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When Leprino Foods opened its second "Innovation Studio" in Singapore just four short years ago, it sent the strongest signal possible to its Asian customer base: Leprino is committed to being a long-term partner with its customers in nurturing dairy product sales. Through its new studio based essentially halfway around the world from its corporate headquarters, Leprino's chefs and other dairy product experts can now help develop and create cuisine that appeals to the wide variety of food palates in Asia. Most importantly, they can do so in a side-by-side setting with customers. And in Asia, that business day starts as the U.S. workforce begins clocking out.
"Business is pretty simple," explained Rohan Thakur, Leprino's director of strategy and business development in Asia Pacific.
"Help someone solve their problems and grow their business, and they will become a long-term customer," he said.
"Our currency is ideas," said Thakur who works out of Leprino's Singapore office and travels throughout Southeast Asia 60 to 70 percent of the year.
"Local market knowledge can only come if we have local talent here that understands it, evaluates it and creates solutions that work here," said Thakur who comes from an Indian (Asia) heritage. "There's a real understanding because we now talk the language of our customers."
Taking a long-term view
Leprino Foods started as a neighborhood grocery store in Denver, Colo., in 1950. Since that humble beginning, the family-held organization has transformed itself into the world's largest producer of Mozzarella cheese. It also ranks among the largest suppliers of lactose, whey and whey protein, making it one of the most significant U.S. dairy exporters.
With 10 plants throughout the U.S. and the United Kingdom, Leprino Foods originally developed an Innovation Studio at its Denver-based hub to help customers develop new products using Mozzarella and other cheeses it produces in its U.S. plants. As the company grew its international presence, it soon realized it needed to broaden its approach.
"As Jim Leprino so often tells us, We need to learn how people actually eat the product,'" Thakur said during an interview at Leprino's Singapore Innovation Studio. With that approach in mind, Leprino can now offer its Asian customers the same experience as it does in America.
A dynamic market
"If you look at cheese consumption growth across the world, it's growing the fastest in this region," said Luis Pedroza, an Asian-Pacific marketing specialist for Leprino. "The growing dairy product culture doesn't start with cheese," he pointed out. "It starts with milk powder, moves to fluid milk, then yogurt and eventually cheese."
How those dairy product sales develop varies in each country. With that in mind, Leprino has determined that having customer support in the region is essential to tell its story and introduce consumers to American-style Mozzarella.
"We can leverage our strengths, our technology, and milk from U.S. dairy farmers to help create products for potential customers that allows them to have a competitive advantage in the market to meet their consumers' needs," said Pedroza. "When we do that, we have created a winning solution. Ultimately, we really want to help our customers grow."
Cheese is at the core of Leprino's work in Asia. And just like the U.S., much of that cheese - especially Mozzarella - ends up being served on pizza.
"Unlike the pizza experience in the U.S., which grew out of immigrants as affordable food, it's quite the opposite in Asia," said Pedroza. "Pizza was brought over as a premium food. In South Korea and Japan, it's not uncommon to see pizzas that are $30 to $40 for one pie. When a pizza costs that much, it better be more than just filling a stomach . . . it also better be entertaining," Pedroza went on to say.
The upside is tremendous in the world's most populated region. The per capita consumption of pizza in South Korea is 1.5 pies per year contrasted with 17.5 in Great Britain and 20 in the U.S. Presently, other Asian nations have consumption patterns that mirror South Korea, but that is changing rapidly.
"We have found through our research that cheese adds value. It can make the product seem more indulgent. It can make the product seem like it has more quality," said Pedroza.
Foods that appeal to locals
Leprino's Innovation Studio features a commercial-level kitchen where its chefs can help customers create foods that appeal to their local clientele.
"Before I came to Asia, I felt Asians were Asians," said the American-born Pedroza, whose mother is Chinese (Taiwan) and father is Mexican. "They are so different. You have to think about median age, monthly wage, years of education and religion. Since the people are so different, of course, the pizzas are different."
"Ovens are the crux of our customer's business," said Monika Reitmeyer as she enthusiastically gave a tour through Leprino's Innovation Studio kitchen filled with the latest cooking equipment and instruments. Reitmeyer is Leprino's Asian Pacific innovation manager.
"We focus on having the exact equipment that our customers do so we can look at products and simulate products just as they would in their stores," said the culinary expert.
"Our customers are looking for foods that are fun, flavorful and authentic," said Reitmeyer when discussing how Leprino introduces Mozzarella into Asian food menus.
"The cool thing about Asia is that customers really like putting ingredients inside stuffed crust," said Reitmeyer. "We've been working on putting things like bacon jam or Asian barbecue pork (known locally as bakkwa) inside the crust along with cheese, of course."
"Seafood is really big with Asian pizzas, too," said Reitmeyer. "Ultimately, it's about providing customers with a great eating experience. U.S. cheese offers a really nice flavor and color on bakery products in the retail space," said Reitmeyer. "That's important throughout many Asian eateries because products need to be on display for one to two hours after being out of the oven."
Leprino's commitment to its growing customer base and to U.S. dairy is just one of the many positive stories unfolding throughout Southeast Asia. While many of its counterparts also have "boots on the ground" throughout the region, Leprino remains one of the first to establish a physical presence in the region.
"The speed of business is very fast in Asia," said Reitmeyer. "Having people based here to respond to a request in hours is really important to growing our business."


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The Victorian Government has launched the ‘Circuit Breaker Business Support Package’ due to the recent circuit breaker restrictions in Victoria.
Business Costs Assistance Program Grant $2,500 to $5,000
For eligible employing and non-employing businesses in sectors most impacted. This includes businesses operating in an industry that cannot operate under the circuit breaker restrictions and which cannot work remotely. The business needs to be in the following industries.
Licensed Hospitality Venue Funds 2021 Grant $3,500 to $7,000 per premises
For businesses holding an eligible liquor licence and food certificate (includes bars, restaurants, pubs, clubs, hotels).
The programs opened for application on Thursday 3 June 2021 and closes at 11:59pm on Thursday 24 June 2021. Application need to be lodged online via the Business Victoria Website.

domain: news


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Exhibitor Demand Fuels Growth of SALTEX 2023
Show organisers at the Grounds Management Association have confirmed early bird bookings are up ten percent from the 2022 show and there’s a 12 percent increase in exhibitor numbers with 6000 sqm of hall space already sold.
Sarah Cunningham, director of commercial and events at the Grounds Management Association, who has been joined on the sales team by Jill Rodham, comments: “Thanks to the early interest in the show the footprint has been increased by 3000 sqm to accommodate the extra demand for space from exhibitors, making it 20 percent bigger than the 2022 show. And plans are well underway for this year’s event with visitor registration due to open in early June.”
So, what does Sarah contribute this early success to? “That’s down to our incredible exhibitors. Those who are returning year after year thanks to continued success in previous years and an influx of new exhibitors who are keen to see what sales success SALTEX can bring them.”
New to the show are Asecos Limited, BigChange, EGHOLM A/S, FJ Dynamics, Grundfos Pumps Ltd, Hopespare Limited, Hubscape, QCR, Syngenta UK Ltd and Watermatic Ltd. New World Sports and Trafalgar Cleaning Equipment were last at the show in 2019 and 2017 respectively and are coming back in 2023.
A successful early bird signing period has also led to big industry names returning to SALTEX including Baroness, Dennis and Sisis, Husqvarna, ICL, Kubota, Ransomes, Reesink UK, Toro and Weibang amongst many others.
Sarah continues: “The 2022 show confirmed the confidence visitors and exhibitors have in SALTEX - it’s an event worth their time to attend. Deals happen, learning takes place and networking is enjoyed, all in a place conveniently located for most of the country. To be in the 77th year of a show and still commanding this level of commitment from the sectors we represent, is proof that the show is as relevant now as it ever was.
“I think people appreciate this is a show which contributes significantly to the growth and success of the industry. SALTEX and the Grounds Management Association work hand in hand – SALTEX is powered by the GMA and in turn SALTEX feeds into the GMA's extensive work in supporting, and raising the profile of, the groundscare industry in all its guises.”
The show takes place at Birmingham NEC on 1-2 November 2023. Exhibitors wishing to secure their place at Europe’s largest free sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade exhibition, should contact GMA Sales Manager, Jill Rodham at email@example.com or 07754 552405.


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🕒 Article read time: 2 minutes
P&O Ferries launches bid to lead the ro-ro market on the Short Straits
Competition is heating up for market leadership on the lucrative UK-EU trade route of the Short Straits, with P&O Ferries announcing last week (28 April 2021) that it would reinstate a fifth roll-on/roll-off ship on its Dover-Calais route.
Pride of Burgundy – a 28,000 ton vessel with capacity to carry 120 lorries – will return to the vital arterial route in June, restoring the P&O Dover-Calais fleet to its pre-pandemic strength of five and offering more options for customers looking to transport goods between Britain and the EU. The ship will sail in freight-only mode.
In 2019, P&O Ferries’ share of ferry freight volumes on the Dover Strait was more than 50 per cent. P&O Ferries has since become part of global logistics giant DP World, which reported 11% growth in revenue in 2020.
David Stretch, Chief Executive of P&O Ferries, said: “I am delighted to welcome a fifth ship back to our Dover-Calais fleet which will increase flexibility for customers and enable us to deliver a cost-effective freight service on the English Channel as the economy returns to normal. Dover-Calais is a vital trade route both for the UK and EU economies as well as the thousands of businesses which rely on our services and we aim to return our market share back to where it belongs.”
Zoe McLernon, Multimodal Policy Manager, Logistics UK, said: “At just 21 short miles, the Short Straits represents the shortest distance between the UK and the EU Continent, and it is estimated that 60% of goods traded between Great Britain and the Continent pass through the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel. As the UK economy returns to pre-pandemic levels, it is encouraging to see ro-ro services increase on this vital route, which bodes well for the future health of UK-EU trade flows.”
Published On: 06/05/2021 17:00:32


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Apple has updated News app with a new feature with an aim to offer more news. With the latest update, Apple’s editors will curate a list of “top stories” that will be displayed for all of the apps users.
These human curated news will be offered least a couple of times a during the day. The new Top Stories section will be available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. These top stories will be selected in the morning and afternoon. Users will still get the regular amount of news that they usually receive. At the time of launching News, Apple had stated that the app will learn from your patterns, likes and behaviour and highlight stories accordingly.
In addition, Apple is also now integrating ComScore technology to track traffic and make sure publishers “get advertiser credit for the views their content generates.” The company had hired editors to curate content few months back and it looks like they will be working on the new Top Stories feature.


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Visiting post office today? Bring check or cash
Credit card machines are not working at area post offices, requiring those mailing letters or packages, or buying stamps, to use cash or checks.
An employee of a Worthington post office said that machines had been unavailable Wednesday only, and that they would back online on Thursday.
"All the credit card machines are shut down across the country due to a system upgrade," said the employee, who was not authorized to speak to the media.
The employee's supervisor told The Dispatch that he hadn't heard how long the shutdown would last.
"I don't know if it's just today or how long it will be," said the supervisor, also not authorized to speak.


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Updated Jan. 21, 2022 8:06 am ET / Original Jan. 20, 2022 1:20 pm ET
A report that claimed the company is halting all production of its bikes and other products sent shares of Peloton into a free fall.
Peloton co-founder and CEO John Foley said a media report that claimed the company was halting all production of its bikes and other connected-fitness products amid lower demand from consumers was false.
CNBC, citing internal documents from the company, published an article earlier Thursday that said Peloton wouldn’t manufacture its bikes throughout February and March, halt output of its Tread treadmill beginning next month for six weeks, and produce no Tread+ machines in fiscal 2022. According to CNBC’s report, the company,...
If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.


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OFT challenges Ryanair over new booking charges
Thursday 29 November 2012
Fair trading officials today clashed with Ryanair over the reason the Irish airline gave for introducing extra charges for its passengers.
Ryanair said it was bringing in a 2% processing fee on all new credit card bookings made from tomorrow.
The no-frills carrier, which is also scrapping exemptions from its £6 website administration fee, said it was introducing the £2 fee "in order to comply with the UK Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) recent ruling on credit card fees".
But the OFT said: "We have not required any airline to introduce new payment charges, increase their credit card charges or scrap any discounts they wish to offer."
The OFT added: "We took action to make sure that debit card charges are included in the headline price and credit card charges are transparent and not sprung on shoppers towards the end of the booking process."
Those using Ryanair's "cash passport" scheme in Ireland, Germany and Spain will be able to avoid administration fees until February 1, February 15 and March 21 2013 respectively.
Ryanair said it was continuing to "deliver the lowest fares and a no-fuel surcharges guarantee to all our passengers", and that customers could avoid credit card fees by paying with a debit card.
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Honda Insight Hybrid: Mostly Agreeable
CAREFREE, Ariz. — Honda's 2010 Insight gasoline-electric hybrid isn't the substantial, comfortable car that its Civic hybrid is, nor does it deliver the 50 miles per gallon promised by Toyota for its update of chief rival Prius.
But if Honda prices it low enough, Insight finally could make full-fledged hybrid technology available to car buyers with tighter budgets.
Insight goes on sale April 22 — Earth Day, in case you need a reminder of why to save fuel.
Generally, the Insight preproduction test cars driven here proved to be nice machines — mostly agreeable and easily capable of hitting the mileage ratings — with a few annoyances.
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This article was published on The Sydney Morning Herald online March 12, 2015.
I’ve been lucky to try some rare old liquor in my time. Some of it’s been ethereal. Some of it … not.
Just last week I tried an old number twice my age that was about as tasty as licking damp logs and leather boots. In fact, some of the most interesting drams I’ve encountered recently have been “young”: an eight-year-old single malt, a seven-year-old single cask armagnac, a five-year-old rum, and other spirits that haven’t even bothered to carry an age statement.
Wait – older always means better, right? We’ve been trained to believe this. But now the same industries we learned it from have changed their minds.
In the whisky industry, Macallan has been telling us that age is now a limitation since the release of its no-age-statement 1824 series. And Glenlivet, whose parent company quite recently told us that age matters, has now pulled its 12 year old from the UK and German markets and replaced it with a no-age-statement alternative.


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USDA Grant Funding for Meat Production
During the height of the COVID pandemic in America, the federal government gave out hundreds of billions in grants, and many experts claim that this money helped to alleviate the suffering of millions of Americans.
However, the grant funding just suddenly stopped around the time Joe Biden became President, and passing trillion-dollar spending bills in Congress became all the rage.
According Zippy Duvall, the President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the federal government is once again getting back into grants, handing out USDA relief grants to expand the meat and poultry processing facilities in America.
These grants couldn't have come at a better time, seeing as most meats are up around 40% in costs now compared to the same time last year.
Some Industries Harder Hit Than Others
Not every industry in America deals the same with price increases. Although the prices of just about everything have gone up, farmers and meat producers are dealing with much higher costs altogether. They have to deal with inflation as it pertains to animal feed, water, labor costs, electricity, shipping, and much more. So while the Biden administration can claim that nationwide inflation is only just above 7%, the fact is that meat ends up costing about 40% more at the stores because that's the inflated rate that meat producers are paying for their entire system. This is why there needs to be a grant relief program for these meat and poultry processing industries, claims Zippy Duvall. There are different sorts of economic pressures placed on certain industries, and the meat producers in America have no choice but to pass off these inflated rates to customers, or else they're operating at a loss.
The American government is passing around a lot of blame for the higher price tag on everyday food items. They tried blaming former President Donald Trump for many months. Then they had a few weeks where they claimed that inflation was only "transitory" and would soon pass. When it just kept going up instead of passing, the government decided to blame Russia for rising prices, and this seems to be their current scapegoat. According to many in the meat industry, if only they'd stop talking about what caused the issue and just hand out some grants to the producers, many of the problems would be solved.
Very Nebulous Language
To date, no one really knows a lot of details about these proposed grants. It is known that the American Farm Bureau's president claimed that grant funding has been approved, but the exact details haven't been released as of yet. Though cynical people who are aware of the grants system are all too familiar with this sort of announcement. The government claims that grants will be handed out, but the rest of the details are scant. After a few months, people start to wonder where the grants are at, and why they're for so little money, to which the government replies that the grants were delivered as promised. The catch, of course, is that they were vague on how much grant spending would be available, and the exact time frame. This is something to which the working taxpayer in America has grown accustomed, as this is the same sort of thing that happened with COVID relief grants from the government.
The government put billions of dollars into a pool, claiming it was a grant pool for struggling restaurants. However, after only 15% of restaurants received funding, and many of those 15% found their money stuck in limbo, the government simply said that not all the money in the pool was for grants, and that grants weren't guaranteed. So, technically, the government was right again. They never seem to fall short on military spending for foreign conflict, but nobody really knows just how much the government is going to invest in its own people. What typically happens is that they'll pay out a fraction of what they appropriate, and then the money will just be forever missing; an unsolved mystery. The corporate media will certainly never hold them to account, and the average person will be called names if they bring the subject up.
From the average men and women in America who are struggling to buy food, to the farmers and meat producers, everyone is hoping for some relief grants to come in and alleviate the burden. They have been announced for the industry this week, but that's as much information as anyone has on the topic.


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Microsoft Confirms Television Coming to Xbox 360 This Holiday
Microsoft has announced today that they are partnering with nearly 40 TV and entertainment companies to bring television to the Xbox 360 console. Providers include: Comcast and SyFy in the United States, Rogers in Canada, and BBC in the UK.
Don Mattrick, President of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business division had this to say: “Combining the world’s leading TV and entertainment providers with the power of Kinect for Xbox 360 and the intelligence of Bing voice search will make TV and entertainment more personal, social, and effortless.”
“Our recently launched next-generation Xfinity TV platform is enabling us to bring Xfinity On Demand to a gaming console for the first time, and Kinect’s voice and gesture controls will offer our customers an innovative way to discover and enjoy Xfinity On Demand’s huge library of top shows and movies.” said Sam Schwartz, President of Comcast Converged products
There’s no word as of yet if there will be additional charges from the partnering providers in order to be able to use these services on our Xbox 360 consoles; However, we can speculate that you will more than likely require an Xbox Live Gold subscription to use the service, similar to current offerings such as Hulu and Netflix.
Microsoft has stated that they plan to begin rolling out the new service to 20 countries beginning this holiday season.
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Okay, now they own everything.
BURBANK, CA -- The Disney Company is in final talks with VeggieTales owner Universal to bring Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber, and all of their vegetable friends under the Disney banner. Sources inside both companies say that they expect a deal to be closed soon.
One of the final hurdles to reaching agreement is VeggieTales demand that Disney disassociate itself from dancer and actress Julianne Hough. "Vegetables just have a problem with anything that sounds like 'julienne,'" ...
And they are currently negotiating with both major political parties.
BURBANK, CA -- In a stunning development, the Disney Company announced today that it will be purchasing Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon, and all of their subsidiary brands.
Disney (the company) spokesperson Jun Disney (no relation) was ecstatic.
"This is off the record, obviously," she whispered into our hidden microphone, "but this is just one step closer to our ultimate goal of world domination."
How does that square with with founder Walt Disney (related)'s dream ...
"Hey, Alexa, transfer my life savings to my Walt Disney World account. We're eating at Victoria & Albert's."
WALT DISNEY WORLD, FL -- Amazon and Disney have a history of working together, most notably having Amazon Prime deliveries by drone while you wait in an attraction queue. And now they have announced a new partnership, bringing Alexa to your room at your favorite Walt Disney World Resort!
Beginning this week, Disney is adding custom Amazon Echo devices in each room. The devices will ...
It's a New Year, and now new technology is coming to the Walt Disney World Resort!
More gifts were bought online than in stores this Christmas, and internet retailer Amazon again led the pack. The Disney Company has taken note of this growing trend and is partnering with Amazon to offer a new retail experience for its guests. The companies announced today that, after a test run, Amazon will soon offer same-day delivery of online Disney Park purchases, fulfilled by their fleet ...


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More venture-backed paydays seen for 2010
- Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal
An increase in IPO filings and mergers and acquisitions in the fourth quarter of 2009 has set the stage for a stronger 2010 for venture-backed company exits, according to a report on Monday.
Corporate acquirers snapped up 86 companies for a total $7.3 billion, according to Dow Jones VentureSource, while three initial public offerings raised $220 million.
The report said that venture-backed companies generated $17.1 billion in liquidity in 2009, down 34 percent from 2008, but 44 percent of the year's total liquidity was generated in the fourth quarter.
"The fourth quarter has set the stage for an active year in M&As in 2010," said Jessica Canning, director of global research for Dow Jones VentureSource. "As the economy improves, acquirers are gaining confidence in their own financial situation and returning to strategic acquisitions. At the same time, the steady trickle of public offerings is teasing investors who expect the IPO window will re-open in the coming year."
M&A professionals in Greater Baltimore say most of deals seen nowadays are strategic in nature — made with the goal of increasing market share or expanding its product line. That trend will continue. Four out of five companies surveyed by law firm Nixon Peabody LLP said they expect to see more strategic deals rather than private-equity led deals.
VentureSource reported that the $7.3 billion generated by mergers and acquisitions in the fourth quarter of 2009 was a 49 percent increase from the $4.9 billion raised in the same period last year. Throughout 2009, 326 M&A transactions brought in $16.2 billion, a 37 percent drop from the $25.6 billion raised through 380 M&As in 2008.
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Federal Decree-Law No. (8) of 2017 for VAT has officially been released
His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, has formally has formally reviewed the related constitutions which correlate to the implementation of VAT. Following this review, the formal Federal Decree-Law No. (8) of 2017 for VAT ("the law") has been released. The law can be downloaded from the image opposite. Likewise, our VAT team shall shortly be sharing the various elements of the law which will impact businesses in the UAE from 1 January, 2018 from when the law has been formally announced to take effect.
Tax Authority release its website for registration
With a little under five months to go for VAT to take effect, the UAE Tax Authority has formally launched its website, which acts as a resourceful portal relating to the regulation. The website will also serve as a platform for businesses to register themselves from mid-September.
For further details, please .


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Now tech giants Google and Facebook could be forced to pay British newspapers for their stories
- Platforms will be encouraged to negotiate payment deals with news organisations
- If negotiations fail, an independent arbitrator would set a fair price
- Move comes amid concerns that tech companies are dominating online advertising
- New regime will be regulated by Digital Markets Unit (DMU), a digital watchdog
Under the plans, which are modelled on a system that has been introduced in Australia, the platforms will be encouraged to negotiate payment deals with news organisations. If the negotiations fail, an independent arbitrator would set a fair price.
The move, being driven by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, comes amid growing concerns that the tech companies are dominating online advertising, to the detriment of consumers and businesses.
The new regime will be regulated by the Digital Markets Unit (DMU), the digital watchdog that was set up within the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to rein in the power of the tech platforms.
Concern: Nadine Dorries wants to rein in the power of the tech platforms
The unit will also investigate the algorithms used by search engines such as Google, which many news organisations believe are manipulated to disproportionately direct search enquiries towards Left-leaning news organisations, and filter how people read and access news, to the detriment of quality, paid-for journalism.
A source in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said that the planned regime was 'pro-competition' and 'supports the sustainability of the press'. The source said: 'The new regime will be an important vehicle to tackle the imbalance of power between the largest platforms and publishers.
'The measures would give publishers greater transparency over the algorithms that drive traffic and revenue, more control over the presentation and branding of their content, as well as greater access to data on how users interact with their content.'
The source added the plans would also 'help to redress the imbalance of bargaining power in determining fair payment for content', which by 'opening up the online advertising market to competition could also see longer-term benefits for publishers', and that legislation would be introduced 'as soon as parliamentary time allows'.
Under the plans, which are modelled on a system that has been introduced in Australia, the platforms will be encouraged to negotiate payment deals with news organisations (file image)
Ms Dorries has told her officials that the DMU should be given 'robust powers' to 'drive fair terms between publishers and platforms' by introducing a binding arbitration, and be 'explicitly granted new powers to act swiftly and effectively where the regulator finds that a platform has not offered fair and reasonable remuneration for its use of publisher content'.
Google and Facebook took about four-fifths of the £14 billion spent on digital advertising in the UK in 2019, while national and local newspapers took less than four per cent. Google charges between 30 and 40 per cent more for search advertising on desktop and mobile devices than Bing, its closest rival.
The DMU is also being given powers to levy large fines on online companies to prevent customers or companies from being treated unfairly and to make firms give smaller rivals access to their vast troves of data.
Facebook argues that it already helps to support UK publishers by paying tens of millions of pounds to national and local outlets to be part of Facebook News, and as part of the Community News Project, which funds 80 trainee reporters in newsrooms across the country.
The unit will also investigate the algorithms used by search engines such as Google, which many news organisations believe are manipulated to disproportionately direct search enquiries towards Left-leaning news organisations (file image)
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Billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk lashed out Wednesday at lockdowns meant to contain the coronavirus in a series of early-morning Twitter posts echoing calls from protesters around the US.
“FREE AMERICA NOW,” Musk tweeted at 2:15 a.m.
The 48-year-old tech tycoon crowed “Bravo Texas!” in an earlier post hailing the Lone Star State for moving to reopen restaurants and retail stores this week. His praise came a week after Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the state should lift restrictions because “there are more important things than living.”
Musk also shared a Sunday op-ed in The Wall Street Journal arguing that severe shutdowns have not helped save many lives.
“Give people their freedom back!” Musk wrote.
Musk’s missives followed protests in several states urging officials to lift lockdown measures that have forced business to close and put millions of workers on the unemployment rolls. President Trump recently voiced support for the largely conservative protesters by calling on officials to “liberate” Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia.
Musk has expressed skepticism about the coronavirus for weeks even though it has sickened more than 3.1 million people and killed more than 217,000 people worldwide, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.
Musk called panic about the virus “dumb” in early March and later falsely claimed that children are “essentially immune” to the disease. He also wrongly predicted last month that the US would probably see “close to zero new cases” by the end of April; more than 24,000 US cases were reported on Tuesday alone, Johns Hopkins says.
Tesla, Musk’s $141 billion electric-car company, has reportedly asked some workers to return to its California factory this week even though the Bay Area has yet to lift a lockdown that forced it to halt production. Musk is also closing in on a $750 million payday while Tesla’s hourly workers faced furloughs.
- Elon Musk reacts as Nigerian singer Erigga asks fans to choose between dinner with Musk and 2 Bitcoins
- Hilarious reactions as Grimes reveals her and Elon Musk’s baby is really named X Ã A-12 Musk
- Free simulator lets you try and fly Elon Musk’s Crew Dragon spaceship
- “Facebook sucks” Elon Musk slams Facebook’s VP of artificial intelligence on Twitter after he’s criticized about his knowledge of AI technology
- “Facebook sucks” – Elon Musk slams Facebook’s VP of artificial intelligence on Twitter
- PETA slams Elon Musk for implanting brain device in pig
- Why Joe Rogan Loves Elon Musk Right Now
- Elon Musk is now the fourth-richest person in the world
- Elon Musk overtakes Jeff Bezos, now world’s wealthiest person
- Tesla CEO, Elon Musk says people can now buy Tesla electric vehicles with bitcoin


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Purr-fect! A Book Award for Books with Cats of Distinctive Character.
BookangelUK is running a new book award for books featuring "cats of distinctive character" open to entries during August 2017. BookangelUK, the UK free ebooks site, has announced they are launching a book award. Compared to standard awards it might be considered lacking in literary... - August 11, 2017
Bookangel Indie Book Review Column Now in the Croydon Citizen
Bookangel.co.uk would like to announce that from December 2015 their newspaper book review column will now be published in the Croydon Citizen. Reviews of small press and indie books will be appearing in the Citizen's print edition from December 2015. - January 23, 2016
Bookangel.co.uk Launches Newspaper Reviews Column for Small Press Books
Bookangel.co.uk are delighted to announce that their first newspaper review column has gone live. By arrangement with the Caterham and District Independent Bookangel will be providing reviews of small press and indie books for the February, March and April issues. Bookangel.co.uk is an ebook... - February 15, 2015


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Per the door signage, "we are all systems go." last week, an unspecified utility in the building here at 141 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street had kept the newish quick-serve taco shop out of action. (Planet Taco debuted in March; the temporary closure started in mid-June.)
The reopening signage also notes that they will be offering a limited menu for now — which may not be a bad thing as even fans of the place said that the extensive offerings can be overwhelming.
Not sure what the new hours will be: they were previously open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Thanks to Steven for the photos!


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Apple’s iOS 17 becomes official on June 5
Today, Apple announced the official dates for its annual WorldWide Developer Conference (WWDC). This will take place online from June 5 to June 9.
On June 5, the traditional day one keynote will take place, and this is where the next versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS will be introduced.
While the event is live, developers and students will have the opportunity to attend a special day at Apple Park on June 5 to watch the keynote and Apple’s own version of a keynote on the state of the Union. Space for this in-person event will of course be limited.
Susan Prescott, vice president of global developer relations at Apple, said, “WWDC23 is going to be our biggest and most exciting yet, and we look forward to seeing many of you online and in person at this very special event”.
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Sunlight traditionally provides the energy for photosynthesis, and plant growth varies based on exposure to different wavelengths on the light spectrum. Aeroponics farms rely instead on LED light, which can mimic sunlight. This allows the farms to control plant size, texture, and even taste by emitting a plant’s preferred wavelength. “We look at all the organoleptic properties, like smell and taste,” says Oshima. “Our high bar is that no salad dressing is needed. People are enjoying the greens by themselves.” According to Oshima, what excites buyers is that “they feel like their palates have been woken up again.” In collaboration with local chefs, Oshima is asking, “How do we make the arugula more peppery, or the mustard greens with more heat, the romaine more sweet yet still crunchy?” Experimentation with these questions is made possible by an LED-controlled light spectrum.
Beyond data, mist, and LED lights, Bertram believes infrared cameras give vertical farmers an edge. Human eyes, though good at pattern recognition, “can [only] see wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers,” he explains, “and plants manifest their pest and disease stressors first in a wavelength that is outside the visual spectrum of human beings.” Using infrared cameras in conjunction with a variety of other sensors allows vertical farmers the ability to detect problems much sooner than a human eye normally could.
“What’s often glazed over,” says Bertram of the setup, “is HVAC—heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.” One of the biggest challenges for vertical farms is maintaining a static temperature and humidity within a dynamic system. “Each plant transpires about a gallon of water over its lifetime. Your system needs to remove that moisture from the atmosphere, and recycle it in some cases, but let the plant grow between 50–70 degrees Fahrenheit,” he describes. “To implement a constant atmosphere throughout the entire warehouse is a very difficult thing to do, and it’s too often overlooked.”
Labor, electricity, and HVAC are the largest operational expenses for vertical farms, typically in that order. Whether vertical farms will be profitable after seed funding runs out has yet to be proven. Produce from vertical farms, “can be competitive as a premium brand. Selling at commodity prices is a little ways out, and by that, I mean many months away,” says Brock Leach, COO of Oasis Biotech, a 215,000-square-foot vertical farm in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Oasis Biotech, a vertical hydroponic farm, shares AeroFarms and OnePointOne’s goal of scaling operations across the world to dense urban areas and selling local produce, but with a twist: Oasis Biotech is largely vertically integrated and is in the business of selling its technology along with its produce. A subsidiary of San’an Optoelectronics, China’s largest manufacturer of LED lights, Oasis Biotech is operating throughout the value chain. The company sells products such as lights, grow equipment, and a 6,000-square-foot vertical farm referred to as the “6k concept.” They also offer services, such as designing custom farms, trainings on how to run these businesses, and financing.
“We’re working on our 6k concept, a small farm meant to be deployed and used on a small business level,” says Leach. The concept is still in development: “Our parent company just broke land on the prototype,” he continues. The price points for the 6k concept are currently unknown.
“In 1940, 40 percent of the world’s population had some role within the agriculture industry. Today, it’s between one to two percent, and we are feeding millions more people,” comments OnePointOne’s Bertram on the impact of industrial farming on labor. If vertical farms and robotics succeed, we may enter another technological renaissance, one in which there is no direct contact between plants and people throughout the growing process. Oasis Biotech, for one, is developing Uplift: “an unmanned produce robot, automated from seed to harvest,” says Leach. Uplift could “reduce direct labor by 85 percent, reducing total cost of production by a little over 40 percent. That allows us to grow more things at a competitive price.”
From a health and safety perspective, people are a conduit for pathogens. “We will be able to tell the consumer of our produce that they are the first human being who ever touched it,” says Bertram, who studied mechanical engineering and robotics. With vertical farming roboticized, the human role would be to run operations, analyze data, observe plant health, continue to optimize the process, and market the product.
Environmentally, the carbon footprint for vertical farms can be substantial, as carefully controlling the indoor climate and replacing free sunlight with LED lights is energy intensive. “It’s the source at the power plant that matters,” writes Tamar Haspel in a Washington Post article on the viability of vertical farms, adding that the carbon footprint varies whether electricity is generated from a coal-fired versus a nuclear power plant.
Other limitations exist for vertical farms. If the entire agricultural industry went offline tomorrow could vertical farms feed the world? Not unless we’re able to subsist on salad greens. “It’s highly unlikely that in the next 10 years vertical farms will produce a high caloric crop like corn at the scale that industrial farms currently can,” says Bertram, who sees a complementary relationship between industrial and vertical farming. As he believes, “we’re maxed out on productive agricultural land in the United States and around the world, and indoor farming is a 100 percent necessary supplement to the farming industry.”


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Diana Aldana of Mexico’s Turner Libros says that with its large population and market, Mexico has become the new El Dorado of Spanish publishing.
Executives from Cengage and Udemy point to Latin America as a strong region for edtech growth and share their top tips for entering the market.
Mexico’s publishing industry has great potential, but the lack of organized government is a persistent problem, argues Déborah Holtz of Trilce Ediciones.
Eduardo Rabasa of Mexico’s Editorial Sexto Piso argues an audience for quality publishing in Mexico exists and cites his own press and others as evidence.
Spanish author Enrique Vila-Matas has been awarded the 2015 Romance Languages Prize by the Guadalajara Book Fair (FIL) worth $150,000.
The Guadalajara Book Fair’s Rights Center, which offers 125 tables, is sold out, further proof of Mexico’s growth as a center for Spanish rights activity.
Author Antonio Malpica Maury has become the first Mexican to win the SM Iberoamerican Children’s and YA Literature Award, which carries a $30,000 purse.
Orbile, a new Mexican ebookselling platform created by Kobo and bookstore chains Gandhi and Libreria Porrúa, will offer 70k ebooks on launch in September.
Amazon Mexico has finally launched its full retail operations and a print bookstore; it had previously offered Kindle ebooks since 2013.
28 UK authors will be setting up shop at the the Guadalajara Book Fair, this November 28-December 6, as part of Britain’s ‘guest nation’ literary program.


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Sharon Commons development inching forward after setbacks
Plans for a 400,000-square-foot shopping area and “lifestyle center” in Sharon, first proposed in 2007, are inching closer to viability.
Congress Group recently failed to get a $4.5 million infrastructure grant from the state, but it is seeking alternative financing for the project, called Sharon Commons, according to company President Dean Stratouly.
The site is approximately 59 acres bordered by Old Post Road and Interstate 95.
Several approvals for the retail portion of the project have been granted by the town’s zoning board of appeals.
“We’re optimistic we’ll get something wrapped up within the next 30 to 60 days.”
Stratouly said the financial climate has shifted dramatically from when Sharon Commons was first proposed, but he also said anyone who questions Congress Group’s commitment to get the development built need only look at the company’s balance sheet to see the $28 million that has been paid out of pocket so far.
Target and BJs have signed leases and would like to open in the fall of 2014, according to Selectman William Heitin. He also said Target would be buying its location rather than leasing.
“There have been numerous inquiries,” Heitin said. “Once they break ground, additional leases will be signed.”
The development has been scaled back to 400,000 square feet, according to Stratouly. It is being billed as a “lifestyle center” because the layout would give patrons the option of walking or driving to the various stores and restaurants.
Stratouly said he has spoken with the owner of the current movie theater in town as well as an out-of-town theater about locating at the site.
“We need to be able to show that we’re under way to get the movie theater signed,” he said.
Similar discussion have resulted in several restaurants signing letters of intent to be part of the project, Stratouly added.


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You finally managed to get everyone together in one place. Friends you haven’t seen for ages, scattered around the world, smile and talk to each other across a table – a virtual table, in a virtual world, seen through a virtual reality headset. This is the future of socialising, according to Facebook.
The social network announced several new products at its F8 Developer Conference in San Jose this week, with a strong focus on virtual and augmented reality.
Facebook Spaces, its new VR app, lets you chat with friends in a 3D virtual environment. It’s the first real glimpse of how Facebook plans to make virtual reality a social tool after buying Oculus VR in 2014.
“VR is a technology that gives us something no other technology has before – a magical feeling of presence, the sense that we’re really there together even when we’re apart,” said head of social VR Rachel Franklin as she announced the app.
To create this feeling, Facebook Spaces lets you customise a cartoon avatar to represent you in the virtual world based on one of your Facebook photos. You can bring multiple people into the virtual space at the same time and chat as you usually would, using Oculus Touch controllers to move your avatar’s arms.
The VR app also draws on the wealth of content connected to your Facebook profile. You can overlay 360 images or videos from your Facebook feed onto the virtual space to plunge you and your avatar friends into a personalised environment, and flick through 2D photos with them.
Friends who don’t have Oculus Rift- and the headset is pretty expensive at around £500 – can be added to the conversation through video chat on Facebook Messenger. There’s also an MS Paint-style drawing tool so you can doodle in the air, though the focus of the app is on just hanging out and chatting.
This kind of social VR is essentially a “fancier version of Skype”, says Antonia Hamilton, a social neuroscientist at University College London. VR offers an advantage over video messaging, she says, because it can let us more easily communicate using nonverbal cues such as facial expressions and gestures.
But consumer headsets don’t capture motion or expressions well enough to make it look realistic in the virtual world. “Without capturing faces, you get VR characters which look very wooden and people often don’t like them,” says Hamilton.
In addition to virtual reality, Facebook is banking on augmented reality playing a role in our future communications. While its new AR tools are little more than Snapchat-like filters for your smartphone camera, the company clearly envisages a transition to wearable AR devices. “We want glasses, eventually contact lenses, that look and feel normal but let us overlay all kinds of information and digital objects on top of the real world,” said CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the conference.
With developments in AI, augmented reality will ultimately be so good that you won’t be able to tell augmented visuals from reality, says Hao Li at the University of Southern California.
But there needs to be a hardware revolution before social VR and AR can become mainstream, he says. Headsets are still expensive and uncomfortable, and cause some users to feel dizzy or nauseous. “Until this has been solved, I find it hard to believe that the content would be so good and so engaging that people would want to use it on a daily basis,” says Li.
And it remains to be seen how much social value these tools can really provide. At one rather poignant moment in the conference, Zuckerberg demonstrated using AR to add a second coffee cup into an image of a dining table – “so it doesn’t look like you’re having breakfast alone”.


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The Queensland government is poised to amend liquor laws to create a new licence for craft brewers and small distillers, although the final product is not to everyone's taste.
- There is broad recognition that Queensland's liquor laws are burdensome for small, artisan businesses
- Under proposed new laws, licensees will be able to sell their product at promotional events
- But some say the definition of a promotional event is "incredibly restrictive" — only listing trade shows and farmers' markets as examples
The laws will create a new artisan liquor licence category, allow Queensland producers to sell each others' products on premises, and formalise pandemic relief measures for distillers — so they will be able to sell their products online.
The legislation will also allow holders to sell samples of their products at promotional events.
Sharynne Wilson owns an award-winning craft brewery that recently expanded to a second premises on the Sunshine Coast.
Under the current regulations, she needs a restaurant licence to sell other beers, wines and spirits at the first location — and can only serve their beer to customers at the newer spot.
"You've got to try and keep up and pay the bills and keep the lights on, and if you're not able to get people in here for more than one drink at a time it's very hard to do that," she said.
"When a family goes out, or a group goes out, there might be one person who would rather drink a wine.
"If we can get them to come in, sit down, and have two drinks because somebody can drink a wine, then why not?"
She said the planned changes were a good stepping stone, but would prefer to be able to sell other makers' products takeaway too.
'De facto bottle shop'
This is one of the key issues the Independent Brewers Association (IBA) has with the legislation before Queensland Parliament.
The representative body has been in consultation with the state government for several years, with a broad recognition that Queensland's laws were burdensome for small, artisan businesses.
David Kitchen, who is on the IBA's board of directors, also owns a Brisbane craft brewery with premises in Salisbury, West End and Springfield Lakes.
He said an earlier version of the legislation would have allowed licensees to sell each other's products for takeaway — so at his brewery, he could sell not just his own six packs, but a bottle of local bourbon or a Queensland wine — giving them all more market access.
But then that provision was dumped.
"The right for us to be able to do that was struck out when it was submitted to other stakeholders — that was because people were worried we'd become a de facto bottle shop," he said.
He said he believed the threat to other businesses would be infinitesimal.
"I would expect here, we'd sell one bottle, maybe two bottles, in an entire week of trade," he said.
Legal definition 'incredibly restrictive'
Under the new laws, licensees will also be able to sell their product at promotional events, but the IBA said the definition of a promotional event was "incredibly restrictive" — only listing trade shows and farmers' markets as examples.
"My local Chrome Street festival here [in Salisbury], which is a getting together of all the local businesses in this area, I can't go there under that permit and just put my stuff up, so I'm excluded," he said.
He said other craft breweries had looked at events like triathlons and expos, which also would not be allowed.
"Can't do any of those — can't go to your local multicultural festival or your local music festival, because all of those are not under the promotional events definition — so we're asking, simply remove the definition."
Mr Kitchen said the final version of the bill was disappointing given the years of work, and the government rushed stakeholders to agree so they could introduce the legislation before the October 2020 election.
"The government has failed at the last step," Mr Kitchen said.
Selling products online
The Australian Distillers Association, and its Queensland president, Gold Coast distiller David Ridden, have given the legislation a warmer reception.
"It will allow small business, small artisan producers across Queensland, to sell direct to the public with no restrictions and to be able to continue to sell online," Mr Ridden said.
"I think the brewers, though, have been a whole heap luckier than us distillers have in Queensland.
"They've been able to sell online, they've been able to sell takeaways — we haven't been able to do that."
Distillers have been able to sell online during the COVID-19 pandemic, a relief measure for an industry hit hard.
"Before COVID, we had about five people on staff and a couple of part-timers — today we have 10 people on staff," Mr Ridden said.
He said he believed distilling in Queensland was where the wine sector was about 20 years ago.
"The state government's been very supportive … I think those little things that the brewers want to see this time around will come in the future," Mr Ridden said.
A parliamentary committee has recommended the legislation be passed.
The state government said an advisory group — including the IBA, the ADA, the Queensland Hotels Association and Clubs Queensland — will be established to advise on the implementation of the licence, and one of its first tasks will be developing guidance notes for promotional and public events.
The new licence will enable brewers to apply for a Commercial Public Event Permit to operate bars at other events, such as concerts.
Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing Glenn Butcher said the new licence was around the quarter of the cost of a full hotel licence.
"That means the financial barriers of establishing a small craft brewery are significantly reduced," he said.
"If someone who holds an artisan liquor licence wishes to sell another brewers' product, there would be an additional cost of $1,088 a year — combined with an artisan liquor licence that's still significantly less than a full hotel licence."


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AvidPay Network data from 12 million annual payments reveals positive outlook for the year ahead
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov. 19, 2020) – AvidXchange, the leading provider of accounts payable (AP) and payment automation solutions for the middle market, has launched its first-ever report examining middle market spending trends. Based on data captured from the 12 million payments processed annually through the AvidPay Network, the research shows that middle market spending is pivoting back to a positive trajectory after two years of growth that was interrupted as a result of COVID-19. Overall spending by middle market companies was down four percent in Q2 2020 compared to Q2 2019, but rebounded in Q3 to a flat percentage year-over-year.
“No industry is exempt from the unusual circumstances of 2020, but the insights in this report speak to the resiliency of the middle market and how businesses have learned to grow amidst the uncertainty,” said Michael Praeger, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of AvidXchange. “Our spending data indicates a positive outlook for the middle market as a whole in the year ahead, with several industries beginning to recover and getting back to work in our new normal.”
Despite challenges faced during the pandemic, middle market spending on technology has continued to increase rapidly, indicating that leaders feel it is a critical area of investment to keep driving businesses forward. In contrast, spending in areas like transportation and food services remains down, aligning with well-documented disruptions to the hospitality and travel industries in the wake of COVID-19.
AvidXchange’s Middle Market Spending Trends report is based on customer spending data across the AvidPay Network. As the largest payments network for the middle market, the network allows businesses to make payments more efficiently and cost-effectively by transitioning suppliers to electronic options like virtual card and AvidPay Direct (APD). Offering services including maintaining supplier payment conditions and fielding calls on outstanding invoices, the AvidPay Network allows AP teams to focus on more strategic initiatives that support future growth, rather than printing and mailing paper checks.
To learn more, read Middle Market Spending Trends.
AvidXchange is the industry leader in automating invoice and payment processes for mid-market businesses. With 1,500 employees supporting 6,000 customers across North America, AvidXchange processes over $140 billion transactions annually across its network of more than 680,000 suppliers. To learn more about how AvidXchange is transforming the way companies pay their bills, visit www.AvidXchange.com.


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Hasbro Scraps Action Figures of The Mandalorian's Cara Dune Following Gina Carano's Firing
It seems Lucasfilm dropping The Mandalorian's Gina Carano amid her controversial social media posts wasn't the last of her struggles. Toy company Hasbro is reportedly halting the production of Cara Dune action figures following her offensive Instagram story comparing the treatment of Jewish people in World War II by Nazis to Republicans in modern-day America. Once again, yikes.
"We're thrilled to have the privilege of creating products featuring characters and stories from The Mandalorian for our fans," said Julie Duffy, the toy company's SVP of Global Communications, according to Deadline. "Hasbro has completed development of all season 1 and 2 product featuring Cara Dune, and there are no current plans to create more. We are actively working with our retail partners to address existing orders."
Although only recently confirmed, rumors of this move had been swirling for days after a representative from BigBadToyStore, which sells action figures and other collectibles told The Hollywood Reporter the future of Cara Dune products was in question following her firing. "The Star Wars Black Cara Dune figure was released in 2020 and sold out not long after the inventory was received," a spokeswoman told the publication via email on Monday "Hasbro planned for another production run and we were accepting preorders from that production run. Due to recent events, Hasbro was no longer approved to produce any more of this figure."
As a result of this change, several new listings for action figures depicting the once-beloved ex-Rebel shock trooper have popped up on eBay and other third-party selling sites, going for hundreds of dollars each, The Hill reported. If only she had not spewed gross rhetoric -- that money could have ended up in her pocket.
While her most recent social media blunder proved to be the final straw in her career at Lucasfilm, Carano had a history of sharing alarming statements on social media. Over the past few months, the actress has taken to her platform of more than 853,000 followers to tout baseless notions about the validity of the 2020 presidential election, share memes mocking the CDC-recommended protocol of wearing masks to slow the spread of Covid-19, and sharing posts with a hashtag typically associated with the conspiracy group, QAnon. Yikes.
So folks, remember, if you're an international celebrity and a role model for millions around the world, use your platform wisely. Come on, it's really not that hard.


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Los lunes, btc price rebuilt after a 14% fall over the weekend because of the large leverage, benefit and high expectation of new regulations — and even some trading platforms collapsed.
With BTC attaining the all time high of 63,000 US dollars last week, it crashed over the weekend to 51, 000 US dollars of 59,000 US dollars. There were other criptor-like cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Dogecoin, too.
On Monday the price of Bitcoin steadily rose to US$ 57,000 at 4pm.
After the high record, which triggered a “turnout” Xu Tong, senior analyst for Huobi, an important Bitcoin tradition, said the market lacks optimistic expectations.
Following the record high market expectations, which led to a “sharp correction,” says Xu Tong, a senior analyst at Huobi, a major trading platform of Bitcoin.
The excessive early profit accumulation induced pressure to sell Bitcoin’s investments.The sales of one of the world most used exchanged site, Coinbase has also started generating controversies in the market.
The top managers of Coinbase sold their stock immediately after the Nasdaq big cryptocurrency last week.
Turkey prohibited Bitcoin from trading and payment.
Another main explanation for the large dump is high leverage, which KuCoin, an IDG-investing cryptocurrency trading site, claims was used in margin trading to achieve higher revenues.
“Market” “The high-leverage market is extremely fragile. Once price falls, retail investment panic will cause more declines,” said Johnny Lyu, CEO of KuCoin.
Chinese Bitcoin investors found it difficult to reach commercial platforms during the fall of the weekend, causing considerable losses.
But the upturn shows that investors still trust Bitcoin for a long time.


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By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) will from Tuesday, June 6, 2023, impose an upfront payment of 12.5 percent (12.5%) tax on the value of goods imported by persons or companies who are yet to register for Value Added Tax (VAT) with the Authority.
According to the management of GRA, importers of taxable goods who are non-VAT registered will pay in advance 12.5% VAT in addition to other payable taxes, on the total value of the goods imported.
The implementation of the 12.5% upfront payment, was announced during an engagement with editors from some key media houses.
Giving the rationale behind the implementation of the 12.5% upfront payment which is not a new tax but one of the many tax tools adopted by the Authority to maximize revenue, the Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the GRA, Mr. Edward Gyambrah, explained that the proposed upfront payment was in line with the amendment of the VAT Act 2013 (Act 870) which provided for the upfront cost of VAT by unregistered importers.
The Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the GRA, explaining further, maintained that the law, which was passed in 2020, was to ensure parity in the pricing of goods on the market as well as establish fairness as VAT-registered taxpayers charge the tax on their imported goods.
He was of the view that the new tax tool would help identify unregistered importers of taxable goods who do not charge VAT on their goods for sale.
Another added advantage that the new tax tool brings, according to Mr. Gyambrah would enhance tax compliance as importers of taxable goods would be required to register with the GRA and file their tax returns.
“The 12.5% VAT upfront payment is a compliance tool and not a new tax. We are only asking importers to comply with the law that all importers should register with the GRA before doing business. All businesses that are tax compliance will not be affected,” The Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the GRA reiterated.
Mr. Gyambrah noted that the upfront VAT payment could be recovered when the importers finally register with the GRA, file their tax returns, and pay all taxes due the state.
He disclosed that his outfit had engaged all various critical stakeholders, including the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Institute of Freight Forwarders, and Customs Brokers Association of Ghana among others ahead of the implementation of the amended law.
Mr. Gyambrah hinted that as part of efforts by management and staff of the Authority to meet its GH¢106 billion revenue target for the year 2023, the GRA was embarking on various initiatives including e-VAT invigilation, mystery shopping, while the tax net had been widened to cover the gaming, betting, and lottery industries and the night market economy.
“Again, the GRA had intensified the prosecution of tax defaulters to deter businesses and individuals from evading taxes.
All these moves are geared towards increasing the contribution of VAT to our country’s tax receipts. We have the lowest VAT contribution on the continent. Currently, VAT makes up less than 20 percent of the total tax receipts, while our neighbours are recording between 36% and 50% VAT contributions,” Mr. Gyambrah added.
Meanwhile, a member of the technical committee for the implementation of the 12.5% VAT upfront payment, Mr. Wiseborn Koranteng, during a presentation said, per the law, businesses that fail to register for tax with the GRA were liable to a penalty that was two times the amount of tax on taxable goods from the time they were required to apply for registration until they filed an application for registration with the Commissioners General of the GRA.
He, however, noted that the current law provided that the 12.5% VAT upfront payment could be recovered within six months after the importer had registered for the tax and filed a return.


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Regatta 220 closed for renovations
ASHWAUBENON - Regatta 220 has set sail.
The restaurant at 465 Marina Lane closed last weekend for renovations and a possible name change, but told customers very little more than that.
WVG Enterprises Inc., the group that leases the space, is the second business to operate a restaurant in the 8,700-square-foot building. It began its life as a Fratello’s location in 2004 when the Oshkosh-based restaurateur made a push into the Appleton, Green Bay and Milwaukee markets.
WVG declined requests for information about the scope of renovations, but a media release indicated the plan is to give the building’s interior a major update. The group also said they’re exploring branding the revamped restaurant with a franchise restaurant, but it doesn’t sound like it’s a guarantee.
You might recall this area of Ashwaubenon came up just last Sunday because it’s the same vicinity where the Residence Inn by Marriott will open in the next week or two and a new apartment building is in planning stages.
McDonald’s lovin’ Ashwaubenon progress
If you’re a regular Oneida Street traveler, you’ve probably already noticed that the McDonald’s at 2340 S. Oneida St. has been reduced to rubble and rebuilt in the three months since it closed July 24 for a complete reconstruction.
The Schanock family, which has been gradually remodeling its locations in the Green Bay area in recent years, has a partnership with McDonald’s that dates back to 1959.
The new building should be completed in the next few weeks. It will have a double drive-thru lane, rock-and-brick exterior, seating for 100 and 59 parking stalls.
Garden Grill opens in Hilton
The Hilton Garden Inn, 1015 Lombardi Ave., welcomed the first diners to its new on-site eatery, the Garden Grill on Tuesday.
The Garden Grill and Hilton owners, KNK Plaza Hotel of Green Bay LLC, and its operators, Beechwood Hotel Group LLC, celebrated completion of the project with a ribbon cutting and formal unveiling Nov. 1.
Restaurant Week 2016
Continuing the restaurants theme going on this week, the Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau delivered the results for this year’s Restaurant Week back in July 2016.
The 68 participating restaurants served a whopping 52,228 meals, while hotels reported 2,130 room nights related to Restaurant Week. In total, the eight-day culinary celebration generated an economic impact of $2,324,340.
The number of meals served this year is a 39 percent increase over the 37,500 served in 2015. The number of room nights increased by 70.4 percent.
Bravo, Green Bay area restaurateurs and diners! We're sure it was Team USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin's four courses that helped propel the event to new heights.
email@example.com and follow him on Twitter @GBstreetwise.


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OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — As experts are suggesting social distancing due to the cornona virus, more people are working from home.
Before the virus, 10 million people worked from home; that's six percent of the workforce.
Working from home isn't for everyone, but for the right individual it could actually increase productivity. Technology companies are seeing more requests from individuals and businesses looking to ramp up their at home capabilities.
"The conference platorm allows us to actually show information in realtime, show documents on the screen, share videos, audio, even have a virtual meeting," said Brett Oltman, field sales manager of Windstream.
Working from home also alleviates traffic stress, saves commute time, money spent on work clothes, dry cleaning, and wear and tear on your car.


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The research firm IDC posted a report in March, predicting that for the entire year of 2013, PC shipments worldwide would contract by 1.3 percent. Today, IDC issued their report on PC shipments for the first quarter of 2013 and the results were even worse than what the firm had expected.
IDC says that there were 76.3 million PC units shipped during the first three months of the year, which is 13.9 percent lower than the same period a year ago. IDC previously predicted first quarter 2013 PC shipments would go down but by just 7.7 percent.
What's the culprit? IDC points the finger squarely at Microsoft and the launch of Windows 8 as the main reason for the lower number of PC shipments. Part of the reason is that Windows 8 PCs with touchscreens and slim designs have been "hampered by traditional barriers of price and component supply." However, IDC says that the design of Windows 8 itself is also to blame.
Bob O'Donnell, IDC Program Vice President, Clients and Displays, states:
While some consumers appreciate the new form factors and touch capabilities of Windows 8, the radical changes to the UI, removal of the familiar Start button, and the costs associated with touch have made PCs a less attractive alternative to dedicated tablets and other competitive devices. Microsoft will have to make some very tough decisions moving forward if it wants to help reinvigorate the PC market.
IDC also says that the current restructuring issues that are affecting two of the major PC makers, HP and Dell, have not helped the PC market. Lenovo seems to be an exception, with IDC claiming that it "continues to execute on a solid 'attack' strategy." Microsoft is scheduled to reveal its first quarter 2013 financial results on Thursday, April 18th. Hopefully we should get some more color about Windows 8 sales at that time.


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Amazon wrote to DIPP closing week pronouncing it could perchance truly well perchance be subtle for the firm to comply by February 1 as this entails in depth overhauling of its enterprise mannequin and methods.
There could be effort in paradise. The authorities’s drastic intervention in e-commerce on the behest of vested domestic interests and the extremely effective merchants foyer has created consternation within the bulge bracket world of e-commerce in India.
With the tall avid gamers having reached out to the Authorities to present them respiratory home on the novel compliance measures past the January 31 deadline, the Industry ministry has not responded, leading to scare assaults across the board.
Powerful stakeholders led by Walmart and Amazon from the e-commerce eco machine possess sought a six-month extension since lakhs of sellers – minute and medium-sized – within the market characteristic must quiet be trained, IT-enabled and linked to meet the statutory audit requirements. Furthermore, contracts must be re-negotiated in speak that the compliance measures remain ongoing with time being of the essence.
It’s believed that the DIPP or Industry Secretary Ramesh Abhishek, who used to be earlier encouraging the most main avid gamers to ramp up their investments in India, has not responded to their pleas and petitions.
The set has change into precarious essentially for the reason that clarification to press point to 2 used to be vital extra complicated. On a granular stage, the market characteristic cannot possess any equity within the seller.
Attributable to this fact, Amazon which has five percent equity in Clients Conclude has to take a look on the novel standards. The novel authorities directive does not allow non-public labels, nor does it allow tall brands to possess industrial tie-usawith the market characteristic. Mainly, the foundations of engagement had been turned on their head.
Bain Capital reckons that the heavy lifting e-com avid gamers possess generated three lakh jobs in India. Over and above this, there are lakhs of distributors.
Extra, the eco machine has just a few depart-offs esteem adverts, courier firms, logistics firms, supports innumerable manufacturing operations and caters to sizable scale provide chains. Flipkart has 80,000 workers, 80 fulfilment centres (warehouses), almost one lakh plus sellers and artisans of all hues across the land. Ditto for Amazon, which has identical numbers across its enterprise spectrum.
Walmart paid $14 billion for Flipkart stock with a promise of an further $2 billion in bodily building investment. So, there’s lots riding on these heavy lifters for each and each know that this is the closing frontier in phrases of a consumption market, since India consumes 67 per cent of its non-public $2.6 trillion GDP. Curiously, Walmart runs Flipkart as a stand-on my own entity.
For Walmart this is a precedence market and it is eager that the January 31 compliance window deadline is prolonged. Its commitment to the Indian market could perchance unbiased even be gauged from the incontrovertible fact that it not too lengthy ago bought 100 acres in Bengal for warehousing as a pivot to the northeast market. Attributable to this fact the scale of the commitment is seeing growth almost each day.
It’s on the verge of closing one other 100 acre fulfilment centre in Telangana to provider the southern market. Remarkably, the Indian retail market is estimated to be $650 billion, of which 90 percent is the kirana stores while almost eight per cent is made up of Indian retail avid gamers and completely two percent is e-commerce. On the different hand, for the reason that biggies in e-com are world behemoths, impediments are being positioned in their route.
On the kernel of the authorities notification and clarificatory observation is the focusing on of e-commerce giants who are like a flash to acknowledge that they serving to minute sellers with a channel that is tech-enabled to position their products within the marketplace.
On the time same time, at the same time as they fight and fetch the authorities to listen to to their litany of woes on rapid compliance, the strategy of evaluation of sellers will proceed and remain ongoing so they are effectively compliant each day. The authorities’s intervention is perceived to be through a non-consultative direction of and the world giants want extra time for compliance and enhanced stage of debate.
The audit requirement on the sellers by opening their books to the market in this kind of short time is paying homage to the haste within the launch of GST, which threw minute firms out of apparatus.
Many of the sellers will now possess homicide IT methods and the market cannot be liable for this. In parallel, there’s not any clarification on how one can behavior the non-public tag enterprise.


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One would assume that since CBD is not psychoactive in nature that it would be considered a legal substance.
After all, there’s no THC in CBD (or extremely low traces of it), which is what gets users high.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Depending on the state that the CBD is being purchased from, the cannabinoid could be considered illegal.
That’s precisely the case for Ohio.
Many people have been using CBD oil to alleviate a host of ailments and symptoms1. Pain, inflammation, and seizures are only some of the myriad of symptoms that CBD has been shown to alleviate, and many proponents and users of the cannabinoid have been relying on it to provide the relief they need without having to reach for traditional medications.
Recently, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy announced that over-the-counter CBD is illegal in the state, despite the fact that it is still readily accessible in stores and online. Although users can still get their hands on CBD, they may only do so from state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries in order to comply with Ohio state law.
This poses a big problem, because as of yet, there haven’t been any state medicinal marijuana licenses issued. Even though Ohio approved medical marijuana back in 2016, it could still be months or even years before these licenses are issued in the state as a result of regulatory delays.
The issue of legality of CBD – and any other derivative of the cannabis plant – in the US has long been clouded and confusing. Federal laws prohibit the production, distribution, and use of cannabis products, while a growing number of states have legalized both its medical and recreational use.
Things get even more confusing when news comes to light of cannabis-based drugs getting approved for use all across the US. Namely, a British-based company’s cannabis-based drug Epidiolex (a drug to help minimize the incidence of seizures) has just recently been given the go-ahead to be distributed in pharmacies throughout the US.
This marks the first case in which any compound extracted from the cannabis plant is allowed to be used just like any other pharmaceutical product. That’s huge news for the cannabis industry, especially since CBD is still technically considered federally illegal because of its Schedule I classification according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The fact that Ohio’s stance on CBD refers to the cannabinoid as illegal to produce and distribute may seem unfounded given the fact that CBD is a non-psychoactive compound that does not get users high. To classify it among the ranks of highly-addictive and destructive drugs like heroin seems absurd.
But until dispensaries in the state of Ohio are operational and fully licensed, distributing or using CBD and any other compound that is associated with the cannabis plant is prohibited under state law. That means any CBD product must adhere to specific testing procedures and regulations as any other product that is derived from cannabis. In addition, products that are derived from cannabis must show the exact details of active ingredients.
House Bill 523, which is Ohio’s law on medical marijuana that was passed in 2016, makes no distinction between hemp and marijuana, even though hemp has no THC and is what CBD is extracted from. What’s interesting is the fact that Ohio state law – as well as federal law for that matter – does not have any rules against the resin of the cannabis plant, which is actually what produces both THC and CBD.
It remains to be seen how CBD’s restriction will be enforced by law, as the guidelines for law enforcement in this realm are still in the middle of being written.
1. Kogan, Natalya,. et al, “Cannabinoids in health and disease“, Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 2007, Volume 9(4), pp. 413–430.


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Earthport cross-border electronic payment services has made available its payments services through “epDirect” online interface. Allowing payments in more than 200 countries for a flat per-transaction fee, “epDirect” transactions are facilitated through Earthport’s “epClearing” infrastructure. It is designed to serve small-to-medium size businesses with cross-border transfers of lower value, for which other payments services are often not cost effective or suitable. Transfers via “epDirect” are funded directly from the client’s own bank account and validates beneficiary and bank data, maximizing straight-through processing (STP) rates while minimising enquiries and exceptions.
BancVue and TSYS outsourced payments have forged agreements stipulating BancVue will provide the TSYS electronic payment services to community banks. GA-based TSYS employs the latest equipment and systems to provide production output for its clients in a variety of programs, including credit, debit, commercial, private-label, prepaid and loyalty. BancVue offers products, marketing, and consulting solutions to nearly 700 community financial institutions nationwide, allowing them to compete against the megabanks and direct banks.
Capital One Bank has launched its “EndangeredSavers.com” interactive Web site for people seeking money-saving tips and strategies (www.endangeredsavers.com). Offering easy-to-use online tools that can be shared with their entire network of friends and family, “EndangeredSavers.com” encourages responsible savings with such features as the “Saver Quiz” to determine the users’ classification as a ‘High Roller,’ a ‘Cost Cruncher’ or a ‘Cash Coach’ based on their feelings and behaviors towards money in everyday life situations. Additionally, the site offers ‘Sound Advice’ from personal finance experts on topics ranging from saving for a first home to creative ideas for dating on a budget; “Vital $tats” providing statistics on American’s financial habits may surprise people; and “Endangered Savers” videos, challenging consumers to a series of money-related obstacles and trivia. As added incentive to keep saving, Capital One Bank is giving away prizes valued up to $5,000 to visitors of the Web site who enter the sweepstakes and to those who share the Saver Quiz, Sound Advice, Vital $tats or one of the videos with a friend.
MasterCard has introduced its “MoneySend” P2P remittance service for BlackBerry Smartphones. By securely combining the power of a mobile device with a banking relationship, “MoneySend” allows users in the U.S. to send or request money via their BlackBerry through participating banks and credit unions or when they create a virtual prepaid account through Bancorp Bank. Available for free download on BlackBerry App World (www.blackberry.com/appworld), the service allows users to link existing payment cards or bank checking accounts to the new virtual prepaid account and begin sending money via their BlackBerry Smartphone. Users can accept debit and credit card payments; send money to family members; pay for informal goods and services; request money from debtors; and manage their “MoneySend” transaction history from their BlackBerry.
ViVOtech NFC m-payments, loyalty applications and contactless NFC readers has partnered with DeviceFidelity microSD based m-contactless solutions have partnered to make available contactless mobile payment, loyalty, transit, ticketing and coupon redemption on select smartphones. Designed for use on multiple Blackberry models and iPhone 3Gs, the joint solution allows ViVOtechâs mobile wallet software, OTA provisioning solution, and coupon issuance/redemption software to be deployed with DeviceFidelityâs NFC-enabled “In2Pay” microSD and “In2Pay Case” for iPhone technology. This allows consumers to plug the “In2Pay microSD” into their smartphones, download multiple credit and/or debit cards securely to their handsets, and use their phones to perform contactless transactions. Users can also request electronic coupons and discount offers, store them in their mobile wallets, and electronically redeem them at time of purchase.
Keeping up with the constant fluctuation seen since December 2009, the latest “Credit Managersâ Index” was up for the month of August to 53.3, after having fallen 1.1 points to 53.0 in July. The “Index” showed a dramatic decline from the levels in April, since which point the “index” has been on a slide. Indicators did gain remarkably since the year ago figure of 48.1, struggling to reach the all-important 50 mark. The reduction in credit applications, however, indicates that there is less willingness to lend and that companies seeking credit are being put through more hoops than in the past. The number of additional disputes and delinquencies also suggests that some sectors of the economy are still struggling. NACM noted the credit system has not healed and it may be some time before there is a sense that the biggest issues are behind the economy. There are some shoes left to drop, most notably the commercial property sector.
AUG 09: 48.1
SEP 09: 49.8
OCT 09: 51.0
NOV 09: 52.3
DEC 09: 52.9
JAN 10: 55.1
FEB 10: 55.2
MAR 10: 55.7
APR 10: 56.5
MAY 10: 55.9
JUN 10: 54.1
JUL 10: 53.0
AUG 10: 53.3
eBillme will be sponsoring an industry Webinar titled How Banks and Merchants can Leverage Alternative Payments for a new Revenue Stream on Thursday, September 16. Contribution will come from the First Vice President of the Enterprise Payments Strategy Group at SunTrust Bank, who will share some of the highlights of their alternative payments pilot program with eBillme, online shopping allowing users to pay with cash using online banking and walk-in locations. Financial institutions and online retailers will learn why SunTrust pursued alternative payments; the objectives and results of the SunTrust and eBillme pilot program; revenue sharing opportunity for banks; and pportunities for online retailers to increase sales at the checkout.
Paymetric integrated and secure enterprise payment acceptance solutions has launched its “Payments U” blog for the payments industry. Having assembled a cabinet of select industry experts that will write about the latest payments industry news, trends, regulations and solutions, as well as engage in ongoing dialog with readers, Payments U include industry notables from Maritz; the Double Diamond Group; Morris Advisors; Optimized Payments Consulting; ThoughtKey; Merchant360; VeriFone; and High Bit Security. Paymetric provides integrated and secure enterprise payment acceptance solutions that enable companies to streamline the order-to-cash process, reduce the scope and financial burden of achieving PCI compliance and improve return on electronic payment acceptance.
Citopay Internet Payment Service Provider has renewed its PCI (Payment Cards Industry) certification for the years 2010/ 2011. For accepting online credit card transactions, including refund, void, capture and recurring transactions; Card data needs to be sent only once to Citopay’s Secure Payment Gateway, when submitting the transaction to Citopay’s Payment Gateway the first time, Citopay will send (on request) a “Unique Transaction ID” back to the online merchant which can be used for further transaction billing. By receiving this “Unique Transaction ID” we identify the merchant’s online merchant account, the consumers personal data and the consumers credit card information.
Capital One and Discover are able to release capital from loan loss reserves indicating a positive shift for lenders. Loan loss reserves are still high but are trending downward. Improved credit policies are providing stability now but the repercussions of federal financial reform are making the future an uncertain one for credit card companies. As a result of this, companies lobbyist spending the first half of the year surged by about 25%. Lobbying spending has been aimed at refining some of the rules being finalized. Credit card fees for debit and credit transactions are among the key legislative points that concern credit card companies.
Aditya Birla Minacs has been certified as PCI-DSS compliant as a Level 1 Service Provider. Minacs is now in a select group of about 15 entities globally that are deemed certified and listed as such across multiple jurisdictions. This current certification spans both North America and the Asia Pacific regions. Aditya Birla Minacs business solutions company partners with global corporations in the manufacturing, retail, telecom, technology, media and entertainment, banking, insurance, healthcare and public sectors through 16,000 Minacs experts across 3 continents and 32 centers.
The recession has produced a risk-adverse cautious consumer whom prefer to pay-now with cash, checks, debit, prepaid and gift cards at a higher rate. This leaves credit card use plummeting, given among the 11% of consumers with an increased ability to save, 46% have decreased the use of their credit cards and 51% have decreased their spending on discretionary goods. This, according to the Javelin Strategy & Research report “Payment Card Issuer Strategies 2010: The Rise of the Cautious Consumer,” also shows credit card use among consumers decreased 31% between 2007 and 2009 from 87% to 56%, respectively, and is slated to fall below 50% while 80% of consumers cited âno annual feeâ as the most important criterion when choosing a new credit card.


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BEIJING (Scrap Monster): The most recent data released by Chinese Customs authorities indicate that the imports of tin ores and concentrates by the country jumped significantly higher during the month of October this year. The imports totaled 36,515 tonnes, more than double when matched with the previous month imports. Also, the imports surged higher by nearly 35% when matched with the year before. Bulk of the imports was from Myanmar, which recorded ramp-up in local production. Also, the country’s refined tin imports during the month totaled 1,237 tonnes, rising by nearly 14% over the previous month. The Oct ’16 imports were up significantly by 55% over the previous year. China had imported nearly 800 tonnes of refined tin during October last year. Meantime, tin exports by the country totaled just 1 tonne during the month.
The cumulative tin imports by the country during the first ten months of the current year totaled 383,690 tonnes. Out of this, Myanmar accounted for imports of 382,324 tonnes during the ten-month period. The imports of tin ore and concentrate were up by 83% when compared with the corresponding period last year. The refined tin exports during Jan-Oct ’16 were down by nearly 5% to 7,789 tonnes. The country’s tin exports totaled 728 tonnes during the initial ten-month period of 2016.
According to ITRI, the local tin production in Man Maw mining area in Wa County, Myanmar had registered sharp decline on account of heavy rains in September. A recovery in October was very much on the cards, it added. Going forward, the body forecasts significant drop in production from the region, mainly on account of falling ore grades and depletion of resources. The region’s production is expected to fall below 50,000 tonnes in 2017. Incidentally, the region accounts for nearly 95% of the total production by Myanmar.
Meantime, preliminary figures released by the Indonesian Trade Ministry suggests considerable drop in tin exports by the country during the month of November this year, in comparison with the previous month. The cumulative exports dropped by 18% year-on-year during January to November this year, totaling 57,508 tonnes. ITRI noted that ICDX activity remained subdued in early November this year, but witnessed recovery in volumes towards the end of the month. Going by the current trend, the country’s refined tin production is expected to total around 66,400 tonnes during the entire year 2016, marginally higher by nearly 1,000 tonnes in comparison with the previous year.
The state-owned PT Timah had earlier announced its plan to construct a fuming plant at its Muntok smelter in an attempt to boost tin recoveries by controlling the quantity of tin discarded in slags. The company also intends to stream line its operations by laying aside unprofitable operations. PT Timah had reported profit of nearly $3.8 million during Q3 this year. The revenues had dropped by almost 9% when compared with 2015. The cost of revenues too had declined significantly by 12% over the previous year.
|Base Metals||VIEW ALL|
|Alumina 98.5% min||50558.04||12717.8|
|Aluminum Alloy A356||2.70723||0.23|
|Minor Metals||VIEW ALL|
|Ammonium heptamolybdate 54% min||2489611.41||151162.83|
|Ammonium metavanadate 98% min||1605161.61||-330749.64|
|High Purity Metals||VIEW ALL|
|Aluminum ingot purity 9999900||41900.00||0|
|Aluminum oxide purity 9900000||12100.00||0|
|Rare Earth||VIEW ALL|
|Cerium carbonates TREO 45% min, CeO2 / REO 100%||131194.44||1088.1|
|Cerium Metal 99% min||429641.55||3561.48|


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Julie Bishop has joined her British counterpart Boris Johnson for trade diplomacy on the run – a photo opportunity that left the heavyset Brit looking worse for wear.
Microphones around London’s St James Park picked up Australia’s Foreign Minister talking at length to Mr Johnson about trade, visas and terrorism.
Ms Bishop encouraged a free trade agreement between Australia and the UK as a stepping stone for Britain to join the resuscitated Trans-Pacific Partnership, the full text of which was publicly released on Wednesday.
They both wore t-shirts from the Zoological Society of London promoting the protection of pangolins, which are often traded illegally – one of Mr Johnson’s pet projects.
Ms Bishop paired her pangolin t-shirt with trendy sportswear, whereas Mr Johnson opted for a daggier outfit of long shorts and a beanie.
It did not appear that jogging was one of Mr Johnson’s favourite past-times, however – or, at least, he seemed less accustomed to running at Ms Bishop’s pace.
A spokeswoman for Ms Bishop said talks included how Britain and Australia could negotiate a post-Brexit free trade agreement.
“Minister Bishop encouraged the UK to use such an FTA as a vehicle to later sign up to the [Trans-Pacific Partnership] 11,” the spokeswoman said.
The TPP trade deal, which had been on life support after the United States’ withdrawal, is expected to be signed by the remaining 11 countries – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam – at a meeting of trade ministers on March 8.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) came out swinging against the proposed deal, saying it would make it easier for corporations to import cheaper labour.
“This is a bad deal for working people and a win for corporate power. It lets companies exploit temporary workers without ever having to offer jobs to people in Australia,” ACTU secretary Sally McManus said.
Shadow Trade Minister Jason Clare said Labor would support the agreement if was good for Australian jobs.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull may discuss the TPP with Mr Trump when the pair meet in Washington later this week, after the US President surprisingly flagged the possibility of rejoining the deal last month.