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Miami’s real estate market continues to boom with increased foreign investment and new condominium developments rising across the city. According to Knight Frank’s 2015 The Wealth Report and Global Cities Survey, Miami is considered the second most important city in the U.S. to the world’s wealthiest people. As international money continues to pour into the city, luxury retailers are taking notice and setting up shop. The burgeoning Miami Design District is an example of this trend and is one of the world’s most exciting new retail developments.
Located in a former blighted industrial area about 10 minutes west of South Beach, the Miami Design District is a neighborhood dedicated to innovative fashion, design, architecture and dining experiences. The Design District is now one of the most exclusive places to shop for fashion brands and interior design, and has even been compared to New York City’s Soho neighborhood and Los Angeles’ Melrose Drive.
Owned by Miami Design District Associates, a partnership between Dacra, founded and owned by entrepreneur Craig Robins, and L Real Estate, a global real estate development and investment fund, the Design District has transformed the once-overlooked area of Miami into a vibrant destination for residents and visitors.
The Design District suffered decades of urban decay in the 1980’s and 90’s, but art and design stores started opening up throughout the 2000s and the area grew in popularity. As new buildings were erected and structures were converted, several design showrooms emerged including Holly Hunt, Knoll, Poliform, Luminaire Contract, Waterworks, bulthaup and Ann Sacks, among many others. Then the art galleries and exhibition spaces started taking notice and set up shop, including Art Fusion, Artformz, Diaspora Vibe, Etra Fine Art, Galeria AQUA, Solange Rabello Art Gallery and The Moore Space.
The neighborhood became an intersection of art and design and also started attracting top architects such as Chad Oppenheim, HOK, NuHouse, and photographer Iran Issa-Khanm, which opened studios in the Design District.
Today, the Design District is an art, design, retail, and restaurant destination in Miami’s urban core. It’s home to top retailers such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin, Prada, Tom Ford, Tiffany & Co., Emilio Pucci and Harry Winston. And by mid-November, just in time for the world-renowned Art Basel fair when 80,000 people are expected to flock to the Miami; more stores are set to open totaling approximately 70 new shops in the Design District. New brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and high-profile restaurants ABC Kitchen (from Jean-Georges Vongerichten) and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon are also planned.
Miami’s retail market continues to see an influx of discerning shoppers. In addition to the Design District, the city’s upscale shopping scene includes the longstanding Bal Harbour Shops in Sunny Isles, which recently announced a $400 million expansion plan. The area is fueled by foreign buyers who have purchased high-end condos including luxury fashion brand FENDI’s first branded project. Developed by the Chateau Group, FENDI Chateau Residences features 58 exclusive residences and is currently more than 80 percent sold.
Additional posh shopping developments in the works include The Mall at Miami Worldcenter, a 765,000-square-foot retail and entertainment destination anchored by Macy’s and Bloomingdales, which will be developed by Forbes and Taubman. Located within the 30-acre Miami Worldcenter site, The Mall at Miami Worldcenter and PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter, a planned 60-story condominium tower built atop, will start construction later this fall. PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter is the first and only residential tower currently for sale within the 30-acre site and will feature over 500 city and bay-view residences.
These massive retail developments speak to the fact that Miami’s luxury scene is thriving and is expected to grow in the coming years. The future of the Miami Design District looks bright with construction of Phase III expected to be completed by the end of 2016. New retail offerings on the ground floor of the buildings will bring the total amount of stores in the Design District to more than 200.
Photo courtesy of: Miami Design District


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Thai food producers and retailers have said Thai People need not build up their food stocks amid the Wuhan virus crisis. Because Thailand is a major producer of these goods, according to the Federation of Thai Industries.
FTI chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree on Monday assured the Thai public that since Thailand is one of the world’s major producers of food and consumer goods, supplies would not run short despite the Wuhan virus crisis.
“Thai producers have enough capacity to meet domestic demand. Panic-buying of foods is unnecessary, unlike in other countries that do not produce them,” he said.
Thailand is a major producer of daily necessities such as rice; instant noodles; canned fish; tissue paper and drinking water and will not run out of such items, Mr Supant said.
“Thai people need not be concerned. I have talked with large manufacturers in the sector. There is not any problem at all. Shortages of consumer goods are temporary because people bought them out of panic,” he said.
If people become scared, they buy more than they need. Instead of watching their spending during a time of economic problems, Mr Supant said.
He said he would bring representatives of consumer product manufacturers to explain their ability to meet demand to the press on Wednesday.
Visit Limlurcha, head of FTI’s food industry division, said local food manufacturers were using only 60% of their production capacities. Even more they could easily increase output if necessary.
Fake news social media sites panics Thai people
Thai shoppers have left supermarkets with empty shelves across Thailand due to fake Covid-19 news being forwarded on social media sites. After receiving the fake news information they headed to the nearest supermarket to stock pile supplies.
The forwarded message on social media sites stated in Thai “A nurse in Siriraj Hospital walked over to me and said that I should start stocking food. The nurse just came out of a conference stating that Thailand was going to be shut down. The news will be officially announced next week, they even warned the nurses to prepare food. I have confirmed the information with the hospital. This is inside news, wait till you hear the announcement”.
The social media sites post was later confirmed not true by Assoc. Prof. Jessada Denduangboripant from Chulalongkorn university. The professor said “Fake news about the Coronavirus is still coming out regularly. The voice clip and a picture of a middle-aged woman who claimed that Thailand will be on shut down next week are not true.

domain: news


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HMV have announced that they will no longer sell releases by Lostprophets. The high-street retailer has vowed to remove the band's past music from all 140 of their stores after frontman Ian Watkins admitted to 11 sex abuse charges, including the attempted rape of a baby.
Speaking to NME, a spokesperson for HMV confirmed that their staff have been instructed to remove all Lostprophets albums, singles and EPs from their shelves. Although the Welsh group's music is still available via the HMV website, the company apparently plans to end online sales.
HMV's decision reflects the gravity of Watkins' crimes. It is unusual for a major retailer to entirely remove an artist's catalogue, even after a major conviction: HMV continue to sell records by Gary Glitter, Burzum and Charles Manson. At the time of writing, other major retailers, including Amazon and the iTunes Music Store, continue to sell Lostprophets albums.
Lostprophets released five albums, including four top ten hits, before announcing their split last month. Following Watkins' arrest, the remaining five members said they could "no longer continue making or performing music as Lostprophets". "We look forward to the next phase of our lives."
They have not responded to HMV's announcement.


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In a letter published in the Financial Times today, ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO calls on G20 leaders to heed warnings over the real-world consequences of banks retreating from financing commodity traders.
Quickly find the news or speech you are looking for:
ICC addresses Finance Minister’s meeting calling for cooperation on debt, financing and vaccine access
ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO today addressed a meeting of Finance Ministers, convened by the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General and the Finance Ministers of Canada and Jamaica.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the institutional representative of 45 million businesses worldwide, has announced the creation of a new Advisory Group on Trade Finance (ATF) – a cross-sectoral coalition of leaders in global trade.
ICC and World Travel and Tourism Council issue COVID-19 restart guide for the Travel & Tourism sector
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) have published a set of recommendations for safely re-opening customer facing businesses in the age of COVID-19.
International SOS and Singapore company Energy Drilling Management have announced a successful pilot of the ICC AOKpass mobile app. The use of the app provides trusted recognition of individuals’ COVID-19 compliance status from Singapore to Thailand.
Ahead of today’s meeting of G20 Digital Economy Ministers, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is calling upon G20 leaders to implement policies that will enable the deployment of digital technologies to tackle the consequences of COVID-19.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and UNICEF have today issued a call for enhanced cooperation between the public and private sectors to strengthen the response to COVID-19 and enable a resilient and sustainable rebuild from the pandemic.
Ahead of the launch of the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Global Survey on Trade Finance, Deutsche Bank’s Global Head of Trade Finance Flow, Michael Dietz, discusses how supply chains are under significant pressure -- but will not break – and how part of the solution lies with the increasing proliferation of robust payables finance programmes and the acceleration of trade finance digitalisation in his guest blog for the world business organization.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) joins the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and other partner organisations to launch a major survey to understand the unique challenges faced by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in least-developed countries (LDCs).
Having remained open for virtual hearings during the COVID-19 lockdown, the ICC Hearing Centre, has now re-opened its doors to receive guests at its Paris premises, in strict accordance with French regulations regarding COVID-19 measures.


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ZAGG is Slipping Off the Shoulders of Giants
Leo is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
There was a time when ZAGG’s (NASDAQ: ZAGG) simple business of protective cases and skins for mobile devices seemed brilliant. ZAGG rode on the coattails of the success of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android devices, while peddling high-margin protective gear and accessories.
Although the South Salt Lake, Utah-based company started out creating thin protective coverings, branded as invisibleSHIELDs, it began offering headphones in 2008, followed by a hybrid case that includes a Bluetooth keyboard in 2011. That same year, ZAGG acquired its industry peer iFrogz, which also sell cases and headphones.
From its market debut in November 2009 to its all-time high of $16 in July 2011, it was smooth sailing for ZAGG.
But then the reality of rising competition and declining margins started to set in, and things fell apart quickly. Profit margin started to slide in the second half of 2010 into the holiday season, and operating margin began dropping at the start of 2011. This was a direct result of ZAGG lowering its prices to remain competitive in an increasingly crowded market.
For those investors who didn’t read the writing on the wall, revenue growth started outpacing earnings growth by the middle of the year. What happened next wasn’t pretty.
Although ZAGG’s revenue continues to rise, its margins are still plunging, to the point that profit margins are barely above the breakeven point. Over the past twelve months, revenue has risen 14.7% but diluted earnings per share have declined 37.8%. If this trend continues, the company will soon be unprofitable. Is there any hope left for this former darling of Wall Street?
We make SHIELDs, not barriers...
The simplicity of ZAGG’s business is also its greatest weakness. ZAGG has absolutely no competitive barriers to keep its competitors at bay. As long as Apple and Google mobile devices are popular, then nothing will deter other companies from producing similar protective products.
That weakness has allowed companies such as OtterBox, which produces cases for most iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, to easily steal market share from ZAGG. Research firm NPD Group ranks OtterBox as the number one smartphone case maker in America, based on February 2013 figures.
Another competitor, LifeProof, has gone one step further and manufactured waterproof, snow-proof and dirt-proof cases for mobile devices, making them an ideal choice for outdoor activities.
In the lower-end market, consumers can easily find cheaper alternative skins and cases online on Amazon and eBay, often imported from Asia. Meanwhile, higher-end consumers with more discerning tastes are buying more fashionable tablet and smartphone cases from affordable luxury brands Coach and Michael Kors.
Meanwhile, the headphone market is an extremely crowded one, where ZAGG runs into another cluster of competitors, such as Sony, Panasonic, Philips and Apple. Even Skullcandy, which creates large, fashionable headphones, has chomped into ZAGG’s share of the audio market.
Tougher phones and tablets
To top off all this misery in its two main markets, ZAGG faces technological advances from Corning (NYSE: GLW) that could render its invisibleSHIELD protective film completely obsolete.
Corning is the creator of Gorilla Glass, the tough scratch-proof glass that covers most modern smartphones and tablets. A second generation, Gorilla Glass 2, was released last year, and is now considered the industry standard. Last year, Corning reported that more than a billion mobile devices worldwide were protected by Gorilla Glass.
What’s more, Corning is creating a bendable glass called Willow Glass, which many analysts believe will be used in next-generation wearable technology products. Corning has already shipped samples of Willow Glass to smartphone, tablet and television manufacturers to see how the product can be implemented in new products.
In my opinion, the increasing toughness of Corning’s Gorilla Glass will cause consumers to completely ignore ZAGG’s products. However, they could still be interested in buying novelty cases as a fashion statement, and not for protective purposes.
I also believe that market aesthetics will change, especially considering the recent rumors of a transparent, scratch-resistant iPhone 6. Skins and cases might just end up looking tacky on these tough, futuristic devices.
Desperate times call for desperate measures
With its flagship products getting squeezed out of their primary market, and technological innovations threatening to break its core business model, what does ZAGG do? It gets very, very desperate.
As I noted earlier, ZAGG’s solution to keep up with its competitors is to lower prices. In other words, it hopes that a prolonged pricing war will halt the advance of its rivals, allowing it to grow revenue at the expense of declining margins and profits. That’s a very risky tactic, that runs the risk of bleeding its cash reserves and free cash flow dry.
From the chart, we can see that ZAGG’s expenses have risen 138.6% year-on-year since its market debut, but free cash flow has declined 25.8%.
Looking forward, ZAGG’s current strategies point to lower margins and negative earnings down the road. The company has an aggressive reseller and affiliate program, which allows merchants to sell its products at a 20% discount. The reseller program does not have clear eligibility requirements and is open to anyone. That means anyone could buy these products at the steep discount and simply set up an eBay shop.
This is a reckless strategy that suggests that ZAGG desperately wants to grow its market share, whatever the cost to its margins.
The Foolish Bottom Line
Although ZAGG appears to be a fundamentally cheap stock, trading at 5.5 times forward earnings with a 5-year PEG ratio of 0.32, don’t be fooled. This is a company facing an existential crisis. More innovative competitors will continue to chip away at its market share, and technological advances such as Gorilla Glass and transparent iPhones may render its core business useless.
For now, lower demand, lower margins and possibly negative earnings all await ZAGG investors in 2013. I guess that’s the price to pay for riding high off the success of heavy lifting innovators such as Apple and Google.
ZAGG would be wise to remember the words of Sir Isaac Newton, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
The problem is that those shoulders are now getting awfully crowded, and the giants are starting to sprint. That means ZAGG is about to get pushed off - and it’s a long, long way down.
Leo Sun owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Corning, and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Corning, and Google. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


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Bruce Bohnsack, president of telecommunications company GTC in Germantown, Columbia County, knows GTC will never be nearly as big as Bell Atlantic, but GTC's success has not come from focusing on what it will not be.
Instead, GTC, formerly Germantown Telephone Co., is growing and expanding on its home turf and gaining name recognition in neighboring counties because Bohnsack concentrates on what GTC will do.
Over the years, the family-owned business has managed to keep up with ever-changing telecommunications technology. The third-generation owners, Bruce and his brother Joel, who is vice president of operations, are continuing that trend and committed to maintaining the company's standing in an extremely competitive industry.
Against a backdrop of mergers and mega-telecommunications companies, 99-year-old GTC has clung hard to its hometown roots, but also expanded its reach when it has sensed an opportunity.
GTC, with 14 employees, has more than 4,000 subscribers to telephone, cable and Internet service in Columbia, Duchess and Ulster counties.
Bohnsack said the driving force behind it all has been the company's focus on niche markets and maintaining close relationships with customers--two things that large telecommunications companies don't always have time for.
"We can do things they [Bell Atlantic] can never do," Bohnsack said.
One of the first things GTC did, back in 1984, was to recognize that cable was about to become the next major telecommunications growth area, Bohnsack said.
"We saw there was going to be a transition. Cable might be the vehicle of choice, and we didn't want to be left out," he said.
GTC applied to the Federal Communications Commission and received permission to purchase Hilltop Communications, an existing cable television franchise in Columbia County.
Four years later, GTC installed a digital cable switch and a sonet ring at its headquarters. The digital switch provided advanced telephone calling features--such as call forwarding, call waiting, voice mail and caller ID--and the sonet ring connected all remote callers to the host switch so they could take advantage of the new services.
In 1990, the company purchased another cable franchise in the Columbia County town of Clermont. Last year, GTC switched that cable to digital as well, to keep up with consumer demand for high-quality sight and sound.
Many of the independent telephone companies throughout the Hudson and Catskill valleys, such as Berkshire Telephone Corp. of Kinderhook, now own cable franchises because it's a good complement to the telephone service, Bohnsack said.
GTC carved out another niche when it became an Internet service provider in 1996 and at the same time began offering computer training courses.
The ISP began as EPIX, a partnership with Commonwealth Telephone Co. in Dallas, Pa.
The classes were taught under Germantown Telephone Technology Center.
The expansion "has been good for us," Bohnsack said.
In keeping with the ever-changing nature of the telecommunications business, those sectors have evolved as well. In 1998, GTC bought the ISP and the company has been "upgrading almost yearly" in terms of telecommunications software to improve services, Bohnsack said.
Earlier this year, the technology center, EPIX and the digital cable service were consolidated and renamed Valstar. That subsidiary now manages all the expanded services.
GTC expects the new high-tech names will improve the company's image. GTC is no longer just a telephone company in a small town--now it is a high-tech business offering a range of telecommunications services, Bohnsack said.
Most of the independent telephone companies in New York state are expanding their services, said Robert Puckett, president of the Albany-based New York State Telecommunications Association Inc., a member organization for local telecommunication companies.
Customers living in rural areas want Internet and cable service as much as those living in urban regions, Puckett said. It's a natural transition for local phone companies to offer those services.
"Certainly, you want to be a one-stop shop for all your customers," he said.
And customers want one-on-one relationships with their service providers, he said.
Lisa Thompson, vice president of Berkshire Telephone, said it's possible to maintain a local focus even while branching out in services.
Berkshire's cable subsidiary operates in the towns of Kinderhook and Stuyvesant, and the company offers Internet access and telephone paging services to customers in Columbia and Rensselaer counties.
To stay competitive, telecommunications companies have to go after the newest in technology, Thompson said. But customers often are frustrated with the large companies and prefer a local provider's service, she said.
Bohnsack said the move into high-tech has helped increase customer awareness of the company.
Businesses that want employees to enhance their computer skills, or learn Web page design may rent out GTC's computer training facility. Bohnsack said that since the center opened, more than 1,200 people a year have taken classes in Microsoft applications and Internet introduction.
A range of businesses from various counties have taken classes, including Ferncliff Nursing Home of Rhinebeck, Dutchess County; Ed Herrington Inc., a lumber and building supply company in Hillsdale; Ginsberg's Institutional Foods Inc., a wholesale food distributor in Hudson; and the Anderson School in Dutchess County.
"That has been a way to really get to know a lot of customers outside our [phone service] territory," he said.
GTC's next big move is to offer digital service line technology, a new broadband Internet service that uses a customer's existing telephone copper wire.
Bell Atlantic has begun rolling out the service in its larger markets in Washington, D.C., and New York City and expects to begin offering DSL service in Albany by early next year.
Another company out of Connecticut, Inc. of New Haven, in August opened two offices in Albany to offer the service.
GTC hopes to begin selling DSL service by the end of this year or early next year, Bohnsack said. GTC currently is looking for vendors who can provide the installation equipment at company headquarters.
Bohnsack says GTC has one advantage over the larger companies when it comes to offering DSL. With its localized focus, GTC can concentrate on providing technical assistance and the "hand-holding" training to users of the service.
That will attract more customers in Germantown and surrounding areas who might want DSL but are intimidated by the technology, Bohnsack said.
All of GTC's technology services are blocks upon which the company will build a full line of Internet, phone and cable services that GTC will sell to customers outside the current service area. Bohnsack is cautiously optimistic GTC will succeed.
"I think we have more opportunity to expand, [but] it won't happen overnight."


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.uk registry Nominet has announced a launch date of 10th June 2014 for new ‘example.uk’ domain names.
From this date, people will be able to register the shorter ‘example.uk’ domain names through their registrar, alongside existing domains such as ‘example.co.uk’ or ‘example.org.uk’.
The new domain is an opportunity for those wanting a short, snappy web address combined with the recognition and trust of the .uk namespace.
Over ten million existing .uk domain holders will be offered the shorter equivalent of their current address, with five years to decide whether they want to use it in addition to, or instead of the domain they already have. Nominet will be contacting these customers following launch to ensure they’re aware of their opportunity to exercise this right.
Nominet’s WHOIS tool has also been updated to allow people to look up who (if anyone) holds the right of registration for an ‘example.uk’ domain.
People can find out more about the new domain by visiting www.dotuklaunch.co.uk.
For domain registrars, Nominet’s Registrar Resources site has been updated with further information about the launch including technical specifications and processes.
Detailed rules about the release process, including excluded domains and the rules applicable from launch date, are also now available on our website here.


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No fewer than 100 exhibitors are expected at this year’s Lagos Fashion Fair, which holds from September 7 to 9. Organizers of the fair, Atlantic Exhibition Nigeria Limited Managing Director, Mr Ayodeji Olugbade, stated this at a briefing in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Olugbade said the exhibitors were being expected from Asia, Europe and Nigeria and that the fair would feature runway shows, musical performances, celebrity appearances, celebration of fashion icons and freebies.
He said for the first time his firm was holding the fair, which is in its ninth edition, in collaboration with the Africa Fashion Week Nigeria.
He said their objective is ‘’to create an enabling environment where creative Nigerian designers and fashion entrepreneurs connect with international counterparts to showcase the beauty and creativity of both worlds through their designs and innovations’’.
He added: “Lagos Fashion Fair seeks to celebrate Nigerian entrepreneurs by using it to make bold statements and create more versatility in their designs. “This event offers an opportunity for designers, fashion professionals, stylists, fashion retailers, models, trend setters and fashion consumers to buy wholesales, shop at discounted rates, interact, network and build business relationships with our Nigerian and international exhibitors.’’
He urged the government to support the fair and the industry to promote the creativity of its players, noting that the subsector could solve the problem of youth unemployment. A famous designer, Toyin Lawani, he added, is billed to feature at the fair’s master class.
African Fashion Week Nigeria and London founder Princess Ronke Ademiluyi said the fashion industry is a money spinner which could grow the economy. “With a focus on using fashion as a non-oil export to grow our gross domestic product, Nigeria’s creative talents can be translated into wealth creation,’’ he added.


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Photo Credit: Daniel Leal-Olivas | AFP | Getty Images
The price of a pint of beer in the United Kingdom has risen by a more than 70% since 2018, causing consumers to respond grimly. The rise in commodity prices is ahead of the inflation that many countries around the world are experiencing.
According to a CGA report, the average price of a pint of beer has risen from £2.30 in 2019 to £3.95 this year. However, prices may vary depending on location. The average cost of a print increased by 15 pence between 2021 and 2022, representing a nearly 4% increase – the largest annual increase in the cost since 2008.
The CGA recorded the highest price for a pint in one of the pubs found in London, pricing it at £8.06. Meanwhile, the lowest national average is £1.79, which is sold at a store in Lancashire, northwest England.
Inflationary pressures are now being felt in many UK countries. In the United Kingdom, inflation reached a record high of 9.4 percent in June, the highest level in more than 40 years. The condition significantly affects the price of food and services in the country. This has also prompted the Bank of England to increase interest rates to their highest level since 1995 last Thursday.
The inflation rate is expected to rise within the next two months to around 13%. As a result, business executives are worried that people may choose to stay at home and save their bucks to prepare for the economic crisis.
Consumers and suppliers are both under pressure as the economy deteriorates. Several factors, according to Paul Bolton, a client director at GBA, contribute to the economy’s bleak state. Staff shortages, supply disruptions, pandemic-related debts, and inflation, for example, have all made it more challenging for businesses to stay afloat.
The poor harvest is affecting the supply
“The barley price has gone up and has doubled since 2021. There are two reasons for that: one is that the harvest in North America was really poor, driven by a poor climate, so there was not much inventory to start with – and then, of course, we had the Black Sea region conflict,” stated Francois Sonneville, a senior beverage analyst from Rabobank.
According to Sonneville, when grain prices rise, local farmers plant more crops the following year. However, it proved difficult this time due to inflation, which resulted in the prices of farming supplies climbing.
Richard Hirst, a farm owner from Suffolk, said, “Where our normal inflation is running at 8, 9%, (agricultural) inflation for our businesses is running somewhere over 22, 23%. That’s a function of obviously oil prices, fuel – our tractor diesel has gone up more than three times in price, which is a lot more, relatively, than road fuel has gone up.”
“Fertilizer costs will have tripled for next year – we’re buying fertilizer now three times what it was last year. Our chemical inputs are going up, and just the cost of running machinery, whether it’s spare parts or actually just the cost of buying machinery itself. All that has gone up an awful lot more than the 9 or 10% of normal inflation,” Hirst added.
Price changes caused consumer behavior
Andy Wood, CEO of a brewery and hospitality company, stated that the price changes have prompted significant changes in consumer behavior.
“We’re certainly seeing people come out earlier in the evening, having their drinks, having their dinner, and then they’re going back home,” added Wood.
“We’re seeing people perhaps having two courses rather than three courses, and perhaps having a glass of wine rather than a bottle of wine, so we are seeing some changes in consumer behavior, there is no doubt about that.”
Opinions expressed by US Insider contributors are their own.


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Mumias Sugar Company is turning to cost-cutting in a bid to reverse the Sh1.6 billion net loss it posted in the year ended June.
Chief executive officer Peter Kebati said the miller will undertake a number of measures to reduce its costs that may include a further cut on cane prices.
“Ways of reducing costs are being explored,” Mr Kebati said in an e-mail response to the Business Daily.
“We shall monitor the cane price in line with the sugar prices before making any adjustments.”
Mumias recently reduced the price at which it is buying cane from Sh3,825 per tonne to Sh3,385. Its rivals have also reduced their prices by between 11.5 per cent and 27 per cent in what is seen as signal of increased cane supply.
West Kenya and Butali are currently paying Sh2,700 per tonne of cane deliveries, down from the previous Sh3,700.
Mumias’ loss has been linked to high operation costs and reduced sugar production brought by increased competition for cane among sugar millers.
Its sales dropped 20 per cent to Sh14.9 billion in the year ended June, with the firm further suffering from cheap sugar imports.
Mumias Sugar processed 1.72 billion tonnes of sugarcane, 10 per cent lower than in 2012.
Its share price at the Nairobi Securities Exchange has dropped 25 per cent over the past six months to trade at Sh3.35.


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This weekend Pet Helpers’ own dachshund mix, Charlie, will compete in the Puppy Bowl XV, airing on Animal Planet. Pet Helpers gets a shoutout during the Puppy Bowl pre-game with a Bissell Pet Foundation commercial. Enjoy a watch party at Mt. Pleasant’s Ghost Monkey Brewery from 2-5 p.m. this Sun. Feb. 3.
There will also be a special Charlie’s Friends Adoption Special at Pet Helpers on Feb. 3, where all of Charlie’s friends (one year and older) will have discounted adoptions.
Learn more about Pet Helpers online at pethelpers.org.
Stay cool. Support City Paper.


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Mumbai: Vistara Airline has made a new announcement for its customers. The airline has informed that air passengers can now travel from Mumbai to Mauritius. The company has said that it is starting Mumbai-Mauritius flights. The first flight from Mumbai to Mauritius will start on March 26.
five flights a week
The company has reported that the Mumbai-Mauritius flight will fly five times a week. These flights will be operated by A321 aircraft. Vistara has recently added Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class to its A321 aircraft. In fact, the company has announced a flight from Mumbai to Mauritius on Thursday, that is, today. With this, Mauritius has become the 12th country for which the extension service can be made use of from Mumbai. The good news for well-traveled air travelers is that starting next month, passengers will be able to fly from Mumbai to Colombo. Because Vistaar has also announced this upcoming air travel.
read this too
An effective effort to connect the two countries.
Mauritius is not only a popular tourist destination, but also a business hub. Expanding its airline services, the company is connecting Mumbai with Mauritius. On this occasion, the company’s CEO, Vinod Kannan, said that the company is going to start its flights to Mauritius. Because Mauritius is not only a popular tourist destination, but the country is also known as a business hub. In such a situation, it will be an effective effort to connect the two countries.


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Investors are likely realizing what Wells Fargo Securities analyst Paul Lejuez said in a research note, that November comps "may be as good as it gets in Q4 2013" because the November 2012 sales comps at J.C. Penney were down 34% -- the worst comps of the quarter last year.
"Now that we are past Black Friday, we are likely to see a lull period until the days leading up to Christmas," Lejuez wrote in the note. "Keep in mind December comparisons are more difficult that November (which had the Sandy comparison benefit as well) and January is the toughest. Therefore, if the same run-rate holds, reported comps would decelerate from here."
The beleaguered department store chain late Tuesday said comparable store sales jumped 10.1% in November, benefiting from the all-important Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekend sales. J.C. Penney opened at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving to compete with other retailers, including Macy's (M) and Target (TGT).
It's the second month in a row the Plano, Texas-based company reported positive monthly sales. Last month, J.C. Penney reported its first positive comp data since December 2011.
Despite the strong sales figures, J.C. Penney shares were down 3.1% to $9.80 in mid Wednesday trading.
Lejuez also believes "many are likely to misread the magnitude of the acceleration" in November. "Using 'simple' stack analysis, it appears November accelerated by 700 bps [basis points]," compared to comp sales for the entire third quarter (down 4.8%). "The 'real' math shows it was only 230 bps," Lejuez said. "Still an acceleration to be fair, but much less impressive in our view."
He continues to rate J.C. Penney shares "underperform," reiterating his investment thesis that J.C. Penney has been "burned by the effects of an unsuccessful turnaround strategy, which has created a hole that is likely too deep" to return to profitability.
J.C. Penney noted on Tuesday that online sales through jcp.com continued to be strong, "running well ahead of last year," though it did not break out the numbers.
"We are pleased with our performance over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, particularly in light of the continued spending pressures on consumers," J.C. Penney's CEO Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III said in a press release. "The traffic and conversion we saw both in stores and online this weekend was exciting for everyone across our organization. We know the environment will remain as competitive as ever, and we are all working to maintain our momentum through the holiday season."
analyst Brian Nagel, who rates J.C. Penney at "perform," had a slightly more optimistic take on J.C. Penney's November comps.
"The better than expected Nov. sales results that J.C. Penney announced after the close suggest further that the 'back to basics' strategy of CEO Mike Ullman is allowing the chain to reconnect with core customers," Nagel wrote in a note to clients.
"JCP is by no means out of the woods," he added. "A worst-case scenario for the chain, however, is becoming less and less likely."
Nagel raised his fourth-quarter comp sales. He now expects comps to rise 8% compared to 4-6%, previously. He also raised his 12-month price target by $3 to $11.
Written by Laurie Kulikowski in New York.


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A decade after Damien Hirst took over Sotheby’s London saleroom in September 2008 with a sale of his own work, the same New Bond Street room staged the most notorious London auction since—where Banksy’s Girl with Balloon shredded itself. In 2008, Hirst’s sale made £111m as Lehman Brothers collapsed, sparking the global financial crisis. No such catastrophe has yet followed Banksy’s stunt, but despite art sales’ strength this year, on 1 November, Tad Smith, Sotheby’s chief executive, predicted the art market in 2019 would be “more subdued” than that seen in early 2018.
The obscured narrative on that October night at Sotheby’s is that Jenny Saville’s Propped (1992) broke the auction record for a living female artist, fetching £8.25m (£9.5m with fees). So much attention has been paid to female artists in 2018 that the art advisor Lisa Schiff quipped: “It’s a bad time to be a white male artist.” However, the data says otherwise: Propped would have had to make many times that amount to get close to the top prices set by male artists—David Hockney’s 1972 painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) is the latest record-breaker, selling for $80m ($90.3m with fees) at Christie’s, New York, in November. Pale and male still wins.
The question of whether we need artists at all was raised in October when Christie’s New York became the first auction house to sell a work created by artificial intelligence (AI). The smudgy 2018 portrait of the fictional Edmond de Belamy sold for $432,500, prompting an outcry. If artistic expression can be machine-learned, is this the end of the artist? Critiques of this limp AI daub would suggest not.
It is the end of days for MCH Group’s regional fairs programme though, and perhaps the Swiss owner of the Art Basel franchise’s seemingly unstoppable dominance of international fairs. MCH’s cash cow, the watch fair Baselworld, has had a rough year with the withdrawal of Swatch. To achieve the “necessary stabilisation” of the company, in November MCH announced it will sell its shareholdings in Art Düsseldorf and the India Art Fair, and will not participate in the new Art SG fair in Singapore.
Art Basel’s rival Frieze’s New York fair in May, held during a heatwave, was sweltering and the exhibitors and collectors hot and bothered (some galleries launched a class action). The organisers later offered compensation—10% of the booth cost—but it leaves doubts over the Randall’s Island Park site. Frieze announced its first Los Angeles fair in February 2019, leading to speculation that New York could be ditched in favour of the West Coast—Frieze denies this.
Civic mindedness is not the art market’s strong suit. Yet in May, David Zwirner (the art world’s most influential man, according to the ArtReview Power 100 list) suggested fairs could levy a “tax” on top-level galleries and that he’d pay more “if it helps smaller galleries join in”—perhaps a response to the numerous reports of small and mid-size galleries’ struggles. Since then, Frieze, Art Basel and Fiac have introduced sliding-scale pricing models for stands, making smaller booths more affordable for smaller galleries. But proof of its efficacy remains to be seen.
As is the case for blockchain—a flood of companies entered the art market this year and Christie’s held its first sale on the “digital ledger” in November. Yet most people do not even know what blockchain is; therein lies the technology’s main barrier for now.
The number: $212,500
David and Peggy Rockefeller’s wicker picnic hamper from Asprey’s sold for this sum during Christie’s record sales series of the couple’s collection. The most expensive hamper of all time—and not a sandwich to be found in all that monogrammed, silver-lined picnic-ware.
Hot market artist: Kerry James Marshall
Pale, male artists may still command the highest prices, but Marshall is fast on the rise. In May, his painting, Past Times sold for $21.1m in New York—a record for a work by a living black artist. In November, ArtReview named him the most influential contemporary artist, putting him second in its Power 100 list—just behind his dealer, David Zwirner.
"Some collectors follow fashions, which will probably crash—pump and dump, if you will; some play the long game. Art history is brutal: very little will remain."
-Alexander Rotter, Christie’s chairman of post-war and contemporary art


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Key findings for New Zealand from the 25th PwC CEO Survey
"As we near the two-year mark since the beginning of the pandemic, we find ourselves still navigating through an uncertain environment. The Omicron outbreak coupled with other challenges such as inflation, rising interest rates and ongoing supply chain disruption have created an environment that will further test business leaders in the year ahead.
We are also facing what I refer to as ‘The Great Migration’. A number of New Zealanders will now be feeling more comfortable to head overseas and embark on their ‘OE’ as the effects of the pandemic start to ease offshore.
These factors mean we are all navigating unfamiliar territory as we head into 2022. However, I believe there is cause for real optimism. Business leaders have proven how resilient they can be in the face of considerable disruption and change. We have shown great flexibility and adaptability and this will set us up well for any further challenges on the horizon.
We also have an opportunity to learn from other countries who are ahead of us in navigating the next wave of the pandemic as we try to minimise the impact on both our businesses and our communities.
Part of this includes finding ways to stay connected. I believe connectivity between our people, customers and broader communities, and with New Zealand and the rest of the world, will be critical for our organisations and economy to thrive.
We look forward to the pandemic-related restrictions lifting at the earliest opportunity so that local businesses are able to operate with less impediments and position themselves for success in the new normal.
Our CEO survey data was collected in October and November 2021 and reflects CEOs’ mindsets at that point. The world has continued to change since that time, however the key findings remain relevant. Working through the impact of climate change must continue to be a top priority so businesses can meet the demands of all their stakeholders. Similarly understanding the economic headwinds we face will be critical for maintaining continuity.
Lastly, I want to thank the CEOs who shared their time and invaluable insights in this year’s survey. I hope you find this report informative and one that provides some insights into how New Zealand businesses can prepare themselves for the future.
CEO and Senior Partner, PwC New Zealand
CEOs are cautiously optimistic about economic growth, both globally and in New Zealand. When we surveyed business leaders in October and November in 2021, a significant proportion (64%) said they expect global economic growth to improve in the year ahead - a large uptick compared to previous surveys (39% in early 2021). These numbers reveal local CEOs are less confident than their global counterparts (77%) about global economic growth although it’s unclear how the Omicron outbreak has affected this outlook.
The same can be said when it comes to New Zealand’s own economic growth. At the time the survey was carried out, many local business leaders (49%) thought this country’s economic growth would improve in the next 12 months. The continued impact of the pandemic as well as the effect of rising inflation have only become more apparent in the intervening period.
The current economy
From a New Zealand perspective we had been able to get back to business last year despite the lockdowns. We saw our central bank and government do a lot to provide support and stimulus to the economy. This instilled a sense of confidence and led to some resiliency to the effects of the pandemic.
While parts of our economy are performing very well and we do still expect some growth, this year we are facing several headwinds. These include labour shortages, the continued travel restrictions and supply chain constraints, to name a few. There’s also the Omicron outbreak and the resulting business continuity issues to work through, largely with reduced stimulus or support relative to previous outbreaks.
We’ve also just seen the annual inflation rate rise to 5.9%. In terms of outlook over the next year, we should see some of the factors causing this to abate with headline inflation peaking over the next couple of quarters. However, the ability for the RBNZ to get this sustainably back down towards 2% in 2022 is unlikely as the mechanics of elevated inflation rolls through into people’s pricing expectations.
A lot of the pressures creating inflation are out of New Zealand’s control (e.g. oil prices or shipping costs). It’s therefore unlikely that higher domestic interest rates will have much of an impact on those factors.
Household spending crunch
Real wage growth remaining negative, the borders staying mostly closed and local interest rates rising will create real issues for households and our collective spending. Ultimately, money going into rising costs is money coming out of the wider economy as consumer demand changes. We’re likely to see wage rate rises but it won’t be enough to compensate for these pressures.
Priorities for business leaders
Business leaders need to be thinking about where interest rates are going and the flow on effect of that from a consumer demand perspective. Most companies carry some form of debt and with interest rates moving higher, leaders need to be prepared for that. A key challenge here is connecting how higher interest rates might impact strategic priorities like funding decarbonisation investments, or other growth-related capex plans.
Labour and skills shortages are likely to persist despite borders reopening as well as ongoing supply chain issues throughout 2022, further challenging the resiliency of New Zealand businesses. There are a number of reasons to remain optimistic about the growth outlook. For example a low NZD coupled with record high prices in some key commodities will mean a boom for New Zealand exporters."
Partner, PwC New Zealand
(showing only ‘improve’ responses)
The latest survey findings reveal that while New Zealand CEOs are concerned about climate change they are considerably less troubled than their Australian and global counterparts (23% of local CEOs expressed concern compared to 37% in Australia and 33% globally). These numbers may reflect the situation in New Zealand when the survey was carried out (in October and November 2021 parts of the country were in lockdown), with health risks seen as the primary issue for local CEOs (61%).
The numbers also show that New Zealand business leaders are lagging behind in their carbon-neutral and net-zero commitments. Only a small number (18%) say their company has made a carbon-neutral commitment in contrast to 33% in Australia and 26% globally. The results are similar when it comes to net-zero commitments (16% of New Zealand CEOs compared to 24% Australia and 22% globally). Although more say they are working towards carbon-neutral (32%) and net-zero (29%) there is clearly more still to be done.
The trend has been driven, in part, by governments taking steps to drive the private sector - something we haven’t seen as much locally. However, this could change in May when the emissions budget is set by the New Zealand Government.
Businesses can create opportunities through making net-zero and carbon-neutral commitments. They will have to make fundamental changes to their strategy as well as business and operating models. In this, lies the possibility to capture the benefit of new technologies, introduce efficiencies, drive down costs or transform supply chains, for example.
New Zealand businesses also need to remain competitive internationally. With offshore competitors already ahead, local businesses must act now to keep up and not be left behind. There is an opportunity to learn from the actions of those international businesses who are already greening their supply chains and innovating to reduce their impact on the planet.
Developments like the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities could have a direct impact on a wide range of New Zealand exports and trade. The introduction of carbon border adjustment mechanisms and other regulatory levers could disadvantage New Zealand companies if they don’t start making changes.
Change is now
There is often a misplaced perception that climate change is something that’s happening in the future but it is happening now. It can’t be left to someone else to solve. The impact for business can be seen in the way that global financial markets are starting to respond. Access to capital is changing as well as the ways investors view climate risk. An example of this is the rise in due diligence related to ESG criteria in M&A transactions.
This year, a major theme we’re seeing develop is the financing of addressing climate change. At COP26 we saw a lot of discussion about where the funding is going to come from and I’d expect that to continue. Financing to enable and accelerate the transition to the zero carbon economy whether that’s from governments or the private sector is critical.”
Sustainability and Climate Change Leader, PwC New Zealand
(showing responses for ‘very influential’ & ‘extremely influential’ only)
(showing responses for ‘very accurate’ and extremely accurate’)
PwC New Zealand advises organisations on a wide range of areas. This report highlights expertise from our treasury advisory and climate change and sustainability services. Please read below for a more detailed description of these services.
PwC's Treasury Advisory team of experienced advisers provide independent, clear, pragmatic and impartial advice to clients on all aspects of treasury and debt management. Whether that involves hedging policies for foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity price risk, or designing and implementing strategies for securing optimal debt funding arrangements for borrowers.
PwC advises clients across the New Zealand economy on a range of sustainability initiatives, carbon reduction strategies and reporting. Our team includes leading specialists in sectors that are at the forefront of the transition to a renewable future, including the energy, transportation, agriculture, and the digital sectors.


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CMT China: next event from 2 - 4 September 2022
In Nanjing, capital of the Baden-Wuerttemberg partner region Jiangsu, CMT China took place from 4 - 6 June 2021. The latest trends for holiday making and travel were presented to about 41,000 visitors on 30,000 square metres. Especially the caravaning area recorded an increased interest among the Chinese visitors. That the segment booms is also reflected in the sales numbers: A total of 303 mobile homes was sold and a new record turnover of more than RMB 90 million achieved. The 2021 event was already the 10th CMT China to be held in the International Expo Center in Nanjing. The exact date of CMT China 2022 has yet to be finalised. Click here for the Chinese website of CMT China.


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A spokesperson for Essex Police has appealed for calm after what he described as an ‘unacceptable’ escalation of violence between neighbouring Aldi and Lidl stores in Southend over ‘identical’ packs of ham.
Leaders of both stores are accusing the other of copying their idea of putting off-cuts of ham in a sealed pack and charging £1.65, and the UN Envoy for Discount Supermarkets Kofi Kuiksaiv condemned a lengthy exchange of mortars and shelling this afternoon.
He added: ‘Although both stores pay above minimum wage on the understanding that employees may be forced to undertake militant action in the ongoing battle for control of the cut-price grocery sector, today’s so-called friendly fire blew an elderly lady’s knee clean off.’
‘She may never walk again, or at best she may be condemned to a life walking in circles.’
‘Lidl’s coded threat to begin stocking meringue nests is a clear attempt to antagonise Aldi and provoke them into taking action that will risk the lives of shoppers and other users of this stretch of the A127.’
‘Waitrose guerillas have also threatened retaliation as they feel that this is a clear breach of the Geneva Baked Egg White Retail Agreement of 2004.’
Within the last few minutes, an emergency peace summit has got underway in the neutral Wild Bean Café three doors down, and senior officials of both supermarkets have been meeting to try and reach a deal to end the bloodshed.
According to an ASDA grocery supervisor who is mediating the top-level talks on behalf of the UN, the only possible resolution is for one German-owned cut-price supermarket to refer to the ham as ‘trimmings,’ while the other German-owned cut-price supermarket will have to refer to their product as ‘cuttings.’
However, at the time of going to print, both giants are threatening to proceed with plans to rename their ‘Multigrain Hoops’ as ‘Hamster Anuses’ – it is hoped that a multi-product accord can be finalised.


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The interactive episodic game, Life Is Strange, gets its fourth episode ‘Dark Room’ soon, specifically on July 28. The announcement came through Square Enix’s Blog by Community Manager Scott Blows.
There was also a reveal trailer accompanying the reveal which promises that the fourth installment ‘Dark Room’ promises to be the darkest and full of surprises about “Arcadia Bay’s best kept secrets!”
Episode four is certainly taking a darker tone than previous episodes and it looks to reveal some of Arcadia Bay’s best kept secrets!
Blows also stated that the last episodes have already sold over 1 Million units which is amazing with two episodes left to go.
As if that wasn’t enough good news, Life is Strange recently hit over one million sales! With two episodes still to go, this is truly an amazing result and we want to thank everyone that has enjoyed, supported and played Life is Strange so far.
Life is Strange Episode Four ‘Dark Room’ releases on July 28 for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.


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Starting Friday and running through the weekend EA and DICE are saying thanks to Battlefield 3 players in their Battlefield 3 “Says Thanks” Sweepstakes weekend where gamers who play from Friday, November 11 at 12:01am GMT through Sunday, November 13 at 11:59pm GMT. Gamers who log in and play will have a chance to win one of three prizes.
The Grand Prize is a round-trip visit to DICE in Stockholm, Sweden for one player and three of their squadmates for three nights. Included in the visit is a tour of the state-of-the-art studio and an introduction to the development team behind the award-winning game. The second prize is $5,000 USD in cash, or equivalent local currency, with the third place winner taking home a brand new game system with the full catalogue of corresponding Battlefield games. Complete sweepstakes rules can be found at www.battlefield.com/saysthanks.


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BONDS has launched the brands most innovative intimates’ collection. Championing up-front beauty and body positivity, Bonds Intimately celebrates the modern woman.
The new campaign, via The Arc Factory, launches across Australia this week and reflects a new generation of Australian and New Zealand Millennials who define themselves in their own way. The campaign strives to challenge conventions of beauty in all forms.
The Intimately line up is led by transgender model Andreja Pejic (middle of photo below), who’s influence has been felt by men and women, tastemakers and avid followers of fashion alike. Intimately BONDS will be Andreja’s first Australian underwear campaign.
The diverse line-up of Intimately women making their mark internationally also includes New Zealand-born beauty Maia Cotton, diversity advocate and model Shanaya Peters and flame haired model Madeleine Hunt.
BONDS marketing manager, Emily Small, says the campaign encapsulates BONDS ethos, “BONDS is for every Australian woman. Taking a strong and feminine stance on Intimates, All The Feels celebrates the real, raw, up-front beauty of the modern woman. We think it’s important to challenge what we see in the media with a more authentic reflection of beauty and hope to grow people’s visual vocabulary.”
The campaign video strengthens BONDS pledge to embrace female diversity in all forms. Exploring how feeling ‘good’ comes from the inside out and how we feel about ourselves and in our bodies. The video was creatively executed and produced by The Arc Factory and De Republica.
The Intimately Bonds campaign launched March 4 and is now live in-store, POS, online and digital.
Head of Marketing: Emily Small
Marketing Manager: Kelly McBride
Brand Manager: Kedda Ghazarian
Assistant Brand Manager: Taylah Johnson
Agency: ARC Factory
Art Director: Peter Metzner
Account Manager: Crimson Dunstan
Photographer: Nicole Bentley
Hair: Michelle McQuillan
Make up: Kelly Stratton
Stylist: Sarah Starkey
Video: De Republica
For more information please contact:
THE ARC FACTORY (02) 9332 4744
Crimson Dunstan: firstname.lastname@example.org
Culture-leading publisher Highsnobiety continues to evolve its local operations with the appointment of Citizens of Culture as its strategic partner across media operations within Australia. Highsnobiety is a premium global brand dedicated to cultural pioneers, with work spanning across digital platforms, print media, documentaries, cutting edge events, a shopping platform and a full service creative […]
An investigation by British broadcaster ITV has found that Amazon is destroying millions of items in unsold or returned stock. The report specifically focuses on one of the 24 warehouses the company has in the UK. According to ITV News, the destroyed items are largely unused and new, either returned items or those which never […]
Australian fashion brand Witchery has partnered with B Corp GlamCorner as part of GlamCorner’s subscription box offering as the demand for everyday essentials soars. This partnership marks another milestone for the Australian fashion industry towards becoming more circular and introducing more paths to reduce textile waste. Customers nationally will be able to rent more of […]
The media, marketing and creative industries are being encouraged to host their own ‘Curry Club for COVID’ before 30th June to help meet the ambitious $100k target set by its organisers. Curry Club for COVID, which was conceived by long-time adtech executive Peter Bray, sales director at Impact, and is powered by industry social purpose organisation […]
The UnLtd Cup is returning for its tenth consecutive year, marking a decade of soccer shenanigans that’s raised nearly $500,000 for children’s mental health charity, KidsXpress. On July 22-23rd, 28 teams from across the industry will battle it out on the soccer field in the two-day tournament at Sydney University Sports and Fitness Centre, Darlington. […]
Australian-bred company Ultra Commerce has acquired New Zealand-based company Vesta eCommerce, a global software business providing leading product data management solutions. The recent acquisition is a significant move for the business, which is Australian born, owned, and headquartered, but has built out a global presence as it pursues rapid growth in the eCommerce market. Connecting […]
Canteen’s latest campaign features the combined talents of Director Luna Laure and creative agency Crater. The campaign strives to raise awareness for young people affected by cancer. The awareness campaign centres around Harry Barentson, who at 12 years of age found out his pregnant mum had cancer. The campaign aims to bring awareness to Canteen’s […]


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Locals can stop by the cafe, located at 270 Vanderbilt Avenue (between Lafayette and Dekalb Avenue), from 9pm-2am for traditional West African polenta. Woézõ owner Mitch Bloom launched his food stand at Smorgasburg this past April, inspired by his experiences serving in the Peace Corps in Togo and his passion for sustainable and locally-sourced food.
“It’s continuing the mission of the Peace Corps, sharing the culture of the country where you served,” Mitch says. “What better way to share the story of the most welcoming people I’ve ever met than through their food?”
Mitch said he plans to serve polenta with a ginger onion stew, yam fries, and a choice of garlic sautéed oyster mushrooms or meat. He said he is still deciding between a maple pork butt or a fennel beef stew.
Mitch met Baguetteaboudit owner Keith Goldberg while sitting in the cafe, working on plans for Woézõ. “I asked Keith to take a look at the menu, and we decided it would be a good idea to help each other out,” Mitch said.
Keith said he is applying for a BYOB license, and plans on showing movies while Mitch serves his polenta.
Mitch said he discovered his love of cooking by working at Bare Burger while pursing his Masters in food education and non-profit management a
“Your hands are creating the product that sustains your business,” he says. “You have the power to have people come through your door, forget about the outside, and enjoy themselves.”
Photo via Woézõ West African


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Some materials are recycled at relatively high levels: more than two-thirds of paper and about a third of aluminum. But for plastic, the rate is just eight percent. Another 16 percent is incinerated. The vast majority of plastic — that remaining 76 percent — ends up in landfills.
How much of recycled plastic is actually recycled?
Plastic. This will likely come as no surprise to longtime readers, but according to National Geographic, an astonishing 91 percent of plastic doesn’t actually get recycled. This means that only around 9 percent is being recycled.
Where does most recycled plastic go?
A recent report released by Greenpeace surveyed the United States’ 367 materials recovery facilities — the facilities that sort our recycling — and found that only plastic bottles are regularly recycled. The fate of most other types of plastic, from clamshells to packaging, is usually a landfill or incineration.
What happens to the plastic that is recycled?
The plastic bottles are also sorted by the type of plastic they’re made from. Then, the bottles are cleaned remove any food, liquid, or chemical residue. Next, all of the bottles are ground up and shredded into flakes. Finally, they are melted down and formed into small pellets, each about the size of a grain of rice.
Does plastic really get recycled?
Despite the best intentions of Californians who diligently try to recycle yogurt cups, berry containers and other packaging, it turns out that at least 85% of single-use plastics in the state do not actually get recycled. Instead, they wind up in the landfill.
Why is most plastic not recycled?
We often simply throw away all plastics into the recycling bin, however, due to the material properties of plastics, not all can be recycled. … The leftover 10% of the global plastic production are thermoset plastics which when exposed to heat instead of melting, are combusting, making them impossible to recycle.
Why is recycling bad?
Material thrown into the recycling bin is another form of trash. As with any waste, it has to be transported and processed somewhere. This means creating additional locations of potentially hazardous waste. These heaps of trash are grounds for bacteria, disease, and a laundry list of other unsafe conditions.
Where do plastic bottles end up?
80 percent of plastic water bottles end up in landfills. It takes up to 1,000 years for every single bottle to decompose. 80 percent of the plastic water bottles we buy end up in landfills. U.S. landfills are overflowing with more than 2 million tons of discarded water bottles.
Why did China stop taking recycling?
China’s imports of waste – including recyclables – has been in decline over the last year. Imports of scrap plastic have almost totally stopped due to the trade war. China said that most of the plastic was garbage, and too dirty to recycle.
Is recycling actually good?
By reducing air and water pollution and saving energy, recycling offers an important environmental benefit: it reduces emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons, that contribute to global climate change.
Should you crush plastic bottles for recycling?
Bottles must be crushed and all of the air removed. Be sure to replace the cap back on after you have done this. This causes more space to be saved at the processing facility, reducing the need for expansion.
Which country is recycling the most?
Top five best recycling countries
- Germany – 56.1% Since 2016, Germany has had the highest recycling rate in the world, with 56.1% of all waste it produced last year being recycled. …
- Austria – 53.8% …
- South Korea – 53.7% …
- Wales – 52.2% …
- Switzerland – 49.7%
What percentage of plastic is recycled 2021?
So far, 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been created, and most of it (6.3 billion metric tons) has ended up in the trash. And as if this isn’t shocking enough, only 9% of this amount has been recycled.
What numbers Cannot be recycled?
According to environmental research blog Greenopedia, plastics labeled 1 and 2 can be recycled at almost every recycling center, but numbers 3, 6 and 7 usually cannot be recycled and can go directly in the trash.
What is the most plastic polluted country?
Plastic pollution can afflict land, waterways and oceans.
Total plastic waste polluters.
|Position||Country||Plastic pollution (in 1000 tonnes per year)|


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As China revealed data of its economic performance in 2023 recently, experts from multiple foreign-invested financial institutions made positive remarks on the country's future economic development.
Overall economic data have been better than expected for most months since August, said Zhu Haibin, chief China economist at J.P. Morgan.
"We have seen that policies have become more active and targeted in stabilizing growth," Zhu said.
China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.2 percent year on year to a new high of 126.06 trillion yuan (about $17.74 trillion) last year, the National Bureau of Statistics said.
The growth rate is higher than the government's annual target of around 5 percent and exceeds the 3 percent increase in 2022.
UBS analyst Wang Tao said that in the fourth quarter of 2023, the year-on-year growth of the key indicators such as retail sales, exports and industrial output all increased, while GDP slightly exceeded expectations.
"The competitiveness of China's manufacturing industry in the global market continues to increase, and the combined export of new tech-intensive green trio topped the one-trillion-yuan mark for the first time, providing new momentum for economic growth," said Xiong Yi, chief China economist at Deutsche Bank.
The total export value of China's new tech-intensive green trio, namely solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles, surged 29.9 percent to 1.06 trillion yuan in 2023.
On the outlook for this year, the economists said that favorable conditions supporting the high-quality development of the Chinese economy have been accumulating, and the good momentum of economic recovery will continue to be consolidated.
Consumption will continue to be the main driver of economic growth in 2024, Zhu said, adding that the household savings rate is expected to drop to pre-COVID levels, which would add 1 percentage point to real consumption growth.
Jason Liu, head of Chief Investment Office Asia Pacific, Deutsche Bank Private Bank believes that recovery has been seen in employment in key industries, particularly those related to high technology, which is expected to drive the recovery of consumer confidence in 2024.
China's progress in technological innovation and industrial upgrading is catalyzing a boom in job opportunities in emerging sectors such as smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence and big data, highlighting the country's burgeoning demand for skilled hi-tech professionals.


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EQ Bank, the digital platform offered by Equitable Bank, Canada's Challenger Bank™, announces a partnership with TransferWise, the global technology company for international money transfers. The result is fully transparent, remarkably fast international money transfers that are up to 8x cheaper1 for EQ Bank customers.
Working with TransferWise for Banks, EQ Bank has integrated TransferWise's API directly into their infrastructure. This integration allows EQ Bank customers to send money right from their Savings Plus Account at the real exchange rate, paying only a small, transparent TransferWise charge. With the TransferWise API integration, EQ Bank customers also get fast, international transfers. In fact, 25% of all global transfers through TransferWise happen instantaneously. And since EQ Bank customers can send right from their account, they earn 2.30%2 interest on every dollar until the moment they hit send.
TransferWise and EQ Bank share a common vision of challenging the status quo to provide transparency and convenience to help people get the most out of their money. This customer-first approach has been missing from international money transfers in Canada, and TransferWise and EQ Bank are seeking to change this. New research commissioned by TransferWise revealed that Canadian consumers lose $2.7 billion to foreign transaction fees as well as hidden fees in exchange rate markups annually.3
Kristo Käärmann, CEO & co-founder, TransferWise, said: "I'm excited to announce our first TransferWise for Banks partnership in Canada with EQ Bank. By plugging into our API, EQ Bank customers can now benefit from some of the most competitive pricing in Canada when sending money abroad."
"Canadian consumers stand to lose a staggering $330 per person to hidden fees in the exchange rate and don't even realize it. This needs to stop. We ultimately want to ensure that everyone has access to fast, cheap, and transparent international money exchange. We're thrilled to have found a like-minded partner in EQ Bank."
Andrew Moor, President and CEO of Equitable Bank, said: "From hidden mark-ups in the exchange rate, to paying multiple fees and lengthy delays, for too long Canadians haven't been getting the best value for their dollar when sending money abroad."
"At EQ Bank we continually seek ways to remove unnecessary complexities and fees from outdated banking structures to put more money back in the hands of our customers. As TransferWise shares these important values, they are the perfect partner to help us achieve our goal."
This partnership follows a succession of bank partnerships across the world for TransferWise for Banks, including Bank Novo and Stanford Federal Credit Union in the United States and Up! in Australia this year alone and signifies the entry into the Canadian market. TransferWise has also announced numerous European partnerships with Monzo in the UK, Bunq in the Netherlands, N26 in Germany, LHV in Estonia and BPCE, France's second largest bank.


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My daughter knew that the big orange button somehow committed this Hello Kitty umbrella to her, but she was perplexed that it did not arrive immediately.
Sarah Bentley of Accenture Interactive remands us there may be a disconnect between brand promise and customer experience (through the lens of her young and indefatigable daughter).
Only 1% of companies in the middle of a digital transformation programme have CMOs in charge of this change.
Sarah again, revealing one finding from the Accenture CMO Insights study.
A third of Chinese digital media consumption is video. #FODM pic.twitter.com/kMjnJhQyBb
— Victoria Louise ✨ (@VictoriaCrumpet) June 19, 2014
Antony Mayfield, Founder and CEO of Brilliant Noise:
Chartbeat says there is no correlation between article shares and reads.
The opportunity is to serve, not just to provide more content.
Brands need to stop thinking they can ‘frack’ the social web.
Operational excellence is needed. Look at content end-to-end. Cost of creation, distribution, return.
Retail now includes the virtual continuum between brick and click.
Minter Dial on digital technology in-store.
Nobody in management thinks it’s their job to test and debug the customer experience, says @mdial #FODM
— Monica Savut (@MonicaSavut) June 19, 2014
A shop in China called Under Armour asks for your email before you are allowed in! #ecommerce #FODM
— Victoria Louise ✨ (@VictoriaCrumpet) June 19, 2014
Wendy Tan White, CEO at Moonfruit:
Moonfruit has had “better results from digital video than above the line TV. Awareness obviously increases from TV but capturing it is the most important thing.
Sebastian Gutierrez, Marketing Manager at eBay Enterprise:
PayPal makes 60% of eBay Enterprise’s revenue.
Jason Mesut, Head of User Experience at Plan:
We are still struggling with touchscreens and it’s seven years since the iPhone launch.
Here Jason cited iOS8’s forthcoming SwiftKey-like function.
Skeuomorphism prevents against the shock of the new. It happened with the Ford Model T [which looked like a carriage] and the TV [which initially looked like a radio].
Zune and Windows 8. Designers loved them, but they were too different for users, so they didn’t succeed.
Gestural interfaces are fading. Gesture is tiring, coarse control, and leads to confusion with natural gestures.
The Tesla cars are controlled with 17 inch touchscreens on their dashboards. That’s just dangerous.
Jason Mesut on the fact that learning is ok:
Even breastfeeding isn’t intuitive.
Let’s stop saying intuitive and say what we mean. Invisible computing. Supportive computing. Adaptive computing.
No user interface might make for less clutter, less learning (in theory) and a less conscious experience, but it pushes complexity elsewhere.
Monument Valley is a great example of motion and emotion in design. Sound is very important to the game.
Will Critchlow on changing demands of search:
Don’t overlook permanent fixes. To quote Quartz’s Kevin Delaney ‘I’d rather have a Snowfall builder than a Snowfall.’
Doug Kessler on ‘the content juggernaut’.
There is a blurring of ads and content, friends’ and brands’ Facebook posts, the motivation behind celebrity tweets…Are publishers selling trust? And too cheaply? If you’re a brand, jump on board now, while the getting’s good.
40% of all eBay purchases touch a mobile device at some point in the transaction @JonathanGabbai talking to @SimonBigPicture #FODM
— Econsultancy (@Econsultancy) June 19, 2014
Jonathan Gabbai, Head of International Mobile Product, eBay.
Mobile is the entry to commerce full stop. Not just ecommerce.
Andrew Warren-Payne, Senior Research Analyst, Econsultancy.
0.9bn connected devices today (excluding smartphones) will become 26bn in 2020.
If you could know something about your customers how would you help them. The way to think about IOT for digital marketers. @agwp #fodm
— heatherahopkins (@heatherahopkins) June 19, 2014
Marcus Mustafa, Head of Global User Experience at LBi:
A diversity of products exist that use the same technology. Why don’t they interact?
On the early and uninspiring work with wearables in the sport and performance market:
The smartwatch is the 21st century beeper. It has no greater functionality than your phone. Let’s wait for the iWatch.
Electroceuticals could be the future. I call it chip and pill.
Barney Loehnis, Head of Digital, APAC, at Ogilvy & Mather:
(see also the full write-up of Barney’s talk)
12m people migrate from the country to Chinese cities every year. 28.3% of children are left behind.
Technology is helping families stay in touch.
In 1990 China had 100,000 private cars, in 2014 it has more than 70m.
To understand digital, you must understand what’s driving consumers.
The counter culture movement of the Diaosi has been borne out of the relentless pressure amongst peers. The Diaosi are staying inside, playing computer games and downloading video, defining their own success.
In relentless Chinese cities, who can you trust?
Barney cited counterfeit medicines, thousands of dead pigs mysteriously dumped in the Yangtze and the 2008 melamine scandal affecting milk in China (which has led to more people buying milk powder on online) as examples of typical events eroding trust in communities.
People are trusting the internet over state media and social media has become a way of making friendships, that in this relentless society, can be very valuable indeed.
You can buy anything produced in China on Taobao.
Chinese consumers engage with ecommerce as a way of contributing to the economic revolution.
The demographic making heaviest use of the internet in China thinks of it as the most trustworthy information source.
In Chinese cities, the internet is the dominant medium.
With 500m entering the Chinese middle classes, engagement strategies are targeted at micro generations.
Gross merchant value across Alibaba and Taobao was 1.63tn in 2013. That would be the tenth largest economy.
Singles Day in China in 2013 saw 20% sales from mobile.
Because commuting is so tough, some people buy everything on Taobao and have it delivered. They don’t care about customer experience, they want to make their life easier.
WeChat is where all the buzz is.” “It’s now being used as a service channel.
Consumers are taking pictures of two items in store, say handbags, and asking their ‘devil group’ on WeChat which they should buy. It’s becoming the last hurdle to purchase.
Taobao sends more packages in a year than UPS does globally.
Xiaomi sells 100,000 phones in 83 seconds.
The company uses limited runs to appeal to consumers who have to register interest on social media in order to buy. The model’s features are crowdsourced, too.
Key opinion leaders are a fundamental part of the marketing mix in China.


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The 2017 Kia Cadenza near Rio Rancho demonstrates just how far the South Korean carmaker has come. Not so long ago, the upstart brand was known for making small, affordable cars. Now, it is a leading name in the U.S. auto industry and it even has luxury sedans such as the 2017 Kia Cadenza near Rio Rancho that pose a legitimate challenge to more established options.
With its impending release, many prospective buyers have approached Kia dealerships around Rio Rancho, NM to get more information about this sedan. If you’re interested in getting the 2017 Kia Cadenza near Rio Rancho, here are a couple of new features you can look forward to.


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Online Gambling May Be Cut Off By Fresh Legislation
There is definitely a new rules waiting to be signed by Chief executive Bush which was presented to The legislature that is having the $12 billion online gambling business with a thread. It appears that Tn Senator Bill Frist, introduced the expenses on Saturday by becoming a member of it to typically the Safe Port Act before Congress took its election break in November.
Typically the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that is expected in order to be signed by President Bush, will practically finish off all internet gambling sites by making that illegal for any bank, credit greeting card company or on the internet payment system to process any payments being made to internet gambling companies.
The particular new law states that Online Gambling internet sites are now restricted from accepting almost any check, credit card or electronic move payments for net gaming in the particular US and seriously puts the industry in chaos.
Amazed in the passing involving this new incapacitating law, the commanders in the on the internet gambling industry required drastic measures and did start to trade off of stock within the London Stock Exchange which often erased $8 billion dollars from the sector. PartyGaming, the tour’s biggest online gambling site declared that they would cease their particular ties with the 920, 000 active US customers these people currently have only when Bush actually signs the new act.
However the new regulation hasn’t yet already been signed, the sector is already getting drastically affected. PartyGaming’s stocks alone possess dropped 60% ending up at a pittiful. 81 cents a share. ufabet เว็บตรงทางเข้า like SportingBet and 888 Holding were influenced by the alter and have given that lost a whole lot of money in their shares. 888 Holding, for example , acquired a 48% cut down on their gives you dropping them straight down to $1. 40 on the United kingdom Market and announced that it was going to not anymore continue its online gambling business in the Combined States.
This isn’t the particular first Act, however , that has particular the us government power to break down the web based gambling industry. Beneath the 1961 Wire Take action, the federal authorities has the right to brake down on-line betting in sporting activities, poker and other casino games that will are thought to be unlawful under the legislation.
This is really debilitating the companies economy because the particular US consumer market is responsible regarding 50-60% of typically the online gambling earnings. These critical laws and regulations against the on-line gambling site owners are making companies to shut down or shift out but exactly what is clear is that they are no longer greeting in the Combined States.
The Madam Chairman with the Fun Gaming Council, Prosecute Schneider, has forecasted that over 500 companies playing around a couple of, 300 internet gambling web sites around the entire world will probably be facing extinction and definitely will most most likely be worn out regarding the industry as a whole. The small number of companies of which manage to survive through this incredible crisis will have to be able to live with an enormous cut back on their revenue plus figure out innovative ways of growing once again. The idea of opening up inside the Asian market has changed into a favored idea for several.


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Matt Rice, Style.com's associate publisher of the past two years, has been promoted to publisher of Style.com and NowManifest. The appointment follows Tuesday's announcement that Conde Nast is selling Fairchild Fashion Media's trade publications, including WWD and Footwear News, to Penske Media for a reported $100 million.
In a press statement, Conde Nast noted that Style.com has had a "strong first half," with advertising revenue up 9 percent over last year, and traffic up 10 percent in recent months (not bad for summer). Style.com claims to bring in 2.1 million unique visitors every month.
Rice's appointment won't be the last – we expect to see a great deal of shuffling on both the editorial and publisher sides of what were until recently Fairchild's publications. Gina Sanders, Fairchild's former president and CEO, is expected to be named to a new position at Conde Nast's parent company, Advance Publications, shortly.


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Exploding earphones burned a plane passenger's face
Thankfully, it didn't cause a bigger fire on the plane.
A visual history of gadgets that have burst into flames
US regulators warn customers about exploding Samsung washers
Owners of the top-loading appliances say the machines exploded while they were doing laundry.
Samsung sued after Galaxy Note 7 explodes in pocket
This could be the first Note 7-related lawsuit in the US.
The US is looking into exploding self-balancing skateboards
America's CPSC has launched a priority investigation into the devices after a spate of explosions.
Exploding iPod touch sets kid's pants on fire, melts his underwear, causes untold emotional pain
An Ohio mom is filing a lawsuit against Apple on behalf of her son, whose "iTouch" poppe...
Exploding ThinkPad attacks man, burns through bed
We're fairly certain this BoringTrash fellow's statement that his IBM ThinkPad R50e "...
iPod "nana" spews chest-high flames from trousers -- lawsuit at 11
Prepare to be amazed at what passes for investigative journalism on television these days. Atlanta...


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As Apple prepares to roll out iOS 13.2, the number of issues impacting iOS 13 continues to grow, despite being on iOS 13.1.3 already. Now there’s a Siri speakerphone call issue being reported. Users say whenever they ask Siri to place a call for them, it automatically puts the phone on speaker without asking whether they want it on speaker or not.
Complaints about the Siri speakerphone call issue
PiunikaWeb noted a number of complaints about the Siri speakerphone call issue. One thread on Apple’s own forums states that the issue occurs every time they say something like, “Hey Siri, call Jim.” The call is made and put on speaker, and then the user has to tap to turn the speakerphone off and continue the call. Having to touch the phone anyway defeats the purpose of even using “Hey Siri” to make a call. The poster said the problem started occurring when they updated their iPhone XS to iOS 13.
One Reddit user said the Siri speakerphone call issue occurs when they don’t have the phone to their ear. Others chimed in and suggested that the device is assuming that the user wants to make the call on speaker because they used the hands-free “Hey Siri” feature to do it.
Peter Lynch was one of the best growth investors of all time. As the Magellan Fund manager at Fidelity Investments between 1977 and 1990, he averaged a 29.2% annual return. Q1 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more The fund manager's investment strategy was straightforward. He wanted to find growth companies and sit on them Read More
A Twitter user said the Siri speakerphone call issue even occurs when the device is connected to their car via Bluetooth. The digital assistant makes the call using the speakerphone instead of the car’s speakers.
Suggestions? Siri worked though my Kia’s car speakers just fine w/iPhone 8. Just got the iPhone 11 Pro, and no dice. Waze, iTunes Match, & phone calls all work perfectly, but not Siri. She asks questions and provides feedback through the phone’s speaker.
— Dave Hidding (@thinkofdave) October 19, 2019
A possible workaround
One person who responded in the Apple forum thread suggested that users try a simple workaround by going to Accessibility > Touch > Call Audio Routing.” The three choices are “Automatic,” “Bluetooth Headset” and “Speaker.” Choosing “Bluetooth Headset” has worked for some. The Apple forum user said the default “automatic” is broken in iOS 13.1. The person also said that when their iPhone 11 Pro was set on “Bluetooth Headset,” Siri states that it is making the call on speaker, but it doesn’t actually go over the speakerphone. The speaker is turned off in this case, which further illustrates how broken the feature is.
Another Apple forum user said they tried holding the phone to their ear and telling Siri to call someone, and it does use the earpiece instead of the speaker, so this is another workaround, although it’s not as convenient. One person responded on this thread and said one thing that worked for them was to say “Hey Siri” and wait for a reply before telling it to call someone.


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October will see the second coming of King Daddy’s plus a new rotisserie chicken concept from Chai Pani Restaurant Group.
The digital cookbook raises money to support hospitality workers while keeping people connected to their favorite restaurants through recipes that allow them to recreate menu items in their home kitchens.
The celebrated pastry chef is busy collaborating with friends as she prepares for her next big step.
Following a trademark dispute, District Wine Bar has announced it’s in the processing of changing its name. Also: The Scarlet Bee plans a dim sum pop-up. And if you need plans for New Year’s Eve, we’ve got you covered.
From turkey to cranberries, local chefs have some fresh ideas for using up those holiday leftovers.
With the holiday entertaining season approaching, there’s still time to learn how to create delicious entrées, bake a beautiful pie or create an impressive spread of hors d’oeuvres.
“For many years, the stereotype was if you were a woman in the kitchen, you would do pastry, and that was seen as a lesser thing. That perception still lingers, but I think it is changing,” says James Beard Foundation Award-winning pastry chef and Asheville native Camille Cogswell.
Shanghai Dumpling House is one of the latest restaurants to open downtown, taking over the former site of Doc Chey’s Noodle House. Also: RosaBees opens in the RAD, Inconceivable Cafe opens in Hendersonville and more in the latest Small bites.
Local restaurant owners discuss the strategies and motivations behind their expansions.
Chef Dan Silo opens Sawhorse on New Leicester Highway. Also: Cider, Wine and Dine weekend returns to Henderson County; Azalea Bistro launches in Saluda; Community Table hosts its latest Empty Bowl fundraiser for MANNA FoodBank and more local food news.
Olde London Road brings English booze, food and football to downtown Asheville. Also: Crawfish boil at One World Brewing West; The Grazing Camel comes to Table; Bomba launches its latest menu; and more.
Twisted Laurel announces a series of new menu items and events. Also: Tex-Mex menu comes to Buxton Hall; New brunch menu at Butcher Bar West; Hopey & Company to close Sweeten Creek location and more.
Feast of Seven Fishes returns to Strada Italiano. Also: New Year’s celebrations at Postero, Golden Fleece, Jargon and Rustic Grape Wine Bar. Meanwhile Punk Wok returns to Buxton Hall Barbecue.
Creativity in the kitchen can keep turkey and all the trimmings from ending up in the trash.
Eliada Farms Weeks kicks off Saturday, Aug. 18 at Sovereign Remedies. Also: Ben’s Tune Up hosts Slushie Fest; West Asheville Tailgate Market throws a block party; Haywood Street Congregation introduces WelcomeFEST 2018 and more in this week’s Small Bites
On Saturday, Aug. 11 the the Renaissance Asheville Hotel will host the seventh annual White Fundraiser. The event benefits the local nonprofit Loving Food Resources. Also this week: Summer at the Old Dairy Barn Harvest; The 41st annual Sourwood Festival; Cider and Cheese Pairing; and plenty more.
Blue Dream Curry House will host an anniversary party with special plates and collaborative brews. Also: Bold Rock Hard Cider hosts a Memorial Day barbecue; Green Sage announces a new location; Buxton Hall Barbecue hosts a two-night pop-up; and plenty more in this week’s Small Bites.
Youth Transformed for Life’s third annual Sweethearts Supper takes place Saturday, May 12, at the Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center. Also: a sampling of area Mother’s Day events.
On Sunday, Feb. 18, Buxton Hall Barbecue will host Celebrating the Culinary Journey of the South: A Dinner Conversation with John T. Edge. Also: Haywood Common opens in West Asheville; Rezaz closes for renovations; and more in this week’s Small Bites.
In recognition of Martin Luther King Day, Black Star Line Brewing Co. will host a vegan breakfast plus a whole day of events honoring the civil rights leader. Also: a plant-based Bravo Breakfast at the Hendersonville Community Co-op, Punk Wok Pop-Up at Buxton Hall Barbecue, the GO Kitchen Ready Showcase Dinner and more.
Lower margins on Asheville’s craft brews could negatively impact local restaurants.


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But given the currency's covert nature, the average person still may not understand how buying and selling actually works.
A year and a half ago, the idea of buying the virtual currency ... Read More
The platform, due to launch in 2017, will see the Royal Mint - the Treasury-owned body that is permitted to strike British coins - issue "Royal Mint Gold", or RMG. This will be traded via a platform c... Read More
All that may sound like science fiction, but a growing number of startups are working on bringing such applications to market. Coloured Coins and Mastercoin will soon release software that en... Read More
Jiang Zhuoer: BTC.Top Will Support the Camp Favored by a Majority of Hash Power in the Bitcoin Cash Hash War
Jiang Zhuo’er and his BTC.TOP , a major Chinese mining pool, will not take side in the upcoming Bitcoin Cash’s hash war between two competing camps, Bitcoin ABC and Bitcoin SV. Zhuo’er shared h
F2Pool Will Support the Mining of BCHABC and BCHSV after Bitcoin Cash Hard Fork
F2Pool, the sixth largest bitcoin mining pool in the world, announced on Tuesday that it will allow miners to mine both coins generated from the upcoming Bitcoin Cash hard fork after the chain split
IBM Says Blockchain Can Power 'Open Scientific Research' in New Patent Filing
A patent application published Thursday claims the process of conducting scientific research can benefit from the blockchain.
Led by a team at IBM's Watson Research Center, the patent application p
CFTC Fines Bitcoin Trader $1.1 Million for Crypto Fraud
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has jailed a bitcoin trader and fined him over $1 million for running a fraudulent bitcoin and litecoin scheme.
According to a press release iss


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AGC’s world-class pharmaceutical subsidiary is on the frontline in the coronavirus battle
The sudden worldwide pandemic will have a profound effect on the direction of the automobile industry.
A new survey shows that Covid-19 is making people totally rethink how they travel and use transport.
Hi-tech glasses are helping Porsche technicians maintain social distancing in the workshop, and repair cars faster.
One surprising upside of the coronavirus pandemic: it gives self-driving cars a great opportunity to showcase their talent.
Animal detection could be the next ADAS safety feature in your car.
Aston Martin launched its V12 Speedster supercar earlier this month.
An American tech company called WaveSense is betting that Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) will be the next big thing in the development of autonomous driving.
Smart glass technologies are driving change in many industries, none more than the automotive sector.
According to Bosch, a German world leader in automotive products, sun glare is the number one weather-related cause of road accidents.