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Five Things To Know This Week:
1) Flex Benefits Help You Retain Employees
2) Social Media Marketing Trends
3) Habits are Better than Resolutions
4) TV Without Wires
5) Resource of the Week: U.S. Commercial Service
Happy January 10th!
It’s a great day to make things happen! Face whatever is in front of you, meet it head on, then defeat it. That obstacle is keeping you from your dreams, goal, and happiness.
Brian Moran, CEO
Small Business Edge
Brian Moran & Associates
Flex Benefits Help You Retain Employees
One of the biggest challenges small business owners faced last year that’s expected to continue into 2023 is attracting and retaining skilled employees.
Many surveys of the nation’s workers reveal that most employees want to work for businesses that offer a good benefits package. But more companies are discovering that one-size-fits-all benefits packages are not all that appealing to employees.
Instead, flexible benefits are often more appealing because you can customize them to your individual employee’s needs. Some examples of flex benefits include commuter benefits, work-at-home options, career planning, paid time for volunteer work, professional development, and more.
Learn more about flex benefits.
Social Media Examiner rounded up 28 social media experts who shared their advice and tips about using social media to establish trust with customers, increasing your ROI with social customer care, AI innovations, and more.
Learn more about 2023’s social media trends.
According to the article, making resolutions is futile since our brains are wired against change, so “we often rely upon motivation, and motivation runs out usually after two or three weeks.”
The article shares the six principles of forming habits, including something I’ve always believed in—celebrate your wins.
Read more about forming new habits in 2023.
TV Without Wires
CES (the Consumer Electronics Show, CES 2023) was last week, and I’m always dazzled by the tech introduced there. There was a lot of coverage in the tech newsletters, and this wireless TV caught my eye.
Displace TV is launching the world’s first truly wireless TV. The 55-inch OLED television is lightweight, weighing less than 20 pounds, and the company says the battery can last for about 30 days on a charge.
One of the advantages of a wireless TV is that it can be placed anywhere in a room—no worrying about proximity to a wall socket. Also, the company claims remotes can be replaced with hand gestures.
The TV is expected to ship in late 2023. Tom’s Guide has the details.
Learn more about the world’s first wireless TV.
Resource of the Week: U.S. Commercial Service
The U.S. Commercial Service has a network of export and industry specialists in over 100 U.S. cities and 80 countries worldwide. These trade professionals provide counseling and various products and services to help SMBs export their products and services.
The U.S. Commercial Service is part of the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. You can learn about all aspects of exporting and world markets through its online solutions or find help through its local assistance or virtual services programs.


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We are currently following vehicle fleet leasing, fleet management and diversified financial services company Eclipx Group Limited (ASX:ECX), which listed in April. The company’s management team is highly respected and, given its track record at Flexigroup, should perform well in their new roles. Eclipx has three divisions; Australian Commercial; Australian Consumer; and New Zealand Commercial. Their primary revenue model is to fund, lease and manage motor vehicles on behalf of a diversified customer base.
Driven by its superior technology, IT platform and new product innovation, over the coming years Eclipse should continue to win market share, lower the cost-to-income ratio and increase margins. The regulatory risk, which adversely affected McMillan Shakespeare when the Rudd government introduced changes to fringe benefits tax (FBT) on cars (since reversed), has subsided. In particular, the recent Federal budget made no material negative changes to FBT on cars and instead offered the immediate deduction for small business expenses of up to $20,000.
Driven by strong growth in revenue and a reduction in costs, Eclipx recently delivered an interim net profit after tax (NPAT) of $23.8m. The company remains on target to exceed its prospectus forecast of $47.0m in financial year 2015. Next year, we expect further organic revenue growth, growth in receivables, slightly lower cost of funds and an improved cost-to-income ratio. We also expect to see further synergies from acquired businesses and growth in the commercial equipment financing start-up business.
Key risks include used car deterioration, financing and regulatory risk. For example, over a third of earnings before interest, tax and amortisation are derived from end of lease income after impairments. Any deterioration in residual car prices will be detrimental to Eclipx’s profits.
We participated in April’s IPO and have acquired more shares since, confident that the company will continue to perform in coming years. We expect the company will grow its net profit by 37% this year, which puts it on a price to earnings ratio of 14. Eclipx’s forecast dividend yield for the 2015 financial year is 2.4%.

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A Westford medical device company that specializes in light-based aesthetic enhancement technologies has announced that its device designed to treat facial wrinkles has been approved by the FDA.
In a statement, Cynosure Inc. (Nasdaq: CYNO) said that a home-use, over-the-counter device which can help reduce wrinkles around the eyes and mouth which it developed in partnership with Charlotte, N.C.-based Unilever is set for commercial launch in 2013.
Cynosure did not respond to a request from Mass High Tech as of deadline Wednesday for details about the device. However, the company offers a range of products for hair removal, skin rejuvenation and scar reduction and the treatment of vascular lesions, all of which are based on laser technology.
“FDA clearance of this device marks a significant milestone in our alliance with Unilever to develop light-based devices for the consumer market,” said Michael Davin, Cynosure’s president and CEO, in a statement. “Our strategic partnership with Unilever blends our expertise in developing market leading light-based technology that emphasizes patient safety and clinical results, with Unilever’s unparalleled innovation, branded marketing and distribution.”
The company cites research from Medical Insight indicating that worldwide sales of home-use aesthetic devices are expected to grow from $740.4 million in 2011 to more than $1.3 billion in 2016.
The company has been trying to give its own financial image a facelift since it reported net losses and staff reductions a few years ago. In 2009, the company announced that it was laying off 17 percent of its workforce at the same time as it reported quarterly losses of between $2.2 million and $2.7 million. By 2010, the company hadn’t seen much improvement, reporting a 2009 revenue drop of 48 percent on a year-over-year basis to $72.8 million.
The company has seen steady improvement since, and in May, it reported a 56 percent growth in revenue (to $34.2 million) for the first three months of 2012 as compared to the same time last year. In June 2011, the company paid $24 million cash for the assets of the aesthetic laser business of California’s HOYA ConBio, and in January of this year, it announced FDA approval to commercialize Cellulaze, its minimally-invasive device to reduce cellulite.


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La Trobe University Hockey Club will celebrate 2022 Women’s Round on the 8th of May.
The Super Saturday will see both Men’s and Women’s 1s and 2s play at home, wearing pink socks to recognise and celebrate the contribution of women at the club on and off the field.
Pink socks are available to purchase online for $15, only on sale until May 1st. $5 from each purchase will be donated to a local women’s charity. Sales from afternoon tea and the raffle on the day will also be donated.


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In line with the latest government announcements Kerry Libraries will re-open from 10 May 2021, to offer a 'Browse and Borrow' service.
- Tralee, Killarney, Listowel and Dingle libraries will re-open on Monday, 10 May, at 10.00am.
- Ballybunion, Castleisland, Caherciveen, Kenmare, and Killorglin libraries will reopen on Tuesday, 11 May, at 10.00am.
- The national online book request service will resume on Monday, 17 May.
- Public computers, newspapers ,studying or research facilities will not be available until further notice .
- The Local History & Archives and Mobile Libraries services will not be operating at present.
- All online services continue to be available HERE. For assistance accessing the online services email firstname.lastname@example.org


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GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The U.S. Geological Survey says that a strong earthquake has hit off the Pacific coast of Guatemala, rocking the capital and shaking buildings as far away as Mexico City and El Salvador.
View your ad here! Cost effective targeted advertising. Contextual advertising starting as low as $79/month. This includes targeted ad delivery and search results! Add your business to the Marketplace »


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XAG makes its P100 agricultural drone available globally
XAG’s latest-generation agricultural drone, P100, is now available for sales globally. The versatile drone for precision farming can autonomously undertake spraying, fertilizing, and sowing functions for multiple crops.
The XAG P100 agricultural drone is already assisting farmers across China, Vietnam, and Australia to reduce seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers without affecting crop yields. According to drone services company KPT Fly Team, two XAG P100 agricultural drones can finish the fieldwork much faster and with more precision than 20 to 25 laborers who would spray pesticides manually.
XAG is also looking to address the ongoing labor shortage in the agricultural sector with this drone that features several improvements over the previous-generation models.
First, the payload has been increased to 40 kg to enable higher efficiency while serving larger fields. Next, the structure has been kept detachable so it can fully separate from the flying platform…


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The global market for sludge treatment technology is expected to be worth US$5.8 billion in 2013, increasing from US$4.6 billion in 2008 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6%.
According to the report, Sludge Treatment: The Global Market from BCC Research, odour control will generate an estimated US$1.2 billion in 2008 which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% to reach US$1.5 billion in 2013.
The North American odour control segment is worth an estimated US$750 million in 2008 which will reach US$968.2 million in 2013, with a CAGR of 5.2%. The North American sludge treatment segment generated an estimated US $600 million in 2008. This should increase to US$733.8 million in 2013, for a CAGR of 4.1%.


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The Latest Insights from International Online Marketing
eBay has teamed up with the Israeli company USHOPSmotors to create a joint online interface for Israelis to buy and import American cars.
The partnership came about after the trend for Israelis buying American cars online was noticed last year. The number of American cars and motorbikes being bought from eBay Israel has risen by 40% in the last 6 months alone.
eBay’s partnership with USHOPSmotors aims to make the process of importing the motors easier and faster.


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vivo has been on a roll lately since the company launched seven smartphones this month – the Y21T, V23, V23 Pro, Y33T, Y21e, Y55 5G and Y21A. That number has increased to eight today as vivo has launched another smartphone called the vivo Y75 5G.
However, the vivo Y75 5G is not a brand new smartphone. It’s actually the Y55 5G with more RAM and a higher resolution selfie camera. The Y55 5G comes with 4GB RAM and an 8MP selfie unit, while the Y75 5G comes with a 16MP selfie shooter and comes with 8GB (+4GB virtual) RAM.
vivo Y55 5G • vivo Y75 5G
The rest of the specs of the vivo Y75 5G include Dimensity 700 SoC, 6.58-inch FullHD+ LCD, Funtouch OS 12 (likely based on Android 11), 128GB storage (expandable up to 1TB) and rear camera system including 50MP main processor, 2MP macro and 2MP Depth unit.
The vivo Y75 5G has a 5,000 mAh battery that can power up to 18W via the USB-C port, and you also get a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for password-less unlocking.
vivo Y75 5G color options
Available in Starlight Black and Glowing Galaxy colors, the Y75 5G is available in India for INR 21,990 ($290/€260) via vivo’s official India website and partner retail stores.


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On 21 March in Bologna, at the BolognaFiere headquarters, the shareholders’ meeting of Aefi was held, which unanimously approved the new Aefi Statute.
As desired by the Government and in agreement with CFI, the Industry Fairs Committee, the Italian Exhibitions and Fairs Association has opened the accession of the organizers of fair events without a district. Thus moving towards the goal of a single representation of the entire supply chain of the trade fair system.
Aefi Statute: a step forward
Great satisfaction from the president of the association, Maurizio Danese, who declared: “Today’s goal is the result of a long process, which began three years ago, before the pandemic and which today the members unanimously approved. The opening to the organizers of trade fair events without a neighborhood allows our association to become the sole interlocutor of the trade fair world as desired by the Government”.
More efficiency for the system
Massimo Goldoni, president of Cfi, for his part underlined how “The new Aefi Statute www.aefi.it is in line with what we have been pursuing for some time to make the representation of the Italian trade fair system more efficient, a fundamental sector for the internationalization of Made in Italy”.


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Amidst expectations of a possible Bill in Parliament to prohibit trading in cryptocurrency, players in the sector are hoping that the government will consider regulation, and not a full-scale ban on trading.
“The draft crypto Bill is very crude and an early draft version to be presented to Parliament. As an industry,
"Virtual currencies and crypto currencies are not legal tender,"
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Monday feeling costs PwC £75m
ACCOUNTANCY firm PricewaterhouseCoopers is spending £75m to change the name of its consultancy arm - to Monday. It took a team of marketing men two months of brainstorming to agree on the new identity.
Chief executive Greg Brenneman believes it will strike a chord because it is a 'real word'. He said: 'Monday is exactly what we want it to be: concise, recognisable, global, and the right fit for a company that works hard to deliver results. Monday is a new identity on which to build our company's future, and it will have meaning and stand for something: real people, real experience, real business and real results.'
PwC Consulting has 32,000 staff in 52 countries providing management services to firms and governments.
Rebrands have failed to transform the fortunes of other firms. The Post Office was ridiculed after changing its name to Consignia last year. British Steel became Corus two years ago but this year has lost £462m and cut 6,000 jobs.
Analysts are waiting to see if rebranding will work for BT Cellnet, which has become O2 , and One2One, now T-Mobile.
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Good news for the craft store chain:
In a health care decision giving hope to opponents of the federal birth-control coverage mandate, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Hobby Lobby stores won’t have to start paying millions of dollars in fines next week for not complying with the requirement.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver decided the Oklahoma City-based arts and crafts chain can proceed with its case and won’t be subject to fines in the meantime.
The reprieve gives Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. more time to argue in a lower court that for-profit businesses — not just currently exempted religious groups — should be allowed to seek an exception if the law violates their religious beliefs.
Background here: basically, for “birth-control” read “‘morning-after’ and ‘week-after’ pill,” both of which are abortifacients in the opinion of the owners* and thus anathema. Hobby Lobby, which is not a franchise, is looking at hefty fines for this position; the company has been adamant about not paying for what they consider to be state-sanctioned murder**, and now that they don’t have to worry about a deadline before they’d be forced to pay an estimated $1.3 million/a day while fighting this ruling they’ll likely be litigating this case all the way to the Supreme Court. (more…)


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Good news for Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 early adopters -- Sammy’s announced that it’s teamed up with a number of high-profile developers to bring free apps to its new stylus-toting ICS tablet. In addition to Adobe Photoshop touch, which is bundled on the tablet, Samsung’s offering Note 10.1 owners, there’s rhythm creation app Drop the Beat, Spot the Difference and Where Is It? for the kids, and Need for Speed and Sonic 4.
The full list is fairly exhaustive, and spans both the Google Play Store and Samsung’s own app store, so check it out after the break. All apps, Samsung says, have been optimized for use with the Note 10.1's Wacom-based S Pen.
Samsung Apps --
· Drop the Beat
· Spot the Difference
· You Draw
· Need for SpeedTM Hot Pursuit
Google Play Store --
· Where is it?
· Trace a Face
· The Official Top 40
· Easy Phone Sync
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Zoom apologizes over security and privacy issues and freezes new features
Zoom has issued a public apology over several security and privacy flaws highlighted in its service. It has vowed to freeze new features for 90 days whilst it fixes them.
Aukey 26800mAh 65W USB-C battery review: My new go-to travel power bank
There's been a steady improvement in really big portable batteries with high outputs for us with laptops as they shift to USB-C, and the latest I'm relying on is the Aukey 26000mAh portable battery.
Bethesda won't be holding a digital E3 showcase this year
We have some unfortunate news to share (and no, it's not an April Fool's joke). Bethesda Softworks has confirmed that it will not be holding a digital E3 showcase this year. Instead, news about Bethesda games will be shared in different ways in the months ahead.
Which Android tablets you should buy and which to steer clear of
There is some truth to the saying "you get what you pay for," and while not every great Android tablet has to cost a fortune, some of the really affordable ones are really cheap for a reason. Here are some Android tablets worth forking over some money for and some you should probably pass by.


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The main selling point of the deal with Beats is the company's streaming service, Apple chief executive Tim Cook has said.
The technology giant today confirmed a deal to buy Dr Dre's Beats Electronics for $3bn (£1.78bn), details of which were leaked to the media three weeks ago.
Beats Music, the music streaming subsidiary of the electronics maker, launched this year and has more than 250,000 subscribers.
Although Apple broke into streaming with the launch of iTunes Radio last September, the service has reportedly not been as popular or as lucrative as the company expected.
More top news
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Protesters gathered outside Downing Street to urge MPs to vote down plans to bomb the war-torn country
Strong winds, heavy rain and snow forecast across the UK


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15 Nov Chasing Charge, Financial Institutions Court Low-Income Customers. Business Economy: Latest Updates
Whenever David Wegner went trying to find a bank checking account in January, he had been peppered with features for low-end financial loans, including a prepaid debit card with many costs, a short term disaster mortgage with steep expenses, cash wire services and check-cashing possibilities.
“i might nicely went to a payday lender,” said Mr. Wegner, a 36-year-old breastfeeding associate in Minneapolis, exactly who ended up picking an area part of U.S. Bank and avoided the payday lenders, pawnshops and check cashers coating their region.
Along side a bank checking account, he picked a $1,000 brief financing to greatly help purchase their cystic fibrosis quick payday loans Greenville treatments. The borrowed funds cost him $100 in charge, which will intensify in the event it happens unpaid.
An escalating number of the nation’s huge banks — U.S. financial, areas Financial and Wells Fargo included in this — were aggressively courting low income consumers like Mr. Wegner with renewable products which can hold highest fees. These are generally quickly broadening these products partly since the items were mostly unaltered by current economic guidelines, also to recover the billions in destroyed earnings from present limits on debit and credit card charges.
Banking institutions declare that these are typically offer a very important provider for users just who will most likely not or else have access to standard banking and they can offer the items at aggressive cost. The customer monetary defense Bureau, another national department, mentioned it was examining whether banks ran afoul of consumer coverage guidelines in the promotional of these items.
Within the drive of these customers, banking companies often have an advantage over payday loan businesses and various other storefront loan providers because, although financial institutions become controlled, they usually aren’t subject to interest rate limitations on payday advance loan alongside renewable goods.
Some federal regulators and consumer supporters are worried that banking companies can be steering men and women within cheapest
“It was a disquieting developing for poor people,” said tag T. Williams, an old Federal book Bank examiner. “They get pressed into high-fee options.”
“We glance at alternate financial loans available from both financial institutions and nonbanks through exact same lens — what’s the issues presented to customers?” said Richard Cordray, manager with the agency. “Practices that make it difficult for people to anticipate and give a wide berth to pricey charges would be cause for worry.”
Analysts from inside the financial sector point out that credit to low income visitors, specifically those with tarnished credit, try challenging hence banking companies occasionally must cost greater prices to offset their unique risk. Nonetheless, in an April survey of prepaid notes, buyers Union learned that some financial institutions’ prepaid notes have lower costs than nonbank opponents.
While banking institutions have actually offered short-term debts plus some check-cashing services previously, they’ve been adding new items and increasing some present people. Finally thirty days, Wells Fargo launched a reloadable prepaid card, while Regions economic in Birmingham, Ala., introduced their “Now financial” suite of items that includes statement pay, check cashing, money transfers and a prepaid cards.
The Regions package is meant to entice the “growing pay-as-you-go buyers,” stated John Owen, the bank’s elder administrator vp for customers solutions.
The plans will be the most recent pose on “cross-selling,” where lenders contend to win a bigger share of client business with savings on examining, discount profile and mortgage loans.
Attaining the so-called unbanked or underbanked society — people who utilize few, if any, bank service — maybe financially rewarding, industry consultants mentioned. Kimberly Gartner, vice-president for consultative service within middle for Investment solutions creativity, asserted that these borrowers comprise a $45 billion untapped markets.


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There’s been a lot of discussion in recent months about exactly what the road to recovery looks like, doesn’t look like, or should look like. And there are a multitude of competing opinions on this subject.
Video conference calls are now an integral part of many sales processes. That’s one legacy of the pandemic era that seems likely to be with us for a while. With that shift in mind, here are five videoconferencing best practices we see market leaders using to move the sales cycle forward.
Just as it doesn’t matter what we say, it matters what our prospect hears, how we listen to our prospect while determine whether we succeed in getting paid on the information we gather instead of going into knowing mode and presuming a sale when none may exist.
George Carlin did a bit once about words that included the phrase, “it’s the context that makes them good or bad.” The bit *hasn’t* aged well, but his words are prescient when it comes to techniques learned in training.
The global sales space has been completely transformed over the last year with a virtual selling environment prevailing for almost all sales organizations. Sandler’s research reveals that 71.4% of participating sales managers and sales leadership report that their sales process has changed as a result of transitioning to remote commercial trading. Unfortunately, 63.2% don’t have a plan.


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- Real GDP growth came in at 6.5% q-o-q annualised in Q221, which was well below expectations of around 8.0% and has led us at Fitch Solutions to revise down our full-year growth forecast slightly from 6.4% to 6.2%.
- We continue to expect a strong performance for the US economy over the coming quarters, driven by private consumption and investment, particularly as the economy continues to re-open. However, we see the potential for the Delta variant of Covid-19 and supply chain shortages to cap growth momentum slightly.
- Looking to 2022, we believe that growth momentum will remain robust and continue to forecast above-trend growth of 3.7%.
US GDP growth came in at 6.5% q-o-q annualised, which was well below consensus expectations of 8.5%. The release confirms that the US economy has recovered the lost output from the pandemic, with GDP now almost back to its pre-Covid trend (see chart below), although growth remains very uneven. Indeed, growth was driven by a sharp increase in private consumption (11.8% q-o-q), while the other components of GDP such as fixed investment (-3.5%) and government consumption (-1.5%) contracted on a q-o-q basis. Given the weaker-than-expected Q2 release and still-lingering pandemic and supply-chain concerns, we at Fitch Solutions have lowered our full-year 2021 growth forecast slightly to 6.2% from 6.4% previously, and we remain slightly below consensus estimates of 6.5%. That said, at 6.2%, this would still mark a strong outturn by any measure, and we continue to expect robust momentum in the second half of the year as the economy continues to normalise.
Going forward, we believe that falling hospitalisation and mortality rates as a result of greater vaccinations will allow for further economic normalisation, which, combined with still-supportive fiscal and monetary policy, and a tightening labour market, should support economic activity over the coming quarters. That said, we believe that the shape of growth will start to change. First, growth in the US is in the process of peaking, and we expect a gradual return to trend growth rates over the next 12-24 months. Second, as the economy continues to re-open, growth is rebalancing away from goods consumption and towards services. Third, while private consumption did most of the heavy lifting in Q2 and will remain robust, we expect private investment and government spending to add to growth later this year. That said, one area that we will continue to monitor is the potential for supply-chain issues to limit the pace of growth over the coming quarters as several companies reported shortages of inputs in their Q2 earnings releases.
We expect the consumer story to remain strong and forecast a robust growth rate of 8.5% in 2021, marking a slight upward revision to our previous forecast of 8.0%. Private consumption added a whopping 7.8 percentage points (pp) to growth, in large part driven by services, which added 5.1pp and highlights the ongoing rebalancing in demand from goods to services. The high level of vaccination rates in the US (50% of the population is fully vaccinated) has allowed for the continued re-opening of the US economy and a surge in consumer activity. As a result, improving consumer sentiment and a strengthening labour market (unemployment fell to 5.9% as the US economy added 850k jobs in June) should support private consumption. As the left-hand chart above shows, retail sales have rebounded sharply over the second quarter as consumer confidence improved. Moreover, according to surveys, jobs remain plentiful, which should support the labour market going forward, while normalising household saving rates should underpin consumption.
Looking ahead, we expect the consumer story to continue to rebalance away from goods consumption to services consumption. The lockdowns resulted in goods consumption rising significantly above trend, while services consumption remained depressed. As the economy re-opens, we believe that services will pick up significantly, while goods consumption will fall back to trend. Moreover, while we do not believe that this will pose a significant risk to US consumption just yet, a key factor to watch is how consumers respond to the end of several temporary income support programmes in September.
Private investment subtracted 0.6pp from overall growth in the second quarter, driven by a 1.1pp drag on inventories and a 0.5pp drag on residential investment in part due to capacity constraints. Despite the weak outturn in Q2, nonresidential investment added 1.1pp to growth, and we expect private investment to pick up in the second half of the year to grow by a stellar 7.5% in 2021 (slight revision from our previous forecast of 8.4%) on the back of a reduction in uncertainty, still-supportive policy and strengthening corporate earnings. The re-opening of the economy will provide greater certainty to businesses, and capex expectation surveys - which are correlated to future investment - point to further strength. Moreover, corporate earnings have rebounded sharply in recent months, with about 88% of companies reporting earnings above Bloomberg estimates in Q2. As illustrated by the chart above, earnings growth typically lead capex growth by about 12 months, and thus the pick-up in earnings points to a cyclical uptick in capex growth over the coming quarters.
Moreover, a dovish US Federal Reserve which will keep interest rates unchanged until 2023 means that financing costs should remain well anchored, supporting investment. While the residential market subtracted 0.5pp from growth in Q2, we expect the housing market to remain buoyant over the coming quarters given near-record-low mortgage financing rates and strong household balance sheets. Moreover, despite rising construction costs due to selected shortages, and rising house prices (up by 17% y-o-y in May according to S&P Case-Shiller), the number of housing starts remains elevated as does homebuilder sentiment, despite dipping slightly in recent months. That said, if these shortages persist for longer than we expect, it would pose downside risks to our view for the housing market.
Despite significant stimulus (which is being funnelled into private consumption via income transfers), government consumption subtracted 0.3pp from growth in the quarter, largely due to a sharp decline in federal non-defense spending. Going forward, we expect that government consumption will grow by 1.0% in 2021, marking a slight downward revision from our previous forecast of 1.4%, as we believe that the peak in government support is likely behind us. Indeed, the budget deficit is starting to narrow in both nominal terms and as a share of GDP, and spending growth is now in negative territory – in large part due to base effects. As mentioned above, various income support schemes are set to expire in September, which should reduce spending even further over the coming quarters. That said, fiscal policy will remain broadly supportive as illustrated by our expectations for a fiscal deficit worth 14% of GDP in 2021, as well as the fact that the Biden administration is currently progressing an infrastructure bill worth about USD1trn through the Senate.
The surge in demand for goods over the past few quarters resulted in a widening trade and current account deficit, and hence net exports continue to act as a drag on growth and subtracted 0.4pp in Q2. That said, with the rebalancing of the US economy towards services consumption, we expect that net exports will be less of a drag on growth going forward, particularly as US exports are also picking up. Indeed, as the chart on the right shows, export growth to the EU and Mexico, which are the US' main trade partners, have picked up in recent months. Given these dynamics, we expect that net exports will subtract a modest 0.7pp from growth in 2021.
US GDP To Grow Above Trend
US - Real GDP Growth, % & pp contribution
Growth To Remain Above Trend In 2022
We expect that many of the drivers of growth will continue to feed through into next year and continue to forecast above-trend growth of 3.7% in 2022. Indeed, both monetary and fiscal policy will most likely remain supportive, albeit less so than in 2021. At the same time, we expect most restrictions to have fully eased as the pandemic is brought under control. That said, we could see greater volatility due to base effects, and we also highlight that capacity constraints could remain in place given the surge in activity this year. This in turn could result in higher-than-expected inflation, which could cause some policy uncertainty, especially given that the cost of living for US citizens could be a salient issue as the US heads into the midterm elections in November.
This commentary is published by BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, and is not a comment on Fitch Ratings Credit Ratings. Any comments or data included in the report are solely derived from BMI and independent sources. Fitch Ratings analysts do not share data or information with BMI. Copyright © 2023 Fitch Solutions Group Limited. All rights reserved. 30 North Colonnade, London E14 5GN, UK.


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careddi introduces its premium CBD oil to the world
Thanks to its ambitious expansion plans in Augusta, Maine, HempAmericana Inc. is poised to join the top ranks of the cannabidiol (CBD) industry. Still, the emerging market leader hasn’t stopped growing there.
CBD is one of 85 compounds found in the cannabis plant, and CBD’s rise in the market is attributed to its several – and growing – medical benefits.
A Forbes article cites a Marijuana Business Journal forecast that the CBD industry will climb to $2.1 billion in sales by 2020, a 700 percent increase over 2016 figures. Meanwhile, escalating CBD sales complement the global demand for cannabis. Of the $2.1 billion in projected consumer sales for CBD two years from now, about $450 million will come from cannabis.
The cannabis plant, which is primarily used for industrial purposes, outperforms other species due to its rich CBD content. As a result, hemp is the most sought-after raw material for obtaining CBD. Forbes also reports that in 2015 alone, sales of cannabis-derived CBD products reached $90 million, further cementing consumer demand for the crop and substance.
With the focus on CBD, the market has seen an influx of new players who are aiming to reach the top. However, among the emerging players, a company called HempAmericana, Inc. ( OTCMKTS:HMPQ ) has recently stood out as it has been attracting the attention of investors.
Growing Interest in HempAmericana
As HempAmericana becomes more aggressive in its well-publicized expansion campaign, the company is in the spotlight of the investing public.
Last year, the company was featured on the cover of CannaInvestor magazine, a leading cannabis business publication. The company was the highlight of the magazine’s September 8, 2017 edition, which featured the company in a 24-page profile.HempAmericana CEO Salvador Rosillo was also interviewed on a CannaInvestor webcast, where he shared the progressive steps the company has been taking.
Uptick Newswire recently spoke with Rosillo to discuss the company’s successful entry into the CBD oil extraction and production industry.
HempAmericana is known for its hemp hearts, hemp fiber, Rolling Thunders hemp paper and pure hemp CBD oil. The company’s hemp fiber is available in powder form and is all-natural and gluten-free, making it a preferred source of nutrition and fiber.
Meanwhile, HempAmericana’s Hemp Hearts are shelled hemp seeds that help treat a variety of ailments. It is also an ideal supplement for regulating blood sugar, losing weight, and keeping blood pressure stable. All this while serving as a source of energy.
As for its rolling papers, Rolling Thunder is 100% organic and healthy. Due to its incredibly smooth properties, the rolled paper burns slower, giving people more time to enjoy the smoke.
Finally, there’s HempAmericana’s organic Hemp CBD oil. It helps suppress appetite and muscle spasms, lower blood sugar to manageable levels, reduce pain and anxiety, and relieve seizures. This oil is safe for both adults and children and can be easily incorporated into their food and drinks.
Thanks to the convenience of using CBD oil, consumers can get the dose they need whenever and wherever they need it. In fact, the product is quickly becoming a popular item in the global marketplace.
To address the growing demand for CBD oil, HempAmericana takes the quality checks performed on the final CBD oil product very seriously when it is manufactured. In this way, the company can ensure that its oil is the purest and most potent while being free of any contaminants, as claimed in its product labels.
HempAmericana has also taken it up a notch in the CBD oil production business. The company has been expanding the capacity of its U.S. operations while working to penetrate overseas markets.
Targeting CBD markets internationally
HempAmericana revealed last week that it has begun “actively exploring” potential distribution partnerships in the international arena.
This strategic move is an early reaction to the fact that commodity exports have been on the rise recently, with Canadian industrial hemp exports up 300 percent last year. This growth has been driven by growing demand from Europe, Australia and South America.
As a result of increased demand, HempAmericana brought its products to Germany.
HempAmericana brings its products to Germany due to increased demand. (Source)
As a result, the company is looking to offer premium cannabis products that are not available in several countries outside of North America, such as Germany, which is struggling to maintain supply to meet its domestic demand. For at least the next decade, Germany, touted as the EU’s largest economy, is expected to rely on imports to fill the local cannabis gap.
“Domestic demand growth is booming, but export potential is also growing,” Rosillo said, noting that HempAmericana is firmly established as a “major player” when it comes to providing quality cannabis products both domestically and internationally.
“That’s one of the reasons we’ve increased our high-yield production activity so quickly at the beginning of the year.”
The move to expand its network beyond its home state intersects with HempAmericana’s upcoming plans for a major expansion.
HempAmericana is currently putting the finishing touches on its newly expanded high-yield processing and extraction facility in Augusta, Maine. The upgraded plant is expected to be operational late in the second quarter, as most of the major capital machinery has arrived.
But the company’s well-funded expansion plans won’t easily allow the company to meet its opening goals in a few months.
With an eye on becoming the industry leader in providing the most potent and high-quality CBD oil, HempAmericana plans to engage in heterogeneous pollination agriculture of cannabis to develop CBD-rich plants. The company has applied to become a licensed grower of this commodity in Maine. It is also close to acquiring a property where genetically superior, CBD-rich hemp stocks are fit to thrive.
Working closely with large farmers, HempAmericana has purchased a dedicated seed inventory. The total seeds purchased are estimated to yield approximately 10,000 cannabis plants that will be grown at its highly efficient seed development farm, where hetero-pollination operations will take place.
On the processing side, the company has installed a Vitalis R-200 supercritical CO2 CBD oil extractor at its Augusta facility, labeled “the largest extractor they have ever built. The machine was manufactured by Canada-based Vitalis, a leader in the manufacture of extraction systems for a number of industries, including the oil and gas industry. The machine now gives the company a total extraction capacity of 210 liters at its sites.
The Vitalis R-200 is used in conjunction with the Gilson CPC 1000 Centrifugal Distribution Chromatograph Separator System and PLC 2500 HPLC+UV detector. The end result of these interconnected, next-generation systems is a large volume of CBD oil concentrate with 99% purity.
Each acquisition the company made created a vertical integration that allowed the extraction of CBD (a place to buy Supercritical CO2 Extraction machine), its processing and value-added operations to be centralized in one center, thereby reducing logistics costs as well as other operating expenses.
Surprisingly, the company has maintained a stable financial position despite funding for the development of processing facilities; next generation systems; and efficient cultivation facilities.
The company has not received a residual increase in debt, nor has the dilution risk put the company in a well-capitalized position for additional expansion.
In fact, once the facility comes online, HempAmericana expects to begin initial planning for several other regional CBD oil extraction and processing facilities.
“Tremendous growth is underway, and we are now finally able to position ourselves as the market leader in purity, potency and production,” Rosillo was quoted as saying.
As in a recent interview, the CEO may have hinted that the company plans to build a larger extraction facility in Kentucky. The company also revealed at least two ongoing acquisitions to generate more revenue in the next few months. These acquisitions are expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year.
With these further expansion plans, the company is expected to become one of the most successful CBD oil producers in the country – not only in terms of production, but also in bringing the most efficient and highest quality CBD oil to the local and global markets.
The successes HempAmericana has achieved and is striving to achieve make it a very promising and noteworthy company in the industry. This sustainable company is out to shake up not only the CBD market, but the entire cannabis industry.


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In high school, Emma Kovacs (senior) said she wore sweatpants every day, but upon entering Occidental her first year, she was excited to branch out and start dressing up for class. Students at Occidental dare to take risks and express their own creativity in what they wear to class, according to Kovacs.
“Fashion at Occidental is what I perceive to be a microcosm of Los Angeles fashion,” Kovacs said.
Compared to other major global cities, fashion in LA is unique: impacted by the presence and history of Hollywood glamour, surf and skate culture. The world-renowned Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise (FIDM) had its start in Downtown LA with two small classrooms, LA is known as the denim capital of the world and its roots in surf and skate culture inspired many brands created by skaters and surfers, such as Vans and Jolyn, to find their home in Southern California.
Emily Davis (sophomore) said the fashion industry in LA has influenced her college experience, drawing most of her style inspiration from collaborating with her friends about fashion in the dorms.
“The fashion industry’s influence in Los Angeles greatly impacted my decision to attend Oxy,” Davis said. “I wanted to feel inspired by a vibrant metropolitan environment of creators and innovators, and I have definitely found this inspiration here in Los Angeles.”
Davis grew up in Northern California, noting that oftentimes her friends would point out her stylistic differences based on where she grew up. Over 57 percent of Occidental’s class of 2022 comes from U.S. states besides California, with eight percent of the class being international students. One of the factors Davis noted that causes fashion at Occidental to be so unique is the geographic diversity of the student body.
Through a brief glimpse at the student body during the lunch rush at the Marketplace, it is apparent that many students use their unique LA street style as a form of personal expression, Anna Calloway-Jones (sophomore) said. Fashion, for students, is a very personal form of expression, acting as a way to emphasize and express individuality.
“Fashion at Oxy is kind of funny, in that it can sometimes feel very competitive,” Hannah Wakefield (sophomore) said. “I love how unapologetic everyone is about their clothing.”
Within LA itself, there are many different styles and trends, according to Ever Avery (sophomore). Originally from Hermosa Beach, Avery said the style in his high school was primarily reflective of Southern California surf culture, with people typically wearing Vans, a Hurley t-shirt and a snapback. Avery described Eagle Rock’s aesthetic as trendier and representative of more gentrified areas compared to his hometown due to the art and music community in Eagle Rock.
“Everybody gives LA a bad rap when it comes to fashion, but I disagree. I think LA has great fashion,” Avery said.
Migrating from New England to Southern California, Pierce DiMauro (junior) said that he finds himself wearing less bulky layers due to the more temperate climate. DiMauro sees fashion as a medium that many students take advantage of to portray their own diversity and individualism on campus.
“In a sphere like LA, fashion serves to not only represent our differences, but it enables us to celebrate them too,” DiMauro said. “The styles at Oxy are all over the place, which is fabulous.”
When attending high school, many Occidental students, including Davis and Wakefield, were required to wear a school uniform every day. Wakefield said she finds her inspiration through other people’s style at Occidental, citing college as the time for personal style discovery after so many years of having a required uniform during the week. Both Wakefield and Davis said that the only opportunity they had to experiment with fashion and dress up in high school was on the weekends.
“[Occidental] has really given me the opportunity to develop my personal style,” Davis said via email. “College definitely shifted my style focus to finding a new everyday uniform to replace the one I had worn in high school.”
Fashion does not just reflect the student body at Occidental; many faculty have had careers in the fashion industry or are still involved today, including adjunct public health professor Nicole Vick.
Vick has run a fashion blog, Style VickSen, for the past two years and believes that the unique nature of LA fashion is due to the consistently sunny weather year round. Vick described the LA fashion prototype as “casual chic”: a hybrid between laid-back beach style and the glitz and glamour of celebrities on the red carpet. This juxtaposition ultimately leads to what Vick sees as the staple LA look: blue jeans, a leather jacket and a great pair of sunglasses.
The fashion and beauty industry runs deep for Vick’s family, her great-grandmother worked as a beautician on South Central Ave, and her aunt owned a small cosmetics company called Jan of California. Vick said her initial inspiration for starting her blog came from the casual sharing of her nails and outfits with friends over Instagram. As a little girl, Vick said she was surrounded by bottles of nail polish left around the house and drew inspiration by looking through old family photos of her grandmother.
“When I was little, I used to love braiding [my great grandmother’s] hair and painting her nails,” Vick said. “Maybe that’s where my love of nail polish started.”
LA fashion is influenced by bloggers and influencers such as Vick, but also widely impacted by Hollywood glamor and the film industry. Dean Lin (senior) is currently a Media, Arts & Culture (MAC) major focusing on a different side of film than simply red-carpet style: production. Lin said he has witnessed the relationship style holds through interning in the film industry. In film production, people in different positions dress in distinct ways. People working on sets usually dress with a construction aesthetic involving cargo pants and work boots, while people working on the corporate side of film dress in more traditional business attire. Lin noted that the distinction of clothing determines power and role.
Through working at various internships, Lin said he could tell the difference between production companies and work environments based on how his co-workers dressed. Recently, Lin has noticed companies opting for a more relaxed and casual dress code — encouraging personal style to be explored. This aspect and emphasis on individuality at work has influenced where Lin hopes to work following graduation.
“I think people are more comfortable showing their style at work,” Lin said.
Kovacs said she noticed a difference in business casual fashion between her east coast hometown of Boston and LA. Through experience interning in both cities, Kovacs said Boston tends to be a bit more formal in the workplace, compared to LA, where many people wear jeans to work.
“How people perceive you in a professional environment is different than on campus,” Kovacs said.
Lin is from New York City and noticed his style shift significantly between high school and college. One main difference Lin has observed between style in New York City and Occidental manifests through a particular clothing item: Nike Air Force 1. Lin said the shoe exemplified a difference in brand identity and staple clothing items, as the shoe style is exceedingly more popular in LA despite both cities being known as hubs for fashion.
“The way I dressed definitely changed,” Lin said. “I think it’s definitely unconscious but kind of got molded into what Oxy style is.”
Lin attributed his changing style to the vast seasonal differences between New York City and LA. He noted that a unique factor of LA fashion is how celebrities and people transition from dressed up for the red carpet to a casual, beach look.
“For me, you can put fashion on anything,” Lin said. “If you’re like in sweats and stuff, you can still make it look good.”
In the past year, Kovacs has branched out by venturing to Goodwill for the first time. Kovacs has seen a lot of clothing exchanges and swaps within her time as a student at Occidental and attributes the popularity of thrifting on campus to the college’s overall sustainability.
“The mindset [of Occidental students] towards nurturing the environment, I think that people definitely incorporate that into their clothing style,” Kovacs said.
Thrifting and digging through the Goodwill Outlet, colloquially known as “the bins,” is a popular pastime among Occidental students and their friends, according to Lin and Kovacs. Avery likes to get all of his clothes secondhand because he feels it adds a uniqueness to his style. Avery said he pretty much exclusively shops at the Assistance League near his home and the bins.
“[Thrifting is] good for the environment and more ethical,” Avery said.
When experimenting with new styles, one can either buy fast fashion or buy from a thrift store and donate it back later, Avery said. The term fast fashion is used to describe buying something trendy and cheap from department-style stores, often manufactured in offshore workshops, and then disposing of it a couple months later, resulting in great numbers of waste. One way to protest environmental pollution and the fast fashion industry is to invest in expensive yet ethically-made wardrobe and statement pieces that will last for decades. Yet, it is not economically attainable for college students to invest in these kinds of pieces, Avery said.
“I’ll always look for something different [at the bins],” Avery said. “Most of the time, you have to have an open mind when you go there, because for some reason whenever you go looking for something specific, you never find it.”
Fashion and style among students at Occidental are dependent upon subculture, Avery concluded. This concept of free expression in student’s fashion choices is a general reflection of Occidental as a liberal arts college, Kovacs said. LA incorporates casual beach streetwear with the influence of the Hollywood film industry to create its own fashion persona different from any other city in the world. The combination of influence from beachwear and glamour, in addition to efforts to remain economically and environmentally conscious, is reflective in how Occidental students develop their own unique styles.


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Each country is trying to get out of the current global recession by adopting stimulus measures, including the United States’ $787 billion stimulus package and Japan’s budgetary measures, which include ¥12 trillion in fiscal spending. But the prospects for the world economy are not bright.
The U.S. is suffering from a recession and credit crunch while Japan is seeing a sharp contraction of manufacturing with the layoffs of many workers, all of which casts a shadow over the global economy. In the last quarter of 2008, the U.S. gross domestic product decreased by an annualized 3.3 percent and that of Japan by an annualized 12.1 percent. The world’s No. 1 and 2 economies, respectively, bear the heaviest responsibility for reviving the global economy.
Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said last week that global economic growth could be negative for the first time since the end of World Word II. He called the global downturn the “Great Recession.”
His prediction is worse than predictions made about seven weeks ago. On Jan. 26, the IMF reduced its forecasts for 2009 global economic growth to 0.5 percent from the 2.2 percent growth forecast in November. The World Bank predicts at least a 1 percent contraction in the world economy this year and the biggest decline in world trade in 80 years.
Japan’s economic performance in the last quarter of 2008 was the second worst in the postwar years and much worse than the performance of the U.S. and euro-zone economies. Japan’s GDP in the first quarter of 2009 is also expected to see negative growth.
In January, Japan suffered a record current account deficit of ¥172.8 billion. The trade balance for merchandise logged a deficit of ¥844 billion, the biggest since 1985, as exports declined 46.3 percent from a year before.
Increasing domestic demand is the key to economic recovery and growth. The government should not lose any time in working out growth strategies in such fields as renewable energy sources, eco-friendly industrial products, agriculture and medical and nursing care services.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


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The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday acknowledged it was ill-equipped to deal with the baby food crisis that erupted in the spring, and lacked the technology, manpower and authority to address the situation.
Why it matters: Several babies died from suspected Cronobacter bacterial contamination, leading to a massive recall of Abbott Nutrition’s formula and a widespread shortage of formulas, prompting parents to scramble to meet their babies’ nutritional needs.
- While Abbott came under fire over conditions at its Sturgis, Michigan factory, the FDA also faced scrutiny for failing to act quickly to prevent the crisis from spiraling out of control.
- Abbott did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.
Driving the news: The FDA released a report documenting its handling of the crisis and said it lacked the resources and expertise to take effective action.
- “Put simply, if the FDA is expected to do more, it needs more,” the report’s author, Center for Veterinary Medicine director Steven Solomon, said in a note accompanying the document.
What they found: The crisis has exposed a variety of shortcomings at the FDA, Solomon noted in the report, including:
- “Outdated” systems with “lack of coordination” for tracking product issues, making it difficult to “quickly identify emerging safety and quality issues.”
- Whistleblower complaints were “not served” on their addressees because there were “inadequate processes and ambiguities” about how to deal with them.
- “Limited Infant Formula Specific Training” for FDA investigators.
- A lack of powers to address shortages of critical food products.
- “Scientific gaps in understanding Cronobacter contamination and disease hampered FDA response throughout the incident.”
Yes but: The agency blamed Abbott for creating the crisis, saying conditions at the company’s Sturgis, Michigan plant were “inconsistent with a strong culture of food safety.”
- However, “The FDA does not have the authority to require or require manufacturers of infant formula or certain medical food products to notify them if they become aware of a circumstance that could result in a shortage of those products for US consumers to put those risk management plans in place,” Solomon noted.
The other side: Abbott Nutrition executive director Christopher Calamari told families in prepared testimony before Congress in May that “we have let you down” and “we are deeply sorry and committed to ensuring that a shortage like this never happens again.” occurs”.
- But he also reiterated that “we continue to believe there is no conclusive evidence to link our formulas to infant diseases and deaths” attributed to Cronobacter.
Worthless: The report did not attempt to address whether industry consolidation — four companies control about 87% of the market — or other factors beyond its control contributed to the crisis.
- The Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into reports that infant formula sellers have engaged in fraudulent practices, price gouging, or other illegal tactics.


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Carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has “smashed” its half-year sales record in the first six months of 2016 – with the Merseyside-produced “all-conquering” Range Rover Evoque at the forefront of its success.
JLR, which employs 4,500 people at its Halewood factory , says its Land Rover division sold 45,711 vehicles during half-year – up 10%. The Jaguar division sold 16,603 vehicles – up a whopping 68%.
The Evoque and the Discovery Sport, both produced at Halewood, enjoyed sales of 1,756 and 1,597 respectively during the period.
JLR, owned by India-based Tata Motors, this week celebrated five years of production of the Evoque in Merseyside and said it had sold more than 500,000 models across the world.
The latest figures also reveal one Jaguar Land Rover vehicle has left a UK showroom every four minutes in 2016 so far.
Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK managing director, said: “This is a fantastic result and sends out a signal of intent in the current uncertain climate – Jaguar Land Rover is very much open for business.
“It has been a fantastic performance so far in 2016, with both brands contributing to our success.
“For Land Rover, the Discovery Sport’s versatile package see it retail 1,597 vehicles in June, up 31% on June 2015 while the Range Rover Sport continues to set the benchmark in its sector, retailing 975 in June up 62% on June 2015.”


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Metaplex, a non-fungible token (NFT) protocol, has successfully raised $46 million in its latest funding round to expand blockchain-based gaming options and support its strategic pivot into metaverse applications.
In a January 19 announcement, Metaplex confirmed the successful completion of a $46 million investment round to expand gaming and Metaverse applications. This funding round confirmed how major blockchain networks intend to capitalize on Web3 technology in 2022.
The funding initiative was spearheaded by venture firms Multicoin Capital and Jump Crypto and saw the participation of Solana Ventures, Alameda Research, and Animoca Brands. Other participants in the funding included over 90 individual investors such as NBA legends Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson.
The Metaplex Foundation, which oversees the development of metaplex protocol, will use the secured funds to expand support for metaverse and gaming applications this year. The foundation has already used the metaplex protocol to develop more than 5.7 million digital collectibles for 85,000 projects.
In June 2021, Metaplex successfully partnered with cryptocurrency exchange FTX to launch its NFT market on Solana. The Metaplex platform aimed to provide infrastructure support to the nascent crypto sector and expand the NFT community.
Despite its recent slump, many people project that the NFT market will grow further this year. In 2021, Metaplex saw a record-breaking year, with creators generating over $17 billion in sales.
Metaplex Taps Metaverse
Metaplex intends to delve into the metaverse, which refers to a massive digital world that integrates technology and real life. Metaverse technology gained much traction after Facebook rebranded its name to Meta to capitalize on emerging markets. At the time, Vishal Shah, head of Metaverse at Facebook, said creators would have free rein to create different kinds of digital objects on the metaverse.
Interestingly, Metaverse and Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are somewhat naturally related. NFTs add a certificate of ownership or authenticity to assets belonging to the digital world. Furthermore, proof ownership becomes more integral to metaverse applications as the digital world attracts more users.


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Logistics company set to offset emissions from delivery of more than 200 million packages through BP Target Neutral scheme
FedEx plans to be the first global logistics company to offer free carbon-neutral envelope shipping, after signing a deal to offset carbon emissions arising from the delivery of more than 200 million packages...
BusinessGreen brings you the latest green business news from around the world
This issue isn't going away for the e-commerce giant - and other industry leaders should consider themselves on notice
It's the largest purchase order by any company in the US
BREAKING: PM to resign leadership of Tory party on June 7, with Boris Johnson is favourite to win leadership election


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The protests, one of Modi’s toughest political challenges yet, follow an eventful 2020 when the combined fortunes of Ambani and Adani swelled by almost $41 billion, even as millions of Indians lost their jobs to the pandemic that pummeled the $2.9 trillion economy.
The deal, when it happens, will result in Amazon leading a funding round of $15-20 million in the Bengaluru-based startup, according to three people familiar with the development. "The company is in talks with 3-4 other investors to form a consortium and the eventual size of the round could be larger," said one of the sources. Housejoy is backed by serial--entrepreneur couple Krishnan Ganesh and Meena Ganesh, as well as venture capital firm Matrix Partners India.
Representatives of Amazon and Housejoy did not immediately reply to emails seeking comment.
Amazon, which is competing with Flipkart and Snapdeal, has also backed other startups in India.
These include online financial services marketplace BankBazaar and gift card technology and retail firm QwikCilver Solutions. Amazon set up a strategic investment team last year under Abhijeet Muzumdar, who was a venture capital investor at Bessemer in India.
Housejoy was incubated at the Ganesh couple's GrowthStory, and has raised up to $8 million, or about Rs 50 crore, from Matrix Partners India in two rounds of funding.
The potential deal with Amazon comes even as UrbanClap, another local services company, is close to raising $25-30 million from Silicon Valley-based investor Bessemer Venture Partners, as ET reported last week.
The deal is likely to give UrbanClap a pre-money valuation of $75 million (.` 500 crore).
Started by BookAdda founder Arjun Kumar and former TutorVista operations head Sunil Goel in December 2014, Housejoy recently appointed former Flipkart product management executive Saran Chatterjee as its CEO to 'to fasten the dynamic expansion plans into more cities and services with a large focus on consumer experience.'


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Lovefilm look set to be heading in the same direction as Netflix when it comes to their most focused product, as the Amazon-owned UK rental service revealed that for the first time in its history, sales of their online streaming services have beaten figures from physical media (DVD, Blu-ray and video games).
The results, covering the period of February, have noted that around 20% more ‘streaming’ transactions have occurred on Lovefilm in relation to post-based rental, while overall figures show that online movie streaming has seen a 400% increase from same-market figures by the company in February 2011.
However, it has been a good year all round for them, with more ‘traditional’ DVD users not needing to worry about their medium becoming obsolete, as Lovefilm’s physical rental figures have also increased, albeit at a comparatively meagre rate of 25%, meaning that streaming is becoming the more popular method out of its own better rate of growth as opposed to the failure of other approaches.
Lovefilm managing director Jim Buckle said of the rise of movie streaming online: “In less than three years, streaming through Lovefilm Instant has become more popular than renting DVDs. Our members crave instant on-demand access. With more world-class digital content being added to Lovefilm Instant and a growing number of Internet-connected devices delivering it to members’ living rooms we expect this trend to continue.”
In addition to the high usage statistics, it was reported earlier in the year that Lovefilm clocked up their two millionth member in January, which will be seen as vital progress in trying to hold of the regional emergence of Netflix. Despite the introduction of the American-based industry giant, Lovefilm seem to have shown solid figures so far, but will they be able to keep them up?


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DAEJEON, South Korea, Dec. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Daejeon Metropolitan City and Business and Employment Agency of Daejeon in Korea successfully held an virtual IR event with the inspiring local manufacturers in Daejeon and US VCs.
This virtual IR event is an annually program with the purpose of revitalizing the local manufacturers and encouraging global investment relationship. Within this project, 14 local manufacturers in Daejeon are incubated with diverse aids: producing promotional materials, training IR skills, consulting business model, etc.
This year, Daejeon Metropolitan City has selected 14 selective local manufacturers in Daejeon to be in this virtual IR event. All of them are offering significantly promising solutions: MOTH with the carbon composite propeller, Hexa-Check with the wearable 6-channel ECG, UNIVR with VR home training service and especially newest products from FILOS, JCORE, SECOND GROUND, WOORIN Korea, Big Pictures, East Photonics, Airapha, DD Global, MEDICOS Biotech and TnF.AI.
Daejeon Metropolitan City will hold overseas in-person event in the future with deeper incubation for startups and also improvement in their supporting system by connecting and cooperating with global market as their new email@example.com


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Google's Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are about to learn some new moves, including ones that let you double tap to check on your phone and a lift-to-wake feature.
The over-the-air update bringing those new features appears to be limited to Canada at the moment, according to Canadian Reddit users. But they offer a look at what those of us on this side of the 49th Parallel can anticipate for Google's flagship Android devices.
Unveiled last month, the Pixel phones come with Android Nougat, but both the 5-inch Pixel and 5.5-inch Pixel XL were missing features found in last year's Nexus 6P and 5X flagships. Specifically, the new phones lacked support for Moves that made it easier for users to quickly check their phones for notifications or other information.
The lack of a "lift to check phone" feature was especially conspicuous, considering it's been available in the Android world for quite some time. Apple also added the feature with this year's iOS 10 update. Adding it to the Pixel, then, helps Google keep pace with its chief rivals.
Still, the new Moves aren't readily available all over the world. As of this writing, the update is being pushed to Canadian users; American owners haven't yet been offered the new software, though Android-tracking site Droid Life is reporting that XDA has made the update available for download, though manual installations are risky and should be treated with caution.
Once the update becomes available, it's simply a matter of going to Settings to turn on Moves. Then you'll be able double-tap on your phone's screen or lift up your Pixel to wake it up — definitely capabilities that U.S. Pixel owners are eagerly awaiting.


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The Spanish seafood group Pescanova is reportedly close to selling Falkland Islands Lafonia Seafood, which has operations valued between €15 and €20 million, reported the Spanish newspaper Cinco Días.
Lafonia owns a stake in Polar Limited, which is also in the Falklands, as well as Antarctic Sea Fisheries in Chile.
Polar, the result of a joint venture between Pescanova and Seawood Limited, has two squid vessels, catching some 13,240 tons in 2012 – a big increase from less than 6,000t in 2011.
Antarctic Sea Fisheries belongs entirely to Lafonia. It has a longline with cod fishing licenses near Falkland Islands and owns the krill catcher Betanzos.
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ report on Pescanova estimated last year that Lafonia could reach annual sales of €21.7m. According to the same report, the subsidiary owes €3.2 million to Banco Sabadell, €2m to Bank of Western Australia and €1.39m to BBVA.
Fuel is the main operating cost of the operations, amounting to €2.48m per year.
Sources told Cinco Dias that Pescanova — which is being restructured after exiting a year in bankruptcy protection — has chosen to divest Lafonia to focus on its shrimp subsidiary in Argentina, Argenova.
Last year, Argenova was the fishing subsidiary that most contributed to Pescanova's fishing sales, with 38% of total sales.
According to sources, the sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the UK over the Falkland Islands makes the Argentine government look unfavorably on companies with business in the area, which could have motivated Pescanova’s decision to sell Lafonia.
Earlier this week, Marine Harvest unveiled it was acquiring the former Pescanova-owned Chilean salmon producer Acuinova Chile, which has a capacity to produce about 40,000 metric tons head-on gutted (HOG) salmon per annum.
The asset purchase includes a hatchery, a smolt facility, 36 sea water licenses and a primary and secondary processing facility, all located in Chile’s Region XI.
The announcement followed Ewso agreeing to buy Nova Austral, the other Chilean salmon farmer previously owned by Pescanova, on Sept. 8.


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Later this year the Google Trusted Stores program by Google will hit the UK. Already extremely popular in the US, the service expanding to British merchants was a logical step. John Gillan, who heads up Google’s Industry Retailing division in the UK, is pushing to have the service brought to the UK. He clarified, ‘I’m championing to get it launched in the UK on a test basis with a few retailers later this year.” However there are no confirmed dates yet for when British consumers can enjoys the program.
Thousands of retailers joined the Google Trusted Stores program, which helps SME’s in particular build up brand loyalty, last year. When an on-line website meets certain criteria, including high levels of customer service and prompt delivery time, they receive a badge to display on their website. This gives security to customers that they are dealing with a good on-line store.
Now shoppers can be sure that the retailers they deal with are trustworthy and will deliver on time. E-commerce platforms will let their audience know that they are part of the program through the Google Trust Badge displayed on their website. Reputation as a good business to deal with is confirmed through this badge. Retailers say that there are many benefits to displaying the badge including an improvement in engagement on-line. Testimonials from current users as to the positive results of the program can be read on the Google Trusted Stores success stories.
How Does It Work?
All participants in this program need to pass certain criteria to become a merchant with Google Trusted Stores. If a consumer is dissatisfied with the service received by a merchant in the program, they can use Google’s Purchase Protection Program to gain some response.
How It Will Be Different
Google will likely integrate the platform with their new payment system, Google Wallet. The badge may also be used as part of an authentication mechanism in AdWords. It’s conceivable that consumers will prefer to deal with organisations that clearly display the badge on their adWords account. This in itself is probably the biggest incentive Google is banking on to push advertisers to use the program.
SEO will also be impacted by the introduction of Google Trusted Stores. Those displaying the badge will be perceived as more reliable and professional. Users clicking on them more will lead to a shift in the SERPs. The program will also give Google access to customer-related data, allowing for comparisons of the better merchants. Users have always ranked highly in Google’s list of priorities and negative reviews or bad feedback through this system would presumably rank largely on a business’s Google ranking.


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>> Results: Which Stock Should Replace GM in the Dow?
>> Vote: What Term Should Replace 'Green Shoots?'
>> Vote: What's Your Gas-Price Limit?
Bank stocks finished mostly higher, with JPMorgan and Bank of America among the top gainers on the Dow. But Citigroup slipped.
Another thing that helped cool investors' heels was news that General Motors has reached a debt-for-equity deal with bondholders. Bondholders will start with 10 percent equity, with 7.5 percent more when GM's market cap reaches $15 billion and $30 billion market.
Investors cheered the deal but GM will still likely have to file for bankruptcy protection.
Speaking of which, Ford's largest parts maker, Visteon, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for its U.S. operations.
Ford shares initially slipped but finished up with a 4.1-percent gain.
Oil stocks — including Dow components ExxonMobil and Chevron — shot higher after this morning's report that crude inventories were pared down by 5.413 million barrels last week, a much bigger decline than the 500,000 draw-down expected. The report is typically released on Wednesdays but came out today due to the Memorial Day holiday.
Earlier, OPEC said it will keep output unchangedand instead focus on increased compliance. The organization also demanded that it not be referred to as a cartel anymore.
In the day's economic news: New-home sales ticked up 0.3 percentto a seasonally adjusted rate of 352,000 in April, less than expected, and March sales were revised sharply lower.
Meanwhile, initial jobless claims dropped by 13,000to 623,000 from a slightly revised 636,000, while continuing claims rose to another record around 6.8 million. And durable-good orders rose 1.9 percent in April but enthusiasm was tempered by a sharply lower revision for March.
>> Slideshow: Which States Are Losing the Most Jobs?
Shares of Procter & Gamble rose even as the maker of Gillette razors and Tide laundry detergent slashed its outlook, projecting 2010 net sales in a range of down 2 percent to up 1 percent.
In other earnings news, Costco Wholesale said its profit fell 29%as the company struggles to pare back its discretionary items and offer more staples.
And Toys R Us said late Wednesday it has acquired rival FAO Schwarz for an undisclosed sum.
Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard W. Fisher will talk at 6:20 pm New York time on the current economic crisis in Washington.
Time Warner announced plans to spin off its AOL Internet divisionsometime near the end of the year.
Dell shares rose ahead of earnings from the computer maker, due out after the closing bell. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of 23 cents a share.
Still to Come:
THURSDAY: Fed's Fisher speaks; Earnings from Dell after the bell
FRIDAY: GDP; Chicago PMI; University of Michigan/Reuters consumer sentiment; earnings from Tiffany
Send comments to email@example.com.


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GETTING THERE: Bad News for Bus Operators
June 21, 2020
The coronavirus has put some serious hurt on the bus industry.
The American Bus Association said on Friday that estimates show “the U.S. motorcoach industry will see its economic loss reach nearly $11 billion, a 71 percent decline in annual business, despite the easing of restrictions across the country.”
ABA President and CEO Peter Pantuso noted that while those numbers are improvements to earlier data, the figures show “the continued decimation of the private motorcoach industry, which has not received any financial help from Congress or the Trump Administration like other modes of transportation received in legislative relief packages passed so far.”


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According to their recent release of the Petrol Price Watch for September 2023 in Abuja on Saturday, the average price has surged from N191.65 in September 2022 to a staggering N626.21 in September 2023.
This surge represents a significant 226.75 percent increase when compared to the price of N191.65 recorded in September 2022. The sharp rise in petrol prices is likely to have widespread implications for consumers, businesses, and the overall economic landscape.
“Comparing the average price value with the previous month of August 2023, the average retail price increased by 0.08 per cent from N626.70.
“On state profiles analysis report, Taraba paid the highest average retail price of N665.56 per litre, followed by Borno and Benue at N657.37 and N641.29, respectively.
“Conversely, Rivers, Delta and Jigawa paid the lowest average retail prices at N602.55, N605.88 and N617.42, respectively,’’ it stated.
A zone-based analysis of retail fuel prices for September 2023 revealed notable disparities in different regions of Nigeria. The North-East emerged with the highest average retail price at N638.33 per litre, whereas the South-South region posted the lowest price, coming in at N618.47 per litre.
Furthermore, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released its Diesel Price Watch Report for September 2023, highlighting that the national average retail price of diesel stood at N890.80 per litre. This figure marked a substantial 12.77 percent increase compared to the previous year, where consumers paid N789.90 per litre in September 2022.
Delving into the month-on-month changes, the report noted a 4.27 percent price hike from the N854.32 per litre recorded in August 2023. This revealed a steady upward trend in diesel prices.
When examining the state-specific profiles, Kano led the chart with the highest average price of diesel in September 2023, reaching N967.78 per litre. It was closely followed by Anambra at N950.95 per litre and Niger at N950.55 per litre, all of which experienced notably higher prices compared to the national average.
Conversely, Bayelsa reported the lowest price in the country at N840.16 per litre, with Katsina following closely behind at N840.55 per litre and Rivers at N840.82 per litre.


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Synopsys has announced the availability of a portfolio of DesignWare PHY IP for TSMC's 16nm FinFET Plus (16FF+) processes.
Yangtze Memory gearing up for transition to 128-layer 3D NAND flash
10h 12min ago in Before Going to Press
Inventec Appliances to secure more orders for AirPods
10h 33min ago in Before Going to Press
Inventec expects sales growth in 2020, 2021
10h 40min ago in Before Going to Press
WPG acquisition of WT Micro shares reaches required minimum
10h 50min ago in Before Going to Press
Qualcomm, MediaTek to enjoy double-digit growth in mobile chip sales
11h 5min ago in Before Going to Press
Diode firm Eris expects revenue and profit growth in 2020
eMemory NeoFuse IP verified for UMC 28nm HV process
11h 42min ago in Before Going to Press
Intel to cut PC processor prices in 2H20
11h 43min ago in Before Going to Press
Senao chair positive about Wi-Fi 6 penetration in 2020
Mini LEDs and micro LEDs are expected to become improved backlighting solutions that can significantly enhance displays quality and create added value in the upcoming years.
Digitimes Research estimates that global server shipments moderately declined 1.4% in 2019 but will turn to show positive growth of 6.6% in 2020, totaling 16.01 million units.
Notebooks, smartphones and tablets are expected to see mixed shipment performances in 2019.


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The New York Cocoa Exchange is planning to join the trend toward offering trading in options based on futures contracts, it announced last week. However, the Cocoa Exchange's proposed options would be traded alongside futures on the trading floor through open auction and not by bid‐and‐ask quotations, as is the case with the new silver and copper options.
Shearson Hayden Stone Inc., the large brokerage house, began offering options last Monday on units of 10,000 ounces of silver bullion and 50,000 pounds of copper bars. The Mocatta Metals Corporation is supplying the silver and copper and is making the market, in effect, by offering constant bid‐and‐ask quotations to buyer and sellers.
However, W. L. Perkins, president of the Cocoa Exchange, said (in a letter soliciting comments from the trade on the proposed options) that his market's trading system would be different.
Basically, the cocoa options would consist initially of calls—the right to buy existing cocoa futures contracts. Quotations would be determined by public auction on the trading floor, just as in the case of futures.
Mr. Perkins added that the details of the cocoa options depend on clearances by the Federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the incorporation of suggestions by the trade.
Essentially, commodity options are the right—but not the obligation—to but (or sell, where this is allowed) contracts for the sale or purchase of specified quantities of goods at a fixed price on a certain date in the future.
The Commodity Research Bureau's index of futures prices (1967=100) closed last Friday at 200.4. The index stood at 203.4 the week before and at 189.6 a year ago.


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The virtual reality market is growing at a very fast rate and will probably be the highlight of the year 2016. New products are being launched, and some are yet to be launched. One of those is the much-awaited Sony PlayStation VR.
The price of the PlayStation VR has leaked out and suggests that the VR headset will not be much expensive. Actually, it is touted to be cheaper than the Oculus Rift. It has been reported that the PlayStation VR will be launched in June 2016. If the rumors are to be believed, then the VR headset will cost around 347 Euros, which is around 100 Euros cheaper than the Oculus Rift. It is being said that the headset will cost $500 in the U.S., which is again $100 cheaper than the Rift by $100.
But even thought the Sony PlayStation VR has the advantage of being cheaper, the overall user experience is said to be not as great as the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift. The aforementioned VR headsets reportedly leave the PlayStation VR much behind in the competition. Firstly, the PS VR connects to the PS4, which is much lesser powerful when compared to the Oculus Rift connected to a high-end gaming PC with at least a GTX 970 GPU. Also, Vive and Rift offer a resolution of 1080 x 1200 per eye, while the PlayStation VR is limited to 960 x 1080.
It is also being said that there is a significant gap in performance between the Oculus Rift and Sony PlayStation VR. But having said that, Sony is trying to make the VR technology go mainstream, at least.


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Tata Motors is looking at collaborating with an automaker to accelerate its growth plan for the next decade, which will offset huge investments while adapting to newer technologies, regulations and shorten product lifecycles, allowing the business to expand.
Tata Motors is actively scouting for a new partner for its passenger vehicle (PV) business, according to a recent report. The company is looking to collaborate with an automaker to accelerate its growth plan for the next decade. A partnership will help the Indian auto giant offset huge investments while adapting to newer technologies, regulations and shorten product lifecycles. Earlier this year, the Tata Motors board had approved to form a separate entity for its passenger vehicles business bringing the cars, electric vehicles and its relevant assets, employees and IPs under one umbrella. The new vertical would fully functional on a standalone basis. carandbike has reached out to Tata Motors for an official statement and will update this report when we get a response.
The report quotes Shailesh Chandra – President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit (PVBU), Tata Motors, saying, “The whole purpose of subsidiarisation is to actively look for a partner because this is a reality for all of us that a collaboration can unleash a bigger potential in the next decade which is going to see significant investments in new technologies and regulations. The collaboration would also help in reducing product lifecycles and enhance new product launch intensity. All this requires huge investments and agility is also the key. So this is something which we are actively looking into.”
With a paradigm shift in the mobilty sector from electric vehicles to shared mobility and beyond, automakers across the globe are collaborating to reduce development costs and achieve greater results. Globally, Ford, Toyota, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Daimler, Audi, BMW and more are working together on different technologies right from new vehicle platforms, autonomous driving, as well as charging solutions for the next generation of electric vehicles.
Tata Motors though is tight-lipped about the automakers it is in talks with for a future collaboration. Speaking about timelines, Chandra said, “There are no specific timelines.. as far as subsidiarisation process is concerned, converting the business into a separate legal entity, we would like to accelerate in a year and as far as partner is concerned it is an active work which we will continue to work on.”
Credited to bring India’s first indigenously developed car, the Indica, Tata Motors’ journey has seen its share of ups and downs with hit and miss products. The company found its new growth trajectory nearly half a decade ago with the launch of the Tata Tiago that marked a new and renewed focus towards the PV segment for the company. It is now ushering into a new decade with two new platforms – ALFA and OMEGA – that will underpin the bulk of its future models.
With respect to current sales, Chandra said that Tata Motors posted double digital growth in the first half of FY2021, despite the lockdown. This has helped the company achieve a market share of 7.9 per cent in the PV segment. Sales between the July and September quarter grew by 18 per cent.
“A big part of it is pent up demand which has been a big factor for the growth. There was 20 per cent de growth last year because people wanted to wait for BS6 products leading to pent up demand in the last year itself. Further two months of lockdown this year has led to huge pent up demand,” Chandra added. He further said that the demand will be sustained going further as the need for personal mobility rises.
“It remains speculative how the things would turn out to be beyond that and festive season because there is something offsetting these positive trends – pent up demand combined with personal mobility needs. It is the whole macro economic situation which is not witnessing growth, GDP is expected to see a 10 per cent decline. We will have to see the overall effect of that post the festive season. So far indications are that it will sustain,” Chandra said.


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Tesla car models and superchargers are coming to Turkey in 2022! The company will install fast-charging stations in 10 different cities of Turkey. In 2022, 4 models will be also offered for sale. Furthermore, Tesla plans to continue its activities in Turkey by completing its entire structuring and establishing the entire service network such as service, maintenance and roadside assistance. As in the rest of the world, the potential for electric vehicles is increasing in Turkey too. Following the impact of the widespread use of charging station points, the Turkish electric vehicle market increased by 237 percent in 2021.
Expats in Istanbul benefit from the best apps. The word expat comes from the Latin word expatriate. Generally, people who are sent to other countries by the company they work for are called expats. On the other hand, today, the word expat covers everyone who goes abroad. If you decide to live in Istanbul as an expat, the apps will help you a lot. There are many applications to connect with your environment and make your life easier. While ordering your food through an app, you can also pay your bills or even make friends with Turkish dating apps. Apps also help you get used to Turkey. For example, you can get cultural familiarity by visiting museums online.
Karaman-Konya high-speed train was put into operation last Saturday with the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish President Erdogan paid a visit to Karaman on January 8, 2022, to attend the collective opening ceremony of the completed projects including the Karaman-Konya High-Speed Train Line. President Erdogan delivered a speech addressing the citizens who came to Konya High-Speed Train Meram Station to welcome him. He also made important statements during his speech. There are 21 vehicle underpasses, 20 vehicle overpasses and 15 pedestrian underpasses within the scope of the train project.
Swiss Solar AG, a Switzerland-based solar panel manufacturer, has made the announcement to establish a panel factory in Turkey. According to the statement of the company, the facility will initially consist of three separate production lines, each with an annual production capacity of 500 MW. In these production lines, bifacial solar panels with 450 Wp, 500 Wp and 545 Wp power capacity will be produced. The company aims to reach 5 GW of capacity with 10 lines by 2027. Swiss Solar AG aims to increase its production line and panel powers gradually and to have an annual production capacity of 5 GW at its facility in Turkey in 2027.
Siro, in partnership with TOGG and Farasis, will produce battery cells and modules in the factory to be established by benefiting from project-based government support. Established with the partnership of Turkey’s Car Joint Venture Group Inc. (TOGG) and Chinese energy giant Farasis, Siro company’s battery cell and module production facility, which will be in Bursa’s Gemlik district will provide employment for approximately 2,200 people. Turkey has taken an important step in the production of car batteries.
NASA Space Adventure Exhibition will be held in Metropol Istanbul Mall between the dates of December 8-30! Get your tickets now for the NASA Space Adventure Exhibition in which the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reflects more than 50 years of space studies and experiences. The business partners of THE WORLD’S BIGGEST MOBILE SPACE EXHIBITION are YapiKredi, ITU Eta Foundation, Doga College, Roketsan, Space Systems T&T Lab, CarrefourSA, Digiturk, Minika, Asymmetric.
Apple has officially announced its new store to be opened in Istanbul, Turkey. It is said to be the biggest retail Apple Store in Europe and the Middle East! Moreover, it will be located on Bagdat Street in Kadikoy, one of the most popular districts in Istanbul. New Apple store, which will be located on Bagdat Street, will have the distinction of being the biggest Apple Store in Europe and the Middle East.
Invests in Turkey were the main subject of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who made a groundbreaking speech at the ceremony of the projects completed in Adana and the Ceyhan Polypropylene Production Plant. Turkish President Erdogan said, “No one who relies on Turkey and invests in Turkey will regret it! On the contrary, investors will always be glad about the great profit they will get. I would like to say once again that we welcome every investor.”
Porsche has announced the completion of the first electric charging station network in Turkey! Porsche has stated that it has completed the installation of 100 units of charging stations in Turkey. It is the first car brand that produces charging networks across the country…


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The last few days news about Sonam Kapoor’s wedding has been surfacing. From shopping to wedding arrangements, honeymoon vacation to sartorial choices everything was being covered. The actress to a leading daily in Dubai spoke how she would like to wed. And the response she gave us left us perplexed.
Without mincing her words, she said, “I think the whole idea of a marriage is more appealing to me than a wedding. I think there is too much money spent; it’s all very crass, and I would rather give that money away. I’d rather have a wedding at home than anywhere else. I think it’s important to do all the rituals, but I don’t believe in spending all that money, I find it disgusting and very wasteful, and I’m not okay with that at all.”