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As shoppers stock up on soft drinks in spades ahead of the busy Christmas season, it’s crucial that retailers ensure their shelves are packed with a broad range of options to satisfy every family member’s taste preference. With that in mind, let’s take taking a closer look at some of the hottest products in the category, writes Julia O’Reilly
18 November 2022 | 0
Alcoholic beverages may take centre stage during the festive season, but Irish consumers certainly couldn’t go without their soft drinks at this time of year. Having a supply of soft drinks is vital, both for impromptu guests, and to keep the family going throughout the long relaxing period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Plus, demand for premium mixers has also grown among those who are keen to enjoy a sophisticated beverage without the accompanying hangover.
Research from Kantar published in January 2022 found that the standout category performer in terms of value growth last Christmas was confectionery, which includes soft drinks and represented 47% of incremental sales.
Heightened health and wellness consciousness has significantly impacted consumption of soft drinks in Ireland. According to Bord Bia’s Global Beverages Study, 71% of global respondents claim that when choosing a non-alcoholic beverage, they go for the healthier option. That’s why many brands today are making real efforts to reduce sugar content in their beverages.
Energy drinks, meanwhile, continued to grow in popularity in 2021. Research from Euromonitor found that it was through innovation that brands experienced increasing demand, as new consumers entered the category searching for a boost throughout the day to sustain cognitive or physical activity.
As is the case across the entire grocery industry, sustainability is now a major focus among consumers. Indeed, Bord Bia research found that six in 10 consumers across Ireland and the US are concerned by the impact of their beverage choice on the environment.
Manufacturers are therefore striving to meet consumers’ concerns by making their packaging more environmentally, as demonstrated by the brands highlighted in this month’s feature, and there is widespread acknowledgment that the industry has been doing a good job in improving the sustainability of the beverages they produce, with 71% of consumers believing that to be the case. What’s more, Ireland recycles 70% of its plastic bottles, data from Repak published in 2020 found, making us one of the best performers in Europe.
With shoppers stocking up on soft drinks in the build-up to the busy Christmas season, it’s crucial to ensure you have options in-store that will satisfy every family member’s unique tastes.
Share magic moments
When busy schedules make it hard to connect, mealtimes are the perfect opportunity to bring families together. Coca-Cola is inviting consumers to share more magical moments over a meal with the ones they love the most.
For Christmas 2022, Coca-Cola will continue its ‘Real Magic’ communication platform to help bring people together. Coca-Cola is offering consumers the chance to win prizes to bring real magic to mealtimes. Through an exciting on-pack pin code promotion, consumers will have chances to win €200 to spend on their Christmas preparations, plus 1000s of great prizes from Just Eat, Deliveroo & Spotify.
This fully supported campaign will be live in trade from 7 November through to the end of December 2022 and come to life through multiple touchpoints which include TV, Video on Demand, cinema, radio, out of home, experiential, PR, instore theatre, and POS support.
The brand advises stocking up on the festive promotional packs to offer your customers a chance to win.
Entering the Irish market just over 10 years ago, Monster, Ireland’s number one stimulant energy brand, consistently contributes to the energy category in both value and volume growth, delivering more than 18% year-to-date (YTD) September data*.
The brand’s success continues to be driven by strong volume sales of the flagship original Monster with significant additional commercial performance gained from new product innovation, in particular its zero sugar ‘Ultra’ range and its full flavour ‘Juiced’ range: responding to new consumer needs.
Within the growing ‘Zero Sugar’ segment, Monster Ultra has maintained its number one position this year*. The expanding Ultra range now includes Ultra White, Paradise, Red, Blue, Violet, Fiesta Mango, and the new Ultra Watermelon and Gold which launched earlier this year.
Within the ‘Full Flavour’ segment, Monster Juiced has seen further accelerated results. The Juiced range also continue to expand, now including Mango Loco, Pipeline Punch, Pacific Punch, Mixxd Punch, Monarch and this year’s new fan favourite, Monster Khaotic, our energy blend with a tropical orange flavour.
Monster also continues to expand its ‘take-home’ offering with the introduction of eight-packs to the Irish market.
The brand’s success is set to continue next year with three new flavours ready to launch to the Irish market in early 2023; with a reformulated Monster ‘Lewis Hamilton’, Monster Juiced ‘Aussie Lemonade’ and Monster ‘Ultra Rosa’.
*(Source: Nielsen ROI YTD September 2022: Stimulant Energy = Energy drinks with 15g or more caffeine per litre)
Ballygowan has been announced as the Official Water Partner of Irish Rugby in a new four-year deal. The partnership sees Ballygowan become one of the official partners of the IRFU, which includes: the Irish Senior Team; Irish Senior Women’s Team; Senior Men’s Sevens and Senior Women’s Sevens as well as becoming an official sponsor of the IRFU National Referee panel.
Irish Senior Men’s players Mack Hansen, Gavin Coombes, and Jack Conan took a break from training to help launch the new partnership in Dunboyne Castle ahead of the Bank of Ireland Nations Series kicking off in November. They were also joined by Senior Women’s Squad members Aoife Doyle, Enya Breen, and Dorothy Wall. Kevin Donnelly, managing director, Britvic Ireland and Jessica Long, Head of Commercial, IRFU were also in attendance.
Under the new agreement, Ballygowan, which is part of Britvic Ireland, will provide the IRFU with 40,000 litres of water each year to ensure players have the optimal water intake to maintain a normal water balance during training and matches. The average rugby player covers approximately 7km during a match, and it is not unusual for a particularly active player to lose up to a kilo in weight through dehydration.
Ballygowan will support the new partnership with an integrated through the line campaign, entitled ‘Bottled Wild for Irish Rugby’, which will include a dedicated TVC, OOH, digital and social media support, PR, as well as in-store POS rolled out across key retail outlets nationwide.
Ballygowan Natural Irish Mineral Water is suitable for everyone, no matter what their activity level is; from leading professional rugby players to a group of friends playing tag rugby or to refresh after a brisk walk or run.
Last year, Ballygowan relaunched the brand with the new ‘Bottled Wild’ campaign. The campaign was a major step forward in the brand’s ambition to be the most sustainable water brand in Ireland, with all bottles now made from 100% recycled plastic, and are 100% recyclable but containing the same refreshing water, bottled wild from source at Newcastle West in Limerick, remains unchanged.
By introducing the new bottles, Ballygowan is helping to remove 51 million virgin PET bottles which is 1,288 tonnes of non-recycled plastic. When recycled correctly, Ballygowan rPET bottles can be reused over and over again, becoming a contributor to the circular economy, and resulting in a positive impact on the planet.
“Irish Rugby is delighted to welcome Ballygowan as the Official Water Partner of the IRFU,” said Jessica Long, head of commercial, IRFU. “Keeping players’ fluids in balance is an integral part of achieving peak performance and we are delighted to be working with a home-grown Irish brand with a proven track-record in the Irish market. We are looking forward to further developing our relationship with Britvic and I have no doubt our athletes and fans will welcome the support this partnership provides.”
Get up and go!
Lucozade Energy, Ireland’s number one energy brand*, will back on TV across November in the lead up to Christmas and is also planning a significant out-of-home (OOH) and social campaign to be executed in December.
Lucozade Energy is known to help get consumers energised and re-vitalised as they make their way through the festive period.
Research shows that Lucozade Energy is Ireland’s number three FMCG brand***. This is a testament its continued Investment in high impact and high reach mass media and consistent in-store activation.
*(Source: NielsenIQ, Total Scantrack ROI, Lucozade Drink Now Energy, Value Sales, YTD to 11/10/22)
**(Source: NielsenIQ, Total Scantrack ROI, Energy One Shot by Brand, Value Sales & Value % Share, L4WK to 11/10/22)
***(Source: Nielsen Top 100 Brands 2022)
Sunshine in every drop
Irish brand MiWadi has grown from strength to strength in the marketplace. From humble beginnings in 1927, MiWadi has been a fruity and flavoursome part of childhood in Ireland for 94 years and has always remained relevant to Irish families with a wide range of flavours in our Regular, No Added Sugar, 0% Sugar and Drops ranges. To this day, MiWadi is produced in Dublin and is a proud member of Love Irish Food.
MiWadi continues to grow year on year maintaining its number one position in the squash category*.
This summer, MiWadi announce that its single concentrate and double concentrate ranges are now fortified with Vitamin D which supports your family’s immune system**. Vitamin D contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system and maintenance of normal bones and teeth.
Vitamin D is very important in our diet to help support your family’s general health, growth, and development but it can be difficult to achieve the recommended daily intake of 5 µg. It has been reported that Vitamin D deficiency is very prevalent in Ireland***.
MiWadi makes the water that you need to drink each day extra delicious and refreshing. To enjoy MiWadi at its best, just add water.
*(Source: Nielsen Value Share MAT Total Squash Category Sept 2022.
**(Source: Excludes MiWadi Regular Blackcurrant 1L)
***(Source: Department of Health Article Reporting on Vitamin D Deficiency in Ireland, April 2020)
All-natural sugar-free treat
Earlier this year, leading Australian soft drinks brand, Nexba, appointed SHS Sales and Marketing Ireland to look after the sales and distribution of its Kombucha portfolio in Ireland.
SHS Ireland launched Australia’s number one all-natural sugar-free drinks brand, Nexba, providing healthy alternatives to sugary soft drinks.
Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage which contains healthy components such as B vitamins, organic acids, live cultures and antioxidants. Nexba’s new range of Kombucha proves that gut health and great taste can go hand in hand and aligns with the company’s ongoing health agenda.
Available in three flavours – Strawberry & Peach, Mango and Mixed Berry – the soft drink is full of live culture probiotics and is made using the globally patented ‘Nexba Natural Sweetener Blend’, which allows each drink to be completely sugar-free and contains nothing artificial, yet retains its bold, and fruity flavours.
Nexba’s Kombucha range contains zero alcohol and is without the strong vinegar taste commonly found in other Kombucha products on the market, setting this to be a consumer favourite. The range is part of the company’s ongoing agenda to tackle diabetes and obesity and improve gut health in Ireland. So far Nexba has taken over 5 billion grams of sugar out of global diets.
Matthew Connole, sales lead EU, Nexba Beverage Co. said the appointment would provide a strategic platform to launch the new range.
“The launch marks an exciting and important milestone as the company grows its international brand presence,” Connole said. “We will be working closely with SHS Sales and Marketing to maximise current opportunities and identify areas for growth, boosting Ireland’s naturally sugar-free soft drinks category as we seek to realise the full potential of the Kombucha portfolio.
“The release of a range of revolutionary Kombucha drinks to the UK and Ireland cements the brand’s position as thought leaders and innovators in the naturally sugar-free soft drinks industry.”
Alan Neill, commercial director, SHS Sales and Marketing added: “The naturally sugar-free soft drinks category is one of Ireland’s most dynamic FMCG markets. The desire to stay healthy during the pandemic has accelerated the demand for such products, as health and wellbeing become a priority for consumers.
“This product is unique. It presents a very different offering from other products currently available within the category and we are delighted to be working with Nexba Beverage Co. to ensure a successful brand launch in Ireland. The focus will be on building brand awareness which in turn will generate category growth.”
Nexba is stocked in SuperValu, Centra, Spar and independents in 330ml cans and 1L Pet bottle formats.
For further information contact SHS Sales and Marketing, by telephone on 01 401 6200 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Promising to vitalise body and mind, Red Bull Energy Drink, alongside its expanding range of editions will make for the ultimate Christmas 2022 party companion.
Red Bull Sugar Free and Red Bull Zero serve the no sugar category trend, while the colourful editions including Tropical, Red (Watermelon), Green (Cactus Fruit) and Apricot provide something for every taste. Red Bull Energy Drink is now also available in the super convenient four pack, perfect for Christmas get togethers.
Available in over 170 countries worldwide, with more than 7.8 billion cans of Red Bull consumed last year, its expanding range of editions and beyond the ordinary marketing strategy see Red Bull continue to wing its way into Irish consumers hearts, minds, and shopping baskets this Christmas.
Founded in 1987, Red Bull established the energy drinks product category, promising to vitalise body and mind. It is appreciated worldwide by top athletes, students and in highly demanding professions, as well as during long drives.
Red Bull is official energy drinks partner to Connacht Rugby and the Irish Women’s Hockey Team, also supporting Irish athletes, hockey goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran, surfer Conor Maguire, downhill mountain bike athlete Greg Callaghan and drifter Conor Shanahan.
Visit www.redbull.ie for more inspiring content and follow @RedBullIre on Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date with the latest action and events.
At nature’s pace
Ishka Irish Spring Water, the Limerick-based bottled spring water company, is constantly looking for new ways to innovate and stay one step ahead of a rapidly changing retail environment.
Ishka is committed to protecting the environment around it, the home of its natural-source water, and ensuring that everything it does is help to build a sustainable future. Ishka Spring Water filters naturally through the Ballyneety landscape at a pace that only nature can set.
As well as its water, the brand also put just as much care and consideration into the packaging of it and the ways in which consumers can purchase and enjoy it. All plastic bottles are 100% recyclable and its EcoBottles is made from 100% recycled plastic. Ishka also has been a pioneer in introducing tamper-proof tethered caps, three years ahead of an EU deadline, becoming the first bottled water company in Ireland to implement such a measure. It is one of several ways in which it argues that a strong business model can co-exist with environmental responsibility.
Now a strong, recognisable brand on the retail landscape, family-run Ishka continues to increase its market share, largely because it can lay claim to being Ireland’s freshest spring water – bottled from five, 200m-deep certified wells, untouched by human contact and not stored prior to bottling. Last year it saw growth of 32% year on year. And it’s gearing up for more growth. It is working towards commissioning a new glass bottle line in the fourth quarter so it can move into the foodservice and on-trade market from next year. The company is also exploring flavoured water product next year, as well as a new water energy drink.
Trade enquiries welcome to email@example.com or by calling 061 450 705
Bold new look
Changes continue to evolve for the better at the number one Irish mixer brand, Club, as the brand unveils its new bold and vibrant design.
The new design sees the brand move closer to the Club master brand, with the energy from the Club brand mark echoed and built on by illustrations from its past that radiate out in a fun, playful and ownable style.
Available as 6 x 330ml can pack and 850ml PET for the grocery channel, Club Mixers ensures relevance across many drinking opportunities. Its portfolio offers a wide range of flavours, best enjoyed chilled over ice with a garnish of choice. Club Mixers are the perfect accompaniment to spirits, expertly designed to blend deliciously with gins, vodkas and whiskeys.
“We are very excited about our new Club Mixers’ design, as it is very important for us to keep such an iconic Irish brand contemporary and relevant to the modern consumer,” said Brian Greer, marketing manager, Britvic Ireland.
“Not only has our focus over the years been on delivering a unique and superior taste experience, we want everyone to know we share a purpose of savouring every moment and living life to the full along with Club,” continued Greer. “We know Irish consumers are eager to buy local brands especially ones that matter more to them. Our new modern Irish design, built on by illustrations of our rich and iconic history, is intended to appeal to a broader, younger audience, focusing on the attributes of heritage, quality, and reliability.
“We have big growth ambitions over the next five years and this next evolvement of the brand has been designed to transform how we engage with consumers, while emphasising our Irish values through our unique history.”
Nettles…Don’t die wonderin’
Wild About, the Blas na hÉireann Supreme Champion 2021, is an innovative Irish artisan company creating an award-winning range of natural food and drink from native, seasonal and wild ingredients.
“Nettles are one of our greatest native superfoods, a natural source of essential vitamins, minerals and iron,” say Fiona Falconer, who co-founded the business alongside her husband Malcolm.
“Packed with polyphenols, antioxidents, and a natural detoxifier, nettles are engrained in the memory of every Irish bare-legged kid,” she continues. “At Wild about we use simple, sustainable plant-based ingredients with naturally occurring plant compounds, vitamins and minerals to promote health and wellbeing. We started making a Nettle Syrup a decade ago, to dilute with sparkling water. It has consistently been our product leader, year-on-year.
“We looked at where we could take it, did some R&D, reformulated the recipe, low in sugar and stable (ambient), carbonated, pasteurised in a 330ml glass bottle…ready to go, Sparkling Nettle Drink was born! Unfortunately, so was Covid, despite the social restrictions, no markets, events, promotions we still managed to produce and sell over 20k units in the domestic market. Driven by this we developed a second product Sparkling Fennel drink, with similar natural, health and wellness benefits.”
Globally there is a move to more functional beverages, a strong influence of sustainability and naturalness. Here in Ireland, in the quest for authentic goodness and natural functionality there is growing interest in wild ingredients, according to Bord Bia’s ‘Future of Adult Beverages’ report.
“There is no doubt the clear Irish trends, mirrored globally, towards more natural, beneficial, local, sustainable products,” continues Falconer, who reflects: “I do tend to sit in those Bord Bia Consumer Insights seminars going tick, tick, tick but this is the first product range we can actually scale.
Despite a rather flat growth in the global beverages market, functional foods and beverages are projected to grow by 8.5%. Nettle is red hot in Germany, the world’s fourth biggest beverage market worth US$53,662m so Wild About is certainly very excited to see where this story goes.
Wild About appeals across all age ranges, from parents who to give their kids a natural drink, to grandparents who are also seeking out a different option.
“If a drink just needs to taste good and refresh, it’s water,” says Falconer. “If it needs to be more; more interesting, more salivating, more innovative…more natural, more beneficial, more sustainable, more Irish…you’d have to take a punt on a sparkling Nettle Drink!”
As a small, rural-based agri-business, the Falconers concede they don’t have the budgets of the large companies: “We need retailers to support us in return we offer what they don’t,” says Fiona. “A unique, natural, sustainable, healthy, deliciously refreshing Irish Nettle Drink.”
Contact Fiona Falconer. M: 086 81229525. E: firstname.lastname@example.org.
Web: www.wildabout.ie. Instagram: wild.about. Facebook: Wildabout.ie


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There were seventeen new cases filed in May, putting total filings for the year at seventy-two. By this time last year, plaintiffs had filed sixty-nine food and beverage cases. Most of the new filings were in California, with a few in New York and one in Missouri. All seventeen of the new cases were false labeling cases.
In a continued expansion of the “sustainability/human rights” cases, several tuna companies were sued in the Northern District of California for allegedly misleading consumers about whether their tuna is dolphin safe. Plaintiffs allege that the tuna suppliers use fishing tactics that can be harmful to dolphins, rendering their “Dolphin Safe” labels misleading under California law and similar laws from all fifty states. These cases evoke similar human rights supply chain cases pursued, largely without success, in the last few years in the Ninth Circuit including the Chipotle GMO supply chain case, Schneider v. Chipotle Mexica Grill, Inc., and the recent Ninth Circuit omissions case, Hodsdon v. Mars.
Other cases of note include DiGregorio v. Kellogg Sales Company, a Northern District of New York case alleging that Kellogg misleadingly marketed high-sugar cereals as healthy. This case mirrors Hadley v. Kellogg Sales Co., which currently pending in the Northern District of California. Plaintiffs in Hadley and DiGregorio make the same claims and are represented by the same plaintiffs’ counsel.
Continue Reading PC Food Litigation Index: May 2019

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One of the men even swoops in to give the girl a quick kiss on the cheek. He turns around in mock-embarrassment and gives his friend a hug, while the young woman speaks to her friend in French.
Justin Bieber was the big winner of the evening at the American Music Awards last night, taking home four accolades including Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, Fa
She is home-tutored alongside her younger sister Mackenzie, who also stars in the Dance Moms series and with whom Maddie released a fashion line called The Maddie & Mackenzie Collection last year.
Quanta Computer, ” in October. Samsung is also reported to be working on a 12 to 13-inch tablet, and it seems evident that “these large-size tablets will greatly impact ultrabook demand.” This “iPad Max” will be a defacto laptop with the addition of new cases with integrated keyboards and batteries and could well become a mainstay for high schools and college students who need better content creation tools than thos offers on existing iPads and iPad Minis.
Exports declined 6.9 per cent in October from a year earlier, deteriorating from the 3.7 per cent fall the previous month as weak global demand and higher Chinese costs led to slumping shipments of the cheap Chinese goods that have flowed to the world in the last decade.
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey
“The US economy is likely to grow by 3 per cent plus this year as well as next year.
While Kobe's grown into his 6'6'' frame nicely, he was still a pretty decent-sized guy back in high school. Just imagine how hard trying to stop a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant was back in 1996. I'm sure it was nearly impossible.
“The First Amendment’s Free Speech protections apply only to violations by public entities, and since Harvard is a private university the First Amendment does not apply,” she said.


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A team of engineers is seeking $348,000 in funding on Kickstarter to build the world’s largest Tesla coils, capable of spitting artificial lightning for hundreds of feet. The Lightning Foundry, the brainchild of high voltage engineer Greg Leyh, will stand ten stories high (the original plan was 20 per cent higher) and will be …
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Colliers International observes impact of three new hotels in Adelaide market, with more in pipeline
Three significant hotels opened in Adelaide in 2015, influencing the city’s recent hotel performance, according to Colliers International data.
Ibis Adelaide introduced 311 rooms to the market, Mayfair Hotel introduced 170 rooms and Quest King William South introduced 67 apartments.
“These hotels entering the market evidently impacted overall hotel market performance, with occupancy levels dropping in 2015 before recovering again in 2016,” Colliers International’s head of Hotels, Gus Moors, said.
In 2016, hotel occupancy rates increased to 77.1 per cent, up from the 2015’s 75.4 per cent, and Average Room Rates (ARR) increased by 0.5 per cent to $149.80 per night.
“This recovery is expected to continue this year and into 2018, before the market sees more new entrances which it will need to absorb,” Mr Moors said.
An Atura hotel at Adelaide Airport is due to open in late 2018; a Sofitel hotel proposed for Currie Street is anticipated to open in 2019; an Aloft hotel with 200 rooms is anticipated to open in 2019; and a proposed Sheraton hotel is also anticipated to open in 2019.
Data collated by Tourism Research Australia projects that total visitation to South Australia, including domestic and international visitors, will continue to grow during the forecast period to 2024-2025.
Leisure visitors to Adelaide are expected to grow by 3.7 per cent in 2016-2017 and about 3.0 per cent in the coming years to 2024-2025. Business visitors are also predicted to increase.
“We would anticipate that a significant proportion of these visitors to the state would stay in hotels,” Mr Moors said. “However, some may stay in other forms of accommodation, including hostels, backpackers and caravan parks.”
The total visitation nights are anticipated to grow by up to 4.5 per cent in the next two years and just more than 3.5 per cent in the longer term.


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BERLIN (Reuters) -- Volkswagen Group's supervisory board will pick Matthias Mueller, the head of sports-car maker Porsche, as its next CEO to succeed Martin Winterkorn, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Mueller, the VW group's former head product strategist, has majority support on the 20-member supervisory panel that meets on Friday, the source said.
The Wall Street Journal is also reporting that Mueller will get the job.
Winterkorn resigned on Wednesday after almost nine years at the helm of Europe's biggest carmaker after VW was found manipulating emissions equipment in the U.S.
Mueller, 62, has led Porsche since 2010. He is backed by members of the Porsche-Piech family that controls a majority stake in Volkswagen.
"He is a good choice even though he may be seen as a transitionary CEO until another internal candidate such as VW brand CEO Diess has earned their stripes," said Arndt Ellinghorst, an analyst at Evercore ISI investment banking advisory firm.
He said Mueller's priority would be to renew VW's leadership, restructure costs and turn VW into a "performance-driven company where management was more accountable."
Mueller started at Audi as a toolmaking apprentice in the early 1970s, and his focus in recent years has been away from the VW and Audi brands named in the diesel affair.
In addition, sources told Reuters that Volkswagen will dismiss its U.S. chief executive, Michael Horn, on Friday and create a special position for the United States on its management board.
Winfried Vahland, head of VW's Czech division, Skoda, is the top candidate to take charge of VW's U.S. operations, two sources said. Horn’s impending dismissal was told to Reuters by a source familiar with the matter earlier today.
A VW of America spokeswoman declined to comment, calling reports of Horn’s pending dismissal “speculation."
Possible successors to Winterkorn also included Herbert Diess, a former BMW executive who took over the newly created post of VW brand chief this year, a person familiar with the matter said.
The new CEO will take charge as Volkswagen seeks to regain the trust of consumers and rebuild a brand tarnished by scandal. The company’s admission that millions of its “clean diesel” cars have software intended to defeat emissions tests has wiped nearly 20 billion euros ($22.4 billion) off its market capitalization since last Friday.
Winterkorn’s departure “was necessary for the company, for the workers, for the region, for Germany’s car industry, but it’s only a first step,” said Guenter Lach, a Christian Democrat lawmaker who worked at VW for four decades and represents voters from the automaker’s home base of Wolfsburg.


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Our international publishing colleagues tell us which books are on their holiday gift lists this year. We wish you happy holidays and a wonderful New Year.
Calls are out now for June’s Jerusalem International Book Fair fellows and London’s ‘Introduction to Rights’ program registration.
International publishing rights agent Stephanie Barrouillet of Tel Aviv describes the effects of a short-lived fixed-price law, just repealed by Israel.
Promising that the Kafka-Brod papers will be made ‘accessible in the broadest way for generations to come,’ a long legal controversy comes to an end at the National Library of Israel.
‘The world of publishing has evolved one small step and then stopped,’ says a digital entrepreneur, one of three whose Israeli startup is collaborating with the venerable Oxford University Press.
Israel has repealed its Law for the Protection of Literature and Writers, which required fixed book prices for 18 months and minimum author royalty rates.
Ben Denckla outlines the challenges of creating reflowable digital texts that incorporate challenging elements present in a wide variety of Jewish books.
When it comes to catering to Millennials, Total BooX believes that eliminating the friction in the traditional ebook purchasing process is key.
For the 30th Jerusalem Book Fair Fellowship Program, 35 alumni — editors, agents and scouts — joined 39 new fellows for a week of professional networking.
Events at the book fairs in Jerusalem, Leipzig, Bologna and Frankfurt are honoring the Jubilee year of German-Israeli diplomatic and literary relations.


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Leave your freedom at the door! Chinese foodies flock to PRISON themed restaurant where they enjoy meals in locked cages and get their food through a window
- Prison themed restaurant recently opened in Jilin, north eastern China
- It has been very popular with diners who want to experience prison life
- Menu items include a 'prison fare' of rustic bread and regular noodles
A new restaurant in China has become incredibly popular thanks to its prison theme.
Diners at the prison themed restaurant in Jilin, north eastern China, are able to experience the life of a prisoner without giving up their freedom.
They are treated to 'prison fare' inside metal cages while the food is delivered through tiny windows, reported People's Daily Online.
Unlike prisoners, diners can leave the restaurant at any time - provided they've settled their bill
Diners are treated to 'prison fare' inside metal cages while the food is delivered by guards through windows
An entire locked up world lies past a door painted with the words 'freedom' at new prison themed restaurant
The restaurant, located on the city's Qingnian Road, is simply named 'Prison Theme Kebab Bar' and specialises in meat skewers.
Photographs of the restaurant show that an entire prison world lies past a door painted with the words 'freedom'.
'Prisoners' eat inside metal cages, which can be locked from the outside.
The prison themed menu has to be delivered through a small window in the cage by staff in guard's uniforms.
A 'Seacrest County' police car broken through the wall is the main decoration but there's also prison-themed murals.
Each table has a prison insignia to indicate its number.
Restaurant is said to be very popular during the first weeks of it opening in Jiling, north eastern China
'Prisoners' eat inside metal cages, which can be locked from the outside but there are also open tables
Each table has a prison insignia to indicate its number and there are similar decorations around the restaurant
A special prison set menu has been designed and is available for 12 Yuan (£1.20).
It's said to include items such as traditional rustic bread to give visitors a flavour of imprisonment.
Although the restaurant also serves regular Chinese dishes such as noodles and cold meats.
On Chinese restaurant review website Dianping, a visitor has commented: 'There's lots of people but the theme is average.
'The service is good. I would go again but would recommended going later as the restaurant has just opened and there's too many people right now.'
According to the owner, the restaurant has been designed to attract customers but he also hopes that it will serve as a warning to citizens to stay within the law.
Above, diners are let into a caged booth. It's not for the claustrophobic though as the door can be locked with a chain and padlock
Special prison set menu has been designed and is available for 12 Yuan (£1.20) but other dishes also available
The menu is said to include items such as traditional rustic bread to give visitors a flavour of imprisonment
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An inspired group of youngsters in the city, Gray Face of India, has used spy cameras to catch retailers at Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus who notoriously swindle customers by marking up the price of their products by anywhere between 20% and 30% in excess of the MRP.
Police say enforcement would be in place until every auto in the city complies with the norms laid down by the state government.
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Metro rail is preparing to float fresh tenders to complete work on the St Thomas Mount-Koyambedu line after contracts awarded to Consolidated Construction Consortium Ltd (CCCL) were terminated as it failed to build elevated stations on time.
Losing patience with the increasing number of complaints against autorickshaw drivers, the government has decided to tighten the screws.


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Fast-food-restaurants-near-me, a woman who was just trying to order food ended up on the ground in pain at a fast food restaurant near the university of. By opting to open his own fast food restaurant asks about fast food consumption near the outset compared to the original, an appeal by the irish heart foundation against planning permission granted for a fast food restaurant located just 300 metres from a primary school was rejected this week a number of local residents. Adjusting for socio demographic factors statistical analyses showed that a greater number of fast food restaurants near the commute route was associated with higher bmi higher bmi was also, fast food drive thrus could soon use license plate scanning "it wouldn't bother me " said ray co as he left a chick fil a near sports arena zach gonzales of chula vista said the idea of license.
Carpenter reminded me about how woefully understaffed the industry is by next year holly could be taking your order from a fast food restaurant near you john a tures is a professor of political, no matter where you are you'll be able to find all highly recommended fast food restaurants near you read up to date reviews from other users and sometimes even order food online via yelp's.
Even better was that the employee who took my order gave me food that challenges the traditional model it's relatively expensive it uses potato rolls it's staunchly against the drive through, once a major villain in the debate over public health fast food chains have managed to move out of the spotlight a bit in recent years with books like fast food nation in 2001 and the movie super. But at buddy's plaice the chippy just down the road from middle street primary rob cheesman says there is no after school rush to speak of - and that most children who eat in his father's restaurant, customers may one day find themselves ordering mcdonald's from a restaurant on wheels even if they don't realize it.
The chain of restaurants can only be found near st louis "we'll get to those classic roast beef sandwiches some of the


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The Kia Sorento SUV has been around in Malaysia for quite some time and was once even rebadged as a Naza Sorento. The current Sorento was introduced back in 2009, hence a replacement model is timely. Just before the third generation Sorento makes its debut in the coming months, Kia-World has provided a teaser of the exterior of the new Sorento.
As seen in the images here, the design of the new Sorento will sport a diamond-pattern grille, connecting headlights, and horizontal taillights. The new Sorento is tipped to be powered by either 2.0-litre turbo petrol unit, 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine and 3.3-litre V6 petrol, with the diesel likely to be introduced in Malaysia.
The new Sorento will make its worldwide debut in Korea in September and will be featured at the Paris and Los Angeles Motorshows by the end of 2014. NazaKia should bring the new Sorento into Malaysia by 2015.
[Source: Kia World]


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There is still a lot of time left for the launch of the iPhone 14 series. Like every year, this year also Apple is going to launch the series in September itself. But its design and specifications have already started happening. Reports say that the upcoming lineup is going to include iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Now a new video has been put out by iUpdate that shows the designs of all the 4 upcoming iPhone 14 models on the surface of the dummy units. There are already some videos and reports that have revealed the design of the upcoming iPhone 14 series.
iPhone 14 Max will look like this: As you can also see in the video, the base model iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max are very similar to the previous generation iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max. They have the same notch design as well as the same aluminum edges. Overall, when it comes to design, the standard and "Max" models don't get much improvement. The video does not reveal the screen panel of the smartphone. However, we know that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will have a pill and punch-hole cut-out.
Camera Bump Visible Large: In the video, you can also see that the camera bump is comparatively bigger on the iPhone 14 Pro model. This could probably be because of the bigger lens. Another interesting detail that can be seen in the video is the ear speaker placement. In iPhone 14 Pro, you can see that the ear speaker is present in the same place as the iPhone 13 Pro. The most awaited iPhone 14 series can be presented at this fall event. Apple still hasn't confirmed any details about the smartphone. Tipsters and analysts have made all the disclosures so far.


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Distillery law could help create new jobs, says Gosling’s
Recently tabled legislation aimed at creating distilleries on the island could potentially help to create jobs and options for tourists, according to the head of Gosling’s Bermuda.
The Distilleries Licensing Act 2023, tabled in the House of Assembly last month, proposes the creation of a licensing regime for the operation of a distillery and the sale and supply of locally distilled spirits.
Malcolm Gosling, chief executive of Gosling’s Bermuda, said that the company’s board had not yet discussed the legislation, but they have had “brief discussions” at past meetings about the advantages and disadvantages of local distilling.
While he emphasised that no plans were in place right now, he noted the introduction of local distilleries would potentially open the door to the creation of new Bermudian products.
“Anything you can do to give tourists more opportunities to do tastings and more products to purchase that are locally manufactured and only available here is a positive,” he said.
Mr Gosling said that right now Gosling’s rums are distilled overseas and shipped into Bermuda to be aged and blended.
“Everything we do with any of the Gosling’s brands that are exported, no matter where you drink them in the world, they have all been blended and partially aged in Bermuda and then exported from Bermuda,” he said.
He said that if the company were to consider on-island distillation, it would need to look at both financial and environmental impacts, noting that the two are interconnected.
“Reducing emissions as much as possible and then treating the waste in a way that is environmentally responsible has a financial cost to it,” he said.
“What those costs are, we don’t know yet, but we will hopefully find out in the not too distant future. It’s also not just the set up costs but the ongoing costs to make a distillery work.
“On the positive side it’s adding possible tourism activities. It could end up providing a greater number of jobs for Bermudians if things work out financially.
“We are using all Bermudian labour for the rums we export right now, but a distillery and ageing facility and so forth would require even more hands to make it work.”
Mr Gosling said base ingredients for distilling, such as sugar, would likely still need to be imported for larger scale operations because of the quantities required.
But he said local distilling could still potentially create opportunities in local agriculture.
“There are a lot of elements that you would consider,” he said. “Gosling’s currently is exporting only rum, but there are other things. There are botanicals that can be locally infused and incorporated into neutral spirits, for instance.
“You could create flavoured vodkas and gins using locally grown products. That could be something.”
Asked about the possibility of smaller-scale distillation aimed at the local market, Mr Gosling said it was a possibility although overhead costs could make it difficult.
“You are looking at a fair amount of cost to set up and continue to operate,” he said. “Depending on what those overhead costs are, if you have a fairly small customer base it could wind up being fairly challenging.
“It also depends on how many licences are given out. If they are giving out numerous numbers, then I think it would be difficult for anybody to make it work.”


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The French car manufacturer, Peugeot Citroen, announced losses of 5bn Euros which the BBC reported yesterday. A stark contrast to the half a billion profit in 2011, the car manufacturer believes that the continuing economic problems across Europe, together with a lack of demand for new cars is causing these poor results. While Peugeot Citroen have already instigated over 1bn Euros of cost cutting measures, it seems that even that has not been enough to avoid the ensuing financial problems.
Like many car manufacturers, the lack of demand for new vehicles across France, Spain and Germany, is creating a very difficult situation for company finances. In contrast, demand across the UK has been fairly consistent and the result of this has been a number of strong deals for new cars; not just in terms of car leasing but through other platforms such as direct car sales. In particular, brands such as Peugeot Citroen, Seat and even Mercedes, are pushing their presence across the UK, as they compete for a slice of our business.
From our perspective at CarLease UK, it is of course worrying, although not altogether unexpected, that car manufacturers across Europe are beginning to experience financial losses amidst the Eurozone situation. For the foreseeable future these financial hardships will continue until Europe establishes a stability so that confidence throughout the market can resurge. New cars are, for the most part, a luxury item and it is makes the results unsurprising.
However, as we discussed above, for the UK this will mean a continued influx of new cars from the European continent and a number of incredible deals. The harsh reality is that another country’s negative can indeed be a big positive for us. Until Europe begins to recover, we will probably see more and more deals.


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CHOICE’s latest food labelling research has found 70 percent of Australians want clearer palm oil labelling.
The consumer advocacy group said when it comes to Easter chocolate, “consumers are in a palm oil labelling wilderness, with phrases such as “vegetable fat” masking this unhealthy and often unsustainable product.”
“When we looked at similar 125 gram packs of Easter eggs from Cadbury and Mars, we found ourselves in the dark when it came to determining the presence of palm oil,” said CHOICE spokesperson Tom Godfrey.
“We believe that consumers have a right to know what they’re buying this Easter. In order to make informed decisions, we would like to see palm oil labelling mandatory on food products.”
CHOICE has released the results of its latest palm oil survey which found 70 percent of Australians think it’s important that palm oil is labelled separately on the ingredients list.
CHOICE surveyed 1061 Australians aged 18-75 years. Of the Australians who place importance on being able to correctly identify whether a product contains palm oil, 59 percent cited environment reasons, 58 percent health reasons, 45 percent animal welfare reasons and 37 percent ethical reasons relating to Fairtrade/worker conditions.
“The current labelling system allows palm oil to be hidden behind a generic ‘vegetable oil’ or ‘vegetable fat’ label. It’s not surprising that only 15 percent of Australians mentioned palm oil when asked which oils are included in those terms,” Godfrey said.
“Many Australians are not aware that palm oil is a common ingredient in products ranging from margarines, biscuits, breads and breakfast cereals to chocolates, instant noodles and personal care products.
“It is estimated that about half of all packaged items in supermarkets contain this type of oil.”
“Palm oil production has been associated with significant environmental impacts, while the product also contains more than 50 percent saturated fat and can raise ’bad’ cholesterol levels. It is one of the two tropical oils the Heart Foundation recommends consumers avoid, along with coconut oil.”
“Even though a growing number of companies now use certified sustainable palm oil, it makes up just 18 percent of the global palm oil supply, and the type of certification is not always declared on pack,” Godfrey said.
“Whether it's for health reasons, environmental concerns, or to make food purchasing decisions that align with personal values and beliefs, consumers should be able to identify palm oil in their chocolate treats next Easter.”
The Forum of Food Regulation Ministers will be looking at a recommendation this year that would see palm oil be identified on food products.
CHOICE is urging consumers to email their state minister to let them know they want labels that identify whether palm oil is in their food.


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In April, Facebook announced plans to overhaul the right-side column ads. Long-term concerns about engagement and visual quality led to these changes. Facebook is selectively rolling out the new right-side ads with a complete transition occurring August 1st. Here is what you need to know about the new format along with expected impact of the change.
Infographic: The Next Generation of Consumer Engagement: Search, Social Discovery, Mobile, Aggregration?
The numbers are staggering: By 2017, the global social network audience will total 2.55 billion. And of the 42 percent of users that have multiple social accounts today, nearly three in five (58 percent) wish there was a solution to help them better use and monitor all of their social networking profiles at once.
So how do firms stay ahead of social marketing and optimize their present-day strategies? The above chart outlines where the majority of marketers are today and where intelligent customer engagement is going. Consider it a sneak peek into a digital marketing crystal ball . . .
Disclaimer: I currently serve as Advisor to Sparksfly Technologies, Inc., and assisted the team with the aforementioned research.
Craft breweries have produced scores of award-winning beers over the years and according to the Houston Chronicle, will garner sales of over $7 billion nationwide in 2014. But just having a tasty ale or lager is no guarantee these days for long-term business success as the gigantic ad/marketing budgets of the major breweries can drown out craft breweries attempts to snare market share.
“The number of new craft breweries has exploded in the past few years and the market is getting crowded,” said Melani Gordon, who co-founded San Diego-based TapHunter. The company provides on- and off-premise accounts with time- and money-saving tools that automatically update beverage inventory on social media channels, websites, and print, digital display, and tablet menus. This exposure empowers their customers by helping transform beer, spirits, and cocktail menus into valuable revenue producers.
Gordon said those craft breweries that don’t put some serious thought behind their brand and voice will struggle.
“There’s no magic formula for craft breweries to find consumers so the new breweries need to build a brand and web presence because it’s challenging today to stand out,” added Gordon. “In addition, there are a lot of inefficiencies in the retail distribution model, making it... Read more
Posted in Ad Networks, Ad Serving, Creative Best Practices, Desktop Apps, Emerging Platforms, Entertainment, Humor, Opinions, Research, Search, Social Media, Targeting, Web Analytics, Websites, Wireless, Word of Mouth | No Comments »
One item from SXSW 2014 that has remained relevant for me is a simple package of Post-it notes. These are not just any Post-it's, they are digitally enabled Post-it's that integrate seamlessly with Evernote. The simple utility of the integration that allows users to convert physical post-it notes into digital, searchable records inspired me to contact the Evernote team for a briefing to bettter understand how they partner with brands.
During the course of the briefing we touched on many topics such as their current user base of 100M+ as well as their approach to partnerships and how they are working with various device carriers at the OEM level to ensure Evernote is ever present on the latest devices. We also discussed their focus on physical accessories and partnerships with Moleskin & 3M.
Evernote's approach to creating value is to seamlessly become a part of a users daily routine. An interesting perspective about their user base was tied to the fact that out of 1000 people 999 will use Evernote in a different way. Users leverage Evernote as a way to capture anything important to their life, reuse it or stem off of it. From a brand partnership perspective, the goal is... Read more
A non-binding opinion handed down earlier this month by the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), the European Union’s highest legal authority, is roiling the business community. While the opinion needs the approval of all 28 EU governments before it can become legally binding, there’s already a lot of online chatter about the potential blowback to businesses operating in the EU.
The case followed complaints in March 2010 from Mario Costeja Gonzalez, a Spanish lawyer, who said that when Google’s search results revealed details on an auction of his repossessed home in a local newspaper (La Vanguardia), it infringed on his privacy rights.
CJEU ruled that people have the “right to be forgotten” and can ask Google to remove some sensitive information from Internet search results. Tech companies, noted the Financial Times, fear it may be “the beginning of a broader assault in which Google would be regulated like a utility.” Or to use an oft-used English idiom, it could be “the thin end of the wedge.”
No surprise then that organizations and associations from all walks of life are now weighing in with their two bits/bytes.
“Individuals may now have the ability to essentially go in with a... Read more
Posted in Creative Best Practices, Desktop Apps, Emerging Platforms, Entertainment, Humor, Opinions, Research, Search, Social Media, Targeting, Web Analytics, Websites, Wireless, Word of Mouth | No Comments »


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Disrupting Industries “Like a Girl” – Finding Your Place In Male-Dominated Industries
Ms. Career Girl
NOVEMBER 30, 2017
Statistics show that women around the world are taking entrepreneurism by storm, with female entrepreneurs launching significantly more businesses, worldwide, than their male counterparts. However, most women owned businesses (WOB) are still limited to traditionally feminine industries – healthcare, social services and administrative support. In my view, one of the most destructive concepts we adopt as women is that we are not entitled to demand what we truly want.


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Keep Tasmania GM Free
Victory! Tasmania extends its GM moratorium
The Safe Food Foundation welcomes the decision of The Tasmanian Government to extend indefinitely its ban on genetically modified (GM) crops and animals. The moratorium will continue to include exemptions for non-commercial filed trials of GM crops.
The Safe Food Foundation, along with other groups, spent months working on the ground with farmers, food businesses and consumers to stress the importance of keeping the ban. In October last year, the Safe Food Foundation and Organics Tasmania had also co-hosted two industry forums on the benefits or otherwise of Tasmania extending its GMO moratorium.
“Our efforts have paid off. Tasmania will keep its enviable position of being the only Australian State that can claim to be genuinely GM free. It is a sensible decision and one that other States would be well advised to pay attention to.” Scott Kinnear, Director of the Safe Food Foundation, said.
The Safe Food Foundation has sent a submission to the Tasmanian Government regarding its GM crop moratorium. You can read it here.


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Read the full story from Reuters.
A decade ago, private equity couldn’t get enough of plastic packaging. They snapped up companies making bags, films and trays to contain everything from food and fashion to drink to drugs, drawn by reliable cash flows and consolidation prospects.
But now the sector’s not quite so in vogue. Many buyout firms are steering clear, and some of those holding assets are struggling to offload them at what they consider attractive prices, according to people involved in such deals.
This reversal illustrates how much the investment world has recalibrated itself in a matter of years, with environmental factors becoming dealmakers or breakers.


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Felixstowe PR firm’s hot new frozen meals contract.
FELIXSTOWE: A Suffolk PR firm is cooking up a campaign for a new frozen meal range.
Pier marketing agency, based in Langer Road, Felixstowe, was chosen by top food firm Kerry Foods to launch its Made for You meals.
An intensive PR campaign promoting the range, which will go on sale in the Morrisons frozen food aisle, kicks off next month.
The restaurant-style meals, including sticky chilli beef, slow cooked beef with gratin potatoes, chicken, prawn and chorizo paella and wild mushroom risotto, are aimed at time-pressed adults or as an alternative to takeaways.
Pier director Kate Bowden Smith said: “ The Made for You range is set to reinvigorate consumer interest in frozen ready meals and we are really excited to be undertaking the PR for the new range.”


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- Herman has introduced Belden as the recipient of the “Herman Vendor of the Year Award,” presented at InfoComm 2013 in Orlando, FL.
Herman is a provider of AV products, procurement services, and labor resources to systems integrators in the commercial AV and broadcast industries. Herman ProAV, including its recently launched Herman Integration Services division, partners with customers nationwide to provide products, procurement and logistics, and installation labor services under one roof. Belden was selected for the honor in recognition of their partnership and outstanding support of Herman’s strategic initiatives.
“Our entire organization voted to select Belden for this honor,” said executive vice president, Herman, Jeffrey Wolf. “Belden is a true strategic partner, and they have provided us with the ability to expand our value offering across the commercial AV and broadcast segments. They support us in a manner which enables our customers to Rely On Us for the materials the need for their projects.”


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Utah State University https://www.usu.edu researchers don’t need an Apple Watch or stethoscope to measure the heartbeat—they only need a video camera and specialized software. Jake Gunther, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Nate Ruben have invented a USU-patented technology that can estimate the heart rate.
“When your heart circulates blood through your arteries and veins, the light absorbed by your skin changes by measurable amounts,” reports Gunther. “You can’t see it with the naked eye, but when the new technology processes the images from a camera, the changes are obvious.
Video cameras are used to record images in values of red, green, and blue. The green channel provides information that makes heart rate estimation possible. The system processes the color data and computes an average where skin is visible on the face, neck, or arms.
“The operation of the system is similar to a pulse oximeter,” said co-inventor and USU alumnus Nate Ruben. “But instead of looking at the light transmitted through skin tissue, we’re looking at the light being reflected from it.”
He adds, “This contact-less monitoring system could revolutionize medical equipment and consumer products including baby monitors and exercise gear. A future version of the inventors’ design could even replace hospital tools that monitor blood pressure or blood oxygen levels.”
The inventors are expanding their patented technology with the creation of a new company called Photorithm Inc. Gunther and Ruben are also developing a new baby monitor system called Smartbeat that uses similar software to detect breathing in a sleeping infant.


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Fortnite news this week includes possible Halloween skin hints
The Fortnite Season 6 theme and skins remain a mystery and will like stay that way until Epic Games decide to make the big announcement, or data miners find some interesting new clues.
As usual, fans have heard a lot of rumours about what could be coming next, including stuff about how the Fortnite map might be changing.
One high-profile Twitch streamer has also provided a few teasers on what’s being planned for Halloween 2018.
Prominent Fortnite player, Ninja, believes Epic Games has something cool planned for the seasonal event. And while Epic Games have never neglected Halloween entirely, there's a chance we could see some Getaway-style plans being cooked up.
Replying to questions, Ninja told fans on the subject of Halloween: "They gave me some interesting little hints and stuff.
"They showed me some cool up-and-coming things. I’m just pumped for… Halloween, dude."
The latest hint from Ninja doesn’t provide a lot of information, but it does give us enough to make some predictions.
From what was teased, Epic Games are probably planning a Fortnite Halloween event.
And if there is a Halloween event, you can probably expect some new skins and cosmetic items.
This seems a given based on what happened last year, although some fans will be more interested in grabbing older gear.
The Skull Trooper is an obvious choice for a returning outfit and is a highly sought-after item.
This is due to its rarity, with a lot fewer gamers playing Fortnite when it was first launched.
New Halloween Fortnite skins will likely drop during season 6 and are the first set of outfits we know about.
For everything else, fans are putting together their best theories on what will be happening in season 6.
Hints have been dropped that a “Dark Reign” event could be part of season 6.
A recently released Fortnite Loading Screen shows the Brite Bomber touching the in-game cube.
And in it, we see a reflection of an evil version of the Fortnite character, a possible hint at the season 6 theme.
That the mysterious cube is at the centre of the next big in-game event seems pretty apparent.
It’s been flying around the Fortnite map for some time now and looks to be heading to its final location.
The Fortnite cube spawned on the Battle Royale map over three weeks ago and since then has been moving around and burning runes into the ground.
It’s rumoured that the Fortnite cube will leave behind seven runes in total before finally activating by Loot Lake.
And the seventh rune has been burnt by the Fortnite cube according to gamers on Reddit, which means we’re fast approaching its end game.
SEASON 6 MAP CHANGES
From what has been found by data miners and seen in-game, it appears the purple cube is going to set off some kind of new event.
And this could include Fortnite Season 6 starting off with a volcanic explosion and the destruction of a well-known location.
The Fortnite cube first appeared on the Battle Royale map more than two weeks ago and since then has been moving around leaving runes behind in its wake.
It’s apparently got a final destination in mind, that being Loot Lake on the Fortnite map.
Data miners say they have found evidence of lava being added to the game, something that isn't part of the current map biomes.
Audio files for flowing lava were discovered in Fortnite update 5.40, while other images appear to show a volcano underneath Loot Lake.
It had been theorised that this Fortnite pyramid could emerge from Loot Lake at the start of Fortnite season 6 or the end of season 5.
But maybe, all along, instead of it being a pyramid it was another object that has a similar triangular shape - a volcano?


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Myths about the diamond industry, especially among consumers, are some of the hardest to debunk. Here, leading experts correct some common misconceptions about diamonds.
Myth 1: Customers are significantly at risk of buying a conflict diamond
Reality: Perhaps the most pervasive myth of all, the issue of conflict diamonds — or “blood diamonds” — has a firm grip on the public consciousness.
“Our industry has made great strides since the widespread awareness that came to light during the brutal civil wars in Sierra Leone and Angola in the 1990s,” says Don Palmieri, president of the Gem Certification & Assurance Lab (GCAL). The percentage of the global diamond trade funding or facilitating conflict at that time is up for debate, with estimates ranging from less than 1.5% to as much as 15%. But since the introduction of the Kimberley Process (KP) certification scheme and the World Diamond Council (WDC) System of Warranties, more than 99.8% of the world’s diamonds are certified conflict-free, with the support of 81 countries.
As such, the industry is extensively self-regulated, and various countries have additional layers of government regulation in place. The UK’s Government Diamond Office, for example, works closely with HM Revenue & Customs, the European Commission and civil groups to combat illicit diamonds.
Voluntary and self-regulation systems are effective in maintaining the diamond pipeline, explains Ronnie VanderLinden, president of the Diamond Manufacturers & Importers Association of America (DMIA). As an example, he points to the Diamond Source Warranty Protocol developed by leading US organizations.
“We have systems in place to ensure those doing business have the confidence to know that their source of supply is conflict-free. There are also those that subscribe to the Responsible Jewellery Council, De Beers’ Best Practice Principles, and the Signet Responsible Sourcing Protocol,” he adds.
Myth 2: The diamond industry is a monopoly
Reality: “The perception exists that De Beers still controls the market and controls prices, when this hasn’t been the case for decades,” says Adonis Pouroulis, chairman of Petra Diamonds. “In fact, Petra still gets asked if we sell our diamonds to De Beers.”
This myth is rooted in history, harking back to late 1980s. At that time, De Beers did indeed control over 90% of the supply chain and was almost wholly responsible for marketing diamonds, having developed its famous “A Diamond Is Forever” slogan in the 1940s. This also led to the perception that De Beers “invented” the diamond engagement ring, when in fact the first was recorded as early as 1477.
By the 1990s, the market for new mining companies opened, breaking the hold that De Beers and Alrosa had on the industry and ushering in a new wave of diamond discoveries in Angola and Canada, according to Pouroulis.
David Johnson, senior manager of media and commercial communications at De Beers, adds that his company’s share “was around 35% of global supply by value


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China is cracking down on dog meat after a second year of bans.
The country said on Tuesday it would ban dog meat, and said it would stop selling the product to customers who buy it in the country.
The ban will last for two years.
China is the world’s top dog meat exporter and the world leader in dog meat consumption.
China is not the only country in Asia to ban dog.
Vietnam also announced in February that it would end dog meat sales to consumers and ban its sale to pets.
The government of South Korea also said it was banning dog meat on Tuesday, but did not specify which products.
The ban is part of a crackdown on animal rights and animal welfare issues in the region.
Last year, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported that China had cut meat consumption by more than two-thirds, largely due to stricter rules on the killing of dogs and cats.
The world’s second-largest economy has also stepped up its use of dogs as pets.
It had about 1.2 million dogs in 2016, according to the latest statistics.
The UN’s Animal Health Office says China is responsible for more than 90 percent of all dog deaths in the world.


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Smart has big plans to increase car sales in the U.S., and it begins with offering the cheapest electric car on the market, the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, which will start at $25,000 before the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit. That means you could get behind the wheel of an EV for less than $18,000!Read more
It is an open secret that Daimler-owned small car brand Smart is suffering from slow sales, especially here in America. With an influx of high-quality compact cars in the same price range as the Smart, consumers are avoiding the diminutive brand in favor of more mainstream car makers.
But Daimler has a plan to lure customers back, and it centers on offering the cheapest electric car on the market. But will that be enough?Read more
The Smart car brand has not seen a lot of sales success in the U.S. for a multitude of reasons not worth rehashing. But the latest concepts to come from the small car brand could change attitudes…if it is actually built. The Smart ForStars not only looks good, but utilizes an all-electric drivetrain from famed Mercedes tuner BRABUS.Read more


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And the work has paid off. At its recent introduction of the Rezound, the company crowed that it had been named the best-selling smartphone brand in the US in Q3 and that it was the leader in 4G smartphones. (The NPD Group, my employer, supports the second claim but not the first.) HTC also noted that it had cracked the Interbrand 100 list of best global brands after only five years of brand promotion. The company's "partner" Beats Audio, in which the handset maker has invested hundreds of millions of dollars, also drenched its benefactor in praise. This was followed by expected statements of support from Verizon and Best Buy, which will sell the Rezound.
HTC may thus be losing the battle to be "quietly brilliant." However, one aspect of its marketing campaign on which it seems to be overdelivering on is the focus on "you," a word that merited its own slide early in the Rezound's unveiling. Unlike the tour de force of the Droid RAZR, the Rezound is the second recent HTC smartphone to have a loosely defined yet thoughtfully targeted user or specialty. Whereas the plum-coated HTC Rhyme was aimed toward fashion-forward consumers looking for a lifestyle-management handset, the Rezound -- with its Beats Audio tuning, bundled Beats headphones and high-definition display -- is focusing on a multimedia entertainment experience, one clearly anchored in music.
In some ways, this approach recalls the heyday of feature phones, ironic given that HTC has the least history in those devices among major smartphone OS licensees. In contrast, Sony Ericsson, for example, long emphasized "imaging phones" borrowing the Cyber-shot brand and "music phones" with the Walkman label. Smartphones raised the bar for these and many more tasks, apparently rendering such focus irrelevant since apps could make any smartphone capable jacks-of-many-trades.
But like all retro phenomena, the nod to the past does not exactly recapture it. HTC's approach is not as strictly defined by features. Even the music-centric Rezound has continued an emphasis on higher-quality imaging features recently extolled by Apple and Nokia. The targeted smartphone is more about persuasion than purpose, with HTC's crafted customers a hybrid of specific demographics, behaviors and personality.
HTC's tailoring may not be noticed or appreciated by its intended audience and, in any case, two phones do not a strategy make. Yet, as smartphone saturation continues to grow in the US and app libraries clear a baseline of selection and quality, many of these devices have become rungs of specifications in manufacturers' chosen ladders of operating systems. In an age when more people than ever can afford a smartphone, new opportunities may lie in recognizing that it's no longer just about how much smartphone one can afford.
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) is executive director and principal analyst of the NPD Connected Intelligence service at The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.


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Global brands are increasingly eyeing Kenya to source their apparel as the garment and textile sector rebounds after many years of decline. The Tailors and Textile Workers Union is organizing workers and winning good agreements in this growing industry.
When the IndustriALL East Africa Union Building project met in Uganda on 27 – 28 October, three unions were awarded for their major organizing achievements.
IndustriALL affiliates in Kenya unite to bring attention to precarious work on the World Day for Decent Work on 7 October.
Affiliates in Kenya and the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) pledged support for the project on aimed at organizing, addressing precarious work and advocating for better occupational health and safety.
On 24 and 25 March a special training for 25 women from IndustriALL affiliates in Nairobi was organized. The women got an understanding of their role in the family and society and learned about women's leadership. They are leaders who just need the opportunity to take off.
Over 7,000 workers returned to work on 15 January after an eight-day of strike action. The action was the result of the dismissal of 120 workers from Ashton Apparels after they joined the Tailors and Textiles Workers Union (TTWU).
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After a month-long hiatus, Microsoft released a new build of Windows 10 Mobile to testers Wednesday, fixing a bunch of bugs and adding a few new features as the company gets closer to releasing its mobile operating system.
Recent leaked images of a Lumia 950 XL smartphone prototype point to it as Microsoft's next flagship running Windows 10 Mobile.
If you're wondering what a low-budget Windows 10 smartphone might look like, Microsoft's minimum requirements provide some clues.
Microsoft's virtual assistant Cortana is packing her bags and heading for new countries after the launch of Windows 10.
Windows Phone isn't going away.
Windows Phone users who have been testing Microsoft's Windows 10 Mobile beta operating system were given a little present heading into their weekend with the release of a new build Friday.
A few well-regarded flagship devices, a focused core experience, a vibrant app ecosystem, and a belief in the quality of its own products: Apple lives and breathes these things, and has achieved massive profitability in the phone space as a result. A...
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella just unveiled the latest of the "tough choices" Microsoft is making to streamline its business, and it's a doozy: the company is significantly cutting back its smartphone ambitions almost two years after announcing it woul...
With the launch of Windows 10, anyone who walks into your house and gets your Wi-Fi password for their PC could potentially let all their friends onto your network, thanks to a new feature that has ignited controversy online.
Microsoft offered a new version of Windows 10 Mobile to the earliest adopters in the Windows Insider Program on Thursday, accelerating the release of new beta versions of its mobile operating system.
Windows Phone users who have been testing the upcoming version of Windows 10 for smartphones have a new build to play with.
Windows Phone users hankering for the next preview build of Windows 10 don't have to wait much longer.
Sales of Android smartphones were up in the first quarter but its share of the market fell, while that of iOS grew for the third consecutive quarter.
Apple products are still the preferred mobile devices among enterprise users, but competitors are chipping away at the company's lead, especially in the tablet market.
It was a marriage of convenience for two industry giants whose past successes weren't helping them win in the red-hot smartphone market. One year later, it's hard to say that Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia's device business has produced the results...
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Merritt International will debut its new collections of heavy-weight melamine for 2019 during the winter markets in Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas and New York as well as at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago.
International Home Housewares Show
Lifetime Brands has entered into a licensing agreement with Instant Brands, Inc., the makers of Instant Pot. Company officials said it will create and distribute official Instant Pot branded accessories, including bakeware, prep accessories and cutting boards.
With the International Home + Housewares Show on the horizon, the International Housewares Association is offering a series of webinars focused on key elements of the annual trade show held in Chicago.
Buyers, exhibitors and other attendees will have several opportunities to network on and off the show floor during the 2019 International Home + Housewares Show, which will be held March 2 to 5 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
Spectrum Brands will debut a variety of kitchen electrics from several brands including Russell Hobbs, George Foreman and Black + Decker during the International Home + Housewares Show.
At the International Home + Housewares Show, Meyer U.S. will reveal a completely redesigned booth, one of the final pieces of a multi-year plan that the company said has changed its cadence for product launches and reflects the reality of today’s buying cycle and store reset calendars.
Two projects shared top honors at the 2018 International Housewares Association’s 25th annual Student Design Competition.
According to the International Housewares Association, the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show sold out in late December, more than 10 weeks before the scheduled opening day.
TarHong expanded its Zakarian Pro for Home line of refrigerator storage container systems at the International Home + Housewares Show.


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Sony Network Communications Inc., Startale Labs Pte Ltd and Astar Network announced the creation of a joint incubator for Web3 startups. As part of the program, Sony plans to explore “how blockchain technology can solve various industry problems.”
Sony Group manages companies in various industries: games, music, photography, finance. Among all the diversity, Sony Network Communications is developing solutions for the new generation of Web3 Internet. Having chosen blockchain Astar Network as technology partner and dApp developer Startale Labs Pte Ltd as organizer, they announced the Web3 Incubation Program.
Any Web3 start-up is invited to participate in the incubator, regardless of the stage of the project and the country of location. The program will take place online and will last for three months. However, the demo day will take place in the usual format: the startups will talk about their projects and the results of the incubator at the Sony Group headquarters in Tokyo in June 2023.
As reported on the project website, within the framework of the Web3 Incubation Program, the participants:
- you will have the opportunity to meet first-hand with the main figures of the industry;
- hear feedback from successful Web3 companies;
- you may use the resources of Sony Network Communications and Astar Network;
- will receive financial assistance and possibly investment from Sony Network Communications.
Applications began on February 17 and will last until March 6. Registration is done on the official website of the Web3 Incubation Program.
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.


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At yesterday’s annual presentation, MTN played Nigeria’s popular Afrobeats music, which has grown into a global force.
That reminded me of Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie who in her most viewed TED Talk of all time, “The Danger of a Single Story”, describes the effects that labels can have on how we think about ourselves and others.
“It is impossible to talk about a single story without talking about power,” says Adichie.
“There is an Igbo [a Nigerian language] word that I think about whenever I think about the power structures of the world, and it is ‘nkali’.
“It’s a noun that loosely translates to ‘to be greater than another’.”
Adichie says like our economic and political worlds, stories are defined by the principle of nkali.
“How they are told, who tells them, when they’re told, how many stories are told, are really dependent on power,” she says.
“I must say that before I went to the US, I didn’t consciously identify as African. But in the U.S., whenever Africa came up, people turned to me.
“Never mind that I knew nothing about places like Namibia. But I did come to embrace this new identity, and in many ways I think of myself now as African . . .”
In that regard, I think MTN finally recognises that it can be more significant as an African entity rather than a South African company.
Opportunities in Africa are vast and largely unexplored.
MTN under Ralph Mupita recognises its uniqueness and wants to invest more in the African business story.
Mupita was appointed as group president and chief executive of MTN on 1 September 2020.
In a way, those at the helm of MTN realise that success lies in the principles of nkali as explained by Adichie.
It is plain to see that MTN is transforming itself into an African player and capturing exciting opportunities in the continent.
MTN has drafted a new strategy named “Ambition 2025” which states there is no better place than home.
The company is already plotting an orderly exit from Middle East markets to focus on Africa.
MTN has already sold assets in Cyprus and in the process to sell a stake in Belgian entity Belgacom International Carrier Services SA.
MTN’s strategy is underpinned by Africa’s largest connectivity network, using both mobile and fixed access networks across the consumer, enterprise, and wholesale segments.
This development will be accelerated through selective partnerships and leveraging MTN’s brand as the most trusted and valued in Africa.
The company is seeing more opportunities in the fast-growing youth population of Africa.
The continent has 800 million people still not connected to mobile internet.
Furthermore, sub-Saharan Africa’s mobile internet users are expected to grow to 475 million by 2025 from 272 million in 2019.
Simultaneously, smartphone penetration is seen rising to 65% by 2025 from 50% in 2020.
“We are seeing a compelling African growth story accelerated by the digital shifts that are permanent going forward,” Mupita boldly stated at MTN’s results presentation on Wednesday.
He said MTN was well-positioned for the long-term to grab these opportunities.
The hope is that Mupita, who has controlled the company’s finances for three years, can take advantage of the short window of opportunity in digital services as customers come online for the first time.
It seems the MTN is making the right noises and moves to position itself for a first-mover advantage.
Mupita said FinTech and the delivery of broadband internet present an incredible opportunity.
He says he is prepared to invest in capital to take advantage of these opportunities.
This year, the MTN CEO said he plans to spend R29 billion on the network, FinTech, and digital platforms as part of the “Ambition 2025” strategy.
This will enable MTN to bring financial services to millions of unbanked Africans and tap into the expected switch to mobile banking and e-commerce.
The company already has partnerships with insurers Sanlam and Momentum Metropolitan.
In 2019, MTN collaborated with JSE-listed financial services group, Sanlam, to make a range of innovative and inclusive financial services available to MTN’s digitally savvy customers.
“We have a nascent relationship with Sanlam, and we want to expand it across the borders,” he noted.
While MTN’s aYo joint venture with South Africa’s third-biggest insurer Momentum Metropolitan has 11 million registered policyholders and six million active policies as of December 2020.
MTN will likely be creating more partnerships with Sanlam and Momentum Metropolitan to provide innovative insurance solutions across African markets.
The company is also planning to spin off the FinTech business and bring partners plus third-party capital to expand it across the continent.
Mupita sees the FinTech business with already 46 million customers as a scale business. He said the projection was the entity would reach 100 million users within five years.
FinTech includes Mobile Money (MoMo), insurance, airtime lending, and e-commerce.
If all goes well in five years, Mupita could be listing a FinTech business on the JSE or Euronext to bring in more investors and capital for further expansion.
It is no difficult task so long the company keeps on making its customers happy.
The company’s MoMo business is already a force to be reckoned with in Africa, as the value of transactions was $152 billion (R2.3 trillion) as of December 2020.
MTN also processed 12 400 transactions per minute (up 35% from 9 200 in 2019).
“If we were a bank, we would be a very bank. We see a separation and carve out of our fintech business as something that we have to do,” he told 702’s The Money Show on Wednesday evening.
Mupita said he was aiming to double MoMo users to 100 million by 2025 from the current 46 million.
“We have the ambition to double the size of the FinTech business in the next 3 to 5 years,” said Mupita.
He said the company, through FinTech solutions, was targeting cash-based communities in South Africa, such as spaza shops.
“We are seeing good growth in a short space of time,” said Mupita.
He said the company thinks of FinTech as a massive opportunity in Nigeria.
Furthermore, MTN is making inroads in the instant messaging space, which can unleash more e-commerce services.
Its Ayoba instant messaging app already has more than 5.5 million monthly active users and growing fast.
Mupita sees Ayoba users reaching 100 million by 2025.
In 2020, MTN also extended its digital strategy with the launch of a new pan-African API marketplace called Chenosis, which will enable developers and businesses to discover and subscribe to what will become the most extensive library of open APIs published on the continent. This is a strategic move with long-term benefits for the telco.
Furthermore, MTN plans to unleash its fibre business to take advantage of the internet’s low penetration in Africa.
MTN has 85 000 km of fibre network across the African continent and intends to seek partners to expand its footprint.
The company will need about $500 million investment over the medium term to invest in expanding its fibre business into an open-access network.
“We are looking to structurally separate this business,” said Mupita.
The company is at an advance stage to create FiibreCo.
He plans to “own the home” in Africa by 2025 by having 10 million broadband users.
Mupita is also planning to replicate across the African markets; its similar roaming partnerships with Cell C.
He wants to use MTN’s vast network across the continent to support rivals who are number three or four by enabling them to use its infrastructure through roaming deals.
Furthermore, Mupita is indirectly seeking a buy-in or secure a licence to operate from people across the continent under MTN’s “Ambition 2025” strategy.
In December 2020, the company announced the intention to list MTN Rwanda directly on the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE) by introduction.
This is an essential first step towards further broadening local participation in Rwanda’s leading mobile network operator and developing its capital markets.
MTN also completed the localisation of an 8% shareholding in MTN Zambia.
It also intends to sell down a further 12,5% of its investment in MTN Ghana, focusing on local shareholding.
MTN also plans an additional 14% stake sell-down in Nigeria. MTN is also planning Uganda localisation.
The company is also exploring an Ethiopian opportunity as part of its Africa growth story.
In the meantime, the MTN asset realisation programme (ARP), launched in March 2019 and enhanced in March 2020, aims to reduce debt, simplify portfolios, reduce risk and improve returns.
MTN’s ARP’s states the target is to realise capital of at least R25 billion over three to five years. Over the past 12 months, it has delivered R4,3 billion in asset realisations.
MTN could also realise billions from the planned sale of its IHS stake.
As of 31 December 2020, the fair value of its 29% investment in IHS was recognised at R27,2 billion. The funds could be used to reduce its R49.7 billion net debt.
The company is also exploring tower sales in South Africa.
“We are excited about the strategy. We think the strategy can inflict the prospects of MTN in three to five years. We see this as a force underpinning MTN in the next 3 to 5 years,” says Mupita.
The strategy is geared to accelerating MTN’s de-risking and growth into platforms that will provide digital solutions for the markets it serves.
At the heart of MTN’s ambition is to continue leading the drive for digital and financial inclusion in Africa aligned to its nation-state development agenda.
MTN has to resolve complex litigations to ensure that its executives are spending more time unlocking trapped value.
Hopefully, the MTN story will be the talk, not of all Africa but the rest of the world, in five years.
Let us hope MTN’s novel, to paraphrase Adichie, will take overlapping stories of various African cultures to create a genuinely pan-African company that seamlessly connects Africans to the digital world. – email@example.com


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This is a guest post by Stevie. Content warning for misogynist abuse.
There is a long-standing idea that women are a small, unimportant minority in the video game community. Recently, this idea has been turned on its head, and women now make up nearly half of video game consumers. This changing dynamic has been quite troubling for many male gamers. As women have become a larger segment of the gaming community, they have become vocal, and it’s causing quite a stir.
These women have been pointing out that mainstream gaming is still heavily misogynistic and that AAA game studios, armed with the ability to create literally anything, continue to put out games with the same protagonist: dark haired, scruffy, heterosexual white male. These women have noticed that when developing these and other characters in their games, studios refer to the same set of tired tropes and narratives, many of which perpetuate damaging stereotypes of women. These women, often self-professed feminists, have had the audacity to express their opinion, which is creating quite a bit of tension with “true” gamers (white, male gamers who like video games just as they are). These women have offended “true” gamers, and those gamers have responded with an impressive amount of backlash. Though these individuals represent a minority in the gaming community, it is troubling to note how they continue to proliferate throughout the community.
CHECK ON IT
The 2013 study on Sales, Demographic and Usage Data conducted by the Entertainment Software Association found that 45% of the United States gaming population are female. Still, when most people think of a “gamer,” their first thought is never a woman. We still think of gamers as a nerdy, glasses-wearing boy or young man with a passion for all things “geeky”. Over the past decade, this has changed with growing numbers of female gamers, among other marginalized groups, entering the community. However, within the gaming community, female gamers continue to be scrutinized on their knowledge and abilities, and if they fail, are accused of being a “fake geek girl,” and subjected to misogynistic character attacks. Aisha Tyler felt the brunt of this when she hosted Ubisoft’s presentation at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in 2012 with a slew of comments like this:
this is what happens when you let the jews and liberals infect your industry_ to inject “diversity” and “progress”
dont let them kill our games people
Tyler’s authority to host the event was called into question by individuals who knew nothing about her. Despite being an avid gamer, participating in numerous E3 events, and voicing characters in 3 major games, she was immediately discredited by trolls for no other reason than being a woman. In response, Tyler penned an open letter to the gaming community on her Facebook page, stating that she plays video games and will “still be playing when your mom’s kicked you out of her basement and you have to sell your old-ass console and get a real job.”


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They state that messages that contain "Early Access invitations" to Resident Evil Village are not from Capcom. Players should not download or reply to such emails.
Capcom's upcoming survival horror Resident Evil Village is one of the biggest games of 2021 and someone has tried to take advantage of those who are eagerly anticipating the title. Capcom warns via PR statement that a third party has set up a phishing email, that pretends to contain an invitation to early access for Resident Evil Village.
"We're sending this message as we've been made aware that there are currently emails circulating that pretend to contain Early Access invitations to Resident Evil Village. The sender address is being displayed as no-reply(at)capcom(dot)com.
We want to inform you that these messages are NOT from Capcom and appear to be phishing attempts by an unauthorized third party. If you have received such a message, please DO NOT download any files or reply, and delete the message immediately." Capcom inform in an email.
Capcom say that those who are unsure about the authenticity of the email can contact the publisher directly with their concerns.
This is not the first phishing attempt of this sort. Ubisoft recently had to send out an email, warning players about a Far Cry 6 early access phishing email that appeared online. CD Projekt Red also had to do the same for their RPG Cyberpunk 2077.


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Starbucks pays £8m in tax as profits surge
Starbucks UK has paid more than £8m in tax in the past 12 months on the back of record profits.
Pre-tax profits jumped to £34.2m in the year to 27 September, compared with less than £2m the previous year.
Sales grew by 3.8% after the company invested heavily in turning the business around.
The UK arm of the world's biggest coffee chain said in 2012 it would pay significantly more in tax after a public outcry at how little it paid.
Prior to 2012, the company paid just £8.6m in corporation tax in its 14 years of trading in the UK, despite sales worth billions of pounds. In 2011, for example, the company recorded sales of almost £400m.
Analysis: Kamal Ahmed, BBC business editor
How things have changed. Starbucks will pay as much tax this year as it did in its first 15 years of operation in the UK, where it started trading in 1998. For many years it paid no corporation tax at all, bringing a welter of criticism.
The change is for two reasons. First, the business is now more profitable, getting out of expensive store sites such as on Oxford Street in London and increasing the profit it makes for every cup of coffee sold.
Second, it has changed the way it accounts for payments made to other parts of its global business, for example paying for the right to use the name Starbucks and buying its coffee.
Legal tax deductions for those payments was the spark for all the controversy and means that Starbucks now makes more profit officially in the UK, rather than the low tax Netherlands or Switzerland.
Starbucks' tax controversy lost customers, and in the highly competitive coffee market that was unsustainable.
"Thanks to the commitment and hard work of our partners (employees), Starbucks has delivered its largest ever after-tax profit since opening in the UK in 1998," said the company's European boss Kris Engskov in a written statement.
"Before and after-tax profits are both up by more than £30m as we have invested in the store experience while managing our costs.
"As a result, our corporation tax payments also increased."
A company spokesperson told the BBC the company had focused on renegotiating leases, closing unprofitable stores, opening more franchise stores and cutting costs across the business.
To this end, the chain transferred 74 stores to franchisees and opened 29 new franchised stores.