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BigBrotherBingo.com will offer a range of games including 90 ball, five-line and penny bingo with guaranteed jackpots every day as well as 'Big Brother' prizes such as behind-the-scenes tours and VIP passes to eviction nights.
The new site will be promoted through a TV ad campaign, created by Hero Media, on the Channel 5 network.
The site will conduct regular polls on the housemates and its forums will allow 'Big Brother Bingo' players to post comments and pose questions for other players as well as discuss the latest news and gossip from the house.
The deal was negotiated between 888.com, Channel 5, Endemol and AdConnection.
Maurice Karpes, vice president of bingo marketing at 888 Holdings, said: "The opportunity to offer the 'Big Brother' brand to our online bingo fans is a perfect match. We are building an offering that truly takes online entertainment to the next level."
The licensing deal is one of the many commercial tie-ups Channel 5 has signed around the show since it first came to the channel last year and further partners are expected to be announced in due course.
Agostino di Falco, partnerships director at Channel 5, said: "This deal with 888.com and Endemol enables Channel 5 to show how we can create strong partnership deals that offer incremental value to the advertiser."
The headline sponsor of 'Big Brother' is BT-owned broadband provider Plusnet and last week Channel 5 announced it had signed bookies Coral as its official live betting partner.
Follow Maisie McCabe on Twitter @MaisieMcCabe


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We’ve known that the plucky Jeep Compass and Patriot small SUVs were going to be scrapped in favor of an all new “C-Segment” vehicle this year, but new reports out of the 2016 Detroit Auto Show are saying one of these nameplates will live on.
The same Detroit News story that alleges Jeep CEO Michael Manley and Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne have confirmed the development of a Jeep Wrangler pickup truck says the company actually likes the Compass and Patriot you may have forgotten about. And so does the American public.
“We’ve got two very good names, two well-established names with Compass and Patriot that continue to perform very well,” Manley told The Detroit News, and confirmed that the new C-Segment SUV coming this year would be one of the two.
Manley went on to state that the “Patriot” name was better known in North America while “Compass” is better known internationally.
That could be translated from the company’s sales report, which tells us Americans bought 118,464 Jeep Patriots to 66,698 Jeep Compasses in total in 2015.
That’s a shockingly high number of SUVs generally regarded as mediocre that you’re gobbling up, America. But Patriot looks like the winner here by a major margin. Heck, they both beat the beloved Renegade!
With 2016 marking Jeep’s 75th anniversary, I wonder if the company will do something interesting with this “new” C-segment SUV (probably called Patriot) that we’re getting soon.
Supposedly we’ll meet this vehicle in April at the New York Auto Show. But I bet we get a taste early at the Easter Jeep Safari in March along with, maybe, just maybe, a real production-ready Wrangler pickup. Keep your eyes open!
Images via Jeep
Contact the author at email@example.com.

domain: news


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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 8, 2022 / Evonik Industries AG, a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals, announced Monday their venture capital company's strategic investment with Laxxon Medical Corporation.
Laxxon Medical is a U.S. based company whose patented 3D screen printing technology enables the controlled release of multiple active pharmaceutical ingredients within a single tablet. Evonik's specialized polymers ensure targeted delivery of the active ingredients in the novel tablets.
In addition to the investment of an undisclosed amount, Evonik and Laxxon Medical have concluded a joint product development and cooperation agreement. According to the agreement, Evonik will manufacture tablets with Laxxon Medical's 3D screen printing technology. In the future, Evonik's products will be used in Laxxon Medical's printing pastes.
Three-dimensional screen printing is significantly faster than established 3D printing processes. In addition to such manufacturing abilities, 3D screen printed drugs allow for improved drug delivery. Through drug improvements with 3D screen printing, pharmaceutical companies have the opportunity to extend existing patent protections on their products.
"This technology is great for patients. We expect fewer side effects from a more controlled drug delivery and having fewer pills reduces the risk of forgetting doses during the day," said Lutz Stoeber, head of Evonik Venture Capital North America. "We are pleased to support innovation that brings real benefits to people and their health."
Laxxon Medical's technology is relevant to Evonik's growth fields Healthcare Solutions and Additive Manufacturing. "Drug delivery is becoming ever more precise and increasingly tailored to specific patient groups," Thomas Riermeier, Head of Evonik's Heath Care Business Line, said. "Working with Laxxon will allow us to accelerate our activities in this important and emerging market."
Laxxon Medical was founded in Switzerland in 2017 by Helmut Kerschbaumer, Klaus Kuehne and Achim Schneeberger. Due to the planned IPO on the NASDAQ, the company has relocated its headquarters to the U.S. in 2021, but still has a German and a Swiss subsidiary.
"Evonik is the perfect partner to support the development of novel tablets with unique release properties," said Kerschbaumer, Chief Executive Officer of Laxxon Medical. "We are pleased to have one of the world's leading specialty chemical companies at our side, with whom we can further develop our products while manufacturing them commercially."
About Evonik Venture Capital
With a fund size of €250 million, Evonik Venture Capital (EVC) has made about 45 investments since 2012, both direct and fund investments. EVC has offices in Germany, the USA and China and invests in innovative technologies and disruptive business models in the fields of Nutrition & Care, Specialty Additives and Smart Materials, as well as enabling digital technologies. The EVC team of experienced investment managers provide portfolio companies comprehensive support. The investment scope ranges from early stage to growth stage with investment volume per portfolio company of up to €15 million. https://venturing.evonik.com
About Evonik Industries
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The company is active in more than 100 countries around the world and generated sales of €15 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.38 billion in 2021. Evonik goes far beyond chemistry to create innovative, profitable and sustainable solutions for customers. About 33,000 employees work together for a common purpose: We want to improve life today and tomorrow.
About Laxxon Medical Corporation
Laxxon Medical holds the exclusive worldwide rights to the patented use and application of 3D screen printing technology for the development, manufacture, and commercialization of pharmaceutical dosage forms.
With Laxxon Medical's innovative SPID®-Technology (Screen Printing Innovational Drug Technology), it is possible for the first time to develop oral, transdermal and implantable dosage forms through geometric shaping and heterogeneous distribution of active ingredients within the printed units yielding dosage forms with tailored release of active ingredients.
To learn more about Laxxon Medical's disruptive 3D screen printing technology, visit www.laxxonmedical.com.
Frances Hoggard, Public Relations Manager
SOURCE: Laxxon Medical


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Note: While WCPO's journalists strive for objectivity, this article is rooted in web editor Marais Jacon-Duffy's opinion, specifically regarding fried chicken. These thoughts on fried chicken do not reflect WCPO as a whole.
CINCINNATI -- Probably the best fried chicken in existence is considering coming to Cincinnati for the first time.
Bojangles' -- a fried chicken and biscuits chain restaurant primarily located in the Southeast -- is seeking franchise owners to help the company expand to Cincinnati, according to a news release from Bojangles' spokesman Cliff Cermak.
This is a deeply emotional announcement for me and likely many other Cincinnatians who have migrated from the southern U.S.
In addition to Cincinnati, Bo's wants to open restaurants in Louisville and Evansville, Indiana. Right now, restaurants are located only in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C.
Bojangles' is absolutely amazing, according to myself and my taste buds. The restaurant's chicken biscuits are the perfect breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. The chicken itself is just delectable -- it's definitely greasy, but not too greasy. It's crispy and perfect. Bojangles also has Cajun chicken, which is delightfully spicy, and pairs well with a honey and butter-smothered buttermilk biscuit.
The chain's sides alone blow any other drive-thru restaurant's out of the water: macaroni and cheese, dirty rice and Cajun pinto beans, among others. Bojangles' has truly Southern sweet tea, too -- the kind that gives you a toothache after two swigs.
And I'm not the only person crazy about Bojangles': This couple had Cajun chicken biscuits at their wedding.
And this guy decorated his graduation cap with a Bo's box and drink cup.
So, if you're looking for your next business venture in the Queen City, this is my personal plea to consider franchising a Bojangles' restaurant. I promise that I, solely, will be the source of a disgusting amount of business.


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Cécile Béliot has assumed the role of Bel Group chief executive officer, following the decision to separate the roles of chairman and CEO.
The separation of the functions will enable Bel Group to develop in three areas of healthy snacking. Meanwhile, the company’s former CEO, Antoine Fiévet, has had his mandate renewed as chairman of the board.
In Béliot’s new role as CEO, she will be responsible for executing the company’s vision and managing its strategy and performance.
Prior to Bel Group, Béliot worked at Danone, where she held roles as managing director and general manager for Danone Waters in France and the Benelux region.
Fiévet said: “These four years of close and effective collaboration with Cécile Béliot have fostered a real relationship of trust. In a world that is becoming increasingly complex, I am deeply convinced that the continuation of our project requires the establishment of a complementary duo at the head of the company.”
He continued: “The Bel Group, with its portfolio of iconic and popular brands, which was recently expanded with the completion of the acquisition of MOM (Pom’Potes/GoGo squeeZ, Materne, Mont-Blanc, etc) has many assets to establish itself as the leader in healthy snacking. Cécile is the leader that the group needs to deploy its strategy, innovate and accelerate the sustainable growth project that we are developing for Bel, with all our partners.”
By Rafaela Sousa
Schumacher will replace Alan Jope, who announced his decision to retire last September, less than a year after a failed attempt by Unilever to buy GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer healthcare business and just months after activist investor Nelson Peltz joined the company’s board.
Globally, plant-based ice creams have doubled their share of the market over the last five years, according to Tetra Pack. Pea protein and coconut milk are leading the way, but Tetra Pak cites data showing that oat-based ice cream launches have doubled in the previous year.
A myriad of so-called eco-labels are being rolled out across various F&B products, but with no gold standard or strict rules governing precisely what the logos mean and what methodology is behind them, concerns are growing that they will confuse consumers and ultimately be counterproductive.


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Opera users can now purchase cryptos using android wallet
In what seems to be a positive move, Opera now allows its users to buy Ethereum (ETH) directly from the browser, according to a press release. As per the press release, Safello, a Bitcoin and crypto payment provider announced that its brokerage solution is now integrated into the Opera browser. With the help of this new feature, users in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark can now use their wallet to buy Ether (ETH).
Speaking about this latest development, Frank Schuil, CEO and founder Safello said, “This integration puts the functionality to purchase cryptos at the fingertips of the users. Safello will now power transactions on the Opera browser for Android in the fastest possible way. With the convenience of credit and debit card payments and transfers over trusted payment networks, such as Swish in Sweden, we are bringing down barriers to ownership.”
Safello is registered with Sweden’s Financial Supervisory Authority and it will verify users who make purchases using Sweden’s BankID and Denmark’s NemID citizens’ identity solutions. Topping up a wallet with Ether will take “less than a minute”, according to Opera.
The press release further notes that Safello aims to make crypto ownership easier and more accessible by integrating its brokerage solution across a range of platforms.
It is worthwhile to note here that Opera launched the first blockchain-enabled browser for Android in December last year. The browser allows users to interact with dApps. It gives users the freedom to control digital identities and execute transactions. The newly designed browser is integrated with inbuilt cryptocurrency wallet and it is the first among all browsers to have both cryptocurrency and blockchain features.
Image via Shutterstock
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Market Cap $54 Million
Cash untill 2021+ (including convertible debt)
NDA submission for tadalafil in June or July
NDA resubmission for Rizaport in early Q3
Partnership for Tadalafil in 2H 2017
Most people still not realize the signifance of this news below ..Tadalafil could be up to 2 years on market before the generics enter the Market THATS MEGA NEWS for Intelgenx they will earn a lot of money .
IntelGenx has multi-faceted BD approach for its oral films May 16, 2017
IntelGenx previously confirmed the bioequivalence of Tadalafil to Eli Lilly’s Cialis, which had sales of $1.5-billion in 2016 but faces generic competition in 2020. IntelGenx has an exclusive license for oral films from Lilly for its dosing patent, which would allow Tadalafil to enter the ED market in the U.S. free from patent litigation from Lilly. Dr. Matzen explains that Tadalafil, which offers a discrete dosing alternative, could enter the market in 2018, with up to three years of market exclusivity before Cialis is hit with generic competition.
Oral Film Exclusivity Granted to IntelGenx' VersaFilm(TM) for Tadalafil Erectile Dysfunction Dosing PatentMarch 28, 2017..


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Days after it was reported that popular restaurant chain Criniti’s had been killed by coronavirus, there is happy news on the horizon.
Six of its thirteen restaurants are set to be re-opened following the expected sale of the business assets on Tuesday 14 April 2020.
Criniti’s - which started in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta in 2003 - called in administrators Worrells Solvency and Forensic Accountants in November.
On Friday it was reported by numerous media outlets - including 7NEWS.com.au - that a proposed sale for the business had fallen through due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But on Monday, Graeme Beattie of Worrells announced that a “slimmed-down” Criniti’s would be revived by the Brunelli Group - a South Australian-based Italian restaurant chain.
‘This is a remarkable tale of retail survival’
“Our faith has been rewarded. This is a remarkable tale of retail survival and a testament to the strength of the Criniti’s brand name”, said Mr Beattie, referring to the resilience of the six surviving locations following the decline in trade caused by new COVID-19 regulation.
“The leaner operation traded well through Christmas and the holidays, and put up a good fight after the March ban on in-house dining, only to succumb to Corona-economics in early April”.
The acquisition of Criniti’s will double the size of the Brunelli Group while expanding its operations into three Australian states.
The Group’s six South Australian “Café Brunelli” restaurants will be joined by six Criniti’s locations in Castle Hill, Parramatta, Darling Harbour, Kotara in Newcastle, Carlton and Southbank, in Victoria..
With the Brunelli Group’s acquisition including all memorabilia, trademarks, recipes and menus, the re-opened locations are expected to faithfully reproduce the Criniti’s casual dining experience.
The Manly, Kirrawee, Wollongong, Chermside, Qld, and Carousel, WA, locations of Criniti’s have been permanently closed since November 2019.
Woolloomooloo was closed in January 2020. Wetherill Park was closed in April 2020.


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Flooding and milk prices have provoked questions to the DEFRA secretary of state, Catherine Paice reports
In a written question, Richard Arkless (SNP, Dumfries and Galloway) wanted to know what the Government was doing to support milk producers in ensuring milk prices in supermarkets were maintained. Farm minister George Eustice (Con, Camborne & Redruth) first exercised the current stock response: “We support the farming industry by reducing red tape, funding research to foster innovation, extending the tax averaging period for self-employed farmers and working to open up new export markets.”
He then reminded MPs of the £26.6m aid package from the European Commission last autumn for hard-pressed UK farmers – the third biggest in the EU – before saying the Government was working with the food industry, including supermarkets, retailers, manufacturers and caterers, on more consistent labelling and branding of British dairy products, improving transparency across the supply chain and allocating more space on shop shelves. “This will make it easier for consumers and food businesses to know when they’re buying British dairy products,” he said.
Some supermarkets have pledged, Mr Eustice noted, to pay a premium above the current market price, though he conceded that wouldn’t solve the problem but would “give some respite”.
Whether or not supermarkets would maintain milk prices was not ultimately addressed, perhaps because they are rarely linked to the farmgate price except in the case of relatively few producers who have direct supply contracts with the major retailers and are still getting over 30 pence per litre.
Pay farmers to flood farmland? Proposals by the Government to pay farmers to let their most susceptible land flood have been met with incredulity by the wider population. Craig Whittaker (Con, Calder Valley) wondered how DEFRA was working with farmers and landowners in areas susceptible to flooding to encourage them to do this to avoid flooding elsewhere.
In a written reply, Rory Stewart (Con, Penrith and The Border and joint DEFRA under-secretary of state) noted that “temporarily storing” flood water on agricultural land can be a cost-effective way of reducing risks elsewhere in a catchment. Where such schemes are planned, he explained, farmers and landowners are paid to store flood water on their land “in a managed way”, with payments made to offset the damage caused by additional deliberate flooding that forms part of the flood management scheme.
Mr Whittaker challenged the secretary of state about the use of upland management schemes in areas susceptible to flooding as a method of flood prevention. “We will encourage any measures that could help manage flood risk,” Mr Stewart responded, citing management of peat uplands and planting trees to slow the flow while providing wider environmental benefits within catchments.


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Important Current Affairs 17th December 2020 with PDF
Current Affairs is the most scoring section in any competitive exams and it is an important part of your syllabus apart from English, Quantitative Aptitude, or Logical Reasoning! It plays a vital role in your final selection as being thorough with this section will give you an added advantage over fellow aspirants. This can only be possible if you stay updated with the latest happenings around the nation and the world for that matter, on a daily basis. Read the article to know about the Important Current Affairs 17th December 2020.
It’s difficult to prepare for the Current Affairs section overnight. You have to keep on reading newspapers, articles, and magazines regularly. As there is no defined syllabus for General Awareness, we bring you the Important General Awareness in PDF form on a daily basis, so that it is easier for you to read the news on the go.
Let’s go through the highlights of Current Affairs on 16th December
- Yes Bank partners with VISA
- RBI relaxes norms for an initiative
- Tata Motors to buy share in Marcopolo
- Atmanirbhar Bharat Guidance Centre started
- 278 lakh households get tap water connections
To know the important Current Affairs 17th December 2020 along with the highlighted news mentioned above, all Banking, SSC, Railway, and Insurance aspirants keep on reading this article on Important Current Affairs 17th December 2020. You can also attempt Today’s current affairs quiz.
Current Affairs 17th December 2020 – Important Notes
Yes Bank partners with VISA
- Yes Bank has announced its partnership with VISA as a payment processor to enhance payments efficiency for salaried and Yes First account holders.
- With the new design, the card number and CVV details have been discreetly placed at the back, thereby improving security by making it less easy to capture these details while using it at ATMs or POS terminals.
Home Credit launches EMI scheme
- Home Credit India has launched a bouquet of innovative financing products and offerings for its customers.
- The company has partnered with leading consumer durable brands to offer attractive customer-friendly finance schemes.
- Offers are available across popular home appliances brands like LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony, Xiaomi, Haier, Voltas, Whirlpool, Blue Star, Aisen, and Voltas-Beko.
Read Physics Magnetism and EMI Questions here!
Thrikutam joins True North
- True North has appointed former Infosys veteran Prasad Thrikutam as an operating partner to help its foray into technology investments.
- Thrikutam worked with Infosys between 1995 and 2014, holding many senior positions, including Head of Americas and Global Head of strategic sales.
- He was the President and Global Head, applications and digital business, at Dell Services from 2014 to 2017.
RBI relaxes norms for an initiative
- The RBI has relaxed eligibility norms for applicants under its regulatory sandbox initiative.
- It has announced cross-border payments as the theme of the 2nd cohort under this scheme.
- A regulatory sandbox usually refers to a system of live-testing new products or services in a controlled environment, for which regulators may or may not permit relaxations for the limited purpose of the testing
Read about RBI Assistant Recruitment here!
Tata Motors to buy share in Marcopolo
- Tata Motors Ltd (TML) has entered into a share purchase agreement with Brazilian bus and coach manufacturer Marcopolo S.A.
- It will buy the latter’s 49% share of their joint venture Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd (TMML) for ₹99.96 crores.
- Formed in 2006, TTML was a 51:49 joint venture between TML and Marcopolo S.A., one of the largest bus manufacturers globally.
IndusInd Bank launches ‘PIONEER Heritage’
- IndusInd Bank in partnership with Mastercard has announced the launch of its first metal credit card – ‘PIONEER Heritage’.
- The all-new credit card has been specially curated to match the requirements of affluent Indian professionals and entrepreneurs.
- It is equipped with best-in-class features and privileges across an array of categories like travel, wellness, lifestyle among others.
Read about Indusind Bank To Go Live on RBI Account Aggregator here!
Inaugural ceremony of IFFI to be held in Jan
- The inaugural ceremony of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held on 16 Jan 2021 in Goa.
- The ceremony will be held in a hybrid mode wherein the inaugural and closing ceremony will be held in physical mode while the remaining part will be conducted in virtual mode.
- Its theme would be ‘Big to BIGGER, Creativity, Technology and Innovation – Reshaping Consumer Experience’.
Read about Indian Art and Culture here!
Steel Authority of India Limited awarded
- Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been awarded the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2020 in the steel sector by the Institute of Directors.
- It has been the winner of this award for successive two years.
- The award encourages corporates to enhance their environmental performance and to compete with peers to set benchmarks.
Atmanirbhar Bharat Guidance Centre started
- The Maharashtra unit of Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha has started the Atmanirbhar Bharat Guidance Centre.
- It will promote the center’s Atma Nirbhar programme.
- The Rs. 20 lakh crore Atma Nirbhar package has been announced with the twin objectives.
- The first objective is to reduce the distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by helping the weaker sections get foodgrains and monetary support.
Read about Maharashtra Police Constable Recruitment here!
Suvendu Adhikari resigns as TC MLA
- Trinamool Congress leader Suvendu Adhikari submitted his resignation as an MLA, to the West Bengal assembly secretary on 16 December 2020.
- It is expected that he will join the BJP during Union Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state.
- He had quit the post of minister in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet in November 2020.
Read about Appointments & Resignations here!
UP govt to launch ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’
- UP govt will launch a special program to double the income of farmers.
- The program named Kisan Kalyan Mission will cover all assembly constituencies of the state.
- Under the mission, various programs will be organized across the state.
- Exhibitions of agriculture and associate sectors will be organized which will include the products of MSME sector units and livelihood missions.
Read about Major Points about Uttar Pradesh here!
Essay competition in Bangladesh launched
- The High Commission of India in Bangladesh launched a writing competition on the topic ‘What Liberation Means to Me?’ for Bangladeshi youth between 18-35 years of age.
- It was launched on the eve of Victory Day.
- The submission deadline for the competition is 10th January 2021.
- The winner of the essay competition will be awarded a laptop as a prize.
Bangladesh celebrated Victory Day on 16 Dec
- Bangladesh celebrated ‘Bijoy Dibosh’, Victory Day on 16 December 2020.
- On this day it attained liberation from Pakistan and became an independent nation in 1971 under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
- Close to 3 million people of Bangladesh and several thousands of Indian soldiers had lost their lives during the liberation war.
Read about Important Days and Events Here!
Chilahati-Haldibari rail link to be reopened
- India and Bangladesh will reopen the Chilahati-Haldibari rail link after nearly 55 years.
- It was cut off during the 1965 India-Pakistan war.
- The inauguration of the rail link took place during the virtual summit of the PMs of India and Bangladesh on 17 Dec 2020.
- The Haldibari-Chilahati rail link was part of the Broad Gauge main route from Kolkata to Siliguri.
Read about Summits and Meetings here!
ICG Interceptor Boat commissioned
- Indian Coast Guard Interceptor Boat got commissioned on 15 Dec 2020 at Hazira in Gujarat.
- This Interceptor boat is built indigenously by L&T Jetty, Hazira is capable of a high speed of 45 knots having the capability to operate in shallow waters.
- It is fitted with the latest state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment designed for high-speed interception, close coast patrol, etc.
278 lakh households get tap water connections
- 278 lakh households have been provided tap water connections under Jal Jeevan Mission.
- At present more than 6 crore rural households in the country are getting potable water in their households through taps.
- The mission was announced on 15 August 2019.
- For 2020-21, a sum of Rs. 23,500 crore has been allocated for the implementation of the mission.
India signs loan agreement with NDB
- The Govt of India and the New Development Bank have signed a loan agreement for 1,000 million dollars.
- The program will support the govt in mitigating the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and enable economic recovery in the rural areas through Natural Resource Management (NRM) works.
- This will facilitate economic activity and employment generation to stimulate rural demand.
Read about MOU & Agreements here!
Prasar Bharati CEO: VP of Asia-Pacific BU
- Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati has been elected as the Vice President of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, one of the largest broadcasting associations in the world.
- The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union was formed in 1964 as a professional association of broadcasting organizations with over 286 members in 57 countries and regions.
- Vempati has been elected to the office for 3 years.
Economic diplomacy website launched
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has launched the economic diplomacy website.
- It will showcase India’s economic, sectoral, and state-wise strengths.
- The website focuses on the government’s ease of doing business initiatives, policy reforms, and incentives aimed at attracting foreign investment.
- It highlights opportunities for the country’s agriculture exports abroad.
Category Wise Current Affairs
|Summits & Conferences
|List of Famous Personalities & Titles Questions
|Yesterday’s Current Affairs Quiz
|Yesterday’s Current Affairs in English
|Today’s Current Affairs in Hindi
|Yesterday’s Current Affairs in Hindi
Check out the List of Major Recruitment and Ongoing Competitive Exams here.


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Scottish alcohol advertising ban threatens small indie breweries
Small Scottish breweries are under threat from the Scottish government’s plans to restrict alcohol advertising and promotion.
The Scottish ban, which could put an end to beer festivals, tap takeovers and meet-the-brewer events as well as stop small breweries from selling and advertising their beer online or via their webshops, is set to have a detrimental impact on the sector.
If the ban is passed, small Scottish breweries could also be prevented from raising much-needed funds for charities, local good causes as well as supporting grassroots sports clubs.
The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), which has highlighted how if the Scottish government’s proposals are implemented in full, will stifle small producers, has also illustrated how the move will lead to fewer direct and indirect jobs in the supply chains which support them and harming Scotland’s international reputation for quality drinks producers.
Historically, SIBA and its members have been long-time supporters of responsible drinking initiatives and campaigns, but is now at risk of being penalised by the new measures.
In its submission to the consultation which closed this week, SIBA outlined its support for measures that target the harmful use of alcohol where there is clear evidence that it does so. However, the trade body also outlined how the proposals run counter to the Scottish government’s stated strategy to see Scotland’s food and drink industry to continue growing and bringing benefits including jobs, wealth and international renown.
SIBA chief executive Andy Slee said: “Scotland’s small independent breweries are renowned for producing some of the most innovative and exciting beers which are enjoyed the world over by responsible drinkers. They are at the heart of their local communities, supporting local pubs and shops. This is now under threat by the Scottish government’s radical and extensive proposed ban on promotions and advertising.”
Slee added: “These ideas come at a time when the sector is facing threats from every direction including the onerous Deposit Return Scheme and a cost of living crisis. Small breweries need greater support, not more barriers to trade.”


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LAST UPDATED : Nov 23, 2020, 05:21 PM IST
- Indian economy rapidly normalising towards pre-pandemic levels: Kumar Mangalam Birla
The Indian economy is rapidly normalising towards pre-pandemic activity levels, even as uncertainty exists about coronavirus mutations and repeated infection waves, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla said on Wednesday. Moreover, various steps taken by the RBI and the government have helped in containing the economic disruptions of the pandemic, Birla added.
- Tariff hike key to sector revival; Birla, ABG, Voda committed to supporting telco: VIL CEO
Amid an existential struggle, Vodafone Idea on Monday said while its recent tariff tweaks are steps in the right direction, such changes are not enough to solve the industry's structural issues, and tariff hikes and floor pricing remain critical for the sector revival.
- VIL CEO reassures staff; urges them to maintain focus on offering quality services to users
Amid an existential crisis faced by the company, Vodafone Idea CEO Ravinder Takkar has reached out to employees seeking to reassure them, and has urged the staff to continue focusing on providing quality services to customers and sustain intensity in the market.
- Kumar Mangalam Birla offers to hand over Vodafone Idea stake to government
Aditya Birla group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla has offered to hand over his stake in debt-laden Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) to the government or any other entity that the government may consider worthy to keep the company operational.
- International schools hold special camps, give foreign-bound pupils shot in arm
International schools are now stepping in to bail out their foreign-bound students, whose academic plans were impeded by the vaccine shortage. Schools are collaborating with private hospitals to hold immunisation camps for these students and their staff.
- Birla Mutual Fund gives rollover option in six fixed maturity plans
Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund is giving an option to investors in six of its fixed maturity plans (FMPs) to roll over their investments in these funds for one or two years. Those who want to take their money out will get it on the pre-scheduled date of closure, while those who wish to continue to invest will have to send applications to the fund house for rollover.
- Flipkart-Aditya Birla Fashion deal gets CCI nod
Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Wednesday said it has approved the acquisition of 7.8 per cent minority stake in Aditya Birla Fashion by Flipkart Investments Private Ltd (FIPL). Aditya Birla Fashion had in October last year approved plans to raise Rs 1,500 crore by issuing a 7.8 per cent stake on a preferential basis to Walmart-owned Flipkart Group.
- Odisha CM inaugurates 10m range at Aditya Birla-Gagan Narang Shooting HPC
Shooting sport in Odisha got a shot in the arm as the state-chief minister Naveen Patnaik highly-anticipated 10m ranges of the Odisha Aditya Birla - Gagan Narang Shooting High Performance Centre at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Monday. The one-of-its-kind centre will scout, train and groom young shooting talent in the state.
- Flipkart-Aditya Birla Fashion proposed deal violates government's FDI policy: CAIT
Traders' body CAIT on Tuesday raised objections over Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail's plans to raise Rs 1,500 crore by issuing 7.8 per cent stake to Walmart-owned Flipkart Group, alleging that the proposed deal violates the government's FDI policy.
- Ananya Birla slams US restaurant for being ‘racist'
Ananya Birla, the daughter of Aditya Birla Group's billionaire chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, has slammed a US restaurant for being “racist”, saying the Italian-American dining place in California “literally threw” her and her family out of their premises.
- Aditya Birla Fashion to sell 8% to Flipkart for Rs 1,500 crore
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFR) has entered into a commercial pact with Flipkart where it will raise Rs 1,500 crore by selling nearly 8% stake to the e-commerce platform. Owned by the US-based Walmart, Flipkart is paying a premium of nearly 34% for each ABFR share at Rs 205 compared to Thursday’s close on the BSE (24% from Friday’s), according to regulatory filings.
- Aditya Birla Fashion in tie-up talks with Flipkart
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFR) is in talks with Walmart-owned Flipkart for a strategic alliance, through which it can sell a minority stake, two sources aware of the matter said. ABFR has also scheduled a board meeting to discuss a fund-raise on Friday where the proposal may be taken up.


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The complete programme for the La Herradura, San José Fiestas, 2013, in all its terrifying glory!
Last month the Mayor of Almuñécar, accompanied by representatives of the PA, IU and PSOE visited the Aquarium – the CA said that they hadn’t been invited.
The Motril Policía Local have been busy destroying 6,000 items that were confiscated during 2012, which accounts for half of the yearly total.
Well, it’s been wet on the Costa Tropical; visitors on holiday don’t need to be reminded, but just how wet has it been? According to the mini-weather station in the vega of Almuñécar, which is run by the Junta, we’ve had 102 litres per square metre this week – that’s 10.2 cm per sq/m, if…


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When BlackBerry was looking for a buyer to take it private, there was a lot of speculation about the future of its hardware business. Some analysts expected that whoever bought the company would shut the division down, but that didn’t happen. The new CEO John Chen has reiterated BlackBerry’s commitment to the consumer market and clarified that the hardware business isn’t going away anytime soon. Though significant changes do need […]
If you’re all shopped out for the Christmas holidays, you may not have enough left to get yourself a new phone. However if this recent FCC filing of the Samsung U380 is what we think it is, you might be able to get yourself a brand new phone in the not-so-distant future, assuming of course that smartphones aren’t your thing and that you don’t really care too much about that.
If you’re in the market for a smartphone featuring a physical QWERTY slideout keyboard, the good news is that Virgin Mobile has just announced the LG Optimus Slider, which as the name implies, is a smartphone that will sport a slideout keyboard, which we think will be great especially if you send out a lot of text messages/emails.
If you have been eagerly waiting for the Blackberry Curve 9360, you were probably a bit disappointed when the rumored 14th of September release came by and went without any incident. The somewhat good news for those who have been meaning to get their hands on the Curve 9360 is that pamphlets for the device have started showing up at T-Mobile retail stores, and what this could imply is that […]
Back in early August we reported that some of Sprint’s upcoming handsets had been leaked in name, and one of those devices was the Motorola Admiral, whose photos and specs have just surfaced.
It seems that T-Mobile has just uploaded several new videos to their T-Mobile USA account, but it appears that they have been marked as private. Based on the file names, AndroidGuys suspect that there will be two devices, as pictured above, both identical on the surface but with one featuring a full touch screen while the other will sport an additional slideout QWERTY keyboard.
Virgin Mobile users, it looks like the Motorola Titanium will not be the first Android Gingerbread handset to arrive on the carrier, but rather a relatively obscure handset called the JukeB. As the name implies, there’s some sort of music/audio theme surrounding the device, but as to what exactly makes it a music device still remains unknown.
When it comes to texting on our mobile devices, some prefer a phone with a physical keyboard, such as Blackberry devices, or phones with slideout keyboards like the upcoming HTC myTouch 4G Slide. Others prefer their devices to be thinner, so they might instead opt for a full touch-screen smartphone, and use the on-screen keyboard or tools like Swype to type out their messages.
Motorola has announced the launch of a new Android handset called the Motorola XT316 – also known as the Motorola Fire and Motorola Spice (depending on the region where it’s sold). The phone will feature a candy bar form factor and a full QWERTY keyboard, reminiscent of the BlackBerry. It features a 2.8″ display and will run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread (with MotoBLUR of course).The Motorola XT316 also features Moto […]
Nokia has just removed the covers off their upcoming business Symbian phone – the E6. Next in line after the highly successful E71 and E72 phones, the E6 features the same QWERTY candy bar shape, but this time it packs a touchscreen display instead of a regular screen. It has a 2.46″ VGA display, an 8 megapixel with dual-LED flash, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, USB On-the-Go, and is preloaded with […]
Motorola has been really busy unveiling its Android-powered phones today and next up is the Motorola Spice, which is a portrait QWERTY slider phone with a BACKTRACK touchpad at the back of the phone, allowing you to easily navigate websites without having to obstruct your view of the webpage. The Motorola Spice will be available in Q4 of 2010, though pricing wasn’t mentioned just yet. If you’ve been looking for […]


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A lot of Apple users were waiting for the jailbreak of the new Apple operating system, the iOS 10. Apparently, Twitter user Luca Todesco has successfully jailbroken an iPhone 7, and it's only been a week after the release of the device.
Todesco posted a photo of his iPhone 7 on the Cydia app. The post was captioned with "obligatory cydia screenshot." As of now, he hasn't posted the specifics of how he was able to successfully jailbreak the device but he left clues for those who would like to attempt the same thing.
He notes that, to protect the kernel, the OS runs with a complicated compression algorithm, and as proof, he posted some of the codes on the device.
Todesco's attempt is anything but ordinary. Jailbreaking company Pangu has been attempting the same thing on the iOS 10 since July, but have so far not made any official releases even after the launch of the iPhone 7.
Some reports are even saying that Apple has officially shut out Pangu with the release of the iOS 10.0.1, and by doing so, they shut down any hopes for the jailbreak of the iOS 10.
Jailbreaking a phone has been a popular trend with Apple products as it allows users to enjoy third-party apps that can't be utilized with an un-tinkered phone. Jailbreaking also allows users to tweak their phones with more freedom.
As of now, users are advised not to jailbreak their devices because Apple is planning to release more updates that hope to make jailbreaking virtually impossible. It is also best to think that the current OS in their devices are still at the testing stage, and tampering with them may cause complications with future updates.
As of now, users will just have to sit and wait for any updates on the jailbreaking status of the iOS 10.


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Target slumps after disappointing holiday season
A disappointing holiday shopping season at Target (TGT) led the big-box retailer to downgrade its quarterly earnings expectation, further highlighting the struggles of brick-and-mortar stores in the digital age.
Minneapolis-based Target warned Wednesday that its performance in November and December was "softer than expected."
Target shares were down almost 6% on the news in late morning trading.
Sales at Target stores open at least a year fell more than 3% during that two-month stretch, compared to the same time a year earlier. Online sales for that period grew more than 30%.
Total sales, which include the impact of the December 2015 sale of Target's pharmacy business to CVS, fell 4.9% during that period.
Target CEO Brian Cornell said in a statement that a strong Black Friday and digital sales growth weren't enough to overcome "early season sales softness and disappointing traffic and sales trends in our stores."
The company reported encouraging growth in toy sales, but sales of electronics, entertainment, food and essentials declined.
The company lowered its fourth-quarter comparable sales projection, previously pegged at a range of a decline of 1% to an increase of 1%, to a decrease of 1% to 1.5%.
The retailer also projected full-year 2016 earnings per share growth from continuing operations of $4.57 to $4.67, down from a previous range of $4.67 to $4.87.
Total transactions at stores open at least a year fell 1.7% in November and December. Digital transactions rose more than 30%.
"While we significantly outpaced the industry's digital performance, the costs associated with the accelerated mix shift between our stores and digital channels and a highly promotional competitive environment had a negative impact on our fourth quarter margins and earnings per share,” Cornell said.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.


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Robert Tchenguiz has built up a 3% stake in Sainsbury’s, stoking speculation that he could be involved in a bid for the retailer.
The Iranian entrepreneur is thought to be considering his strategic options with adviser Citigroup, which has been helping him to acquire shares in the takeover target.
News of Tchenguiz’ increasing interest in Sainsbury’s has broken just a day after the Takeover Panel issued a ‘put up or shut-up’ deadline to the retailer’s other known suitor, the private equity consortium led by Blackstone, CVC and KKR.
Sainsbury’s first captured the attention of property entrepreneurs in January after City analysts said they thought Sainsbury’s property estate could command a value of £7.5bn on the open market - around £2.5bn more than the retailer’s estimate.
Tchenguiz is a regular predator of listed companies with valuable underlying property assets. He bought rival supermarket chain Somerfield for £1.8bn in 2005 and attempted a takeover of pub company Mitchells & Butler last year.


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Stonehage Fleming, one of the world’s leading…
Thanks to Simply, businesses looking to provide simple, good value life cover to their employees can now get it entirely online in under 20 minutes
Consumer champion Sasha Knott says there might be one small change you can easily make in order to save money every month. As founder and Divisional CEO of Switch2,
Liberty Corporate is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Douglas Maila and Mr Jerry Mnisi as independent trustees of the group’s Unclaimed Benefits Funds
South Africans are dreadfully underinsured. The Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) has estimated that 14 million families face a combined
South Africa’s young adults could bridge the growing life and disability insurance gap by diverting a fraction of their monthly lifestyle expenditure to financial services products.


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GT Sport gets its first big 2018 update tomorrow.
Patch 1.11 will add 10 new cars, new tracks with different layouts, and new GT League events. Watch the patch video below:
Patch highlights are as follows:
Dodge Viper GTS
Ferrari 512 BB
Ferrari 330 P4
Lamborghini Diablo GT
Toyota Supra RZ
Next up, the famous classic high-speed track Autodromo Nazionale Monza finally makes its debut in GT Sport and we’ve added a total of eight challenging layouts to master, including three non-GP versions of the Autodrome Lago Maggiore – Centre, East and West.
GT League Events
Finally, following the launch of GT League with update 1.10, we know you’ve been itching for more category races in which to test your racing mettle. So this month, we’re providing just that with the addition of four exciting new events, including:
F150 Raptor Survival
La Festa Cavallino
Gr.3 Endurance Series
Post launch support for GT Sport has been phenomenal. I can’t wait to play more.
Gran Turismo Sport is available on PlayStation 4.


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Blog: Diageo and its wad of cash
Chris Mercer | 26 August 2010
Diageo has built up a significant pile of cash over the last year and speculation is growing as to what the company will do with it.
Diageo had a free cashflow of GBP2bn (US$3.09bn) at the end of its most recent fiscal year. Group CEO Paul Walsh told journalists today (26 August) that the company might consider a share buy-back during the coming 12 months, should economic conditions not worsen.
What is clear, is that the company is keeping a very open mind indeed on how to "return value to shareholders" - and that is likely to fuel more speculation (like this) that the firm is on the acquisition trail.
Does Walsh have Moet Hennessy on speed dial? I hear Cognac is doing well in those emerging markets.
Here's a round-up of the big stories on just-drinks last week, featuring AG Barr, Bombay Sapphire, Wines of South Africa and Pabst Brewing Co....
It seems there's not much in the world that can make people smile these days. Luckily, we're part of an industry that has just been scientifically proven to do just that. ...
Despite accounting for just a small percentage of overall sales, craft beer is making an impression on the US....
Here's a round-up of the big stories on just-drinks last week, featuring SABMiller, Orangina Schweppes, PepsiCo and Scottish devolution....
- No Home Comfort for TWE as Bids Collapse
- Treasury Wine Estates: Here I Go Again On My Own
- Bacardi Seeks Own History at Bombay Sapphire Home
- Will low-alcohol wines wither on the vine?
- NPD in Alcoholic Drinks
- Diageo's Johnnie Walker hit by Travel Retail slump
- Carlsberg suspends production at Russian brewery
- Anheuser-Busch InBev shuts fourth Russian brewery
- Treasury Wine Estates pulls plug on takeover talks
- Mallya stays chairman at Diageo's United Spirits


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US$1 million prize on offer in 2014 Call of Duty championships
Gamers all over the world are called into duty as they prepare for the 2014 ‘Call of Duty’ championships which will be held from March 28 – 30 in Los Angeles (LA), California, for a whopping US$1 million prize.
Qualifying rounds began this month in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, and the top teams will be selected for the championships. A total of 32 teams will be chosen to go to LA.
Microsoft and Xbox is putting up the prize, plus the competition will be the first to be officially played on Xbox One and streamed live on Xbox Live and Major League Gaming (MLG).
Call of Duty has been described by Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg as “more than a video game.” He said:
“Call of Duty is more than a video game. It’s a pastime shared by millions. It’s exciting to play and fun to watch, and we can’t wait to see what this year’s event has in store.”
This will be the second annual “Call of Duty” championship, and boast the largest prize offer for any e-sport event.
Last year’s winner, Fariko Impact walked away with US$400,000 prize money after defeating EnVyUs.
Related articles across the web


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According to the New York Post, some Manhattan clubs are slapping customers with illegal "operations charges." EMM-operated clubs such as Finale and SL are under investigation for adding 3 to 5 percent charges for drinks and bottle service; messages are printed on the back of receipts explaining that the extra charges "offset a variety of ever-changing costs that affect our particular business."
The COO for Tae Group and an attorney representing EMM say that customers are made aware of the practice before they place orders. However, Abigail Lootens, spokeswoman for the Department of Consumer Affairs, says that surcharges are outlawed in New York even if they're listed.
The best way to address the issue is to call your credit card company or to steer clear of these places altogether. The latter is the safest bet.


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Cross-border payment platform, Changera has expanded its financial services by launching Virtual cards for users to perform online dollar transactions without worrying about their monthly spending limit.
The Virtual Card is the latest rollout of more diffused features of Changera ranging from borderless money transfer, peer-to-peer payments, diaspora remittance to airtime, data, utility purchase and more.
According to Victor Anunobi, Product Manager of Changera, the virtual card works exactly like a regular card, however, it doesn’t restrict the user from certain platforms and gives them unlimited access to users’ funds.
He noted that the virtual card is being launched as a result of increase in cross-border payments and diaspora remittance in recent times and with the new African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) being ratified by most African countries.
”It makes a cogent timing to unveil the Changera Virtual Cards for merchants looking to stem businesses hassles and execute digital transactions. Changera users are also protected from risks as the virtual card is not attached to the main account and users can only spend the funds preloaded onto their Changera virtual cards,” he said.
Launched in May 2021 as a flagship product of Bitmama Inc., Changera aims to bridge the cross-border payment gap that exists when doing country-to-country funds transfer within Africa and globally.
The value of global cross-border payments in the retail sector is also predicted to rise from $1.95 trillion in 2016 to $3.56 trillion in 2022.
This upward projection further underscores the need for secure payments solutions that are equally flexible for millions of users when performing online payment transactions.
Changera has two categories of users who are able to enjoy financial services without the worry of card limits and limited card access to platforms — individuals who perform personal transactions and businesses with access to a more extensive suite of features, such as multi-currency payment options for their remote workers or in their preferred home-country currencies.
To enable users’ safety when moving money from country to country seamlessly, Changera has a strict verification process that weeds out and truncates ingenuine transactions. The overall goal of Changera is also to give users the opportunity to conduct online transactions by easing the global money transfer process while ensuring users’ funds are secure.
Changera is currently available to iOS and Android users. You can easily access the Changera Virtual Cards by downloading the Changera app from your App Store or Play Store.
The app is designed to give users a seamless user experience when transacting online or making cross-border payments. Once downloaded, mobile app users can navigate to the ‘Cards” section and click on “Get Card”. As soon as all required details are inputted such as preferred currency, card type, payment method, wallet and select “pay”, the Virtual card is created instantly.
Beyond the limitless transactions and multiple platforms acceptance, card acceptance on all online platforms, users are also able to Create different cards for different services such as AWS, Netflix, Facebook google ads, Google in-app and store purchases, Skype, etc.


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Other Android options, as well as Windows and MeeGo tablets have gotten a lot of press in recent months but most are only expected to ship in early 2011. The same goes for the BlackBerry PlayBook from Research in Motion. In other words, Apple has an opportunity to extend its lead during this holiday, before the competition heats up next year.
"The tablet wars are up and running," Strategy Analytics analyst Niel Mawston said in a statement. "Apple has quickly leveraged its famous brand, an extensive retail presence and user-friendly design to develop the tablet segment into a multi-billion-dollar global business."


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Apple’s earnings were better than expected but the growth challenge remains; might it come from the Apple Car? The Apple TV’s challenges are instructive in that regard.
Follow-up: Didi, Uber, and Instagram Stories; Walmart Reportedly Buying Jet.com; Amazon Earnings
More news and follow-up on Didi and Uber, and whether or not Instagram Stories will succeed. Then, Walmart is reportedly buying Jet.com, but Amazon’s earnings show how far they have to go.
The Audacity of Copying Well
Instagram copied Snapchat, and that’s a good thing: differentiation is about far more than features, and this is Facebook’s best shot at holding off Snapchat.
Uber-Didi Follow-up, SalesForce Buys Quip
More on Uber and Didi, and why the evaluation of this deal depends on the lens you use. Then, why Salesforce bought Quip, and what that says about both enterprise startups and Salesforce versus Microsoft.
Didi Acquires Uber China, Why Uber China Was Doomed, Was Uber China Worth It?
Didi has acquired Uber China. This Update goes through the history of ride-sharing in China, why Uber China was doomed, and evaluates whether Uber China was worth the investment.


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Global Eagle rebrands
May 28, 2021
By Chris Forrester
Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE), having emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy reconstruction, is rebranding itself. The new name, ANUVU, will cover the new business and its subsidiaries including masFlight, NavAero and Criterion.
Global Eagle filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2020 and exited the process in March this year. The problems with Covid and airlines grounding their fleets and the collapse of the holiday cruise business were responsible for the Chapter 11. Also not heling were the problems with Boeing’s MAX aircraft (where GEE equipment was standard for many fleets).
Josh Marks, CEO, says: “Our recent sale to new owners and their investment in our business provides a unique opportunity to align our brand with our vision. We recently divested our non-mobility businesses to focus on mobility markets including airlines, cruise lines, yachts, energy transportation and government. Since we formed as a SPAC over a decade ago, we have operated under the Global Eagle brand as we acquired companies serving airlines and maritime markets.”
“Now, as one company aligned around passenger entertainment and connectivity, we introduce you to Anuvu, our take on ‘a new view.’ Our new brand honors our extensive history but keeps the future in focus. This is more than a name change; our new brand and fresh visual identity highlight the innovative perspective we deliver to the mobility markets we serve. We continue to invest in technology that meets our customers’ performance and value requirements today, while providing a future roadmap with curated content, cloud-based content operations, and multi-platform broadband satellite networks. Now more than ever, our clients seek a partner that will support them as passenger and guest expectations accelerate post-pandemic,” Marks added.
Earlier in May the company signed a multi-year contract with Eutelsat for use of its aging Eutelsat 7A/139WA craft which is in inclined orbit. GEE/Anuvu has also renewed contracts with satellite operator ABS.


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Samsung is launching the Galaxy S4 in India today. You can watch the event live here.
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The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a successor to the widely successful Samsung Galaxy S III. The S4 was announced globally on March 15 and is being unveiled in India today. The device will go on sale as early as tomorrow at Samsung premium stores in metro cities. It will be available to the rest of the world subsequently.
The S4 is being unveiled in India in Delhi at Kingdom of Dreams. This means that there will be a grand performance around the unveiling of the device. Maybe even demos of the features the smartphone brings to the tablet.
The Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch full HD display and boasts of the Exynos 5 Octa chipset. There is a second model of the device too which is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset with its quad-core Krait 300 chipset. You can catch the live webcast of the event below, or here.


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TRADER TIPS: City insiders say buy travel website On The Beach, but sell struggling High Street retailer Marks & Spencer
BUY THIS: On The Beach
Analysts at Berenberg believe investors should buy shares in travel website On The Beach.
Since its half-year results, its shares have fallen 26 per cent, but the bank is backing the firm to perform.
It said: ‘On The Beach remains a high-margin, high-return structural growth story and the pullback in its shares creates a compelling buying opportunity.’
Life's a beach: Analysts at Berenberg believe investors should buy shares in the travel website
SELL THIS: Marks & Spencer
Cantor Fitzgerald is urging investors to sell their Marks & Spencer shares over doubts about whether management can turn around the troubled retailer.
Mark Photiades, an analyst at Cantor, said: ‘Whilst full-year 2018 results slightly beat expectations, the bigger question remains whether the current senior team can succeed in transforming M&S.’
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The latest investment will help Amazon in bringing small and medium businesses online. The company is committed to export $10 billion worth made-in-India goods by 2025. The one million job creation is in addition to the seven lakh jobs that Amazon has created over the last six years.
Amazon Founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos said, "We are investing to create a million new jobs here in India over the next five years. We’ve seen huge contributions from our employees, extraordinary creativity from the small businesses we’ve partnered with, and great enthusiasm from the customers who shop with us—and we’re excited about what lies ahead."
The new investment will help Amazon in shifting its R&D to India. The company will hire for roles in software development engineering, cloud computing, customer support, and marketing. Since 2014, Amazon's customer base has seen 4x growth. The company has warehouses across the country, which has created mass employment. Amazon will continue to generate employment in logistics, packaging, customer fulfilment, and facilities management.
The e-com player is currently facing heat from small traders revolting against the steep discounting model that Amazon has been following in India. Even India's competition watchdog authority has put Amazon under the radar. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos addressed over 3,000 small and medium businesses at the two-day long retailers summit in Delhi. He promised that investments made in digitising Indian MSMEs will enable exports worth $10 billion by 2025.
Amazon has grown its presence in India since 2015. It's Hyderabad campus building is the largest building outside of the US consisting of 15,000 employees. Amazon is aggressively hiring top tech talent to carry out its R&D efforts in India.


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The launch edition of MedicalTech Innovation Forum, as Messe Frankfurt India’s first-ever hybrid conference was held at Visakhapatnam in October 2021. Experts from the healthcare industry discussed the need for optimum infrastructure, regulatory framework and innovation in the Indian medical devices industry.https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/medical-devices/experts-pitch-for-innovation-infrastructure-development-to-take-the-medical-devices-industry-forward/87313430
Aligning with India’s goal of becoming a global hub for medical device manufacturing and innovation, Messe Frankfurt India and Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) successfully launched the first edition of MedicalTech Innovation Forum (MIF) in October 2021 at Kalam Convention Centre, AMTZ Campus, Visakhapatnam.
With 192 delegates under its roof, the forum united policy makers, national and international leaders from medical technology industry, academic and research fraternity to discuss major factors that impact the growth of the Indian medical devices industry, such as import dependency, need for more investment and collaborations.
The two-day conference was inaugurated by prominent and renowned members from the world of healthcare, including:
- Dr Jitendra Sharma, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone
- Dr Uma Nambiar, Managing Director, Zeeden Life Sciences & Chairperson, DHIA
- Dr Manoj Chugh, Vice President & Head, Research and Development (Reagents), Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd.
- Mr Sudhakar Mairpadi, Head – Quality, Regulatory and Govt. Affairs, Philips India Ltd.
- Dr Anand Krishnan, Chief Executive Officer, Medivalley Incubation Council, Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone
- Mr Dilip Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Biovalley Incubation Council, Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone
- Mr Ryou Jung-Suk, Managing Director – India, Cube Medical – Korea and Managing Director, IDTA (International Incurable Disease Treatment Association)
Dr Uma Nambiar, Managing Director, Zeeden Life Sciences & Chairperson, Digital Health India Association (DHIA), shared: “India, as we all know, is the pharmacy of the world. We are also very well known for a good and economical healthcare system, so it’s only natural that the next arena for us to conquer in India would be the industry of medical devices. For various reasons we have not yet reached where we should because the big companies are traditionally centred in the west, but we have been outsourcing the devices to a lot of companies.”
“However, we have seen revolution of sorts in the last two years. Owing to Government’s focus on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and making India self-sufficient in many things related to healthcare, we have seen India transform from an importer of consumables in infectious disease treatment to the second largest exporter in the world within a span of one year. The same fate will also ensue in the medical devices industry.” Dr Nambiar further said that improvement of regulatory framework in India and encouragement towards innovation in medical devices from the government’s behalf will be the next best thing that is going to happen in the healthcare industry.
Elaborating on the glowing opportunities that exist in the medical technology space, Dr Srikanth Sola, Founder, CEO and Director, Devic Earth Pvt Ltd, shared: “Within medical devices there are opportunities in diagnostics across adult paediatric ranges particularly in areas such as oncology, radiology, cardiology and other major specialties. There are also opportunities within medical therapeutics, devices, treatments and algorithms that help to predict when a patient is about to fall sick and help them get better. These devices include treatments that can be used in the hospital, within healthcare facilities for outpatient use and at home.”
Mr Abhijeet Ghosh, Assistant Drugs Controller (Medical Devices), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), who was a part of the prestigious dais, also shared: “There is a lot of scope in the field of medical devices but it is also crucial to set up proper regulations first.”
“Conferences like these are vital to stimulate interactions between start-ups, manufacturers and regulators which will help the government to understand the needs of industry players. I hope that the organisers will continue to host events as such for the betterment of Indian medical devices industry.”
India’s aim to overcome the excess of imports and become an independent producer of medical devices and medical technology can only be realised by promoting localisation, empowering start-ups and setting-up medtech research and authentication centres to approve and certify standardised medical devices, and eliminate counterfeiting from the supply chain.
Overall, the joint cooperation between Messe Frankfurt India and AMTZ, through the launch of MedicalTech Innovation Forum, went a long way to discuss a clear collaborative approach and to project a roadmap for the medical devices industry in India to follow in the long run.


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DMC has a brand new corporate identity. A fresh modern look with clean lines and understated elegance!
DMC has recently been appointed by HouseSit Match to raise awareness of their online house sitting community.
Making sure important test institutes are aware of a client’s latest products play a key role in having them selected for testing.
AEG’s newest piece of kit, the ProCombi SousVide oven, was unveiled to 16 top long-lead homes, interiors and lifestyle journalists
The problem: AEG wanted to communicate the exceptional fabric care features on its washing machines and tumble dryers in an effect


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CASA GRANDE — The city will soon have another Burger King.
A new restaurant for the fast food chain is being built between the AutoZone and Walgreens near North Pinal Avenue and East McCartney Road.
Another restaurant, Riliberto’s, is slated to go in near North Pinal Avenue and West Cottonwood Lane. The company is working with the city on getting a conditional use permit for a drive-thru.
The old Wendy’s restaurant off Jimmie Kerr Boulevard is also undergoing renovations.
The Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens is working on turning the old fast food restaurant into a kitchen where it can prepare meals for its senior meals program.


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The Missouri Senate has approved a bill to enable the cultivation of industrial hemp.
The measure would declassify hemp from the category of Schedule I drugs, which have a higher level of abuse and no accepted medical use. There had been more opposition to the legislation in earlier years because of its connection to marijuana.
It would create an industrial hemp agricultural pilot program to learn the cultivation and marketing of hemp Growers and handlers would have to obtain a permit and pass a fingerprint criminal background check.
The Department of would oversee all growing and cultivating activity of industrial hemp, which can be used in the making of items such as apparel, food, paper, plastics, and biofuel.
The department would also be charged with inspecting crops, which would be eliminated if their THC levels exceeded 0.3%.
Supporters of industrial hemp say it serves as an alternate crop for farmers and is good for business. Resistance to its use has come from the legal community, specifically prosecuting attorneys.
Bill sponsor Brian Munzlinger, R-Monticello, says hemp has very little in common with illegal cannabis products such as marijuana.
“Actually what I’ve got here is a marijuana eradication program,” said Munzlinger. “The two do not fit next to each other. Industrial hemp will bring down the THC. And if you’re going with marijuana I guess they want high THC. If THC is high in industrial hemp, then it will have to be destroyed.”
The Senate bill, which passed by a 29-3 margin Thursday, is similar to an industrial hemp proposal that approved last month in the house by 141-4 vote.


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The newly slimmed down Chaka Khan recently visited The Wendy Williams Show to make a major announcement. Ms. Khan, who recently lost 60 pounds, will soon launch a fragrance line called Khana Sutra. The line will feature not only perfume, but candles and “Chakalates” to satisfy your sweet tooth. She recently made an appearance on the Wendy Williams Show to talk about how she lost weight, her fragrance line, to her philanthropic endeavors. We have to give Chaka credit. She looks better than ever!
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Tags: Chaka Khan


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beat Wall Street's slightly lowered first-quarter estimates, but indicated that excess capacity may hamper the company's near-term results.
For the first quarter ended Jan. 31, Credence earned $14.7 million, or 27 cents a share, down from $16.9 million, or 35 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Eleven analysts surveyed by
First Call/Thomson Financial
expected the company, which is based in Fremont, Calif., to report earnings of 24 cents a share.
The company, a maker of test equipment for the semiconductor industry, attributed the earnings decline from last year to "lower than usual tester utilization rates and delivery push-outs from our customers in Asia." The company said it could be two or three quarters before the excess capacity eases and growth resumes.
Credence reported first-quarter sales of $123.2 million, up 21% from $101.8 million in the same quarter one year ago. The top line fell 44% from $220.2 million in the latest fourth quarter.
The company also named John R. Detwiler chief financial officer, senior vice president of finance and secretary. Detwiler was formerly vice president, corporate controller and interim financial chief. He has been with the company since April 1999. Catherine Hearn, previously director of finance for the company's Hillsboro, Ore., operations, will fill Detwiler's former positions of vice president and corporate controller.
Detwiler replaces Dennis Wolf, who resigned because of health reasons, a company spokeswoman said.
Earlier this month, Credence
reduced its workforce by 14% and said it would take other measures to reduce costs, following last month's downwardly revised first-quarter revenue projection.


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Drinkers hit by 10p a pint increase as brewers struggle in recession
Drink up: A pint of beer at your local could cost as much as 10p more from February 1
Britain's beer drinkers were warned yesterday to brace themselves for a new hike of up to 10p in the price of their favourite pint at the local pub.
As the UK's economic gloom deepens, many of the country's biggest brewers have unveiled a fresh round of increases in the cost of popular beers, according to a new report.
Guinness producer Diageo warned that the recommended retail price of a pint would rise 10p to £3.03 on February 1.
Brewing giant InBev, makers of Stella Artois, announced it will increase the wholesale price of all its drinks by an average of 4p a pint from February 1.
The company, whose brands include Stella Artois, Beck's, Budweiser, Staropramen and Leffe, said that the rises were 'within the context of continuing difficult market conditions and a challenging economic climate'.
The increases will apply to all its UK draught and packaged products, in the on-trade and off-trade.
Stuart MacFarlane, president of InBev UK, told The Publican: 'In keeping with standard industry practice we review our pricing at the start of each year.
'Within the context of continuing difficult market conditions and a challenging economic climate, InBev UK will be applying a price increase equivalent to an average of 4p a pint to the wholesale price of beer with effect from 1st February 2010.'
Licensees and drinkers will also have to contend with other hikes by major brewers.
Heineken UK yesterday announced a 4p rise on beer and 5p rise on cider as of February 1.
Guinness producer Diageo also said the recommended retail price of a pint would rise 10p to £3.03 on February 1.
Carlsberg and Molson Coors have yet to reveal details of any price increases.
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Medellin’s most important fashion event, Colombiamoda, generated a record $308 million in business agreements for Colombia’s textile and fashion industry, business association Inexmoda said Friday.
With the launch of the “Colombia Bring IT On” campaign, the virtues of Colombia’s technology sector are being promoted in New York City this July 23 and 24, according to Canada’s Full Article »
Colombia’s government put 26 oil and gas blocks on offer, but the bids only total $1.4 billion which is well short of the expected amount, U.S financial magazine Wall Street Full Article »
Alcohol bans enforced in many Colombian cities during the World Cup resulted in a 6% decrease in sales for British multinational brewing company SABMiller, according to their quarterly trading report released Thursday.
Colombia’s home-grown coffee chain Juan Valdez has opened a new store in the US city of Miami, only a week after US coffee giant Starbucks opened its first store in Full Article »
Colombia’s Minister of Mines and Energy Amylkar Acosta told the mining company Prodeco, owned by Swiss multinational Glencore Xstrata, that it had to integrate six separate operations in order to renew Full Article »
Six Colombian companies have formed an alliance to combat the constraints of infrastructure and the competitive challenges of Colombia’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with other nations, national media reported on Sunday.
Colombia’s Supreme Court authorized the continuation of destroying machines used in illegal mining activities, according to local media reports on Friday.


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Liquid Battery Offers Promising Solar Energy Storage Technique
NEC goes ultra-thin with 0.3mm-thick batteries
Self-charging battery both generates and stores energy
New energy storage device could recharge electric vehicles in minutes
Scientists create quick-charging hybrid supercapacitors
The dramatic rise of smartphones, tablets, laptops and other personal and portable electronics has brought battery technology to the forefront of electronics research. Even as devices have improved by leaps ...
Japanese scientists invent printable lithium battery
Chemists one step closer to new generation of electric car battery
An ultra-thin nanomaterial is at the heart of a major breakthrough by Waterloo scientists who are in a global race to invent a cheaper, lighter and more powerful rechargeable battery for electric vehicles.
Phinergy demonstrates aluminum-air battery capable of fueling an electric vehicle for 1000 miles
Ultra-fast charging batteries that can be 70% recharged in just two minutes
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) have developed a new battery that can be recharged up to 70 per cent in only 2 minutes. The battery will also have a longer lifespan of over ...
Researchers develop graphene supercapacitor holding promise for portable electronics
(PhysOrg.com) -- Electrochemical capacitors (ECs), also known as supercapacitors or ultracapacitors, differ from regular capacitors that you would find in your TV or computer in that they store substantially ...
Mando's chainless e-bike is headed for Europe in 2013 (w/ Video)
Replacing batteries may become a thing of the past, thanks to 'soft generators'
Battery technology hasn't kept pace with advancements in portable electronics, but the race is on to fix this. One revolutionary concept being pursued by a team of researchers in New Zealand involves creating ...
Organic mega flow battery promises breakthrough for renewable energy
A team of Harvard scientists and engineers has demonstrated a new type of battery that could fundamentally transform the way electricity is stored on the grid, making power from renewable energy sources such ...
Japan's Honda unveils futuristic unicyle (w/ Video)
It looks a bit like a plastic figure of eight, and its Japanese designers say it could revolutionise the way we get around, in total comfort and without breaking a sweat.


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We keep hearing that the unemployment situation is going to begin turning around any minute now, and previous disappointing results have been dismissed and excused on the basis of weather and other factors. Now the latest weekly report shows an increase of 25,000 in new unemployment claims—instead of the decrease expected by economists.
Clearly, the economy continues to struggle with job creation, and I think that automation is playing a significant role. The fact is that businesses continue to invest in labor-saving technologies during downturns and then do not need to re-hire as many workers once recovery begins. I think there is a very real risk that unemployment will continue to outpace expectations and that the resulting impact on consumer spending will threaten long term recovery.
Here’s another article from Reuters on large layoffs in the manufacturing sector:
The number of mass layoffs by U.S. employers rose in April led by manufacturers who shed workers even as the economy began to recover.


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The Black Sheep decided to make a Tinder profile for the most recognizable babe on campus: our Alma Mater. The certified hottie was a big hit.
Steven Manchin, local member of upper-middle tier house Pi Upsilon Kappa, has found a way to blow off steam. When he’s not skipping his communications classes or hazing pledges, you can find him jerking his hot load to GreekRank.com where he scrolls through comments about his house’s hypothetical popularity.“Last week I busted a fat load […]
The owners of Cracked vehemently denies any paranormal activity at their new location. The new store will be open daily for breakfast sandwiches.
The move is just one in a series by the Green Street Papa John’s to attempt to make their pizza more accessible to the “meme generation.”
Chuck pounds Creatine pre-workout in a large plastic shaker bottle, so that everyone in his 8 a.m. lecture knows that he works out.


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According to latest rumours Google will be releasing the latest version of its extremely successful operating system Android – the Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. It would seem like Google will be releasing the new software sometime in October and most believe that Google will also release a new smartphone at the same time, the new Google Nexus 5 or Nexus 4.2 since some circles believe that Google will release an update to the hugely successful Nexus 4 rather than completely new device. Latest speculation is that Google will in fact partner with LG to make the new smartphone even though they had previously indicated that they would not be working together.
Giving credence to the rumours is the latest information about the upcoming phone and it seems more likely that it will be an update on the Nexus 4. The Nexus 4.2 is believed to have the same glass front and back as the Nexus 4. But its internal specification will mirror those of the new LG G2 – a 5.2 inch 1080 x 1920 Full HD IPS screen along with a 2.26 GHz Snapdragon 800 processor; though some believe that it will be the Snapdragon 600 to keep the price down.
And the biggest story of it all – the new Nexus 4.2 will probably be the first device to be shipped with the upcoming Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie.


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Hyundai's India Quality Centre in Faridabad is driving a new dynamic in the country by offering first-time car owners insight into the basics of a vehicle, its features and how to keep it running smoothly in a bid to ensure a happy ownership experience.
The India Quality Centre (INQC), established as a greenfield facility in the Faridabad region of the National Capital Region is connecting with first-time car buyers in an innovative manner. Hyundai Motor India has started a training initiative, christened ‘Do It Yourself’ to engage directly with its customers.
The company has been targeting first-time car owners from its pool of customers, which is growing at a monthly rate of over 40,000 cars, and aims to impart training to make them aware as well as self-reliant about the need for better upkeep of their Hyundais.
Customers, who are being brought in every alternate Saturday under this programme, to be given an insight into the basics of a vehicle, its features and its maintenance aspects, has been in place since June, only about a month into the commencement of INQC’s functioning on April 28.
The INQC facility is spread over 72,000 square feet and is a state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary unit, which incorporates a Quality Centre, Training Centre as well as Parts Quality Centre, under the same roof.
Hyundai’s vision in bringing together the three major cross-functional market quality operations was to also bring the INQC out of the bounds of the company’s main manufacturing premises in Chennai, so as to cater to the geographic challenges offered by the Indian sub-continent, and improve product quality, to achieve its target of building ‘Zero Defect’ products, by understanding varied customer needs in different parts of the country.
As an extension of its main purpose, the company immediately also decided to utilise the high-end facility in connecting better with its customers, starting with first-time car buyers and making them well-versed with what could otherwise be extremely intimidating subjects for a fresh car user, in terms of owning a car.
The two-hour DIY training, in a batch of 20 such customers on a Saturday includes a classroom session, live demonstrations and hands-on practical training of important vehicle upkeep aspects like checking of engine oil level, coolant level, topping up of wiper washer fluid, tyre health monitoring, and other related basic maintenance areas, so as to help them get to know their cars better and be prepared to handle any situation should the need arise. The training also incorporates insight into the various usable features of a customer’s car as well as useful tips on good driving habits to derive the maximum fuel efficiency out of their vehicles. Roadside assistance, benefits of extended warranty and insurance
options being offered by the company are also explained to the customers as part of the programme.
Hyundai has been reaching out to new customers for the DIY programme through its dealers in the Delhi- NCR region and with the sessions being conducted twice a month, with two batches each, on every such Saturday, the company has already trained around 134 customers.
According to S Punnaivanam, AVP, Unit Head Service, Hyundai Motor India, “We have taken this conscious decision of using the state-of-the art INQC to make first-time car owners comfortable with their vehicles. Teaching customers by utilising the proper equipment and facility at the premises allows us to ensure that thorough and in-depth training is imparted to make them aware of the various features and working of their cars. We intend to continue the programme for the later part of the year as well.”
With this campaign, the company is taking a similar path to other carmakers like Ford India, which have been quite aggressive with their customer engagements, successfully driving across
the message of low servicing costs of their products.
SNEAK PEEK INTO THE INQC
The integrated INQC, which sees an investment of Rs 30 crore, incorporates a world-class training centre, equipped with an integrated body and paint training shop as well, which is the fifth regional centre to have such a setup, in Hyundai India’s total pool of six at the moment. Two more are slated to come up in Guwahati and Ahmedabad.
According to Punnaivanam, “The land for these establishments has already been acquired and the construction work is slated to commence soon to make them functional by the end of CY2017.”
Since inception, the centre has given hands-on experience to 1,704 dealer trainees till date, providing them thorough knowledge on various curriculum subjects, including technical training, body and paint training, and sales training. The centre deploys 61 engineers from various fields relevant to the automotive space and people with a minimum of five years of experience in their areas of core competencies are working in major key roles.
The centre comes equipped with high-end quality analyzing tools such as electron microscope, NVH chamber, CAN analyzer, endoscope, 3D CMM, wheel alignment machine and a 3D scanner to name a few. The INQC, along with the part centre, will also be responsible for quality assurance for all the exports being done by the company in the APAC region. To further speed up problem response and countermeasure initiation times, the facility also sees around 10 vendors from Korea, including PSC Valeo, Doowan and Hanon Automotive Systems, have their representatives positioned inside the premises itself, to react to consumer complaints quickly.
INQC’S SUPPORT IN NEW MODEL TESTING
The centre, with its highend testing and quality assurance equipment has also been given the role of undertaking the various stages of vehicle testing for the company’s upcoming models, wherein it will be directly involved in carrying out various dynamic and all-terrain testing of these under-development cars.
The upcoming new Hyundai Verna sedan is one such model to have received full support from the stateof- the-art centre in its development and on-road testing under varying conditions. Hyundai Motor India, which services around 53 lakh vehicles annually, across its 1,253-strong workshop network in the country, aims to grow at 8 percent in FY2017-18. It currently employs around 7,300 technicians and 3,300 service advisors and has switched nearly 220 of its service centres, most having service volumes of more than 400 cars a month, to complete digital and paperless customer service and repair job initiation systems, utilising its GDS online interface.
This article was first published in the August 1, 2017 issue of Autocar Professional


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To get some idea of how the obesity rate in China has risen, you only have to look at the growth of the fast-food industry.
For years now, research has shown a direct correlation between obesity and fast food.
When the first KFC outlet opened in Beijing in 1987 — 30 years ago — obesity, especially among children and adolescents, was hardly a factor in the nation’s health. Today, it has become an epidemic.
“It opened the floodgates not only to Western fast food but the development of the domestic fast-food industry as well,” said Mu Li, professor of International Public Health at the University of Sydney.
She said the fast-food industry in China has seen enormous growth in the last 20 years, in line with the country’s changing economic fortunes.
China is one of the most urbanized countries in the world: Millions have become affluent, and with that affluence has come changes in lifestyle, including eating habits.
“Fast food, especially Western fast food, has played a big part in the changing dietary habits of the Chinese,” Li told China Daily Asia Weekly.
Increased sugar levels, fatty and processed foods have all contributed to the rise in obesity, especially among children. The problem has been exacerbated by the shift from traditional eating habits to more modern — including Westernized — patterns, featuring high energy density, high fat and low fiber diets.
According to Bloomberg, fast-food giants McDonald’s and Yum, the parent company of KFC and Pizza Hut, had a combined 38 percent share of China’s fast-food market in 2015.
Interestingly, both in the past year have separated their China businesses from the US-headquartered operations.
Yum China Holdings became a licensee of Yum Brands on the Chinese mainland, trading separately on the New York Stock Exchange since November 2016. The spinoff plan was announced back in October 2015.
Meanwhile, in a $2 billion deal completed on July 31 this year, McDonald’s sold a controlling 52 percent stake in its Chinese mainland and Hong Kong operations to State-backed conglomerate CITIC and CITIC Capital Holdings. US private equity firm Carlyle Group holds a 28 percent stake, while McDonald’s has kept 20 percent.
KFC is still the dominant player in China with some 4,600 outlets, compared with 2,100 in 2010.
In its annual review of China’s fast food industry, IBISWorld, a global market research firm, estimated there are 2.3 million fast-food outlets in China and that they will generate $150.9 billion in revenue this year, up 9.6 percent from 2016.
In August, McDonald’s said it would add 2,000 stores in China — increasing the number to 4,500 by end-2022 — as part of its strategic partnership with CITIC and Carlyle.
“China will soon become our largest market outside of the United States,” Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s chief executive, told Reuters in August.
The fast-food chain said it would aim to open more restaurants in lower tier Chinese cities, boost delivery capacity and introduce a “digitalized and personalized” dining experience to more Chinese customers.
Modern Chinese-style fast-food restaurants have also emerged and developed rapidly, learning from the Western chains, especially in management techniques.
Studies have shown a correlation between fast food and obesity. The majority of these studies have been conducted in Western countries, but China is fast catching up with its own research.
One study published last year, in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, said the “rapid expansion of China’s fast-food industry will likely have many public health consequences, while some have already become alarming as indicated by increasing obesity”.
The study, A Review of the Growth of the Fast Food Industry in China and its Potential Impact on Obesity, added that the change in diet will also lead to an increase in diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“Compared to the traditional Chinese diet (predominantly vegetables and grains, featuring plant-based protein, and high in fiber but low in cholesterol and fat), fast food often consists of more meats and very limited vegetables, and is high in energy density, fat, protein and sodium, and prefers deep frying to boiling,” the study said.
Domestic Chinese-style fast food outlets have expanded as well, largely influenced by Western-style chains such as KFC and McDonald’s.
One of the biggest domestic fast-food chains is Malan Noodle, founded in 1995. The company operates well over 400 outlets in China, offering Chinese-style sets.
Despite the growing rate of obesity, China is taking steps to slow it down, especially with regard to what children and adolescents eat.
Research by global market intelligence firm Mintel shows that after decades of rapid economic development and social change, people are changing priorities to adapt to China’s “new normal”.
“Parents are continuing to put their focus on investing in their futures, in their kids, health and longevity,” according to Mintel.
The research shows that 70 percent of consumers prefer buying drinks specially designed for children, and that well over a third of parents would like to see more ready-made meals designed for kids.
Mintel’s study shows that nearly half of consumers would like to see more vegetables in ready meals, and one-fourth would like to see more vegetarian ready-meal options.
It said the number of vegetarian ready meals is also rising, with 45 percent of consumers agreeing that “juice with plant protein or vegetables is healthier than pure juice”.
Summer Chen, food service analyst at Mintel, said leading fast-food brands in China like KFC are trying to change people’s association of high calorie fast food with “obesity” to “energy boost” so that it appears healthier.
“To make the ‘energy boost’ concept relevant, they are nowadays targeting more at students and young working people (with campaigns featuring energy breakfast sets with coffee, and working lunch meal sets) instead of kids.
“Their food offerings are also going healthier,” Chen told China Daily Asia Weekly.
“McDonald’s China has launched a campaign announcing that the brand will use less salt, better oil, and more vegetables and grains in their meals.” Meanwhile, she said KFC had opened its first store with a health concept serving fresh juices, salads, and panini sandwiches with grilled, not fried, chicken.
“Some of them have even launched sports/exercise-related marketing campaigns (such as McDonald’s McHappy Run) featuring families with kids, as an attempt to fit the brand image into a healthy lifestyle that everyone desires,” Chen said.
According to global consultancy McKinsey & Company, consumers in China are now starting to turn away from fried fast food to a healthier eating lifestyle.
A McKinsey survey showed that 51 percent of consumers in China said they ate Western fast food in 2015, down from 67 percent in 2012. “They have since shifted to healthier, more environmentally friendly brands,” it said.
The survey, between September and November 2015, included 10,000 respondents from 44 cities.
In all, 38 percent of Chinese consumers reported food branded as ‘organic’ and ‘green’ was one of the top ways they identify the safety of food products, despite the fact that no credible organic certification exists yet.
“Some companies developing credible food certification standards have shown promise,” the survey said.
The trend toward healthier food is entwined with food-safety concerns, which remain a source of worry for Chinese consumers. The government in 2015 began implementing a sweeping food-safety policy.
For many years, big Western brands including KFC benefited because Chinese saw them as cleaner, safer alternatives to local options.