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In early trading, Yahoo shares rose as high as $28.91, well above a previous 52-week high of $27.68 that the stock hit in May. According to Bloomberg News, the price hit on Wednesday was the stock’s highest since May of 2008.
As of noon, Yahoo’s stock was up 7.2 percent at $28.82.
“Traffic First, Revenue Later,” Credit Suisse analyst Stephen Ju said in the title of a post-earnings report, “The First Encouraging Sign.”
Like others, he highlighted continuing declines in revenue. “Yahoo reported mixed second-quarter results with net revenues below our estimates,” Ju said. “In-line search revenue was offset by a weak display [revenue] result.”
Overall, he maintained his “neutral” stock rating and $23 target price.
“Similar to prior quarters reports, CEO Marissa Mayer reiterated the overall strategy, which focused on mobile, personalization as well as the re-architecting of Yahoo’s search and display businesses,” Ju said. “Incremental details on the product release roadmap were not offered, but we were, however, encouraged to see overall traffic levels return to growth in June, which should serve as a first fledgling sign of a turnaround.”
Many Wall Street observers highlighted the strength at Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.
“Ya-Who?” Pivotal Research Group analyst Brian Wieser entitled his report. “Weaker-than-expected operating results were far less important than the additional data related to Alibaba,” he wrote.
He added: “We continue to assess Alibaba with a mix of optimism and conservatism given the absence of underlying insight informing investors more fully about revenue growth and profitability improvement.”
He maintained his “hold” rating and $27 price target on Yahoo’s stock.
Stifel, Nicolaus analyst Jordan Rohan, who has a “buy” rating on the stock, used a similar title for his report: “Alibaba Triples Profit; Yahoo Reported Too.”
“We believe Yahoo shares will increase due to the very impressive profitability of Alibaba Group, in which Yahoo retains a 24 percent stake,” he predicted. “Upside from Yahoo’s stake in Alibaba helped to drive upside to earnings per share.”
But he highlighted that management lowered guidance for Yahoo’s core operations “driven by disappointing performance in display advertising and incremental expenses from acquisitions, including Tumblr.”
Cowen & Co. analyst John Blackledge, meanwhile, maintained his “market perform” rating on Yahoo’s stock with a $26 price target.
He reduced his 2013 estimates for revenue and other metrics modestly. But for annual earnings per share, he raised his forecast to $1.39 from $1.34, citing “higher equity income from fast-growing Alibaba.”
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Investment house Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Monday became the first business to merge an online trading service with an Internet portal and search engine, joining with Excite, Inc. to launch MySchwab.
The move is designed to differentiate Schwab’s investing site from the dozens of others trying to lure online traders.
Just like the Excite search engine, MySchwab features customizable news, weather and sports search services, e-mail, shopping and chats. As with Excite, MySchwab users fill out a form online to designate what they want to see on their personalized Web page, so that information is easy to retrieve each time the customer logs on. Users can also change their preferences at will.
Making the site a uniquely Charles Schwab product, the companies also included trackable stock portfolios, a place to get answers from Schwab’s investing advisors and a link to Charles Schwab’s site to open a trading account.
Schwab notes the site is designed for non-customers as well as traders and market watchers. The theory behind appealing to both groups is that a constant reminder of the availability of online trading may move some would-be investors off the fence, spokeswoman Rebecca Metz told the E-Commerce Times. “We’re trying to make it a site that’s friendly and useful for a lot of different people,” she said.
Schwab said it plans to drive Web surfers to the site with a multi-million dollar nationwide advertising campaign, which started Monday with ads in the Wall Street Journal. The campaign, likely to last about a month, Metz said, will expand to include other publications and some TV spots as well.
MySchwab is the second collaboration between the companies, which formed an alliance with Intuit Corp. last year to display Schwab’s investment information on Excite’s Money and Investing Channel. That site, sponsored by Intuit’s Quicken.com personal financial management site, is a page on the Excite site offering stock tracking and information services similar to those on the new MySchwab site. Schwab and Excite said they plan to continue to add features to MySchwab to keep it unique.
Excite attracts more than 18 million visitors each month to its services, which include the portal excite.com and the search engine webcrawler.com. Excite is recognized by nearly 70 percent of Web users and offers localized services for 10 countries.
Charles Schwab serves 5.9 million active trading accounts, including 2.5 million online. The company provides investment services through the Internet, 298 branch offices and over the phone through speech recognition and touch-tone telephone technologies.
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The ASX-listed online marketplace operator Frontier Digital Ventures (FDV) has released a report on its performance in Q4 of its 2023 financial year. Notable points from the company's release include:
While revenue was up quarterly year-on-year, total revenue for 2023 slipped slightly compared to 2022 largely because of the declining performance of Pakistani real estate portal Zameen which FDV holds a 30% stake in.
Despite the ongoing turbulence in the Pakistani market, FDV reported its first full year of positive operating cash flow and saw a 61% EBITDA improvement in Q4 compared to 2022 with both the consolidated companies and affiliates improving profitability.
Commenting on the results, Shaun Di Gregorio, Founder and CEO of FDV said:
"This quarter's results mark a significant moment for FDV as we report our fourth consecutive quarter of positive operating cash flows. This results reflects the consistent execution of our strategy and strength of the online marketplaces model, despite the headwinds experienced in the first half of 2023.
Over the past year, significant work has been undertaken including cost base optimisation, operational and product enhancements, and rebranding of the regions, designed to strengthen the business and enhance the long term equity value of each region.
FDV is entering an exciting new phase of the business focussed on growing earnings and cash flows, underpinned by sustainable long-term revenue growth."
The transactional business model that has been the focus of a lot of FDV's work over recent years is taking shape in the Latin American business (rebranded to '360 Latam' in early 2023). The region reported transactional revenue of A$2.6m in Q4, up from A$0.8m in the comparison period.
The Latin American region performed well overall with revenues up 22% year-on-year in Q4 as the real estate verticals Fincaraíz (Colombia) and InfoCasas (Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia) saw significant growth.
In its African portfolio (rebranded to Mena Marketplace Group) FDV saw revenues increase 9% in Q4 to A$2.7m and EBITDA increase to A$0.3m. Despite a slowdown in advertising revenues, FDV's companies in the region managed to grow subscription revenues by 110% in Q4.
In 2022 Zameen accounted for around 30% of total FDV revenue but in 2023 that figure dropped to around 10% as inflation, unemployment and political instability continued to plague the market.
There may be some positive signs on the horizon for Zameen as revenue remained stable and EBITDA rose in Q4 as cost management and a slight uptick in developer spend eased pressure. The hope is for a more settled landscape after elections in February.
FDV owns and operates 12 online classifieds marketplaces across three regions worldwide and holds a 30% stake in the leading Pakistani property portal, Zameen and a 37% stake in Pakistani autos vertical PakWheels.


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Foldables are growing in popularity -- Samsung's mobile chief has even stated that these multi-form factor devices will become the new standard as soon as 2025. Apple doesn't always jump on the bandwagon immediately, but it grabs attention when it does. As everyone waits for a foldable iPhone, analysts are now predicting the company will go bigger with its first foldable. Instead of starting with the iPhone, Apple may make the iPad its first folding endeavor.
This speculation comes from CCS Insight, which just released its annual technology predictions report. One of its most striking predictions is that Apple will bypass the foldable iPhone everyone is expecting and will instead focus on a foldable version of the iPad. While CCS concedes that foldables are gaining steam, the risk of negatively impacting the iPhone lineup is too great for that to be Apple's first move, it says.
According to the report, Apple would have to price a foldable iPhone higher to avoid cannibalizing its flat iPhone sales. A top-of-the-line iPhone 14 Pro Max could run you $1,600 if you get the largest 1TB storage option. Foldables are expensive to produce, and CCS believes that Apple, which insists on big hardware profit margins, would therefore want to price a foldable iPhone at $2,500. That would be a significant increase over Samsung's flagship Galaxy Z Fold lineup, the fourth generation of which currently retails for $1,800.
The other argument made to justify the foldable prediction is tied to Apple's reputation for refined hardware. CCS says that even minor issues with a redesigned iPhone would cost Apple dearly as its critics engage in a "feeding frenzy," reports(Opens in a new window) CNBC. Meanwhile, a foldable iPad would get Apple into the foldable game without as much risk, while also breathing new life into its increasingly undifferentiated tablet lineup.Samsung has been making foldable phones for several years, but they're ludicrously expensive.
How likely is this to be accurate? CCS Insight's track record could provide some clarity. It has been making these annual predictions for several years, and it's been right on a few notable points. In 2020, CCS said that around half of office employees would still be working from home at least part-time in 2022, and that's roughly accurate. It also claimed that Apple's focus on privacy would hit Facebook's bottom line hard. That checks out, too. Although, it's also missed on more than one occasion. In 2019 CCS predicted Samsung would release "Galaxy Glasses" in 2022, and that never came to be. Nor did Amazon purchase any 5G spectrum licenses in 2021 -- it uses the open CBRS spectrum for small-scale private 5G for enterprises. We'd give the foldable prediction even odds, but it's an interesting take.
Apple's plans are impossible to know given its strict code of silence -- employees can be terminated simply for posting pictures of themselves at work. All those years of Apple television sets and car predictions from analysts have certainly made us wary, but a foldable iPad doesn't seem as pie in the sky.Now read:


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Avaya and Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise have announced at GITEX Global the next phase of their strategic partnership that will enable global enterprises to innovate more easily without the need for operationally disruptive technology replacement initiatives.
Building on the existing partnership, which sees ALE offer Avaya OneCloud™ CCaaS to its customers and Avaya offer ALE Digital Age Networking solutions to its clients, both companies continue to progress on the integration of their solutions to build unique market value propositions. This integration is key to enable both ALE and Avaya customers to innovate using an expanding, increasingly rich and complementary set of capabilities from either company, and painlessly roll them out.
“Our common objective is to support our customers in their digital transformation, providing all capabilities needed to make everything connect. Looking to the future, we are collaborating to deliver new value and services to our respective customers thanks to the tailored vertical solutions we are building together,” said Rukmini Glanard, EVP Global Sales, Services and Marketing at Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise.
Nidal Abou-Ltaif, President, Avaya International, added: “Our customers want innovation, but they want that innovation to come over the top of their IT infastructures – typically over the cloud. They don’t want any costly or time-consuming disruption underneath. Through the integration of our technology with ALE’s, and through the strength of our collective global customer base, we’re in a unqiue position to provide that innovation without disruption.”
Avaya’s presence at GITEX Global comes in partnership with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, Uniphore, Verint Systems, GS Lab, Imperium, Konnect Insights, LumenVox, Nectar, Sestek and TOPAZ. Visit Avaya at its stand in Zabeel Hall, at Dubai World Trade Centre between October 10 and 14, 2022.
Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise delivers the customised technology experiences enterprises need to make everything connect.
ALE provides digital-age networking, communications and cloud solutions with services tailored to ensure customers’ success, with flexible business models in the cloud, on premises, and hybrid. All solutions have built-in security and limited environmental impact.


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EDEN ESTOPACE: SPAM ON THE RISE
MANILA, MARCH 28, 2007 (STAR) By Eden Estopace - Are we fast becoming a nation of "spammers"?
The result of the latest Symantec Internet Security Report released worldwide last week is most revealing: 88 percent of e-mail traffic coming from the Philippines is spam, or unsolicited bulk e-mail used with malicious intent.
If it is any consolation, spam is on the rise worldwide and not just in the Philippines.
The world’s leading spamming country is the United States, with 59 percent of its e-mail traffic categorized as spam. In the Asia-Pacific region and Japan (APJ), China has the most number of outbound spam e-mails at 37 percent.
With the sheer number of e-mails originating from the two countries, spam from the Philippines may be comparatively small.
However, as a percentage of total e-mail traffic over a six-month period, the Philippines’ 88 percent may be a cause for alarm. The average for spam as a percentage of e-mail in the APJ is only 69 percent.
Other countries in the region with equally high percentages of spam in their e-mail traffic are Vietnam (86 percent), Sri Lanka (86 percent), Laos (85 percent), and Malaysia (84 percent).
Richard Velasco, senior sales engineer of Symantec Philippines, explains that spam, or the electronic version of junk mail, is a serious security concern as it can be used to send unwanted messages — often unsolicited advertising — to a large number of recipients and it can be used to deliver Trojans, viruses, worms, spyware, and targeted phishing attacks.
"By sending unsolicited e-mails, spammers lure the e-mail recipients to share confidential information via spam and phishing. Once the information is captured by the crime developers and hackers, they use it for financial gains," Velasco says.
Some spam e-mails, he says, secretly lay bots in unsuspecting PCs, which could capture confidential keystrokes or data in the PCs such as passwords, credit card numbers, bank account numbers and send these back to the hacker.
Still some bots use the host PC to launch other spam to other networks or PCs. A PC that sends spam without the owner’s knowledge and controlled by a hacker is called a spam zombie.
The top spam zombie sending country in the APJ is still China. Ranked second is South Korea, which Symantec says could be attributed to the fact that it has the highest broadband penetration per household in the world. The Philippines ranked ninth in APJ and 27th worldwide.
Velasco explains that the use of e-mail as a medium for launching attacks on the Web is logical.
"E-mail is commonly used as a personal and business communication tool. E-mail is user-friendly and affordable which makes it a prime target for launching attacks against unsuspecting users. A cyber criminal will use the digital address book of an unsuspecting Web surfer to send e-mails. When the person receives the e-mail and sees it is from a friend, there is a very high probability that he will click on that e-mail and do what the e-mail is requesting him to do," he explains.
The rise of spam from the Philippines can be attributed to the prevalence of pirated software in the country.
According to Velasco, pirated software can contain hidden Trojans or back doors, making the users who install them vulnerable to many different threats, including infection by spam bots.
Data from the Business Software Alliance showed that the piracy rate of the Philippines was 71 percent in 2005, which was way above the average in Asia of 53 percent. Incidentally, Vietnam, which has the second highest number of spam as a percentage of e-mail in the region, also has the highest piracy rate in Asia at 92 percent.
The new threat landscape
The Symantec study, conducted from July to December 2006, revealed an increase not just in spam but other forms of malicious attacks such as data theft, data leakage and the creation of targeted, malicious code for the purpose of stealing confidential information.
This seems to be a natural progression of the Internet security threats that have started long ago.
Symantec country sales manager Al Ramon de la Cruz, however, says the motive for launching security threats by hackers and crimeware developers has changed from purely personal achievement to financial gain.
This, he says, leaves both the individual PC and Internet user as well as enterprises vulnerable to attacks.
By sending unsolicited e-mails, for example, spammers lure the recipients to share confidential information.
Velasco discloses that the most common type of spam detected in the latter half of 2006 was related to financial services, which made up 30 percent of all spam on the Internet during this period.
Spam related to health services and products, on the other hand, made up 23 percent of all spam, while spam related to commercial products was the third most common type, accounting for 21 percent of the total.
"The rise in financially related spam was due mainly to a noticeable increase in stock market ‘pump and dump’ spam," he says.
Pump and dump is the term given to schemes in which criminals profit by creating an artificial interest in a stock they own. They buy a penny stock when the price is low. They then artificially pump up demand for the stock by sending out spam that appears to be from a respected stock adviser, but that actually contains false predictions of high performance for the stock.
"Recipients of the message, trusting the spam content, buy the stock, creating demand for it and thereby raising the price. When the prices are high enough, the perpetrators of the scheme sell their stock for a profit," Velasco explains.
Symantec Corp. has been conducting a study of the Internet threat environment since 2001. The Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR), now on its 11th edition, offers analysis and discussion of threats over a six-month period. It covers Internet attacks, vulnerabilities, malicious code, phishing, spam and security risks as well as future trends.
One of the key findings of the ISTR Volume XI is that "attackers are now refining their methods and consolidating their assets to create global networks that support coordinated criminal activity."
In the APJ, Symantec observed an average of 19,095 active distinct bot-infected computers per day. On average, the region accounted for about 30 percent of active bots worldwide. China was the most frequently targeted by Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, accounting for 63 percent of attacks in the region during this period. However, it was Taiwan which had the most malicious activity per Internet user in the APJ region.
Threats to confidential information made up 60 percent of the volume of the top 50 malicious code reports from the region. The top reported malicious code sample was the file-infecting worm Looked.P, while the most prevalent new malicious code family reported during the period was the Stration worm.
Data used in the ISTR analysis were culled from the Symantec Global Intelligence Network consisting of 40,000 registered sensors in 180 countries. The Symantec global coverage itself has four security operating centers and eight research centers, with 1,800 analysts and 6,200 managed security devices.
While Symantec software protects more than 370 million computers or e-mail accounts worldwide and 99 percent of Fortune 500 and 1,000 companies utilize Symantec products, it insists that the ISTR is vendor-neutral. It is not a survey of opinions or driven by marketing but it is an analysis of attacker methods and preferences.
Velasco says the Symantec Probe Network, which is a system of over two million decoy accounts, attracting e-mail messages from 20 different countries around the world, allows Symantec to gauge global spam and phishing activity.
The scope of the APJ-ISTR does not include behavioral profiles of cyber criminals or the socio-cultural implications of cyber activities. However, the report is available to the public and is an effort to understand the issues involving Internet security.
What Symantec executives in the Philippines are saying is that given the nature of the security environment today, there is a need for an in-depth defense strategy to combat attacks. This may include a collaboration of products, software and hardware to protect the network infrastructure from the end-point to the gateway.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2007
by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE


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VICE is looking to position itself as the number one youth media company in every market it launches in across the Asia Pacific, regional CEO Hosi Simon said at APOS today, noting the company’s strong commitment to India and upcoming plans for China, the Philippines, Thailand and Korea.
Simon is based in the company’s AsiaPac headquarters in Singapore, with highly autonomous local offices across the region. The last few months saw the launch of VICE India with Times of India Media Group. Simon referred to it as the “most ambitious launch we’ve ever done. We have a TV block, our full agency business, a studio that is producing scripted, feature films, short form, long form.”
The company is launching a feature film with Indonesia’s Go-Jek, directed by Joko Anwar, in 2019. “We have a huge slate of originals for Go-Jek as well.”
Simon added, “We are trying to create the number one youth media company in each of the territories we operate in. 70 percent of all the content we create is local. If you create something that is locally relevant, it will have global significance.”
The VICE businesses will vary across territories. “Being here isn’t about bringing VICE to Asia; it’s about creating something that is native, distinct for each local culture, each local media market, each local youth culture. The VICE brand can be very elastic. It doesn’t have to mean the exact same thing as it does in the rest of the world. It should speak to young people right now finding their voice, distributing their own stories, making themselves heard. We stand for that generational shift, that moment when young people take control of their cultures.”
Storytelling is at the company’s core, Simon added, regardless of platform.
VICE will be exploring further expansion in the region this year. Simon said in the second half of 2018 China will be a focus, along with the Philippines, Thailand and Korea.
“We’re here for the long term,” Simon said. “We believe the cultural center of gravity of the world is moving to this part of the world.”


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AAA has published their new list of approved Five Diamond Hotels for 2016. Continuing the recent trend, the number of approved hotels has dropped again this year, from 121 to only 118. AAA added 6 new or returning hotels this year, and removed 9 hotels that were approved in 2015. The new hotels added are the following:
- Hotel Mousai – Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Park Hyatt New York – New York, N.Y.
- St. Regis Deer Valley – Park City, Utah
- The Cloister – Sea Island, Ga.
- The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain – Marana, Ariz.
- Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto – Toronto, Ontario
Congratulations to the new award-winning hotels! For a full list of 5 Diamond award winners, click here.


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This inaugural report covers all the big stories and breaking news from 28th December 2020 to the 3rd January 2021.
Starting with ‘shoe news’, because it’s the news that everyone wants to know. First up, it’s the new Nike shoes for 2021 that have just been announced:
– Nike Zoom X Invincible Run – Essentially a Zoom X version of the Infinity Run, it’s got the same silhouette but with a full length Zoom X foam midsole, Nike’s premium foam, which we’re quite excited to try. It’s designed and marketed as a long run shoe and it will be interesting to see how it compares to other ‘flyknit’ shoes released by Nike in 2020.
– Nike Infinity Run 2 – This update to the popular mileage shoe comes with a new colourway and a modified upper to hopefully remove some of the lockdown issues that some people reported in the first version.
– Nike Vomero 16 – Despite the recent release of the Vomero 15, the 16 version has just started production and we will be looking out for a release date sooner rather than later.
– Blue Ribbon Sport Next % – Although not a new shoe, Nike have released a limited edition colourway for the Vaporfly Next% that is bound to sell for 3 to 4 times the price on eBay so, get in whilst you can.
– Nike Vaporfly Next % 2 – An underwhelming announcement by Nike, the Next% 2 comes with an updated upper and a more durable material to the front of the shoe but without any other fundamental changes. As yet there is no release date, but hopefully this will be complemented by a new racing flat in the summer.
Stepping up their competition with Nike this year is Adidas with a range of new shoes recently announced:
– Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 2 – Utilising their lightstrike pro foam and with an updated upper on their very successful shoe released in 2020, this shoe looks certain to continue to challenge Nike. It’s also released in a new and more interesting colourway.
– Adidas Adizero X – This very interesting shoe which, for pros, will be used as a training shoe because it’s not a legal stack-height will give extra cushion for the masses and can be used in mass participation road events.
– Adidas Boston 10 – The most beloved shoe of the Adidas range, the Boston and the Boston 10 looks to have an upgraded stack height and includes the lightstrike pro foam for the first time. Is this Adidas’ year? Certainly looks that way.
A part of the running world which doesn’t get much attention, here we bring you the latest news on athletes moving company and swapping teams.
– Ouassim Oumaiz – The Spanish runner has joined NN Running Team after previously running for Nike as a ‘neutral runner’. He’s ran 13:12 over the 5k this year and is only 21 years old!
– Charlotte Purdue – The long-distance British athlete has made a permanent move from Nike to Adidas, possibly due to Nike’s recent decision to reduce their expenditure on athlete sponsorship (more information below), but also it could be due to the real improvement in Adidas shoes this year and as a marathon runner, who can blame her.
– Drew Piazza – Drew has left Oregon Track Club to join New Balance.
– Ryan Hill – Ryan Hill makes it another Nike departure who has left Bowerman Track Club to an as yet unidentified destination.
– Aisha Praught Leer – Aisha has left Under Armour to an as yet unidentified destination.
Many of the movements away from Nike could be due to claims that Nike intends to reduce its expenditure on athletes by up to 50 per cent owing to poor financial results arising from the covid 19 pandemic. In an article in The Times, it is reported that that the majority of the GB athletes sponsored by Nike will have their contracts terminated or cut. Athletes likely to be affected include Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Nike is reported to have underperformed on Wall Street to the tune of $900 million in the quarter to 31st May 2020.
World of Running – General News
On to the other big things that have happened in the world of running over the last week.
– Stewy McSweyn ran an Australian record 3:50 mile in Tasmania this week; casual. Most impressively, he was running alone for the final 800 metres. Absolutely crazy. You can watch the full race video on our YouTube channel, right here.
– International race results – The week also saw some top racing over both 5k and 10k. Jimmy Gressier won the 5k in a time of 13:39 and then doubled up in the 10k to finish third in a time of 28:13. The winner, Mohammed Amdouni, winning in a fast time of 27:42. On the women’s side, Hellen Obiri won the 10k in 30:53 with Genzebe Dibaba winning the 5k in 15:00.
– UK race results – In the UK, there was some indoor 3000m races, where Mark Pearce ran 7:52 to win the men’s race and run the European indoor qualifying standard. For the women, Ciara Megeean, won their race in a time of 8:54.
– BoClassic 2020 – This annual race in a snowy Bolzano, Italy, saw Margaret Kipkemboi win the 10,000m in 30:42 and Oscar Chelimo won the men’s 5000m, breaking away in the final few metres, in a time of 13:17.
– Ultra news – Jim Walmsley has announced on Instagram that he intends to go for the 100km road world record again on 23rd January 2021.
– Joshua Cheptegei has formally announced, unsurprisingly, that he will be going for gold at both the 5000m and 10,000m at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
– Japanese Ekiden Race – The traditional Japanese distance race took place this week which includes 10 stages, at half marathon distance, and each team has 10 runners. The results led to a clear win for the Nike athletes.
Social Media News
On to the latest news from Social Media, with The Athlete Special published a “clout” video, which referred to the social media profile and presence of the top US distance athletes. The results, in reverse order:
5. Drew Hunter
4. Donavan Brazier
3. Nico Young
2. Matthew Centrowitz
1. Craig Engels (as if it could ever be anyone else!)
Allie Ostrander aka TAS’ girlfriend started a YouTube channel. If you like TAS, you’ll love this, so give it a watch.
Morgan MacDonald the Aussie athlete has also started a YouTube channel, he needs no introduction, he’s an amazing runner so go check out his new content.
‘Lets Run Tea’
The message board site had some interesting conversations this week. With one person suggesting that the 800m was the easiest track event (!). We’ve decided to leave their names anonymous to protect their identity…
This led to a further reply saying the 1500/mile is the easiest track event. In our view, the 800m is definitely the hardest track event and the 1500m is certainly up there. You can comment below this article which events you think are the hardest.
New Runner Spotlight
Ending our weekly report this week is the ‘Spotlight’ feature where we aim to raise the profile of a new or lesser-known athlete.
This week we’re putting the spotlight on Keely Hodgkinson, a GB 800m runner.
This year she ran an astonishing 2:01.16, indoors, to set the European U20 record. An incredible talent and one to watch.
That’s it for this week, if you think we’ve missed anything out of the report for this week or you have any suggestions on items you would like to see, comment below this article or send us a DM on Instagram and we’ll include it in the next report.


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BSB are celebrating the release of their 10th studio album, DNA, with a new project!
Okay, it appears to just be a one-off, but still worth it…at least for us to watch.
In all BSB superfan seriousness, the man-band released DNA today, which you should receive a copy of with your tickets to their July 22nd show.
If you can’t wait for that to arrive via snail mail (trust me, I’m with you) buy and listen online now!
Our brand new album, DNA, is now available everywhere! BSB is in our DNA, just like it’s in all of yours. We have been a group for more than 25 years and this is our favorite album… ever. Listen, watch, share #BSBDNA 🖤 https://t.co/VDPT1Nv7nc pic.twitter.com/STVfBtUlmC
— Backstreet Boys (@backstreetboys) January 25, 2019
Not that they went away for an extended period of time, but it has been almost 6 years since their last album, so…welcome back boys!


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Consumers and financial institutions to benefit from richer data
Experian Australia & New Zealand today announces its acquisition of Look Who’s Charging, the Australian fintech startup which has solved the everyday frustrating problem of unrecognised bank transactions by providing instant clarification on the merchant behind a transaction.
Look Who’s Charging is integrated with a number of Australian banks, with their data available to millions of Australians directly within existing digital banking applications.
The move will combine Experian’s global open data solutions with Look Who’s Charging’s advanced enrichment capabilities. Following the recent legislation of Open Banking as the first stage of the Consumer Data Right (CDR), the deal will create a market leading open data platform in the Australian market that will have wide ranging benefits for consumers, businesses and financial institutions.
Experian’s present open data solution, built in the UK, facilitates 40% of all UK Open Banking application program interface (API) requests.
Andrew Black, Managing Director of Experian A/NZ explains how the acquisition enables Experian to provide organisations with a sophisticated aggregation and categorisation solution and granular insights for them to apply across their business:
“If a transaction is unable to be categorised accurately, it is often classed as ‘unknown’ which can result in decisions impacting consumers being based on limited data. This can have a big knock on effect if, for example, banks are using one platform to help a customer understand their own income and expenditure, and another to decide what loan they can afford.
With Look Who’s Charging’s enriched data integrated into our open data platform, we will be able to provide a uniquely accurate and comprehensive solution for the Australian market. This will help our customers lend more responsibly while enhancing their fraud checks and reducing their call centre traffic for unrecognised transaction queries, as well as ensuring consumers have a greater understanding of their financial situation.”
Over 1 billion transactions are enriched every single month through Look Who’s Charging’s platform to provide Australian consumers complete clarity on their spending.
“Look Who’s Charging’s forward-looking and problem-solving nature is aligned with our business and approach to innovation,” adds Mr Black. “We share the aim to help businesses and consumers make better and more informed decisions, and we are delighted to be working with a company who is truly having a positive impact on not only our financial services industry but Australian consumers too.”
Ben Elliott, CEO of Experian APAC commented: “The acquisition – our sixth investment in Asia Pacific since 2017 (following venture investments in Grab, Jirnexu, C88 Financial Technologies, BankBazaar.com and CompareAsiaGroup) – demonstrates our ongoing commitment to investing in this region and using our advanced data and analytics expertise to remove complexity from the lending process. Bringing Look Who’s Charging and our innovative solutions together will help Australian organisations, and ultimately consumers, as Open Banking standards are adopted in Australia.”
Founder of Look Who’s Charging, Stuart Grover, said: “We are extremely excited to combine the technology and data we have built to support the Australian banks with Experian’s market leading open data technology. We are very proud to have built Look Who’s Charging from an idea, born from the frustration of unrecognised transactions to a product which helps millions of Australian consumers, in under 4 years.
With Experian’s scale, we have an opportunity to help solve more of the immediate problems faced by Australian consumers and financial institutions, whilst the Look Who’s Charging solution is also rolled out to other key markets around the world.”
2020 Crypto World Summit “The Future of Security Tokens” to Address Latest Blockchain Developments with Leading Industry Experts
New York, NY, Jan. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (via Blockchain Wire) Leading experts in the digital money sector will gather at the Crypto World Summit in New York on February 20, 2020 to discuss the latest developments in security token offerings and digital assets, amongst other rising blockchain and alternative financing topics.
The most current SEC laws, rules, regulations, and compliance will be addressed at this 4th International Conference and Workshop streamed live on Fintech World Media.
This premier event features speakers and attendees from a wide range of sectors, attracting a who’s who of the industry. Other top discussions include: The Future of Bitcoin, The Digital Banking Industry, Blockchain and Real Estate, The ETF Cryptocurrency Market, DAO, Ethereum Investment, and Cannabis Banking Solutions.
Additionally, a special workshop will give participants a step-by-step walkthrough for creating a security token and running a security token offering (STO).
Blockchain Wire is the official wire service for Crypto World Summit. Receive 40% discount. Enter promo code “blockchainwire” Register here.
+1 (415) 879-1500
BitPay Taps Simplex to Make BitPay App an All-In-One Solution
Atlanta, Jan. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BitPay, the world’s largest provider of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency payment services, today announced a partnership with Simplex, the best-in-class processor of fiat-to-crypto transactions, that gives BitPay app users the ability to buy Bitcoin and other supported cryptocurrencies directly in app with a credit card. Users can now buy cryptocurrency, transfer funds, make purchases, buy gift cards and pay friends around the world all from a single app.
With the addition of Simplex’s credit card purchasing, BitPay aims to improve the overall user experience of the BitPay app. By eliminating the need to navigate a cryptocurrency exchange to fund payments, the company anticipates increased value to users, especially for new users unfamiliar with the space.
BitPay CEO and Co-Founder Stephen Pair said, “Cryptocurrency exchanges can be intimidating for new users. The Simplex integration, however, makes the blockchain payment experience seamless.” Pair added, “Whether converting fiat to crypto to make crypto payments, or converting crypto to fiat to pay with the BitPay card, the BitPay app is an all-in-one solution.”
“A real breakthrough in usability can only be achieved when the leading crypto payment app meets the leader in fiat infrastructure for crypto. We are proud to launch this partnership with BitPay and will work together to add more innovative solutions in the future,” added Nimrod Lehavi, Simplex founder and CEO.
Simplex, an EU licensed fintech company, is the industry choice for providing fraud-free cryptocurrency purchases via credit card. They list among their many clients industry leaders such as Binance, Bithumb, Xapo and Changelly. Their processing services eliminate fraud and ensure regulatory compliance, in part, by using AI technology to analyze each transaction with proprietary machine-learning algorithms. The Tel Aviv-based company was founded in 2014.
Founded in 2011, BitPay pioneered blockchain payment processing with the mission of transforming how businesses and people send, receive, and store money. Its business solutions eliminate transaction fraud, reduce the cost of payment processing, and enable borderless payments in cryptocurrency and fiat, among other services. BitPay offers consumers a complete digital asset management solution that includes the BitPay Wallet and BitPay Prepaid Visa® Card, enabling them to turn digital assets into dollars for spending at tens of thousands of businesses. The company has offices in North America, Europe, and South America and has raised more than $70 million in funding from leading investment firms including Founders Fund, Index Ventures, Virgin Group, and Aquiline Technology Growth. For more information visit bitpay.com.
The BitPay Visa® Prepaid Card is issued by Metropolitan Commercial Bank, member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa, U.S.A. Inc. “Metropolitan” and “Metropolitan Commercial Bank” are registered trademarks of Metropolitan Commercial Bank © 2014. Use of the Card is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Cardholder Agreement and fee schedule if any.
Jan Jahosky BitPay 407-331-4699 email@example.com Dan Edelstein Simplex +972-545-464-238 firstname.lastname@example.org
Digital wealth manager Kristal.AI raises 6 million in Series A funding
Kristal.AI is a 4-year old invest-tech startup which uses a bionic approach to personalize investments. The company started its business in Hong Kong since 2016 and now it is planning to use its Series A funding, to bring its AI-driven personalized wealth platform to more countries in APAC regions.
Artificial Intelligence has long been hailed as the future of fintech, and Singapore-based digital wealth management platform Kristal.AI is proving that maxim true. The company, started by Indian entrepreneurs, has offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, and India. Kristal.AI is celebrating its 4-year anniversary in January 2020, after closing last year with a sizable Series A round of USD 6 million (upsized from an initial target of USD 4 million).
The funding round is led by long-term partners Chiratae Ventures (formerly IDG Ventures India) and influential names such as Desai Family Office, which has interests ranging from fintech to boutique investments. Other investors include HNWI names well known in the financial industry. This round brings the total Kristal.AI has raised till date to USD 11 million.
Financial technology has been evolving rapidly over the past decade. Despite the relatively small Hong Kong market, innovative technology companies have continued to emerge with the vigorous promotion of the government. Kristal.AI has also benefitted from the support provided by the Cyberport Incubation program and SFC Fintech Unit when commencing business here.
Hong Kong-based Co-founder of Kristal.AI Vivek Mohindra said, “Kristal.AI fulfils a much-needed gap in the HK market for the beginner and smaller investors who really don’t have much choices at present. We provide a digital mobile friendly solution that is educational and free of cost till HKD 400,000.” Hong Kong customers are now looking for smart investment platforms with higher transparency, lower fees, and other value-added services. The HKMA has recently released a report on the application of artificial intelligence in the banking industry, showing that nearly 90% of retail banks have used or plan to use artificial intelligence in their businesses.
Kristal.AI’s CEO and founder Asheesh Chanda added, “The aspirational class today does not live in boxes. We don’t work at the same job until retirement, we don’t all marry and buy houses at thirty, and most of us have a very different way of living than the generation before. However, the way we invest has not evolved with our evolving lifestyles. The new-gen investor needs strategies personalized for their individual risk profile, lifestyle, and expectations. Traditional banks offer such hyper-personalization only to high-profile clients, but we are bringing it to the everyman. Kristal.AI’s strategies are made for the new-age global investor.”
Kristal.AI will use the Series A funds towards bolstering its technology backend, crafting more curated strategies (called Kristals), and expanding further into the APAC and Middle-East market. The company is also poised to launch a new offering for its Indian market very soon.
Since officially launching in February 2016, Kristal.AI has experienced consistent growth and currently handles overUSD 100 million in AUM, with 10,000 users on its platform. The company’s custom-crafted strategies have provided consistent returns to investors even in volatile markets, with both its Leveraged Bond Kristal and Singapore REITs Kristal achieving around 14% returns historically.
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Just 2% of UK consumers plan to purchase a 3D television over the next 12 months, according to research by Deloitte.
Those aged between 25 and 34 were the most likely to buy a set, with 5% saying they may invest in a set over the next 12 months. Only 1% of Britons over the age of 45 were likely to purchase a 3D TV set in the foreseeable future.
There was little interest in investing in any type of new TV products or services, including internet connected TVs and personal video recorders.
HD and flat screen TVs were what most consumers were willing to invest in.
Paul Lee, Deloitte’s media director, said: "It is remarkable how conservative people’s predictions for their own technology spending habits over the coming year were. They didn’t have to commit to buying anything during the research and yet still predicted very little spend on TV products moving forward. Belts have tightened after the economic downturn and with little understanding of what lies ahead, consumers are still being cautious."


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April 22, 2017
Carla P. Gomez (Visayan Daily Star) | https://goo.gl/FKuG9L
Coca-Cola Philippines has began the P850 million expansion of its bottling facility in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, that will double its use of locally-sourced sugar soon, its Bacolod plant manager Bernard Engada, said yesterday.
Coca-Cola's bottling facility in Bacolod City has been producing beverages with 100 percent locally-sourced sugar since 1998 when the facility opened, Engadatold the media, who were taken on a plant tour yesterday.
But Engada said he was not authorized to disclose how much cane sugar the Bacolod plant uses.
He said the Bacolod plant's two existing bottling lines produce 1.2 million bottles ofbeverages a day and its third line expected to be operational by June will be producing 1.2 million more.
The Bacolod plant's lines 1 and 2 produce Coca-Cola, Royal True Orange and Sprite in glass bottles, and the third line will enable it to produce beverages in plastic bottles, he said.
Ma.Rommin Diaz, Coca-Cola external communications and sustainability area manager, said they cannot give specific figures on the amount of sugar used by the Bacolod plant, but is itis utilizing a big amount.
Sugar industry stakeholders are waging a boycott against Coca-Cola products in protest against the firm's use ofimported High Fructose Corn Syrup as a substitute tocane sugar in the production of its beverages in other parts of the country. They blame the massive importation of HFCS earlier for the drop in the prices of locally produced sugar.
Coca-Cola executives have promised Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol that facilities at their plants using HFCS would be retooled so they can use locally produced sugar, too.
STILL DOING WELL
However, Diaz yesterday said except for the expansion at the Bacolod plant, she did not have available information yet on how many of their 18 other plants around the country would undergo retooling.
Diaz also said shecould not give the figure on how the boycott has affected the firm, all she could say is the company is coping and still doing well.
A press release from the firm reiterated that in a meeting with the officials the Department of Agriculture and the Sugar Regulatory Administration, Coca-Cola executives said that the beverage company has already increased by 50 percent their purchased of local sugar in 2017.
But Diaz said she did not have the exact figure available yet.
Coca-Cola also continues to welcome the opportunity to engage in dialog and work with government and with the local sugar industry and all other stakeholders, the statement said.
Diaz said they are hoping for a win-win solution soon.
Sugar Alliance of the Philippines spokesman, Emilio Yulo III, said the Coca-Cola plant tour and press conference yesterday, was a belated gesture from Coke to open their plant to show and claim that they use local sugar.
“It's been more than a month and a half since we called for a boycott, and this belated plant tour they gave just signifies that despite their denial, they have been affected by the boycott called for by local officials and other sectors and Negrenses who are supportive of the plight of the sugar industry,” he said.
This brings to mind the question that if they can use 100 percent sugar in their Bacolod plant, they can do the same in all their other plants which to this day uses a mixture of 90 percent HFCS and only 10 percent sugar, Yulo said.
“This also raises a doubt on the pronouncement of Sec. Pinol that Coke needs 6 months to tweak their machines for sugar use when it took them only a month and a half to do that in their Bacolod plant. This is why until Coke turns around and really brings something concrete to the table, all their pronouncements will be doubted and their sincerity will always be questioned,” he added.
“All it takes is one trip to a supermarket to show that their beverage sold here have HFCS as printed in their bottles. How sure are we then that they are true to their claim that its pure sugar and nothing more,” Yulo asked.*CPG


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The pandemic’s ramifications across the consumer goods industry will be felt for quite some time, and perhaps no more so than within demand planning. Dig into some of the data surrounding the state of demand planning, how the industry is reacting and responding, and deep insight from supply chain analysts.
A new study sheds light on the impact COVID-19 has had on the consumer products industry, which has had to endure unimagined marketplace disruptions and shifts in consumer behaviors during a time of crisis.
Just five short months ago, the consumer goods industry was focused on building a supply chain to support the omnichannel era, focusing on four key areas: demand planning, fulfillment, manufacturing, and last-mile delivery. However, since then the industry has been flipped on its head.
Quality and timeliness of product content are among the most critical factors in e-commerce success for consumer goods. However, the digital image creation process at many companies is still overly complex and far too slow.


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2012 BMW Motorcycle Sales
BMW Motorrad North America released its motorcycle-sales figures for the month of June, 2012, reported an increase of 6.7 percent.
BMW Group U.S. says a total of 1,310 motorcycles were sold, compared to 1,228 motorcycles sold in June, 2011.
As for year-to-date, BMW Motorrad North America sales are up 20 percent on sales of 6,453 compared to 5,376 sold in the first half of 2011.
BMW reports that inn June, the best performing models included the S 1000 RR, up 50.5 percent to 310 units, and the G-Series, up 51.4 percent to 112 units.
Motorcycle Sales BMW of North America, June 2012:
- June 2011: 1,310 motorcycles sold
- June 2012: 1,228 motorcycles sold, a 6.7 % increase
- YTD Motorcycles sold in 2011: 5,376
- YTD Motorcycles sold in 2012: 6,453, a 20% increase


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Roadkill Is Now Legal for Consumption in Oregon
If I’m driving and I see a dead deer on the side of the road, my first thought is usually something along the lines of “Poor Bambi.” But if your first thought is “Dinner!” you’ll be happy to hear about a new law in Oregon. The Beaver State is now one of about 20 states where you can legally eat the meat of certain types of roadkill (beavers not included).
Last week, Oregon’s Governor Kate Brown signed a bill – unanimously passed by both the state’s Senate and House – that requires the State Fish and Wildlife Commission to “adopt rules for the issuance of wildlife salvage permits to persons desiring to recover, possess, use or transport, for the purpose of salvaging game meat for human consumption, deer or elk that have been accidentally killed as a result of a vehicle collision.” The law only applies to deer and elk (sorry, bear meat enthusiasts), and permit holders are required to “promptly surrender the antlers of the deer or elk to the State Department of Fish and Wildlife.”
The passage of the new law raises two interesting questions: Do people really want to eat roadkill? And if so, why was eating roadkill illegal in the first place? According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, part of the answer to the latter question was that the rule hopefully prevented people from attempting to hit these animals on purpose to get their meat or antlers. “It’s not a legal method of hunting,” the department states.
As to the former question, even the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was able to muster up some positives for feasting on roadkill. “Eating roadkill is healthier for the consumer than meat laden with antibiotics, hormones and growth stimulants, as most meat is today,” PETA said according to the Associated Press. Yes, roadkill may be a healthier meat option; just watch out for any bits of broken headlight or brake fluid.


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Press Release 23.3.2020
At Megara Resins, we have been closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as it continues to spread across the world, and taking steps to keep our employees, customers and communities in which we operate informed as the health crisis unfolds. We strictly follow all the instructions issued by the Central Governmental Authorities, in order to prevent and to fight against the risk to spread the infection of the new Coronavirus (Covid-19).
We’ve already developed a corporate management team in place actively monitoring, preparing and managing our COVID-19 response around the clock. We are implementing our safety plans and protocols based on World Health Organization (WHO) and National Public Health Organization (EODY) guidelines and recommendations to help prevent the spread of the virus.
As cases expand globally, we’ve updated travel restrictions, and are providing new guidance to ensure we continue to serve our customers’ needs while practicing safe and healthy measures to contain and mitigate the spread of infection at our sites and offices. In that regard, we have taken several strong safety actions, including:
- Suspending international travel and restricting all other travel to business critical only
- Mandatory self-quarantine measures for employees at risk of exposure
- Limiting access to our sites
- Conducting enhanced and more frequent cleaning services at all facilities
- Encouraging employees to practice social distancing, proper handwashing and hygiene practices
- Canceling participation at all large meetings, both internally and externally
- Requiring employees to work from home where possible
We continue to safeguard our production at our sites ensuring delivery of our products to our customers. Up to date, we have not experienced any disturbances to our supply chain and ability to produce according to agreements and sales orders due to the transmission of COVID-19 across the globe. The recent announcement for a curfew in Greece is not affecting people travelling to and from their work so our plant operation will continue normally as before.
Nonetheless, due to the fact several countries in Europe have implemented health restrictions at their borders, not directly targeting the transport of goods, that could possibly could lead to longer time for border clearance of goods. We ask for your understanding if delays occur anyway. Our exports team is observing the situation closely and our customer service department will be informing you about the latest developments in the best possible way and in a timely manner.
Thank you for your patience and support during this exceptional situation. We will continue to regularly update this advisory as the situation develops.
On Behalf of Megara Resins S.A.


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Would YOU pay £50 for an ice cream? Häagen-Dazs unveil luxury frozen pud – with hand delivery by a butler included in the price
If you're tiring of the traditional Christmas pudding and classic trifle, the new pud to hit Earth might provide the perfect solution - if you're willing to pay a premium for it.
Häagen-Dazs have collaborated with London design duo Doshi Levien to create an indulgently artistic ice cream cake in the shape of the moon.
The spherical frozen fancy contains a pistachio biscuit base with layers of creamy macadamia nut ice cream, sweet meringue and a tangy coating of raspberry sorbet.
Scroll down for video
Frozen fancy: The new Häagen-Dazs ice cream moon cake costs £50
The frozen pud is made up of a pitachio biscuit base, creamy macadamia nut ice cream and a tangy raspberry sorbet
Anyone keen to tuck into the indulgent treat will have to be willing to pay a hefty price though - as the ice cream cake is on sale for £50.
Buyers will also have to be quick as the cake is handmade in the Häagen-Dazs shop in Paris - and only 50 will be created for UK consumers.
Available now on an apply-to-buy basis from their Facebook page, the £50 price tag also includes delivery - in the form of a butler who will hand deliver to your door, with full instructions on how to store and cut the cake.
The cakes will also be available to guests at the Royal Albert Hall (RRP £50).
Design duo: Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien created the ice moon cake
Designer Jonathan Levien (one half of Doshi Levien) said: 'The idea of working with Häagen-Dazs to create a cake made entirely of ice cream was irresistible.
'The mood idea came from many different places and has elements of fantasy, adventure and imagination.
'We imagined the shape and texture of an ice cream scoop being like the moon as in a famous childhood Bollywood song.'
Ed Culf, marketing director at Häagen-Dazs said they were sure the cake, which serves six to eight people, will be a hit. 'We are confident it will be the stylish centrepiece on many Christmas tables this festive season,' he said.
For an opportunity to buy the cake, visit www.facebook.com/haagendazs
VIDEO: How to make a moon cake:
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Drug major Ranbaxy beats expectations, posts first profit in 6 quarters
Stock rose 6.11% to Rs 634.10 on the BSE on and also triggered a 4.31% rise in Sun Pharma, which is acquiring Ranbaxy in an all-stock deal worth $4 billion.
The management of the company being acquired by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries said it has got a marketshare of more than 30% for valsartan in the US in an investor call after announcing the results. Ranbaxy has a six-month period during which it can market valsartan exclusively before others are allowed to sell the generic.
The stock rose 6.11% to Rs 634.10 on the BSE on Tuesday and also triggered a 4.31% rise in Sun Pharma, which is acquiring Ranbaxy in an all-stock deal worth $4 billion. Ranbaxy’s sales rose 16.3% toRs 3,260 crore from Rs 2,802 crore in the year ago. It said sales in India rose 12%, and that overall profit was helped by higher revenue in Western Europe.
"For the quarter, the company posted results better than expected on the net sales and profit front, mainly driven by the 180-day exclusivity of valsartan," said Sarabjit Kour Nangra, vice president, Angel Broking.
The company is looking to gain a similar advantage with another drug, although this has been delayed. "At the moment, we believe that we maintain the marketing exclusivity opportunity on generic Nexium and will launch the product on approval," Ranbaxy CEO Arun Sawhney said on the investor call.
The company was scheduled to launch the generic version of the second-best selling drug in the US in late May, but has failed to do so. Analysts expect Ranbaxy to earn $180-250 million in the first six months if it manages to successfully launch generic Nexium in the US.
Ranbaxy is working to resolve quality issues that led to the US Food and Drug Administration banning imports of all drugs from the company's four Indian plants at Mohali, Toansa, Dewas and Paonta Sahib. Without giving details, the management indicated that the Mohali plant could be the first to be remediated.
On the many senior level exits that the company has faced in the US this month, Sawhney said, "Exits do take place in companies. We have sufficient depth in the management and enough people to take care of US operations."
Earlier this month, Ranbaxy agreed to pay $39.75 million to settle litigation related to the manner in which it historically reported pricing data to Texas Medicaid, the US healthcare programme for people with low incomes.
That came after the drugmaker pleaded guilty last year to felony charges relating to drug safety and agreed to pay $500 million in civil and criminal fines under a settlement with the US Department of Justice.


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PSR launches new strategy setting out key priorities over next five years
The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has today published its new strategy, setting out its priorities and what it aims to achieve over the next five years. The strategy recognises areas where payments markets and systems are working effectively but also highlights where more work is needed. It brings together the regulator’s ideas for how payment systems and services should adapt for the future and focuses on the PSR’s core role – to protect the interests of people and businesses and to promote effective competition and innovation in payments.
Chris Hemsley, the PSR’s Managing Director, said:
“Payments are an essential part of daily life and it’s the PSR’s job to ensure that the systems underpinning them work well for everybody. Our new strategy sets out the priorities that will guide our work over the next five years.
“We will focus more on improving competition between payment systems, not just competition within payment systems. This is important because we know that the future of retail payments is becoming increasingly about digital payments, most of which are currently made using card payment systems.
“That’s why a key priority is to unlock the potential of account to account payments to provide credible alternatives to card payments – which are used for billions of pounds worth of retail payments. Our work to boost competition will drive innovation and improve service quality, while helping ensure people and businesses benefit and stay protected.”
The PSR’s strategic priorities
The PSR’s final strategy identifies four strategic priorities for the next five years. These are:
- Ensure users have continued access to the payment services they rely on, and support a choice of payment options.
- Ensure users are sufficiently protected when using the UK’s payment systems.
- Promote competition between UK payment systems and the markets supported by them; protecting users where that competition is not sufficient.
- Act to ensure the interbank systems provide the infrastructure, rules and incentives that foster innovation and competition in payments.
The strategy also describes the outcomes the PSR wants to see in the payments sector, as well as how it will measure progress towards achieving them.


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Establishing a digital business is top-of-mind, even more so than last year, as 91% of organizations have adopted or have plans to adopt a digital-first strategy, according to IDG Communications Digital Business Research.
Of these organizations, 48% already have a digital-first approach in place, up from 44% in 2018, meaning they are either in the execution, integration or digital maintenance phases.
The study also examines the strategies and technologies that businesses are adopting to ensure digital success, status of workforce transformation, and the importance of enhancing the customer experience in digital business objectives.
Status of the Digital Business Landscape
Multiple objectives are driving investment in digital business initiatives. Up from 58% in 2018, 67% of IT decision-makers (ITDMs) placed creating better customer experiences within their top five objectives for their organizations' digital transformation (DX) strategy.
Additional objectives include improved process efficiency through automation (53%), driving new revenue (48%), and staying ahead/on pace with competition (47%).
These objectives align with the factors ITDMs value in measuring the success of their digital initiatives. Topping the list is excellent customer experience as measured by customer satisfaction scores, followed by improved employee productivity through process efficiencies/automation, and increased ability to enable innovation.
Once digital business practices are established, ITDMs report positive results. More than one-third (35%) of organizations have experienced revenue growth due to digital business initiatives over the past 12 months, and on average these organizations experienced a 29% increase in revenue.
Digital business results contributing to this growth include new product and service offerings (50%), improved ability to innovate and seize new opportunities (49%), and overall new capabilities (42%).
Due to the nascent state of digital business adoption, 38% of businesses are unsure about their revenue growth; however, as this area matures the expectation is that these investments will lead to revenue growth in the future.
"This is an exciting time for businesses as technology continues to transform and support digital innovation," said Julie Ekstrom, SVP, IDG Communications, Inc. "The 2019 Digital Business Research reaffirms that the tech landscape has never been more complicated yet filled with opportunity to contribute to the business. Organizations must embrace new technologies and strategies, while ensuring a positive customer experience, in order to succeed."
Investments Supporting Digital Transformation
There is significant financial support behind digital business tools and strategies. On average, organizations will spend $15.3 million over the next 12 months on digital business initiatives, which is up from $14.3 million in 2018.
In a new question this year, IDG looked at how digital transformation budgets are divided among people and technology. The results show a fairly even split with 59% of the budget dedicated to technology, and 41% dedicated to people and skills.
This budget split aligns with the steps within the implementation process that organizations are making progress with, or have completed, to become a digital business. Out of the nine phases the research outlined, the greatest progress is among data security/protection strategy, technology needs assessment and data management strategy. However, when asked which step is the most crucial to digital business success, 53% ranked developing a business case/roadmap for overall DX strategy at the top.
The technologies that IT leaders currently have in use to help support their digital growth are mobile devices, mobile apps, private cloud, business process management, and public cloud. Exploration of new and emerging technologies include researching or piloting artificial intelligence (62%), followed by machine learning (57%), and 5G (55%).
There is also great interest in Internet of Things (IoT) as 51% of ITDMs are actively researching or piloting these solutions. Not only are these technologies being introduced to help improve the customer experience, but IT leaders are also focusing on workforce transformation – a strategy to change internal processes, departmental structures, incentives, skills, culture and/or behaviors.
37% of organizations have already implemented this strategy within their business, and 93% report that workforce productivity is dependent on technology.
Methodology: IDG's 2019 Digital Business Research was conducted among the audiences of five IDG brands (CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World) representing IT and security decision-makers within organizations that have plans to adopt/or already launched a "digital-first" approach. The survey was fielded online with the objective to gain a better understanding of where organizations are in their digital-first approach. Results in this release are based on 702 respondents across multiple industries.
A vast majority (89%) of organizations have rapidly expanded their technology in the past few years and three quarters (76%) say it's brought with it increased "chaos" that they have to manage, according to Situation Report 2024: Managing Technology Chaos from Software AG ...
In 2024 the number one challenge facing IT teams is a lack of skilled workers, and many are turning to automation as an answer, according to IT Trends: 2024 Industry Report ...
Organizations are continuing to embrace multicloud environments and cloud-native architectures to enable rapid transformation and deliver secure innovation. However, despite the speed, scale, and agility enabled by these modern cloud ecosystems, organizations are struggling to manage the explosion of data they create, according to The state of observability 2024: Overcoming complexity through AI-driven analytics and automation strategies, a report from Dynatrace ...
Organizations recognize the value of observability, but only 10% of them are actually practicing full observability of their applications and infrastructure. This is among the key findings from the recently completed Logz.io 2024 Observability Pulse Survey and Report ...


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Inboxes are so crowded, how can a marketer stand out? Here are eight brands that cut through the noise with great emails. Also, we are all about alliteration.
As the Internet of Things grows, so does the amount of data that comes with it. Is there too much data? Absolutely not, say industry experts who believe marketers can utilize all of it.
Recent partnerships between unlikely brands are an indication that the prediction that consumers will shape how businesses are run has come to fruition.
In the wake of US Airways' much-talked-about inappropriate Twitter blunder, it's easy to forget that airlines actually have a great track record of producing innovative, engaging social campaigns.
A look at how three brands are encouraging positive, socialized conversations that are aligned with business objectives and a desire to grow brand value but creating customer advocates.
Not surprisingly, brands continue to roll out hashtags, microsites, apps, and videos to cater to Olympic excitement. But whether this leads any additional sponsors to get caught up in Sochi controversy remains to be seen.
Which would you rather be: the marketing team who generated response or the team who expressed sympathy?
As you are considering your social media strategy, be sure to consider customer care, and make sure it spans all channels that customers are likely to need.
Though pelted with negative Facebook and Twitter chatter, Delta, United, and Southwest try to quell travelers' concerns.


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The official move to the ‘delay’ phase on Thursday was not as draconian as the measures taken in Italy and China, but shoppers have been voting with their feet (footfall in town centres is down as much as 30%), and their fingers (online sales are up as much as 70%) as panic has set in over the spread of the coronavirus. Then there’s the dropoff in tourist numbers and in international travel (in both directions). It all spells bad news for the hospitality sector in particular - and its associated wholesalers, suppliers and retailers - but in truth no one in food and drink will be spared to some extent.
The good news for grocery is: we all have to eat. And there’s plenty of food and drink - and loo roll and hand sanitiser - to go round. Indeed, as this week’s Grocer 33 shows, the industry is doing a great job in maintaining supply. Keeping calm and carrying on amidst the panic buying caused by the spread of the insidious disease.
What’s more, after the altercation with health secretary Matt Hancock last week over his claims that the government was working with the industry to ‘get this done’, ministers seem to have realised supermarkets and suppliers have much more idea of how to handle this crisis, so are giving them a huge say, listening to - and granting - their demands for emergency measures, such as lifting lorry curfews, extending driver hours, scrapping plastic bag charges, and allowing retailers and suppliers to share data on food supplies - so no food need go to waste and excesses in the system can be reallocated to address shortfalls elsewhere in the supply chain.
As we reveal, ministers have also called on senior members of the food and drink industry to reassure the public about the resilience of the food supply chain. With the exception of Iceland MD Richard Walker, supermarket bosses have thus far refused to play ball, preferring to keep their heads down and focus on the job at hand. In any case, why should they do the government any favours given its stance on business rates, and the extra costs coming down the line from the Budget on red diesel, packaging, and, of course, Brexit?


text: According to the Japanese ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, 11 of 59 soybean and corn-processed products subject to a government investigation were found to contain ingredients with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the Japan Times reports. One of the products, a cornmeal used to make bread and cakes, violates the Japan Agricultural Standards Law because its label does not feature a warning over the product's levels of GMOs. According to the product's label, the cornmeal contains no GMO ingredients. However, in terms of weight, it was found that some 6 per cent of its ingredients are genetically modified, the ministry said. If a food's GMO content is more than 5 per cent, manufacturers are required to mention it on the labels. According to the ministry, the manufacturer recalled all the products even though they passed the safety tests. The other 10 goods found to contain GMOs included cornmeal, tofu and fried tofu products. Of the latter, the cornmeal's GMO level is no more than 5 per cent while the ministry was unable to calculate the precooked GMO level of the soy beans used in the tofu and fried tofu products, it said.


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Got arthritis? Dry skin? Menstruation cramps? Trouble resting or sensation emphasized? The CBD market declares it has the remedy for you.
Such assertions are coming to be significantly usual– and brazen– as the cannabis substance generally referred to as CBD multiplies in drinks, baked items, tinctures, body lotions and even bathroom salts. To some, the buzz mirrors 19th-century snake oil advertisements that guaranteed to cure “all pains and pains!”
While CBD is normally thought to be safe, scant research study has actually been performed on its medical as well as health and wellness benefits because cannabis has long been forbidden at the federal degree. The only scientifically proven treatment is a therapy for two rare forms of childhood years epilepsy. All other cases are unscientific.
Currently regulators are starting to pay closer attention. Previously this month, New york city health and wellness officials purchased bakeshops and also dining establishments to quit adding cannabidiol, the formal name for CBD, to beverages as well as food. In December the Fda explained that it’s prohibited to market CBD products as nutritional supplements.
” Nobody’s been permitted to do the research for all these years, so it’s a large open space where companies can claim points without the data to back it up,” claims Kent Hutchison, co-director of the College of Colorado’s CU Change Lab.
CBD has actually been sold on-line for many years, mainly to people currently knowledgeable about THC, the psychoactive brother or sister that gets you high. More recently, the legalisation of cannabis in numerous states and also the boom in so-called wellness items have pressed CBD right into the mainstream. Customers are putting it under their tongues, scrubing it on their aching muscles as well as consuming seltzer infused with the fashionable component. Retail sales of CBD more than quadrupled in 2014, according to the data company SPINS, with most purchases taking place at natural supermarket. you can buy cbd oil from buycannabidiolcbdoil.com
The stuff doesn’t come inexpensive: A bottle of oil with 1,500 milligrams of “full-spectrum hemp oil” sells for $160 on the new website Requirement Dose, while a container of Seventh Sense eucalyptus spearmint body lotion made by the cannabis firm Environment-friendly Growth Brands, with 75 milligrams of CBD, retails for $16.50. A The golden state business called Excellent Bites markets bags of four CBD macaroons for $20, which obtains you a total of 100 milligrams. Populum, based in Tempe, Arizona, sells a 1 liquid ounce bottle that contains 19 milligrams of CBD for $99. With rates like that, it’s easy to see why analysts expect the CBD market to be worth greater than $20 billion by 2022, up from approximately $600 million now.
The growing need for CBD dovetails with Americans’ long-standing cravings for extremely foods as well as ingredients that promote health. In a split and anxious nation, additionally, many people are willing to attempt items that declare to reduce sleeping disorders as well as stress. CBD is complying with a course already traveled by turmeric, acai berries, ginkgo biloba and more. Individuals tell each other right stuff works, word trips, as well as the sales register keep buzzing.
” America has always had a population searching for the silver bullet,” says Kara Nielsen, that tracks food patterns at CCD Helmsman in The Golden State. “The buzz adheres to a comparable pattern: It has a great deal going for it, however it’s vague specifically what it does so it permits people to picture it’s their solution.”
The decade-old boom in nutritional supplements could be a precursor of what happens next with CBD. Makers of supplements have actually long made suspicious cases as well as drawn the displeasure of regulators. This month, the FDA provided 12 caution letters as well as 5 online advisories to foreign and domestic companies for marketing products that assert to prevent, deal with or heal Alzheimer’s, to name a few illness and health conditions.
The FDA has actually taken on a relatively benign posture toward CBD– sometimes corresponding warning firms not to make dubious insurance claims and reminding them that the chemical stayed forbidden under the Controlled Substances Act. Then in December, Congress passed the ranch costs, that makes the chemical substances located in hemp, consisting of CBD, lawful under particular situations.
The new legalisation locations hemp-derived CBD squarely for federal agencies consisting of the FDA, which claimed in December that any CBD product marketed as having therapeutic advantages should be accepted for its designated usage prior to it’s presented into interstate business.
Regulatory authorities are paying more interest at the state level too. Besides New York, Maine and Ohio have actually punished the sale of CBD as officials iron out the lawful standing of a compound that the FDA hasn’t authorized as a food additive.
If the nutritional supplement industry is any kind of overview, the crackdown is not likely to prevent manufacturers and also purveyors of CBD products. As long as they maintain their claims obscure, they ought to be able to proceed marketing their items, specifically ones that are used on the surface as well as not consumed.
Dr. Yasmin Hurd, director of the Dependency Institute at Mount Sinai, has watched all the CBD buzz with bemusement. She’s researched the substance for ten years and assumes it might assist deal with opioid addiction. Her most significant anxiety is that the “commercialization” of CBD might protect against severe clinical study on a drug that she assumes has tremendous possibility.
The issue, in her eyes, is that there could not be moneying for CBD studies if the product is currently commonly readily available. “A great deal of people are generating income yet they’re not happy to really do the study,” she states. “Every person is missing the more crucial point below.” Aside from the epilepsy medication from GW Pharmaceuticals Plc, medication manufacturers have actually thus far adopted a wait-and-see placement. If as well as when professional trials have been finished, possibilities are great they’ll swoop in and get a few of the leading marijuana companies.
The research studies that have been done recommend CBD can help enhance the immune system and decrease swelling, but with one important caveat: those research studies have not been done on humans. Existing research study also suggests that 500 milligrams of CBD is required for it to be reliable, a far greater dosage than typically located in a lot of consumer items. Meanwhile, with oversight lax, phony items having no CBD whatsoever have actually multiplied, according to industry onlookers.
Joe Dowling runs Curriculum Vitae Sciences, a publicly traded firm that markets a top-selling oil called And also CBD Oil that’s available in 2,000 stores around the U.S. Dowling claims it’s “annoying” that underhanded companies are hurrying into the marketplace, making health cases and also selling phony items. Curriculum Vitae Sciences consults with lawyers who recognize FDA regulations, he claims, as well as is deliberately unclear regarding CBD’s benefits, calling the chemical a “essential supplement to preserve a healthy way of life.”
Dowling invites more FDA oversight in addition to clinical trials that will certainly prove CBD’s benefits as well as offer a basis for even more precise advertising and marketing. “It’s mosting likely to be the Wild West for a while,” he claims.Read More


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With the agreement with Warner Music Group already in place, Apple has very recently entered into an authorized contract for music with EMI Music as the deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment draw nearer.
These two new deals i. e. with Warner Music Group and EMI will enable Apple in introducing a completely accredited cloud music facility in order to compete with its opponents namely Google and Amazon who don’t have complete licenses in this arena.
Though the exact dates as to when apple will be releasing the cloud-music service or declare publicly about its contracts has still not been disclosed, these four arrangements made by Apple would mean that by the 6th of June on which day the company is supposed to launch its Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple will have the world’s four of the top and best music recording companies at its disposal.
Though it is expected that Apple will still be after Amazon and Google in the league, yet Apple now has the advantage of offering a wider array of features which its opponents can boost of owing to the restraints of not being licensed.
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- Doctors to Reconstruct People's Faces with Stem Cells from their Fat


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Lockdown 1.0 was undeniably taxing time for e-tailers, grocery firms as they have responded to first-time tests with pioneering strategies to maintain supply chains and ensure consumers can access their goods. Survival of the fittest - Firms adapted to supply provisions to homes through their platforms as a means of its existence.
Newer insights - On a routine discussion with a leading blue collared job aggregator, I was delighted to hear they were helping eCommerce companies recruit individuals for delivery of essential goods since companies were facing adversity in their present set of employees moving to their home town unknown about their future
The hurdle - Trade was hit badly at the workforce level with numerous employees leaving for their home towns immediately after the declaration of lockdown, reducing eCommerce working capacity by half and at the same time, 5X times increase in consumers ’ resorting to panic buying.
Adaptability - Businesses like BigBasket, iD Fresh Food used technology and business process engineering by filtering their SKUs and further justifying reach in cities facing manpower scarcity increasing their productivity.
iD Fresh Food manufactures of fresh foods like idly/dosa batter parottas, chapatis, curd and paneer embarked on an innovative method to halt customers from panic buying as they launched a store finder feature on its website rationalizing SKUs, it provides consumers with updated info on iD products available at stores near them. They also offer a notify-me feature to alert consumers as and when fresh stocks get refilled at neighborhood stores.
A newer way of doing business - Milk basket a subscription-based micro delivery service gratifying dairy essentials and household need of customers need every morning now has a new normal as the cost of serving customers multiplied with the anti-Covid measures, they had to temporarily cut down on their capacities, cancel last minute orders inconveniencing customers apart from large scale wastage & dump of perishable goods.
Nandu’s chicken and Licious Food supplying fresh non-vegetarian foods recruited a new workforce to cater to the gastronomical needs of their customers.
MTR foods tied-up with Shell oil to ensure their products are accessible across all petrol pumps in South India apart from enhancing direct deliveries of orders placed through their website to 15,000 pin codes in India.
Marico partnered with logistic companies like Delhivery, Shadowfax, and Lalamove to ensure products are delivered from factories to depots to distributors and to end consumers.
The 2nd lockdown - with no letup on non-essential items has given Fashion brand Nykaa an opportunity to launch its private label in handwashes, masks, and hand sanitizers with a pledge to deliver it to over 14,000 pin codes.
The logistics trade also swung into action as they were allowed intra and interstate movements of trucks. MyGate, a community-based management platform realigned its business by building partnerships to restore essential services for its users by partnering with companies like Grofers, ITC for the fast delivery of grocery supplies apart from free medical consultation tie-ups with healthcare companies like DocsApp and mfine.
Reckitt Benckiser, P&G, Unilever have become more resilient than ever and are revamping their production of cleaning supplies as they see unprecedented demand even in the future. Products like Lysol and Dettol are in huge demand as personal hygiene is becoming more important and they expect more pronounced changes in consumer behavior and are quite confident that consumers will stick to well-known brands.
Aid from tech companies - Marut Drones, Flytbase, GarudaUAV is rushing up the process compared to traditional deliveries by delivering medicines, vital supplies. These drones fitted with infrared cameras, speakers help civic and government authorities not only monitor body temperatures but spray disinfectants, help to monitor and cautioning citizens, providing pertinent evidence on people’s movements
Don't worry about dying, worry about not living - Heartening trend signified amidst a countrywide lockdown, the e-commerce industry has tried to stay afloat by delivering essential goods and expanding to grocery and are still working on their business continuity plans and will be more active in their direct-to-consumer outreach and will need to devise strategies to adjust to this new reality.


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Bitcoin is a decentralized cryptocurrency that is not subject to government or financial institution control. This makes it a more secure asset than cash or commercial paper. Bitcoin is also a scarce asset, with a limited supply of 21 million tokens. This makes it a more attractive investment for Tether, which is looking to strengthen its reserves.
Tether’s investment in Bitcoin is a significant development in the cryptocurrency space. It is a sign that the company is confident in the long-term future of Bitcoin and that it believes that Bitcoin can help to improve the security of its reserves. This investment could also lead to other stablecoin issuers investing in Bitcoin, which could further legitimize Bitcoin as a store of value.
- Bitcoin is a decentralized currency that is not subject to government or financial institution control. This makes it a more secure and reliable form of payment than traditional fiat currencies.
- Bitcoin is a scarce asset with a limited supply of 21 million tokens. This makes it a more attractive investment than traditional assets, which are often subject to inflation.
- Bitcoin is a global currency that can be used by anyone, anywhere in the world. This makes it a more convenient and efficient form of payment than traditional fiat currencies.
Bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, reached an all-time high of nearly $69,000 in November 2021. However, it has since fallen to around $27,000 as of Wednesday morning. This represents a decline of more than 60% from its all-time high.
US lawmakers are working to regulate stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies that are designed to be pegged to a fiat currency, such as the US dollar. The proposed regulations would mandate reserve requirements, which would require stablecoin issuers to hold a certain amount of assets in reserve for each stablecoin they issue. The regulations would also ban algorithmic stablecoins, which are stablecoins that use algorithms to maintain their peg to a fiat currency.
The proposed regulations are being developed in response to the recent collapse of TerraUSD, an algorithmic stablecoin that lost its peg to the US dollar and caused significant losses for investors. The collapse of TerraUSD has raised concerns about the stability of stablecoins and the potential for them to be used for fraudulent or criminal activity.
The proposed regulations are still in development, and it is not yet clear when they will be finalized. However, the fact that US lawmakers are working to regulate stablecoins is a sign that the cryptocurrency industry is maturing and that regulators are taking steps to protect investors and the financial system.
A stablecoin bill is seen as low-hanging fruit for lawmakers to pass, compared to other legislation to regulate the crypto industry. This is because stablecoins are a relatively new and less complex asset class than other cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Stablecoins are also more widely used than other cryptocurrencies, which makes them a more attractive target for regulation.
There are a number of reasons why lawmakers are interested in regulating stablecoins. First, stablecoins are often used as a form of payment, which means they could be used to facilitate illegal activities, such as money laundering and terrorist financing. Second, stablecoins are often used to invest in other cryptocurrencies, which could make them a source of systemic risk to the financial system. Third, stablecoins are often issued by unregulated entities, which means that investors are not protected from fraud or other risks.
There are a number of challenges to regulating stablecoins. First, it is difficult to define what a stablecoin is. Stablecoins are often backed by assets, such as fiat currencies or precious metals, but there is no standard definition of what constitutes a “stable” asset. Second, it is difficult to regulate stablecoins that are issued by entities outside of the United States. Third, it is difficult to enforce regulations on stablecoins, as they are often traded on decentralized exchanges that are not subject to government oversight.
Despite the challenges, there is a growing consensus among lawmakers that stablecoins need to be regulated. The US Treasury Department has proposed a number of regulations for stablecoins, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is also considering regulations for stablecoins.


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Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage to applause shortly Wednesday morning and announced that "Apple (is) on the forefront of post-PC revolution."
But Steve Jobs' hand-chosen replacement took his time before revealing the "poster child" of that revolution. When he finally did pull the veil back, the features on the third generation iPad was largely what consumers expected.
The new iPad will come with a Retina display and a more powerful chip, which will have four times the graphics performance power of other tablets. Perhaps most importantly the newest iPad will be 4G LTE ready, which sets the stage for the next iPhone to follow.