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Dairy processor Saputo Inc.'s $378-million bid for Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Company Holdings Ltd. of Australia may not be the last word.
Montreal-based Saputo said late Monday it is offering about $7 (Australian)-per-share in an all-cash deal for all of the outstanding shares in Warrnambool, one of Australia's biggest milk-and-cheese processors.
Saputo says Warrnambool's board has unanimously recommended that shareholders accept the proposed transaction.
But analyst Mark Petrie of CIBC World Markets said in a research note Tuesday that Saputo's offer could be bested by a richer proposal.
Mr. Petrie points out that Saputo's bid is higher than a cash-and-share proposal put forward by Australia's Bega Cheese Ltd. on Sept. 12, but that Bega could well return with a counter-offer.
"While the board has recommended shareholders accept the bid, we do not believe it is likely to go through as is due to Bega's continued interest and 18 per cent equity stake. Warrnambool's shares have already traded through [Saputo's] offer price, implying another bid is expected," he said.
Also holding a significant stake in Warrnambool is Australia's Murray Goulburn Co-operative, with more than 17 per cent of the shares, Desjardins Securities analyst Keith Howlett said in a note Tuesday.
Mr. Howlett says that – if Saputo is successful with its current bid – the acquisition would be seven to nine cents (Canadian) accretive to earnings-per-share in the first full year.
"The proposed takeover of Warrnambool of Australia would represent the opening gambit into the low-cost Oceania dairy shield (milk-producing region), which is geographically well-situated to serve Asian markets where the consumption of dairy products is growing," he said.
Saputo is Canada's largest dairy processor and the second biggest in North America. It is also present in Europe and Argentina.
Growth-by-acquisition has been a key part of its corporate strategy.


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Some of the most successful and lucrative online scams employ a “low-and-slow” approach — avoiding detection or interference from researchers and law enforcement agencies by stealing small bits of cash from many people over an extended period. Here’s the story of a cybercrime group that compromises up to 100,000 email inboxes per day, and apparently does little else with this access except siphon gift card and customer loyalty program data that can be resold online.
Over the past 15 years, a cybercrime anonymity service known as VIP72 has enabled countless fraudsters to mask their true location online by routing their traffic through millions of malware-infected systems. But roughly two week ago, VIP72’s online storefront — which sold access to more than 30,000 compromised PCs — simply vanished.
In 2018, Andrew Schober was digitally mugged for approximately $1 million worth of bitcoin. After several years of working with investigators, Schober says he’s confident he has located two young men in the United Kingdom responsible for developing a clever piece of digital clipboard-stealing malware that let them siphon his crypto holdings. Schober is now suing each of their parents in a civil case that seeks to extract what their children would not return voluntarily.
Two new dark web services are marketing to cybercriminals who are curious to see how their various cryptocurrency holdings and transactions may be linked to known criminal activity. Dubbed “Antinalysis” and “AMLBot,” the services purport to offer a glimpse into how one’s payment activity might be flagged by law enforcement agencies and private companies that try to link suspicious cryptocurrency transactions to real people.
I was preparing to knock off work on a recent Friday evening when a curious and annoying email came in via the contact form on this site:
“Hello I go by the username Nuclear27 on your site Briansclub[.]com,” wrote “Mitch,” confusing me with the proprietor of perhaps the underground’s largest bazaar for stolen credit and identity data. “I made a deposit to my wallet on the site but nothing has shown up yet and I would like to know why.”
Several things stood out in Mitch’s message. For starters, that is not the actual domain for BriansClub. And it’s not hard to see why Mitch got snookered: The real BriansClub site is currently not at the top of search results when one queries that shop name at Google.
Every time there is another data breach, we are asked to change our password at the breached entity. But the reality is that in most cases by the time the victim organization discloses an incident publicly the information has already been harvested many times over by profit-seeking cybercriminals. Here’s a closer look at what typically transpires in the weeks or months before an organization notifies its users about a breached database.
Our continued reliance on passwords for authentication has contributed to one toxic data spill or hack after another. One might even say passwords are the fossil fuels powering most IT modernization: They’re ubiquitous because they are cheap and easy to use, but that means they also come with significant trade-offs — such as polluting the Internet with weaponized data when they’re leaked or stolen en masse.
One of the oldest scams around — the fake job interview that seeks only to harvest your personal and financial data — is on the rise, the FBI warns. Here’s the story of a recent LinkedIn impersonation scam that led to more than 100 people getting duped, and one almost-victim who decided the job offer was too-good-to-be-true.
Many online services allow users to reset their passwords by clicking a link sent via SMS, and this unfortunately widespread practice has turned mobile phone numbers into de facto identity documents. Which means losing control over one thanks to a divorce, job termination or financial crisis can be devastating.
Even so, plenty of people willingly abandon a mobile number without considering the potential fallout to their digital identities when those digits invariably get reassigned to someone else. New research shows how fraudsters can abuse wireless provider websites to identify available, recycled mobile numbers that allow password resets at a range of email providers and financial services online.
Phishers targeting Microsoft Office 365 users increasingly are turning to specialized links that take users to their organization’s own email login page. After a user logs in, the link prompts them to install a malicious but innocuously-named app that gives the attacker persistent, password-free access to any of the user’s emails and files, both of which are then plundered to launch malware and phishing scams against others.
Cyber cops in Ukraine carried out an arrest and several raids last week in connection with the author of a U-Admin, a software package used to administer what’s being called “one of the world’s largest phishing services.” The operation was carried out in coordination with the FBI and authorities in Australia, which was particularly hard hit by phishing scams perpetrated by U-Admin customers.

domain: news


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NARO-NaCORI participated in the 6th Harvest Money Expo which took place at the Kololo independence grounds. This expo attracts thousands of people to different organizations from the local and international agricultural sectors to learn new technologies showcased, benchmark, and buy commodities from exhibitors. It’s also an opportunity for policymakers to engage with other stakeholders involved in the sector.
Farmers continue to face many challenges relating to poor yields, pests and diseases in coffee and cocoa which have continuously left them with devastating incomes hence high-level poverty and hunger.
Coffee, being one of the country’s leading cash crops attracts a number of farmers seeking information on high-yielding varieties, management of the deadly black coffee twig borer which has currently led to a drop in Robusta production which accounts for more than 60% of Uganda’s overall coffee output.
At the exhibition, farmers are engaged in best coffee management practices, how to use the BCTB trap, and good post-harvest handling practices like value addition research.
All these interventions are aimed at increasing crop yield which results leading to more money and hence product acceleration and economic development.


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It's not easy sailing ahead for First Solar.
These companies might not be your favorite, but that doesn't mean they aren't great payers.
Dividends may be the best reason to own the stock today.
A surprisingly big profit has investors betting on a turnaround for this solar manufacturer.
If solar roof 3.0 doesn't perform and sell well, there's little hope for Tesla's solar business.
Cost-cutting doesn't give investors much confidence in a turnaround.
The casino resort company is selling more assets in an effort to bolster its balance sheet.
"Ghostbusters" could be its entry point into the AR market.
You know these companies well, but the market doesn't value them very highly at all.
Oil tankers are still hot.
Earnings were better than expected, but that doesn't say a lot.
This manufacturer of power optimizers and inverters isn't a household name, but it has smartly positioned itself at the center of the residential solar system business.
It lays the groundwork for the next generation of franchise growth.
U.S. solar manufacturing got a big boost today.
The business is growing nationwide, and these are the companies built to dominate the market.
In a booming solar industry, these are the companies built to last.
The action-camera maker's stock has plunged since new products were announced, but Wall Street may be missing that the company has learned lessons from past failures.
It's a battle of growth and consistency between these two financial services companies.
Tanker stocks are hot, but will the rise last?
Will this industry's hot streak last?


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Self-Service Solutions Leader Netkey Names Jim Perakis Chairman
BRANFORD, Conn. – Jan. 28, 2002 – Netkey, Inc., the leading provider of enterprise software for Web kiosks and self-service systems, today announced that James A. Perakis, former chairman and CEO of Hyperion Software (now Hyperion Solutions Corp., NASDAQ: HYSL), has been named chairman of the board of directors of Netkey. Perakis has served on the Netkey board since October 2001.
Perakis joined Hyperion as chief executive officer in 1985, overseeing that software company's growth from approximately $1 million in revenue to $295 million in 1998. As chairman and CEO, Perakis managed Hyperion through a successful public offering and seven years of profitable growth as a public company. Perakis is a member of the board of the Connecticut Technology Council, where he is active in promoting technology-based industries in the state of Connecticut.
“As a Netkey board member, Jim has quickly made an impact by sharing his advice and experience in the areas of sales, marketing and product direction,” said Alex Richardson, chief executive officer of Netkey. “We’re pleased that he has agreed to take a more active role in the growth and development of Netkey.”
"I'm excited to be working more closely with Netkey's management team," Perakis said. "Netkey is facing a huge market opportunity. As the leader in self-service customer solutions, the company is well positioned to build on its innovative software technology, strong brand, and track record with a large number of blue chip customers. Self service solutions will be a key part of customer interfaces for innovative companies as they develop new strategies for interacting with their customers."
Netkey provides a comprehensive suite of software and services that help business increase revenues and improve customer relationships through self-service channels. The Netkey solution is used by hundreds of leading companies worldwide to transact with and service customers through kiosks and other customer-facing technologies.
About Netkey, Inc.
Netkey is the premier provider of self-service solutions for customer-focused businesses. Netkey's customers include J.C. Penney, Microsoft, Fleet, E*Trade, Borders, Fidelity Investments and Ford. The company holds three U.S. patents for its self-service technology. For more information on Netkey, please contact us at 1-800-443-7924, via e-mail at [email protected], or visit us on the Web at www.netkey.com.
(203) 483-2888 x. 150


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Jake's by The Food Truck goes live in Dubai
Burgers on the first menu, with other cuisines and trucks set to launch soon
Jake’s by The Food Truck has launched in the UAE this month, with burgers on offer, including a bagel burger.
Jake’s menu has been designed by The Food Truck executive chef Nicholas Cuomo. “The menu will be differentiated and delicious," said Cuomo.
“The Food Truck concept allows us to pair our commitment to innovation and quality with a dynamic setting that provides us with an opportunity to share our creativity, craft and passion for food with the local community.”
Jake’s is an eight-metre self-sufficient food truck, which will be located in different locations starting at the outskirts of Jumeirah beaches moving to other areas. Jake’s will also be available at events, private parties, populated nightspots, and any other requested locations.
The mother company, The Food Truck, plans to branch out into a number of different food truck cuisines, including Mexican, Italian. and more.


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Kenya has identified 19 flagship projects for implementation under a dream digital transformation programme aimed at spurring local manufacturing and growth of small and medium entreprises.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru said the newly launched National Digital Master Plan will guide the country on ICT deployments and investments in a bid to boost economy through technology. Key in the plan is proposed deployment of 100,000km of fibre optic infrastructure in 40,000 schools and other learning institutions, 20,000 government institutions and 13,000 health facilities.
Plans are also underway to set up 25,000 hotspots to support the youth and innovators and the establishment of 1,450 wards digital innovation hubs. The IT plan also seeks to accelerate digitisation of at least five billion government records at the county and national levels. To accelerate the growth of e-commerce initiatives, it proposes the implementation of the National Physical Addressing System and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure to promote the growth of e-commerce and private enterprise.
Among other major plans, the ministry will come up with two software firms and two factories to service Kenya and neighbouring countries. This will see at least 10,000 software engineers hired in a move to spur manufacturing and growth of SMEs.
To position the country as a regional ICT hub, the master plan proposes the establishment of a regional ICT Smart hub and a reSgional submarine cables maintenance depot. It also proposes an electronic waste management programme to give a strategic focus on e-waste production, handling, disposal and challenges.
It has also proposed the implementation of data protection laws to promote cloud services and data management. The government also plans to promote digital literacy capacity building for at least 20 million citizens and 200,000 public servants.
To promote local innovators, entrepreneurs and businesses, the master plan proposes harmonisation of legislation to enable the growth of ICT businesses, in addition to hosting an annual international ICT Expo for entrepreneurs to showcase products.
Mr Mucheru said all these plans were developed after consultations with stakeholders in the public and private sectors from the region and across the country.
ICT Principal Secretary Jerome Ochieng said the ICT sector is important in promoting the socioeconomic status of the country.
Communications Authority of Kenya Director General Ezra Chiloba termed it important for the government to ensure accessibility, availability and affordability of technology for the plans to be achieved.


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Join gaming leaders, alongside GamesBeat and Facebook Gaming, for their 2nd Annual GamesBeat & Facebook Gaming Summit | GamesBeat: Into the Metaverse 2 this upcoming January 25-27, 2022. Learn more about the event.
(Reuters) – Ride-hailing giant Uber lost at least $1.27 billion before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in the first six months of 2016, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The subsidies Uber grants its drivers was the main reason for the loss, finance head Gautam Gupta told investors in a quarterly conference call, Bloomberg said, citing sources.
Uber, whose investors include Goldman Sachs and Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The company lost about $520 million in the first quarter of the year and another $750 million in the second quarter, Bloomberg said.
Uber, which is now valued at roughly $69 billion, lost at least $2 billion in 2015, the report said.
The company’s net revenue increased to about $1.1 billion in the second quarter from $960 million in the first quarter, while bookings rose to more than $5 billion from more than $3.8 billion in the prior quarter, Bloomberg said.
(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D’Souza)
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Canalys: Smartphone sales in India grow 12% in 2021
The smartphone market faced its fair share of challanges in 2021, but the total sales in India went up a healthy 12% compared to the also disrupted 2020. The start of the year was tough for makers, but not nearly as tough as the previous year and then another strong comeback in the second half of the year saw 162 million devices pushed.
Realme was the biggest gainer, posting a 25% growth in sales and rising to third place, with Tecno and Infinix also growing significantly. Those last two significantly boosted the performance of the "Others" category as they didn't make the top 5 at this point.
Xiaomi remained on top, but shipped 22% fewer phones than in 2021, while Samsung also lost some ground, but retained second place and even closed in on the first position. vivo and Oppo also experienced declines and lost a position each.
When looking at the numbers for the full year Xiaomi is leading comfortably from Samsung, while vivo just retains the third spot ahead of Realme. However Realme is once again the biggest gainer, so it looks set to rank much higher come the end of 2022.
Growth is expected to continue in 2022 as customers are replacing their old devices and more people are finally moving from feature phones to smartphones. We should also see the 5G rollout finally happen in India, which will drive manufacturers to push even cheaper devices with next-gen connectivity. However, until the bottleneck in component shortage clears out shipments will be disrupted.
- 25 Jan 2022
Xiaomi has lost the plot in India. Mediocre products and tendency to only sell online is hurting them. Top leadership is simply stubborn to accept market scenarios post covid.
- 25 Jan 2022
Realme is in a lovely spot, if Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus puts out pricey handsets, they still have Realme to rein in those customers. BBK still wins.
- 24 Jan 2022
LG Mobile was shut down. There was nothing but patents someone could acquire. Employees were moved to work on other LG products. Factories were same where other LG stuff is made. It was not an apart division with own structure like Sony g...


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The undisputed market leader says it has embraced the technology because it's becoming the standard for audio storage -- especially with 18- to 25-year-olds -- and to enhance its reputation as a technology leader in the Australian car market.
MP3 compatibility is now standard on Toyota Echo, Celica, MR2, Corolla, RAV4, LandCruiser Wagon, Prado, Tarago and Avensis Verso. It is optional on Camry and Avalon and available on Kluger.
However, at the risk of nit-picking, MP3 compatibility has been available on cars here for some time. Because the format is so popular in Korea, Hyundai started progressively introducing the technology into its Australian range in September, last year.
Toyota divisional general manager, marketing, Scott Grant, says the car-maker and distributor sees MP3 compatibility as a key selling point with the younger market.
But he also believed it would spread to older buyers through their children.
"Increasingly, older generations are learning about new technology from their children. So, while MP3 may not appeal initially to the driver, it will appeal to their younger passengers," he said.
Advantages of MP3 compatible car audio systems over conventional CD players include the fact that the compressed MP3 files allow 10 times more music to be stored on a single CD.
It allows the user to download the latest music from artist-approved pay sites in Australia and overseas, sometimes before the music is officially released on radio or CD.
It allows people to personalise their music collection. MP3 technology offers the ability to tag musical tracks and sort them according to artist or musical genre. The files are arranged on a PC-style menu for easy locating.


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Personal spending rose 0.5% in August, while personal income rose 0.3%, according to the latest personal income and outlays report from the BEA.
Expectations were for personal income to rise 0.3% and personal spending to rise 0.4% month-over-month.
"Core" PCE, which excludes the cost of food and energy and is the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation, rose 0.1% month-over-month, better than expectations for "core" PCE to be flat.
On a year-over-year basis, "core" PCE rose 1.5%.
The report showed that private wages and salaries rose by $30.4 billion in August, more than the $17.4 billion increase in private wages and salaries in July, while supplements to wages and salaries rose $4.7 billion August against a $3.8 billion increase in July.
In a note to clients following Monday's report, Ian Shepherdson at Pantheon Macro said, "In one line: Autos drive August spending up, but Q3 will look pedestrian... Assuming no revisions, that implies Q3 consumption will rise by only 1.6% annualized, down from 2.5% in Q2."
Last month, personal spending unexpectedly declined 0.1%.


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When it comes to smartphones, most devices have a shelf life of around two years. That's from launch date to the time you usually stop seeing them being sold through whatever outlets you were able to purchase them. Whenever that shelf life ends, those devices get discontinued and they leave the official channels through which they're sold. It might come as a little bit of a surprise then that Sony has already seemingly discontinued the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact device which only officially went on sale in the U.S. towards the end of last year, which is really no more than about eight months ago.
For interested consumers who were wanting to get their hands on one of these devices through official U.S. channels, if you pop on over to the Sony Store US and proceed to search for and click on the Xperia Z3 Compact, it has disappeared from the main set of products. It now sits under the store's "discontinued products/discontinued mobile phones" category. The downside for this is that those who like to purchase devices from the official OEM website, no longer have that capability. There is of course the option of grabbing the Xperia Z3 Compact from other online avenues like Amazon or eBay, but there likely won't be a full spread of options in every color like through the official US Sony store, and chances are you'll be getting the factory unlocked international models.
Why Sony may have decided to discontinue a device which isn't that old, especially when they're still selling models of the original Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is strange. Since the device is listed in the discontinued section and not merely as an "out of stock" product, there is also no likely possibility that Sony has plans to reintroduce the phone at any point, but nothing is impossible. Whatever Sony's reasons are for pulling the device, You can still get a hold of it elsewhere, for now at least, and who's to say that Sony doesn't have plans to put something else out in its place, like a compact version of the Xperia Z3+ perhaps. You could also opt for a different model phone entirely, like the regular version of the Xperia Z3 which isn't that much bigger and won't cost that much more.


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Trader thinks Tiffany is losing luster
Chris McKhann | firstname.lastname@example.org
Tiffany has been rebounding strongly in recent days, but one trader apparently believes that further upside is limited.
More than 10,000 May 65 calls have traded so far today, led by a big print of 7,386 that was sold for $2.90, according to optionMONSTER systems. The volume was well above the strike's open interest of 2,747 at the beginning of the day, so this is clearly a new position.
This call selling appears to be a straightforward bet that TIF will close below the $65 strike price at expiration in mid-May. It is quite likely that the options were sold against long shares as a covered call strategy.
TIF is up 1.05 percent to $61.74 today. The jewelry icon bounced sharply off support at $56 last week and this morning closed the gap that was opened in late November after its earnings report.
Tiffany call spread is bullish on earnings
May 19, 2016
The jewelry icon is down 9 percent in the last month, but a large trade is apparently betting that it will report positive quarterly results next week.
More bearish positions targeting Tiffany
May 16, 2016
The jewelry icon is scheduled to announce its next quarterly numbers on May 25, and traders are buying puts for the second time in less than a week.
Tiffany draws bearish play on earnings
May 11, 2016
The jewelry icon, which reported bearish results in March, is scheduled to announce its next quarterly numbers before the market opens on May 25.
Call buyers looking for Tiffany to shine
May 3, 2016
The jewelry icon reports earnings in about three weeks, and traders are looking for a rally in the next three months.


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I wonder how many times Steve Ballmer laughed about the iPhone after pooping all over it in this 2007 interview. My guess: Not many. Don't worry Steve, here's the rest of the top 5 assclowns who dug their own grave:
This past year, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs began to focus on priorities other than tech. Who will fill their winged sandals and become the new Gadget Gods?
Looks like the rest of this year's Palm products will be forced to stick to Garnet OS and Windows Mobile, because Palm OS II won't be available until 2008. Despite its May announcement promising Palms running the new OS late this year, a comment by CEO Ed Colligan officially pushed the release date into next year.…


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Press release distribution is still important today. In fact, the world of SEO has undergone significant transformations, especially in how press releases are utilized. In the past, press releases were heavily used to inject keyword-rich links, aiming to enhance a site’s SEO performance. However, as search engines, particularly Google, have evolved, the emphasis has shifted from sheer keyword volume to the quality and relevance of content.
Google’s algorithm updates over the years, highlighted by insights from figures like Matt Cutts, have made it clear that links from press releases are not valued for PageRank as they once were. Instead, the focus is on the natural, editorial content that might result from a press release – a journalist picking up the story and creating an organic link. This shift underscores a broader trend in SEO: the pivot towards content that genuinely serves user intent and offers value.
The Continuing Importance of Press Releases
Despite these changes, press releases remain a potent tool for improving brand visibility and credibility. Their effectiveness now lies not in direct SEO benefits through backlinks but through enhancing a brand’s Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T). These elements are vital in Google’s quality evaluation of websites and content. Well-crafted press releases that gain media attention can significantly contribute to a brand’s perceived authority and trust, influencing its overall online performance.
The Indirect SEO Benefits of Effective Press Releases
While press releases don’t directly influence SEO in the way they once did, their indirect benefits cannot be understated. By increasing brand visibility, credibility, and potentially leading to high-quality journalistic content, press releases can contribute significantly to a brand’s digital presence.
This indirect impact can manifest in various ways: improved user perception, increased traffic from heightened brand awareness, and potentially gaining high-value backlinks from credible news sources that cover the story. These elements collectively contribute to a website’s SEO health.
Crafting Press Releases That Attract Media Attention
Writing a press release that captures media interest is an art in itself. It involves creating content that is not only newsworthy but also engaging and relevant to the target audience. It’s crucial to understand the needs and interests of both the media and their audience. Press releases should be concise, clearly formatted, and contain all necessary information following journalistic standards. Inclusion of engaging elements like impactful quotes, relevant statistics, and images can greatly enhance the appeal and shareability of the press release.
Best Practices in Press Releases
Clarity in Storytelling
In journalism, addressing the core questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how at the beginning of a story is a standard practice. This technique, known as the inverted pyramid style, ensures that the most critical information is presented upfront. Adopting this style in your press release ensures that the primary message is immediately clear to the reader.
Length and Language Precision
Maintaining a press release length between 300 and 500 words is advisable. This length is sufficient to convey the necessary details without overwhelming the reader. Furthermore, attention to spelling and grammar is non-negotiable. Errors in these areas can quickly diminish the credibility of the press release.
Stick to the Associated Press (AP) Style
Following the AP style adds professionalism and consistency to your press release. This includes structuring the press release correctly, using concise headlines and subheadlines, incorporating a dateline, and clearly stating any calls to action. Organizing the content with headers and bullet points can enhance readability, particularly for longer releases.
Create an Engaging Narrative
Transforming a press release into an engaging narrative can significantly increase its appeal. Including elements such as relevant statistics, quotes from key stakeholders, and high-quality images can enrich the content. These additions not only make the press release more interesting but also provide journalists with ready-to-use material when they cover your story.
Adhering to SEO Best Practices in Press Releases
When incorporating SEO strategies into press releases, the focus should be on creating high-quality, unique content. Keyword research remains vital, ensuring that the press release resonates with the intended audience and aligns with what they are searching for. However, it’s crucial to integrate these keywords naturally, avoiding any hint of manipulation or over-optimization.
In terms of linking, the approach has to be conservative and transparent. Using straightforward, non-promotional links, typically to a homepage, is advisable. The use of “nofollow” or “sponsored” tags on links is crucial to signal to search engines that these links are not intended for manipulating PageRank.
It’s also critical to note the role of press release distribution services. Choosing a reputable service that adheres to these best practices is essential. The focus should be on broadening reach and visibility, not on dubious SEO benefits.
Press Release SEO Strategies
Incorporating Relevant Keywords
When crafting a press release, integrating keywords relevant to the topic is essential. The selection of keywords should be based on thorough research to ensure they align with what your target audience is searching for. Position these keywords strategically within the press release, especially in the headline and the initial paragraphs. This approach aids in enhancing the content’s visibility on search engines, thus increasing the chances of it being discovered by your intended audience.
Emphasizing Unique Content
Uniqueness in content is crucial. A press release that stands out in terms of originality has a higher probability of being transformed into a news article. Such transformation potentially leads to the acquisition of high-quality backlinks. The focus should be on presenting something new and engaging rather than simply advertising the company or its products.
Link Usage Limitation
The emphasis in press releases should be on minimalistic use of links. Generally, a single link suffices, usually directing readers to the homepage or a relevant page on the company website. When links are necessary, they should feature the company name or the domain as the anchor text. This practice aligns with the natural linking ethos Google promotes.
Applying ‘Nofollow’ to Links
Ensure that any links included in the press release have a “nofollow” attribute or an equivalent. This action is a clear signal to search engines that these links are not intended to manipulate PageRank or artificially boost search engine rankings. It’s a practice in transparency and adheres to Google’s guidelines, mitigating the risk of penalties.
Distribution and Sharing Strategy
Once the press release is ready and distributed via a reputable service, sharing it across your social media platforms can enhance its reach. Additionally, posting a summary or the full release on your own website, with a link to the primary press release, can drive more traffic to your site. This approach not only aids in wider distribution but also leverages social signals, which can indirectly benefit your SEO.
Final Word on Press Releases and SEO
press releases maintain a crucial role in a comprehensive digital marketing and SEO strategy, albeit in a manner different from their historical use. Today, the effectiveness of a press release is less about direct SEO benefits through link building and more about creating valuable, high-quality content that enhances a brand’s authority and visibility.
Press releases, when executed with a balance of SEO best practices and compelling content, can indeed support your SEO efforts indirectly. They can raise brand awareness, drive traffic, and contribute to the authority and trustworthiness of your brand. While the direct SEO benefits of press releases may be limited, their potential to generate interest and be picked up by reputable media outlets can have a substantial impact on your overall online presence. By adhering to these best practices, businesses can leverage press releases as a strategic tool to bolster their digital presence and authority, indirectly benefiting their SEO endeavors. It is worth noting that for the purpose of online reputation management, press releases will always play a special role.


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Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, today announced that Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) has renewed its agreement for electronic bill payment and presentment services through its online and mobile channels for a 10-year term to 2022.
The agreement will extend the electronic bill payment and bill presentment services relationship that began in 2000. The bank will also move to the latest CheckFree® RXP® platform and will continue to innovate the service with Fiserv. Further terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Bank of America has been a pioneer in providing innovative digital services to its customers and featuring electronic bill payment and e-bill presentment services," said Jeff Yabuki, president and chief executive officer, Fiserv. "We are honored to continue our partnership as the next generation of payment innovation and consumer experience moves to the forefront of banking."


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The London Wine Fair 2016
The London Wine Fair, the largest trade drinks show in the UK, is on this week at Olympia. Chris has been there talking to people for the UK Wine Show, along with 750 exhibitors.New this year are pop-up stands showcasing unsung regions. The new larger hall is hoped to help navigation around and has enabled more breadth and diversity of producers to exhibit.The biggest noise this year has been a Japanese pavilion devoted to sake. A masterclass is being run to look at whether Japanese rice wine is ready to take off in London. There has been a growing interest in sake and the show hopes to create as much interest as possible in the drink. What were the highlights for you Chris?


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A broad coalition of theater owners are staging Cinema Week, a six-day event in June designed to re-energize moviegoing as the film business emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thousands of cinemas across the country will showcase exclusive content, offer exclusive merchandise and arrange for special guests, including filmmakers and talent. The event runs June 22-27.
“The theatrical experience is very important, and we are a better society for it. It’s where we go for entertainment, and by launching Cinema Week, we want to preserve the culture of going to the movies,” says Brandon Jones, one of the designers of the event who serves as executive chairman of the Founding Committee of Exhibitor and Studio Partners for Cinema Week.
“It’s time to get off the couch,” says Jones, who ran marketing at a midsize theater chain before forming his own firm.
Cinema Week has support from the Independent Cinema Alliance, the National Association of Theatre Owners, dozens of cinemas and numerous sponsors, including Atom Tickets. More that 28,000 screens belonging to mega-exhibitors AMC, Regal and Cinemark; regional circuits; and independent chains will participate.
“We want to raise all ships, and we want everyone to be successful,” says Melissa Boudreau, chief marketing officer of Cinema Week. She, like Jones, previously worked for a midsize chain. “And we’re working in the background to get filmmakers involved.”
Cinema Week activities will vary depending upon the location. Moviegoers will purchase tickets as usual, and when they arrive at the theater, each experience will be unique.
“Nothing compares to the truly awe-inspiring experience of seeing a film on the big screen with sight and sound technology that cannot be replicated at home,” stated Wanda Gierhart Fearing, Cinemark’s global executive vp and chief marketing officer. “Cinema Week was created in collaboration among exhibitors and our studio partners to celebrate the immersive, cinematic experience with moviegoers now that theaters are reopening across the industry.”
Added Rich Daughtridge of the Independent Cinemas Alliance: “Representing more than 5,000 screens, the ICA and our members will do our part to lean into the marketing and advertising initiatives and help move this inaugural event forward. We see this as an opportunity to celebrate moviegoing and to strengthen communities where our members operate their venues.”
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Specialty MGA Ascent Underwriting has partnered with cyber specialist agency ProWriters in a move to bolster its US distribution reach.
The partnership will see Ascent’s CyberPro 2.8 product go live on ProWriters’ Cyber IQ platform which provides an online quote comparison capability that allows agents and brokers to compare and access specialty insurance products from carriers.
The addition of Ascent’s cyber product will broaden the appeal of the Cyber IQ platform for brokers, while enhancing Ascent’s US distribution reach as part of its digital growth strategy.
Ascent will join Axis, Chubb, Hiscox, Tokio Marine HCC, CFC, At-Bay, Coalition, and Corvus on the Cyber IQ platform.
Commenting, Brian Thornton, CEO of ProWriters noted that Ascent’s cyber and tech E&O proposition has enjoyed “impressive growth” propelled by its underwriting expertise, broker focus and use of proprietary technology.
John Merchant, managing director, cyber & technology, North America said: “The combined strength of Cyber IQ and Optio Connect platforms will further enhance our distribution capabilities.
“Being added to ProWriters’ scalable Cyber IQ platform allows Ascent to easily deliver customized cyber insurance solutions. It also provides the option to quickly add enhancements and additional coverages including tech E&O,” Merchant added.
Ascent and stablemate US construction-focused MGA, Cove Programs, form part of the group parent company, Optio.
Both MGAs will continue to operate under their respective brands. However, senior management will come together to oversee the combined business.
Optio was launched in September last year after private equity firm Preservation Capital completed its investment in Cove – in a move to build out an MGA platform with more than $200mn GWP.


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(For faster updates on individual market-movers, Eikon users please use search string "STXBZ US"; for the Day Ahead newsletter, link.reuters.com/mex49s; for the Morning News Call newsletter, link.reuters.com/nex49s)
U.S. stock index futures were higher on Thursday, a day after Wall Street closed sharply lower following hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen that hardened expectations of an interest rate hike this month. Dow Jones industrial average e-mini futures were down 0.37 percent at 17,693, S&P 500 e-mini futures were down 0.23 percent at 2,076.75 and Nasdaq 100 e-mini futures were down 0.19 percent at 4,685.75.
** AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES LTD, Wednesday close $132.21, +9.30 pct premarket
The Apple Inc chip supplier reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings with gross margins of 62 percent above Street estimate of 60.5 percent. At least 13 brokerages raised their price targets on the stock.
** MEDTRONIC PLC, Wednesday close $76.11
The medical device maker reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by higher sales in all of its divisions, and the Dublin-based company raised the lower-end of its full-year profit forecast.
** EXPRESS INC, Wednesday close $17.39, +6.90 pct premarket
The apparel retailer reported better-than-expected third-quarter profit and sales as it continued to control promotions.
** PANDORA MEDIA INC, Wednesday close $14.27, -6.10 pct premarket
The music streaming company is privately offering $300 million, 5-year convertible senior notes. Bookrunner Morgan Stanley plans to price it after close on Dec. 3, according to capital markets sources.
** MCDONALD’S CORP, Wednesday close $113.72, -0.02 pct premarket
EU antitrust regulators will investigate the U.S. fast food chain’s tax deals with Luxembourg that enabled the company to escape paying taxes on European franchise royalties from 2009, in a move which could lead to hefty back taxes for the company.
** ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV, Wednesday close $127.74, +0.29 pct premarket
The world’s biggest brewer is looking to sell SABMiller’s Grolsch and Peroni brands in a bid to address potential concerns among European competition regulators over its planned acquisition of the world’s second largest brewer.
** DYAX CORP, Wednesday close $33.36, +12.44 pct premarket
The rare disease drugmaker said it received early regulatory approval for its pending merger with Britain’s Shire Plc , which is expected to close in the first half of 2016.
** ZAFGEN INC, Wednesday close $6.28, -7.80 pct premarket
The drug developer said late on Wednesday that U.S. Food and Drug Administration had put on complete hold a late-stage study testing its obesity drug, after a second patient died during trial.
** FIREEYE INC, Wednesday close $22.14, +0.99 pct premarket
Hong Kong-based digital toymaker VTech Holdings Ltd said the cybersecurity company’s Mandiant forensics unit was helping it secure its systems after a hacking attack exposed data on 6.4 million children.
** AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS INC, Wednesday close $15.81, +2.47 pct premarket
The teen apparel retailer said its holiday season sales were off to a “solid start” and named Jay Schottenstein, who was heading the company on an interim basis, as its permanent chief executive.
** BARCLAYS PLC, Wednesday close $13.88, +1.15 pct premarket
The bank is to sell its Italian bank branches to CheBanca!, the retail arm of Mediobanca, and take a 200 million pound ($298.52 million) loss on the deal.
** BOX INC, Wednesday close $14.16, +0.42 pct premarket
The cloud storage provider raised its full-year revenue forecast for the third time as more users sign up for its services.
** GENERAL ELECTRIC CO, Wednesday close $29.97
The diversified conglomerate said on Thursday it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Banque Federative du Credit Mutuel (BFCM) for the potential sale of its Equipment Finance and Receivable Finance businesses in France and Germany.
** ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD, Wednesday close $85
** YAHOO INC, Wednesday close $35.65
The Chinese e-commerce giant is unlikely to be interested in buying Yahoo’s core business, the Wall Street Journal reported.
** ENBRIDGE INC, Wednesday close $35.39
Canada’s largest pipeline company raised its quarterly dividend to 53 Canadian cents per share from 46.5 Canadian cents, payable on March 1.
** KKR & Co LP, Wednesday close $16.58
** CARLYLE GROUP LP, Wednesday close $17.53
The investment firms are among the private equity firms considering buying Doosan Infracore’s machine tools business, the Korea Economic Daily newspaper reported on Thursday.
** DEVON ENERGY CORP, Wednesday close $43.53
The U.S. oil exploration and production company is in discussions to acquire smaller peer Felix Energy LLC for around $2 billion, including debt, according to sources familiar with the matter.
** ALEXION PHARMACEUTICALS INC, Wednesday close $176.58
A new drug to treat a rare inherited bone disorder from the biopharmaceutical company that costs more than $550,000 a year for each patient has been deemed too expensive by Britain’s health cost watchdog NICE.
** SEQUENOM INC, Wednesday close $1.62
A U.S. appeals court refused on Wednesday to reconsider its decision invalidating the life sciences company’s prenatal DNA test patent, a decision that could put in doubt the validity of a wide range of medical and biotechnology patents.
** DOLLAR GENERAL CORP, Wednesday close $65.35
The no.2 U.S. discount retailer by store count reported a 7.3 percent rise in quarterly net sales, helped by higher demand for items such as candy, snacks and tobacco products.
** VIACOM INC, Wednesday close $47.65
Two of the largest shareholders in the entertainment content company have made the highly unusual move of publicly questioning Sumner Redstone’s mental fitness to remain executive chairman of the multi-billion dollar media company.
Mario Gabelli, whose funds hold the second-largest voting stake in Viacom after Redstone himself, and Salvatore Muoio, whose firm is the seventh-biggest voting shareholder, voiced the concerns a week after a former girlfriend of Redstone filed a lawsuit alleging that the 92-year-old mogul was mentally incompetent.
** BAIDU INC, Wednesday close $211.36
Chinese-language Internet search provider said it would become the default search engine for Amazon.com Inc’s Kindle and Fire hardware platforms in China, effective on Thursday.
** FIVE STAR QUALITY CARE INC, Wednesday close $3.49
Gemini Properties' William Thomas reports a 6.1 percent stake in the healthcare service provider and proposes to purchase all of its real estate properties, according to a filing.(1.usa.gov/21wcvmC)
** REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA INC, Wednesday close $92.45
** XL Group Plc, Wednesday close $38.61
Reinsurance said it acquired $22 billion blocks of U.S. term life reinsurance from XL Group. XL expects to record deal-related loss of about $34 million.
** PVH CORP, Wednesday close $93.38, +0.99 pct premarket
The Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger apparel maker reported a better-than-expected third quarter profit, helped by higher demand for its Calvin Klein brand.
** VIOLIN MEMORY INC, Wednesday close $1.31
The flash storage provider said it is exploring strategic alternatives and has retained the service of an investment banking firm to assist with the process. The company also reported third-quarter revenue of $12.5 million, below the average analyst estimate of $17.2 million. (Compiled by Manish Parashar in Bengaluru; Edited by Sriraj Kalluvila)


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While Apple has yet to announce a schedule or country list for its second major round of iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c launches, the company does appear to be coordinating a minor expansion of availability for Tuesday, October 1, with a number of smaller regional U.S. carriers announcing plans to launch the devices on that date.
Carriers involved in the October 1 launch include:
Several other regional carriers have announced that the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c are "coming soon" and some of those carriers may also be participating in the October 1 rollout, but they have not announced their exact launch dates yet.
Apple has gradually expanded availability of the iPhone on regional carriers throughout the United States in recent years, with over 25 U.S. carriers now offering the device.
Update: Canadian regional carriers also appear to be participating in the October 1 launch, with MTS announcing its launch a short time ago. SaskTel lists the new iPhones as "coming soon", but representatives have so far only said on Twitter and Facebook that the carrier is still working out launch details.
Update 2: SaskTel has now officially announced that it too will begin selling the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on October 1.
Update 3: Alaska Communications has also announced that it will begin selling the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c beginning on October 1.
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April.
iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer.
Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular.
Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models.
According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash.
The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today.
Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa.
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store.
When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968.
There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...
Top Rated Comments
So... very few=9 million in your mind?
Lucky you. It sounds like you get a happy ending. ;)
That's weird, I'm using one right now that I purchased by walking into a Best Buy 20 minutes after it opened. And my friends that ordered on the 20th that were quoted October shipping dates received theirs yesterday.
3 people in my office have their iPhone 5s already.
Right 9 million sold in 3 days, a very small number. :rolleyes:
Don't count on getting any iphones. They are non-existent. Apple produced very few around the world and is now taking your money for a phone that may come out in November. This sucks and Apple sucks.:mad:


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Headquartered in Melbourne, Trade Indy is expanding off the back of strong client retention and consistent growth through existing and new business.
Founded in Melbourne in 2014, the team have since expanded the business through team members in Singapore, Indonesia, Tasmania and Queensland, and are pleased to announce the full-time employment of NSW commercial director Ben Mulcahy whose expertise in media and commercial leadership in the Sydney market is set to see Trade Indy grow even further through NSW expansion.
Mulcahy’s appointment follows rapid expansion for the business in the last year, including over 70 per cent revenue growth and 50 per cent increase in customer acquisition, including leading brands such as Hairhouse, First National Real Estate and Valvoline.
Mulcahy is set to drive the next phase of growth through cultivating and nurturing existing Sydney clients whilst offering programmatic trade desk capabilities to new agencies and clients.
He joins the Trade Indy team with 20 years’ experience growing media businesses, most notably founding and driving his own business in Pink Media Group as well as leading media teams at ADMATIC Australia.
Mark Rosenberg, Trade Indy director said, “we have been successfully servicing Sydney-based clients and growing the NSW business over the last few years remotely. Opening an office with full time expertise on the ground is a great opportunity for us to leverage our amazing team further into the Sydney market and gain a stronger foothold as we expand our client base into the state. We’re thrilled to have Ben’s experience and leadership on board for this important phase of growth for our business.”
Ben Mulcahy, NSW commercial director, said of his appointment: “It’s an exciting time for digital performance media. The recent exponential growth of ecommerce has created increased demand for high quality managed service programmatic trading teams across all industries and verticals. I’m excited about working with this experienced and passionate team to help grow Sydney-based businesses.”
Trade Indy is a completely independent digital partner with an ability to execute on any combination of platform, data, marketplace or creative technology.
With a team of 17 and growing, Trade Indy has successfully driven digital campaigns for more than 500 clients in over 15 countries, attracting millions of additional eyeballs and increased revenue.
Australian owned and operated email and SMS marketing software company, Vision6, announced the launch of its first-ever national brand campaign and new brand platform “Simply Reliable”. Founded in 2001, Vision6 was one of the first email marketing software providers in Australia and has since been relied upon by thousands of Aussie businesses and organisations for […]
Out-of-Home media company JCDecaux New Zealand has appointed business growth specialist Adam McGregor in preparation for its bid to win upcoming local government street furniture tenders across the country. With contracts for the provision of street furniture including bus shelters across New Zealand up for renewal from late 2022, they collectively represent the biggest advertising […]
Fetch TV has announced that ABC iview will soon be available as a dedicated Virtual Playlist Channel on the Fetch platform. Virtual Playlist Channels (VPCs) were developed by Fetch to promote content discovery, and to provide a clear bridge between the traditional world of linear TV and the growing availability of on demand content via […]
Jackie Gillies, businesswoman, psychic medium and cast member of The Real Housewives of Melbourne is bringing her sassy, inspirational and adventurous spirit to her new podcast Shine It Up, With Jackie Gillies, which launches today via Acast. Hosted and distributed by the creator-first podcast company Acast, the show will offer listeners inspiration and motivation to […]
Crowdsourcing platforms DesignCrowd and BrandCrowd are promoting vaccination efforts in a unique way, launching a logo redesign contest among their networks of designers. The initiative saw iconic Australian brands such as Hungry Jack’s, Jetstar, JB Hi-Fi, and Bunnings undergo a redesign. “We thought it would be fun to see some other iconic Australian brands back […]
Jillian Davison has been named editor-in-chief of the recently relaunched Harper’s BAZAAR Australia. She will oversee all content, development and creative direction across the iconic magazine’s digital and brand platforms. Davison (pictured) succeeds Eugenie Kelly, who recently stepped down to pursue other opportunities. The announcement was made by Maureen Jordan, publisher of Harper’s BAZAAR Australia […]
Freedom Foods and 72andSunny Sydney have launched the first advertising campaign for Australia’s Own range of plant-based beverages. The campaign introduces a new visual world and identity for the brand and captures the healthy, positive feeling you get when spending time in nature and when consuming Australia’s Own certified-organic, plant-based beverages. As well as featuring […]


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Cuba hopes Vietnam to invest in six key agricultural projects
|Vietnam wishes to further deepen special traditional friendship with Cuba|
|Vietnam - Cuba Friendship Association achieves meaningful and practical results in 2020|
|Vietnamese three-generation family with deep affection toward Cuba in hearts|
|Vietnam's stall in Havana International Fair 2018. (Photo: VNA)|
These projects include:
(1) Producing and selling chilled chicken
(2) Producing pork for products made from pork
(3) Producing industrially processed beef and selling traditional and special blended beef, sausages, and other beef products
(4) Producing and selling high-quality coffee in plains
(5) Industry and agriculture joint venture company to develop citrus and fruit trees in the Western production center
(6) Promoting and developing rice industry in Pinar del Rio
Cuba proposes investment in form of joint ventures under the provisions of the Law on Foreign Investment No. 118, published in Cuba's Legal Gazette no 20 on April 16, 2014.
|Cuba proposes investment in form of joint ventures under the provisions of the Law on Foreign Investment No. 118, published in Cuba's Legal Gazette no 20 on April 16, 2014. (Photo: Cong Thuong)|
In the 2017-2018 period, Cuba's foreign investment policies still posed shortcomings for investors, as it did not allow them to mortgage assets to borrow capital; while required them to sell products through Cuban intermediaries at a price fixed by Cuba,...
However, in 2020, Cuba has made a series of policy adjustments to improve the investment environment, and issued an ordinance on pledge, mortgage, guarantee, and allows mortgage of future assets to mobilize foreign loans. Cuba started implementing currency consolidation from January 1, 2021, using only pesos, removing the convertible peso, at the rate of $1 equivalent to 25 pesos. The country accepts investment in form of joint venture and 100% foreign capital. Cuba commits to creating maximum conditions for Vietnamese businesses to invest in Cuba.
According to statistics, so far Vietnam has 4 projects in Cuba with a total capital of USD 44,33 million, focusing on processing, manufacturing industry, and real estate.
|A Vietnam-Cuba Intergovernmental Committee meeting in 2020. (Photo: Hanoimoi)|
On April 1, 2020, Vietnam and Cuba completed protocol to enact Vietnam – Cuba Free Trade Agreement. Consisting of 14 chapters, the Agreement covers regulations on good commerce, rules of origin, custom administration, trade facilitation, trade defense, technical regulations and standards, conformity assessment procedures, food safety and phytosanitary measures, economic and commercial cooperation... Accordingly, the two countries commit to reduce or remove tax to nearly 100% on imported goods from both sides in 5 years.
According to Mrs. Irima Perojo, Commercial and Economic Counselor of the Cuban Embassy to Vietnam, Vietnam is the major Asian investor in Cuba. Cuba always affirms its determination in supporting Vietnamese enterprises to seek investment opportunities, as well as specify their investment plans. Cuba's government attempts to create a favorable environment, ensure foreign investors' rights in Cuba.
Striving to bring the two-way trade turnover to USD 500 million by 2022, Cuba hopes to increase goods exports to Vietnam, especially medical services and biological products; at the same time, attract more investment projects from Vietnam to Cuba.
|Vietnam, Cuba hold phone talks on bilateral relations |
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on March 16 phoned Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla to discuss measures aimed at strengthening ...
|Tourists flock to Phu Quoc for scuba diving |
After being deserted on the Tet holiday due to the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic tourists began to return to Phu Quoc. Scuba diving services have been ...
|Vietnam wishes to further deepen special traditional friendship with Cuba |
Vietnam always attaches great importance to and wishes to continue deepening the special traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with Cuba.


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These days, celebrities and sustainable beauty brands go hand-in-hand. From A-list endorsements, like Drew Barrymore's partnership with Garnier, to celeb-owned Earth-friendly brands, like Jessica Alba's Honest Beauty or Alicia Keys' Keys Soulcare, stars love sustainability. We love to see it!
But few brands have been beloved by celebs as long as Davines, the salon-quality haircare brand that's made Earth its main focus for decades. Since 2005—when the Davines Sustainable Beauty brand was born—A-listers have relied on the stuff to wash, protect, and style their strands: In 2010, Jennifer Aniston's stylist told Cosmopolitan that her honey blonde highlights were courtesy of Davines Alchemic Shampoo ($32). More recently, Hailey Bieber told Vogue that the OI All In One Milk ($38) was her "go to." Emma Stone, Felicity Jones, Connie Britton, Suki Waterhouse... the list of Davines diehards goes on and on.
In some (finally) good climate news, the sustainable haircare brand just launched its eco-friendliest product yet, along with its first socio-environmental initiative. Yesterday, Davines announced We Sustain Beauty, a movement determined to mitigate climate change through the powers of regenerative organic agriculture, backed by a planet-powered hair-and-body wash, We Stand for Regeneration ($26). According to a press release, Davines plans to donate nearly $51,000 of (50,000€) from the proceeds to two organizations advocating for climate protection through organic farming: The Rodale Institute (which Davines partnered with last year to create the Davines Group-Rodale Institute European Regenerative Organic Center in Parma, Italy), and the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, which protects food biodiversity across the world.
"We hope to continue to educate consumers and farmers about the importance of regenerative agriculture," Davines' North America CEO, Alejandro Lopez, says. "We also hope this initiative encourages salon owners to take small steps in making their salons more sustainable and become more educated about the importance of biodiversity on a global scale."
If you're thinking, "Regenera-whozeewhatee?" don't worry, we'll explain. The scientific term is a conservation technique farmers and other crop-growers use to improve the quality of the land and, in turn, combat climate change. Rather than using traditional industrial practices, like harmful pesticides and fossil-fuel based technologies, regenerative agriculture uses sustainable approaches to protect the farmland for the long haul—still reaping its benefits, but doing so in a way that restores the soil and stabilizes carbon emissions.
Here's what Davines is doing to help: First is their new, 2-in-1 hair and body wash, which they've dubbed a "manifesto product." It's made with two star "activist ingredients" that pack a punch for your hair and skin while also raising awareness about the powers of regenerative agriculture. There's Barbera grape pomace extract, a lustrous active grown from an Italian vineyard that uses regenerative practices, and green aniseed extract, sourced from a small, slow-food farm in Castignano, Italy. The clean, heavenly wash itself is highly biodegradable and vegan friendly, plus is bottled in plastic-neutral packaging.
Asides from the donations, shoppers can show their support for regenerative, organic food practices by signing a letter addressing the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The letter expresses support for regenerative organic agriculture and biodiversity for humanity and the planet, while calling the agency to do the same.
It's only a matter of time before celebrities get their hands on this good-for-a-cause-body-and-hair-gel—it's so luscious. The ingredients and scent are one thing, but the ethos is another. For $26, it's an investment both your beauty routine and the planet will appreciate.
Want to be the first to hear about the latest (and greatest) SHOP product drops, custom collections, discounts, and more? Sign up to have the intel delivered straight to your inbox.
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THE FINALISTS for this year's Pride of Stratford Awards have been announced today (Thursday).
The awards, run by local radio station, 102 Touch FM, are a mix of business and community awards and were open for nomination by businesses, individuals and organisations from across the Stratford-on-Avon District.
The awards, which are in their second year and are sponsored by Barclays and Stratford-based company DCS Europe, will be presented at a ceremony on 1st February 2013 at the Holiday Inn, Stratford.
The finalists were chosen by a panel of four judges which included last year’s ‘Stratford Pride Award’ winner and CEO of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, Diana Owen.
Her fellow judges were Cllr Neville Beamer (Chairman of Stratford on Avon District Council), Tom Horton (Barclays) and Steve Orchard (CEO, Touch FM).
Steve Orchard said: “My fellow judges and I were extremely impressed with the standard of nominations.
“I love reading so many wonderfully positive stories of success from around here and all of the judges agreed that narrowing the nominations in each category to just three finalists was a huge challenge.
“I’d like to congratulate every single one of our finalists and whether they walk away with a trophy on the night or not, they’ve done a fantastic job to reach the final stages of the competition. If you weren’t selected as a finalist this year, I do hope that you’ll come back and next year to tell us of your continued success.
Tickets have already sold out.
The finalists are:
Business of the Year 2013 – sponsored by NFU Mutual
DCS Europe Plc
Small Business of the Year 2013 – sponsored by Bright Assessing
THE big FISH
Town Centre Outlet of the Year 2013 – sponsored by Stratforward
Harmony Health & Beauty Clinic
Sew Me Something
Green Business of the Year 2013
Ettington Chase Hotel
Hospitality Business of the Year 2013 – sponsored by Holiday Inn
Menzies Welcombe Hotel, Spa & Golf Club
The Golden Cross
The One Elm
Team of the Year 2013 – sponsored by Premier Inn
Civic Hall Team
Shakespeare Birthplace Trust – Dig for Shakespeare Team
Stratford River Festival Team
Customer Care Award 2013 – sponsored by Western Power Distribution
Bromford Support South Warwickshire
The One Elm
Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 – sponsored by Stratford on Avon District Council
Adam Taylor & Lexi Tamasan
Large Business Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 – sponsored by Wright Hassall Solicitors
Denys Shortt OBE
Tourism Initiative of the Year 2013 – sponsored by the Really Useful Tourism Group
Olympic Opening Big Screen Event
Stratford Food Festival
Stratford Town Walk
Arts Organisation of the Year 2013 – sponsored by the Royal Shakespeare Company
Orchestra of the Swan
Tread the Boards Theatre Company
Citizen of the Year 2013 – sponsored by Orbit Heart of England
Carer of the Year 2013 – sponsored by Nuffield Health
Educator of the Year 2013 – sponsored by Stratford Town Trust
Young Achiever of the Year 2013 – sponsored by Guy Salmon Land Rover
Thomas & Harry Richman
Stratford Pride Award 2013 – sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover
PC Trevor Hall
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IKKS might be changing hands
We've known that IKKS has been living on borrowed time for some months: since a standstill procedure enacted on 16th July, the French ready-to-wear brand has been negotiating to refinance its debt. However, according to reports from Capital Finance and L'Agefi, who have apparently had access to the company's dossier, the label could well be on the verge of being rescued.
It appears, though, that the proposed deal implies that IKKS' creditors will be taking over the company, which achieved 348 million euros in revenue in 2017. Since the French investment fund took over in 2015, the company has been under the control of LBO France, which holds 59% of its shares, as well as Roger Zannier (29%), Silverfern Group (8%) and IKKS' own management team (4%). According to Capital Finance, the deal has been struck with "an ad hoc group made up of three American investment funds – Avenue Capital, CarVal Investors and Marathon Asset Management –, representing 42% of the 320 million euros in high yield bonds held by IKKS." Through the partial transformation of debt into company shares, these firms will acquire 100% of the brand's capital, in a deal which allows IKKS to reduce its debt from 320 million euros to 140 million.
According to the sources cited above, the agreement also includes an injection of 70 million euros in order to finance reimbursements and support the company's working capital. Capital Finance claims that a plan drawn up by Pierre André-Cauche, which aims to achieve 394 million euros in revenue and 57.8 million euros in Ebitda in 2021, has already been approved. The same plan apparently implies the shuttering of 43 unprofitable retail locations out of the 892 operated by the company around Europe, and a corresponding shift of focus towards e-commerce, which it is hoped will account for 12% of the brand's sales by 2021. The company's recently announced deal with Fung Kids in China will also be explored as an interesting potential driver of new growth.
Neither IKKS nor LBO France have confirmed reports of the deal to FashionNetwork.com's at this time.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Pay-per-pick model rolls out
05 September 2019
Magazino has introduced a Pay-per-pick model for its autonomous picking robot. The cost works out at 6 cents per pick.
The German robotics startup Magazino has introduced a flexible performance-based pricing model for its mobile picking robot TORU. With the new “Pay-per-Pick” model, customers pay only for the work the robot actually did instead of an annual software license.
It gives customers a maximum of flexibility because it reduces the upfront investment and the risk during the starting phase of new projects or when demand declines. The robot TORU is specialised in autonomous picking, stowing and transporting individual items, like shoe boxes, in warehouses of online retailers or fulfillment providers.
Frederik Brantner, Co-Founder and CEO of Magazino says: “There is an enormous demand in the logistics market for a performance-based pricing. We are proud to offer not only a unique automation technology but also a payment model, that provides flexibility and planning reliability at the same time. Pay-per-pick goes way beyond of usual Software-as-a-Service models. We strongly belief, that flexibility becomes the most crucial asset for fulfillment operations in eCommerce.”
With the new pricing model, customers pay EUR55 for the robot and EUR 0,06 for each “pick” the robots do in the warehouse.
The use of TORU can reduce the cost-per-pick up to 40% compared to manual picking, says the firm.


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General Mills Inc (NYSE:GIS), one of the largest packaged food companies, is widely spread around the globe. The company's top-line was challenged in the recent quarter due to input cost inflation and negative currency headwinds from international operations. GIS is constantly bringing in new and innovative products for both the U.S. and international segments to increase volumes and improve revenues. Furthermore, the company has laid out its plan to stay on track to expand its bottom-line through efficient cost cutting efforts. The company's continuous efforts to introduce new and innovative products in the fast-growing food categories will portend well for its long-term growth prospects.
Top-line story and Gross Margins
With its outstanding portfolio of brands and products, GIS generates revenues from both the U.S. and international operations. Almost 35% of its sales are drawn from its operations outside the U.S. The company recently reported a decline in revenues of 3% year-over-year in 4Q FY14. Its international segment's revenue declined by 7% year-over-year; this was a major contributor towards the recent quarter's revenue decline.
The company launched extensive scale promotions in recent quarters to increase the scale of international segment revenues. However, the promotional activities did not produce the desired results. Instead of drawing more customers through incremental promotional activities, the sales declined 3% in the quarter, led by a -2% volume contribution. Moreover, currency headwinds from international operations remain a drag on GIS' sales base. As foreign exchange contributed -2% towards the recent quarter's revenue decline.
Source: Company's Quarterly Presentation
This net sales decline, coupled with higher-than-expected input cost inflation - primarily the inflation in dairy cost - contracted the company's gross margins. GIS' gross margins was down 10 basis points in Q4 FY14 as compared to the same quarter the previous year.
GIS has successfully mapped out its plan to grow the top-line and margins through the renovation of its core products, constant innovation and successful advertising of these products. The company plans on bringing in innovation in the Canadian cereal category with the launch of its ancient grains variety of Cheerios. Moreover, in the Canadian Greek yogurt market, the company is planning to capitalize on growing consumer interest in natural sweeteners by introducing the new Yoplait Source Yogurt. With these new launches in Canada, GIS will increase its Canadian market share.
Moreover, the company is sticking to its idea of innovation in almost all categories, both in the U.S. and international markets. I believe that through these remarkable innovations, a large number of health conscious customers will flock to GIS, which will portend well for the company's sales base. The company also remains committed to lowering the cost burden through bringing in constant improvements in its supply chain. I believe the future supply chain efficiencies, coupled with the improved sales base of GIS, will also help expand its long-term margins.
The declining revenues didn't hurt the company's bottom-line. As the company recently reported double-digit growth in both net earnings and diluted earnings per share, GIS improved its EPS 24% year-over-year in the recent quarter. The major contributors to the company's recent quarter's EPS growth were lowered tax rates and lower shares outstanding.
GIS also has plans to reduce operational costs in the future. Going forward, the company will start a review of its North American manufacturing and distribution network to identify possible cuts in capacity and elsewhere. By doing so, GIS will be able to generate $40 million in pretax savings during the new fiscal year. Although this cost cutting initiative may involve closing a few units or lowering work count, it will portend well in terms of growing the company's earnings base. Based on the strength of the company's cost cutting plan and growth prospects, analysts are expecting 8.46% in earnings growth for GIS.
I reiterate my bullish stand on GIS. The company is steadily moving to excel in the consumer sector with its promising initiatives to grow its earnings. Also, despite the recent quarter's drag on the company's sales base, earnings continue to grow. With its best-in-class innovation, GIS remains confident regarding growing its consolidated sales base. Moreover, the company's efforts to lower costs in the future will benefit the stock's performance.
Disclosure: The author has no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. The author wrote this article themselves, and it expresses their own opinions. The author is not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). The author has no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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MONTEREY — Congress has urged federal officials to provide greater assistance to farmers producing specialized crops amid the coronavirus pandemic, potentially impacting Monterey County farmers set to harvest leafy greens, fruit and flowers.
In a bipartisan letter sent earlier this week to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) led lawmakers to target assistance for farmers growing fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture, outlined by federal law as specialty crops.
“Such relief will not only help producers who are facing significant financial challenges but also support efforts to provide food and nutrition assistance to the most vulnerable members of our communities,” lawmakers wrote in the joint letter.
Specifically, the congressional request includes asking the USDA to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for federal nutrition programs and supplementing dollars from customers unable to fulfill crop purchases due to the crisis. It also asks for expedited implementation of recovery and stability plans, as well as using carryover funds from the previous fiscal year to address the needs of the specialty crop industry.
And by relaxing regulations under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, which oversees business practices for fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, the representatives asked the USDA to better respond to the emergency for specialty crop growers.
As lead author, Panetta’s district encompasses Monterey County, which produces the majority of leaf and head lettuce, as well as celery in the U.S., along with significant production of broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries and spinach, among other goods. The district also stretches to significant agricultural producing areas in Santa Cruz, San Benito and southern Santa Clara counties.
Local agricultural leaders and elected officials have already put out advisories for worker protections to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, as leafy greens and berries are set to be harvested in the coming weeks. While Monterey County has issued shelter in place and Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered a shelter at home, agricultural workers are deemed essential and exempted from the orders.
Farmworker advocates and academic researchers, though, have cautioned about protections for farmworkers. In a Monterey Herald guest commentary, Brenda Eskenazi, a UC Berkeley public health professor and lead researcher of the “CHAMACOS” study, called for more sanitizing, testing and education for workers, along with childcare support and access to replacement income programs.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is teaching us how interconnected we are and how vital farmworkers are to the health of all of us,” she wrote along with Dr. Pedro Moreno, a local physician, and Aaron Voit, an attorney with California Rural Legal Assistance. “In our moment of need, we are again reminded of their hard labor and sacrifice. Now they need our help.”
Because production is moving from growing regions in southern California and Arizona back to the Central Coast, any direct impacts to the nearly $4.3 billion local agricultural economy have not been felt yet, industry leaders say.
Monterey County Farm Bureau President Norm Groot said farmers are not seeing losses yet but added “there’s a general concern letting farmworkers know they can still report to work. Farmworkers are essential.” Nevertheless, Groot commended Perdue’s work in supporting the local agriculture industry.
Chris Valadez, president of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, said in an email that the pandemic has been causing market disruption, where demand has declined for products normally destined for food service. For example, the overall demand for leafy vegetables has declined as hospitality sectors have shuttered across the country, though people are still buying in grocery stores.
“That disruption is causing farming operations to closely evaluate harvest plans, which are driven by customer demands,” Valadez wrote. “The good news is that by and large, the volumes are there, the crops are being harvested and they will be ready for harvest to meet the marketplace demand.”
However, flower growers are already seeing “staggering losses,” according to the California Cut Flower Commission and Certified American Grown Flowers, a coalition of U.S. flower farms. California leads the nation in producing cut, bulb and potted plant flowers.
The commission said flower growers in a conference call last week reported their business is struggling amid the pandemic. The commission said many grocery stores and distributors are canceling orders or turning deliveries away, while farmers can’t get flowers transported due to confusion about which products are exempted from restrictions.
“America’s flower farmers, the floral industry and all of their employees are teetering on economic devastation,” said Dave Pruitt, CEO for the California Cut Flower Commission and administrator of Certified American Grown Flowers, in a prepared statement. “These people literally cannot hold on without support from consumers.”
Teresa Matsui, president and CEO of Matsui Nursery in Salinas, said in an email her company’s potted orchids are being impacted because grocery chain customers are prioritizing food, personal care and cleaning items over floral products, dramatically impacting sales. Still, the Salinas nursery is trying to keep people employed by reducing the workweek from 45 hours to 40 hours for around 200 employees while retaining health insurance and other benefits.
“The dropoff in sales leaves us with a lot of mature product we can’t sell, so we have offered our beautiful orchids to local hospitals for their patients and employees,” she wrote. “We are also sending free product to our grocery customers to share with their hard-working employees in the warehouses and distribution centers.”
On National Ag Day Tuesday, Perdue issued a statement celebrating American farmers.
“Now more than ever it’s important that the American people not forget that,” Perdue said in a statement. “Our farmers are resilient, and during these uncertain times they are still working, day in and day out, to produce what’s needed for our growing population.”


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Advertising sales for the September issues of fashion magazines, a significant economic yardstick in the industry, have shown improving figures.
Publishers of 12 out of the top 15 fashion and beauty magazines have reported selling more ad-pages than the previous year for their September editions, which are brought at a time when designers launch new fashions and automakers display new models, says the Wall Street Journal.
The New York Times reports that Condé Nast's fashion title, Vogue, saw its number of ad-pages go up 24 per cent to 532 pages, while Glamour's ad-pages rose 57 per cent to 241. W and Bon Appetit also saw their number of pages rise more than 30 per cent, while Details saw a 23 per cent fall.
Ad-pages at Hearst's Harper's Bazaar grew 12 per cent to 302, and Marie Claire grew 11 per cent to 156. But Cosmopolitan reported a half-page ad decline.
Elle magazine, by Hachette Filipacchi, reported an 18 per cent rise to 382 ad-pages for September.
The figures come amid an overall recovery in the magazine industry after a two-year low.


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After searching for greener pastures, another payments firm has decided that staying anchored in Atlanta is the best way to accelerate its growth here and abroad.
InComm, which provides prepaid payment solutions including debit cards and gift cards for more than 500 brand partners in 30 countries, announced Wednesday that it would invest $20 million in equipment and hire 275 more workers as it expands its downtown headquarters and its call centers and data centers across Georgia. In addition to providing the back-end infrastructure to process payments, InComm differs from some other card processors in that it has a physical warehouse in Newnan where 91 million gift cards were sorted and distributed last year.
The company will add another floor of office space at 250 Williams Street in the American Cancer Society building abutting Centennial Olympic Park. It’s the latest in a string of payments firms deepening their roots in the metro area, validating increasingly strident calls by economic development leaders to nurture an industry that supports more than 40,000 jobs directly in the state.
The American Transaction Processors Coalition, an industry group formed in 2014, has led the charge calling for firms to “Re-Up” on their investments in Georgia. Recent months have seen companies commit to opening new headquarters facilities in the city of Atlanta, including Worldpay and NCR Corp., which are both moving to Midtown from Sandy Springs and Duluth, respectively. They often cite the ability to draw millennial workers to the area as they focus on innovation.
InComm is staying put downtown, where it operates a key data center in the building that once housed the telecommunications infrastructure for the Olympic Games. The company pointed to support from city and state leaders and a wealth of industry talent in companies and universities, along with the world’s busiest airport, as helping firm up the decision. Some 125 employees will join the Atlanta headquarters, with 100 more going to a Peachtree Corners call center. Fifty more will be split between an existing data center in Alpharetta and a new one in Suwanee. The hires represent $13.1 million in new payroll in addition to the $20 million the company will spend on equipment and real estate.
InComm Chief Financial Officer Scott Meyerhoff told Global Atlanta it just made sense to stay in the “epicenter of knowledge” on payments, given the specialized nature of the industry.
“Our business is very complicated. It’s not just a transaction-processing technology; it’s also logistics, it’s production, it’s a call center, it’s a warehouse distribution all throughout the world,” Mr. Meyerhoff said, noting that all of those components fit together in Atlanta.
Chris Carr, the state’s economic development commissioner, said Georgia’s momentum as a global leader in financial technology (known as “fintech” in the industry) has grown significantly and should be even better known around the world.
Even after working as chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, an industry advocate who now chairs a payments caucus in the U.S. Senate, Mr. Carr said he has learned more in the last two years as commissioner about the industry’s potential to drive innovation, create jobs and burnish the state’s global reputation.
“I though I had a pretty good idea, but then I realized that we have one of the best-kept secrets in the world, and we don’t want it to be the best-kept secret anymore,” he said during a panel discussion addressing InComm employees. “We need to shout from the rooftop how important this industry is.”
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed were also on hand to praise InComm for its decision to stay put in Georgia.
Mr. Deal and Mr. Carr pitched leaders from Cielo, Brazil’s largest payments firm, on Georgia during a trip to the South American country in June.
Global Atlanta is set to release a special report on the payments industry in the coming weeks. Email email@example.com to receive a copy upon publication.
Learn more about InComm’s jobs commitments here.


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Coronado Brewing Company (CBC), the award-winning San Diego craft brewery, is launching the all-new Surf Break Series this month, a seasonal rotation of small-batch, hazy IPAs featuring unique hop blends specifically selected for the series.
Named after iconic surf breaks around the world, 2023’s releases include Rocky Point, (January – April), Cloudbreak, (May – August), and Fossil Beach (September – December).
“The Surf Break series is all about creativity and innovation,” said Chris Sartori, Head Brewer at CBC. “It’s our chance to push the envelope with new brewing methods, experimental hops, and unique recipes… and have some fun while we’re at it.”
This new series will be available in 16-ounce four-pack cans at Coronado Brewing Company’s three San Diego locations as well as retailers across CBC’s markets.


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Bread bag recycling scheme launched across UK
A new initiative has been launched by Hovis and TerraCycle to encourage people to recycle the plastic bags that bread is sold in.
The Bread Bag Recycling Programme will create a network of bread bag recycling points with schools, charities and community groups. The plastic bread bags will then be turned into public benches and outdoor furniture. See the dog food guide for more on TerraCycle’s involvement in recycling pet food sachets.
Consumers can either register as a private collector and post collected bread bags to TerraCycle or locate a community collection point using a map on the TerraCycle website.
Only one in ten local authorities currently recycle bread plastic bags, according to Recoup. Most bread bags can also be recycled through the plastic bag collection points at larger supermarkets, but these are not being used to their full potential, maybe because consumers don’t realise they can recycle there.
Laure Cucuron, general manager for TerraCycle Europe, said:
“Bread is a product that is consumed by many families on a daily basis so there is significant scope to alter consumer behaviour and to encourage people to recycle used bread bags.”
“Hovis is helping to lead the agenda for the bread industry and we hope to see more brands and industries making moves in the same direction.”
A better solution could be that manufacturers alter their behaviour and don’t sell bread in plastic bags, or there is some sort of refill scheme. A more sustainable option available now is to buy your bread unpackaged from your local baker.


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MANILA - The Philippines' trade deficit in February registered an annual decline of 2.7 percent to $3.88 billion, the Philippine Statistics Authority said on Tuesday.
Total export sales for the month reached $5.08 billion while imports hit $8.95 billion, both registering annual declines, government data showed.
Annual total export sales from January to February 2023 reached $10.33 billion, 15.6 percent lower compared to the same period the previous year, the PSA said.
Japan contributed the highest total to the export value, amounting to $822.65 million, followed by the US, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, data showed.
Meanwhile, the January to February's total import value also declined to $19.94 billion, lower by 3.9 percent compared to the $20.74 billion in the same period the previous year, the PSA said.
China is the country's top major import trading partner for the month, followed by Indonesia, Japan, the US, and South Korea, according to government data.
Overall external trade for the month also declined to $14.03 billion, the PSA said.


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The FinTech Innovation Awards are now in their second year, and the judging panel is only getting more illustrious. Meet a few of the FinTech wonders selecting this year’s winners.
Chaired by Dan Cobley, this year’s prestigious line-up of judges comprises leading authorities and specialists from across the FinTech sector. Find out more about a few of our judges below.
Eileen Burbidge, Partner at Passion Capital
Eileen is a Partner at Passion Capital, an early-stage VC fund based in London. She’s also Chair of Tech City UK and serves on the Prime Minister David Cameron’s Business Advisory Group; as HM Treasury’s Special Envoy for FinTech, appointed by the Chancellor George Osborne; and Tech Ambassador for the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
James Elias, Marketing Director at Google UK
James heads up marketing for Google in the UK, helping consumers and large and small businesses get the most out of the web. He is responsible for driving revenue growth and product usage as well as ensuring that Google remains a loved and trusted brand in the UK.
Jerome Le Luel, Global CRO at Funding Circle
Jerome recently joined Funding Circle as Global Chief Risk Officer. His previous role was with Barclays, where he headed up risk analytics globally across investment, corporate and retail banking, in charge of all statistical modelling, capital computation and quantitative analytics. Previously, Jerome was CRO for Barclaycard and spent 12 years with credit cards specialist Capital One, joining the Europe venture at start-up stage and covering various leadership roles in risk, marketing and analytics.
Peter Plumb, CEO at MoneySuperMarket Group
Peter has been the CEO of MoneySuperMarket Group since 2009. He was previously UK managing director of dunnhumby Limited. Before that, he was general manager of Europe Disney Consumer Products, international director of Dyson Appliances Limited and held senior commercial roles at PepsiCo International.
Peter has an MBA from IMD in Switzerland and a BSC Civil Engineering from the University of Birmingham. He is also a non-executive director The Co-operative Group Limited.
Our judges, along with many of the FinTech Industries biggest movers and shakers, will be attending the FinTech Innovation Awards on the 13th of April in central London. Want to rub shoulders with these FinTech visionaries? Contact Stephen McMaugh to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
Marca Wosoba, Head of International Development at World First, looks at the changes and disruptions in the financial sector, and identifies the importance of strategic partnerships.
Ford Motor Co and Amazon have announced a collaboration that will see Amazon’s Alexa integrated into Ford vehicles as a voice-activated digital assistant.
The government has confirmed that the £1 coin will be replaced for the first time in 30 years. The new coin is said to be the "most secure" coin due to a number of new features that will make it much more difficult to counterfeit.