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“We see no cause to move to Plan B but as I said many times, we have to keep things under review.”
Health secretary Sajid Javid said: “If we want to give ourselves the best chance of a Christmas with our loved ones, the best thing we can all do is step up, roll up our sleeves, and get protected when the time comes.”
The PM also said he doesn’t believe a return to working from home is ‘necessary’ at this stage.
Featured image: Sky News
Peter Kay’s gigs at Co-op Live have been postponed as the arena admits it’s not ready for opening act
Just a day before the venue was set to welcome its very first act, Co-op Live has announced that arena opener Peter Kay’s gigs have unfortunately been cancelledand postponed until later this month.
Both of Peter Kay‘s highly-anticipated shows have ultimately had to be called off after Co-op Live revealed that the brand-new entertainment venue is simply not ready to welcome guests just yet, with work still to be completed on key areas of the building, namely power supply issues.
Issuing a regretful statement on social media, the arena has confirmed that the shows will now be rescheduled to Monday and Tuesday, 29-30 April.
Addressing the situation online, Co-op Live said: “Following our first test event on Saturday, regretfully we have made the difficult decision to reschedule our two opening performances by Peter Kay…
“It is critical to ensure we have a consistent total power supply to our fully electric sustainable venue, the completion of which is a few days behind. Rescheduling gives us the extra time we need to continue testing thoroughly.
“This is vital to satisfy the rigorous set of guidelines and protocols that are necessary for a venue of this size. Peter Kay has very graciously agreed to perform his record-breaking comedy at Co-op Live on 29 (rescheduled from 23) and 30 (rescheduled from 24) April 2024.
“All tickets remain valid and ticket holders will be contacted by their point of purchase. Refunds will be available for those who can no longer attend. We are very sorry for the inconvenience that this change will undoubtedly cause for some.” Safe to say many of those looking forward to the show have been left frustrated.
Speaking to The Manc, a Stockport gig-goer who had tickets said they had to find out via social media and that her group had still received no email notifying them about the cancellation, adding, “We just logged into the app to find the date on our tickets had been changed to next Monday”.
As for the beloved Bolton-born stand-up and British comedy legend himself, Kay added: “I’m truly gutted as I know how disappointing this will be for everyone with tickets, but obviously it’s a brand-new venue and it’s important that everything is finished and safe for full capacity audiences.
“Fortunately, we’ve been able to reschedule the shows to next week, (I’ll have to miss my Bums & Tums class) but hopefully I’ll see you then.”
The venue also went on to assure that they will still be hosting The Black Keys on 27 April in the lower bowl with 10k fans as planned and will continue to test the resilience of the venue and its operations for the time being.
They also reminded fans who previously missed out on tickets that due to dates being moved, tickets may now become available.
‘Not just for mums’ – Iceland drops iconic slogan after more than 50 years
Iceland has dropped its iconic slogan after more than 50 years, and has finally admitted that it’s “not just for mums”.
We all know that “that’s why mums go to Iceland” is one of the most famous slogans in British retail history… but, as of last week, more than 50 years since it was first uttered on TV, Iceland has decided to say farewell to the iconic phrase.
The headline-grabbing move is thought to be the supermarket‘s bid to become more inclusive, as it has cited the decades-old tagline as “outdated”.
Iceland’s first use of ‘mum’ in its’ marketing campaigns was all the way back in 1970 with the phrase “Mums love it”, before it was slightly changed to “Mum’s gone to Iceland” in 1988 ahead of its expansion into Europe in 1991.
Then finally, in 2004, the frozen food retailer introduced its now most-iconic strapline, “So that’s why mums go to Iceland”, to coincide with introducing celebrity pop star Kerry Katona as the new face of its TV advertisements.
But now, as part of its latest advertising campaign, the world ‘mum’ has been dropped once and for all in favour of the altered tagline “That’s why we go to Iceland.
Explaining its decision to part way with its use of ‘mums’, Iceland’s Executive Chairman Richard Walker commented: “Iceland’s always been number one with mums, but the reality is, people from all walks of life, and life stage, choose to shop with us. That includes everyone from students and seniors, to single-parent families, mums, dads, and fitness enthusiasts.
“We’re a Great British institution, and open to all.”
Alongside the new slogan, Iceland is continuing its tradition of appointing celebrity mums as the face of the company.
TV presenter Josie Gibson has landed the role of the supermarket’s new ambassador.
“With her famous warmth and positivity, Josie is the perfect person to encapsulate the friendly welcome all our customers receive at Iceland,” Mr Walker continued, adding that the retailer is “delighted to have her onboard”.


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New Zealand’s cheapest electric car is in for a replacement in 2022, with MG Motor Australia and New Zealand CEO Peter Ciao confirming yesterday that the next-gen MG ZS EV will be launched on both sides of the Tasman in the next six months.
It will feature a larger 72kWh battery with a WLTP-rated range of 439km — a huge jump on the 262km of the current model’s 44.5kWh battery. MG also claims it can take as little as 42 minutes attached to a 100kW charger to top up the battery to full charge.
The new ZS will also be sold overseas with a smaller 51kWh battery capable of a WLTP-rated 319km of range. A chunk smaller than the flagship battery, but still larger than the current 44.5kWh unit.
The ZS EV has been one of New Zealand’s strongest electric vehicle sellers, often trading blows with the Hyundai Kona Electric in the local plug-in sales charts; the pairing often being second and third in sales volume behind the Tesla Model 3.
An updated ZS EV may not be the only new model heading our way, however. Speaking at MG’s Accelerate Together virtual media event, Ciao also noted that the MG5 and Marvel R are in line to join MG’s Australian line-up. While unconfirmed, it’s likely that the pairing could also come to New Zealand, too.
The MG 5 is a compact sedan primed to rival the likes of the Toyota Corolla sedan, Honda Civic sedan, and the Mazda3 sedan. It’s a declining market, but less rivals could give the 5 a chance of sales success.
In Thailand where it’s built, the MG5 comes with a 1.5-litre four producing a humble 84kW/150Nm. It’s tipped that the model will be powered by the MG ZST’s 115kW/230Nm 1.3-litre turbofour when it lands in Australia. It’s due to land over the ditch in Q4 of 2022.
The Marvel R, meanwhile, is MG’s more premium-orientated electric SUV option, underlined by bespoke styling that separates it from the likes of the aforementioned ZS. It’s a similar size to the HS, making it a potential rival for Toyota’s bZ4X and Subaru’s Solterra.
Revealed in its updated form at the same time as the updated ZS EV, the new Marvel R gets a dual-motor powertrain capable of hitting 100km/h in 4.9 seconds. Its revised cabin also features an enormous 19.4-inch touchscreen, and it has V2L-style charging capabilities.

domain: news


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Easing global commodity prices and new kharif crop arrivals will dampen inflationary pressures in the coming months, and the pass-through of higher input prices to retail inflation is near complete, the finance ministry said in its latest monthly economic review report on Thursday.
India is well placed to grow at a moderately brisk rate in the coming years on the back of macroeconomic stability, despite the global monetary tightening, it said. So far in the current year, India’s food security concerns have been addressed and will continue to receive the utmost priority from the government, according to the report.
“A rapid deterioration in global growth prospects, coupled with high inflation and worsening financial conditions, has increased fears of an impending global recession. The global slowdown may dampen India’s exports businesses outlook; however, resilient domestic demand, a re-invigorated investment cycle, along with strengthened financial system and structural reforms, will provide impetus to economic growth going forward.”
Merchandise exports declined 16.7% on year in October, the first drop in 20 months and the worst slide since May 2020, when a nationwide lockdown was imposed to contain the Covid outbreak. The World Trade Organisation recently warned of a darkened 2023 and projected that global trade growth will drop to only 1% next year from 3.5% in 2022.
India’s retail inflation, which is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), eased to a three-month low of 6.77% in October.
The wedge between CPI and WPI inflation has been closing again due to two reasons, it said. First, a moderation of international commodity prices has led to an easing of wholesale inflation. Second, the pass-through of input prices by producers to consumers amid robust demand has led to an increase in retail inflation.
“Thus, the gap has narrowed to -1.6% in October 2022 signalling that higher input prices pass-through is near completion. The magnitude of the pass-through of input cost to retail inflation is likely to be lower in the coming months.”
Continued macroeconomic stability, of which fiscal prudence is a part, and execution of various path-breaking policies such as the Gati Shakti, National Logistics Policy and the Production-Linked Incentive schemes to boost the manufacturing share of employment lend further upside to India’s growth prospects, it said.
Hiring by firms is likely to witness an improvement in the upcoming quarters, driven by a rebound in new business hiring as firms continue to benefit from the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions and optimism engendered by the vigorous sales volumes experienced during the festive season, the report noted.


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SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Tata Steel shares opened higher on May 2, ahead of the steel major's Q4 earnings report later in the day. The company's net profit is expected to drop over 91 percent year-on-year to Rs 955 crore due to weak performance in the Europe business, as per brokerages. However, India business performance is expected to be strong.
At 9:25 am, the stock was quoting at Rs 108.60 on the NSE, higher by 0.7 percent from the previous close.
Tata Steel's revenue from operations is expected to fall 13 percent YoY to Rs 60,458 crore in the quarter gone by. "We estimate Europe to report EBITDA loss of US $111/ton led by weak demand resulting in adverse product mix partly offset sequentially moderating costs," said Kotak Institutional Equities in a report.
However, the India business continues to be strong. In the provisional update shared last month, Tata Steel said that production volume in India jumped by 5.1 percent on-year to 5.15 million tonnes in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022-23.
Tata Steel India's delivery volume was up 0.6 percent, at 5.15 mt in Q4 FY23, as compared to 5.12 mt in the year-ago period.
In the European market, it recorded a slump of 11.3 percent on-year in terms of the deliveries made. Tata Steel Europe's delivery volume during the quarter came in at 2.13 mt, as compared to 2.40 mt clocked in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.
"Management guidance on continuation, pension liability and support for UK business is most important," as per analysts at Motilal Oswal Financial Services.
The domestic brokerage firm expects EBITDA/tonne to improve to $115 from $69 in the last quarter, however still lower than $249 in Q4 FY22.
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|#1 Copper Bare Bright||3.98 (0.06)|
|Aluminum Scrap View All|
|356 Aluminum Wheels (Clean)||0.79 (0)|
|6061 Extrusions||0.70 (0)|
|Steel Scrap View All|
|#1 Bundle||425.00 (0)|
|#1 Busheling||445.00 (0)|
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|Cellular Phones||4.25 (0)|
|Computer/Server (Complete)||0.34 (0)|


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Rumors about smartwatches from top tech firms like Apple, Google, and Samsung have been ramping up in recent months. But Samsung is the only company to have an executive go on the record to confirm that a smartwatch-like device is in development.
While it may take a few more months before we get to see Samsung's smartwatch, the company did show off what it has planned for future, advanced wearable computers and smartphones at this week's MobileBeat conference(Opens in a new window) in San Francisco. Samsung's chief strategy officer, Young Sohn, took to the stage with a concept video (below), captured(Opens in a new window) by AllThingsD, which revealed a slim smartphone that folds out into a square and uses photonic crystal actuators to allow on-screen color changes without the use of LEDs or backlighting.
The video then focused on the health functions of the device, an area that Sohn said will be central to the future of wearable technology. In what appears to be a bit of clever special effects, the video showed the handset user pulling a tiny strip called a Painless Patch Sensor from the back of the phone and then placing it on her wrist. That strip then apparently sent her health information wirelessly to the smartphone, where it was displayed as an overlay on an interactive illustration of the human body.
None of these images were promised as something that might be available in the near future, but the concept video did serve to emphasize Samsung's focus and commitment to the wearable computing space.
As for an actual smartwatch we can purchase in the next few months, the latest hints, based on a patent filing discovered last week(Opens in a new window), indicate that Samsung's smartwatch may be called Gear.
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Balfour Winery Named Amongst England’s Top Visitor Attractions
One of only 20 attractions, and only English vineyard, to be recognised with top prize
Balfour Winery, based just outside Staplehurst in Kent, has been recognised as one of the country’s top visitor attractions, and the only vineyard to receive a Gold medal accreditation by VisitEngland – according to the organisation’s Accolade Awards.
The winery, which is just 45 minutes by train from London, achieved the top rating based on the scores obtained following an annual VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessment. It comes amidst a big change in consumer habits, with a sharp rise in interest in both visiting – and enjoying the wines of – vineyards in Britain.
Balfour are now eyeing attracting visitors from further afield, laying down a challenge to be one of the most visited wineries not just in the country – but around the world. They hope to welcome a new generation of consumers with a focus on sustainability at their 400-acre estate, alongside plans to open a restaurant in Winter 2023.
Wine tourism is growing fast in the UK, with wineries expecting a further 20% increase in visitor numbers over the next five years. In 2015, Balfour was one of the first to build a dedicated visitor centre and in 2022 over 15,000 people visited Balfour Winery and 2023 is on track to be a record as more people discover England’s emerging wine country.
The accolade puts an English winery in the same category as such culturally important venues as the Richard III Centre, Sherwood Forest and the Arsenal Stadium.
Speaking after the Gold accolade win, Balfour’s Commercial Director, Sarah Easton, said : “The recognition from VisitEngland is really fantastic for us at Balfour. To be listed amongst some of the most popular and renowned attractions in England is really exciting, and shows just how far we are coming as an industry. It’s a massive testament to the team’s hard-work on our famous Balfour hospitality and also to what makes us unique at Balfour; our beautiful visitor centre, 400 acres of ancient woodlands, vineyards and wildflower meadows and famous hospitality."
The boom in interest in English winery visits over recent years has been incredible to see. We’re now looking at some of the most iconic, and most visited, wineries in the world – and we believe we can compete in this country by offering a unique combination of world-class wines, service, and environmental credentials and by making it easier to visit us at Balfour with a free shuttle bus service”.
According to VisitEngland, tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of businesses, employing about 2.6 million people and, in 2022, generating £66.3 billion in domestic visitor spending. It also represents, on average, 24% of the income for English wineries.
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:
“These accolades are a testament to the outstanding experiences and customer service that attractions in England give visitors. They also recognise different aspects of the visitor experience with attractions who really go the extra mile, whether it’s offering exceptional food and drink or magical storytelling. The attractions honoured today go out of their way to make visits memorable, creating reasons for people to travel to new locations, also boosting local economies across England.”


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DETROIT — For the first time, the federal government is required to purchase and provide food banks emergency supplies of kosher or halal products, serving a population whose survival could otherwise be at odds with strictures of faith.
The void was first revealed in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which wreaked havoc on the East Coast in the fall of 2012 and led to food shortages for those most in need.
A Jewish philanthropic organization in New York alerted lawmakers to the rising numbers of people coming to its food banks and often finding shelves devoid of kosher offerings. That led to legislation aimed at boosting emergency supplies for food prepared in accordance with Jewish and Muslim dietary rules, and, after some unsuccessful attempts at passage, the measure was tucked into the sweeping federal farm bill signed into law in February.
Federal agriculture officials now must implement the novel law, which requires them to buy food prepared in accordance with the faiths’ dietary rules but isn’t more expensive than regularly produced food. Then, it must be tracked through the distribution chain and properly labeled to ensure it gets to food bank operators and meets the needs of their clients.
The U.S. Agriculture Department’s challenges include gauging the demand and finding vendors that can supply the appropriate amount of food to keep it cost-neutral.
Demand for kosher food is high in the New York metropolitan area, and both the New York and Detroit areas are major centers of halal consumption.
The USDA currently buys some kosher and halal foods but not in an organized, regulated fashion. It’s hard to know how soon the full effort can launch or how successful it will be, but a test run that predates the Farm Bill’s passage is underway.


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Lane Bryant to host conference for fashion bloggers
on Thursday,May 27,2010 20:05
Plus-size women's clothier Lane Bryant has announced it will host a conference at its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters to allow fashion bloggers to view its fall and holiday sportswear collections.
A total of 13 fashion experts from cities such as New York, Chicago and Washington, DC will gather to receive fashion and beauty makeovers. In addition, the attendees will have the opportunity to gather statements from company executives and merchants through exclusive presentations and roundtable discussions.
Furthermore, the bloggers will be able to interview Lane Bryant model Lizzie Miller, who will appear via Skype from the set of a London-based photo shoot.
The conference is intended to serve as extension of the company's social networking site, Inside Curve. Additionally, Lane Bryant executives hope the event will serve as a platform for fans of the brand to share their opinions and network with one another.
"Because we have one of the most passionate and engaged fan bases of any retailer, it's important that we harness these conversations to listen to what our audience wants and what they see as the next big trends in fashion, and tailor our products to them," said Brian Woolf, the company's president.
Latest Articles & News
It is no secret to many that music artist Kanye West is no stranger to fashion, and now he will be showing his new collection during Paris Fashion Week later this week, according to the Elle Magazine.
Teenlike.com, an ongoing online competition for young home decor designers, announced its second winner. Brandon Dover of Apply Valley, California, was this year's winner, as he created an abstract pen and inkwork design for a bedspread.


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hähnel has extended its range of radio-triggered Modus 600RT flash units with a model for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The unit can be used directly in the hotshoe as a standalone flash, or within a group of flashes as a TTL commander or a slave using radio or optical communication.
In other news...
mobileMay 13, 2018 at 16:01
At the I/O developer conference this week, Google revealed that its AI-based image recognition system Google Lens will be making its way into several stock camera apps on Android smartphones.
mobileMay 12, 2018 at 17:14
With the release of the Huawei P20 Pro, triple-cameras made their debut in the high-end smartphone market. But it seems the technology could trickle down to mid-range devices faster than we thought, thanks to Qualcomm.
videoMay 12, 2018 at 16:35
The Trint for Premiere plugin integrates seamlessly into Adobe Premiere Pro CC, using the company's popular speech-to-text technology to automatically generate easy-to-edit captions for your video projects.
mobileMay 8, 2018 at 16:14
The Sharp AQUOS R2 comes with a dual camera that's a little... different. Instead of using one of the modules for extra zoom, sharp installed an ultra-wide-angle 16.3MP camera that is used exclusively for capturing video.
May 8, 2018 at 15:07
The Telegraph has compiled this inspirational slideshow of 10 entries from the People category of National Geographic's ongoing Travel Photographer of the Year 2018 competition.
mobileMay 8, 2018 at 14:15
According to a report in the Taipei Times, Apple won't be jumping on the triple-camera bandwagon this year. The report claims Apple's first triple-camera flagship phone will arrive in the second half of next year.
videoMay 8, 2018 at 14:09
SPOILER ALERT: There's a 'disintegration effect' used at some point in the new Avengers: Infinity War movie. We won't tell you when or why, but Colin Smith of photoshopCAFE will tell you how to recreate this effect on a portrait in Photoshop.
mobileMay 7, 2018 at 17:52
The latest version of Adobe's mobile editing app for Android comes with a number of useful new features.
videoMay 4, 2018 at 16:28
Photographer and YouTuber Peter McKinnon has created something absolutely ridiculous: a DIY 'selfie stick' that can hold a $6,000 cinema camera and $400 boom mic at arms length. Why, you ask? To that McKinnon responds: why not!?
mobileMay 3, 2018 at 15:48
The first AI they trained this way required minimal human supervision, and yet it outperformed every other computer-vision AI out there.
mobileMay 3, 2018 at 14:32
In the camera department, LG sticks to its strategy of differentiating itself from most competitors by offering a super-wide-angle lens in its dual-camera setup.
May 2, 2018 at 19:49
Amateur Photographer magazine sat down with SmugMug CEO Don MacAskill this week to ask him all about the Flickr acquisition, how it happened, and what SmugMug plans to do with the Flickr website and community now that they own it.
mobileMay 2, 2018 at 17:28
A number of new Instagram features were announced at Facebook's F8 developer conference, including support for Stories in third-party apps and a new video chat feature.
mobileMay 1, 2018 at 14:21
The updated Halide app allows for control of some camera functions from your Apple Watch.
Apr 30, 2018 at 15:39
4-year-old Max was diagnosed with high-functioning autism last year, and photography has been one of the most impactful interventions since his diagnosis. "When Max has the camera in his hand, he has an air of confidence around him," says his mother.
Apr 30, 2018 at 14:11
A curious computer science student discovered these as-yet unreleased features by digging into the code of the Instagram Android app.
Apr 27, 2018 at 19:15
After asking nicely that her stolen photos be taken down, concert photographer Adrienne Row-Smith received a nasty response from the offending record label, who called her request (among other things) rude and pathetic.
“He was a pillar of Magnum, a godfather for a generation of younger photojournalists. An Iranian transplanted to Paris, he was a citizen of the world he relentlessly documented; its wars, its disasters, its revolutions and upheavals, and its beliefs – all his life. It is with immense sadness that we lose him."
Apr 25, 2018 at 18:24
Find out how astrophysicis Donald Olson used a combination of topographic maps, astronomical software, and webcam archives to figure out exactly when and where Ansel Adams snapped two of his iconic photographs from Alaska.
mobileApr 25, 2018 at 15:45
Xiaomi claims its latest smartphone, the Mi 6X, competes with rivals such as the iPhone X or OPPO R15 in the camera department. Yet it costs just 1,600 Yuan (approximately $250 USD).
Apr 24, 2018 at 14:08
Nikon Corporation has warned investors that an assessment of its Belgium-based metrology business based is worth much less than expected, and that they should brace themselves for an 'extraordinary loss' of 10,343 million yen.
mobileApr 23, 2018 at 16:34
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu has launched a new high-end model, the Meizu 15 Plus. And based on specs alone, the phone is well-worth a closer look for mobile photographers who are open to buying from a less established brand.
videoApr 23, 2018 at 15:32
Thanks to a low-res proxy version of the Insta360 Pro 8K footage, stitching times and computer processing requirements are reduced significantly when editing 360° footage from the six-lens system.
mobileApr 20, 2018 at 18:24
The update also comes with "post-scan cloud processing," which allows you to render 3D models with 4K resolution textures for better detail and realism.
Apr 19, 2018 at 19:11
For KFC Hong Kong’s latest ad campaign, New York City-based advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather used Photoshop to magically morph pieces of flaky fried chicken into fire and smoke in various scenes.
mobileApr 19, 2018 at 18:37
Under the agreement, the two companies will work together to develop Oppo's smartphone camera roadmap, covering optical zoom, depth mapping and other innovative imaging features that dual cameras allow.
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House of Fraser is set to close its Solihull department store as the retail giant continues to reduce the size of its estate.
The store on Mell Square will shut on 28 August.
This follows the recent news that House of Fraser will be closing its Guildford branch in September.
Since its rescue from administration in August 2018, House of Fraser’s store estate has declined by almost half from 59 to 31. The retailer had closed eight stores in first four months of 2023.
Frasers Group boss Michael Murray recently described the department store model as “broken”. He said that the historical store sizes of 150,000 sq ft or larger are now considered too large, leading to insufficient investment in the past. The group is now aiming for stores of around 50,000 sq ft or smaller.
The group is also switching its focus to other brands within the business such as Flannels and Sports Direct.
Last month, the company reported an increase in profits for the year ending April 30, with adjusted pre-tax profit reaching £478.1m, up from £339.8m the previous year. This performance fell within the forecast range of £450m to £500m.


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China’s Banking Sector Rebounds But Faces Challenges
When asked by a reporter from Caijing about the deterioration of asset quality, the heads of two small and medium banks from different regions gave contradicting answers. However, the two persons in charge are both cautious about the further emergence of adverse risks in the banking industry in the foreseeable future. Compared with other industries, the impact from the abrupt outbreak of COVID-19 on the banking industry this year has not immediately been shown. Still, industry experts understand that the delayed impact is just around the corner.
Commercial banks currently entrusted with the important task of supporting the real economy must reduce profit margins while resisting risks with non-performing assets. This will help deepen supply-side reforms in financial sector. It also assists China’s balance sheets to repair themselves. It is worth noting that regulators in the Chinese financial industry have noticed risks in time and issued warnings to the market on many occasions to remind institutions to prepare for the rebound of non-performing assets.
China is Fighting Against Massive Food Waste
Chinese government is becoming aware of the potential crisis of food shortage. Chinese leaders recently issued instructions, emphasizing the establishment of a long-term mechanism to resolutely restrain food waste. Later, CCTV criticized some of the online reality shows which are characteristic of waste of food. According to estimates, the amount of food wasted in China’s urban catering industry has come to astonishing scale.
China’s grain supply and demand have been in a tight balance for a long time. In terms of imports, under the impact of the pandemic and the East African locust plague, more than a dozen major agricultural countries announced restrictions on food exports. At the same time, southern part of the country was hit by wide-spread floods, and some farmlands had lost the majority of produce. The uncertainty of food supply has enormously increased and there is an urgent need for the country to save food.
Low-Speed Electric Vehicle, A Promising Market
China is facing a tricky problem: how to deal with the booming low-speed electric vehicle market? This kind of vehicle is priced from RMB10,000 to 30,000, and looks similar to a car. However, it has a shorter cruising range and slower speed than a normal car. This low-speed electric vehicle is becoming popular in China. But national standards of low-speed electric vehicle have not been released for a long time. This has resulted in low-speed electric vehicles not being able to obtain legal driving status.
Without any subsidies, low-speed electric vehicles have reached the scale of annual sales of one million. This has even exceeded the sales of electric cars which have been heavily subsidized by national policies. This is evolving into a proper sector with an output value of 100 billion yuan and has become a pillar industry for some local governments. Supporters believe that low-speed electric vehicles are products that meet market demand. Opponents denounce them as irregular and deformed developments tolerated by local governments. Affordable prices make it possible for the low-speed electric vehicles to be sold by the millions every year, despite their questionable safety.
Floods in South China Making Locals Suffer From Economic Losses
In the summer of 2020 Anhui, Jiangxi and other Chinese provinces suffered severe floods. These devastating disasters affected as many as 71 million people nationwide. After the floods, some people were trapped in debt, and some slipped back deeper into poverty. Keeping their heads above literal and economic deep waters has been a major challenge in the wake of the floods. Poverty lurks everywhere. Obviously, the old disaster relief mechanisms cannot solve these worsening problems.
Faced with such situations, both central and local governments will raise 100 billion yuan for post-disaster recovery and reconstruction work. At the same time, there will be a substantial amount social donations. These can help alleviate the economic losses.


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As identity fraud can have serious consequences on all areas of users’ lives, Claudius van der Meulen, SVP Entersekt Europe shares some ideas on how to overcome it.
Identity fraud is currently higher than ever, recent figures from fraud prevention organization Cifas revealed. In 2017, the organization recorded more than 300 000 cases of identity fraud in the UK alone. It is this worrying increase that formed the basis for the requirement in the revised payment services directive (PSD2) for strong consumer or two-factor authentication. Safety has now become the number one priority for many financial organizations, and if it isn’t, it should be.
Read more here.


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Remember the InPulse smartwatch? Looks like the crew behind that nifty little device learned a lot from their initial watch creation, and now they've hit Kickstarter with a new project called Pebble.
Pebble is basically an upgrade to InPulse, as it offers quite a few enhancements over its predecessor. It has a 144x168 e-ink display, Bluetooth, a vibrating motor, and three axis accelerometer; it's also fully compatible with Android and iOS.
It doesn't skimp on usefulness, either. Since it connects to your smartphone over Bluetooth, it can alert you of incoming calls, emails, and SMS/MMS messages; control most popular media players (like Pandora and Google Music), and has support for proprietary apps. Of course, even will all of its bells and whistles, Pebble is still a watch at its core - a watch with a seven-day battery life (thanks to its e-ink display, no doubt).


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Get ready for more restrictions to take effect Friday in Illinois.
On Thursday, the state reported 14,612 new cases of COVID-19 – the third largest single day of positive cases. Gov. JB Pritzker is hoping new rollbacks will impact the curve.
Pritzker said earlier this week that new statewide restrictions will go into effect on Friday; including tighter limits for retailers, and requiring museums, theaters, and casinos to close, though he stopped short of declaring a new stay-at-home order.
The governor said the new restrictions are based on a simple premise: “If you don’t need to do it, don’t.”
As CBS 2’s Jermont Terry reported, some people were hitting the casinos one last time Thursday night. As the clock ticked and Illinois prepared for the renewed restrictions, the some were greeted with a huge shock as they pulled into the parking lot at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines and found a lit sign reading, “Temporarily closed as of November 19 at 11:00 p.m.”
“And then upon pulling up is when I actually found out that they were going to be closed,” said Michael Rivera. “So I had to reread. I thought it was like something, oh, they just forgot to like fix an old post.”
Rivera was one of many who were either placing a bet or trying their luck one last time before the casinos shut down indefinitely – due to the surge of positive cases across the state.
“I thought they would be like the last ones, but it makes sense. I mean, it makes sense. If that’s what’s going on and that’s what’s needed, so be it,” Rivera said.
As casinos lock up for now, they join a list of businesses ordered to close, such as movie theaters and other entertainment spots.
“I been doing what I need to do to protect myself from it,” Rivera said.
Yet statewide, the positivity rate has hit record highs. Hospitalizations are already surpassing what we saw in the spring.
Under the new Tier 3 resurgence mitigations, retail businesses including big-box stores like Target and Walmart, will be limited to 25 percent of normal capacity, while traditional grocery stores and pharmacies will stay at 50 percent capacity.
Salons, barber shops, and other personal care services where clients and employees can wear masks the entire time can stay open at no more than 25 percent capacity. Services such as facials and beard trims, where people must remove their masks, must be suspended.
Casinos, museums, and theaters would be required to close altogether. Video gambling machines statewide also would have to shut down.
Gyms would be allowed to remain open, but group classes would be prohibited, leaving them only with the option for scheduled individual workouts.
Rivera has not been going to the gym.
“I haven’t,” he said. “I’ve just been doing like in-house stuff, things like that.”
Meanwhile, hotels are required to allow those staying to enter only, and yes, that Thanksgiving gathering should be fewer than 10 too.
Indoor dining and bar service have already been banned statewide for some time. Outdoor and ventilated tent service are still permitted.
And while many people might be experiencing COVID fatigue, you’re asked to remain positive, but test negative.


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Nov 30, 2021
Crypto Market Darknet
Into cryptographically obscured spaces on the darknet. The growing trade in narcotics being sold over Crypto-Drug Markets (CDMs) is causing academics. Today, there are more than 20 cryptomarketsselling illicit drugs, or more than 55 if single-vendor markets are included. You can just pay for your purchases on checkout as you would do on any regular e-commerce that accepts crypto payments. Simply search the market for your. Many police operations have targeted dark web markets, Monero is a fully anonymous cryptocurrency that cannot be tracked. US authorities have sanctioned cryptocurrency exchange Chatex, traced to illicit or high-risk activities such as darknet markets. Hydra accounts for over 75 of darknet market revenue worldwide in 2020, positioning it as a major player in the crypto crime landscape in. One of the more popular drug market, which allows anyone to buy all sorts of illegal substances over tor, surprised both AlphaBay users and.
You can just pay for your purchases on checkout as you would do on any regular e-commerce that accepts crypto payments. Simply search the market for your. Dash is closely trailing Litecoin with 20 percent of the market. Unexpectedly, Bitcoin Cash was the third most common cryptocurrency with 13. By SW Duxbury 2018 Cited by darkfox market 48 We collected our data by first identifying one of the largest Tor markets ('Cryptomarket') involved in drug sales. Darknet drug market Hydra operates relatively openly and has been around crypto market darknet is spending 700 million in cash to rename Staples. 10 votes, 23 comments. I literally don't have enough to spend on anything, even if I wanted to, but do any dark net markets/research.
Bitcoin remains the primary tool to exchange crypto to fiat (currency Darknet markets result in the sale of physical goods, such as drugs and weapons. Cash and cryptocurrency worth crypto market darknet million euros (31 million) and 234 Darknet markets are e-commerce sites designed to lie beyond the. A darknet is the place of origin for online darknet markets, which work as mediators Eastern Europe's sixth-largest crypto service is a darknet market. They function primarily as black markets, selling or brokering transactions involving drugs, cyber-arms, weapons, counterfeit currency, stolen credit card details, forged documents, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, steroids, and other illicit goods as well as the sale of legal products. Hydra became the top Russian darknet market in 2017, that allow users to swap crypto for gift cards, prepaid debit cards or even cash.
Is Cryptocurrency Still Used on Dark Web Marketplaces? the dark net market used an alternative payment system (Bitcoin!) and developed a well-structured. Darknet drug market Hydra operates relatively openly and has been around crypto market darknet is spending darkfox market darknet 700 million in cash to rename Staples. Today, there are more than 20 cryptomarkets selling illicit drugs, or more than 55 if single-vendor markets are included. Critics of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have long contended that 5 While the users of a Darknet site can use Tor6 and Virtual. Yellow Brick Market disappeared from the darknet just days after from the dark webalong with all of its users' cryptocurrency. Hydra accounts for over 75 of darknet market revenue worldwide in 2020, positioning it as a major player in the crypto crime landscape in. These darknet markets hauled in a record amount of revenue last year, with customers around the globe spending crypto market darknet billion in cryptocurrency.
Dark Web Black Market Technologies & Tools. Cold Storage: A secure offline wallet for your Bitcoins or other darkfox darknet market cryptocurrencies. Darknet entities are entities that operate via the darknet and offer illegal services or goods in exchange for (mainly) cryptocurrency. Other entity types are. Bitcoin remains the primary tool to exchange crypto to fiat (currency Darknet markets result in the sale of physical goods, such as drugs and weapons. Said its newest incarnation is being administered by the same person who currently operates Crypto Market, another dark web marketplace. Darknet drug market Hydra operates relatively openly and has been around crypto market darknet is spending 700 million in cash to rename Staples.
For reference, individual node metrics for the restricted network are given crypto market darknet in Appendix A. Objective: We aimed to profile the opioid supply chain in anonymous markets and forums via a large-scale, longitudinal measurement study on anonymous market listings and posts. London-registered partnership of two Dominican companies which have been linked to large-scale money-laundering scandals. Wall Street Market is now officially offline, and Dream Market halted trading weeks ago with its future unclear. JAMES DANIELS: Well, again, it depends upon what they're buying and selling. Open source refers to the public availability of computer software source code under a license that the copyright holder grants users the right to use, analyze, modify, and distribute to anyone, at any time, for any purpose. Damian Borth, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at the University crypto market darknet of St. After Dream shut down in 2019 following a sustained period of unstoppable denial-of-service attacks, he signed a message promising to relaunch at a later date and published the onion address they would use for their rebranding; although many unofficial scam markets popped up claiming to be the official Dream partner market, that URL was never made active, and people began to suspect it was simply another of SpeedStepper’s famous red herrings to allow him to slip away safely.
The Coinbase darkc0de cryptocurrency exchange app pictured on the screen of an iPhone on February 12, 2018. Ungefuk said Wall Street Market was at least the second biggest, refusing to name others for fear of jeopardizing other investigations. At least 10,000 addresses of Hansa buyers were forwarded to Europol as a result.
Distributed by Maddie, LLC.


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Business & Finance
Fresh Chinese data showing strong capital inflows and a jump in interest rates on central bank debt illustrated continued pressure on the government to keep fighting inflation with tightening measures.
CCTV accused Baidu of letting fraudulent pharmaceutical companies get around ad requirements meant to protect consumers. The accusation was the latest attack by the state broadcaster against the Chinese Internet search giant.
Wal-Mart Stores is losing its reputation for offering consumers the lowest prices, complicating efforts to end a two-year sales slump in the U.S. It reported a 5.7% rise in profit despite another drop in U.S. same-store sales.
Delhi police jailed an anticorruption advocate after earlier preventing him from going on a public hunger strike to demand the government create an even-more-powerful ombudsman than envisioned in a bill before Parliament.
China said security forces launched a two-month "strike hard" crackdown against violence, terrorism and radical Islam in the restive western region of Xinjiang.
Yemen's President Saleh said he will return soon from Saudi Arabia and renewed his calls for early presidential elections.


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CDPR announced that the global sales of “The Witcher 3” exceeded 50 million copies
CD Projekt Red (CDPR) has heralded that global sales of “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” have shattered the 50 million mark, while the total sales of the entire “The Witcher” series have exceeded a staggering 75 million. Last April, CD Projekt Red reported global sales of “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” reaching 40 million. This implies that an additional 10 million copies were sold in the past year, an extraordinary achievement for a game with an eight-year legacy.
These are indeed impressive figures, both for “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” and the entire “The Witcher” series. CD Projekt Red launched the next-gen version of “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” on December 14 last year, for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC platforms, which significantly bolstered the game’s sales.
The PC next-gen version of “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” supports multiple ray-tracing effects, including RTX Global Illumination (RTXGI), introducing more immersive and realistic outdoor ray-tracing effects; ray-traced ambient occlusion, improving shadows around objects blocking light; ray-traced shadows, delivering more realistic and clearer shadows; and ray-traced reflections, enhancing the accuracy and quality of reflections on water bodies and other suitable reflective surfaces.
CD Projekt Red also unveiled plans to disclose information about the latest “Cyberpunk 2077” DLC, “Phantom Liberty,” at the upcoming Summer Games Fest. As the development of this DLC draws to a close, CD Projekt Red will reallocate more developers to the production of the new “The Witcher” series game. At present, the proportion of developers involved in the new “The Witcher” series project, code-named “Polaris,” has surged from 10% to 20%.


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LaCrosse drops END Footwear brand
Citing the difficulty of launching new footwear brands in the current economy, LaCrosse Footwear Inc. on Friday said it will discontinue the recently-acquired END Footwear as a standalone brand.
Instead, Portland-based LaCrosse (NASDAQ: BOOT) will incorporate END’s lightweight designs into its more established LaCrosse and Danner branded production lines and distribution channels starting in fall 2010.
“Basically, the challenges in the current economic environment to start a new brand and new channel are just very steep,” said David Carlson, LaCrosse’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. “We like the technology, we like the innovation, and we think we can do a better job of getting it launched under the Danner brand.”
END — which stands for Environmentally Neutral Design — was launched in 2007 by Ben Finklea and award-winning footwear designer Andrew Estey, the former global design director for sport culture at Nike Inc. It produced outdoor footwear designed to be both lightweight and environmentally friendly.
The company started with a wave of success, winning $250,000 in seed money last year in the Angel Oregon competition and raising more than $1 million to launch the brand.
Selling first to select Internet retailers starting last August, the company branched out to retail stores in January and quickly spread to 100 stores across the United States, Canada and Japan.
LaCrosse acquired END for $500,000 in June in a deal that gave the startup access to the resources of a $128 million footwear company while helping LaCrosse — which focuses mostly on boots for the work and outdoor markets — branch out into new territory.
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US: Boston Beer Co could feel effects of drinkers trading down - analyst
Boston Beer Co says it does not want to be drawn into a price war
Beer drinkers trading down to less expensive brands and the dollar/euro exchange rate could affect Boston Beer Company's future earnings, according to an analyst.
The Samuel Adams brewer announced an 11% drop in YTD profits to US$42.6m last week, despite a 15% jump in sales. It pointed to an increased spend on advertising and the recruitment of new sales staff for the fall in earnings.
In a conference call, the group's chairman Jim Koch admitted its price increases had been higher than other brands, but said the company has no “desire” to compete at the lower end of the market.
Analyst Caroline Levy from CLSA said Boston's volume momentum is “strong” and its investments are “positive”. But based on the brewer's performance, CLSA lowered its FY target price from $130 to $120.
Levy said in a note: “About 99%-plus of Boston Beer's EBIT is generated in the US. If US consumers traded down to less expensive beer alternatives, there could be an adverse effect on sales growth and earnings.”
Another risk was the fact the brewer sources “several key ingredients, including hops” from Europe, she said. “If the euro strengthened significantly against the dollar, there could be an adverse effect on earnings,” she added.
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FNB's eBucks has reached a major milestone by giving
customers R2bn in rewards in the past 12 years, according to a report.
In 2011 a total of R500m was awarded to customers,
eBucks is a rewards programme offered by FNB and RMB Private
Bank that boasts 2.7 million members.
"Last year we awarded R500m in eBucks - it's an
incredible figure to give back to customers. The total we spend on marketing in
less than that - R400m last year. The amount we give back to customers exceeds
what we spend on marketing," FNB CEO Michael Jordaan was quoted as saying.
“This R2bn spend milestone shows that our members find the
programme relevant and valuable,” said eBucks CEO Jolandé Duvenage.
eBucks remains a key element of FNB’s growth strategy and
its bid to retain core transactional accounts by offering value to its
According to the report, consumers spent eBucks on everyday
necessities such as groceries, medicine, airtime and fuel.
Jordaan added: "Eventually we'd like to see eBucks as
our rewards programme in every country in which we operate - across eight
African countries," Jordaan said.


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Sergey Brin makes a couple of comments about Google and web browsers.
"There has been much speculation. But our work is focussed on improving the browsing experience," Google co-Founder and President (Technology) Sergey Brin told reporters here...Today's browsers are doing a pretty good job, but they can be improved. What we are looking to do is to enhance the quality of the browsing experience," he said.
Brin's comments appear on the DeepikaGlobal web site in the article: Google working on improving browser tech: Co-founder.
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Ford and Mahindra to co-develop midsize SUV for India and emerging markets
Ford Motor and Mahindra agreed to co-develop a midsize SUV for India and emerging markets in an effort to sustain profitability in the world’s third-biggest car market.
The new SUV will have a common Mahindra product platform and powertrain, helping to reduce product development costs and gain economies of scale, Mahindra and Ford said in a joined statement.
The agreement signed by the two carmakers reinforces progress they have made since announcing a strategic alliance in September 2017 and powertrain-sharing and connected-car solutions a year later.
The two companies set up a factory near Chennai and started making the Escort sedan. While models including the Ikon, Fusion, Fiesta and Figo followed.


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Free to participate in and focused on local produce, can Savour be a saviour for restaurants under strain this autumn? It’s a good start, says Simon Soar of the Jersey Hospitality Association.
“We’re grateful to be seeing an awful lot of support from local diners. There is an appetite for dining out and that’s a huge relief for the hospitality industry.
“What we are concerned about, however, is what the Christmas season will hold. Usually, Christmas is about large bookings, big tables, lots of covers and a lot of business. Capacity is now an issue. Big tables of people is not something we can do anymore.
“Understanding the challenges ahead, the Savour festival is a way of trying to keep people in restaurants through the shoulder season, but without participating restaurants having to offer heavy discounts.
“I’ve spoken before about the value of a product and how there’s a culture of people expecting more for less. Now, more than ever, there has to be a recognition that things don’t come for free, and people must be willing to pay for quality.
“Participating restaurants will be offering a fixed price menu, which doesn’t force them to operate at a loss, which is often the problem with something like Tennerfest; you have to pay to take part and you’re expected to offer food at an unrealistic price. With everything the hospitality industry has been through this year, that’s not a very attractive proposition.
“As a concept, Savour offers quality without compromise and we hope that it will continue the momentum for supporting local producers and local businesses that we saw build through lockdown. Encouraging islanders to support local businesses is good for Jersey as a whole.”


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Los Angeles: The year 2014 was really a bad year for mobile devices as they faced a lot of security issues. More than 16 million mobile devices were hit by malware representing the spike of 25% every year. Highly complex threats such as NotCompatible and Heartbleed came into the fore last year. With that in mind, people think that organizations will be more attentive on their app security.
But according to a new data released by Ponemon institute, half of the companies which were there in the poll have dedicated no budget for securing their mobile applications. It actually comes despite an average of $34 million funds being released every year for the mobile companies to spend on their app development. Report says that, the companies are devoting lesser than the amount you spend to purchase an emoticon package for your phone.
Few companies test just half of the apps they develop
The report also sheds light on app testing; app testing is getting worse day by day. It says that 33% of the companies are not at all testing their applications. Also, 40% of the companies are not scanning the code for security vulnerabilities in the app. So, on an average, a company tests just half of the apps built by it.
Investment is lesser than the amount invested on pet costumes
On the whole just $1.8 million is being spent on mobile app security every year. But if we see the amount spent on pet costumes last year, it has crossed $330 million. Sales directors described the research and said it’s something to be concerned about. They feel that it’s too disturbing to see such a minimal investment being allocated for mobile app security by several major companies.
Enterprises aren’t taking the reports seriously
In spite of knowing the strategic importance of mobile computing platform and mobile applications, it’s a clear misalignment of resource allocation for mobile security. This is not the first report shedding lights on the vulnerabilities of mobile applications. Earlier in February, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) had also argued on app testing for vulnerabilities.
Secure your apps before the attackers exploit its vulnerabilities
Ponemon institute argues that the issue facing organizations clearly show their lack of experience; nearly three quarters (75%) of the respondents were cited lack of understanding and also the training from their developers on secure coding practices. It’s better to build good security into the apps in the beginning only rather than doing it after cyber criminals exploiting the vulnerabilities of the app.
Are you in search of a top-tier enterprise to outsource mobile app development in Los Angeles? Stop your search right here and get along with us! Fortune Innovations is one of the illustrious mobile development companies in Los Angeles having extensive experience in the field. You can also hire zealous mobile developers who have a thorough understanding on the latest trends and development methodologies. Do get in touch with us today and make the best use of our mobile app development services.


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KFC Canada and PETA reach agreement
Peta has announced a major victory for the
organisation - following 5 years of pressure, fast-food chain KFC in Canada is
to "give in to their demands". Consequently, PETA will end its Kentucky Fried
"Following months of closed-door negotiations between PETA and KFC Canada,
we are thrilled to announce that KFC Canada has agreed to a historic new animal
welfare plan that will dramatically improve the lives and deaths of millions of
chickens killed for KFC Canada," said the organisation.
The company will take the following actions:
â€¢ Phase in purchases
of 100% of its chickens from suppliers that use controlled-atmosphere killing
(CAK). KFC Canada is the first major restaurant chain to commit to phasing in
the exclusive purchasing of chicken meat from CAK slaughterhouses.
a vegan faux-chicken item to the menu of all 461 Priszm-owned KFC restaurants
(more than half of all the KFCs in Canada).
â€¢ Improve its animal
welfare audit criteria to reduce the number of broken bones and other injuries
suffered by birds.
â€¢ Urge its suppliers to adopt better practices,
including improved lighting, lower stocking density and ammonia levels, and a
phase-out of growth-promoting drugs and breeding practices that cripple
â€¢ Form an animal welfare advisory panel to monitor the changes
and recommend further advancements.
"It's going to drastically reduce the suffering of chickens in
slaughterhouses and also . . . improve the living conditions for animals while
they're on the farm," said PETA's assistant director of corporate affairs, Matt
KFC Canada President Steve Langford: "It will be nice to put this behind
usâ€¦ Our preference is to have nothing negative attached to our brandâ€¦ Once I got
involved and we actually met face to face, we found out that we had no
differences of opinion about how animals should be treated."
PETA's campaign, which garnered international attention, has included more
than 12,000 protests at KFC restaurants and outside the homes of company senior
The boycott will continue in other countries where KFC has restaurants,
including the US, until they follow KFC Canada's lead.
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Noida: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. on Wednesday announced an investment of INR 4,915 crore in India to add fresh capacity at its Noida plant, where it manufactures smartphones, refrigerators and flat panel televisions.
The expansion of the plant on an additional 35 acres of land adjacent to the current facility will double the production capacity of both mobile phones and refrigerators. The investment proposal was recently approved by the Uttar Pradesh government under its Mega Policy.
The investment indicates Samsung’s commitment to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Make for India’ and to the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Noida plant is the Company’s first of two manufacturing units in India and was set up in 1996.
A ceremony and traditional puja was held at the new site today in the presence of Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister for IT and Law & Justice, Satish Mahana, Minister of Infrastructure & Industrial Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, senior officials of Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
JK Shin, CEO, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Mr. HC Hong, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia were present along with other dignitaries.
Samsung’s Noida plant started with the manufacture of televisions in 1997. The current mobile phone manufacturing unit was added in 2005.
The expansion of the plant will act as a catalyst for the development of electronics manufacturing ecosystem and is expected to generate thousands of new jobs, both direct and indirect, across the country.
HC Hong, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, said, “This new investment of INR 4,915 crore is a testament to our continuing commitment to ‘Make in India’ and to Uttar Pradesh, which has been our partner right from the day Samsung’s journey in India began. Steadfast support from the state and local authorities in Noida has helped make our vision of ‘Make for India’ a reality. Today, on the back of the Digital India movement led by millions of young Indians, we are witnessing a rise in adoption of electronic devices, smart appliances and mobile phones. A bigger manufacturing plant will help us cater to the growing demand for Samsung products across the country.”


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Psyonix, the indie development team behind the most successful battle-cars soccer-esque game Rocket League, has announced recently that the two popular vehicles from their original Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket Powered Battle-Cars (SARPBC), which was released on the PS3, will return as a “premium DLC” on Rocket League for all platforms the game was released on.
We have also reviewed Rocket League, you can read our full review here. It’s a 9.5/10!
The classic SARPBC cars, Aftershock and Marauder, will retain their original thematic styles but also sport a new, more modern visual look. Both vehicles also will come with six gorgeous Decals immediately unlocked.
Check the DLC trailer of the two popular battle-cars from SARPBC:
Aftershock and Marauder will first be available as a timed exclusive in the Rocket League® Collection’s Edition retail release on June 24 (Europe) and July 5 (North America), followed by a worldwide digital release July 18. Both cars will be purchasable as individual DLC items for USD $1.99 each or regional equivalent.


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Cyber Monday means Kenosha Amazon center will be busy
As Cyber Monday winds down, one of Wisconsin's newest online retail locations is heating up.
"It's our biggest day of the year," said Tom Cook, with Amazon. The company's Kenosha Fulfillment Center is experiencing its first Cyber Monday, but general manager Brian Urkiel said employees are ready.
"Last year, customers ordered over 43 million items for a record-breaking 500 items per second," he said. "We expect this year to be an even bigger Cyber Monday."
Amazon added seasonal help to their year-round staff of 2,000 employees to meet the demand. The Kenosha facility, which has 11 miles of conveyor belts, takes the space of 59 football fields.
Amazon officials said their Black Friday sales topped 2014's numbers, which is why they expect Monday sales to also exceed 2014.


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Acquiring proper equipment is one of the most effective ways for communities to prepare for emergencies, though purchasing the handiest items is not always convenient. A new store, Homestand Preparation Station, recently began selling supplies to help Oklahoma residents get ready for disasters, according to The Oklahoman.
The shop, located in Oklahoma City, is stocked with a diverse array of tools and gadgets for surviving crisis scenarios, such as first-aid kits, emergency radios and devices that can charge cell phone batteries using boiling water. Customers can also purchase fire-starter kits, emergency lights powered by solar energy and equipment for storing and purifying water.
"You can buy a lot of these products at different stores, but we wanted to be a one-stop shop for everything you need to ready yourself and your home," said Scott Harper, general manager at Homestand Preparation Station.
In addition to a variety of emergency preparedness products, the store will also offer courses to help community members build survival skills.
A number of local investors started the business after a series of tornadoes struck Oklahoma in May 2013.
Well-equipped citizens may find it easier to get through crisis situations, but officials can further improve preparedness by implementing emergency alert systems, such as Omnilert.


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Rumors of Microsoft Office soon to be available for the iPad (and other products using iOS) and Android tablets are not completely new, but now USENET newsgroups are citing a source in claiming a November release for the new Office suite.
USENET newsgroups also suggests that Office could be available on the iPhone and iPod Touch, noting that leaked pictures of the loading screen appear to say, ‘Office for iOS’ rather than mentioning the iPad specifically. In February, a newsgroup post released a leaked screen shot that appears to show the Office loading screen on an iPad, and newsgroup source noted that the screenshot he/she saw is nearly identical to the leaked image from the other USENET newsgroup postings. Microsoft wrote off the authenticity of the leaked image at the time.
The release of the popular Office suite for iOS and Android tablets further places tablets as the future of personal computing in some minds. The use of detachable keyboards and mice would seemingly making using Office products on tablets conceivable and convenient.
The rumored release of the new Office suite for iOS and Android will surely generate buzz in tech newsgroups throughout Usenet, which has traditionally been a hotbed for new tech rumors and developments.


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Two farmers and a priest walk into a bar and … oh wait, is that how the joke goes? Springfield’s Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) is hatching Sprout!, which is no joke — it’s a food hub that will be housed in the former First Christian Church on 4th and A streets.
NEDCO Assistant Director Sarai Johnson says the hub will have three main components: a year-round farmers market, a central kitchen that can accommodate up to five businesses at once, and an expansion of NEDCO’s Hatch business incubator program.
“All of those things intertwine amazingly well,” Johnson says, because small businesses can access technical and business assistance in their own marketplace.
Right now, the project is in its design and development phase, but NEDCO plans to open the farmers market in October.
Sprout!’s first-ever “Stalk-holder Celebration” will be from 1 to 4 pm Saturday, March 10, at 418 A St., Springfield; $5 suggested donation.


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Italian fashion house Armani pledged Wednesday to ban angora wool from its collections starting with the fall/winter 2022/2023 season, extending the list of banned materials as part of its animal welfare policy. “I am pleased to announce” the removal “of angora wool from all the group’s collections” as a sign of its commitment to “the protection of nature,” designer Giorgio Armani said in a statement.
The animal rights organization Peta had called since 2013 for a boycott of products made from angora rabbit fur, accusing video to support the Chinese farms of plucking the hair on the living animals. According to Peta, 90% of the world’s angora fur comes from China. Angora wool is known for its silky and light texture. Giorgio Armani had announced in 2016 to renounce all forms of animal fur in its collections, assuring that there were now valid alternatives to these “cruel practices.”


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1. Makers of processed food, soda and fast food see markets in the developing world as their greatest growth opportunities. At the same time, obesity rates and weight-related illnesses are on the rise in developing countries. An ongoing series of articles examined the interaction of these two trends, starting with cases in Brazil, Ghana and Colombia. Taken together, these stories reveal “a new global food order, and a new health crisis.”
4. "There are 1,400 individuals who are involved in the departures for jihad,for terrorism, in Syria and in Iraq," Valls told BFMTV.
5. Online sales contributed 82.6 percent of sales. Online sales have prompted traditional stores, including 13 of Beijing's 77 "time-honored brands" from snack stores to shoes sellers, to move their goods online.
西西软件园 Whedon had always loved the seemingly separate ideas of sci-fi and westerns, and through The Killer Angels, he saw a way to combine them. "I wanted to play with that classic notion of the frontier," he said. "Not the people who made history, but the people history stepped on—the people for whom every act is the creation of civilization." And Whedon decided to set the frontier on a spaceship: a ship named Serenity.


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PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With his experience acquired as general manager of sales of Ancilia anti-radiation iPhone cases, using a patented electromagnetic wave protection technology with the support of the CNRS, the IETR and the University of Nantes, Xavier Eyrolles, President de Locapresse, is proud to announce the launch of a range of radiation protection films that can be adapted to all models of smartphones and tablets on the market.
This ultra-thin protective film (70 microns) protects the user from electromagnetic waves while maintaining optimal call quality. This innovative film also protects screens from blue rays, one of the main causes of eyestrain, UV rays and water splashes, while maintaining all tactile functions.
Unlike the anti-wave folio cases which must remain closed to be effective and can only be applied to mobile phones, the Wave Screen Shield film allows this technology to be applied to tablets, also offering an ideal protection for children, knowing that 3-year-olds spend an average of 3.6 hours a day in front of a screen, while it is children who absorb the most radiation.
For Xavier Eyrolles, the report on the potential risks of exposure to radiation emitted by our mobile phones is alarming.
“Many international scientific studies demonstrate the potential risks of electromagnetic waves on human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) itself officially recommends precautions such as hands-free devices to minimize exposure to radiation from the phone. And yet with the development of new technologies, including high-speed internet for smartphones, and the arrival of 5G, a technology on which we have no scientific data in terms of impact on health, exposure to waves electromagnetic continues to increase. We absolutely must adopt the precautionary principle,” he underlines.
The Research & Development phase on this innovative technology having resulted in high-performance prototypes which are certified REACH RoHS – NF EN410, Locapresse can now enter the pre-production phase in order to quickly confirm international certification, manufacturing and distribution of the Wave Screen Shield protective films for around fifty models within the year 2020.


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Londoners will soon be able to benefit from fast, free public WiFi and a host of other free services while out and about…..
Hundreds of ultramodern kiosks (Links) which will offer free phone calls and a range of other no-cost digital services, will be rolled out to major high streets across the capital as part of a partnership between BT, the tech company behind a similar project in New York and UK outdoor advertising company Primesight.
Users within range of a Link will be able to access free ultra fast WiFi with speeds of up to 1Gbps – the fastest free public WiFi service available.
Other services will include free UK landline and mobile phone calls, two USB charging ports and access to maps, directions and local services through a touchscreen tablet.
The cost of providing these services is covered by advertising revenue from the two digital displays on each Link, and BT intends to allocate five per cent of airtime to local good causes.
At least 750 Links will be installed across London and in other major cities over the next few years, with many replacing BT phone boxes. BT will work with local councils and communities to determine the best locations.
Rajesh Agrawal, London’s Deputy Mayor for Business, said:
I welcome this exciting new addition to London’s streets. Expanding London’s digital infrastructure is a priority for the Mayor, and LinkUK can play a big part in improving connectivity for Londoners and visitors to our city, while reducing street clutter by upgrading and reducing the number of phone boxes. London is already widely regarded as one of the technological capitals of the world but the Mayor is determined to improve connectivity across the city to ensure we maintain that position.
The new Links also contain sensors, which can capture real-time data from the local environment such as air and noise pollution, outdoor temperature and traffic conditions. This could potentially be used to introduce new smart services as part of the Internet of Things.
Gerry McQuade, CEO, BT Wholesale and Ventures, said:
We’re evolving the phone box to make it relevant in the 21st century by offering people ultra fast Wi-Fi and a range of digital and information services entirely for free. London is one of the greatest cities in the world and it’s entirely fitting that it becomes the first UK city to benefit from the Links. But we will be rolling out many more Links to the other great cities across the UK over the coming months as we look to transform the look and functionality of our public payphones.
London is second only to New York in welcoming Links to its streets, which were first installed in January last year as part of LinkNYC and we can’t wait to see them!


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Global stationery heavyweight Maped Helix has been shortlisted for prestigious awards for two of its innovative creations.
The company’s hugely popular Jungle Innovation and Kidy’Board are both in the running for accolades at the 2015 Education Resource Awards.
Both have been shortlisted in the Primary Non-ICT awards category, which will be announced on March 20 as part of the Education Show 2015.
World-famous Maped Helix will be showcasing its enviable range of innovative educational stationery products on Stand D49-C50 during the three-day show, which will be staged at Birmingham NEC from March 19-21.
Maped’s Kidy’Board – the first transparent writing board created as an educational tool – has been shortlisted for an award after proving a huge hit with youngsters, parents and teachers alike. Its flexible design means that it is unbreakable and the exclusive manufacturing process used to make it means that all scribbles can be wiped away without a trace time and time again.
Created in collaboration with teachers, the unique Kidy’Board is made with the educational needs of children in mind and comes with downloadable activity sheets that are secured behind the transparent screen to aid writing and drawing.
Maped’s Jungle Innovation is no stranger to the awards scene having already bagged two top accolades at the 2014 National Stationery Awards. The innovative felt tip pens won the children’s stationery category as well as a special innovation award.
With a patented design that sees the felt tip lids integrated into the soft base, no caps will ever be lost again! Its clever design means it is compact enough to fit into a pencil case before blossoming out into a colourful palm tree of refillable Color’Peps felt tips.
The stationery giant will also be showcasing its latest educational product at the Education Show – its unique Bunny Innovation. The bunny’s teeth nibble away on pencils and leave them perfectly sharpened! Available in a range of bright colours, Bunny Innovation is already proving a huge hit by teaching youngsters how to sharpen pencils correctly by turning them clockwise with the reward of the bunny’s teeth moving up and down eating away the pencil.
Adrian Ellis, general manager at Maped Helix, said: “We are incredibly proud of our ever-expanding range of educational products that really inject fun into learning and we look forward to showcasing these products to thousands more teachers and education professional’s at this year’s Education Show.
“It is wonderful news that our immensely popular Jungle Innovation and Kidy’Board have been shortlisted for awards. Both products have been a huge success because of their unique designs that children absolutely love. Maped Helix is dedicated to creating top quality products that inspire youngsters and we are delighted that Jungle Innovation and Kidy’Board are being recognised in this way.”
For images and more information, contact Katharine@smallmanmedia.com or call 01902 587001.


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Target Increasing its Minimum Wage
Target is increasing its minimum wage from $12 to $13 per hour starting in June as it vies to attract workers away from other retailers in a tight labor market.
The company previously shared in 2017 they hope to raise their minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020.
According to Reuters, the Minneapolis-based retailer employs over 300,000 workers and operates 1,845 stores across the United States.
Reuters are reporting retailers are increasingly finding it difficult to attract workers, with U.S. unemployment at its lowest in 50 years.


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US-based sports nutrition brand Myprotein is launching into the grocery sector via a listing at Co-op UK. The first three SKUs to hit grocery shelves have an RRP of £2.50.
Myprotein’s six-layer bar, in ‘birthday cake' flavour, is regarded the brand’s ‘most indulgent’ protein bar. It contains 20g protein and is designed to provide ‘guilt-free’ snacking to support fitness ambitions.
The ‘carb crusher’ triple-layered protein bar is topped with crispies and coated in chocolate. Each bar contains 23g protein as well as magnesium and zinc.
The Double Chocolate and Caramel Filled Protein Cookie contains 20g protein and less than 1g sugar. It has a ‘gooey caramel centre’ and contains chocolate chips in a rich dough.
According to founder and CEO of parent company The Hut Group Matthew Moulding, the time is ripe to launch protein bars into the conventional retail sector.
“The Sports & Nutrition category has experienced considerable growth over the past three years as high protein bars and snacks have diversified beyond its core audience. As we see a shift in consumer attitudes towards protein and a bigger focus on lifestyle choices, sports and nutrition has become less niche and now appeals to more mainstream shoppers.
“This change in consumer behaviour is something we have seen through our online audience and the demand for our bars and snacks in an easily accessible on-the-go format is in higher demand than ever as people see them playing a role as a healthy alternative to traditional confectionery.
Launching into retail presents the perfect opportunity to cater to those consumer demands and move beyond that to a broader audience.”


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Aditya Birla Money MyUniverse launches Maxit mobile app
Aditya Birla Money MyUniverse, a personal finance platform, today said it has launched a mobile app to help customers maximise their savings. Maxit mobile app is now available free for download on Android and will be available very soon on the iOS. It is an app that curates offers based on ones location, spends & personal preferences, to give one the right offers at the right place, at exactly the right time. ******** Auto component maker ICM forms JV with Japanese firm * City-based high precision automotive components makers, Integral Component Manufacturers (ICM) today formed a joint venture with Japan-based Nishikura Seiko Company Ltd to serve auto companies. ICM and Nishikura Seiko Company holds 40 per cent stake each in the JV Indo Nippon Precision Components to serve the auto component manufacturing companies. ********** Kutchina planning to expand biz in tier II and III cities * Kitchen appliance maker Kutchina is eyeing to tap the tier II and tier III cities to expand its business. The company has registered a growth of about 35 per cent year-on-year and has emerged as the leading brand in kitchen appliances industry in West Bengal and north eastern states, company officials said today. Kutchina, they told newsmen, is now targeting to tap markets in tier II and III cities to expand its base. PTI KD VIJ BS PRB ABD MKJ
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
Click here for IndiaToday.in’s complete coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.


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The newly built CONTERA Park Ostrava D1 in Hrušov will be partially robotized
Ostrava’s Hrušov district is becoming a magnet for investors. Besides GLP, which began building its logistics park in October on the site of a former chemical plant, work on another logistics centre was already launched in February 2021. The centre is being built on a former brownfield site by the Czech/Slovak developer CONTERA, and it will be one of the largest and most modern logistics facilities in the Czech Republic. The sports equipment retailer Sportisimo will be relocating its distribution centre to the new complex.
CONTERA Park Ostrava D1, whose name refers to the D1 motorway that passes by the site, will be completed in 2023, and according to representatives of the company, all the work is proceeding according to the schedule. The roofs are already complete, as are the industrial floors and the technical infrastructure systems built into the ceilings. Another key phase is now fully underway – the installation of technical equipment.
The largest building at the park (90 000 m2) will be occupied by Sportisimo. It will boast state-of-the-art equipment: the “high bay” section of the building will use robotized systems instead of human workers. Using sophisticated software, goods will be transported from the pick tower (where goods are selected and prepared for dispatch) along 6 kilometres of conveyers. The high bay will be 23 metres tall, making it unique among logistics facilities in the Czech Republic. The pick tower (with five levels) will offer a comfortable working environment thanks to its A/C system and the glazed façade which will let in plenty of natural light.
Besides Sportisimo, CONTERA Park Ostrava D1 will also be home to AT Computers, Plzeňský Prazdroj and VAS Solutions. The park will create over 1 300 new jobs. Contera plans to build halls for warehousing and light industrial production, as well as flexispace buildings, which combine warehouse space with office/commercial premises. The company already runs two other logistics centres in the region: CONTERA Park Mošnov and CONTERA Park Ostrava City, and this year it launched construction work on the Organica smart office building at Nová Karolina in Ostrava’s city centre.


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KUALA LUMPUR (July 14): Japanese retailer AEON BiG (M) Sdn Bhd’s headquarters in Subang Jaya, Selangor has been sealed in accordance with a writ of seizure and sale obtained by the court bailiff against AEON BiG for failing to settle a judgment sum of over RM140 million.
The action was taken by Mega Continental Sdn Bhd, a unit of Penang-based Belleview Group. Sources said AEON BiG owns the premises in Subang Jaya.
A representative from Belleview said the process of sealing the premise perimeter took place from 11.30am to 12.30pm today.
It is understood that the suit was initiated after AEON BiG vacated the store in Alor Setar, Kedah ahead of the expiry of its lease. While details about the dispute are sketchy, Mega Continental is understood to be the owner of the Alor Star store. It is also understood that the parties were in talks to settle the matter at the time of writing.
Last month, The Edge reported that the store’s last day of operation was on June 10. The publication also wrote that the management of AEON Co Ltd’s retail units — AEON Co (M) Bhd and AEON BiG — were being restructured and consolidated into a single organisation as part of a 10-year strategy to create an agile, resilient and intrapreneurial retail organisation.
This management reorganisation would involve the loss-making AEON BiG relocating its offices from Subang Jaya to AEON Co’s headquarters at Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur.
Japan’s AEON Co Ltd owns 51% of Bursa-listed AEON Co and 95.49% of AEON BiG. The remaining 4.51% in AEON BiG is held by AEON South East Asia Sdn Bhd. AEON Co mainly operates department stores, while AEON BiG operates hypermarkets.
According to its FY18 financials — the latest data available — AEON BiG posted a net loss of RM54.6 million on a revenue of RM1.68 billion. It had total liabilities of RM1.06 billion and retained losses of RM561.5 million against total assets of RM1.1 billion.
Today, 21 AEON BiG stores are still operating. A 22nd store, at Jaya One, is yet to open. A quick call to AEON BiG’s careline revealed that the Subang Jaya Store will “be closed for maintenance from today, until further notice”.
It should be noted that on July 9, AEON Co said its managing director Shafie Shamsuddin and deputy managing director Hiroyuki Kotera have been appointed as managing director and deputy managing director of AEON BiG, effective July 7.
In 2012, AEON CO Ltd purchased the ailing Malaysian chain of French retailer Carrefour, comprising 26 stores, for an enterprise value (value of debt in the business minus cash in the business) of €250 million. Magnificient Diagraph Sdn Bhd, which held Carrefour, was later renamed AEON BiG.
Incidentally, Shafie worked with the Carrefour group for 17 years — from 1996 to 2013. He was the CEO of Carrefour Malaysia from February 2006 to June 2009.


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T-Mobile backs new mobile broadband technology like netbooks, their Share Dock device and the ‘memory dongle’. T-Mobile makes the hardware an important part of their mobile broadband service. Read T-Mobile mobile broadband news stories for the latest T-Mobile broadband developments:
I love Virgin Media.
Amen to that
I'm surprised TalkTalk won an award lol, they're a laughable ISP =D


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SMBs lie at the heart of PayPal. It has been enabling small business owners to expand and grow their business by supporting them with smart solutions which not only take care of their needs today, but tomorrow as well.
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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : Nothing Much
Mains level : Scope of African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) for India
Note- Op-ed of the day is the most important editorial of the day. Aspirants should try to cover at least this editorial on a daily basis to have command over most important issues in news. It will help in enhancing and enriching the content in mains answers. Please do not miss at any cost.
The 12th Extra-Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) which concluded on July 8 at Niamey, the capital of the Niger Republic, saw 54 of 55 of its member states signing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) for goods and services. If taken to its logical conclusion, this audacious project would eventually create an African Common Market of 1.2 billion people and a GDP of over $3.4 billion — the metrics are comparable to India’s. The AfCFTA would be world’s largest FTA, and in a world dependent on African markets and commodities, it would have global impact.
However, there are three main reasons to be sceptical about the viability of the AfCFTA.
- Largely ineffective
- First, the African Union (founded as the Organisation of African Unity in 1963) has been largely ineffective in dealing with the continent’s myriad problems such as decolonisation, underdevelopment, Islamic terrorism and the Arab Spring.
- The AU’s grand plans, including the Muammar Qadhafi-funded Africa Unity project, have been spectacular flops.
- It is, therefore, natural to take the AfCFTA, the AU’s most ambitious project so far, with a ladleful of salt.
2. Weak Economies
- Second, serious political, organisational and logistical challenges to the AfCFTA notwithstanding, the national economies in Africa are generally weak with a low manufacturing base.
- They also lack competitiveness and mutual complementarity.
- Only a sixth of Africa’s current total trade is within the continent.
3. Countercyclical to the global trends
- Third, the AfCFTA seems to be countercyclical to the ongoing global protectionist trends as seen in the U.S.-China trade conflict, Brexit and the stalemates at the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
- World trade is likely to grow only by 2.6% in 2019, a quarter of last year’s figure.
- Commodity prices are stagnant and globalisation is often being reversed.
Reasons for optimism
- Collective self-reliance – Given the strong global headwinds including a cooling Chinese ardour for Africa, greater collective self-reliance through African economic integration makes eminent sense.
- Regional economic blocks – Further, the AfCFTA can build upon the experience of the continent’s five regional economic blocks.
- Extensive road map – While the AU Commission is not famous for efficient planning, it has prepared an extensive road map towards the AfCFTA with preliminary work on steps such as incremental tariff reduction, elimination of non-tariff barriers, supply chains and dispute settlement.
- Moreover, vigorous “informal” trade across porous national borders is already a fact of African life.
- A surge in consumer base – Looking into the future, a recent UN projection showed that nearly half the world’s population growth between now and 2050 would come from sub-Saharan Africa, the population of which would double to nearly two billion. This surge in consumer base would make the proposed AfCFTA even more important.
From the Indian angle
- Africa is already an important economic partner for India with total annual merchandise trade estimated at $70 billion or nearly a tenth of our global trade.
- India is Africa’s third largest trading partner.
- While India’s global exports have been largely stagnant, those to Africa have surged. For instance, exports to Nigeria in 2018-19 grew by over 33% over the previous year.
- Africa still has unfulfilled demand for Indian commodities, especially foodstuff, finished products (automobiles, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods) and services such as IT/IT-Enabled Service, health care and education, skilling, expertise in management and banking, financial services and insurance.
Ways to engage more with Africa–
- Co-production – While local manufactured items and services may ultimately compete with Indian exports, Indian firms can co-produce them in Africa.
- New Avenues – If handled in a proactive manner, the AfCFTA is likely to open new opportunities for Indian stakeholders in fast-moving consumer goods manufacturing, connectivity projects and the creation of a financial backbone. India donated $15 million to Niger to fund the Niamey AU Summit.
- Help the AU Commission – As the next step, New Delhi can help the AU Commission prepare the requisite architecture, such as common external tariffs, competition policy, intellectual property rights, and natural persons’ movement.
- African transnational corporations – It can also identify various African transnational corporations which are destined to play a greater role in a future continental common market and engage with them strategically.
- Indian Diaspora – The cross-linkages of a three million strong Indian diaspora spread across Africa can also be very valuable.
- Finally, once the AfCFTA is accepted as beneficial game changer, the African elite could perhaps contemplate crossing another Rubicon: an India-African FTA.
Before Africa was “discovered” by the West, it had a thriving overland trade. Large camel caravans ferried commodities such as ivory, gold, mineral salt, precious stones and slaves across prosperous trading centres such as Timbuktu, Ghana, Kano, Burnu, Agadez, Edo, Zinder, Ghat, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam and Cairo. Subsequent colonialism and mercantilism destroyed internal trade routes, replacing them with an ecosystem in which Africans had better links with their foreign “mentors” than among themselves. By the AfCFTA, the Africans are only trying to correct this historic distortion.


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HOUSTON — You’ve heard of inflation and shrinkflation but how about tipflation? It seems like more businesses than ever are expecting tips these days.
"It's a relatively new phenomenon," Dipayan Biswas, a marketing and business professor at the University of South Florida, said.
Biswas has studied tipping for a decade and believes the boom started with the introduction of digital kiosks. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic happened, along with inflation, and businesses allow tipping to make jobs more lucrative.
"So, that's my biggest worry that it might actually affect the industry where it really matters the most," Biswas explained.
Etiquette expert Thomas P. Farley has a "tip without hesitation list" that can help you decide. He gladly gives gratuity to servers, bartenders and bathroom attendants.
Financial guru Dave Ramsey has a much longer list of who to tip. He also offers guidance on how much to give.
"The very concept of a tip is that we are rewarding a service employee who's being paid less than minimum wage," Farley said. "I really wonder, where is the line? Will you one day be in your doctor's office or your dentist's office, will you be tipping?"
To avoid tipping, especially the kind that gets added automatically, Farley recommended paying in cash. He also said you shouldn’t feel pressured or guilty about not giving a gratuity.
The bottom line? It's your choice!
"You need to own your position, you do not need to feel guilty about it,” Farley said.