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LAGOS, NIGERIA — Nigeria will continue to rely on grain imports for food security as the country is challenged with coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, currency devaluation and climate change, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Domestic wheat production is forecast to fall 8% to 55,000 tonnes in the 2020-21 marketing year. In Nigeria, farmers do not live on wheat farms and wheat is usually planted in November and harvested in April.
The COVID-19 lockdown across Nigeria that began on March 30, 2020, restricted access to wheat farms and in turn resulted in higher post-harvest losses, the USDA said.
Wheat imports are expected to total 4.9 million tonnes in the 2020-21 marketing year. The Nigerian government’s restrictions on wheat continues to add increasing cost of flour, rising food prices and reduce consumption of bread and wheat flour-based products, the USDA noted.
COVID-19 lockdown measures also hampered Nigeria’s productivity in corn output. The USDA expects the country’s market year 2020-21 corn production to decline 13% to 9 million tonnes. Imports for the commodity are forecast to jump to 500,000 tonnes and decreased supply, currency devaluation and flooding events are expected to pressure the government to import more during the 2020-21 marketing year.
According to the Nigerian poultry industry, it would need to import 5.6 million tonnes of corn to meet the feed demand in the 2020-21 marketing year. The USDA said Nigeria is challenged by lack of storage capacity and import suspension put in place in July 2020. The USDA’s current corn import forecast is based on the approved import volume.
Rice production is expected to total 7.8 million tonnes in the 2020-21 marketing year, a 3% dip compared with the previous year. COVID-19 measures restricted access to rice farms during the March-April planting period. Nigeria’s rice exports are expected to increase slightly for the 2020-21 marketing year to 1.75 million tonnes, which compared with 1.2 million tonnes exported in 2019-20.


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Honda recalls 50,000 vehicles over potential for engine failure in Civic models
Honda Motor Co Ltd said it will recall about 50,000 Civic small cars in the United States from the 2012 model year for a potential driveshaft assembly issue.
The company will notify those with affected cars by mail in late June about the problem, which could lead to loss of engine
power, officials said today.
The Japanese automaker said it will inspect and, if needed, replace the driver's side driveshaft that may not have been properly assembled.
Issue: Honda Motor Co Ltd said it will recall about 50,000 Civic cars in the United States from the 2012 model for a potential driveshaft assembly problem
Owners of the Civics will also have an opportunity later in June to check whether their vehicles are in need of repairs online at recalls.honda.com.
The driveshaft issue has the potential to lead to the engine no longer propelling the vehicle in any gear.
If the driveshaft has not been assembled appropriately, it could separate from an outer constant-velocity joint, which the vehicle uses to transmit power.
The car also could roll away if the parking brake has not been set, according to Honda officials.
This could increase the risk of serious injury as a vehicle with the improper assembly may be more likely to crash.
However, no crashes or injuries have been reported related to this issue as of yet, Honda said.
Possible repairs: Honda will notify those with affected cars by mail in late June about the problem, which could lead to loss of engine power
Those who receive a notification that their car is part of the recall should take their vehicle to an authorized dealer right away for inspection, the company said.
Honda is familiar with making recalls as several of their models have experienced problems in recent time.
In late December, the company recalled 304,000 vehicles globally for air-bags that could have inflated with too much pressure in a crash, send metal and plastic pieces flying and cause injuries or deaths.
There were 20 accidents so far related to this problem at the time of the recall, including two deaths in the U.S. in 2009.
That recalled affected the Accord, Civic, Odyssey, Pilot, CR-V and other models, manufactured in 2001 and 2002.
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text: While Canada’s sizeable ageing population is partly responsible for declining sales of ice cream, the fast-growing population of Chinese Canadians is higher than average consumers of ice cream and present unique opportunities for ice cream manufacturers in the region. Chinese Canadians are big users of ice cream – especially gelato Chinese Canadians are a potentially lucrative target group for ice cream manufacturers. Responding to the needs of Chinese Canadians is important, considering the number of Chinese immigrants grew 64% between 2001 and 2011 to reach 545,535, making Chinese the second largest foreign-born group in Canada, according to Statistics Canada. As a consumer base, Chinese Canadians are set to increase in number following government plans to substantially increase immigration levels in order to help cope with the aging population and labour shortages. According to news reports, Canada is seeking to double the number of visa offices in China to attract more high-skilled workers. A larger number of Chinese Canadian consumers could mean good news for ice cream sales. 77% of Chinese Canadians have eaten gelato, compared with just 47% of all Canadians Our research shows that Chinese Canadians tend to be frequent consumers of ice cream. Whereas nine in 10 Canadians overall have eaten hand-held ice creams (ie cones, sandwiches or ice cream on a stick), this increases to 97% of Chinese Canadians. They are also the biggest eaters of other ice cream formats, including large tubs, which nearly a third eat weekly compared to less than a quarter overall. Suggesting an appreciation for more indulgent ice creams, more than three-quarters of Chinese Canadians have eaten gelato, compared with less than half of all Canadians. This high usage reflects Chinese Canadians’ positive perception of gelato’s thick, indulgent texture, as near one third associate gelato as being satisfying and two in five consider it to be good tasting. Chinese Canadians seek ethnic flavours As far as Canada’s ice cream market is concerned, Chinese Canadian consumers are one group which offers exciting usage potential going forward, but are nonetheless wildly contrasting with other demographics in the innovation they want to see come to market. In fact, Chinese Canadian ice cream consumers are notably more likely than average to want to try ethnically inspired ice cream flavours (eg green tea, mango), with half interested compared to three in 10 overall. They also show similar above-average enthusiasm in trying internationally inspired ice cream formats (eg Japanese mochi ice cream, Indian kulfi). This reflects their familiarity for exotic flavours, which may provide them with a taste of home. Considering the Canadian government is proactively seeking to welcome more Chinese immigrants to its country, more exotic, traditional Chinese flavours like green tea-, red bean- and durian-flavoured ice creams may eventually arrive in the ice cream freezers of Canada’s supermarkets. Alex Beckett is a Global Food and Drink Analyst at Mintel. Prior to that he spent nearly three years writing UK-based consumer reports on a wide variety of food and drink categories. Prior to joining Mintel, Alex was Food and Drink Editor of highly-regarded food industry magazine, The Grocer. You might also be interested in: No related posts.


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The annual Primetime Emmy Awards show is the biggest night of the year for television — and it's pretty important for fashion, too.
This year's Emmy Awards took place on September 17, with stars showing off some stunning, as well as outlandish, ensembles on the red carpet.
In the past, tulle, cutouts, and extravagant details have made for some of the most unexpected outfits at the awards show.
From Barbara Streisand's all-velvet look in 2004 to Sarah Paulson's dress with puffy sleeves in 2017, we've rounded up some of the most unusual ensembles that we've seen at the Emmy Awards so far.
At the same event, Sarah Paulson wore a straight-line, sequined Carolina Herrera dress with cutout details and puffy short sleeves.
Without the sleeves, this dress would have been stunning.


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China Restricts Web Sites
From BusinessWeek: China orders all Web sites to register
"Authorities have ordered all China-based Web sites and blogs to register or be closed down, in the latest effort by the communist government to police the world of cyberspace.
Commercial publishers and advertisers can face fines of up to 1 million yuan ($120,000) for failing to register, according to documents posted on the Web site of the Ministry of Information Industry.
Private, noncommercial bloggers or Web sites must register the complete identity of the person responsible for the site, it said. The ministry, which has set a June 30 deadline for compliance, said 74 percent of all sites had already registered."


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Trusted Identities in Cyberspace
The Obama Administration's initiative to establish a national strategy to establish trusted identities in executing commercial transactions online is much needed. We have been relying for years on simple ad-hoc approaches to security that have grown without any plan or structure. They have just sprouted up.
The result has been that we have multiple signons, with some of them quite effective and many ridiculously ineffective. What is worse, people are expected to remember a great many passwords and pin numbers, some for sensitive information like direct access to their bank accounts. They can't remember everything so they use the same passwords for multiple purposes with some using the same password for their hotmail account as they do for their bank account,. That is more than wreckless.
The idea behind the Trusted Identity is that people would pre-establish their identity in a common database with strict government supervision and then when they execute a transaction online a single signon would be sufficient,. Also, they would not need to give all that long list of personal information that some sites now require. And which causes privacy advocates headaches and nightmares.
Such a policy is more than overdue. Here's an article that explains more as to why.


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, located on Puente Ave., started competing last week against three other auto shops from Southern California selected by eBay Motors to build four classic cars, which will then be auctioned for charity.
According to organizers, audiences can vote online at the end of each episode, at www.builtfromebay.com.
Episodes will show all four shops working on each of the vehicles from scratch.
Finished cars will be presented in episode 9. Winners will be announced in episode 10, to be aired on August 27.
Cars will then be auctioned for charity, and displayed at the SEMA exhibit, the biggest aftermarket car event in the world.
"Sixty days is not a lot of time, but we're going to give it our all, this is a family business, so some of my brothers will be mad at me because I will have them working late," said Rico Duran during the first episode of "Built."
The Duran family will build a 1966 Chevy El Camino. The other contestants are Mackey’s Hot Rods of Huntington Beach, GSR Autosport of Lake Forest, and Off Road Evolution of Fullerton.
Viewers will be able to watch every step of the construction process. Each shop will be assisted by experts from magazines like Hot Rod, Lowriders, European Car and Four Wheeler.
You can watch all episodes here.


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In a response to MediaNama, Flipkart says that the website AmazonVsFlipkart.com did infringe its trademark, and even though it agrees that its legal notice to Amit Bhawani,the Editor in Chief of PhoneRadar.com, AndroidAdvices.com and GizmoReport.com, was worded "stronger than intended". Flipkart believes that the legal notice was issued in the interest of safeguarding its goodwill, brand and trademarks. The company had sent a legal notice to technology journalist Amit Bhawani, saying that his site www.amazonvsflipkart.com, which was used to poll users about their views on quality of service of Amazon and Flipkart, had violated their trademark and was a case of cybersquatting. Flipkart's statement, following MediaNama's story on the issue: “We respect the right to freedom of speech and endeavor to carry out research and polls. However, the legal notice was issued in the interest of safeguarding our goodwill, brand and…
- India’s I&B ministry blocks eight YouTube channels for ‘spreading fake news’ August 18, 2022
- Delhi police’s reply to IFF RTI shows FRT may worsen religious-bias in policing August 18, 2022
- Attend Our Briefing: Impact Of The Competition Bill On Startups August 18, 2022
- TLDR: Assam internet block, India G24, TikTok, Twitter, Big Tech, drones for healthcare, more August 18, 2022
- How Google’s location tracking led to a $42 million penalty in Australia August 17, 2022
MediaNama’s mission is to help build a digital ecosystem which is open, fair, global and competitive.
Do we have an enabling system for the National Data Governance Framework Policy (NDGFP) aiming to create a repository of non-personal data?
A viewpoint on why the regulation of cryptocurrencies and crypto exchnages under 2019's E-Commerce Rules puts it in a 'grey area'
India's IT Rules mandate a GAC to address user 'grievances' , but is re-instatement of content removed by a platform a power it should...
Why ‘group privacy’ should be recognised, and how ‘non-personal’ data becomes a regulatory blindspot
There is a need for reconceptualizing personal, non-personal data and the concept of privacy itself for regulators to effectively protect data
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Consumers gear up for Black Friday weekend
According to a recent report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF), as many as 147 million individuals are planning to shop on Black Friday as well as the Saturday and Sunday after it. They'll monitor advertising circulars, TV ads, the internet and their email accounts for information on sales before heading out to the stores.
Several retailers will even get an early start to the Black Friday shopping madness by opening on Thanksgiving for business. NBC News reports that Target stores will open at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving and Toys R Us will open at 8 p.m.
"Already there is a tremendous amount of excitement and anticipation surrounding retailers' Thanksgiving and Black Friday promotions," said NRF President Matthew Shay. "It's critical for retail companies to constantly evolve as consumers do, and right now shoppers want great deals, good value and convenience - exactly what we're seeing with this season's late and early openings, price-matching, layaway and mobile offerings."
While many will give up time with their families on Thanksgiving or wake up early to take advantage of early bird specials on Black Friday, fashionistas can rest assured that they'll be able to get a great deal by shopping for used name brand clothing at their local Plato's Closet store all season long.
Latest Style Blog Episode
How To Wear Mixed Prints
In this episode, I give you three tips when on how to wear Mixed Prints! These are not rules, but just helpful guidelines on going outside of your comfort zone and wearing multiple patterns at once. With this video and my Mix It Up Pinterest board, you'll be rocking prints and patterns in no time :) Each and every printed piece was purchased at my favorite Plato's Closet... duh.watch it


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The free trade agreement between Peru and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries -Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein- will come into force from July, Trade and Tourism Minister Eduardo Ferreyros said Monday.
Peru and the European Union will sign the final documents of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in mid-March, Trade and Tourism Minister Eduardo Ferreyros said Sunday.
Significant private investments are anticipated during 2011, mainly to finance the enhancement of vessels and environmental management projects, said the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Maria Isabel Talledo.
Large Korean conglomerates such as Samsung and Hyundai are getting ready to enter Peru in view of the upcoming entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement scheduled for April
One of Mexico’s opposition parties, the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), has vowed to vote against a potential free trade agreement (FTA) with Peru, Colombia and Brazil on the grounds of food sovereignty, national public health, as well as food and plant sanitation.
California asparagus growers are eligible for a share of $15 million in federal funds to help offset losses suffered as imports from Mexico and Peru erode their market share due to FTAs.
Peru is pushing for a free-trade agreement with with Arab states of the Persian Gulf as it aggressively expands beyond pacts it has implemented with China and the United States, state-run media said on Friday.
Once the text is finalised, the Peruvian Chancellery is in charge of determining whether the FTA should be ratified by Congress or the Executive, while the EU will determine whether the agreement is “mixed” or not, reports Agencia Andina.
Egyptian Ambassador to Lima Hesham Khalil reported Saturday that Peru and his country are holding talks to sign a trade agreement that enables to increase trade between both nations.
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Peru and the European Union may come into force in January 2012, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) announced Tuesday.
Despite the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement and zero duty for Peru’s asparagus since March 2010, the going market price for the product puts it out of reach for most Chinese
The second round of free trade agreement negotiations between Peru and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama will take place from January 17 to 21 in Panama City.
The Renco Group has served the Republic of Peru with a "Notice of Intent to Commence an International Arbitration Proceeding" under the US-Peru FTA for the Peruvian government’s alleged failure to remediate soils poisoned by Renco’s mining operations there.
Trade ministers of Peru, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador will meet next month to monitor progress of Peru’s initiative to create a free trade area between the four Pacific nations
Japan and Peru announced Sunday that they have concluded negotiations on a free trade pact, aiming to further bolster trading that has steadily blossomed in the last six years.
South Korea and Peru signed a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), Monday, which is expected to be implemented midway through next year after being approved by the parliaments of both countries.
The first round of FTA negotiations between Peru and Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama) takes place this week in Lima.
Peru will sign its free trade agreement with Thailand during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Japan next month.
"This [deal] opens the door for Bolivians to have an international port, to the use of the ocean for global trade and for Bolivian products to have better access to global markets," Evo Morales said after signing the agreement.
Yesterday, Peruvian President Alan García said he wrote letters to the presidents of Panama, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador, proposing the regional integration of the five Pacific rim countries.


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Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
Apple Returns 5-8 Million Defective iPhones to Foxconn?
The reports indicate that it will cost Foxconn roughly 200 yuan ($32) per device to correct the issues with the defective iPhones, resulting in a charge of as much as 1.6 billion yuan ($259 million) to address the problem. It is unclear which iPhone models are affected by the issues, but Apple does not appear to be suffering from major shortages of any of its current devices.
The iPhone 5 suffered from quality control issues following its launch, with a number of customers complaining of scratches and other issues with their devices even right out of the box. Foxconn executives acknowledged that the iPhone 5 was a difficult device to assemble, with increased quality control standards contributing to production output below the company's goals.
As a result, it took Apple two and a half months to achieve supply-demand balance for the device, although the company was also pursuing its most aggressive worldwide rollout yet.


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SRE Matrix -- a hybrid brokerage that’s secured more than $200 million in funding from a billionaire investor -- has launched a nationwide property search site, with plans to feed leads to more than a hundred partner brokerages around the country. The brokerage’s website currently covers 37 states. But SRE Matrix holds broker licenses in 48 and will soon expand coverage to all 50, according to Rob Young, executive vice president of SRE Technologies, SRE’s parent company. SRE Matrix employees a handful of salaried agents in Hawaii, Los Angeles, Arizona, South Carolina and Tennessee. SRE Matrix's listing search results pages show dollar estimates of the rebates that buyers would receive if they used SRE Matrix. The company plans to hire in-house agents in other markets, but it will expand digitally to many others through partnerships with local brokerages. These partner brokerages, which SRE Matrix calls "alliance agencies," will service referrals from SRE Mat...
- SRE Matrix, a hybrid brokerage that has raised $200 million in funding, has launched a nationwide property search site.
- The brokerage will feed leads generated through its website and listing portal advertising to more than 100 partner brokerages in markets throughout the country.
- Partner brokerages will use SRE's Matrix low-fee business model and technology to service leads from SRE Matrix.
Learn the New Luxury Playbook at Luxury Connect | October 18-19 at the Beverly Hills Hotel


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Chip Maker ARM buys IoT Security Company Offspark
- Monday, February 9th, 2015
- Share this article:
Offsparks PolarSSL technology is already deployed in a wide range of IoT devices including modules for sensors and communication, as well as smartphones. The PolarSSL solution will form the core of ARMs communication security strategy, enabling developers using the companys Mbed platform to design and build IoT products with integrated security features.
While the PolarSSL will be rebranded as ARM Mbed TLS, the technology will remain open source and will be made available to developers for commercial use. The acquisition is indicative of the heightened focus on system and data security as IoT devices become more prevalent and involved in consumers day to day lives.
“We have always said that security must be the foundation of any IoT system and the acquisition of Offspark is evidence of us making that happen,” said Krisztian Flautner, general manager for IoT business at ARM. “PolarSSL technology is already deployed by the leading IoT players. The fact that those same companies also utilise ARM Cortex processor and software technologies means we are now able to provide a complete bedrock solution for the industry to innovate from.”


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Volocopter has opened the factory for its VoloCity eVTOL in Bruchsal, Germany.
The company opened the hangar this week that will host the final assembly line with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, alongside an airfield which from which development flight tests and quality checks will be carried out.
Volocopter’s VoloCity eVTOL air taxi can carry two passengers up to 35km (22 miles) and has a top speed of 110km/h (68mph). It is propelled by 18 rotors and has a low noise signature for operations in urban areas.
The factory in Bruschal will manufacture the VoloCity eVTOLs and is ramping up into full operation this month. The VoloCity is expected to receive Type Certification from EASA next year.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony also featured a crewed flight of the Volocopter 2X.
Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter said, “Right here is where the aircraft that will change how humanity moves about cities will take off and make its way across the world. This region is known for transforming mobility – the bicycle, the car, and soon Volocopter, too. Electric air taxis and Volocopter is a technology made in Germany that will make the world a more sustainable place.”
Andreas Fehring, chief supply chain officer of Volocopter, and program manager VoloCity said, “The VoloCity has completed the critical design review – and that’s the aircraft we’re ready to produce, with enough leeway for further learnings derived from flight testing. It’s no easy task to set up a production facility for an entirely new type of aircraft, but my team has done a phenomenal job.”
The German company has committed to launching commercial air taxi services in cities like Singapore, Rome, NEOM, and Paris from next year.


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JAKARTA (IndoTelko) – The Lazada Group expand into a new business line focusing on the C2C segment with the launch of Lamido (www.lamido.co.id).
Lamido is already live in Indonesia and Vietnam and other countries are expected to be launched soon.
“With a huge informal e-commerce market including thousands of shop on social networks such as Facebook and Instragram we realized that a huge part of the market was underserved by the current Lazada offering. We are aiming to help this market to become more professional and customer friendly,” said Lamido CEO, Tom Damek.
Together will all major Indonesian e-commerce businesses, Lamido will take part in the 11/11 online revolution campaign. It has lined up an extensive range of exciting offers including a number of unique and sought-after memorabilia such as signed football shirts of Indonesian National Team stars and gadgets
with no reserve price. The campaign will provide everyone with a chance to get gadgets for a small fraction of the retail price with the proceeds going to charity.
Lamido is focusing on offering a convenient platform for buyers and sellers to interact. To grow the nascent e-commerce market Lamido focus on One unique advantage of the platform to other C2C players is the fact that Lamido offers Cash on Delivery to its customers.
So far, buyers have been forced to either blindly trust sellers to wire money via bank transfers upfront or meet them in person to complete the transaction. Clearly, this creates huge inconveniences with countless stories of disappointed customers who did not receive what they had hoped for.
“We believe that Lamido offering COD will be a game changer in this market.” said Tom. In addition, Lamido has launched a safePay option which offers an Escrow service so that the money get disbured to the seller only when the buyer has received the product in full.
Lamido is free to use with the goal to provide a safe and convenient platform to buy and sell. The focus is on creating a great platform for users and the company is leveraging Lazada’s expertise and relationships with other players in the online and offline field.
Sellers have the option on fixed price or auction model for their product and decide on what payment methods they accept.. So far over 10,000 products, across a range of categories including electronics and gadgets, men’s and women’s fashion, health and beauty, and cars are online. Users can list both, new as well as used products.(es)


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- 2 min read
In Budget 2023, a plan to close manufacturing gap with China
The finance ministry, which has begun its pre-budget consultation with various ministries and departments, has indicated that schemes that push local manufacturing and exports offering various support measures will get priority in fund allocation.
India is looking to further fire up its manufacturing and export-intensive sectors through more support measures in the upcoming budget, eyeing the space created by a slowing Chinese economy.
The finance ministry, which has begun its pre-budget consultation with various ministries and departments, has indicated that schemes that push local manufacturing and exports offering various support measures will get priority in fund allocation. “The broader focus of the budget will be to promote growth with a focus on local manufacturing and exports,” a top government official told ET.
China is expected to grow at a slower pace than expected, and the geopolitical developments may push companies to look for alternatives, the official said. “India should be prepared to capture some of the space.”
India's exports grew 16.96 % in the April-September period this year over the same period last year. Last month, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had cautioned about risks on the external front.
"We have to be ready to face the challenges, the challenges in the exports. We have to see how our exports can be supported the best," Sitharaman had said, while assuring exporters of all the necessary support from the government in the wake of global challenges.
Leading economists have also suggested that India grab the opportunity due to China slowing down and increase its share in global trade, which is currently 1.7%, significantly lower than China’s share of 12%. “Ultimately China is going to vacate many of these markets, things like the clothing industry.
The labour-intensive products with the Chinese wages is not going to last ultimately for a very long time in the marketplace and somebody big have to come into this to step into the shoes (of China),” Arvind Panagariya, professor of Economics at Columbia University and former vice chairman of the Niti Aayog, said on the sidelines of an event Saturday. He added that countries like Vietnam were ahead of India in capturing some of the space.
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When the Vancouver Olympic Games kick off on Feb. 12, visitors will find café furniture made from pine-beetle-salvaged wood, drink out of bottles made from 30% plant-based materials, and their beverages will be delivered via hybrid vehicles and electric cart. All are elements of Coca-Cola’s first zero-waste, carbon-neutral sponsorship.
he effort has been years in the making, beginning with a relatively simple recycling effort for the Athens Olympic Games in 2000. Since then the company has layered in additional elements, like environmentally friendly coolers and shirts made out of plastic bottles.
“The world is evolving. The focus of the consumer is also changing,” said Thierry Borra, Coca-Cola’s director-Olympic Games management. “One thing that we know from the research is that sustainability is important to all of our customers and consumers. It has an impact on how consumers are perceiving our brand.”
While corporate sponsors and event producers have been incorporating more eco-friendly elements in the last couple of years, Coca-Cola is one of the first major marketers to embark on a zero-waste, carbon-neutral sponsorship of an event as complex as the Olympic Games.
“It’s aggressive for them to do it today and not set it as some future mission,” said Andrew Winston, a sustainability consultant working on the U.S. bid for the World Cup and author of two books on green business. “The standard for what is expected of a sponsor or partner at a big event is rising pretty fast. This will definitely raise the bar.”
Other corporate sponsors should take note. Mr. Winston believes it won’t be long before conversations between events or organizations and sponsors evolve to include sustainability. “It won’t purely be about who’s going to pay the millions for [the sponsorship], but what is the sustainability package that they bring to the table,” he said.
William Chipps, senior editor of the IEG Sponsorship Report, said that the trend toward more-sustainable sponsorships has been gaining momentum in the last couple of years, though much of that has been “low-hanging fruit,” including recycling and waste-management efforts. “Consumers are looking for these types of programs,” he said. “It’s getting to the point where they’re expecting them.”
It’s not always easy to meet consumer expectations, however.
Coca-Cola dreamed big when it began planning its Vancouver sponsorship in 2006, Mr. Borra said, but some of the things that sounded good in theory proved difficult to execute. For example, all of the uniforms worn by Coca-Cola’s Olympic Torch Relay staff and Olympic Games staff are made completely of recycled bottles. But, in Vancouver, average low temperatures in January and February hover at around 32 degrees, with anywhere from 5 to 6 inches of precipitation. Mr. Borra said it was challenging to find a supplier that had the technology to produce a jacket that could stand up to a Vancouver winter.
Similarly, the team made plans to deliver all beverages to the Olympic Games sites in hybrid heavy-duty vehicles. Those turned out to be hard to come by and had to be brought in specifically for the games. Coca-Cola also had to work with Vancouver city officials to develop a new waste stream for its compostable coffee cups and lids. “Some of it seemed easy on paper,” Mr. Borra said. “But we have to work with suppliers to make sure there is the technology.”
For its part, Mr. Borra said Coca-Cola has been sharing its plans with other top Olympic partners. He is also scheduled to speak at an upcoming SportAccord conference about Coca-Cola’s sustainable sponsorship efforts.
In general, the Olympics have been at the forefront of the environmental movement, said Benjamin Seeley, head of marketing communications for the International Olympic Committee. The Vancouver Organizing Committee was the first to incorporate sustainability into its mission statement and fully embed sustainability into its operations, he added. VANOC also created an award, the “Sustainability Star” to recognize partners for their efforts. Coca-Cola was one of the first corporate sponsors to receive the award.
Of course, its program isn’t without risk. Taking such a major step could open Coca-Cola up to increased scrutiny and criticism if it doesn’t reach its goals and, like any company that greenwashes, Coca-Cola could be skewered if it doesn’t deliver. But that seems unlikely, according to Ryan Schuchard, manager-research and innovation at Business for Social Responsibility, a global business network and consultancy focused on sustainability. He said sustainability is an area where Coca-Cola has the chops, both with its messaging and public policy positions.
“Coca-Cola has definitely said some of the most progressive things about policy, and they’ve been creative with messaging,” he said. “Global companies, on sustainability issues, are going to attract a lot of interest and criticism. There’s a small risk but a bigger opportunity comes with that. And Coke does have some credibility on these issues.”
Coke’s Mr. Borra said the company is confident it can reach its goals, but if it doesn’t, it will try to understand why and improve. Hence the outside auditor to monitor its efforts in Vancouver: “We believe that all of our stakeholders, including consumers and NGO partners, will understand that progress on this front will not always be a straight-line improvement, especially given that often we are pioneering new process or technologies,” he said.
Coca-Cola started laying out its plans for the sponsorship in October 2006. The final plan was created in consultation with the World Wildlife Fund-Canada and the David Suzuki Foundation, a Canadian environmental organization. An outside agency was also brought in to determine the company’s carbon footprint, so that carbon offsets could be purchased. And an outside auditor will evaluate the sponsorship following the games.


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Dairy-Free Brand Silk Launches Heavy Whipping Cream
As dairy-free eating grows in popularity, new plant-based products are landing on store shelves. Silk, a brand known for soy milk, has just announced a brand-new heavy whipping cream. The first plant-based product of its kind, the Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative is made from coconut, sunflower, and fava beans.
Whipped into a delicious dessert topping, added to soups for creaminess, or even made into your own dairy-free ice cream or coffee creamer, this new product presents endless possibilities. Retailing for $4.28 for a 16-ounce carton, this new offering is currently available at Walmart throughout the United States.
In a press statement, Silk shares:
Silk Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative can be used cup-for-cup in recipes, making it the perfect option for enhancing desserts, sauces, soups and more—all without the “moo.” Use it to whip, cream or add a dollop to your favorite recipes!
As more people find out about the animal cruelty and environmental degradation inherent in dairy production, they’re ditching milk and other dairy products in favor of healthful plant-based alternatives. In fact, a 2018 survey from agribusiness giant Cargill reveals that half of U.S. dairy consumers also use vegan alternatives.
Companies like Silk are taking advantage of this growing market by adding incredible new dairy-free offerings. Just this month, Dunkin’ announced that it would add a new oat milk latte to its menus, Coffee-Mate debuted its first cashew milk creamer, and Nesquik launched GoodNes, a vegan version of its popular chocolate milk.
Plus, popular ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s just joined forces with Netflix to launch its Netflix & Chilll’d flavor—including a vegan variety—featuring peanut butter ice cream with fudge brownies and salty pretzel swirls.
With all the amazing dairy-free products on the market, there’s never been a better time to give plant-based eating a try. You can get delicious recipes, simple meal ideas, and advice by ordering a FREE Vegetarian Starter Guide today.


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Energy labels to be carried by all energy-related products, while new advertising rules aim to promote most efficient products
All products that can affect the use of energy, including windows, taps and home insulation, are to carry energy use labels under reforms agreed yesterday between the EU and member states. The European...
Parliament is considering starting its summer holiday early, but it is hard to think of a worse time for the political class to be so distracted
Open letter to Claire Perry calls for incentives to unlock flexibility services and drive better utilisation of the power grid
Company announces it will introduce compostable cutlery across all its UK stores next year
United Utilities announces hosepipe ban on the way, as water industry again urges customers to curb water use where possible


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The large doubt is what will occur as we get deeper into subsequent year. The delta various is a furious label since it has a intensity to lengthen acceleration if it continues to means an imbalance between consumer direct and accessible supply. But while it’s a legitimate concern, my perspective is that delta’s impact will gradually decrease by subsequent year, as it is proof to be a matter for people to get vaccinated, generally in states where vaccination rates are subsequent 50%.
While GDP has already rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, GDP expansion will continue, despite during a many slower rate, by a change of this year and into next. That will be a duty of manufacturers being improved means to yield adequate supply of products to accommodate consumer direct and consumers stability to boost their spending on services during a responsibility of durable goods, as schools and offices reopen.
That, in turn, will lead to a light taming of inflationary pressures by a residue of 2021 into 2022. My perspective is that a stream 4%-5% acceleration rate will lessen to around 3% by a finish of 2021 as supply sequence and labor markets stabilize, and settle around 2.5% by a finish of subsequent year.
The run-up in consumer prices cooled somewhat in Aug to 5.3% over a year ago, a pointer that nonetheless acceleration is aloft than normal, a White House and Federal Reserve might be commencement to see a tardy in cost gains they have been anticipating for.
Policymakers have consistently argued that this year’s detonate of acceleration has been tied to pandemic-related quirks and should infer temporary, and many economists determine that prices will stand some-more solemnly as businesses adjust and supply bondage lapse to normal. The vital doubt unresolved over a economy’s destiny has been how many and how fast a inflationary detonate will fade.
Lower acceleration would be certain for airlines, manufacturers, food and attire retailers, consumer product companies, trucking and shipping firms and consumer-electronics companies. As prices decrease for tender materials such as oil, steel, plastics, cotton, nap and components, distinction margins for these companies will stabilize—or urge for those companies that have hold behind on flitting along those aloft submit prices to customers. Stabilizing or improving margins are, of course, only one pivotal for a destiny expansion in gain for many inflation-impacted companies.
The second pivotal to a certain impact on industries is a rebate of supply-chain bottlenecks caused by shipping constraints and shortages of pivotal parts—factors that have tormented a automobile attention over a past year. It is estimated that scarcely 5.2 million newcomer vehicles will be mislaid from tellurian prolongation in 2021.
Supply-chain issues will get resolved with a expansion in vaccinations, and a miscarry of element flows and prolific ability opposite pivotal supply sequence links in Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and China. The normalization of supply bondage will serve urge income generation, ensuing in increasing profitability, quite as sum margins stabilise or improve.
As a result, gain expansion should continue to urge for supply chain-impacted businesses in 2021 and 2022.
As a pestilence diminishes—thanks to a arise in vaccinations, both intentional and those mandated by employers—that will also revoke labor costs, that will serve expostulate down inflationary pressures. Many workers are still sitting on a sidelines: That fact was reliable by a latest recover of a Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) final week. It found that in Jul there were 10.9 million pursuit openings vs 8.7 million people unemployed. But that also implies a haven turn of labor marketplace tardy that is approaching to lapse to a workforce over a subsequent 12 to 18 months.
Not everybody agrees that a acceleration we are experiencing is proxy and will be tamed gradually. Some disagree that increasing housing prices, rents, salary and appetite prices will sojourn realities after a pestilence subsides, causing towering levels of permanent inflation. Others disagree that with a U.S. trade necessity during 3.9% of GDP and a sovereign necessity of 10.3% of GDP, a dollar will depreciate, pushing aloft prices, generally for alien products and services.
But we don’t allow to that theory. To me, it’s transparent that after a initial swell in direct as a economy reopens, supply and direct will normalize by 2022, that will put rebate ceiling vigour on prices for a future. Others, too, trust that a stream arise in acceleration in only temporary: According to a Philadelphia Federal Reserve Survey of Professional Forecasters’ second-quarter findings, CPI acceleration is approaching to normal 2.3% over a 10 years from 2021 by 2030.
A rebate in acceleration by 2022 would be good news for corporate earnings—and so for businesses and investors, too.
William J. Fink is executive clamp boss and conduct of U.S. middle-market banking for TD Bank.


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Nubia Z17 Flagship smartphone was launched in the June with the features of 8GB of RAM, 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage and Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ support and rear dual camera. The good news is that the phone of Nubia Z17 is getting the update of Android Pie officially. When the phone launched it has equipped with a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, machine learning & ultra-memory technology.
The smartphone launched with Android 7.1 Nougat with Nubia UI 5.0 on top which was currently out of box. But we are expected Android 8.0 Oreo on Nubia Z17 but still it is not come or released but just read the good news for Nubia phone users like Nubia device is getting update to Android 8.1 Oreo, with Nubia UI 6.0 on top.
Download Android Pie On Nubia Z1 Smartphone
The is the latest version now coming on Nubia Z1 further it was not received any android update. Development team of Nubia is focusing more to get this Android Pie update in upcoming devices.
Few more development soon will be some on Nubia UI. The team said that the Nubia Z17 will receive further Nubia UI updates, though no further information has been shared, so all next major update coming after the Nubia 6.0 update which bought Android Oreo early this year. And yes, Nubia Z17 users don not try to this update as one more major update will be soon to rejuvenate your device.
Currently the phone having a Android 7.1.1 Nougat and still company just stopped sending new OS update but here we are coming with full information in which you can install the Android 9.0 Pie Custom ROM based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project) on Nubia Z17 flagship smartphone.
Want to Update Android 9.0 Pie for Nubia Z17 (NX563J and NX595J)?
Firt check you have Unlocked Bootloader and installed TWRP Recovery on Nubia Z17 phone
Charged phone around 50% or more
Take a complete backup of your phone data
Backup and Restore your android backup via TWRP software (if dont have please install)
Start, to Unlock Bootloader on Nubia Z17 (NX563J and NX595J)
Install the latest TWRP recovery on Nubia Z17.
Download Android 9.0 Pie ROM and Gapps
ROM name: Havoc OS 9.0 Pie GSI
ROM files: Download
Gapps: Android 9.0 Pie Gapps Package
How to Install Android Pie On Nubia Z17:
1. Fist step start with the flashing the Project-Treble-NX595J-v1.0 or Project-Treble-NX563J-v1.0
2. Wait for the finished because scrpt will be take time and automatically reload you in the recovery
3. Flash any GSI image from the profile topic
4. Reboot your phone and enjoy AOSP Android 9.0 Pie Update on Nubia Z17.
Warning: Please do it with your own risk, We are not responsible for this, if you brick your device.


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During their press conference in E3 2018, Ubisoft has released a CGI trailer for their upcoming open world pirate game Skull & Bones.
Watch the trailer below;
In Skull & Bones, players take control of a customizable pirate captain, and sets off to explore and plunder the Indian Ocean in the single player campaign. One can also choose to make allies or enemies with other players in the game’s multiplayer mode, Disputed Waters.
Inspired by the naval combat of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, Skull and Bones was announced during E3 2017. riginally set to be released in 2018, the game was later delayed into 2019/2020. The last pirate game we got to play was Microsoft’s Sea of Theives. Let’s hope that Skull & Bones will deliver where Sea of Thieves failed.


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NewspaperDirect was expected to announce three new clients today: the Chicago Tribune, Liberation of Paris, and Het Nieuwsblad of Antwerp, Belgium. The New York-based company provides same-day digital delivery of newspapers to locations around the globe, where editions are laser printed.
Offering over 160 titles such as USA Today and The Wall Street Journal, NewspaperDirect’s print locations include major hotel chains and cruise lines. A competing service is offered by PEPC Worldwide of The Hague, Netherlands.
The service is reportedly popular among business travelers. Jim Chisholm, strategy adviser for the World Association of Newspapers, said he recently witnessed a long queue of hotel guests in Moscow waiting for the chance to download and print their hometown paper using one of these services.


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By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
It is a phenomenon the city has seen numerous times in recent years.
As the municipality continues to grow, so do the businesses, and several times, Oshawa has been the starting ground for large corporations making their move from the United States to the great white north.
Starting in 2010, Oshawa saw the arrival of Buffalo Wild Wing, a restaurant chain that already had a wing joint in nearly every state in America, open its first Canadian location on Taunton Road East.
Florida-based Del Monte followed suite in 2013 when it opened its first Canadian plant for processing fresh-cut fruits and vegetables on Thornton Road South.
Most recently, Firehouse Subs opened the doors on its first Canadian location on Ritson Road in 2015.
Now, it’s starting again as Fast-Fix, a jewelry and watch repair company with more than 150 locations south of the border, the United Kingdom and Ireland, looks to make its push into Canada, with Oshawa as one of its first stops.
“Getting into where the people are, where they’re living, is an important move,” says Gerry Weber, Fast-Fix’s CEO.
“I’m eager to get going as quickly as possible.”
And while Weber says it may be about getting to where the customers are, Mayor John Henry says it simply makes sense for businesses to locate here, especially those larger companies needing to transport goods.
“It’s easier to service eastern Canada from Oshawa from a logistics point of view,” he says. “We have the ability to provide all modes of transportation.”
Harbour, rail and air transport all located within the city are a big draw, Henry says, along with strong infrastructure and a seamless process.
“We are very supportive and easy to do business with,” Henry says.
For Weber, this is not the first time he has made the cross-border push.
Originally born in Canada, Weber was part of the contingent responsible for the move of Shoppers Drug Mart into the American market in 1979. Years later, he would be responsible for moving the rental movie chain Blockbuster into Canada.
He says the key to success is knowing what you are getting yourself into and accepting the fact that perhaps things that work in America will not work north of the border.
“I think it’s knowing your market, not coming in with an arrogance that whatever works south of the border will work north of the border,” he says.
“I think it’s just understanding who your clientele is, what the market is and being sensitive to that and adapting to that.”
It’s something even the largest of companies are not immune to, evident in the disastrous attempt by Target to move into the Canadian market.
“They really didn’t understand the market, they didn’t adapt to the market,” he says.
As a middle-sized company, Weber says he has a good understanding of what will be required, mainly, ensuring his franchisees become integrated into their communities.
“The sense of loyalty, I believe, is stronger in Canada towards businesses that are part of the community, he says.
While Weber offered no timeline for his move into Canada, he says stores can open in 90 to 120 days following approvals and there are plans to get into many of the major shopping malls in Oshawa, including the Oshawa Centre and the proposed Riocan Windfields shopping centre.


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Ofgem, the independent regulator of the energy sector, has hit Npower with a £2 million fine for not handling customer complaints properly.
Specifically, Npower had failed to record complaints properly or referred customers with grievances to the Energy Ombudsman’s redress service, according to Ofgem.
Ofgem has noted that all regulatory breaches have now been corrected by Npower.
A spokesman for the company said: “We are very sorry, we let our high standards slip on this occasion,” adding “a small number of processes were not correctly adhered to. We have zero tolerance for this type of issue and we’ll continue to work hard to make sure our customers are put first.”
The UK’s gas and electricity markets are dominated by the so-called ‘big six’ – Npower, British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, and Scottish Power. Complaint-handling at EDF is also being investigated by Ofgem at the moment, whilst British Gas was fined £2.5 million by the regulator in July, for the same offence.
Ofgem has introduced sweeping reforms in the retail energy market, and expects energy suppliers to make the most of this opportunity to “convince customers that they can be trusted,” according to the regulator’s Managing Director of Corporate Affairs, Sarah Harrison. She added that “this is the quickest way of restoring consumer trust in an industry badly tarnished by poor supplier behaviour.”
New complaint-handling regulations were introduced in October 2008, setting out minimum standards that customers should expect when making a complaint. These regulations were designed to form a counterpart to the work of the Energy Ombudsman, which was formed in 2003 and exists to deal with complaints that companies can’t resolve on their own.
Adam Scorer, of Consumer Focus, said: “It is welcome to see Ofgem willing to hammer home the point that unless energy companies start treating consumers fairly there will be a price to pay,” adding “the energy industry is one of the least trusted by consumers and people need to see real changes to customer service if this trust is to be rebuilt.”


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At the Samsong Quality Test Lab, which has been located at the headquarters of the company in South Korea, there is a robot used to prove a telephone phone willingness and is actually a robotic agent.
Samsung always wants its inventions to be as good as possible, more resilient, and having suffered collapse and other effects, they are still working properly. Quality tests are numerous, one of which suggests a robotic crop that drops to the devices.
This concept can be scandalous for some, but it shows the company's decision to prove its devices in real situations and situations.
The laboratory also performs several other tests, from testing sounds and signals, through falling, thermal tests to use smartphones in similar extreme weather.


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Trucks and SUVs are all the rage, and automakers don't plan to sit by idly and let their competition reap the rewards.
That's pretty evident with automakers' recent moves, including Ford Motor's (F) - Get Report decision to essentially scrap its car portfolio to focus on SUV and trucks. It's even bringing back its light duty pickup, the Ranger. Others, like super high-end automakers are rolling out SUV and crossover options for its customers.
Jeep, of the Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) - Get Report branch, has done incredibly well riding the momentum in SUVs, be it in rugged models like the Wrangler or updated modern looks like the Cherokee. Now, though, the automaker is ready to join the truck club with its Gladiator option.
Previously, four-door Wrangler owners have been able to convert their off-road warriors into trucks via aftermarket body kits. But seeing them on the road was far and few between.
Just weeks before the LA Auto Show is set to begin, photos for the new Jeep Gladiator truck have apparently leaked. They are popping up all over the internet, ranging from auto blog sites to Jeep forums. Jeep was quick to remove the photos from its site, but based on what others have seen from the gaff, we now know the vehicle will likely come in 2020 and have three trims, the Sport Pickup, Overland Pickup and of course, the Rubicon Pickup.
Wrangler sales have really ramped over the past decade, as the graphic below illustrates. Of course, it helps when the resale value is as strong as it is for Jeep, which continues to win awards year after year for the vehicles' strong resale value.
The hope for Jeep is that this latest trim will help bridge the gap between customers who want the off-road fun and capability of a Wrangler, but need the versatility of a truck. This solution, they hope, solves that problem and fills that niche.
Of course, Jeep will have no shortage of competition. As we mentioned, Ford's bringing back its light duty pickup with the Ranger and its F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for more than three decades. Over that time, it's stayed atop its competition like General Motors (GM) - Get Report and Dodge Ram, another Fiat Chrysler brand, although these two have grown their presence significantly over the last five to ten years.
But down the line it will have even more competition. The Jeep Gladiator is just one, but Mercedes-Benz (of Daimler (DDAIF) ) has introduced a luxury pickup and Tesla's (TSLA) - Get Report Elon Musk recently talked about how excited he is for the company's coming pickup.
While these incoming models are unlikely to dethrone the F-Series from America's top pickup spot, it could eat into Ford's business. Particularly as Ford will soon only rely on the Focus and Mustang for its car lineup and places more of its chips on bets like SUVs, crossovers and pickups. Specifically, Mercedes could eat into some of the higher-end trims of Ford's F-Series, as could Tesla. While we don't know the starting price for the Jeep Gladiator, many expect Jeep fans to cheer the vehicle's intro. The question is whether that momentum will last and whether it will impact traditional truck-makers like Ford.
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This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author had no positions in the stocks mentioned.


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An extract from Northland's AIM Journal, August
Companies: ASC, BYG, BOK, DPZ, ETO, GNS, NCC, UTG
Last week, ITV (LSE: ITV) made a bid approach for Entertainment One (LSE: ENO), the Canadian media company, for 236p per share. The offer valued the group at more than £1bn, and would have been more than 11x its original listing market cap of £84.4m on the AIM market in March 2007, just 9 years ago.
In its monthly AIM Journal Report for August, broker Northland Capital wrote about the offer, saying that it showed just how far the film and TV distributor had come since it joined AIM and subsequently the Main Market.
"An ITV bid of 236p a share values Entertainment One, which is known for Peppa Pig, at more than £1 billion. That compares with a market capitalisation of £84.4m at the original AIM placing price of 100p a share back in March 2007. The business was formed at that time by the acquisition of the Entertainment One business, which was a major North American wholesale distributor of DVDs, CDs and video games. Since then, a number of acquisitions have turned the company into a wide-ranging film, TV and music content owner as well as distributor. Entertainment One moved to the Main Market in July 2010."
According to Northland, Entertainment One has built a library of more than 100,000 hours of film and tv programming and more than 40,000 songs. BFG is the latest example of a high profile film the company is involved with, the product of the company's partnership with Spielberg's Amberlin Partners.
AIM success stories
ENO is a great example of the benefits of joining the All-Share-Market, but it's not completely unique. The AIM market has helped other companies move to the Main Market and prosper.
Northland give other great examples:
- Domino's Pizza (LSE: DOM) is a well-known success, paying out much more than its flotation price in dividends
- Booker (LSE: BOK), the wholesaler, nearly reached the FTSE 100 index
- Unite Group (LSE: UTG), who joined AIM in June 1999 at a market cap of £21m, before moving to the Main Market in a year later at £90m market cap (now worth a whopping £1.37bn)
- Big Yellow Group (BYG) joined AIM in May 2000 valued at £97m. Two years later the company joined the Main Market and is now worth £1.14bn
- Animal genetics firm Genus (LSE: GNS) joined in 2000 at £58m, now it's worth £1.18bn
- NCC (LSE: NCC) joined AIM in July 2004, valued at £55.4m. Three years later NCC moved to the Main Market and in the past year it has joined the FTSE 250 index. The company is now nearly 12 times the level it was back in July 2004
Probably the most famous example of an exceptional growth stock that started on the AIM market is ASOS PLC (LSE: ASOS). The ecommerce giant joined in 2001 at a valuation of £14m, and is now worth more than £4bn, a 28,614% increase. A £1,000 investment in 2001 would now be worth just under £300,000.


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The iPhone 11 Is Here - What Improvements The New Generation Apple Devices Bring
The launch event for the iPhone 11 took place last night at the Steve Jobs Hall in Apple Park in Cupertino. As we all expected, we witnessed the launch of a new generation of iPhone smartphones, namely the iPhone 11.
This is the successor to last year's iPhone XR and is designed to play the role of Apple's most powerful phone. This year, the iPhone 11 brings improvements to the camera system, along with the launch of the new A13 chipset.
Also included in this series are iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, which are the first Apple phones with the name "Pro". Also, it introduces a new design for the back of the phone, but this time with a set of three cameras. Another improvement is the screen was designed to be brighter and more efficient.
Let's find out together what improvements the new generation Apple devices bring.
iPhone 11 - Design and Display
The new iPhone 11 is available in several colors: Purple, White, Yellow, Green, Black and Red. The back of the phone is made of glass and at the bottom we find a Lightning connector. Of course, we do not have a 3.5mm jack, because Apple has given it up for a while now.
The new phone comes with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display, which is the same size as the iPhone XR screen. The notch is still at the top of the screen, and overall, the phone has striking similarities to the previous generation. The phone measures 150.9mm x 75.7mm x 8.3mm and weighs 194 grams.
It is also water resistant, accompanied by IP68 certification, which means you can put it in water and you can use it while taking a shower, as it can withstand up to two meters deep.
A new photography experience
One aspect that Apple focused on this year is the camera. This is due to the dual-lens sensor, which makes its appearance for the first time even on the cheaper iPhone model. This time we have a 12MP wide camera with a 26mm lens, which is combined with a 12MP ultra-wide camera. The second camera has a viewing angle of 120 degrees.
We also see the return of Night Mode, which comes to your aid when you need to take pictures in the evening. It comes automatically on iPhone 11 and is similar to Night Sight that accompanies Pixel phones from Google. This mode enhances the brightness and tries to reduce the noise in your images as much as possible. Apple believes that the new iPhone will be three times faster in low light conditions.
On the video recording side, we have filming at 4K resolution, slow motion and time-lapse. Apple claims that the new phone also has an improved image stabilization and offers "the highest quality of shooting seen so far on a smartphone."
The selfie camera is a 12MP TrueDepth and its target is to allow you to rotate the phone to capture wider images, even if it is not a wide-screen lens. It's also the first time Apple has included 4K shooting in the selfie camera.
More power, less power consumption
The chip inside the new iPhone 11 is called A13 Bionic. Apple claims it's the fastest combo of processor and video card in a smartphone. They showed how to run a few games, but it remains to be seen what the new chipset is capable.
Regarding the battery of the new device, Apple said it will last longer than the iPhone XR, but they have not announced the exact capacity, but it will be announced sometime in the near future.
The operating system will be the new iOS 13, which comes with Dark Mode for the first time. On the news list there is also an improved Face ID system, but it is not known how effective it will be compared to the previous versions of the operating system.
The phones will be available in three storage variants: 64GB, 128GB or 256GB. We will soon find out the prices for the new phones.


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Starbucks (SBUX) - Get Starbucks Corporation Report will reportedly require its U.S. workers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or undergo weekly testing in order to comply with new federal mandates.
The coffee retail giant told employees about the requirement in an update Monday, Reuters reported.
Starbucks' roughly 220,000 U.S. employees must disclose their vaccination status by Jan. 10, according to a letter from Chief Operating Officer John Culver sent to employees on Dec. 27 and repeated in a weekly update on Monday.
Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
If workers choose not to get vaccinated, they can be tested weekly instead, and are responsible for acquiring their own OSHA-approved tests and submitting results.
Starbucks is not currently seeing broad closures of its cafes as a result of omicron, Reuters said, citing a company source.
This is sharp contrast to the first half of 2020, when the pandemic forced the coffee chain to temporarily shut at least half of its U.S. stores and convert remaining locations to drive-thru and carry-out only.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set a new date of Feb. 9 for large employers to require either full vaccination or weekly testing as the omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads quickly throughout the United States.
Starbucks has experienced spot outages of certain products, along with many other restaurant chains, due to a supply chain crunch ignited by the pandemic.
Group President North America John Culver addressed the shortages during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call.
"We are seeing impacts and that's evident by some of the inventory levels in our stores, but I feel very good about the way in which we've been able to navigate it," he said
Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s medical adviser, said last week that a vaccination requirement for domestic flights should be considered amid the spread of the Covid omicron variant.


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- An online lottery system operated independently of outside interference.
- The COVID-19 pandemic made it hard for people to play the lottery in person, making the online lottery grow in popularity.
- Cryptocurrency accounted for 43.3% of iGaming bets in Q3 of 2021.
LAS VEGAS – The online lottery market has been expanding with new technologies as online gambling becomes increasingly more popular across the United States.
Advancements In Online Lottery Technology
According to a report from Stratview Research, the online lottery market is expected to compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.2% over the next five years.
An online lottery system is essentially self-operating and doesn’t require any interference in order to run smoothly. This kind of system was inevitable with the rise in digitalization in other forms of online gambling.
With the COVID-19 pandemic making it difficult to play the lottery in person, people naturally turned to an online lottery alternative.
“Due to the lockdown imposed as a result of COVID-19, offline lottery ticket selling businesses and other gaming establishments were shut down,” said Shankar Bhandalkar, a Market Research Consultant.
Advances in technology continue to shift the online gaming marketplace and offer players new and exciting opportunities in the iGaming industry.
Cryptocurrency’s Effect On Online Gambling
Online gambling-related hobbies such as sports betting and virtual casino games have surged in popularity recently. While many industries are still hesitant to embrace the usage of cryptocurrency, the online gambling sector has done so wholeheartedly seeing many forms of crypto accepted.
According to an article from The Daily Gazette, “As per the estimation, the market will surpass US $200 billion by 2023. It is an opportunity for crypto or bitcoin online gaming to grow.”
A SoftSwiss report also shows that in the third quarter of 2021 cryptocurrency accounted for 43.3% of iGaming bets.
This is a 180.55% increase from the previous Q3 of 2020.


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"As I mentioned last quarter, the Company's business has not recovered at a satisfactory pace and we are taking actions to accelerate the recovery," commented Mr. Brewer. "The cost reduction initiatives we announced are part of those actions and are consistent with the significant changes we are making in streamlining and simplifying our organization and in how we approach and operate our business. These changes, however, will have a greater impact on our financial results in 2013 and 2014 than on 2012. As a result, and given the slower than anticipated pace of recovery, we no longer expect that 2012 full year financial results will be significantly better than last year. At this point, we expect for full year 2012 a pro forma loss per share of $0.55-$0.75."
Based on current information, the Company estimates net sales for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012 of $280 million, an increase of 3% compared to the second quarter of 2011. Pro forma earnings per share for the second quarter of 2012 is estimated at $0.05 per share (on 65.1 million shares), as compared to a pro forma loss of $0.01 per share (on 64.4 million shares) for the same period in 2011.
GAAP earnings per share for the second quarter of 2012 is estimated at breakeven (on 65.1 million shares) compared to a loss of $1.03 per share (on 64.4 million shares) in 2011, which included a $0.87 per share charge related to the establishment of a deferred tax valuation allowance. First half 2012 net sales are estimated at $565 million, a 1% increase compared to the same period in 2011. Pro forma earnings per share for the first half of 2012 is estimated at $0.25 per share (on 85.0 million shares), as compared to $0.15 per share (on 64.4 million shares) for the same period in 2011. GAAP earnings per share for the first half of 2012 is estimated at $0.41 per share (on 85.0 million shares), compared to a loss of $0.87 per share (on 64.4 million shares) in 2011, which included a $0.86 per share charge related to the deferred tax valuation allowance.
"I am pleased with the progress on the changes we are making to our business," continued Mr. Brewer. "In the last few months, we have sold the Top-Flite and Ben Hogan brands, licensed our North American apparel business, licensed our footwear business to our current footwear partner, and have made significant changes in senior management, including new hires to oversee our global marketing and global operations organizations.”
Textiles | On 25th Mar 2017
The implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill in India...
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Apparel/Garments | On 25th Mar 2017


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Yesterday evening (dutch time) Oracle made the newest version of it’s middleware product SOA Suite available to the public.
SOA Suite 12c includes many new features. An overview can be found here: .
Downloads and more details can be found here:
Some of these new features include:
- OSB development in jDeveloper
- New adapters (SAP, Coherence, etc.)
- Enhanced monitoring and debugging
- More Cloud support
- Memory Optimization
- Mobile Integration
- And many more…
These are just a few (more...)
On Tuesday, March 25th the 5th edition of the APEX World event was held by the Dutch Oracle User Group OGh. It has always been the largest APEX only event in the world, but this year it was even bigger. Almost 350 people came to Zeist to listen to a group with some of the most famous names in Application Express.
To see a list of all presentations of this day visit the OGh website. (more...)


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The launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series in India is set for today (February 21), the company confirmed. The flagship tablet series was unveiled by the company at a Galaxy Unpacked event on February 9 and includes the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, as well as the Galaxy Tab S8+ and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. The latest generation Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra comes with a 14.6-inch Super AMOLED display, the largest in the Galaxy Tab S8 series. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series also comes with S Pen support.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series launch in India: How to watch the live stream
The launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series in India will take place at 12:30pm and the company has revealed that customers will be able to watch a live stream of the launch event via Samsung’s social media channels. Readers can also watch the event from the video embedded below.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series price in India (expected)
Samsung will reveal the price of the Galaxy Tab S8 series in India at the upcoming launch event. The flagship tablets were revealed on Feb 9 with a price tag of $699.99 (approximately Rs. 52,400) for the regular Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ came with a starting price of $899.99 ( approximately Rs. 67,300). Meanwhile, the price of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra starts at $1,099.99 (approximately Rs. 82,300).
The company has already started to take pre-bookings for the Galaxy Tab S8 series in India, allowing customers to reserve the tablets for an amount of Rs. 1,999. Samsung was offering a Galaxy SmartTag worth Rs. 2,699 free for customers who pre-booked the Galaxy Tab S8 and offered a 100% refund on cancellation.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 The Galaxy Tab S8+ was released in Graphite, Pink Gold and Silver color options, while the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra was released in a single Graphite color palette. As mentioned earlier, pricing details for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, Galaxy Tab S8+ and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will be revealed at the event today.


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There’s a MacOS malware vulnerability that hasn’t been patched, according to one of the security researchers. This utilizes the way that the MacOS treats network shares as friendly and could be tricked into running the malware; this is, however, just a theory.
Filippo Cavallarin, a security researcher had found this vulnerability in the MacOS security system, Gatekeeper. Even though the system vulnerability would require one to access a file containing the malicious software, and trusting the files within. The process is still something that abuses Gatekeeper security system of the MacOS.
Cavallarin had stated that he had told Apple about the issue approximately 90 days ago. And with the latest update to the MacOS of 10.14.5, it still remains vulnerable to the issue. As per his 90-day policy, Cavallarin had publicized the issue so that all may see it. Apple has still not responded regarding this statement.
It would be a good idea for one to be wary of any incoming files unless it truly is from a trusted source.
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BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s imports of sorghum rose sharply in April from a year earlier, customs data showed on Wednesday, as buyers brought in large volumes of the feed grain ahead of Beijing’s anti-dumping decision made at the peak of Sino-U.S. trade tensions.
China imported 640,000 tonnes of sorghum in April, up 87 percent on a year ago, ahead of a huge anti-dumping deposit announced by Beijing on April 17 after a two-month investigation. The country imports almost all of its sorghum from the United States.
News of the deposit, which still came earlier than the trade had expected, prompted several more cargoes of the grain already shipped from the United States to China to be resold to other countries before reaching Chinese ports.
April sorghum imports were up 12.3 percent from last month’s 570,014 tonnes, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.
Beijing dropped the U.S. sorghum probe and anti-dumping deposit last week in a goodwill concession as the two sides held talks to resolve trade tensions. But the damage to shipments was already done and trade flows have been disrupted, traders said.
While the China customs data did not break down countries of origin, the impact of tit-for-tat tariffs between China and the United States was reflected in some other products.
Shipments of barley, used in feed and brewing, and an alternative to sorghum, rose 2.6 pct from last year’s 1.1 million tonnes to 1.12 million tonnes, and were up 30.2 percent from 860,000 tonnes in March.
Beijing in early April increased tariffs by up to 25 percent on 128 U.S. products, from frozen pork and wine to certain fruits and nuts, although the impact on overall imports was not clear.
China’s pork imports fell 19 percent in April from March to 110,098 tonnes, but were still up 3.4 percent year on year. Imports were also pushed down by falling domestic pork prices, analysts said.
China bought 560,000 tonnes of fresh and dried fruits and nuts in April, up 31.6 percent from the previous year.
Imports of logs in April dropped 11.4 percent on year to 4.21 million cubic meters, as China ramped up inspections of imports of the wood from the United States.
China bought 380,000 tonnes of corn in April, more than six times the 60,000 tonnes imported in March, having imported zero corn in April 2017.
Sugar imports rose 140.5 percent year on year to 470,000 tonnes in April, also up 23.7 percent from 380,000 tonnes in March, as some shipments delayed earlier at port arrived.
Reporting by Hallie Gu and Dominique Patton; editing by Richard Pullin


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Retail Excellence Ireland, the largest retail industry body in the country, has named Burgess of Athlone as one of the Top 100 stores in Ireland. The Top 100 stores are part of the Retail Excellence Ireland Awards, which promote best practise standards in the Irish retail industry.
As part of the selection process stores were visited by a ‘mystery shopper’, with those exceeding demanding service and standards criteria making it to the Top 100. A team of store assessors will now visit each of the Top 100 stores, selecting the Top 50 stores and then the final Top 30. The winning stores will be selected based on the reports data gathered, a review of store photography and in-store video recording evidence.
David Fitzsimons, Chief Executive, Retail Excellence Ireland commented: “I want to commend all of the retailers who entered this year. In particular, I congratulate the Top 100 stores for making it through. The very high standard of service, customer engagement, display and levels of investment among Irish retailers made selecting this year’s Top 100 particularly difficult. The REI awards are about recognising and rewarding retail excellence.
“High standards are particularly important given the very severe challenges currently facing Ireland’s retail industry. It is clear from the quality of this year’s entrants that the retail industry is playing its part in trying to keep businesses open and retail workers in jobs,” said Mr Fitzsimons.
The Retail Excellence Ireland Awards, in partnership with Barclaycard, aim to promote best practice standards in the Irish retail industry. The awards, which recognise Ireland’s best retail stores, companies, people and websites, will take place in Galway on 3rd November 2012 with President Michael D. Higgins in attendance.
Issue dated: 20 JULY 2012
© Roscommon People


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Travel: Mims Davies says staycations are 'the way to do it'
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Susanna Reid told GMB’s viewers this morning that she got some backlash when she said she went on a staycation to Cornwall. She said: “Went to gorgeous Cornwall. Got told off for calling it a staycation. It’s not a staycation, Ben.” Ben Shephard agreed, and Britons are taking to social media to agree too.
A holiday in Cornwall is not a staycation.
Ben said: “A staycation is when you stay home, if you holiday within your home, if you’re going to Devon or Cornwall…”
Susanna said: “I thought that’s a lockdown.”
On Twitter, BBC Dan Walker was not getting the staycation trend.
He wrote: “I may be being daft but, if you stay at home (& do day trips etc) that’s a ‘staycation’ isn’t it? If you go to a hotel, B&B or rental somewhere in the same country, that’s still a HOLIDAY! Rant over.”
And Britons have swarmed to support this old definition.
READ MORE: Italy travel rule change: What are the new entry requirements?
One said: “Vacation isn’t British for a start. And not leaving the country for a holiday, is I suppose staying. Terminology from obviously an American.”
A few people thought it was just the media getting it wrong.
One said: “But Americans don’t use ‘staycation’ for taking a holiday in their own country. I first came across the word well over 20 years ago (my brother’s wife is from Canada) and it means taking your holiday AT HOME. It’s UK holiday companies and Media getting it wrong.”
Another agreed: “‘Staycation’ is a media-created buzzword.”
Britons have taking to replies to rant and say that yes, a UK holiday is just that: a holiday. And there doesn’t need to be another word for it.
One wrote: “I don’t remember my childhood holidays in a caravan at Tenby being called anything apart from a holiday.”
Someone said: “Staycation is yet another awful American term people seem to have adopted. I haven’t. We have holidays here, even if we don’t go away anywhere, it’s still a holiday. Always has been. Because it’s a break from the norm. you don’t have to go to work/school etc. It’s a holiday.”
Britons care a lot about what their holidays are called.
And this all comes from where they went away when growing up.
One said: “Couldn’t agree more. Based on current usage, I didn’t actually have a ‘holiday’ until I was 10 and we went on a day trip to Calais. Just because the Harriets of this world can’t get to the Maldives, doesn’t mean they have to linguistically sneer at ordinary people’s holidays.”
And someone replied: “Agreed by this definition I didn’t go on a family holiday until I was about 20 years old! And that certainly wasn’t the case.”
Many Britons have spent their childhood holidaying in the UK, and it was no less of a holiday because they didn’t fly anywhere.
One said: “Yep it’s complete poppycock. I always had holidays as a child, they were always in the UK. Except one year when we went ‘abroad’ to Jersey.”
Another replied: “Same here. Never went abroad as a child. We holidayed once a year in Devon or Cornwall. And fantastic holidays they were too.”
Someone else claimed: “It’s quite a nasty snobby thing, ‘oh a holiday in the UK isn’t a real holiday’. So the poor apparently don’t have holidays. Growing up, holidays were mostly under canvas in UK, and foreign travel was a day trip to Calais when one of the red tops did France for £1. I had fun.”
Another said: “I personally think it’s one of the silliest words invented. From being a small child, going on holiday was staying overnight for a few days to as long as you like anywhere away from your home. So we went to my granny’s for a holiday & loved it. Going out for the day was just that.”
Comments kept piling on, with someone writing: “A holiday in the UK is still a holiday. It lessens it by calling it a staycation. A staycation is leave from work but you stay at home! Simple!”
Another said: “’Staycation’ bugs me big time! There was a time when just about everybody took their holidays in the UK. Very few of my parents’ generation ever went abroad but they all went on holiday. Brits don’t go on vacation so why would they have a staycation? A Holiday is abroad and UK.”
However, not everyone hated the word.
Someone wrote: “I don’t understand why people get so bothered by this. Language use changes all the time especially pretty pointless terms such as this. Staycation, at home, near home, same country is much of a muchness…”
While another added: “I’m bemused that so many people care about this.”
Source: Read Full Article


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Fine Gael Dublin North TD, Alan Farrell, has said that as part of the Action Plan for Jobs, a new Government website will help businesses to cut costs and create jobs by reducing the burden of red tape. The website, businessregulation.ie, has been launched by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton.
“Small businesses sometimes struggle with the burden of red tape; they want to comply with all relevant regulations but it can be difficult to get the right information. Now, through this new website, information on regulations imposed by more than 30 Government bodies will be available in one place.
“As part of the Action Plan for Jobs, the Government is committed to making it easier to start up and expand a business. Business owners in Dublin North have spoken to me of the difficulties associated with red tape. So by reducing this burden, the Government is helping businesses to cut costs, giving them the ability to create the jobs we need.
“Up to now, businesses had to trawl through endless websites to learn about necessary compliance measures. The new website, businessregulation.ie, addresses the need for a single source of information on regulatory requirements. It provides over 150 separate links to information, guidance and contact details. This includes practical advice on how to start up a business, how to comply with regulations, and sector-specific information. The concept is very simple; the less time employers have to spend on red tape, the more they can spend on growing their business.
“The website has been launched under a commitment in the Action Plan for Jobs. It’s just one of a series of measures being implemented by the Government to reduce the burden of red tape. These include cutting administrative burdens by a quarter and streamlining the five employment rights bodies into two bodies.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of the local economy in Dublin North, and in towns and villages across the country. This Government is determined to take the steps needed to help these businesses flourish and grow.”


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VRROOM WITH A VIEW: BMW Active Hybrid 5
HERE’s an interesting thought. Apple’s iPhone is now five-and-a-half years old. Since then, the pace of advancement in mobile devices has been breathtaking.
It’s a great study in what a brilliant idea perfectly executed can do to an industry, and in the case of mobile devices, what it has done is utterly transform the technology landscape. It is also a story of what happens when you fail to innovate.
The iPhone’s rise has not gone without casualties. In fact, I cannot think of anything that has created such a precipitous decline of value in rival companies, ever.
In June, Nokia confirmed it was retrenching 10,000 people. According to reports, the company has lost 90% of its market value since Steve Jobs walked onto the stage to introduce the first iPhone.
In terms of mobile, Nokia is dragging Microsoft under with it. Nokia’s Windows phones aren’t selling and the rest of the world is rapidly standardising around Google’s Android and the iPhone.
Microsoft has always been able to ride bad luck and poor decisions because of its Windows cash cow, but in all seriousness, I wonder how it can survive when it is lagging so badly in the mobile space.
And RIM’s BlackBerry is in deep trouble — because it failed to innovate. What seemed so astonishing in 1999, with proper mobile e-mail, suddenly in 2007, in the context of the iPhone, seemed clunky and difficult.
Apple quickly followed the iPhone with the iPad, which pretty much killed off the market for netbooks. So that’s three big companies in deep trouble, and two at death’s door, within five years of one very good idea very well implemented. It’s pretty Darwinian and brutal, isn’t it? But it’s absolutely the best way to find the way forward, a great example of the incredibly efficient way in which capitalism drives the best kind of innovation. There is nothing planned about this, and governments have no say in the process. Nobody is stepping in to save anyone.
To succeed, rivals will need to stop trying to out-Apple Apple, and come up with the next big thing. And one company is doing that. Asus, which pioneered cheap netbooks and saw that business flattened by the iPad, has not slavishly released a tablet of its own. Instead, it has innovated.
The Padfone is amazing. It’s an Android touch-screen phone that can be docked into a tablet (which uses the phone’s brain, saving you the costs of replicating that tech, as with the iPhone and iPad, and also the same data plan), giving you two devices in one. Then, cleverly, the tablet can also be docked with a keyboard, meaning Padfone becomes a third device in one — a laptop. Boy do I want one of these Padfones. It’s a step forward, not a slavish copy and, who knows, perhaps it’ll give Apple something to think about.
It is unlikely that an iPhone-style event could ever occur in the motor industry. Lead times are too long and there’s so much regulation around emissions and crash safety that companies have limited wriggle room. An event of that scale and significance would, in the motor industry, need to be so seismic as to, for example, wipe out General Motors and Daimler-Benz while leaving, say, Ford in deep dwang. And I can’t see that happening any time soon. But the industry does have its moments: Toyota’s introduction of the hybrid car in 1999 is one. Other companies have seen that the technology does work and are introducing it themselves.
Arguably, Toyota’s mistake was to market the Prius as an eco-car to drivers, which is like trying to sell couscous to carnivores. And while they still bang the eco-drum, the company’s increased focus on running costs, and the roll-out of the hybrid systems to otherwise ordinary cars such as the Yaris, has driven acceptability and the idea that it just makes sense.
And so to BMW, which has, through its Efficient Dynamics programme, focused on reducing emissions through clever interventions on ordinary internal-combustion motors. But that can only go so far, which is why the firm recently released a full-hybrid version of its 5-Series in South Africa, the Active Hybrid 5. This is no eco-car. Under the bonnet lies that superb turbo-charged 3l inline six from the 535i, it’s just that in this case it’s backed up with a full hybrid system of electric motors and batteries, which kick as and when required. Crucially, this reduces fuel consumption in town significantly, and the car pootles about the traffic either in full electric mode, or with petrol power along with an assisting electric shove.
It switches the motor off not just at traffic lights, but also on overrun and downhill. This means a car that can dispatch 100km/h in just 5.9 seconds will also return an official 5.7l/100km in the urban crawl.
So, yes, it’s pricey at a smidge under R760,000. That’s R80,000 more than the standard 335i, but you do get all the performance, much less consumption and fiendishly clever satellite navigation as standard. Now R80,000 buys a lot of fuel, but depending on the kind of driving you do, it might make financial sense, especially in diesel-averse South Africa, where folk might avoid the equally frugal and quick 530d.
The very best bit about the Active Hybrid 5 is that it is an undiluted 5-Series. It’s all there — the power, the poise and the comfort and the very special BMW-ishness in the drive. It talks to the driver and at speed it is a joy to place on the road.
An iPhone moment, however, it is not.
That may never come.
But none of this means the Active Hybrid 5 is anything other than a really rather clever, fun car.


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To use a phrase recently turned into a headline by the Economist, the “sorry state of American trade” may get worse before it gets better. It seems US manufacturing, including the steel industry, is fighting an uphill battle on many international trade issues these days. Conflicting reports of US exports don’t help, either.
For example, the Washington Times recently posed the argument that “exports have been a rare strength and engine of growth in the U.S. economic recovery, aided by a big push from the Obama White House,” but despite the positive signs, the sector has not proven to be the plentiful source of new jobs that many supporters had hoped. As Michael Stumo points out on the CPA Trade Reform site, the fallacy is that growing exports on their own signify economic health one must look at net exports. If we’re importing more than we’re exporting, in other words, well, there goes the neighborhood. (At least as far as the trade deficit is concerned.)
Speaking of the trade deficit, an alarming new report by Robert E. Scott, put out by the Economic Policy Institute, puts the loss of US jobs at 2.8 million between 2001 and 2010 due to the US-China trade deficit. A sizable chunk of those jobs — 1.9 million, or nearly 70 percent — were lost from manufacturing. Of those, 51.5 percent came from the durable goods sector, into which primary metals and fabricated metal goods fall. Not really all that surprising of a find, considering the games China plays with currency manipulation, cheap labor, lackadaisical environmental (and other) oversight, state-owned enterprise advantages — the list goes on and on.
Part of the Solution?
So that’s why one thing that can be leveled and should, according to trade representatives for US steel companies like Nucor, is the bevy of export restrictions placed on raw materials by Asian economies such as China.
The US brought a case to the WTO against China’s use of export quotas on raw materials essential to the domestic metal industry, such as coke, silicon, bauxite and others a total of nine in all (not to mention rare earths, or REEs). China promised to abolish export taxes when it joined the WTO in 2001, but that clearly hasn’t happened — the trade body ruled against China recently, saying it violated the export tax issue. This ruling has been appealed, but the WTO likely will and should rule in the US’ favor.
Export restrictions such as quotas and taxes are an issue across the US’ Asian trading partners, and serve as a hefty bargaining chip in trade negotiations such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), says Timothy Brightbill, partner at Wiley Rein LLP in Washington, DC. (Previous MetalMiner coverage on recent TPP negotiations here and here.) Brightbill works on trade cases on behalf of steel producers and organizations such as the American Scrap Coalition, and in an interview with MetalMiner, stressed the US’ need to have export taxes abolished in future trade deals.
“The US has consistently said, ‘if you sign an FTA with us, you must get rid of your export taxes,'” Brightbill said. For example, Vietnam has a 25 percent tax on scrap exports and 40 percent on iron ore. They have agreed to get it down to 17 percent by 2012, according to Brightbill. (Malaysia, by contrast, has a 10 percent tax on scrap exports.) This decreases prices for the countries imposing the tax.
The ultimate point Brightbill makes is that the US has always made clear the export tax must get to zero. Mills like Nucor support this. “I think it’s obtainable to get the complete ban,” Brightbill said.
That hurdle will be only one point in the multi-prong plan necessary to overcome the US trade deficit. Even magazines such as the Nation realize this, urging President Obama to “take unilateral action to institute new rules to cap the rising trade deficit, then gradually reduce it with an emergency tariff if trading partners do not cooperate.” As we’ve seen, however, there’s only so much the US government can do without the help of the WTO. But as the Economist article mentions, “openness shouldn’t be a dirty word; that’s why trade negotiations (and keen enforcements) must continue and why metal producers and exporters need to keep getting seats at the table.”