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assured that the same rule will apply for past payments as well, and no recoveries will be made on the notices sent to various business for interest on gross payments.
This will ensure full relief to the taxpayers as decided by the Council, it said.
Earlier in the day, experts were left baffled by the notification, wondering why the Council’s decision has not yet been implemented. They had said it will lead to litigation for large taxpayers and harassment for small and medium enterprises.
Rajat Mohan, partner at AMRG Associates, had said: “The GST
Council had decided that the interest due on delayed GST
payment would be charged on the net cash tax liability with effect from July 1, 2017. However the notification acceded this benefit prospectively from September 1, 2020. This issue is, once again, expected to land up in a judicial forum, thus adding to litigation woes for large taxpayers, and harassment for MSMEs.”
Abhishek Jain, partner at EY, had said that with the GST Council having approved of a retrospective amendment to interest dues being applicable on net liability, businesses will now await retrospective prescription for this.
“The retrospective notification becomes all the more imperative to subside multiple notices, which were issued by revenue authorities demanding GST on gross liability,” he said.
Bimal Jain, an independent chartered accountant, had tweeted: “Why have recommendations and words of the GST Council not been respected and followed?”
There were also adverse comments on notification on the social media.
said its explanation came in response to an assortment of comments on the social media.
The GST Council had to intervene earlier as the government had issued recovery notices to several businesses, demanding interest on gross liability.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had, after the GST Council meeting in March, said: “The Council also decided to levy interest on delayed payment of GST on a net basis, not gross. For this, GST laws will be amended with retrospective effect of July 1, 2017.”
The move was aimed at reducing disputes and easing the recovery process, besides easing immediate cash flow burden on most entities.
Businesses registered under GST (other than under the composition scheme) are required to file GSTR-1 for outward supplies for a month by the 11th day of the following month, and GSTR-3B—a summary return for sales and input tax credit (ITC)—by the 20th.
Besides a late payment fee of Rs100 a day for central GST and a matching amount for state GST, the law provides for a levy of 18 per cent penal interest.
In the case of Refex Industries heard at the Madras High Court, the Assistant Commissioner of CGST & Central Excise had held that interest could only be levied on the belated cash component of tax, and not on the ITC.
had asked interest to be collected on gross tax liabilities, not on net cash liabilities. CBIC chairman had, last year, asked officers to recover Rs 45,996 crore in interest dues for late GST payments.
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Fresh Market opens Sept. 16 at new Pineda Landings
SUNTREE The sign is up and the grand opening is set for Brevard County’s first Fresh Market.
The store will open Sept. 16 (a Wednesday) at the new Pineda Landings shopping center at the intersection of Wickham Road and Jordan Blass Drive in Suntree.
The Greensboro, N.C.-based Fresh Market is hiring 80-90 people, both full and part time employees, for the new store.
Once opened, it will be the company's 41st store in Florida.
Fresh Market is similar to the popular Whole Foods in that it's based on European-style markets, where much of the produce and other products in open bins rather than in packaging. It also carries gourmet foods, wines and numerous other items.
Developers said they are working with at about 10 other tenants which will lease space at Pineda Landings. Two of them, Jersey Mike’s and Allure Nails, were announced earlier this week.
Contact Price at 321-242-3658 or firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: news


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The Samsung Galaxy S8 series will reportedly receive the first public build of Android Oreo before the end of February, however according to a Samsung representative for North Africa’s Maghreb region recently cited by UberGizmo, this won’t be the case for all the regions, with some markets including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia being unlikely to receive the update earlier than March. As usual, once the first wave is concluded and no issues are found with the initial release, the rollout will continue to expand globally in a matter of weeks until it eventually reaches every unit in the wild.
It’s worth reminding that Samsung has prepared a bit of exclusivity for its Android Oreo beta testers, as last week the OEM sent out a notification to beta participants informing them of a one-day head start over regular consumers. In other words, those who have participated in Samsung’s beta program for the Galaxy S8 series should be the first to receive the update one day before non-testers, however this will likely apply only in the regions where Android Oreo will be available, i.e., if the update launches in late February and will be missing from a certain region then beta testers in said region are probably not going to receive the update either. They may still enjoy a one-day head start over non-testers in their country but only when the rollout in their region will be ready to commence.
Samsung began working on Android Oreo for the Galaxy S8 series last year in November when it released the first beta version of the update to testers. Additional beta builds have been provided over the course of a couple of months until the beta period successfully concluded near the end of January. The Android Oreo update should introduce a number of new features and improvements that are part of the default Oreo experience, and will also include various changes to the user interface as part of the Samsung Experience 9.0 update. All in all, February should be an interesting month for Samsung enthusiasts especially since the OEM also plans on launching its next flagship series – the Galaxy S9 – at Mobile World Congress on February 25.


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More than 11,500 branches of the Post Office in the UK are to be converted to accept contactless payments by October this year, marking the largest rollout of contactless POS terminals in Europe to date. “Contactless will bring huge benefits to our customers by increasing choice and reducing transaction times,” says Lesley Sewell, the Post Office’s CIO.
- Mobile barcode scanning booms
- Iowa to launch mobile driving license
- Line Pay makes debut
- Google Wallet adds Touch ID
- US consumers trust banks most with card data


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Westporters responded quickly — and generously — to Friday’s post about a toy drive at Bridgeport’s Cesar Batalla School.
But there is still an enormous need.
The school serves children in the highest poverty brackets. Some live in shelters. Their families have no money for basic necessities — let alone holiday gifts.
Here’s something new: a link to a special Amazon page. With a couple of clicks, you can send real presents — ones kids only dream of — direct to the the school. (The address is 606 Howard Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06606.)
Here’s another way to help: Through Christmas, Lisa Savone will personally deliver gifts to the school. Donations can be dropped off at her clothing store, Lucy’s (23 Jesup Road, next to Green & Tonic, across from Westport Library), Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 12 to 5 p.m. If parking is an issue, just pull into the driveway next to the store.
Need alternative arrangements? Email email@example.com.
“We can make it happen!” Lisa says. “Let’s show these kids that Westport really cares!”
But wait! There’s more!
WestportMoms — the great online group — is organizing a real-live toy drive for Cesar Batalla School on Sunday, December 17. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., they’ll fil a moving truck in Levitt Pavilion parking lot.
There are 20 days left before Christmas. That’s plenty of time to make it a memorable holiday for the wonderful boys and girls at this great — but needy — school.


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All App development companies are now blockchain development companies!
Mar 23, 2018 Posted / 1746 Views
We are well-aware with the name Blockchain by now, which is frequently observed as the foundation of all cryptocurrencies including the prominent bitcoin. While Bitcoin's market has been quite volatile in the past few months, the attention in the market for blockchain-related technology has rushed considerably where the App development companies are investing in the technology. On the other hand, this recorded set of the digitalized ledger technology has not restricted its functionality for carrying out the financial transactions; however, the ground-breaking technology is also boosting the mobile app development industry. In the present day cyber-attacks have turned out to be more at risk and in such a state of affairs, the mobile application security is posing a big challenge for the app developers. The Smartphone and apps include confidential as well as private data, which constantly remains the leading objective of the cyber attackers.
The confidential data may consist of bank details in addition to other essential documents or files. The hitch is that we cannot depend on anti-virus as well as additional software widely to save the very important data moreover that is when the task of Blockchain becomes more than crucial. The blockchain is not only a technology of security but a reliable technology of varying functionalities. This technology has made many heads of the tech-giants turn in deference. For example, Google is apparently working on its blockchain-related technology that will sustain the Silicon Valley giant’s cloud business. The change from a customary peer-to-peer based method to the blockchain model will be of assistance for Google to keep away the antagonism from up-and-coming startups.
Why are the App development companies taking the Blockchain route?
There are innumerable mobile apps which are based on bitcoin technology otherwise encompass analogous functionality. The Blockchain without a doubt has been a good savior for the business partners, the clients, as well as the capital because it serves as a shelter from several types of ambiguity.
To be honest there are ample of reason to look forward to blockchain especially for App development:
A lot of banks now have established their in-house research that is trying to discover the potential of this technology. People are searching for Blockchain Application Development, Ethereum Dapp Development, etc.
Scores of experts consider that the application of blockchain, merged with IoT would give a new definition to supply chain management. An added use case is social data. If you don’t have to use Gmail, facebook, Instagram to exchange information and data with your friends, what would happen? The blockchain is presently being used to facilitate peer to peer exchange of data, as well as quite a lot of blockchain application, is already live.
Similarly, the strategy can be simulated in e-commerce Apps. It could let us buy directly from the seller devoid of having to utilize platforms. This can turn out to be an avant-garde concept! Loads of research is vigorously happening at the present time, moreover, the future looks very vivid for blockchain. Moving to blockchain technology will eradicate the threat when the data is placed centrally by a particular company. On the other hand, building a mass set-up of digital ledger governed by many computers is to a difficult certain extent but it presents chances to remove potential data thievery.
Applancer is an open platform for discussion on all things like Blockchain , Cryptocurrency and Ico news updates. As such, the opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Applancer .
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The government is working on a £500m plan to buy up finished livestock at set prices in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it has been reported.
Former Defra Secretary Michael Gove, who is now in charge of no-deal planning, is thought to be spearheading the plans, according to The Times.
It would see the government agree to purchase any beef and lamb at the point of slaughter at a pre-determined price under a plan which is expected to cost £500m.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the government's plan would help the industry in the event of a collapse in European demand because of high tariffs.
It follows Boris Johnson's visit to Wales on Tuesday (29 July) as he tries to garner support for his government's plan for farming once the UK leaves the EU.
During the visit, a Welsh farmer urged the new Prime Minister to stop 'playing Russian roulette' with the lamb industry.
Farming industry figures fear a no-deal Brexit would have far reaching consequences, but certain sectors could be more affected than others.
Meanwhile, the Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) warned of 'civil unrest' in rural communities if no agreement is struck between the UK and EU.
But Mr Johnson's visit to Welsh farms were a 'welcome recognition' for the industry, said NFU Cymru.
He visited the farm of NFU Cymru Poultry Chair, Victoria Shervington-Jones, to outline his ambition for farming and food production and how this could be achieved through new policies to support farming and the signing of new trade deals.
The Prime Minister said that his government 'will always back Britain's great farmers' as the UK leaves the EU.
“We need to make sure that Brexit works for them,” he said.
“That means scrapping the Common Agricultural Policy and signing new trade deals - our amazing food and farming sector will be ready and waiting to continue selling ever more not just here but around the world.
“Once we leave the EU on 31 October, we will have a historic opportunity to introduce new schemes to support farming - and we will make sure that farmers get a better deal.”


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Posted on 14th Feb 2019 09:47:12
You’ll have noted; there’s a lot of doom and gloom around at the moment. With concerns over the economy, political strife and our relationship with Europe, you’d think there’s no positive news to fuel our optimism.
Bucking this trend, news from the commercial vehicle manufacturing sector shows that 2018 was a very successful year for the sector. And while there may be rocky times ahead the past year has been a high water mark for the commercial vehicle body builders industry.
Here are the headlines.
Posted on 7th Feb 2019 10:18:59
There are loads of significant advantages to being a commercial driver. The flexible hours, the overtime pay, or visiting new and exciting places both in the UK and abroad. Indeed, many drivers list these parts of the job as the ones they enjoy the most.
Looked at from the outside, these things do look good. There’s no boss continually looking over your shoulder – great! You can listen to your favourite shows on the radio – brilliant. What’s not to like?
And with the continuing advances in commercial vehicles from innovative truck body builders, the job’s becoming increasingly easier and more comfortable.
Posted on 23rd Jan 2019 09:59:13
Commercial driving is a tough business. It takes a certain kind of person to travel the thousands of annual miles the job entails. Even in good conditions, it’s an exacting trade and the onset of severe winter weather brings additional challenges to the role.
That’s why the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) winter driving and fuel efficiency guides are so useful. These publications offer a comprehensive digest on how fleet drivers can mitigate the worst of the winter weather on both themselves and their vehicle. The accompanying fuel management guide covers the essential knowledge and skills required to drive in a way that promotes fuel efficiency.
Posted on 15th Jan 2019 15:51:45
In life, it’s so important to have loyal and trusted friends. People you can rely on to give you the help you need to meet your goals and solve problems. That’s why at Truckcraft Bodies were pleased to have partnered with TRAILAR in the development of our new generation of delivery vehicles.
And with TRAILAR’s recent success in the Freight Transport Association (FTA) awards for the ‘most innovative product’ category, it’s great to know we’re using the very best solar technology a truck body builder company can source.
Posted on 10th Dec 2018 23:01:47
There was a time when the only refrigerated vehicle you would see on a regular basis would be an ice cream van. Hordes of excited kids would flock towards the van’s chimes begging their parents to buy them an icy treat.
Nowadays, temperature-controlled vehicles are a common sight on our roads. Home grocery deliveries happen in neighbourhoods every day bringing frozen and ambient foods to our doors in perfect condition. Most people probably don’t know, or think, about the refrigeration technology that supports this modern way to shop.
Posted on 4th Dec 2018 11:15:40
Things are changing in the Capital. From April 2019 new emissions legislation will add to the costs of busy transport companies who make regular trips to central London. These increases will be especially acute for those whose truck fleet is especially old.
The current ‘T-Charge’ that operates in central London is to be expanded to cover all areas within the North and South Circular roads by October 2021. It will be known as the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone or ULEZ.
Posted on 28th Nov 2018 10:16:08
We can’t ignore the growing evidence. Climate change is affecting every one of us in some small way. And the effects on our planet are becoming alarmingly apparent. The news regularly tells us of the ongoing impacts of global warming on the oceans, on our wildlife, our rainforests and the Arctic.
It’s becoming worrying, and it’s clear we all have to do something to make a difference. To try to change the path we’re on.
This is why Truckcraft Bodies are taking a leading stance in the commercial vehicle industry. As an innovative company, we are continually looking for ways to help the transport sector to become a good global neighbour and save money for your business.
Posted on 15th Nov 2018 11:06:49
Greater Manchester’s Truckcraft Bodies are delighted to have collaborated with TRAILAR to develop a new generation of delivery vehicles. As commercial body builders committed to innovation and ongoing product development, the collaboration with TRAILAR will result in a unique, low-entry, 3.5-ton refrigerated vehicle.
Posted on 29th Oct 2018 14:32:34
Posted on 9th Aug 2018 16:37:53
Curtain Sided body with Moffett Mountin Kit & Sliding Roof
Posted on 24th Jul 2018 14:11:41
The Low platform fridge body
Posted on 5th Jul 2018 12:10:03
We have officially become an Approved DHL supplier.
Posted on 9th Mar 2018 11:33:43
Paul Leary, Legend in the making!


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World Maritime News
Outlook for container freight rate
The peak in freight rates may have already passed. But even getting rates down to a ‘new normal’ of twice their 2019 levels will take up to two years. Spot rates may have fallen by one-third from their extreme peaks, but shippers should not expect rates to return to pre-pandemic levels for at least another year.
Markets are expected to head further south this year amid weaker demand after the peak season. As a result, spot rates on the China-US west coast trade have dropped below $5,000 per feu, with weakening market sentiment playing one carrier off another for lower prices.
The container shipping sector remains “full of uncertainty.” It could end up in the unprecedented situation of shipping lower volumes in the year’s second half than in the first half.
Various measures against port congestions
Mojave Inland Port, located 90 miles north of Los Angeles-Long Beach, is proposed to build a one-stop shop for retailers, logistics services providers, and railway companies as an alternative to truck-served transport in the congested Inland Empire region.
The modernization of the Centerm terminal in Vancouver, Canada, uses artificial intelligence to keep cargo moving faster and speed up railed containers in and out of the terminal. It will ultimately become a lesson for other terminals ensuring more container capacity with land restrictions.
The New York-New Jersey marine terminals have constantly been offering Saturday gates over the last two years to relieve the tremendous import volumes at the port. But in that time, Saturday gates have only accounted for about 5 percent of total truck transactions, according to data from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Drought and strikes disrupt European ports
German authority said the Rhine would remain open, and barge companies would decide on their own whether to operate services with a part of the Rhine water levels reaching record lows.
The port of Liverpool in the UK faces industrial action after staff overwhelmingly supported a ballot in favor of striking. This August, the UK supply chain faced disruption when the country’s largest container terminal, Felixstowe, came to a standstill due to the strike.
Congestion in Europe is set to worsen on the back of industrial action. UK supply chains are already reporting disruptions from the strike at Felixstowe. With more disputes on the cards, the headaches are likely to spread.
Topics of container lines
The 2M Alliance (MSC and Maersk) handled a larger share of containerized US imports during the first five months of 2022. As a result, it narrows the gap between itself and the Ocean Alliance(CMA CGM/APL, Cosco Shipping/OOCL, and Evergreen Line), according to JOC.com’s rankings of the Top 40 Container Carriers by US Imports and Exports.
The imbalance between global demand for containership capacity and the available fleet capacity is beginning to reverse as congestion unwinds and more capacity comes on stream.
Carriers are still focusing capacity on more lucrative longer trade lanes. Container lines take tonnage from intra-regional services to provide slots on main lane trades.
Small- and medium-sized carriers trading across the Pacific have outperformed those who stayed with niche trades. There were big margins for carriers who expanded on the transpacific trade during the pandemic. But the gap between the top 10 lines and the rest continues to grow.
Carrier53, a joint venture company of a break bulk ship operator and a container manufacturer, provides transpacific services between China and US west coast. The company focuses, in particular, on intermodal container transportation using US domestic 53-foot containers.
An analyst said that carrier’ tonnage tax’ changes would alter the competitive landscape. The tonnage tax is just one of the many elements that skew the playing field. Eliminating it would still result in a skewed playing field — to the benefit of some carriers and the detriment of others.
Maersk signs up seventh methanol supplier
Maersk has signed off on another green methanol partnership with Chinese bio-energy company Debo to secure sufficient green methanol for its new building methanol-fuelled container ships.
Read more: Lloyd’s List
Lack of regulations a core challenge to shipping decarbonization: WSC
The World Shipping Council (WSC) said a regulatory structure underpinning the development and production of zero-carbon fuels remains a crucial missing part in the global campaign to decarbonize the maritime industry. WSC also said renewable and low-carbon fuels should be phased in so that the pace of production could meet needs.


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GameStop Confirms Game Rental Program is Real
Rumors have been running rampant about GameStop potentially starting an innovative game rental program called PowerPass, which would allow customers to swap used games indefinitely over the course of six months for a $60 fee. A source at GameStop has now exclusively confirmed to Game Rant that the PowerPass program is indeed real, and it will launch on November 19th.
PowerPass will be a part of GameStop s holiday strategy, and as such, can be purchased as a gift. For $60, gamers can enjoy unlimited gaming for six months, with customers able to select any used title they wish, including retro games. At the end of the six month period, subscribers can choose one game to keep.
It s worth noting that the PowerPass program requires that customers be PowerUp Rewards members to join. For the uninitiated, PowerUps Rewards has three tiers (two of which carry an annual fee) that come with their own set of perks for GameStop customers, including discounts on games as well as a subscription to Game Informer magazine. According to GameStop, the PowerUp Rewards requirement is so the company can better keep track of which used games customers have rented out.
GameStop is currently in the process of rolling this program out to its stores, which is why a few GameStop employees we spoke to earlier today were unaware of its existence. While some stores may be a little bit more behind than others, the innovative PowerPass program should be available in all stores come November 19th, just in time for the holiday shopping rush.
All things considered, it looks as though the PowerPass rental program from GameStop is a great deal for budget-minded gamers. It gives them unlimited access to as many games as they want within the six month period, and could very well convince many to stick with physical media over digital games.
With GameStop being forced to close down 150 stores earlier this year, this revolutionary new rental service could be the shot in the arm it needs. Luckily, gamers won t have to wait much longer to see if the PowerPass program is as great as it sounds on paper.
GameStop s PowerPass program begins November 19th.


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The pandemic is providing a clearer picture of the future of entertainment consumption in Bahrain and all over the world, and it substantiates the industry’s costly plans to go all-in on streaming platforms.
The most telling number that came out of earnings in recent weeks was 91 per cent. That’s how much net income plunged at Walt Disney, one of the most time-tested, resilient companies in the world. Regional lockdowns have taken aim at all of Disney’s core businesses, most notably its theme parks around the world, which have been closed to visitors for weeks. But the TV and film operations at Disney’s rivals are also hurting.
In fact, Netflix is the only media giant that doesn’t have revenue tied to advertising, live sports or people leaving their houses, and it’s the only industry stock that’s been left unscathed. Below are few more examples:
A lack of sport and advertiser demand is hurting TV networks, while film studios are unable to shoot or release new features.
Explosive demand for TV content led almost 16 million people to sign up for Netflix more than double what the company predicted before the Covid-19 outbreak. The extended time at home also has been a chance for consumers to take new apps out for a spin, including Disney+, Apple TV+, Quibi and Comcast’s Peacock. Disney+ has added 28m subscribers since December.
Video-game maker EA reported a 17pc increase in revenue from in-game purchases and other live services
It remains to be seen if, after all that time spent gaming and streaming from the couch, consumers will be itching to go to the movies once again. Even as some states begin to reopen business, it won’t be possible to gauge any recovery for the movie-theatre industry just yet because the year’s biggest films have been postponed.
There has been a perceptible increase in media consumption during the last few weeks as people have remained home-bound.
One of the biggest gainers of the lockdown has been OTT or video-streaming platforms. There has been a “secular rise in OTT consumption in duration across demographics and devices” as people scout for stay-at-home entertainment options.
YouTube, which already enjoys widespread popularity in Middle East, has seen a 20.5pc surge in subscribers in the region. It has garnered over 300 billion views in the first quarter of 2020, growing 13pc since the fourth quarter of 2019.


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Lockdown panic buyers threatened Tesco supermarket security guard with knives and syringes
A FORMER supermarket security guard has lifted the lid on dealing with ‘anarchy’ caused by lockdown panic buyers.
Paul Eite, from Hayling Island, said he was threatened with scissors, knives and syringes while on duty outside a Tesco store in Portsmouth during the first coronavirus lockdown.
His team even had a leg of lamb and a mountain bike thrown at them during the three-month spell monitoring panic-buying shoppers at the Fratton Extra brand, next to Fratton Park.
‘It was anarchy – like dealing with the worst clubbers high on cocaine,’ said Paul, 43.
The 5ft 11in former ice hockey player has years of experience running security in pubs and bars – and he now runs his own security firm Unified Group which employs 44 staff.
But he said nothing prepared him for the jaw-dropping behaviour of some desperate shoppers struggling to accept new rules.
He said: ‘Over the previous two years working the doors I had to physically restrain seven people. It took about four hours at Tesco to have to do the same.
‘One shoplifter took a swing at my colleague. Then his friend came over, threw his mountain bike at us and pulled out some scissors – I ended up getting my hand cut.
‘It just went on and on. To be fair, 90 per cent of the customers were fantastic, given the situation. But there were some who caused us lots of problems.
‘On one occasion we had someone trying to kick in the glass doors to get into the store – it was madness.
‘There were customers shouting at disabled people and even two women in their 60s smashing their trolleys into each other because one thought the other was jumping the queue.
‘One had to be taken away in an ambulance.’
Tesco said that it had been working with security firms in order to protect its staff after it had seen an increase in violent behaviour towards its workers.
A Tesco statement said: ‘Our colleagues work hard to serve our customers every day and the vast majority of customers are appreciative of their efforts.
‘However we have seen an increase in violent and aggressive behaviour towards our colleagues and security officers in recent months.
‘We do not tolerate abusive behaviour of any kind and we have measures in place to keep our colleagues safe. We continue to work closely with Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers and other retailers to tackle this issue.’
Other retailers such as Asda and Co-op have also beefed up their security, with some Co-op staff even being issued with body-worn cameras in a bid to deter abuse.
A national petition set up the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers Trade Union is calling for attacks or abuse against shop workers to be a specific offence.
It has reached more than 100,000 signatures meaning it will be considered for debate in the House of Commons.
Hundreds of people across The News’ area have signed – 282 in Portsmouth North, 266 in Portsmouth South, 250 in Fareham, 174 in the Meon Valley, 236 in Gosport and 231 in Havant.
To sign to go to petition.parliament.uk/petitions/328621
Paul spoke out after receiving training from Get Licensed. He said their guidance helped equip him with the tools to survive.
He said: ‘You don’t have to be big or imposing, it’s all about how you are and how you present yourself.
‘Communication skills are key, plus you have to keep your eye on the ball – you often sense when things are about to go wrong.
‘The training I did through Get Licensed was excellent.’
For more go to get-licensed.co.uk


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’How long can we survive?’ Seacoast art galleries struggle with reopening
Most area visual art galleries are heading into high season with white knuckles.
The Nancy Morgan Gallery has delayed opening until mid-month. The Nahcotta Gallery is currently by-appointment and online only; ditto for The Art Center Dover, which now presents its in-house exhibits on the web.
Profit and nonprofit alike, the galleries that assign so much life and color to our communities are looking for ways to do business in a COVID-19 world, and nervous about the prospects.
They're dealing with limited hours and access, building new online systems, and declining sales. There's also the nagging fear the coronavirus will flare up again and force another shutdown.
A major response by most is an increase in online presence and sales options.
The New Hampshire Art Association closed halfway through its in-gallery silent auction March 13. That, along with the uncertain future, prompted the organization to purchase new software.
"It's something we'd planned, but we've greatly accelerated," Board President Renee Giffroy said. "We realize it may be our only option. People may not want to come into a physical gallery."
NHAA, a nonprofit gallery which reopened July 5, also invested in software for regular online shows and purchase capability. They plan to post exhibits by Aug 1. A date for the purchase system going live is less clear. Like others, the NHAA is learning on the fly, trying to catch up before it falls too far behind.
"There's so many considerations, shipping and other details to work out," Giffroy said. "But we're very aggressively looking at that goal. We realize the virus may last longer than we hoped."
Todd Bonita, owner of Bonita Gallery in Portsmouth and Ogunquit, already had numerous online platforms, but he quickly beefed up presence and began posting daily on all its sites.
The Bonita, NHAA and the Kennedy Gallery are among the Portsmouth galleries that have reopened – cautiously they say. They are among a number of the galleries that resumed the Art 'Round Town gallery walk, first Friday of the month, with limited guests at any given time, both for openings and shop hours.
Controlling visitors hasn't proved a problem, Giffroy said.
"Typically ... on a First Night during July 4th weekend, we would probably get 350 people. It's not unusual," Giffroy said. "This Friday I think we had under 20."
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The Nancy Morgan Gallery, which opens July 17, will limit hours to Friday and Saturday, and admittance to three, "unless it's a family," Morgan said.
"My shop is only 500 square feet," Morgan said. "I just want to go slowly."
A few locations allow up to 10 at a time, such as the Kennedy Gallery, which has set up a walking pattern. Others are topping out at five and six at a time.
These numbers can't be sustained for the long run unless online sales pick up, Bonita said.
"How long can we survive? That's the big question. There's a couple of factors. First, what was the economic position coming into it? What have you stocked away?" Bonita said. "Second, the unpredictability of when things will be somewhat back to normal. How long will I pay rent to have five people come in at a time? Nobody knows. ... What we need is to do business as usual."
NHAA also feels the pinch. There's a decrease in donations, rightfully diverted to social causes, Giffroy said. Membership has dropped and sales are way down.
"Threatened with closure? I would say it will all depend, and certainly not tomorrow. We can make it through a few months," Giffroy said. "But long-term viability depends on what happens with the pandemic over the next several months, and what happens with the demand over that time. We are certainly doing everything we can to survive."


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Big box store holiday shopping down 3.4% in 2012
- Staff Puget Sound Business Journal
Showing what an effect online retailers like Amazon.com Inc. are having on traditional big box retailers, holiday sales at big box and specialty retailers fell 3.4 percent and the number of shopping visits to stores plummeted 16.4% from 2011's holiday season.
According brick-and-mortar analyst RetailNext, big box retailers will again have a tough time in the 2013 holiday season.
"With six fewer days in the season, due to a late Thanksgiving and the very rare occurrence of Hanukkah starting at the same time, retailers need a strategic plan to make up for less shopping time," said Shelley Kohan, vice president of retail consulting at RetailNext, in a statement.
Online shoppers spent 16 percent more this holiday season than last year through Dec. 23. Seattle-based Amazon was the internet's top retail seller on Black Friday, and also recorded the highest year-over-year visitor growth rate among the country's top five retailers.
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New York—Hill+Knowlton Strategies, a subsidiary of WPP, has acquired Group SJR, a digital marketing communications company with clients including Dell Inc., General Electric Co., the Motion Picture Association of America, TED Conferences and Xerox Corp.
The investment continues WPP's strategy of strengthening its capabilities in digital media and content development that goes beyond traditional public relations and public affairs, the company said in a statement. WPP reported that Group SJR's unaudited revenue for the year ended May 31 was $13.6 million.
Alexander Jutkowitz, Group SJR managing partner, is taking the additional title of vice chairman and chief global strategist at H+K Strategies.
Jordan, Edmiston Group represented Group SJR in the transaction.


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By Ahura Mujuni Mark
Uganda National Bureau of Standards UNBS laments that though there are only 30 brands of bottled water certified by the bureau, there are over 48 brands on the market meaning that at least 18 brands are fake .
This has been revealed by the UNBS executive director, Ben Manyindo who says that the bureau is receiving a lot of complaints from the public on the quality of bottled water.
Mayindo says that the phenomenon has been brought about by the increased demand of safe bottled water.He notes that the western region has been the most affected.
He advises traders to check for the right water brands from the UNBS online database to avoid purchasing fake brands.
Meanwhile the bureau warns that any person who will be caught bottling water illegally will prosecuted.
In may last year ,the ministry of Trade said that it is on a process of formulating a policy to regulate the water bottling industry.
Minister Amelia Kyambadde noted that the absence of the Bottled Water Policy, has allowed unscrupulous individuals to penetrate the market with substandard water products, risking the health of unsuspecting consumers.


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Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) reported quarterly revenue fueled by sales of the new Ryzen CPUs and the company's graphics processors.
Revenue in AMD's business, which manufactures chips for the server industry and also gaming consoles, rose 5 percent to $391 million.
AMD also posted robust performance in its computing and graphics business, driven by demand for its latest Ryzen processors and its graphics chips.
"We achieved 18 percent year-over-year revenue growth driven by strong demand for our high performance Ryzen CPUs as well as graphics processors," said Dr. Lisa Su, AMD president and CEO. "We are positioned for solid revenue growth and margin expansion opportunities across the business in the year ahead as we bring innovation, performance, and choice to an expanding set of markets."
AMD also forecast second-quarter revenue to rise about 12 percent year-over-year at the midpoint.
The company's new Ryzen processors, aimed at the personal computer market, have helped rekindle its rivalry with Intel, which has long dominated the industry.
AMD's graphics processors, used in gaming consoles have also gained a foothold in the low- to mid-range market for PC chips that are used to power video games. Rival Nvidia has long controlled the high-end of the market.
AMD's net loss narrowed to $73 million in the first quarter ended April 1, from $109 million a year earlier.
Revenue rose 18.3 percent to $984 million.
AMD also confirmed that more Ryzen chips are coming in the second half of this year. New chips for desktops, called Ryzen 3, will come in the earlier part of the second half, while Ryzen mobile chips-code-named Raven Ridge-will come out around the end-of-year holiday season.
The Ryzen 3 is expected to be for low-end desktops, while the Ryzen 5 and 7 chips are faster. Late last week, Acer announced its Aspire GX desktop with Ryzen chip options.
In the coming months, AMD will also launch Vega GPUs for the gaming, professional workstation and data center markets. Some Vega GPUs will launch this quarter.
Vega GPUs will be priced higher than Polaris, the existing GPU architecture, because of advanced technologies, Su said.
The Vega GPUs will have a new memory subsystem, a faster computing engine and a "new geometry pipeline to dramatically improve performance and energy efficiency for the next generation of GPU workloads," Su said.


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PayPal Finances Crypto Startup That Specializes In Taxes
Crypto startup, TaxBit has secured funding from PayPal in its latest round of fundraising. TaxBit is a crypto startup that specializes in the taxation of cryptocurrencies.
Crypto taxes has posed a major problem in recent years due to the increasing popularity of crypto assets. This has posed a major problem for crypto holders due to increasing regulations by governments across the world.
Judging cryptocurrency taxes can be complex especially when the person participated in airdrops and made profits from yield farming of staking. TaxBit is looking towards resolving this problems.
This latest fundraising is PayPal first in the company and its latest initiative in the crypto industry. Other investors include Coinbase ventures and Winklevoss Capital. Winklevoss Capital had previously participated in initial funding that raised $5 million.
Austin Woodward, Founder of TaxBit, said: “This investment will help us achieve our goal of becoming the most innovative and trusted provider of cryptocurrency tax technology.”
PayPal Continues to Invest In Crypto Industry
PayPal is increasingly involved in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Since when it announced its support for cryptocurrencies some months back, the payment company has spread its tentacles in the industry.
In December, the payment giant participated in a $142 million fundraiser to support the development of Paxos. Paxos is the company that provides PayPal’s infrastructure that is dedicated to buying, selling and holding cryptocurrency.
PayPal was also said to be interested in the purchase of BitGo that ultimately failed. In 2021, PayPal plans to make cryptocurrency payments available to the 26 million merchants in its network.
Users will be able to make purchases from merchants, but will not be able to send cryptocurrencies to an outside address or service. In the case of PayPal, it is important to understand that the customer will not have direct access to his funds unlike an exchange platform or even better a wallet.
There have been rumours that PayPal could be contemplating developing a stablecoin for its platform. It remains to be seen whether this would come to fruition in the coming months, but what is certain is that PayPal is here to stay in the crypto niche.


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Portugal – Designer Joana Carvalho has created Kit Café, a practical coffee kit made from a biodegradable biopolymer that can be planted after use.
The eco-friendly kit was made using minimal resources. A single-injection mould was used to create everything needed to enjoy a coffee – a spoon, a saucer and a cup. Kit Café is also stackable, saving space during transportation.
‘The shape was inspired by a plastic model kit,’ says Carvalho. ‘It has a low production cost and all the pieces can be made at the same time.’
This is a great example of how brands are embracing a cradle-to-cradle methodology to boost their green credentials. For more on how brands are considering the environment, read our cradle-to-cradle production micro trend.


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SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia said on Thursday it would become the world's first country to ban logos and branding on cigarette packets, sparking a furious response from the tobacco industry.
Cigarettes will be sold in plain, standardised packages carrying only graphic warnings against smoking from 2012, under new legislation announced by the government aimed at cutting tobacco use.
|A woman walks over perspexencased 'cigarettes' in central Sydney. (AFP file)|
"Cigarettes are not cool, cigarettes kill people," said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. "Therefore the government makes no apology whatsoever for what it's doing.
"The cigarette tobacco companies will hate this measure, they will oppose it. Nonetheless we believe this and other measures help to reduce smoking. We intend therefore to get on with the job."
Leading cigarette company Imperial Tobacco Australia said it would challenge the move on the grounds that it would affect its profits, arguing that the branding has commercial value.
"Introducing plain packaging just takes away the ability of a consumer to identify our brand from another brand, and that's of value to us," a spokeswoman told ABC radio.
"It really affects the value of our business as a commercial enterprise and we will fight to support protecting our international property rights."
Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the legislation would be carefully drafted to withstand any legal challenges.
"The World Health Organisation makes it quite clear that this should be considered by countries, this type of action," Health Minister Nicola Roxon told public broadcaster ABC.
"We won't be put off by the fact that tobacco companies won't like this action. Tobacco companies didn't like it when advertising was banned. But this is the last remaining step that needed to be taken."
Tobacco advertising is outlawed in Australia, and smoking is also banned in most enclosed public spaces such as offices and restaurants.


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A new report from Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) forecasts the global streaming media device market — which includes the Apple TV — to grow at a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 17.45% during the period 2016-2020. The market is currently in its nascent stage but is witnessing unprecedented growth, according to the research group.
In 2015, Asia-Pacific (APAC) had the highest growth rate in the market. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and the Americas are quite matured markets. According to Research and Markets, one of the key drivers for market growth will be easy connectivity with electronic devices. A major factor driving the sales of streaming devices is the ease with which media content can be streamed and shared between various streaming devices.
With the help of a home network, a streaming device can connect with various devices. The content can be streamed on the Internet, a central repository, or any connected device. Along with wireless streaming, streaming media devices also support wired streaming using a cabled LAN.


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Latest Tech Trends to Impact Pakistani Industries
Latest Tech Trends to Impact Pakistani Industries Technology has become a game changer. Realizing the fact that it is not possible to get progress in any industry without the adoption of advanced and latest technologies, most industries and businesses have started the digital transformation journey. Especially in Pakistan, we can see that both small and large industries are adopting the latest tech trends for better output in order to compete in the international market.
Latest Tech Trends to Impact Pakistani Industries
There are some major IoT based projects being funded by Ignite such as Xbits, CricFlex, Innovative Digital Curriculum for Science Education, in-hospital and Energy Watch
Currently, in Pakistan, there are some major IoT based projects being funded by Ignite, like Xbits, CricFlex, Innovative Digital Curriculum for Science Education, in-hospital and Energy watch. With the increasing demand for IoT products, Pakistan has an opportunity to capitalize on this trend. The big industrialists can collaborate with the young tech entrepreneurs to revamp their industry and improve their efficiency a million times more.
Nowadays, the usage of the digital world is increasing. Customers and businesses are quite active on various social platforms. However, at the same time, they are not as safe as today the risks of cyber-attacks are greater than ever. This issue has led to increased awareness about cybersecurity and highlighted that there is a need for proper security measures for both businesses and individuals.
In the coming years, the demand for cybersecurity will be increased, and the trend will affect everyone. No doubt, all those businesses that operate online must both protect themselves and their customers from the risks of cyber-attacks. Furthermore, consumers will be more careful while dealing with businesses and will most likely prefer those companies having proper security.
The attacks by Indian hackers on Pakistani websites and recent banking sector debacle have called for prompt attention to strengthen the cyberspace in the country
The attacks by Indian hackers on Pakistani websites and recent banking fiasco has called for prompt attention to strengthen the cyberspace in the country. Pakistan has launched its first ever Cyber Security Centre at Air University, Islamabad to protect the country’s cyberspace, economy, and infrastructure from cyber-attacks.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
AR and VR are likely to affect companies across the board as they adopt the technology to help them engage customers more effectively and optimize their sales and marketing efforts. It’s also a potentially useful tool for learning and is increasingly being adopted by educational organizations.
AR and VR technologies are already available for consumer experiences, like retail and real estate
AR and VR technologies are already available for consumer experiences, like retail and real estate. AR and VR, in particular, can be used in various industries, that include manufacturing, healthcare, and medicine, as well as in commerce businesses.
We can see the continuous development of these technologies, and this trend will affect even more industries and companies in the coming years. However, in Pakistan augmented reality is a relatively new concept but major telecom and media hubs are starting to introduce it to their consumers in entertaining and user-friendly ways.
Nowadays, a number of Cloud-computing has already entered too many companies and numerous companies are opting for cloud-based solutions. This new technology trend is becoming more important each year, and will eventually become a standard for modern organizations in the coming years.
In the coming years, no industry will go untouched by modern technology trends that have the potential to revolutionize the industrial sector is phenomenal. Therefore, Pakistan needs to take steps in the right direction to fulfill its digital dream
Cloud is presenting unique opportunities for businesses to store files, leverage external resources, including hardware and software, as well as large scale opportunities based on current needs among other things.
We can see its influence on businesses to a great extent in the near future as it helps to improve business efficiency, performance, scalability, and effectiveness. Moreover, it will also help them to become more cost-efficient. Cloud computing is providing more security and reliability to businesses than other solutions, which makes it highly demanded, therefore, Cloud-based tech trends will most likely continue to affect businesses in the future as their benefits cannot be ignored.
Exciting times have stared where technology trends will affect all the industries and improve their efficiency. In the coming years, no industry will go untouched by these technologies as their potential to revolutionize the industrial sector is phenomenal. Therefore, Pakistan needs to take the steps in the right direction to fulfill its digital dream.


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The new version of the game officially licensed by MotoGP will be released on April 22 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch and PC, and will still be the work of Italian studio Milestone, founded in 1996 in Milan and specializing in mechanical sports video games, and particularly motorcycles. A first trailer has been unveiled for the occasion, which we invite you to discover above.
The announcement of the arrival of this opus comes two days after the officialization by the discipline of the renewal of the partnership with the Milanese company. This new agreement now covers the period from 2022 to 2026, thus guaranteeing it the exclusivity of the development of MotoGP games over the next five years and in particular on the ninth generation consoles (PS5, Xbox Series) which arrived on the market at the end of the year. year 2020.
But that’s not all, since this agreement will go further and find a realization on the side of the real championship. The main novelty of the agreement is that Milestone will become the title sponsor of one Grand Prix per season.
“This company has actually been a key partner for MotoGP since 2012”, can we read in the press release published on the discipline’s official website, “as it works in partnership with Koch Media – a leading producer and distributor in Europe and the United States, as well as with a number of distributors in Europe.” It should be noted that Koch Media is also the distributor of official F1 games, developed by Codemasters.
“We are honored to extend this contract for another five years with Dorna Sports”, said Luisa Bixio, CEO of Milestone. “We have a long-standing partnership. Together we have succeeded in bringing to this game all the excitement of real racing and we are giving players something to keep them entertained with this championship. With the next generations of consoles and platforms, they should have more fun. “
As for Pau Serracanta, Director General of Dorna, he is also delighted: “This new agreement is great news for both MotoGP and Milestone and I am delighted that our partnership continues for another five years. We started working together in 2012. Since then we have had incredible success with this game. video and this MotoGP eSport Championship, which has continued to grow. Seeing Milestone take on title sponsor status in an event over the next five years is also testament to this collaboration that I look forward to seeing. “
The license of MotoGP games was particularly highlighted during the confinement of the months of March-April-May 2020 since virtual races were organized on MotoGP 19 and MotoGP 20, with in particular the appearance of virtual Grand Prix in which the stars participated. discipline.


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Microsoft is developing Xbox controllers for mobile devices.
Further to Microsoft’s announcement that it was moving into the game streaming service with Project xCloud, the firm is looking to develop controllers that can be appended to mobile phones and tablets to bring "console quality" gaming to our portable devices.
A Microsoft research paper (via WindowsCentral) entitled "Demo: A Versatile Controller Concept for Mobile Gaming" – written by a UK team comprising of John Helmes, Stuart Taylor, and Steve Hodges, and Chris Lovett from Microsoft Research Redmond – details the rise of touchscreen controls and explores "traditional gaming experiences on mobile devices by incorporating tactile input controls". Then, using "anecdotal feedback" from gamers as far back as 2012, the team designed and built a prototype accessory concept.
"As smartphones and tablets have become pervasive, so has mobile gaming," the paper says. "Not surprisingly, popular games for these platforms are focused on touchscreen-based interaction. However, many types of game are less well-suited to mobile devices. Despite systems like AdaptControl which can adapt to the ‘drift’ typically occurring when using virtual on-screen controls, touchbased emulations of traditional gaming controls like Dpads, buttons & joysticks are often unsatisfactory."
"Mobile gaming devices like the Sony PlayStation Portable and Nintendo’s DS and Switch are dedicated mobile gaming platforms which overcome these limitations via physical controls," Microsoft adds. "The success of the Switch is testament to the value of mobile gaming with physical controls. A number of cheaper products allow a smartphone to be clipped into or onto a modified handheld gaming controller; these include the ION iCade mobile, the GameCase, the GameVice and products from Moga. However, the fixed form of these accessories means they are bulky and inflexible."
As you might expect, much of this remains theoretical and controllers are unlikely to appear in retailers any time soon, but it’s interesting that Microsoft is looking for solutions beyond touchscreen functionality.
To read the full document, head to the Microsoft Research website.
Project xCloud – for which closed trials are now underway – uses Xbox console components embedded into Microsoft’s Azure cloud-computing centres to deliver console games to phones, tablets, and beyond.


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For the first time Papa Primo's Pizza was showcased at the Dot Innovations 2018 Trade Show. On June 1st, Orion Food Systems premium heat and serve pizza was on display for more than 700 food distributor attendees and 300 exhibitiors.
Among the massive swarm of booths, Papa Primo's made a positive impression with potential customers looking for low-labor, high margin foodservice solutions for convenience and other QSR locations. Attendees that visited our booth were impressed by out great-tasting pizza, as well as our easy-to-execute program backed by sales, training, equipment and marketing support.
Orion Food Systems partnered with Dot Foods in 2017 to redistribute our Papa Primo's brand. Dot Foods distributes products to all 50 states and more than 25 countries. As the largest food industry redistributor in North America, Dot Foods broadens Papa Primo's customer reach and makes it easier for those customers to receive pizza deliveries on a weekly basis.


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Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), the Dubai
government authority on commodities trade and enterprise, has announced the
launch of its own Crypto Valley ecosystem in a partnership with CV VC and CV
Under the agreement, announced at Davos earlier this
month, the entities will be launching what is claimed to be the world’s largest
ecosystem for cryptographic, blockchain, and distributed ledger technologies.
The DMCC Crypto Valley, which aims to foster growth,
collaboration and integrity across the global blockchain economy, is set to offer
a wide range of services that will include incubation for early-stage startups,
co-working facilities, innovation services for corporate clients, blockchain
and entrepreneurship training, education, events, mentoring and funding. By signing
the agreement, both parties will partner and develop a comprehensive DMCC blockchain
strategy that is aligned with the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021.
The location of the partnering companies, in Zug, would
be familiar to industry watchers given the location of the already-successful
Swiss crypto valley. There are currently more than 800 crypto firms based in
Switzerland and Liechtenstein. According to a recent study, also released at
Davos, nearly 100 more new businesses were established in the Valley in 2019.
Moreover, the employment trajectory also significantly went up in the sector
from 3,300 in 2018 to 4,400 by end of 2019. However, where on one hand there is
an increase, the entire crypto industry has witnessed a slow growth rate across
the industry, as reports suggest that the number of ‘startup casualties’ is on
At the Blockchain Expo Europe event in
2018, Anthony Lauriola, COO of Block Gemini, noted the potential Dubai was
bringing to the space. “One of the main things that people are aware of is the
fact that the government in Dubai is seeking to be the first to have all of its
government-related operations on the blockchain – this is a mandate that they
seek to bring into fruition by 2020,” said Lauriola. “[The UAE] has really made
it known worldwide that they want to be the first country to be leveraging this
technology on a very major scale.”
While we may not quite be at that stage yet, expect this crypto valley launch to bring through some acceleration.
Interested in hearing leading global brands discuss subjects like this in person? Find out more at the Blockchain Expo World Series, Global, Europe and North America.
The post Dubai Multi Commodities Centre to launch ‘crypto valley’ ecosystem appeared first on The Block.
Read the original post: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre to launch ‘crypto valley’ ecosystem


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The vinyl reissue is out on October 11th.
'Craft Recordingshas announced a vinyl reissue ofCREED's"Human Clay", in celebration of the best-selling album's 20th anniversary. In stores October 11, the two-LP set is housed in a gatefold jacket and marks the first vinyl availability of the album since a limited edition pressing in 1999."Human Clay", which has sold over 20 million units worldwide, includes hits"Higher","What If","Are You Ready?"and theGrammy Award-winning single"With Arms Wide Open".' via Blabbermouth


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PMI to Address Equality & Transformation During Upcoming International Events
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) today announced its participation in several global forums focused on equality in the workplace. Members of PMI’s Senior Management Team—including Chief Diversity Officer Silke Muenster—will detail the steps PMI is taking to further diversify its workplace and explain how fostering a culture built on broader perspectives increases creativity and productivity, ultimately driving innovation and consumer-centricity.
- Sept. 30: Marian Salzman, senior vice president, global communications, will address The Hill’s “Century of the Woman,” an event bringing together remarkable women leaders and decision-makers to discuss progress toward equality and the barriers that remain today.
- Oct. 1: Silke Muenster and Marian Salzman will participate in the Financial Times LIVE “Accelerating Equality” digital conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the UN Conference on Women. Thought leaders and international experts in gender equality will convene to discuss what policymakers, businesses, and civil society can do to accelerate progress on gender diversity and equality.
- Oct. 8: Silke Muenster will join the Financial Times LIVE “Women at the Top UK” digital conference in a panel titled “How to be an inclusive leader,” discussing how to lead teams to adopt more inclusive behaviors and strategies.
- Nov. 16-20: Michael Voegele, chief technology officer, will speak at this year’s Women in Technology World Series virtual event about PMI’s business and IT transformation and the range of equal opportunities for talent in tech to accelerate progress toward a smoke-free future.
- Nov. 19: Marian Salzman will join the Financial Times LIVE “Women at the Top USA” digital conference in a panel discussing “The future of work—and why it matters for equality.” The conversation will feature implications of the pandemic and how it will transform the way we connect at work.
To find out more about Inclusion & Diversity at PMI, click here.
Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future
Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the United States. PMI ships a version of its smoke-free devices and consumables authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Altria Group, Inc. for sale in the United States under license. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.
# # #
Philip Morris International
T. +41 (0)79 843 8603
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MYAH Wins Prestigious Silmo D’Or Award23.10.2020 08:00:00 EEST | Press release
Topcon Healthcare, a leading provider of medical devices and software solutions for the global eye care community, announced today that its MYAH myopia and dry eye management device has won the 2020 Silmo D’Or Award in the Material/Equipment category. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201022005242/en/ Topcon Healthcare announced today that its MYAH myopia and dry eye management device has won the 2020 Silmo D’Or Award. (Photo: Business Wire) The Silmo D’Or Awards are presented each year to recognize creativity in optical product design, innovation and technology. This year marked the 27th annual awards ceremony, which was held virtually and live streamed online on Saturday, October 3rd. The award committee was proud to recognize forward-thinking companies who have continued to launch products and propel the industry forward despite the global pandemic. MYAH came out on top in the Material/Equipment category and
ABB: Q3 2020 Results23.10.2020 07:46:00 EEST | Press release
“Third quarter revenues in all business areas were still dampened due to the impact of COVID-19, although a strong recovery in China and ongoing cost mitigation efforts supported a strong underlying performance. On the upside, the integration of GEIS and turnaround of Installation Products in Electrification is starting to bear fruit and Motion is performing robustly. Robotics and Industrial Automation, on the other hand, are taking more time to recover,” said Björn Rosengren, CEO of ABB. “We are pushing ahead with the decentralization of the group and the ongoing review of our portfolio, while carrying out our share buyback program as planned. We look forward to presenting further details on our strategic progress at our Capital Markets Day on November 19.” KEY FIGURES CHANGE CHANGE ($ millions, unless otherwise indicated) Q3 2020 Q3 2019 US$ Comparable 9M 2020 9M 2019 US$ Comparable Orders 6,109 6,688 -9% -8% 19,509 21,702 -10% -7% Revenues 6,582 6,892 -4% -4% 18,952 20,910 -9% -7% I
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Farmscape for August 19, 2022
A court ordered delay in the enforcement of Massachusetts Question 3 secures consumer's access to pork while the Supreme Court reviews a constitutional challenge of California's Proposition 12.
Last week a United States federal court judge for the District of Massachusetts signed a court order delaying enforcement of a state law that would have banned the sale of pork in that state that comes from animals not housed according to the state's prescriptive sow housing standards.
Enforcement of Question 3, a Massachusetts ballot initiative similar to California's Proposition 12, was to have taken effect August 15th.
Michael Formica, the Assistant Vice President and General Counsel with the National Pork Producers Council, says delays in enforcement of Question 3 and Proposition 12 offer consumers a reprieve from shortages of pork and higher prices while the U.S. Supreme Court reviews Proposition 12.
Clip-Michael Formica-National Pork Producers Council:
Ultimately consumers in states where they have passed these laws are going to face significantly higher prices for food but even consumers outside of those states are going to face higher prices for food because these laws are ultimately destructive of the entire supply chain.
They require significant adjustments.
We've been going through a supply chain crisis for the last year and folks have seen runaway inflation in gas prices and food prices.
Gas prices have come down a little but food prices have not come down and, if anything, they continue to rise and that's without the supply chain and market place disruption caused by a law like Proposition 12.
Formica notes the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the National Pork Producers Council and American Farm Bureau Federation challenge to Proposition 12 on October 11th and, while the Supreme Court is under no deadline, he expects a ruling before June of next year and possibly as early as January or February.
For more visit Farmscape.Ca.
*Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers


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Virgin Mobile USA said yesterday it will conduct a review for a creative agency. Though its shop, Mother, New York, "has played a valued role in developing communications and branding strategies that convey the spirit of Virgin Mobile's wireless services," Virgin Mobile spokeswoman Jayne Wallace said, the company will "evaluate a select number of potential partners ... to build aggressively upon our momentum and success."
Incumbent Mother will not take part in the review. "Mother is proud to have contributed to the fantastic growth of the Virgin Mobile business over the last 18 months, but we will not be participating in the review," the agency said in a statement. "We wish them continued growth and success in the future.
The account is worth about $20 million to $25 million. For the first nine month of 2006, the marketer spent $12 million in measured media and $24 million in 2005, according to TNS Media Intelligence. Virgin Mobile expects a decision by the end of March. The Gilbert Co. is handling the review.
Once the easiest choice for youth who could not qualify for post-paid subscription service, Virgin Mobile, with 4.6 million subscribers, now faces competition from larger wireless carriers, such as AT&T -- formerly Cingular Wireless -- which heavily advertises its own prepaid plans.
Just last week, Sprint put the creative portion of its $1.6 billion ad account into review. Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco, is agency for Sprint business-to-business, while TBWA is agency for consumer advertising.
Other relationships in the $7 billion-plus world of wireless and telecom advertising appear to be on shaky ground this year as AT&T, Verizon and other telecoms begin an earnest battle with cable companies to offer bundled entertainment, wireless, internet and telephone service.
AT&T, which is eliminating the Cingular brand, has hinted it might evaluate agencies in the future. AT&T's agencies are Omnicom Group's GSD&M, austin, Texas, and Rodgers Townsend, St. Louis; Omnicom's BBDO Worldwide is Cingular's shop.


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- 80% of countries still allow animal testing of cosmetics
- EU ban has not jeopardized cosmetics industry development
- MEPs call for UN convention
The EU should launch a diplomatic drive for a worldwide ban on the animal testing of cosmetics before 2023, Environment Committee MEPs said on Tuesday.
Within the EU itself, the sale of all animal-tested cosmetics has been banned since 2013.
MEPs point out that this has not prevented the EU cosmetics industry from thriving and providing around two million jobs. However, around 80% of countries worldwide still allow animal testing and the marketing of cosmetics tested on animals. MEPs also note that shortcomings have appeared within the EU system, as some cosmetics are tested on animals outside the EU before being re-tested in the EU using alternative methods and placed on the EU market.
They also note that most cosmetic product ingredients are also used in many other products, such as pharmaceuticals, detergents or foods, and may therefore have been tested on animals under a different legal framework. They call on the EU to support the development of alternative testing methods.
The lack of reliable animal testing data on cosmetics imported into the EU also remains a serious issue, they say. The EU should also make sure that sure that no product placed on its market has been tested on animals in a third country, they add.
To work towards a global ban on both animal testing for cosmetics and on the trade in cosmetic ingredients tested on animals, MEPs call on EU leaders to use their diplomatic networks to build a coalition and to launch an international convention within the UN framework. The ban should be effective before 2023, they say.
They also want to make sure that the EU ban is not weakened, whether in trade negotiations or by World Trade Organisation rules.
The resolution was approved unanimously by 63 votes, with 1 abstention. It will be put to a vote at Parliament’s March plenary session in Strasbourg.
According to the Special Eurobarometer survey No 442 of March 2016, 89% of EU citizens agree that the EU should do more to promote a greater awareness of the importance of animal welfare internationally, and 90% of EU citizens agree that it is important to establish high animal welfare standards that are recognised across the world.


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Enter to Win a $100 Gift Certificate to the New H&M at The Domain!
H&M, Hennes & Mauritz, one of the world's largest retailers known for offering fashion-forward apparel and quality basics, is thrilled to announce the grand opening of their first ever store in Austin at The Domain. Opening Saturday, November 17th at noon, H&M at The Domain will provide even more shoppers in the area access to the latest trends at the best prices. H&M at The Domain is located at 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Austin, Texas 78758. The store can be reached by phone at (855) 466-7467. Store hours will be Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m and Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. For further information, visit www.hm.com.
Contest ended Thursday, November 29, 2012
This contest is over. Check out our other contests.


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LG Electronics is developing a smartphone with a screen that collapses. At the moment, a prototype device has already been created as part of the initiative B project. According to a Korean news site The elec, the novelty uses a screen developed by a Chinese company Boe.
Note that last year a prototype of such a display was shown to the world. It was a 12.3-inch OLED screen that could be minimized and expanded if necessary. Note that such a screen is considered more reliable folding due to the lower load on the structure.
The finished smartphone is planned to be shown in the first half of 2022. Its specifications have not yet been announced, however, the patent for a similar device LG registered in 2018. It is assumed that at first about two thousand devices will be produced, after which a decision will be made on mass production.


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Showing 11 results for 'Advertising'
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Advertising agencies are turning to Instagram more frequently than Twitter for social media ad campaigns, according to a new survey.
When it comes to defending the rights of women, and empowering them in society, a large part of the struggle is over the image portrayed in the
Private firearms transactions coordinated on Facebook or its Instagram photo-sharing service should become a thing of the past under new measures
Coca Cola has hastily backtracked after managing to offend both Russia and Ukraine with a social media post. An inital New Year’s message on the
Founded in 1987, EPICA is the only creative ad prize awarded by journalists working for marketing and communications magazines around the world
The boss of the world’s biggest advertising agency WPP Sir Martin Sorrell has fought off another shareholders’ revolt at the company AGM to pocket a
Passengers at a bus stop in London recently got more than they had bargained for when they were plunged into a world of science fiction thanks to
The traditional 30-second TV ad, for so long the king of formats in the advertising industry, faces increasing competition from different, more
YouTube has announced its plans for an ad-free, subscription-based service. The company confirmed the move in an email sent out to YouTube


text: Rome, May 30 - Electronic cigarettes should be banned in public places, just as their low-tech cousins have been, consumer group Codacons said Thursday. In a formal request to the ministry of health and to the department of economic development, the group said the content of electronic cigarettes should also be carefully analyzed. Scientists still haven't ascertained how harmful, if at all, these devices are, said the consumer group. And until it's clear what harmful substances might be contained and diffused by e-cigarettes, they should be banned in public just as conventional cigarette smoking is current banned, it said. "The manufacturers and distributors sponsor their product as safe and not harmful," but until the science is more clear on their effects, the devices should be carefully controlled. E-cigarettes usually contain an atomizer that passes vapour into the user's mouth. Some deliver nicotine and proponents say because nothing is burned, as in a conventional cigarette, there are no toxins released.


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Good news if your restaurant has been slow to adopt the latest social media marketing strategies. Although your customers may use Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare to communicate with their friends, that’s not necessarily how they want to engage with businesses like yours. In fact, better results are likely if you send offers by email instead.
That’s the upshot of marketing company ExactTarget’s 2012 Channel Preference Survey. The study quizzed 1,481 respondents


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Smoking e-cigarettes has greatly spiked in popularity in the past few years and it is negatively impacting the youth in United States of America. One of the most popular companies taking advantage of this is JUUL. JUUL has deceived smokers into believing that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to quitting and also has deceived non-smokers, especially teenagers into believing that e-cigarettes are safe to use. The same time that users of this product are believing this information, they are also not being properly warned about the true dangers of nicotine addiction and related diseases. They must be held accountable.
Just recently Altria Group, Inc., one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes and related products and its Subsidiary, Phillip Morris, recently acquired a 35 percent ownership ($12.8 billion) in JUUL which values the company at $38 billion dollars. Juul represents 75 percent of the e-cigarette market. This all-cash deal drew a lot of criticism for JUUL, because it originally positioned itself as an enemy of Big Tobacco. Juul was originally part of a parent company, PAX, but split from them in 2017. Part of this deal with Altria and Phillip Morris allows JUUL to gain top-shelf space so the e-cigarette pods can be displayed alongside Marlboro cigarettes.
Recently a class-action lawsuit on behalf of a 15 year old teen addicted to Juul e-cigarettes has been filed in Florida. The suit identified seven causes on why JUUL harmed its consumers:
- RICO VIOLATION The suit alleges JUUL and co-defendants had “goals to deceive consumers by claiming they did not market to children while engaging in marketing and advertising with the intent of addicting children into becoming lifetime nicotine users.”
- FRAUD The suit alleges JUUL fraudulently and deceptively sold or partnered to sell JUUL products as less addictive nicotine products than cigarettes when “defendants knew it to be untrue. “
- FAILURE TO WARN The lawsuit accuses JUUL of “intentionally downplayed, misrepresented, concealed and failed to warn of the heightened risks of nicotine exposure and addiction.”
- DESIGN DEFECT The suit calls JUUL products “inherently defective.” It claims they deliver more nicotine than the company lets people know about.
- NEGLIGENCE The suit accuses the company of failing to ensure that its marketing does not target children and that their products are not designed in a way to attract minors.
- UNJUST ENRICHMENT The suit alleges the defendants were “enriched at expense of plaintiffs.”
- VIOLATION OF FLORIDA’S DECEPTIVE AND UNFAIR PRACTICES ACT The suit accuses defendants of “having knowingly developed, sold, and promote a product that contained nicotine levels in excess of cigarettes with the intention of creating and fostering long-term addiction to JUUL products for minors to continue that addiction into adulthood.”
The liquid inside JUUL cartridges contains glycerol, propylene glycol, flavoring, benzoic acid, and 40 milligrams of nicotine. Medical professionals are very concerned because JUUL delivers higher concentrations of nicotine than other vaping devices. According to recent studies, The liquid being 5% nicotine by volume, which is more than twice the concentration of nicotine in similar devices like the Blu vape cartridge (2.4% nicotine), greatly increases the risk of addiction. Some studies show that nicotine is about as addictive as cocaine and even more addictive than alcohol and anti-anxiety drugs.
Not only is the nicotine highly addictive, but it is toxic to fetuses, and impairs brain and lung development in youth. It also interacts with any cancer cells potentially present in the body making cancer worse. Nicotine stimulates the nervous system and cardiovascular system, leading to heart disease. Youth using nicotine have more asthma as well. There is also recent evidence linking vaping with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease and other permanent damage. Unlike other companies, JUUL uses nicotine salts that more closely resemble nicotine found in tobacco leaves. This allows nicotine more readily absorbed into the bloodstream and vapor less harsh so that it is easier to inhale more nicotine for longer periods. The pods that are used with the device contain a greater amount of benzoic acid, which causes coughs, sore throats, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting when exposure is constant.
The FDA started notifying the public in April 2019 that some people, “especially youth and young adults” are reporting seizures following vape device use. Seizures or convulsions are known potential side effects of nicotine poisoning and have been reported in medical journals, but in association with the accidental swallowing of nicotine vape liquids, such as when toddlers get hold of a vape pod.
According to the FDA, the 35 reports it has received of vape device-related seizures have occurred after vaping. The agency says that’s enough to warrant, noting that the reports may not represent all the cases that occur.
An estimated 4.8 million teenagers used e-cigarettes last year, and a lot of this is due to advertising that targets our youth which contributes to the popularity of vaping in young people. The National Institute on Drug Abuse also reported that in 2018 17.6 percent of 8th graders, 32.3 percent of 10th graders, and 37.3 percent of 12th graders reported vaping in the past year. Some teens are also ignorant about what is in an e-cigarette with 25.7 percent of 12th graders saying that they think they are just vaping flavoring, according to the NIDA.
JUUL devices are available in a variety of colors and can be covered in custom skins that feature school colors, mascots, artwork, and even cartoons and logos. JUUL and other vaping companies sell the pods in a variety of fruit, candy, and other sweet flavors that appeal to young kids and teens. JUUL exploited social media marketing such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and target their ads towards teens. They also paid social media influencers, who had large youth followers, to promote the JUUL prodcut. Even as JUUL advertising has slightly changed, there has not been adults in the advertising.


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UK functional food brand Barebells has added to its range of protein-enriched snack bars with Double Bite, ‘a bar of two halves’.
Double Bite comes in two varieties: Caramel Crisp and Chocolate Crisp. Both flavours contain 16g of protein and no added sugar or palm oil.
Caramel Crisp features a caramel centre, surrounded by puffed soy crisps and wrapped in a layer of milk chocolate. Meanwhile, Chocolate Crisp contains a cocoa core, but is also covered in milk chocolate.
Each Double Bite packet contains two smaller individual bars. The snack joins Barebells’ range of protein bars such as Caramel Cashew and Crunchy Fudge, as well as two vegan options that it launched last year.
Matt Hollier, managing director of Vitamin Well UK & Ireland – the owner of Barebells – said: “Double Bite is the start of a whole new category for Barebells; where consumers no longer have to choose between a confectionary treat and a protein bar.
“Double Bite still delivers the high protein content that our active community enjoys but in a convenient two-part pack, allowing consumers the option of a lighter snack, to share a bar, or to split their treat before and after their workout.”
The new snack will be available to purchase online and from Morrison’s stores nationwide for £2.49.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2021
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Windows 10 is far and away the fastest growing version of the OS in the company’s history. It recently hit an installation base of a staggering 700 million devices after about three years on the market.
Note that these installation figures include installs not just on PCs, but also on Surface Hubs, Xbox, HoloLenses and smartphones.
Unfortunately, as impressive as that number is, it falls well short of Microsoft’s original estimate of a billion installs in three years.
The smaller than expected number of smartphone installations is the key reason behind the shortfall. Initially, the company had envisioned these devices adding several hundred million installations to the total count. However, when Microsoft switched gears and decided to abandon the smartphone market, it was inevitable that they would fall well short of their original target.
It matters because part of Microsoft’s pitch to developers was the massive (projected) size of the Windows 10 market. Now that the official numbers are in, and the final count is some 30 percent lower than anticipated, part of that appeal is understandably gone.
Even so, a market made up of 700 million devices is certainly nothing to sneeze at and developers are heavily invested in the platform, so it would make little sense for them to abandon it now. Not to mention the fact that the number of installations is expected to continue to grow at a healthy clip for the foreseeable future.
Inside the Windows ecosystem, 43 percent of Windows PCs are currently running Windows 10, with another 45 percent still running Windows 7. Given that support has officially ended for Windows 7, it’s all but guaranteed that Windows 10 will ultimately reach one billion installations. It will probably reach a bit more than that as users continue to slowly migrate away from Windows 7.
At the end of the day then, although Microsoft’s time frame was a bit too aggressive, it looks like they’re going to hit the magic number.


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Online electricals retailer AO is opening its third distribution warehouse in four months at G-Park in Stoke-on-Trent as part a move to create a strong logistics hub in the North West.
This latest addition to AO’s warehouse portfolio adds 275,000sq ft of distribution space and will create around 120 jobs.
The G-Park site, which opens this week, will be used primarily for distribution to AO’s 18 ‘local hub’ depots nationwide. AO also plans to include a delivery depot at the location.
This latest facility brings the number of AO warehouses to five. Since this year, AO has acquired over half a million sq ft of new warehousing space across Cheshire and Staffordshire as it expands its capacity to manage growing customer demand driven largely by the rise in online shopping during the pandemic.
AO is also planning to recruit a total of 650 new staff across its business in response to the rapid growth in demand.
- New Gravesend AO depot will create jobs for delivery drivers
- AO on hunt for 250 logistics staff as surge in online demand continues
- AO opens third Crewe warehouse as online demand grows
David Ashwell, MD of AO Logistics, said: “Expanding our logistics network is a crucial step in our growth strategy, so we can continue to serve customers when they need us the most.
“We’ve really had to act quickly to adapt to an influx in customers following the Covid-19 lockdown. By actively securing more warehousing space and creating hundreds of new, quality jobs in the process, we’re working hard to invest in the future.”
“As a business, we’re proud to provide both an essential service for customers and a safe working environment for our people, with social distancing in place.
“Our team have continued to adapt to necessary changes and they are taking the swift expansion in their stride. With our latest distribution sites in Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford, we’ve now established a strong logistics hub in the North West.”
AO.com acquired two-person delivery company Expert Logistics in 2009, and now offers seven-day-a-week, next day delivery of its range of 12,000 products, to all UK postcodes.