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The Presidency was yesterday caught sharing false information on its Facebook page and other social media accounts.
The ugly incident happened yesterday, (Tuesday) when Garba Shehu, spokesman to President Muhammadu Buhari, while attempting to justify the recent increase of petrol pump price nationwide, said the product sold for N600 in 2013.
Mr Shehu while making the claim on Twitter, shared a screenshot of a national daily with the lead story captioned “Petrol now sells for N600.” He told Nigerians not to be deceived by the now opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which held sway at the time of the cost.
“Don’t allow the PDP to deceive you. Amidst acute shortages, they sold petrol at N600 per litre on Easter Sunday in 2013 (See Punch published on that day),” he tweeted attaching the screenshot.
Checks by TODAY POLITICS showed the claim is inaccurate, did not occur on the said date and was not the official pump price of the product at the time.
A glance at the screenshot showed the publication was made on May 25, 2015.
The screenshot by Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, claiming petrol was sold for N600 in 2013.
A visit to the online version of the newspaper in a bid to verify the story was unsuccessful as it was not found on the platform which has existed for more than 17 years now and created on Friday, April 11, 2003.
Further search on the internet threw up a blog, Pan African News, which copied the said content from Punch online version and attributed credit to the national daily. The content published on May 25, 2015 showed the N600 price of petrol at the time was its cost at black market due to scarcity of the product and not the official pump price.
“Our correspondents reported on Sunday that petrol had dried up in almost all the filling stations nationwide, while black marketers capitalised on the prevailing scarcity by selling the product in jerry cans for between N200 and N600 per litre in places like Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Kaduna and Oyo states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory,” part of the story read.
Two other stories, titled: “Family Barred Us From Chukwumerije’s Burial – Abia Govt” and “Rivers Cps, Military Commanders Reporting To Patience Jonathan – Amaechi,” found on the said publication, investigation also showed, was published on May 25, 2015, two days to the hand over of the then outgoing administration.
The two stories when checked on Punch Newspapers website by TODAY POLITICS, did not show up apparently due to reconstruction of the site. This reporter further checked the internet and traced the stories to Nairaland, one of the online forums in the country, with links on it credited to the national daily.
The stories, first and second were republished by members of the online community with Punch online platform credited as the source.
VERDICT: The claim of the presidential spokesman that the product was in 2013 sold for N600 is inaccurate. That was the price at the black market on May 25, 2015 after his principal defeated then incumbent president who handed over power two days after.


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Amazon’s partnerships with college bookstores spread to America’s heartland today. Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, has just become the second US university to sign up as an Amazon affiliate. Continue reading
Earlier this week Amazon stunned the publishing world when they sent a letter to agents and authors affected by the contract dispute with Hachette. That letter, which was soon leaked to the press, included details which suggested Hachette was not negotiating in good faith, and it offered to remove authors from the conflict by giving them 100% of their respective Kindle ebook sales. Continue reading
A new report from YouGov BrandIndex shows that Amazon’s reputation has only been minimally affected by the ongoing fight. This research firm, which last year ranked Amazon the best-perceived brand in the US, says that: Continue reading
Ask most publishing industry pundits and they’ll tell you that Amazon dominates 4 ebook markets: US, UK, Germany, and Australia. If current trends continue that list could be knocked down to 3. Continue reading
In a 19 page ruling released late last week, Judge Jed Rakoff dismissed the ant-trust lawsuit filed by a trio of indie booksellers.
He described the claims made by indie booksellers Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Posman Books, and Fiction Addition as “threadbare allegations”, thus bringing to a close what had to have been one of the stranger lawsuits of 2013. Continue reading
The timing of the rumors were off by about 16 months, but the first store may have opened earlier this month in San Fransisco. The WSJ says that a pop-up store/kiosk opened up for a couple weeks in an SF-area mall: Continue reading

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Bayou Teche launching new gumbo-inspired beer
Starting in November, Bayou Teche Brewing is going to let you have your gumbo and drink it, too.
The Louisiana-based brewing company is introducing a new "Gumbo Stout," made with Tony Chachere’s Famous Creole Cuisine. The brewery is holding an official launch party Nov. 2. The taproom opens at 11 a.m., with free brewery tour, live music from 3 to 6 p.m., DJ Ole Paw Paw until closing, and the first tastes of the Gumbo Stout.
“You could say it’s the Cajun version of the Mexican Michelada … spicy, savory and thirst-quenching,” said Brian Broussard, Bayou Teche Brewing’s brewmaster, in a press release. “Gumbo Stout plays off of the savory flavors of Tony’s Creole Roux with a nice, back-of-the-throat spiciness that traditional gumbo spices provide.”
Bayou Teche is marketing the Gumbo Stout as "the perfect brew for the perfect fall meal." According to the release, the gumbo flavors give the beer a "roasted and smoky flavor from the roux and barley," which is accentuated by the tastes of salt, cayenne and black peppers.
“Gumbo Stout has been a labor of love for all of us,” said Celeste Chachere, director of marketing for Tony Chachere’s. “Gumbo is a symbol of the melting pot of Louisiana’s Creole culture and there is no better example than when local companies come together to create something spectacular.”
For the launch, the first pour and a campfire mug are $12 and four-packs are $10. Tony’s Creole Cruiser will be there to serve samples of gumbo.
Gumbo Stout will be available for a limited time at local retailers in Louisiana.


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The dollar is kipping down a blended performance against its significant rivals Monday afternoon, however is little altered general. The Columbus Day vacation is keeping a variety of financiers away from their desks at the start of the trading week. The vacation is also responsible for the absence of U.S. financial news.
The absence of financial information will continue throughout the early portion of the week. Traders can look forward to weekly jobless claims and the manufacturer rate index on Thursday. The consumer rate index, retail sales and customer belief are likewise slated for Friday.
Financiers will likewise be eagerly anticipating the release of the minutes from the most recent conference of the Federal Reserve Wednesday afternoon.
The dollar rose to an early high of $1.1719 against the Euro Monday, however has since retreated to around $1.1750.
Eurozone financier self-confidence reinforced to a 10-year high in October, study arises from think tank Sentix showed Monday. The financier confidence index increased unexpectedly to 29.7 in October from 28.2 in September. Ball game was anticipated to be up to 28.0.
Germany’s industrial production broadened the most since July 2011, signaling a strong development in the 3rd quarter, data from Destatis revealed Monday. Commercial output grew 2.6 percent month-on-month in August, reversing a modified 0.1 percent fall in July.
Production grew the most given that July 2011, when it climbed 2.9 percent. Output was forecast to get reasonably by 0.8 percent.
The buck fell to an early low of $1.3183 versus the pound sterling Monday, but has actually considering that recuperated to around $1.3150.
UK customer costs decreased in September, after a modest gain in the previous month, suggesting ongoing weak point in the economy in the middle of high inflation, muted wage development and political uncertainty, results of a study by payment providers Visa revealed Monday.
Consumer costs dropped 0.3 percent year-on-year following a 0.2 percent gain in August, Visa said, pointing out the study based upon credit, debit and prepaid card information. Costs has actually now dropped in 4 of the previous 5 months.
The greenback has actually reached around Y112.665 against the Japanese Yen Monday afternoon, from an early low of Y112.521.
The product has actually been provided by InstaForex Company – www.instaforex.com


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Sherwin-Williams Co. Thursday posted a 21% surge in second-quarter profit, reflecting same-store sales, acquisitions, and improvements in the auto-finishing business.
The Cleveland paint maker, the largest in the U.S., reported net income of $153.2 million, or $1.08 a share, up from $126.4 million, or 87 cents a share, in the year-ago period.
Sales rose 22% to $1.97 billion.
The consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call was earnings of $1.03 a share on revenue of $1.76 billion.
Looking ahead, the company said it expects third-quarter net income to range $1.06 to $1.10 a share on a mid-teens percentage increase in sales. Wall Street is looking for profit of $1.06.
"Though significant raw-material-cost increases continue to adversely impact our gross margins, the implementation of certain price increases and tight control over expenses will support our continued earnings improvement," said Chairman and CEO Christopher Connor in a statement.


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The Chilean Wood Corporation (Corma) said in a statement that exports in 2017 would remain steady or rise slightly to the $5.3 billion to $5.4 billion range.
"The three percent fall in the total amount is due principally to declines in international prices for the principal forest products, while there has been an increase in exported volumes," Corma President Fernando Raga said in a statement.
The corporation predicted prices for long fibre products would begin to rise in the second half of 2017. Short fibre products would likely end 2017 at price levels similar to 2016, it said, as new projects expand production.
Chile's forest products industry is the nation's second biggest by exports after copper mining.


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New unit delivers a tablet-based touch screen experience.
TracMap is launching the new TML-A GPS aviation guidance unit that delivers efficiency and accuracy for jobs in the aerial application industry through cutting-edge touch screen experience.
“When TracMap embarked on the journey to build their next generation of GPS guidance for the agricultural aviation industry, we knew we wanted to reimagine the role GPS guidance could play in the pilot’s day,” says Gus Hewitt, Head of Sales at TracMap.
Research in the existing marketplace showed room for improvement, and also highlighted that wirestrikes were the second most common reason for an aircraft accidents in New Zealand. The study also concluded that almost 40% of wire collisions the pilots knew the wires existed.
“It was time to re-think how GPS was done, and it was time to talk to the people who would know best – our customers,” Hewitt adds.
Brutal honesty is where this product began, hearing countless stories from pilots about the good, the bad and everything in between. “We even had pilots who had punched in another technology provider out of frustration,” describes Hewitt.
But from the stories, a clear pattern of desires from the industry started to emerge. “We are on our fourth generation of TracMap GPS,” Aspen Helicopters Founder and VP Rob Scherzinger says.
“Their reliability is outstanding but equally important is the service and support that we get from TracMap.”
The TML-A was born out of a desire to promote a new level of safety, and to bring ease of use for all age demographics. TracMap is excited to release a product that is a remarkable leap forward on anything that has been seen before.
Gerald Harrix, TracMap founder and pilot himself, has watched TracMap products develop since 2006 and says TML-A is, “everything a pilot could dream of and more.”
This debut product offers increased customer benefits. It encompasses features such as auto brightness, night mode, auto zoom and a first for the industry, pilot profiles. The pilot profiles allow all of a pilot’s settings, from lightbar to hardware buttons to instantly sync across, no matter what aircraft they may be in.
“Safety has been another hallmark of this product, leading it to be endorsed by industry regulators as the ‘gold standard’,” according to Hewitt. “The ability for wires and other hazards to be saved universally means if one pilot marks a hazard, it will show up for all other pilots. Not only is there a building database of hazards, the pre-set lightbar warnings will give pilots significant warning in the line of sight, without needing to check a screen to see where something may be.”
The addition of satellite and topographic maps has been added to provide further details to a job and help a pilot prepare for flight paths with a deeper level of knowledge as to where he is heading.
“But this wasn’t a product built behind closed doors, TracMap knew it had to be reliable, and that meant time in the field and putting it through every test under the sun, including the sun itself… in our heat tests,” Hewitt outlines.
Ultimately, this is a product that’s success will be judged by pilots. “This is why we have been quick to put it through its paces with customers,” Hewitt continues. “In the early stages of this product we have been overwhelmed by the feedback from pilot’s and enjoyed implementing many of the great new ideas that have come up.”
TracMap launched its first GPS Guidance System in 2006 in New Zealand and has since expanded globally including North America, the Middle East, South Africa and Australia. It is an exciting new chapter for TracMap, a company that is set to take on the world with a product that is truly ahead of its time, he adds.
To learn more, visit: https://tracmap.com


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Irish businesses trading with Hong Kong and China are invited to enter the Cathay Pacific China Business Awards 2015 from Friday 6th February. This year celebrating its 10th anniversary, the prestigious award scheme, in association with HSBC, recognises and rewards the best of British and Irish business trading with the region.
Inviting large and small UK and Ireland-based enterprises to enter these awards, the three categories are targeted at SMEs, corporates and not-for-profit organisations that have established successful trading links, shown long-term commitment, or whose projects have displayed either business innovation, environmental or CSR benefits in China.
The award scheme features three award categories, including:
- Continued Commitment Award: This award recognises ongoing sustainable and ethical investment in China and/or Hong Kong, rewarding companies in the UK or Ireland that have demonstrated a continued commitment in the China region.
- Rising Star Award: This award recognises dynamic and innovative businesses that have opened operations in China within the past five years and demonstrate entrepreneurial flair.
- Social Responsibility Award: This award recognises initiatives from any company or Not for Profit organisations that have benefited China in a socially responsible manner.
The awards are judged by Mark Emmerson, Head of Global Trade and Receivable Finance, UK, HSBC; Stephen Phillips, Chief Executive, CBBC; Angus Barclay, General Manager Europe, Cathay Pacific; and a representative from The Daily Telegraph.
Companies entering the 2015 China Business Awards will receive a complimentary ‘Taster Membership’ with the China-Britain Business Council for a three-month period. The membership will include one-to-one meetings with a China Business adviser, weekly members’ emails and newsletters, access to CBBC events and a subscription to the E-version of CBBC’s ‘China-Britain Focus’ magazine.
The awards open up a wealth of networking benefits, putting companies right in front of an advisory panel consisting of key business influencers linked to China, including Cathay Pacific, HSBC, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO), Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), The Hong Kong Association, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).
The winner of each category will receive two Business Class tickets to anywhere on the Cathay Pacific China network and the winners will be presented with their prize at a formal awards ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London. The three winning companies will also receive one Diamond and one Gold membership to Cathay Pacific’s Marco Polo Club. In addition, Cathay Pacific will provide the winners with considerable business networking opportunities in the UK or Ireland and China to help further their business goals.
Companies registered in the UK and the Republic of Ireland that trade with Hong Kong and/or China can submit their entries online at a dedicated awards website www.telegraph.co.uk/awards and have until 25th March 2015 to do so.
Angus Barclay, General Manager Europe, Cathay Pacific, said: “This year we not only celebrate our 35th anniversary of flying passengers between the UK and Hong Kong, but are proudly marking 10 years of the China Business Awards, making the 2015 event a real milestone in Cathay Pacific’s history.
“The purpose of the Cathay Pacific China Business Awards is to provide a platform to showcase talent, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit between these two regions. In the last 35 years, trade opportunities between the West and China have continued to build on an annual basis and as Hong Kong’s pre-eminent carrier we are committed to promoting growth and economic prosperity in this dynamic region.”


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London City Airport has launched a new Facebook Messenger functionality, enabling passengers to get information about their upcoming flight on their mobile device.
Users, with the application installed, can message the LCY Flight Info Facebook page with their flight number to receive real-time flight information. This includes departure and arrival times, and also the relevant boarding gate information. Both departing passengers and those waiting to collect arriving passengers at the airport will be able to use it.
This announcement comes after the airport found that for the first quarter of 2016, under-35s made up 35% of its passengers.
The Facebook Messenger functionality joins the Twitter service, @LCYFlightInfo, which launched in July 2015. Similarly, users can tweet their flight number to receive personalised information from the dedicated Twitter account.
Alison FitzGerald, Chief Information Officer at London City Airport, said: “The majority of our passengers are connected to social media and many of these are business travellers, so it makes perfect sense to offer flight updates directly to their smartphones via Facebook Messenger.
“We already offer free Wi-Fi and a check-in time of 20 minutes or less, and this is another way of ensuring a hassle-free, personalised customer experience.”


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Junk food television adverts to be banned
Published: 14 November 2004
MINISTERS are to announce tough curbs on television adverts for “junk food” up to the 9pm watershed in an attempt to combat an epidemic of obesity among children.
John Reid, the health secretary, will this week warn the food industry that he will bring in legislation banning junk food adverts unless firms agree to voluntary restrictions by 2007.
The crackdown for products high in fat, salt or sugar is far wider than anticipated by the industry, which believed restrictions would target only afternoon children’s television.
However, Reid will argue that research by Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, shows more than 70% of viewing by children aged four to 15 is between 6pm and 9pm.
His approach — to be outlined in a white paper on Tuesday — will hit not only popular products such as Walker’s crisps, Mars Bars and McDonald’s hamburgers, but could also affect seemingly healthier items such as cornflakes, fish


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In contrast, online sales rose once again, up 1.5% against the previous month. That’s unexpected news, says the home delivery expert ParcelHero.
ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: “The ending of restrictions such as social distancing and compulsory mask-wearing in stores this summer was supposed to bring life back to the High Street. Retailers hoping for a mini-boom will be gravely disappointed.
“The return of consumers to the High Street has definitely faltered. Department stores reported a fall of -3.7% in monthly sales volumes in August.


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Netflix will be available through a pay-TV platform for the first time, thanks to a deal announced today between the US streaming giant and and UK cableco Virgin Media.
The deal means that Virgin Media TiVo subscribers will have access to the world’s leading internet TV network, if they sign up to Netflix. Using the Netflix app, TiVo households will then be able to watch Netflix series, documentaries, comedy and kids’ titles through their set-top box. After a pilot this week, Netflix will be available to 1.7 million Virgin Media TiVo homes this year.
The addition of the Netflix app to Virgin Media TiVo, which is the fastest growing pay-TV service in the UK , will allow viewers to watch Netflix original series including House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, Arrested Development and Orange is the New Black, as well as Netflix exclusives including the critically acclaimed hit series Breaking Bad.
A stand-alone Netflix monthly subscription costs £5.99.
The Netflix app will complement Virgin Media’s collection of more than 6,000 hours of on-demand entertainment, and access to other content apps including BBC iPlayer.
Virgin Media viewers can already rent hundreds of films from Virgin Movies, subscribe to Sky Movies and PictureBox.
Virgin Media chief operating officer Dana Strong said: “Virgin Media TiVo offers different ways to watch, either subscription or pay per view, all seamlessly integrated for simple, intuitive viewing so there’s a world of great entertainment at your fingertips and everyone can be sure of the perfect TV moment.”
Netflix global head of business development Bill Holmes said the UK had “given Netflix a fantastic welcome”.
This week’s pilot involves 40,000 Virgin Media TiVo households already selected to use the Netflix app. Netflix members will be able to log in using their existing Netflix credentials, and new members are able to sign up for Netflix through the app. Access will be rolled out to all Virgin Media TiVo customers later this year.
The Netflix deal, which follows Virgin Media’s recent announcement of another deal allowing TiVo users to watch BT Sport for free, raises the possibility of Netflix being made available across Liberty Global’s other services, reaching 25 million customers in 14 countries.
Netflix itself now has 37 million members in 40 countries enjoying more than a billion hours of content every month.
Commenting on the move, Informa Telecoms & Media senior analyst Ted Hall said: “Today’s announcement goes some way to settling a debate over how pay-TV operators should address the threat posed by new OTT contenders challenging pay-TV’s established hierarchy.
“In treating Netflix as an ‘internet TV network’, Virgin Media argues that it is simply expanding its content offering and positioning TiVo as the market’s leading connected-TV platform.
“The danger for Virgin Media is that its customers will find Netflix to be a revelation that they would not otherwise have stumbled upon, opening their eyes to a low-cost subscription TV service that satisfies their core entertainment needs. Rather than strengthening the appeal of TiVo, the addition of Netflix could in fact do the opposite and encourage customers to cut the cord and settle for a cheaper combination of broadband, Netflix (via other devices) and free-to-air TV.
Virgin Media will be confident, though, that it can negate this risk by offering Netflix at a discounted rate as part of its bundled service offering – a move it is expected to take once the full service rollout commences – and by continuing to improve the overall TiVo-led cable bundle proposition, which features premium content that users of Netflix alone would not have access to.
“If successful, the deal could be the first of many between Netflix and pay-TV operators. With Virgin Media now part of the Liberty Global family, its strategic decisions may well be indicative of similar moves in the offing for other operations within the world’s largest cable provider.”


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Oct 24 (Reuters) - Belarusian food retailer Eurotorg announces:
* Price range for initial public offering (IPO) on London Stock Exchange
* Global depositary receipts (GDRs) in the offering will be offered to certain institutional and professional investors in the United Kingdom and elsewhere outside the United States, and in the United States to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers.
* Total base offering size is expected to be approximately $250 million, of which $200 million is expected to be primary proceeds and up to $50 million is expected to be existing shares.
* Eurotorg says the price range for the offering has been set at $6.95 to $7.95 per global depositary receipt, implying a pre-money equity value between $689 million and $789 million.
* The company expects to use the proceeds from the IPO and from the proposed sale of StatusBank for further deleveraging and reduction of foreign currency debt.
* Final pricing is expected to be announced on or around Nov. 7 this year.
* The offering is expected to represent between 29 percent and 32 percent of the issued share capital of the company on a post-money basis, assuming full exercise of the over-allotment option. (Reporting by Moscow newsroom; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)


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Realme X7 is all set to launch in India on February 4 alongside the Realme X7 Pro, as announced by the company earlier this week. A lot has been revealed about the smartphone ahead of the official announcement. A new leak now reveals the Realme X7 price in India. According to a new leak coming from tipster Debayan Roy aka GadgetsData, the Realme X7 will be priced under Rs 20,000 in India. Now that’s a good deal for the offerings, right? Well, take this with a pinch of salt as the company hasn’t officially confirmed the price of the phones. Also Read - Best 8GB RAM phones under Rs 20,000 to buy in India in September 2021
As per the leak, the base model of the Realme X7 with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage will be priced at Rs 19,999. The leak also reveals that the top-end model of the upcoming Realme smartphone with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage will be priced at Rs 21,999. No information has been revealed about the India price of the Realme X7 Pro for now. Also Read - Realme GT Neo 2 launched with 120Hz display, Snapdragon 870 SoC, 12GB RAM: Price, specs
What to expect from Realme X7
Besides the price, leaks have also revealed some of the key specifications of the Realme X7. It suggests that the Realme smartphone will come packed with a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90.8 percent screen to body ratio. It will include a punch-hole cutout and narrow bezels, which must grab consumers’ attention. Also Read - Realme GT ME Cosmic black now available with flat discount of Rs 2,000 for a limited period
On the hardware front, the phone will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 800U SoC with the Mali-G57 GPU paired with up to 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 internal storage. It is said to pack a 4,300 mAh battery with 50W SuperDart charging support.
In terms of optics, the Realme smartphone is expected to pack a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front, the phone is expected to include a 32-megapixel selfie camera sensor.
Alongside the X7, the smartphone manufacturer will also unveil the Realme X7 Pro in India on February 4. The smartphone has been confirmed to be av available on Flipkart and Realme.com.


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Royal Mail, Post Office and eBay team up to support small retailers with top ten tips
Royal Mail, Post Office and eBay have teamed up to share ten tips to support small retailers and budding marketplace sellers who are increasingly selling and shipping more goods online during the covid-19 crisis.
The organisations have also highlighted how selling through marketplaces has become more popular during lockdown as retailers who cannot currently open their shops use them to sell their goods. In addition, marketplaces are increasingly being used by suppliers to capture new markets.
The tips have been compiled in response to customers’ most frequently asked questions.
Rob Hattrell, vice president of eBay UK, explained: “At eBay, we recognise that the challenges are vast and wide-ranging for SME’s on Britain’s high streets, but while the offline world is on lockdown, a shift to online spending presents a real growth opportunity and a vital lifeline. We hope these ten tips empower sellers to operate confidently – and most importantly, safely – online, throughout the crisis.”


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On Friday, the last trading day of the week, gold and silver futures saw sharp corrections from their all-time highs seen earlier this week.
Slight pressure on prices
On MCX, gold futures ended 0.88 percent or Rs 341 lower at Rs 38,553 per 10 grams from its previous day's close and Rs 1,332 less than its all-time high. Silver futures ended 3.18 percent or Rs 1,573 lower at Rs 47,885 per kilo on Friday, which is a significant Rs 3,604 fall from its all-time high.
At the start of this week, both gold and silver prices hit their all-time high at Rs 39,885/10 grams and Rs 51,489/kg, respectively in the Indian futures market.
Improved global economic outlook and a slight recovery in the Indian rupee's strength put pressure on prices of these metals.
Influenced by global trends
For the last few weeks, the precious metals market has become a favourite among investors looking to averse risk amid the uncertainties around US-China trade war, Brexit and other Geo-political tensions that ignited concerns of a slowdown in global economic activity.
Gold and silver prices in India are also highly influenced by global trends.
In the US, spot gold ended 0.86 percent lower at $1,505 an ounce on Friday and silver fell 3.24 percent to $17.97. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's optimistic remarks and planned resumption of trade talks between the US and China and strong American economic data re-ignited some appetite for riskier assets, pushing gold prices lower.
Powell said that the weaker-than-expected US non-farm payroll report was consistent with a quite strong labour market at a panel session in Zurich. He further said that despite all the trade uncertainties, he does not foresee or expects a recession in the US.
Is this trend temporary?
Spot gold has risen 17.6 percent in 2019, but is demand dying?
Many experts attribute the recent fall in prices to profit-taking after the new highs seen earlier this week. They believe that it may not be a reversal in trend but just a break in the upward trend.
"One move lower like what we saw on Thursday is not going to change the overall trend and what central banks are doing with interest rates, which over time is going to push gold higher," said Bob Haberkorn, senior market strategist at RJO Futures told Reuters.
Various major central banks, including India's RBI, have been easing their policy stance. The US Fed recently made a 25-basis-points cut in its rates and more cuts are being expected from RBI as well the US Fed amid weak economic data releases.
Gold, as well as silver prices, are sensitive to these policy rate cuts as it lowers the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding metals, like the bullion.
May cross Rs 40,000 again
As for the Indian markets, consumers tend to bet on the metals in an upward trend. With festival and wedding season coming up, buyers are likely to see the Rs 40,000/10 grams-of-gold-rate at jewellery stores once again.
Further, the Indian rupee is expected to remain weak, which adds to the gold's already high prices, as it is imported in US dollar terms.
In a recent Reuters poll, strategists said that they do not see the rupee regain its lost momentum against the US dollar in the coming year and believe that the recent rollback of surcharge on foreign investors will have no impact on the currency.
The rupee has lost close to 6 percent since 5 July, the day of Union budget presentation, where the later withdrawn surcharge on FPIs was imposed.
There was no improvement seen in the currency after the decision was reversed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. In fact, the rupee touched its lowest value in 2019 at 72.40 per dollar on 3 September.


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You can see previous news in the old version of the news blog. Watch
Google asked to dismiss the antitrust lawsuit against its search engine.
The courts have uncovered Google's motion to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit against the company's search engine, which could ultimately significantly weaken the IT giant's position in this segment. The filing, which was filed by the company on December 12, said the lawsuits from the US Department of Justice and a group of attorneys general from several states distort Google's agreements with browser developers and Android smartphone manufacturers.
“Requiring Google not to actively compete and requiring browser vendors to redesign their products, thereby providing their customers with a worse experience, would turn competition law on its head,” Google said in the petition.
Recall that the US Department of Justice and a group of state attorneys general sued Google in 2020. The case is part of a larger and more multifaceted approach by the authorities to limit the power of the IT giant. The authors of the latest lawsuit believe that Google used its dominant position and the Android mobile operating system to block the search engine market, thereby limiting the ability of competitors. The lawsuit seeks to develop mechanisms to limit the power of Google over competitors in the search engine segment.
Google said in a statement that agreements with Mozilla and Apple to include the Google search engine in their browsers do not prevent users from interacting with third-party search engines. “There is no evidence that Google forced Apple, Mozilla, or any other browser developer to use the design with a single default search engine,” the IT giant said in a petition.


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Public App, India’s #1 app for local updates, recently concluded its vibrant Diwali campaign, spreading joy and creativity among users across the nation. The interactive campaign, designed to celebrate the Festival of Lights, allowed users to design their rangolis and send personalized cards adorned with either their names or the receiver’s name, adding a special touch to the festive greetings.
In this interactive initiative, Public App incorporated a multilingual approach, making the campaign accessible and inclusive to users from diverse linguistic backgrounds across India. The aim for the Diwali campaign was engaging users in a celebration of creativity, cultural and lingual diversity. Participants were invited to showcase their artistic choices by choosing from different rangolis designs and colour combinations directly within the app. The interactive campaign, designed to celebrate the Festival of Lights, allowed users to design their rangolis and send personalized cards in their own languages adorned with either their names or the receiver’s name, adding a special touch to the festive greetings.
Talking about the campaign, Anya Luthra, Vice President Marketing, said, “Personalization was at the heart of our Diwali campaign. Allowing users to not only design their rangolis but also send personalized cards with a name of choice added a special touch to the festivities. It was heartening to see our users embrace these features and create unique, memorable moments with their loved ones. Furthermore, the inclusion of multiple Indian languages in the campaign aimed to make the celebration even more accessible, ensuring that users across the nation could participate in a language that resonates with them, truly reflecting the cultural diversity of our incredible country.”
Public App continues to be a front-runner in connecting communities and celebrating cultural diversity through innovative campaigns and features. The Diwali campaign stands as a testament to the platform’s dedication to creating memorable and meaningful experiences for its users.
Feedback: [email protected]
(This information is published from a press release.)


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Image Comics has revealed that February's planned 25¢ The Walking Dead #163 has received pre-orders from Diamond Comic Distributors' partner comic book retailers in excess of 730,000 copies. The publisher describes this feat as "the Direct Market's highest ordered comic in nearly 20 years" by excluding Loot Crate-style subscription box ordering, but a true comparison is hard to make due to the rarity of publisher releasing their full sales figures. Two other Kirkman-written titles will also be sold for 25¢ in February - Invincible and Outcast.
“The Direct Market helped make The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Outcast the successful series they are today, and acknowledging that support is a big part of our agenda as Image turns 25 this year,” said writer/co-creator Robert Kirkman. “Comic book stores have made it easier for us to accomplish everything we’ve done since our last anniversary, so giving back just makes sense, even though it means we’re not making a dime off these books."
Kirkman went on to assure readers that the work-for-hire artists who work The Walking Dead - Charlie Adlard, Stefano Gaudiano, Cliff Rathburn, and Rus Wooton - will be "compensated as usual for their contributions," but that neither himself nor Image will profit on the book due to the low price.
"As with most of our decisions at Image, we’re looking instead at the long-term benefits of getting more readers into stores and more of the world’s best creator-owned comics into those readers’ hands," added Kirkman.
Scheduled to be released February 1, The Walking Dead #163 kicks off a new arc titled "Conquered."
"When we first began discussing how to celebrate our 25th anniversary, one of the first ideas that came up was offering some of our best titles at 25¢ in an effort to reach as many readers as possible," said Image's publisher, Eric Stephenson. "We knew we’d be selling the books at a loss - no matter how high the orders - but our number one goal is always to get books in front of as many readers as possible, and the best way to do that is by giving comic book stores something they can quite literally put in people’s hands for pocket change.”
Image Comics originally intended to sell these issues at an effective price where retailers would have a sales loss as well - 20¢ plus shipping and handling - but have since amended their pricing structure after retailer backlash to be roughly half price.


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Rihanna Named Creative Director of Sock Brand
Rihanna is entering a new fashion venture. She’s stepping into the sock business.
The Barbadian princess has been named the contributing creative director for Stance, a California-based fashion brand.
“I know a lot of people are probably saying ‘Why socks?’ And that’s really the beauty of it,” Candy Harris, the vice president of the women’s division of Stance Socks, told Vogue. “And that’s why Rihanna’s perfect, because she’s constantly innovating and looking to see what’s next.”
Titled “Murder Rih Wrote,” two of the designs from her limited edition collection are available now on the company’s website.
Retailed at $30, the over-the-knee and crew socks, which feature newspaper and vintage movie poster images in black, red and white, were partly designed by the singer.
An additional 18 patterns will be released this September as well as holiday styles in November.
Are you digging the look?


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Mumbai: Tyre output growth in the country is likely to almost halve in the fiscal year ending March 2012 to 12%, as vehicle sales slowed because of higher interest rates, hitting demand from automakers, a senior industry official said.
“As it is, this quarter (September) is a lean quarter and OEM (original equipment manufacturers) demand has been fairly subdued. As of now, things are subdued,” Rajiv Budhraja, director-general of the New-Delhi based Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association told Reuters in an interview.
“Replacement demand has not been impacted very significantly, but overall sentiment was low,” Budhraja said.
Tyre production in the first four months of this fiscal rose by 14% to 42.4 million units but overall growth is likely to be 12% in the current year as the sector is witnessing a softening in demand in the past two months, he said.
The country’s tyre production had grown more than 22% to 119.2 million units in FY11 helped by car sales that grew at a breakneck 30% last year.
Demand for cars in India is likely to slow more than predicted as high interest rates and rising costs bite, while automakers mull price hikes that could further stifle purchases in the world’s second-fastest growing auto market after China.
A slowdown in passenger car segment, a key revenue driver for tyre makers, is likely to pull down overall growth in the industry.
Passenger car tyre output has grown 11% o 9 million units between April to July. In FY11, the segment had posted a robust 31% growth.
“In passenger car segment, OEM demand has dropped significantly, but replacement demand is there, so growth may be 9-10% (for the year).”
Car sales fell 10.1% in August.
Last year leading tyre makers MRF Apollo Tyres, JK Tyre & Industries and Ceat had announced capacity expansion plans to cater to the then ballooning automotive demand and it was unlikely the firms would cut back on the plans.
“The expansion plans are on schedule because...they have come so far ahead that I don’t think at this point one would want to put the expansion on the backseat.”
The Indian tyre industry has been hit by higher rubber costs and slower demand. Now cheaper Chinese tyre imports are further threatening profit margins of tyre firms.
“Import is a matter of concern, because even with the anti-dumping duties in place we find imports have been coming in such large numbers, mainly because of circumvention and other trade malpractices,” Budhraja said.
Of the 5,33,000 units of truck and bus tyres imported by India in April-June, 57% were from China alone and the trend has shown no signs of abating.
“If the current global slowdown continues and China’s exports to other developed countries take a beating, then you can expect this level of imports.”
Last year India had imported 1.2 million units of trucks and bus tyres from China alone, accounting for 68% of total imports for the segment.
“This year imports should be up by another 10-15% on year,” Budhraja said.
In the quarter ending June, profit margins of tyre makers suffered due to higher raw material costs and the sector slowdown is making it difficult for tyre firms to raise prices.
“Price increase looks difficult, although there is a need.”


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The City of Cranbrook is trying to alleviate some of the issues identified in last October’s Barriers To Business report.
The online survey was put out by the Cranbrook and District Chamber of Commerce for all past, present and potential business people to show the city what makes it difficult to do business here.
The survey came about after Mayor Wayne Stetski asked the Chamber to tell council what is and isn’t working for businesses in Cranbrook.
The Chamber analyzed the survey data and presented the city with a report called “Removing the Barriers to Business in Cranbrook”.
Since then, City Economic Development Officer Kevin Weaver has met regularly with Chamber representatives to discuss three subject areas the report identified.
One of those areas is the new development and building permit process. The report recommended that two application processes be combined, Weaver told Cranbrook city council on Monday, March 18.
“We are examining more comprehensive changes that may be warranted. One of the recommendations proposed is to combine the development permit and the building permit application process. That’s something that may involve bylaw amendments,” said Weaver.
The city is also looking for ways to make the application process more straightforward and easier to track for business owners.
Cranbrook is considering membership in Biz Pal, a national system that explains to new business people the steps they need to take to set up that business, and also in One Call, a service where the city would report all of its underground utilities and infrastructure so construction workers can call one central line before they dig to ensure they won’t hit anything underground.
Another theme in the Barriers to Business report is business and economic development support products. To that end, Weaver said the city is putting together a Doing Business in Cranbrook Guide.
“We are going to be compiling a Doing Business in Cranbrook guide, which will be building on some stuff through the development permit and building permit process and putting that into some good clean documents that can be printed and also available through our website and smart phone apps,” said Weaver.
This year, Weaver said he will do a review of the city’s economic development strategy on council’s request. In the meantime, economic development will continue to market the airport industrial park, development of a Business Retention, Expansion and Attraction program, targeted downtown revitalization opportunities, supporting the Chamber’s tourism destination marketing, and the Asia Pacific Initiative with South Korea and China.


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If You Go
NEW YORK — Bryant Gumbel's "Real Sports" focuses on the NCAA this week during March Madness. As is typical of ...
NEW YORK — New phones from Samsung and HTC will be available in U.S. stores starting April 10.
March 27: Cruz Is Running
You might say Randy Radtke is the last man standing at Dollars Corner.
9 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 3, 9 a.m. to noon May 4. Ridgefield School District Maintenance Building, 304 Pioneer St., Ridgefield. Door prize drawing at 8 p.m. on May 3.


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For some women, last year's march was more than just a protest — it became a movement that made them seriously reevaluate their professional lives for a number of reasons. Ahead, we talk to five women who were inspired to make a career changes after the Women's March.
Work & Money
Instacart Has Laid Off Almost 2,000 Workers — Including Everyone ...
As we reach a new height of the pandemic and are relying on grocery store workers and delivery people more than ever, Instacart has announced it’s laying


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Madge Networks has struck a serious blow to the future of competitor Olicom, announcing late yesterday the acquisition of its token ring business.
Madge division Madge.connect has made an up-front cash payment of $US15 million and will provide additional cash payments over the next three years based on Madge's Token-Ring revenue performance.
As a result, the company has acquired certain Olicom Token-Ring inventory in the quarters following the sale, plus all the intellectual property and the rights to manufacture, sell and develop Olicom's Token Ring product portfolio.
The deal also includes Olicom's Token Ring customer base and some key Olicom employees, the company reports.
Madge Networks announced last week it will restructure into separate legal entities - Madge.connect (a global network solutions provider) and Madge.web (a global managed network and hosting provider), with Madge Networks N.V. as the holding company.
According to Mike Wilson, CEO of Madge.connect: "The Olicom acquisition is a catalyst for Madge.connect's strategy to accelerate development of next generation Token Ring technology."
Local Madge and Olicom executives were not available for comment by ARN's deadline.


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Ozaukee County Fair no longer open to public; will limit 4-H activities, exhibits, events
Fair officials announced Thursday, July 9, it will limit activities to the judging of 4-H and open class exhibits, plus some of the livestock and auction events.
Attendance will be limited to the people involved in those events.
There will also be no food vendors and none of the traditional events at Fireman's Park.
Read more below:


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Tata Motors registers 20% increase of sales in domestic market in September 2018
Deepthi | Myequity news | Date : 01-10-2018 16:05:00 IST
Tata Motors sales in the domestic market in September 2018 grew by 20%, at 64,250 units compared to 53,964 units over the previous year. The cumulative domestic sales performance (April-September 2018) for Tata Motors witnessed a strong growth of 40% with 339,186 units as compared to 242,787 units in the same period last year.
Tata Motors’ Commercial Vehicles (CV) domestic sales in September 2018 grew by 26% at 46,169 units as against 36,578 units in September 2017.
The M&HCV truck segment for Tata Motors continued to grow by 32% with 16,239 units compared to 12,259 units last year.
Tata Motors’ I&LCV truck segment delivered a robust performance with 5,465 units compared to 4,449 units over last year, a growth of 23%.
The SCV Cargo and Pickup segment reported a significant growth with 19,846 units compared to 15,607 units, up by 27%, over last year.
The commercial passenger carrier segment witnessed a steady growth of 6%, with 4,619 units over last year.
Tata Motors' Passenger Vehicles (PV) domestic sales in September 2018 continued its growth trend at 18,429 units compared to 17,286 units, higher by 7% over last year. About Tata Motors:
Tata Motors Limited, a USD 45 billion organization, is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, buses, trucks and defence vehicles. Part of the USD 100 billion Tata group, Tata Motors is India’s largest and the only OEM offering extensive range of integrated, smart and e-mobility solutions. Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa, and Indonesia through a strong global network of 109 subsidiary and associate companies, including Jaguar Land Rover in the UK and Tata Daewoo in South Korea.


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USA Today wrapped its newspaper with a fake cover about 'hybrid babies' with antlers to advertise a new Netflix show
USA Today's weekend print edition was wrapped in an advertisement mirroring the paper's front page.
- The ad was for
Netflix's new show, " Sweet Tooth," that warned of human-animal hybrid babies.
- The real front cover was about how rising immigration rates have affected a border town in Texas.
USA Today wrapped its June 4 weekend edition newspaper with a fake cover warning of "a new generation of half-human, half-animal children" as an advertisement in partnership with Netflix for its new show, "Sweet Tooth."
The fake front page contained two small articles about the threat of "hybrids" to national security" and how the hybrids are "the greatest mystery of our lifetime."
The only giveaway that the cover was fake is the word "ADVERTISEMENT" written in a tiny font located just above the headline.
"Sweet Tooth" is centered on a deer-human hybrid kid, Gus, who goes on an adventure to learn more about why he and other children around the US were born part human, part animal. The series is based on a comic book of the same name from DC Comics.
The real front cover of USA Today was tucked neatly behind the advertisement and featured a report about migrants' impact on border town McAllen, Texas.
- 10 Beautiful staycation options in Mumbai
- Reliance Retail receives full subscription amount of Rs 2,069.50 cr from KKR, allots 1.71 cr shares
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A notorious hazard to clean waterways, fabric dyeing processes may become less pollutive thanks to emerging technology.
"Though the industry has traditionally polluted trillions of liters of clean water, companies have invented new machinery designed to dye clothing while using little to no water. If implemented on a global scale, this waterless technology could keep public waterways clean and free of chemicals," Care2, an activism website, reported in a commentary.
Exactly how destructive is textile-dyeing? The journal Yale Environment 360 provided some insight.
"One of the world’s most polluting industries is the textile-dyeing sector, which in China and other Asian nations releases trillions of liters of chemically tainted wastewater. Each year, one global industry gulps down trillions of liters of fresh water, together with massive amounts of chemicals. The wastewater from that industry is then dumped, often untreated, into rivers that bring its toxic content to the sea, where it spreads around the globe," the report said.
This industry has one of the "largest water footprints on the plant," The Guardian reported.
But new technology may slow the destruction. "In recent years, three companies have each developed a largely waterless dyeing technology. Two are American enterprises — AirDye and ColorZen — and the third is a Dutch company, DyeCoo, whose process is being used by Adidas, one of its partners," the Yale report said.
The good news is that the three technologies have consistent results.
"The use of water is cut to near-zero, sharply diminishing pollution. The quantity of chemicals is drastically reduced, while faster dyeing cycles lead to a major drop in energy consumption," the report said.
But there's a caveat.
"Despite these benefits, major questions remain as to whether these new technologies will be able to turn the tide in the struggle to reduce pollution in the textile industry. Water has been used to dye fabric for centuries, and textile firms have generally been reluctant to embrace change," the report said.
The technology is also expensive to install and cannot treat all types of clothing.
Image credit: "Fabric dyeing - Monday evening," scrappy annie © 2008, used under an Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/
Want to publish your opinion?


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The iPhone has mishandled another time change as clocks across the continent were set forward one hour this weekend to mark the beginning of Daylight Savings Time (DST). Reports have surfaced on Apple forums, Twitter and other venues of frustrated iPhone owners missing appointments and experiencing strange behavior on their devices.
The DST bugs run the gamut from iPhone clocks jumping backward instead of forward by one hour, alarms going off an hour early, and phones switching to DST properly but later in the day undoing the change. Apple has not announced an official reason for the clock problems, but they are easily fixed.
To correct the DST clock issues on your iPhone, simply reboot the device. Alternatively you can turn on Airplane Mode then turn it back off. This will reset the connection to your cellular data provider. Typically the iPhone collects time data from the service provider to keep the clock accurate. The DST problems reportedly affected both AT&T and Verizon customers in the US.
The iPhone is no stranger to alarm clock bugs, with the most recent problems hitting users in the first days of 2011. Right after the New Year many alarms failed to go off at their scheduled time, leaving those without a backup alarm sleeping. Apple stated they were aware of the problem and working on a fix for the issue. The move to Standard Time in the fall of 2010 was also a rough one for the Clock app.The time change to one hour earlier didn't take with any alarms that were already set. Many iPhone owners saw their alarms go off one hour late and had to delete and re-create repeat alarms on their devices. iOS 4.3 was just released last week, but it's not clear whether or not this update made the clock immune to the most recent DST problems. When all else fails, it's possible to manually set the time by navigating to Settings -> General -> Date & Time -> Set Automatically -> OFF and entering the time zone, date and time.


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Quit the capital, business told
BUSINESSES and people in London are being encouraged to relocate to East Anglia in a major marketing drive. The 'East of England - Space for Ideas' campaign will focus on the area's tradition of innovation from 'draining the Fens in the 1600s through to the splitting of the atom at Cambridge University'.
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WASHINGTON — Political campaigns across the country are spending millions of dollars on Google Ads in an effort to create a positive narrative. In Virginia, both gubernatorial candidates have used the tactic, pouring millions of dollars into the resource.
To better understand how this all works, our Verify team talked to a digital marketing company, which took us step-by-step through the process.
Can political candidates use Google Ads to change headlines?
WHAT WE FOUND
With less than two weeks to go before election day in Virginia, the airwaves have become inundated with campaign ads. Both candidates have spent large sums of money to push their message on TV and radio.
One other type of advertising, getting less attention, is the use of Google Ads. This effort has attracted millions of dollars of spending from the two Virginia front-runners.
According to Google's Transparency Report, the McAuliffe campaign, "Terry For Virginia" has spent over $3.7 million on Google ads, including advertisements on YouTube, which is owned by Google.
The same report shows the Youngkin campaign, "Youngkin For Governor Inc" has spent over $950,000 on Google Ads, including those on Youtube.
Both campaigns are using creative techniques to create a positive narrative, by designing headlines that are favorable to themselves, and critical of their opponent.
For example, consider the following ad from McAuliffe, which was online for 18 days, starting Oct. 5, according to Google's Transparency Report.
The ad linked to an Axios article, which discussed the role Taylor Swift has played in the campaign, but showed the headline, "Glenn Youngkin | Betrayed Taylor Swift | And helped buy her masters.
The Axios article itself was published with a different Google headline: "Virginia Governor's race features Taylor Swift."
A spokesperson for the McAuliffe campaign offered the following statement, in regards to their Google Ad strategy:
"Glenn Youngkin is running on prioritizing Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories instead of Virginians, and our campaign is making sure we reach voters where they are at. There is a lot on the line in this election... and there is only one candidate running to protect women ‘s reproductive rights, keep our economy strong, and create a world-class education.”
The Youngkin campaign has used Google Ads as well. As of Oct. 25, a google search of "McAuliffe" brings up the following ad as the first result:
This ad links to a website titled twofacedterry.com, which offers further criticism of the Democrat candidate for governor.
A spokesperson for the Youngkin campaign declined to comment on their Google Ad strategy.
The use of these Google ads is not specific to the Virginia gubernatorial race. Since May 31, 2018, nearly $800 million has been spent on political Google ads, according to Google's Transparency Report.
The report showed that the biggest spenders were as follows:
- "Biden For President" - $83,733,500
- "Donald J. Trump For President, INC" - $83,483,000
- "Mike Bloomberg 2020 INC" - $62,250,100
- "Trump Make American Great Again Committee" - $47,351,500
- "DSCC" - $16,349,300
Ads purchased by major campaigns
HOW THESE ADS ARE MADE?
Political campaigns have bet big on these Google Ads. To find out how they are crafted, the Verify team visited PBJ Marketing, and spoke with CMO and Co-Founder David Bosley.
Bosley said that the first step is to select the keyword, which is the term that people will be searching on Google.
"If it's a keyword that no one bids on, it might cost 50 cents or $1," he said.
It's another story for a more coveted search term like a candidate name. Campaigns can spend thousands of dollars on these search terms, and they are bidding against each other for clicks.
"If this was 'Terry McAuliffe' or 'Glenn Youngkin' yes there's a lot of money attached to those search terms," Bosley said.
As a demo, Bosley created a sample Google Ad, linking to the bio page for reporter Evan Koslof, which would pop up when keyword "Evan Koslof" is searched. Watch the process below.
Bosley was able to choose the Google headline word-for-word. He said that this could allow candidates to set the narrative, whether that was by writing "Terrible Reporter", "Great Reporter", or something totally irrelevant like "Best Hamburgers in DC."
The process was quick and easy, although Bosley said that there is a delay between crafting the ad and final publishing. He said ads must be approved by Google first.
The tactic used by the McAuliffe campaign, linking to a well-known media outlet with a changed Google headline, has received some criticism. Ericka Menchen-Revino, a professor of communications at American University said that it is perfectly legal, but it could be considered misleading.
"It looks like it's intended to give the credibility," she said. "Pair the credibility of the news organization's name with the message that the campaign wants to send. And to me, that's misleading."
HOW TO SPOT AN AD?
There are two really easy ways to spot a political ad on Google.
- Look for bolded "Ad" disclaimer on the top left corner of the Google post.
- All political ads must list who paid for the ad, directly below the link


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Sony is offering PlayStation owners who were impacted by the network outages over Christmas a discount at the PlayStation store.
Sony's network was out of commission for several days due to an attack by hackers.
The company has announced in a blog post that it is now rewarding users' patience with getting the system back online with 10 percent off the PlayStation store.
Sony offers discount because of network blackout
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GFI MailArchiver App for Windows 8: According to IDC, tablet sales are going to supersede laptop sales in 2013...
RT @TheNextWeb: Windows Phone app for Windows desktop comes out of preview by @epro
RT @TheNextWeb: Facebook debuts Share Dialog for iOS out of beta, lets developers add sharing to apps with one line of code by @epro
RT @TheNextWeb: Google+ app for Android updated with new photo-editing features, related hashtags and locations area by @nisummers
RT @TheNextWeb: Almost anyone can create a Google Glass app thanks to this template code by @jonrussell
RT @TheNextWeb: Done: Any.DO raises $3.5M seed round to bolster its cross-platform to-do list app by @psawers
RT @TheNextWeb: This Tumblr says what everyone is thinking: I don't want to download your app by @harrisonweber
RT @TheNextWeb: Opera Software teams up with 7 Indian OEMs to get its Opera Mini app pre-installed on Android devices by @nisummers
RT @TheNextWeb: Foursquare updates its app for Windows Phone 8 with lock screen notifications, NFC check-ins and more by @nisummers
RT @TheNextWeb: Yahoo acquires to-do list app Astrid, service to continue as is for 90 days by @beijingdou
RT @TheNextWeb: Rando's randomized photo-sharing, anti-social network app lands on Android by @psawers
RT @TheNextWeb: This simple app brings Spotify to your Mac's Notification Center by @harrisonweber
RT @TheNextWeb: Apple updates Podcasts app with custom stations, on-the-go playlists and less 'skeuomorphic' design by @panzer
RT @TheNextWeb: With 2.1m downloads to its name, Open Garden debuts v2.0 of its WiFi-crowdsourcing app by @robinwauters
RT @TheNextWeb: iOS alarm clock app Suno hopes to bring a dawn at your fingertips by @abracarioca
Tech Trends: Time-Management Apps: A new breed of apps takes a holistic approach to an age-old conundrum.Like ...
RT @TheNextWeb: Yahoo to kill swath of products including BlackBerry app, message boards, and more in April to sharpen focus by @epro
RT @TheNextWeb: Twitter for Windows Phone finally gets new design that matches other apps, Live Tile support and more by @panzer
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Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken today announced job cuts, affecting 30 percent of its workforce, or about 1,100 employees. In a blog post, Kraken CEO Jesse Powell says the company made the decision to help it weather the “crypto winter.”
Kraken, a platform that allows users to buy, sell and trade crypto, announced its plans to hire 500 new employees in June, but only as long as their beliefs align with the company’s “crypto-first culture,” which is apparently don’t shout things said by others like “toxic, hateful, racist, x-phobic”. But now Kraken is pulling back its spending after a period of rapid growth, citing “significantly lower trading volumes and fewer customer signups.”
Powell says that while Kraken tried to mitigate the uncertain economic conditions by delaying hiring and “avoiding major marketing commitments,” it eventually ran out of ways to save money. Employees who have been laid off will receive 16 weeks of severance pay in addition to four months of continuous care allowance. Kraken will also provide support for those on company-sponsored visas and give employees access to career networking tools.
“I am confident that the steps we take today will ensure that we continue to deliver on our mission, which the world needs now more than ever,” Powell writes. “I remain extremely bullish on crypto and Kraken.”


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The Kenyan government plans to impose a 1.5% digital tax on the value of online/digital transactions, according to proposals in the Finance Bill 2020, cashing in on a nascent industry taking off amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, the government will also start levying a minimum gross sales tax of 1% and proposes a minimum tax for all companies. However, the minimum tax will require even loss-making firms to remit tax based on their sales.
Other inclusions in the Finance Bill, 2020 include:
- Capital Markets Authority CMA) to license and regulate private equity and venture capital firms seeking access to public funds
- A 2.5% tax on the customs value for goods manufactured in export-processing zones (EPZs) that are sold in the local market
- Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) to penalize pension funds which fail to submit actuarial valuation reports within the specified periods
- Establishment of a 3-year voluntary tax disclosure program through which taxpayers can disclose unpaid tax liabilities in exchange for some relief on penalties and interest
As Bloomberg reports, the draft measures are set to be presented to the National Assembly for a first reading on 6th May 2020.
Still, if implemented, Kenya will not be the first country to go in that direction, taxing digital transactions.
In 2016, India imposed digital taxes on tech companies involved in digital advertising. In 2018, the country went further and introduced a provision requiring companies to pay tax on domestic income accrued from digital platforms.
Furthermore, in 2019, France proposed a digital tax where tech companies would be required to pay a 3% tax on the gross revenues derived from digital activities of which French “users” are deemed to play a major role in value creation. The laws also introduced a threshold for annual revenue generated. This was $813 million for taxable digital services supplied worldwide, $27 million for taxable digital services supplied in France.


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BMW, Kia, Toyota, Honda.
Hybrid BMW: BMW will officially launch its new iPerformance model designation in Geneva. The new plug-in hybrid variants of the 7-series will be the first to sport the new BMW core brand: the 740e iPerformance, 740Le iPerformance, and 740Le xDrive iPerformance, which will also debut at the auto show in March. The new label will be given to all plug-in hybrids in the BMW line-up from July 2016.
greencarcongress.com, carscoops.com, bmwgroup.com
BMW i8 goes red: A limited Protonic Red Edition of BMW’s top-selling hybrid sports car will go into production at the Leipzig facility in July. First deliveries can be expected in September. The red is accented by frozen grey metallic highlights, while 20-inch W-spoke alloys will be standard.
Kia Optima with plug: Kia revealed its first plug-in hybrid model at the Chicago Auto Show. The Optima PHEV features a 50 kW electric motor, which is 42 percent more powerful than the one used in the previous Optima Hybrid. All-electric range is estimated at 27 miles and sales will most likely kick off in Q4 of 2016.
Electric Kia Niro? The hybrid variant of the Kia Niro will arrive in the U.S. in about 11 months, with the plug-in version to follow at a later, still unconfirmed date. And since the car shares a lot of the powertrain technology with Hyundai’s Ionic, AutoblogGreen’s Sebastian Blanco wonders if we will even see an all-electric Kia Niro at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show.
Toyota hybrid in Wales: Toyota Manufacturing UK says it will build next-generation hybrid engines for a new Toyota crossover at it Deeside plant in North Wales. The vehicle will be based on the C-HR concept and is said to go head to head with the Nissan Juke. Toyota Motor Europe was therefore able to attract an additional 7m pounds of investments, including a 700,000-pound grant from the Welsh government.
Honda to produce in China: The carmaker will begin building hybrid vehicles in China, starting with the Acura and Accord. By producing locally and cutting shipping costs, Honda hopes to lower vehicle prices and increase sales in China, especially as the government there will continue to tighten fuel economy regulations gradually through 2020


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Major initiatives to boost sustainability of world’s oceans
September 7, 2018
By Liza Mayer
Efforts to put the world's oceans on a pathway towards sustainability got a major boost this week with the announcement of two major initiatives.
CEOs of 10 of the largest seafood companies in the world behind the Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS) initiative announced they will increase their efforts to strengthen sustainable practices in the seafood industry following their meeting in Japan this week.
They agreed to address key topics affecting ocean health and seafood sustainability, including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and modern slavery, and they committed to improving transparency in reporting, to substantially reducing their use of antibiotics in aquaculture and plastic materials in their supply chains.
Members of SeaBOS include salmon farmers Marine Harvest ASA and Cermaq, aquafeed companies Skretting and Cargill Aqua Nutrition, and tuna fishers Thai Union Group PCL , Dongwon Industries and Kyokuyo.
In Norway, the world’s richest government-owned investment fund has called on companies it invests into integrate ocean sustainability into their strategy.
Oslo-based Norges Bank Investment Management, whose fund value reached a record $1-trillion last year, said many companies in its investment portfolio depend on the ocean as part of their business model.
It now requires them to integrate measures that will help to identify and minimize the impact of their activities on the ocean. In the aquaculture industry, the fund has investments in Huon Aquaculture Group of Australia.
"The ocean is a vital part of the biosphere and an important part of the global economy," Yngve Slyngstad, NBIM's CEO, said in a statement on Wednesday. "We expect companies to manage the challenges and opportunities related to sustainable use of the ocean."


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- The company is retailing this smartphone from online as well as offline sales channels
- Oppo A9 features 4GB RAM and 128GB ROM
Oppo has announced the launch of its latest smartphone Oppo A9 at Rs 15,490 in India. The company had recently shared its plans to expand in the online channel in the country.
Commenting on this launch, Charles Wong, CEO, Oppo India, said, “Oppo has always developed technology keeping consumers at the core of our innovation strategy. As a brand, Oppo places utmost importance to technology but we understand that for our Indian consumers, price is a big consideration. Therefore, with the Oppo A9, our aim is to offer consumers an exceptional experience at an affordable price. Oppo A9 is a crown addition to our A series, the success of which showcases our efforts in delivering technologically superior smartphones at competitive price points. We hope to continue the growth momentum with the launch of Oppo A9 in this price segment.”
Ultra night mode 2.0
Oppo A9, as per the company supports two different camera modes. First is the Ultra Night Mode that helps in clicking pictures in low light. The second, the Dazzle Color mode, as per Oppo, identifies the scene of the photo and restores the real details, brightness and colors-with the help of AI technology.
Company’s official statement read, “So, whether consumers are capturing the early morning sun rise or the evening sunset low-light shots, the Oppo A9 will ensure the best pictures. The smartphone flaunts a 16 MP + 2 MP rear dual camera setup and a 16 MP front camera for the perfect selfies. The front camera is equipped with advanced technology which can recognize over 130 forehead points and a face slimming feature. Along with this, the device can register and save the consumers preferred beautification mode and will automatically apply it the next time the consumer clicks a selfie.”
It continued, “Oppo A9 is the first smartphone to inherit OPPO’s new design language from the F11 and Reno series featuring a 6.53″ FHD+ waterdrop screen. It supports a 4020mAh battery delivering an exceptionally long battery life. The smartphone offers a 4GB RAM and 128GB ROM, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and ColorOS 6 to offer a smooth and convenient everyday experience to the consumers.”
This latest smartphone by Oppo features 4GB RAM+128GB ROM storage capacity combined with MediaTek Helio P70. The smartphone is powered by a 4020 mAh battery. Oppo is retailing this smartphone from online as well as offline sales channels.


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iGaming operator 32Red Plc provided its full year 2014 trading update, reporting its fifth consecutive year of double digit growth as the operator recorded total Net Gaming revenues of £32.1 million, +26% on 2013 £25.4 million.
32Red’s online casino the operator’s primary product recorded £29.3 million in Net Gaming revenues, up 27% on 2013 £23.1 million. The casino performance had been driven improved active player numbers, which saw a 15% increase to 82,155 (2013: 71,266).
The operator was able to sustain its improved player activity with an improved Customer Gaming Yield of £510 (2013: £485).
32 Red stated that management focus remained on mobile device casino development, which saw revenues up 89% on 2013 and now represent 32% of total casino revenues (2013: 21%). Over one half of all new players are now recruited via smartphones and tablets.
The operator’s Italian casino brand 32Red.it generated revenues of £1.1 million (2013: £0.6m). The growth was said to be satisfactory given the Company’s decision to limit marketing spend in Italy ahead of the anticipated withdrawal of unregulated operators from the market with effect from the end of 2014.
Commenting on the performance, Ed Ware, CEO of 32Red, said:
“We performed well throughout the year with an accelerating performance in the second half following increased investment in our business. Our marketing and operations have never been in better shape and we are excited by the opportunities for 32Red to further develop this year both within and outside the UK market.”
Early trading in 2015 has been strong across the operator’s products with revenues for the first twenty days in January up 31% on the corresponding period in 2014. However the operator stated that it was too early to gauge the effects of the new licensing regime on the UK remote gaming market which came into force on 1 November 2014
32Red Performance Overview 2014


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Facebook is temporarily banning ads for medical face masks, as many marketers try to take advantage of people's fears, anxieties and needs but also to benefit from the spread of Koronovi. Facebook's head of advertising and business products, Rob Leathern, said the app stops ads and commercials lists selling medical face masks. The banning of ads will affect products described as medical devices and facial masks that are now deficient. Leathern also said the company is constantly monitoring them developments about Coronavirus and is going to make the necessary changes to policies if she notices that some people are trying to take advantage of this situation that is critical to public health. Masks of all kinds are being used more and more around the world by those worried about Coronavirus and as demand increases, so do prices. Wearing a face mask is no guarantee that the virus cannot be transmitted or stuck. It should also be noted that the Coronavirus can remain inactive for several weeks and show no symptoms.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that only those who come in contact with someone presenting with symptoms of coronavirus cough or sneeze. Adherence to basic hygiene standards, such as good hand washing with soap or antiseptic.
Some Companies also ask for it staff work from home in an attempt to limit the spread of the Koronovi. As the markets for "panic" products, including toilet paper, face masks and antiseptic hands, are now having empty shelves, e-commerce platforms including its site Amazon, are called upon to address a particular and serious issue. Specifically, Amazon has removed over a million products from it website to prevent other suppliers from taking advantage of the concerns Koronoviός has created.
One of the problems has been the rise in prices for basic items, such as masks and antiseptics, which were otherwise available at much lower prices. In addition, there are products that are supposed to prevent or cure it virus.
Facebook and Twitter try to prevent the spread of false information, including fake treatments, statistics and rumors about the origin of the Koronovi. The World Health Organization (WHO) has described the situation as "infodemic".
At present, the number of confirmed new cases of Coronavirus has exceeded 110.000 worldwide, with more than 3.800 deaths. The majority of cases are in China, South Korea and Italy. Italy has quarantined the most affected areas (with Lombardy last), while flights within and outside Milan are still available.Finally, the UK Government will meet today on an extraordinary basis on the Koronoiu issue.


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After Taylor Swift’s open letter, ‘To Apple, Love Taylor’ and protests from independent labels, Apple has agreed to pay royalties to musicians and publishers during the three month free trial of its streaming service.
The company’s senior vice president Eddy Cue responded directly to the 25-year-old singer in his tweet, “Apple Music will pay artist for streaming, even during customer’s free trial period. We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple,” reported the Guardian.
Cue, who assured that the artists will be paid “per-stream” royalty during the trial, added that he has already called the ‘Shake It Off’ hit-maker to tell her about the change of plans.
He said that Swift’s tweet solidified the issue for them and they decided to make a change but the singer has not signed a deal to put her music on Apple Music yet.
Expressing her happiness on the company’s decision the ‘Bad Blood’ star tweeted, “I am elated and relieved. Thank you for your words of support today. They listened to us.”


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Sign of the times; read the full article for more details
Virgin America isn't the first airline to offer in-flight Wi-Fi, but it will be the first airline to offer the service on its entire fleet of planes. Gogo Wi-Fi is already available on American Airlines, Delta is rolling out wireless networking systemwide this fall, while Alaska Airlines, Continental, Southwest Airlines, Jet Blue, and Virgin America are testing Wi-Fi or have limited trials in operation.
There was a first during this event, however: YouTube hosted its first live streaming event in San Francisco during the flight, which featured video streamed from the plane. While that was being filmed and streamed, the in-flight crew told all the passengers to disconnect from the Wi-Fi service to maximize the bandwidth for video being streamed from the plane.


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Our friends at OnCars.in reported that Honda Civic ninth generation model, has begun testing in India. But at the moment we don’t have any spy pictures to show, but if the 2013 Civic is really being landed on Indian roads, we can soon expect the spyshots to emerge. Honda has discontinued the Civic in India due to slumping sales figures, it still has a very strong presence in the international market.
The last-generation Civic had nowhere to go as the lack of a turbo diesel engine under the hood. Thus, even the launch of ninth-generation Civic was further delayed, but now the source say that the new Civic will follow the launch of all-new CR-V in India. Surprisingly, the company has begun testing the petrol version of Civic, powered by a 1.8-litre i-Vtec engine that produces 140 bhp of power.
The engines offered in the new Honda Civic differs based on the market, the US market get as 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel engine, but the European model gets a 1.6-litre oiler – which is essentially the same mill that is the basis of the 1.5-litre i-DTEC oil burner that will power the upcoming Honda Amaze sedan.
While Honda has no plans of bringing the 1.6-litre i-DTEC turbo diesel engine to India, we assume the new Civic to get a higher spec version of the 1.5-liter i-DTEC turbo diesel engine, if it ever gets launched in India. The 1.5-liter i-DTEC diesel engine will be first plonked into the Honda Brio Amaze compact sedan, followed by the next generation Jazz and City models.
However, the exact engine specification for Indian model is not known at the moment. Do you think Honda should launch the petrol Civic in India? Share your views in India.
Also see – Honda India to phase-out Civic soon
Source – OnCars.in


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Credit card fraudster is "no innocent abroad" says judge
A man has been jailed for his involvement in a well organised fraud operation which saw stolen credit cards used to spend nearly €20,000 in high street shops.
Ion Matei (37) and three accomplices used the American Express credit card to buy clothes, perfumes and handbags at Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Next and Debenhams throughout 2009.
The card was a company expenses card for Phillip Ryan, an employee of Oracle.
The fraudulent transactions began in late October, after American Express had issued a new card.
Mr Ryan later told investigating gardai, who had been contacted by suspicious staff at Brown Thomas, that he had last used his card in December 2008 for a work trip and had never received the new card.
Garda Wayne Donnelly told Fionnula O’Sullivan BL, prosecuting, that he compiled CCTV footage from a number of shops which showed four people repeatedly using the card. Two of these were identified and Matei was one of them.
He was arrested in February 2010 and denied knowing anything about the theft of the card but accepted he had used the card to buy goods. He said another man had given him the card and told him to buy items. Matei would hand these goods over and he would be paid a fee for carrying out the work.
Matei of Buckingham Street, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a stolen credit card at various locations in Dublin between October 20 and November 3, 2009 and to 19 charges of stealing a total of €7,377 from the credit card account at shops in Dublin, Limerick and Cork.
He also admitted possession of a stolen Ulster bank credit card between April 9 and April 18, 2014 and to theft of €1,350 at an Ulster Bank ATM, College Green, Dublin on April 13 and 18, 2014.
Judge Desmond Hogan suspended the two years of a four year sentence on condition he keeps the peace for four years.
Detective Garda Des Rodgers said that in 2014 bank officials notified gardai in relation to €50,291 worth of unauthorised transactions on the Ulster bank card.
The owner of the card, Thomas Kennedy, told gardai he was working in Saudi Arabia since December 2013 and when he returned to his Dublin apartment he found the post box entirely empty. He suspected his post had been stolen and that the Ulster bank credit card had been stolen along with it.
Det Gda Rodgers said that 61 of the 89 transactions on the card were covered by CCTV footage and this showed a woman and three men, including Matei using the card to withdraw cash from ATMs and purchase electrical goods from Argus.
Most of the footage of Matei showed him using the stolen card to check the balance on the bank account early in the morning and late in the evening.
Matei had no previous convictions in Ireland but in September 2009 he was convicted in the UK in relation to theft of a parking meter.
Kathleen Leader BL, defending, said that her client, who has lived and worked in Ireland since 1999, was a middle man and a cog in the wheel of this operation.
Judge Hogan said these offences were as part of a well organised operation.
“He was part of a very well oiled machine. He’s no innocent abroad, no pun intended. This is a very skilful use of credit cards. He either had a PIN number or a signature.” he said.


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Birmingham, UK – The UK’s Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) is attempting to simplify compliance with the UK’s furniture flammability regulations.
Phil Reynolds director of FIRA launched the assurance process at the January Furniture Show at the NEC near Birmingham, UK 21-24 January 2018.
He said: ‘This year, the regulations are 30 years old. At this event, all of our enquiries have an element about flammability.’
The new scheme is designed to assure furniture makers, upholsterers or suppliers of upholstered furniture that can demonstrate compliance with UK Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations.
The UK operates a patchwork of enforcement of the regulations through local authority trading standards departments. ‘Different trading standards take different views of the regulations,’ he added.
Consequently, FIRA has teamed up with Hertfordshire Trading Standards to offer an assured advice service.
The Assured Advice service is designed to apply only to domestic furniture and does not cover mattresses or commercial furnishing which are covered by their own regulations.
There will be a joining fee and annual membership fee to belong to the FIRA system to cover the cost of compliance audits. The compliance scheme could be open to non-UK firms, Reynolds said.