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Alibaba, the most important e-commerce firm in China and the largest blockchain patent holder was fined $2.8 billion for anti-trust actions by the Chinese language authorities. The high-quality was imposed after the market monopoly investigation which indicated that Alibaba was punishing retailers for promoting the identical items on different platforms.
Alibaba is believed to be some of the rebellious and outspoken within the nation, one of many key causes behind its current fallout with the Chinese language authorities. Jack Maa, the founding father of the corporate suspiciously disappeared from the general public eye for months proper after criticizing the federal government for its insurance policies.
The e-commerce big has additionally proven nice curiosity in digital belongings and lately pledged a 4.9% stake in a automotive firm that promised crypto mining whereas driving. Alibaba can also be a part of the federal government’s digital yuan distribution plan providing their cost know-how, however with the current fallout that may come below scrutiny.
Beforehand, the auto model that Alibaba participated in , issued 300 million tokens with a 4.9% stake pledge, claiming to be “mining when driving”. pic.twitter.com/M01FYrqaje
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) April 10, 2021
Digital Yuan to Substitute Present Giants Together with Alibaba Pay
Digital Yuan, the nationwide sovereign digital foreign money of China is presently being examined in a number of provinces with an anticipated large-scale public launch in close to future. China began growing its CBDC in 2014 itself and banned the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies within the nation. Nevertheless, China is already fairly forward relating to cashless cost with greater than 80% of the inhabitants dealing in digital cost. Many consider the launch of the Digital Yuan is usually a cash surveillance software giving a decent grip to the federal government over the movement of cash outdoors the nation.
In January this yr, the Folks Financial institution of China introduced that Digital Yuan would act as a backup for present cost giants reminiscent of Alibaba Pay, Tencent Pay, and WeChat Pay. The financial institution had stated,
With a view to present a backup for the retail cost system, the central financial institution has to step up and supply a central financial institution digital foreign money service.
The current fallout of Alibaba with the Chinese language authorities is already proving expensive for the e-commerce big, and if it continues, many consider it might ultimately influence their cost providers as effectively.
To maintain observe of DeFi updates in actual time, try our DeFi information feed Here.


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There will be 516 million mobile users of NFC-based contactless payment services by end-2019, according to Juniper Research.
The projected take-up is a more than fivefold increase over the 101 million NFC-based users in 2014, it said.
Juniper attributes the growth to the popularity of two factors. Firstly, the considerable traction already enjoyed by Apple Pay, the new NFC-based service that only launched on 20 October.
The second factor is Host Card Emulation (HCE), which allows sensitive data for transactions to be stored on, and accessed from, cloud servers rather than a mobile device and without the use of a hardware-based secure element.
Banks, in particular, already seem to be favouring HCE-based solutions which can be integrated into their existing customer apps.
BBVA, Bankinter (both in Spain), as well as Australia’s CUA, have already launched services, with more likely to follow.
The report said the popularity of NFC and the rise of HCE “threatened the opportunity within NFC for MNOs” which back a secure element approach.
“We would envisage that while NFC deployments and consumer activity will be buoyed by these developments, the opportunities for network operator involvement are limited. Hence we are likely to see more operators re-evaluating their existing commitments to NFC and possibly withdrawing from the space,” said report author Windsor Holden.

domain: news


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Like most good ideas, the latest version of the REI Co-op Flash 22 Pack started out as an accident. In the summer of 2019, the REI materials team fielded a call from their textile mill in Daegu, South Korea. The glitch? The mill had accidentally made too much of a highly technical, bluesign®-certified fabric while manufacturing another REI pack. Back at headquarters, the product team had to think on their feet—what could they do to prevent the undyed fabric from ending up in the trash? During a meeting, a lightbulb went off: The team could use the textile to design a more sustainable version of the already popular Flash.
For some, their favorite piece of outdoor gear is a pair of hiking boots, lovingly callused by singletrack. For others, it’s a bulky but comfy sleeping bag that’s spent countless nights under a thin layer of mesh. And for others, it’s the Flash 22, a versatile day-hiking pack that perfectly houses a Nalgene, snacks, the Ten Essentials and more, all while weighing less than a pound. The Flash has earned cult status since launching in 2012. Now, thanks to this latest round of innovation, the REI team is more excited than ever about the new undyed version.
Sustainability—that endless quest to make things less impactful—is baked into every aspect of the undyed Flash, which debuts this month. For starters, the product team’s decision to apply the extra material from the Korean mill helped divert more than 4,000 yards of fabric from the landfill. And leaving the pack undyed during the manufacturing process reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 14% and water scarcity impacts by 18%, according to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index*, an industry tool available to brands seeking to measure materials impacts. The product team also looked for ways to make the pack’s trims—like foams, buckles, stays and webbing—more sustainable. They exchanged stretchy pockets for the same undyed fabric, hunted down 50% recycled EVA foam for the back panel pad (which doubles as a sit pad) and left the nylon webbing and plastic buckles undyed, too.
“I’m proud of doing something right by the environment and right by our members,” said Lauren Meyer, senior product developer for REI Co-op. “Now go out adventuring and make it your own.”
The undyed Flash 22 Pack and the compatible Trail 2 Waistpack hit the market this month—ready for members to make their mark once again.
To celebrate, we asked our member audience how they’ve loved their Flash 22 Packs over the years. Here’s what a few of them had to say:
Amanda Laca, co-op member since 2018
Matthew Holder, co-op member since 2011
Abigail Koenig, co-op member since 2020
Sue Faunce, REI retail sales specialist, co-op member since 2019
Rachel Beck, co-op member since 2015
Lindsey Holzhauer, co-op member since 2020
How have you loved your Flash 22 Pack over the years? Tell us in the comments below!
*Based on Higg MSI 3.0 data at Higg.org.


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SHANGHAI (MarketWatch) -- With China's economy growing at its fastest clip in 11 years in the second quarter, attention was on inflation and interest rates last week. This week focus will swing back to micro issues as online game operator Perfect World begins trading on Nasdaq, and China's search leader Baidu, wireless company Tom Online, and education play New Oriental announce second-quarter results.
Beijing-based online game company Perfect World Co. PWLD, the operator and developer of 3D massively multiplayer online role playing game Perfect World 2 is expected to list on Nasdaq this week after raising $106 million via an initial public offering. The company should trade under the ticker "PWLD."
Unlike fellow online game operator Nineyou International Limited -- which failed to list as scheduled on Japan's Osaka Stock Exchange earlier in July -- Perfect World will not be derailed by a last-minute lawsuit from its licensor. Perfect World develops its own games, avoiding any temptation to skimp on royalty payments.
Perfect World's IPO was underwritten by Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, with CIBC World Markets and Susquehanna Financial Group listed as co-underwriters.
Perfect World booked $11.3 million in revenues in the quarter ending March 31. Revenue in that quarter was almost equal to Perfect World's entire 2006 revenues. Perfect World's financing efforts will also serve as a gauge of investors' continued appetite for Chinese online gaming stocks.
Shanghai-based Zhengtu Network is expected to file for a Nasdaq listing in the fall and on current usage and growth numbers could rival the likes of Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd.
and NetEase.com Inc.
Real estate consulting firm E-House (China) Holdings Limited is expected to list on the New York Stock Exchange some time in August. Neil Shen, founder of Nasdaq-listed Home Inns and C-trip and general partner in Sequoia China is an independent director of E-House and holds 11.88% of outstanding shares in E-House according to the company's prospectus. Sina CEO Charles Chao is also listed as an independent director.
Sina's Chao is going to have a busy August. In addition to his day job at Sina (second-quarter earnings announcement is expected on Aug. 7 or 8), and his E-House directorship, Chao is also a board member at Focus Media Holding Ltd. FMCN.
Focus, China's biggest out-of-home advertising network, is still under a cloud after failing to file its annual report with the SEC. Focus plans to file for a hearing in front of a Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel. At the hearing, Focus should be able to present the findings of an internal audit committee investigation regarding a letter from U.S. lawyers of an investor with a short position in Focus querying Focus' related party transactions.
Private education service company New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc.
Tom Online Inc.
The line of business most affected will be Tom Online's WAP offering, which generated approximately $5.3 million in revenue in the first quarter. Tom Online is the first major wireless company to announce earnings following the implementation of China Mobile's decision to warn users that they are paying to access Web sites via their mobile phones. KongZhong Corp.
China economic growth
In case you weren't watching last week, China's GDP grew 11.9% in the second quarter compared with the same period a year ago, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics. It's the fastest rate in 11 years. Inflation rose to 4.4% in the year to June. The People's Bank of China announced on Friday it will raise the one-year Yuan lending rate to 6.84% from 6.57%.
One U.S. dollar now buys only 7.56 Yuan and the Chinese currency continues to get stronger. Reforms put in place by China's Securities Regulatory Commission could result in a rash of A-share market capital raisings this quarter by companies already listed in Hong Kong. The one to watch out for: China Mobile.
Paul Waide is an editor at Pacific Epoch, which covers China's emerging media, entertainment and technology industries. He does not hold positions in any of the companies covered in this report. E-mail him at email@example.com.


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The world's biggest consumer electronics show ( CES ) kicks off in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon with a 'state of the industry' speech by the president of the American Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Gary Shapiro.
So what can we expect? Like last year's show, CES 2007 will undoubtedly see a glut of new televisions and MP3 players. While 1080p-friendly TVs were thin on the proverbial ground in 2006, so-called 'True HD' or 'Full HD' sets will dominate. And while 2006 saw hundreds of MP3 players attempting to challenge the iPod's crown, in the absence of a true video iPod (so far), new audio/video players will be everywhere.
This year will also see the consolidation of technologies that were promised to us at last year's show. The two new high-definition disc formats - HD DVD and Blu-ray - will both get a huge push as second generation players appear and the number of available movie titles increases.
Expect a heady buzz around the three games consoles too - the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
While Microsoft will be pushing its Xbox 360 console hard to counter Sony's newly-launched PlayStation 3, the bulk of its attention will be focused on Windows Vista. With Apple expected to announce upgrades to OS X at the MacWorld show next week, this could be a crucial time for the Redmond giant.
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates officially opens the show on Sunday 7th with a keynote speech. This opening day also features a slew of back-to-back press conferences from the consumer electronics big-hitters, including: LG, Netgear, Pioneer, Toshiba, Philips, Samsung and Sony.
As for the rest of the show, the press releases w've already received suggest an exhausting mix of wireless technologies (i.e. wireless USB, Ultra Wide Band and Z-Wave), 802.11n Wi-Fi demos, second-wave UMPCs and a renewed digital home push (especially by the PC builders, who have Intel's Viiv, AMD's Live and Media Center platforms to champion.
Tech.co.uk will be reporting live from this year's show. You'll find all the latest CES 2007 news here, while an archive of stories will be available via the CES 2007 link in our 'What's Hot' menu.


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Toronto interactive agency wins Weetabix account
TORONTO, April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Weetabix, a Canadian heritage cereal brand, is redesigning its website and building a strong social media presence heading into 2012. This starts with a new partnership with award winning, Toronto based agency, Blueband Media.
Blueband Media will completely revamp the current Canadian Weetabix website, bringing a fun and light tone to the brand. The new interactive site will celebrate difference and educate consumers on the benefits of choosing a healthy breakfast cereal like Weetabix that "looks Different because it IS different".
"We are very excited to be part of Weetabix's digital evolution," says Sathish Bala, CEO and Creative Director at Blueband Media. "It's always exciting to work with a forward thinking client who wants to push the envelope and engage consumers in new ways."
Along with the redesign, Blueband Media will take care of things on the social media side, putting the agency's community-building expertise behind the Weetabix brand.
Weetabix of Canada Ltd. was incorporated in 1975 and is the subsidiary company of Weetabix Ltd., the leading British cereal manufacturer. From its Cobourg, Ontario manufacturing and R&D facilities (established in 1978), Weetabix of Canada Ltd. manufactures over ninety brands of cereals for the Canadian, American and British markets. Weetabix is proud of its role in developing nutritious and great-tasting cereals, enjoyed in Canada and in many countries around the world.
Blueband Media is an integrated ideas agency, specializing in the areas of digital, social media and mobile consumer engagements for consumer brands (CPG). With offices in Toronto, ON and Montréal, QC, and over seven years of award-winning experience in the consumer packaged goods market, Blueband Media brings a team of skilled problem solvers to the fold - who are equally passionate about communication and great ideas.
SOURCE Blue Band Media


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Just allow that headline to sink in — Walmart is partnering with Tribeca Enterprises to make … pop-up drive-in theaters. And where else? Their colossal cement slabs known as parking lots.
You’ve been to Walmart during Black Friday or anytime during the holidays. The parking lots look like gridlock traffic in the middle of Manhattan. Square miles of concrete slab doing nothing but taking up space because Walmart — like everywhere else — closes early due to COVID-19.
So, someone had a great idea: People miss the movies. You have miles of pavement. Let’s put up a screen. And, they did!
This year has been the most insane 365 days on record — and we’re only halfway done! What in the actual eff is going on here? The global captain of capitalism is partnering with one of the most respected indie filmmakers to bring the cinematic experience back to people who desperately need a relief.
This is The Walmart Way
Any way in the world to make a buck, you better believe Northwest Arkansas’ own utopia will find it. Here’s one other and how no one in the cosmos didn’t think of this before is beyond me. And why? Money… eh, sorry, family. Yeah, that’s it…family.
Summer hasn’t really felt like summer yet, and I know I hear every day, ‘Mom, I’m bored!’… Through our digital means and vast footprint of stores, we’re hoping to bring some summer fun to families across the country. We know Walmart plays a role in our communities that extends far beyond getting them necessary supplies, and we see that now more than ever.Janey Whiteside, chief customer officer, Walmart
The plan is for the Walmart drive-in parking lot experience to run from August to October, with plans to offer 320 screenings of family-friendly films across 160 parking lots throughout the United States. Movies featured will be from — you guessed it — Tribeca Enterprises.
According to the official press release from Walmart and Tribeca, this drive-in theater parking lot lollapalooza will bring “hit movies, special appearances from filmmakers and celebrities and concessions delivered right to customer vehicles.”
Drive-Ins have been a signature program for Tribeca since we started the Tribeca Film Festival 19 years ago after 9/11. But now, the Tribeca Drive-In is much more than a fun, retro way to see movies — it’s one of the safest ways for communities to gather. We are thrilled to partner with Walmart to bring more people together around the shared cinematic experiences that Tribeca is known for.Jane Rosenthal, CEO and Co-Founder of Tribeca Enterprises and Tribeca Film Festival.
Throughout July, families in Arlington, Texas, Pasadena, California, Nassau County, New York and Orchard Beach in the Bronx, New York will be treated to Tribeca Drive-In screenings of modern classics and family favorites, like Wonder Woman and Space Jam, with a mix of ticketed and free events honoring frontline workers.
The full schedule and tickets can be found at TribecaFilm.com or walmartdrive-in.com. See you
in the express lane…eh, at the movies.
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Crash Bandicoot’s first foray onto mobile is coming soon, although not as soon as some might have hoped according to the iOS store.
While hardcore gamers might not want to admit it, mobile gaming is big business right now. More people had played Mario Kart Tour within days of its release than had played Mario Katy 8 Deluxe during its first three years. That’s why it might seem as if Nintendo, Ubisoft, and other developers are putting more time and effort into mobile games than titles on console and PC.
The next mainstream video game character to run onto mobile will be Crash Bandicoot, and we mean that quite literally. It was announced earlier this year that Candy Crush developers King are working on a Crash mobile game. A runner, like many other mobile games, that was even accompanied by the reveal trailer below.
That trailer was revealed all the way back in July, and pre-registration for the game opened at the same time. However, there hasn’t been much in the way of news since, until now. According to an updated release date on the iOS store, Crash Bandicoot: On The Run will be released for Apple devices on March 25, 2021, although it is accompanied by an “expected” label so may be subject to change.
Despite having to wait, at least, another five months for On The Run, King has already revealed a lot about what players can expect from the game. It will feature levels and bosses that Crash fans will be very familiar with, as well as a playable version of Crash’s sister Coco. Players in Malaysia were even given an early chance to play the game while the rest of the world could do nothing more than pre-register.
Chances are Crash’s creators have been focusing on the release of It’s About Time for the majority of 2020. Now that the new console game is out, the focus can return to On The Run. Perhaps March 2021 will finally be when Crash is added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, although we have a sneaky suspicion that the first Crash character added to the game won’t be the world’s favorite bandicoot.
Source: Read Full Article


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According to the latest report by McKinsey and Eurocommerce, due to cost inflation, lower volumes, and more price-sensitive customers Europe’s food retailers are experiencing the biggest drop in margins in five years. Between 2019 and 2022, the average margin of European grocers decreased by three percentage points. The EBITDA margin decreased by one percentage point, while the EBIT margin stagnated. Inflation-adjusted turnover dropped -7.1% due to intensified downtrading as consumers opted for cheaper products.
Analysts expect that consumer behavior will continue reflecting a cautious approach in 2023 due to the knock-on effects of recent economic uncertainty. Retail sales in volume are likely to stay flat for the rest of 2023 due to the difficult economic situation. More than 53% of consumers plan to save more money on food. This is the third time McKinsey and EuroCommerce have launched a joint state of grocery retail report, which includes a survey of more than 12,000 consumers and almost 50 grocery executives and thought leaders.
Consumer downtrading has led to substantial growth for private label sales all over Europe. Compared with 2021, the value share of private labels increased by 1.9 percent. However, only 0.8 percent of this increase can be explained by same-store downtrading. The remaining is caused by faster–than–average price increases for private label goods (0.8 percent) and above-average growth of the discount channel, which has a higher private label share (0.3 percent). Pure online players grew faster than inflation in 2022, and some of them achieved profitability.
Regarding channels, discounters gained 1.4 percent of the market share in Europe in 2021. This was largely driven by a combination of aggressive footprint growth in recent years, recovery from the pandemic–related sales dip, inflation (faster than the market average), and an increase in price sensitivity in the market. Discounters grew at the expense of all other channels: traditional trade declined by -0.8 percent, hypermarkets by 0.2%, e-commerce by 0.3%, and supermarkets by 0.1%.


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Creative amenities and attractions abound, including luxury chauffeured service at the Frankfurt airport.
Delays and airport security hassles are the main reasons why business travel is more frustrating today than just three years ago.
Corporations are taking their time to figure out policies while travelers see access on their devices as a must.
TNC Travesties Of The Week: Passengers don't realize how dangerous digital hitchhiking can be and are paying the price.
LCT WEB-X-CLUSIVE: Tim O’Brien, owner of Preferred Car and Limousine, captures client attention with a unique amenity.
While operators do not typically provide alcohol, passengers often bring along their own drinks as they travel.
Travelers are shaping the industry with a growing demand for unique, authentic, and meaningful experiences.
Young professionals who travel for work are taking full advantage of the "Bleisure" trend by mixing business and pleasure.
The Governor signed into law a 20-cent tax per trip on Uber and Lyft rides, with some of the revenue going to the taxi industry.
AUG. LCT: Because TNCs can’t do it all, chauffeured companies can succeed by upgrading service and bookings.
AUG. LCT: More operators need to venture for business beyond industry trade shows and associations.
AUG. LCT: Operators give their best answers to common questions about using tech to improve chauffeured transportation.
AUG. LCT: Technology CEOs admit challenges in connecting software platforms, but vow to cooperate to help the industry advance.
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While BlackBerry, formerly called Research In Motion, already released the revolutionary Z10 a couple of months ago, the industry has yet to witness the BlackBerry maker's greatest creation - the keyboard-touting Q10.
High-end department store chain Selfridges in U.K. claims to have been able to sell 2,000 BlackBerry Q10 handsets in just 90 minutes. Technically, that's around 22 phones a minute! Selfridges was so happy it labeld the Q10 the "fastest-ever selling consumer electronics product." Selfridges, by the way, is the only company lucky enough to begin selling the device at £579.99 (tax included).
Don't Miss: Today's Best Deals on Amazon.com
Meanwhile, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins believes that the Q10 will sell "tens of millions." "We have very, very good first signs already after the launch in the U.K.," says Heins. "This is going into the installed base of more than 70 million BlackBerry users so we have quite some expectations. We expect several tens of million of units."


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Turkey Trade Deficit Exceeds Estimates as Imports Grow
Turkey’s trade deficit narrowed less than expected in November as imports increased for the first time since May, indicating a pickup in economic activity.
The gap was $7.16 billion in the month, bigger than the $6 billion median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of five economists. The deficit fell from $7.57 billion a year earlier, the Turkish statistics office in Ankara said on its website today. Imports rose 13 percent to $21 billion, the biggest increase since October 2011. Exports rose 25 percent to $13.8 billion.
“November marks the turnaround in the trade deficit,” Sengul Dagdeviren, chief economist at ING Bank in Istanbul, said by phone yesterday before the figures were released. Imports of investment and intermediate goods increased, “the first time we have seen this since 2011, when the central began tightening,” she said today.
Turkey’s central bank tightened monetary policy in the first half of the year to tame inflation and curb a consumer credit boom that pulled in imports and drove the current-account deficit to $77 billion last year. Governor Erdem Basci has gradually lowered rates since the end of May as growth declined. Growth was 3 percent in the second quarter and 1.6 percent in the third, the slowest in three years.
Exports were driven by gold exports to Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which were $1.2 billion in November. Last month Turkey exported $1.5 billion. Precious metal exports have surged to $15.5 billion this year amid tighter international sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program. In the first eleven months of last year, Turkey exported $3.7 billion in precious metals.
“Strong export performance is amplified again with ongoing gold exports to Iran through UAE,” Ozgur Altug, chief economist at BGC Partners in Istanbul, said today in an e-mailed report.
The stronger export performance was also partly due to a higher number of work days in November when compared to the same month last year due to a religious holiday in November 2011. The Eid al-Adha holiday is based on a lunar calendar and shifts back about 10 or 11 days every year, putting it in October this year.
Turkey has diversified its exports away from the crisis-hit European Union, its largest trading partner, to the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The share of the EU in Turkey’s exports fell to 42 percent from 45 percent a year earlier.
“Turkey’s diversification of export markets has been quite successful,” Ozan Gaziturk, an economist at Istanbul-based lender Sekerbank TAS (SKBNK), said by telephone yesterday. “For the past four or five years, the EU share in exports has declined, and Turkey has done a good job in finding new markets.”
The lira fell 0.2 percent to 1.7920 against the dollar at 11:23 a.m. in Istanbul. Yields on benchmark two-year bonds increased one basis point to 6.17 percent.
To contact the reporter on this story: David Neylan in Ankara at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at email@example.com


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Cashless payments reign supreme in UK
Businesses, consumers and financial organisations cumulatively made 19.8bn payments via cashless methods over the course of last year, against 18.3bn cash payments. While rumours of the outright death of cheques appear to have been greatly exaggerated, cheques account for a mere 2 per cent of payments overall.
The study also quizzed UK consumers on their payment habits and preferences, and found that cash remains the most popular way to pay for a majority of respondents – despite only 1.6m predominantly using cash, versus 2.3m rarely or never paying using notes and coins.
Nearly 40 per cent of those who depended on cash payments were aged 65 and above; 50 per cent of those who used it infrequently were aged under-35. A quarter of the payments made via cash totalled £1 or less; 56 per cent totalled £5 or less.
The Payment Council had not foreseen cashless payments overtaking cash until 2016 at least; however, the organisation have now offered an adjusted forecast, which predicts that cash will account for around 30 per cent of payments within the next decade.
“Cash remains a vital part of our day-to-day lives and is still the most attractive or only option in lots of situations,” said David Hensley, director of payments industry association Cash Services. “We continue to value notes and coins so highly for their familiarity and widespread acceptance.”
For more information on the future of cashless payments, click here.


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Ian Fane, an autistic man, has exposed a case of discrimination after an incident at Sainsbury’s supermarket in London: he was denied entry with Chloe, his utility cat, he says Watchman.
On a visit to Sainsbury’s in Clapham, south London, in March, security and staff told Fenn he would have to leave the cat outside. After he complained, he was told that the supermarket chain would only allow help dogs in its stores.
Fenn has trained a black cat to be a source of support in his daily life and is taking legal action against the supermarket, arguing that the animal avoids sensory overload and that it should be treated as a guide dog or any other help designed to support it. A disabled person.
Typically, the cat appears around the owner’s neck and wears a type of fluorescent yellow coat to be recognized as a helper animal.
The supermarket chain said it was already working with its environmental health team to see if there was a way for Finn and his cat to visit stores safely. The company argued that while Chloe might be polite, if she changed her policy, other cats could wreak havoc – and there was no way to check an animal’s level of training.
“We want to be a one-stop retailer where people love to work and shop and understand that some of our colleagues and customers may need support in our stores. At the same time, safety is our top priority and our employees are trained to balance maintenance, our high standards of food hygiene, support All of our customers who shop with us.
“Hardcore alcohol maven. Hipster-friendly analyst. Introvert. Devoted social media advocate.”


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BC’s biggest agriculture show is going online in 2021.
Scheduled to take place January 28-30 at Tradex in Abbotsford, the Pacific Agriculture Show will adopt a virtual format in 2021 with plans for the 2022 event to return to Tradex, says show manager Jim Shepard.
“We’ll be pivoting and producing a world-class virtual show,” he says. “There’s all kinds of reasons for doing it.”
An online portal will allow visitors to explore the trade show floor, which will reflect the usual layout at Tradex. They’ll be able to visit booths, have private chats with vendors, access product information and even enjoy the virtual petting zoo.
The education dimension will also continue, with the show’s partner conferences also moving online. The Horticultural Growers’ Short Course, Cannatech West and Ag Innovation Day have all agreed to run their programs.
Shepard is excited about the opportunities the virtual space provides, including inviting attendees from around the world as well as the short course’s usual presenters.
“We’re curious to see, in terms of expanding our attendees and speakers too,” he says. “Great opportunities for us to expand our reach and our influence.”
Shepard expects packages outlining the event and explaining registration opportunities will be sent to show exhibitors in mid-September.
“Everyone seems pretty keen to make this a success,” he says. “We’re going to have virtual farm tours, virtual demonstrations, all highly interactive and in real time.”


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What you need to know
- Apple has been fined $1.3 billion by French competition authorities.
- It is over claims Apple tried to squeeze out iPad and Mac resellers in the country.
- Lawyers for Apple say the fine was a calculated political move and should be overturned.
Lawyers for Apple say that a $1.3 billion fine levied by French competition authorities was a political play that should be overturned.
As reported by Bloomberg:
Apple Inc. accused French regulators of bending antitrust rules "for political objectives" when they doled out a record-breaking 1.1 billion-euro ($1.3 billion) fine as part of a campaign to crack down on Silicon Valley firms.
A lawyer for Apple told a Paris court of Appeals that France's Autorité de la Concurrence "never made a secret" of its goal to crack down on Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple regarding competition matters, and claimed "officials seized upon a poorly crafted complaint from a premium reseller to build a case against Apple."
Apple further alleged the body "clearly wanted to make a mark by hitting hard against Apple." It is alleged that Apple tried to "squeeze" out resellers of its best iPads and Macs, but Apple says the charges don't stand up and the hefty fine should be overturned. That's because the allegations rely on a "false theory" that Apple entered anti-competitive agreements with two wholesalers that hurt resellers. The report continues:
"None of the measures set up by Apple sought to disadvantage" premium resellers, Thill-Tayara said. She said the penalty was artificially inflated by a multiplier factor and "disproportionate" given the allegations and their potential impact, which was at best limited. At the very least, it should be significantly decreased, the lawyer said.
Both wholesalers were also fined and are trying to overturn their respective penalties. In 2020 officials ruled Apple's "actions froze market shares and prevented competition between different distribution channels for the brand." A ruling on the appeal is expected in almost exactly one year.


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London's leading share index almost closed back below the 5,000 point mark after giving up a short-lived rally.
Euphoria over US plans to keep interest rates at their current low levels was soon overshadowed by the reason for the plans: the grim economic outlook.
Here, the Bank of England has cut its forecast for UK economic expansion this year to 1.4% from 1.8%. Growth is likely to be sluggish in the next year or so as household incomes remain squeezed, but easing inflationary pressures should help it to pick up "gently" next year, the Bank said in its latest inflation report.
Miners, such as Kazakhstan's Kazakhmys were under heavy attack by the close of play having earlier rallied on global growth hopes. Bank Barclays also took a heavy pounding.
In company news Standard Life was among the best performers after operating profits at the savings, investments and pensions firm jumped by 44% in the first half.
Global banking giant HSBC was higher after revealing that US lender Capital One is the buyer of its card and retail services business in the US. HSBC said its post-tax gain on the sale is estimated to be $2.4bn.
FTSE 250 travel firm TUI Travel said it is on track to meet full-year expectations after operating profits surged in the group's third quarter. The package tour firm saw a 13% increase in revenue and a 57% increase in operating profit for its third quarter (to June 30) compared to 2010, when the effects of the Icelandic volcano ash cloud were disrupting travel plans across Europe.
Meanwhile, shareholders in wounded bid target Micro Focus got some good news on Wednesday as the legacy software specialist said it is trading ahead of expectations. Shares jumped by a fifth. The upbeat trading statement makes a change from profit warnings, of which there have been two this year.
Shares in internet video security company IndigoVision dropped after the company warned that it will not meet its sales and profits targets for the year ended 31 July.
Fashion retailer French Connection was in fashion after it said first half profit will be in line with management expectations as it successfully weathers tough conditions on the high street. The clothing and accessories retailer said it saw growth in like-for-like sales at its UK stores despite the difficult market conditions.
Beowulf was posting muscular gains after the Sweden-focused miner said drilling at its Kallak iron ore project indicated the presence of more than 400m tonnes of ore.
Sticking with mythically-named resource companies, Dragon Oil was on fire after it ramped up production in the six months to 30 June, helping the Central Asia-focused oil group to benefit from the soaring oil price. Profit for the period totalled $309.4m, up from $137.6m over the same period the previous year, on revenues that soared to $527.4m from $276.3m. The company is paying a 9 cent interim dividend, having not paid one last year.
FTSE 100 - Risers
Standard Life (SL.) 184.10p +5.74%
Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 6,385.00p +4.33%
Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,302.00p +3.25%
Man Group (EMG) 187.20p +3.20%
Weir Group (WEIR) 1,735.00p +1.88%
United Utilities Group (UU.) 572.00p +1.24%
Autonomy Corporation (AU.) 1,502.00p +0.67%
Severn Trent (SVT) 1,415.00p +0.28%
Aggreko (AGK) 1,696.00p -0.24%
SABMiller (SAB) 1,993.00p -0.35%
FTSE 100 - Fallers
Essar Energy (ESSR) 262.10p -12.60%
Barclays (BARC) 163.70p -8.70%
Kazakhmys (KAZ) 918.00p -7.74%
Standard Chartered (STAN) 1,371.50p -7.52%
Prudential (PRU) 567.00p -7.35%
Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 24.29p -7.33%
HSBC Holdings (HSBA) 516.20p -5.28%
RSA Insurance Group (RSA) 109.50p -5.19%
Schroders (Non-Voting) (SDRC) 1,124.00p -5.07%
Old Mutual (OML) 103.20p -5.06%
FTSE 250 - Risers
Micro Focus International Plc (MCRO) 283.70p +13.16%
Kofax (KFX) 290.00p +7.21%
Afren (AFR) 100.10p +5.70%
Telecom Plus (TEP) 580.00p +5.45%
African Barrick Gold (ABG) 537.00p +4.68%
Filtrona PLC (FLTR) 310.00p +4.45%
SVG Capital (SVI) 228.00p +4.40%
International Personal Finance (IPF) 255.70p +3.90%
Telecity Group (TCY) 501.50p +3.47%
Moneysupermarket.com Group (MONY) 103.00p +3.31%
FTSE 250 - Fallers
Bwin.party Digital Entertainment (BPTY) 101.70p -9.68%
Shares in AIM-listed mineral exploration company Beowulf Mining rose after the company reported that its Kallak deposits had been designated an 'Area of National Interest' for minerals by the Swedish Geological Society. [25 Feb '13]
Beowulf, the Sweden-focused mineral exploration company, jumped 10% after it said latest assay results from its completed drill programme at its Kallak North mine were "most encouraging". The results included indications of further high grade iron mineralisation on the southerly extension of the deposit, the company said. It has also received approval from the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten for test mining at the site. [17 Oct '12]
Angel Mining, which is currently focused on building a successful mining operation in Greenland, cheered its investors with the news that as of July 31st it had sold 7,569 ounces of gold at an average price of 1,668 dollars per ounce since its first gold sale in August 2011. The firm is continuing to work towards its main project, the Black Angel zinc/lead mine, which it expects to become operational by 2014/15. The costs of this are expected to be met by gold sales. The firm [31 Aug '12]
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In a video titled “Procter & Gamble to Divest 100 Brands,” Euromonitor International discusses the global company’s recently announced plans to divest itself of up to 100 of its brands following its financial results released on August 1, 2014.
Oru Mohiuddin, senior beauty and personal care research analyst for Euromonitor, says in the video, “Procter & Gamble announced that it is going to divest 100 brands. This is as part of its ongoing restructure process that we have been seeing in the last few years. The decision to divest these 100 brands is a good move, but the question is, how does it intend to use these newly released resources going forward?
“One of the challenges that Procter & Gamble has been facing is that it does not have sufficient coverage across the pricing spectrum in comparison to some of its leading competitors; for example, Unilever in hair care has a broad-based presence across the pricing spectrum, and this has been one of Unilever’s strengths.
“So, for Procter & Gamble, the recommendation is to use its newly released resource to develop [a] wider presence across the pricing spectrum,” Mohiuddin concludes.
Speculation is that many of P&G’s larger beauty and personal care brands—such as CoverGirl, Gillette, Pantene, Olay, SK-II, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana, Head & Shoulders, Crest, Old Spice, Wella, Secret and others—will not be affected, but P&G CEO A.G. Lafley told The Wall Street Journal, "I’m not interested in size. I'm interested in whether we are the preferred choice of shoppers."


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Dr. Steve Freedland, from Cedar Sinai conducted a controlled, randomized clinical study that evaluated the efficacy of an extremely low carbohydrate diet on the side effects of hormone therapy (ADT). The study showed that an extreme diet has a positive impact on many of the side negative effects as well as causing significant weight loss that probably has many other additional positive health effects.
An interview with Dr. Freedland is available at:
as well as another interview with him that basically repeating the findings already mentioned at:
Briefly, summing up some of his findings he reported that:
“In the control group in our study, we saw that at 6 months they (in the control group who ate a normal diet) gained 1.3 kg, their insulin resistance went up 36%, and they added 11% new fat mass. They experienced the effects that hormones generally have….. Compared to the control group, rather than going up 36%, insulin resistance went down 4% in the diet group. So we completely prevented insulin resistance from happening.”
As my colleague Patrick on our HealthUnlocked online support group has written, “It’s an extreme diet – but ADT is an extreme therapy.”
– Thank you Patrick for alerting us to this interesting study.
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LOVELAND — Nostalgia and compassion drew some of the visitors checking out auction items at the former Schmidt’s Bakery & Delicatessen on Monday, but most of the people working their way through the building were there for the bargains.
“This is a great find for people in the bakery business,” said Brandon Giovannoni, who’s helping to launch a gluten-free bakery in Lone Tree.
Giovannoni was looking at walk-in freezers, baking pans, racks and other equipment in the cavernous kitchen of the closed business at 808 SW 14th St.
The state seized Schmidt’s on Jan. 8 for nonpayment of taxes, and the owners filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Feb. 6. The filing lists 102 creditors, including 40 employees, and liabilities of more than $814,000.
Auction Closes Tuesday
Denver-based auction and liquidation company Dickensheet & Associates started its online-only auction of Schmidt’s equipment on behalf of U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Friday and opened the building for inspection Monday.
Bidding will close at 11 a.m. Tuesday on the first items, with bids on each of the 680 lots ending in succession after that, according to auction company owner Bill Dickensheet.
He estimated it would take five hours Tuesday to finish the auction, which is taking place at dickensheet.com.
“All items have to be disposed of,” he said. “Everything except for what belongs to the building.”
One of the visitors Monday morning was Harry Schmidt, who founded the German-style bakery and deli in Berthoud in 1982 and sold it to its current owners in 2011.
“It’s kind of sad, isn’t it?” Schmidt said.
“I think the community and the employees and everybody doesn’t deserve to see this happen. It just breaks my heart,” he said. “It’s kind of like a funeral.”
Schmidt, wearing a denim Schmidt’s Bakery & Delicatessen jacket with “Harry” stitched on the front, talked sadly with some former customers. And he answered questions from bidders interested in buying the equipment that once was his.
“I Want to Give Harry a Hug”
Loveland resident Vicki Johnson, who volunteers at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp west of Fort Collins, was looking casually at kitchen equipment that might prove useful at the camp. But mainly, she said, she showed up for “TLC support” of Schmidt, whom she knows from church.
“I want to give Harry a hug,” she said.
Others jotting notes and taking pictures with their cellphones included a woman whose sister is a cake decorator in Longmont, a man who owns a restaurant in Greeley, a Berthoud woman whose husband is president of a wholesale meat business in Denver, the owner of a Loveland catering company and some people who were just looking for sturdy tables and chairs for their homes.
The items in the dining rooms, retail area and kitchen were impressively diverse — wire shelves holding half-used containers of spices, two antique accordions, stacks of baking sheets and cake pans, German beer steins, walk-in freezers, huge ovens, 51/2-foot-tall mixers, buckets of knives and metal bins still filled with sugar and flour.
Because the restaurant was locked up in the middle of a workday, most everything was frozen in time, down to the dusting of flour on the butcher-block table.
When Dickensheet employee Scott Sattel and his crew showed up last week to prepare the property for auction, he said they found hundreds of pies and cakes molding on the racks and deli meats rotting in the cases.
“When we cracked this baby open, it was bad,” he said. “I saw mold I’ve never seen before.”
Sattel said his workers filled two 40-cubic-yard roll-off trash containers with spoiled food. “It was kind of sad to throw it away.”
Dickensheet said all proceeds of the auction will go to a U.S. trustee charged with liquidating the property and arranging payment of debtors.
Craig Young can be reached at 635-3634 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow him on Twitter: @CraigYoungRH.


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Hudson & Marshall is set to auction more than 150 foreclosed homes in Phoenix owned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, selling only to owner-occupants who plan to use the property as their primary residence for at least a year. H&M is an auction house based in Plano, Texas. The auction is scheduled for March 26 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge. Dave Webb, principal at Hudson & Marshall, said the idea is to auction the homes to low- and moderate-income families, in line with HUD’s mission. This will serve a dual function, he said. “Not only do auctions of foreclosed homes help buyers grab great deals but they also help raise property values by putting new homeowners into the properties,” Webb said. Qualified buyers may receive special financing through the Federal Housing Administration — a $100 down homebuyer financing and up to 3% in closing costs paid by HUD. Potential bidders must bring a $1,000 cashiers check on auction day made out to themselves or to HUD. All properties are sold “as-is,” Hudson & Marshall said. Another auction firm, Auction.com, recently sold 100% of its condo inventory in South Florida where the company hosted an auction. The 20 luxury residences at Foundation on Ocean Boulevard sold at 114% of the seller’s reserve price, for a collective $7.6 million. Starting bids at the Fort Lauderdale auction ranged as low as $124,000 for a two-bedroom with a previous high value of $585,000, and as high as $279,000 for a three-bedroom with a previous high value of $999,900. Jeff Frieden, CEO of the company formerly known as REDC auction house, said this is the sixth time in the last 10 auctions that 100% of inventory was sold. The other auctions were in Dallas, Miami (twice), Houston and Annapolis, Md. “Our auctions attract buyers looking for attractive pricing and low interest-rate financing while our sellers benefit even more as we convert their standing inventory,” Frieden said. Write to Christine Ricciardi. Follow her on Twitter @HWnewbieCR.
Most Popular Articles
The danger of mortgage forbearances turning into foreclosures is rising as COVID-19 infections surge in the U.S., according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Cannae and Senator did not take too kindly to CoreLogic’s rejection, issuing a statement of their own, claiming that the company had rejected their proposal “without any sign of seriously considering it.”


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The price of bitcoin rose sharply on July 18, giving hope that the bear market in cryptocurrency may be ending.
That’s the story the bulls are selling, anyway. But in fact, the two biggest trading days of the last month have seen less than $800 million in bitcoin change hands, on a market cap of anywhere from $109 billion at its low to $128 billion at its July 18 high.
That’s a 10% move in price while .6% of bitcoin traded. By way of comparison, the 5% move in Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) after its disappointing second quarter report on July 17 came on volume of 10.34 million shares, meaning 2.34% of the float traded. Netflix has a market cap of about $165 billion.
Price of Bitcoin Rises, Bulls Get Excited
To read the bitcoin press, most of which is controlled by bitcoin exchanges or bitcoin bulls, happy days are here again.
Bitcoinist, for instance, insists that bitcoin’s hard supply cap, its lack of regulation, and its mere survival mean the price of bitcoin is fated to rise to the skies. The Fear of Missing Out is back, and so are those pictures of Lamborghinis on city streets that get the young, male traders’ hearts racing.
Most speculation on today’s rising bitcoin prices focuses on the U.S. market.
The incoming CEO of Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), David Solomon, is said to be bitcoin-friendly. Coinbase, the largest U.S. bitcoin exchange, may soon sell tokens that are deemed securities, after buying broker-dealer Keystone Capital. Blackrock (NYSE:BLK), the largest U.S. asset manager, has a working group looking at bitcoin.
U.S. traders appear to be buying bitcoin — raising the price of bitcoin — in anticipation of greater market legitimacy ahead.
Bitcon’s ‘Strengths’ Continue to Hurt It
A closer look at trading volumes, however, shows that up to one-third of the trading on many days comes from Hong Kong-based Bitfinex. Bitfinex has been stepping away from the U.S. market, and recently lost its U.S.-based chief strategy officer, Phil Potter.
Bitfinex also owns tether, a so-called “stablecoin” pegged to the U.S. dollar. Whether it holds that many dollars, however, is subject to question. A June paper from the University of Texas charged that Bitfinex used tether to manipulate bitcoin price’s rise in 2017.
Thus, the big trading volumes are coming from a house that is exiting the U.S. and has been accused in the past of manipulating the market. This is the crypto market’s double-edged sword. It’s a global market, and the price is similar everywhere. But it’s also open to manipulation by any global player, and low trading volumes make that easy.
While cryptocurrencies are supposedly an open, transparent market where data is abundant for traders, in practice most coins don’t trade. They are mined or were obtained at the equivalent of CEO “options” prices, outside the market. While stock obtained through options is often turned over for quick profits, cryptocurrency isn’t. The market is much less liquid than it appears.
The spread between bid and ask prices can also vary widely, depending on where you trade. At Coinbase there is virtually no spread. At CEX.IO in London, by contrast, it can be over $150 per bitcoin. And let’s not even talk here about cryptocurrency’s energy use.
The Bottom Line on the Rising Price of Bitcoin
While cryptocurrency advocates claim their blockchains replace regulation, the fact is traders have no recourse against unscrupulous dealings of any sort, whether that’s price manipulation or outright theft of coins. Thieves can learn where owners live, shake them down for their keys, make off with the goods, and cops don’t follow.
Despite its 21st century trappings, in other words, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies remain a 19th century market.
Dana Blankenhorn is a financial and technology journalist. He is the author of a mystery novella involving bitcoin, The Reluctant Detective Saves the World, available now at the Amazon Kindle store. Write him at firstname.lastname@example.org or follow him on Twitter at @danablankenhorn. As of this writing he owned no shares in companies mentioned in this story, and no cryptocurrency. To follow the value of cryptocurrencies bookmark https://coinmarketcap.com/
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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A new eatery opened at The Mall at Johnson City Tuesday morning, ready to serve up breakfast and brunch.
Eggs Up Grill opened its doors at 6 a.m., and the 2,750 square foot restaurant seats 106 diners inside, with room for 20 more on the outdoor patio. Customers can enjoy menu items such as strawberry cheesecake pancakes, smokehouse mac & cheese, omelets, specialty mimosas and more.
“It is great to see the breakfast segment continue to thrive, and we are excited to introduce the first Eggs Up Grill in Tennessee to the Johnson City community,” said franchise owner and local Ken Bates. “We know this will be a popular gathering place for friends and family to enjoy breakfast classics. The brand’s breakfast and lunch concept, support in the community, as well as its hours of operation are all appealing factors for the business.”
Thirty-four job openings followed as the eatery announced its launch, and Eggs Up Grill continues to fill some of these positions. Those interested can apply at eggsupgrill.com or stop by the restaurant at 2011 N. Roan St.
The Johnson City location marks the restaurant’s first opening in Tennessee. Eggs Up Grill houses many locations across multiple states, including Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas and Virginia. According to a release, Eggs Up ranked as the no. 1 breakfast franchise by Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 two years in a row.
It will stay open seven days a week from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. For more information, stay updated on Facebook or Instagram.


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GENEROUS residents, visitors and local organisations together donated more than £5,700 for Cambridge Street Aid last month during the first ever Street Aid Week.
During the week a grand total of £5,774.49 was raised for the charitable fund supported by Cambridge City Council, more than doubling the fundraising target of £2,500.
The money will be used to fund grants for more than 20 people who are currently or have previously been sleeping rough, to help them get off, and stay off, the streets.
During Street Aid Week in October, a number of special fundraising events and activities were held including at Grand Arcade shopping centre and St Paul’s Church on Hills Road.
Local businesses, including Nanna Mexico, Heffers Bookshop, Cambridge University Press, the Tamburlaine Hotel, and Metro Bank held events or raised awareness about Cambridge Street Aid. Local firm Go Glass organised a glass art sale, selling 50 original glass sun catchers to raise money for Street Aid.
In addition eight new contactless giving points are being launched, enabling people to donate £3 to Cambridge Street Aid using their contactless cards or smartphones. The new contactless giving points are located in:
- Co-op stores on Hills Road, Perne Road, Histon Road and Green End Road
- St Paul’s Church on Hills Road
- Queen Anne Terrace, Grafton West and Park Street car parks.
These join the existing contactless terminals located in:
- Grand Arcade shopping centre
- The council’s Customer Service Centre at Mandela House, 4 Regent Street
- Reception at the Guildhall in Market Square
- Co-op stores on Mill Road, Chesterton Road and in Burwell village.
Cambridge Street Aid was established in 2016 to give anyone wishing to help vulnerable people on the streets of Cambridge an alternative to handing over cash directly.
People have so far received financial help through Cambridge Street Aid for a range of purposes - from training courses and smart clothes to help them find work, to rent deposits on accommodation and furniture for new homes. Every single penny donated to Cambridge Street Aid goes directly to grants for individuals.
Cllr Richard Johnson, Executive Councillor for Housing, said: “The public’s response to Street Aid Week was wonderful, and we are delighted that our target for the week was smashed.
All the money raised will go directly to help some of the most vulnerable people in our community, with the things they need to help them move on with their lives.
“I would like to say a big thank you to all the individuals, businesses and organisations who donated to Cambridge Street Aid, and all those aho gave up their time to make the first Street Aid Week such a success.”
“Cambridge Street Aid is just one way the council works with our partners in the city to reduce rough sleeping and homelessness, and to provide vulnerable people with the care and support they need. Anyone wishing to donate to Street Aid can do so throughout the year at the 14 contactless donation points or online at www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/cambridgeshirecommunity/csa”
For more information on Cambridge Street Aid visit www.cambridge.gov.uk/alternative-giving-campaign


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Carnival Corporation & plc. broke ground Monday on the new $65-million dollar Amber Cove Cruise Center in Dominican Republic, expected to open in 2014. The cruise center is located on the Bay of Maimon located near Puerto Plata in the country’s North Coast
The new 30-acre facility will offer a host space for local vendors, bars, restaurants and a waterfront attraction. The two-berth facility will accommodate 8,000-cruise passengers and 2,000-crew daily. The new cruise center is expected to have 250,000-guests in the first year of operation.
“This is a glorious day for the Dominican Republic. It is already being inscribed in the annals of our recent economic history as one of the most significant steps we have taken to assure the transformation and development of Puerto Plata, the northern region, and the entire country,” said President Leonel Fernández Reyna.
This is a joint project between Carnival Corporation & plc. and the Rannik family of Grupo B&R.
The last cruise ship to call at Puerto Plata was nearly 30 years ago.
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The McLaren Group announced that it will lay off 1,200 employees. They account for roughly 25% of the supercar maker’s workforce.
McLaren, owner of the Formula 1 team, explained that the coronavirus pandemic “severely” hit their business. The McLaren Group revenue was shaken by the lack of motorsport events, the suspension of manufacturing and retail, and shrinking demand for technology.
The proposed layoff is part of the company’s restructuring plan, which was a result of the ongoing impact of COVID-19 as well as the Formula 1 cost cap.
“We deeply regret the impact that this restructure will have on all our people but especially those whose jobs may be affected,” said Paul Walsh, executive chairman of McLaren Group, in a statement.
“It is a course of action we have worked hard to avoid, having already undertaken dramatic cost-saving measures across all areas of the business. But we now have no other choice but to reduce the size of the workforce.”
With this, the McLaren Group had to lay off 1,200 staff. It will take effect in all of McLaren’s applied, racing, and automotive businesses worldwide. Meanwhile, some support and back office roles will also be removed.
The decision comes after Formula 1 announced a new annual cost cap of $145 million for 2021, a decline from $175 million.
The McLaren Group is the latest manufacturer to announce layoffs due to the coronavirus pandemic. UK’s Rolls Royce announced last week it was letting go of 9,000 of its 52,000 employees to adjust to the much-smaller aviation market.
Aside from the McLaren Group and Rolls Royce, other companies that are laying off their workers are Uber and HSBC.
In April, Uber announced its plan to lay off about 20% of the company’s employees, based on a report by The Information. The reason for the layoff is lower demand for ride-sharing services amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Uber Eats, the company’s food delivery arm, reportedly recorded an increase in the food delivery business.
According to The Information, the layoff that Uber is eyeing “could result in more than 5,400 of Uber’s 27,000 employees losing their jobs.”
Uber told USA Today: “The company is looking at every possible scenario to ensure we get to the other side of this crisis in a stronger position than ever.”
International investment bank HSBC also announced in April that it will be suspending plans of mass layoffs of tens of thousands of workers after its profits fell by nearly 50%.
HSBC said it will put on hold plans for mass layoffs and will increase the amount of money it is setting aside to cover bad loans after its pre-tax profit went down to $3.2 billion in the first quarter, which was a 48% decline compared to last year.
HSBC said it expected the first quarter credit losses to reach $3 billion last quarter partly due to the coronavirus as well as the ongoing decline in oil prices.
In a statement, the company said: “The outlook for world economies in 2020 has substantially worsened in the past two months.”
Company executives have foreseen these layoffs. A survey held by the business research group The Conference Board revealed that about 54% admitted they may lay off or furlough employees, while 43% said they plan to reduce salaries, wages, or benefits.
Moreover, findings showed that four out of five chief executive officers said they will postpone investment decisions and 43% said they are likely to experience cash-flow problems.
“In late March, CEO confidence declined to levels not seen since the height of the Great Recession,” said Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators and surveys at The Conference Board.


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OnePlus TV is coming soon: 5 important things to know about the new smart TV
OnePlus TV is coming to India later this month. Here are five important things we know about the smart TV so far.
Smart TVs are the flavor of the season. Motorola forayed into smart TV segment this month while Xiaomi upgraded its smart TV lineup with Mi TV 4X. The biggest launch of the month, however, is going to OnePlus TV. OnePlus' first smart TV is expected to come with some unique features for Indian users. Let's break down five important things we know about the smart TV so far.
OnePlus' first smart TV will come with a 55-inch QLED panel and 4K resolution. OnePlus TV supports Dolby Vision which is said to bring richer colours, contrast and brightness levels. OnePlus has also confirmed using Gamma Color Magic processor to offer richer colour gamut on the smart TV. As far QLED panel goes, the technology is said to have its own set of advantages over the premium OLED ones. For instance, separate backlighting allows QLEDs to offer richer brightness and colours.
Unlike other smart TV remotes, OnePlus' has minimum buttons and has a trackpad-like navigation panel. Based on the official images shared by the company, OnePlus TV has an ultra slim body, similar to Apple TV remotes. The OnePlus TV smart remote also has a physical volume rocker on the side - similar to smartphones. There's also a USB port at the bottom. Another highlight of the remote is dedicated buttons for OnePlus' custom TV OS and Google Assistant.
ALSO READ: Motorola TV vs OnePlus TV vs Xiaomi Mi TV 4X
OnePlus TV will come with built-in eight speakers. The total sound output is said to be 50 Watts - much higher than what modern premium and mid-range smart TVs offer nowadays. OnePlus' sound setup has a soundbar-like design with two front-facing speakers coupled with two pairs of three small speakers on the sides. OnePlus TV also supports Dolby Atmos.
OnePlus is also adding some smart features for sound optimisation. For instance, it can automatically reduce the TV volume when you're receiving a call on your phone. This of course will require you to pair your phone with the smart TV.
Free content access is going to be the biggest perks of buying the OnePlus TV. While OnePlus hasn't revealed the full list of content partners, Eros Now and Zee5 Premium have been confirmed for the TV. Eros Now has promised to extend its full catalogue to OnePlus TV users along with optimisation for Dolby. ZEE5 will also offer its full content across 12 languages. OnePlus is likely to announce more content partners as the official launch date nears.
Details about the design of OnePlus TV are scant right now but CEO Pete Lau has revealed a chrome-finish stand with single handle bar to hold the TV. As seen in one of the older images shared by Lau, OnePlus TV back panel has Kevlar-like textured back panel with the single handle bar.


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Efforts to revive Tanzania’s ailing leather industry have started gathering momentum with the Government currently luring potential investors in the country to help revive leather processing factories.
The government through Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) has welcomed foreign investors including
Chinese firms to help boost the sector whose contribution to the national economy is still minimal as compared to other sectors.
Statistics made available to The Business Wiz by TIC on leather industry shows that, the center has registered only 12 leather industrial projects in the country for the last four years since 2018 up to December 2022.
The current operating industries have a total value of US$ 39.4 million investment capital in the country
Creating 1,038 jobs to Tanzanians.
The Acting Executive Director of TIC John Mathew Mnali told The BusinessWiz in Dar es Salaam that, the investment would involve the construction of a processing industry to manufacture various goods such as belts and shoes among others.
He said there are still many untapped opportunities in the leather industrial sector with huge potential for boosting growth and development through increased output.
He further noted that, Tanzania registered a total of 132 projects in the past five months from July to
November 2022 worth 7trn/- ($ 3.16 billion).
The recorded value is almost four times the value registered during the same period in the previous year, where the value was 2.06trn/- ($881 million).
The value of registered projects increased by 259 per cent in comparison to the value of projects registered in in the country in various sector development between July-November 2021.
“Among the total projects recorded, 50 projects are owned by foreigners while 30 are owned by locals and 52 are under joint ventures between the nationals and foreigners,” he said.
Expounding more on the registered projects based on sectors, he revealed that the industrial sector accounted for the biggest share attracting 67 projects followed by the transportation sector that attracted 25 projects, tourism 12 projects and agriculture 9 projects.
Others are services (8 projects), commercial buildings (7 projects), human resources (3 projects), financial sector (1 project), while leather industry sector did not register any project within the period under review.
According to him, the registered projects are expected to create 21,297 employment opportunities in total if well maintained and managed well.
This achievement was as a result of the government’s efforts in promoting various investments opportunities available in the country to foreign investors especial through various national leaders’ trips outside the country as well as creating an enabling environment for investors.
Low investment in value addition in the leather industry has undermined production, with thousands of
tons of skins and hides going to waste due to poor handling and low quality.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade reports show that Tanzania has been importing shoes and leather products while making little use of its livestock products.
Data from National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that, the contribution of earnings from exports of hides and skins and leather industry to the economy of Tanzania is still minimal accounting for only 0.01 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Three years ago, the government banned the exportation of raw skins and the situation has caused the bulk of many tons of the products to accumulate at various preservation stores found at the designated slaughter houses in most towns and cities in the country.
Animal skin sellers have raised serious concerns over lack of ready market for their products in the country saying that, “the move comes after the government banned the exportation of this products used as raw materials to manufacture leather products.
In an interview with TBW recently, skin traders urged the government to reduce punitive legislation so as to allow the exportation of such a product at this time around when the government is struggling with all efforts to revive the processing industries which had stopped production.
Three weeks ago the deputy minister for Livestock and Fisheries Abdallah Ulega confirmed in Dar es
Salaam that, “the government is striving to look for the strategic investors to additionally help further the development of leather industry.
According to the deputy minister, the accumulated raw skins have failed to secure markets due to fewer local leather processing industries bearing in mind the fact that two years ago the government had increased export levy by over 100 percent from 400/- ($ 0.13) to 950/- ($ 0.27) per kilogram with a view to discourage those selling raw skins and hides outside.
According to one member of the Board of Tanzania Leather Association (LSA) Elibariki Mmari, Tanzania has only eight available leather industries in the country and these include Moshi leather industries,
Tanzania leather industries, Afro leather Kibaha tannery, Himo tanners and Salex Tanners. , Kiluwa
Group Company, Toscana Machine Calzature (TMC) and ItalProgetti.
Surprisingly almost all these have shelved production or operate at lower level of production capacity required making the industry contribute little to the GDP.
Statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that although Tanzania ranks the second with
the highest livestock population in Africa region after Ethiopia, it lags behind among EAC member states in leather industrial development.
Tanzania imports between 31,000 and 42,000 pairs of leather shoes from China and other South East
Asian states, but less than three percent (3 per cent) of shoes are made from pure leather.


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"Many progressive companies…are seeing social issues through this new lens," FSG reported in its latest newsletter, citing a number of examples, including Toyota's (TM) targeting "zero emissions mobility," Unilever's (UN) promoting good health practices through its Lifebuoy soap, and the fragrance and flavor giant Firmenich's working with poor vanilla farmers on sustainable growing techniques. One can easily imagine what Peter Drucker's response to this flash would have been: It's about time. In his 1973 book Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices, Drucker urged companies to see social ills "as major sources of opportunity." What's more, he counseled them to make sure these opportunities were "built into the strategy" of the enterprise, not viewed as some philanthropic afterthought.
The Nine Nations of China by Patrick Chovanec Interactive Map November 5, 2009 www.theatlantic.com/slideshows/china-nations/ -
ID: "The Daily Deming: 366 Days of Insight for Prodound Knowledge"
Books: "The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done"
Dear HC,, 今天某手機鍵盤專業廠品質經理來訪 我贈書一套 12/12 的聚會 我不確定可以參加 12/20 要去中國蘇州地區 Best rgds David Hsu
Bhopal disaster: poison gas emission from Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, killed thousands of people in arguably the worst industrial disaster ever (1984)
DECEMBER 3, 2009 Air France Assembles Outside Experts for Safety Review
BY DANIEL MICHAELS AND ANDY PASZTOR Air France, taking an unusual and high-profile step to assess operational risks, has assembled a group of internationally respected aviation officials to conduct an independent safety review in the wake of the fatal crash of one of its jetliners in June. Led by Curt Graeber, a cockpit-fatigue expert and former high-ranking Boeing Co. engineer, the study teams will have a broad mandate to analyze both cockpit and maintenance safety programs, from training and procedures to incident analysis to organizational issues, according to the airline and people familiar with the details.
夏普於2009年11月30日向媒體公開了正在大阪府界市建設的液晶面板和太陽能電池面板生產基地“夏普綠色前線界”（Sharp Green Front Sakai）。夏普在公開部分生產基地的同時，還舉行了說明會……perations Begin at World’s First LCD Panel Plant
Employing 10th-Generation Glass Substrates “Sharp Green Front Sakai”*1 Manufacturing Complex Brings the World
Cutting-Edge Large LCD Panels
On October 1, 2009, Sharp Corporation started operations at its new LCD panel plant (SDP*2) in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Construction began in November 2007 on Sharp’s state-of-the-art manufacturing complex— Sharp Green Front Sakai*1— which includes this LCD panel plant as well as another plant for thin-film solar cells.*3 The LCD panel plant is the first facility in the world to adopt 10th-generation glass substrates. Using Sharp’s proprietary UV2A*4 photo-alignment technology, the plant is capable of producing high-contrast, energy-efficient panels of 40 inches and larger, marking a new era in large displays. Sharp Green Front Sakai*1 will bring the world two environmentally friendly products: energy-saving LCD panels and energy-creating solar panels. Sharp aims to make this complex an environmentally advanced production base through such environmental measures as adopting LEDs for all indoor and outdoor lighting (approximately 100,000 LED lights) throughout the complex. In addition, Sharp will install solar panels on all factory roofs to provide some of the needed electricity. Sharp Green Front Sakai*1 is the new driving force behind Sharp’s efforts to make environmentally friendly products at an environmentally conscious plant, thus helping to realize a greener society.
Overview of Sharp Green Front Sakai*1 Location: 1 Takumi-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan Land area: Approx. 1.27 million m2 LCD Panel Plant Production capacity: 72,000 substrates per month (36,000 substrates per month at start of operations) Glass substrate size: 2,880 x 3,130 mm (10th-generation glass substrate)
*1 Sharp Green Front Sakai is a name used in Japan. *2 Sharp Display Products Corporation *3 The thin-film solar cell plant is scheduled to start by March 2010. *4 Abbreviation of Ultraviolet-induced multi-domain Vertical Alignment.
Russell Ackoff Professor Emeritus Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania,
參加者: 戴久永教授 / Kevin Lin / hanching chung/王治瀚/Tony Chen/官生平夫婦/ John Liu/Peter Hsiung
Theme: 紀念 Russell Ackoff (1919-2009)
Time: 十二月十二日(週六) 1000-1600
Place : 台北市新生南路三段88號2樓
說明: 本會多人為Russell Ackoff 教授的忠實讀者 出版過他的"八十趣談"
今年他過世 我們要懷念他 明年為他出版專書
參加者請備短文說明 "Russell Ackoff 思想與我" 或翻譯他的文章
1000-1100 紀念Russell Ackoff(1919-2009) 發表諸人
1110-1200 2010年紀念Deming 研討會 (真理大學) 官生平夫婦 兼談陳寬仁回憶錄


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Apple Could Get Healthy with a Meaningful Acquisition!
Samsung is nipping at Apple's heels & may wind up swallowing their legs if they don't wise up!
I recently found this story & believe that Apple could use its huge cash hoard to buy into healthcare & grow into a whole new area of technology.
Merck and Samsung Bioepis Enter Biosimilars Development and Commercialization Agreement.
Under the agreement, Samsung Bioepis will be responsible for preclinical and clinical development, process development and manufacturing, clinical trials and registration. Merck will be responsible for commercialization. Samsung Bioepis will receive an upfront payment from Merck, product supply income and will be eligible for additional payments associated with pre-specified clinical and regulatory milestones. Further financial terms were not disclosed.
“Samsung Bioepis has been building the capabilities needed to develop high-quality biosimilars,” said Christopher Hansung Ko, Ph.D., CEO of Samsung Bioepis. “With this development and commercialization agreement, Samsung takes a significant step toward becoming a major player in the biopharmaceutical industry.”
Samsung Bioepis, a joint venture between Samsung Biologics and Biogen Idec, aims to develop affordable and high-quality biopharmaceutical and biosimilar products.
Samsung already has the lead on connecting us to our home through their appliance manufacturing facilities & they could become the leader in healthy connectivity as well.
Anyone with ideas on what Apple could do in the healthcare arena & home connectivity?
steve jobs drew up a few plans for innovative health care devices before he died. only a few people have seen these drawings, including job's biographer. i suspect mossberg knows about these plans as well. healthcare would be a great place for apple. there's no other industry i can imagine that needs more innovation, better end-user design and experience, better engineering and design than health care. there's also a ton of money in health care, a ripe and prime market for apple to enter. perhaps apple can make a more comfortable breathing device, more comfortable blood pressure monitor, a better designed hospital bed that can use minor gestures to contact nurses and doctors to easily communicate how you are feeling. right now hospitals still use buzzers. what about a touch screen detailing what you need from a nurse? how much would you pay to be more comfortable during your weakest most vulnerable moments? steve jobs had a lot of time thinking about the next new products during his 2 year fight with cancer. jobs knew cook wasn't a products guy per say so worked very hard with cook and ives to build a pipeline of new products for the next few years. jobs ideas aren't spent yet. he still has a few products up his sleeve that may transform yet another industry.


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Laila rice donates million rice servings to hungry
Monday May 12, 2014 at 10:03am
Basmati rice brand Laila Rice is launching its most ambitious charity project to date – to donate one million servings of rice to the hungry via UK foodbanks and NGOs in India and Africa. During the campaign, which launched at the start of this month, every promotional bag of Laila rice bought will build towards Laila's one million servings target. The Trussell Trust, which operates the largest network of foodbanks in the UK, will be one of Laila’s key distributing partners in the UK for the project, while the campaign is being backed by celebrity chefs including Ken Hom OBE, Cyrus Todiwala OBE and Anjum Anand, as well as London Food Board chair Rosie Boycott. Last month, the Trussell Trust revealed that the number of people in Britain forced to rely on emergency food tripled during the last year to reach almost one million – the fastest rise ever recorded. Half of all referrals to Trussell Trust food banks in 2013/2014 were the result of benefit delays or changes. The charity believes the figures are just the tip of the iceberg, with many people too ashamed to even ask for help and, instead, choosing to go hungry. Harry Dulai, managing director of Surya Foods, owners of the Laila brand, says: “This is our most ambitious CSR project to date and sees us move from a focus on international aid in Pakistan, the origin of Laila rice, to also recognising the growing number of UK families reaching crisis point here. A million servings is an incredible amount of rice. To put it into perspective, when cooked this much rice would weigh around 225 tonnes.” Laila’s first ‘Rice for Life’ campaign was launched in 2011 in association with The British Red Cross, with the first project providing seeds and fertiliser to those affected by the devastating Pakistan floods. The second campaign, also in association with the British Red Cross, was in October 2012 with the simple message ‘Buy one pack, save one life’, with each pack sold paying for simple but effective treatments like oral rehydration salts to prevent easily treatable diseases claiming children’s lives needlessly in Pakistan. In the latest campaign, for every promotional bag of Laila rice bought, Laila will donate servings of rice to reach its target of one million servings. One serving is the equivalent of 45g of dry rice and the number of servings donated depends on the size of bag purchased.


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Stearns Financial Services Group Has $991,000 Stake in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW)
Stearns Financial Services Group trimmed its position in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW) by 2.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,919 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 141 shares during the quarter. Stearns Financial Services Group’s holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $991,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. MCF Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 32.0% in the 1st quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 825 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $109,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. TrimTabs Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 88.3% in the 1st quarter. TrimTabs Asset Management LLC now owns 887 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $118,000 after purchasing an additional 416 shares in the last quarter. FNY Partners Fund LP acquired a new stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter valued at $132,000. Washington Trust Bank raised its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Washington Trust Bank now owns 977 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $140,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dubuque Bank & Trust Co. raised its holdings in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 56.0% in the 2nd quarter. Dubuque Bank & Trust Co. now owns 1,022 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $146,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.86% of the company’s stock.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: “Stearns Financial Services Group Has $991,000 Stake in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW)” was first published by The Cerbat Gem and is the property of of The Cerbat Gem. If you are accessing this story on another site, it was stolen and reposted in violation of US & international trademark and copyright law. The original version of this story can be read at https://www.thecerbatgem.com/2017/09/17/stearns-financial-services-group-has-991000-stake-in-illinois-tool-works-inc-itw.html.
Shares of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW) opened at 145.64 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $139.28 and its 200 day moving average is $139.12. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 52 week low of $111.50 and a 52 week high of $150.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.57 and a beta of 1.11.
Illinois Tool Works (NYSE:ITW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 24th. The industrial products company reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $3.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.61 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 15.50% and a return on equity of 46.57%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post $6.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 10th. Investors of record on Friday, September 29th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 28th. This is a boost from Illinois Tool Works’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.14%. Illinois Tool Works’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.07%.
A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ITW shares. Jefferies Group LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $170.00 price objective (up from $155.00) on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a report on Tuesday, July 25th. BMO Capital Markets restated a “buy” rating and issued a $160.00 price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works in a report on Thursday, July 20th. BidaskClub lowered shares of Illinois Tool Works from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, June 24th. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) upgraded shares of Illinois Tool Works from a “sell” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $131.00 to $155.00 in a report on Thursday, June 1st. Finally, Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Illinois Tool Works from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $163.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. The company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $150.64.
Illinois Tool Works Company Profile
Illinois Tool Works Inc is a manufacturer of industrial products and equipment. The Company operates through seven segments. The Automotive OEM segment produces components and fasteners for automotive-related applications. The Food Equipment segment offers commercial food equipment. The Test & Measurement and Electronics segment produces test and measurement, and electronic manufacturing and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) solutions.
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Microsoft is making a renewed bid for the burgeoning smartphone market, and is giving its Windows Mobile operating system a facelift.
According to press reports today, the new Windows Mobile 6.5 could be in phones as early as 6 October, in time for the Christmas shopping season.
The new system is said to have been updated to be more in line with Blackberry and iPhone interfaces.
Windows Mobile 6.5 will also feature a new version of Explorer and better touch-screen capabilities. In addition, My Phone will let users synchronise personal content on the Internet.


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South America: At IUCN World Conservation Congress, Amazon indigenous people sound the alarm on deforestation and call for support
During the IUCN World Conservation Congress, taking place in Marseille, France, Indigenous peoples of the Amazon urged heads of state and government to support a new target of protecting 80 percent of the Amazon basin by 2025 and called for stronger action to curb deforestation.
"We invite the global community to join us in the challenge to reverse the process of destruction of our land and safeguard the future of the planet," said José Gregorio Díaz Mirabal, Global Coordinator of COICA, an entity that represents the 505 indigenous peoples of the nine countries of the Amazon River Basin.
This is the first time that the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) participate as full members in the congress organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) is part of COICA.
For the first time in its seven-decade history, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is including indigenous peoples as full voting members in their own right, rather than under the NGO category.


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The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has inaugurated a nine-member board for the Ghana Trade Fair Company with a charge to protect the assets of the centre.
According to him, there have been complaints of abuses of public resources and public funds at the trade fair, which needs attention. He, therefore, urged the board to clean up all financial malfeasance at the centre.
The minister also revealed that some equipment bought before 2009 had vanished although the centre was paying for it. He stressed that “some equipment was bought from a Spanish company and we are asked to pay debt in association with that equipment, and we cannot even trace it.”
He, therefore, tasked the board, which comprises Ms Hannah Amoateng as the Chairperson and Nii Kpobi Tetteh Tsuru II (LA Manste), Mrs Benita Sena Okity-Duah, Mrs Rosalind Kudoadzi and Mrs Comfort Adjei as members, to protect the trade fair and its assets.
The other board members are Ms Annie Letsu-Tetteh, Mrs Habiba A. Tanko, Mr Joshua Akamba and Mr Ebenezer Okpoti Koney.
The minister also charged them to ensure the promotion of made-in-Ghana goods while special attention must be given to manufacturers.
He said he would soon commission a team, to be led by the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Nii Lamptey Vanderpuije, to visit a number of malls and shops in Ghana to assess the prominence being given to locally manufactured goods.
“I hear some of these shop owners have an attitude; they are not giving prominence to manufactured Ghanaian goods. Government takes a strong exception to that position and we would accordingly do a physical examination of it and ask for appropriate remedial measures as part of our quest to promote made-in-Ghana goods across the country,” he added.
He also charged the board to come up with a definite management for the trade fair, adding that “you must have a functional and effective management to supervise the day-to-day administration of the Ghana Trade Fair Company”.
Mr Iddrisu also asked them to ensure that all those who owed rent for using the trade fair premises paid back.
Ms Hannah Amoateng expressed the board’s gratitude to the President for the recognition given them and assured the minister that they would work diligently to transform the Trade Fair Centre into one that would attract a lot of investors.
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While watching a Live Shopping stream on the platform, users will be able to browse the list of products just below the video, and with one click, they will be directed to the store’s website to make a purchase. Users will also be able to continue to watch the livestream on the merchant’s website within an in-app browser, so they don’t miss a thing while making a purchase.
Twitter said it is conducting its first test of Live Shopping in collaboration with Walmart, where they will be kicking off Cyber Week with Jason Derulo for the first-ever shoppable livestream on the platform. Starting at 7pm ET on Sunday, November 28, people can watch and shop from @Walmart (on iOS and desktop), where Jason will host a 30-minute variety show highlighting electronics, home goods, apparel, seasonal décor, surprise special guests and much more.
Twitter also announced that it will be launching Shop Module to more brands in the U.S. in the upcoming weeks. The company will also start testing Twitter Shopping Manager, a new way to house merchant onboarding and product catalog management tools.
Launching shopping features for live streams is very popular these days among major social media platforms that support broadcasting. In early November, Pinterest announced Pinterest TV, a series of live, original, and shoppable episodes featuring creators in categories like food, beauty, home, and DIY.
TikTok introduced ‘Shopping LIVE‘ feature in September, which allows brands on TikTok to connect with users in the community in real time and share dynamic links to products while they are streaming.
Instagram also supports live shopping for businesses and creators to tag products when they go live on Instagram.


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Contextual email marketing company Movable Ink released Real-Time Pricing on Thursday, a new marketing feature that ensures consistency between pricing and inventory in email marketing messages.
Based in New York City, Movable Ink is a dynamic email marketing service that helps its customers create engaging and interactive email campaigns. Marketers and designers can insert Movable Ink content modules into their email templates that then populate the moment the email is opened by the subscriber, making the messages and data more timely and relevant.
Interactive email campaigns increase customer engagement when compared to traditional email messages, according to a recent study by Experian Marketing Services. Interactive emails, on average, experienced a 18.3% surge in unique clicks and a 10% increase in click-to-open rates in Experian’s Q4 2016 Email Benchmark Report.
Movable Ink’s interactive capabilities range from countdown clocks to interactive maps with traffic and weather information, but now the company has extended its platform to integrate real-time pricing and inventory into messages.
Previously, pricing and inventory in email marketing messages took some guesswork and large-scale organization. Incorrect pricing, or promoting a product that is no longer in stock, could easily irritate customers and lead to increases in unsubscribes.
Now, marketers can provide the most up-to-date inventory and pricing information at the moment the customer opens or reopens an email. Movable Ink can pull real-time pricing and inventory information into email campaigns via an API or JSON feed.
Movable Ink views this announcement as particularly helpful for retail, travel and event-based industries, as the company can pull in prices and availability for flights, hotel rooms, retail products and event tickets. Additional product features include real-time TripAdvisor ratings, flight status information, and geo-targeted events based on a customer’s ZIP code.
The Real-Time Pricing Solution is ESP-agnostic and can be integrated into the majority of marketing and email stacks.