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Plastic pollution via cigarette butts – 06 Aug 2022
Plastic is literally impossible to avoid in daily life
Plastic has pervaded our modern lives, making it literally impossible to avoid. Plastics are used to package the foods we eat, the drinks we consume, and to make the varied products we buy. While plastics have many valuable uses, the profusion of single-use plastics is especially problematic given their abundance and their deleterious impact on the natural environment as well as on humans.
The amount of plastic the world has begun to produce over the past few decades is staggering. According to the United Nations Environmental Program, around a million plastic bottles are sold every single minute around the world. Around five trillion plastic bags are used globally each year.
Around half of all plastic produced is currently meant for single use only. It is used once, and then thrown away; single-use plastic does not magically disintegrate. Instead, single-use plastic products can take years to decompose. Plastic straws, for example, are estimated to take up to 200 years to decompose. Moreover, single-use plastics do not decompose completely. Instead, they begin to turn into microplastics as they begin to disintegrate, and these microplastics leech into the surrounding environment and begin making their way further along to contaminate freshwater supplies and the oceans. They are also ingested by animals and marine life, which in turn is consumed by humans. Scientists have even found micro-plastics in the human placenta, which are being passed onto unborn babies.
The world seriously needs to rethink its plastic addiction, especially that of single-use plastics. One unsuspected but major source of single-use plastics is cigarette butts. Cigarette butts have tiny plastic fibres, which begin to release toxic chemicals into the natural environment right after a cigarette has been stubbed out and becomes trash. Estimates of cigarette butts being thrown away yearly run into the trillions. Cigarette butts can take around ten years to degrade. Meanwhile, each one of these discarded butts release more than 7,000 toxic chemicals into the natural environment. Thus, it is not only smokers and second-hand or passive smokers whose health is being wrecked by cigarettes. Cigarette butts also cause havoc on the environment.
The tobacco industry is trying to push vaping as a safer and cleaner alternative to smoking. Leaving aside the debates concerning the relative safety of these new tobacco products, the production of these alternatives is evidently creating newer forms of pollution, for example, via the use of minerals used to make batteries for vape devices. In countries like Pakistan and India, chewing tobacco such as gutka and naswar, which are often sold in small plastic pouches, become another major source of plastic pollution.
Given this escalating problem of plastic pollution, it is encouraging to see the UN system having finally articulated a plastics treaty, which aims to provide a global mechanism to contend with the plastic pollution problem. Many countries around the world are trying to establish policies to lessen and even ban the use of single-use plastics with varying degrees of success. It is vital that plastic pollution efforts also focus on the plastic waste being generated by cigarette butts and other tobacco and nicotine products.
Governments around the world need to compel the tobacco industry to clean up the waste and to pay for the environmental damage being caused due to their products. In recent decades, we have seen the increasing regulation of the tobacco industry and a concerted public awareness drive, which has managed to convince large segments of the population not to smoke due to health reasons. Now a similar effort needs to be made to highlight the damage being caused by the tobacco industry on the already highly stressed natural environment.


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e-Mobility beyond the confines of the city with EVA+
From Rome to Milan by electric car. Today it is possible thanks to 30 recharging columns installed by Enel on the long distance inter city roads. The first step of EVA+, the European project to take electric mobility beyond the confines of the urban environment, promoted via a Saatchi & Saatchi campaign
Published on 11 October 2017
On 1 October a new electric route opened between Rome and Milan. Enel has installed and activated the first 20 Fast Recharge points as part of the EVA+ - Electric Vehicles Arteries project, plus a further 1o points located in crucial transit areas in order to boost the fast recharge network for electric vehicles on long distance routes.
With this initial group of 30 charging stations, which in just 20 minutes allow drivers to “fill up” their e-car, Enel has electrified the stretch between Rome and Milan, with a Fast Recharge network that enables users to take advantage of the facilities every 60km.
The 30 recharging points are situated in strategic areas, such as motorway slip roads, shopping centres, hotels, restaurants, ACI offices and service stations. In each of these locations, Fast Charge stations are equipped with sockets compatible with all of the models of electric cars on the market.
In order to provide the maximum visibility to this important step in the evolution of e-mobility in our country, we have developed a press campaign with an institutional tone created by Saatchi & Saatchi. The campaign uses “light trail” technology that creates luminous streaks from the lights of the cars driving along the motorway through hills beneath a sky at sunset in a stream of energy and electricity heading towards the horizon. The dynamic image evokes movement and progress, just like the network for electric mobility that our company is developing.
A small step towards the creation of an extensive network of recharging points, a giant leap towards unlimited cleaner and more sustainable mobility.
EVA+ is the electric mobility project, coordinated by Enel that includes the installation, over three years along inter-city routes, of 200 charging stations: 180 in Italy and 20 in Austria. The programme, co-financed by the European Commission as part of the Connecting Europe Facility, involves Enel in the role of coordinator and Verbund, (the main Austrian utility) together with some of the leading global manufacturers of electric vehicles including Renault, Nissan, BMW and Volkswagen Group Italia, which represents the brands Volkswagen and Audi.
Read the story "Turnkey electric mobility at home and on the road".
Read more news
The report e-Mobility Revolution, compiled by The European House Ambrosetti in collaboration with Enel’s Global Business line e-Solutions, has arrived in Brussels. For Alberto Piglia, Head of e-Mobility and e-Solutions: “a solid and ambitious plan for a European recharging infrastructure network is needed”
EnerNOC, an Enel Group company specialized in Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS), has entered the Australian electricity market, providing FCAS in order to guarantee grid balancing and the stability of the network
Capital Markets Day was held in London on the 21st of November 2017 and included the presentation of Enel’s new Strategic Plan 2018-2020 to the press and investors. For the occasion, we launched Enel X
On 9 November we presented our national plan for the development of electric mobility in Italy at the Vallelunga racetrack 40 kilometres from Rome. We plan to have fourteen thousand charging stations up and running by 2022

domain: news


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Climate-friendly coffee farming is both the future of coffee and the future for coffee. Around the world, coffee farmers are adopting climate-friendly methods to grow their coffee including planting more shade trees, as well as reducing the use of chemical sprays.
Coffee is one of Costa Rica’s main exports but coffee production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Efforts are underway to make it less environmentally damaging.
Coffee production has played a major role in Costa Rica’s history and it is famed for its high-quality arabica varieties. It is the world’s 14th largest coffee producer although it only accounts for about one percent of the world’s coffee.
Costa Rica is now home to three zero emission coffee companies plus some carbon neutral banana, pineapple and cattle producers, putting the nation at the forefront of a movement that is slowly growing.
Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyles including sustainable and green living. She also offers content services to businesses and individuals at Rosamedea.com


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The National, Monday November 11th, 2013
AFRICAN popstar Mampi will arrive in Port Moresby tomorrow for a week-long visit that will include live performances and charity drives.
She will entertain fans for two consecutive nights at a gala event on Friday and a public concert on Saturday at Papua New Guinea’s new nightclub, The Cosmopolitan, at Vision City.
Proceeds from ticket sales and sponsors will go towards a proposed “school of excellence” aimed at supporting creative talent in the country, a vision of the organisers Sapience and Videoworx.
“Mampi’s career had humble beginnings but driven by core values, she has been able to achieve success and she will be here to encourage Papua New Guineans,” Francis Sakala, of Sapience, said.
She will take part in a campaign for the National AIDS Council Secretariat and will visit the Cheshire Home on Thursday and Friday.
Organisers say the Zambian has become a top act around the world.
Tickets for Mampi’s shows will be going at K75 for general entry, and K150 for the VIP gala event, and can be bought at FoneHaus stores in Vision City, Boroko, downtown and Trophy Haus at Waterfront Foodworld.


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Fashion trends come and go. However, let’s be honest. There are some of them that truly baffle us. Indeed, there are some trends that only appeal to a particular group of people. Ripped clothing — one of the hottest fashion trends of the moment — is certainly an acquired taste. For the most part, it owes its popularity to celebrities who seem to be fond of the look.
As it turns out, ripped or distressed clothing has been tagged as “homeless chic.” Although it’s been popular before, it seems to be even more ubiquitous these days. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s now being sold in practically every store all over the world.
Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and Beyonce seem to like this trend.
Just recently, the website Danified featured the observation made by JP Mortel Fajura from the Philippines. Apparently, Fajura was at a store and was taken aback by the sheer volume of ripped clothing options.
It can’t be denied that there’s a great demand for these clothes.
The translation of Fajura’s caption to the photo reads:
“The time has come when the rags that you used to wipe away the mess in the kitchen is now considered posh.”
That’s definitely an on-point fashion insight.
This young lady really went for the total ripped look.
So many people are shocked to find out that ripped clothing does not come cheap. High-end fashion house Balmain, for instance, has a ripped shirt that has an unbelievable price tag. This has made us ask, “Are we missing something here?”
This ripped Balmain shirt costs $1,625!
Despite the fact that some fashion critics have slammed the ripped clothing trend, it still seems to be hot right now. Only time will tell how long its popularity will last.


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Last week during the Nvidia GeForce Special Event, CEO and founder Jensen Huang made a telling aside to the camera. After showing various performance slides comparing the RTX 30 series with various older GeForce cards, he addressed Pascal GPU (GTX 10 series) owners directly and told them "it is safe to upgrade now." This statement and the new more reasonable looking pricing structure seen with the GeForce RTX 30 series of GPUs makes it look like the RTX 20 series was something of a misfire by the green team.
As reported by VG247, the latest Steam Hardware Survey figures provide some background to the relative success of the GeForce Pascal and Turing lines of GPUs with consumers. While Nvidia products still hold a dominant 73 per cent share of GPUs among Steam gamers, the GTX 10 series is by far the dominant presence in the PC video card usage charts.
Above I've reproduced the latest video card chart, truncated to the top 10. Look at the relative strength of the top four, all Pascal designs and accounting for a quarter of all GPU models used by Steam gamers. The best selling Turing cards, the GeForce GTX 1650 and GTX 1660 Ti eschew fancy RTX features to provide entry level 1080p and mid-range fast refresh 1080p gaming capabilities, respectively. In seventh place we get the GeForce RTX 2060, which some might say has only just started to become viable to use with RTX On thanks to the latest DLSS advancements. Finally, the only 'high-end' RTX 20 card in the top 10 is the GeForce RTX 2070 Super, in position 10 with a smidgeon over 2 per cent of Steam users packing this GPU.
So, in over two years of market availability the Turing GPUs look to have failed to replace the Pascal GPUs already in consumer hands. Will Nvidia's first self-proclaimed "RTX On and FPS On" graphics cards be able to unseat the GeForce GTX 1060, for example, and can we expect to see RTX 3060 and RTX 3070 models in the top 10 before the RTX 40 series starts to be teased? This is what Nvidia seems to dearly want, so hopefully its as yet unveiled lower tier Ampere consumer GPUs will make a big splash.
At the same time, it would be good for AMD to be able to penetrate the top 10, or top 25 in the coming year. At present the red team has the Radeon RX 580 in position 9 of the Steam video cards chart, you have to move down to position 16 to see the RX 570, with the only RDNA GPU in the top 25 being at position 25 - the Radeon RX 5700 XT.


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The personal facts of millions of American car owners who sign up to a highway assistance program made available from the company drivesure is being provided online. The cybercriminals illegally hacked this company and then left multiple directories on hacking forums, the safety vendor Risk Based Reliability said within a blog post upon January four this year. The databases included names, details, cellular phone volumes and digital mails along with info on the customers’ vehicles which include their generate, model and VIN amount.
In addition , the hackers built over 93 thousand bcrypt hashed accounts public. When bcrypt much more secure than SHA1 or MD5, it may still be incredible forced in the event the passwords will be weak, with respect to Risk Based Security. Using solid passwords AI analytics and eliminating extra account details like mobile portions or email messages that you wouldn’t use decreases the amount of PII that cyber bad guys have access to.
Data theft simply by companies that sell computer software or solutions to others continues to be problems. Just soon the auditor for your Washington admitted that its workers may had their private data stolen by a hacker just who gained usage of the company’s system after purchasing a merchandise from the firm Accellion that helps organizations copy large data files.
Also, the cybersecurity company SolarWinds suffered a break of its very own systems that led to employee data being stolen from a large number of employees at various locations across the country. Source chain hackers are a prevalent risk for businesses that work numerous other businesses to provide goods and services.


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Things turned for the worst on Fife Street, in Hillbrow, on Sunday. Images of stores that appear to have been looted flooded social media.
The word was that foreign-owned stores in the area — at least nine of them — had been attacked and looted by disgruntled members of the community.
Well-renowned Twitter user, @crimeairnetwork posted images of what looks like a store in Hillbrow ransacked with destroyed products littered outside its entrance.
NIGERIAN OWNED STORES LOOTED : FIFE STR. BEREA. JHB. GP. FOR FIRST TIME IN 28YRS THE AREA AROUND THE SANDS HOTEL IS CLEAR OF DRUG DEALERS pic.twitter.com/ZAUeLcP148
— REZA (@crimeairnetwork) October 22, 2018
The news of the attack was, on Monday, confirmed by Vanguard, a Nigeria-based media publication. Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Habib Miller, revealed to the publication that there had been an attack (in his view, by South Africans) on Nigerian nationals.
“Nine Nigerian businesses have been looted and burnt. The incident began on Sunday and continued until Monday, [22 October]. Businesses affected range from restaurants, [an] internet cafè, bar, and [grocery stores].
“At the time of the incident, electricity in the area was cut off. One of the businesses affected is owned by Mr C. J. Ubah, a bar owner on Fife Street.” Miller stated.
Miller also indicated that there have been no reports of any casualties suffered in the attack. He also confirmed that the union would monitor the situation closely and work with police to bring calm in the area.
“We have also advised Nigerians in the area to adopt safety measures by being alert”, Miller added.
We are still awaiting an official statement from the police. However, an officer from the Hillbrow police station did confirm with us, telephonically, that there indeed was an attack on foreign-owned stores on Fife Street.
Xenophobia in South Africa
This is not the first attack on foreign-owned stores in South Africa. Not too far from Hillbrow, a few weeks ago, foreign-owned stores in White City, Soweto, were looted after it was alleged that the owners were selling fake and outdated products.
Attacks on foreigners in South Africa have been a common occurrence. Most of these are largely influenced by the stereotypes South Africans attach to foreign nationals from other parts of Africa.
Drugs and fraud are at the top of the list of reasons why South Africans feel the way they do about foreign nationals.
In some cases, attacks of this kind are fueled by frustrations over poor service delivery. This relationship does not work well for President Cyril Ramaphosa who, in 2018, has made multiple attempts to try and forge a bilateral relationship with Nigeria.


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Medical device recalls have declined 39% for the third quarter, settling at 167, the lowest quarter the US has seen since the fourth quarter of 2011, according to a new Stericycle Expert Solutions report.
Recalled units were up, however, rising 1% to 68 million which positioned it higher than 16 of the last 19 quarters, according to the report.
Sterilization dominated recalled units over the quarter, with 89.4% of recalled units being due to sterility issues, keeping it as the top cause for three consecutive quarters, according to Expert Solutions.
The average class 1 units recalled per quarter are up for 2017, at 615,919 for the year, higher than the 310,158 average in 2016 and 276,233 in 2015.
A total of 56% of medical device recalls in the US were nationwide, with the top overall causes for recalls being software issues at 24.6%, quality issues at 17.4%, mislabeling issues at 14.4% and manufacturing defects at 9.6%, according to the report.
In August, Expert Solutions reported that medical device recalls at the Class I level were up 88% for the second quarter of 2017, and the major culprit was quality issues involving device part malfunctioning.
On June 4-5, DeviceTalks is taking over the Twin Cities medtech industry with one of the most anticipated conferences of the spring, bringing you the best and brightest minds in the industry.
Heidi Dohse: Sr. Program Manager, Healthcare, Google, Founder, Tour de Heart Foundation, Acessa Health Inc. Michael J. Pederson: Senior Vice President, Cardiac Arrhythmias and Heart Failure Division, Abbott Hon. Melvin Carter: Mayor, Saint Paul Tim Philips: Compliance Officer, FDA’s Office of Medical Device and Radiological Health Operations Dr. Myriam J. Curet, MD, FACS: Chief Medical Officer, Intuitive Surgical
Take a look at our incredible line up of speakers and join us now.
Use the code "KEYNOTE" to save 15% on the cost of registration.


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Land Securities said it had seen little change in the amount of empty space in its centres and signalled its confi-dence by pressing ahead with a string of multi-million pound projects.
This month has seen HMV, Jessops and Blockbuster call in administrators, raising fears of a crisis on the high street.
But the FTSE 100 property company, which owns 24 shopping centres and 17 retail parks containing 1,600 stores, insisted that there was a healthy future ahead for retailers.
Including HMV, Jessops and Blockbuster, which account for 14 shops across the group, it said the proportion of stores in administration was just 2.2 per cent and of those half were still trading.
The proportion of empty shops across its sites was 3.2 per cent, against 3.1 per cent in September. Chief executive Robert Noel said: "Some people are talking about the death of retail. Retail is not dead, it is changing.
"There are 60million people in this country who need to eat and clothe themselves and they have to buy those things from somewhere."
He warned retailers needed to adapt to changing consumer behaviour and in particular to the growth of online shopping but that bricks and mortar remained an important part of that and good locations were vital.
Among its biggest sites are the White Rose centre in Leeds, Cabot Circus in Bristol, St David's in Cardiff and The Centre in Livingston.
In March it opens the Trinity Leeds and Buchanan Street, Glasgow, centres.
In a trading update it said it had invested £248million in the past three months across its retail and office portfolio which includes the Walkie Talkie skyscraper under construction in London's financial district.
The shares rose 4½p to 810p.


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Couple Charge With Making fake $50 Bills
Just a few days ago, a Fla. couple used a computer to convert $1 bills into $50 bills.Media outlets reported that police arrested a man and woman at a motel in Nashville. Police detectives and the Secret Service agents searched the motel room and found five $1 bills soaking in a bleaching agent to dissolve the ink and 34 sheets of paper that had a copy of a $50 bill. Law enforcement agents also found a computer, printer and items bought from garage sales. The couple used the money to pay rent, buy items and support a heroin habit.


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The earliest projections have the whole world moving towards a post-COVID state in summer. This means that the first half of 2021 will be pretty much the same for retail.
By the end of 2021 when most of us are vaccinated, we will have been living in a COVID world for almost two years Unfortunately, and sadly, we are accustomed to this living and a return to “normal” may never happen. We must adapt to this change and keep anticipating the best.
The pandemic year of 2020 which came along with lockdown, also brought a fair share of upheavals and opportunities with it. While we give a farewell to the chaotic 2020 and settle in with the new normal,
We just can’t help but hope for the best in 2021. Let’s hope that 2021 is a much anticipated year with better and filled opportunities.
COVID-19 indeed turned our lives to a great extent, be it personal or professional. At the same time, it paved a way for existing businesses, along with new start-ups, to make a mark in the professional world. This has been the case, especially with the retail industry.
The E-commerce industry has witnessed a huge transition in its working structure. Every year, brands and companies come up with online shopping predictions so that they can be ready for everything. New consumer behaviors are reshaping the future of online shopping!
Even though various companies and brands all around the world slowed down and some even got completely closed, yet many of them found a way out. They touched the waters and navigated through it all via the online medium.
The e-commerce and retail industry has been launched into tier 2 and 3 cities. It even tried to reach even remote locations.
The primary reason for this being many people had to shift and move away to their home towns as COVID-19 led to a loss of jobs. Retailers, companies and businesses need to prepare to hunker down some more. Simultaneously they should keep looking ahead to what the new normal life of post-COVID world might look like.
Keeping the recent circumstances in mind, we can expect some trends that are likely to arise in the retail & e-commerce field in 2021. These are some of the online retail shopping predictions that may happen in 2021.
We’re going to break down some of the top 10 predictions for online shopping in 2021. Here are some key online retail predictions for what the retail industry should expect in 2021:
1. Change in Loyalty Marketing
For any business in the retail industry, the main aim is to retain existing customers along with attracting new ones to their platform. However, now there has been a shift in the working structure of the industry.
It has changed to more of a consumer-based business. This change happened because the decisions are made keeping in view of providing benefits to their customers.
In simple terms, it is not a business anymore, rather it’s a relationship between the customer and the seller. Customers aren’t afraid to try new products and items.
One of the predictive analytics online shopping puts forward that this trend will only become more pronounced in 2021 as new retailers enter the market.
Therefore, new brands and startups will have to work even harder to retain current customers and engage new ones.
2. Bankruptcies Across all the Fields
This is one of the most important predictions in online retail predictions. There will be more bankruptcies across all fields of the industry.
Many brands and retailers will see difficulties faced during COVID as an opportunity to rebalance and restructure their business.
They will have more freedom and flexibility with the way courts work with bankruptcies. Now, companies can afford to reanalyse their company and get out of the situations that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise.
One such example is leased. With consumers becoming more comfortable shopping online, difficulties will be continued all throughout the year.
2. Local Brands May Hit the Sky
We can hope and expect the year of 2021 to be the year of newness and freshness as we continue with the new ‘normal’.
Though the existing multi-million brands will continue to be successful and give their best, customers are also highly likely to shop from local retailers. Customers can now make well-informed decisions and prefer local products over foreign ones.
Taglines like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Local for Vocal’ are not just taglines anymore. They rather became an integral part of the consumer’s decision process.
They don’t mind spending extra money on their choice of local products. According to one online retail sales prediction, local startups and brands may hit the sky with their sales.
3. Recycling will Become a Big business
According to predictive analytics in online retail, more than 95% of the packages delivered to millions of people in the country are sent in containerboard.
Furthermore, this is expected to increase by a great number in the coming years. Since there is a massive growth of online shopping, recycling will become a big business.
This trend is predicted as online retail continues to grow. With online shopping comes shipping and delivery. So, billions of boxes and packages have to be delivered.
4. Delivery Related Fields will Rise
Jobs like pickers, packers, and drivers will rise. Online shopping growth statistics say that around 90% of customers will continue to shop online.
Because of this, delivery companies will soon have a shortage of deliverers. As online shopping continues to rise, there will be shortages in drivers, warehouse pickers, and packers.
The jobs in these fields will increase throughout the year. According to one online retail sales predictions, sales will increase a lot through online shopping and delivery jobs will create a lot of job opportunities for everyone.
That’s it! This is the end of our prediction list. Even though 2020 has been the year of utter chaos, keep in mind that every closed door opens another door of opportunity.
Hopefully, 2021 will present great opportunities for everyone. Especially for those who embrace the change and still walk along the road to anticipate it. To know more information on the predictions of the online retail industry in 2021, subscribe to Desertcart Blogs.


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The Antigonish Winter Market has a new location, as it prepares to launch its third season.
Visitors are invited to 20 St. Andrews Street – the former Prissy Pig Café and Deli – for the opening day, which is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We are very excited about this new venue,” Sandra Swinkels, one of the winter market founders, said, noting the location is wheelchair accessible.
There is no admission charge.
As for the market’s roots, Swinkels said she loves the Antigonish Farmers’ Market, but “really dislikes the break from Christmas until May.”
“In the fall of 2014, I decided to see if I could start a market and have it run for the months that the farmer’s market had their break,” she noted.
With help from Jolene Chisholm, along with the co-operation of Aly Mawji and Julie Chisholm, former owners of Antigonish Market Square [the former location], and their staff, the winter market came together.
“It was a huge success the last two years and we don’t expect this year to be any different,” Swinkels said.
This year, Chisholm said there will be more than 30 artisans, crafters and bakers each Saturday, offering “a wide range of products.”
If there is inclement weather, and the Saturday market is cancelled, it will take place the following day (Sunday). If that occurs, organizers will post a message on their Facebook page, along with making an announcement on local radio stations.
“Whether you’re looking for a cozy and fun addition to keep you warm this winter, a piece of creative jewellery, or a wonderfully unique, handmade gift, you’ll have lots to choose from,” Chisholm said.
“Maybe you are looking to grab a quick lunch – then stop in and visit one of our on-site food vendors, who will have soups, burritos, and sausages, just to name a few,” Swinkels added.
“We also have some very talented bakers in our community and they will be there with lots of home-baked goodness to choose from, such as pies, cookies, squares, breads, jams/jellies and lots more to tempt your taste buds,” Chisholm added.
Swinkels noted the winter market is “proud to support local vendors.”
“And, a huge thank-you to all our very talented crafters and bakers who are participating this year and who make this market such a huge success,” she said.
Chisholm also thanked customers for their support.
“The last two seasons of this event have been very well attended and we are confident that this year’s market will be just as successful,” she said.
The organizers invited people to check out the Antigonish Winter Market Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/AntigonishWinterMarket/ – where more information and brief vendor profiles are featured.


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Electronic Arts’ EA Play conference today featured a lot of games, but one of the most interesting ones was Anthem – a brand new IP from BioWare, which will get its first full gameplay reveal tomorrow during Microsoft’s Xbox Briefing. You can check out the initial teaser below if you’d like to get excited.
We aren’t entirely sure of exactly what Anthem is yet, but we can confirm that it will be running in native 4K on Project Scorpio. We’re also unsure if this will be an Xbox One exclusive – console or otherwise – but the end of the teaser notes that 4K resolution isn’t available on all platforms. This could just mean the original Xbox One/Xbox One S, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
We’ll find out much more about Anthem – and Project Scorpio – at tomorrow’s Xbox E3 Briefing, so be sure to keep an eye out for the news as it breaks.


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Written by: Keith Tully
Date: Monday 25th February, 2013
Many companies can no longer rest on more traditional methods of marketing and lead generation. Directors are having to diversify into other methods of marketing to keep those all important enquiries coming in. As business insolvency specialists we know more than most that it is usually changes outside of their control that can affect future success. If you require the services of our IP's then you can contact our senior advisors on 0800 644 6080 for confidential advice.
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3rd May 2016 SMEs throughout the UK are collectively missing out on millions of pounds in savings because they are not aware of tax reliefs and government allowances that could be available to them.
29th April 2016 The UK’s largest independent printing company has called in administrators after failing to overcome cash flow problems in recent weeks.
25th April 2016 Thousands of employees of the historic UK retail business British Home Stores (BHS) have been informed that the company is set to enter administration.
22nd April 2016 HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is being urged to make changes to guidance relating to its flat rate VAT schemes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
21st April 2016 Having to pay staff no less than the new National Living Wage will leave many thousands of British businesses facing the prospect of financial peril.
Every day we help companies just like yours turn things around against seemingly impossible odds, regardless of your situation we can help. Find your nearest office today.


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Domino’s have never been a company to shy away from looking at new technology to help improve the takeaway delivery. Two years ago it was suspected that you soon might have a drone deliver your pizza, more recently they even looked at how they might be able to use Twitter to let you order a pizza with a tweet. What could come next you may ask? They seem to be going back to basics, the good old-fashioned car, but with a serious twist.
Introducing the Domino’s DXP, the specialist Dominos pizza delivery vehicle. Let’s start with why this isn’t just another ordinary delivery vehicle, first up is the obvious addition of an oven, designed to keep your pizza hot at 140 Fahrenheit (a toasty 60-degree celsius). As if that wasn’t enough, the car’s got rid of all the additional seating, leaving only the driver and a selection of holders for your drinks, dips and desserts, this means that your food is safe and secure while your drinks won’t bubble over the second they are opened.
We’ve had ice cream trucks for years, but this is the first time a company has gone so far as to design and build a custom set of cars for your take away. After five years of development, the car could soon be finding its way to you but with only 97 available in the US, just how long till the vehicle makes its way overseas?
For more information check out Dominos DXP presentation here.


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Companies across the tech industry have announced layoffs, affecting thousands of workers in the first few weeks of 2023.
Sales at top tech firms have retreated from the blistering pace attained during the pandemic, when billions across the world were forced into isolation. Customers stuck at home came to rely on delivery services like e-commerce and virtual connections formed through social media and videoconferencing.
Company officials have often cited economic uncertainty and fears of a recession in their job-cutting, cost-cutting decisions. It follows a volatile 2022, which was also marred with layoffs by the thousands across major tech brands.
Spotify, the Sweden-based music streaming platform, announced on Monday plans to slash 6% of its workforce, which amounts to about 600 employees.
After strong pandemic-era performance, the company encountered a challenging business environment, CEO Daniel Ek told employees in a memo on Monday.
“Like many other leaders, I hoped to sustain the strong tailwinds from the pandemic and believed that our broad global business and lower risk to the impact of a slowdown in ads would insulate us,” he said. “In hindsight, I was too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth.”
Online home goods retailer Wayfair will lay off about 1,750 workers or roughly 10% of its staff, the company announced Friday, Jan. 20.
Wayfair saw business surge during the pandemic, as people stuck at home eschewed brick-and-mortar shopping and increased spending on furniture, home renovations and other domestic improvements.
But the economic environment has turned against the company, as inflation has strained household budgets and limited nonessential purchases.
The move last week follows a previous round of layoffs in August that cut 5% of the company’s workforce.
“We thrive when we are scrappy and dedicated to customer outcomes,” Wayfair CEO and Co-founder Niraj Shah said Friday


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Nike: booming China makes up for lackluster U.S.
Nike’s difficulties in the U.S. continue – but, thanks to strong international performance (particularly in China), the iconic sporting apparel giant has delivered a beat on its earnings. The company released first quarter earnings for fiscal 2018 earlier this week, reporting earnings of 57 cents per share – a significant beat against analysts’ expectations of 48 cents per share. However, the company was less successful in regards to revenue: Nike collected $9.07 billion against estimates of $9.08 billion.
However, this isn’t the whole story. While the company’s revenue was pretty much flat against the same period a year ago, Nike as a brand has strengthened. Stripping out currency effects, sales were up 2% for Nike the brand. However, the company’s results include a dragging down from its Converse brand, which saw sales decline by 16% - the majority of which was focused on North America.
Nike’s CEO, mark Parker, released a statement that was big on promises for the company’s future over the next nine months. He said:
“This quarter, we captured near-term opportunities through our new Consumer Direct Offense. Looking ahead to the rest of fiscal 2018, we will ignite NIKE's next horizon of global growth through the strength of our brand, the power of our innovative products and the most personal, digitally-connected experiences in our industry."
Broken down by product, Nike’s sales are largely what you expect: the money maker is still the footwear category, which accounted for $5.5 billion, with apparel delivering revenues of $2.7 billion and equipment bringing in $420 million.
Regarding geography, the most noticeable impacts were in North America ($3.9 billion in sales, down 3% against the first quarter of 2017), and China ($1.1 billion in sales, up 9% over the same timeframe). Asia Pacific & Latin America saw revenues rise by 5% against the comparable period; Europe, Middle East & Africa 4%.
Parker told analysts on a call: "As the leader, we are fully committed to energizing and growing the marketplace through both our own Nike direct businesses and with strategic wholesale partners. Our vision is for every consumer who engages with the Nike brand to enjoy an elevated consistent experience regardless of channel. That's why we are working so closely with the select group of our strategic partners to define a new consumer experience together."
Dominion holds Nike in its Global trends Luxury Fund.
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The state of the economy has many in the tire industry worried, but American Car Care Centers Inc. (ACCC) remains positive about its future, the company said Feb. 5 during its dealer meeting in Riviera Maya.
At its ACCC 20/20 event, the Memphis, Tenn.-based retail marketer celebrated 20 years in business by focusing on the next 20 years. Continuing its Retail Revolution re-imaging campaign, ACCC is working to combine consumers' image of the independent local tire dealer and the high-tech dealer into one package.
Jeremy Lewin, ACCC's director of marketing, credited the re-imaging campaign for helping the company and its members to continue moving in a positive direction.
In relation to the overall market, our results were far better than the market trend, Mr. Lewin said. Part of that is we were able to offset a lot of the economic downturn with a pretty high degree of excitement because of the re-imaging.
Mr. Lewin hopes to keep that excitement strong with the launch of ACCC's TireTouch showroom kiosk featuring touch-screen technology, which the company unveiled during the meeting.
TireTouch, he said, was designed as a replacement for the ACCC TV video product display concept, introduced last year as part of the company's re-imaging campaign. Whereas ACCC TV simply would have been a television monitor programmed with a loop video of corporate messages, national promotions and customized dealer advertising, TireTouch will add to those capabilities by allowing customers to research tires for their vehicle and look up other information.
It's a lot more modular than what we were thinking about, makes a lot more sense and most importantly, it's a touch-screen interface, which is where we want to go in the future, Mr. Lewin said.
ACCC said the system is designed to provide customers who enjoy the benefits of using the Internet to buy tires with a way to pick up their tires at a store and avoid delivery costs. At the same time, it will give customers who want face-to-face service with many of the research benefits of shopping online.
This is, for us, a way to take back some of the tire sales that we've lost to the Internet, Mr. Lewin said. We want to offer that same online buying environment but go farther and also offer a place to put (the tires) on. We're the ones that sold it to you, but we also exist brick and mortar.
Using TireTouch, customers will be able to look up and price tires for their vehicle make and model, view sales specials, complete tire orders and fill out an ACCC credit card application. They will be able to see how a set of tires appears on various vehicle makes and models, and they also will be able to upload photos of their own vehicles to see how different tires will appear on them.
Some dealers said they were excited about the prospect of using the kiosk and bringing in customers using the Internet.
Loved it, said Lori Young, manager of Victory Lane Auto Care in Pine Bush, N.Y. I can't wait to get it. Anything that can make sales easier.
Ms. Young added that while she liked the idea of the in-store system, she feared that online tire purchasing can really separate you from your customers.
Other dealers felt that the kiosk would compete with counter salespeople for attention, but Mr. Lewin said the system can be beneficial to all customers.
Those that like to buy online won't need a bunch of these (features) in the store, Mr. Lewin said. Those that don't like to buy online will get a lot of the same benefits that they would buying online except that they won't have to buy online, so it gives every consumer the best of both worlds.
It gives the online consumer a little more personal interaction and professional help if they need, and it gives your non-online consumers some of the tools that only online consumers normally get, he added. So everybody gets more.
The system also will include a separate section for dealers that will contain training programs and videos and a number of other features.
According to Mr. Lewin, the kiosk could be available as early as May with most of its features. The company plans to implement an online version of the interface that will allow customers to order tires over the Internet via ACCC's consumer Web site, but he said it will take several IT package projects to accomplish.
With just the (basic) functionality, I expect to have it up and running within 90 days, he said. The part that is going to be sort of a later add-on is synergy with our forward-facing e-commerce platform.
Mr. Lewin said a price for dealers to add the kiosk has not been determined yet, but it likely will fall between $1,500 and $2,500.
Everything with us depends on participation, he said. We don't make a profit with stuff like this, but our pricing is going to depend on how many members want to take this on.
In addition to the launch of the kiosk, ACCC has updated its Americash spiff program to help dealers earn more money for selling products.
This is sort of a whole new approach to Americash that we've launched starting in February, where we're looking at some special rewards for membership in some of the manufacturer associate dealer programs, he said. This is something we wanted to try out to really bring everything as much as possible from a marketing rewards standpoint into line with some of the tools that are available to us.
Mr. Lewin noted the company is also working on adding a few very important supplier arrangements in 2009.
This year we will definitely announce the addition of a couple of new suppliers, but there's nothing really set in stone yet, he said.


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"Some smelters in southern China have seen notable losses because of government regulations to curb pollution," ANZ Research said.
"Demand for copper will benefit from a rise in auto sales in China. China's retail car sales for November reached 1.85 million units, a drop of 12.5% year-on-year. However, this was up 6.2% from October. More importantly, new-energy vehicles jumped 18% month-on-month, raising hopes that demand for nickel and copper will pick up."
Gold in New York was slightly weaker at $1783.90 an ounce.


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Watch Disney World's New Nighttime Spectaculars Online Before They Officially Premiere
Walt Disney World is almost ready to reveal all of its celebrations for the park's highly anticipated 50th-anniversary starting Oct. 1 — and is giving park-lovers a sneak peek into the festivities.
Disney World will stream two of its brand-new nighttime spectaculars, from Epcot and Magic Kingdom, this week before they're set to debut.
"Harmonious" in Epcot is slated to be one of the largest nighttime shows that Disney has ever put on. Inspired by beloved movies "Moana," "Aladdin," "Coco," "Mulan," "The Lion King," and more, the show was created by more than 240 artists from around the world. Set to the soundtrack of a musical medley that transitions between 12 different languages, "Harmonious" highlights the diverse cultures of the world in true Epcot fashion.
And over in the Magic Kingdom, "Disney Enchantment" will dazzle crowds with projections from Main Street, U.S.A., all the way to Cinderella's Castle. Lighting, fireworks, laser effects will all come together in the after-dark show that inspires viewers to "believe in magic," according to a Disney Parks blog post.
The show also features an original song by Grammy winner (and former Walt Disney World cast member) Philip Lawrence.
The theme park will stream a performance of "Harmonious" on Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. ET and the new "Disney Enchantment" show will stream Sept. 30 at 10:15 p.m. ET on the Disney Parks Blog.
The 50th-anniversary celebrations begin Friday and will last 18 months, with experiences in all four Disney World parks.


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On February 28, 2023, Thailand-based AAPICO Hitech PLC (AH) announced that its total revenue in Q4/2022 increased by 34.7% YoY to reach THB 7,878 million. The increase in revenue was driven by its automotive parts business. Higher volume from major customers, new model launch, new product launch, new order from overs
Reported on January 3, 2023, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) anticipated around 5-10% hike in car prices in 2023, both in Thai and overseas auto markets, mainly attributable to the ongoing semiconductor shortage issue.
According to the automotive club of the FTI who believed that local car production in 2023
The Association of Indonesia Automotive Industries (GAIKINDO) and other sources reported that Indonesian vehicle sales in November 2022 were 91,086 units, up 4.2% compared to November 2021.
2022 January - November sales were up 19.2% to 942,499 units.
By automaker sales in November, Toyota was down 20.9% y/y to 26,46
Reported on November 5, 2022, the automotive component industry is among those sectors in Indonesia damaged by the spread of coronavirus, but towards the end of 2022, the industry started to improve gradually.
According to Director of PT Astra Otoparts, the initial component production ran normally until the second
On October 17, 2022, Toyota Motor Vietnam announced that its total sales in September 2022 reached 8,915 vehicles (including Lexus cars), up over 195% over the same period in 2021 and retained its position as a market leader. Sales were low in September 2021 due to strict social isolation measures in place to combat
On October 18, Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) announced that new car sales of 67,659 units in September increases 53.0% over the same month in 2021, which were affected by a nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic.
PVs (passenger vehicles) sales were up 57.0% to 60,060 units. CVs (commercial vehicles)
According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) report issued on October 11, automobile sales (including imported vehicles of non-VAMA manufactures' sales) in Vietnam were up 147.2% year on year 33,463 units in September. CKD volume was 17,193 units and CBU volume was 16,270 units. Sales were low
On September 19, Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) announced that new car sales of 66,614 units in August increases 271.7% over the same month in 2021, which were affected by a nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic.
PVs (passenger vehicles) sales were up 286.2% to 59,769 units. CVs (commercial vehicles
Reported on May 11, 2022, TC Group (Thanh Cong Group) announced that sales of Hyundai in Vietnam in April reached 6,959 vehicles. Of which, Hyundai Accent continues to lead all Hyundai Vietnam’s sales in April with 1,900 units delivered. Sales of the Grand i10 is in the second place with 1,227 units, while Hyundai Cr
Indonesian automobile manufacturers association (Gaikindo) and other sources reported that Indonesian vehicle sales in February 2022 were 81,228 units, up 65.1% compared to February 2021, which had been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
2022 January - February sales were up 61.9% to 165,290 units.
Reported on February 22, 2022, while the auto market continues to recover from the impacts caused by the coronavirus, many automobile manufacturers and assemblers in Vietnam are struggling amid a shortage of spare parts, especially semiconductors.
In the first month of 2022, Vietnam imported USD 395 million worth of
Indonesian automobile manufacturers association (Gaikindo) and other sources reported that Indonesian vehicle sales in January 2022 were 84,062 units, up 58.9% compared to January 2021, which had been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
By automaker sales in January, Toyota was up 42.7% y/y to 22,886 units
Reported on February 12, 2022, sales of locally made cars and trucks in the Philippines fell 11.2% YoY and 25.4% MoM in January 2022 to reach 20,765 units, according to a joint report of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. CAMPI and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA), amid increasing co
Reported on February 7, 2022, the Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) Hybrid 2022, which was originally scheduled for February 17-27 at JiExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta, had been postponed to March 31 to April 10.
This decision of the event organizer Dyandra Promosindo followed the increasing condition of Emergency Co
Reported on February 4, 2022, Mercedes-Benz Thailand predicted a double-digit rise in its 2022 local car sales in the face of prolonged coronavirus crisis and global chip shortage issue. Such growth can be projected thanks to the rising demand for luxury cars in Thailand and all Mercedes-Benz’s marketing campaigns to
On January 27, 2022, Toyota Motor Thailand announced both its business performance in 2021 and projection for 2022. Despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis and parts supply shortage, such as semiconductors issues, the carmaker managed to retain its no.1 market share of 31.6% with total sales of 239,723 units (down 1.9
Reported on January 23, 2022, Wuling Indonesia recorded 288.5% increase in its 2021 wholesales with 25,564 vehicles, while its retail sales surged 151.2% to 23,920 vehicles. In 2020 Wuling's sales had been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the Association of Indonesian Automotive Industries (
Announced on January 26, 2022, Perodua is targeting a market share of 40.6% in 2022 (up from a 37.4% share in 2021) by registering 247,800 vehicles against its projection of 610,000 total industry volume (TIV).
Perodua believes that the government’s measures to contain the spread of coronavirus is showing success an
Reported on January 24, 2022, Vietnam’s industry insiders forecasted local automotive market to recover and rise again in 2022 compared to the sluggish auto market in 2021.
This expectation was made after the continuous increase in sales of Vietnamese auto manufacturers and assemblers was recorded in the final semes
Announced on January 24, 2022, Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) forecasted that 2022 vehicle production will grow 6.8% from 1,685,705 units in 2021 to reach 1.8 million units, of which 1 million units will be production for exports (up 4.5%), while 800,000 vehicles will be produced for domestic sales (up 9.7%).


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Microsoft has announced a new Surface related event in Shanghai scheduled on May 23. The company is expected to showcase a new Surface device at this event.
“On May 23 in Shanghai, Microsoft will show the world what’s next”, read the website. In addition, Microsoft’s VP of devices, Panos Panay also teased the event on Twitter and Instagram by using #Surface. The latest announcement comes just days after Microsoft unveiled Surface Laptop and Windows 10 S. The Surface Pro 4 was introduced in October 2015 and a successor to that is long overdue.
Microsoft has confirmed to The Verge that it will reveal a new hardware. Last month, technology blogger Paul Thurrott said that the new 2-in-1 might not be a major revamp and is tipped to be powered by Intel’s seventh-generation “Kaby Lake”processors. It ill reportedly use the same Surface Connect power connector.


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New Zealand Edition
CONNECTING AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND’S CHANNEL
New Zealand Edition
IT spending forecast to grow at slower rate this year
Gartner revises figures.
Jan 19 2023, 1:16PM
PC demand dropped to its ‘lowest level in years’ in 2022
IT industry research firms IDC and Gartner point to a difficult year.
Joseph F. Kovar
Jan 13 2023, 9:32AM
Gartner: ‘cloud migration is not stopping’ in 2023
Expects total worldwide spending to reach a record US$592 billion.
Nov 5 2022, 11:06AM
Overall New Zealand IT spending forecast to grow next year
IT services expected to be the strongest performer.
Oct 21 2022, 7:56AM
PC shipments register 'steepest decline in over two decades'
Gartner sees weakness in both consumer and business markets.
Oct 12 2022, 3:40PM
Microsoft, VMware, Ivanti lead global UEM market
Amid rise of hybrid work.
Sep 7 2022, 9:42AM
PC, tablet and phone shipments to fall this year: Gartner
"Perfect storm” of issues behind this year's volume drop.
Jul 8 2022, 8:48AM
AWS, Microsoft, Google top cloud AI developer Market: Gartner
Market expected to hit over $200 billion by 2025.
Jun 28 2022, 10:31AM
Professional services companies lead sales growth for Oracle Cloud apps
Gartner’s 2022 Magic Quadrant sees 19 companies generate US$15.4 billion revenue.
May 23 2022, 7:03AM
NZ cloud spend to grow by more than a quarter in 2022: Gartner
Rising to $2.58b, driven by PaaS and IaaS.
Apr 20 2022, 12:32PM
NZ businesses investing in IT at twice the global rate: Gartner
With IT services set to make up the largest portion of the spending.
Apr 8 2022, 3:17PM
Acer ANZ boss Darren Simmons departs
Gaba Cheng promoted from GM as replacement.
Apr 5 2022, 8:00AM
Ukraine invasion could worsen chip shortage
The biggest risk is panic buying.
Mar 18 2022, 11:16AM
IT consulting to thrive in NZ throughout 2022
As IT spending surpasses $15 million, says Gartner.
Jan 21 2022, 1:22PM
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BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Fenwick Brands, Inc., a private equity firm with a focus on consumer packaged goods, has invested in HannahMax Cookie Chips. Founded in 2012 and based in Gardena, Calif., HannahMax is a snack company with a line of thin snacking cookies made from ingredients with no preservatives or G.M.O.s.
HannahMax Cookie Chips are sold in conventional and natural grocery stores across the United States and Canada.
|Melissa Baker, president and c.e.o. of Fenwick Brands|
“We evaluate a lot of emerging snacking brands, but Cookie Chips stands alone as a highly-addictive product that has universal snacking appeal,” said Melissa Baker, president and chief executive officer of Fenwick. “Backing a brand with great fanfare and flavor fits well within our expertise, and we look forward to partnering with a best-in-class team as we scale the business.”In addition to HannahMax, Fenwick has an investment stake in The Jackfruit Co., Powell & Mahoney and Moore’s Marinades & Sauces. The investment firm previously has held a stake in Shearer’s Snack Foods, Mama Mary’s Pizza Crust and Planter’s Peanut Oil.


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There are hundreds of cannabinoids in existence that we are only starting to understand the benefits of. We examine the science behind CBG, CBC, CBN and CBDa.
Cibdol announced they are launching a new range called CBD oil 2.0. The upgraded formula combines multiple hemp extracts to work with their CBD. This will be the first of its kind in Europe.
It signals the rise of a new CBD oil category in wellness, CBD with added extras such as different cannabinoids, terpene profiles and adaptogens.
The CBD 2.0 oil contains different levels of extracts found in hemp that have a bigger impact on the mind and body. It also contains essential compounds such as CBG, CBC, CBN, CBDa alongside high purity CBD.
Samira Ramsahai, Cibdol CEO said: “As forerunners in the industry, we want to maximize hemp’s favourable impact on human health. Using the latest scientific studies as a guide, our enhanced formula greatly improves the levels of the smaller compounds to create a more powerful experience.
“It’s believed that these elements not only work better together, but each exerts a unique influence on receptors and systems spread all over the body. The greater the ratio of smaller compounds alongside CBD, the greater the chance to address specific health issues.”
What health benefits do other cannabinoids have?
Cannabigerol is predicted to be one of the biggest wellness trends for 2022. Brands have been keen to add extracts of this cannabinoid into the products. CBG is the precursor to CBD. Other cannabinoids are derived from cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), an acidic form of CBG.
There is little CBG in plants at its lowest it could be just one per cent. This makes CBG more expensive than other cannabinoid products. In comparison, CBD is much more available in plants at 20 to 25 per cent. CBG tends to be made from younger plants which contain a higher percentage.
It works in a similar way to CBD in that it interacts with our endocannabinoid system through the receptors that are found all over our bodies. It may bind to the CB1 receptors in our nervous system or CB2 receptors found in our immune system.
One of the most promising and impressive studies on CBG show that it is may help with antibiotic resistance.
Some ‘superbugs’ have stopped responding to antibiotics over the years due to our over-reliance on them. A study from 2020 shows that CBG could be a powerful antibacterial compound that could lead to new drugs being developed. It was found to be potentially effective in mice fighting a resilient form of bacteria called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
This antibacterial benefit could make it a game-changer for skincare aimed at helping with acne. It may help to prevent infections caused by skin breaking. This could make it beneficial for anyone with psoriasis or eczema where the skin can be broken due to scratching.
CBC stands for cannabichromene and it’s a rising cannabinoid in medical research. It comes from CBG, as all other cannabinoids do. CBC is non-intoxicating so it won’t give you a high like THC will. It is very similar to CBD in that respect.
However, unlike CBD, it doesn’t bind very well to the receptors, CB1 and CB2. Instead, it communicates with our vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) and our transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1). CBC may block pain and inflammation. In an animal study on CBC and THC, it was determined that while both produced effects separately, they were more powerful when they were combined.
Its anti-inflammatory properties may make it a great addition to skincare to help fight rosacea or acne. It may also be great for muscle pain, or post-workout strain if added to topicals.
Cannabinol is the reason why we may have to wait for this product to hit the UK. CBN is not currently legal in the UK and many other European countries. There are some that do allow THC and CBN such as the Netherlands where Cibdol is based.
The reason CBN is illegal is that it is formed when the THC in cannabis plants is exposed to air and they start to age. However, CBN is not stale THC, it is fast becoming recognised for having its benefits although it was once thought of as a waste product.
There are few studies on this cannabinoid but they do tend to be very recent. One study from 2020 on patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) tested lower and higher doses of CBN. Of the 59 adults, those who were on higher doses recorded less medication use. Those on the lower doses recorded less anxiety.
CBDa stands for cannabidiolic acid. It converts to CBD with time and heat. It doesn’t interact with the same receptors as CBD though, it prefers to work with the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme. This enzyme is associated with inflammation. usually caused by infection or an injury.
One of the most impressive benefits of CBDa is that it may be anticonvulsive. It is thought to have 100 times the interaction with the 5-HT receptors in comparison to CBD. The 5-HT receptors are found in the central and peripheral nervous systems. CBDa may have better bioavailability than CBD so we can absorb it faster.
Fair Trials and Last Prisoner Project seek to launch global cannabis justice project
Fair Trials’ Global CEO Norman L. Reimer to discuss the project at Cannabis Europa Conference in London on June 29.
A new initiative from Fair Trials and the Last Prisoner Project aims to redress the harm caused by cannabis prohibition and to secure relief for those in prison for cannabis-related convictions.
The criminal justice reform NGO, Fair Trials hopes that the industry will support its work in countries across the globe where cannabis laws are being liberalised. Through collaboration with local partners in appropriate jurisdictions, the Fair Trials project will identify people in need of legal assistance, and recruit, train and match volunteer lawyers to take on their cases.
Fair Trials has enlisted the help of the Last Prisoner Project, a coalition of cannabis industry leaders, executives and artists dedicated to bringing restorative justice to the cannabis sector.
More and more jurisdictions are allowing adults to use and distribute medical and recreational cannabis. But after decades of prohibition, countless people remain behind bars or continue to suffer the collateral consequences of a cannabis conviction.
“The injustice of cannabis prohibition has resulted in millions of people worldwide serving time in prison or being saddled with a cannabis conviction, which brings with it a lifetime of harmful consequences, ranging from education and employment opportunities to immigration status and parental rights,” said Fair Trials Global CEO, Norman L Reimer.
“Of course, these harmful effects of prohibition not only impact the individuals charged, but also their families and communities. And those effects have been borne disproportionately by minorities, communities of colour, and the socio-economically disadvantaged. Legalising cannabis alone does not equal justice. Together, we must address the ongoing harms of past prohibition and leave no cannabis prisoner behind.”
The project will be modelled on the US Cannabis Justice Initiative, a collaborative effort between the cannabis industry and volunteer lawyers in the United States. When Norman Reimer was the Executive Director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), he partnered with the Last Prisoner Project to establish the initiative.
“Key to the success of the initiative has been generous donations from legal cannabis companies and consumers nationwide,” said Last Prisoner Project Co-Founder Steve DeAngelo. “Fair Trials, with its global reach as the world’s criminal justice watchdog, is uniquely positioned to build and house the infrastructure that’s going to be needed.”
Tomorrow (29 June), Norman Reimer will address the Cannabis Europa Conference discussing the project. Mr Reimer will be part of a panel entitled ‘Leave No Cannabis Prisoner Behind,’ and will be joined on that panel by Mary Bailey, Managing Director at the Last Prisoner Project; Dr. Laura Garius, Policy Lead at Release; and Denzel Uba, an individual impacted by criminal cannabis prohibition.
TOWIE star Amy Childs launches CBD range in honour of Jorja Foundation
The product range sees a portion of the proceeds going to the Jorja Foundation.
TOWIE star Amy Childs launched her new CBD range this week, with a star-studded event that shone a spotlight on the story of six-year-old Jorja Emerson.
Amy Childs was joined by former Love Islanders, Amy Hart and Cara Delahoyde-Massey, alongside her co-stars, Frankie Essex, Tom Skinner, Carina Lepore, Saffron Lempriere and Mark Ferris, for a heart-warming event celebrating the launch of her new CBD Infused beauty range, Jorja Botanicals.
The signature collection sees a portion of the proceeds going to the Jorja Foundation, which was set up in honour of six-year-old medical cannabis patient, Jorja Emerson.
The event saw The Only Way Is Essex star Frankie Essex, break down in tears as she heard Jorja’s story. Frankie, who gave birth to twins four weeks ago, wiped her eyes when Robin Emerson, Jorja’s father, showed videos of the life-threatening seizures his daughter was suffering before they discovered medical cannabis.
Love Island star, Amy Hart has since taken to Instagram to spread the word about the latest political campaign that sees Childs and Emerson petitioning to make medical cannabis more widely available on the NHS.
The Jorja Botanicals range was inspired by Jorja, who was diagnosed with a rare chromosome abnormality called 1q43q44 deletion, which has a side effect of life-threatening seizures. Her illness resulted in her being admitted to intensive care on two separate occasions, where Robin was told that she may not make it.
To save his daughter’s life, Emerson knew that he had to dig deep and find a treatment that would not only help Jorja but ultimately go on to help others.
At the time it was still illegal to prescribe cannabis in the UK. Emerson joined the campaign to see medical cannabis legalised in the UK in November 2018, and Jorja’s was among the first children to be legally prescribed medicinal cannabis.
In 2021 he went on to create the Jorja Foundation – a charity set up to help other families and children going through the same battles that Robin had to face.
The Jorja Foundation’s core principles are to fund special needs equipment that is not funded through the health system, fund family counselling, private appointments and tests when a second opinion is needed, as well s cannabis-based treatment for children in the UK and to continue to campaign and educate for wider NHS access in the UK for cannabis-based medications.
Childs commented: “When I saw Robin & Jorja’s story on social media it broke my heart.
“As a mum, I couldn’t imagine the pain of being told to take my child home to say goodbye to them. I love that Robin has fought for Jorja & is now helping other families with the Jorja Foundation.
“I’m so happy that I can help the foundation by being the Creative Director of Jorja Botanicals. We have created some beautiful products for the whole family to enjoy. We will be donating a percentage of the proceeds to the foundation so that we can help as many families as possible. ”
Emerson added: “ This is the fruition of a lot of hard work over many months and I am extremely proud to launch what is the first family brand in this category. In the coming weeks, we will also be launching a ‘parent’ focused cosmetic range in partnership with our creative director Amy Childs and our premium line of tincture oils.”
South Africa launches first trial of cannabis for chronic pain
The study will test whether cannabis can replace opioids in the management of chronic pain.
South Africa’s first cannabis trial has launched after initial results “show promise” for the treatment as a replacement for opioids.
The study will involve 1,000 participants who have been taking opioids for pain management for at least three months and are prepared to switch to cannabis as an alternative.
Biodata is the brainchild of Dr Shiksha Gallow, a cannabis clinician and the principal investigator in the trial which took over 18 months to get official clearance.
Dr Gallow said the trial is set to be ground-breaking as South Africa’s first real-world study of medical cannabis. Researchers predict that it will provide much-needed insight into the link between cannabis genetics and patient outcomes.
Dr Gallow told Cannabiz Africa: “We are currently recruiting patients, and data-capturing all the questionnaires and feedback from the patients for the live Study. It has been fairly slow. However, more options have been introduced, as suggested by the patients in the pilot study.
“The pilot results of the study were very promising, as it showed 98 per cent of the patients have some sort of pain relief from the cannabis.
“We were able to wean these patients off their opioid treatment. In the pilot group of patients below the age of 55, it was shown this group preferred to smoke cannabis and patients older than 55 years preferred oil. The patients who smoked the cannabis had relief almost immediately, while the oil took some time to alleviate their pain.”
“Once we reach the sample size required and all of the relevant data has been collated, the results of the study will be published. We have currently renewed this study for another year, due to the initial slow uptake of research participants.”
Patients can apply to be research participants through the Biodata website.
Labat is expanding its footprint over the next few months with the introduction of CannAfrica kiosks in major shopping malls.
The company believes these will be the “ideal locations for physical sign-up points for the study”.
Labat said the kiosks will also serve as Biodata dispensaries and is engaging with a number of vape stores to do the same, although these would have to be subject to South African Health Products Regulatory Authority’s pharma-ethics requirements.
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Looks likes Kardashian-Jenner family is extra cautious about their security and does not mind shelling a bomb for their protection. Recently Caitlyn Jenner opened up about the security of her family in the recent episode of British reality show 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' in which she is a contestant.
The 70-year-old Caitlyn revealed that the family does not compromise on security and never step out without an entourage of guards.
Kylie Jenner shells out "a ton of money" on security
The reality stars are followed by guards "everywhere they go," she responded to actor Cliff Parisi who was curious to know about it. Adding further, the former Olympian disclosed that her younger daughter and beauty mogul Kylie Jenner spends a huge amount of money on her security.
"I bet you Kylie will spend anywhere between [$300,000] and $400,000 a month," estimated Caitlyn. "A ton of money."
Continuing the conversation, she revealed that even her daughter Kendall Jenner whom she shares with ex Kris Jenner confirmed that security follows Kylie "everywhere." She confessed that "it's sad" that her kids are followed by guards everywhere, however, they have become accustomed to it over the years.
"They're used to it. They've been doing it forever," said Caitlyn. "They like the security guys there."
When Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint
She commented about the security after Kris Jenner revealed that her family has made their security a priority following the incident in which 'Keeping Up with the Kardashian' star Kim Kardashian was robbed at a gunpoint in 2016 in Paris.
The incident occurred when Kim was all alone in her hotel room during Paris Fashion Week. Reportedly, multiple masked men broke into her room and robbed millions of dollars worth of jewellery from her.
Taking a lesson from the incident, Kim's husband Kanye West beefed up the security of his family and this is how it became the number one priority for the Kardashian-Jenner clan.
The 22-year-old Kylie has recently sold a 51 per cent stake in her Kylie Cosmetics brand to Coty for $600 million.


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Here in the West, we take 4G LTE for granted, carriers like Verizon and AT&T have excellent 4G coverage these days and T-Mobile and Sprint aren't too far behind. However, in other parts of the world, LTE is still new and getting its feet off the ground. In the East,LTE has recently launched and it's still in its infancy, but as folks like Motorola, Samsung and Sony have realizes, markets like India aren't to be sniffed at and hold some excellent opportunities for boosting their bottom line. In markets like China, India and the Far East on the whole, LTE is an important step and one that smartphone manufacturers should be embracing.
In India, there is only one network – Airtel – that currently offers LTE, which uses the TD-LTE spec, but it's starting to take off quickly. Samsung controls the Lion's share of the Indian smartphone market, but their devices often give LTE in the country the boot. The Galaxy S5 that ships in India is of the Exynos variety and doesn't support Airtel's LTE network. So, Samsung fans have few – if any – options to adopt the new 4G speeds spreading throughout the country. That could be changing soon however, as an LTE model of the Galaxy S4 Mini has been spotted in Zauba shipping documents.
We doubt the model in question will go on sale in India, but if Samsung is to test the device there, then it could mean that Samsung is looking to bring LTE devices to India. Which would be a good move for the company, and a way for them to hold on to their market share lead in the region. It took 4G LTE a fairly long time to take off here in the US, so it's unsurprising that a region such as India is to get off to a slow start.


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Derek Wallace – Chatters
Usually when a Canadian company expands its geographical footprint, it goes from the more populous eastern provinces to the west. But not with Chatters, which since 1991 has grown from a sole hair stylist in Red Deer, Alberta, to being Canada’s largest salon and retail products chain.
The growth had been prolific with 116 locations and most of them out west. There are 41 in Alberta, 26 in British Columbia and 10 in Saskatchewan. While there are around 25 Chatters in the most populous province, Ontario, there’s room for many more, and that’s what Derek Wallace is making happen.
“We’re doing a lot of modernizing,” Wallace tells Blueprint as the new year gets underway in Toronto. “The company hadn’t introduced any new concepts for at least five years and now we’re making up a lot of ground.”
Chatters has hired a noted designer, Fiore + Greco Design, with whom Wallace can collaborate in layout, color palette and whatever else. The interior concept is getting favorable reviews, he says about the private rooms as well as the technological investments that are someone else’s responsibility.
“We do sell the experience itself as well as the products,” he says.
Hired last July as director of construction and facilities, Wallace had served in similar roles for a couple other Toronto-based companies and, before that, in the United States. Wallace now has 10 projects on his to-do list, mostly refurbishments in Ontario, that he expects to complete by midyear. A fresh feel is essential for growth, brand awareness and hiring, he emphasizes, and reckons the company is on the right track with, among other initiatives, an eastern headquarters in Brampton.
Chatters had been mulling updates for several years, but COVID-19 back-burnered the initiative. Still the time didn’t go to waste, Wallace explaining how the executive team used it to solicit feedback from its 1,200 stylists, as well as clientele. The new approach has been called Style Consciously, which is broken down into the pillars of clean, cruelty-free, vegan and sustainable.
As for Wallace’s role, it includes fashioning private salon rooms for customers wanting an individual experience, and a counter where products can be sampled. Then there’s accented lighting, wallpaper and seating areas with what Wallace says tastefully mix aesthetics and practicality. Chatters mostly growing through acquisitions, this will be the ambience from now on.
“The most challenging part is utilizing space and ensuring it’s feasible for both our retail and salon segments,” he says. “It’s a big change from how they had done it before.”
The size of a Chatters ranges between 2,000 and 3,500 square feet, with around half that space for retail. Each has got to be perceived as equally important.
Wallace is aided by a team of just two, with the heavy lifting going to general contractors. There’s much collaboration, he says, between him and the rest of Chatters personnel, and the company expects to increase the number of its Ontario salons by annual increments of five.
Not that Wallace is always in Ontario. He’s been making monthly visits to the Red Deer headquarters and 26,000-square-foot warehouse, and re-evaluates and reviews the western portfolio. But he’s not traveling as much as he did in other jobs, and that’s fine with him.
“It’s a relief to not be on the road so much anymore,” he says. “My longest flight is four hours. More time to spend with family and two dogs … and to lose golf balls.”
His early roles had him crossing more time zones in North America and Europe. Wallace honed his skills from 2001 to 2014 as a construction project manager with Dallas area-based Guess, a builder and manager of retail and mixed-use facilities. He followed that with a couple years managing North American retail development for jewelry giant Michael Hill and then a 2016-2019 stretch as project manager at Prodigy Construction in Toronto.
Then Wallace was tabbed for director of corporate and retail development at DECIEM\The Abnormal Beauty Company in Toronto. Much of that three-and-a-half-year period coinciding with a pandemic, Wallace recalls checking websites at least daily to see what was mandated where. Those trials and tribulations notwithstanding, there was something positive to be gleaned.
“I would never be left behind the curve,” he says. “Whether I was dealing with something in the Netherlands, New York City or Canada, I’d stay informed and respond accordingly. I was in a constant pivot start-stop.”
That attitude and experience made him an attractive candidate for Chatters when it committed to post-COVID companywide refurbishing. And for Wallace, what a challenge it would be to be point man for modernizing an increasing number of salons from Vancouver to the Maritimes.
“That was the motivating factor in me deciding to come here,” Wallace says. “I had the skills, and they were looking for someone with a proven track record for these kinds of projects. It’s almost an overhaul from how it had been done before.”
View this feature in the Blueprint Vol. III 2023 Edition here.
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This means your body fats mix is improved and your blood quality is improved.
This brand new research confirms again that the study earlier in 2014 suggesting that somehow saturated fats are now heart friendly and healthy (which almost immediately the authors themselves announced had flaws), was not at all the entire story.
“This adds to the large body of research we have suggesting that unsaturated fats are preferable to saturated fats”
Professor Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, American Heart Association, Tufts University, October 2014.
Almost every other study done has found that “limiting saturated fats in the diet can reduce cardiovascular risk”.
Study by Iggman D, et al “Role of dietary fats in modulating cardiometabolic risk during moderate weight gain: a randomized double-blind overfeeding trial (LIPOGAIN Study)” as published in the Journal of the American Heart Association 2014; DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.114.001095.


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Following the fallout of the talent crisis currently underway within the UK, retail chains John Lewis and Waitrose, which both operate under the John Lewis Partnership parent company, are seeking to hire 7,000 additional staff for the festive period, amid speculation that the festive period could see widespread shortages of goods and services.
However, as the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data highlights that currently, vacancies within the UK have surpassed 1.3million – and with certain industries such as retail and leisure seeing the brunt of the shortages – the two brands have resorted to offering festive perks to lure in prospective talent.
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Positive economic outlook for Taiwan: German Trade Office poll
Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) A majority of German companies operating in Taiwan had a positive outlook on Taiwan's economy in 2022, but they also noted challenges that could impact their business, according to a poll released by the German Trade Office (GTO) Tuesday.
The office's Business Confidence Survey Report 2021/2022 showed that 61.3 percent of the German companies polled believed Taiwan's economic development would continue improving in 2022.
"The value slightly dropped compared to last year's record high of 63.3 percent, but it is still the second highest percentage recorded in the past six years," the report said.
Some 32 percent of the interviewees predicted that there would be no significant change in the country's economy in 2022, while 6.7 percent had a negative outlook on Taiwan's economic development, according to the poll, which was conducted from Dec. 6, 2021 to Jan. 18, 2022.
At the report's launch, GTO Chief Representative and Executive Director Axel Limberg, noted that the positive outlook was the basis for increasing developments by German companies in Taiwan.
According to the poll, nearly 43 percent of the more than 70 German companies surveyed are planning to invest more in Taiwan over the next two years, mainly in staff development and training, but also marketing and business development.
The findings of the poll showed "a trust in the Taiwanese market and its environment," Limberg said. "It is also very clear evidence of the commitment of German companies to Taiwan and its economy."
However, German companies also noted some of the challenges they face in Taiwan, including COVID-19 travel restrictions and supply chain disruptions.
In addition, the German companies expressed concern over the policies of Taiwan's government, with 34.2 percent of those polled saying the government's energy transition "may have a significant influence on their industry within the next few years," followed by digitization (32.9%) and climate protection (31.6%).
"Domestic challenges are becoming increasingly relevant, which should be tackled to maintain a favorable business environment for companies operating in Taiwan as well as companies interested in entering the Taiwanese market," the report noted.
At the report launch, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said that her ministry had been working hard to ensure a stable and sustainable power supply and pursue its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
"The ministry will also endeavor to assist our companies go green," she said, without elaborating.
"Taiwan is currently entering a very crucial period of low carbon transformation. We welcome German and European businesses to play a part in this process," she added.
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Super Retail Group says “unprecedented” consumer demand has fuelled a sales surge, with the Super Cheap Auto and Rebel Sport owner benefiting from the 2020 Christmas and Black Friday sales period.
In an update to the Australian Stock Exchange on Monday, Super Retail flagged it is anticipating net profit after tax to soar by approximately 200 per cent for the first half of the 2021 financial year to a range of $170m to $173m.
The company, which also owns BCF and Macpac, noted like-for-like sales to December 26 was 24 per cent higher than the first half of the previous financial period, while online sales during the same period jumped 87 per cent to $237m.
Super Retail chief executive, Anthony Heraghty said the company was in a strong cashflow position but would “remain cautious” during the second half of the financial year, which is still being influenced by ongoing economic uncertainty sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.
“While we remain cautious on the outlook for the second half given the uncertain economic environment, the Group has a resilient business model underpinned by powerful brands with market-leading positions in growing lifestyle categories, an active customer base of 7.1 million loyalty club members and a conservative balance sheet with a strong cash balance and no net bank debt,” Mr Heraghty said.
The company indicated Macpac sales fell due to government-mandated store closures in Melbourne and Auckland that impacted turnover during the six months.
It also flagged it would be paying back $1.7m in JobKeeper wage subsidies to the federal government due to the higher than expected jump in operational performance.
“The operating leverage which the Group has been able to achieve during a period of robust online sales growth clearly reinforces the profitability of our digital sales and, in particular, the scalability of our omni-retail platform,” Mr Heraghty said.
“As inventory levels are restored during the second half, following a period of unprecedented consumer demand, we expect the level of promotional activity to increase.”
Super Retail is expected to hand out its half-year results on February 17.


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A ’62 VW Bus, a ’56 Ford Thunderbird and a ’69 Ford Mustang were among the variety of cars at Saturday’s Cool Cruise Car Show in downtown La Verne.
Hot rods, convertibles and muscle cars were not the only types of automobiles that occupied the normally quiet streets of downtown.
“I’m a car enthusiast,” said Albert Reyes, Duarte resident and a proud owner of a 1933 Helms Bakery Divco truck.
The quaint, old-fashioned and very rare truck was one of the many Helms Bakery trucks that were in operation from 1931 to 1969.
Deliverymen drove around neighborhoods in Southern California to deliver baked goods and fresh Olympic bread.
After spotting the then deteriorating multi-stop truck in someone’s yard, Reyes purchased it and spent two years restoring the truck.
He gave it a new motor and engine, adorned the exterior with authentic decals and painted it back to its iconic, eye-catching mustard yellow color.
Not only is the truck licensed and insured, but it is fully functional.
“I drove it here right on the freeway,” Reyes said.
Reyes is also a member of the Eagle Rock Trompers, a car club established in 1945.
Steve DeNunzio of the Southern California Sand Drag Association was at Cool Cruise for the first time to promote the SCSDA’s third annual sand drag race event, April Fuels Day, on April 12-14 at Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, Calif.
DeNunzio and other SCSDA representatives passed out flyers and allowed children to sit inside one of the many sand drag race cars on display.
Jessica Mendoza, a new resident of La Verne and a first-timer at Cool Cruise, brought her family to the event.
“He’s really into cars,” Mendoza said about her husband, who was thoroughly examining a nearby automobile. “He really wanted to come.”
Though cars were the main attraction, the event catered to spectators of all ages, even those who are not really interested in cars.
Numerous businesses from Reverie Clothing to DirecTV set up tables on the University’s “E” parking lot, and items such as clothing and jewelry were sold.
Jake’s Roadhouse, a La Verne farmer’s market regular, was one of the many food vendors participating in the event, a long with local restaurants and other food stands that sold items such as kettle corn, donuts and fresh strawberries.
The Swinging 8 Balls played classic rock ‘n roll tunes on Mainiero Square, enhancing the retro vibe and family friendly atmosphere.
Participants also had a chance to participate in a raffle with numerous prizes such as Angels tickets, $25 Village Inn certificates, tickets to the Auto Museum, AMC movie tickets and free oil changes. The grand prize was a 46-inch television set.
This event presented by Family Festival Productions, Inc., and Downtown La Verne Business Improvement District, continues to attract more people each year.
Admission was free, and car owners who pre-registered their vehicles paid $30 and received a free t-shirt, dash plaque and special raffle tickets.
Kristina Bugante can be reached at email@example.com.


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NIO Inc. announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023
NIO Achieved New Record-High Monthly Deliveries. Deliveries of ES6 exceeded 10,000 in July 2023. NIO delivered 20,462 vehicles in July 2023, increasing by 103.6% year-over-year.
NIO (NIO) stock price targets and analysts’ forecasts by major Wall Street investment banks and analysts
NIO Achieved New Record-High Monthly and Quarterly Deliveries. NIO delivered 15,815 vehicles in December 2022, increasing by 50.8% year-over-year
NIO Inc. (NIO) today provided an updated delivery outlook for the fourth quarter of 2022. In December 2022, the Company has been facing challenges in deliveries and production, together with certain supply chain constraints
NIO shares are trading 16.48% higher today at $12.25 on speculation that China will be forced to a wide reopening of it’s Covid-restricted economy after the recent violent protests.
Nio reported third-quarter earnings below the analyst’s expectations with wider losses and higher revenues, amid the covid supply disruptions in China.