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Key EpiPen competitor due in 2017 at 'very, very low' cost
Allergy sufferers will have at least one more option to treat life-threatening.allergic reactions in the first half of 2017, but it's unclear how the price of the medicine will compare to the EpiPen or its upcoming generic version.
Kaleo, which makes the Auvi-Q, will reintroduce the epinephrine auto-injector at a "very, very low" cost to patients, said Kaleo CEO Spencer Williamson. Mylan Specialty, the maker of EpiPen, came under fire from members of Congress and parents beginning in August for its large price increases.
It's been a long road to EpiPen competition.
Drugmaker Sanofi, which previously licensed the Auvi-Q from Kaleo, voluntarily recalled all of the injectors late last year amid concerns about incorrect dosing. Sanofi later sold the rights back to Kaleo, which says it fixed the problem and invested in new technology and quality systems to boost reliability.
In March, the Food and Drug Administration rejected an application by Teva Pharmaceuticals to produce a generic version of the EpiPen, citing "certain major deficiencies."
Impax Labs has a generic version of the EpiPen that can be substituted for EpiPens in 21 states. Last month, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch told a House panel that the company would introduce its own generic of its brand-name product.
Data out Tuesday showed EpiPen prescriptions increased despite the price hikes in the past few years, Athenahealth reported.
"Mylan is getting a return on their marketing investments," said Josh Gray, Athenahealth's vice president of research.
But the share of prescriptions for alternatives to EpiPens were also up last month, Athenahealth reported.
Epinephrine auto-injectors are used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, which can have symptoms including shortness of breath, rashes and nausea.
Kaleo is meeting with drug wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and insurers in hopes of getting the price paid by consumers for the Auvi-Q as low as possible, Williamson said.
The move toward high-deductible insurance plans led many parents to struggle more with Mylan's price increases over the past two years. When insurers and employers cover more of the costs of high-priced drugs through low deductibles and co-payments, premiums go up for everyone, drug pricing experts say.
Williamson downplayed those concerns in an interview Tuesday.
"What we believe is more important is the price to the patient," said Williamson.
James Baker, an allergy doctor who is CEO of the patient group Food Allergy Research & Education, said that while the Auvi-Q was originally introduced at a higher price than the EpiPen, its smaller size made it especially popular with young people. Teen boys in particular wearied of carrying around the recommended two full-size auto-injectors around at all times, he says.
Eric Edwards, a physician who invented the Auvi-Q with his twin brother, Evan, knows that from personal experience. Both brothers had multiple food allergies from an early age, and Eric is now a parent of children with severe allergies.
Eric acknowledged that Kaleo has a big challenge ahead catching up with Mylan when it comes to product awareness.
When it comes to schools, "it's critical they know another option is out there and coming," says Edwards. "For us, it's really important having a level playing field."
Kaleo says its "industry-first features" include a voice-prompt system that gives users step-by-step instructions and a needle that automatically retracts to prevent injuries.
While Baker says such innovation is important, price and availability remain challenges.
"We're very pleased our patients will have more choices for epinephrine auto-injectors, but access remains a major issue," says Baker. "It will be interesting to see whether most health plans offer a choice."
Kaleo will provide updates on Auvi-Q's return to the market to consumers who register online at www.auvi-q.com.


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On the opposite side of recent statements by NBC Universal chairman Robert Wright denouncing software and media piracy, protesters against DRM (digital rights management) took to the streets last week in an effort to protect fair-use rights for consumers in the digital era.
Designated a “Day Against DRM,” the theme of the global protest was that corporate-imposed DRM is robbing consumers of their rights under current laws. Groups handed out leaflets in American and European cities, including Boston; Zurich, Switzerland; Paris; and London. A similar awareness campaign was launched on the Internet.
DRM is a device used to restrict the copying of music, movies and other digital media, which is purchased legally by consumers. The protesters referred to it as “Digital Restrictions Management.”
Defective By Design, a group associated with the Free Software Foundation, organized the protests. In addition to violating consumer rights, the group said DRM was also a threat to the open-source software movement, and could be used to control and track consumer viewing habits of the new HD-DVD formats.
One prominent target of the protests was Apple Computer’s iTunes, a music download service that sells copy-protected songs that play only on Apple’s iPod music players.
According to the executive director of the Free Software Foundation Peter Brown, the protests are not focused primarily on Apple, but focused more on the company because it popularizes that DRM is acceptable. The protesters argued against any use of DRM by the entertainment industry.
Supporting the concerns of the protesters, the British Library said last week that it found that of 30 licensing agreements recently offered to the library for use of digital material, 28 were more restrictive than the rights existing under current copyright law. The concern is that, if unchecked, this trend will drastically reduce public access, thus significantly undermining the strength and vitality of our creative and educational sectors, Chief Executive Lynne Brindley said in a statement.
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Did you get an email from Equifax recently? Look closely before you delete it — it might not be a scam, but a very real offer for four years of free credit monitoring.
It's been a long time since the credit bureau announced in September 2017 that a massive data breach had compromised the personal data of roughly 147 million people. It was huge news at the time, and we don't blame if you if you've forgotten ... four years, five months, and one very long pandemic later.
Soon, Equifax was the target of a massive class-action lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and all 50 U.S. states. The resulting settlement has just been finalized, and includes four years of credit monitoring for anyone whose data was compromised by the breach.
If you received an email with the subject line "Equifax Data Breach Settlement (Credit Monitoring Instructions and Activation Code)," it includes instructions on how to enroll in Experian IdentityWorks, which provides daily credit monitoring, account alerts, on-demand access to your credit report, identity theft insurance, and more. Included is an activation code you'll need to enter. The deadline to use your code is June 27, 2022.
You can still visit the settlement website to determine whether you were part of the breach. The initial deadline for filing a claim was Jan. 22, 2020, but expenses related to the breach incurred from Jan. 23, 2020, through Jan. 22, 2024, are still eligible for claims.


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Taiwanese firms seeking to steer clear of US-China trade war turn to PH
Some Taiwan-based manufacturing firms that supply parts to popular tech companies like Apple are interested in setting up shop in the Philippines, as they look for ways to avoid the US-China trade war.
Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said this earlier this month, telling reporters that some companies were already “firm” in their plans to manufacture here in the Philippines.
Interestingly, a bilateral investment agreement, which raised serious concerns from China, had helped the country’s case in getting these Taiwan-based firms to consider the Philippines.
These firms include computer giant Wistron Infocomm Corp., which will make a comeback nearly a decade since it left the country, a return brought about by the expensive US-China trade war.
Taiwan-based Catcher Technology, which also has operations in various parts of China, is likewise interested to set up shop in the Philippines.
Rodolfo said it was looking for a 60-hectare area for its facility.
Further details, such as investment costs, were not disclosed, however.
Nevertheless, the investment agreement signed by the Department of Trade and Industry with Taiwan last year played a part, even though China believes that Taiwan should have no official foreign ties.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said China was “extremely concerned” over the matter since the documents signed were “obviously official in character,” according to a Reuters report.
“We enhanced [our relations] to a bilateral [investment] agreement, which was signed last year. So they saw this, and we also have protection for intellectual property rights,” Rodolfo said.
“They see that it’s good here in the Philippines, so Wistron
—that’s one [example]—is going [back] to Subic,” he explained.
This is how we benefit from the trade war, he then added. —ROY STEPHEN C. CANIVEL
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.


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High-end fashion and sports clothing manufacturers are growing interested in recycled and opportunity fabrics made from unusual materials like mushrooms, oranges, and proteins stimulated with spider-net DNA — but not just out of the problem for the surroundings. They are spotting that these cool substances of the next day might be something people need to buy nowadays.
Over the following 12 months, manufacturers are anticipated to announce partnerships with businesses that have figured out approaches to make leather without cows, silk without worms, fur without animals, and fabrics from recycled waste. This year, Salvatore Ferragamo has been selling scarves made of orange fibers, while Stella McCartney produced two outfits made with spider-stimulated silk.
Ms. McCartney, a vegan designer who became a notable lone fashion voice within sustainable fabrics until recent years, supplied a golden dress made of laboratory-made silk for the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition “Item: Is Fashion Modern?” She additionally offered a chocolate-brown bodysuit and trousers behind the scenes at her spring 2018 display last month at some stage in Paris Fashion Week.
“They have now not absolutely perfected it, but it is a silk; it’s far actually a silk; however, it is a barely one-of-a-kind texture than the silk we generally use,” said Claire Bergkamp, head of sustainability and moral trade on the Stella McCartney logo, adding that it had not completed testing the fiber for all of its viable applications. She said the logo signed a protracted-time period partnership agreement with Bolt Threads. This California business enterprise that developed the Microsilk material is predicted to begin promoting garb made with it in the next year or two.
As with any new generation at an early level of development, preliminary production of such fabrics is still restricted, and the finished products are luxurious. Bolt, for instance, added a lottery in March to promote its first spider-stimulated silk neckties at $314 every.
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Continue reading the primary story. And that is before the work of personal and public clinical research institutions is considered.
For instance, silk produced in a laboratory would no longer exist without the breakthroughs of the past 30 years that have enabled scientists to find ideal methods to edit and mirror the DNA of residing organisms.
After analyzing spiders’ DNA and webs, Bolt Threads’ engineers advanced comparable proteins injected into yeast and sugar and then subjected to a proprietary fermentation procedure. The resulting liquid silk becomes a fiber through a moist-spinning process that creates strands that can be knitted into a material.
Rivals, which use similar generation but extraordinary manufacturing strategies, have not yet produced marketable products. The Japanese organization Spiber has a settlement with The North Face, the American activewear enterprise (in 2016, they advanced a Moon Parka prototype). And AMSilk, a German corporation, has partnered with Adidas on products that they may no longer discover but say are expected to go on sale next year.
Adidas is generating shoes made with plastics recovered from seashores and oceanfront communities. It is part of a product line developed by partnering with the activist anti-plastic group Parley for the Oceans. (Ms. McCartney, an Adidas collaborator, furnished a number of the designs.)
Recycled fruit waste is another promising substance for the creation of alternative fabric. The Italian company Orange Fiber furnished Ferragamo’s tablet headscarf series material. Ananas Anam, primarily based at the Royal College of Art in London, makes use of pineapple leaf fibers to create a nonwoven leatherlike cloth called Piñatex, and brands like Edun, the sustainable style label owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, are growing objects from it.
And mycelium, the rootlike fiber of mushrooms, is being processed as a leather alternative via MycoWorks, a San Francisco start-up. But some professionals say the fabric, which looks like suede, needs to be examined for durability.
In addition to bio-fabricated materials, the Stella McCartney logo and its founding accomplice, the luxurious organization Kering, are investing in ways to recycle style objects and use fewer sources, which includes water. Ms. McCartney’s Falabella Go bags are fabricated from recycled polyester and Econyl, a nylon produced from recycled fishing nets, carpets, and other such waste, using the Italian company Aquafil.
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In recent years, several project capital companies have supported the improvement of opportunity fabric, particularly when biofuels, including corn and algae, did not stay up to their initial promise.
One of the brand new and most high-profile investors is the Russian entrepreneur Miroslava Duma, founder of the style and lifestyle internet site Buro 24/7.
In May, Ms. Duma introduced Fashion Tech Lab, a venture that budgets and develops new technology in sustainable fashion and wearable technologies. It has $50 million in funding and the advisory services of Carmen Busquets, the e-commerce investor, and Diane von Furstenberg. Orange Fiber and Vitro Labs, an employer developing lab-grown variations of fur and leather from stem cells, had been a few of the organization’s preliminary beneficiaries.
Suzanne Lee, who has almost 20 years of enjoyment in fashion generation, said, “It seems like there has now not been as much innovation in terms of the latest substances as within the past five years, with sustainability being the primary motive force.” She is now chief creative officer at Modern Meadow, a New Jersey-based company specializing in laboratory-grown bio-fabricated leather substances.
Ms. Lee stated that just as shortages after World War II drove the development of fossil fuel-primarily based materials like Lycra and polyester, the prospect of limits on natural fibers and leather is pushing the style industry to find alternatives.
Modern Meadow has developed a yeast that, while mixed with sugar, produces collagen that is then purified, processed, and tanned to create cloth that, with a glance, feels like leather-based.
The enterprise said that it turned into making plans to unveil its first business product the subsequent year and that it had partnered with one principal luxury player, which it declined to expose now.
But, reflecting its luxury aims, the organization has retained the advisory services of 3 style veterans: Mimma Viglezio, previously the executive vice president of global communications at Gucci Group; François Kress, who left the leader govt role at Carolina Herrera in January; and Anna Bakst, previously group president of shoes and add-ons at Michael Kors.
Similarly, a few of fashion’s historical homes are pioneering inside the field.
Chanel, known for placing a healthful dose of strain on suppliers to create new yarns and fabrics each season, has been working with paper yarns and is learning to use 3-D printing for prepared-to-put-on garb.


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Even if it doesn’t seem like it, more than a year has passed since the launch of the McLaren 720S. The model corresponding to the brand’s Super Series range has aged properly for its sweeping aesthetics and also for other more recent derivatives such as the McLaren 765LT. However, the time to end production and those of Woking have confirmed that they have a successor on the plains. It hasn’t been unveiled, but it’s already accepting orders and you’ll even have to wait to get it.
The McLaren 720S was the first model to release the Monocage II, a carbon fiber monocoque that has given the brand a lot of joy in recent years. It also positioned itself as an absolute reference for its performance, since it also mounted a new engine, the M480T. It is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 which replaced the previous one of 3.8 liters and which develops 720 HP and 770 Nm of torque. A successor is now ready that no information has been given, but which seems to be working well anyway.
Nicolas Brown, McLaren’s head of the Americas, confirmed that orders were already being placed for the 720S replacement. when they closed orders of the current model, buyers were given this option, many accepting without knowing the product thoroughly. In any case, Brown said that “it is a refinement of the current model, it is not a completely new vehicle”. Such is its success that the successor to the 720S is already here sold out well into 2024so potential buyers who wait for its launch will also have to wait for its delivery.
It is not yet clear whether McLaren will opt for a conventional combustion engine like that of the current 720S or if you will introduce electrification. We have the example of the McLaren Artura, which is a plug-in hybrid based on the 3.0-liter V6 biturbo engine, but if they said it will be a facelift, it is unlikely to use this powertrain. In any case, we can expect a power greater than 750 CV and some improved benefits which leave behind the 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and the maximum of 341 km/h of the current one.
Source: Automotive News


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We have a huge assortment of items just waiting for your bid.
We will be closed on Saturday March 30/24 and will reopen on Tuesday April 2/24.
Welcome to spring Castlegar! Our volunteers will be busy next week giving the shop a new spring look!
We are clearing out all winter clothing for $1 per item at the Treasure Shop during the week of March 5 – 9.
Our St. Patric’s Day auction runs until March 23/24. Come down and check out our many unique items.
The Treasure Shop will be closed this Saturday to give our hardworking volunteers a chance to celebrate Family Day.
All men’s and ladies sweaters, shirts and blouses are on sale 50% off until the end of January.
Our Silent Auction Committee was busy putting together a collection that has something for everyone – from fur coats to remote control cars.
The Treasure Shop’s last shopping day is Tuesday December 19th, 2023. We will re-open on Thursday January 4, 2024.
President of the Auxiliary, Rosalie Ingham, and other members of the donation committee were present to present cheques.


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The tea, which is legal due to the low volumes of the psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, is causing quite a stir in Fort William with customers – particularly some older women, popping in for a cup of the calming drink.
Darts legend Bobby George has called for “lifesaving” cannabis to be legalised, saying the drug is a “proper bit of kit”.
Police have branded plans which could see a cannabis club open in County Durham unhelpful in the fight against crime.
A mini cannabis farm was found in a resident’s home when he made a “bizarre” call to police about an alleged assault.
James Eames, 34, of Westhill Drive, Mansfield, claimed there would be “blood and bodies” in the house where he lived on the ground floor.
The headteacher of an infant school has sent a warning to all parents reminding them that cannabis is illegal in the UK, and children should not arrive with their clothes or bags smalling of the drug.
On Tuesday, MedMen Enterprises Inc., which sells legal cannabis in California and 11 other states, backed out of a blockbuster deal to buy PharmaCann, a Chicago-based marijuana company with operations in eight states.
Imagine waking up in a colorful and beautifully appointed, mid-century modern themed room, then reaching for your vape pen on the bedside; or enjoying your Volcano on the coffee table like you were at home.
I can also remember how uplifted I felt, opening that bathroom door and feeling the cool morning air on my face. The world was crisp and new, I could see every leaf on every tree, and my third eye was fully open. It felt right. I didn’t know it at the time, but cannabis would become my remedy for what ails me for life.
CBD or cannabidiol, a chemical compound of cannabis, is creating a wave of herbal revolution in the medical world. It has a promising ability to cure a wide array of diseases, both physical and psychological. The happy news is, some of the U.S states have legalized both recreational and medical cannabis, allowing the possibility for citizens to make the most out of the herb.
Tired of politicians dodging the debate on the legalization and normalization of cannabis in all its forms – from recreational and medical to the embrace of hemp as an alternative to manmade materials that harm the planet? Then perhaps it’s time for a Citizens’ Assembly…


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- News tagged "hybrid"
Wednesday, 8 Apr 2015
ASUS has just confirmed that the Transformer Book T100 Chi will be available in Singapore from mid-April. More details, including specifications and pricing information, inside.
Friday, 6 Mar 2015
After a long wait, ASUS has finally launched the Transformer Book Chi T300. Measuring just 16.5mm thick, it is dubbed as the world's thinnest 2-in-1 convertible device.
Wednesday, 24 Sep 2014
HP has just announced its brand new Envy Beats all-in-one desktop system, with quad speakers and woofers, as well as a new Pavilion x2 detachable PC.
Monday, 30 Jun 2014
The Panasonic 3E is a semi-rugged tablet/notebook that is resistant to dust, drops and spills. It comes with several accessories for the classroom, and runs on Windows 8.1 Pro for Education.
Tuesday, 6 Aug 2013
Is your Microsoft Surface RT tablet facing severe battery drain during connected standby mode after you installed Windows RT 8.1 Preview on it? Here's an unconventional (but simple) fix you can try.
Monday, 5 Aug 2013
Microsoft has dropped the price of its Surface Pro tablet by US$100 in the U.S., Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan till August 29. Would we see a price cut here too?
Thursday, 25 Jul 2013
Intel recently announced that its new range of Y-Series fourth generation (Haswell) processors will be shipping to manufacturers later in the year. These low powered chips are said to have a 4.5W scenario design power (SDP), and will power devices such as tablets and hybrid PCs.
Monday, 3 Jun 2013
Toshiba will be launching the Portege Z10t, a hybrid Ultrabook that's geared towards the enterprise environment due to its robust set of security features. It has a display that, when detached from the bundled keyboard dock, becomes a powerful Windows 8 Pro tablet.
Thursday, 28 Mar 2013
Lenovo has recently announced on Twitter, that its business hybrid Ultrabook, the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix, is expected to reach US retailers in April. However, Lenovo didn't release any additional information regarding the unit's availability in other parts of the world.
Tuesday, 15 Jan 2013
The 3G variant of the ASUS Vivotab RT is now available in Singapore for $1049. The Vivotab RT is a 10-inch hybrid PC that has an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, and runs Microsoft's new Windows RT.


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A new report says Unity is cutting around 1,800 jobs, or about 25 percent of the its employees, according to a regulatory filing and internal company memo obtained by Reuters on Monday.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Actors Share Their Most-Flubbed Lines
This is reportedly the largest round of layoffs in the software company’s history—far larger than what happened in November of last year—and it will be completed by the end of March. Unity has gone through three prior rounds of layoffs within the last 12 months.
“We are … reducing the number of things we are doing in order to focus on our core business and drive our long-term success and profitability,” interim CEO Jim Whitehurst wrote in an internal memo obtained by Reuters. The memo was sent to all Unity employees on January 8.
Kotaku has contacted Unity Software for comment.
Unity Software’s main product is the Unity engine, a flexible and popular game engine that powers numerous big and small games—including Hearthstone and Pokemon GO. The company was at the center of a massive controversy last September when it announced changes to how it would charge developers and publishers to use its tech. Devs would potentially be on the hook to pay for every install, which could be costly for free-to-play mobile hits or popular games on platforms like Steam. Following the failed rollout of these changes, a huge backlash from developers quickly followed. It grew so loud that eventually the company apologized and walked back most of its new plans.
In October, shortly after this all happened, Unity’s then-CEO John Ricetello resigned. That’s when the current interim CEO, Whitehurst, took over the company. In November, during the last round of layoffs, the new CEO claimed the company needed a “reset.”
These latest layoffs continue a horrible trend in the video game industry that saw an estimated 6,000 jobs lost during 2023. And it seems things aren’t going to get better in 2024.


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Pokemon Unite has updated to bring players a month full of holiday festivities, and it includes the upcoming launch of Dragonite for the roster. Throughout this December and into January, there will be new limited time events available, a new quick battle map to explore, and plenty of festive rewards to collect as we head into 2022. If you’ve been playing, you’ll want to check out what’s in store for the coming month.
TiMi Studio Group revealed the holiday festivities update for Pokemon Unite on the game’s Twitter on December 8, 2021. Throughout this month, there are a number of limited time events, maps, and rewards available to play and claim. Part of this was a reveal that Dragonite is coming to Pokemon Unite roster on December 20, 2021. Meanwhile, Snowball Battle in Shivre City is a 4-on-4 quick battle in which defeated players turn into snowmen, unable to act past cheering on teammates. Once enough time has passed, they can break free from the snow and get back to the fight. Delibird is also on the map offering random battle item replacements if defeated and Articuno acts as the pivotal boss of this fight.
There are also events like the Illumination Challenge from December 16 to January 15 and the Photo Challenge from December 24 to January 6. The Illumination Challenge puts a holiday tree in your lobby with daily missions in which you can earn decorations for it. You can also earn a Trainer snapshot frame and background, a 1-day limited Pokemon License, Trainer fashion items, and more. The Photo Challenge presents players with a picture hidden by frost. By earning snowflakes in regular battles, players can reveal the image and get further goodies. Finally, there will be log-in rewards throughout the end of the month, including a prize box December 25 to December 28 from which players can choose Aeos coins, Holowear tickets, Aeos tickets, or Item Enhancers.
Tsareena is also set to launch this week and can be temporarily claimed if players log in on the day this new All-Rounder Pokemon joins the roster. With so many holiday festivities set to go on throughout the month and Dragonite now confirmed for the game, be sure to check back for further updates on Pokemon Unite as they becomes available.


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Finery, a start up created by Whitney Casey and Brooklyn Decker, is the first automated online wardrobe platform. The company is utilizing technology in order to change the fashion industry. With this new technology, the app pulls shopping history and purchase patterns to recommend items of clothing and create outfits from clothes that the user already owns. It’s basically operating as a virtual stylist without any human interaction. Finery also alerts users when returns/exchanges deadlines are and when price adjustments on “wishlist items” are made.
These two founders did exactly what entrepreneurs often do. They created a product for a market that consumers didn’t even know they wanted. It’s a simple concept, but a necessity for avid shoppers. It’s the ultimate app for the modern fashionista — and the first of its kind.
Whitney Casey, the former CNN anchor didn’t want just another “Clueless” closet, like the previous low-tech sites that required you to enter the data manually for each piece of clothing you own. Instead, Finery does all the work for you.


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Inflation in Colombia in June 2017
The annual consumer inflation in Colombia (GXG) has been on a declining trend over the last year as of June 2017. Consumer prices increased at a slower pace of ~4.0% year-over-year in June of 2017 compared to a 4.4% rise in April. Most of the components of inflation rose at a slower pace, resulting in a gradual rise in inflation in June 2017.
You can see the inflationary trend in Colombia over the last year in the graph below.
Inflation in June 2017
Inflation in June 2017 stood below market expectations of 4.0%. The inflation level in June was the lowest since January 2015 due to reduced costs for components such as food, housing, clothing, health, education, recreation, transportation, and communications.
Monetary policy in Colombia
The reduction in food prices over the past year resulted in an overall slowdown in consumer prices as of June 2017. Declining inflation over the last year has led to an easing monetary policy to support economic activity. The Central Bank of Columbia has lowered its inflationary expectation for 2017, mainly due to the lower variation in consumer prices along with an easing monetary policy.
The Central Bank of Colombia expects additional reductions in the interest rate in 2017. A lower interest rate is expected to help inflation meet its target rate of 3.0% and boost slower economic activity in 2017.
The recent slump in oil (USO) prices has affected the market performance of this commodity-dependent (DBC) economy in June 2017. The Global X MSCI Colombia ETF (GXG), which tracks Colombian equities, fell about 4.0% in June 2017. So far in 2017, GXG has risen about 6.0% as of July 12, 2017.
Let’s look next at Argentina.


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On Sunday, South Korean cosmetics powerhouse Cosmax announced the commencement of operations at its joint venture with Yatsen Holdings, located in Guangzhou, China. The factory, which is the largest of its kind in Asia, covers an area of 60,593 square feet and is expected to produce 4 billion units of cosmetics annually.
Yatsen, a New York-listed Chinese company, was founded in 2016 and is the owner of several beauty brands, including Perfect Diary, Little Ondine, and Abby’s Choice. The company achieved a major milestone in 2020 when it became the first Chinese cosmetics company to be listed on the Nasdaq composite. Yatsen has since gone on to acquire Little Ondine, Galenic, and Eve Lom.
Cosmax has been a key partner in the success of Perfect Diary, which was launched in 2017. The South Korean manufacturer is now looking to expand its business in China by partnering with emerging beauty brands that plan to manufacture cosmetics in the country.
The accompanying photo shows the Cosmax-Yatsen factory in Guangzhou, China. (Yonhap)


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Nordson YESTECH, a division of Nordson Corporation (NASDAQ: NDSN), is pleased to announce that it has received a 2015 Circuits Assembly Service Excellence Award (SEA) from Circuits Assembly in the Test and Inspection Equipment category. The company received the Service Excellence Award for its outstanding customer ratings.
Mike Buetow, Circuits Assembly’s Editor-in-Chief, presented the award to Don Miller, Nordson YESTECH's President, during a Tuesday, February 24, 2015 ceremony that took place at the San Diego Convention Center during the IPC APEX EXPO. Mr. Miller commented about the award, “We are truly honored to again be recognized by our customers and Circuits Assembly Magazine. This award is especially significant to our organization. Providing our customers with exceptional service and support, as well as the latest inspection technologies, has always been our primary focus at Nordson YESTECH. We are so pleased that these efforts have been acknowledged again.”
Sponsored by Circuits Assembly, the Service Excellence Awards (SEAs) for Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) providers and electronics assembly suppliers honor companies excelling in the crucial area of customer service. The program, now in its 23rd year, functions as a way for participants to see how they compare to peers in customer satisfaction.
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, Nordson YESTECH is a leading provider of automated optical systems with integrated yield enhancement solutions for the printed circuit board assembly and advanced semiconductor-packaging industries, Nordson YESTECH is operated and managed by a team of industry experts with a history of success, bringing powerful and cost-effective inspection to the electronics market. The company has sales offices and customer support centers in North America, Asia and Europe. For more information on Nordson YESTECH and its products, visit www.nordsonyestech.com.
Nordson Corporation engineers, manufactures and markets differentiated products and systems used for the precision dispensing and processing of adhesives, coatings, polymers and plastics, sealants, biomaterials and other materials and for fluid management, test and inspection, UV curing and plasma surface treatment, all supported by application expertise and direct global sales and service. Nordson serves a wide variety of consumer non-durable, durable and technology end markets including packaging, nonwovens, electronics, medical, appliances, energy, transportation, construction, and general product assembly and finishing. Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Westlake, Ohio, the company has operations and support offices in more than 30 countries. Visit Nordson on the web at www.nordson.com, www.twitter.com/Nordson_Corp or www.facebook.com/nordson.


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Digital News Asia
Growth stage accelerator, ScaleUp Malaysia has announced the selection of the Top 20 Companies for its Cohort 3, launched in August 2021. The team evaluated over 200 applications not just from Malaysia but from as far as the United States and Egypt while startups from Indonesia, Singapore and Japan also applied.
For Singapore-based regional firm Quest Ventures – which counts two sovereign wealth funds as investors, this will be the second year of its partnership with ScaleUp Malaysia. It has already invested in 10 Malaysia companies and will further invest in Cohort 3, demonstrating its commitment and belief in the Malaysian market. Quest Ventures has selected 15 Companies to be a part of their track.
Jeffrey Seah, Partner of Quest Ventures said that “Malaysian founders are plucky, and have never been short of financial investment options. Their perennial challenge remains to find financial investors with established go-to-market networks outside of Malaysia. Those business introductions will provide product validation and pricing models that will unlock the potential of the Scaleup companies, and guide the companies in the following stages of venture funding. Our experience with Malaysian founders and companies has been rewarding – they have unappreciated potential that can be unleashed to the Southeast Asia region with the right support.”
The companies selected for the Quest Ventures track are: Jazro Tech, MADCash, Traitily, GuruInovatif, SpareXHub, Nanka, Vireserve, Open Academy, Hav., PantangPlus, J8 Autism, Graze Market, WeGo, Wa Sushi and Biztech.Asia.


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The Christmas Festival of Food & Drink take place again for the second consecutive and Beverley Minster.
Last year the event proved so popular that it is back with organisers promising that it will be bigger and better than before.
Taking place on the 30th November 2013 Christmas Festival of Food & Drink will feature over 40 stalls selling the very best of locally sourced produce.
Entertainment will be provided too on the day with live music from Henry Priestman and his band, Nick Rooke and his band, and medieval-style musicians the York Waits.
The event will be officially opened by the Mayor of Beverley, Martin Cox at 10 and runs through the day until 3.30pm.


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Is inflation coming for the $1.50 hot dog? Costco prices may rise in 2023
The quick answer? Yes they could, depending on inflation.
While it doesn’t influence our opinions of products, we may receive compensation from partners whose offers appear here. We’re on your side, always. See our full advertiser disclosure.
There's a reason so many consumers routinely shop at Costco despite the cost of a membership. Costco offers an array of bulk grocery items and household products at prices that are often competitive.
But this year, consumers may have noticed that the price of some Costco products went up. We can thank inflation for that. And if you're wondering whether Costco items will have an even higher price tag in 2023, the answer really boils down to the way inflation trends.
Consumer goods could cost more – or prices could come down
Whether it will cost more to shop at Costco and other retailers in 2023 will really hinge on whether inflation levels cool off. If the general cost of goods remains high, then retailers like Costco will spend more to procure the items they sell. As a result, they'll likely pass those added costs onto consumers in the form of higher prices.
But inflation levels could fall in 2023. And if that happens, thereby making it cheaper for retailers to procure products, then you may find that you end up with a lower credit card tab as a result.
BUDGETING:Federal student loan borrowers need to plan ahead if payments restart in January
Meanwhile, there's reason to believe that inflation will cool off in 2023. The Federal Reserve has been aggressively implementing interest rate hikes to encourage a pullback in consumer spending. That needs to happen to bridge the gap between supply and demand that caused inflation to soar last year.
As the Fed puts rate hikes into place, borrowing will continue to get more expensive for consumers. And so they're likely to cut back on spending to a meaningful enough degree to allow inflation levels to settle.
How to make the most of your Costco shopping in 2023
Whether Costco prices will be cheaper or more expensive next year is yet to be determined. But either way, there are steps you can take to keep your personal shopping bills to a minimum.
For one thing, pay attention to the promotions Costco runs. It usually releases a deal book on a monthly basis (both in the mail and online) where you can see which products are temporarily discounted. If you see there's an item you buy frequently on sale, load up, provided you don't have to worry about it expiring before you can use it.
It also helps to make shopping lists when heading to Costco -- and stick to them. Wading through those giant warehouse club stores can be an overwhelming prospect. But if you have a shopping list to follow, you may be more grounded and less likely to fall victim to impulse buys.
Even if Costco prices do increase in 2023, chances are, you'll spend less on essentials there compared to other retailers. Furthermore, while Costco may opt to raise the cost of its yearly memberships at some point in 2023, the warehouse club giant has no immediate plans to impose an increase. So that's one bill you can assume will hold steady at least in the near term.
SLOWDOWN:Amazon and Apple see slowdown ahead even as consumers are still spending. Here's why.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.
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Over a year and a half ago, Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation multilateral deal with many countries in China’s neighborhood that was specifically designed, in part, to provide an alternative market to China. The Trump administration promised an energetic bilateral approach to dealmaking instead, but for months and months, no news about bilateral trade deals being made across the Pacific emerged.
Now, quite belatedly, the bilateral outreach to at least one former TPP country, and potentially other Pacific countries, may be finally beginning. The New York Times says (porous paywall) that after “The White House gave formal notification to Congress this week that it would begin trade talks with Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom,” it also “has its sights on free trade agreements with the Philippines and Vietnam, as part of its effort to fence in China with agreements in its backyard.”
The Philippines was “excluded from the Obama-era Trans-Pacific Partnership because its high tariffs and other trade barriers,” but Vietnam was party to the trade talks.
In other trade news, “China, the European Union, Russia and Norway joined ‘several other’ countries in asking the World Trade Organization to investigate the Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on metal imports,” Bloomberg reports (porous paywall). The reporter at Bloomberg who filed this story, Bryce Baschuk, explains its significance in a Twitter thread — a few excerpts:
This will be a watershed moment for the WTO dispute system
If the @WTO dispute settlement body determines that @realDonaldTrump’s national security tariffs aren’t permitted under the GATT’s Article 21 national security exemption it could force Trump to roll back a key tool in his “America First” trade arsenal.
Conversely, if the @wto agrees with the U.S. argument that the measures are exempt from WTO rules, it could encourage @realDonaldTrump to impose national security tariffs on cars & spur a proliferation of other trade restrictions authorized under the guise of national security.
More trade war news:
- Toll on Chinese economy
Trade War to Hammer China’s Machinery, Electronics Exports, Report Says / Caixin (paywall)
“Now that Washington has imposed additional tariffs on a total of $250 billion in Chinese products — accounting for roughly half of China’s annual exports to the U.S. — machinery and electronics companies are beginning to feel the pressure. The additional U.S. tariffs cover two-thirds of China’s exports of mechanical and electronic goods to the United States, according to a report released by the China Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products. Based on last year’s trade volumes, this means that 10% of China’s total exports of machinery and electronics will be hit by the additional U.S. taxes, the report found.”
- Business deals go on as usual
Exxon Mobil bets big on China LNG, sidesteps trade war / Reuters
Tesla buys land in Shanghai for first overseas gigafactory / Reuters
Why China shouldn’t wait out trade feud with US / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
Beijing must win the hearts of US businesspeople amid trade war, China policy adviser says / SCMP
- Currency concerns
China stocks, Yuan test government’s ability to maintain market calm / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
Chinese exporters: weaker yuan won’t make up for trade war impact / SCMP
China’s weak currency is helping it in the trade war — but Beijing doesn’t want it to fall further / Washington Post
Yesterday we noted a breaking news report from CNBC that the U.S. Treasury Department decided not to label China a “currency manipulator” in its regular report on foreign exchange policies. The Wall Street Journal today explains (paywall) why that decision was made:
“While President Trump has threatened to label China a currency manipulator, the laws governing the report require countries to meet three thresholds to receive the designation: persistently intervening in currency markets; running a significant trade surplus with the U.S.; and running a large current-account surplus overall. No country currently meets all three criteria. China, for example, runs a modest overall trade surplus, even though it runs a large one with the U.S.”
Previously in SupChina’s trade war coverage:


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Jan. 21, 2015—Brake Parts Inc. (BPI) announced on Wednesday its plan to acquire the assets of OE Quality Friction Inc. (OEQF), headquartered in Mississauga, Ont., according to David Overbeeke, president and CEO of Brake Parts Inc.
On Tuesday, Brake Parts Inc. entered into an asset purchase agreement with OEQF’s receiver and an agreement to facilitate the interim operation of its Juarez, Mexico, plant in order to strengthen production capabilities and serve customers. The closing of the asset purchase transaction is expected to occur in January.
“As we operate the business and plan for the transition of OE Quality Friction’s assets to BPI, we are mindful of OEQF customers and pledge to continue to provide them with quality brake products backed by superior BPI customer service and vastly improved fill rates,” Overbeeke said in a release. “The acquisition of OE Quality Friction fits well into our company’s global growth strategy and provides real value to our customers in North America and beyond.”


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News / Containership scrapping ramps up, as panamax values continue in the doldrums
Two hundred and one containerships and just under 700,000 container slots have been scrapped this ...
News / Zim restructures services as it faces life as an independent carrier on the transpacific
Zim has announced a “standalone” restructuring of its transpacific service from April after the recent combined ...
News / Zim and THE Alliance to offer joint Mediterranean-US east coast services next year
THE Alliance and Israeli carrier Zim are to combine Mediterranean-US east coast services next April. Subject to regulatory ...
News / Determined to stand alone, niche player Zim is happy with Q3 results
Just as the liner shipping market seems to be pointing only one way – towards ...
News / Japanese box line merger to spark more consolidation – 'fewer but stronger carriers'
The merger of the three Japanese container divisions, scheduled for April 2018, could trigger another wave ...
News / Zim 2016 losses are mounting up, but container line says 'we can cope'
Zim Integrated Shipping Services recorded a $74m net loss in the second quarter of the ...
News / Zim could join HMM in 2M as shipping alliance eyes transpacific marketshare grab
Israeli carrier Zim could also become a partner in an enlarged 2M alliance, according to ...
News / GRIs bring positive spin to Asia-Europe container trades as carriers eye a better peak season
Confidence would appear to be returning to the boardrooms of Asia-Europe shipping lines as container ...
Comment / Analysis: could floundering HMM take a leaf out of ZIM's book when restructuring?
The successful restructuring of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services has captured the attention of many industry ...
- 1.CMA CGM and Cosco are most likely takers for OOCL, say analysts
- 2.Container shipping sets sail for historic volume of consolidation in 2017
- 3.Containerships 'full to the gunwales' on Asia-North Europe as rates hit 20-month high
- 4.Donald Trump’s global supply chain problem, in one chart
- 5.E-commerce giant Alibaba adds WCA network to its list of logistics partners
- 1. TONY on Container shipping sets sail for historic volume of consolidation in 2017
- 2. Mai on Forwarders put on alert over new Chinese freight scam
- 3. Mai on Forwarders put on alert over new Chinese freight scam
- 4. Julio J. Marquez on Airfreight shippers could face price hikes between US and Venezuela as DoT rejects Transcarga traffic rights
- 5. BlueSky on Forwarders put on alert over new Chinese freight scam


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This Iconic Department Store Is Closing 125 Stores, Starting This Month
The popular retailer plans to close one fifth of its shops over the next three years.
Everything from small boutique businesses to large multinational chains have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. When it comes to the retail industry, nearly two years of dealing with the virus appears to have drastically changed the way we shop, as more people opt for online purchases over a trip to the mall. Unfortunately, not even iconic stores have been safe from the shift as on-site sales continue to dry up. Now, one stalwart department store has announced it will be closing six of its locations this month before shuttering a total of 60 this year and 125 in the near future. Read on to see which beloved retailer is shrinking its shopping footprint.
RELATED: This Retail Giant Just Closed 20 Stores Because of COVID.
Macy's will be closing 125 of its department stores over the next three years.
On Jan. 5, Macy's confirmed a list of six departments stores it will be closing by the end of the month, USA Today first reported. The downsizing comes as part of the company's plan to shutter 125 of its stores—or one-fifth of all locations in total—over the next three years.
"Stores remain an integral part of our omnichannel retail ecosystem," Macy's said in a statement to USA Today on Jan. 6. "As our business evolves, we continue to optimize and reposition our store fleet to more effectively support our omnichannel sales growth and expand market share."
This month's store closures will be across five states.
The closures will be spread across five states, according to the list. In Alabama, the Brookwood Village store in Mountain Brook is slated to shutter; California will lose the Puente Hills Mall location in the City of Industry; Colorado will lose both the Boulder location in the Twenty-Ninth Street Mall and the Streets at SouthGlenn store in Centennial; Missouri will see the Summit Fair store in Lee's Summit close; and Texas will lose its Baytown location in the San Jacinto Mall.
Macy's did not specify an exact closing date for the locations. However, it's expected that all six will shutter by the end of the company's first specific quarter, which is typically in late July or early August, USA Today reports.
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Macy's is still deciding how many stores it will close during the coming months.
The most recent closure announcement comes just two months after Adrian Mitchell, Macy's chief financial officer, publicly addressed the company's plans for the upcoming year. During the company's earnings call, Mitchell initially estimated that 10 stores would be announced for closure by the end of January, "with more details on the remaining stores to come later in 2022." The following month, Mitchell told Morgan Stanley's Global Consumer & Retail Conference that "ultimately how many stores we close in the timetable still remains to be determined."
Part of the company's plans for the future appears to be focused on smaller stores located outside of malls such as its new Market by Macy's concept, marking a departure from the department store's historic presence as a large store at shopping centers, CNBC reports. The company also plans to open 400 small format Toys R Us shops within its stores beginning later this year, USA Today reports.
All Macy's locations will also be cutting their store hours in January due to the latest COVID surge.
Besides the permanent closures, Macy's also announced that it would shorten its stores' opening hours for at least the rest of January as COVID-19 cases reach record-breaking highs nationwide. From Monday to Thursday, customers will only be able to shop in nationwide stores from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the rest of the month, CNBC reported on Jan. 4. Some locations were previously open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. before this change. Macy's will not cut store hours Friday through Sunday, however, and in-store staff will continue to work their usual hours, a company spokeswoman told CNBC.
"Health and safety of our colleagues and customers continue to be our top priority," Macy's said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor the situation and follow the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] CDC and jurisdictional guidelines as well as keep enhanced safety and wellness procedures in place."


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New rules designed to restart sailings will make cruises one of the safest modes of transport, an industry leader claims.
New protocols have been drawn up by lines that they hope will convince ministers to give UK departures the green light in the new year.
The government continues to advise against taking cruises despite countries on the Continent relaxing their guidance and lines such as Aida, Costa and MSC Cruises resuming sailings in the Mediterranean from Italy.
Measures introduced include passengers and crew being tested for Covid-19 with negative results required prior to boarding. Other protocols include regular temperature and health checks for guests and crew, physical distancing guidelines, facial coverings, capacity controls and increased sanitisation measures, as well as guided shore excursions to maintain health protocols.
Chamber chief executive Bob Sanguinetti told The Telegraph: “We are asking the government to consider this sooner rather than later.
“Cruising is going to be one of the safest modes of travel and tourism because with these protocols in place and the extra measure that we are going to take, they will have a much closer oversight of their passengers when they embark than at a hotel when a client walks into the lobby. Likewise when a passenger steps on to an aircraft.”
Parts of the protocols include charter aircraft being on standby in case of a major emergency.
However, he hoped the measures operators intended to have before departure would negate them ever being required.
They would also allow passengers to enjoy their time on board, he added.
Sanguinetti said: “With the precautions we are taking and the space that we have, you can create safe bubbles. You can create cohorts within the cruise that allows things like social distancing rules to be maintained.
“From a UK perspective, there is no one that is advertising for cruises over the next two to three months. Those operators have taken the pragmatic approach to shift their sights onto the new year.”
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All post are the individual views of the respective commenter and are not the expressed views of Travel Weekly.
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Will Pentax be coming out with a new dSLR? Is that new "Destined Evolution" Web site ad put out by Canon an intro to a new model of the 5D as Engadget prognosticates? Just where is digital photography's new technology headed? Many answers to these questions will be provided during Photokina from Sept 23 to 28 in Cologne, Germany.
Photokina is a big deal. It happens only once every two years and it's the place where many new products are staged and introduced. How important is it? Well, 6000 journalists join 160,000 visitors to review everything there is to know about image capture, storage, processing, transmission and output.
The range of imaging products and services displayed at Photokina is dizzying--cameras, camcorders, digital storage media, printers, kiosk system, home cinema, digital frames and albums, lighting systems, studio equipment, publishing, labs, interactive presentation systems, networks and video/audio technology. For more about Photokina 2008, there's a daily, updated report on the fair with interesting product entries such as the LG KC910, the only 8 megapixel multimedia phone with a full touchscreen interface, the Nikon D90 and the Sony DSLR-A900.


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A federal antitrust probe is reportedly stalling tobacco titan Altria’s $12.8 billion tie-up with Juul more than a year after the investment was announced.
The Marlboro maker and the e-cigarette giant have delayed completing parts of their deal while the Federal Trade Commission reviews Altria’s control of store shelves, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Altria bought a 35-percent stake in Juul in December 2018 just about two weeks after shutting down its own e-cigarette brands. But the Virginia-based company can’t count Juul’s earnings toward its own, pick Juul board representatives or turn its nonvoting shares into voting shares until the FTC wraps up its review, according to the Journal.
The feds are reportedly focusing on Altria’s efforts to buy retail shelf space for its e-cigarettes even as it planned to close up that business and invest in Juul, the paper reported. Altria agreed to give shelf space to Juul as part of the investment deal.
Juul declined to comment on the status of the FTC’s review. The FTC declined to comment beyond the parties’ public statements on the probe. Altria did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Altria confirmed the existence of the FTC review in an October regulatory filing, saying the commission had asked about the company’s role in ex-Juul CEO Kevin Burns’s September resignation. He was replaced by former Altria executive KC Crosthwaite.
The continuing antitrust review is the latest bump in the road for Juul, which is facing scrutiny from US officials amid concerns about a spike in youth vaping. Such worries led the Trump administration to temporarily ban many flavored e-cigarettes this month.
The FTC has said it’s also examining the advertising practices of Juul and five other e-cigarette companies. Juul spent more than $200,000 to market its products to teens, a congressional report found this summer.


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Dallas, TX - January 25, 2018 - The Original Pancake House DFW (OPH-DFW) will once again participate in the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association Food in Fashion 2018. Guests will enjoy an evening of food, drinks, music, auction items and culinary-inspired fashions. Seasoned fashion designer and stylist, Jean Estella, will design a look that creatively and uniquely represents The Original Pancake House DFW.
The fundraising event to be heldFebruary 7, 2018 at 3015 at Trinity Grove will benefit the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation and is Texas ProStart, a restaurant career program within Dallas ISD high schools.
"The Food in Fashion fundraising event is a fun opportunity for the community to invest in the next generation of restaurant industry leaders," stated Mark Davis Bailey, Texas Restaurant Association President and Co-Owner of OPH-DFW. "This unique event helps fund the Texas ProStart program which currently reaches over 240 high schools and 20,000 students each year."
For more information on the event or to purchase tickets, visit Food in Fashion 2018www.foodinfashion.org.


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Ripple has published its performance report for the first quarter of 2018 on the company website. The San Francisco startup reported an increase in sales of XRP tokens.
XRP Sales Performance Report for Q1 2018
Ripple sold $167.7 million USD worth of its XRP tokens in the first quarter of 2018. This represents an increase of 83 percent from the sales figures of the previous quarter. The Q1 2018 XRP sales outstrip the Q1 2017 XRP sales by 2,400 percent.
Direct sales of XRP tokens stood at $16.6 million while programmatic sales accounted for the remaining $151.1 million. The direct sales figures indicate a decline of 17 percent from the previous quarter. However, programmatic sales more than doubled from Q4 2017.
Direct sales refer to the sale of XRP tokens conducted by XRP II LLC, the registered money service business (MSB). XRP II is registered by the New York State Department of Financial Services to engage in virtual currency trading. Programmatic sales are third-party sales of XRP by market makers using agreed upon algorithms.
Price and Market Share Performance Report
XRP tokens began the year trading at $1.91 but fell by 73 percent to $0.51 at the end of Q1. According to Ripple, this decline is indicative of the general market decline in the first quarter of 2018. The Ripple share of the total market capitalization increased by more than 100 percent from 3.56 percent to 7.57 percent.
The XRP market volume share also grew from 5.3 percent to 6.9 percent. This increase can be attributed to the fact that XRP was listed in 18 new trading venues in Q1 2018. XRP is now listed on a total of 60 cryptocurrency exchange platforms. The extension of over $16 million worth of XRP loans to market makers also contributed to the increase in the XRP volume share.
Effects of Regulatory Measures on Performance
The report also touched on the regulatory upheavals that characterized the end of 2017 and the start of 2018. The removal of South Korean exchanges from the index price calculations I early January led to a 50 percent market correction across the board.
This led to an XRP price decline of 19.1 percent. The report also stated that the uncertainties created by the situation in South Korea at the start of the year contributed to the increased volatility in the market.
How well do you rate Ripple’s performance in Q1? Share your views in the comment section below.
Image courtesy of Ripple, Pxhere, Shutterstock


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Makhura’s big township plan
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News)- GAUTENG Premier, David Makhura, has threatened to sanction government departments that fail to pay suppliers within 30 days.
Pledging his support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) said by non-payment or late payment of invoices, government was complicit in black business and SMEs.
“We are cracking whip on departments who are not paying service providers on time,” said the premier.
“We cannot be government that destroys black business and SMEs through non-payment.”
Makhura’s commitment to pay small enterprises on times comes on the back of high number of SMEs complaining about access to finance, especially delays by government departments to pay for services.
The Premier said the SMES need maximum support as they were now a major lifeline of economic activity in the province.
Statistics indicate since 1994 small business activity in South Africa has grown in line with the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2014 SA report shows that 19,7 percent of the adult population in 2001 saw opportunities to start a business in the country, but by 2014 this figure had increased to 37 percent.
However, lack or non-payment for services had become a major talking point on small business development.
Nonetheless, Makhura said ten out of the 14 departments achieved 90 percent compliance with the payment of services providers within 30 days.
“The digitisation of invoicing has introduced new efficiencies in our governance systems and is helping us to pay service providers on time,” Makhura said.
He added Members of the Executive Council had assured him of a turnaround in their performance in the next financial year.
Adil Nchabeleng, Secretary General of the National Association of Manufacturers in Electronic Components (NAMEC), a grouping of small and black-owned electronic manufacturers, welcomed Makhura’s intervention on payments on services and products.
“Government departments that don’t pay on time must be punished. The fact that a service or product has been supplied means costs have been incurred.
“Most SMEs collapse not because they are not good but due to delay or non-payment which causes massive cash flow problems,” said Nchabeleng.
Meanwhile, in his State of the Province Address, Makhura expressed satisfaction on Gauteng’s township economy revitalisation strategy, led by MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Lebogang Maile.
Speaking in Sebokeng, he disclosed his government had spent R1,8 billion on procuring goods and services from township enterprises benefiting 1 805 township enterprises.
Township economy development had been high on the agenda of government in the last 18 months.
The government fully supported the Competition Commission’s market inquiry into the expansion of the grocery retail sector into townships with the hope it would expose the collusion and other ills hampering growth of businesses in the township.
In a separate interview Finance MEC, Barbara Creecy, told Gauteng Guardian supporting the township economy through financial and related initiatives was one of key issues she would address in her provincial budget in a fortnight.
Creecy said the government was already using 11 percent of its budget spent on township based businesses to boost economic activities in those areas.
– CAJ News
Short URL: http://cajnewsafrica.com/?p=11556


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Last month Google announced that soon it will ban all recording apps from the play store, and this policy started on 11 May 2022. However, this policy does not affect those mobile phones who already have their inbuilt recording feature. Through the new google play store policy, the company does not affect any third-party app. and this also clarifies that the call recording feature on the google dialer app will function smoothly there will be no change to them. if it is available in your device or region.
The main reason behind this change is the user’s privacy. Because of the feature of call recording many people use this benefit in the wrong manner. And by this users’ privacy is also affected. By recording features many times users’ data leak and completely disturb their privacy. And by this feature information was given to both sides of users.
And now there is accessibility Application Programming Interface( API )will be provided to users and calls will not be recorded.
After this announcement of google, Truecaller also took a big step regarding the privacy of its users . Truecaller also announced that the recording feature from Truecaller will also be removed and by which no user records any call.
But this new blocking feature of call recording apps from the google play store will provide benefit to users in many ways now the risk of stealing data or any important feature will reduce.


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A Florida woman is suing The Hershey Company over what she claims is “misleading” packaging for its seasonal candies that “tricked” people into buying the delectable goodies by portraying a false image on the outside of the wrapper.
In a class action lawsuit filed in Florida’s Middle District Court on Thursday, Cynthia Kelly of Tampa is seeking $5 million from the chocolate manufacturer after she bought a bag of Reese’s peanut butter Halloween treats and soon discovered that the pumpkin-shaped nuggets didn’t look like the smiling jack o’lantern that was depicted on the package.
“Hershey’s labels for the Products are materially misleading and numerous consumers have been tricked and misled by the pictures on the Products’ packaging,” the lawsuit states, according to the New York Post. “This is a class action against Hershey for falsely representing several Reese’s Peanut Butter products as containing explicitly carved-out artistic designs when there are no such carvings in the actual products.”
(Video: YouTube/ 10 Tampa Bay)
The plaintiff states that she shelled out $4.49 for the bag at an Aldi supermarket with the belief that it “contained a cute looking carving of a pumpkin’s mouth and eyes as pictured on the product packaging,” and that had she known that the actual candy did not resemble the chocolate pumpkin on the outside that she would not have bought it.
“Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins product that Plaintiff purchased did not contain any of the artistic carvings of the mouth or eyes as pictured on the label,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also claimed that the packaging had not previously been “deceptive” and that “two to three years” ago the “products matched its packaging and did not display faces,” the New York Post reported.
Other products named in the suit included the company’s peanut butter ghosts, peanut butter bats, peanut butter footballs, white pumpkins and ghosts and Christmas assortments of bells, snowmen and stockings.
The lawsuit also features links to several social media videos of people also claiming to have been tricked by the packaging, including one posted to YouTube titled “Reese’s Halloween candy LIED to me.”
Another video reportedly shows a man who asks, “Reese’s what are you doing?”
“Look at the picture on the packet. It’s like a pumpkin with faces and a little mouth – then you open up the packet and you are presented with that monstrosity,” the individual says, according to the Daily Mail.
The bizarre lawsuit got the attention of X users who added their two cents with many seeming to have a negative opinion of the plaintiff.
She’s suing because it doesn’t have the cut Jack-o’-lantern eyes and mouth.
She forgot to mention it depicts the chocolate with a bite taken out of it. I suppose she didn’t mind that.
This lawsuit will get tossed and she will leave the courthouse humiliated.
— NewYorkMuscle212 (@SuperSetsNYC) December 30, 2023
They should have responded with…trick or treat, Karen!
— Jenna Fredo (@LynkLuv) December 30, 2023
We know she is fat
— Alex (@0xAl3xC) December 30, 2023
Definitely a Democrat
— ‡ƬÖrlØkŦ‡ (@Torlokt_of_Tyr) December 30, 2023
Frivolous. She should pay their lawyers fees.
— Michael Freeman (@TheAntiGrifter) December 30, 2023
“The complaint claims the case shows Hershey’s breached Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act,” the Daily Mail reported. “If a judge grants the class-action status to the suit it would mean ‘all consumers within the State of Florida’ who purchased the product could be in line for a payout.”
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EU’s anti-money laundering rules indicate for crypto
Tuesday’s joint committee vote is expected to result in the passage of the European Parliament’s anti-money laundering legislation.
The European Union’s anti-money laundering package includes crypto assets, which have occupied substantial discussion space. On Tuesday, officials in two European Parliament committees overseeing the measure will vote on its acceptance.
It now comprises some regulations for the crypto sector and EU-based service providers. This vote is a positive development for the law but is still vulnerable to the amendment. After the committee decision, the AML law must pass a plenary vote before interinstitutional discussions may begin.
Also susceptible to the anti-money laundering legislation are decentralized autonomous organizations and decentralized financial platforms.
In contrast to the EU’s forthcoming Markets in Crypto-Assets legislation, the anti-money laundering law does include NFT platforms as required companies. The objective is to fill the regulatory void.
Credit and financial institutions that enable cryptocurrency transactions worth more than €1,000 would be required to implement due diligence procedures. In addition, heightened due diligence processes are in place for correspondent partnerships with crypto service providers outside the EU and self-hosted wallet payments.
Unless the owner of a self-hosted wallet is established, transactions of more than €1,000 in value originating from self-hosted wallets will be restricted for commercial crypto payments. In three years, the European Commission is tasked with determining whether the law on retail costs should be modified to conform with rules such as the European Union’s digital identification framework and the Anti-Money Laundering Authority’s standards.
The rule would restrict both anonymous cryptocurrency accounts and anonymous bank accounts. Other anonymizing techniques, such as privacy wallets, mixers, and tumblers, are deemed riskier. In addition, the Commission will determine whether they should be outlawed.


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It might seem like filling up the 75-gallon gas tank on a 33-foot motor home would make John Shepherd grumble and curse – and maybe rethink his vacation plans. Not so – not even with a gallon of gas costing $1 more than it did a year ago.
According to a report in the Daily Times, Salisbury, Md., Shepherd, of Lenhertsville, Pa., is about to leave for a months-long trek from Pennsylvania to Alaska, and plans another lengthy jaunt early next year. Like a surprisingly large number of recreational-vehicle owners, he’s unfazed by the $200-and-up cost of filling up his Fleetwood.
“If we were going in a car every night, you can expect to spend $120 for a motel room and meals,” he said. “It’s just a lifestyle. It’s more convenient.”
It’s a piece of the summer economy that is just not that sensitive to gas-pump shock, it seems, though the deep recession did cut deeply into sales of RVs for two years before rebounding last year.
Nationally, more than half of RV owners surveyed this spring by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) said they’ll be going camping more often than last year, with many taking more frequent, shorter vacations. Just 9% said they’ll go camping less this summer.
And the trade group expects overall RV shipments to rise to 263,100 this year, up 8.6%. That’s still a far cry from the 390,500 units sold before the crash in 2006 but is a nice rebound from the 165,700 units sold in 2009.
“When gas prices rise, they don’t stop RVing,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “We will face some headwinds such as gas prices and uncertain economic factors, but overall, we have momentum now that will help us continue the recovery that began last year.”
This comes as good news to RV dealers and to the operators of RV campgrounds. Delaware’s campgrounds – public and private – reported being at or nearly at capacity for the Memorial Day weekend with visitors from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland and are looking forward to a strong summer.
“They’re still going camping, they’re just not going as far,” says George Kover, general manager at the Delmarva RV Center, which has two dealerships in Milford and Seaford. “Instead of going to the Outer Banks, they’re going to Killens Pond or Trap Pond.”
The RV trade group’s survey found 53% of RV owners planning to drive more this summer, with 65% planning “mini-vacations.” To trim travel costs, they plan to vacation more efficiently — driving slower, packing lighter to reduce weight and turning off home utilities while they’re traveling.
Even with gas at $3.74 in Delaware on Tuesday, they contend it’s still cheaper to RV.
According to a 2008 study for the RV trade group, a 238-mile trip from Pittsburgh to Lancaster, Pa., would cost about $840 for the owner of a medium-sized RV, including a monthly stipend covering the purchase price; the comparable trip in a car, staying at hotels, would cost about $1,050. The $1 jump in gas prices from a year ago would add $17 to the cost of fuel for the owner of that RV owner and $6 for the car owner. Gas mileage varies on the size of the RV from 6 to 12 miles per gallon.
But talk to RV campers and they’ll tell you the decision is less about money than lifestyle – the freedom and flexibility they have to go where they want, when they want and how they want.
Shepherd said owning an RV is an investment, and, like any investment, he wants to get his money’s worth out of it. The couple is set to leave this morning for a long-awaited journey to Alaska and Canada; in January, they’re going to take a couple months and drive to Texas, making their way to Florida along the Gulf Coast.
“It’s just a means to get us to the way we like to travel,” Shepherd said.
The experience is not what you’ll find at a top-end resort, but comfort also abounds at local campgrounds.
During the summer, the Jellystone campground near Lincoln charges $65 a night for a premium site, and campers get access to a swimming pool, outdoor movie theater, snack bar, arcade, on-site laundry, a playground, basketball and volleyball courts and horseshoe pits, along with cable TV and wireless Internet.
Brent Fannin, whose family owns the campground that began two years ago as Cedar Creek Landing, said its bookings are up more than 30% this year, with more than 200 of its 277 sites full for the Memorial Day weekend.
Fannin said it’s far enough inland to be away from the hustle and bustle of the resorts but also close enough to Rehoboth and other beach towns that visitors can go to the outlets or boardwalk. Many bigger RVs tow a small car so campers can travel while leaving the camper on site.
“You put all that together, and that’s why I think this place is going to be such a success,” Fannin said.
The industry isn’t entirely immune to the sluggish economy, however. Sales of large, self-contained RVs are very slow in Delaware, even as manufacturers prepare for an upswing nationally.
Kover, the manager at Delmarva RV Center, said his sales are up from two or three years ago overall, but big-rig sales are down or nonexistent. He doesn’t even stock the larger motor coaches anymore because there’s no demand.
“We’re not selling as many of the big quarter-million coaches on up,” he said. “But travel trailers, $150,000 and below, we’re moving them right along.”
Recent industry data indicates that sales of big rigs were up 16 percent in March. Shipments of more affordable medium-sized “Class C” RVs — which look like an oversized van — rose by 32% from March 2010 to March 2011. And shipments of towable — or pop-up — campers were up 7.4%, the RVIA reported.
At Parkview RV Center near Smyrna, sales of towable vehicles are picking up, said Joy Horsey, whose family owns the dealership. She’s also seen an uptick in service work, as owners try to make their RVs live longer.
Her family — including in-laws and grandparents — packed up four RVs and headed to Ocean City, Md., last week for a traditional Memorial Day trip.
“My husband and I try to go every Memorial Day,” Horsey said. “We make several camping trips a year, and then the rest of the family kind of falls in.”
Dick Harrison, owner of Leisure Point Resort in the Long Neck area, said some of his seasonal campers have said they’re not going to be visiting quite as often, though they’re staying longer.
“They still want to get away,” he said. “Camping is still very affordable for an awful lot of people.”


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Local greenhouses are seeing a boom this season as more customers are coming in to get flowers or vegetables.
“I would say I consider ourselves blessed a little bit,” said Jason Levan of Perry Greenhouse and Supply. “Customers I think just needed something to do at home. Gardening with vegetables has seen a huge spike, also just planting flowers and working in yards.”
Levan wasn’t sure how COVID-19 would affect the business.
“I was really nervous about the timing of this virus because back in February, March I was growing everything and filling up the greenhouse and taking care of plants,” he said. “I was very nervous that people wouldn’t be getting out of their house because none of us knew what was going to be the end result.”
Greenhouses were since classified as essential businesses, he said, because they offer vegetables, garden seeds, fertilizer and more.
Levan has definitely seen an uptick in business as more customers are coming in or ordering vegetables and flowers.
Though he said vegetables have been hard to keep stocked. Levan grows quite a few tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and more from seed.
“Everyone started early and we weren’t quite ready for that. We sold out most of what I grew in the first week of nice weather in April. We’ve been scrambling around trying to bring in more,” Levan said.
That meant he has made trips to other greenhouses or whole suppliers as deliveries are also delayed because of higher demand.
Annuals have also sold well as he is currently out of 25 different items. He said it makes it tougher as he grows the annuals in house rather than bring them in from a truck.
Though he added that they are still in great shape. They grow around 10,000 geraniums and petunias in different varieties. While they may be out of a certain color, he said they still have a nice selection available of those and other annuals.
“We don’t have everything we did two weeks ago but I think we have some really nice looking stuff. Including some nice looking hanging baskets and planters,” Levan said.
The planters include red white and blue ones they made up for Memorial Day. Levan added that they also have a nice selection of perennials. Those he brings in from a supplier and he is able to bring in more throughout the season.
While more customers have come into the greenhouse, others have been ordering plants off of Facebook, via email or phone.
“We’ve done, I’ve estimated 40 percent of our business is curbside or truely delivery,” Levan said.
Customers can call in their orders and Levan said they can bring items right out to them on the curb. He also installed a doorbell for customers who are picking up items at the curb.
For those coming into the greenhouse, Levan said they have taken extra safety precautions. While there are around 12,000 square feet of space inside the greenhouse, Levan said he has kept a count so they can keep the numbers at 10 or few inside at one time. He added that they have also kept the purchasing area extra clean.
Levan said they have also seen customers come in to shop with gift cards purchased through the Perry Pride Business Booster program. The program is partnership with the Perry Chamber of Commerce and City of Perry.
Customers can choose to purchase $20 in gift cards to various businesses like Perry Greenhouse and Supply and they will receive $30 to use later through a grant with the city.
“I think the city’s commitment to small businesses through the program was great,” Levan said.
He has enjoyed seeing more community members come into the greenhouse during the spring season.
“I just want to say thanks to everyone for supporting us,” Levan said.


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Three senior Bahraini Ithmaar Bank employees joined their peers from other Islamic banks across the kingdom to attend an intensive leadership grooming programme. The course has been designed to help develop the next generation of C-suite execu
Bahrain's labour fund Tamkeen and Ithmaar Bank have signed an agreement to add BD10 million ($26.3 million) to their joint enterprise finance scheme portfolio as part of efforts to provide financing solutions for enterprises to meet their ne
Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, has launched a new sharia-compliant prepaid e-Card.
A statement said the card is ‘designed to provide customers a faster, safer and more convenient online shopping experienc
Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank Ithmaar Bank has received Standard Chartered Bank’s Straight Through Processing (STP) Excellence Award.
The award is for Ithmaar Bank achieving 94.5 per cent efficiency in the execution of e
Bahrain-based Ithmaar Bank, an Islamic retail bank, has announced it is open to exploring alternatives in consultation with Kuwait Stock Exchange, with regard to compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
Ithmaar Development Company announced today the sale of a strategic plot on the Dilmunia island in Bahrain to Kuwaiti developer and hospitality investor Kuwait Resort Company, an affiliate of Al Tijaria, the Commercial Real Estate Company.
Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, in collaboration with MasterCard, has launched a new comprehensive value-added credit cards loyalty rewards programme - Ithmaar Rewards.
The programme includes new and unique feat
Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, expects to return to profitability this year, chief executive Ahmed Abdul Rahim said yesterday (March 31).
He said that efforts to turn the group around are paying off, as is evid
Ithmaar Bank cardholders will get discounted pricing for Gulf Air online ticket purchases, following the signing of an agreement between the two organisations.
The agreement was signed by Gulf Air acting chief financial officer Sa
Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, has won two international awards for its website.
In a statement, the bank said its website won two silver awards at the W3 Awards - the first in the general website category for


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To reduce its staggering economic losses the U.S. Postal Support is taking into consideration closing up to about 250 processing amenities and eliminating about 28,000 employment. The U.S. Postal Services dropped $5.1 billion dollars in 2011. According to a U.S. Postal Support push release, mail volume lowered by 3 billion pieces in 2011, a 1.seven % reduce from 2010. According to spokesman Dave Williams, the proposed changes will conserve the U.S. Postal Provider $two.one billion every year.
Ruth Goldway, chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, which has oversight but not complete authority above the U.S. Postal Service, said “The Web does have an influence on initial-class mail, but that’s not the major cause of the deficit. Men and women are still employing mail. Packages are growing and mail can modify to the market atmosphere.” Goldway thinks the key cause for the losses just isn’t the World wide web she said “The Postal Support is overly burdened to prepay overall health care rewards and to shell out for that at a substantial fee has truly drained the Postal Support” (Supply: Wauwatosa Patch).
Closing Processing Centers
Williams pointed out the closing of put up workplaces in tiny city and eliminating Saturday supply are getting analyzed. Neighborhood companies all through the country are involved the closing of processing centers will influence their business. Nevertheless, in Terre Haute, Indiana, 1 business proprietor mentioned he acquired some assurance from officials that organizations will nevertheless have a area to fall off mail for a price cut, though the new area is not formal. Organizations need to examine with their neighborhood Postal Service officials.
Proposed Provider Regular Adjustments for Package deal Solutions
The Postal Service stories it will not have any ideas to alter service regular enterprise policies for Deal Solutions thanks to network rationalization. Nevertheless, modifications will be manufactured in the service requirements implementing to particular 3-digit to a few-digit ZIP Code origin-spot pairs dependent on the reconfiguration of the network as well as changes to the labeling lists which implement the existing services common business rules. Fairly slight service common business rule adjustments for Deal Services unrelated to network rationalization are becoming proposed for mail addressed to non-contiguous U.S. locations. No service adjustments connected with the request will be implemented ahead of Could fifteen, 2012 (Source: United States Postal Service).
Beginning January 22, 2012 the expense of mailing providers are anticipated, on regular, to improve by 2.one % and shipping services are projected to boost, on average, four.six %. Price modifications impact the full selection of Postal items:
Mailing goods include:
– Very first-Course Mail Letters, Flats, Postcards and Parcels
– Very first-Class International Mail
– Initial-Course Mail Presort Letters
– Normal Mail
– Package deal Services
– Extra Companies
Shipping and delivery items incorporate:
– Priority Mail
– Priority Intercontinental
– International Specific Guaranteed
– Express Mail
– Parcel Pick
– Specific Mail Global
FedEx and UPS will boost rates for expedited and ground shipments on January two, 2012.
Very first-Class Mail
The USPS plans to conclude right away shipping for very first-class mail. The USPS has mentioned letters and numerous bills and monthly bill payments will have a two to 3 day standard services. This could influence companies requiring prompt billing which depend on the Postal Provider instead of the Internet.
Williams talked about beginning in spring the USPS ideas on altering the geographic get to of its two-working day common from a twelve-hour generate from a letter’s location of origin to around four hrs, thus the Postal Services will guarantee shipping and delivery in two times or considerably less in a 4-hour window. Anything over and above that has a ensure of three times or less. Only commercial bulk mailers may well be ready to have initial-class mail sent the following working day if they’re ready to get it properly bundled to the Post Business office early in the early morning.
Starting January 22, first-class mail will enhance by 1 cent to 45 cents and publish playing cards will value 32 cents to ship as an alternative of the recent 29 cents. The very good news is mail weighing up to one.nine ounces (as apposed to only one particular ounce) can be sent very first-course mail, making it possible for companies to place added inserts in their offers at no additional price.
It’s not specified all the proposed adjustments will be enacted or enacted without having modifications. Owing to stress from Congress the Postal Services has delayed the adjustments till the middle of May. If the alterations are enacted, some organizations making use of the services of USPS, including fulfillment facilities, could have to make adjustments thanks to for a longer time mail processing moments and the chance of the elimination of Saturday deliveries. Some experts claim the changes made by the Postal Services will probably just make sluggish delivery a small slower. liteblue login shall see.


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While it is meant to increase the user’s convenience, some flagship Samsung users find it a bit intrusive.
Samsung’s proprietary feature in flagship smartphones – Bixby button opens digital assistant on-the-go. While it is meant to increase the user’s convenience, some flagship Samsung users find it a bit intrusive as it opens up randomly if clicked by mistake.
In order to grant a solution to the users annoyed with Bixby, Samsung is reportedly working on introducing an option to disable the feature. Samsung Germany’s twitter page revealed this information as it said, replying to a tweet, that the deactivation feature of Bixby button will be rolled out by the end of September.
However, the catch in the report is it says it will allow deactivation on the lock screen. Strangely, the Bixby button is not accessible through lock screen. If you attempt to launch it, the screen asks you to unlock it. Perhaps, the company might give the deactivation access for Bixby button only for some windows.
While the exact reason for Samsung making these changes is unknown, it can be considered as an act to give more choices and convenience to the users since many Samsung flagship device owners never use the feature.


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Congratulations to Amar Singh from T4A – Turbans 4 Australia who was just awarded the ‘Local Hero’ award at the 2023 Australian of the Year Awards.
This is a very big deal.
So let me explain…. these pics here are from the March 2021 Hawkesbury floods, where Amar filled a helicopter full of food and other items like nappies and powdered milk and flew to us, meeting us in Kurrajong, to drop off essential supplies to stranded community.
So we arranged the logistics and next thing, the chopper lands, filled to the brim with goods. Local Beck Rigby and Clr Les Sheather met up with me and we filled their cars with goods and started driving around dropping them to local community centres, including to Karen Stuttle from Mountain of Joy and to Evacuees at Merroo Christian Centre. My kids spent days with me in the car, unloading all of these goods to people in need.
Hawkesbury’s Helping Hands. Sarah McMahon know Amar has worked with Linda since 2021, helping countless amounts of people together. What a collaboration!
Amar and his team also brought hay to farmers in the drought and spent weeks taking food and supplies to Lismore when they flooded. They feed countless people weekly in Western Sydney, all the while promoting tolerance and acceptance of diversity.
“I could not be happier hearing that Amar won this award tonight. I actually did a little happy dance. He holds a special place in Hawkesbury hearts because of what he did for us during greatest hour of need. You deserve this Amar, and I am ecstatic that your efforts have been recognised for the whole nation to appreciate.”Sarah McMahon said
Well done and happy Australia Day!