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There have been some interesting new developments in the already controversial plain packaging issue. Simply put, this controversy revolves around the proposal to introduce bland, colourless packaging for cigarettes and other tobacco products with just the name of the brand in plain text, accompanied by a large graphic health warning. This is done in order to make these products less attractive to young people. Read more about the plain packaging issue here and here.
Plain Packaging PIL
Recently, an Allahabad based senior advocate, Umesh Narain Sharma had filed a PIL in the Supreme Court, seeking the implementation of plain packaging laws in India. At the beginning, the bench felt that the issue was purely in the purview of the Legislation and the interference of Court was unnecessary. Further, according to a Times of India report, a bench comprising of Justices T.S. Thakur and U.U. Lalit asked the counsel for the petitioner whether it was possible to say with certainty that smoking actually causes cancer. “How do you prove it? There are people who are non-smokers who have contracted cancer. And there are people who are smokers yet have lived healthy till the end,” the bench was quoted saying.
However, appearing for the Petitioner, who himself is a victim of tongue cancer due to constant usage of tobacco products, the Advocate was able to convince the bench that judicial intervention was required. The Court then issued notice to the Ministry of Health contending that delaying the implementation of plain packaging was in violation of the rights of the citizens under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The response of the Ministry to this notice is awaited.
Indian Tobacco Laws
The primary tobacco control legislation in India is the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA).
In 2012, a Bill to amend the COTPA was introduced in the Lok Sabha by M.P, Baijayant Panda which stipulated for plain packaging of tobacco products. However, the Bill did not pass.
In 2014, a PIL was filed in the Allahabad High Court to implement a plain packaging rule in cigarettes and other tobacco products. The Court allowed the petition and stated that the Government of India must implement such a scheme at the earliest. Read more about this case here.
On October 15, 2014, the government introduced new larger warnings via a notification that, among other things, increased the health warning size on cigarette packaging. According to the notification, 85% of the surface area of the packaging of tobacco products must be covered in graphic and textual health warnings.
In 2015, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare published a draft Bill to amend the COPTA. This Bill proposes the prohibition of the sale of loose cigarettes and prohibits even indirect advertisements for tobacco products. However, this Bill did not introduce plain packaging.
Recently, the state of Maharashtra asked all cigarette and bidi manufacturers to comply with the amended Legal Metrology Act (LMA), claiming that that it bans the sale of loose cigarettes. The veracity of this claim is yet to be verified. Jammu & Kashmir, too, has banned the practice via a notification. As per Section 7 of the COTPA, no cigarette or tobacco product may be sold without the prescribed health warning. As loose cigarettes do not contain this warning, their sale may be deemed illegal under the Act.
The issue of plain packaging has sparked several debates and disputes in the international arena. Firstly, Ukraine had filed a complaint against Australia at the WTO. Ukraine challenged Australia’s Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 on the grounds that it was violative of TRIPS and other WTO agreements. However, it later suspended its complaint in favour of finding a mutually agreed solution. Secondly, Philip Morris had also used the ISDS arbitration procedure in an attempt to try and reverse Australia’s plain packaging laws. Australia however, emerged victorious. Ireland, Britain, France and Malaysia have also followed in the steps of Australia by introducing plain packaging laws.
Recently, UK’s plain packaging laws have also come into force. On 19th May, 2016, the England & Wales High Court, rejected applications for judicial review of The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 . This legislation applies to cigarettes as well as hand rolling tobacco and effectively bans the sale of flavoured cigarettes such as menthols. Interestingly, in this case, the counsel for State argued that trademark was a negative right; i.e. it excluded others from using the said trademark and therefore, the limited use of the trademark shall not take away the rights of the holder. The Court finally concluded that the Regulations permitted tobacco companies to use their name as well as the brand name on the packaging and therefore, the primary function of the trademark, i.e. as an identifier of origin was still being served.
The Future of Plain Packaging in India
The Indian Supreme Court in the abovementioned case eventually pulled up the Ministry, even though the initial reaction of the bench was very surprising and rather uninformed. Cigarette smoking was proven to cause lung cancer way back in the 1950s and the causal link between smoking and cancer is no longer a disputable fact.
While the Supreme Court contemplates plain packaging, the Indian Health Ministry has ordered government agencies to enforce the abovementioned 85% law strictly and even seize products that do not comply with these standards. This move has even led to a shutdown of tobacco factories in protest.
Earlier, India had supported Australia’s stance to introduce plain packaging at the WTO. It was also involved in the abovementioned WTO dispute as a third party. Going by the prevailing international trends and India’s stance on this issue, it is quite likely that we shall see plain packaging laws introduced in India soon.
Will Plain Packaging laws really help India?
This is the million dollar question that needs some answers, and soon.
Studies from Australia showed that the smoking rates plummeted by 12.2% over the year after plain packaging was introduced. However, these numbers are disputed as the drop can be attributed to several other factors such as the increase of excise on tobacco products. Cigarettes got more expensive and Australians started to look for cheaper options, including buying cigarettes from the black market and hand-rolling cigarettes. According to Tobacco companies, plain packaging makes it harder to control the entry of counterfeits in the market. These counterfeits do not adhere to any standards or specifications, and may be adulterated with Sulphur and carbamide, making them far more lethal than ordinary cigarettes. According to a 2014 KPMG report, the use of illegal tobacco in Australia reached record levels in 2013 and represented 14.5% of total consumption.
In the Indian context, the feasibility of plain packaging must be extensively explored. Nearly 75% of all cigarettes in India are sold loose and no enforcement mechanism seems realistically possible to check this practice. It is thus disputable whether or not a change in the packaging will actually help, since the buyer does not even come in direct contact with the packaging most of the time. Another question which arises is whether plain packaging shall be applicable to all tobacco products, including pan masala, beedi and gutka? Will it be possible to enforce these laws on local manufacturers and cottage industries? These are the aspects that must be addressed before making amendments to the Act.
(Image from here)


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Strategic ICT Partner
60 Mins Show dates: 20-24 October 2013, Dubai World Trade Centre
AT GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK
Exhibition hours: 11am -6pm
Dell Software presents new mobility offerings
WHAT’S INSIDE Dell Software has been keen to use GITEX Technology Week 2013 to showcase its latest mobility solutions and present itself as a leader in enterprise mobility across software, hardware and services. Faced with a deluge of mobile devices, companies today are struggling to transform physical workplaces into “digital workspaces” that enable employees to be more productive and efficient without overburdening IT teams. “As part of Dell’s focus on delivering end-to-end enterprise mobility solutions, we’re supplying customers with innovative hardware, software and services to help them plan, deploy and manage new workspace models,” said Tom 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Qualcomm uses GITEX to sure up ecosystem
Secureway to focus on security, virtualisation and cloud in 2014 Secureway aims to focus on security, virtualisation and cloud computing in 2014, according to the company’s CEO Fari Boustantchi, who caught
up with 60 Minutes at GITEX today. Being in the space for the last 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Gemalto experts highlight the mobile era
GITEX Interview: SafeNet
4 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Secureway ... eight years, the distributor has noticed the increased attention over security in the market, over the last two years. “With organisations experiencing security threats over the last few years, they are more aware of the necessity of having a secure network,” Boustantchi said. “But what is challenging is the fact that people move frequently in this region. Our job is to train more partners because we are in a leveraging business and that is done through one’s partners. The more partners we have, the more awareness we create in the market and are able to manage and execute projects.” The company is displaying its entire range of portfolio at the
“But what is challenging is the fact that people move frequently in this region. Our job is to train more partners because we are in a leveraging business and that is done through one’s partners.”
Fari Boustantchi, CEO, Secureway
event, and has also introduced the executive security training programme – Mile2 –in the region, which is in line with the distributor’s focus for next year. “What is new from us at GITEX 2013 is our executive security training called Mile2,” said Yannick Bourque, Sales Director, Secureway. “It is a well-known programme globally, and we are more than happy to bring Mile2 in the region. “We have got good traction for this training solution at the event. We are glad to see an increased trend in security which is direct result of previous issues that were seen in the market.” Apart from security, the company will also be focusing on
virtualisation and cloud computing. Boustantchi added: “Many of these businesses depend on each other, for example cloud without security and virtualisation does not exist. We want to operate in the same area for another next two years.” 2014 will also see the exit of certain brands along with some additions as well. This is because, according to Boustantchi, as a value added distributor, it cannot handle 30 brands. “You need to have expertise on the products and that is only possible with an active team in relevant areas, which we have in our major brands showcased today,” he said. “So, there will be some exits but will also have more products next year.”
4 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Kendra, Vice President and General Ganager of Systems Management, Dell Software. “Our latest mobility offerings and security enhancements are important steps in giving mobile employees reliable and secure access to the information and resources they need while empowering IT to bring it all together in an efficient, cost-effective manner.” With new secure mobile access enhancements from SonicWALL, Dell Software can help customers meet demands for broader access to mission-critical applications, data and resources from a multitude of devices. As part of Dell’s keen focus on
connected security, the latest release of the Dell SonicWALL Mobile Connect application is now preinstalled on all Windows 8.1 tablets and laptops, which extends Dell’s secure access capabilities to more mobile device and laptop platforms, including Windows, iOS and Android. Dell Connected Security gives organisations the power to solve their biggest security and compliance challenges today — from the endpoint to the data center to the cloud — while helping them better prepare for tomorrow by mitigating risks to enable business. The Mobile Connect application, in combination with the newest version
of the Dell SonicWALL E-Class Secure Remote Access (SRA) for enterprise appliance, provides mobile and remote workers using managed or unmanaged smartphones, tablets or laptops with simple, policyenforced access to critical data without compromising security. The new E-class SRA release v10.7.0 also provides an at-aglance dashboard to streamline management of remote access status, and simplify access to more mission-critical applications, corporate Web sources, file shares and client server resources. Also making its mark in the industry is Dell SonicWALL’s Network
Security Appliance (NSA) Series Next-Generation Firewalls. Dell brings first low-latency highperformance NGFW with 10 GbE connectivity to bandwidth intensive mid-sized businesses. The NSA Series delivers enterprise-class protection and application control while maintaining its ease-of-use. The NSA Series Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW) enable mid-sized organisations, branch offices, school campuses and government agencies to have multi-layered protection from sophisticated attacks and control over applications while also assuring optimal network performance and total of cost of ownership.
Qualcomm uses GITEX to sure up ecosystem Chipmaker Qualcomm is using GITEX 2013 to firm up the regional ecosystem when it comes to smart devices, apps, and the networks that support them. According to Ziad Matar, Senior Director, Middle East and Central Asia, Qualcomm, the vendor has been speaking to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), app developers and local operators over the past four days. “We have decided this year, after having spent five years in the Middle East, to actually move into the next gear and show everybody how a company like Qualcomm actually approaches the market. You can see different demonstrations at our booth – some of them are hardcore network technologies, some of them are more consumer
technologies, and we also have some very cool developer support technologies,” he said. Naturally, a large part of Qualcomm’s presence at GITEX revolves around the newly launched Snapdragon 800 processor, which has found its way into some of the latest top-end Android-powered smartphones. And more OEMs
are now interesting in using the processor, Matar said. He added that Qualcomm’s discussions also focused on improving OEM channels. “We do work a lot with the OEMs themselves to make sure that their channel is open and clear, so we work with the distributors and the retailers and we do training programmes,” he said. Meanwhile, Qualcomm’s discussions with the region’s operators centred on delivering better performance while at the same time consuming fewer resources. Matar said the vendor wanted to help them plan for the future. The last piece of the puzzle comes with ensuring a healthy smartphone app ecosystem, Matar
said. “Obviously once you set up a beautiful network and you have users with these fantastic devices, you want to fill them with apps and content and services, so that’s where the developers come in,” he explained. Qualcomm is also paying close attention to the entry-level smartphone market, which is picking up speed in geographies like Africa and Central Asia. “We’re seeing the impact of lowend and entry-level smartphones, breaking the $100-and-below barrier. It’s making the device a very democratic entity. Lots of strong players from the Gulf are starting their own local and regional device programmes, and actually exporting these devices into other markets,” Matar said.
Gemalto experts highlight the mobile era Mobile marketing has become a key industry focus in the Middle East as an increasing number of consumers use mobile channels to make purchasing decisions, according to Hsin Hau Hanna, VP Global Marcom, Gemalto. “Here at GITEX, we hope to get brands excited about mobile marketing and the way it’s shaping up today,” Marcom said. “Dubai definitely has all the right ingredients to make this inevitable shift to mobile.” Nadia Gonzalez, Vice President, Mobile Marketing, Gemalto, further explained the pivotal role of mobile marketing in a consumer’s decisionmaking process. She said that it’s something that has evolved over the years and is a major factor in driving customers to the point of sale, adding that mobile marketing opens doors to mobile commerce. She also highlighted the primary goals of mobile marketing campaigns: “Ultimately, you want to gain the confidence of your
customers, engage them with the brand and maintain transparency,” he said. Earlier this year, Gemalto conducted a mobile marketing survey which surveyed 700 mobile phone users in Dubai, to understand how their attitudes to mobile marketing can affect the success of campaigns. The survey highlighted four essential elements to consider while entering the mobile marketing space: permissions, understanding the
customer, knowing your audience and relevance of your message. The survey underlined the fact that mobile messaging is already part of everyday life in the UAE, with 99 percent of those interviewed receiving messages from chains, brands and their mobile operators. The study also revealed that consumers have clear expectations regarding the way mobile marketing campaigns should be run: a of respondents majority insisted that their permission is asked before texts
are sent, that the sender is clearly identified, that an opt-out facility is provided and messages are pertinent to individual interests. Overall, 83 percent of respondents stated that such solicited text messages would be well received. Another key finding of the research was the UAE residents’ preference for immediate and tangible benefits out of mobile marketing campaigns; 46 percent favored instant rewards or discounts and 32 percent showed appetite for regular updates from preferred brands. “Given the UAE’s diverse population and vibrant media industry, the mobile phone can genuinely claim to be its true common denominator,” Nadia said. “With a remarkable penetration rate, it offers brands, chains and mobile operators the potential to turn mobile phones into the primary direct marketing channel to reach out to individual consumers across the country.”
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GITEX Interview: SafeNet What is the main theme of your presence at GITEX this year? SafeNet’s main theme at the GITEX 2013 edition is structured around the notion of ‘Secure Breach’. SafeNet’s approach to security is built around the belief that the perimeter will be breached, no matter what. The solution is to think breach acceptance rather than prevention, which brings along the necessity to secure what matters, where it matters. What are the key trends influencing your approach to GITEX 2013 and the offerings you are pushing? All current trend-lines lead to more data breaches. Enterprises are investing significant security dollars to extend the life of the obsolete breach prevention strategy, adversaries are continuing to innovate and thrive, and the extension of the enterprise into the cloud and onto mobile devices is greatly increasing the potential attack surface and the likelihood of accidental data exposure or loss. These trends all point to a consistent theme – security needs to be attached to the data, so enterprises can maintain control of the data even when it is deployed in the cloud or on mobile devices, and even when it falls into the hands of adversaries. How have you seen the Middle East respond to those trends in
services. The market growth is expected to increase rapidly to over 45 percent by the end of 2013. How do you think GITEX 2013 is different to previous editions? GITEX Technology Week has always been a platform for companies to showcase their latest technologies and solution and with so many developments in the field this year. The 2013 edition has brought forth notable launches, especially in the field of cyber security. GITEX remains the number one IT and technology exhibition in the Middle East and this year we have been looking forward to an even bigger edition, as well as the new platforms added to the programme.
Miguel Braojos, Vice President of Sales Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa, SafeNet
question, and how did you think that will change over the next year? The cloud security software market is one that holds great potential, but still a rather new segment. This market witnessed growth, particularly after the
2008 economic downturn, which also coincided with the emergence of cloudspecific threats. To ensure the migration to cloud services while providing data security, companies started adopting cloud security and protection
How important is GITEX as a platform and event to your organisation? Events such as GITEX Technology Week are very important for the IT and technology industry. It is a great opportunity for us to unveil new products and solutions, but also so establish roots for new business, in order to expand our reach in the Middle East market. It acts as useful platform to develop new partnerships and also have an overview of the other vendors on the market, so we can better position ourselves in the future.
What is the top reason you invest in GITEX — do you see a healthy return on your investment, or is it more about presence/visibility? Participating in GITEX is one of the yearly highlights for any technology vendor and not only because of the opportunities to interact with existing customers and partners, but also because of the potential to develop new business. But aside from the ROI, the most important reason is to promote SafeNet’s innovative solutions through a targeted platform which we see a need to be part of year after year. Our presence there for the ninth time in a row proves just that.
What are your company’s main recent achievements in the Middle East market? SafeNet has had a local office in Dubai since 2009. Since the opening, the revenue has more than tripled, with a 20 percent year-on-year growth in 2012, which has been a very performing year for SafeNet in the Middle East. With the revenue growing and the market expansion, SafeNet’s local team size has doubled, with local presence now in Saudi Arabia and South Africa, and a reinforced presence in Dubai. SafeNet now has more local resources to provide a better support and handle customers/prospects requests in a timelier manner. This is further proof of SafeNet’s investment and commitment to the region, as the trusted DP leader, together with our Arabic team members.
Publisher Dominic De Sousa, COO Nadeem Hood, Commercial Director Rajashree R Kumar, Group Editor Jeevan Thankappan Editors Ben Rossi, Tom Paye, Janees Reghelini, James Dartnell Circulation Manager Rajeesh M, Production Manager James Tharian, Senior Designers Analou Balbero, Glenn Roxas, Digital Services Manager Tristan Troy Magma Web Coordinator Jarris Pedroso Photographers Jay Colina, Abdul Kader

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Special Olympics of Wyoming athletes got a ten thousand dollar check from Albertson's employees Wednesday.
The money was raised during a month long in-store campaign to support people with disabilities in all Albertsons and Safeway stores within the Denver Division.
The campaign raised over 200 thousand dollars with grants supporting various programs like Special Olympics in five states.
Albertson's Store Manager says its a good cause he and his employees believe worthwhile. Daniel Hittle is the Albertson's Store Manager he says, "It's going to a great cause you know Albertsons and safe-way have both been involved in special Olympics for years and years and years and we raised these funds for those organizations and we want to give it to them
The donation money will go towards Special Olympics events across Wyoming.


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“My music is how I communicate with my fans around the world, and I see this partnership as an opportunity to connect with them in a new way,” he said
Jung Kook: the model. On Tuesday, Calvin Klein announced that BTS’ Jung Kook is the newest global brand ambassador for both Calvin Klein Jeans and Calvin Klein Underwear.
The black-and-white visuals, shot by Park John Ha, capture the star posing for both pensive and sensual shots showing off the brand’s newest products. In a video clip featuring the photos, Zayde Wølf’s “King” plays in the background.
One photo shows Jung Kook’s perfectly chiseled abs with his Calvin Klein underwear peaking out over his jeans as he raises his hands and looks down at the camera. “What makes an icon? Introducing Jung Kook in Calvin Klein denim,” read a Calvin Klein caption.
“I have been a fan of Calvin Klein for a long time, and I’m thrilled to be their newest global ambassador. This partnership is very special, as Calvin Klein’s heritage and brand values resonate with me,” the musician said in a statement. “My music is how I communicate with my fans around the world, and I see this partnership as an opportunity to connect with them in a new way.”
He added, “I’m incredibly excited for people to see a new side of me in this first campaign for the brand.”
Jung Kook — who was described as “one of the world’s most popular artists” by Jonathan Bottomley, CK’s Chief Marketing Officer — joins other celebrities such as Michael B. Jordan and FKA Twigs who have been named global brand ambassadors for Calvin Klein in just the last two months.
“Doing [this campaign] means I can be who I am—A strong woman. That isn’t going to go in and out of fashion,” Twigs told Rolling Stone earlier this month. “When I’m in my 60s and have grandchildren, I can show them these pictures and say, ‘Your grandmother was strong.’”
The Calvin Klein collaboration is Jung Kook’s latest project since releasing “Dreamers” for the World Cup in 2022 and joining Charlie Puth on the track “Left and Right.” He also dropped the single “Stay Alive,” produced by his bandmate Suga.


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Employees at a hotel in Apple Valley recently fell victim to a Bitcoin scam, albeit the thieves were only able to get away with $316.
Apple Valley police says one of the scammers purported to be in charge of the chain that owns the hotel – which has not been identified – called an employee and said he was sending a shipment of fire extinguishers to the Apple Valley location.
Staff were told to expect the shipment, but the hotel had to pay $5,000 to FedEx for the shipping costs, with a woman then joining the call claiming to be from FedEx to confirm the sum.
The hotel was told if the fee wasn’t paid, an additional $5,000 penalty would be levied.
A staffer was told to check the hotel’s safe for the money to pay for the delivery, but there was only $316 inside. The worker was then told to go to a nearby Bitcoin machine and send the $316 via the terminal.
The employee realized it was a scam when the fire extinguishers never arrived, with police receiving a report of the scheme on Dec. 19.
Apple Valley PD says an investigation determined that the money had been sent through Bitcoin to Mexico, and as such it’s not recoverable.
CNBC previously reported that cryptocurrency scammers stole more than $14 billion in 2021.
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LINCOLNSHIRE, IL - Despite a sharp economic downturn, organic food has been outperforming conventional food "by a wide margin," The Packer reports.
According to the Organic Trade Association€™s 2011 Organic industry Survey, the organic food industry grew eight percent last year, far better than the overall U.S. food sales growth of less than one percent.
Overall, organic food sales totaled $28.6 billion last year, with non-food organic sales topping $2 billion.
Organic fruits and vegetable sales grew 11.8 percent to $10.6 billion, compared with $9.5 billion in 2009. Overall produce sales last year were up 3.2 percent to $27.3 billion.
The news has not been lost on organic farms, 78 percent of which said they plan to maintain or increase production in the next five years, and 96 percent planning to maintain or increase employment opportunities in 2011.
While the growth numbers are impressive, they are less than half what they were two or three years before the recession, said Steve Lutz, executive vice president of the Perishables Group, attributing the difference to the recession, which he said altered discretionary food dollar spending.
"We saw some people moving from bulk to value pack, and to see people moving from organic to conventional is another of the value decisions that some consumers either make by choice or by need," Lutz said.


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WHITEWATER -- As Texas braces for the impact of Hurricane Harvey, efforts are being made in Wisconsin to help the affected areas recover.
"We've had Harvey on our radar for several days," said Art Aiello, Generac spokesman.
Generac produces portable generators -- and those will be in high demand in south Texas. That's because recovery efforts after storms like Harvey often depend a great deal on power.
"A lot of retailers will get sold out very quickly on portable generators and other emergency supplies. So, we're working real hard to make sure that we can keep up with that demand," Aiello said.
Aiello said besides portable generators, Generac expects home standby generators and pumps will be in high demand too. So, they want to make sure dealers and retailers are stocked up. The level of demand will determine whether the company extends working hours or adds shifts.
Generac also has teams headed to Texas.
"We have service teams that will go down to the affected areas, work with everyone from retail partners to dealers to consumers to help repair products of all strengths whether it be Generac products or otherwise to make sure that people have the power that they need to get though the storm," Aiello said.
Those service teams leave Friday evening in three vans headed to Corpus Christi. They will work their way up the coast.


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The so-called sugar tax implementation in April has failed to alter the consumption habits of 62% of shoppers, according to figures.
The number of consumers who said they would buy sugary soft drinks actually grew post-levy, increasing from 31% in February to 44% in June.
The Nielsen study, which compared results before and after the soft drinks industry levy’s introduction, also revealed just a fifth of shoppers said they have been checking the sugar content of products more frequently since the levy came in. Just over one in 10 (11%) said they planned to stop drinking sugary soft drinks prior to the tax, but this figure fell to just 1% post-tax.
More than half (54%) of shoppers supported the tax before its implementation, with 69% stating they believed it should be expanded to cover confectionery and biscuits. Following the levy’s introduction, however, only 42% of people agreed with it.
“Although the sugar tax hasn’t been as drastic as anticipated, sugar intake is still a major health concern for the majority of Britons,” said Nielsen consumer and shopper partner Aylin Ceylan. “While we haven’t seen any significant changes in consumer habits, we have seen manufacturers adapt accordingly. The average sugar content has been steadily decreasing in key fmcg categories such as carbonated drinks and breakfast cereals.”
Ceylan added that “most soft drinks” now fall below the sugar tax threshold due to the encouragement manufactures have had to reformulate them.
Under the soft drinks industry levy, manufacturers pay 18p per litre if the drink they produce contains five grammes of sugar per 100ml, and 24p per litre for more than eight grammes of sugar. It was expected to raise £520m per year to be put towards sports activities in schools, but the government revised its anticipated income to £240m last month after a wave of manufacturers reformulated their products.


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The CEO of Launchmetrics discussed its acquisitions, its plans for the beauty industry and Asia, and how luxury brands struggle to come to grips with millennials, in conversation with FashionNetwork.com
Amsterdam-based Fashion for Good has announced the names of the 12 startups that will join its Plug and Play Programme, a twelve-week course with mentorship by its corporate partners such as Kering and C&A.
The UK menswear sector has been growing for some time and that trend is expected to continue for the next four years, according to the latest report from digital analytics consultancy agency Onefourzero.
A spokesperson said 15 members of staff have been laid off, however an industry insider put the figure closer to 80. The move comes a little over a year after the brand was acquired by two Walmart heirs in a £200m sale.
Cardi B can now add ‘lipstick muse' to her growing list of achievements.The rapper has inspired a new lipstick by prestige beauty mogul Tom Ford, which was unveiled over the weekend during New York Fashion Week.
The American apparel brand announced the launch of the “New Crew” on Monday, revealing a strategy that repositions J.Crew as an inclusive label, while also taking the prepster favorite back to its roots.
Pentland Group may be expanding its footwear ops in deals with brands such as Karen Millen and Lacoste, but it’s losing its Ted Baker license as that company buys its UK and US footwear ops and takes them in-house.
On Monday, Debenhams unveiled two major beauty initiatives as part of its aim “to strengthen its position as a leader in premium beauty,” But most media focused on news that it has brought in restructuring advisors KPMG.


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The PRCAI event in New Delhi yesterday was attended by 100 PR professionals from Delhi.
The program included panels on ‘influencer marketing’ and ‘what makes news?’. In addition, there was a book launch for Shraddha Sharma’s (Founder and CEO – YourStory Media) new book ‘Cut the Crap and Jargon’, this was followed by a discussion between Nitin Mantri (President PRCAI and CEO Avian Media) and Jyotsna Sharma, the Executive Editor of PITCH.
Here are the excerpts from the chat:
JS: What is the new PR person like? Is he a social media whiz?
NM: The traditional PR person has slowly become irrelevant. In the changing landscape, he has to evolve to become creative- adept at social media and good at creating content. In fact, the study conducted by PRCAI found that 70% of the PR firms are looking for talent that has these attributes. He has to know and own the brand.
JS: Your thoughts on paid vs earned placement / media?
NM: For PR professionals, earned will continue to remain at the core of what we do and we shouldn’t try to change that. Owned will gain more significance but at the end of the day, it will be a mix of all three – i.e. paid, owned and earned.
JS: We have just had an informative panel on Influencer marketing so I won’t go into that but do give me your views on paid influencers?
NM: An advertorial is quite self-evident, in the way that once you read it you know it’s an advertorial. However, when you talk about paid influencers, credibility poses an issue. I mean, if I know someone has been paid to write an article, or endorse a brand online would I trust that judgement?
JS: Is the press release dead? Why can’t it be tailored to suit different media making it more effective?
NM: Well it depends on what you are writing in it, also some factions believe that by that time the press release is sent, the news has already been tweeted. Personally, I feel it is still a medium to disseminate news but yes, it can be done better. It can and should be tailored to make it relevant to different media.
Why it is not done ranges from budgets to laziness.
JS: My last question to you – could you briefly list out the upcoming PR trends for 2018.
NM: Well, to name just a few:
– Content has become very important and will continue to be important.
– There has been a shift away from media relations; work is getting divided into social, digital, content, public affairs, the government sector and CSR. Going forward, the new PR person, will have multiple facets to focus on.
– The traditional PR person will be obsolete.


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After months of speculation, the Verizon HTC One has been confirmed for arrival today shortly after the device emerged in a set of rumors that seemed to confirm its upcoming arrival.
In a tweet, Verizon has confirmed what many hopeful customers have been waiting for, a Verizon version of the HTC One, a device that has been rumored for months.
Indeed, the Verizon HTC One is set for arrival but the carrier is still mum on the details, only saying that it will be coming out this summer for the carrier’s 4G LTE network. The carrier does not confirm a specific date nor does it confirm any specific pricing for the HTC One. We imagine that it will arrive in 32GB for $199.99 but at this point, it’s just speculation.
This is of course fantastic news for those that have been waiting for the device’s confirmation, something that Verizon failed to do back at CTIA 2013 in Las Vegas. And while consumers would have loved for Verizon to have dished the pertinent details, including release date and pricing, the announcement itself is still a good consolation prize.
Rumors have pointed to an arrival in June of this year, perhaps late June, which of course falls in line with Verizon’s summer release date. No specific date has been mentioned which means that the month is still up in the air.
— Verizon Wireless (@VZWnews) June 3, 2013
As for the device, we expect it to be on par with the other models which means that it should have a 4.7-inch 1080p display, quad-core processor, Ultrapixel camera, metal design and more. It also should have Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, something that the other devices currently don’t have, but are expected to get sometime in the days ahead.
The HTC One joins the Samsung Galaxy S4 on Verizon’s 4G LTE network, the largest in the United States, and it will be a solid option going forward for those looking to snag an Android phone in the United States.
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(Newbury, UK--May 22, 2015) Quantel and Snell are delighted to announce that Tim Felstead has joined the company as Head of Product Marketing.
In his new position, Tim Felstead will play a key role in ensuring that the Quantel and Snell product range is positioned and aligned with market requirements. He will also underpin the company’s marketing communications and sales operations with compelling collateral to ensure that the market is fully aware of the breadth and depth of the Quantel and Snell product offering.
Tim Felstead has worked in the broadcast industry since 1991 in senior technical, sales and leadership roles with a number of organizations, including Thomson, Grass Valley and Harris.
“I’ve been an admirer of Quantel and Snell for many years and I’m absolutely delighted to take up this fantastic opportunity to join the new company at this very exciting stage in its development,” said Felstead. “Quantel and Snell have got great products, great people and great ideas; the company has exciting plans going forward, and I’m looking forward to being part of what will be one of the industry’s great success stories.”
“Tim has a wealth of experience and knowledge that will be invaluable as we ramp up our presence in the market, and his strategic thinking capabilities will play an important role in shaping the new company into a major international force in the broadcast market,” said Neil Maycock, VP Marketing, Quantel and Snell.
About Quantel and Snell
Quantel and Snell are world leaders in enabling broadcasters, media organizations and post production facilities to create, process, manage and deliver their valuable media content. The Snell and Quantel product range encompasses the whole production chain across Live TV, News, Sports, Post and TV Everywhere. Our systems enable the productive and flexible workflows needed to stay ahead in today’s competitive global media market, empowering customers to achieve greater efficiencies and increase revenue while delivering high quality content to multiple platforms.
More about the Quantel product range at http://www.quantel.com
; more about the Snell product range at http://www.snellgroup.com


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La Aroma de Cuba has been flying off the shelves since Ashton re-released it at last year’s IPCPR. This year, the buzz around the water-cooler is centered around their newest offering: La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor.
Mi Amor is a cigar that has been two years in the making. Again, cigar genius Don “Pepin” Garcia has collaborated with Ashton to masterfully create a beautiful smoke that is certain not to disappoint. The Mi Amor features an attractive Cuban-seed Mexican wrapper and a smart combination of aged Nicaraguan tobaccos. Well-balanced, rich, and complex, this newest La Aroma de Cuba edition is being described as medium bodied. It’s been said that the retail price on this cigar is being kept extremely reasonable so all cigar lovers can enjoy a fantastic quality smoke, even in this economy.
Emerson’s Cigars in Hampton Roads, Virginia is expecting this cigar to arrive sometime in September to their brick and mortar stores as well as their online store. In fact, they’ve been hinting that there might be a La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor in-store event added to their famed Superstar cigars Tour. If so, La Aroma lovers can expect amazing deals both at the event and online. You can sign up for their online event deals by visiting their website www.EmersonsCigars.com If you’re already a La Aroma de Cuba fan, they are currently running a deal that offers a free one-year membership to cigar Rights of America if you purchase a box of La Aroma de Cuba or La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial.


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FedEx's most recent trend suggests a bullish bias. One trading opportunity on FedEx is a Bull Put Spread using a strike $155.00 short put and a strike $145.00 long put offers a potential 18.34% return on risk over the next 24 calendar days. Maximum profit would be generated if the Bull Put Spread were to expire worthless, which would occur if the stock were above $155.00 by expiration. The full premium credit of $1.55 would be kept by the premium seller. The risk of $8.45 would be incurred if the stock dropped below the $145.00 long put strike price.
The 5-day moving average is moving up which suggests that the short-term momentum for FedEx is bullish and the probability of a rise in share price is higher if the stock starts trending.
The 20-day moving average is moving up which suggests that the medium-term momentum for FedEx is bullish.
The RSI indicator is at 79.11 level which suggests that the stock is neither overbought nor oversold at this time.
To learn how to execute such a strategy while accounting for risk and reward in the context of smart portfolio management, and see how to trade live with a successful professional trader, view more here
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Your Corporate Email Isn’t as Safe as You Think
Thu, 20 Feb 2020 11:00:00 +0000
(Bloomberg) — The discovery of an alleged international ring of fraudsters started with a one-line email. In April 2019, a company accountant received an email that appeared to be from the chief executive officer.“Joanna, Can you mail out a check to to a Vendor today? Barbara,” the email said.The email had some hallmarks of a scam that is becoming increasingly common. But it also had a few unique attributes that intrigued cybersecurity experts at the company’s email security provider, Agari Data Inc. Using a fake email account posing as the company accountant, Agari sent back a reply.“Hi Barbara, Yes, of course. Please send me the details for the payment and I will take care of it ASAP. Joanna,” the reply said.Over the next several months, Agari said it was able to unravel what’s known as a business email compromise operation. Agari dubbed the group sending the emails Exaggerated Lion, and said its members were based in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. Between April and August 2019, Exaggerated Lion targeted more than 3,000 people at nearly 2,100 companies, all of them in the U.S., according to an Agari report published Thursday.Similar email attacks are growing problem in the U.S., according to the latest Federal Bureau of Investigation report, but one that doesn’t get the headlines of state-sponsored hacks or ransomware attacks. Global losses from business email compromises increased 100% from May 2018 to July 2019, according to the FBI, which recorded 166,349 incidents from June 2016 to July 2019 and $26.2 billion in losses during that period.In one of its simplest forms, a business email compromise operator will send an email posing as the chief executive officer to an accounts payable department with an urgent request to transfer funds or fulfill a fake invoice. In another example, payroll representatives will receive an email appearing to be from an employee requesting to update their direct deposit information — often to a prepaid card account. Companies often realize something is amiss only when it’s too late to recover the transferred funds.“We think of business email compromise as any attack which claims to be someone you know and trust and is attempting some kind of theft,” said Patrick Peterson, Agari’s founder and chief executive officer, in an online video. “This has been far too successful.”Leveraging its position as an email security provider, Agari can sometimes see email scams that target its customers as they happen. In some cases, the company intervenes to communicate with the fraudster, posing as a clueless employee in order to draw out more details. That’s what happened with Exaggerated Lion, when the operation sent the email to the company, which Agari declined to name, last April.In the months that followed, Agari said it engaged with Exaggerated Lion more than 200 times, and discovered the identity of 28 “mules” used to ferry payments between victims and the group itself. Mules are primarily recruited by Exaggerated Lion under the pretense of romance and likely unaware they are participating in a criminal enterprise, the company said. “These romance-victims-turned-money-mules are told they are helping their romantic partner recover a large inheritance that is tied up with lawyers and is being distributed slowly over time,” according to Agari.In one exchange with a mule included in Agari’s report, a member of Exaggerated Lion wrote, “Okay honey please put the cash in big envelope and seal it before taking to FedEx.”The unnamed mule responded, “Honey, that’s a lot of money to send cash that’s a heck of a liability it could be lost anywhere.”Exaggerated Lion’s representative then wrote, “It can’t honey. As long as you insure it. And I’ve received more than that through cash mailing when my dad was still alive.”Agari declined to say how it obtained the digital conversations.As the fake relationship progresses, mules are asked to launder increasingly larger sums of money, according to Agari. Once an unsuspecting business parts with its cash, through a paper check or wire transfer, Exaggerated Lion’s mules have a variety of ways to get the money back to them. Once a physical check is cashed, the money can be delivered to Exaggerated Lion via traditional money transfer, Bitcoin, or gift cards, according to Agari.Agari said it turned its information on the mules over to financial partners and law enforcement.Exaggerated Lion began operating in 2014 by running check scams on Craigslist and has since become more sophisticated, according to the report. One scam the group allegedly operated for years involved recruiting people to wrap their car with marketing decals for a beverage company in exchange for a fixed amount of money every week.Participants, who responded to an online ad or email, would be sent a fake check, which included the first month’s pay and money for a specialist to place advertisements on the car. Respondents were then instructed to keep the first month’s pay and wire the money to the “specialist,” who was really a money mule or a member of Exaggerated Lion, according to Agari.What makes Exaggerated Lion unique in the world of business email compromise is its preference for physical checks, a payment method the group had “experience and comfort with,” according to Agari. Paper checks may be helpful in evading systems designed to detect fraudulent wire transfers. Exaggerated Lion requests these checks to be sent as fast as possible, through an overnight mail service, according to exchanges contained in the Agari report. But when a victim is hesitant about sending a check, Exaggerated Lion is quick to suggest a bank account to wire money to, according to the report.Exaggerated Lion also used fake invoices, created using a free invoice generator, and W-9s, publicly available on the Internal Revenue Service website, “to inject a sense of authenticity in their attacks,” according to Agari. The group also used Google’s enterprise email service to send more emails, the security company said. “Google doesn’t start charging for G Suite until after the first month,” Agari said in its report. “This means Exaggerated Lion can create a new G Suite account, add compromised credit card information as a payment method, and effectively have at least a 30-day free trial on each domain they set up.”If the credit card doesn’t work, the group “can simply move on to another account,” Agari wrote. With a Google Enterprise account, Exaggerated Lion can send 2,000 emails a day, four times more than a regular gmail account. Google declined to comment.Among the mules identified by Agari was 63-year-old Reuben Alvarez Sr., of Beaumont, Texas, who was arrested in October 2019 and accused of laundering more than $100,000, nearly $70,000 of which came from the United Methodist Church, according to a probable cause affidavit from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. The rest came from small-to-medium-sized businesses, such as an insurance company in Ohio and golf courses in Alabama, who were all victims of a business email compromise scam, according to the affidavit. Agari said its researchers discovered 14 messages where Exaggerated Lion directed its targets to send money to Alvarez’s bank accounts.Alvarez’s case is pending and he hasn’t yet entered a plea, according to the district attorney’s office. Neither Alvarez nor his attorney could be located for comment.In an interview with a detective, Alvarez said the money he received came from a woman he believed to be named “Peggy Smith,” who lived in Washington State. Alvarez said he knew Smith from chatting online for three or four years but had never met her in person. Alvarez told the detective that he assumed the money came as part of Smith’s inheritance payments after her parents died. But Alvarez said he knew his activities constituted a crime, according to the affidavit. When the detective drove Alvarez home, he handed over a package he had received the day before: it contained a $25,647 check from a Tennessee health care company.To contact the reporter on this story: William Turton in New York at email@example.comTo contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew Martin at firstname.lastname@example.orgFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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Medisys axes 50 UK factory staff
SAFETY syringes manufacturer Medisys is to close down its Woodbridge, Suffolk, factory with the loss of 50 jobs, saving it £1.5m a year. Production of the syringes is being transferred to Minnesota in the US as the group begins supplying thousands of its syringes free to American hospitals, clinics and surgeries.
Medisys will continue to have a presence on the Wood-bridge site with 60 employees in research and development, sales and marketing remaining.
Redesign of its safety syringe, following problems earlier this year, has been completed and supplies of thousands of free syringes are due to go to US medical outlets on 30 June, one month ahead of the US Needlestick Safety & Prevention Act coming into force in August. By the end of this year volume production will begin with Medisys estimating its syringes will cost half the price of competitors' products.
In the six months to March Medisys lost £3.1m before tax against £2.4m last time. Sales were up to £10.4m against £4m previously.
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It's the most commonly heard phrase when critiquing the launch of the Wii U, the first next generation console which has so far arrived with something of a thud onto the scene in the past year. And now with headlines being dominated by the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (for better or worse) it's going to take a lot for
But it's not as simple as that, as the company is learning the hard way. The reason many alleged "launch window" titles like Pikmin 3 are being pushed back is because Nintendo is discovering that creating titles that run on an HD console is more difficult than they anticipated. Shigeru Miyamoto explained as much to shareholders in a recent Q & A session.
"When it comes to the scale of software development, Wii U with HD graphics requires about twice the human resources than before."
"We may have underestimated the scale of this change and as a result, the overall software development took more time than originally anticipated just as we tried to polish the software at the completion phase of development... "We are almost out of this phase, and we are also trying to create something unique utilizing an easier development approach called 'Nintendo Web Framework.' "
Should they have anticipated this though?
Nintendo Web Framework is meant to help speed up this process in the future, but that doesn't help the company in the short term where the situation is the most dire. Still, President Saturo Iwata has said that Nintendo won't be taking any drastic near-term cost cutting measures like layoffs because he believes such an action would ultimately hurt the company in the long run. And Nintendo has always been about the long run.
Things are looking up for Nintendo game-wise over the course of the next year. There's the promised Pikmin 3 which should arrive eventually. E3 brought us new Mario, Donkey Kong, Mario Kart and Smash Bros. titles, all of which should be big draws for the system. Wind Waker HD is on the horizon as well, as is a true new Zelda title, way off in the distance somewhere.
It remains to be seen if Nintendo's laundry list of beloved exclusives can carry them for another console generation. I recently asked Xbox loyalists if Microsoft's continued employment of Master Chief and Halo was enough to keep them excited about the console. Most said no, and I wonder if the numbers will finally start to turn for Nintendo as well. Is a fourth Smash Bros, an eighth Mario Kart or a 73rd Mario, Zelda or Donkey Kong title enough to keep people coming back? I'm not so sure, yet Nintendo always surprises with their ability to reinvent franchises long-thought to be stale. Most of its fans are certainly willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Related on Forbes:


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Tuesday 15 Mar 2011
Blythswood Square Awarded Five Star Grading
VisitScotland has today awarded Blythswood Square with a five star grading adding to Glasgow’s offering of luxury accommodation.
Blythswood Square, which opened in November 2009 is the latest addition to The Town House Collection of luxury boutique hotels and offers a 100 luxury bedrooms including six spacious suites and an enticing top floor penthouse complete with rooftop hot tub. It also houses Glasgow's first luxury spa offering indigenous Scottish treatments, a restaurant, bars, a private screening room and event facilities.
VisitScotland's Quality Advisor was particularly impressed with the high levels of professionalism enthusiasm and friendliness demonstrated by staff in all departments throughout their stay, coupled with the opulent surroundings of the public areas and the excellent standards in bedrooms and bathrooms citing Blythswood Square as 'a wonderful new flagship hotel.'
Hans Rissmann, Managing Director of Blythswood Square, is delighted with this latest accolade. He said:
"Achieving VisitScotland's five star status has always been at the top of our agenda. To be able to do this so quickly after the building was completed is a true recognition of the quality of our product and the hardwork and dedication of our team.
'Blythswood Square was the first move to Glasgow for The Town House Collection and we have received a warm welcome from everyone from other hoteliers to our guests, diners and those who join us in our cocktail bar each evening."
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said:
"We are delighted to award Blythswood Square with VisitScotland's five star grading. In Scotland we enjoy high penetration rates in our quality assurance schemes, with more than 70% of accommodation providers and more than 90% of visitor attractions participating demonstrating that Scottish tourism businesses really see the value in receiving gradings.
"As a result we have seen quality across the sector improve with research showing that 44% of businesses have made investment following their grading visit. "
With a growing trend of user generated content on sites such as Tripadvisor, consumer research shows that consumers still very much value the official rating scheme and that it plays a key role in decision making being viewed as a credible benchmark.
VisitScotland's Quality Assurance Scheme is renowned throughout the world as a world leader, with many countries such as Sweden, Finland, Namibia and South Africa now adopting the model.
And quality is very much at the top of the tourism agenda tomorrow night as senior representatives from VisitScotland, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Glasgow Tourism Service Initiative meet with industry leaders and local businesses to discuss the future of tourism for the city moving forward in partnership through 2011.


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A PUBLIC cafe proposed for inside a prison has been turned down due to fears from its competitors.
Kirkham Prison had planned to open up a cafe and bistro – staffed by inmates – inside the grounds of the facility.
However, after councillors and business owners became concerned about how it would affect other cafes and shops in Kirkham and Freckleton, it was refused by Fylde Council.
Elaine Silverwood, owner of SilverDell cafe and book shop in Kirkham, said: “I support the prison hugely and give them positive publicity whenever I can, but in this instance it’s being detrimental. The reason I fought it was because I just couldn’t see it being there.
“It’s not because my business is here, it’s because people who use this would not be using Kirkham and they are not going to be shopping in the high street.”
The prison had hoped to open up the six table cafe between 9am and 1pm, Monday to Friday and 1pm and 3.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Coun Ben Aitken, chairman of Fylde Council’s development management committee, said: “They had been given planning permission to sell what they had grown on the prison site.
“But because of that shop and the cafe, a lot of councillors felt it would attract the public away from the town centre.”
Coun Liz Oades was also against the cafe and claimed it was unfair because the costs incurred by the prison cafe would not be the same compared to other businesses.
She said: “For a start, the prison doesn’t pay business rates and if it’s staffed by the prisoners they won’t be paid so it’s unfair.”
But Stephen Tandy, 62, who provides support to the community work the prisoners do, said: “Six tables isn’t going to break the bank.
“If you are going into Kirkham to do some shopping, you wouldn’t go to the prison and I can’t see how having a small place there would have an impact on businesses in Kirkham.”


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A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry says that shopping compulsively for things that they do not normally want affects men as well and is a gender-neutral disorder.
A Stanford University research initiative says that while compulsive shopping disorder affects women more than men, the latter are still prone to suffer from it. The study says that around 15 percent of US shoppers are compulsive ones who cannot control excessive shopping. Such disorders can increase the risk of depression and even suicidal behavior.
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Itochu Corporation of Japan, with diverse business interests ranging from consumer and retail to IT products and services, textiles, financial services, investment and project management, is readying a blueprint to enter India’s retail business sector by launching a chain of Family Mart convenience stores.
Itochu has majority (31per cent) stake in $2.5 billion turnover Japanese Family Mart retail chain that operates around 12,000 outlets in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, China and USA. Family Mart which opened its first store in the USA in July last year, is now focusing on India, Brazil, China and Russia as part of its expansion plans targeting 20,000 stores by fiscal 2008.
According to Masayuki Yamamoto, CEO, South West Asia, Itochu, his company is ready with $2 billion new global investment over the next two years in retail and natural resources. That India is a top priority of Itochu is clearly evident from the fact that two high-powered business missions from Itochu visited India in recent weeks to do a preliminary study of the retail market here.
Itochu, according to Yamamoto, is looking for a reliable Indian partner to set up the Family Mart chain here. "In India, we will replicate our global model of a mix of franchise and company owned outlets. Our strategy is in line with the Indian government's thinking of protecting the interests of pop and mom stores while promoting organised modern retail," he said.
Itochu has a very interesting business model to promote the growth of pop and mom stores. "Globally, besides opening new stores, we are also converting existing pop and mom stores into franchise outlets. We will follow the same business model in India," disclosed Yamamoto. If all goes well, one should soon see the ubiquitous pop and mom stores in their new avataar under the Family Mart banner.


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Alibaba's four-year-old Yu'e Bao surpassed JPMorgan's US government money market fund to become the world's largest, according to the Financial Times.
Spring may be the planting season for farmers, but this year it is the season that the world’s major aircraft makers harvest what they have ...
E-commerce has swept the sportswear industry both at home and abroad. According to the latest annual reports of several sportswear companies, online sales have grown ...
Leading China-based online travel agency Ctrip on Wednesday launched “Version 2.0” of its customized tour service, marking the platform’s further expansion in individualized travel.
The advantages of China’s steel industry should be reinforced and improved by concentrating on high value-added products that will enhance the sector’s international competitiveness and help avoid trade disputes, experts noted.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for concrete efforts to maintain the nation's financial security, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.
To further strengthen economic ties between Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region and Nepal, China will try harder to get India to see the benefits of participating in the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, and growing border trade will help stabilize Tibet.
20-30 Chinese cities that will be designated this year for pilot projects involving the “Made in China 2025” drive.
China Mobile, China's leading telecom services provider, announced Wednesday that it will lower roaming charges in 64 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.
President Xi Jinping has called for concrete efforts to maintain China's financial security.
A freighter docks at the Rizhao port in East China’s Shandong Province on Wednesday. In the first quarter of 2016, Rizhao Port Group Co handled 754,600 twenty-foot equivalent units, up 8.64 percent year-on-year.
Chinese mainland stocks extended gains into a second day on Wednesday, as renewed optimism about the US economy and easing concerns about China’s regulatory tightening lifted sentiment in global equity markets.
London copper held near its highest in a week on Wednesday as the US dollar lost ground against the euro in the wake of the French election, making commodities more affordable for buyers paying with other currencies.
The dollar edged higher against the yen on Wednesday, while the euro held firm near a 5.5-month high due to receding concerns about the risks posed by the French presidential election.
E-commerce has swept the sportswear industry both at home and abroad. According to the latest annual reports of several sportswear companies, online sales have grown into an important source of revenue for the industry. The global sportswear industry is gradually turning to e-commerce to improve its business – a change that is being driven in part by the growing Chinese market, where e-commerce accounts for a significant proportion of sales. Still, some companies have been slow to embrace the change, relying primarily on their own online channels. An expert suggested they should cooperate with major e-commerce retailers to take full advantage of the shift online.
Forget about Google’s multilingual Neural Machine Translation system.


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Your Olive Oil May Be Fake
by Jessica Plourde Hutter, on August 22, 2016
Americans love olive oil, but are we buying the real thing?
You can't master Mediterranean cooking without high-quality olive oil. Known around the world for its delicate flavor and numerous health benefits (such as high levels of antioxidants and low cholesterol) this ingredient is perfect for pasta and also makes for a great salad dressing or dipping sauce for bread.
Over the years, Americans have upped their intake of what was literally once considered a nectar of the gods. U.S. imports of olive oil have tripled since 1990, according to Quartz.
Or have they? Recent studies have reached a shocking conclusion: much of the olive oil that we buy may be fake.
Larry Olmsted, author of "Real Food, Fake Food: Why You Don't Know What You're Eating and What You Can Do About It," recently told Mother Jones that most oils sold in the U.S. aren't what they appear to be.
"It's amazing how many people there are in America who don't even know what the real thing tastes like," he said.
It's true that olive oil is one of the more common foods that is susceptible to fraud, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service. The Mother Jones article explains that it's a high-demand product that is bottled before consumers can use it, making it difficult for shoppers to assess its quality before making the purchase. In addition, olive oil labeling regulations are entirely voluntary in the U.S. Just because the bottle says "extra virgin" doesn't mean that's what's inside.
For instance, in 2010 researchers at the University of California-Davis tested several samples of olive oil and found that 69 percent of the products marked "extra-virgin" did not meet international standards. Olmstead writes that some oils are diluted with lower quality stocks, or even soybean oil, to keep costs down.
Of course, it's not just consumers who are being fooled by fake olive oil. Businesses are just as susceptible. In the interest of a more transparent supply chain, firms need to establish trustworthy labeling practices. An Enterprise Labeling Solution can add intelligence and centralized control to your food & beverage labeling, making it easier to establish reliability in product description and country-of-origin declaration.
For more on the importance of food & beverage labeling download out our inforgraphic and survey report.


text: Designer outlet malls, which enable brands to sell stock directly to the public through factory outlets, have continued to see strong growth in sales throughout Asia-Pacific, bucking the downturn that has affected other brick and mortar retailers during the e-commerce boom. The gains have been particularly noticeable in China, where a building boom has led to a doubling of outlet malls in the last two years. China has 110 outlet malls nationwide, or about 45 per cent of the 244 such malls across Asia-Pacific. Real estate investment funds remain upbeat on the outlook for these factory outlets, saying the model retains its appeal to consumers even as online retailing continues to cannibalise other parts of the retailing world. Consumers are attracted by pricing discounts offered through the factory outlets, as well as the architectural design that help create spaces that function as “weekend leisure destinations”, according to Harry Tan, head of research for Asia-Pacific at Nuveen Real Estate. “Designer outlet malls are inherently experiential centres as the unique architecture, village style concept combine to create an immersive effect for shoppers,” Tan said. “Visitors want something unique, aesthetically pleasing, visually stimulating and the outlet mall caters in this regard.” Nuveen Real Estate has seven outlet malls under the brand of Florentia Village in Greater China, including one in Kwai Chung in Hong Kong. Outlet malls have also been shielded from the retail apocalypse affecting other brick and mortar retailers because they act as social gathering points. “Convenient assets anchored with food retail should be comparatively shielded from the online competition and attract frequent visitation, hence outperforming,” according to Nuveen Real Estate’s third-quarter outlook for property markets in Asia-Pacific cities. Hong Kong’s mall landlords mix gaming, golf and fashion with retailing as they search for oomph to hang on to return shoppers Tan said his company is looking to bring the outlet mall concept to more locations in China, but did not say exactly where. “We definitely expect more capital to pour into the sector from both developers and private equity funds. Over the years [we] have seen greater interest from institutional investors as they get clued in on the benefits of adding outlet malls into their portfolio,” said Tan. “In China, where the environment has seen high-street sales slow over the recent years, our outlet malls continue to go from strength to strength with Florentia Village Jingjin and Florentia Village Shanghai growing at a decent rate since opening,” Tan said. The London-based firm, which has US$129 billion of assets under management, has been aggressive in building up its portfolio of designer outlet malls in China, opening locations in Jingjin in 2011, Shanghai in 2015, and Hong Kong in 2017. Shui On revamps Xintiandi Plaza as it looks to become the go-to destination for female shoppers in Shanghai Lawrence Wan, senior director, advisory and transaction services for retail at CBRE Hong Kong, said the discount price offerings at outlet malls were a big part of their success story. “Consumer spending is somewhat more price sensitive, so this does expand the market share of designer outlet malls. While designer outlet malls were once conceptualised as only stocking XXS or XXL, or out-of-season stock, this is no longer the case as some brands even offer ‘outlet only’ lines,” Wan said. For the most part, designer outlet malls in China have been relatively immune to economic and property market down cycles. Bailian Group, one of China’s largest retailers, reported sales at its Chinese outlet malls grew by 10.8 per cent on year in 2018, while sales at its regular shopping malls declined 1 per cent over the same period. Euromonitor forecast store-based retailing will amount to US$4.64 billion in Asia-Pacific in 2020, reflecting a rise of 2.2 per cent from a projected US$4.54 billion this year. Internet-based sales across the region will rise to US$1.08 billion by 2020, reflecting a 13.8 per cent rise from an expected US$949 million this year.


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SHLD - Suppliers, Mall Operators Believe Sears' Demise Likely
When Sears Holding Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, it didn’t come as a surprise to mall operators or vendors, who had believed for years the retailer was in a free fall. Mall operators said they had already written Sears off and put them on a watch list as they scouted for replacement tenants when it became clear the retailer was declining rapidly. Vendors had already enforced stricter payment terms for Sears or limited the merchandise they sent to stores. “They just didn’t do anything necessary to pull out of their downward spiral. When the announcement came, we had already been long down the road in discussions with other potential tenants,” one mall operator said.
Mall operators and suppliers said they believe the Sears bankruptcy is just the beginning of the end for the large retailer. “I am sure they will keep some stores open through the bankruptcy process, but eventually all of the stores will close,” a large mall operator said. Three mall operators believe total liquidation of Sears and Kmart is just a matter of time. “I don’t think Sears is a viable retailer. We probably won’t work with them if it involves rent reductions or renegotiation of their leases,” one said. Total liquidation likely would be most difficult for B and C malls, which are already struggling to find tenants to replace The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. and Toys R Us Inc. stores, because of the surplus of space on the market. “When you take away a retailer of that size, there's going to be a lot of empty boxes out there. There may be some instances where those spaces will go at fire sale prices and some government entities may step in some marketplaces and try to buy them up for some public use. It’s not going to be pretty,” a mall operator said.
One mall operator with several Sears stores affected by the closure list that came out last week said Sears may have a viable, longer-term option with profitable stores, although chances are small it could be successful. In court documents filed last week, Sears showed 333 stores are still profitable and 211 are marginal stores. “A lot of people think they will ultimately go away. If they decide to just operate the most profitable stores and have a larger online presence, they would have to divert assets with the blessing of the bankruptcy court, upgrade stores, reconfigure them and re-merchandise,” one said.
Suppliers of outdoor equipment and home appliances will likely also feel the pain. “There are a lot of people who will be out of work because of the closures, and it will hurt some suppliers. There are suppliers, especially in certain categories, that only supply to Sears,” a supplier said.
When all Sears stores may ultimately close or how the company might dismantle is the next big question looming for both mall landlords and suppliers. “Everyone expected them to go out of business years ago, but Eddie Lampert has kept them going. He keeps trying to sell assets and get as much as he can out of the business before just liquidating. No telling how long that might take,” a mall operator said.
“They have lost a lot of the assets they could use to turn things around. They have a lot less to work with.”
“We have been preparing for this for some time. The A centers are going to be able to find replacements for the boxes, which will be a bigger traffic draw than Sears.”
“It always hurts to have vacant department stores, but I think the feeling in better centers is developers are looking at it as an opportunity to improve.”
“In some markets [Sears stores] are working, but their problems on the national level affected some of their merchandising and the appearance of their stores, so that put them at a disadvantage.”
"With Sears going under, I hope J.C. Penney [Co. Inc.] can turn it around. Otherwise, we are left with even fewer retailers."
“Walmart [Inc.] would be the other one who picks up business from the closures.”
What is an OTR Snapshot?
OTR Snapshots are direct feeds from our editors expressing their views on key issues and events in their industries, within and beyond our core coverage. Snapshots feature industry insights, source commentary, and general observations.


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Baltimore, Maryland, United States
The final chapter of Volvo's concept car trilogy has arrived after a few teasers earlier this week, as well as some recently leaked images, and as we so astutely summarized previously, it's a brown shooting brake. Really, we couldn't think of a better type of vehicle to follow up the Concept Coupe from the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Concept XC Coupe from the Detroit Auto Show and complete the Swedish trinity of concepts.
It's best to think of the Concept Estate as the hipper, classier cousin to the Concept Coupe. The two are virtually identical below the beltline, featuring front fascias that are indistinguishable from each other (except one is, you know, brown). Both cars wear wide, rectangular grilles inspired by classic Volvo models and T-shaped headlights Where the Concept Estate differs, obviously, is with its more functional rear end and longer roof.
That rear is accented by the Estate's wide haunches and slim, angular taillights, which borrow heavily from the units shown on the Concept XC Coupe. These two features work in tandem to present a wide, squat appearance from the rear. The profile, meanwhile, shows off that spacious greenhouse, which is made even airier by a glass roof.
Struggling Volvo may be on a verge of a renaissance thanks to the forthcoming completion of its lauded concept car trilogy, new Drive-E engine family and much-discussed SPA modular platform. Its nascent renewal is mostly being financed by $11-billion in funding from its Chinese parent company, Geely, and if it all goes right, Volvo hopes to sell 100,000 cars a year in the States by 2016. That milestone is vital, because it would ensure Volvo's US dealer network is profitable, according to Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson.
In a new Ward's Auto story, Samuelsson notes that his company is launching a slate of fresh products in the coming years, including the new-to-the-US V60 wagon and mid-cycle updates for its S60 sedan and XC60 crossover. But the most important new vehicle will be the recently spied XC90 that is expected to be unveiled just before the end of this year. Samuelsson is also looking at future vehicles for the US, including replacements for the S80 and V70. The V40 is also planned for the US, but not until the next generation, according to the Volvo CEO.
Of course, it's going to take a lot to reach 100,000 US sales in three years. Volvo sold just 61,233 units here in 2013, and according to WardsAuto, Volvo hasn't sold 100,000 cars in the US since 2007. To reach its goal, Volvo's stateside business will need to grow sales by about 40 percent.
Volvo's Polestar sub-brand has made the transition nicely from being the company's racing arm to building some seriously cool, Swedish cars. Now that it has a few models under its belt, it plans to grow larger and greener. The next-generation of Polestar-tuned vehicles are rumored to include high-performance hybrid and diesel powertrains.
While it still doesn't have the brand recognition of BMW M or Mercedes-Benz AMG, Polestar is on the growth path. It's representatives recently told Autoblog that its latest, tuned S60 and V60 models "mark the start of an extended production car model range." In addition to that expansion, Volvo has given its performance division a greater responsibility for engineering future vehicles, according to Autocar. It even helped develop the new Drive-E engine, which we quite liked when we took it for a spin in an S60.
Polestar's boss hinted at a hybrid model to Autocar, a move that seems obvious once you think about it. The Drive-E engine was designed from the beginning to accept hybrid layouts. The division's plan is to put and electric motor on the rear axle to both increase torque off the line and provide all-wheel drive. As Drive-E also offers diesel variants, that is in the cards as well for the future, but the company didn't go into much detail. Polestar appears to be the upcoming shooting star of the performance car world.


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The creators of ‘Doom’ and ‘Quake’ reveal a new sci-fi shooter
John Romero and Adrian Carmack helped found id Software in 1991, and by 1993 the studio had changed the video game world forever. That’s when id released Doom, a genre-defining first-person shooter, and it was followed by Quake, another classic FPS, in 1996. Today, Romero and Carmack are back with Blackroom, a new FPS set in a future where lifelike holographic reality is the norm, but it’s being overrun with sinister visions. The game stars Dr. Santiago Sonora, an engineer at the massive holographic company, Hoxar, as he investigates irregularities in the Blackroom military training system.
Blackroom is an action-heavy game, with rocket jumping and strafing, and there’s no limit on how many weapons you can carry (you’re in a holographic environment, after all). It features a single-player or co-op campaign, plus arena and one-on-one deathmatch modes. The game will be fully moddable and players will be able to run their own dedicated servers.
Blackroom is in development for PC and Mac only, and it’s scheduled to release in winter 2018. Romero and Carmack launched a $700,000 Kickstarter campaign today, and if they hit that goal, they’ll start development immediately and work with investors to secure the rest of the funding.
Just because Blackroom is set in a world of touchable, lifelike virtual realities, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a VR game.
“I don’t know if this game would work really well in VR,” Romero said during a livestream today. He worries that VR makes people sick and that the tech isn’t quite ready for prime time yet. “If there is any VR, it’ll have to be later,” he said. The same goes for potential console versions of Blackroom — for now, the focus is PC and Mac only.
Romero teased us about his new shooter back in 2014 during the Gamescom conference in Cologne, Germany.
“I haven’t made a shooter since 2000,” he said. “So I’m basically starting to work on another one.”
Coming from the man who helped make Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein, the news was infinitely intriguing — and two years later, it’s wonderful to see Romero’s promise come to fruition as a futuristic, sci-fi shooter with a classic edge.


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The Christmas season is in full swing at Walt Disney World, but before anyone even realizes it, spring will be right around the corner. With the flowers coming into bloom and the sun shining bright, that means it will be time for another huge festival at Epcot. Disney has now released the dates for the 2018 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, and it is going to start earlier than ever this year for even more fun.
On Friday morning, the Disney Parks Blog revealed the dates for 2018, and guests are going to get a long time to enjoy the 25th anniversary of the Flower & Garden Festival. It will officially begin on Feb. 28, 2018, and run through May 28.
That is quite a few days earlier than normal as the festival typically begins near the end of the first week of March. Not only will this festival begin on Feb. 28, but it starts just a little over a week after the Festival of the Arts finishes up its second year at Epcot on Feb. 19, 2018.
For those wondering if the Flower & Garden Festival has as much to do for guest as the Food & Wine Fest in the fall, don't you worry. As a matter of fact, there may be even more to enjoy at Epcot during the spring.
In 2018, guests can enjoy great food, music, and fun at the Flower & Garden Festival with the addition and returns which include:
- Garden Rocks music series - Hit bands will rock the stage with hits from the '60s up through the '90s for those who want to relive the great music of the past. Dining packages will also be available which allow guests to have reserved seating for concerts.
- 15 Outdoor Kitchens will be spread around Epcot to give guests great new tastes from the garden.
- Disney character topiaries will also be spread around with some new and some old for guests to enjoy.
- New interactive kids play areas
- Garden Tours
- The Egg-Stravaganza scavenger hunt which will bring forth fun and prizes.
- Don't forget the millions of beautiful flowers, trees, plants, and more that bring Epcot to life with color and excitement.
[Featured Image by Danny Cox]


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Chinese stocks stumbled on Tuesday after regulators warned 34 technology giants, including Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu, JD.com, Didi, and Meituan, to "rectify" anti-competitive measures, according to Global Times, citing a statement from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR).
Thirty-four tech firms attended an administrative and supervisory meeting held on Tuesday. They were given approximately one month to "rectify their monopolistic acts and tax-related irregularities or violations" after an internal government probe. These firms were told they had about a month to correct any practices that "harms competition.
The meeting also outlined how these tech firms create unfair competition in the economy that prevents innovation and development and harms business operators and consumers' interests. It was also noted at the meeting the tech firms must change their ways to conform to national interests
During the meeting, SAMR officials told the tech firms that Alibaba's anti-trust case should be a big wake-up call. On Saturday, SAMR slapped Alibaba with a monstrous $2.8 billion fine after a months-long probe. SAMR found the e-commerce company violated the country's Anti-Monopoly Law. Regulators also ordered Alibaba affiliate Ant Group to overhaul its business.
"Following the decision and penalties levied by SAMR's anti-monopoly investigation of BABA, we think the street has more color about the latest updates on Ant Group," Jefferies said in a note published Monday.
Alibaba, which owns about 33% of Ant Group, operates a popular mobile payments app called Alipay. In November, regulators suspended Ant's IPO due to changes in the financial technology regulatory environment.
Both Alibaba and Ant's restructuring plans, forced upon by regulators, are part of Beijing's much broader push to reign in the power of the country's largest technology companies.
China's digital platform-based economy has experienced record growth, but regulators are not fond of unhealthy business practices.
One of the practices that regulators are not happy about is tech companies forcing merchants to "choose one from two platforms." They call it an abuse of market dominance, along with other noncompliance and tax-related violations. Regulators want these tech companies to rectify these violations in the near term. Also, business operators are given a limited choice of one from two platforms is an "unruly and unchecked expansion of capital, blatantly breaching market competition order and hampering innovative development," said Global Times.
The meeting outlined that tech companies should strictly comply with government demands to restructure their business practices and place national interest first.
Specially, the regulators asked the platform companies to stop "unruly expansion of capital" to ensure economic and social safety, to stop monopolistic moves that harm fair competition, to stop strangling competitors with technologies that harm innovation, and to stop abuse of rules and algorithms and to ensure every market player's legitimate rights and interests.
The regulators ordered platform companies to review all internal processes within a month and thoroughly rectify monopolistic actions that harm fair competition.
Meanwhile, the regulators will undertake inspections to ferret out any irregularities or violation of market rules.
Strengthening management of the platform business doesn't mean that the country's attitude of supporting and encouraging platform economy will be changed, but the move will serve as a wakeup call for the platforms to always help promote fair competition, to be innovative, and to serve the society. - Global Times
With Beijing's domestic clampdown apparently still in effect, Chinese stocks pared an earlier advance as gains by tech firms almost evaporated on mounting regulatory concerns. The CSI 300 Index closed right on top of a key support: the 200 day moving average.
Over the last several months, Beijing has been getting tougher on big tech as part of Xi's shakedown of millionaire oligarchs like Jack and Pony Ma, and traders expect the Chinese president to expand his crackdown in the coming weeks and months.


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McLaren is apparently developing a shooting brake version of its latest supercar. Yes, a McLaren MP4-12C shooting brake, designed to take on the Ferrari FF.
It all sounds a bit far-fetched; essentially, a McLaren wagon. But when you think about it, the Ferrari FF does sit in the market on its own, soaking up all the sales. It could be a smart move for a company like McLaren to bring out something to steal sales.
The news comes from an Auto Express report in the UK, which says the shooting brake will be based on the MP4-12C, using the same 441kW twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 engine.
According to the report the McLaren MP4-12C shooting brake won’t be a four seater though, like the Ferrari FF. Instead it’s expected to retain the mid-engine layout of the MP4 while offering cargo room in the back.
Performance is looking to be on par with the mighty MP4-12C as well, which is capable of 0-100km/h in just over 3.0 seconds, with a top speed of over 322km/h.
It’s unknown at this stage if the model will be a special edition or if it will join the showroom lineup as normal. We’ll await official confirmation for more details.
What do you think though? Good idea?
(Rendered image by Auto Express)


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The injections he'd been receiving in the buttocks during his major-league baseball career, pitcher Roger Clemens explained to a jury this summer, were not steroids. They were perfectly legal and innocent shots of vitamin B12. The jury acquitted him, lifting the weight of a felony perjury charge from his shoulders. You, too, can use B12 to put some spring back into your step—at least, if you believe the companies that market the injections for weight loss, energy, and general well-being. In reality, this is not a performance enhancer.
B12 is a quirky vitamin that you can't get from plants. It's manufactured by bacteria that provide their services to some animals by living in their guts. Humans mainly get B12 from meat, eggs, and dairy. Of course, this means vegan humans have to find the vitamin elsewhere, such as in fortified breakfast cereals or Flintstones chewables. (They might also ingest B12 from soil bacteria on vegetables that haven't been washed well.)
"Healthy individuals have a six-year supply of B12 stored in their liver," says Daniel Lynch, a biochemist at Williams College. So even a temporary shortage in your diet shouldn't harm you. Long-term vegans, though, can become deficient in B12. Some older adults and gastric-bypass patients who can't absorb enough B12 from their food need to get it from an outside source. And patients who suffer from a disorder called (oddly) "pernicious anemia" need B12 supplements.
B12 deficiency causes weakness and fatigue, and an injection of the vitamin reverses those symptoms. This has apparently led some people to conclude that healthy, non-deficient folks will also get stronger and more energetic by taking B12. Why settle for normal functioning when you could be a vitamin-powered superhuman?
"[Weekly] vitamin B12 injections are intended to crank up the metabolism and boost energy levels to increase daily activity and help weight loss even when the body is at rest," says one Chicago weight-loss center. An "anti-aging" clinic asserts that "B12 injections are...an effective means of boosting the body's metabolism for those looking to lose weight."
You'll start by shedding weight in the wallet region: a 3-month course of shots from that office will relieve you of nearly $500.
It's true that vitamin B12 is involved in metabolism. However, according to the National Institutes of Health, "Vitamin B12 supplementation appears to have no beneficial effect on performance in the absence of a nutritional deficit."
In other words? "Basically, for any healthy person this is a sham," Lynch says. "Any excess B12 is peed out anyway."
Non-human animals store B12 in the liver, just as humans do. "So you could get the same effect of the injection by munching on liver," says Steven Swoap, a physiologist who's also at Williams College. "This is how they 'cured' vitamin B12 deficiency a hundred years ago."
If you still feel a craving for B12 but don't care for liver sandwiches, you can buy bottles of B12 pills—and they'll run you about five cents a tablet. "It begs the question as to why anyone would stick a needle in themselves when you can buy this stuff as a pill at the local drugstore," Swoap says. Maybe we can find a Hall-of-Fame-nominated baseball player to explain it.
Image: Craig Strachan (Flickr)