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Arthur Lavine/Rockefeller Estate
Peggy and David Rockefeller spent decades acquiring and building up one of the most fascinating art collections in the world. Now, it is time for the collection to find its home elsewhere. Christie’s has proudly announced that they will auction off 2,000 items belonging to David Rockefeller, the recently deceased grandson of the legendary American industrialist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. It is estimated the vast art collection could fetch more than $500M for charity. The Museum of Modern Art, Harvard University, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Rockefeller Fund are just some of the organizations and charities championed by the Rockefellers that will benefit from the auctions to come.
Before Mr. Rockefeller passed away in March, in collaboration with Christie’s he organized a series of auctions that once again proved Rockefeller family’s devout belief in supporting institutions that should “serve society. Alongside of Warren Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Ray Dalio, Mr. Rockefeller was one of the first to agree with the 2010’s Giving Pledge, when some of the world’s wealthiest committed to donating the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. It was the late Rockefeller’s wish to share with the world the art and objects he and his wife carefully collected over a lifetime together, and make it an opportunity for continuation of the long legacy of philanthropy by the Rockefeller family.
The fact that it was Christie’s that managed to secure control of the sale is no surprise. The major auction house has held a 20 lease on its New York salesroom at Rockefeller Plaza since 1997. As Christie’s CEO stated, “The Rockefeller family name is indelibly linked with arts, culture, business, and philanthropy around the world—and it is a fitting tribute that the auctions will be held at Christie’s New York in the heart of Rockefeller Center”. The intriguing art collection comprises about 15,000 pieces, and it includes some truly astonishing gems of art. If we would just recall the keen eye David Rockefeller had for art; in 1960 he bought a painting by Mark Rothko for $10,000, in 2007, the piece was sold at auction for staggering $72 million.
Sales over the next year will be divided into several different auctions. The entire series of sales will span more than 2,000 individual works, including Impressionist, post-Impressionist and modern works of art. Even though Christie’s refused to name specific works to be included yet, it is known there will be masterpieces by some of the most prominent American and European artists on display. According to Marc Porter, chairman of Christie’s Americas, no one had the chance to actually see the collection unless they were in one of the Rockefeller homes, and he added that this will be one of the largest and most important sales ever held. The estimates are in the $700 million range, and it is likely the Rockefeller estate will break the record for most valuable collection ever sold at auction.


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The Houston Astros are going to have to deal with heckling and criticism from fans all season long, and they are getting quite familiar with that during spring training.
The Astros had a “home” game against the St. Louis Cardinals in West Palm Beach on Sunday, and one fan decided to go all-out with an outfit mocking Houston over the sign-stealing scandal. The guy had a fake camera, a headset, and a sign that read “CURVE BALL.”
Regular season hasn’t even started yet and fans are going in on the Astros pic.twitter.com/87zFjmJIDP
— Kyle (@KyleNYY) March 1, 2020
No matter how you look at it, the Astros are in for a long season. They can do their best to ignore the noise, but the fallout from the cheating scandal is not going away anytime soon. Fans are going to be holding signs and wearing clothing that taunts the Astros for months to come.
While some players have made really aggressive statements about the Astros stealing signs, the worst thing for Houston players will probably be the fans constantly getting on their case. Of course, they’ve earned every bit of it.
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Bitcoin, the first decentralized cryptocurrency, saw its price exceed $ 30,000 on Saturday January 2 for the first time in its history. At around 2 p.m., it was worth $ 31,502.77, according to data compiled by the Bloomberg agency.
It had crossed for the first time the threshold of 20,000 dollars last December 16 and had reached new records in recent days by approaching the mark of 30,000 dollars.
“The appetite for risk” which is reflected in the purchases of this cryptocurrency “Remain indomitable”Germany-based independent analyst Timo Emden, director of Emden Research, said in a note. For him, “In view of the dynamics of the course, more historical highs could follow”.
Investment funds are starting to be interested
The recent surge started at the end of October with the launch of a cryptocurrency buying, selling and payment service by the online payments giant Paypal. In addition to this service intended for individuals, investment funds are increasingly interested in this asset in sudden price movements, although they have long been wary of it.
“Many private investors do not yet dare to approach and remain on the sidelines”, recalls Timo Enden.
READ ALSO> 10 things to know about bitcoin: valuation, dark web, Russian-Chinese rivalry …
However, analysts at US bank JPMorgan recently estimated that “The use of bitcoin by traditional investors is only just beginning” : they compare digital and decentralized currency to gold.
Other reputable Wall Street bank analysts like Citi have started to follow the cryptocurrency price.
For many followers of bitcoin, the latter draws its appeal from its decentralization: created by a network itself invented by anonymous people in 2008, it therefore does not depend on any institution.
Not being backed by any asset or the economy of any country, the price of bitcoin has however observed dizzying variations.
READ ALSO> Bitcoin and blockchain: energy chasms
So in 2017, it started the year at less than $ 1,000, then saw its price soar over the months before a real surge between mid-November and mid-December, when prices had quadrupled in less than a month. After peaking near $ 20,000 on December 18, 2017, prices then melted throughout 2018, ending that year at just over $ 3,000.


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ANOTHER year, another UltraBoost.
While similar, looks-wise, to the UltraBoost 21, which dropped last February 4, the UltraBoost 22 features some new changes under the hood.
First off, the women’s UltraBoost 22 was designed specifically with female biomechanics in mind, thanks to an all-female design team that examined 1.2 million foot scans to create, in adidas’ words, “a 360-degree female foot improvement to meet demands of our female runners’ feet.”
The team identified differences in instep height, heel anatomy, and gait cycles between males and females to create a silhouette that matches how women run.
It also comes in a very eye-catching colorway adidas is calling "Magic Mauve".
Across the board, though, the UltraBoost 22 also delivers a more responsive run, thanks to a tweaked Liner Energy Push, or LEP — a thin thermoplastic bridge between the forefoot and heel (first introduced in the UB21) that provides more stability. A new Primeknit+ upper incorporates yarn that is made up of 50 percent Parley Ocean Plastic, which is a material created from plastic waste from the oceans.
Here are the five other colorways for the UltraBoost 22.
Adidas UltraBoost 22, P9,500, December 9 release
The UltraBoost 22 retains its price point from the UB20 and the UB21: P9,500. It will be released at midnight on December 9, Thursday, in stores and online.
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Posts Tagged ‘3D’
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, geeks and tech watchers have been catching up on the latest useful, and not so useful gadgets to arrive on the market – ‘smart’ cutlery that monitors how fast we eat? Really?
Rather closer to our hearts, here are some of the audio highlights we have [...]
I went skiing once. I was about 13 and it was on a dry ski slope at a Pontins holiday camp in the UK. I fell over and scraped the skin off my arm because I was wearing a t-shirt as it was the middle of summer. When I got back home I regaled my [...]
It seems that every other film released these days is in 3D, which is a positive sign of the technology really taking off. Unfortunately this is not true to the same extent in the televisual arena. I have talked about certain discouraging aspects of 3DTV before, such as cost hindering content production and restrictive glasses making consumers shy away [...]
The ever-reliable Sports Video Group posted an extremely interesting article on 3D production last week, which included the following wonderful quote:
If you do something bad in 2D, it’s going to look bad on the screen. If you screw up in 3D, your viewers are actually going to feel bad, and that’s a very significant difference [...]
Staff technology writer Jonathan Strickland has published this explanation of how 3-DTV works on howstuffworks.com.
The article covers the way we see in three dimensions, and how 3-D TVs recreate the illusion by tricking our brains into believing the image on the screen has depth, the differences between the technologies behind the passive glasses we use [...]


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The Country Music Association is working to build awarenss of the plethora of licensing opportunities the genre presents.
The National Gallery Company will work with craft, fabric and thread specialist DMC to develop a licensed range of National Gallery needlecraft kits.
E-commerce solutions provider Powertex Group is planning a Honda Powersports online store and new Honda Powersports-branded merchandise.
Toys ‘R’ Us has appointed Michael Melzer as managing director of Toys ‘R’ Us Central Europe.
Paul Frank announced a partnership with Scottish R&B singer/songwriter and Elton John protégé Tallia Storm, who will be featured in the U.K. Pajammin campaign.
America Greetings Properties’ Care Bears and Sanrio’s Little Twin Stars have opened a co-branded café in Hiroshima Parco, one of Japan’s largest shopping centers.
Planeta Junior and Studio 100 International have named Spanish toy manufacturer, Famosa as the worldwide master toy partner for the Heidi brand.
DreamWorks Animations' AwesomenessTV YouTube network is bringing its brand offline with the launch of the pop-up shop Scene@AwesomenessTV in Los Angeles, Calif.
A new range of University of Oxford-inspired menswear will launch in M&S this week under the Blue Harbour brand.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy has secured several new licensees for the warship HMS Victory.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy has signed Airfix as licensee for the world’s most famous warship, HMS Victory.
Pan Am Brands, a division of Pan American World Airways, has partnered with TransCard for a line of prepaid travel cards.
The MetLife Foundation has committed $20 million over the next five years to Sesame Workshop to teach people about finances worldwide.
Playboy Enterprises has launched an e-commerce site for its Playboy Premium Vapor collection.
Knockout Licensing has granted the U.S.-based Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corporation the rights to create Downton Abbey stamp-collecting items.
“Sesame Street” character Abby Cadabby and Sesame Workshop's H. Melvin Ming will launch the annual Light It Up Blue global campaign to raise awareness of autism.
Brandgenuity has launched the licensing program for Gas Monkey Garage, famous for fixing up and flipping hot rods, classic cars and motorcycles.
The Collegiate Licensing Company has extended its partnership with Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.
Atlantyca Entertainment has signed a deal with Italian transportation company Italo and New Shipping Travelers to promote its animated series “Geronimo Stilton.”
Discovery Consumer Products has renewed its longstanding direct-to-retail partnership with Toys 'R' Us U.S. and Toys 'R' Us Australia.
Collegiate Licensing Company, a division of IMG, kicked off an enhanced Spirit Cup competition as part of its 10th annual College Colors Day celebration.
©2014 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Obviously when the word “rumor” is in the title, the content of the article should be taken with a grain of salt. We try and report any new next generation iPhone information, whether it be rumor or speculation, to give readers a full marker set to draw their own conclusions.
Combining all of the gossip we’ve heard so far, the iPhone doesn’t sound like it’s coming in June. While Apple has a tendency to surprise, I doubt they’d let millions of customers think that a new iPhone wasn’t coming this summer, if it was. So if they’re not following the typical release cycle, when can we expect Apple’s next smartphone?
We’ve heard multiple times that Apple might launch the next iPhone sometime in the fall, but this is the first time we’ve heard an exact date. Popular Apple blog 9to5Mac reported today that a Phones4U (wireless retailer in the UK) representative is claiming that the iPhone 5 will hit the UK market on November 21st of this year.
As the site points out, this would add to the growing pile of assumed-evidence that Apple is planning on unveiling their next iPhone in September. The tipster also mentioned that the new iPhone will be “offered on similar tariffs to those offered to early iPhone 4 adopters.”
Will we see the iPhone 5 on November 21st? Not likely. For starters, it’s a Monday and the Apple faithful know that their major product launches generally fall on Fridays. And though a November launch puts the device in prime position for the holidays, it could potentially take away sales from an assumed iPod refresh expected around the same time.
I think we’ll see some extremely impressive things next month at WWDC that will hopefully fill in some blanks on Apple’s next device. It’s been rumored that iOS 5 will be a major factor in attracting customers to the next iPhone, suggesting that the design of the device won’t be too far off of the current.
iDB is interested. Will you wait until November to upgrade?


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Sutherland Produce to sell “world’s most expensive” cherry gift box in China
When importers ask for firm, glistening fruit, this probably isn’t what they have in mind.
As if cherry prices weren’t high enough, Canada-based company Sutherland Produce has introduced the “world’s most expensive” cherry gift box, including a 1oz .9999 solid gold cherry.
“This will be our first season offering the gold cherry gift box. Knowing the Chinese regularly offer fruit as gifts and give extravagant gifts to close family, friends and employees, we thought let’s create the ultimate cherry gift box,” Sutherland director of sales Rick Chong tells Fresh Fruit Portal.
He says the gold cherries will be completed this week, to be offered with the company’s Canadian cherries.
“They will have a numbered certificate of authenticity. Interest has been strong throughout Asia,” he says.
Back to actual cherries not made out of gold, Chong says the group offers several brands in China with tiered pricing, including premium labels for the high-end market and normal brands for supermarkets.
“All are meeting or surpassing China’s high expectations. Developing brand loyalty is a priority for us,” he says.
“We uniquely offer fruit from many countries globally. This helps us continue gaining market share and allows our clients one-stop headache free shopping.
“We continue to improve cherry quality each year by being on the ground for our sea arrivals. This allows us to see how the fruit arrives at destination, and go back to the shed and fix any arrival issues we encounter.”
He adds online sales in China continue to grow at a “phenomenal rate”.
“We have increased our array of packaging to target this segment growth area. Moving to 1kg & 2.5kg gift boxes is one of our strategies this year,” he says.
“Developing logistics hubs in secondary-tier cities in China will allow us to drop ship efficiently. Where they will be delivered by our clients direct to consumers.”
When asked about the upcoming seasons across the major Northern Hemisphere growing regions, he says Washington State and Canadian crops are shaping up for harvests a few days later than last year.
“This is the first time since 2014 that we are seeing normal weather patterns. Weather has been very good and we are anticipating good volumes for both growing regions,” he says.
“Export demand is showing strong interest, with China and Southeast Asia being our top markets.
“We are projecting export packing to begin June 16 in Washington and June 27 in Canada. With the latter Autumn Moon Festival this year of Oct. 4, the timing of the Canadian deal is ideal for good arrivals by sea.”
He adds Spain has just started its volumes for export markets outside the EU, and its late season would definitely impact North American exports to the EU this season.
“Continued cool weather had slowed maturity for the last couple of weeks,” he says.
“Export varieties include Chelan, Sequoia, Red Pacific, Frisco and Rocket. Quality looks excellent, with strong demand from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, India and the Middle East.”
Regarding the world’s largest cherry grower Turkey, the country is a “work in progress” for Sutherland Produce which seeks to lift cultivation and post-harvest standards to meet the requirements of international markets.
“They eventually are going to enter our markets in a big way. Exporting poor quality fruit or varieties will impact returns for every grower in Washington, Canada and Spain,” he says.
“Working with growers in Turkey on orchard development, spray techniques, picking fruit, packing and the cold chain will strengthen prices and keep export markets stabilized. Most importantly, this is one of our specialties.”
He adds while Turkey’s production of the Kordia and Regina varieties has been encouraging, the majority of the crop is of the cultivar “0900 Ziraat” – known as “Napoleon” in the West, which is too soft for Asian markets.
On a global scale he adds maximum residue limits (MRLS) are affecting growers, and Sutherland continues to find new safe methods to meet the criteria.
“This is a good thing. We implement new spray programs that continue to ensure fruit is healthier than ever to consume,” he says.
The upgrading of technologies to meet the higher expectations of clients is rapidly being implemented by more growers, investing millions annually to maintain and increase market share.”
world-cherry-watch ΑΡΧΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ ΑΛΜΩΠΙΑΣ ΠΕΛΛΑΣ
Stonefruit and cherries were among the most severely affected crops from the heavy frosts over much of Europe in mid-April and there will likely be significant market impacts for certain commodities, according to a private consultant.
In a report, Netherlands-based Ronald Vermeulen, who also heads up a pome fruit and cherry research station for produce company Fruitmasters, gave an overview of the damages from the frosts over April 18 and 19 that hit much of the continent.
Affected countries include Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and the U.K.
Earlier this week, Philippe Binard, general delegate for European fresh produce industry forum Freshfel, said the frosts were “unprecedented.”
Vermeulen told Fresh Fruit Portal apples and pears were also affected by the adverse weather, but the total volumes of fruit available would depend upon the variety, specific region, and growers’ levels of frost protection.
Within the stonefruit category he believed the most significant market effect in Europe would be seen in apricots, plums and cherries, as nectarines and peaches were both widely grown across Spain, Italy and Turkey, which were far less affected than countries in northern Europe.
There were also more severe frosts last week that affected Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, although Vermeulen said not enough information was available on that situation to provide any commentary.
“Season 2017 in Europe started very early with bud break, due to optimal early weather conditions in March,” he said in the report.
“Full bloom stage of pears in Northwest Europe was around April 10 (compared to April 21 in 2016) and full bloom for apples was on average one week later.”
He added in much of Italy’s major apple growing region of South Tyrol, the full bloom stage was about 14 days earlier than the previous year.
“In the nights of April 18 and 19 temperatures dropped to -6ºC or more (for a long period of 6-8 hours) in several regions of Europe, in a stage of full bloom in apples.
“Also on the nights of April 20 (in South Tyrol) 26, 30 and May 10, temperatures dropped below 0ºC. In this period temperatures during the day didn’t rise above 10 C during day time. Recovery of flowers and pollination circumstances were very poor.
“Every fruit growing region in Northern and Eastern Europe has been hit by frost and has been damaged to some extent, except for the southern parts in Spain and Italy.”
He said plums, cherries and apricots were generally the most affected by the frosts in Europe, with many people speaking of losses of around 60-80%.
“It’s the same in apples, but depending on the regions and varieties. Also in the regions with less damage the frost there will be a negative impact on fruit quality at harvest,” he said, highlighting Jonagold as one apple variety that was particularly sensitive to the cold and had been widely affected.”
Overall he said the effect on total production for 2017 in Europe was not yet known, but would become clearer in the coming weeks.
“I’ve seen totally devastated orchards because of snowfall in Southern Germany and Switzerland where they had snowfall on April 30 and constructions collapsed by closed hail nets because of the heavy weight,” he said.
“On the other hand, fruit set on cherries, pears (Abate Fetel) and apples (Gala and Pink Lady) in parts of Italy and Spain were very good without damage at all.”
“The spring frost in 2017 in Europe will have an effect on the production and fruit quality and will vary from region to region in extreme contrast of nearly empty orchards to normal and good production in areas with frost protection.”
There has also been frost damage to blueberries, but Vermeulen said the crop generally bloomed later than other crops and so was less affected.
world-cherry-watch ΑΡΧΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ ΑΛΜΩΠΙΑΣ ΠΕΛΛΑΣ
European growers still assessing “unprecedented” frost impacts, says Freshfel chief
Sudden bouts of frost, plummeting temperatures, rainfall and even hail across Europe have left an air of uncertainty hanging over the heads of growers.
According to Philippe Binard, general delegate for European fresh produce industry forum Freshfel, “unprecedented frosts” in multiple European countries have left a trail of destruction across several crops, including stonefruit, apples and pears.
However it is still too early to put any real figure on production losses or how badly quality may be affected.
Frosts have hit much of Europe recently including Austria, France, Greece, Turkey, Poland, Belarus, the Ukraine, Italy, the U.K. and the Czech Republic. They followed serious weather conditions at the start of the year in key growing regions in Spain, and to a lesser extent Italy, which badly damaged vegetable and salad crops, leading to shortages in Europe.
“We have been following this because it is unprecedented frosts affecting different crops in different countries. However, at this stage, it is very difficult to put a figure on both the quantitative and qualitative consequences of the frost because there are still a number of assessments that are being made,” Binard tells Fresh Fruit Portal.
“Nature has obviously been affecting crops, but it could also help the production to revive a little bit. We do not know yet.
“What is sure is that there will be a very unusual crop for a number of stone fruits and the frosts will definitely severely impact the apple and pear season. And really when you look at apple and pears, most of the main producing countries have been affected; Poland, Italy, France and also central European countries like Hungary and Austria.”
Binard adds how some Balkan countries outside of the EU have also been affected, as well as the Ukraine.
“This is something that is massively impacting the whole of continental Europe, and this is why it’s a serious issue.
“Most of the contacts that we have in different countries are telling us that they are conducting an additional assessment because each of the orchards might have a different story, and therefore to put the figures together now is something that is quite difficult.”
Binard also says that the latest bout of frosts came at a time when some seasons were already quite advanced due to a mild winter across many European countries.
“There are a lot of different situations across the European region. In some growing situations there has been fruit that has already flowered, but now the possibility of having a second flowering may be affected.
“And because of the mild winter in several countries across Europe, the season for some crops was already a bit more advanced and there were a number of trees that were bearing little fruits.
“This fruit has been affected but is continuing to grow so I think all of that means we need to assess whether that will be a qualitative loss or something else.”
Freshfel will be closely monitoring the situation and production losses will become clearer in the coming weeks once assessments have been finalized.
“If we want to be serious with our estimations and the impact of the frosts, I think it’s too dangerous at this point to come with some figures and be wrong. The picture will become clearer in the first fortnight of June,” Binard adds.
Freshfel has a number of meetings scheduled with growers and organizations in the weeks ahead.
“In this sector we are used to climatic problems. Look at what has happened this last winter with vegetables from Spain and Italy. We are a sector that is used to climatic havoc which impacts on production and could also impact on consumption.
“If we have a very cold summer in our region, there is not so much of a demand for peaches, nectarines or tomatoes and so on.”
world-cherry-watch ΑΡΧΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ ΑΛΜΩΠΙΑΣ ΠΕΛΛΑΣ
While Turkey’s leading cherry grower Alara has access to a new market in China, the group sees strong demand in the EU and Russia.
In a statement given to http://www.freshfruitportal.com, a spokesperson for the company said the Turkish cherry season looked set to start in mid-May with volumes to carry through to the last week of July.
“Up until now there have been no climate-related problems in terms of adverse impacts on cherry production. We hope that the size and fruit quality will be good for this year,” said Senih Yazgan, chairman of the Uludag Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Association which counts Alara as one of its members.
“This year will be to understand of China market condition for Turkish exporters. Therefore I expect that limited amount of cherry will be exported for 2016. I guess that main cherry export to China will be taking place in 2017.
“We will plan to send the products by air for this year, but we are organizing full cargo flight and sea transportation for the next year.”
Yazgan said Turkey’s main cherry variety was 0900 Ziraat, while production has increased over recent years for varieties like Regina, Kordia, Sweetheart and Skeena.
“Ziraat variety’s characteristics are very similar to the Regina. It has long stem, dark red color, sweet and hard.”
The executive said Alara had never sent any crops to China before, and had mostly focused on exporting cherries and black figs to EU countries.
“And there is big demand for Turkish cherry and black fig from all EU countries and Russia.
“In other words, Russia has not embargoed cherries and black figs from Turkey. Therefore the prices of these products are still high.”
world-cherry-watch ΑΡΧΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ ΑΛΜΩΠΙΑΣ ΠΕΛΛΑΣ


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The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ), will be a key driver in bilateral trade between Cambodia and China, reaching $10 billion in 2023, and could prove to be a bellwether in boosting trade activities with other countries in the region and globally, according to Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong.
Namhong said that the SSEZ enjoys a special locational advantage because it is close to the deep-sea port of Preah Sihanouk province, which is the engine for exports and imports moving from and into Cambodia. He added that Sihanoukville is one of the pillars of Cambodia’s economy and tourism industry with many Chinese companies already investing there and many more potentially soon to join them.
On Oct 12, China and Cambodia signed a free trade agreement (FTA) in Phnom Penh, with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and visiting Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attending the ceremony.
The FTA is of great significance economically and politically. Under the Cambodia-China bilateral FTA, Cambodia succeeded in listing close to 340 additional commodities for tariff-free export to China, bringing that total to more than 10,000.
Most of these newly listed products are in the agriculture and agro-processing sectors and are in addition to increases Cambodia attained via the Asean-China FTA, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MoC).
The Cambodia-China FTA will drive more investment to Cambodia from China as well as other countries targeting China for their exports, particularly those in the agro-processing sector, the MoC said.
Cambodia Chamber of Commerce Vice-President Lim Heng said that upon implementation in January, the FTA will give all special economic zones in the country a lift, but the Sihanoukville zone will see an extra boost because the majority of imports and exports to and from China already go through this area.
Heng specifically noted: “The SSEZ will benefit greatly from the FTA next year because the major exports of raw materials including garments and increasingly, agricultural products such as bananas, mangoes and rice are sent to China through Sihanoukville,”


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The upcoming smartphone from HMD Global, Nokia 6 (2018) passes TENAA certification. Now, it is all set to hit the market.
According to TENAA listing, the so-called device with model number TA-1054 will make its first appearance in 2018. However, the specs and images of this new model are not yet revealed.
The design is said to resemble the recently announced smartphone, Nokia 7. We can expect the device to run on the latest Android update
As for the specifications, Nokia 6 (2018) in Dubai may sport a 5.5-inch touchscreen, 18:9 aspect ratio and Snapdragon 630 SoC processor. The device may pair up with 4GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage. It may come up with dual rear camera setup, Bothie mode and fingerprint scanner mounted on the rear end.
HMD Global Nokia 6 (2018) with its new smartphone featuring tall and a bezel-less screen will surely create a benchmark for its rivals.
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Amazon's Prime Video Introducing Ads in January 2024 With an Ad-Free Tier Available for an Extra Fee
The ads will begin arriving on January 29, 2024, unless you pay an extra $2.99/month.
Update (12/26/23) - Amazon has confirmed that Prime Video movies and TV shows will include limited ads beginning on January 29, 2024. If you wish to continue on with ad-free viewing, you can pay an extra $2.99/month.
Amazon shared the news to Prime Video subscribers, saying this change will "allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time."
Furthermore, it aims to have "meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers."
The original story follows.
Amazon plans to start rolling out ads on Prime Video movies and TV shows in early 2024, with an ad-free tier also being made available for an additional fee.
The official announcement from Amazon reveals that ads in Prime Video content will be introduced in the U.S., UK, Germany, and Canada in early 2024, followed by France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Australia later in the year, with the ad tier becoming the default option for Prime Video as part of the Amazon Prime membership.
Prime Video is currently available for those with a Prime membership, which costs $14.99 a month, while a standalone subscription to Prime Video is $8.99 per month. Prime members will not need to take any further action if they are happy to proceed with the ad tier, and the price of Prime membership will remain the same.
Users who want to continue watching Prime Video without advertisements can still do so, though they will have to pay an extra fee on top of their current subscription costs. The ad-free option will be available for an additional $2.99 per month for U.S. Prime members, with pricing for other countries coming at a later date.
Of course, an ad-supported tier for a video streaming service is not a novel idea, as several of Prime Video's competitors, including Max, Disney+, and more recently, Netflix, have all introduced cheaper subscription tiers, but with the caveat of having to watch ads before streaming a movie or show on the service.
Reports of Prime Video's ad-supported tier first surfaced in June when Amazon was said to be in the "early stages" of discussing the rollout of ads on its streaming service. According to the latest update, those ads will be "limited", as the goal is "to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers".
Amazon has also said the decision to run ads during the streaming of Prime Video content will help it "continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time", adding to its vast selection of movies and series, which currently includes Amazon Originals such as The Boys, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Wheel of Time, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
Cover image credit: Amazon.


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Is radio advertising part of your marketing strategy?
According to recent stats on ad spend and audience behaviour, radio advertising is enjoying a golden period.
Digital audio ad spending increased by over 50% last year alone, IAB reported making 2022 the best-ever year for radio advertising spend. With the return of travel and transport after the pandemic, these sectors began to spend considerably again on radio advertisements. Another reason for this increase is the spike in interest in podcasts throughout the pandemic and continuing through 2022. It’s no surprise that these listening habits are expected to grow in 2023, fuelling the growth of radio advertising.
According to a study by Nielsen, the entertainment industry is leading the way with the highest spend on radio advertising at nearly £138.6 million, with finance (£106.2 million) and the motor sector (£98.6 million) following behind. Radiocentre reported that companies such as Sky, who led the way for audio spend at £19.6m in 2022 helped set records of £740m in revenue in the ad sector. Global ad agency Dentsu believes that automakers will spend 6.2% more on radio marketing in 2023.
Steve Dunlop and Paul Kelly of A Million Ads recently predicted the significance of audio in 2023 in an article by The Drum, highlighting how audio may find itself rivalling visual advertising. Companies that have a large focus on podcasting such as Spotify have made efforts to collaborate with names such as Michelle Obama and will likely continue to grow these partnerships in the future. Ad platforms have the ability to target podcast audiences, who tend to be loyal and engaged, based on their listening data, making advertising a highly effective option in many verticals. Therefore, it is suggested that the listening habits of audiences are adapting and (metaphorically) tuning into the radio could be reconsidered by consumers.
Audio advertising can benefit marketers because of its ability to be personalised, catering to the needs of consumers. Results from radio advertising can be measurably considerably and companies can collect valuable data about listeners.
Radio is also successful at building trust with consumers, as many deem it reliable and can boost online brand browsing by 52% according to Radiocentre, with most responses occurring immediately after the broadcast. Advertisers are reaching for cost-effective routes to market their products, and radio can be cheaper to implement compared to methods such as visual or TV advertising. Overall, audio advertising offers a unique way for advertisers to engage with consumers in a way that is both personal and non-intrusive, making it an attractive option for many brands.
Radio advertisers need to be aware of the rise in ad automation in recent years which will be implemented through technologies such as AI, machine learning and programmatic advertising. Automation has been found to be successful for platforms such as iHeartRadio as they managed to reap real-time analytics and valuable insights into performance and customer demographics. AI compliments radio well as it has the ability to analyse customer behaviour and ad performance as well as optimise messaging and display creative components in near real-time. Programmatic advertising uses algorithms to target specific audiences based on their interests and demographics and then proceeds to automatically place these ads on various platforms.
In 2023, radio will flourish and certainly should be considered among top-tier ad space, adapting to emergent technologies in order to be more automated and personalised to the consumer. If you’re not considering using radio advertising in your marketing mix, you could be missing out.
Pippa Gilroy is a Digital Marketing MSc student, content creator and social media enthusiast with a passion for writing about the latest industry trends.
Instagram: @pippagilroy / TikTok: @gilroypippa / Twitter: @pippagilroy


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NASHVILLE — The CEO of a Chattanooga-based online retailer has met with President Barack Obama at the White House to discuss the impact on businesses of the partial government shutdown and uncertainty over the looming debt ceiling deadline.
T.J. Gentle, who runs SmartFurniture.com, said he told the president Friday that a six-week debt limit extension proposed by House Republicans would be "great to get the panic out of the air on the risk of default," but would only renew debate and uncertainty among consumers during the holiday season.
"Consumer confidence tends to plummet right around the time these negotiations are happening and for them to be going on right at the height of the shopping season would really be devastating to the retail industry," he said.
Gentle said he argued that the debt-ceiling discussion should be delayed until sometime after the fourth quarter.
Gentle, who described himself as a political independent and a moderate, was among a group of entrepreneurs and executives invited to speak with the president about the effects of the budget battles in Washington.
"Being able to provide straightforward business answers that don't have a political bias is sometimes useful," said Gentle, who said while he voted for the president, he also voted for U.S. Sen. Bob Corker and U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, both Republicans from Chattanooga.
SmartFurniture.com was founded in 2001. The company gives customers the ability to customize their furniture orders online.


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Rising Star Games has announced that Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut is set to release on PC via Steam Greenlight. The PC version contains new content not found in the original PlayStation 3 release:
- A surprising new scenario from the game’s director, Hidetaka ‘Swery’ Suehiro
- Enhanced HD graphics with new textures
- Reworked control system allowing for an even better combat experience
- Downloadable content to expand the mystery beyond the original game
- New bonus DLC exclusive to the PC version!
You can vote for the game on Steam Greenlight here.


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Kazakhstan to ban exporting certain agricultural products NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM - The Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture informed the Eurasian Economic Commission about the introduction of a ban and restrictions on the export of certain agricultural products, Kazinform reports citing the press service of the Ministry.
Local meat production goes up NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM - Meat production increased in Kazakhstan, this has been stated by Kazakh Minister of Agriculture SaparkNUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM - Meat production increased in Kazakhstan, this has been stated by Kazakh Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan Omarov at a Government hour in Majilis, the Kazinform correspondent reports.
Kazakhstan suspends imports of some fruits from China NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM Starting from March 2, 2020, the Agro-industrial complex state inspection committee of the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry imposes temporary restrictions on import of stone fruit crops, pome fruits and citrus fruit crops from China, the Ministry’s press service reports.
Over past 10 years agricultural industry has stagnated, Senate Speaker NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM - Over the past 10 years agricultural industry of Kazakhstan has stagnated, this was stated by Dariga Nazarbayeva, chairwoman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, during parliamentary hearings on agro-industrial complex development, Kazinform correspondent reports.
Food-processing ventures to open in Kazakhstan's Shymkent BAKU. KAZINFORM İn order to develop agriculture in Kazakhstan's Shymkent city, project for creation of agriculture and industrial zone is being implemented in the city, a representative of city’s Department of Agriculture and Veterinary told Trend.
Mongolian Agriculture Minister meets with 1st Vice Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan ULAANBAATAR. KAZINFORM - Taking part in the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2020 in Berlin, Germany, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry of Mongolia Ch.Ulaan met with first Vice-Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aidarbek Saparov and other officials, Montsame reports.


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Dick Grayson will get the Smallville treatment as The CW has approved The Graysons, a series based on Robin before he was Robin
Does LEGO Batman stand up to the "stellar" previous entries in the series? Lucas takes a look
DC Comics has provided Newsarama with a preview of this week's Robin #178, a tie-in to "Batman R.I.P."
The newest chapter of Marvel's Dark Tower expansion continues this week with Dark Tower: Treachery #1. Lucas has an early look.
Writer Fabian Nicieza discusses following Chuck Dixon on DC's Robin and the current 'Batman R.I.P' arc
A preview look at DC Comics' 'Robin #176', on sale in comic book stores on August 6th
Tracy, Sarah and Shelby Edmunds compare DC's Tiny Titans and Teen Titans: Year One from a kid's eye point of view.
Chuck Dixon has announced that he is no longer employed by DC Comics
It concluded last week, so we want to know what our readers thought about Grant Morrison's 'Batman R.I.P' story arc?


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Big banks must cooperate with fintech companies
Loyalty is no longer the main driving force when choosing a bank, says Lan-Ling Fredell, innovation and fintech expert at PA Consulting.
Nordea, Swedbank, SEB and Handelsbanken currently enjoy a total market share of approximately 70 percent, a figure which has largely remained unchanged over the past five years. These major Swedish banks have continued to have a strong grip on the most common banking services linked to savings accounts and housing loans. The Swedish Quality Index customer survey for the banking sector also showed in 2020 that three out of four Swedes use services from more than one bank. Among these, one in four use more than three financial service providers.
But with reduced customer loyalty and an increasing focus on digital services, there is a high probability that fintech companies will gain a stronger foothold in the private customer market. Historically, Swedish fintech companies have found a niche in profitable areas such as payment solutions, consumer loans and stock trading. But the market is beginning to change as global competition in fintech intensifies. In the Swedish market alone, there are several new players such as Revolut, LunarWay and PFC (formerly Betalo). A majority of these companies have so far not sought to replace the traditional banks. Rather, they have opted for a combination of low fees for foreign exchange transactions combined with more personal management of capital in a way that appeals to the younger and more digital generation.
How should banks act to meet the competition from fintech companies and protect their profitability in the long term? To find out, PA Consulting conducted three studies, two qualitative and one quantitative. Based on the results, banks should prioritise three areas.
Focus on interest rates and prices
Although digital services are guaranteed to drive new behaviour and expectations among customers, it is dangerous to conclude that digitalisation in itself is enough to keep customers happy. Digital services are no longer unique selling points but rather a hygiene factor that 80 percent of today’s customers expect.
The top customer priorities in choosing a bank or financial services provider are interest rates on loans (72 percent) and prices for services (59 percent). Not surprisingly, cost is still one of the most important factors.
Trust and good service is important
Customers want traditional banking products to be easy to use and payments to be fast. They want low-interest loans and savings products that generate high returns. In addition, rewards in the form of low costs for currency transactions as well as bonus points for airlines or even cashback are highly valued among customers who travelled frequently before the pandemic.
The study also showed that customers want to feel appreciated and visible, as well as valuing good personal advice. For those who were lucky enough to develop a long-term relationship with a reliable adviser in their bank, loyalty was very high. Neither strong brands nor low fees can compete with trust and high levels of service.
Let customers choose products and services from different brands
With so many people using more than one bank for their financial services, an alternative may be to offer a platform where customers are free to choose which products and services they want to use, without worrying about the brand or supplier. For the major banks, this can be a successful strategy as Swedish consumers, according to our studies, trust traditional banks more than new players and are more likely to buy services from fintech companies if they are affiliated with a bank they already know.
Given the above, the major banks should offer services from the fintech companies to a greater extent in their banking apps. In this way, banks can create value for customers while offering features they appreciate without having to spend time and money developing them on their own.
The more services the bank integrates into an app, the more time consumers will spend on it.
In an increasingly fragmented banking ecosystem - with consumers often having more than one supplier - this becomes a competitive advantage. The bank that can offer its customers all the financial services they want, without having to leave the bank's ecosystem, is likely to enjoy greater loyalty by offering convenience.
Banks should stop chasing digital bells and whistles. They should establish mutually beneficial partnerships with fintech companies that appeal to customers. By establishing a platform that offers both their own and others' products and services, the offer will both retain and attract new customers. It is a model where everyone is a winner.
Lan-Ling Fredell, innovation and fintech expert at PA Consulting


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Plaud Klaus launches to launch Kickstarter for first original work, Hive Mind.
Accent UK launch crowdfunding campaign for the second issue in their hit fantasy mini-series, Kia Wordsmith.
Small Press Day arrived for it’s fourth ever year, and local comic store Asylum continues their support for those within the small press community. Check out my article to learn more about who was there and their work.
Local students held an interactive art exhibition that brought out the creativity in Aberdeen. Check out my feature of this wonderfully unique experience.
Students from Gray’s School of Art will be hosting an interactive art exhibition this Thursday at local comic book store, Asylum.
Award-winning Scottish author Jim Alexander releases his debut novel, GoodCopBadCop.
Accent UK are about to release their first ever fantasy comic book. With the project currently on Kickstarter, check out my review of the first issue of Kia Wordsmith.
Local comic book store, Asylum Books and Games, continue to support independent comics by hosting a variety of comic creators for Small Press Day 2017.
Forbidden Planet in Aberdeen get’s involved with International Small Press Day, and hosts a variety of talented local indie comic creators.
Comic book writer Ryan O’Sullivan and author James Oswald join Asylum Books and Games for a double signing event this Saturday.
Black Wing Comics are now a week into their kickstarter campaign for their debut comic Toy-Z. Check out their progress and recently revealed artwork.
I got the chance to chat with Cliff Hughes, creative Director at Black Wing, about their upcoming debut release, “Toy Z: The Ballad of Mr Huggles”. Check out the full interview here.


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The Euro 2020 football tournament gave drink-led venues a welcome boost in sales. But with so many restrictions on trading in place, just like for the England team it was a case of what might have been.
CGA’s research shows that across all Euros matchdays, like for like average drinks sales by value was down by 15% on the same days in 2019. On the days of games involving England, Scotland and Wales, drinks sales were 9% below pre-COVID levels, with a big difference between sports venues (down 4%) and non-sports venues (down 16%).
While all these figures show drinks sales in negative territory, they are significantly better than trading as a whole since the reopening of the On Premise for outdoor then indoor service. CGA’s weekly Drinks Recovery Tracker has shown drinks sales have been running around 30% below 2019 levels in most weeks since mid-April.
Unsurprisingly, the biggest benefit to sales was felt during England’s knockout games at the Euros. The second-round tie against Germany and semi-final against Denmark generated 28% and 13% increases in drinks sales respectively, while the final against Italy gave the average outlet a 33% gain. For sports venues, uplifts for all three games were at least double these figures in all three cases.
However, the boost to drinks sales has been well below what might have been expected before COVID hit. Restrictions including the ‘rule of six’, table service and early closing had been due to end on 21 June, which would have meant final group stage games and knockout ties could be screened in unrestricted, packed-out venues. However, the delay of the government’s easing of these and other limits meant capacity in venues had to be capped, and atmosphere was more subdued than it should have been.
Comparative sales were especially weak at weekends, when capacity issues made it hard for venues to match up to the same days in 2019. On tournament days between Sundays and Thursdays, average sales on matchdays for the home nations were actually in 7% growth against 2019. This extends a post-lockdown pattern of consumers shifting many of their On Premise visits away from weekends to weekdays, partly to avoid crowds. With all games shown on terrestrial TV, many venues found it hard to lure people off their sofas for the big occasions.
As in England, venues in Scotland and Wales enjoyed some high points during the tournament, though they benefited from fewer matchdays. Scotland saw an average outlet sales increase of 57% for its team’s opening game against the Czech Republic in June, and a 20% boost for its last match against Croatia. Wales’ best day was for its game against Turkey, with the average venue up 37% against 2019.
CGA’s Drinks Recovery Tracker service measures drinks category, supplier and brand rate of sale performance versus pre-COVID-19 sales. Daily data is reported within three days. Suppliers and operators that want to track the recovery of drinks sales, benchmark performance against the competition or identify changes in trends and consumer preferences should contact, firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Comprehensive launch campaign to include ‘Thunderbirds Are Go’ installation in Harrods’ iconic Toy Kingdom running September 26 - October 23 throughout the U.K.
LONDON -- ITV Studios Global Entertainment has announced the late October U.K. release of its second series of Thunderbirds Are Go. ITVS GE will be executing a comprehensive launch campaign across events, retail promotions and new product launches. To celebrate the launch, ITVS GE will host a world premier screening for Thunderbirds Are Go at BAFTA, London on Saturday, October 1st. The event will include a Q&A session with a selection of the show’s voice cast in addition to activities for children, and the first chance to meet Virgil Tracy in person.
The new season of 26 x 22 minute episodes is set to premiere on ITV and CITV channels and will see the introduction of a new villain character, a physically imposing “anti-Brains” who calls himself “The Mechanic.” He builds terrifying machines, massive in scope, and brings chaos to International Rescue throughout series two. To introduce the new character and build excitement for the next series, ITVS GE has been carefully teasing assets to fans across social media including images and exclusive trailers.
“The response to the first season of Thunderbirds Are Go has been fantastic. Kids love the show’s compelling action packed storylines while parents have been drawn to its balance between the new and classic TV show,” commented Trudi Hayward, SVP Head of Global Merchandise at ITVS GE. “We’re now delighted to be offering fans brand new content and unveiling the latest instalment in the Tracy Brother’s adventures. With such a fantastic line up of activity planned to celebrate the second series launch, the next chapter of Thunderbirds Are Go is going to be hard to miss!”
ITVS GE is working with one of the UK’s leading department stores, Harrods, to create a dedicated Thunderbirds Are Go installation in its iconic Toy Kingdom from September 26th until October 23rd. The event will be centered around a re-creation of the Thunderbird 2 runway from Tracy Island and key product ranges will be showcased including toys from Vivid Imaginations and Spin Master in addition to vehicle cushions from High Resolution Design. The area will also have eye-catching POS and screens with trailers for the second season.
ITVS GE has also partnered with Rainbow Productions for the first Thunderbirds Are Go costume character. During October, the Virgil Tracy costume will be opening three new Smyths Toys Superstores in Longbridge, Bradford and Crawley. During the week of the show’s launch, toy retailer The Entertainer will be hosting meet and greets with Virgil Tracy at six key stores across the U.K. including Kingston-upon-Thames, Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City, Bluewater Shopping Centre, Merry Hill Shopping Centre and Bullring Birmingham. The Entertainer will also run a competition online and on their social media channels during October half term to promote the launch.
In Argos’s upcoming Christmas gift guide, ITVS GE will run an exclusive gift-with-purchase offer to support the Thunderbirds Are Go toy lines that will be featured in the guide.
The licensing program for Thunderbirds Are Go continues to expand and now has over 90 partners worldwide across all key categories that are benefiting from increased multi-platform brand exposure. In the UK, toys continue to perform particularly well and master toy licensee Vivid Imaginations recently added new SKUs to its range including a Kayo action figure and FAB 1 Vehicle and Spin Master will soon launch its Air Hogs RC Thunderbird 2 and a Meccano TB3. This autumn/winter will also see a number of cross-category product launches including new activity books from Simon & Schuster, new baking kit from Symingtons, kids watches from London Europe Group, homewares from World’s Apart, and new confectionery from Beacon Confectionery.
Source: ITV Studios Global Entertainment


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has done well out of Android
, and vice versa, culminating in Google’s
plans to buy the hardware company outright. At their quarterly earnings report, Motorola reported $3.3 billion USD in total revenue, and a $32 million dollar loss – not terrible in a down economy, and better than last quarter’s $52 million. They also extemporized on the Google sale, with enthusiastic plans moving forward.
According to Motorola, the sale of the company to Google should be complete before the end of the year, or early 2012 at the absolute latest. That doesn’t include any sort of integration, and of course, it’s contingent upon stockholders’ approval at the meeting on November 17th. The company was quick to highlight the new Motorola DROID RAZR, releasing on November the 10th on Verizon
in the United States and elsewhere in the world as just the RAZR. Motorola is putting a lot of emphasis on MotoACTV, the new fitness sensor-service combination, currently slated for a $249 starting price at an indeterminate date.
Motorola still isn’t where they’d like to be – no company in the red is, and celebrating the fact that you’re losing one less cent a share compared with last year doesn’t exactly warrant champagne. But things are looking up, and with the R&D muscle of Google bolstering their efforts next year, not to mention a possible inside line on Android, things could be a lot worse. Now if only they’d get off that non-removable battery kick that seems to be continuing with the DROID 4…
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Losses delight in been critically elevated than in assorted global markets. Hong Kong’s property corporations delight in been among the many largest decliners.
European markets opened down 1 % to 2 %, following drops in shares in China, Taiwan and South Korea. Futures markets delight in been forecasting that Wall Facet motorway would begin about 1 % lower later on Friday.
Diversified markets signaled skittishness as effectively, as U.S. Treasury bond prices rose and oil futures fell.
The losses came amid concerns about the manner forward for Hong Kong, a Chinese metropolis that operates under its grasp felony pointers and has its grasp self reliant judicial machine. China’s announcement signaled a most likely curtailment of that design and might presumably per chance presumably honest ignite protests admire the ones that roiled the metropolis’s streets final yr and despatched shares tumbling over the summer season.
The promote-off additionally came after China introduced its plans to spice up executive deficit spending to relief strive in opposition to the economic effects of the coronavirus. Officers on Friday stated that Beijing would boost the deficit this yr to “above 3.6 %” to prop up the economy, and would utilize one other $one hundred forty billion within the stimulus effort. While considerable, that understanding falls brief in proportional terms of what assorted governments round the sector delight in earmarked to strive in opposition to the outbreak-connected global economic disaster.
China abandons boost target and lays plans to ramp up spending.
Chinese officials declined to self-discipline an economic boost target for this yr and outlined plans to ramp up executive spending, as they proceed to imprint for methods to enhance from the economic toll of the coronavirus.
In his annual sage to Chinese lawmakers on Friday, Premier Li Keqiang stated the country’s leaders had declined to self-discipline a target for the first time in years “because our country will face some components that are sophisticated to predict in its building due to the the tall uncertainty with regards to the Covid-19 pandemic and the sector economic and change ambiance.”
China’s economy shrank within the first three months of the yr in contrast with a yr earlier, the first decline within the novel generation, after efforts to strive in opposition to the outbreak iced up immense parts of its industrial machine.
China’s boost target represents a gauge of how the country’s leaders scrutinize the economy faring, and its legit figures — which most economists opt into consideration to be too soft and exact to be precisely upright — most steadily meet or exceed the aim. In most novel years, the targets delight in declined as China’s economy slowed, and it has equipped a fluctuate in desire to a particular pick to present policymakers more flexibility. Final yr, it self-discipline a boost target of 6 % to 6.5 %.
Mr. Li’s sage stated China would ramp up executive spending by $one hundred forty billion to stoop boost, plus field a similar amount on bonds for coronavirus restoration efforts. While considerable, the spending represents about 2 % of China’s annual economic output, a smaller percentage in contrast with what assorted worldwide locations delight in performed.
Wall Facet motorway dips as global markets cool.
Stocks on Wall Facet motorway fell on Thursday, pulling abet after main benchmarks had rallied the day earlier than.
The S&P 500 fell no longer as much as 1 %, and global benchmarks delight in been additionally lower. It’s been a turbulent week for markets, with shares alternating between gains and losses day-after-day to this point as merchants assessed novel economic tendencies and the possibility of corporations reopening their doors to customers.
On Thursday, files on jobless claims from the Labor Department confirmed that the surge of layoffs had reached more than 38 million in nine weeks.
But economic files from Europe equipped more optimism. A month-to-month flood of European procuring managers’ index reports confirmed industry activity slowly picking up: The eurozone manufacturing index came in at 39.5 parts, better than anticipated and up from 33.4 final month, whereas the companies index rose to 28.7, from 12.zero final month.
The numbers for Britain additionally confirmed an upswing: The manufacturing index reached Forty.6, up from 32.6 past month, and the companies sector reached 27.eight, up from thirteen.4.
In Asia, month-to-month change figures in Japan confirmed a honest about 22 % drop from a yr within the past, underscoring the weak point of demand for the items that the country’s factories invent. Heated rhetoric in Washington in opposition to China raised the possibility that relatives between the sector’s two biggest economies would deteriorate further. Merchants additionally worried about worsening tensions between China and Australia, a rustic that is dependent on Chinese demand to gas huge parts of its economy.
Fb is planning to let some workers make money working from dwelling permanently.
Fb will enable many of its workers to make money working from dwelling permanently, Be aware Zuckerberg, Fb’s chief executive, introduced all the way thru a workers assembly that used to be live-streamed on his Fb online page.
The social media broad despatched its workers dwelling in March because the coronavirus began to spread within the US. Mr. Zuckerberg stated that the transient adjustments brought about by the virus spurred the company to re-opt into consideration its requirement that workers work in a shared place of residing of job. Inner a decade, he stated, as many as 1/2 of the company’s more than forty five,000 workers would make money working from dwelling.
Fb will start by permitting novel hires who are senior engineers to work remotely, and then enable most novel workers to apply for permission to make money working from dwelling within the event that they’ve certain performance experiences.
Mr. Zuckerberg’s announcement followed similar choices at Twitter and the funds company Sq., both led by Jack Dorsey. Mr. Dorsey stated final week that workers at his corporations would be allowed to make money working from dwelling indefinitely. At Google, workers delight in been suggested they’ll make money working from dwelling thru the discontinuance of the yr.
Eradicate up: Right here’s what else is occurring.
Lululemon, the athleisure company known for its $a hundred yoga pants, stated that it anticipated to thrill in 70 % of its stores reopened in coming weeks with novel safeguards in place of residing. It plans to add cashless funds “where permissible” and query workers to “remark an everyday effectively being declaration earlier than every shift.” The corporate, which had 491 stores worldwide as of Feb. 2, stated that it has reopened a hundred and fifty locations and is decided to reopen 200 more all the way thru the following two weeks. The corporate declined to portion considerable parts what constituted the effectively being declaration or about explicit openings within the US.
Reporting used to be contributed by Mohammed Hadi, Kate Conger, Sapna Maheshwari, Carlos Tejada and Daniel Victor.


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Four Views on WWDC
On Monday, Apple unveiled a whole slew of changes their iPhone, iPad and MacBook ranges at the annual WWDC conference, prompting the usual extreme reactions from pundits and users alike.
Now that the dust has settled down, some members of Jam have collected their thoughts and prepared their statements:
Dan Beasley, Head of Mobile:
“The two most interesting developments for me are Passbook and the enhancements to Safari. The ability to upload images directly through Safari is a welcome introduction. It’s been a challenge for us as a Social Mobile business to create mobile experiences that require fans to engage by entering photo-based competitions without having a direct and immediate route to submit images and this announcement now gives us this ability and will only help to propel HTML5 into the mainstream.
Secondly, Passbook is huge news and surely a nod to the inclusion of NFC in the next iteration of the iPhone. The Passbook will familiarise iPhone users with the concept of paying for “real life” goods via mobile in much the same way that the Starbucks QR App has so when NFC finally comes, that leap will be a little bit smaller!”
David McNamara, Strategy Director:
“For me the most exciting development is the Passbook. Not getting the same hype as Siri and Facebook integration, but this for me is the quiet giant of this release. This is nothing less than the start of the iPhone as mobile wallet: location aware, QR code enabled and user-focused. The possibilities for developers and loyalty program syncs are huge. This is a serious sign for things to come. Look out for NFC in iphone5 – and other phones as competitors assemble their own NFC offerings.”
Dan Osburn, Brand Manager:
“Direct Facebook integration into iOS and OS X is huge. Having Facebook integrated with your Contacts, Calendar and Photos apps is cool, but the killer feature is how Facebook integrates with the App Store. Users can now Like apps as they shop – which is a huge boon to brands and developers!
This integration is also a profound indicator of the strength of the Facebook brand. According to Mashable, once Twitter was integrated directly into iOS, “the number of Apple users who also use Twitter tripled. To date, about 10 billion tweets have been composed via iOS 5, and 47% of photos on Twitter originate from an Apple device”. It looks like Facebook’s best days are ahead of it.”
Steven Craig, Art Director:
The new Macbook Pro with Retina display is perhaps the biggest bit of news that directly effects the design process for desktop web sites and applications. It means that super-hi-res displays are coming to all machines, not just those made by Apple.
Whereas previously it was the task of a conscientious mobile designer/developer to cater for that slim percentage that had a shiny iPad 3, it's now the role of all teams to ensure our creative looks great on every device, not matter what resolution.
It's not going to be easy. Adding scalable bitmap graphics to the bug list that includes multiple browser support and font rendering will, I am sure, give one or two agency folk a headache.
If you’d like some more information on what these developments mean to marketers, our Engine sisters Deep Focus have collected their thoughts - Apple, iOS 6.0, Retina and Marketers: WWDC 2012 Wrap Up.


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Morrisons issues update on the wearing of face coverings in its stores
6 days ago
Last week, a man spoke out after observing customers not wearing face coverings on a visit to Morrisons in Girlington. The man told the T&A:...
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 6
Last week, 14 transactions were registered at the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange of Turkmenistan, the Turkmen media reported.
Businessmen from the UK, Malta and other countries purchased straight-run gasoline and heating fuel produced at the Turkmenbashi Complex of Oil Refineries.
In addition, high density polyethylene, colorless sheet glass and cotton wool were sold to businessmen from Russia and Turkey.
The total amount of transactions exceeded $12.733 million.
This is while businessmen from the UAE and Turkey purchased yarn and cotton fabrics worth a total of over 5.125 million Turkmen manats.
The official exchange rate of the Turkmen manat against US dollar has remained unchanged since January 2015 ($1 = 3.5 Turkmen manats).


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Atlantic Energy, a leading retail energy provider has now distributed 600,000 LED light bulbs.
NEW YORK, NY, October 04, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ — Atlantic Energy, a leading retail energy provider has now distributed 600,000 LED light bulbs. After entering the deregulated electricity market in 2010, Atlantic Energy has continued to offer innovative energy efficient solutions for both residential and commercial businesses. This framework, which was not seen prior to Atlantic Energy shows that with an environmental approach and energy efficiency focus, todays standard for an energy provider have been redefined.
Atlantic Energy serves in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington DC, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania with plans to continue moving into the other deregulated markets.
“Our customers have joined our mission to reduce their carbon footprint through energy efficiency’s. LED light bulbs use less electricity which in turn make all of our 60,000 customers extremely energy efficient,” said Patrick Linden, Co-CEO. “This is the type of impact we set out for and I am proud to see the positive impact we have had on the environment.”
As a company, Atlantic Energy has eliminated 167 million kWhs by distributing energy efficient LED light bulbs to their customers. That is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from 26,613 passenger vehicles driven for one year. Stats like this show Atlantic Energy truly stands aside from typical ESCO companies. In today’s world we are seeing a shift which will allow for a cleaner tomorrow and Atlantic Energy has joined the momentum.
The success of this program can be attributed to Atlantic Energy Co-CEO James Uglow. Having 20 years sales experience that spans across multiple continents, Uglow has identified and implemented his proprietary sales system which monitors quality assurance. “In today’s sales environment, training and education is most important. We have an extremely diverse workforce which is a huge advantage for us and local community adopting.” With weekly training programs, Atlantic Energy’s salesforce of 150 are consistently updated on industry trends.
Finding ways to empower customers through energy efficiencies has been Atlantic Energy’s vision. The LED program was just the start and now they have created additional product bundles to give residential and commercial customers more choice. After being enrolled as an Atlantic Energy residential customers you will receive multiple smart products such as LED Smart Light Bulbs, Wi-Fi Cameras, Smart Plugs and much more. All are controlled right from the Atlantic Energy app. This product assortment was put together on the heels of the “Smart Home” boom and continues to give customers real products they will love and help them become energy efficient.
Patrick Linden said, “Customers are willing to help the environment but it comes down to how much it will impact their day to day life. We realized this and put together product assortments that actually help them and also help the environment.” A true win-win. “Take our LED program for instance, after we have gone in and changed all the lights in a restaurant, deli, or warehouse the entire place looks much better. It beautifies there store creating a more attractive environment for customers and employees all while being energy efficient.”
Atlantic Energy has become an authority in the energy field and to learn more about them, please visit https://www.atlanticenergyco.com/
Atlantic Energy’s mission is to reduce energy consumption and costs by providing affordable energy efficient services and solutions to consumers nationwide.
For the original version of this press release, please visit 24-7PressRelease.com here


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Coinbase NFT Launches Beta, AMC Theaters Rolls Out SHIB and DOGE Payments, and Blockchain.com Considers IPO: Hodler’s Digest, April 17-23
Coming every Saturday, Summary of Hodler will help you follow every important news that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, major coins, predictions and more – a week on Cointelegraph in one link.
Top stories this week
AMC Theaters mobile app accepts Dogecoin, Shiba Inu and more
Retailer-favorite movie chain AMC Theaters has updated its mobile app to support Dogecoin and Shiba Inu payments. US-based customers using Apple or Android phones can both download the app and spend their highly volatile memecoins on movie tickets.
The company first floated the idea in January, having rolled out payment support for Bitcoin, Ether, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin in November.
AMC is able to accept crypto payments through a partnership with BitPay, a bitcoin payment service provider. It should be noted that merchants using BitPay do not receive crypto payments directly. Instead, BitPay converts crypto payments to fiat before depositing them into the merchant’s account.
Crypto startup Blockchain.com plans IPO in 2022
It was reported on Tuesday that the $14 billion crypto exchange Blockchain.com is in talks with banks regarding the launch of a possible initial public offering (IPO) this year.
Bloomberg’s unnamed sources said the talks were very tentative and could change at any time (especially if those unnamed sources were instructed by Blockchain.com to release information to get a sense of public sentiment before revealing anything. either concrete).
If the company manages to clear all regulatory hurdles and go public via an IPO, it will join Coinbase as the only other US crypto exchange to do so. Binance.US is also considering a potential similar path in the future.
Coinbase Announces Social Engagement NFT Marketplace Beta
Speaking of the only US crypto exchange to go public, Coinbase launched an early beta of its NFT Marketplace this week for a number of testers. At this point, early adopters of Coinbase NFT can create online profiles as well as buy and sell NFTs.
In a blog post on Tuesday, Coinbase VP of Products and Ecosystem Sanchan Saxena hinted that Coinbase NFT would be a hybrid platform that takes elements from social media services and marketplaces such as ‘OpenSea.
“While buying and selling NFT is a big part of the ecosystem today, what we’ve learned from talking to many customers and creators is that it’s not enough to buy and sell,” Saxena said. “There is the community aspect.”
German banking giant Commerzbank applies for crypto license
One of Germany’s banking giants, Commerzbank, revealed this week that it has applied for a crypto license, making it the first traditional financial institution in the country to do so.
A spokesperson told local news outlet Börsen-Zeitung that he “applied for the crypto custody license in the first quarter of 2022.” The move would go a long way to mainstream crypto in the country, as the bank serves over 18 million customers and 70,000 institutional customers.
Any company wishing to deploy crypto services in Germany must first seek approval from the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, also known as BaFin.
Goldman Sachs reportedly considering FTX alliance with regulatory and public assistance
Goldman Sachs is reportedly looking to strike an alliance with the largest derivatives exchange FTX, providing a strong show of confidence in crypto in the banking industry.
According to the Financial Times, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried met behind closed doors in March to discuss how a potential partnership might work for the two firms.
The main areas of discussion were around US compliance, with Goldman Sachs offering to help FTX navigate murky regulatory waters, in addition to helping with future funding rounds.
Winners and losers
On weekends, Bitcoin (BTC) is at $39,628Ether (ETH) to $2,957 and XRP to $0.71. The total market capitalization is $1.85 trillion, according to at CoinMarketCap.
Among the 100 largest cryptocurrencies, the top three altcoin gainers of the week are STEPN (GMT) at 40.66%, 0x (ZRX) at 22.40% and Decred (DRC) at 18.98%.
The top three altcoin losers of the week are helium (HNT) at -12.74%, Convex Finance (CLC) at -10.82% and Manufacturer (MKR) at -10.81%.
For more information on crypto prices, be sure to read Cointelegraph Market Analysis.
Most Memorable Quotes
“I see Ethereum remaining the dominant L1 for years to come, while Bitcoin retains its status as the primary store of value on the blockchain.”
Lynn Lissco-founder and managing director of Akoin
“It’s just the beginning, but we’re encouraged by what we’re seeing and confident that blockchain games will continue to gain traction if they’re engaging and fun to play.”
Chris DeWolfeco-founder of Myspace, CEO and co-founder of Jam City
“Crypto is dead. Long live crypto.”
Andre Cronjefounder of Yearn.finance
“NO! There are already digital means of payment! So what is the CBDC for? […] Even more surveillance, prevention of bank runs, addictions and the resulting enslavement of humanity? It does not prevent money laundering; this already exists on a large scale for the first 10,000 in many tax havens, for example, [the] Cayman Islands, Macao, Dubai, etc.
“One of the guiding principles of the blockchain is that it is a shared public ledger and anyone with a bit of computing power has access to it, [including] law enforcement. Thus, the Secret Service did nothing that was not the original intention of the blockchain. We just use the same track and trace mechanisms that were intended.
David SmithDeputy Director of Investigations for the United States Secret Service
“NFTs represent an opportunity for game developers to create games with player-owned economies; where the community of holders are both the first supporters of the game but also the main players in its development and real stakeholders in its success.
Sebastien Borgetco-founder of The Sandbox
“It’s highly unlikely that all countries will ban noncustodial wallets, or any other aspect of Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer network for that matter.”
Stepan UherikCFO of SatoshiLabs
“My view of the world before Bitcoin was quite narrow. Life was like school, work, retirement, death. Today I think a little differently. The ultimate goal [now] could best be described as entrepreneurship and self-sovereignty.
“The purpose of DeFi cannot simply be to trade DeFi tokens.”
Arthur Breitmanco-founder of Tezos
Prediction of the week
BTC could drop to $30,000 in 2 weeks, trader warns as gold hits $2,000
Bitcoin’s price dipped below $40,000 on April 17, according to Cointelegraph BTC Price Index. The asset then fell to near $38,500 the next day, followed by a subsequent rise above $41,000 in the same session. On Thursday, the asset had reached around $43,000, although bearish action followed on the same day, with the asset then falling below $40,000.
Pseudonymous trader “Crypto Ed” posted a YouTube video on Monday talking about BTC price action. Looking back, his expectations for the asset turned out to be quite accurate. He expected $37,500 to serve as a rebound point for BTC, followed by a potential run to $43,000 if the asset broke above $40,000. He noted that $43,000 may just be a local high, with the asset facing downward price pressure next. Last week shows BTC moving roughly in line with Crypto Ed comments.
He, however, also mentioned that the next two weeks (from the date of his Monday video), or so, may finally see BTC come to the $30,000 price level.
FUD of the week
Beanstalk Farms Offers Plea Deal to Authors of $76 Million Exploit
After credit-based stablecoin protocol Beanstalk Farms was hacked for an estimated $76 million earlier this week, the team offered a 10% bounty if the hacker returned the funds.
Hacker bounty offers are becoming a common method for DeFi platforms lately, as they seem to be the most viable way to grab project funds and get them up and running as quickly as possible.
Notably, project founders Benjamin Weintraub, Brendan Sanderson and Michael Montoya admitted during a podcast interview on Monday that Beanstalk’s design flaws “ultimately led to its downfall.”
MetaMask warns Apple users about iCloud phishing attacks
Crypto wallet provider MetaMask has warned the community about potential Apple iCloud phishing attacks which could become very costly.
The security issue is related to default device settings on Apple devices that see a user’s seed phrase or “password-encrypted MetaMask Vault” stored on iCloud if the user has enabled automatic backups for its MetaMask application data.
MetaMask’s warning came in response to reports from an NFT collector who goes by “revive_dom” on Twitter, who said his entire wallet containing $650,000 in digital assets and NFTs had been wiped via this issue. specific security.
FBI, CISA Issue Alert Over North Korean Cyberattacks Against Crypto Targets
On Monday, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued an alert regarding North Korean state-sponsored cyberattacks.
The warning came in response to the Ronin Bridge hack last month, which was allegedly carried out by North Korean hackers. The FBI and CISA have pointed out that hackers specifically target DeFi protocols and play-to-earn games in particular, with spear phishing and malware being the methods of choice.
“These actors will likely continue to exploit vulnerabilities in cryptocurrency technology firms, gaming companies, and exchanges to generate and launder funds to support the North Korean regime,” CISA wrote.
Best Crypto Features
Basic and Weird: What the Metaverse Looks Like Right Now
Your travel guide to what the Metaverse is right now – in pictures.
In Georgia, crypto is a crucial tool for refugees fleeing war
Crypto, like most other new technologies hailed upon its inception as apolitical or neutral, becomes political in the hands of the people who use and regulate it.
Brain Drain: India’s Crypto Tax Forces Budding Crypto Projects to Move
Several Indian cryptocurrency projects are planning to move their bases to more crypto-friendly jurisdictions.


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New Instagram user statistics has been announced
Today, 21 June 2016. Instagram has announced a number of monthly active users and daily active users statistics.
How many Instagram active users per day and per month?
Instagram usage has grown to more than 300 million daily active users. Monthly usage of Instagram is more than 500 million monthly active users.
Percentages of users between inside the USA and other countries.
Less than 20% are inside the United States. That means more than 80% are outside the U.S.
A number of videos and photos upload to Instagram each day.
According to new Instagram statistics, there are more than 95 million videos and photos uploaded to Instagram per day.


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Sports fans won’t want to miss this.
In a battle of four top athletes, Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning are set to square off against Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson in a charity golf match, called “The Match: Champions for Charity.” Below, FN rounds up everything you need to know about the match.
How to watch
Mickelson and Brady will tee off against Woods and Manning at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla. on Sunday, May 24. The event will be broadcast live starting at at 2 p.m. ET, with coverage on TNT, TBS, truTV and HLN.
What is the format?
The pair will play 18 holes. For the front 9, each player will tee off and play until the ball is in the cup, with the teams to use the best individual score for their scorecards. On the back 9, each player will tee off with the teams to pick the best drive. From there on, they will alternate until the ball is in the cup.
How much is being raised for charity?
Between the two sides, $10 million will be donated to coronavirus relief efforts. The event will also include a partnership with the “All In” Challenge, as well as additional on-course competitive challenges to raise more money for charity.
Who’s the favorite?
Last week, Caesars Sportsbook opened Manning and Woods as the favorites. They were installed with odds of -175 at Caesers, while Brady and Mickelson began with odds of +150.
How long has the event been in the works?
In November 2018, Woods and Mickelson famously squared off in “The Match,” a one-on-one battle with a $9 million winner-takes-all pot. Mickelson won “The Match,” but the pair had been considering a rematch for some time. An event with Brady and Manning had been in discussion for a few months and was configured as a charity match due to the coronavirus.
Who are their shoe sponsors?
Woods is a longtime Nike athlete and has lately been lacing up in the Nike Tiger Woods TW71 Fast Fit (available online for $99, down from $150). Mickelson has deal with G/Fore and sports shoes from its Gallivanter line (prices range from $185 to $225) on the course. Meanwhile, Manning wore Reebok and Nike shoes throughout his NFL career before calling it quits. And Brady, an Under Armour athlete, will likely sport one of the athletic giant’s styles.
All products featured have been independently selected and curated by our editorial team. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn commission and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.


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Renault India is all set to launch the 2019 Kwid in India and the launch comes just a day after Maruti Suzuki launched the S-Presso in the country which will be one of the key rivals for the Kwid, when it's launched today. The 2019 Renault Kwid brings in a host of changes to the entry-level hatchback. Renault has already released a few teasers of the car, while we have also shared several spy photos of the production-spec model in its undisguised avatar. Visually, the car comes with several new cosmetic additions like - the new greenish-blue shade, matte-finished Grey-Orange element around the headlamps and bumper, Orange ORVMs, and gunmetal grey alloy wheels. Of course, there will be a regular version of the Kwid as well, which we expect will get simpler exterior styling, while retaining the new design, which includes a completely revamped face. So upfront, the car gets a new black grille, and split lighting with the sleeker indicator lights and DRLs flanking the grille, while the new horizontal headlamps are positioned below, on the bumper. The car also gets a wide central airdam and a muscular bumper. At the rear, the Renault Kwid facelift sports revised taillights with new vertical reflectors integrated into the bumper. Currently the Kwid is priced between ₹ 2.76 lakh to ₹ 4.75 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and given that the S-Presso has been launched very aggressively, we do not expect any major change in the prices of the car. Renault India will look to undercut the top-end variant of the S-Presso which is priced at ₹ 4.91 lakh.
The 2019 Renault Kwid facelift will get a revised cabin with what looks like a dark grey tone, and a redesigned dashboard featuring new aircon vents, Kwid lettering on the passenger side. The car also gets a bigger touchscreen infotainment system, which is likely to feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Furthermore, there are matching orange streaks on the door panels and the black fabric seat covers. The steering is new but doesn't get audio controls, and it also features a conventional key with lock/unlock buttons instead of a smart key. The model we saw was the AMT version, and the most noticeable update is that now the shifter knob has been moved to the centre console from the dashboard.
Engine options are likely to remain unchanged featuring the same 799 cc, three-cylinder petrol engine that makes 54 bhp and 72 Nm of peak torque, along with the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine that develops 67 bhp and 91 Nm of peak torque. Transmission duties will be handled by a 5-speed manual and AMT gearbox.


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Starting today, Amazon Fire TV officially joins the retail war between Google and Amazon. Amazon refuses to allow several Google products to be sold on their site, including Google Chromecast, Google Home, and some of the newest Nest products. Google released a statement on the subject, and Amazon replied – have a peek!
Google released a statement which included the following: “We’ve been trying to reach agreement with Amazon to give consumers access to each other’s products and services. But Amazon doesn’t carry Google products like Chromecast and Google Home, doesn’t make Prime Video available for Google Cast users, and last month stopped selling some of Nest’s latest products. Given this lack of reciprocity, we are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and FireTV. We hope we can reach an agreement to resolve these issues soon.”
Amazon replied, via Variety, with the following statement: “Echo Show and Fire TV now display a standard web view of YouTube.com and point customers directly to YouTube’s existing website. Google is setting a disappointing precedent by selectively blocking customer access to an open website. We hope to resolve this with Google as soon as possible.”
Google’s announcement suggested that Amazon Fire TV would no longer have access to the official YouTube app starting on the 1st of January, 2018. Some users saw access failing as early as last week Friday. Google first blocked access of YouTube from Amazon Echo Show back in September of 2017, and (according to Keepa data, sales of that device tanked as a result.
In this war between companies, it should be clear that no consumer wins. It’s only after Amazon begins allowing Google’s products to be sold and/or Google allows Amazon products to access YouTube that this situation will be optimal for all. That might not happen without major legal action – we’ll see!


text: RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (5/19/10)--The recession is shaping consumers’ choices for personal financial tools, according to CO-OP Financial Services. Many consumers are weighing safety, convenience and services, and are discovering that credit unions are changing the way people manage their money. “These are times when people are looking to get the most from their time and money, and they’re actively looking for alternatives to for-profit banks,” said CO-OP President/CEO Stan Hollen. Credit unions are offering increasingly technologically-advanced financial tools, such as mobile banking through mobile phones or iPhones, home check scanning and deposits, debit card services, reloadable prepaid cards, kiosks with branch-teller services, member call centers, and branch and ATM locator technologies through text, smart phones or global positioning systems. Credit unions also are expanding convenience to their members through shared branching. Members can access CO-OP’s 28,000 surcharge-free ATMs at credit union branches and retail locations such as 7-Eleven, Costco, Walgreens and Publix. “Interestingly, younger credit union members are not only early adopters of credit unions’ advanced electronic channels, but are also the largest member segment to use brick and mortar shared branching,” Hollen added. CO-OP Financial Services, a credit union service organization, is based in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.


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Enny van de Velden is one of four Dutch entrepreneurs in the final round of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award on 2 October 2018. EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the most prestigious awards for entrepreneurs. The award encourages and rewards successful entrepreneurship. Enny van de Velden is Chief Commercial Officer and Chair of the Board of CCV, one of the leading payment providers and suppliers of payment solutions and loyalty systems for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands. Enny is renowned as a versatile entrepreneur with a clear vision of CCV’s role in the fast-changing world of payment transactions.
Enny van de Velden’s nomination for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is more than just recognition of her entrepreneurial capabilities, but importantly also of the significant role CCV now plays as a payment provider for businesses. Since the launch of the first payment terminal in the Netherlands in 1989, CCV has grown into one of the biggest suppliers of payment solutions for SMEs. Through its payment terminals, CCV delivers payment solutions (online and offline) and loyalty systems particularly for webshops, retailers, hospitality establishments, public transport operators, car parks and self-service outlets.
Since joining CCV in 2013, Enny has led the company’s more robust international expansion. CCV currently operates in sixteen countries and outside the Netherlands has offices in Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. In total CCV employs approximately 1,200 people in Europe, serving more than 200,000 customers.
Under Enny van de Velden’s management, CCV has evolved – through a number of acquisitions as well as other development – from a supplier of payment terminals to a full-service partner capable of supporting its customers in fulfilling all payments and financial transactions, across the full spectrum of mobile, online and omnichannel solutions. In the coming years, the company’s focus will be on developing new ways of paying by smartphones and wearables by means of technologies like NFC and QR codes.
The four candidates for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year will present their visions and ideas to the jury and the public on 5 September 2018 at the Jury Day in Maarssen. Matters the jury will watch out for include personality, vision, passion and entrepreneurship; strategic direction; national and international impact, innovation, financial performance and sustainable growth. The winner of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award in the Netherlands will be announced during the Final on 2 October 2018 in Amsterdam. The Dutch winner will go forward to Monaco where the winners from more than sixty countries will compete for the title of EY World Entrepreneur of the Year.
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year has been one of the world’s most high-profile entrepreneurial awards for more than twenty years. The programme is supported in the Netherlands by parties including the Ministry of Economic Affairs and employers’ federation VNO-NCW. The award spotlights successful entrepreneurs. Thanks to their vision, passion, conviction, leadership and often also their stubbornness, they inspire and motivate other people. In their pursuit of continuous improvement, they develop new ideas and concepts that – besides making their own company successful – ultimately also promote economic growth and employment opportunities.


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Swiggy join hands with Bounce for bike taxi pilot
The pilot started about two months ago with Swiggy’s delivery personnel using Bounce’s app to pick up and drop customers when food delivery orders are low.
SC asks Centre to take steps to regulate taxi aggregators
The bench asked the petitioner to give a representation to the Centre on the issue ...
Uber in talks with Govt to elevate flying-taxi regulations
Uber Elevate is an umbrella term for the company's initiatives to launch Uber Air,...
Bengaluru police to get strict with lane discipline on airport road to reduce accidents
Traffic police plans a campaign to make two-wheelers, autorickshaws stick to the slow lane on the left.
Noida bike taxi scam snared 2.5L investors across India
40 FIRs have been filed while complaints from investors in Jaipur, Noida, Meerut, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Hathras and Delhi are still to be registered.
Jet-powered flying taxi unveiled following first flight
The Lilium has begun seeking approval from European and U.S. regulators, making the model the first electric jet in history to enter certification.
Kochi firm develops online app for unorganised taxi services
The founders claim it to be a service platform without the exorbitant commission charged by other taxi aggregators.
Copyright © 2019 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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BEIJING (MarketWatch) -- China's economy is unlikely to suffer a hard landing or stagflation, a troubling scenario of rising consumer prices accompanied by slowing growth, a senior Chinese government researcher said Thursday.
Inflation in the world's second-largest economy is likely to have peaked in June or will do so in July, with price pressures expected to gradually ease in the remainder of this year, Yu Bin, Director General of the Department of Macroeconomic Research of the Development Research Center of the State Council, said at a press conference.
Yu said that China's economic growth this year will likely be between 9.0% and 9.5%, with inflation around 5% for the whole year.
China's second-quarter gross domestic product rose 9.5% from a year earlier, compared with 9.7% in the previous quarter. Inflation reached 6.4% last month, the highest in three years.