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R3 and 22 Large Banks Develop International Payments System
R3 announced today that it would work with 22 banks to create a real-time payments infrastructure based on its blockchain platform called Corda. The banks are part of a large consortium led by R3 and the prototype is expected to be ready by 2017.
R3, a blockchain-oriented FinTech company, is collaborating with 22 of the largest banks and financial institutions in the world to create an international payments network. The company announced today that the system would operate with fiat money and eventually Central Bank-issued digital currencies, and will allow transactions through a blockchain system.
Commercial and central banks agree that the distributed ledger technology (DLT), with additional features like smart contracts, can speed up payment processing, increase security and make audits more convenient.
Frederic Dalibard, head of Digital for Corporate & Investment Banking at Natixis, a bank that takes part in the system, said that: “Natixis believes in the potential of distributed ledger technology for cross-border payments and is exploring several initiatives in that space.”
R3, which leads a consortium of over 70 banks and financial services providers, will work with 22 of its member companies. Besides Natixis, the list includes BBVA, Barclays, Commerzbank, HSBC, CIBC, DNB, Intesa, KB Kookmin Bank, KBC, KEB Hana Bank, Shinhan Bank, US Bank, TD Bank, and Woori Bank.
The prototype of the project will be ready by the end of the year and will be based on Corda, which is R3’s blockchain platform. The blockchain developer recently updated Corda and released a new version.
R3 CEO David E. Rutter commented on the project, saying:
“International payments systems have struggled to keep pace with the explosion of global trade and the globalization of the world’s markets. This marks a significant milestone for distributed ledger technology as we work alongside our bank members to harness its unique attributes to build the world’s first true international payments system.”
He added that the blockchain infrastructure would transform payments:
“This solution will be a game-changer for any bank or company whose business relies on making or receiving cross-border payments, and is a key part of R3’s wider strategy to leverage distributed ledger technology for faster and more efficient execution of all types of financial transactions.”
Dalibard, from Natixis, said that his bank is confident about the system provided by R3, as it will be compatible with the upcoming digital currencies issued by central banks.
Commercial banks are largely positive about blockchain technology, but there are some detractors. German bank Berenberg said in a recent report that blockchain was an “overhyped technology” with few real uses against many pilot tests. On the other hand, UBS Wealth Management recently said that the contribution of this emerging technology could reach $400 billion of the annual global economic value by 2027.


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According to the MSME Ministry’s FY19 annual report, the MSME sector is dominated by micro-enterprises. India has 6.33 crore MSMEs out of which 6.30 crore — 99.4 per cent are micro-enterprises.
The number of registered MSMEs in FY20 has increased by 18.49 per cent to 25.13 lakh units from 21.21 lakh in FY19, according to government data. The growth rate, however, declined from 39.7 per cent in the last financial year that had increased from 15.17 lakh MSMEs registered in FY18, the data shared by the MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari in the Rajya Sabha on Monday showed. Overall the number of registered MSMEs in India in the past five years stood at 90.19 lakh. According to the MSME Ministry’s FY19 annual report, the MSME sector is dominated by micro-enterprises. India has 6.33 crore MSMEs out of which 6.30 crore — 99.4 per cent are micro-enterprises while 0.52 per cent — 3.31 lakh are medium and 0.007 per cent — 5,000 are medium enterprises.
You might also be interested to read: Home-work Effect: Mobile Data Consumption Jumps 25%, Video Crosses 60%
While an increase in the registered number of small businesses would help the government in measuring their contribution to the sector’s share in the country’s GDP along with offering various tax and investment benefits, the current scenario of Coronavirus outbreak might impact MSMEs hard given the disruption caused in the supply chain, warehousing, export credit etc. Also, the government’s decision to lockdown 75 districts where Coronavirus cases have been reported might prove to be a double whammy for MSMEs. These districts are based in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, UP, Telangana, Rajasthan and more.
Source: Financial Express

domain: news


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State regulators' plan to fundamentally alter default electricity service would push millions of unwilling Pennsylvanians into the deregulated electricity marketplace, according to a coalition of consumer advocacy groups led by the AARP.
"The changes ... are likely to increase costs and risks to resident consumers with no apparent benefits to anyone other than (electricity suppliers)," the groups said in written comments submitted to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
The PUC announced its proposed changes to default electricity service in a tentative order approved last month after more than a year of public hearings into the matter.
Currently under state law, consumers continue to receive default electricity service from their utilities if they do not choose to buy electricity from alternative suppliers.
The utilities must procure electricity for default service customers on the wholesale electricity market and then distribute it to the customers without marking up the price. (The utilities earn a profit on separate delivery charges.)
And to protect consumers from market volatility, the utilities must use basic hedging strategies, such as "laddering" supplier contracts over time.
The resulting product is default electricity service that has turned out to be far more popular than the offerings of all the alternative electricity suppliers combined. Statewide, 65 percent of electricity customers rely on default electricity service, while the remainder have switched to alternative suppliers.
Essentially, many customers — particularly residential customers — find they have little incentive to switch. For residential customers of PPL Electric Utilities, for example, the current default electricity "price to compare" of 7.54 cents a kilowatt hour is at the low end of the range of prices offered by alternative suppliers. As recently as March, PPL's default price was lower than that of any competitor.
The plan put forth by the PUC last month, however, would prohibit utilities from using the hedging strategies that have led to relatively stable, low default electricity prices. For example, instead of laddering contracts, the utilities would be required to replace all of their electricity supply every three months, thereby introducing an unprecedented level of volatility into default electricity prices.
Consumers would see price spikes in the summer that are likely to result in unaffordable bills, late payment fees and stressful and dangerous collection actions.
Also opposed to the PUC's plan is the state's Office of Consumer Advocate. Tanya J. McCloskey, the acting consumer advocate, said the proposed changes would lead to "very volatile default service prices."
"During the summer, they'll go up very high," she said. "It makes it very difficult for customers to manage their bills."
Taking the side of the PUC is PPL Corp. of Allentown, which owns not only PPL Electric Utilities but also PPL Energy Plus. PPL Energy Plus is an alterative electricity supplier that competes against PPL Electric Utilities' default electricity service.
"The company is fully supportive of the commission's efforts to enhance the competitive marketplace," PPL spokesman Michael Wood said.
MCT Information Services


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(CNW) Calgary — High Tide Inc., the high-impact, retail-forward enterprise built to deliver real-world value across every component of cannabis, welcomes today’s amendment of Ontario Regulation 468/18 under the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 that increases the number of stores that licensed retail cannabis operators and their affiliates can operate from 75 to 150.
“We welcome Ontario’s move today to make good on its previously stated intent to double the provincial store cap to 150. The increase comes as some operators who have a franchise model are already approaching, or have exceeded, 75 stores in the province. The move will have a positive impact on Ontario’s cannabis retail market as it brings the province closer to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, which don’t have a store cap and have demonstrated success at illicit market capture,” said Raj Grover, founder and CEO of High Tide.
“This change not only levels the retail playing field in Ontario but also creates a significant growth opportunity for High Tide and others that will help Ontario’s legal cannabis industry better compete with an entrenched illicit market, creating new jobs for Ontarians and increasing tax revenue for the province. As of July 2023, the 50 Canna Cabana stores we had open in Ontario had an average annual run rate that was 3.4 times our provincial peers’. Accordingly, an additional 100 locations will help meaningfully boost our revenues and power our growth trajectory over the next couple of years, further solidifying our leadership position as the largest non-franchised cannabis retailer in the country. With this change, our long term growth target has now shifted upwards to 300 bricks and mortar stores in Canada,” added Mr. Grover.


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The latest news on General Motors
The automakers' future rides on electric cars, sassy subcompacts—and big SUVs.
Key vehicles from the last four decades help explain how the domestic automakers lost their way.
The House will vote next week on a bailout for the auto industry. Should it get the emergency cash?
Lawmakers are debating whether to save General Motors, which could run out of cash by year's end.
What if the No.3 U.S. automaker sold only Jeeps?
Ailing companies could lay off 3 million more Americans.
Here's a look at the costs these retirees may now face.
The staggering automaker could run out of cash by early next year.
The risk of bankruptcy threatens Detroit's most promising futurecar.
Report: Keeping GM and Chrysler afloat may mean a merger, layoffs, and taxpayer dollars.


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Less than 20% of India’s 1.3 billion people speak English. But LinkedIn, the largest professional social network globally, has so far catered only to this sliver of the population in the world’s second largest internet market. On Thursday, the Microsoft-owned service said it’s beginning to change that.
LinkedIn has started to roll out support for Hindi on its social network, it said on Thursday. Hindi, a language spoken or understood by more than half a billion people in India and over 600 million people globally, is the first Indian regional language to be supported by the social network.
The company, whose service supports 25 languages, said its website and mobile apps will give users the option to access their feed, profile, and messages in Hindi. Users will also be able to create content in Hindi through LinkedIn’s desktop and mobile apps, it said.
Even as India is a major market for several global services, LinkedIn has struggled to make deep inroads in the country. India accounts for just over 6% of over 1.3 billion visits LinkedIn garners in a month, according to analytics firm SimilarWeb. LinkedIn says it has over 82 million users in India, more than 20 million of whom joined the service in the last three years. LinkedIn has over 800 million users globally.
In the meanwhile, a handful of startups are beginning to address the same problems as LinkedIn. Apna, a two-year-old startup that is helping people find jobs in India, became the youngest unicorn in the country two months ago. The startup, which as of September was facilitating over 18 million job interviews each month and offers its app in multiple Indian languages, recently conducted a survey that found that 57% of users in India preferred using a vernacular interface over English.
Other than traction, LinkedIn has also faced challenges with keeping the top job role in India intact. In the past four years, at least three different people have been given the top LinkedIn job in India. The chain of events started after Akshay Kothari, now the chief operating officer of Notion, resigned from LinkedIn India head role in 2018.
The announcement on Thursday also comes less than two months after Microsoft shut down LinkedIn in China, the world’s largest internet market, and replaced its marquee social offering with a job board.
“In India, LinkedIn has been mission critical to helping people connect, learn, grow and get hired during the pandemic and in this new world of work we are in. With the launch of Hindi, now more members and customers can unlock greater value from the platform through content, jobs, and networking, and express themselves in a language that they feel comfortable in,” said Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, LinkedIn, in a post.
In the coming months, LinkedIn said it will work towards widening the range of job opportunities available for Hindi speaking professionals across industries. It is also looking to add more Hindi publishers and creators in the coming weeks to boost engagement in Hindi on the platform.


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Need for Speed Unbound released widely in December 2022 to some of the highest praise the series has seen in a while. Criterion Software isn’t done with it, though, and has announced its first big update that’ll be coming to the game on March 21.
Volume 2, as it is dubbed, will bring in new upgrades, events, and daily challenges that will reward players with experience, money, and new vehicles. There will be 40 new challenges and three every day, in addition to the Hot Laps circuit, which are short 30-second time trials.
There will also be a slew of new cosmetics like effects, poses, and stickers, as well as more cars. The update will even mix up how players can race since it adds new playlists (where racers can earn the Rare Custom Lotus Emira Balmain Edition) and events like Endurance Events and Rumble Races. There are also multiplayer races where players can provoke the police and race alongside their friends or turn against them to get more rewards at the end.
This free update will also be dropping alongside some premium DLC. The Keys to the Map DLC will be $4.99 and reveal the location of the game’s 260 collectibles and 160 activities and come with a Fury and Zen clothing pack that includes a jacket, T-shirt, sweatpants, and cap.
Criterion also noted that this was the “first in a series of post-launch updates,” but did not go into detail about how many more updates were planned.


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Click here to receive the Morning Social Media Newsfeed via email.
Video Review: Facebook Alters News Feed Ranking (AllFacebook)
Facebook announced a revamp of the way it ranks videos from both users and pages, with a focus on if users watched videos and for how long, adding that the change only applies to uploaded videos, and not links to videos, which are already treated in a similar fashion. The social network also urged page administrators to consult the video metrics it debuted in May. Adweek Now, Facebook will deliver more video to people who have demonstrated interest in viewing such content. It will downplay video for users who have not shown an interest. “People who tend to watch more video in News Feed should expect to see more videos near the top of their Feed,” Facebook said in a blog post today. The Next Web Other factors that Facebook looks at when ranking video posts include comments, likes and shares. Links to third-party video sites won’t be affected by the change. ClickZ “In our early tests, this improvement resulted in more people watching more videos that are relevant to them,” Facebook says, adding that twice as many people watch videos on Facebook compared to six months ago and that its goal is to understand what videos people are interested in watching so that relevant videos appear more prominently. Caleb Hanson, vice president of product at interactive video firm Rapt Media, says the move demonstrates that brands, agencies and distribution outlets are increasing the value they place on video as marketing content, and both the companies creating and distributing the content are looking to improve their offerings. Marketing Pilgrim As an extra, added bonus, businesses who upload videos directly to their Facebook Pages will have access to detailed video metrics. You not only see how many people watched your video, but you can see how many people watched it all the way to the end and even spots where they played the video over and over.
Taking Down Isis Material from Twitter or YouTube Not as Clear Cut as it Seems (The Guardian)
Google and Twitter are happy to comply with the law. Their problem, though, is that their systems are not set up to stop those videos, hashtags and accounts getting online – so taking them offline has become a game of “whack-a-mole,” where no sooner have they been removed from one part of the site than they pop up at others.
Why Brands Don’t Respond on Social Media (SocialTimes)
Companies clearly recognize the marketing opportunity that social media provides, yet most seem to be focused on relentlessly posting messages touting the virtues of their products, while very few have mastered the art of responding during the moments that matter most to consumers. A study by evolve24, a Maritz Research company that specializes in social media analytics, found that approximately 70 percent of customer service complaints made on Twitter are ignored.
Apple’s New Retail Chief Advises Newbies to ‘Stay in Your Lane’ (CNET)
Angela Ahrendts may be the new kid in town at Apple, but she’s already sharing some tips she’s learned. The executive, who took over as head of Apple’s online and retail stores nearly two months ago, on Monday posted advice on LinkedIn for people starting new jobs.
World’s Largest Ad Firm To Double Its Twitter Spend (AllTwitter)
In a signal that advertising on Twitter might be becoming more mainstream, the world’s largest advertising firm just announced that it would be doubling its Twitter ad spend. WPP, the largest advertising company in the world, will double the amount that it spends on Twitter ads on behalf of its clients this year, according to its CEO Martin Sorrell.
As If Yo is Not Enough, Get Ready for Yo for Business (VentureBeat)
For those of you who were hoping the successor to the Yo app would be a reverse psychology pinger called Oy, you have a surprise coming. The creator of this minimalist appiness, Or Arbel, told The Wall Street Journal on Monday that his company is thinking about a business version.
An Inside Look at the Spredfast-Powered FIFA Social Hub (LostRemote)
Of the numerous World Cup social hubs launched ahead of this year’s games, the official one hosted by FIFA – in partnership with Adidas – may be the most visually impressive. FIFA Social Hub, powered by social TV company Spredfast, shows the top trending players and teams.
BBC Launches a Video News Channel on Reddit in Pursuit of Further Digital Experimentation (The Next Web)
The BBC has been testing out new ways of distributing news recently and its most recent addition comes in the form of a dedicated Subreddit and video news channel on the site. The new Subreddit actually first made a quiet appearance a month ago, but the standalone video news channel was only announced by BBC News via Twitter on Monday.
House of Representatives Cuts Funding to Key NSA Spying Programs (SocialTimes)
The House of Representatives cut off all funding to two major NSA spying programs. The first program involved searches of collected surveillance data targeting Americans via the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and the second made requests that hardware and software makers build backdoors into their tools to give the agency access to user data and communications.


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Fake smartphone may help tech addicts cut back
The NoPhone mimics the weight and feel of a real smartphone.
Published Friday, August 22, 2014 9:26AM EDT
Created as an Internet prank, the idea behind the NoPhone might actually appeal to some smartphone junkies. A block of plastic with the weight and dimensions of an actual smartphone, the concept is designed to reassure anyone attempting to cut down on their screen time by leaving their real device at home.
The NoPhone doesn't come with a state-of-the-art processor, a high-definition wide screen or a high-resolution camera for taking selfies. On the other hand, it doesn't require charging or software updates and it is waterproof and shatterproof.
Although this plastic prototype is not for sale, the designers behind the project have created a website parodying standard high-tech marketing techniques, including a list of "special features" and user testimonials.
Check out the NoPhone website: nophone.eu
Watch a video demo of the NoPhone: vimeo.com/101581599


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Meet the chamba addict who can guess airtime vouchers, mobile companies hate him
South African mobile networks are frustrated and they are trying to formulate plans to stop a Soweto boy who can guess airtime vouchers every time he is high.
Hlamulo who is only 18-year-old had been feeding his family by selling airtime vouchers for much cheaper prices than their actual value for two years now.
According to South African media, Hlamu only need to be very high on Indian hemp which is locally known as Nyaope in South Africa to start guessing air time vouchers and he knows which network he is guessing for before he starts saying numbers.
“He just had to keep a pen and a paper handy whenever he is high, he doesn’t do cheap airtime like R5 and R10 or R12, He starts at R50 upwards and we sell them at 20% discount. He started keeping a ledger in January and so far he has made R35 500,”his older sister told media.
Police said there is nothing they can charge him for because he obviously did not commit any crime.
“If it’s true he uses illegal drugs he could be arrested for possession and use of illegal drugs if we find them on him”
Meanwhile, local mobile companies Vodacom and Cell C are offering to take him to re-herb for his addiction as a way to stop him from selling their products/Face of Malawi.


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The MIT scientists who graced consumers with super slippery bottle coatings—used for ketchup and basic condiments alike—have discovered a new and improved way to get the best bang for your mayonnaise.
LiquiGlide just signed a deal with Orkla ASA, an enormous, $3.6 billion company out of Norway that sells packaged foods in Europe and Asia. The company now has rights to LiquiGlide’s slippery product for an undisclosed brand of mayo available in northern and central Europe within the next year.
“Ever since we started the company, we had a ton of interest globally,’’ LiquiGlide co-founder Dave Smith said. So what’s the interest in mayo specifically? “Mayonnaise products want to differentiate themselves from their competition. Most have upside-down bottles now where [people] still need to scrape out the last bit. That’s the biggest complaint for customers.’’
That’s why LiquiGlide is “changing the way liquids move.’’ LiquiGlide estimates that up to 10 percent of condiments are wasted because the substance gets stuck in the bottle.
In 2014, Smith uploaded a YouTube video of ketchup easily sliding out of its bottle with the use of the coating. The video went viral because, as many a great American knows, ketchup pretty much never comes out of a glass bottle looking so graceful:
And so, Europe, rejoice. Now it’s mayo’s time to shine.
Photos: Lobster roll spots around New England:


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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow DLC Was a "Mistake," Says MercurySteam
Written Friday, June 29, 2012 By Lee BradleyView author's profile
The Castlevania: Lords of Shadow DLC add-ons were "a mistake,” according to developer MercurySteam.
Apparently the studio didn’t expect the game to be such a success, so when Lords of Shadow was a hit, they rushed the Reverie and Resurrection DLC into development.
"We never planned to do DLC, so we ended up doing DLC after the fact and in hindsight that was a mistake," producer Dave Cox explained. "It was rushed. We had to rush it to market."
"The problem was that the game's success caught everyone by surprise,” Cox added. It caught senior management by surprise and they wanted us to do DLC.”
"When you have success there's pressure on you to bring something else to market very quickly. And I think it was wrong of us to do that."
As a result of that misstep, Cox says that should Konami release any DLC for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, it will be planned from the start.
"We enriched the story that we wanted to tell, but if we were going to do DLC again it would have to be planned right from the get go," said Cox.
"And it wouldn't be something that would try to build upon an ending - it would be something that's perhaps a side story that enriches the original story. If we were going to do DLC again, it would be something much more carefully considered."


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Report exposes UK/US salary gap
Digital agency executives in North America were paid over 40 per cent more than those in Europe in 2013, according to a global salary report.
The report, published by SoDA, the digital agencies’ association, found that the salaries for project managers, creative directors, producers, graphic designers and copywriters "stagnated" in Europe in 2013.
Although salaries for many equivalent positions in North America also remained flat, they were significantly higher than those in Europe.
Globally, there was an 8 per cent increase in the median salary for creative directors among SoDA member agencies, although the gap between the median salaries in North America and Europe widened from 30 per cent in 2012 to 41 per cent.
According to the report, account directors in New York were paid 20 per cent more than those in London, while executive creative directors or chief creative officers received 67 per cent more in New York than in London.
Chris Buettner, the executive director at SoDA, said: "North America has been quicker to recover from the economic downturn. Many brands and clients in Europe have not been investing to the level we would want them to. It’s a much better scenario there than in Europe."
SoDA represents 80 agencies and production companies across 26 countries.
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
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Comodo Introduces 2012 Internet Security to Protect Computer Users from the Growing Threat of Viruses and Malware
Default Deny Protection™ Technology Guarantees Safety from Threats
Jersey City, NJ, October 18, 2012 – Comodo, one of the top certificate authorities and Internet Security organizations, recently announced the release of its Internet Security 2012 software. Comodo® Internet Security 2012 (CIS 2012) software delivers malware prevention that is unparalleled in the industry and backed by the company’s $500 warranty.
CIS 2012 guarantees protection of computers against viruses and malware through Comodo’s patent pending Default Deny Protection™. Unlike other Internet security vendors, Comodo’s solutions do not rely solely upon blacklisting known threats from executing on a computer. Blacklisting can only protect computer users from known threats and therefore cannot protect users from new malware created every day. Comodo’s Default Deny Protection, however, uses a combination of firewall, antivirus, host intrusion prevention, automatic sandboxing and behavior analysis to create an impenetrable shield that identifies safe, unsafe and questionable files and thereby decreases the chances a new virus can cause harm. And unlike any other security company, Comodo guarantees customers with up to $500 warranty for repair costs by an authorized Comodo representative should a PC become infected while under its protection.
Industry analysts estimate upwards of 70 percent of websites are infected with malicious code and close to 90 percent of unwanted emails contain spam or malware. Couple the rate at which dangerous code is introduced, with the proliferation of social networking, and computer users are at an increased risk of infection and damage while working online at home or at work. In fact, according to the Ponemon Institute, businesses experience at least one malware attack every day.1
“The rate at which new malware is coming on the market is staggering,” said Melih Abdulhayoglu, Comodo’s CEO and chief security architect. “Only Comodo, through its unmatched ability to prevent viruses and other malware infections, can offer consumers and businesses alike a guaranteed product, but it’s time for the rest of the industry to put its money where its mouth is.”
New features in CIS 2012 include:
- Seamless integration of Comodo Internet Security (CIS) with Comodo Advanced Endpoint Protection 2.0 Business Edition for a complete security solution
- Enhanced Defense+ protection mode in 64 bit operating systems to better address the proliferation of viruses and malware
- Significantly reduced memory consumption so computing resources are not compromised by the security software
- Improved antivirus engine with a significantly reduced signature database size to improve performance
- Simplified installation to improve service levels and reduce workloads for IT departments
- New, personalized configuration options for popup and antivirus alerts
- Streamlined user interface themes that allow computer users to quickly assess the status of their security solutions
- Firewall compatibility with Bluetooth Personal Area Network (PAN) adapters
- Improved scanning of files residing on bad disk sectors
1 “Global Survey on Social Media Risks“, released October 6, 2011, conducted by the Ponemon Institute© and sponsored by Websense, Inc.® (NASDAQ: WBSN)
Comodo® is a leading Internet security company. With U.S. Headquarters in New Jersey and global resources in UK, China, India, Ukraine, and Romania, Comodo provides businesses and consumers worldwide with security services, including digital certificates, PCI scanning, desktop security, and remote PC support. Securing online transactions for more than 200,000 businesses, and with more than 35 million desktop security software installations, including an award-winning firewall and antivirus software, Comodo is Creating Trust Online®. To learn more, visit Comodo’s website.
For more information, reporters and analysts may contact:
Comodo Security Solutions, Inc.
1255 Broad Street
Office: +1 (888) 266-6361


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The Tesla Model S P85D did so well on the Consumer Reports testing rubric that it broke the organization's rating system on its way to earning the highest score of all time. The model stood out thanks to its near-instant acceleration (0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds in silence), an excellent 87 mpg equivalent, and a blend of "practicality and luxury." But after collecting new information calling the Tesla's reliability into question, Consumer Reports has pulled its recommendation.
Tallying up 1,400 surveys from people who have owned a Tesla Model S from the last three model years, Consumer Reports found problems with charging, sunroof leaks, door handle malfunctions, and drivetrain issues that required "full-blown replacements of the car's electric motors." In a video released on Tuesday , Consumer Reports director of auto testing Jake Fisher said:
Though Consumer Reports rescinded Tesla's admission from its prestigious "recommended" categorization, Fisher lauded the company for having very responsive customer service, which was good enough so that 97% of Tesla owners surveyed said they'd buy again.
However, that silver lining was not enough for investors, as Tesla's stock dropped 9% after the news broke.


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It was only a matter of time before big brands made their way into the $6.2 billion EDM community.
A few years back Pepsi wrote about “The Best EDM Blogs Right Now” (which just so happened to list EDM Sauce), while 7-Up has been using electronic dance music to lift spirits and sales. Last week T-Mobile embraced EDM by announcing a new video series with Above & Beyond and now Volvo Cars has decided to partner up with Avicii to embark on ‘A New Beginning.'
Volvo Cars and Swedish artist and producer Avicii announce a creative cooperation to celebrate their Swedish roots with a new recording and music video, due for a global release on May 8.
“The Volvo Cars brand is on the ascendant, just as Avicii is, with a growing global audience,” said Alain Visser, Senior Vice President Sales at Volvo Car Group. “We thought there would be no better way to celebrate our heritage and passion for life than to work together to produce something special that reflects who we are and what matters to us.”
Avicii plans to release a rework of Nina Simone's “Feeling Good.” Avicii has added new vocals, beats and a catchy new melody. “I've loved the song for a long time. It's one of the best songs ever written. It's just timeless to me,” said Avicii. “I've been a big fan of Nina Simone, Etta James and that kind of sound for a very long time. So when I found out that was the song that Volvo Cars wanted in the Music Video I was really excited and happy to do something with it. I wanted to create something new, and at the same time stay true to the original.”


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A shopper was left astounded by the outrageous cost of a single watermelon, but the store claims there is a good reason for the exorbitant price tag.
An Auckland shopper has been left gobsmacked after she spotted her local supermarket selling watermelons for as much as $100 each.
The supermarket chain, Farro, says the steep price tag was because watermelon is out of season and the fruit needed to be shipped in from Australia, the New Zealand Herald reports.
Auckland’s Megan Robinson took to Twitter about the high price after making the find late last week.
“Was thinking about fruit salad, but changed my mind now that watermelons have broken the $100 mark.”
She shared a photo of a melon with a Farro supermarket sticker showing a $102.25 price tag, saying that particular bit of fruit was “huge” and weighed 10kg.
The watermelons cost $10 per kg, she wrote. Another melon next to it is showing off a $69.98 price ticket.
Farro said it strived to offer high-quality and fresh produce and where possible to source these from local suppliers.
“In some instances where we cannot source produce locally due to climate or seasonality, we will selectively import products to provide our customers with specialty items,” a spokeswoman told the Herald.
“The seedless watermelon in this instance was sourced from Australia as there is no watermelon available in NZ, hence it was subject to the high supply chain costs being currently experienced. Both costs and produce quality can be significantly dependent on whether the produce is shipped via sea or air,” she said.
Robinson’s tweet was met with shock by other members of the public who were in disbelief at the cost of a single watermelon.
One person wrote: “Who the hell would even think of paying that for a watermelon? Yikes!”
Other like special water or what a $10 melon would taste if there was something about it.
“Are they full of gold coins?” Another person simply wrote: “Gasp.”
Consumer NZ’s Gemma Rasmussen encourages shoppers to check out a competitor’s pricing if they were unsure about what they should be being charged for a product or service.
“$100 seems like a lot to pay for a watermelon, but given they are out of season, and shipping costs have been on the rise, the cost could be justified. Ultimately it’s up to consumers to set the limit for what they’re willing to pay for an item,” Rasmussen told the Herald.
According to NZ’s Food Price Index Stats, groceries cost 6.4 per cent more this April than they did a year earlier and were up 0.6 per cent on March prices. Cheddar cheese, milk and eggs were big contributors to the increase but fruit and vegetables as a category also jumped a whopping 9.4 per cent.
Fruit and veges were down 3.1 per cent from March 2022, mainly due to falls in the price of broccoli, lettuce and kiwifruit.
Poultry, meat and fish had also climbed 8.4 percent compared to April 2021.
This article originally appeared on the NZ Herald and has been republished with permission.
Originally published as Shopper shocked by $100 price tag on single watermelon


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OCT 29, 2018 | US
BSA Calls Out Digital Trade Barriers for National Trade Estimate
WASHINGTON – October 30, 2018 – BSA | The Software Alliance urged policymakers to be vigilant against the creation of barriers and disguised restrictions to digital trade in comments submitted to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for the National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report. BSA flagged Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam as trading partners that maintain significant barriers to US exports of digital goods and services, US e-commerce, and US foreign direct investment abroad. These barriers include restrictions on cross-border data transfers, data localization requirements, and forced technology transfer mechanisms. Such digital protectionism hampers the ability of the digital economy to reach its full potential, and requires a robust response from the US government, using all available tools of digital trade policy.
Software is a major driver of the US economy, contributing $1 trillion to the US GDP and supporting more than 10 million American jobs – and this economic prosperity has significant growth potential. However, achieving that potential depends upon open digital trade policies. BSA encourages USTR to prioritize not only the enforcement of existing digital trade obligations undertaken by other trading partners, but also the negotiation of ambitious digital trade disciplines with like-minded countries like Japan and the United Kingdom.
BSA |“软件联盟”(www.bsa.org) 是全球软件行业的主要倡导者，旨在代表该行业，向政府和国际市场发声。其成员包括全球最具创新力的公司，这些公司制定的软件解决方案，不但能够刺激经济，还能提升现代生活的品质。
BSA 的总部位于华盛顿特区，其营运机构遍布 30 多个国家。BSA 凭借这些机构，率先涉足合规项目，以期促进使用合法软件、倡导制定公共政策，并以此培养技术创新能力，以及推动发展数字经济。


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Twitter, Meta and TikTok are three of the biggest social media giants in the world. But they are also three of the brands with the worst reputation in the US, according to the relative ranking of the 2023 Axios Harris Poll 100, published recently.
The survey, carried out with the participation of more than 16,000 Americans, asked respondents to rate the 100 companies they considered most famous across nine reputation categories.
Meta and Twitter scored poorly in the 'culture' and 'ethics' categories. Both companies have recently sparked controversy by firing thousands of workers via email. For Twitter in particular, it was just one episode in a drama that has erupted since its takeover by Elon Musk, with Fidelity now estimating the company is worth a third of the $44 billion the entrepreneur paid to acquire it. acquire, in October 2022.
TikTok performed poorly on the criterion related to “citizenship” and “character”, as concerns over the potential influence of the Chinese government on the platform intensify.
The seven worst brands in the USA, according to the research are the following:
– The Trump Organization
– Fox Corporation
– Spirit Airlines
Americans have given the former US president's Trump Organization the worst reputation, as it is the only business on the list with a “very poor” overall rating, the lowest possible. The company fared particularly poorly in the categories of “character,” “trust,” and “ethics.”
The now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX has the second-worst reputation among Americans, after it collapsed in November 2022 .
Fox Corporation joined the list ahead of the $785 million settlement of the Dominion Voting Systems defamation suit.
BP and Bitcoin are just outside the top seven, but they had “bad” ratings. BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico earned it the title of 'America's Worst Company' in 2011. Twelve years on, the British energy giant has yet to win public trust, scoring particularly low in 'citizenship' and 'ethics' categories.
Other well-known companies on the list are fashion firms Balenciaga and Shein, which came in at number 10 and 16, respectively.


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PS3 Motion Controller Is Named "Arc?"
We know Sony's new motion sensing technology is set to release this year, but we still have no idea what it's called.
Saying "Sony's motion sensing technology" over and over again is just plain tedious and my keyboard hates it. Therefore, we've been wondering when Sony might lift the veil on the name, which everyone has guessed at ever since last year's E3 when the nifty system went on display. But according to VG247, they have it on "good authority" that the PS3 motion controller will be named, "Arc." At one time, it was once called "Gem" (which makes almost no sense whatsoever), but that was only an internal code name. This controller features two wand-like, Wii-like pieces, each of which is topped with a tracking device in the shape of a ball...it's why people have been calling it the "ice cream cone controller." It's fully compatible with the PlayStation Eye and its potential and capability may be unrivaled; we're not the biggest fans of motion sensing, but this could be very special. And if it really is called "Arc," that'll help a great deal in the future when we go to write articles like this. Three letters in a title? That's a space saver!
Anyway, "Arc" should be released this year, and we're just guessing at a late-Spring or early-Summer launch. Not surprisingly, SCEE says they "don't comment on rumor and speculation."
1/19/2010 10:34:59 AM Ben Dutka


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Spotify used Twitter to announce its milestone of 50-million subscribers, and to thank its customers. By any standard, Spotify’s subscriber growth has been impressive. The company noted 40-million paying users in September, and 30-million less than a year ago. Only a few years ago, observers scoffed when Founder/CEO Daniel Ek imagined scaling his celestial jukebox vision to 100-million users.
As the global leader in on-demand music service, Spotify can better counter persistent (but fading) complaints about payment to artists, and bolster its argument for an IPO. With subscriptions retailing between $5 and $10 a month, and with Spotify sending about 70% of revenue to record labels, the company sends between $175M and $350M to recording artists each month. An analysis this week by MIDiA Research found that global record label revenue increased by $1-billion in 2016, the largest increase in 15 years. Streaming revenue grew to $5.4-billion, a 49% increase.
That doesn’t mean the company’s relationship with record labels is swimming. the two sides have been treading water with monthly contract renewals, according to Bloomberg. “Spotify hasn’t had long-term deals with any of the three major labels for months, and recent talks have reached a standstill, according to people familiar with the discussions who asked not to be identified discussing private business matters” — that according to Bloomberg.


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Simon Field, Field CTO of Snowflake delves into how data sharing will help improve the efficiency of the agriculture industry.
The agricultural industry is set to enter a new era of efficiency thanks to the potential of technology innovation such as cloud and the Internet of Things (IoT). With almost every process within agricultural production now producing data, there is true potential to help farmers step into the future of farming and transform their livelihoods in tackling global problems.
Challenges that agricultural organisations face include a rising global population, and increased pressures on shortages of land, water and energy. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation predicts that the world’s population will reach 8 billion people by 2025 and 9.6 billion by 2050. There will need to be an increase in food production of up to 70% by 2050 to keep pace with this growing demand.
The requirement for increased production mixed with resource limitations means agriculture needs to operate as efficiently as possible to meet increased demand. These pressures make it vital for agricultural farmers to have reliable information at any given time on which they can base their decisions. Thankfully, data-enriched technologies are helping meet this demand, fuelling a digitally optimised industry.
Intelligent-based decision making
Farmers now have the opportunity to develop a data-orientated farming sector thanks to the sheer volume of data that is being generated at any given moment. However, this collection of data must be matched with accurate gathering and analysis to better understand what is taking place on a farm. With the advent of real-time data which can provide up-to-the-minute updates occurring in the agriculture sector, it’s now become more important than ever for farmers to reap the benefits of technology.
Across the agricultural production journey, there are thousands of touch points which are ripe for data acquisition and interpretation. From the planting and seeding of crops, to harvesting and distribution, data is generated at every step. Successful agricultural organisations can harness and implement the huge amounts of intelligence available, in the same way as other industries do. In clothing production for example, it is commonplace to utilise data on consumer spend, availability of materials and distribution capabilities. Retailers can then foster an open dialogue through secure data sharing with external partners such as the supply chain, and be more informed in helping the retailer improve processes and provide better experiences for its customers.
READ MORE: How can technology fight forest fires?
The replication of this model by agriculture organisations would establish a more interconnected industry, enhancing both productivity and efficiency. By using the multiple sources of data created in the production process it becomes possible to analyse data at a granular level – to the extent that we can optimise every litre of water and grain of wheat. This can factor in weather, potential yield, PH values, crop cycles and combined with a host of quantifiable shared data via the wider business ecosystem can provide further intel on agriculture processes.
Through the power of cloud computing we can use scalable distributed systems to deal with large amounts of data and make it available on a global level in the most efficient manner. By capitalising on cloud infrastructures, farmers and those within the agriculture sector will significantly enhance their use of data at a scale not previously possible.
Connecting production with consumer demand
Modern data sharing enables fast, cost-effective, and secure collaboration inside and outside an organisation by providing data consumers with real-time access to data. Agricultural organisations run in ecosystems of production and consumption which work independently but constantly interact with one another, and so the sharing of information systems is essential and can be optimised through cloud data sharing.
Through this, the sharing of data in the agricultural context will become more informed and complex, to the extent we see farms in India planting more jackfruit based on Western demand for vegan superfoods, sustainable crop legislation and consumer desire for vegetarian alternatives.
With a unified and concerted goal towards tackling global climate issues in the agricultural industry, it only strengthens the desire for a more open and shared data ecosystem. The data collected will enable farmers to benchmark their own performance against others, to drive improvements and define best practice across the industry.
The effects of climate change are already becoming apparent for farmers. The European Environment Agency finds that warmer air temperatures have affected the length of the growing seasons and changes in temperatures can affect the proliferation and spreading of some species, such as insects or diseases. All of these changes carry the possibility of affecting crop yields, heightening the importance of data sharing communications.
This interconnectivity will only be boosted thanks to rising awareness of the benefits of moving towards automated and intelligent-based decision making and management. An important factor for this development is the availability of cloud infrastructures on which artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models can be built on.
Agricultural technology company, Indigo AG, is exemplifying this by using AI and ML to seed treatments that optimise the health of a plant, in order to increase its yield. The aim of this is to use natural microbiology and tech to improve sustainability, profits for growers and consumer health.
This data, which is powered by its cloud data warehouse, is then fed into Indigo Marketplace, which acts as a farming equivalent to eBay or Amazon. It connects growers with buyers who want the ingredients they purchase available to order to exact specification. This reduces inconsistency and helps farmers to have greater ability to anticipate both yield and price, all thanks to data sharing models.
To continue to meet the demand from rising populations and climate change, the agriculture industry needs to work in unison, rather than in siloes. Technology, largely powered by the cloud, is fast becoming the central cog to enable this transformation, but people will need to become more aware of its benefits in transforming the sector.
Informed decision making thanks to a data sharing system where communication both internally and externally becomes seamless will transform agriculture into an interconnected and future-driven system.


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AdvantEdge is an early-stage venture capital fund that was founded in 2015 by Kunal Khattar and Ridhish Talwar. With a portfolio that includes Rapido, Chalo, Zingbus, Sheru, Park+, Grip Invest, Nakad, Shuttl, among others, it is now doubling down on the e-mobility space with its new fund.
After investing nearly $50 million across 30 deals via its first and second fund, Rapido Bike Taxi-backer AdvantEdge is launching a third fund to invest $80 million to $100 million in mobility solutions companies, its founding partner, Kunal Khattar, told YourStory in an exclusive interview.
The investment company focused on early-stage ventures, said it will allocate capital from Fund III equally across three distinct types of deals:
- First cheques, where it plans to put in one-third of the $100 million in seed stage deals, with a cheque size of $0.5 million to $1.5 million
- Fund II winners that AdvantEdge thinks are good, long-term bets
- Early-stage deals in companies that performed better after the first cheque round
Khattar says that while it is finalising its third fund and holding discussions with various limited partners, including existing ones, it will continue to actively invest from its second fund.
With Fund III, the focus will be on the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, particularly companies with an infrastructure play that make EVs affordable, either via shared mobility, electrification of public transportation, or making ownership of private vehicles economical.
"The idea is to make the EV ecosystem affordable, even at scale. Via Fund III, we will invest in companies that will enhance the accessibility of EVs and promote greater stability in the overall supply chains of the ecosystem," Khattar says.
More specifically, Fund III will target companies that lease out EVs to other companies--like Zypp, which leases e-scooters to delivery companies such as Zomato, Swiggy—, battery recycling startups, and EV financing companies that offer bespoke loans, financing, and insurance products for the sector.


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DuPont Co. has agreed to pay Monsanto Co. at least $1.75-billion (U.S.) to settle the rivals’ bitter legal battles over rights to technology for genetically modified seeds while forging a new collaboration, the companies said on Tuesday.
The deal tosses out a $1-billion jury verdict DuPont was ordered to pay Monsanto in August for infringing its patents. Instead, the companies agreed that DuPont would make royalty payments of at least $1.75-billion over several years in exchange for broad access to develop products using Monsanto’s leading genetic technology.
Monsanto shares rose nearly 4 per cent on the news, while DuPont shares fell nearly 1 per cent.
Still, DuPont officials said the agreement was a win for shareholders and sets up its Pioneer agricultural seed unit for future growth.
“This is a smart deal for DuPont,” Paul Schickler, president of DuPont Pioneer, said in an interview. “We’ve got access to two additional technologies that we can now combine with our existing technologies as well as the technologies that are in our pipeline.”
DuPont Pioneer will have broad rights to key new technology that include stacking of traits, Mr. Schickler said.
Monsanto, which generates revenues both through seed sales and licensing of its genetic seed technology to other companies, said the deal should bring in far more than the minimum $1.75-billion as DuPont pushes the company’s technology through its broad customer base.
“We would expect them to move past those minimums pretty swiftly and significantly. They were and are the largest soybean company in the world, the United States for sure,” said Scott Partridge, vice-president, strategy, for Monsanto. “We are pleased to have them again as a customer for our newest technology.”
Under the agreement, which Mr. Schickler said came together over the last week, DuPont is to make four annual fixed royalty payments totalling $802-million to Monsanto from 2014 to 2017.
Beginning in 2018, DuPont will also pay royalties on a per-unit basis for Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybean technology and Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Xtend for the life of the agreement in exchange for continued technology access. Annual minimum payments through 2023 will total $950-million.
DuPont can start testing Monsanto’s material in the field this year and will be able to sell Roundup Ready 2 Yield in 2014. And if regulatory approvals are in place, DuPont will be able to start selling the Xtend product in 2015, according to Mr. Schickler.
Pioneer will integrate the technology into its own seed germplasm over time, he said.
BGC Partners analyst Mark Gulley said the deal appears to be a win for both companies, notably for DuPont who has converted its legal liability for the $1-billion jury award into royalty payments that provide access to important new technology.
“Monsanto gets a nice royalty stream and DuPont gets to remove this cloud over the stock in terms of a contingent liability,” he said.
Access to Xtend is key as it is seen as part of a next wave of herbicide-resistant crop technology aimed at dealing with a wave of herbicide-resistant weeds spreading across U.S. farmland.
The settlement comes after a jury in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis last year agreed with Monsanto that DuPont and Pioneer violated a licensing agreement for use of the Roundup Ready trait by trying to stack several traits together.
DuPont was pursuing a separate case against Monsanto, alleging anti-competitive behaviour, and a hearing in that matter was set for this autumn. But under the settlement, each side is dropping its claims against the other.
Both DuPont and Monsanto hold strong positions in the U.S. seed industry. They and other competitors have been racing to develop improved crops through genetic modifications and other means.
Pioneer, which generated sales of $7.3-billion in 2012, has been gaining market share in North American soybean and corn markets, and its brands have been popular with farmers.
Monsanto, which had $13.5-billion in sales last year, is seen as the market leader in developing genetically altered crop technology and is the world’s largest seed company.
Monsanto introduced its Roundup Ready soybean technology in 1996. Roundup Ready crops can tolerate sprayings of Roundup, or glyphosate-based, herbicide. And the technology has become a foundation for many key crops, including corn, alfalfa, cotton, canola and sugar beets.
The two have been notorious for their battles, both in the marketplace and in the courtroom, but Monsanto’s Mr. Partridge said on Tuesday that the companies had agreed to try to improve relations going forward.
“We do not want to have fights in the court house,” he said. “We need to compete vigorously with our product offerings and let farmers choose.”Report Typo/Error


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Applied Graphene Materials (AGM) recently reported a wider annual loss as costs increased and revenue development was slower than expected.
AGM booked a loss before tax of £4.8 million for the 12 months ended 31 July, compared with £4.5 million of loss during the year before, as its cost of sales leapt by 89% to £0.5m.
Turnover fell by 35% to £50,000 as revenue development continues to be slower than expected, which the AIM traded company pinned on lengthy testing processes and the complexity of effectively transferring graphene's properties.
Applied Graphene Materials said it would focus on converting its pipeline of approximately 100 active engagements into meaningful revenues and added that product launches by partners such as Alltimes Coatings and James Briggs were on schedule.
The company added that it had also made progress on a large number of collaborations with customers under non-disclosure agreements.
Chief executive Adrian Potts said: "The board is encouraged by momentum in our commercial pipeline. We are seeing positive traction with the launches of graphene-enhanced products by customers in all three of our operating sectors. We look forward to the emerging graphene market developing further and to delivering on the technical promise with our products."


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MAZDA'S sleek MX-5 RF coupe has scooped one of Europe's top design awards by being awarded the Red Dot: Best of the Best award for 2017.
The lithe two-seater with its three section retractable hard top came top of the pile out of more than 5,500 entries in this year's awards held at Essen in Germany.
Receiving the Red Dot award, Mazda Europe's design director Kevin Rice, said: "This is very gratifying for all of us at Mazda after the enormous effort that went into the RF.
"The current MX-5 generation was an exercise in innovation on both a design and a technological level to uphold more than a quarter century of rich driver-and-car-as one tradition.
"The RF takes this a step further, deepening the ownership experience with the fastback styling and flexibility of a highly unique retractable roof. The result is an undeniably elegant rendition of in an MX-5 for all seasons and situations."
The MX-5 RF, launched last year, features a three-piece power retractable hardtop whose 13-second opening or closing sequence is a spectacle in itself. As such itt combines all-weather coupé practicality with the wind-in-the-hair thrill of the more conventional MX-5 roadster.
The RF, which is priced from £22,105 to £29,125, is available with either a 1.5 or 2.0-litre SKYACTIV petrol engine and is capable of 0 to 60 in 7.4 seconds with a top speed of 134mph.
Mazda has now won six Red Dot prizes for its KODO design-based models.
The Mazda CX-3 and Mazda2 collected awards in 2015 alongside the soft-top MX-5 after the Mazda3 and Mazda6 took home accolades in 2014 and 2013.
Criteria for the Red Dot competition include innovation, functionality, ergonomics, symbolic and emotional content, self-explanatory quality and ecological compatibility.
Award-winning products, chosen this year in 47 categories including cars and motorcycles, will be on display at the Red Dot Design Museum Essen for the next five weeks.
The Red Dot honours were initiated in 1955 by the Essen-based Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen.


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Early next year the last of the Milan based designers and engineers would be relocated to Turin where Fiat believe they will save money and increase efficiency.At least 20 years ago Alfa employed around 20,000 people in the city of Milan, Fiat purchased the company in 1986 and has slowly moved the manufacturer from its birthplace. Production stopped in the Milan area in 2000.
The decision to change the name was made on Friday 27th November and Fiat were planning to release the name and pictures on Monday 30th November. It was well known that the car was going to be named Milano and late on Friday Fiat postponed the release due to organisation matters.
If the car is named Giulietta it will be the third time Alfa will have used this name. The first Giulietta was a sedan and coupe and was built between 1954 and 1965. The second generation was a sedan only and was built between 1977 and 1985.


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GST, or Goods and Services Tax, was implemented back in 2017 under the ‘One Nation One Tax’ agenda of the Indian government. This tax brings under its ambit all goods and services, replacing multiple indirect taxes. The uniformity offered by this indirect taxation system also extends to the nation’s gold market.
Presently, GST on gold is levied at a rate of 3% in India. As most of this precious metal is imported in the country, gold traders have to pay this tax on the sale of gold over and above applicable import duty.
However, as suggested by experts, the overall impact of this taxation at 3% GST rates in India is expected to force traders to move to the organised sector. As a result, the Indian economy, as well as gold buyers, can benefit from this change.
Before moving on to the impact of GST on gold import market, have a look at the overall impact of this tax on gold traders.
Taxation on gold – The old and new
In the older tax regime before the implementation of GST on gold, taxes levied on sale and purchase of this precious metal as well as on making charges of gold jewellery were as follows.
VAT @ 1%
Service tax @ 2%
A small percentage, along with leniency in regulations, allowed the unorganised gold market to flourish. However, these were among the taxes that GST replaced and proved beneficial.
Contrastingly, implementation of GST at 3% has not only increased tax burden on gold but also mandates the submission of documents required for GST registration. Gold traders are thus required to generate GSTIN after registration and making GST payment in time.
An increase in GST also increased the price of gold by up to 0.75%, which is also one of the ways GST affects gold jewellery.
As import duty on gold increased to 10% from 6%, purchase volume of this precious metal dropped in the organised market. However, GST on gold brought back this balance and traders were moved to operate in the regulated market due to compliance issues.
Notwithstanding, import of gold in India from countries like South Korea increased again due to relaxed regulations of the Free Trade Agreement. As per media reports, traders sought to import up to 25 tonnes of gold from South Korea alone after GST implementation. Experts also suggest this rise as one of the advantages of GST.
The tax implementation has affected the gold import market differently for organised and unorganised sectors. Have a look at the two.
Impact on the organised sector
As only 30% of the total market for gold is organised, it is easier to regulate this segment for GST adherence. Traders in the industry can easily complete the procedure of how to file GST return, ensuring the taxation requirements are met.
Impact on the unorganised sector
Out of total gold import of about 900 tonnes in India, almost 30% is smuggled, thus allowing its unorganised sector to flourish. GST implementation with a mandatory input tax credit is, however, pushing down trade in its unorganised sector, pressuring businesses to come in the organised sector.
Increased taxation also bears a risk of gold being smuggled in India in higher volume, which is a concern and expected to be the latest impact of GST.
While these were the influences, knowing what is GST for gold and complying with taxation requirements is in the best interest for both gold traders and the country’s economy.


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INDONESIA: Garment makers to be hit by planned power hike
Indonesia saw electricity prices rise four times last year
A planned increase in electricity tariffs in Indonesia has sparked concern in the garment industry that it will raise production costs, which may affect the industry's competitiveness in export markets.
Asep Setiaharja, vice secretary general of the Indonesian Textile Association (API), said that the upstream end of the garment production chain will bear the biggest brunt of rising electricity costs.
"The increase of electricity tariffs mostly hits upstream industries such as man-made fibre manufacturers and spinners who are more energy intensive than their colleagues of fabric and garment manufacturers," he told just-style.
The government plans to raise electricity prices by 38.9% for industries that use medium-voltage power, including garment and footwear manufacturers, and by 64.7% for industries that use high-voltage power. The plan is slated to go into effect on 1 May.
The API has sent a protest letter to the ministers of energy, industry and finance, according to Asep. Several other industries have also publicly protested the tariff.
Indonesia saw electricity prices rise four times last year, and the minimum wage was increased by an average of 18% last year across various Indonesian provinces following worker protests.
Asep said higher production costs would also filter through to the clothing sector. "Through a multiplier effect it may also cause a little interference to the downstream industries since there will be higher prices of domestic textile fibres and yarns."
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- More licensing and less M&A for Global Brands
- Better Work programme poised to expand
- China minimum wage rises will be tough to handle
- Cambodia garment industry hit with fresh strikes
- Cambodia mass faintings rise to 896 in first-half
- Ralph Lauren unveils high-performance Polo shirt
- Cambodia garment makers condemn strike protests
- Global Database of the Top 1000 Apparel Producers - Company Names, Financial Performance, Key Executives, and Contact Details
- Global market review of denim and jeanswear – forecasts to 2020
- Prospects for the Textile and Clothing Industry in Turkey
- Global Database of the Top 1000 Apparel Knitting Mills - Company Names, Financial Performance, Key Executives, and Contact Details
- China - ISA Country Report


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Uber Inc., an app for booking taxi cabs, will be offering free rides in Israel from trained volunteers on Friday and Saturday. Why? To push its campaign to hook up non-professional drivers with paying customers, The Washington Post reports.
- New Yorkers Can Catch a Cab With Israeli App
- Murderer of Taxi Driver Derek Roth Arrested in Argentina
- Uber Banned in Indian Capital
“We’ve decided to offer this one-time service for 48 hours so that the public could try peer-to-peer transportation, feel the experience and make up its own mind with regard to the issue at hand,” said Uber Israel manager Yoni Greifman.
In response to Uber's lobbying campaign, two Knesset members on Monday introduced a proposal enabling paid peer-to-peer rides. But the bill has an uphill battle ahead; Israel's tens of thousands of licensed taxi drivers oppose opening the market to amateur drivers.
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz told a taxi drivers' convention in June, “We expect all parties operating in Israel to adhere to the country’s laws," adding that he would not lend his hand to damaging the already-struggling Israeli taxi industry.


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Wyeth Nutrition has become the first marketer in Hong Kong to adopt Predictive Audience technology, leveraging machine learning and probability equations to optimise its programmatic ad investments in partnership with Verizon Media Ad Platforms and OMD Hong Kong. Its use for the latest programmatic campaign by Wyeth Materna decreased the brand's CPA by 90%.
While conventional programmatic focuses on optimising existing segments, Predictive Audience focuses on finding new prospects from fresh and varied angles. To demonstrate its effectiveness, OMD's programmatic team put the new technology to the test for its client, Wyeth Materna, by applying the same pre-defined audience settings in the same campaign period, under three different buying models:
Predictive Audience improved the campaign's performance for all the three buying models compared with its past campaigns, producing significantly more acquisitions for Wyeth Materna.
By building analytic models that examine one million attributes, the Predictive Audience technology devises predictors that can accurately locate potential buyers - thereby effectively mapping, targeting and converting the right audiences in 1 billion users of Verizon Media (Previously known as Yahoo/Oath. A subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc, NYSE: VZ). This is facilitated by the DSP Machine Learning Engine, which locates, correlates and ranks data points leading to conversion. Scores are then given to individual users, based on these "predictive factors" to allocate investment. The campaign learning is then accumulated by the AdLearn algorithm to benefit all future campaigns that deploy Predictive Audience.
Commenting on the campaign, May Chung, Business Executive Officer of Wyeth Nutrition said, "Wyeth Materna has a strong foundation in Hong Kong, trusted by many HK Moms. However, considering the ever-increasing competition, we have to go beyond conventional media tactics to recruit new users. As a firm believer of programmatic, we understand the power of the technology, but at the same time we are constantly questing for more effective ways of buying. We are delighted to be Hong Kong's first marketer to adopt Predictive Audience of Verizon Media Ad Platforms and are deeply impressed by the business results we have achieved with more acquisitions. I look forward to leveraging this technology further to benefit all of Wyeth Nutrition's brands."
Gary Wong, Managing Director of OMD Hong Kong, added: "Programmatic is still a vast discipline, with lots of potential that is yet to be discovered. With the help of Predictive Audience, we have been able to take programmatic beyond precision targeting to even better prospecting for Wyeth Nutrition. I believe this campaign will serve as an inspiration for other marketers to revisit the capability of programmatic and what it can do for their campaigns. Verizon Media has been a key partner for us, with their tireless pursuit to create new solutions for our clients. We look forward to collaborating with them further and creating more programmatic best practices."


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01, 2019 02:08PM / By Michael J. de la Merced of The
New York Times / Header Image
Credit: The New York Times
The London Stock Exchange Group agreed on Thursday to buy Refinitiv, the financial information service, for about $27 billion as it seeks to enter the lucrative business of market data and compete with giants like Bloomberg L.P.
It is a sign of how stock markets — even the centuries-old London exchange, one of the oldest in the world — must venture beyond company listings to grow profits. Financial data, the lifeblood of the trading industry, has emerged as a big avenue for such growth.
By buying Refinitiv, a former arm of Thomson Reuters that is now controlled by the investment giant Blackstone and others, the London exchange would be able to sell market information around the world. The British company hopes that the deal will make it a key cog of the plumbing that underpins the financial industry.
“With the acquisition of Refinitiv, we will transform our position as a leading global financial markets infrastructure group,” David Schwimmer, the chief executive of the London Stock Exchange Group, said in a statement.
Related News5. LSEG Launches Second Edition Of Companies To Inspire Africa Report In Lagos


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Calls for extension of farmer repayments moratorium
There have been calls for banks to extend the moratorium on farmers’ repayments into the traditional “settling up” period in the autumn.
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) has said that the current end date for the hold on repayments of June 30 will have to be extended to cater for the ongoing impact of Covid-19.
Shane O’Loughlin, the association’s farm business chairperson, noted that the measure had reduced the financial pressure on farmers who saw significant falls in their incomes due to the pandemic.
“By then, under the current arrangements, it will be too late to apply for this moratorium and many farmers may find themselves under financial pressure with no moratorium available,” O’Loughlin highlighted.
“Milk and beef prices have fallen due to the pandemic and though the full effects of the fall in milk price may not be fully felt until after current peak production, there is no doubt whatsoever that the fall in milk price would severely impact dairy farmer incomes,” the ICMSA farm business chairperson argued.
He noted that this is particularly true “in a context where up to 50% of annual income is earned in the four peak production months of March through June”.
The full extent of the hit may not be apparent until autumn, while sellers of cattle continue to suffer from low prices.
“Given this reality, we are calling on the pillar banks, along with their representative body, Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), to accommodate and protect their farming customer base and extend the June 30 deadline,” O’Loughlin said.
He concluded: “Farming is a year-round occupation with a seasonal payment schedule and it is essential that farmers are not disadvantaged due to their payment schedules.”


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This is the second software update that the Nord CE has received in the month of July. Earlier this month, the phone was updated to Oxygen OS 220.127.116.11.
A OnePlus user posted about the latest update on the OnePlus community forum page. As always, the new firmware will have an incremental rollout. It will be available for a few users initially and will reach out to all users in the coming days. Those interested can check the update by heading to Settings > System > System updates on their OnePlus Nord CE.
Here’s the complete changelog
- Optimised overheating control management
- Improved the stability and fixed known issues
- Improved the image clarity and stability
- Improved the white balance consistency for better imaging uniformity
- Improved the image quality of Nightscape
OnePlus Nord CE was launched in June this year in India. The handset brings all ‘essential features’ of OnePlus Nord at an affordable price. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor and offers up to 12GB LPDDR4X RAM. The smartphone features a 6.43-inch AMOLED punch-hole display with a selfie camera on the top left corner. The display has 90Hz refresh rate and an aspect ratio of 20:9.


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ISLAMABAD, April 19: Pakistan’s export of textile and clothing rebounded in March 2013 as it witnessed a growth of over 13 per cent from a year ago.
The export proceeds from these sectors fell by over 4pc in February 2013 from a year ago after successive growth in the past five months.
Export of textile and clothing surged to $1.167 billion in March 2013 from $1.030bn during the corresponding month of last year, showed data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics here on Friday.
Textile and clothing products, which witnessed a negative growth are raw cotton, and cotton carded in March 2013 over the same month last year.
However, growth in exports in the month of March was mainly driven by knitwear, bed-wear, towels and readymade garments, which are valued-added products.
An official source in the commerce ministry told Dawn that exports witnessed a double digit growth because of increase in export to the European market owing to preferential market access on selected products.
The European Union preferential package on import of 75 items was in operation since December 2012.
“Our exporters have received more orders than in normal circumstances because of preferential duties,” the official added.
Since October 2013, export of textile and clothing rebounded because of a slight rise in demand from recession-hit key markets of Europe and the US, and improvement in domestic production.
As a result, overall exports rose to $18.01bn in July-March 2013 from $17.10bn over the same months last year, showing an increase of 5.36pc.
In the first nine months (July-March) of 2012-13, export of textile and clothing witnessed a growth of 7.09pc this year as it stood at $9.630bn from $8.993bn over the corresponding period of last year.
A sector-wise analysis showed that export of low value-added products, such as cotton yarn, was up by 29.17pc, cotton cloth 11.56pc, made-up articles 6.31pc and other textile material 44.83pc in nine months this year over same months last year.
Export of knitwear increased by 2.94pc, bed-wear 0.09pc, towels 18.11pc, in July-March this year over the same months last year.
Statistics shows that export of raw cotton declined by 65.03pc, and art, silk and synthetic textile by 25.33pc in the first nine months this year over last year.
Industry sources said that consistent supply of gas during the period under review to textile sector produced the desired results. The growth in yarn and fabric exports was mainly because of improved energy supply. The full capacity utilisation of production caused growth in export of home textile — towels and bed-wear as well.
This shows that in case of uninterrupted supply of energy, export of textile products would increase manifold.
Contrary to this, over 16pc increase was also witnessed due to rupee depreciation against the dollar in the past few months.


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The Timken Co. has installed an investment casting operation at its new Mesa, AZ, plant, to supply precision components to the aerospace aftermarket. It occupies 20,000 ft2, or 25%, of the "integrated customer solution center" opened there last October. Production of castings began in December.
"By bringing investment casting capability in-house, we attain better quality, and can participate more closely in the casting design process to optimize efficient manufacturing," states Pete Patriquin, operations manager at Mesa. Timken contends that by producing its own castings — rather than relying on third parties — it cuts production time, and establishes better capabilities to respond to future market growth and new product development.
As of now, Timken's investment-cast products include turbine blades, vanes, nozzles, and turbine-engine hardware.
Timken, a specialty steelmaker and manufacturer of bearings and power transmission devices, now claims to be the sole producer of castings in the aerospace aftermarket. The Mesa facility also offers design capabilities, machining, heat treating, finishing, and testing operations.


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After a whirlwind week in which Radiohead wiped their social media channels and released two new songs—"Burn the Witch" and "Daydreaming"—today the band finally released their long-awaited ninth album, A Moon Shaped Pool. But now that the album is finally here, a new question has arisen: How can we listen to it?
The album is currently available for purchase online here. You can also buy it on iTunes, and it's available to stream via Apple Music. Radiohead's website is also offering pre-orders for a CD version of the album that will ship on June 17 and a special edition vinyl/digital/etc. release that will ship in September.
Beyond *A Moon Shaped Pool'*s release, those looking for a throwback (read: non-streaming and pre-A Moon Shaped Pool) Radiohead experience will soon get their wish, too. XL Recordings, which previously released the band's In Rainbows and The King of Limbs, will be putting out the band's entire back catalog on vinyl on May 20.


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Six illustrators have contributed to a new Guinness brochure designed by Stocks Austin Sice. Aimed at helping the brewer highlight its interest in world-wide community projects as well as its support for new creative talent, the brochure details aspects of community programmes where Guinness has had an input. `We chose to use new illustrators to interpret the community programmes in action not only to enhance the information and photographic imagery, but also to support the Guinness brand personality through its association with using the best in visual arts,’ says Stocks Austin Sice design director Nick Austin. The work pictured is by Mike Sharp.
The new store — conceived by design and architectural practice Gensler — has a gaming lounge, multi-purpose Community Theatre and a McLaren sports car on the ground floor.
From vegan vending machines to zero plastic takeaways, the food industry is finding inventive solutions to its plastic problem.
Cheltenham-based consultancy ArthurSteenHorneAdamson (ASHA) worked with the children’s charity on a new logo, tone of voice and branded products.


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Apple Pay will finally be launched on Monday, announced chief executive Tim Cook. Expectations for the new technology are high and 500 new banks have partnered with Apple since the initial announcement last month.
“It’s easy, it’s secure and yes, it’s a private way to pay for things,” said Cook, reported CNet.
Apple Pay is included with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. American Express, MasterCard and Visa as well as issuing banks are ready for the service to go live and 220,000 U.S. merchant locations will immediately be ready to accept payments, reported CNN Money.
Also endorsing the new payment technology are major retailers such as Walgreens, Macy’s, Staples, Duane Read, Subway, McDonalds and Whole Foods. Disney stores will accept Apple Pay just in time for Christmas shopping, the news source added.
Mobile payments offer consumers a secure and reliable way to manage their purchases. Already many of Apple’s 800 million customers use applications such as iTunes to make purchases – buying music, books and movies. iTunes accounts are linked to user credit cards and Apple Pay simply expands upon this idea by introducing a payment process that involves a secure digital wallet.
Will Apple Pay replace the wallet?
Chief executive Tim Cook commented last month that Apple Pay could eventually replace the physical wallet. Apple Pay works by simply tapping phones to point of sale devices enabled with NFC technology. Additionally, Apple Pay will include a feature called TouchID, which allows users to to press their finger to the screen and finalize purchases in apps. With TouchID, purchasing is made easier because excessive passwords and login credentials are bypassed due to fingerprint authentication. Apple Pay will be integrated into several apps to allow faster and more secure purchases over the coming year, reported CNet.
Vice president of innovation and strategic partnerships at Visa, Jim McCarthy, believes that Apple Pay working with app purchases will be a transformational step for the mobile payment industry. He explained that many possibilities will become clear that previously could not have been imagined. He gave an example of drivers paying for gas at the station without having to get out of the car.
According to Gartner, mobile payments are projected to reach $720 billion in transaction value by 2017. This represents a $235 billion increase from last year. Apple Pay is launched on Monday and Tim Cook has expressed repeatedly that he has high hopes.
“We believe Apple Pay is going to be huge,” Cook said, according to CNN Money. “It’s going to change the way we pay for things.”Back To Blog


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Commuter rail service Metrolink has launched a ticketing portal aimed at improving customer service and convenience, officials announced Wednesday.
The Ticket Web Portal allows riders to purchase and print one-way tickets at home, as well as buy mobile tickets to use through the Metrolink app.
“Metrolink customers want to make their arrangement when it’s convenient for them and adding the online ticketing portal with the print-at-home option satisfies that demand,” Ronnie Campbell, Metrolink interim co-CEO, said in a prepared statement.
Santa Clarita Mayor Pro Tem Marsha McLean, an avid Metrolink customer, said Thursday that although she just recently learned about the new portal, she can see the benefits of printing at home.
“I’ve been talking about this for a while since I’ve used Metro for a long time,” she said on improving convenience. “To be able to buy tickets when you want to and use them when you need to sounds great. I think our local riders will be happy to see this feature.”
Santa Clarita has a ridership average of just more than 400 daily boardings, according to Metrolink spokesman Paul Gonzales. He said most customers are monthly-pass purchasers and high demand to buy tickets increases at the beginning and end of a month, which increases wait times at vending ticket machines.
How it works
The four-step process asks users to select the trip origin and destination, choose a ticket type, enter payment information and, finally, print the ticket or move it to the Metrolink Mobile App Wallet to be scanned onboard by inspectors.
Customers can also purchase one-way tickets online for someone else by sending them the portable document format, or PDF.
Corporate Quickcard riders, however, should continue to use paper tickets from ticket vending machines, according to the Metrolink website.
Purchases of one-way tickets are offered only without transfers to Metro buses or rail and other transit partners. Transfers to other transit systems will require separate tickets.
The online ticketing portal is compatible with most internet browsers including Google Chrome, Safari and Mozilla Firefox.
For more information about Metrolink, visit metrolinktrains.com.


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Apple showcased what’s next for Apple Watches at their online WWDC 2020 event by announcing watchOS 7, but you might be curious about when exactly Apple is going to release the upcoming Apple Watch software update. From handwash detection to tracking dance moves, there’s plenty of reasons to be excited about the upcoming watchOS 7 … Read More
News regarding Apple hardware, software, major product and releases, system software updates, and other newsworthy topics from the Apple ecosystem including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, AirPods, and more.
WatchOS 7 is set to debut in the fall, bringing new features and refinements to the Apple Watch experience. However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that not all Apple Watch models will be compatible with the upcoming version of watchOS 7, since the hardware needs to meet certain requirements to be able to run … Read More
If you’re the kind of person who stays updated on the latest and greatest in tech, you’re probably already aware that Apple announced iPadOS 14 at their all-online WWDC 2020 event. What you may not know is when exactly Apple is going to start rolling out the iPadOS 14 software update to all supported iPad … Read More
MacOS Big Sur is coming in the fall of 2020 with a big visual redesign and a variety of new features. You might be wondering if your Mac is able to run macOS Big Sur, or macOS 11 (or macOS 10.16 according to the beta installer), so with that in mind we’re going to share … Read More
iPadOS 14 is coming to iPad with new features and capabilities. But like most software updates, your iPad needs to meet certain hardware specifications to be able to run the latest iPadOS, and accordingly, not all iPad models will be supported.
iOS 14 has a lot of interesting features like a revised Home Screen with widgets, instant language translation, an easy way to see all apps on an iPhone, and much more. You might now be wondering when exactly you can get your hands on the latest iteration of iOS. Or perhaps, when you can access … Read More
Apple made some very exciting announcements regarding Macs at their all-online WWDC 2020 event. While the planned transition of Macs to Apple Silicon may have stolen the spotlight, the upcoming macOS Big Sur release might be their biggest software update in years. Dubbed as macOS version 11, macOS Big Sur brings a visual overhaul to … Read More
iOS 14 will be available in the fall for compatible iPhone and iPod touch models. Of course, this leads many users to wonder if their iPhone will support iOS 14 when it comes out.
Apple has released the first iPadOS 14 beta for iPad, iPad Pro, iPad mini, and iPad Air. This is a developer beta release, meaning it’s intended only for users who are enrolled in the Apple developer program. A public beta will for iPadOS 14 will arrive in the coming weeks.
Apple has released the first iOS 14 beta for iPhone and iPod touch, the first beta release is for developers only and is available to any user who is enrolled in the Apple developer program.
Apple has released the first beta version of MacOS Big Sur to Mac users who are enrolled in the developer beta access program.
Apple has announced the next major system software release for Mac; MacOS Big Sur. The release is named after Big Sur, a stunning stretch of coast line in Central California south of the San Francisco Bay Area. Versioned as Mac OS 11 (or 10.16, depending), macOS Big Sur includes a visual overhaul and a variety … Read More
Apple has announced iPadOS 14 for iPad, the next generation operating system for iPad Pro, iPad, iPad mini, and iPad Air. iPadOS 14 includes many new iPad specific features, including Scribble handwriting recognition and handwriting-to-text conversion, redesigned Files app and Photos apps, a newly refreshed Search feature reminiscent of Spotlight on Mac, as well as … Read More
Apple has announced iOS 14, the upcoming new operating system for iPhone and iPod touch. Currently in developer beta, iOS 14 brings a variety of new features, improvements, and redesigned interface elements to the iPhone and iPod touch. More specifically, iOS 14 includes a visual refresh of the home screen with widgets support, and is … Read More
Apple has released new beta versions of iOS 13.6, iPadOS 13.6, and MacOS Catalina 10.15.6 to users who are enrolled in the beta testing programs for Apple system software.
Apple has released the first beta versions of iOS 13.5.5, iPadOS 13.5.5, and MacOS Catalina 10.15.6. Presumably the new beta builds focus on bug fixes and enhancements to the various Apple operating systems, though it’s possible new features and improvements are being worked on as well.
Apple has released macOS Catalina 10.15.5 supplemental update, an update to the freshly released build of macOS 10.15.5 for Catalina. The fresh supplemental update includes an important security update and is therefore recommended to all Mac users running Catalina. Separately, Apple also released a security update to iPhone and iPad versioned as iOS 13.5.1 and … Read More
Apple has released iOS 13.5.1 and iPadOS 13.5.1 with security fixes for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Specifically, iOS 13.5.1 and iPadOS 13.5.1 aims to patch the security hole that allowed for the iOS 13.5 jailbreak with unc0ver tool to function, but otherwise includes no new features not already found in iOS 13.5 and iPadOS … Read More


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Former owners of The Daily Telegraph are exploring strategic options for their parcel delivery company, Yodel, as they seek to shore up their finances.
The Barclay family, who owned Yodel through their company Logistics Group Holdings (LGH), has reportedly hired bankers to review potential buyers and partners for the company.
One possible option being considered is a partnership or joint venture with a large Chinese e-commerce player such as Alibaba
Group or JD.com.
Yodel, which last year handled nearly 200 million parcels, is one of the biggest parcel couriers in the UK, competing with the likes of Royal Mail, Evri, and Amazon Logistics.
The decision to explore a sale comes just weeks after Lloyds Banking Group seized control of the Telegraph newspapers and The Spectator magazine by forcing them into receivership.
The Barclays, led by Aidan Barclay, the former Telegraph Media Group chairman, have been fighting to regain control of the titles but have so far been unable to secure the funding required.
Yodel has been in operation since 2010, when the Barclays combined DHL's parcel delivery arm with Home Delivery Network.
The company has struggled to break even in the past but enjoyed a pandemic bonanza, with revenues soaring, its maiden annual pre-tax profit, and further growth in its current financial year.
Mike Hancox, who has been running Yodel since 2019, recently told The Guardian that the seizure of the Telegraph titles had prompted him to ask Yodel's owners about its future.
"I did ask the question: 'Is there an impact on Yodel?' I was told very clearly: 'No - we don't bank with Lloyds Banking Group and we don't trade with the Telegraph so there is no link,'" Hancox told the newspaper.
While no official valuation of Yodel has been released, a sale is likely to attract interest from industry players keen to consolidate the market as well as specialist financial investors.
Yodel's debts are owed to HSBC and are separate from those of the Telegraph.
The Barclay family's decision to explore a sale comes after a difficult few months A review of options for Yodel, a UK-based parcel delivery company, is expected to take several months.
During this time, the sale of the Telegraph newspapers is likely to be launched.
This week, Mike McTighe, the boardroom veteran who chairs Openreach, was appointed to chair the Telegraph and Spectator's respective holding companies.
Bankers are reportedly close to being hired to handle the disposal of the newspapers.
The dismantling of the Barclay family's empire follows the death of Sir David Barclay, one half of the fraternal double act who took control of the Telegraph in 2004 in a £665m deal.
Sir Frederick, the twin with whom he fell out in the years before his death, is embroiled in a £100m court battle over his divorce settlement.
The Barclays previously owned the Ritz Hotel in London and still own Very Group, the online retailer.
The move to force the Telegraph's holding company into receivership was triggered by Lloyds' dissatisfaction with the Barclays' approach to repaying a loan which dates back to the pre-crisis era of large corporate loans issued by HBOS.
A spokesman for the Barclay family declined to comment on the matter, while Clearwater, the investment firm, also declined to provide any information.


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Sue Glanville Account Director Say Communications ACE European Group has worked with Business Wire for a number of years and we use them to distribute all our press releases across the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Win Blogs Charity News Latest Headlines London News London Close Up Sports News Entertainment News Business News Weird News Traffic and Travel Weather Hatton Garden Heist Party Conferences The News Explained Tube Strike Travel News Podcasts LBC Podcasts Mobile Apps Why Subscribe. Pelton Level Chundering might be appropriate for a Pacer, otherwise chuntering moving along slowly and noisily.
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