IGN is updating live from BlizzCon
where the highlight thus far have been some World of WarCraft: Wrath of the Lich King banner photos. So, odds are, its big surprise new game announcement ...


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Freshpet Select Grain Free Tender Chicken with Spinach and Potatoes Recipe wet dog food is made using no fillers, by-products, rendered meals or ingredients from China, according to the manufacturer. The wet dog food is sold in five pound tubes.
In the November 2022 issue of Petfood Industry, read about cat food production, supply chain challenges and more.
READ MORE in Petfood Industry magazine
By Lindsay Beaton
Guideline revisions are necessary to bring the U.S. up-to-date with global trends.
Premium pricing hasn’t stopped demand from pet owners looking for the highest-quality products for their animals.


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The exhibit "Albert Watson: Visions feat. Cotton made in Africa" returns to its country of origin in two ways: a selection from the heart of the show - the portraits of the Cotton made in Africa smallholder farmers -- is currently on display in public spaces in Cotonou as part of the Biennale Regard Benin. Additionally, the models were presented with their portraits, which had already been shown in the House of Photography, Deichtorhallen Hamburg.
Tina Stridde, Managing Director for the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), who accompanied Watson on his travels though Benin emphasises: "From the very beginning we knew it was important to bring the exhibit back to Benin. Without the people and our partners there, the project would never have been possible. We would like to express our thanks to all those involved."
Cotton made in Africa at the Biennale Regard Benin 2012
Printed on comparatively grainy advertising media, eleven of the large-format Watson prints will initially be on display in Cotonou. Here the photographs from the country's cotton region represent a world that is far-away and foreign to Benin's urban dwellers.A plan to have an additional series travel through the north of Benin is also in development. The photographs are on open display from February 16 to April 16, 2013 in four-square-meter display cases owned by the Sonaec Company in Cotonou's central square, Ganhi Market, and in the windows of the Hôtel du Port in Boulevard Marina. The exhibit was made possible by the Aid by Trade Foundation in cooperation with the House of Photography, Deichtorhallen Hamburg and organised by the South-North Cultural Forum as part of the Biennale Regard Benin 2012 programme.
Stephan Köhler, responsible for the exhibition in Benin, first saw the photographs at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg in September: "It immediately made perfect sense to me to bring Watson's photographs back to Benin as soon as possible and display them in a public space, perhaps even as part of the Biennale Regard Benin."
Models receive their portraits
The models photographed by Watson in December 2011 received prints of their portraits prior to the exhibit. As part of a celebration all participants were presented their photographs, including 21-year-old Boukari Kaoulatou, whose impressive portrait was one of the most distinctive at the exhibition at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg.
Famous fashion and advertising photographer Albert Watson travelled to Benin in 2011 on behalf of the Aid by Trade Foundation to photograph the living environments of the smallholder cotton farmers there who participate in the Cotton made in Africa initiative. The "Albert Watson: Visions feat. Cotton made in Africa" exhibit was held from 14 September 2012 to 13 January 2013 in the House of Photography at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg. The show attracted around 35,000 visitors.
More information on Biennale Regard Benin 2012: www.regardbenin.net und www.facebook.com/RegardBeninBiennial
Cotton has been traded globally for centuries and, along with coffee, cocoa and tea, numbers among the most important export goods. The Aid by Trade Foundation established the "Cotton made in Africa" (CmiA) initiative to improve the earning potential and sales opportunities for cotton from Africa. real,- recently came on board as a CmiA partner, once again demonstrating the firm's dedication to corporate responsibility.
Starting November 19, the first articles bearing the CmiA seal will go on sale at real,-. Overall 20 different items of women's, men's and children's fashion, home textiles, socks and underwear will be available. "Cotton is a valuable raw material our textile suppliers use in many of their products. We would like to offer the people who produce this raw material for us active support in improving their own living conditions. So we decided to become a 'Cotton made in Africa" partner", explains Dirk Ankenbrand, real,- Textiles Area Manager. Cooperation with the CmiA Initiative is not limited to this one campaign either, and other similar projects will follow in the near future.
The real,- SB Warenhaus GmbH is part of the METRO GROUP. real,-. Under the real,- Group umbrella, the firm operates 316 self-service stores in Germany and another 110 in Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. For more information please visit www.real.info and www.metrogroup.de.
The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) and its Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), have signed an interim partnership agreement that should see increased effectiveness and efficiency in promoting greater sustainability to African smallholder farmers as well as delivering sustainable solutions for the textile and fashion industry in Europe and North America.
CmiA focuses on improving the living conditions of smallholder cotton farmers in Africa, while BCI does the same with both smallholders and large producers globally. As both initiatives have a mandate of improving ecological, social and economic conditions in the cotton industry, and share complementary approaches, collaborating made good sense.
The 18-month interim agreement commits the partners to establish "sound structures on both sides, allowing for an optimum exchange of views, ideas and issues of special interest". Among other things, these special interests cover the fight against child labour, delivering Integrated Pest Management (IPM) more effectively, and developing pragmatic systems to connect supply with demand.
The partnership is already yielding results, as BCI and CmiA are immediately offering an attractive way for BCI members to procure CmiA cotton. As of 1 July 2012, CmiA verified cotton (from the 2012 harvest onwards) can be sold as Better Cotton. Providing an excellent proof of concept, this offer will also appeal to those in the industry who have been seeking greater volumes of Better Cotton from Africa. Christoph Kaut, Managing Director for AbTF, highlighted that this would not only "provide immediate exposure to new markets for CmiA and Better Cotton, but would also lead to greater efficiencies and delivers benefits for the African smallholder cotton farmers".
The collaboration between BCI and CmiA further defines activities that include an exchange on subjects like impact assessment, verification and financing models. The hope on both sides is that these are the first steps on a much longer journey to bring greater sustainability to the cotton industry.
Lise Melvin, Executive Director of BCI, underlining Africa's important role in the goal of making Better Cotton a mainstream commodity, promised that "we will always remain committed to ensuring the future of more sustainable African cotton and improving farmers' lives and their environment".
The Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) Initiative will begin working with around 30,000 smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe starting with the cotton harvest 2012/13. The objective here, as in the other six project countries, is to improve the famers' living conditions. Zimbabwe ranked 173rd of 187 countries on the United Nation's 2011 Human Development Index, making it one of the least developed nations in the world.
On the ground CmiA is working with the Cargill cotton company and the German Investment and Development Society (DEG). The Initiative estimates that the Zimbabwean famers will harvest around 18,700 tonnes of ginned cotton from their on average 1.9 hectare fields in the 2012/13 season. Christoph Kaut, responsible for development policy at the Aid by Trade Foundation, the umbrella organisation for CmiA: "On the whole around 200,000 people -- smallholder farmers and their families -- will profit from this collaboration in Zimbabwe. This is a great success for the people in the project areas and our initiative."
Agriculture accounts for about 19 per cent of Zimbabwe's gross domestic product. Cotton is grown almost exclusively by smallholder farmers and, after tobacco, is the second largest cash crop in the country.
In training seminars, the smallholder famers who work with Cotton made in Africa learn sustainable and efficient methods for cultivating their fields, thus increasing both yield and income. CmiA has built up an international demand alliance to facilitate cotton sales and provide the farmers access to the global market. Partner firms such as Puma, Tchibo, C&A and REWE purchase the sustainably grown cotton and process it further.
Yesterday the Deichtorhallen Hamburg opened the Albert Watson: Visions feat. Cotton made in Africa exhibition in the House of Photography. At its heart are 36 large format photographs taken in Benin that portray the smallholder farmers who work with the Cotton made in Africa initiative and their living environment. The show also includes numerous other photographs taken by legendary photographer Albert Watson of such reknown stars as Mick Jagger, Kate Moss and Clint Eastwood.
Well over 800 guests came to celebrate the photographer and his new show. Watson himself was there, as were numerous representatives from Africa who were in the city attending the Aid by Trade Foundation Stakeholder Conference held the same weekend. Among them was cotton farmer Yaya Arouna who travelled to Hamburg to see for himself where his portrait was placed in the exhibition.
Aid by Trade Foundation founder, Dr Michael Otto, hosted the exclusive preview and was followed by a number of speakers: Dr. Dirk Luckow (Deichtorhallen Artistic Director), Prof. Barbara Kisseler (Senator of Culture), Ingo Taubhorn (Exhibition Curator) and Tina Stridde (Director Aid by Trade Foundation).
Other guests included Hans-Jörg Neumann (German Ambassador to Benin), Hans-Joachim Preuß (Board Member GIZ -- the Society for International Cooperation), Dr Wolfgang Jamann (General Secretary Welthungerhilfe), Dr Michael Bornmann (Executive Board Member DEG - German Investment and Development Society), F.C. Gundlach (Founding Director of the House of Photography) and Barbara and Dr Thomas Mirow (Senator a.D.). Singer Sade Adu flew in privately from London as Albert Watson's special guest.
About the exhibition
The Albert Watson: Visions feat. Cotton made in Africaexhibition will be held from 14 September 2012 to 6 January 2013 in the House of Photography at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg. The exhibit consists of two parts: Albert Watson's newly created photographs of Benin from December 2011 comprise its heart. They depict smallholder farmers who work with the Cotton made in Africa initiative and their living environments in order to visualize the social effects of the initiative. The accompanying exhibition will show never before published vintage and Polaroid works from the famed fashion and commercial photographer. Besides two of the Cotton made in Africa retail partners, OTTO and Tom Tailor, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is another important sponsor of the project.
For additional photographs taken by Albert Watson in Benin please have a look here.
The Cotton made in Africa Initiative (CmiA) supports 25 women's cooperatives in northern Côte d'Ivoire. Inside one year, 1,250 women and 12,500 family members are set to profit from financial start-up aid in cooperation with the German Investment and Development Company (DEG) and the Ivoire Coton cotton firm. The funds will help the women take a step towards financial independence. A social media campaign organised by the C&A fashion company is the driving force behind this project.
In many parts of Africa, patriarchal social structures in which women are primarily responsible for supplying families with food prevail. Many Ivoirian women are organising into cooperatives independently of their husband in hopes of increasing their financial autonomy and self-reliance. In groups of 50 to 100 members, they plant vegetables and rice, raise livestock and sell their products at the market. This income gives them some economic freedom and ensures their families have access to enough food.
In this new social project, Cotton made in Africa is consciously interfacing with these local structures. To strengthen the role of women, 25 women's cooperatives in the Boundiali region in northern Côte d'Ivoire will receive a financial subsidy. "We will use the money to buy more agricultural equipment, high quality seeds and -- if needed -- fertilisers, and we will produce compost soil", says Karidja Thomas, chairwoman of the cooperative Djiguiya Kabada. Also, training is offered to provide the women with the business knowledge they need in areas such as how to organise a company well and conduct successful negotiations. Currently every woman who is a member of a cooperative earns around 77 euros a year. The new project will add an additional 45 to 70 euros per year in future. This will considerably improve the living conditions of these women and their families.
James Shikwati, a member of the Aid by Trade Foundation Board of Trustees: "80 percent of all agricultural goods in Africa are produced by women, yet they earn only 10 percent of the income. African women are more than just the backbone of food production though; they make a considerable contribution to the cohesion and well-being of entire families. Supporting them makes good socio-economic sense, especially given the fact that they have been largely ignored for a long time."
Cotton made in Africa's participation in this project was made possible by C&A, one of the initiative's demand partners. In a Christmas cam-paign in December 2011, the fashion company called upon its social media community to select from three social organisations. CmiA took the lead with a clear margin and can now use the prize money to support the women's cooperatives in Côte d'Ivoire.
To date Cotton made in Africa has initiated four public private part-nership projects with a focus on promoting the education infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. The project in Cote d'Ivoire is the first explicitly directed at strengthening women's rights.


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- ZNGA shares have come under heavy selling pressure in recent weeks. .
- ZNGA shares have rallied for good reason over the past 9 months. Fundamental changes have driven the rally. .
- ZNGA has tumbled over the past few weeks for reasons unrelated to the company's fundamentals. .
- The recent decline in ZNGA shares is a buying opportunity.


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Professor Karen Elliot, one of the Co-Is for UKFin+ attended the launch of the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) on the 27th of February.
“CFIT was set up following the Kalifa Review of Fintech (2021) to position the United Kingdom as a global leader in financial innovation. CFIT’s purpose is to unblock barriers to growth for financial technology by bringing together the best minds from across the UK in order to drive better outcomes for consumers and SMEs.”
Charlotte Crosswell OBE (Chair) and Ezechi Britton MBE (CEO-elect) set out the vision, mission, and strategy for CFIT.
These goals are well aligned with those of UKFin+ and we were pleased to be invited to celebrate their launch. We look forward to seeing many familiar faces at our own launch this summer!


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Logojoy has raised an $900,000 seed round in its first-ever round of financing.
Launched by former Weebly UX designer Dawson Whitfield, Logojoy’s platform is targeted to small businesses, and allows founders to input their company name, while a machine does the work of outputting several designs to choose from. Working in the space for the past 12 years, Whitfield was inspired to launch Logojoy after a particularly negative experience last summer, when he worked with a client on a logo for several weeks and they weren’t happy with the final result.
“We see ourselves in front of this huge open space, and that is really automating design,” said Whitfield. “I like to really value my time and pride myself in bringing value to my clients, and I really felt kind of useless and I was just getting in the way. And it sucked.”
Since launching six months ago, Logojoy has generated two million logos.
The funding was led by a collective group of investors, including Corey Hawtin, TWG and Caravan Ventures lead investor Dominic Bortolussi, SurePath Capital’s Mark MacLeod, B12 Labs founder Nitesh Banta, Naturebox founder Gautam Gupta, 500 Startups, Azim Lakhoo, TechTO founder Alex Norman, and an unnamed strategic investor.
“There are companies who are moving to this new design paradigm that is moving away from templates, and moving into the approach that more closely mimics working with a designer,” said Whitfield. “We’re using [the funding] to hire to keep our place as the market leader when it comes to logo design, and to bring Logojoy to the world.”
The company plans to use the funding to invest in company growth in two ways: expanding its product to include brand identity and business card design services, and growing the Logojoy team from 15 to 40 members by the end of 2017.
“The most iconic brands have owned their colours, fonts, and layouts as sub-conscience triggers people can immediately identify with,” said Rares Crisan, head of technology for Logojoy. “There is a reason people can recognize the Facebook’s “F” in blue, without seeing its full name. Making a logo is the first challenge in helping people introduce their brand. Finding a way to help them define it is how the technology needs to grow. It has been great seeing how Logojoy has been received by the public so far, but there are clearly more exciting challenges ahead.”
Since launching six months ago, Logojoy has generated two million logos, sold over 11,000 logos, and gained 550,000 active users. The company’s team has grown to 15 members. Whitfield said that while the company is profitable, the raise will enable it to grow the team with extra money in the bank.
“Why I love Logojoy is that it’s got this rapid growth to a very simple problem that it’s solving — creating brand identities for small businesses and entrepreneurs, who can’t yet afford to pay for designers or design agency,” said Bortolussi. “There’s a huge market out there of people who want to be able to create.”
Like all industries being impacted by AI, Whitfield is no stranger to criticism that Logojoy is devaluing the work of designers. However, he draws a parallel to the rise of website builders; he says that while people were initially were concerned that templates were taking away the jobs of website builders, today, these same builders now have the time to do higher-quality custom work they enjoy.
“Our stance is that you really just have to look at what the customer wants,” said Whitfield. “They’ll have to continue to evolve and to improve their skills and better communicate them and communicate the rationale for hiring them versus trying to do it yourself. I also think that this is a healthy thing. It happens in every industry, but I think it’s a healthy thing for companies to continue to push everyone else in the other company to improve their offering.”


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Angry Birds developer Rovio is falling back to Earth after its slingshot success.
The Finnish studio reported its financial earnings for 2013, and the company’s profits were more than halved year-over-year. Rovio generated $50.6 million in profit in 2013 on revenues of $216.2 million. While revenue was steady from $211 million in 2012, profits were down from $106.45 million. It introduced and failed to find success with a new free-to-play game featuring microtransactions. That is something it’ll need to get right if it hopes to take a bigger piece of the $16 billion mobile gaming industry from the companies making Candy Crush Saga (King) and Clash of Clans (Supercell).
This stagnation has Rovio calling its 2013 a “foundation-building year.” This comes as other mobile companies, like King and Supercell, are generating revenues near and beyond the $1 billion mark.
“We invested in new business areas, such as animation and video distribution, ventured into new business models in games, and consolidated our strong market position in consumer products licensing,” Rovio chief financial officer Herkko Soininen said in a statement. “With these investments, we have been gearing up for the future growing markets.”
One of Rovio’s big investments in 2013 was Angry Birds Go, the developer’s free-to-play kart racer featuring its band of mascot fowls. The studio intended this release as its first big move into a business model based on in-app microtransactions, which is different from the ad-based and premium pricing structure it used in the past. The experiment does not look like it paid off. Angry Birds Go is No. 234 on the most-downloaded chart in the U.S. and No. 361 in Japan. In those same markets, it is No. 169 and No. 557, respectively, in terms of revenue.
That is miles behind the competition, but Rovio isn’t just looking to games.
“In 2013, we formed a world-class movie animation production team in Los Angeles that is already working on the first Angry Birds feature film, to be globally premiered in July 2016,” Rovio chief executive Mikael Hed said. “In addition, we built the biggest animation studio in the Nordics for the production of animated TV content, bringing to market 42 Angry Birds Toons episodes in its first year.”
The company also launched its ToonsTV service, which has more than 2 billion views already.
“Future business will, for the most part, depend on how well last year’s investments perform and how our new properties delight our audiences,” said Soininen. “We are actively investing in the company to increase our capabilities for the future, and this year will see exciting new content and services coming from all our business areas.”
As a whole, consumers have downloaded Angry Birds games more than 2 billion times, and Rovio is still confident it can capitalize on that.
“We’re creating long-lasting business, and strongly believe our entertainment strategy will consolidate Rovio’s position as one of the world’s most beloved brands,” said Hed.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.


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- Target's Corporate Responsibility Report highlighted several company advancements in the sustainable grocery space, according to Progressive Grocer. The retailer reported a 139% increase in organic offerings, and 162 new sustainable packaging designs that both incorporate more recycled material and are recyclable.
- The big box retailer also cited 68% completion of its goal to remove all artificial preservatives, flavors, sweeteners and colors from private label children's products — like macaroni and cheese and fruit snacks — by 2018. Target has also expanded its Archer Farms coffee portfolio to include 21 more direct trade options.
- “We’re committed to making our business economically, environmentally and socially sustainable," Jennifer Silberman, Target’s VP for corporate social responsibility, told Progressive Grocer. “And beyond that, we have an opportunity to transform the guest experience beyond the register in a way that unlocks long-term business value. With the power of our team, and our scale as one of the country’s largest retailers, we hope to be a catalyst for change across the industry.”
Target has struggled to grow its grocery business, plagued by perishable food losses that experts estimate are higher than the industry average. As a result, the big box retailer has created dedicated grocery teams trained to specifically oversee packaged and fresh food and better interact with shoppers who enter the grocery section of the store.
And while Target claims it isn't aiming to compete with Walmart and Amazon in grocery — the category only accounts for one-fifth of the retailer's yearly sales — this report reflects the investments it continues to make in the space.
In March, Target appointed Jeff Burt, former president of the Fred Meyer division of Kroger, as senior vice president of grocery, fresh food and beverage. Burt officially joined the company on April 10, and pledged to work to create differentiated shopper experiences through a curated assortment of products and prices.
It will be interesting to see if the retailer's changes to its private label formulas drive more consumer purchases in its food department. A 139% increase in organic offerings is a large change, especially as demand for all things organic continues to grow in the mainstream. Clean labels are also at the top of consumer wish lists, and most are willing to pay more for products free from artificial ingredients.
Only time will tell if initiatives like this will be enough to differentiate Target from competitors and lure more shoppers to its grocery aisle — a task even more challenging in the wake of the Amazon-Whole Foods deal.


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The U.S. Senate has overwhelmingly approved the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement, a new trade deal to replace NAFTA. President Trump has been calling for it since the campaign, and it's now headed for his desk.
While much of this deal is focused on manufacturing, this week and this deal is re-establishing international markets for North Dakotan farmers.
Just one hour before Senate heard the articles of Impeachment, the Senate forwarded the USMCA with overwhelming support. And farmers see it as a relief after bad weather and bad prices.
"All these things kinda led to a year of really tough scenario for a lot of people. We're trying to bounce back now and see here looking into 2020 things will get better and move on from here,” Baldwin farmer Dean Goetz said.
The passing comes just one day after a different trade deal was ratified; Phase One of the China Trade Agreement signing in ceremony.
In the short term, this deal doesn't affect much. China has switched to other regions for ag products during OUR winter months. Meaning, farmers will wait to reap the benefits.
Eugene: "As far as a farmer is concerned, their trade deals are now done. It's a matter of them being implemented going forward in the future, which gives us a better footing as far as sales are concerned,” Heartland Investor Services President Eugene Graner said.
While many hope deals like these will raise commodity prices, those remain market forces. What these deals do, at least for farmers, is add certainty in what has been an uncertain landscape.
That deal with China includes the purchase of 40-50 billion dollars of agricultural goods. As far as the USMCA, the President is expected to sign it in the coming days. North Dakota's senators have been calling for its passing for some time now.
"This is good because it will help open more trade with Canada and Mexico for our ag producers and for our energy industry,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., added, “Senator Kevin Cramer added, "Its implementation will stimulate the economy, create new jobs, and increase exports with two of North Dakota's top trading partners."


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Another crypto exchange is closing down its business in India. It is unclear, however, if the company plans to exit the Indian market permanently, or if it’s just temporary. Coinme shuts down its operation from May 15th in India.
The reason behind Coinme’s move is due to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) lack of policy clarity.
However, Coinme informed its customers via email that as “India is currently going through uncertainty on crypto guidelines and regulations. The government of India has not yet taken a decision on the regulatory framework for crypto exchanges or wallets. Further, the supreme court is yet to act upon the public interest litigation (PIL) on (the) regulation of digital assets.”
Coinme shuts down its operation from May 15th in India. It is not only Coinme that decided to close down its operations in India. Zebpay, India’s largest crypto exchange, announced its shut down in September 2018. Also, Coindelta announced its plan to close its business in March, as the company believes it’s no longer viable.
Crypto survivors are finding it difficult to sustain themselves in the Indian market.
Back in April 2018, RBI, however, issued a ban on virtual currency traders which slammed the flourishing of the virtual currency ecosystem in India.
“A lot of people expecting that the hearing in March will provide some clarity as the government had been asked to bring about a regulation in four weeks but nothing happened,” said the owner of a struggling virtual currency exchange, who wished to remain anonymous. “A lot of players are beginning to lose hope.”
A recent report suggests that the investigation committee plans to completely ban cryptocurrency. Subash Chandra Garg, the top bureaucrat, and representatives of RBI and SEBI leads the committee.
This can only confirmed after the results of India’s ongoing general elections, which announced on May 23.