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|Vietnamese supporting industry enterprises need connection opportunities to increase exports to international markets. Photo: NV|
Motivation for cooperation
Over the years, Vietnam’s supporting industry enterprises have grown in quantity and quality, improved their production capacity, and become increasingly involved in the global production chain. As a result, the number of enterprises operating in the supporting industry accounts for nearly 4.5% of the total enterprises in the processing and manufacturing industry. Production and business revenue reached more than 900,000 billion VND, contributing nearly 11% of the total revenue of the whole processing and manufacturing industry.
Although many components, finished products and semi-finished products of Vietnam have met domestic demand and been exported to many countries around the world, including Japan, the number of Vietnamese enterprises becoming a supplier of supporting industrial products for Japanese enterprises is limited.
Meanwhile, Japan is Vietnam’s major trading partner, with a total import-export turnover of about US $43 billion in 2021. In addition, Japan is the second investor among countries and territories investing in Vietnam, with more than 4,300 projects with a total registered capital of nearly US $ 60 billion.
In particular, to develop cooperative relations between the two countries in the industrial field, the Prime Minister approved Vietnam’s industrialization strategy within the framework of Vietnam-Japan cooperation towards 2020, vision to 2030. The strategy was developed and implemented with the active support of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, the Japanese Ministry of Economy and Industry, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and many other Japanese agencies based on consulting businesses and scientists. The overall objective of the strategy is to promote technological innovation, increase labour productivity, build international competitiveness, have products with high added value, have a spillover effect, and achieve international standards advanced quality standards in the export and domestic consumption market.
Seizing opportunities actively
The domestic supporting industry business community has actively increased trade promotion and investment cooperation with businesses from Japan.
Typically, right after Vietnam reopened its economy after the Covid-19 pandemic was basically under control in early 2022, Japan’s Onaga Company invested in building a chain of factories for manufacturing components of aircraft, aviation, shinkansen, automobiles, ships, agriculture and fishery, automated robots, etc. in Hanoi South Supporting Industrial Park (HANSSIP). This is an enterprise with an age of over fifty years in Japan, a manufacturer and supplier of products and components for corporations such as Boeing, Airbus… The project is being urgently built and implemented as planned in the second quarter of 2023.
The official investment by Onaga Company in HANSSIP Industrial Park has concretized the cooperation agreement signed on November 25, 2021, in Tokyo between N&> Group – Vietnam and Onaga Company – Japan (representative of the business group in Kobe) in the presence of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Japanese officials. According to the signed cooperation content, N&> Group will support all procedures related to investment and construction permits; import machinery and equipment already in use in Japan to move to Vietnam; support recruitment and training of workers according to Japanese standards right at the Vietnam Supporting Industries Vocational Institute (VSI) in the form of “non-profit”.
In addition, the Hanoi Supporting Industry Business Association (HANSIBA), with N&> Group and Kobe Japan Manufacturers Association have also established a Vietnam Supporting Industry Development – Investment – Consulting Company – Japan (VI-JA CID). This company will initially cooperate in transfer, consulting technology and management, supplying export components for dozens of supporting industry enterprises in Hanoi.
From the success of a Japanese enterprise going ahead, recently, Kobe Japan’s business delegation also came to survey and plan together with HANSIBA member enterprises to invest and together rush to complete the first chain of the factory in the second quarter of 2023, promptly joined the production chain of Japan and the world.
|CPTPP prompts Vietnam’s aquatic exports to Japan|
Vietnam is eying great opportunities in exporting aquatic products to the Japanese market thanks to the high …
It can be seen that the connection and trade cooperation between businesses will be good opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to find potential customers and promote the export of supporting industrial products; at the same time, helping Japanese businesses have “good land” to expand investment, cooperation and international links. This will enhance the supporting industry’s role and position in the spirit of Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW dated March 22, 2018, of the Politburo on orientations for formulating public development policies. National industry to 2030, vision to 2045.


text: cardoni writes "Dan Yoder, CTO at Border Stylo, offers insights on the current state of simultaneous iPhone / Android development using PhoneGap and his thoughts on the debate over native apps versus Web apps. Quoting: 'One problem with the debate is that it’s a false dichotomy, since you can embed a Web browser within a native application. And, conversely, you can extend an embedded Web browser to provide access to native APIs. The two alternatives have not been mutually exclusive for years now. And, focusing on the strengths of native applications ignores the benefits of Web applications. For example, there’s the appeal of writing code that will run on a variety of different devices, ranging from mobile phones, to tablets, to laptops, even to gaming consoles. Virtually every major device platform now sports a Web browser, and it can often be discreetly embedded within a native application. To boot, much of this code can be tested using a Web browser, which enables more easily automated testing. It’s also easier to find Web developers than it is to find native developers.'"

domain: news


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Microsoft on Wednesday announced details of a major Windows 10 update shipping to everyone for free this spring. Dubbed the Creators Update, it will bring a number of new tools for working with and creating 3D content, gaming, and sharing with the most important people in your life.
Microsoft plans to release early builds of the Creators Update to all Windows Insiders this week, Terry Myerson, Microsoft's Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group, said at an event in New York City today.
For starters, the Creators Update promises to make the creation of 3D content as simple as taking a photo or video on your phone. Plus, Microsoft over the next year will be integrating support for 3D content across its most popular apps, including Paint and PowerPoint.
On stage, Microsoft's Megan Saunders used the Windows 10-based HP Elite x3 to turn something from the real world, a sand castle, into a 3D object by simply walking around it to scan it on all sides. She then imported the virtual sandcastle right into a beach scene within Paint 3D.
Microsoft also today introduced Remix3d.com, a community where people can share, discover, and save 3D content in Pinterest-like boards. This community is integrated with Paint 3D, letting you drag and drop objects you find there into your own creation. Saunders, for instance, found a 3D palm tree from the community and added to her beach scene before sharing it on Facebook.
Earlier this year, Microsoft said every Windows 10 PC next year will support mixed reality. To that end, Meyerson tipped a "new set of affordable VR accessories," from companies like HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus, and Acer that are designed to work with the new features in Windows 10. These Creators Update-friendly VR headsets will start at $299.
Meanwhile, on the gaming front, Microsoft is integrating its recently acquired Beam live-streaming service into Windows. You'll be able to start broadcasting your gameplay right from Windows in a few clicks with "virtually no lag between broadcast and what viewers see," Xbox's Jenn McCoy said on stage. When you start broadcasting, Xbox Live will let all your friends know, helping you build your audience.
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McCoy also tipped another cool feature coming with the Creators Update: the ability to create custom tournaments. Just pick a game, a style of tournament (single or double elimination), set a date and time, and invite your friends. This new feature is integrated with Xbox Live, and it will automatically compile your stats and determine a winner.
Finally, Microsoft outlined new sharing features on tap for the Creators Update. You'll be able to pin the people who matter most in your day-to-day life — your spouse, children, closest co-workers, and neighbors — to the task bar, then simply drag and drop content to share it with them. Microsoft is also integrating mail, Skype, and SMS messages into this experience, so when you get a text from one of these people, for instance, you'll see it right on your desktop.
Also today, Microsoft revealed the new Surface Studio AIO and a more powerful Surface Book.
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Foodgod Jonathan Cheban Spotted Blinged Out In Beverly Hills Without Kim Kardashian
Foodgod Jonathan Cheban hit up Beverly Hills without his best friend Kim Kardashian and RadarOnline.com has a gallery of photos of his casual day out.
Blinged out with a $1900 Louis Vuitton bag and a diamond watch, Foodgod was caught alone on the streets.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star was strolling through the fancy town and RadarOnline.com has a gallery of his city shots.
Foodgod wore his $85,000 AP watch in Beverly Hills.
Can’t See Him
Cheban had a pair of camo pants on for his walk near Rodeo Drive.
The ‘KUWTK’ star took a break from filming for the day.
Kim and Jonathan were last seen together in April 2019.
Cheban’s LV bag was a cool $1900.
Foodgod was shopping up a storm in Beverly Hills.


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A LOOMING downturn in the economy could spell opportunity for the channel.
New Zealand is heading for an economic slowdown that will see a rise in inflation and interest rates, according to Rodney Dickens, economist, group strategist and head of research at ASB Bank.
But the outlook is not all gloomy for the technology industry, says Dickens.
Technology could address many of the problems caused by a slowdown in the economy, he says.
The biggest issue business faces today is a labour shortage, as the Reserve Bank’s current go-for-growth monetary policy has created the tightest labour market in 20 years, which has kicked off a wage-price spiral, he says.
The skills shortage is reflected in above-average pay increases as workers have more bargaining power.
“We are seeing 10 to 20% pay increases,” says Dickens, adding that the average pay rise is now around 36% in the technology industry.
These increases result in a rise in the cost of goods and services as companies attempt to recoup the additional wage costs.
“For most firms labour is the single biggest cost,” says Dickens.
Labour is also a driver of inflation, but the true inflation rate is hidden by the strong exchange rate of the dollar, says Dickens.
“When the currency falls next we could face headline inflation of 4 to 5%,” he says. This could happen in 2007 or 2008, he says.
“The battle against inflation has just started.”
This may sound like a horror story, but there are some bright points, says Dickens.
One of these is the uptake of technology, which can help companies cope with fewer staff.
Brett Roberts, chief technology officer at Microsoft New Zealand, says businesses need to prepare for a slowdown in the economy now.
“CIOs and IT managers need to be smarter about what they spend on,” he says.
Investing in IT can help companies reduce costs and increase revenue, but also boost staff and customer retention, which will have benefits in an economic downturn, says Roberts.


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Mumbai, Maharashtra India (PressExposure) April 05, 2011 -- For the first time, National Basketball Association (NBA) jerseys will be available to basketball fans in India at Adidas stores across the country. The initial collection will include jerseys featuring reigning two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, five-time NBA Champion Kobe Bryant of the reigning two-time NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James of the Miami Heat, and 2008 NBA Champion Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics, with additional jerseys to follow. In addition to jerseys, Adidas, the official outfitter of the NBA, will launch the widest range of NBA performance and lifestyle merchandise ever in India.
The first two NBA shops opened within Adidas stores in India in August 2010. Following their success, as well as the growing popularity of basketball in the country, 200 new Adidas locations will carry the new collection of NBA merchandise as part of the Adidas Spring/Summer 2011 Collection.
The new NBA collection from Adidas is designed to capture the style and persona of NBA players on the court and the latest casual wear designs off the court. The line will include stylish and classic apparel, accessories and the latest in footwear, as well as colorful tees, large graphics and youthful designs showcasing top NBA teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics. The NBA collection ranges from Rs. 999 to Rs. 4,499 and will be available at all Adidas Sports Performance Centers across the country.
The launch follows visits from several NBA All-Stars who helped generate more demand for NBA merchandise in India. Nearly 15 NBA players and legends have traveled to India over the last few years to conduct a variety of basketball activities including Howard, Garnett, and two-time NBA Champion Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Basketball is growing rapidly in India and the sport is already quite popular amongst high school and college kids in major metros," said Adidas India Director of Sales and Marketing Tushar Goculdas. "Being a leading sportswear brand and market leader in basketball in India, Adidas' endeavor is to promote the game and provide our consumers innovative and exciting sportswear. We are leveraging our exclusive global partnership to bring the NBA closer to fans in India. This season, basketball enthusiasts can enjoy official licensed NBA jerseys of their favorite players and a wide and vibrant range of other NBA merchandise."
"The NBA and Adidas share a long-term commitment to grow basketball globally and are encouraged by the tremendous amount of untapped potential we see in India," said NBA India Senior Director of Development Akash Jain. "NBA fans in India are passionate about their favorite teams and players, and through Adidas' extensive retail network we will make available the largest selection of NBA performance and lifestyle merchandise ever in the country."


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The deal did not include Canada, however, which is due to rejoin the talks, meaning the future of a new North American Free Trade Agreement remains in doubt, at least for now.
Below are some of the key parts of the US-Mexico deal announced Monday, according to the US Trade Representative’s Office:
Canadian and Mexican negotiators, as well as US industry, had outright rejected the American demand that any new NAFTA contain a “sunset clause” requiring the parties to re-authorize the agreement every five years.
Under the deal announced Monday, the trade pact will remain in force for 16 years, but will be reviewed every six years. If they decide to renew the agreement, it will be in effect for another 16 years. But if there is a problem, officials would then have another 10 years to negotiate to resolve their differences before the treaty would expire.
Ending NAFTA would have meant tearing up the continents closely-integrated auto supply chain.
But Mexico and the United States agreed Monday to sweeping changes to manufacturing and labor requirements that US officials say should boost wages and discourage moving production offshore.
Most notably: the deal will require that 75 percent of auto content be made in the region, and 40-45 percent be made by workers earning at least $16 an hour.
USTR Robert Lighthizer said the labor protections in the deal — which had been part of a side agreement to NAFTA — are the strongest ever negotiated, and are enforceable.
Under the agreement, “Mexico commits to specific legislative actions to provide for the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining,” according to USTR.
The agreement also contains far-reaching requirements on internationally recognized labor rights: prohibiting the imports of goods made through forced labor, deterring violence against workers and ensuring protections for migrant workers
The governments agreed to keep tariffs on agricultural goods at zero, not to allow export subsidies for goods sold in each other’s markets, and to update existing provisions to cover advanced biotechnologies used in agribusiness.
The deal will require that officials be empowered to stop suspected counterfeit goods at all ports of entry or exit. It will also require “meaningful” penalties for illicit video-recording of movies by audience members as well as civil and criminal penalties for the theft of satellite and cable television signals.
The new rules would also provide enhanced protections for copyrights, patents and licenses.
Mexico City and Washington agreed to new labeling and certification provisions to ease trade in spirits and wine. They also pledged to continue recognizing Bourbon and Tennessee whiskies as distinctly American and Tequila and Mezcal as distinctive products of Mexico. DM
In other news...
July 18 marks Nelson Mandela day. All over the country, South African citizens devote 67 minutes to charitable causes in memory of Madiba. It's a great initiative and one of those few occasions in South Africa where we come together as a nation in pursuit of a common cause. An annual 67 minutes isn't going to cut it though.
In the words of Madiba: "A critical, independent and investigative free press is the lifeblood of any democracy."
Every day Daily Maverick investigates and exposes the deep rot of state capture and corruption but we need your help. Without our readers' support we simply won't survive. We created Maverick Insider as a membership platform where our readers can become part of our community while ensuring that we can keep doing the investigations that we do and, crucially, that our articles remain free to everyone that reads them. Sign up to Maverick Insider this Mandela Month and make that meaningful contribution last longer than 67 minutes.For whatever amount you choose, you can support Daily Maverick and it only takes a minute.
The hacking tools used in the Matrix were real actual tools.


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T Rabi Sankar, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, said on Thursday that the launch of India’s first digital currency requires a sophisticated and calibrated approach because it will have multiple ramifications for the economy and monetary policy.
In 2022-23, the RBI plans to release a central bank-backed digital money based on blockchain technology.
”Given a large number of uncertainties in terms of which model works, which design works well in terms of its impact on the banking system, on data privacy on monetary policy, I think almost all central banks and we are no exception will probably go in for a very careful and calibrated nuanced manner,” he said at an event organised by ICRIER.
He claims that the most important learning comes from personal experience rather than global experience.
Observing that one of the principles for introduction of any technologies, especially for a central bank, is that it should ”do no harm”, he said, ”I think central banks would go about it in a very calibrated, graduated manner, assessing impact all along the line and then making those connections with what is most demanded.” He said the RBI in India considers Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to be just the electronic equivalent of paper money and does not differentiate it from it.
He stated that, in addition to the economic and distributional efficiency that CBDC will provide, the second driver for its implementation is settlement efficiency.
He claims that it will dramatically reduce the time it takes for cross-border transactions and make them real-time.


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Mumbai, Sep 21 (IANS) The gross non-performing resources (NPA) of the banks is supposed to further developed 90 premise directs on-year toward 5% this financial year and another 100 premise focuses to a decadal low of 4% by next monetary, evaluations organization CRISIL said in a delivery.
Banks gross NPA to improve to 4% by next financial: CRISIL – Mumbai News Mumbai, Sep 21 (IANS) The gross non-performing resources (NPA) of the banks is supposed to further developed 90 premise guides on-year toward 5% this financial year and another 100 premise focuses to a decadal low of 4% by next monetary, evaluations organization CRISIL said in a delivery.
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by IANS | Refreshed Sep 21, 2022
Banks gross NPA to improve to 4% by next financial: CRISIL – Mumbai News This was on the rear of advantages from the proposed offer of NPAs to the Public Resource Remaking Organization Ltd (NARCL), recuperation in economy post pandemic and higher credit development.
The delivery said that not all sections will perform similarly well. The biggest improvement will be in the corporate section, where gross NPAs is seen falling under 2% next financial from a pinnacle of ~16 percent as on Walk 31, 2018.
“The consistent improvement in corporate resource quality is plainly reflected in proactive factors like the credit nature of bank openings. A CRISIL Evaluations investigation of huge openings of banks, comprising the greater part of corporate advances, shows the portion of high-safety1 openings has expanded to 77 percent as on Walk 2022 from 59 percent in Walk 2017, while openness to sub-speculation grade organizations more than split to 7 percent versus 17%,” said Krishnan Sitaraman, Ranking executive and Vice president Appraisals Official, CRISIL Evaluations.
This resource quality improvement in the corporate section follows a huge tidy up finished of bank books as of late, and reinforced risk the board and endorsing. This has additionally prompted expanded inclination for borrowers with better credit profiles.
Gross NPA in the MSME2 portion is, in any case, expected to ascend to 10-11 percent by Walk 2024, from 9.3 percent as on Walk 31, 2022.
While alleviation measures contained resource quality crumbling last financial, the portion saw the most rebuilding at 6% contrasted and 2 percent for the general financial area. About a fourth of these records might actually slip into NPAs.
The retail portion stays versatile and gross NPAs are supposed to remain rangebound at 1.8-2.0 percent over the medium term. While the effect of expansion in financing costs and inflationary strain on individual borrowers’ incomes should be observed, close to half of the retail advances are home credits, where borrowers have generally better credit profiles.
While sections, for example, unstable advances might see some strain, by and large retail resource quality is supposed to remain inside anticipated limits.
Agribusiness fragment gross NPAs is seen level at 9-10 percent understanding one more year of sensibly ordinary storm and reap.


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French automobile manufacturer PSA Peugeot Citroen is nearing a €3.5 billion share sale deal with Chinese carmaker Dongfeng Motor Co. and the government of France. Under the terms of the deal, Dongfeng and the French state will each hold a 20% stake in Peugeot.
Luxury fashion house Chanel has acquired the Bodin-Joyeux tannery based in Levrous, France, in a bid to maintain the world-class quality of the fashion company's leathers.
Total, Europe's third-biggest oil company, will purchase a 61.3% stake in InterOil Corp.'s liquified natural gas project in Papua New Guinea. The acquisition deal is worth USD3.6 billion.
French building materials business Materis is reportedly in an advanced stage of negotiations to sell its business unit Kerneos. Investment firm Astorg Partners will acquire Kerneos for EUR610 million.
The Chinese government on Thursday cleared the USD1.3 billion car-making joint venture between Dongfeng Motor Group and France's Renault. Under the deal, the two companies will manufacture 150,000 multi-purpose vehicles annually.
Ireland's Ryanair on Tuesday announced that it won't participate in Italian airline Alitalia's EUR300 million emergency cash call. Other carriers including Lufthansa, Etihad Airways, Aeroflot and Alitalia shareholder Air France-KLM have also turned down the deal.
La Redoute chief executive Nathalie Balla and Redcats finance chief Eric Courteille have reportedly made a joint bid to acquire Kering's loss making mail order business La Redoute.
ONGC Videsh Ltd, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's overseas arm, has bid for 3 out of 13 Sri Lankan oil and gas blocks in the Mannar basin.
France will move closer towards relaxing restrictions on Sunday opening for shops when a government-commissioned report on proposed reforms is released on Monday.
UK-based advertising firm M&C Saatchi divested a controlling stake of 75.1% in Walker Media for GBP36 million. M&C Saatchi sold its holding to French multinational advertising and public relations company Publicis.
France's two largest petroleum and electric utility firms are vying to develop two 500-megawatt wind projects near Le Treport in France. The French government opened the bidding earlier this year to attract investments of about EUR3.5 billion.
Burger King Worldwide Inc. formed a joint venture with Bertrand Holding Co. and Naxicap Partners to open new stores in France in the first half of next year. Burger King returned to the country last year, opening three stores with Italian restaurant operator Autogrill.
France's Accor on Wednesday announced a plan to break up the hotel group in order to improve its performance and shareholder returns. Accor, the largest hotel group in Europe, owns luxury and upscale brands such as Sofitel and The Sebel.
China's mobile-based taxi booking service Kuaidadi confirmed it recently received a USD100 million investment from Alibaba, and has acquired a Shanghai-based taxi booking app called Dahuangfeng.
According to a research study by Dow Jones & Company, Ireland attracted the most venture capital funding per capita in the European region. The data showed that most Irish tech startups have fared well even during the economic recession.
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Maya has made its mark on the global stage by earning the prestigious Best Digital Bank award at the World Digital Bank (WDB) Awards 2023, confirming its status as Southeast Asia’s leading force in digital banking.
Maya beat the other competitors to win the national and Southeast Asia leg of The Digital Banker’s competition
According to The Digital Banker’s ranking of all participating banks, Maya came in at number eight for its cutting-edge product innovations, next-level customer experience, and undisputed market leadership, joining the likes of Starling Bank, Kakaobank, Revolut, WeBank, NuBank, and MOX Bank.
In its citation, The Digital Banker said: “Philippine-based Maya has combined the power of its e-wallet proposition to offer savings, instant credit, and cryptocurrency services under a seamless experience. It’s one of the best examples of how digital banks are reimagining the digital process to drive customer interaction and usage.”
“We’ve broken industry records with our game-changing innovations as we rapidly scale our digital banking services across our comprehensive consumer and enterprise ecosystem. The recognition is a welcome vote of confidence, and we thank our customers and partners for the continuous trust,” said Maya Bank President Angelo Madrid.
Maya has 2.3 million depositors with almost PHP 25 billion in bank balances as of the end of June 2023. While in invite-only mode, cumulative loan disbursements totaled PHP 10 billion by the end of June 2023. Maya is now the highest-rated local consumer finance app on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
“We’re honored to receive this distinction as it’s a testament to our world-class team’s hard work and talent. It also highlights the Philippines as an incubator of top fintech and digital banking companies,” said Shailesh Baidwan, Maya Group President and Maya Bank Co-Founder.
This new achievement comes after Maya was named one of the World’s Best Banks by Forbes Magazine, one of the Fintech 250 by CB Insight, and the winner of the Digital Bank of the Year award at the Future Digital Awards for Fintech & Payments in 2022.
Leader in PHL, a trailblazer in Southeast Asia
A leader in Southeast Asia, Maya is the first company in the Philippines to provide both consumers and businesses with a full range of financial services on a single, totally digital platform.
“By integrating payments and banking, Maya has unlocked limitless ways to innovate financial services for Filipinos,” said Orlando B. Vea, CEO, and Founder at Maya and Co-Founder at Maya Bank.
Maya has received praise from the World Digital Bank Awards 2023 for creating a new benchmark in digital banking satisfaction where seamlessness is the rule.
With its dependable e-wallet for daily payment transactions, virtual and physical cards, simple crypto, high-yield savings with daily interest rates and personal goals, instant credit, and 24/7 chat support, the Maya app offers an all-in-one digital banking experience.
The enterprise experience has been redesigned by Maya company, which provides an all-in-one package with omnichannel payment solutions, simple payroll and supplier disbursements, and banking services including company deposits with a 2.5% interest rate and MSME credit lines. A single digital platform, Maya Business Manager, can meet all these demands.


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Petro-Can Brand to Survive
Sunoco brand to exit Ontario; more downstream details on Suncor deal
CALGARY, Alberta -- Like the red uniforms of the Mounties, Petro-Canada is one of Canada's most recognizable brands. As if trying to reassure consumers that this brand is not about to vanish, Petro-Canada CEO Ron Brenneman and Suncor CEO Rick George both decided to wear red ties to a press conference Monday at which they announced the merger of their companies. Although the new company will operate under the name Suncor, it will keep the Petro-Canada brand, complete with the familiar maple-leaf logo and red color scheme, in the retail wing of its business, said The Calgary [image-nocss] Sun.
That includes more than 1,300 gas stations in all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as sales of lubricants and home heating oil. Suncor operated 430 gas stations as of the end of 2008, according to the report.
"We know that this brand is very valued by Canadians," Petro-Canada spokesperson Jamie McNaul told the newspaper. "By retaining both brands, they complement each other very nicely."
McNaul also said that although the Suncor brand is not as readily recognized among consumers of petroleum products, it is an established name in the investment and energy community.
Brenneman, during a conference call, called Petro-Canda Canada's "No. 1 recognized brand," as well as "Canada's gas station."
But Sunoco stations will disappear in Ontario should the merger go through, added a report by The National Post. The Sunoco stations, owned by Suncor, will be rebranded Petro-Canada logo, and some of the approximately 280 Sunoco stations in Ontario will likely be sold as the merged company works to satisfy competition concerns.
"The Sunoco brand will not be present [in Ontario]," said George. The shift will not be immediate, and will be subject to discussions with the Competition Bureau, he noted. "There will be a divestment," he said in an editorial board meeting with the Post.
"We will not necessarily be able to keep all of the market share of both companies in individual neighborhoods. If we have a station right across the street from one another, that doesn't seem logical that the rebrand would have two Petro-Canada stations on two corners. So [we're] going to have to go through that process."
Brenneman also pointed out Suncor's "excellent reputation in the investment community."
But Ontario drivers face the threat of higher gasoline prices if federal regulators approve Suncor Energy's $19.12 billion (Canadian, $15.5 billion U.S.) bid for Petro-Canada, industry watchers warn, according to a Toronto Star report. The proposed deal, the largest in the history of Canada's oil sector, would put more refineries under the control of fewer companies, Jane Savage, president of the Canadian Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (CIPMA) told the newspaper.
That shrinking group of refiners, she said, will have more influence in Ontario over wholesale gasoline prices, which to a large degree determine the retail prices that drivers see at the pumps. "Fewer participants means more concentration and less competition, and possibly higher prices," said Savage.
The Suncor deal with Petro-Canada, unveiled Monday, will create a "made-in-Canada" petroleum giant valued at about $45 billion and capable of producing the equivalent of 683,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), the report said. (Click here for previous CSP Daily News coverage.)
It will blend Suncor's strength in the Alberta oil sands with Petro-Canada's conventional oil and gas assets, giving the new company, which will keep the Suncor name, the scale it needs to compete against multinational players Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc.
The new Suncor would be capable of refining 433,000 bpd into products such as gasoline, diesel and petrochemicals out of facilities in Sarnia, Edmonton, Montreal and Denver.
Petro-Canada's Montreal refinery and Suncor's Sarnia facility serve Ontario, which also gets gasoline from a Shell refinery in Sarnia and Imperial Oil refineries in Sarnia and Nanticoke. The merger would reduce the number of refiners serving Ontario from four to three.
Savage called on the federal Competition Bureau to shed light on the blockbuster deal: "From our perspective, the bureau needs to take a hard look at this." The competition watchdog confirmed it plans to review the proposed merger to determine its impact on competition, said the report.
Spencer Knipping, a petroleum analyst at Ontario's Ministry of Energy, said a refiner could only increase prices in a city, town or rural area where there is little competition. "In a remote, smaller market where there's less competition, it could happen, but not in Toronto," he told the paper. "Not in southern Ontario."
The Competition Bureau might also question Suncor's concentration in the retail market under a merger, the report said. In Ontario, there are 444 stations carrying the Petro-Canada brand and 285 associated with Suncor through the Sunoco brand, according to the Star, citing a 2006 survey from Calgary-based MJ Ervin & Associates.
Together, the new Suncor would have 729 gasoline retailers in Ontario, putting it ahead of Esso, at 649 and Shell at 554. That would concentrate more than half of Ontario's 3,800 retailers in the hands of three oil companies.
Suncor chief executive Rick George acknowledged yesterday the merged company's retail presence in Ontario could pose problems under the Competition Act. He called it his "primary focus" on the regulatory front.
"It's potentially an issue," petroleum analyst Michael Ervin told the paper. "A dozen or so years ago, Petro-Canada and Ultramar tried to merge and that got shot down by the competition tribunal. It does raise the specter that they may deem this as giving them too much concentration of market share."
But Ervin and other analysts say it would not be an issue in large markets, such as Toronto, where it's a short drive to the competition. "We've proven time and time again this is a fairly competitive marketplace," Tony Macerollo of the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute (CPPI), an industry lobby group in Ottawa, told the paper. "Canadians will drive over concrete dividers to get gas that's 2 cents cheaper."
Anindya Sen, an associate professor of economics in the University of Waterloo's department of economics, said the Competition Bureau determines if a market is competitive enough based on the number of rivals in a given postal code or certain distance, such as a radius of three kilometers. "At the wholesale level, they define markets at the city level, but at the retail level, it's much smaller," Sen, who previously worked at the regulator as an economic, told the paper. "I'll be surprised if there's any concern in the cities."
In rural areas, where Petro-Canada and Sunoco may be the only game in town, the company will likely just close one of the stations to streamline costs, speculated Ervin.


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The 2012 Summer Olympics kick off in London today, and besides the weather and traffic, the biggest thing on everyone minds is security. (Or at least, it should be.)
Cyber-security, in particular, is vital to keep in mind, especially as these Games are repeatedly being buzzed about as being the most social media and mobile-friendly of any major worldwide sporting event thus far. But given that most Olympic followers are probably more concerned with the sports themselves, it's better to keep the advice as simple as possible.
See also: Cisco at the London Olympics: By the numbers
Thus, RSA, the security division of EMC, has outlined a couple of helpful tips that should keep even the most casual Internet users safe while watching from anywhere in the world:
- Phishing: Expect to see numerous Olympic-themed phishing emails -- such as a recent scam where people were led to believe they’d won tickets to the Games and just needed to fill out a form with personal information claim their prize. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Social: This also provides a prime vehicle for hackers to try to steal your personal information. Avoid directly responding to email alerts that (appear to) come from Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites and even your bank. Instead, go directly to these sites by typing their URLs directly into your browser or using a browser bookmark. For example, when looking for info on the Olympics, start with typing the official London2012.com site directly into the address bar.
Here's one more if you're actually going to the Olympics in London over the next two weeks:
- Fraud: Olympics tickets, especially to popular events such as swimming, track and field, etc., can be some of the hottest tickets around. That means the secondary market for scalped tickets is also one of the biggest around, and it’s full of fake sites trying to scam you out of not just your money, but your financial information as well. The official London2012.com site has a "Ticket Checker" where fans can check the URL of the site on which they are considering buying tickets to determine if it’s legit, as well as a list of known fraudulent ticketing sites.
If you feel you have been a victim of fraud you can report it to The Metropolitan Police Fraud Alert website.


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Bain and Company
Is Logo Mania On the Wane in China?
The western world started tiring of designer logos back in the early 2000's, about the time Carrie Bradshaw was packing away her Fendi baguette for good. But for the last decade, the Chinese--who recently surpassed Americans as the biggest consumers of luxury goods--have picked up the mantle of logo-mania. But that may be changing now as the Chinese luxury customers' taste is becoming a bit more discerning.


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Although many major tourism source markets around the world have begun to ease travel restrictions imposed on South Africa due to the emergence of the Omicron variant, the current cruise season is […]
MSC Orchestra has resumed her South African cruise season out of Durban, after pausing operations for a month following a COVID-19 outbreak in December.
Crystal Cruises has become the latest cruise line to cancel its African itineraries due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19, with Crystal Endeavour’s 2022 Cape Town departure scrapped.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises will sail a Christmas and New Year cruise from Cape Town in 2023, part of a line-up of newly announced 2022 and 2023 festive voyages.
Cape Town’s 2021/22 cruise season officially opened Tuesday with the arrival of the German luxury liner Europa, and cruise tourism officials said the season will remain open despite a slew of expected […]
Hapag-Lloyd’s luxury cruise ship Europa has docked in Cape Town for a significantly curtailed turnaround in the city amid ongoing concerns over the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Norwegian Cruise Line has become the first to cancel the entirety of its South African cruise season due to the travel restrictions imposed on the country due to a new variant of […]
MSC Cruises appears to be planning to go ahead with its South African cruise itineraries, despite the travel bans on South Africa due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Norwegian Cruise Line says it has not yet made any adjustments to its scheduled South African cruises aboard Norwegian Jade, but is monitoring the new Omicron variant closely.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Black Friday deals (70% off on second passenger sharing the same cabin) expire today, but the cruise line is still offering extensive deals on select Middle East and South […]
South Africa’s six cruise ports will be visited by 20 cruise ships during the coming 2021/22 cruise season, according to the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).
South Africa was all set for a resurgence of its cruise sector during the coming 2021/22 cruise season, but a new variant of COVID has officials on edge.
Crystal Cruises has debuted the submersible aboard its new explorer cruise ship Crystal Endeavour ahead of her upcoming South African cruise.
South Africa has huge potential for future growth of the local cruise market, and of the country as a cruise destination, according to tourism officials in the Western Cape.
The global cruise industry shutdown last year may have been a welcome reprieve for Cape Town, giving the city time to catch up with the immense demand its cruise sector has experienced […]
Cape Town looks set to make a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2021/22 cruise season, with 32 cruise ships calls expected.
MSC Cruises has secured government approval to resume cruising from South Africa and will restart its cruise itineraries in the country on December 6th.
Oceania Cruises‘ European and North American voyages for 2023 aboard its seven-ship fleet will sail to 260 cruise destinations on 179 itineraries, including a Dubai departure and two Cape Town cruises.
MSC Cruises says it is awaiting further information from the South African government on specific guidelines for visitors before reconfirming its 2021/22 cruise schedules for Cape Town and Durban, according to Seatrade […]
Azamara has confirmed it will be returning to Cape Town for the coming 2021/22 summer cruise season, just days after South African authorities reopened the country’s cruise tourism sector.


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To kick off the partnership, Saks Fifth Avenue will be gifting Vênsette services to their clients in the New York and Beverly Hills flagship markets. Clients will be given complimentary hair or makeup appointment from Vênsette.
Kendall Jenner appeared at Sephora’s Fifth Avenue location to promote The Estée Edit, a Millennial-focused line exclusive to Sephora.
The Millennials today are shopping bath, body and fragrance — Philosophy wants more of the Millennial business weighted in skin care.
Puig is readying the fourth scent in the Prada Candy franchise, Candy Kiss. The scent will be available in the U.S. in April.
Alibaba’s Amee Chande examined opportunities for beauty in China, while PCPC executives discussed domestic and international harmonization.
Cleary was most recently chief executive officer of Illuminage and held senior-level positions at Coty Inc., including president, Americas.
Former chief executive officer Hedges’ employment contract waived the right to a trial by jury.
Good Dye Young, a vibrant hair-dye line designed for in-home use, will be pre-sold online beginning April 15.
Lowe will launch a men’s fragrance on Nordstrom.com on March 1 and in Nordstrom doors on March 18.
The shade will be called Finally Free.
More than $236.9 billion. That is the personal-care industry’s contribution to the gross domestic product of the U.S., according to a study.


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A former Aberdeen accountant is using his father’s secret tablet recipe to entice a new generation to Scotland’s favourite traditional treat.
Johnathan Laing is the owner of Tabrifics, a Rosemount-based tablet maker that recreates his dad’s deliciously creamy tablet formula.
Tabrifics only launched in November, but Johnathan’s gold-foil-wrapped tablet squares – made using just four ingredients – are already finding their way into the north-east’s cafes and coffee shops.
And Johnathan wants to go further.
Keen to banish tablet’s outdated reputation as the preserve of community hall coffee mornings and visits to granny, he’s on a mission to modernise the Scottish staple.
“Tablet is traditionally seen as the stuff your granny makes,” he says. “The packaging, for example, has tartan on it and a Scottish flag and is lapped up by the tourists.
“But the treat itself is far too good not to be consumed by the general public.”
This is where Johnathan’s father comes in.
A family favourite on the Isle of Skye, where Johnathan is from, his dad’s tablet was lighter and creamier than other recipes.
To Johnathan, this made it perfect for attracting new converts to the slightly fusty world of traditional Scottish baking.
So, after reducing the sugar content to take the edge off tablet’s eye-watering calorie count, he rolled his sleeves up in the kitchen and got to work
“It’s very easy to consume, and it’s very light and creamy,” he says of his dad’s tablet. “It’s not so brittle and hard like traditional tablets. It’s very much a modern take on traditional Scottish tablet.”
Why tablet-maker Johnathan started Tabrifics in Aberdeen
Despite that recipe in his back pocket, Johnathan might never have started Tabrifics if his first job after university had worked out.
The 24-year-old completed a first in accountancy at Heriot-Watt in 2020.
But when he moved to Aberdeen to work at a local accountancy firm, he discovered the profession didn’t suit him.
So when his professional exams started, he quickly sought an exit.
“I was looking at the partner everyday going, I don’t want to be here,” he says. “I just knew I didn’t want to commit another three-and-a-half years to this.”
With Tabrifics now up and running, Johnathan is working hard to get his tablet into more shops and cafes.
He says coffee shops love stocking the treat, which retails for about £3 per 72g bar, because it’s a little bit different to the usual home bakes and cakes.
“It is absolutely spot on with a cup of coffee or a cup of tea,” he says.
Meanwhile, he’s working on new recipes to expand the Tabrifics range.
Next up; a mint-flavoured tablet, and perhaps even a coffee-flavoured one.
“I’d like to link up with a local coffee supplier and maybe that could be a wee partnership,” Johnathan says.
Tabrifics is on sale in cafes and coffee shops including Fat Batch and Ride in Banchory. Check out Tabrifics on Instagram here for more details.


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Malaysia can play a leading role in growing region’s digital economy
It said the initiative was launched to capitalise on the confluence and exponential growth of the internet economy and cross border e-commerce activities.
“The initiative was also set up to facilitate seamless cross border trade and enable local businesses to export their goods with a priority for e-commerce.
“It’s now crucial that we see this model become industrialised across a wider spectrum of technologies and countries throughout Southeast Asia,” the bank said in a statement today.
According to HSBC, Southeast Asia’s digital economy was worth US$31 billion in 2015 and is forecast to grow to US$200 billion by 2025.
It said the World Bank has reported that the full potential of the region’s digital economy is not being realised due to the pervasive regulatory barriers and constraints at the country level.
HSBC Malaysia chief executive officer Stuart Milne said the defining characteristic of successful organically grown holistic standards is that they have to be outward-looking: designed for broad mutual benefit rather than to isolate and sustain the privileges of the local market.
“Any agreement should allow the free-flow of data across borders, a measure that has been proven to foster innovation, while protecting the security and integrity of personal information,” he said.


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Gin and tequila are two major success stories of the global spirits market – but tequila is now outstripping gin in growth terms, primarily due to a combination of product variety, price mix and diversity of occasions.
Both categories have performed strongly over the past decade: global gin volumes (excluding the large, low-priced Philippines market) grew at a CAGR of +5% between 2012 and 2017, and +6% between 2017 and 2022, according to IWSR figures.
Tequila’s performance has been even more impressive, with global volumes (excluding the large home market of Mexico) rising at a CAGR of +6% between 2012 and 2017, accelerating to +11% between 2017 and 2022.
Meanwhile, IWSR forecasts show much brighter fortunes for tequila in the years ahead: while gin volumes (excluding the Philippines) are expected to grow at a CAGR of +3% between 2022 and 2027, tequila (excluding Mexico) is forecast to expand at a volume CAGR of +9% over the same timescale.
These contrasting expectations are underscored by five major differences in the attributes of the two categories – which should equip tequila to grow faster, and for longer, in the years ahead.
1- Market mix
Gin’s growth is more geographically diverse, building on the historic base of a large, well-established category. Growth persists in a number of countries, but the gin boom in the key markets of the UK and Spain has now run its course.
Meanwhile, tequila remains hugely reliant on the US market, which accounts for over 60% of global volumes, according to IWSR figures.
However, agave spirits are currently experiencing dynamic growth in a number of countries around the world, with 15 of the 20 largest agave spirits markets experiencing volume growth of more than 20% in 2022, according to IWSR numbers – including the UK, Spain, Australia, Japan and Canada.
Of the 20 largest markets, 14 are expected to see agave spirits volumes grow at a CAGR of above +5% between 2022 and 2027.
Nonetheless, the US remains the number one priority for most brand owners, with other markets being allotted small allocations of key tequila brands as a result – and IWSR expects this dynamic to continue.
“Tequila producers are likely going to continue to invest most of their time in the US market, where they can more easily sell their products with better margins, compared to other countries,” notes José Luis Hermoso, IWSR research director, Central and South America.
“There is definitely demand for tequila in other markets that has not been satisfied, but the category needs to be built in many other countries that have the potential, but not yet the consumer interest and knowledge, for tequila to move forward; this will probably not happen until a slowdown in US demand is confirmed.”
2- Product type
Gin’s continuing growth has largely been predicated on innovation to revive what had become a rather jaded category – including the catalyst of the craft gin movement and diversity to maintain consumer interest: flavours, esoteric botanicals, local/craft products.
However, the vast majority of gins on the market are unaged spirits that have to rely on cues such as packaging and ingredients to persuade consumers to trade up to a more expensive product.
By contrast, tequila has greater inherent diversity, with a ladder of different age categories (blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo), and is less dependent on flavour innovation or the craft spirits segment for success.
3- Price range
In turn, these differences in product type impact the pricing range of the two categories, with tequila spanning a much broader range than gin, and much of the growth in the dominant US market up to now coming at super premium and premium-and-above price points.
“Tequila is much more present than gin at the very high end (prestige and prestige-plus, status spirits), simply because its liquid and ageing classification justify, in some cases, very high pricing – and this is accepted by consumers,” says Hermoso.
“However, gin – which is usually non-aged – has relatively less to offer in order to be accepted as a prestige spirit with similar status to Cognac, single malt or high-end tequila.”
4- Consumption occasions
Gin’s continued growth in many markets around the world has largely been built on the popularity of the aperitivo/early evening occasion, where it plays into consumer preferences for lighter, more refreshing drinks with lower ABVs.
Tequila, meanwhile, has reinvented itself in recent years, moving from its historic positioning as a late-night, high-energy option to a more diverse mix involving sophisticated cocktails and high-end sipping and savouring.
“The fact that tequila can be consumed neat or mixed, depending on the occasion, consumer and quality of the liquid, is an advantage,” says Hermoso. “Even the brands that initiated the gin revival 20 years ago are consumed mixed, as are flavoured gins, and little or no gin is sipped or consumed on the rocks as most very high-end spirits are. This also tends to justify the higher price points tequila is able to command.”
5- Provenance and authenticity
While gin is able to promote provenance/authenticity cues – using the credentials of a local craft distillery, or locally sourced botanicals – the fact remains that gin can be made anywhere on the planet, while tequila production is confined to a legally restricted geographical area.
“If it is easier for tequila to play the luxury card, the same is also true for provenance and authenticity,” says Hermoso. “Tequila has to be produced in Mexico, whereas gin can be made anywhere. I think there is no doubt that provenance and authenticity are important factors for consumers in many markets today.”
Planning go-to-market strategies
Learning from gin’s growth curve, tequila brand owners should keep a close eye on nascent tequila markets outside of the US and Mexico.
With restrictions on tequila sourcing, other agave and agave-adjacent categories, such as sotol and bacanora, could provide opportunities that build on tequila’s momentum as well.
Some producers are already planting agave plants locally. In India, for example, Maya Pistola Agavepura is produced from 100% Wild Agave Americana, sourced from the Deccan Plateau of India, and produced in Goa. Launched in 2017, Desert Door Original Texas Sotol is distilled from wild-harvested sotol, a plant that is a cousin of agave and grows in West Texas and Mexico. Black Snake Distillery in Australia produces a range of agave spirits made with locally grown agave and inspired by Mexican traditions.
For gin, producers will need to communicate clear points of differentiation to stand out in a crowded market, and some gin brand owners may look to portfolio rationalisation in order to prioritise investment decisions.
You may also be interested in reading:
- Irish Whiskey
- Mixed Drinks
- US Whiskey


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May 15, 2023
Pinterest recently announced a partnership with Amazon Advertising whereby Amazon will be able to offer ads from its vast advertiser pool directly on Pinterest.
CEO Bill Ready explained the rationale - “Pinterest was really solving digital window shopping but the actionability was low. So, it's sort of like Pinterest digital window shopping, but the stores were closed. We are opening the stores.”
Pinterest wins by bringing more advertisers onto its under-monetized platform, while Amazon gains surface area to offer and measure contextual ads. Brands benefit through the remix of these two platforms, providing them a new option to reach consumers.
However, the partnership will challenge brands that have not integrated retail media efforts into their broader media efforts.
No Amazon team is managing Pinterest spend
Most consumer brands simply aren’t organized in a way that provides them a clear path forward for a partnership like this.
For most, a marketing organization is managing Pinterest spend, while the Amazon team, sitting in the sales organization, is driving Amazon Ads. These groups have different incentives (often reach vs. driving sales), and therefore different ideas on how to activate and measure performance. It’s tough to resolve this because politics, power and pay are inherently wrapped up in all of this.
The partnership challenges this set up.
- Pinterest has suddenly become a bigger sales driving opportunity
- It’s unclear if a brand should activate through Pinterest or Amazon or both
- Budget shifts are going to be needed but it’s less certain which team should fund it
Most brands will struggle to move forward.
They’re not using Attribution or AMC to understand where to direct traffic. They lack clear sales and marketing goals to guide them on how they can leverage a Pinterest + Amazon opportunity. Many won’t even have the budget flexibility to participate when it comes to market because they set budgets once a year.
Here’s the thing…
A siloed endeavor was more acceptable when it was small dollars and isolated to just the Amazon account. But now it’s big dollars and every major retailer has a media offering.
Leaders must dive into retail media integration today. Here are five questions every CMO should be asking:
- What role can (as opposed to does) retail media play as part of our full toolbox of marketing activation options?
- What commercial benefits does retail media offer that alternative media simply doesn’t?
- Are incentive differences between our marketing and sales teams influencing strategic and tactical recommendations, and how do we referee this?
- How is retail media performing compared to our other media options?
- How do we make our budgeting process more flexible so that we can test new efforts like this one?
Keep in mind, this is just the beginning.
Pinterest won’t collaborate exclusively with Amazon forever, nor will other social platforms sit on the sidelines if the partnership is a roaring success.


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When Windows 11 was announced back in June, Microsoft said it was a free upgrade for Windows 10 users… with some caveats. Specifically, it quickly became clear it would only be available for laptops with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 or higher chips. Microsoft is now doubling down on this demand and saying unsupported PCs risk being cut off.
There was thought to be a loophole in Microsoft's TPM 2.0 demand. While the restriction means automatic updates to Windows 11 are not possible, it was through users could still manually install the platform via an ISO file.
However, speaking to The Verge, Microsoft now says that is not the case. The company now says it could withhold Windows 11 updates for users who take advantage of this technicality. Furthermore, Microsoft points out if may also withhold security and driver updates.
I am skeptical about the last threat. It is very unlikely Microsoft will not roll out security patches platform-wide just to ensure stability across the ecosystem. However, not being able to receive feature updates seems a more credible threat.
Still, if you are going to the length of installing Windows 11 via an ISO, you could just do the same again for feature updates. Sure, it would be mildly annoying to have to re-install the whole OS again, but a workable solution.
It is clear Microsoft is being a little mean to users with older PCs in an effort to boost sales of new hardware, whether its Surface devices or OEM laptops. It will be interesting to see how this plays out once Windows 11 launches.
Will most of those people fulfil Microsoft's wish and make PC sales trend upwards for the next year or two? Or are all those people locked out of the Windows 11 experience going to find loopholes or simply sit on Windows 10, which Microsoft is supporting until 2025?
Tip of the day: Tired of Windows 10's default notification and other system sounds? In our tutorial we show you how to change windows sounds or turn off system sounds entirely.


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Beyonce and Drake Led Global Album and Digital Sales In 2016
By Mike Winslow.
(AllHipHop News) Pregnant Beyonce has been given another reason to smile – her album Lemonade was the world’s biggest seller in 2016.
The acclaimed release picked up 2.5 million sales globally, 100,000 more than second placed Adele’s 25, according to newly-released figures from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
The experts’ ninth annual Global Music Report also reveals Drake, whose album Views was the third international bestseller, was the top-selling artist worldwide last year.
His hit “One Dance” also topped the 2016 digital songs list with 12.5 million sales – 800,000 more than second placed Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself.”
Last year’s top 10 global albums, according to IFPI are:
Beyonce, Lemonade (2.5 million)
Adele, 25 (2.4 million)
Drake, Views (2.3 million)
Metallica, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2.1 million)
David Bowie, Blackstar (1.9 million)
The Rolling Stones, Blue & Lonesome (1.8 million)
Bruno Mars, 24k Magic (1.7 million)
Twenty One Pilots, Blurryface (1.5 million)
Coldplay, A Head Full of Dreams (1.4 million)
Pentatonix, A Pentatonix Christmas (1.4 million)


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Bourbon Closes 2nd Century With Battle Against Declining Consumption With AM-Drunken
Bourbon Closes 2nd Century With Battle Against Declining Consumption With AM-Drunken Driving, Bjt
DALLAS (AP) _ The revelry of the New Year’s weekend marks the end of bourbon’s 200th full year, but the only truly American liquor faces declining consumption as drinkers turn to sipping cordials and gulping vodka.
Outside the United States, especially in Japan, ″bourbon is accepted as a very sophisticated, very American, very high price, very quality spirit,″ said Barry Berish, president of Jim Beam Brands Co., which makes the best- selling U.S. bourbon.
But that’s at odds with bourbon’s image back home, where it’s considered an everyday kind of liquor, summoning images of two-fisted drinkers throwing back shots or patrician Southerners sipping bourbon in the form of mint juleps.
Bourbon has only half the share of the U.S. distilled spirits market it had 20 years ago, falling from 20.7 percent in 1970 to about 10 percent in 1988, the last year for which numbers were available.
After hitting a high of 25.5 million cases in 1973, U.S. bourbon consumption has fallen to 15.3 million cases in 1988, according to Jobson’s Liquor Handbook, an industry guide.
″Basically, it’s the white goods - the vodkas, gins, tequilas, rums and cordials″ that are gaining, said Jobson’s Editor Nicholas Furlotte. Vodka’s now the most popular stiff drink in America, with 30.2 million cases sold in 1988.
Bourbon is generally considered to be the legacy of a pioneer Baptist minister living in the wilds of what was then Bourbon County, Va., a region that’s now part of Kentucky.
Sometime in 1789 - probably September, according to the Dallas-based Bourbon Information Bureau - the Rev. Elijah Craig mixed spring water, corn, rye, barley malt and who knows what else to concoct bourbon.
Within 21 years, the region had 2,000 stills and bourbon had even become an unofficial currency.
Today, Kentucky is home to 14 bourbon distilleries and produces 80 percent of the world’s bourbon supply.
The liquor Craig devised was clear, not the amber bourbon we know today. The dark color, according to even less provable lore, has to do with a barrel maker’s mistake.
″According to legend, a 19th century barrel maker was steaming and bending barrel staves over an open fire,″ the Bourbon Information Bureau says. ″He didn’t watch the staves carefully enough and they soon began to char. Being a frugal fellow, he went ahead and used them anyway, not bothering to tell the distiller.
″However, the distiller who used the barrel found that his whiskey had improved in flavor and picked up a rich color. Needless to say, he insisted that all of his barrels in the future have charred staves.″
And now, according to a federal law passed in 1964, a liquor can be called bourbon only if it contains more than 51 percent corn in the mash, and is aged in ″new charred oak containers″ for at least two years. Some bourbons, however, contain more corn and are aged longer.
Bourbon apparently is most popular in Washington, D.C., which leads the per capita rankings for bourbon consumption. Washingtonians drink 161.3 cases per thousand people - more than 2 1/2 times the national average of 62.2 cases.
Kentucky is second at 139.5 cases per thousand residents.
While consumption of bourbon and other distilled spirits has been declining, Jobson’s says the fall seems to have slowed.
The Bourbon Information Bureau, a promotional office funded by the Schenley American Whiskey Group, says ″a shakeout is taking place among marginal and less-profitable brands,″ leaving the market open for the biggest bourbon producers.
Jim Beam’s Berish agrees, saying his brands’ market share and volume are increasing in the United States, where the company is using a ″back-to-basi cs″ advertising campaign to capitalize on bourbon’s history and tradition.
In addition, ″We see a marvelous potential to sell and promote what is the American spirit throughout the world,″ Berish said.


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Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (the new name of Twitter) has announced that it will improve its features with artificial intelligence (AI) technology in 2024.
A blog post from the company stated that X is being transformed into a video-first platform rather than a microblogging one.
It should be noted that the company changed the name of Twitter to X in July 2023 and also changed its logo.
Now the process of converting this platform into a super app is being accelerated.
To this end, the company’s blog post announced the introduction of payment services sometime in 2024.
Apart from payment services, a feature called See Dissimilar Posts is also being added to X.
Under this feature, XFeed will display posts that are out of the user’s interest.
AI technology will be used for this feature.
Along with this, the X-Search function will also be improved with the help of AI technology.
Currently, the company has not released many details regarding the new features and it is difficult to say when they will be available to users.
It is also not clear whether these features will be available to general users or not.
The company now restricts most of the features to users who are part of the subscription service.


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You know you’re a business writer when word of someone’s death spurs you to thinking about the economic impact of that permanent farewell.
The thought flitted across my mind the other day on word that comedienne Joan Rivers had died at age 81, and apparently I was not alone. An Examiner.com story says “Ghoulish? Joan Rivers memorabilia value soars following her death,” and notes that items like theater tickets, photos and even a Joan Rivers internet domain have been in hot demand the past few days. You might want to check with local collectibles and antique shops, and do a ZIP code search on eBay to find online sellers in your area.
Rivers also was a spokeswoman for a lucrative line of apparel and jewelry; Forbes said she’s sold $1 billion worth of the merchandise over the years at home shopping channel QVC, where she made frequent appearances. (Numerous QVC hosts reportedly attended her memorial service on Sunday.) Look for these items to start popping up on Etsy and eBay too.
Over at QVC’s discussion boards, executives paid tribute in an online and devoted shoppers expressed not only dismay but hopes that a commemorative jewelry piece would be offered and requests to “keep her jewelry line alive and growing.”
If you have any local companies that depend heavily on a celebrity spokesperson or even well-known local pitchman (around here, appliance and furniture stores seem to rely heavily on goofy ads by their front men) you might talk with marketing experts and the companies themselves about the pros and cons of identifying products or services closely with a single individual.
Another angle is bookings; on one Detroit-area radio station the other night, the owner of a venerable restaurant said that Rivers frequently played private parties at his bistro and that a couple of upcoming evenings had been sellouts; I wondered what will happen to that venue and many others nationwide that probably had Rivers booked for upcoming public and private events. USA Today said she had over 100 comedy club engagements per year, for example, as well as 2 million Twitter followers. You might check around with restaurants, clubs and casinos in your neck of the woods — patrons will be wondering about refunds, substitute performers and the like.
And of course, besides marketing and merchandise, the circumstances of Rivers’ death have raised questions about the safety of outpatient surgical clinics. It might seem tacky to use a celebrity passing as a news peg for stories about medical safety, and I planned to refrain. But after seeing public and private reaction over the past several days I do think it’s top of mind and that plenty of people now are wondering what dangers they are running when they get sedation for colonoscopies, endoscopies and even serious dental surgery or other outpatient services. A local story about regulation of such clinics (standalone and those operated as concessions on hospital premises) would be of great interest to audiences. Patients might be surprised at the number of for-profit centers, too.
It’s an especially interesting topic in light of this story from Healthcare Finance News, which notes that price concerns are driving more hospitals to expand outpatient and ambulatory surgical centers even as inpatient surgery facilities shrink. Bloomberg says “Surgical center used by Rivers part of outpatient push” and notes that doctor ownership of such centers, which is common, raises conflict-of-interest questions. Again, ask health systems and regulators in your market about shifting patient options and safety concerns. A recent study of outpatient urology outcomes found, for example, found that more preventable deaths occur as surgeries are shifted from inpatient to outpatient.
Here’s a Baltimore Sun piece about issues related to uneven oversight of freestanding surgical centers.
Perusing Outpatient Surgery Magazine might be helpful to understand industry issues and trends. And this piece from California suggests that lower public reporting requirements have been implemented for for-profit surgical centers; something to look into in your region.


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Steve Jobs Thought Hewlett-Packard was Being "Dismembered and Destroyed"
Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) is getting hammered by investors who are concerned about the accounting irregularities that occurred within Autonomy before the PC maker acquired the firm. Shares are currently down more than 12 percent.
This is the latest of many troubles at H-P. The company has traded down all year, losing more than 18 percent of its value in the last month alone. Year-to-date, H-P is down more than 55 percent.
Going into 2012, H-P CEO Meg Whitman reportedly admitted that a competitor would lead the market this year. It seems that she was right.
Before this mess ever occurred, however, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) co-founder Steve Jobs lamented the demise of H-P. "Hewlett and Packard built a great company, and they thought they left it in good hands," he said, as quoted by Walter Isaacson (the author of the only official Steve Jobs biography). "But now it's being dismembered and destroyed. It's tragic. I hope I've left a stronger legacy so that will never happen at Apple."
While Apple is certainly in a better position than H-P, the Cupertino, California-based tech giant continues to decline in value. After a one-day spike, investors have chosen to abandon Apple again. The stock is trading down nearly one percent this afternoon, adding to the 15 percent decline that has hindered Apple's growth over the last three months.
Year-to-date, Apple is still up more than 36 percent.
Follow me @LouisBedigianBZ
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Dec. 14, 2001 -- Our children are in the midst of a "calcium crisis," according to food and nutrition experts. But there are things you can do to assure that your kids don't suffer the long-term effects of not getting enough calcium in their diet.
Only 14% of girls and 36% of boys age 12 to 19 in the U.S. are getting the recommended amounts of calcium, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Close to 90% of adult bone is established by the end of the teen years. So if kids are off to a bad start in getting enough calcium, says the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), down the road, they are at serious risk of developing the brittle-bone disease osteoporosis as well as other bone diseases.
"Osteoporosis is a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences," said Duane Alexander, MD, director of NICHD, in a news release.
"Preventing this and other bone diseases begins in childhood. With low calcium intake levels during these important bone growth periods, today's children and teens are certain to face a serious public health problem in the future," he adds.
Kids are not getting enough calcium, in part, because they are drinking too many soft drinks and non-citrus drinks instead of milk, which is full of calcium and vitamin D. But milk consumption is on the decline.
Alexander explains that the number of fractures among children and young adults already is increasing, probably due to lower intakes of calcium.
And pediatricians are also seeing a rise in kids with rickets, a bone disease that results from low levels of vitamin D, according to the NICHD. Rickets became almost nonexistent when vitamin D was added to milk in the 1950's, but doctors are now seeing this devastating bone disease among kids.
"As these children get older, this calcium crisis will become more serious as the population starts to show its highest rate of osteoporosis and other bone health problems in our nation's history," Alexander said.
"But we need to remember that this is preventable and correctable public health problem."
And there are things you can do to protect your child's bones.-->
The American Association of Pediatrics recommends the following amount of calcium for children:
- 210 mg for infants up to six months old;
- 270 mg for infants six months to 1 year old;
- 500 mg for toddlers aged 1-3;
- 800 mg for children aged 4-8;
- 1,300 mg for children aged 9-18.
The NICHD recommends low-fat or fat-free milk as the preferred source of dietary calcium. Milk contains high amounts of both calcium and vitamin D, which helps the body use calcium. Milk also contains other nutrients, such as vitamins A and B12, potassium, magnesium, and protein, which are essential for developing healthy bones and teeth.
But if you have to struggle with your kids to get them to drink a glass of milk, there are other sources of calcium.
To give you an idea of how much calcium is in some calcium-rich foods, here are some examples:
- 1 cup of milk -- 300 mg
- 1/2 cup of broccoli -- 35 mg
- 1/2 cut of spinach -- 120 mg
- 1.5 oz of cheddar cheese -- 300 mg
- 8 oz. of low-fat yogurt -- 300-415 mg
- 1 cup of calcium-fortified orange juice -- 300 mg


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The Birmingham dining scene welcomes several new options.
There’s something undeniably joyful about celebrating the opening of a long-awaited restaurant. We watch the buildup on social media as owners post photos of construction on Instagram, inviting us to watch their progress. From permit approvals to décor, it’s fun to watch the process of opening a new restaurant unfold. And even more fun when owners finally post the “Grand Opening” announcement. From new bars to coffee shops, here are six places in Birmingham to grab a bite to eat.
A post shared by Elysian Gardens (@elysiangardensbirmingham) Helmed by Birmingham native and award-winning artist William Colburn Jr.Sangria on the Burg on Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio.0:00 News The Moscow Exchange (MOEX) is drafting a bill to allow trading in digital financial assets (DFAs) and securities based on them, according to a report in the Russian press.Courtesy Photo / Southerleigh Haute South Southerleigh Haute South's new brunch offerings.
, sculpture garden and bar Elysian Gardens opened on Sept.23 in Avondale.Sangria on the Burg , a Northwest Side restaurant that touts its “craft sangria, margaritas, beer, sliders and tacos,” was the only San Antonio establishment to make Yelp’s list of the 100 best taco spots in the U.Colburn, who has exhibited his large-scale whimsical sculptures around the nation, intends for the space to be a multi-use visual and performing arts venue.“The exchange and its subsidiaries will apply to the regulator and I hope that they will receive the status of exchange operators” to trade in DFAs, Shvetsov said.“We’re going to have all kinds of art, from music to culinary.Sangria on the Burg, owned by Ceasar Zepeda, came in at No.Sculptures, we’re going to have all kinds of painting.m.
Yoga classes.Austin’s Granny Tacos was ranked the fourth best taco restaurant in the country.“When you don’t know who to call and who to sue, many people don’t want to participate,” he said, but “It’s a blank sheet that we can draw whatever we want on, according to the needs of the economy and investors.We’ll have drum circle classes,”.“Almost everything art will be (there).You might also like: Schnitzel and a beer: 7 places to celebrate Oktoberfest in San Antonio The best taco spot in America was Fernandez Restaurant in San Diego.We’re trying to bring the community into the art culture.” Details: HOMECOMING BOOK CAFÈ In August, Yvette Chatman moved her bookshop Homecoming Books and Coffee from Ensley to the gift shop in the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.” The taco spots were then ranked by the total volume and number of stars given for reviews mentioning the hand-sized food.The Good Kind will host a free Thursday-night movie series starting Oct.
The move was, in fact, a homecoming.Chatman spent over a decade at the BCRI as the Literacy and Program Curriculum Coordinator.Billy Calzada/San Antonio Express-News on Yelp.In 2018, she opened her bookshop -- a cozy and vibrant store featuring books by Black authors and gifts from Black retailers.The store also served coffee and baked goods.It also has a taco called “Basic B,” which with crisp panko breaded chicken breast, jalapeno cilantro ranch, peppered bacon and lettuce.Earlier this year, Chatman hosted a series of coffee pop ups at the BCRI.showing of Big Night, a flick following two Italian brothers who aim to save their New Jersey restaurant in the 1950s.
She also consulted on a redesign of the institute’s gift shop and bookstore.com:.Those opportunities came full circle in August.Now called Homecoming Book Café, Chatman’s shop is a warm and inviting beacon in the BCRI.Details:.
Be sure to visit the gun store first. Cause you have a 1 in 13 chance to be a crime victim in Birmingham What Birmingham haters out there keep spreading lies that businesses are not opening in Birmingham Stop the ridiculous Hate already. This is just somebody pumpin' gas in Birmingham, What to you think will happen if you are walking down the street at night?
Be sure to bring a gun if you are dining at night.
Austin — and even Alaska — has better taco joints than San Antonio, according to YelpA Northwest Side restaurant was the only San Antonio establishment to make Yelp’s list This says more about Yelp than it does about San Antonio. Chicago certainly does
Moscow Exchange drafting bill on digital financial assets and securities trading: ReportThe draft of a new law means MOEX is closer to adding digital assets and digital asset-based securities to the list of products it trades. So, 🔥 everybody's priintiing free,makiing free 💰 tradiing on uniiswap and you won't share iit
Little Bites: Grand opening details on San Antonio restaurants, starlit dining events, new menusAnticipated near East Side eatery Restaurant Claudine has set an opening date, and Southerleigh Haute South has introduced new menus, among other local food news. SanAntonio SATX SanAntonioTX SanAntonioFood SanAntonioRestaurants
Disney World fans are outraged about $625 dinners at resort restaurantThe theme park's Victoria and Albert's restaurant re-opened after a renovation — and a ticket increase. Having been to Disney many times I can state that their food options are not great, and overpriced, but this one is just insane. Unfortunately in the DeSantis era, we will not be returning to Florida which is coming from our very spoiled Disney Princess who refuses to return ☹
L.A. City Council candidate's former employees accused her business of wage theftEx-employees have pending wage-theft cases against restaurant that was owned by Danielle Sandoval, who is now a candidate for Los Angeles City Council.


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Competition is working…Prices are falling!!!
In a smaller market like ours, it’s fairly easy to see what’s happening. Was in a local hardware store the other day and saw some brochures from an agent of one the largest franchisors. His posted prices in large print on the front page of the brochure…$299 for any house up to 2000 sq ft!!! He’s now selling on price. (he’s been in business 5-6 years)
Of the 2 associations represented here, CAHPI has added 3 members net over the last 18 months while NACHI has added 13-14 out of its 15!!
Good job, Nick!!! These poor 90%er’s (those out of business in 3 years) will wonder where they went wrong when they don’t see big income from an already saturated market!!


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“The S&P usually rallies in November and December. Since 1980, the S&P 500 was up nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of the time in the last two months of the year, up an average of +3.3 percent overall. When the S&P is higher in November and December, it is up an average of 5.6 percent, compared to a loss of 3.1 percent in years with a negative return for those two months. «
After a positive October, the stocks surely prevailed again with a positive performance from November to December.
Share of the year: Tesla
As I wrote in this column, no stock garnered more attention than Tesla in 2021. And probably no executive has made more headlines than Elon Musk, CEO of electric vehicle maker Tesla.
Musk was named by time as person of the year.
Tesla and Musk also moved Bitcoin when the company started accepting the cryptocurrency for payments. He then changed his mind for environmental reasons. He’s reversed course. You can buy a Tesla with green mining bitcoin.
In 2021, Tesla was well on the way to increasing deliveries by 80% year over year and has now manufactured about two-thirds of all electric cars in the US. In addition, the year 2021 started with its first full year of profit. At the current sales rate, Tesla is well on its way to delivering more than 1 million new vehicles per year. They will also open mega manufacturing facilities in the US, Europe and Asia. It’s an expensive stock, but the growth and outlook are just spectacular.
The tailwind for Tesla and the electric vehicle industry is more like a storm wind. The global shift to green in an attempt to meet net zero emissions targets for 2030 and 2050 could be the greatest economic force in the next or two decades.
In 2021, I started a position in Amplify BATT ETF, which Tesla holds and invests in the EV and battery ecosystem. I am adding to the position. I’m also building my HLIT position, a Horizons ETF that has exposure to lithium, which is needed for battery production.


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Makes the comms app-turned-games marketplace one of the best deals in town
Beta launched yesterday
Chat app wants to be a "cosy neighborhood bookshop" for games
Reddit users find they cheap keys are in fact from another retailer
The early promotion offer meant to end in October has been extended
Friends, Feed, Profile and Games sections now available to users
"I started to realise that people liked our stance and what we were doing we have a voice in the industry among indies. It's good for us to take that and promote content"
The industry veteran talks blockchain, retail and tax havens
Streaming platform hit 10m monthly active users in 2017
Canary Islands-based venture set to launch in Q2
I can’t think of a better partner than IGN to help Humble Bundle continue our quest"
CIG said the claim have no merit... and Court approved it already several times over the past 2…
Hello. Welcome to teach you the techniques of playing games and playing games…
Star Citizen (MMO) got in December 3.8 patch, Squadron 42 (solo) do have a planned Beta for Q3 2020…
Quote:<i>"it was revealed that America's Federal Trade Commission had received 129 complaints about…
"Ease of reproduction"? "Stop piracy"?!? This sounds like that guy has no idea what he's talking…


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Maserati has confirmed via its official website (www.Maserati.com) that it will make a surprise announcement or presentation on October 2 at the 2008 Paris auto show. No other details have been revealed but there is a poll active on the site that asks visitors to guess what the surprise could be.
The list of options include a new car, advertising campaign, website, concept store, new headquarters, a revised trident design, a new testimonial or a new logo.
Most of the votes thus far have been for the new car, which is not without reason as the Italian carmaker is working on two new models seen testing in prototype form over the past several months.
The more likely of the two to be unveiled next month is a convertible version of the current GranTurismo coupe. Maserati officials have confirmed the car will arrive in showrooms by March of next year and recent spy shots have revealed a prototype GranTurismo with a folding hardtop roof.
The other option is a second coupe model positioned below the GranTurismo. This smaller Maserati is expected to feature a coupe-cabrio body and is tipped be based on the same platform as Ferrari’s new California.
Of course, this is all speculation, which means we won’t really know what Maserati has planned until next week.


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World-first Swap Points system launched
Love Home Swap , the stylish home swap holiday service, has announced today that it has raised a further £1.025M follow-on funding from lead investor MMC Ventures - and at the same time launched a revolutionary new Swap Points scheme, a world-first within the Social Travel sector.
With the new Swap Points scheme, arranging trips becomes even easier through the Love Home Swap site as members no longer need to match exact dates and destinations with each other. They can now pledge time in their property to a central bank. In exchange they receive points that they can redeem to stay in other members' homes around the world for free - without the cost of hotel bills to worry about.
Love Home Swap now has more than 45,000 stylish properties listed in 150 countries worldwide, and has made strong progress over the first half of this year. Listings have increased 5x and revenues 3.5x, driven by rapid organic growth and the acquisition of a leading competitor site, 1stHomeExchange.
The additional funding will be used to invest in marketing, product development and new hires, particularly in the areas of sales and customer service, as the business aims to double the number of members it has over the coming 12 months.
Debbie Wosskow, CEO of Love Home Swap, said: “We're excited to close this latest round of funding to help us continue to scale the Love Home Swap business. The home swapping model is potentially the future of time-shares, a sector with a long history that is looking to modernize fast and reach out to future generations. With our new Swap Points scheme, Love Home Swap continues to innovate within the travel industry. Our plan is to keep delivering what we do best: ensuring that our members enjoy dream holidays in inspiring homes around the world whilst saving thousands on hotel bills.”
Rory Stirling, Investment Director of MMC Ventures, added: “MMC has always believed in Love Home Swap and is pleased to be able to provide follow on funding for this high profile digital business. The move towards the modernization of time shares is a smart one and reflects the foresight of the strong management team.”


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OnlyFans, the site that earned the rather infamous “Patreon for porn” moniker, seems to be going clean. Not just the official OnlyFans Android App, but also the entire website will soon scrub nearly all adult and NSFW content.
A recently launched OnlyFans app only shows Safe for Work (SFW) content. Moving ahead, the platform is reportedly planning to purge all NSFW (Not Suitable for Work) content from all of its online properties.
OnlyFans has an official app on the Google Play Store for Android smartphone users:
OnlyFans does not need a detailed introduction. The platform has earned, perhaps willingly, the unofficial tagline “Patreon for porn”.
Simply put, the platform openly accepted and distributed adult-themed content. Until recently, content creators for OnlyFans majorly put out NSFW videos. Many of the videos might not be entirely pornographic in nature but were unsuitable or inappropriate for general public consumption.
OnlyFans announced that starting in October it will restrict itself from the business that made it an in-demand enterprise: hardcore porn. https://t.co/N4FM5Xxwbg
— WIRED (@WIRED) August 20, 2021
It seems OnlyFans is now trying to shed its NSFW image. The site will, reportedly, continue to court content from creators that make videos outside the area of eroticism.
OnlyFans recently launched its own official app on the Google Play Store. The app does not have the name of the parent company.
Incidentally, the Android App store has several junk and spammy apps that attempt to masquerade as OnlyFans content providers. The official OnlyFans App is called OFTV (OnlyFans TV).
OnlyFans says it has 130 million users and two million creators who have collectively earned $5 billion US last year. https://t.co/YxnYNxcP6o
— CBC News (@CBCNews) August 20, 2021
The OnlyFans app has a “gallery” that lists a selection of “Unlocked” free content. The platform has quite a large selection of videos from content creators that do not make adult-themed videos.
Reports indicate the OFTV app is not offering a way to use the OnlyFans account. However, it is possible the platform hasn’t plugged in the main website and its content.
Additionally, a few users of the app have indicated that the app does not push Google Ads. Simply put, OFTV is a legit app that serves SFW content without ads.
OnlyFans OFTV App is actually a strong indicator of the “clean and SFW” direction of the platform?
It seems the OFTV App is not just an SFW branch of the OnlyFans content library. Reports indicate the platform is ridding itself of nearly all the adult-themed content.
Starting October 1, 2021, OnlyFans will no longer host depictions of sex acts. However, the platform will allow nudity, indicates the site’s Acceptable Use Policy. Simply put, OnlyFans could be going “softcore.”
— kaleymariebb (@mangledlittleb) August 20, 2021
“Effective 1 October 2021, OnlyFans will prohibit the posting of any content containing sexually explicit conduct. In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the platform, and to continue to host an inclusive community of creators and fans, we must evolve our content guidelines. Creators will continue to be allowed to post content containing nudity as long as it is consistent with our Acceptable Use Policy.”
A screenshot of a friends email with only fans pic.twitter.com/AJxz8nK774
— Hayden Brumhead (@HaydenBrumhead) August 20, 2021
“These changes are to comply with the requests of our banking partners and payout providers. We will be sharing more details in the coming days, and we will actively support and guide our creators through this change in content guidelines.”
NEW: Who gets to decide what stays and goes on the internet? In the case of OnlyFans, the answer seems to be: major credit card companies taking an increasingly hard-line stance on adult content. https://t.co/OQMoOGENf3
— issie lapowsky (@issielapowsky) August 20, 2021
Moving ahead, the platform should welcome content from creators that make general videos for education and entertainment. This should make OnlyFans a video-centric alternative to Patreon and similar creator support platforms.
It is amply clear that OnlyFans is taking a huge risk by effectively shutting out independent erotic models and sex workers. Alienating the biggest and most popular content providers of the platform could be a huge gamble.


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“As the retreat continues, regional banks are running out of partners to support their international operations and financial services to SMEs,” says Mariia Khriachtcheva, director of digital payments.
Todd Hirsch, chief economist with ATB Financial, said the city is still seeing the economic. For a full list of the city’s engagement events and to fill out an online survey, visit Calgary.ca.2026/.
Browse commonly searched for answers about ATBOnline Banking regarding your account, security, web browsers, Interac e-Transfers and other FAQ’s.
It allows access to online purchasing of hunting and fishing licences. It will also affect people’s ability to obtain hunting draw results, which were due out Thursday. Barry Strader, a spokesman for.
Months after Dave Mowat announced plans to retire at the end of June, ATB Financial announced his replacement. ATB Financial chair Brian Hesje said Curtis Stange had been selected as the company’s nex.
Speaking on investment in the insurance sector, Mr. Dienye Peterside, a financial expert who explored the various. Founder & Chairman, ATB Techsoft Solutions Group, Mr. Charles O’tudor, Brand Strat.
A Fool And His Money Quote For example, click over to morningstar.com and enter a company’s ticker symbol up top in the “Quote” box. just left the money in a bank account. – G., online The Fool responds: Ouch. You fell for a. (Opens Friday in Dallas) Nobody’s Fool (R) Tiffany Haddish. performance that isn’t in air quotes. Also with Theo
An Alberta bank has announced that their spring fundraising campaign has been a complete success, raising about $640,000 for both the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation in Calgary and Stollery Chi.
Online voting was opened to the public to pick their favorite Fast Growth finalist. The award went to finalist Localintel, who won by only 14 votes. The jurors’ Screener’s Award of Merit, sponsored by.
In its latest forecast, ATB Financial predicts Alberta’s economy will slip into. sports and business throughout the morning — you can tune in at 1010 AM, 99.1 FM, online at cbc.ca/calgary or throug.
EDMONTON – The chief economist of Alberta’s Crown-owned bank says weak oil and natural gas prices will slow economic growth in the province this year. Todd Hirsch of ATB Financial says that is likely.
Prepaid Debit Cards For Travel Chase is the latest bank joining the hunt for lower-income customers and plans to introduce a re-loadable debit card nationwide this summer. signing up for a full-service bank account. Prepaid card. Prepaid travel cards, cash, travellers’ cheques, and credit and debit cards. Prepaid cards: Convenient and inexpensive The most convenient and inexpensive way to carry
Pat Wren, managing director of operations for Edmonton-based ATB Financial chose Aruba Networks’ AirWave. The deployment included a subscription to HiveManager Online, Aerohive’s cloud-based networ.
The company’s Self-Pay Management System (SPMS) assists providers in identifying those individuals who need and potentially qualify for financial assistance. Patients can now be screened through an.
“How shopping giant Walmart uses AI to bridge online and offline worlds” with Laurent Desegur, VP of Customer Experience, WalmartLabs and Blaise Zerega, Editor in Chief, VentureBeat 10:25 a.m. Firesid.
Welcome to ATB ONLINE Services. Discover more about ATB Online and ATB Online Business. Click here.
A trust fund for Stiles’ daughters has been set up with ATB Financial under the name "Paula Stiles Trust. Tips can be submitted anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsu.
The student must have a Social Security number to complete the FAFSA online. The FAFSA will result. are they still eligible for financial aid based on the “ability-to-benefit” (ATB) test? Pursuant.
There are no online GED tests that are recognized by the GED Testing. Proof of residency may include copies of any of the following documents: bank statements, a driver’s license, bills, a voter re.
A former bank employee has been accused of making fraudulent transactions totaling more than $1 million while employed at ATB Financial. ATB contacted Sylvan Lake RCMP in August 2017 and alleged that.
Pepper and Jibo hangin’ out at the ATB Financial Innovation Lab Let’s explore the idea. Think about Scratch, the online coding community for kids. Or check out educational kits like EZ Robot, which.
With retail, employment and manufacturing on the rise in the province, ATB Financial’s latest economic outlook shows Alberta’s economy is still on the upswing. But the report says the trade dispute wi.