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What was the biggest local news headline of 2013? Rank the stories here.
See how it goes, you state some facts and you get personal insults.
Yep Chief I graduated from Gonzaga in 1990 as a computer science major.
I think many voters assumed this initiative would substantially lower the cost of alcohol. That’s not going to happen. Even Costco didn’t claim that alcohol would be cheaper for the consumer. Costco’s position was that there would be a savings to the state because the state would still collect every bit of the taxes they are already collecting without having to pay the overhead for running the stores.
Now you'd think claiming a cost saving would have been a big selling point. Wouldn't ya?
Don’t hold your breath waiting for your cheap booze.
But, cheers, cuz Costco has already said they are raising your membership by $5 to $10 on the executive.
And then when you include a loss of $377 million dollars in the state coffers, that's money coming out of your pockets, when you will have to make up for it.
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The Republic Statistics Office (RZS) said on Friday that the country’s foreign trade in the first nine months of the year stood at 28.70 billion Euro or 5.4 percent less than in the same period of 2019.
Goods exports totaled 12.2 billion Euro or 6.1 percent less than in the same period of 2019 while imports dropped by 4.8 percent to 16.5 billion Euro. The deficit stood at 4.3 billion Euro and was 0.8 percent lower. The RZS said that 73.9 percent of imports were covered by exports which is less than in 2019 when the percentage stood at 74.9.
The greatest level of foreign trade was with the countries that Serbia has free trade agreements with European Union member states accounting for 60.9 percent of total foreign trade. Serbia’s second most important trade partner are the CEFTA member states and a surplus of 1.5 billion Dollars.


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Market darling Lovisa has lost some of its shine after unveiling a "challenging" start to 2019, with same-store sales slipping 0.9 per cent in the year to date.
Lovisa managing director Shane Fallscheer told shareholders on Tuesday same-store sales for the four months ending October were tracking well below the company's 3 to 5 per cent target range, dragged down by tough conditions in Australia, but Lovisa was cycling strong growth in the previous corresponding period.
Same-stores sales grew just over 5 per cent in the year-ago period and accelerated over the year, rising 6.8 per cent.
"We have had four years of very strong comparable sales growth on the back of great execution of some major trends in the fashion accessories market," Mr Fallscheer told the annual meeting in Melbourne.
"As a result, comparable sales in the current year will be more challenging as we cycle these strong numbers."
"We remind everyone that both spring racing and especially Christmas are still to come and play a very large part of both our first half and full year's performance, and we continue to remain acutely focused on ensuring that our strong gross margins are maintained and costs remain well controlled as we invest in the future growth of the business," he said.
Shares plunge 22 per cent
Lovisa shares, which were previously trading around 18 times forward earnings, plunged 22 per cent to $6.52 before closing down 18 per cent at $6.85.
Citigroup analyst Sam Teeger cut his earnings per share forecasts for 2019 to 2021 by 12 per cent to 14 per cent, reflecting the weak same-store sales momentum and likely gross margin pressure, but said Lovisa remained one of the most profitable small-cap retailers on the ASX.
Lovisa's share price fall echoed that of Kogan.com, whose shares fell by one-third on Monday after a disappointing first-quarter trading update. It also followed subdued trading updates from discretionary retailers The Reject Shop, Nick Scali and jeweller Michael Hill.
Despite the soft start to 2019, Lovisa's leadership team remains upbeat about the company's prospects following a strong performance in 2018, when total sales rose 21 per cent to $217 million and earnings rose 26 per cent to $51.1 million.
Outgoing chairman Michael Kay, who stepped down on Tuesday and will hand the chair to BB Retail Capital chief and major shareholder Brett Blundy, said a two-store trial in California was going well and Lovisa planned to open at least another five pilot stores in the US.
Lovisa has not yet decided whether to pursue a full store roll-out in the US but has appointed a North American general manager to oversee the pilot program.
"If we can build upon the start in California and replicate this in other states, the US business clearly has the potential to be a significant part of the future of Lovisa," Mr Kay said.
The company has also appointed former Myer chief operating officer and chief digital and data officer Mark Cripsey as Lovisa's chief operating officer and has appointed a general manager for Europe and Africa.
Lovisa recently launched online stores in Australia and New Zealand and expects to open another 20 brick and mortar stores in the US, France and Spain before Christmas, taking its network to at least 360 stores.
Mr Kay said about 54 per cent of Lovisa's store network was now outside Australia and geographic expansion was an important part of the company's strategy to mitigate risk amid increasing global political and economic uncertainty.
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Kickstart Your Business, a Forming Circles Global initiative, is returning this year to offer one female-founded or female-led startup $5,000 in cash and the opportunity to be mentored by women who have succeeded in their industry.
The news follows an announcement made in July this year by Forming Circles that it had evolved into Forming Circles Global. The newly-structured organisation promised to invest $500,000 into women-led startups and small businesses over three years, with plans to provide two grants annually via its Kickstart Your Business initiative, as well as support Australian social enterprises working in developing countries.
Renata Cooper, who founded Forming Circles in 2011 before it became Forming Circles Global this year, said the organisation exists to support women driving value-based innovation and to nurture an ecosystem and network of future investors. Cooper, who is also mentor in the Telstra-based muru-D startup accelerator programme, has personally invested $2 million in over 100 causes and businesses, including startups Workible, iVvy and Good360. She is also a member of Scale Investors, through which she has invested in the US-based startups CloudPeeps and DayOne Response.
“The spirit of women-led entrepreneurship and its role in shaping the future of our economy is getting stronger every day. The energy is here and slowly, through an increasing number of success stories, women are fuelling the next phase of growth – in Australia and onto global markets,” Cooper said in July.
“Many creative ideas that influence growth and positively impact people’s lives get lost due to lack of and access to funding. FCG is making a conscious effort to empower women entrepreneurs with startups built on great ideas. In addition to financial support, we will give women valuable mentorship that helps their startups scale.”
The Kickstart Your Business initiative has been designed for Australian women regardless of what business stage they’re in – they could be starting a business, expanding or looking for an injection of funds. Cooper said the grant will give businesses “a small helping hand when they need it most”, while the mentoring programme will provide access to experienced entrepreneurs who can share knowledge and insights.
“The idea is not just to give money, but also add value by helping entrepreneurs with advice from experts who have been in the industry for a long time and have directly or indirectly, shaped the growth of other organisations,” Cooper said.
The mentoring programme will take place in Sydney on the 27th and will be led by five experienced women entrepreneurs including Fiona Anson, co-founder and director of Workible, a mobile and social recruitment app for the flexible workforce; Kim McGuinness, Managing Director of Mentor Central, who previously founded and sold Network Central to Women’s Agenda; Janine Garner, founder and CEO of Little Black Dress Group, an Australian women’s business network; Lee Ussher, co-founder Buzz Media Web, a social media strategy and consultancy firm; and Renata Cooper, founder and CEO of Forming Circles Global.
The mentors will discuss all major areas of running a scalable business and also address common challenges faced by entrepreneurs. Mentorship will be conducted as a group session; and the winner will also get access to a Coffee with the CEO one-on-one session with Renata Cooper on a separate day.
The winning applicant will have demonstrated how they can benefit from the grant, and how they will use it to grow their business.
Applications are now open and close on September 20th. The winner will be announced on October 14th.


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Titanfall 2 coming to PS4 and PC has been discussed more by developers Respawn Entertainement
It was recently revealed that Titanfall 2 would make its Xbox One, PS4 and PC debut on October 28.
Unlike the original Titanfall, the sequel will have a full single-player mode, as well as new pilot abilities, weapons and more.
It was also confirmed that Titanfall 2 DLC would be free on all platforms, although the game is expected to contain microtransactions for cosmetic items such as skins.
Another new feature for the series is its release on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.
Titanfall was an exclusive for the Xbox 360, proving to be a popular choice among first-person shooter fans.
Speaking in an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine UK, Respawn Entertainment CEO and Founder, Vince Zampella, spoke more the subject of expanding the franchise to new platforms.
“Ultimately, it’s about bringing in as many people as possible to play the game,” Zampella revealed.
“We spent years of our lives making these things, so we want as many people as possible to see them. It makes sense,” Zampella explained.
“We want playerbase so the games are more fun and more balanced, we want to get better games going, but it’s also just...this is all about the fans.
“It’s bringing things to the world that people enjoy, so the more the merrier.”
With Titanfall’s popularity on the Xbox 360 secured, it would seem a no-brainer to make the game available on other platforms.
It also makes up another formidable game for EA to take on the huge Call of Duty franchise, having announced recently that both Titanfall 2 and Battlefield 1 would launch in October.
Just a week apart in release schedules, it will make choosing between them all very difficult for fps fans this Autumn.


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Among Washington’s worst used car prices up 34% year-to-date
Supply chain issues, inflation and high gas prices are a costly problem for everyone, but perhaps more so for auto dealers than most.
A new study shows that the growing demand for used vehicles has driven up prices, particularly in Washington State where used car prices increased by 34% from March 2021 to 2022.
How bad is it
That’s upside down considering six of the top 10 selling vehicles in America cost more used than new!
- The disruption to vehicle production caused by the pandemic, including the shortage of chips, has led to long wait times for new cars, forcing many consumers to turn to the used-car market.
Lightly used 2021 models of the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Toyota Highlander, Honda Civic, Toyota Camry and Nissan Rogue are more expensive than the list prices of their 2022 counterparts.
The study also revealed that two electric vehicles sold more used than new: the Volkswagen ID.4 and the Tesla 3.
The difference is $significant
The value of a new car has already dropped by several thousand dollars as soon as you take it off the dealer lot. The pandemic has changed that for many models. Recent data analysis by jerry found that 2021 models of the Toyota RAV4 ($6,000 more), Honda CR-V ($5,000 more), Toyota Highlander ($3,500 more), Honda Civic ($1,700 more), Toyota Camry ($2,400 more) and Nissan Rogue ($4,000 more) all sell for more than list prices on new models.
At the end of the line
Chip shortages and other supply chain issues have pushed used car prices at an all time high, so buy carefully from a dealer you trust. I personally endorse Bill Harris Used Cars in Selah.
WATCH: See how much gas it cost the year you started driving
Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover how much a gallon cost when you first started driving.


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Sony seems keen to use Firefox operating system that was released recently.
Quoted from Ubergizmo, Friday (3/1), one of the latest series of Xperia, Xperia E, used as the test material to adopt the OS.
“At Sony Mobile, we continue to evaluate [...]
The sound that tells you if there is a comment, leave, and other messages.
Facebook reportedly tested a sound alert system to notify the owner of the account when there is a friend who wrote, leave a message, comments, and so on.
Unpublished experiment [...]
CloudFlare, a Web accelerator is having network-wide DNS problems as reported ubergizmo.com (03/03).
“We are experiencing a network-wide issue,” said the CloudFlare via the company’s official Twitter account.
For those of you who [...]
Los Angeles – Technology latest computer with a transparent display that allows users to reach out and touch into digital content introduced recently at the TED Conference (Technology, Entertainment and Design) in Los Angeles.
Researchers TED Jinha [...]
It has been rumored for a long time by a number of observers.
Smartpone manufacturer from South Korea, starting today officially launched the Galaxy Note II version dual Sim Card.
In the official website of Samsung’s China, some observers expressed [...]
After going through various rumors and long waits, BlackBerry 10 platform was officially launched at an event in New York, U.S., on Wednesday (01/30) local time.
Quoted from Techradar, Thursday (01/31), BlackBerry 10 straight comes with two new smartphones, [...]
Google has finally released Google Now app for Apple devices, the iPhone and iPad.
Quoted from Techradar, Tuesday (30/4), as a whole, Google Now in the both iOS device that is very similar, and no different with the launch for Android.
For those who [...]
Beijijng / San Francisco – Mandiant, an information security services company from the United States accused China are responsible for some cases of hacking, conducted by a secret military unit.
Mandiant accused 61 398 units of the military Chinese [...]
Beat the record photo teen star Justin Bieber.
Obama seems destined to be the person who created history. Being the first black president in the United States and the second democrat politician who was elected president for two terms in a row since World [...]
Jakarta – SpeedUp launched “Pad 8″ tablet equipped with HD Display and SpeedUp Studio.
This tablet lets users enjoy more than 850,000 original music content both local and foreign artists.
“The tablet is different from our other [...]
The event introductions latest smartphone Samsung, Galaxy S4, South Africa is considered too sexy woman indulgence.
Because of this, the South Korean manufacturer is finally formally apologized.
Quoted from Techradar, Monday (25/3), an event held in [...]


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Date posted: 26 March 2012
The Victorian Coalition Government is launching a campaign to help combat solvent use. The Minister for Mental Health, Mary Wooldridge, recently announced that the Government was working with retailers to stop the sale of butane lighter refills, spray paints and other solvents to people who may misuse them.
As part of this campaign, the Coalition Government is providing a new and improved resource kit for retailers: Responsible sale of solvents - a retailer's kit. The kit provides advice to stores on the display, storage and sale of solvents, as well as tips for how staff can respond to customers when solvent abuse is suspected.
Copies of the kit are available from the Department of Health Victoria, in pdf form on their website or by contact.
Source: Premier of Victoria
Department of Health Victoria
Ph: (03) 9096 2102


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Cookie dough in 10 different flavors can be scooped into cones or cups, or topped on an ice cream sundae.
A national craze is coming to the Carolina Beach Boardwalk -- the edible cookie dough shop.
Doh ToGo will open at 3 p.m. Friday selling cookie dough in multiple flavors scooped into cups or cones.
Choose from chocolate chip, salted caramel pretzel, unicorn (purple cookie dough with chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles and topped with cotton candy) or peanut butter and jelly dough.
There are 10 flavors in total, including a gluten-free chocolate chip, said owner Mary Mercier.
"The dough is made safe by using pasteurized eggs," Mercier said. "I remember as a kid wanting to lick the bowl when mom was baking cookies and I always got the, 'No! You can't do that, you will get sick, there's raw egg in it.'"
But Mercier said those days are long gone and cookie dough dreams can come true.
The shop has partnered with Cravings of Wilmington to offer healthy options like vegan, gluten-free and soy free chick pea blondies and black bean brownies. Hershey's ice cream and baked and unbaked ice cream cookie dough sandwiches will also be available, along with cookie dough ice cream sundaes. Grab "Doggie Doh," made especially for dogs.
Visit the shop at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk, opening on weekends until Memorial Day, before opening daily at 11 a.m.
Reporter Ashley Morris can be reached at 910-343-2096 or Ashley.Morris@StarNewsOnline.com.


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The Dow Jones Transportation index has been warning us: by August 25, it was down 19% year-to-date before bouncing. It’s now off 13%. Not all is well in the transportation sector – and by extension in the global economy.
The World Trade Monitor, when I last wrote about it on July 22, painted a very un-rosy picture of global trade by having dropped the most since the Financial Crisis.
In granular detail, the weekly China Containerized Freight Index (CCFI) fell to 820.91 on Friday, hobbling along near its multiyear low set in June. It tracks contractual rates and spot rates for shipping containers from major Chinese ports to major ports around the world. It’s 22% below where it was in February and 18% below where it had been in 1998, when it was set at 1,000!
Spot rates from Shanghai to the US West Coast per 40-foot container equivalent unit (FEU) are down 33.4% from a year ago, according to the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI); spot rates from Shanghai to the US East Coast are down 41%.The Drewry Container Freight spot rate from Hong Kong to Los Angeles is down 38%. That’s the east-bound trade, where rates had been collapsing all year.
Westbound rates had been holding up. For example, rates from Rotterdam to Shanghai, which tracks the cost of shipping exports from Europe to China, as measured by the weekly World Container Index (WCI), had been hanging in there all year, even if at relatively low levels ranging from $750 to $870 per FEU, according to JOC’s market data. But after August 20, when it still stood at $869 per FEU, it started plunging. By September 10, it hit $611, down 30% in three weeks.
The beaten-down shipping rates are the result of an oversupply of container ships and weak global demand for manufactured goods.
Global air freight has also gotten hit, with traffic down 0.7% in July from a year ago, according to the International Air Transport Association, even as air cargo capacity jumped 6.7%.
“The disappointing July freight performance is symptomatic of a broader slowdown in economic growth,” IATA Director General Tony Tyler pointed out in the report. And the consequences are beginning to cascade through the industry: The Wall Street Journal reported that Nippon Cargo Airlines, Japan’s biggest cargo carrier, canceled an order for four 747-8F freighters from Boeing.
So trade is not exactly the picture of a thriving global economy. Conditions, instead of getting better, are getting worse.
The underlying theme: yes, global trade is in trouble and the global economy is getting mired down, and yes, neither QE nor ZIRP can do anything about it because they’ve been deployed all along for years, and this is happening despite or because of them … but at least the US economy is picking up speed, it is the cleanest dirty shirt out there. And US GDP growth for the second quarter confirmed that. That’s been the underlying theme.
But now the Cass Freight Index for North American is raining on this theme.
In August, according to the index, the number of shipments dropped 1.2%, after having already dropped 1.6% in July. It’s down 4.6% from August last year. It about matched August 2013, and both were the lowest Augusts since 2010. With the exception of January and February, the index has been lower year-over-year every month. In the spring and perhaps even early summer, we might have thought that this was statistical noise or a longer-lasting blip, but now it has become a morose pattern of year-over-year shipping volume declines:
The Cass report explained the August debacle this way:
Generally, retailers are stocking up for fall sales, but high inventories and a rising inventory to sales ratio slowed ordering earlier this year. Inventory levels – for retail, wholesale and manufacturing – are well above the high point prior to the inventory drawdown at the beginning of the Great Recession.
Inventories have been climbing during a period of low inventory carrying costs. Interest rates have been the lowest in recent history, warehouse space was abundant and lease rates low, and taxes and insurance costs were flat.
Sooner or later, businesses will try to whittle down their inventories, either by selling more or by cutting orders – and the first just isn’t happening to the extent needed.
In terms of shipping expenditures, the index dropped 2.0% in August, after a 4.5% drop in July, on a combination of lower volume and lower rates. A drop in shipping expenditures in August is not uncommon, but year-over-year, the index is down 8%. It was the worst August since 2012. The index has been significantly below last year for the past six month, and the trend is getting worse:
Cass lamented that the drop in freight spending in August was “sharper than expected” as truck spot prices dropped “due to abundant capacity.”
It remained optimistic, however: “Despite many headwinds, the transportation sector continues to grow and prosper, largely because consumers are back in the marketplace. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index leapt up in August, rising 11.5%.”
Alas, as the electronic ink was drying on the Cass report Friday morning, the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment index was released. And it dropped 6.2 points to 85.7, the lowest level since September last year, far below forecast, and the largest drop since September 2013. This trend in consumer confidence has already shown up in other measures as well [read… Market Rout Hammers Economic Confidence of Americans ].
The swoon knocks the foundation out from under the theory that higher consumer confidence would finally drive Americans to splurge and generate more orders and more shipping volume. That hope has been out there, and companies counted on it, but it just isn’t happening.
The global economy, according to Investment Bank Natixis, is headed into the kind of trouble where monetary policies will be “ineffective.” Read… Global Economy Nearing a “Structural Recession”
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The recent rise of cross-platform games such as Epic Games' sandbox survival game, 'Fortnite' – which can be played across PCs, consoles, and mobile devices – is attracting more female gamers.
This week's major tech headlines include Amazon's Alexa for hospitality debut, Fortnite's whopping revenue off three months on mobile and Microsoft ends speculation that the Xbox One will get VR this..
Society has an unfortunate habit of going a bit bonkers whenever new technology comes out that children consume in droves. But when it comes to violent video games, the evidence is now pretty clear. Brisbane Times Also reported by •Sydney Morning Herald •The Age
Nintendo unleashes a whole bunch of game announcements plus a deep dive into the new Smash, which features every single fighter in the series' history. Brisbane Times Also reported by •Sydney Morning Herald •The Age


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AZ Factory, the fashion house led by Alber Elbaz that is the most widely anticipated new brand in the industry, is planning a talk show as well as exclusives on Net-A-Porter and Farfetch as part of its launch next week.
Superdry continued to see falling sales in the first half and lockdowns mean the second half has started the same way, But e-commerce is rising and it remains focused on its long-term full-price strategy.
U.S. retail sales made progress in the 2020 holiday season according to NRF, but the positive trend was not felt by apparel retailers, who saw their revenues take a dive in the last two months of the year.
Following a decision by the Italian government, trade shows Pitti Uomo, Pitti Bimbo and Pitti Filati will take place exclusively online on the Pitti Connect platform which will remain online until the start of April.
Borsalino staged the latest version of its novel approach to community and brand building – an online Gentleman’s Club, that included a mini music debut by Jeremy Fraites, co-founder of happening band The Lumineers.
Another season, and another artist at Christian Dior. Kim Jones' latest linkup with a fine artist is with Peter Doig, the Scottish painter, whose collaboration will be seen in the Dior Men's winter 2021 collection.


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In the luxury segment, Acura has always been a bit of a lost puppy: Tempting to bring home and full of rewards to the owner who does, but never quite sure of where it is or where it's supposed to be. Over the past few years, Acura dealerships across North America – at the behest of Acura itself – have spent big bucks constructing glitzy new showrooms in anticipation of new products coming down the pipeline that would be capable of competing with other big luxury marques. But those heavily-invested franchises may find themselves holding their hats as the premium Honda division is changing its course again, and in the interim will be delaying significant model launches.
Part of the shift in strategy for Acura – which still markets exclusively in North America and China – is to put the final nail in the coffin for a rear-drive platform and V8 engines, two components seen as vital for going toe-to-toe with the European brands. Instead, Acura will reportedly focus on a more sensible approach to luxury vehicles during a "low-growth period" of new models, returning to the entry-level luxury segment to combat the likes of the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3, along with luxury hybrids. But it'll take the Japanese automaker a good few years to remake itself, and in the meantime sales are likely to continue declining as the TSX sport wagon (nee Honda Accord Tourer) and the new ZDX crossover (low-volume models both) hold down the fort as the only new arrivals in the pipeline.
[Source: Automotive News – sub. req'd]


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Swedish commercial broadcaster TV4 said it expects to record its “highest turnover ever” in 2017, thanks largely to digital growth.
Speaking at the Future TV Advertising Forum in London yesterday, TV4’s chief operating officer and head of business unit advertising at Bonnier Broadcasting, Mathias Berg, said that 2017 is shaping up to be the “best year in our history”.
“We’ve been around for 25 years and this year is going to be our highest turnover ever and we’re going to deliver the highest profit margin ever,” said Berg.
“Digital became [accountable for] significant money a year or two ago for us. However, this year we are growing close to 70% and our digital revenue is really pushing both our top line and our profitability.”
Berg said that one of the guiding principles that has served TV4 well in recent years, during its digital transformation, has been to “trust your content”. He claimed that dividing linear and digital into two distinct functions was now “history” at TV4.
“What used to be a good story still is a good story,” he said. “Today our successful content is as strong on a digital platform, with a digital audience, as it is on linear.”
At the same time, the firm has ramped up the amount of content that it publishes on different platforms. For example, TV4 said it produced about 28 hours of content for the Swedish version of Idol in 2014, whereas it now claims to produce ten-times that number of hours for the entertainment format across all platforms.
Berg also highlighted the importance of data, claiming it is “at the core of everything we do”. Making users log-in to services like TV4 Play means that the broadcaster can get more personalised information than in the linear world, which in turn helps to boost ad revenues.
The firm is pushing towards a single, all-encompassing TV offer for advertisers. “We’re going to make it one television market, platform agnostic,” said Berg.
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Sugar, industrial contractors, information and communication and basic metals were the most profitable industries in Tehran Stock Exchange from 21st March-5th December 2017 (around 8 months). The mentioned industries gained 73%, 55%, 46%, 44% and 43% respectively during the mentioned period.
Sugar industry had a leading position in terms of return and the main reason behind was to cancel taxes for importing raw sugar to Iran and that time, it would be allowable for companies to import, as a result, cost of goods sold decreased for sugar producers. But nowadays, government has made a new decision not to allow raw sugar to import to Iran, in fact they have a plan to reach self-sufficiency. There is no doubt that this matter can be the turning point of the companies’ future in this industry according to price increment, but high inventory of sugar could be a barrier in order to reach more gain for the companies in this industry. Companies which produce sugar would gain the high return emerged not only from this matter in long term, but also from the growing rate of IRR/USD in the future. According to OECD and FAO forecasts, global price of sugar would raise during 2018-2026. It would be expected that sugar price till 2026 will be more than the average price of the last two decades. However, one of the major problem of the sugar companies is their financial cost, new economy minister after considering different aspects of the high interest rate which was illogical has reached to conclusion that it was because of serious and chronic problems in banking system in Iran. If the minister’s plan on reform in banking system is performed properly, reduction in interest rate would be anticipated. Consequently, all industries benefit from this pleasant event but some enjoy more specifically. As a result, it seems spring is waiting for sugar industry in these winter days.
The second industry which has been gained after sugar industry is industrial contractor which its root has in the growing number of dam constructions in Iran. The companies have gained the most in this industry are Iran Marine Industrial Co. and Ballast Co. that their ticks in the Tehran Stock Exchange are SDRP1 and BLSZ1. SDRP1 is an industrial contractor company with a capital of 36 Million Dollars (1 US Dollar=41,000 Rial) could sell during the current summer 6 times more compare to spring. This matter happened after the company won the new project of South Pars contract in tender.
The third one is information and communication industry and the reason behind their high return lies in the increment usage of network and also the prospect of this industry as well as the start-up companies in Iran is bright.
The forth is basic metal industry, the fact is that the share of this industry is around 15% in Iran’s capital market. This share was fluctuated mostly around 15% to 20% and sometimes it has reached to more than 30%. As a result, it could be as a leader of the Iran’s capital market as we discussed about it in detail in the “Analyzing Basic Metal Industry and Its Derivatives in Iran” article. By this way, it could be probable that Iran’s capital market follow the trend of this sector.
As we explained in detail in the mentioned article, steel pricing in Iran not only follow steel price in the world, but also the value of Iranian Rial against other currencies especially Dollar. To nutshell, sometimes increasing value of Rial agaist Dollar spurred basic metal industry to be increased in spite of decrement billet and bloom prices in the world. By this way, as in recent months both the value of Rial against Dollar and international steel price in the world were incremental, the basic metal index was one of the most effective industry in Iran’s Capital Market.
In the following, you can see some of the companies’ names that gained the most return in the last 8 months in these four industries.
*Earning Per Share
**The financial year of GSHI1 is Sep2017-Sep2018


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(ELUX) With reference to information sent out today by the Reuters news agency, the Group makes the following clarification.
As stated earlier, Electrolux together with numerous other corporations in the US has pending litigation and claims against the Group related to asbestos.
As of November 30, 2002 the total number of cases was 194. The Group has made a provision related to these pending cases in the amount of less than USD 9 million.
Almost all of these cases relate to externally supplied components used in industrial products manufactured by discontinued operations prior to the early 1970s. Almost all of the cases have multiple plaintiffs who have made identical allegations against many other defendants not part of the Electrolux Group. The number of individual plaintiffs in these pending cases is approximately 14,300.
Electrolux is the world’s largest producer of powered appliances for kitchen, cleaning and outdoor use, such as refrigerators, washing machines, cookers, vacuum cleaners, chain saws, lawn mowers, and garden tractors. In 2001, the Group had sales of SEK 135.8 billion and approximately 87,100 employees. Every year, customers in more than 150 countries buy more than 55 million Group products for both consumer and professional use under famous brands such as Electrolux, AEG, Zanussi, Frigidiare, Eureka and Husqvarna.
The Electrolux Press Hotline can be reached at +46 8 657 65 07.


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Placentia resident Bryan Bohlken has gone to the past 17 opening days at Angel Stadium, and he plans to make it 18 this April.
So as he always does, he checked the team’s pricing guide the night before tickets went on sale last month. With the View MVP seats he and his friends usually sit in listed at $36 apiece, Bohlken arranged to get the money from his friends and drove to Angel Stadium the next morning to avoid Ticketmaster fees online.
When he got to the ticket window after a two-hour wait in line, he said an attendant informed him they cost considerably more: $58 apiece. When he told her he had seen a different price online, she said the prices were subject to change – and had, that very morning.
Upset at himself for not checking online again before he left, Bohlken went home dejected and told his friends the tickets were a no-go.
Then he logged on to check again, and was incredulous to find the same prices he initially saw. He called the ticket office repeatedly, hoping for an explanation. He didn’t get one.
“I don’t have a problem paying $58 if I have to,” Bohlken said in a telephone interview. “They spent a lot of money on the players. It’s very expensive to have Josh Hamilton – I understand. The deception was what I was mad at.”
In this case, deception is a matter of perspective. Confusion, however, is clear.
The way fans buy tickets to sporting events is changing rapidly and the Angels are aggressively adjusting along with it, attempting to grab a bigger piece of the massive pie that is ticketing in 2013 and beyond.
The Angels unveiled significant changes to their ticketing practices over the offseason. They moved to a dynamic ticket pricing model for single-game sales, and broke from Major League Baseball’s partnership with StubHub to create their own ticket resale program run through Ticketmaster. In combination, the two could give Arte Moreno’s Angels unprecedented control over the price fans pay to get to into a major-league ballpark.
But early returns on both moves have been mixed. Bohlken’s situation was one of many experienced by fans the day single-game tickets went on sale. The outdated pricing list on the Angels’ website featured prices that in some cases were at least 30 percent less than actual charged prices. That outdated list remained online for several days despite fans alerting team officials of the error.
“That was a little bit of an oversight on our part,” said Robert Alvarado, the Angels’ vice president of marketing and ticketing sales.
In connecting ticket prices with the principles of supply and demand, dynamic pricing essentially mirrors a stock market – albeit one with a team-controlled price floor. Prices go up over time for big games against the likes of the Yankees and can go down some for less-desirable mid-week tilts, but they will never drop below the prices paid by season-seat holders.
Twenty-three of MLB’s 30 teams will use some form of dynamic pricing this season, with 20 of those employing software developed by industry leader Qcue.
Barry Kahn, the CEO of Qcue, said the system has been “embraced by fans right out of the gate” in the majority of cities since the San Francisco Giants debuted it in 2009.
“You typically see most teams coming out with pricing that is significantly less expensive than it has been in past years,” Kahn said in a phone interview. “One of the nice things with dynamic pricing is by pricing more accurately, you capture the upside of higher-demand events and the rest of the events are allowed to be a lot more affordable.”
Selected Angels games indeed have been cheaper than recent years thus far. The cheapest admission price is less than $8, including fees, for half the April games at Angel Stadium.
But one area where fans have found the team is lacking is in providing information.
Whereas fans can log onto the Giants’ site and quickly find a comprehensive, sortable chart containing updated prices for all games and all sections this season, prospective Angel ticket-buyers must select a specific game and section in order to find the current price for that ticket.
Alvarado said the team is “rushing” to have a similar graph in place by opening day.
“One of the things that’s really important is doing a good educational rollout system, so that the fans can see that it’s their demand that actually influences and sets the price,” said Jan Eglen, the CEO of Digonex, Qcue’s primary competitor and the dynamic ticket pricing partner of the NHL’s Ducks since 2011. “You let fans know that this is the team trying to meet the fans at the sweet spot.”
Meanwhile, the ticket resale program, or ticket exchange, which launched a week later, also has raised some concerns. Most notably, the team is openly monitoring who season-seat holders send their tickets to, in an attempt to cut down on reselling through competing sites. Fans who purchased season tickets will be allowed to electronically deliver only a “limited number” of tickets through StubHub or alternate sites, according to Alvarado, who declined to reveal an exact number.
The team hopes that will give their exchange an advantage over StubHub, with the official resale site offering immediate electronic delivery in many cases.
“If fans choose to post their tickets for sale on another site, we can’t preclude them from doing that,” Alvarado said. “But we’re not going to undermine our efforts to make our site successful. You’re basically taking it and using it against me, and it’s undermining our ability to be successful.”
Season-ticket holders will still be permitted to email tickets directly to friends as they please, Alvarado noted, and for free this season.
On the Angels’ official ticket exchange Monday night, the cheapest available pair of tickets to the April 9 home opener against the Athletics was $59.95 – for section 503, down the left-field line. Buyers would get them electronically. The least expensive pair directly from the Angels was $133.95 for obstructed-view seats in the second level.
By comparison, StubHub had two tickets in the upper view for $80.34, although you’ll have to wait for the tickets to be shipped to you via UPS. The site has more than 7,400 seats available – about one-sixth of the entire stadium.
For the next day’s game, the Angels are selling upper-view tickets in section 503 as an advertised daily deal for $4 apiece – which, after fees, comes out to $15.95 for a pair. That was the same price as two tickets to the same game in the next section over on the Angels’ ticket exchange.
StubHub was cheaper, but not by much. Two comparable tickets to that game will cost you $14 on the now-unofficial reseller.
Kahn said teams have typically seen a 5-20 percent revenue increase during their first season working with Qcue. The Angels’ Alvarado called that estimate a “realistic” goal for 2013.
“My whole goal is, how do we get more people in here, and how do we get more people buying directly from us, as opposed to secondary sites,” Alvarado said. “How do we get competitive with them?”
The Angels are trying to answer that question with their dual-faceted ticketing approach, which should at least allow them to profit more on high-interest games.
Bohlken didn’t buy the tickets, because he couldn’t convince all his friends to chip in at that price. He’s still hopeful prices will drop over the next four weeks.
And if they don’t, he says he’ll find a way into the stadium somehow – probably by resorting to a ticket broker or StubHub. But plenty of other fans have ponied up on the Angels’ official site so far – opening day is nearly sold out, with only patches of pairs of seats available.
“In our world, the best scenario we can imagine is because of prices fans spend a little more than they were previously going to and actually get a much better seat location for it,” Kahn said. “They’re spending a little more money, which is a win for the team, but they’re sitting in a much better location, which is a win for them.”
Contact the writer: email@example.com


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Editorial boards and newspaper columnists are quick to assign “greed” as the motive driving Amazon, eBay and others to oppose a new law aimed at making more out-of-state online retailers collect sales tax on behalf of the State of California. But the greediest actor in this drama isn’t Amazon —- it’s the government.
You see, online retailers didn’t pick this fight. State lawmakers did —- out of misguided lust for revenue they’ll never see.
Put aside the rhetoric and consider the facts. Under the U.S. Constitution, state lawmakers can’t compel out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax unless those retailers have a physical retail presence —- known as “nexus” —- in our state. Californians are supposed to pay use tax —- the equivalent of sales tax —- on out-of-state purchases, but few do.
It works the same way in reverse. California businesses making out-of-state sales in states where they have no brick-and-mortar retail presence don’t have to register with the tax bureaucracies in those states, collect and remit sales tax or be subject to audits. In five states where Amazon collects and remits sales tax, many California businesses don’t.
But rather than educate Californians on how sales and use tax law works, lawmakers have managed to confuse the issue. The so-called “Amazon Tax” distorts the definition of nexus in three devilish ways.
Under this new law, out-of-state companies that share income with California-based affiliate advertisers or create jobs in our state via subsidiaries are now suddenly deemed in-state companies if they continue those relationships.
And that’s just the start. The “Amazon Tax” also contains an insidious “long-arm” provision granting sweeping power to the State Board of Equalization to further expand what constitutes nexus. No one knows yet what that will look like, and the resulting uncertainty could make out-of-state companies wary of contracting with Californians for years to come.
At a time when California’s unemployment rate is already among the worst in the nation, the “Amazon Tax” sends the entirely wrong message to out-of-state job creators, entrepreneurs and investors. The unfortunate but unsurprising result is lost jobs and income for our state.
It’s not too early to declare the “Amazon Tax” a failure. Out-of-state online retailers have already overwhelmingly chosen to opt out of the new law by ending their affiliate advertising relationships with Californians. They continue to sell into California without collecting sales tax. The “playing field” for retailers has become no more level but is certainly now much more confusing.
A recent USC/LA Times poll found that a majority of young people, Blacks and Latinos, and a plurality of all Californians, oppose this new law. Why? Perhaps they understand better than our tax-hungry Legislature that driving away jobs and investment won’t solve our problems.
For the sake of our state, let’s hope sanity prevails in this debate.


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Credit reporting and business information provider Experian has acquired profitable email marketing firm CheetahMail.
The move will involve no layoffs, the companies said, and will maintain CheetahMail as a standalone entity within Experian Marketing Services. The email marketer will continue to operate out of its New York headquarters and will be called CheetahMail, an Experian Company.
Experian said its bid was motivated by its customers’ increasing reliance on email for marketing purposes, as well as by Cheetahmail’s consistent profitability.
“E-mail marketing is an essential and growing element of our clients’ marketing strategies,” said Deborah Zuccarini, president of Experian Marketing Services. “CheetahMail strengthens our ability to quickly deliver highly integrated, multi-channel campaigns and will immediately contribute to Experian’s earnings.”
The acquisition is not Experian’s first foray into email. In 2001, the company bought Exactis from 24/7 Media for $13.5 million and integrated that company’s email platform into its B2B offerings. Experian’s move to acquire Cheetahmail may therefore be less about breaking into email than adding revenue and clients. CheetahMail’s existing customers include Neiman Marcus, Starbucks, Discovery Channel and Bloomingdale’s.
“Our client base basically gets everything they’ve loved about us for the last six years. In addition, they now have access to Experian’s entire product base: all the data, data management, append and other services… [Its] marketing services group is very large. For us, being a part of that group is a huge advantage,” said Cheetahmail CEO Irene Pedraza, who described the acquisition as a “good cultural fit.”
Pedraza said time will tell whether existing CheetahMail customers begin to use Experian’s other services.
CheetahMail’s U.K. subsidiary will also continue to exist, though it will become part of Experian’s U.K. operation. The companies declined to disclose further terms of the deal.
Time is running out to feature your company in our inaugural Mobile Vendor Reader Survey.
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Brands have been upping their investments in new ad products from popular social media services, but are they getting their money's worth?
Black Friday is here, but just how important is the day that has historically been the most watched of the holiday shopping season?


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Huawei hangs up on US networking market, for now
Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei is not the world's most talkative man, so when he says something in a rare media interview it's worth taking notice. In this case Ren has personally stated that Huawei is temporarily halting its efforts to sell its telecoms equipment in the US, providing the final word on a controversial topic that has made headlines for much of the past year. But of course nothing is ever final, and a top US-based Huawei spokesman has quickly added that the company is ready to enter the US if and when Washington ever relaxes its informal ban on the company's networking equipment.
As someone who has watched Huawei for the last decade, I have to applaud Ren for finally coming out and stating what everyone has known for the last year, ever since Washington launched its informal ban on networking equipment from Huawei and crosstown rival ZTE (0763.HK; Shenzhen: 000063) over security concerns. Put simply, both Huawei and ZTE realized after the controversial decision that they wouldn't be able to sell their networking equipment in the US until Washington changed its stance, even though Huawei is currently the world's second largest supplier behind only Sweden's Ericsson (Stockholm: ERICb).
And yet despite that setback, neither Huawei and ZTE would openly say they were giving up on the US. One top Huawei executive did actually make remarks of that nature in informal comments during an investor conference earlier this year. But then global media pounced on those remarks to report the obvious, namely that Huawei couldn't sell its equipment in the US, and the company quickly moved in to "clarify" the situation.
Ever since then, Huawei has maintained a longer-term view towards the situation without focusing on the present, saying the US remains a priority for the future. Now, Ren is finally providing the final word on the matter in a media interview in France, where he said his company is putting the US market aside for now but will consider it for later exploration. The report says Ren made his decision after feeling "uncomfortable" at seeing his company become a political chess piece between Washington and Beijing.
Of course the more PR-savvy William Plummer, Huawei's chief spokesman in the US, was quick to jump in and clarify his boss' remarks, saying Huawei is simply prioritizing its efforts to focus on markets that are open to its networking equipment. He also added that Huawei remains committed to selling its newer product lines in the US, most notably its smartphones.
From my perspective, I have to laud Ren for finally coming out and speaking definitively on the matter. I also have to praise him for his stance that Huawei doesn't want to become a political pawn, which looks like a smart posture that will let his company focus on doing business while Beijing and Washington resolve their political differences.
I've said from the beginning that the source of this dispute lies in Beijing and is not a problem for Huawei or ZTE. Put simply, the Chinese government has a reputation for meddling in the affairs of private companies, the legacy of a previous era when everything was owned by the state and high-ranking officials often moved freely back and forth between the government and companies.
I personally don't believe that Huawei or ZTE currently pose any security risk to network operators that buy their equipment. But Washington's concern, which seems genuine, is that Beijing could someday try to force Huawei and ZTE to modify their products to assist it in its intelligence gathering activities. Ren's words won't change anything in the current situation; but at least for now, Huawei is showing it doesn't want to get involved in this political chess game and that Beijing and Washington will have to resolve the matter by themselves.
Bottom line: Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei's latest remarks indicate the company will withdraw from the US networking equipment market until Washington and Beijing resolve their dispute over security risks.
To read more commentaries from Doug Young, visit youngchinabiz.com


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The Kellogg Company, the world’s leading cereal producer, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that a national advertising campaign claiming that a breakfast of Frosted Mini-Wheats was “clinically shown to improve kids’ attentiveness by nearly 20% ” were false and violated federal law. The proposed settlement bars deceptive or misleading health claims for Kellogg’s breakfast and snack foods and bars the company from misrepresenting any tests or studies. There was no admission of wrongdoing or financial penalty according to the FTC news release April 20, 2009. Dr Stephen Barrett in his Consumer Health Digest, states that Kellogg’s 9007 sales exceeded $11 billion. Dr. Barrett’s free newsletter is sponsored by Quackwatch and The National Council Against Health Fraud.
In a letter to the FTC Dr. Michele Simon, Director, Center for Informed Food Choices (CIFC) summarizes beautifully some of the outstanding issues on false health claims in food marketing for kids and names several examples. Nutrition experts agree these health claims boil down to nothing more than marketing gimmicks to increase sales by health-conscious parents. Marion Nestle, a Professor of Nutrition at NYU is more blunt: “Food companies are desperate for sales and growth and if they can use ‘health’ to sell junk food, they will,” she said. That goes for foods for grown-ups too.


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iPhone owners searching for a way to make use of Apple's new CarPlay infotainment offering without replacing their current vehicle may be in for a long wait, as the system doesn't appear to be headed into aftermarket car stereos anytime soon.
CarPlay — which will initially be available in new vehicles from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo — seems to have resonated with consumers, who have clamored for aftermarket options since its unveiling earlier this month. Those calls will likely go unheeded, however, as representatives from two top-selling brands shot down reports that aftermarket CarPlay support was on the way.
Kenwood marketing manager Scott Caswell told AppleInsider that "Apple CarPlay won't be in any of our 2014 product," before noting that many current devices already offer a subset of CarPlay features like Siri support and A/V playback. Caswell suggested that Apple may be reserving CarPlay as an OEM option for automakers, a market segmentation strategy that could make some sense.
Such a strategy might allow marques such as Ford to tout CarPlay's deeper integration as an incentive to buy or lease a new vehicle, for instance, versus purchasing an aftermarket stereo system to upgrade an older model.
Meanwhile, Pioneer appeared to distance itself from recent rumors that it was working on CarPlay support following a statement from a customer service representative.
"The story was not an official statement by Pioneer and was taken out of context," Pioneer corporate communications executive Jaed Arzadon said via e-mail. Arzadon declined to provide further context.
At press time, representatives from competing brands including Alpine, JVC, Audiovox, and Sony had not yet responded to requests for comment. It seems unlikely that any "Made for iPhone"-style strategy for CarPlay would not include the participation of Kenwood and Pioneer, however, so it appears that the only way for consumers to get their hands on CarPlay in the forseeable future is to visit a local Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, or Volvo dealer.


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According to the RV Industry Association’s September survey of manufacturers, total RV shipments finished the month with 30,969 wholesale shipments, a decrease of (-29.0%) from the 43,598 units shipped last September.
Towable RVs, led by conventional travel trailers, totaled 27,239 units for the month, a decrease of (-29.3%) compared to last September’s towable RV shipment total of 38,543.
Motorhomes ended September with 3,730 shipments to retailers, down (-26.2%) compared to last September’s total of 5,055.
Year-to-date wholesale shipments are currently at 378,718 units, up 0.2% compared to this point last year. Towable RVs are up 0.8% to 333,253 units; motorhome shipments are down (-3.9%) at 45,465 units.
Park Model RVs ended the month with 260 wholesale shipments, down (-15.0%) compared to last September. To date, Park Model RVs are down (-6.2%) with 3,004 shipments.
A print-friendly version of this report can be downloaded from RVIA.


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L&T wrote off orders worth Rs 16,000 crore last fiscal, says report
Updated : May 29, 2018 06:37 PM IST
Larsen & Toubro is optimistic about this year and is looking bounce back with help of business opportunities.
The company expects the government to announce big projects ahead of next year’s general elections.
The cancelled orders accounted for 6% of the total order of the company during the last financial year.


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Get a first look at the upcoming narrative game.
The remastered collection is now available on consoles and PC.
Take a look at the improvements that have been made to the remaster.
Take a look at the improvements that have been made.
The Nintendo Switch version of the collection is not ready.
Nintendo Switch players can experience Alex’s story next month.
The game will be on Nintendo Switch before the end of the year.
Choose between resolution and performance.
Discover what happened to Steph before True Colors.
The prequel DLC for True Colors will be released next month.


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Read the latest from our LinkedIn column on the automotive, vehicle wash and detailing industries.
“It’s All in the Details” publishes every Wednesday.
This week’s column,
discusses the positive impact an eco-friendly truck wash and detailing business can have. The article outlines two major ways an eco-friendly truck wash can make an impact – it can help reduce health risks and protect the investments of fleet trucking companies.
The article also includes commentary on the effectiveness and safety of steaming cleaning and organic products.
The article ends with a final word on water conservation, and touches on the number of gallons of water that can be saved, using an eco-friendly system.
To read the entire article featured in this week’s LinkedIn column, click here.


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India’s current cash crunch is a real enigma. To begin with, there is its sheer unprecedented nature. In all the years since Independence, India has never seen something like it. “We have heard of coin shortages but never a cash shortage,” said MS Sriram, visiting faculty at the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore’s Centre for Public […]
atms are again running dry in india. and theories claiming to explain why are doubling every day. out today, a quick report with my colleague rohan which seeks to separate plausible theories from the disingenuous (or just plain stupid) ones.
out today, the second — and concluding — part of our report on how Kaira Union, the Amul Dairy set up by Verghese Kurien and Tirbhuvandas Patel is doing.
On March 31, K Rathnam abruptly resigned as managing director of the Kaira Union, the oldest of the 18 cooperatives that market their products under the Amul brand name. The announcement came shortly after some board members of the union, including vice chairman Rajendrasinh Parmar, alleged a Rs 450-crore scam during Rathnam’s three-year stint running […]


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June 2012: The Aftermath of Reifen 2012
The 27th edition of the well known Reifen Forum has had the biggest success to date as more than 19000 visitors have participated at the event, according to organizers.
The organizing company has announced that that the number of visitors was the highest to date and that the number of international participants has also achieved a new record.
The event was dominated by mainly two points of interest: the future product release from the participants and the new tyre labelling and legislation in the domain that will be implemented in the following months.
The visitors that have participated at Reifen 2012 have been on a high international level as they came from more than 130 countries worldwide.
More than 1/3 of the visitors have concluded a form of business transaction and about 88% of the visitors were business representatives of their companies with the capability of engaging the represented company in a form of business transaction.
At the event 653 exhibitors participated, both national and international, from a total of 44 nations.
The organisers of Reifen declared that they were pleased with the convention results. They also declared that the success of the event shows that, despite the gradual cybernation of the business industry, there are areas in which physical interaction between business partners is still mandatory.
The Date For The Reifen 2014
The Reifen 2012 event has just ended and it seems that the date for the next event has already been set. The 28th edition of Reifen will take place in 2014 between the 27th and the 30th of May. From the participants of 2012, 93% have declared that they have firm intensions of participating in the 28th edition.
Regarding the Reifen event in Essen, many company representatives have stated that they consider it to be the most important event for the tyre industry.
Pirelli representatives have declared that they consider the Reifen fair to be the premium event in the tyre segment as it helps the company to interact with customers at a national and international level.
They also declared that the 2012 edition held a high level of importance especially because the fair was placed in the same timeline as with the new EU tyre labelling and that Pirelli’s management is proud about the fact that the Cinturato P7 Blue has been able to achieve A ratings in certain sizes for rolling resistance and wet grip. The tyres will be available for purchase in July.
Nokian Tyres representatives have declared that the Reifen event has been satisfactory as the company was able to conduct many business meetings and contracts for both their winter and summer tyre line. They announced their interest to participate in the future event as well as this event is an opportunity to interact with a large array of possible consumers.
In the meanwhile the next major event of this magnitude is the 5th Reifen China which will take place between the 22nd and the 24th of November this year.


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The 2nd Cambodian Silk and Weaving Exhibition will be held from November 21 to 24 in Siem Reap town in an effort to promote the industry and boost its development, the Ministry of Commerce has said.
The exhibition will be held at the Royal Independence Gardens at the intersection of Charles de Gaulle Street with National Road 6 in Slakram commune.
“The exhibition aims to promote the development of the silk sector, which has long been recognised as a Cambodian cultural heritage. It makes a significant contribution to Cambodians and the national economy in terms of creating incomes and job opportunities,” the ministry said.
Mey Kalyan, the chairman of the board of directors at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) – where the Khmer Silk Centre was launched to research silk and its development – told The Post on Wednesday that silk and weaving events had been helpful in promoting the Kingdom’s silk products and attracting investment.
He said that while the demand for silk products continues to increase, cultivation has not grown significantly.
“A lack of investment has led to Cambodia importing around 99 per cent of its silk from abroad to supply the domestic market. The sector presents a high potential market and lucrative opportunities,” Kalyan said.
Cambodian yarn production accounts for only one per cent of domestic consumption, while imports account for 99 per cent, equivalent to more than 400 tonnes per year. The Kingdom imports most of its silk from China, the National Silk Strategy Report 2016-2020 stated.
To produce around 400 tonnes of silk per year, Cambodia needed more than 30,000ha of land for mulberry trees, Kalyan said.
He said involvement from the private sector and all relevant stakeholders was essential for the success of Cambodia’s silk industry.
Mulberry cultivation and silkworm-rearing techniques were now widespread in the Kingdom, he said. While 70 to 80 of 100 silkworms raised would have previously died, the figure had dropped to around five.
He acknowledged that the quality of Cambodian silk was not as high as that of its competitors, but expressed confidence that it would improve over time.
With the Khmer Silk Centre having opened at RUPP, Kalyan said its “silk research team is working hard to develop the silk industry” in the Kingdom.
Top grade “gold” mulberry silk currently costs around $100 per kilogramme, while second grade silk prices start at $70, Kalyan said.
Chhim Sopheak, the director of the Ministry of Commerce’s Product Development Office, said some 30 booths have been reserved. This year’s event will be more “special” than the first one and also showcase the quality of weaving products, he said.


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Barry Silbert Promotes Favorable Changes for BTC
Barry Silbert is a widely known number in the cryptocurrency market. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Digital Currency Group, an equity capital company that invests in blockchain and also cryptocurrency startups. He is likewise a very early investor in Bitcoin, and also has typically been a vocal supporter for the cryptocurrency.
Lately, Silbert has been advertising positive changes for Bitcoin. He has been promoting for the advancement of second-layer solutions, such as the Lightning Network, which can assist Bitcoin range to satisfy the expanding needs of the network. He has actually additionally been encouraging the fostering of Bitcoin by big firms and also institutions, which can assist to boost its mainstream approval.
Silbert’s efforts to promote positive adjustments for Bitcoin have been favored in the cryptocurrency neighborhood. Lots of people see him as an enthusiast who is committed to progressing the modern technology and also advertising its adoption. Learn more about Barry Silbert Millionaire. His work has assisted to form the instructions of the sector, and also to press Bitcoin towards ending up being a conventional money Digital Currency Group.
While there is still much Crypto job to be carried out in order to completely recognize the capacity of Bitcoin, Silbert’s efforts have been a crucial progression Gensis Trading. By advertising positive changes and also working to raise fostering, he is helping to develop a stronger Foundry and also extra durable Cryptocurrency environment that can profit everybody.
Finally, Barry Silbert has actually been a significant number in the Cryptocurrency industry. His efforts to advertise favorable modifications for Bitcoin have actually Grayscale contributed fit the direction of the industry, and also in pressing the innovation towards better mainstream acceptance. Learn more about bankruptcy. With his continued management as well as campaigning for, the future of Bitcoin looks very intense certainly.


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Vale tourist attractions urged to go for Wales awards
9:20am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News
TOURIST attractions in the Vale are being encouraged to enter this year's National Tourism Awards for Wales competition.
Business and Tourism Minister, Edwina Hart announced the conest during a joint visit with Wales Office Minister, Baroness Randerson, to Cardiff International White Water during Wales Tourism Week (February 23-March 3).
This year's awards are being organised in commercial partnership with Quadrant Media & Communications Ltd.
Edwina Hart, said: “The tourism sector is worth £5 billion to the Welsh economy and employs more than eight per cent of the workforce and is one of our key growth markets. Wales Tourism Week demonstrates the importance of this sector.
“I’m delighted to be able to launch the National Tourism Awards, they play an important part in recognising the best that Wales has to offer and in improving quality which is key if Wales’ tourism industry is to drive higher tourism earnings and maximum value for the Welsh economy.”
Cardiff International White Water won ‘Best Visitor Experience’ category in the 2010 awards. Manager of CIWW, Chris Hadfield said: “CIWW were delighted and honoured to receive the award in 2010. The award was testimony to the hard work and customer care delivered by the team. The benefits have been huge in terms of marketing and promoting the centre and has added value to our marketing effort, especially in markets outside Wales and the UK.”
The Best Team award went to the Hilton Hotel, Cardiff. Marie Fagan, general manager of Hilton Cardiff, said: "We were absolutely delighted to win the award for Team of the Year in 2010. The team works very hard to continue to grow the Hilton Cardiff's reputation in the heart of the capital city of Wales and it was an honour to be recognised in this way.
“Tourism is an important part of the Welsh economy so it is vital that we all play our part in improving the industry for quality and service to ensure that Wales can compete on a national and international platform. Accolades such as those bestowed by the National Tourism Awards help to recognise achievements made within the industry and help boost the reputation of the winners both locally and nationally.”
The awards are now open for entry, for more information on how to enter visit www.ntawales.com or www.gtccymru.com, closing date is May 15.
The awards will be held at Venue Cymru, Llandudno on November 21.


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Stocks are weak as Walmart weighs on the Dow. Plus, Nordstrom earnings on the way. And … Papa don’t preach? The Pope takes a stand on a Wall Street invention that fueled the financial crisis. Plus, Rick Newman rates the week that was for Donald Trump. Catch The Final Round at 3:55 ET p.m. with Jen Rogers and Yahoo Finance markets correspondent Myles Udland.
Winners and losers
Stocks in the red include JCPenney, as the department store chain has more debt than cash and lowered projections for the year; Cisco, despite beating on both earnings and revenue, as investors are concerned the networking giant’s transition into software isn’t happening fast enough; and Wells Fargo, with shares down on reports that employees altered customer documents in its business-banking unit
Stocks in the green include World Wrestling Entertainment, as the Hollywood Reporter says that the media company is talking to networks other than USA about airing its weekly “Smackdown” television program; Avon, with shares up on insider buying activity as the company discloses that the CEO picked up 250,000 shares, with another insider buying 100,000 shares; and Kroger, as the largest U.S. grocery chain will team up with online grocer Ocado to boost U.S. online deliveries.


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Trump imposes tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum – 11 Pacific Rim states sign trade deal Trump dumped
The tariff tiff between China and the US has reached levels unimaginable a year ago. But China is running out of ammunition and the global trade regime may be on the brink of big change, says DW's Timothy Rooks.
Shares in Apple's Asia-based concept firms have tumbled after US President Donald Trump launched a broadside against the tech giant demanding it should move production to the US if it wanted to avoid tariffs on imports.
China's vice premier Hu Chunhua has warned that the global economy is moving in the wrong direction. A regional economic forum in Vietnam is analyzing the fallout from the ongoing US-China trade spat.
Once the "Manhattan of the Midwest," Youngstown has been hit hard by the decline of the US steel industry. But hope is returning and some say it's because of their man in the White House. Lars Gesing reports from Ohio.
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Rentokil NPC launches VIRUSKILLER TM Air Purifier that kills Coronavirus in the air*
Rentokil NPC has reached an agreement to become an official distributor of VIRUSKILLER™ - the air purification technology which is proven to kill 99.9999% of viruses with a single air pass, including Coronavirus - in the UAE. It comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) recently updated information on its website that recognizes Coronavirus can be transmitted from person to person via aerosols in the air.
Survey: The Post-Pandemic Recovery and Plans for Growth and Expansion.
Today's business environment is changing rapidly due to multifaceted tectonic shifts taking place in various business aspects such as technological acceleration, changing consumer habits, workforce movements, workplace adaptations, investment diversification, geopolitical changes and regulatory overhauling in UAE.


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The lifestyle brand JOOP! reported yet another significant double-digit increase in sales in the first quarter of 2019. After the successful development of the JOOP! Menswear and the reintroduction of the casual line JOOP! JEANS, we are now seeing the launch of JOOP! Women.
“We feel the desirability of the label among end consumers and the trust of retailers in the JOOP! brand.
This is why the launch of JOOP! Women now for the natural further development of the brand. We see enormous growth potential here. The new collection is eagerly awaited and our retail partners have already shown keen interest,” says Thorsten Stiebing, the Managing Brand Director
JOOP! Women will present a new sexiness based on the brand’s DNA: feminine, urban and self-confident with a clear focus on high quality. The forerunners of this can already be seen in JOOP! Bags, which are among the most successful models on the market. In addition, JOOP! Jewellery and JOOP! Watches were successfully launched this year, and JOOP! Bodywear will follow in Fall 2019. The launch of JOOPI Women is planned for autumn / winter 2020/21 and will be accompanied by extensive marketing measures.
Anke Ratzsch will be the Brand Director of the JOOP! Womenswear from fall / winter 2020. She is not new to The Holy Fashion Group: after several management positions at internationally known premium Brands like Hugo Boss and Akris, Ratzch worked as a brand director for windsor since 2014. “With Anke Ratzsch, I am convinced JOOP! will be able to win women. With her many years of successful sales and management work, Ms Ratzsch not only brings experience but also foresight necessary to make JOOP! an international lifestyle brand. The successor for the sales management at windsor women has already been arranged and the new structure will be announced in a timely manner”, says Marcel Braun, CEO of the Holy Fashion Group. In the course of the realignment at JOOP! Women, the design team will also be reorganized. The first focus is on premium wholesale in the D / A / CH market as well as international trade, and JOOP! Women is also sold through its own stores and through the JOOP! Online shop.


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The Hess truck's back for the holidays -- and it's a drag racer.
A flatbed truck hauls a dragster in the 2016 edition of the traditional Hess toy, Trenton-based Hess Toy Truck announced Tuesday.
Spokesman Justin Mayer says the drag racer, now on sale at hesstoytruck.com, is equipped with LED headlights and is 40 percent larger than the stock car the company came out with in 2011.
"The truck itself is very sleek-looking with lots of chrome accents," Mayer says. There are also sound effects, like a hydraulic lift tone.
Another feature: the drag racer can pop a wheelie. That's a detail Mayer says is "something we've never done before." The car uses a weight system to perform the trick, which Mayer says will be on display in the first Hess truck commercials this weekend.
The trucks cost $31.99 -- a price hike of $1 from last year -- and come with free batteries and standard shipping.
While you'd now be hard pressed to find a Hess station, Hess trucks were a part of the oil and gas giant's business from almost the very start. Leon Hess overhauled his father's Asbury Park oil delivery service to create the beginnings of the Hess empire, opening the company's first gas station in Oakhurst in 1960. Hess sold its first toy truck, a gas tanker with an oil funnel accessory, in 1964.
In the decades since, the line of toys has expanded to include firetrucks and spaceships as well as companion vehicles such as helicopters, motorcycles and ladder trucks. Families and collectors have faithfully followed the holiday toy release each year.
In 2014, Hess sold sold its gas stations to Marathon Petroleum. That was the last year shoppers could buy the trucks at gas stations. In 2015, the trucks were available for purchase online but also sold at select mall kiosks in New Jersey.
Speedway, the company whose stations replaced the Hess locations, began selling its own "collector truck" in 2015.
This year, Hess truck sales will be limited to the company website, hesstoytruck.com.
"We've always wanted to keep the tradition going for the fans," Mayer says. "It's in our DNA as a company." He says the trucks saw their fastest sellout in history in the 2015 season, with all purchases made by Dec. 8.Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.


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Global BPO provider Teleperformance is ending 2013 with 27 percent growth in Colombia and an expansive delivery center in the capital Bogota, where it will employ more than 2000 jobs in the months to come.
Built at a cost of $ 12 million, the new facility in Bogota is named “Campus Europe.” The BPO provider recently revealed that rapid expansion in Latin America led the company to increase its profits by 17% in the first half of this year.
The outsourcing firm says it has plans to launch similar office in the Colombia’s second city of Medellin in the first half of 2014. In Medellin, the company plans to employ about 1500 people.
Paris, France-based company says its Colombian operation has added nine clients in the past few years, adding that the Colombian operation benefited from ‘a shift in business from Chile.’
In a statement issued in July, Teleperformance announced that it launched two new delivery centers and expanded four existing sites in the nearshore region during the first six months of 2013.
The new facility in Bogota, according to Teleperformance, has an expansive space for holding training programs. “The opening of this new office is just a sample of the consolidation and growth of Teleperformance Colombia,” said the company.
“We continue to attract national and international clients and we have the human and technological resources to provide and guarantee exceptional service experiences , not only for our customers but for our employees,” Juan Rodrigo Hurtado, President of Teleperformance in Colombia, said.
The new delivery center has sprung up in the business complex of Connecta in Western Bogota.


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Company News • 24.03.2014
Global retail heads to discuss industry trends and insights
More than 600 retail leaders gather in Singapore for Asia’s largest industry event
More than 600 global leaders from the retail industry are gathering in Singapore for the World Retail Congress Asia Pacific 2014. Over the course of the Congress they will exchange knowledge, tackle issues faced by the industry and understand global trends and best practices. The main two-day event officially opens on Tuesday following a series of China-focused pre-Congress sessions today.
The rising popularity of e-commerce in Asia is one of the key focus areas for this year’s Congress, which features speakers from Asia’s most talked about e-tailers, including Alibaba Group, Lazada and Zalora. John Spelich, Vice President, International e-Commerce Business Development at Alibaba Group will be speaking on Winning with a creative e-Commerce strategy in China during today’s pre-Congress China Focus day. The first day of the main Congress day will see key sessions on Globalising e-Commerce: Expanding your online capabilities in new growth markets from the comfort of your local market and Gaining the competitive advantage through effective capture, management and analysis of Big Data. The second day will ask the question, What is the future of retail in Asia – Bricks or clicks?
One speaker at the Congress, Maximilian Bittner, CEO of Lazada Group, believes that 2014 could be the year that e-commerce truly takes off: “There is a real lack of retail presence outside the core urban areas in Asia, which makes accessibility to products for new consumers very difficult. Online retail allows consumers based in rural areas to access products that they would not previously have found locally. In addition to this, logistics across Asia have significantly improved allowing much faster delivery times across the region. Interestingly, Singapore has been far behind in the e-commerce game, even as many other Asian countries have fully embraced shopping on their mobiles and tablets. However this is now changing, high rental costs and manpower issues in Singapore are really hitting traditional retailers and we are now seeing an increased appetite for the convenience of e-commerce. Now is an exciting time for retail e-commerce players in Singapore.”
The Congress will also explore other ways that retail is turning digital, especially in its use of data. Brian Elliott, CEO of Periscope, a McKinsey Solution and Solutions Partner, McKinsey&Company, who will be speaking at the session on Big Data, believes that “In an increasingly competitive landscape, retailers need to get serious about using data and analytics for decision making. Forward thinking retailers are leveraging vast amounts of data they possess and building analytical muscle to enable targeted marketing, tailored assortments, and effective pricing and promotions.”
The Congress will also celebrate two retail veterans with the presentation of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of the Alibaba Group and Sudhitham Chirathivat, former Executive Chairman of Central Group and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jasmine International Public Company tomorrow. Jack Ma has been instrumental in shaping Chinese online ventures and was the first Chinese entrepreneur to appear on the cover of Forbes Magazine. Sudhitham Chirathivat is equally valued for his contributions to the retail industry in Thailand, where he embarked on his retail career as an Assistant Store Manager in 1974.
Ian McGarrigle, Chairman of the World Retail Congress Asia Pacific commented: “The World Retail Congress Asia Pacific is the largest gathering of retail leaders in Asia, providing an invaluable platform for global retail heads to exchange ideas and tackle some of the key issues facing the industry. E-commerce is set to be a major theme for this year’s event as retailers look at how they can stay ahead in an increasingly competitive landscape. This year’s Congress is set to be an outstanding event and we look forward to seeing the different industry insights that will emerge.”


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South Korea to participate in Bologna children’s book fair
SEOUL, March 15 (Yonhap) — South Korea will open the Korean Pavilion at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair to be held in Bologna, Italy from March 19-22, the culture ministry said Thursday.
About 700 children’s books submitted by 26 local publishing companies will be displayed at the Korean Pavilion, set to cover 301 square meters in the Bologna Fair Center.
Among the books to be featured is “Grimmie’s White Canvas” by Sang Publishing in Seoul, which won the Opera Prima division of this year’s BolognaRagazzi Award.
The South Korean publishing industry hopes participation in the Bologna book fair will build momentum for a Korean Wave in the field of publishing in Europe. The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is known to be the world’s biggest event participated in by 1,300 publishing companies from 69 countries across the globe.
In a related move, the Korea Literature Translation Institute plans to hold events to introduce juvenile literature from Korea at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and also in Rome and Bonn, Germany.


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American Express issues green and social development bond
American Express Co., the nation’s leading provider of small business business cards, has launched its first-ever environmental and social initiative bond. The bond will test whether there are potential investors interested in investing in the future of environmental and social affairs.
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Specifically, the bond will target global investors interested in environmental investments. The company has appointed Bank of America Corp, Morgan Stanley, HSBC Holdings Plc and Wells Fargo & Co. to organize and manage the bond.
Related: Going Green by Investing in the Environment
An insider on the matter told Bloomberg that the bond will be made available to all interested parties around the world. However, it will focus exclusively on environmental, social and governance issues. Additionally, there are possibilities of a dollar-dominated show to follow. This could lead to the inaugural Sustainability Ticket offering in the future if all goes well.
Proceeds from the bond would be used to fund eligible green and social projects. These would include purchasing and making recycled materials from Amerca Express consumer and business cards. Additionally, the money will be pumped into waste recycling projects, green buildings, and the improvement of various vendors and commercial vendors. Plus, supporting women and LGBTQ-run vendors.
American Express’ decision comes at a time when companies and governments around the world are selling ESG-related debt at record speed. These projects have proven to be essential in providing funds to achieve the sustainability goals of many companies. Last year, global sales of green, social and sustainability bonds broke through the trillion dollar cap for the first time. It is expected that this year the performance of these bonds will be even better.
America Express claims to be carbon neutral since 2018 on its website. The giant card company says 100% of its businesses use renewable energy across the world. Its decision to issue a global green bond follows in the footsteps of competitors such as Mastercard and Visa, which have ESG-linked bond issuers.
Going through Bloomberg
Main image via Pexels


text: Finally Brandz have published the list of Top 100 Most valuable global brands for the year 2011. Apple, Google & IBM is the top 3 most valuable global brand respectively. Although Google is at number 2 in most valued brand but compared to last year, its brand popularity is decreased by 2% while the popularity of Apple is increased by a huge amount of 84% compared to their last year’s percentage. IBM also got 17% rise in their brand popularity compared to last year. Following is the screenshot of top 100 most valued global brands.