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Macronix reports losses of over NT$5 billion for 2012
Josephine Lien, Taipei; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES
Macronix International has reported net losses of NT$1.78 billion (US$60.22 million) for the fourth quarter of 2012, bringing total losses for the year to NT$5.44 billion. EPS for 2012 was negative NT$1.55.
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Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988. HK) announced plans to restructure its foreign and domestic e-commerce operations and replace its CFO, as the giant digital battles increased competition, a global economic slowdown, and regulatory scrutiny.
The company will establish two new entities, worldwide enterprise solutions, and China digital commerce, as part of its attempts to become more nimble and generate more revenue.
AliExpress, the company that sells to retail purchasers in Europe and South America, Lazada, Alibaba’s Middle Eastern e-commerce firm, and Alibaba.com, which focuses on selling to international corporate clients, will all be a member of the international digital marketing section. It will be led by Jiang Fan, who was formerly in charge of Alibaba’s primary Chinese e-commerce marketplaces. The move aligns with Alibaba’s goal of making ‘globalization’ a key focal area alongside cloud applications and domestic consumer purchasing power.
How globalization is useful
According to Hong Kong-based Guotai Junan consultant Danny Law, globalization “helps Alibaba gain fresh traffic volume outside (and) explore new development opportunities as China has been boosting oversight.”
Alibaba’s two primary marketplaces, Tmall for mainstream businesses and Taobao for all types of merchants, will be part of the China digital marketing unit. Trudy Dai, who has supported various Alibaba platforms, will be in charge.
According to 86research.com analyst Xiaoyan Wang, the organizational framework for domestic e-commerce puts Dai in control of all China retail marketplaces, including Taocaicai, its neighborhood e-commerce service, Taobao Deals, and Lingshoutong, a retail solutions provider for mom and pop enterprises.
“This might potentially yield greater synergies through cross-selling and supply chain management,” she added.
How it happened
According to the organization, Toby Xu, Alibaba’s associate chief financial officer, will take over as CFO following Maggie Wu in April, as under the business’s leadership succession plan. Xu entered Alibaba three years ago after working at PWC.
The e-commerce behemoth’s Hong Kong-listed stocks dropped 6% in early morning trade, mirroring Friday’s losses in the US.
Following Didi Global Inc’s (DIDI.N) decision to delist from New York Stock Exchange, shareholdings of Chinese companies listed in the United States have plummeted on fears of more regulatory scrutiny at home. find out more
Due to slower economic growth and tough competition from a slew of competitors, Alibaba reduced its yearly revenue growth projection last month to the lowest level since its 2014 equity market debut. Sales at its flagship event, the online shopping extravaganza Singles Day, grew at the weakest rate in history.
Chinese officials have also tightened their grip on the Internet and other industries, notably on antitrust problems, prompting Alibaba to suspend its requiring entrepreneurs to set up business only on its platforms. In April, the business was fined an unprecedented 18 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) for exploiting its market dominance.
In line with Chinese President Jinping’s demands for “shared prosperity,” Alibaba’s hallmark Singles’ Day shopping frenzy saw its slowest-ever increase this year, owing to subdued marketing efforts and a move to sustainability and charity.
Alibaba’s York Stock exchange ( NYSE price) dropped by more than 50% in the previous year. On Monday, the corporation’s Hong Kong-listed shares dropped 4.9 percent.

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Rocket Internet SE (RKET.DE)
19 Jan 2018
Thu, Jan 18 2018
BERLIN German online furniture retailer Home24, in which Rocket Internet is a major investor, is preparing a stock market listing in early summer, Manager Magazin reported on Thursday, citing unidentified company insiders.
* Rocket Internet owns 43 pct stake (Adds details, background, shares)
BERLIN, Jan 18 German online furniture retailer Home24, in which Rocket Internet is a major investor, is preparing a stock market listing in early summer, Manager Magazin reported on Thursday, citing unnamed company insiders.
BERLIN Germany's Rocket Internet needs to hold on to its mountain of cash so it can compete with rivals from the United States and China and pounce when investment opportunities arise, the chief executive said in an interview.
* SAYS LEONARD BLAVATNIK REDUCES STAKE TO 2.99 PERCENT FROM 4.99 PERCENT Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
BERLIN Oliver Samwer, the founder and chief executive of Rocket Internet, has bought another 33.83 million euros ($39.91 million) worth of shares in the German ecommerce investor, according to a regulatory filing on Thursday.
* ROCKET INTERNET CEO SAYS THE LIKELIHOOD FOR DIVIDENDS IS LOW, SEES MORE BIG INVESTMENTS IN FUTURE
BERLIN German ecommerce investor Rocket Internet pushed into 2018 a target to turn a profit at some of its leading start-ups as it reported a 28 percent jump in nine-month revenue on Thursday.
* ROCKET INTERNET CFO SAYS TARGET FOR SOME COMPANIES TO BE PROFITABLE BY END OF 2017 MAY SLIP BY A COUPLE OF QUARTERS
BERLIN, Nov 30 German ecommerce investor Rocket Internet reported on Thursday that revenue at its leading start-ups rose 28 percent in the first nine months, while their losses shrank.


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President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday emphasized the great growth potential of the non-memory chip sector, reaffirming the government's plan to offer every possible support for South Korea's businesses involved.
He laid out a strategic vision to boost the "system" semiconductor industry, making his first visit to the local facilities of Samsung Electronics Co. since taking office in May 2017.
The visit to Samsung's Nano City campus in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, was meant to demonstrate the liberal administration's resolve to promote it as the country's future economic growth engine, along with bio-health and next-generation automobiles.
"If (our) challenge in the system semiconductor field succeeds, (South Korea) will position itself as a true, comprehensive semiconductor powerhouse," Moon said in a ceremony held at Samsung's advance base for non-memory chip businesses.
He recalled South Korea's success in memory chip development, saying it can capitalize on the experience and technology.
"Our goal is clear," Moon stressed. "It's to leap to the status of a comprehensive semiconductor power by becoming No. 1 in the system semiconductor foundry sector and attaining 10 percent of the market share in the fabless one by 2030, while maintaining the top spot in the memory chip field."
His remarks came hours after Samsung, the world's largest memory chip and smartphone maker, reported a 56.9 percent drop in its net profit to 5.04 trillion won (US$4.3 billion) in the first quarter from a year earlier amid falling DRAM prices and weak demand for display panels.
Nearly 90 percent of Samsung's revenue reportedly comes from the memory business, and observers say it is likely to lose its semiconductor crown to Intel sometime this year.
Moon pointed out that the system semiconductor market is 1.5 times bigger than that of the memory chip market.
"Its growth potential is infinite," he said. "If it's utilized in the entire industrial field, such as robots, bio and cars, (the market) will grow to the size of 300 trillion won in 2022."
President Moon Jae-in (R) shakes hands with Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong at the Device Solutions Research (DSR) center of Samsung's Nano City campus in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on April 30, 2019. (Yonhap)
Still, the global market share of South Korean companies stays at around 3 percent.
Last week, Samsung announced plans to invest 133 trillion won by 2030 to bulk up its non-memory business.
The president hailed Samsung's initiative and said the government will "actively help" it by expanding budget spending for R&D in the semiconductor sector and stepping up efforts to nurture manpower.
He made it clear that the public sector will play a leading role in fostering domestic demand by introducing large-scale energy, safety and transportation projects, in which non-memory chips will be used.
"(The government) will create a system semiconductor market using 26 million chips in the public sector by 2030," he said, adding that it's estimated to be worth at least 240 billion won in the energy field alone.
Moon was accompanied by the finance, industry and science ministers on the tour. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong also attended the event, which took place at the Device Solutions Research (DSR) center in the compound located just south of Seoul.(Yonhap)


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The PayBito Chief feels excessive digital asset taxation will generate significant revenues for the Indian government while offering assurance and validation for crypto enterprises.
PALO ALTO, Calif., April 1, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Indian government's decision to impose 30% taxation on cryptocurrencies has been met with a mixed reception. PayBito CEO Raj Chowdhury believes that the steep taxation policy, despite all its negatives, is beneficial not only for India but also for the global crypto community.
With over 100 million, India has the largest number of crypto owners in the world. The country ranks 2nd in Chainalysis' Global Crypto Adoption Index. Thus, the proposed slab for taxation on crypto trade profits will generate huge revenues for the Indian government. In addition, this opens up a lot of opportunities for crypto and blockchain enterprises.
The PayBito Chief, a noted blockchain pioneer, has been optimistic about the government's decision, stating "The high taxation may appear as a deterrent to small-scale crypto traders, but firm regulation and infrastructure development is the need of the hour for businesses looking to make a mark in the rapidly growing global crypto community."
While this translates to lower profit margins, especially for low capital investors, the stance also indicates the government is not willing to ban crypto. National market regulators SEBI has been nominated to oversee cryptocurrencies as well. There has been no official verdict on crypto legalization, and the country's central bank had previously called for an outright ban. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the nation's own blockchain-powered central-backed digital currency, the Digital Rupee, will roll out within 2022-23.
"All the buzz around India's crypto taxation is diverting attention away from the fact that the government also intends to build a National Blockchain Framework and integrate the revolutionary technology in multiple sectors to accelerate digital transformation and service delivery," concluded Raj Chowdhury, who had previously welcomed the nation's calibrated approach towards cryptocurrency.
The Chowdhury-led PayBito is a global cryptocurrency exchange and a frontrunner in integrated Forex-Crypto trading. Committed to collaboration instead of competition, the exchange offers white-label solutions for institutional investors willing to venture into crypto trading services. Updating its asset listings and UI/UX designs, PayBito has offered its expertise in exchange solutions across the world including the Middle East, the US, Singapore, and more.
India's decision to impose 30% taxation may appear as a hindrance, but it's still inching closer towards acceptance, as opposed to a previously imposed ban. The decision encourages crypto service providers as well as institutional investors towards leveraging the best business opportunities presented by digital assets.
- About Raj Chowdhury:
Raj Chowdhury is the Managing Director of HashCash Consultants and PayBito, a global crypto exchange. Raj pioneered the first interbank Trade Finance and Remittance implementation of Blockchain Technology between two of the largest global banks. Raj is an eminent voice in the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency space and actively engages with policymakers in this area. He is a contributor to Economic Times, Business World, CNNMoney and advises industry leaders in the adoption of Blockchain. Author of the book 'The Dark Secret of the Silicon Valley', Raj is an investor in blockchain and cryptocurrency companies and an active member of the philanthropic community.
COLEEN F, Hashcash Digest, +14159662907, [email protected]


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Consumers instantly recognize them as household miracles of modern chemistry, a family of substances that keeps food from sticking to pots and pans, repels stains on furniture and rugs, and makes the rain roll off raincoats. Industry makes use of the slippery, heat-stable properties of these same chemicals to manufacture everything from airplanes and computers to cosmetics and household cleaners.   http://www.ewg.org/reports/pfcworld/es.php
WEEK 18 Apr 21st to 27th 2003
But in the past five years, the multi-billion dollar "perfluorochemical" (PFC) industry, which underpins such world-famous brands as Teflon, Stainmaster, Scotchgard and Gore-Tex, has emerged as a regulatory priority for scientists and officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The PFC family is characterized by chains of carbon atoms of varying lengths, to which fluorine atoms are strongly bonded, yielding essentially indestructible chemicals that until recently were thought to be biologically inert. No one thinks so now.
A flood of disturbing scientific findings since the late 1990s has abruptly elevated PFCs to the rogue gallery of the highly toxic, extraordinarily persistent chemicals that pervasively contaminate human blood and wildlife the world over. As more studies pour in, PFCs seem destined to supplant DDT, PCBs, dioxin and other chemicals as the most notorious, global chemical contaminants ever produced. Government scientists are especially concerned because unlike any other toxic chemicals, the most pervasive and toxic members of the PFC family never degrade in the environment.
The U.S. EPA peremptorily forced one member of this family off the market in 2000: PFOS, the active ingredient used for decades in the original formulation of 3M's popular Scotchgard stain and water repellent. Shortly thereafter, 3M also stopped manufacture of a related perfluorochemical, called PFOA, that is now under intense regulatory pressure at EPA. 3M formerly sold PFOA to DuPont, which has used PFOA for half a century in the manufacture of Teflon. (DuPont now now makes the chemical itself at a new facility in North Carolina.) Alarmed by findings from toxicity studies and by the presence of PFOA in the blood of more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, EPA is expected to announce initial steps to regulate the chemical in early April (2003).
This report provides the first, comprehensive review ever published of the pollution and health risks posed by PFCs, with special reference to PFOA. It is based on a review of 50,000 pages of regulatory studies and government documents obtained from EPA; internal documents from DuPont and 3M disclosed in ongoing litigation; and an examination of a growing body of independent studies on the toxicity and environmental occurrence of PFCs.
This report also explains how major companies like 3M and DuPont, who endlessly boast about their scientific prowess, could get away with permanently contaminating the entire planet for decades amid assurance from the chemical industry that it practices "responsible care" with respect to public health and the environment.
Consumers instantly recognize them as household miracles of modern chemistry, a family of substances that keeps food from sticking to pots and pans, repels stains on furniture and rugs, and makes the rain roll off raincoats. Industry makes use of the slippery, heat-stable properties of these same chemicals to manufacture everything from airplanes and computers to cosmetics and household cleaners.
Back to THE WEEKLY REPORT
Back to ARCHIVES


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A new version of RIM’s BlackBerry Music Gateway includes NFC pairing support, allowing BlackBerry NFC phone users to stream music from their phone to a home or car stereo. The Verge has a hands-on review of the US$49.99 device.
- SumUp and Payleven merge
- Payback to add NFC payments to mobile app
- PayPal CEO announces NFC payments expansion
- Deutsche Bank to launch NFC payments in Q3
- Gemalto named as leading mobile ticketing vendor


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The Hong Kong-based Asia Pacific Leather Fair (APLF) has announced the hosting of a special edition of APLF ASEAN in Bangkok, Thailand, from 19 – 21 October 2022 at the new Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. In addition, APLF Dubai 2023 from 13 -15 March 2023 at Sheikh Saeed Halls 1-3 and Trade Centre Arena, Dubai World Trade Centre in UAE.
Ms Grace Lee, Event Manager at Informa Markets Asia, and APLF Director, Mr David Bondi, Senior Vice President at Informa Markets Asia and Mr Suwatchai Wongcharoensin, President of Thai Tanning Industry Association, have announced the salient features of these upcoming events at the webinar press conference today.
Since 2019, when APLF was last held in Hong Kong, they believed that face-to-face access to buyers from China and Southeast Asia would be difficult due to travel and quarantine restrictions for international travellers. Luckily, when the spread of Covid 19 is over, the ten-nation ASEAN bloc has re-opened for business. With Bangkok at its commercial hub, the city will be the restart point to welcome back Asia-Pacific (APAC) buyers.
APLF ASEAN will be in a 3-in-1 format combining Leather, Materials+ and Fashion Access, where more than 300 exhibitors from around the world are expected to gather in Halls 1-2 of QSNCC, covering around 11,500 square meters. It is among the first events in QSNCC, a world-class exhibition centre in downtown Bangkok and will be in service starting September 2022.
The enthusiasm generated by APLF ASEAN in Bangkok has secured the active support of two of ASEAN’s leading tanning and footwear associations – namely the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) and the Thai Tanning Industry Association (TTIA).
“APLF ASEAN in Bangkok opens up an outstanding sourcing opportunity for leather and materials for regional manufacturers. Apart from being the leader in footwear and leather goods manufacturing in the region, Vietnam is one of the world’s biggest importing countries of leather and raw materials due to our robust manufacturing industries. LEFASO and our members are looking forward to supporting and participating at APLF ASEAN,” stated Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, Vice Chairwoman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (LEFASO).
“The Thai Tanning Industry Association (TTIA) is delighted to welcome APLF to Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok, to hold a special ASEAN edition of APLF in October. In addition, the international exhibitors and buyers expected to attend APLF ASEAN will be able to gain firsthand experience and knowledge of what the TTIA and its members have to offer in terms of products and expertise from its leather sector,” stated Suwatchai Wongcharoensin, President of Thai Tanning Industry Association.
ASEAN is the third-largest economy in Asia
ASEAN is a fast-expanding trade bloc consisting of 10 member states, namely: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The bloc is the third-largest economy in Asia after China and Japan, with a population of 660 million and total GDP growth of 5.5% in 2022, as forecast by the IMF.
ASEAN signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which entered into force on 1 January 2022, with its five regional trading partners, namely China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. RCEP has been billed as the world’s largest Free Trade agreement, accounting for about 30% of the world’s GDP and over a quarter of global trade. Initiatives proposed within RCEP include eliminating tariffs, reducing non-tariff trade barriers, strengthening supply chains, facilitating cross-border investments, business cooperation and e-commerce, and enhancing the protection of intellectual property rights.
APLF ASEAN is the first opportunity to meet buyers from Southeast Asia face-to-face since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020. International suppliers of raw materials, semi-finished and finished leather, tannery chemicals, footwear, leather goods, and all types of fashion accessories will rekindle and strengthen their business ties in this important economic region of Asia.
With restricted access to international suppliers for more than three years, the organisers of APLF ASEAN are confident that buyers from the regions will grasp the opportunity to visit the professional business platform offered by APLF in Bangkok and fulfil their sourcing requirements by meeting known and new suppliers.
“This special edition is made to reunite the international exhibitors and APAC buyers. While APLF Dubai was supported by many the Middle East and North African countries in March, we look forward to seeing more Southeast Asian buyers this time. A bit different from what we have had before, APLF ASEAN is not merely a tradeshow, but also combining matching, education and experiential elements.” stated David Bondi, Director of APLF and Senior Vice President at Informa Markets Asia.


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Elon Musk says Tesla isn't working on the $25,000 electric car it promised by 2023
Teslaisn't currently working on its $25,000 electric car.
- The company has too much on its plate, including a humanoid robot project, Musk said.
If you were waiting for Tesla to release a less expensive car before buying one, get ready to wait a little longer.
Tesla isn't working on the $25,000 electric car it promised would arrive around 2023,
"We're not currently working on the $25,000 car," the Tesla CEO said. "At some point we will, but we have enough on our plate right now, too much on our plate frankly."
Musk announced plans for the model during an event in August 2020. He said that as battery costs come down, Tesla would be able to launch a fully autonomous, $25,o00 vehicle. He didn't reveal what it would look like or any specifications, but said it would arrive in around three years.
Since Tesla's inception, the plan has been to start with high-end cars and, over time, introduce inexpensive, mass-market options. It started with the Roadster sports car, which cost around $100,000. Then it launched the Model S sedan and Model X SUV, expensive luxury vehicles that were slightly cheaper than the Roadster. Later on, the Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV introduced options in the $45,000-$60,000 range.
Tesla said the Model 3 would start at $35,000, but that pricepoint was never made widely available.
The $25,000 vehicle may soon join the ranks of long-delayed Tesla models that include the Cybertruck pickup, the Roadster supercar, and the Semi tractor-trailer. All were supposed to already be on the road, but are now delayed at least until 2023. During Tesla's fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, Musk confirmed that the automaker won't be releasing any new models in 2022 to focus on scaling production further.
Musk said on Wednesday that building a cheap car isn't as nearly as important as solving autonomous driving. Musk has long promised that Teslas would eventually be able to function as robotaxis that earn their owners passive income, thus offsetting the cost of the vehicle. Asking about the $25,000 vehicle is "the wrong question," Musk said.
Even as battery costs have declined and appetite for
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Chipset giant Qualcomm has announced upgrades to its best mobile phone chip currently, the 5G-cappable Qualcomm Spandragon 888 at the MWC 2021 in Barcelona. The new chip, named Spandragon 888 Plus will have CPU speeds of up to 3 GHz.
The Spandragon 888 Pus system-on-chip will feature Qualcomm’s powerful 64-bit Kryo 680 CPU improved from 2.84 GHz to 2.995 GHz. The CPU clock speed is deliberately rounded up to 3GHz in by Qualcomm, for marketing.
The chip will also feature Qualcomm’s sixth-gen AI engine, Hexagon 780 capable of 32 trillion operations per second (TOPS).
The new Spandragon 888 Plus is expected to appear in mobile devices that will come in Q3 2021 and beyond and among the early birds is Honor, who has already announced that its upcoming devices will feature the 888 plus chip.


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Search Results for 'counselling'
3 results found.
“A great week for Kinnegad” is how local councillor Denis Leonard described the opening of the new primary care unit and the creation of 80 jobs in the brand new Tesco store, within days of each other, in Kinnegad this week.
The new CEO of the HSE, Cathal Magee, attended his first official engagement in Westmeath this week when he launched the new Kinnegad Primary Care Team.
Spending wisely is the name of the game with the launch of MS Ireland’s Christmas campaign, according to a Westmeath woman who is living with Multiple Sclerosis.


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COSTA MESA, Calif. (9/11/14)--A recent study by Experian on student loan trends found that consumer debt is decreasing in every major consumer-lending category, with the exception of student loans.
From 2008 to 2014, student loans climbed 84%, surpassing home equity/lines of credit, credit card and automotive debt, according to Experian.
Forty million consumers carry at least one open student loan, with an average of 3.7 student loans per consumer. The average loan balance per consumer is $29,000 and the average balance per loan is $9,000.
"What is a really compelling statistic is that the average person has nearly four student loans," said Michele Raneri, Experian vice president of analytics. "Student loans are the only credit vehicle where a lender continues to extend credit year after year without knowing the person's ability, or even willingness, to pay.
"The borrower may not yet have had the chance to demonstrate positive payment behaviors, which is a criteria used in other types of lending scenarios," Raneri added.
The study also found that 13 million consumers age 18 to 34 have at least one student loan outstanding.
But the average VantageScore credit score of those consumers is 640, according to Experian, which is 20 points higher than the average for the group.
This finding potentially indicates that student loans can help improve or establish credit history for young people, and handling the loans in a responsible manner could pay dividends in terms of their credit down the road.


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The Works says it has started to see its online sales stabilise after falling back from pandemic peaks. It now sees a “significant opportunity” for ecommerce growth medium term for a channel that is now 50% larger than before Covid-19.
The discount books to arts and crafts retailer says in a first-half trading update that total sales grew by 2.1% in the six months to October 30 2022 compared to the same time last year – or by 0.6% on a like-for-like (LFL) basis that strips out the effect of store openings and closures. Store sales were up by 3.5% LFL while online sales fell by 16.9% – but remained 50% higher than before Covid-19.
Sales during the first half of the year were hit by a cyber security incident in March, which temporarily closed a small number of stores and disrupted online deliveries, and continued to have an impact on sales Into May. But The Works says store LFL sales improved from June onwards – and broke records during the back to school season. Store sales grew less strongly in the last six weeks. That’s partly, says The Works, because of the extra bank holiday – for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II – and partly because of strong performance in September and October 2021, when it believes that shoppers bought early for Christmas.
Online sales, meanwhile, were weaker than last year as shoppers returned to more normal shopping patterns in the wake of Covid-19 trading restrictions. Since then they have “gradually improved,” says The Works. “Online sales growth continue to track behind stores, but we are encouraged that the rate of decline has slowed progressively as trading through this channel stabilises and we continue to believe that there remains a significant opportunity for growth in this channel in the medium term,” it says in today’s statement.
Looking ahead, the retailer is cautious in the light of rising inflation and interest rates over the Christmas season, but says its value-led business is “more relevant than ever”. Its full-year expectations are unchanged. The market consensus for The Works’ adjusted earnings before interest, tax and one-off costs (EBITDA) is about £9m.
The Works chief executive Gavin Peck says: “We have delivered a resilient performance in the first half with positive sales growth overall, demonstrating continued progress against our “better, not just bigger” strategy. Our more customer-focused product proposition has continued to resonate, supported by the hard work and fantastic customer service delivered by our colleagues, helping to offset the challenging trading conditions being seen across the market.
“Although it is very difficult to predict what Christmas will look like this year, we believe that the great products and fantastic value we offer will be more important than ever, with families still looking to celebrate Christmas but in a more affordable way. The Works has proven itself to be a resilient business and we remain confident in our ability to make progress on our strategy and deliver growth in the medium term, supported by a robust balance sheet.”
At the end of the half-year, The Works had net cash of £11m. The Works is ranked Top100 in RXUK Top500 research.


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It’s been over a month since Balenciaga was first accused of sexualizing kids in two controversial advert campaigns. The primary, as a part of a vacation gifting sequence, confirmed kids holding purses that seemed like teddy bears wearing bondage gear. The second was a spring 2023 commercial, launched 5 days later, displaying a purse perched on a pile of paper, which reportedly included paperwork referencing a U.S. Supreme Courtroom case about baby pornography. Since these regrettable releases, the backlash towards Balenciaga has solely intensified.
For starters, celebrities that work with the model have been known as on to publicly reduce ties. Bella Hadid reportedly deleted a number of promotional Instagram posts. Alexa Demie is rumoured to have ended her relationship with the fashion house. Most notably, Kim Kardashian, who has arguably been Balenciaga’s largest supporter over the previous yr, shared an announcement condemning the marketing campaign and revealing that she’s “re-evaluating” her relationship with the posh label.
On social media, the destruction of Balenciaga merchandise has emerged as a development of its personal; a approach of publicly taking a stand towards the model. On the time of publishing, #CancelBalenciaga has 255 million views on TikTok (and rising). Inside that hashtag, viral movies present folks burning their sneakers, slicing open their shoulder luggage or attempting to rip up their clutches. However these theatrical shows of disdain increase their very own set of sustainability and ethical issues. All of it leads us to ask: Is there a proper technique to “cancel” Balenciaga? Right here’s what it is best to know.
It shouldn’t be the patron’s job to reply for Balenciaga’s actions
Over the previous few weeks, Balenciaga and artistic director Demna have been accused of deflecting blame. After threatening authorized motion towards “the events accountable,” the model reportedly initiated a $25 million lawsuit towards the manufacturing firm and set designer for the spring 2023 commercial shoot. This prompted more industry backlash, and per week later, the lawsuit was dropped. Regardless of issuing a number of apologies, these actions have, in some ways, additional alienated longtime supporters.
Toronto-based couple Anjli Patel and Parambir Keila, who’ve been Balenciaga prospects for 15 years, are one such instance. Most of their private assortment contains objects by Nicolas Ghesquière, the label’s inventive director from 1997 to 2012. The 2 items they personal that had been designed by Demna — a pair of velocity trainers and a 3D-printed jacket from the autumn 2018 assortment — they now not plan to put on. “Pre-scandal, a part of Demna’s legacy was designing and presenting (in our opinion) the one greatest modern-day couture assortment: Balenciaga high fashion fall 2021,” they write in an electronic mail. “Now Demna’s designs and legacy are tainted by pushing pedophilia.” They are saying so long as Demna stays the inventive director, they gained’t be shopping for Balenciaga in any respect.
However on social media, the development of burning, chopping up or trashing Balenciaga objects sends the incorrect thought, says Shelley Haines, a lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan College’s Trend program and a Ph.D. candidate finding out sustainable style. “It [puts pressure] on the patron who has already spent cash on these merchandise — and so they’re clearly actually costly — to then simply eliminate them and to create a present of that,” she says. “Which I feel is considerably problematic.” The factor is, many individuals save up for months (or years) to purchase a designer merchandise. And as soon as they do, it could maintain a private connection or completely happy reminiscence that transcends the model itself. In the end, Haines says you shouldn’t really feel pressured to throw away belongings you already personal due to this controversy. To not point out, doing so is needlessly wasteful.
Destroying your Balenciaga garments is *not* a sustainable answer
Burning or chopping a garment makes a robust assertion of anti-Balenciaga solidarity, says Haines. However whereas it could garner hundreds of thousands of views, it doesn’t instantly assist those that had been harmed within the controversy or clear up something long-term. “I feel if we noticed Kim Kardashian doing that, who’s made some huge cash from the corporate, it will be fairly important,” she explains. “However any person who has invested their very own cash to show round and burn it? I don’t know that that message is translating to Balenciaga in the identical approach.”
In actual fact, ripping one thing to shreds and tossing it away solely creates extra textile waste, thereby contributing to a serious situation within the style trade. “Our landfills are inundated with garments already,” says Haines. “So it’s perpetuating that current drawback.” Plus, burning garments made with artificial materials like cotton-polyester blends or dyed leather-based solely places extra pressure on the atmosphere. “It’s simply releasing new chemical compounds into the air,” she says.
Donating your Balenciaga objects isn’t all the time the reply both
Some say folks ought to give their Balenciaga items to thrift shops, as it will make the model extra accessible and finally trigger it to lose its luxurious standing. Haines agrees with this logic. “Sending it to the thrift retailer actually devalues the model. It will not be what the model needed,” she says, including that many firms purposely destroy their merchandise in an effort to keep away from having them wind up in thrift shops.
“However then, it additionally places a burden on any person that possibly can’t afford it initially,” she continues. “It places them in a state of affairs the place now they’ll acquire it, however they’re additionally maybe supporting one thing that they don’t imagine in, or they’re not even actually acquainted with.”
And whereas it’s much less wasteful than sending one thing to a landfill, second-hand donations aren’t as sustainable as you may suppose. “Our thrift shops have approach an excessive amount of product and so they barely maintain any of it. They only ship it to different international locations and place the burden on them,” explains Haines. “What we donate is a small fraction of what we truly see in our native shops.” As for Patel and Keila, they are saying they plan to provide their 3D-printed runway jacket to a museum. However what about objects that aren’t collectibles?
Strive upcycling the Balenciaga items you personal
“It’s all the time greatest to maintain what you have already got, and to maintain it going so long as you may,” says Haines. If you wish to take a stand towards Balenciaga, she suggests getting inventive. As an example, by deconstructing and remaking one thing your self — like turning a sweater right into a pillow — you may construct a optimistic affiliation with it. “[People] might even protest with the garment by by some means destroying or manipulating the identify,” she says, noting that you could add your personal designs or cowl up sure letters to distort the emblem.
Alternatively, she suggests hiding the Balenciaga branding altogether. Working example: some TikTok customers have lined label-emblazoned sweaters with black duct tape or tucked-in logo-shaped purse clasps to cover traces of the identify. “You’re nonetheless sporting the merchandise, however you’re now not sporting it as a illustration of the model,” says Haines. “It’s now turn into your personal, and it means one thing else.”
The underside line? Be aware of what you purchase
Earlier this yr, Balenciaga was named the most popular fashion brand in the world. Now, it’s presumably probably the most contentious. This could function a lesson to suppose extra critically in regards to the garments we purchase, explains Haines. “I feel that we’ve seen sufficient examples now that the longevity of a model isn’t all the time sure,” she says.
Emblem-heavy objects could faucet into a stylish second, however they don’t all the time stand the take a look at of time. Earlier than shopping for one thing designer, Haines suggests contemplating: “If issues had been to alter for the model, do I’ve one thing with a brand throughout it? [Will I] be representing the model each time I put on this?” In that case, attempt choosing a extra refined garment that may nonetheless be worn if the corporate sometime finds itself embroiled in controversy or does one thing you morally disagree with. Above all, purchase one thing since you like it, not simply because it’s well-liked. Take Patel and Keila, who don’t have any plans to cease sporting their Ghesquière-era Balenciaga items. “If something, we now have a deeper reverence for these designs with every passing yr,” they are saying.
The very fact is: any model can fall from grace. However Haines says we should always reframe the best way we take into consideration coping with it. As an alternative of swiftly throwing issues away, take into account how you can store transferring ahead. “I don’t suppose you must eat essentially in worry of each model being cancelled, however simply pondering extra usually [about] what that may look [like] as issues change or evolve.”


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Microsoft set to unveil new Surface tablets on Sept. 23
AFPSAN FRANCISCO--Microsoft on Monday sent out invitations to a Sept. 23 event at which it is expected to unveil new Surface tablets to challenge iPads and Android devices dominating the market.
September 11, 2013, 12:11 am TWN
The event to be held in New York comes as the U.S. technology giant struggles to remain relevant as Internet age lifestyles shift from traditional computers to smartphones and tablets.
Email invitations to the “Surface NYC event” revealed little more than time and place details displayed over a graphic image of a Surface tablet and matching keyboard.
Microsoft last month knocked US$100 off the price of high-end versions of its Surface tablet, which is competing against Apple's iPad and devices that use Google's Android system.
The software giant's online store is offering U.S. consumers the Surface Pro for US$799 or US$899, depending on memory capacity, down from US$899 and US$999 respectively.
The Surface RT is a basic version of the tablet, which got a 30 percent price cut earlier in the year after failing to gain traction in the market.
The Surface RT price dropped to US$349 from US$499.
The promotion came on the heels of shabby tablet sales that resulted in Microsoft taking a US$900 million charge against fourth quarter earnings, which closed at the end of June.
The charge exceeds sales of the tablet since it was launched at the end of October 2012, estimated by the company at US$853 million.
Surface was introduced to showcase Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system, which was launched at the same time in a bid to make up for ground lost to Apple and Google in the mobile domain.


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Samsung is forever busy. It may not be working on the Galaxy Note series for this year but the company has a lot of other smartphones to introduce. Aside from the premium foldable phones due the second half of 2021, the South Korean tech giant is also expected to announce a slew of mid-range phones. We’ve mentioned several Galaxy A and Galaxy M smartphones. Now we’re learning about a new Galaxy F device. Photos of the Samsung Galaxy F52 5G have surfaced online.
The Samsung Galaxy F52 5G is anticipated for an end of May release. We believe it’s almost ready as one was able to share images of the smartphone on Weibo. The hands-on photos seem light and we believe it’s almost ready in China and may be out in Europe soon.
The Galaxy F52 5G could be priced at CNY 2,000 which is around $310. Known as phone with model number SM-E5260, this device shows a punch hole selfie camera in the top right area of the display. That’s different because it’s usually in the center for most Galaxy phones.
When it comes to imaging, there is a quad camera system with an LED flash. Specs are said to include a 6.57-inch LCD screen with 1080p+ resolution, 128GB onboard storage, 8GB of RAM, microSD slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C port, and a 4350mAh battery with 25W fast charging. We can also expect a Snapdragon 750G processor.
The smartphone will already run on Android 11 out of the box. It may be lower than the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G although performance may be similar because of the decision to use the same Snapdragon 750G chipset.


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LEWISVILLE, Texas -- Aerospace components manufacturer MilesTek has released a new line of DVI cable assemblies with straight, 45- and 90-degree connector options.
The company said the products are designed specifically for enclosure, cabinets and other confined spaces where standard DVI connections won't fit.
The line is built "with only the highest quality cable," said Mark Hearn, MilesTek product manager, providing "flawless video display."
The cables are available for immediate shipment. For more information, visit MilesTek's website here.


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You have searched for economic slowdown
- China's economic slowdown adversely affected India: Rajan
China's pain of economic slowdown is India's pain too, RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said contradicting government assertions that India will not be affected by deceleration of Chinese economy.Finance minister Arun Jaitley had told a gathering at Columbia University last month that India is "not impacted" by the slowdown.
- China's foreign trade declines further amid economic slowdown
China's foreign trade dropped nine per cent year on year to 2.06 trillion yuan (USD 325 billion) in October, the eighth consecutive monthly decline as exports and imports registered a sharp decrease in the midst of continued slowdown of the world's second largest economy.
- JNPCT defies slowdown, grows at 10%
NAVI MUMBAI: JNPCT (the container terminal of JNPT), the government operated among the two other private terminals at the port, has defied the national slowdown and actually outpaced 8-9 other government run major container cargo ports in the country in a period of slowdown witnessed in the port sector. The JNPT’s own terminal has a positive story on foreign trade sector and it hopes to continue with its good run in the new fiscal. JNPT deputy chairman, Neeraj Bansal said, `` it is very relevant to note that when a slowdown has been reported since late last year, our terminal has done well and grown at around 10 % in the total number of containers handled for export and import in the last fiscal 2015-16 over the previous 2014-15. We have achieved 25 % of target in the first quarter in the current fiscal-- handled 4 lakh containers against 16 lakh target in 2016-17.’’ Having achieved 25 % of the target in the first quarter, JNPT has pinned its hopes on better performance of the economy mostly on Maharashtra, Delhi and NCR and Gujarat. Quick facts During the year 2015-16, JNPCT handled 14,29,277 TEUs as against 12,94,002 TEUs handled in 2014-15 with a growth of 10.45% over the previous year. With the current trend, JNPCT is expected to handle around 16,00,000 TEUs during the year 2016-17, which will again result in 10% increase over the previous year. Collectively JNPT (comprising a Terminal JNPCT run by JNPT itself, APM and DP World) is expected to handle 4.8 Million TEUs during the year 2016-17 as against 4.4 Million TEUs handled in 2015-16, which will result in 10% increase over the previous year. One 20 foot container is expressed as one Twenty foot Equivalent Unit (1 TEU). One 40 foot container is equivalent to two 20 foot containers i.e. 2 TEUs. This is how the container volume is quantified globally.
- India defying global slowdown, poised to seize opportunity: FM
New Delhi, Aug 7 () Giving credit to an aspirational society for forcing politicians to support reforms, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said Indian economy has defied global slowdown and geo-political tensions and is now poised to seize the opportunity to grow faster.
- European stocks falter on economic data
London, July 19, 2016 (AFP) -Europe's main stock markets slid on Tuesday in the wake of regional economic data including news of higher British inflation -- and as widespread Asian losses offset record-highs on Wall Street. Around 1015 GMT, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 0.
- 'Economic reasons for migration in W UP'
Contrary to the claims of BJP leaders of mass migration of Hinuds from Kairana, reports of the Census of India, controlled by the Government of India, show economic reasons have led to migration of rural population to urban pockets in half a dozen district of western Uttar Pradesh has increased in the last 20 years.


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Video - Food and Recipes
Posted on May 23, 2014 at 12:27 PM
An iconic Portland food truck pod is going away. “Cartopia” in Southeast Portland pioneered the food cart phenomenon six years ago. The business owners helped create the image that much of the nation has of Portland.


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LAHORE: The removal of restrictions on export of half of the projected sugar surplus (about 0.5 million tons) from the current harvest is estimated to fetch $300 million, lift pressure on its domestic prices and enable the millers to lift the new bumper cane crop and pay off banks and growers.
The sugar industry, which started the current harvest with a carryover stock of 0.6 million tons, expects to produce 4.8 million tons sugar by the end of the season in April, creating a surplus of one to 1.2 million tons. The expectation of surplus production has brought huge pressures on its domestic price, which fell by almost Rs15 per kilo from early November.
“If the prices keep sliding we will not be able to recover our cost and pay off the growers and the banks,” said Mr Javed Kayani, chairman of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA). “The government should help stabilise market by procuring at least half a million tons of sugar to replenish its buffer stocks and allowing the mills to export the rest of surplus,” he said.
He insisted that the mills would still be left with exportable even if the government procures the promised quantity of 0.7 million tons. Hence, it was important that the restrictions on sugar export be lifted to enable the mills to overcome their liquidity crunch and pay off their growers and banks.
Besides the expectations of surplus production, the Economic Coordination Committee’s decision last week to scrap the November tenders for the procurement of 0.2 million tons of sugar after 40 days of accepting the bids has also increased pressure on the sweetener’s domestic prices and created uncertainty in the market.
Though the ECC has decided to float fresh tenders for buying sugar through Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), it is not clear when the new bids will be invited.
“We want to government to continue buying sugar from us until it replenishes TCP buffer stocks of 0.7 million tons or equivalent of two months’ domestic requirements. But we are not sure as to when will the TCP start procurement of the sweetener. Nor are we certain about the government plans to purchase more at a later stage to help us clear the surplus and stabilise the market,” Mr Kayani told Dawn on Tuesday.
The millers claim that the scrapping of the November bids has caused the mills a loss of almost Rs3 billion. “If the government does not feel like procuring surplus sugar from the local mills for its buffer stocks it should allow us export it to release the pressure on its domestic prices,” Mr Kayani said.
He said the price differential of Rs34 a kilo in the domestic and international price of sugar would help the millers cover their losses caused by low prices in the local market in addition to earning huge foreign exchange at a time when the country was to start repayment of International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans from February.
“If we export half a million tons of sugar now, we will be able to earn $300 million, which forms 25 per cent of the first $1.2 billion IMF repayment installment.”
He said the government would save almost Rs7 billion if it locally procured sugar for replenishing its stocks. “With the domestic prices already bottomed out, it is a good opportunity for the government to buy local sugar,” he argued.


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What follows is an excerpt from one of RetailWire’s recent online discussions featuring commentary from its “BrainTrust” panel of retail industry experts.
Okay, so the gas-powered car killed the horse and buggy as a mode of transportation (excluding the Amish). Video apparently killed the radio star. So what’s next to go? According to a Bloomberg report, plastic credit and debit cards may be doomed by smartphones.
As it turns out, a number of wireless carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, along with Discover Financial Services and Barclays, have formed a partnership and are testing a system in four U.S. cities that allows consumers to pay for purchases with a wave of their smartphones.
The service being tested is said to be similar to those already in place in Europe and Asia. Discover would process payments and Barclays would help with the management of accounts.
If successful, the test could be the beginning of real competition for MasterCard and Visa.
“What is a cell phone, except a mechanism for consumers to address their lives in whatever way they choose,” Gary Townsend, CEO of the Hill-Townsend Capital hedge fund, told Bloomberg. “There’s certainly no reason if an AT&T account can effectively be carried on a phone that a JPMorgan or a Wells Fargo card can’t be there, too. In fact, the antitrust issues would demand that that be allowed.”
Retailers, many of which have been engaged in a rancorous dispute with the major credit card companies over interchange fees, are generally supportive of any alternatives that make the payment market more competitive.
“The emergence of a secure and reliable competing network that serves the demand from consumers for mobility payment options and reduces retailers’ costs would be welcomed news,” Brian Dodge, a spokesperson for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, told Bloomberg.
RetailWire BrainTrust comments:
We are more than 50 percent of the way there, in my opinion. PayPal mobile can be accepted in some locations. I’ve paid for coffee using a mobile Starbucks card. While credit card companies and phone companies duke it out over who’s going to try to take the biggest slice of the transaction, merchant service providers and retailers are moving on, using prepaid cards and gift cards as a way to break the logjam.
And new mobile payment providers seem to pop up every day. I’m not sure that any of them will last once the big guys finally work it out and jump in, but right now it’s the wild, wild west out there — and that’s definitely good for the industry. – Nikki Baird, Managing Partner, Retail Systems Research
Mobile apps may supplement (and provide competition for) the credit card industry in the short term, but there are several roadblocks preventing “plastic” from becoming obsolete anytime soon. First, users of smartphones need to ensure the security of the devices; second, the costs of the phones (and data plans) are a big handicap to many potential users. The whole idea of “sponsored” smartphones (where you subscribe to particular apps such as credit card companies in exchange for subsidized data plans) needs further development. – Richard Seesel, Principal, Retailing In Focus LLC
The idea is completely logical and the driver here — more competition for the card companies — makes alternative payment methods in the interest of retailers. It will also put carriers right in the middle of the monetization of mobile. However, the consumer value proposition appears rather weak — as opposed to paying with a credit card, I can pay with my phone. That alone I think is insufficient; there needs to be some kind of rewards, loyalty, or marketing integration with the system that provides incentives for customers to use mobile devices rather than cards. The credit card companies are master marketers with lots of consumer data, so don’t count them out of this equation quite yet. – Gib Bassett, Director of Sales and Marketing, Interactive Mediums
So the advantage of using the cell phone becomes merely a convenience issue for the consumer. Is it easier to carry around all your ID information in your cell phone and get rid of your wallet altogether? We already carry pictures and music in our phones. If we could add all our ID cards and use them for payment, I can envision the day when the wallet becomes completely obsolete. Combine this with an unlock feature for automobiles, door locks, etc. and the cell phone can also eliminate keys. Finally, you need a tethering feature so that if you walk out of range from your phone it will begin ringing and shutdown before someone else can use it. – Bill Bittner, President, BWH Consulting
Something’s got to give here. The current state feels like a classic situation in which an emerging technology crashes into a marketplace inefficacy — and guess who usually wins? (Raise your hand if you are still paying big bucks to a land line phone or cable company!). This feels more like a “when” than a “whether.”
The smartest retailers will consider this transformation holistically. The fact that the device that will soon be at the center of the payment step of the transaction is also a potential pipeline for almost unlimited real time communication with a valued shopper will not be lost on them. What other shopper marketing, messaging, offers, information, etc, can be put into that pipeline? What shopper insights can be gained? How can phones (with GPS) enable higher order category management? At the end of the day, the simple act of paying might be one of the more mundane aspects of this brave new world. – Alison Chaltas, Principal, Interscope


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Shortly before everyone in the offices of Trevelino/Keller packed up their things to work from home on Friday, principal and co-founder Genna Keller took a peek into the Atlanta PR firm’s supply closet and was surprised by what she saw. There, before her eyes, was a supply of toilet paper—a lot of toilet paper. Like, about 150 rolls of it.
Under any other circumstances, there would have been nothing notable about such a sight. But not this week. Since coronavirus hotspots began popping up across the country about a week ago, the first commodity that panic buyers stripped from store shelves was toilet paper. Keller had already heard about the shortage; it was all over the news.
“Every time I’d read a story, an image would pop up about people losing their minds about toilet paper,” Keller said. “And you’d look at it and think, ‘What in the world is happening that people are fighting about toilet paper and that it’s all wiped out?’ No pun intended.”
And since TP has joined the ranks of hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and face masks as commodities that can’t be found, Keller had an idea: Why not just give her firm’s stock away? It wasn’t doing any good sitting in the supply closet in an empty office. Discovering that the URL ToiletPaperExchange.com was available, Keller bought it. Then, after ordering more toilet paper from her office supplier, she announced that her company would be giving it out on Tuesday: One roll per car, tossed into an open window to comply with the social-distancing mandate.
She announced the giveaway at 2 p.m. By 5 p.m., the cars were lining up.
As coronavirus has clawed its way across a hapless country, forcing people to cower and home and rewriting most every convention of the free-market economy, Trevelino/Keller is one of many companies that have opted to devote their energies to giving away free stuff. The motive? Altruism, of course—with maybe a little bit of marketing thrown in.
“This is a time of incredible anxiety and uncertainty, and every person on the planet is sharing this experience. In response to this health and humanitarian crisis, many brands are responding in an effort to show the world’s citizens some compassion by providing free of charge products and services, that only a week ago we would have paid for,” said FutureBrand consumer client director Meghan Labot. “We have to believe that the motivation behind these gestures is genuine. Those making the decisions to do so are human too.”
Let the giveaways begin
Freebies started showing up as early as two weeks ago, when coronavirus fears were just beginning to percolate on a national level. On March 3, Google announced that it would grant free access to its Hangouts Meet video conferencing tool to its G Suite and G Suite for Education members, allowing them to have meetings with up to 250 people and livestream to up to 100,000 viewers—features usually available only with the Enterprise editions of the tool. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted that “we wanted to help businesses and schools impacted by COVID-19 stay connected.”
Google may often be cited as a business pioneer, but the adult entertainment business also led the way in freebies. On March 9, Déjà Vu Services, which operates 132 strip clubs in 41 U.S. states as well as across Europe, started giving away 10,000 free face masks to patrons of its Tampa location and 50,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to customers at Little Darlings, its club in Las Vegas. Stocks of the sanitizer ran out after two days. “It might seem silly,” said Mark Figueroa, the Tampa club’s general manager, in a statement, “but we take the health of our guests very seriously.” (Not to be outdone by a strip club, Pornhub opened up its Premium access to would-be viewers quarantined in Italy on Friday the 13th.)
As the pandemic has grown, disrupting daily chores as simple as going to the store or an exercise class, the giveaways have multiplied.
Last week, Comcast announced it would start giving away two free months of internet services to low-income families. One by one, publishers began taking down paywalls. And U-Haul president John Taylor announced that the company would offer 30 days of free storage to college students who found themselves suddenly booted from campus.
Then, starting this Monday, more brands joined in. Spectrum began opening up its Wi-Fi hotspots for public use and offering free broadband for the next 60 days to households with K-12 and college kids. Sweetgreen began delivering free salads to hospitals. Burger King has committed all of its restaurants across the country to giving away two free kids meals with every purchase of a regular combo.
Get a workout, learn something new
On the health and wellness front, Planet Fitness and 305 Fitness have started offering free at-home streaming workouts via Facebook and YouTube, respectively. PopSugar decided today to make its fitness app, Active by PopSugar, free “for the foreseeable future.” The lifestyle content platform had been planning to launch the app for some time now, but “last Friday as people started implementing work from home policies and navigating shelter in place mandates, we thought this was something people could really use now, so we worked through the weekend to get it out,” general manager Angelica Marden told Adweek. The app already has close to 10,000 signups since its soft launch a few days ago.
Some of the giveaways center on entertainment, giving people who are working from home and slowly losing their minds something interesting to look at. The NFL has decided to offer complimentary access to its NFL Game Pass, which will furnish “the opportunity to relive incredible NFL games and moments from seasons past”—a fitting thing, since live sports events have been canceled due to the ban on large gatherings, with leagues either suspending their current seasons or delaying opening day.
For homebound professionals aiming to sharpen their skills, social media agency Harmon Brothers has announced that it’s giving away a month of access to its 14 Day Script Writing Challenge online course. The class, part of the firm’s Harmon Brothers University platform, normally costs $197. “These are highly uncertain times, especially as information seems to change day by day. We wanted to do our part and help provide some sense of relief to teams struggling to navigate the situation,” Harmon Brothers CEO Benton Crane said in a statement.
Stuff you can’t find anywhere else
Many of the giveaways have centered on the kind of scarce commodities that have vanished from store shelves.
Earlier this week in Washington, D.C., the Republic Restoratives Distillery started giving away free hand sanitizer—a formula that the popular craft cocktail bar made on its own with the high-proof alcohol it had on the property anyway. Patrons who buy a bottle of brandy, bourbon or vodka—which Republic delivers—receive a free batch of sanitizer, tastefully tagged with the bar’s logo. (In fact, distilleries across the country have been stepping up with homemade hand sanitizers at a time when a bottle of Purell can’t be hand for any price.)


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On 16th May, 2019, Mr. Vuk Guberinic, the CEO of Serbian electric automobile company CarGo visited China-Europe Association for Technical and Economic Cooperation Shanghai (CEATEC Shanghai), being warmly welcomed by the director Ms. Chen Hui.
The Central and Eastern Europe, as a new market for entrepreneurial development, countered are mostly small and culturally diverse, which has caused many international companies such as Uber, to be unacceptable and finally withdraw from the market. At the same time, local brand rapidly emerging, and CarGo is one of them. Target markets of the company radiates to Serbia, Switzerland, and Hungary. In the future, it will continuously expand to the entire Balkan region of Europe, Italy, and Turkey. It is also one of the fastest growing companies in the past three years. With the initial €250,000 angel round of financing, the platform currently has a total of 450,000 registered users, including100,000 active users, 60,000 member card users and 450 enterprise users, working well in the capital city of 8 countries. Among them, Belgrade (the Serbian capital) was the earliest in operation, with a turnover of €43,500 in January 2018 and a turnover of €300,000 in December 2018 (the turnover of one city increased nearly seven-fold in one year). By April 2019, the monthly turnover had reached €635,000.
On the afternoon, Mr. Vuk Guberinic attended an online meeting with Mr. Emmanuel, the business development manager of Didi Global, through the project matching by CEATEC Shanghai. The two sides conducted in-depth discussions on the international expansion of Didi, especially its European regional expansion. Through this meeting, the two sides communicated the potential and prospects of cooperation. Mr. Vuk Guberinic expressed his willingness of finding suitable investment partners in China through the support of CEATEC Shanghai, jointly promoting the cooperation of market expansion and platform promotion. Later at the same day, Mr. Vuk Guberinic signed with Mr. Joshua Wu, Director of International Cooperation Department and Investment Partner of Silk Passage Consultancy, authorizing the CEATEC Shanghai as the agency of CarGo in China.
On 17th May, 2019, Mr. Vuk Guberinic attended the “Europe-China Economic and Trade Forum” Shanghai Summit, and further met and communicated with Ms. Chen Jingyue, the Vice President of CEATEC. Ms. Chen Jingyue made an optimistic view on the cooperation between China and Serbia, especially for the electronic vehicles, and appreciated the initiative and entrepreneurship that Mr. Vuk Guberinic decides to come to China. Mr. Vuk Guberinic said that during his visit in Shanghai, all the arrangement and docking work of CEATEC Shanghai was very professional and impressive, and he highly praised it. Besides, he hoped CEATEC and overseas partners would further strengthen such an efficient cooperation framework, and promote the development between China and EU middle- and small- innovation enterprises. Mr. Vuk Guberinic said, he was deeply touched by the development of Chinese electric vehicle industry and the automotive service sharing industry. He would like to purchase the 2-seat and 4-seat small electric vehicles in China. Ms. Chen Jingyue invited Mr. Vuk Guberinic to come to Shanghai again during the 2019 CIIE, participate in more events, and communicate with more car companies via CEATEC.
At 2pm on 17th, Ms Sapphire Tang, the Deputy Director of International Cooperation Department of CEATEC Shanghai and the partner of Silk Passage Business Consultancy, with Mr. Vuk Guberinic, the CEO of CarGo, visited Alibaba’s Banma Network Technology Co., Ltd. Banma is a company providing smart solutions for the automobiles. Mr. Yan Zhu, the Vice President, Mr. Ji Donghui, the chief of Strategic Planning, and Ms. Yang Chaoyue led the discussion with Ms. Sapphire Tang and Mr. Vuk Guberinic.
Mr. Yan Zhu personally operated and displayed Banma’s internet car intelligent platform and system - ‘Banma Zhixing’ in the car. Afterwards, he introduced the history, development status, and awards of Banma. Finally, the two sides discussed topics on Smart Travel, AR Technology, Automatic Cruise Detection, Internet Car Platform, and etc. Mr. Vuk Guberinic and Mr. Yan Zhu shared their existing business models, and expressed their willingness to further cooperate.
On the night, Mr. Vuk Guberinic, Ms. Chen Jingyue, Ms. Chen Hui, and their entourage boarded on the yacht traveling the Huangpu River, experiencing Chinese kindly hospitality, exploring the resplendent night view of Shanghai.
On 18th, Mr. Joshua Wu and Ms. Sapphire Tang hosted an afternoon tea meeting with Mr. Vuk Guberinic, with the Perfect view from Shanghai Global Financial Center. They exchanged the feedbacks of the meetings during these days and insights of ride sharing industry in China, Mr. Vuk Guberinic also shared about the further needs for the cooperation of CarGo with other Chinese companies.
Through this meeting, our CEATEC Shanghai will continuously promote the communication and cooperation between CarGo and Chinese investors. We also expected for its outstanding performance on Internet Automobile and Smart Travel.


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30% drop in the registration of vineyards for the export of grapes
Nashik district has seen a 30% drop in the registration of vineyards producing table grapes for export. According to the Grape Exporters Association of India (GEAI), many grape growers have refrained from registering their vineyards for export due to various challenges. Rising transport costs and prices for packaging materials are among the main reasons. While container freight costs have nearly doubled, packaging material costs have increased by 30%.
In accordance with government standards, it is mandatory for farmers wishing to export grapes to register their vineyards with the National Department of Agriculture. As of 2020, some 37,090 farmers had registered their vineyards, involving 22,790 hectares of land. This year, the registration of vineyards for the export of grapes has dropped by 30%. Only 25,571 farmers registered, involving 13,248 hectares.
Nashik district exported 129,000 tons of grapes in the last wine season. Out of this quantity, 96,000 tons of grapes were exported to European countries like the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, etc., while the remaining 33,000 tons of grapes were exported to non-European countries. European countries such as Russia, Malaysia, Dubai, etc.


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The fresh funds will be used to develop its technology
The startup is looking to expand its operations to new cities
It uses VR to design offices, restaurants, educational and financial institutions, and hotels
Mumbai-based interior design startup Flipspaces has raised $3.5 Mn (INR 20.9 Cr) from private equity fund Carpediem Capital. According to the startup which uses virtual reality technology, this fund will be used to expand its operations in new cities.
The startup, founded in 2015 by Kunal Sharma and Ankur Muchhal, offers a technology enabled approach to design visualisation and efficient project management process. Its features allow customers to experience potential design projects interactively and enables them to make design changes in real time.
Commenting on the investment, Hithendra Ramachandran, managing director, Carpediem Capital said, “Currently, less than 20% of the market is serviced by organised entities and about 80% of the market is serviced by local unorganised contractors. This gap allows an opportunity to create a model of scale, backed by technology enabled design and execution.”
Flipspaces said that currently it is operational in Bengaluru and Mumbai and it plans to expand its services in nearly six to eight commercial hotspots in India.
The company has claimed to have executed projects for over 1.5 Mn sq ft of commercial spaces. Some of its portfolio companies include Bosch, Radiomirchi, Quantiphi, Indiqube, Regus, Nobroker, Coverfox, Razorpay, Playsimplegames, Moveinsync, Thoucentric and Busago among others.
Their product Vizwalk is a virtual reality-based application which generates a simulated walk through experience for its users in a virtual environment. This allows the users to make real-time changes to changes and fixtures in their design. Earlier, reports had stated that the startup which was bootstrapped prior to this round had generated $1Mn (INR 6.9 Cr) revenue within three months.
According to a Technavio report, the online home décor market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 50.42% in revenue over the period 2014-2019.
Last month, Bengaluru-based online interior design platform Design Cafe had raised $28.5 Mn (INR 200 Cr) equity-financing round led by private equity firm WestBridge Capital in participation with existing investor Fireside Ventures.
Earlier in July 2018, virtual reality startup SmartVizX had raised $1.4 Mn (INR 10 Cr) in a pre-Series A funding round led by Indian Angel Network’s eponymous fund and angel fund YourNest Venture Capital. In the same month, VR focused home decor solutions startup Foyr raised an extended Series A round of $4.2 Mn (INR 29.2 Cr) from SRI capital and its existing investors.
In September 2018, real estate listing platform Housing.com had also launched its VR product, ‘RealtyVision 2.0’ which offers 3D walkthrough experience to the users. Some other startups in this space are Purple Turtles, Renomania, Houseome, Marks Dzyn, Arrivae.


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Rite Aid is experimenting with a new interactive kiosk to help consumers navigate a complex category to shop — vitamins and nutritional supplements. According to Rite Aid EVP of merchandising Tony Montini, the initial customer response has been extremely positive.
In a major victory for the administration of President Barack Obama, the Supreme Court issued on Thursday a 6-3 decision in King v. Burwell, upholding tax credits to help lower income individuals and families buy health insurance.
Pfizer Consumer Healthcare in May joined the gummy vitamin lineup with the launch of Centrum MultiGummies, adding the leading multivitamin brand to the number of adult gummy vitamin options on the shelf.
The retail behemoth that is Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is fixing its sights on a new target: the nation’s overstretched and overly costly primary healthcare system. The result could be a major disruption of that system and the acceleration of health reform in America.


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Verizon Wireless customers will soon be able to get their hands on the much-anticipated Google Android phone called the Droid.
Verizon and Motorola officially unveiled the device, which, like most smartphones of its class, will cost $199 with a two-year contract. And it will be available to consumers starting November 6.
The device offers voice-activated search that allows users to speak a query, and the Google-powered search engine delivers Web results or device-native results such as stored contacts, music, and photos. The voice search also works with the new turn-by-turn directions for Google Maps. It allows users to view geographic … Read more


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HP has just announced three new Envy printers for the home user, the Envy 7640, 5640 and 5530. The flagship model comes with the new Wi-Fi Direct feature and NFC, while all printers feature HP print apps. Curious to find out more? Hit the link then.
Brother International Singapore has announced its latest round of printers, which include a multi-function inkjet printer as well as new monochrome and color laser printers.
Brother has introduced a new range of inkjet MFCs (Multi-Function Centres) for home users, SOHOs, and SMBs. The flagship model, MFC-J870DW, comes incorporated with an NFC feature which allows users to print or scan with a simple tap of select Android smartphones on the MFC.
Today, HP announced new business products to help employees stay connected in more places, as well as the company's first first inkjet devices.
Inkjet, laser, LED, dye-sub - with the sheer number of printing technologies and products available today, it can be quite difficult for the layman to decide which is the one for him. For a start, let us explain some of the more common printer technologies out there.
Equipped with LAN and Wi-Fi connectivity capabilities, the Canon Pixma iX6870 comes with the flexibility of high-capacity cartridge, and employs a 5-color individual ink cartridge system with Photo Black ink that improves color contrast performance.
Canon has introduced the new Pixma iP8770, which incorporates an additional Grey ink to the standard CMYK and Photo Black ink set, making stable neutral gray tones with reduced color shifts in color and monochrome printing possible, and reducing graininess in lighter areas of images.
Aimed at SOHO, SMBs as well as home users, the latest series comprises of seven models including three 3-in-1 inkjet MFCs and four 4-in-1 inkjet MFCs.
The new inkjet Multi-Function Centre, MFC-J2310 InkBenefit, comes with the ability to print document sizes up to A3 and automated two-side printing for A4 documents. Ideal for SOHOs and SMBs, the inkjet model includes wired and wireless functionalities for cloud and mobile printing.
Canon has announced the addition of five new PIXMA home office printers: the flagship PIXMA MX927 wireless all-in-one (AIO), PIXMA MX727 advanced wireless AIO, PIXMA MX527 and PIXMA MX457 wireless AIOs, and the MX397 AIO.
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- Visit Huawei Flagship Store at Plaza Singapura #03-78 from now on to enjoy fabulous CNY specials!


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SEOUL, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) — Samsung SDS Co., an IT service unit of Samsung Group, on Tuesday reported strong third-quarter earnings as its quarterly sales reached a record high amid the pandemic.
The company logged a third-quarter net profit of 161 billion won (US$142.7 million), up 2.6 percent from a year earlier.
Samsung SDS said its revenue jumped 11.7 percent on-year to 2.96 trillion won in the July-September period, its largest-ever quarterly sales. The company’s operating income advanced 6.4 percent on-year to 219.8 billion won over the cited period.
Compared with the second quarter, sales rose 15.6 percent, while operating profit increased 11.8 percent.
Samsung SDS said its solid performance was buoyed by a recovery in IT investments and a resumption of operations from companies.
The company’s IT service business posted sales of 1.33 trillion won in the third quarter, up 1.1 percent from the second quarter, with projects related to remote working, smart factories and cloud solutions leading the growth.
Its logistics business process outsourcing service chalked up sales of 1.63 trillion won in the third quarter, up 31 percent from the previous quarter, due to manufacturers’ increased product shipment volume.
Samsung SDS said its customers will make more IT investments in the fourth quarter to better deal with the stay-at-home economy induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.


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The director general of Dubai Customs, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih has met with Oleksandr Khomiak, consul general of Ukraine to Dubai, accompanied by Timor Redvanov, deputy consul to discuss means of boosting cooperation between Ukraine and the UA.
The talks especially focused on bilateral trade and customs business.
“It’s very important for us to boost ties of partnership with the Ukrainian diplomatic missions and companies. We have priorities which include delivering a leading customs expertise to the world,” said Musabih. “Ukraine is an important trade partner to Dubai, and our mutual trade in 2018 grew 24% to make AED 2.16 billion compared to AED 1.744 billion in 2017. Mutual trade in the first half of 2019 reached AED 1.147 billion, and the top commodities are steel, industrial pipes, packaged medicaments, and spare parts.”
“We look forward to more trade and cooperation with Ukraine and to providing more access for the Ukrainian companies to benefit from our advanced customs systems and facilities,” he added. “We try our best to add value to the business of our valued partners by applying the latest AI applications and IT systems.”
Dubai Customs is hosting the 5th WCO Global AEO Conference in March 2020 in cooperation with the World Customs Organization and the Federal Customs Authority.
This is the first time the region is hosting this conference which is expected to noticeably advance and promote the Authorized Economic Program (AEO) worldwide.“We have signed AEO mutual recognition agreements with South Korea, Saudi Arabia and China, and declarations done through the AEO are expected to rise to 50% by 2020,” said Musabih.


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Media is an essential part of the cryptocurrency industry and its impact on cryptocurrency is hard to overestimate. Bitcoin, in its early stages, was only discussed and promoted on social media platforms. Bitcoin on social media helped to establish initial users and enthusiasts, increasing its coverage in simple conversations and expanding the audience. But the real drivers of Bitcoin’s popularity has been the mainstream media, which detected the growing price of Bitcoin and the development of the cryptocurrency market, thus drawing the attention of the masses to this newly appeared phenomenon. Today, there is a lot of cryptocurrency media that professionally covers all the important events, news and technologies inside the world of blockchain, attracting new audiences and helping various cryptocurrency users stay in touch with the progress of the cryptocurrency industry.
Nomics wants to provide an algorithmic ranking for every cryptocurrency product category from wallets to crypto media outlets.
Data Startup Wants to Rank Every Cryptocurrency Product From Media to Wallets
The New York Times has worked on a blockchain solution to combat misinformation, providing metadata on pictures found in social media.
New York Times Trials Blockchain System to Combat Misleading Pictures
European police successfully busted a multi-million illegal online streaming business operating from Spain.
Europol Busts $17M Illegal Media Streaming Business Dealing in Cryptos
Cointelegraph has partnered with the WEF to integrate our crypto industry news and analysis feed to its Strategic Intelligence network.
Cointelegraph Joins World Economic Forum’s Strategic Intelligence Network
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is one of many crypto executives who prefers writing a blog to answering questions from mainstream journalists.
Coinbase CEO Suggests Dodging ‘Mean, Snarky’ Media
A group of media outlets from China established an alliance to operate a news department based on blockchain technology.
Several Chinese Media Outlets Setup a "Blockchain-Powered News" Department
ANSA, Italy’s main news agency, partnered with Ernst & Young to combat fake coronavirus news with blockchain.
Italy’s Top News Agency Uses Blockchain to Fight Fake Coronavirus News


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Latest News Articles by Rachel Fellman
Worth popping in to see grandma06 March 2023
Revived Woking event proves a hit with dealers who say the organisation is still a strength
Galloway Antiques Fairs' owners retire and close firm20 February 2023
Galloway Antiques Fairs is closing because its owners Richard and Susan Galloway are retiring.
Plenty of finds at Shepton Flea06 February 2023
ATG takes a visit to one of the largest fairs in the south of England where buyers come out in force
Ephemera Fair discovers the joy of six19 December 2022
Event will change next year to be held less frequently but with greater impact
“I always do well here": Derby event answers dealer’s prayers05 December 2022
Silver specialist delighted to count a Welsh Bible box among his sales at the Jaguar Fairs event
Weird and wonderful buys at Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair28 November 2022
Some lucky youngsters were among the attendees at IACF’s Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair earlier this month.
Fair report: Cotswold event has high-end appeal31 October 2022
Vetted fair may be compact in scale but still packs a punch
Event that is ‘something a bit different’31 October 2022
The fairs run by So Last Century stand out from the regular traditional antiques format
Surprises in store at the ‘Horti’ show26 September 2022
Many visitors to the popular Adam’s fair end up buying items they had not come for.
Come for a kimono, leave with a necklace19 September 2022
Serendipitous finds – and planned purchases – abound as antiques return to Ally Pally
PBFA: All fairs great and small16 May 2022
The Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association hosts more events in this sector than any other organiser.
Traders pitch in at Wembley Park Antiques Market16 May 2022
Event launched at end of last year a goal kick away from the stadium is gaining many fans
Covid and data drive ticketing changes at fairs02 May 2022
Dealers and fairgoers are having to come to terms with widespread changes in the ticketing of fairs.
Fair report: trade day at Bath was buzzing18 April 2022
Mary Hossack Decorative Antiques was among the many exhibitors enjoying a successful trade day at the recent Bath Decorative Antiques Fair, selling a 20th birdcage modelled on the Sacré Coeur for £1300 among many other items.
At an indoor fair: All the fun – and serendipity – of the fair11 April 2022
At a mid or high-end art and antiques fair buyers can comfortably get round all the stands in a day and have time to browse, consider and discuss with expert dealers. Such events have a more relaxed and social vibe to them: dealers invite their clients along and hope to meet new buyers by attracting them onto their stands with eye-catching items and displays.
Bust impulse buy at Chelsea11 April 2022
At the recent Chelsea Antiques Fair a 19th century bronze bust of Isis by Pierre-Eugène-Émile Hébert was bought by an Egyptian businessman who came with no intention of buying anything specific.
At a showground fair: Getting it all out in the open11 April 2022
The largest showground fairs are so extensive that it would be impossible to browse items on all the stands in one day. IACF’s Newark Antiques Fair, for example, is held on an 84-acre site with up to 2500 stands.
Rain fails to stop play at busy Ardingly14 March 2022
Stall-holders report brisk trade during the latest staging of the huge West Sussex event
Calling in to busy Kempton Park21 February 2022
Snapshot of the successful Sunbury event that has been around for over 40 years
Birmingham is buzzing: NEC event returns13 December 2021
Encouraging signs as the big NEC event returns after pandemic-enforced postponement.


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The Economist on China the “export juggernaut”:
So supercharged has the Chinese export machine become that it has sucked in vast quantities of parts and components for final assembly from other parts of Asia—Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia, as well as richer Taiwan and South Korea. The effect of WTO membership, in other words, has been to bind China more tightly into existing and highly sophisticated pan-Asian production networks, a task greatly facilitated by the internet. Everybody has benefited, even rich Japan, which in 2002-03 was pulled out of a decade and a half’s slump by Chinese demand for top-notch components and capital goods. South-East Asia has got a further boost: rich in resources, including rubber, crude oil, palm oil and natural gas, it looks likely to profit from China’s appetite for raw materials for a long time to come.
Trade within East Asia has grown even faster than the region’s trade with the rest of the world, suggesting deeper specialisation and integration. But China’s impetus has also profoundly altered the course of trade flows in Asia. As a paper last year by the Centre d’Etudes Prospectives et d’Informations Internationales (CEPII) in Paris describes, the China effect over the past decade or more has been the driving force behind a shift in Japan from exporting finished goods to Europe and North America towards exporting parts and components for assembly on the mainland. In turn, Japan now imports finished goods (such as office machines and computers) from China where previously they came from America and Europe.
I think this concluding claim may be subject to dispute:
Though very open to trade, China’s economy, like America’s, is essentially driven by its own huge domestic demand. This demand is now growing at a clip of 9% a year and starting to act as a regional engine of growth, sucking in imports.
For example, Nick Lardy argues:
China’s external surplus continues to balloon and, short of a US recession, seems likely to expand further in 2007. Household consumption as a share of GDP continued to decline in the first half of 2006. Despite much lip service to increasing budget outlays on social services, little evidence of a fundamental shift in government spending has emerged. So Chinese households’ precautionary saving persists. There is little evidence of a more flexible exchange rate and increased independence of monetary policy that would allow higher domestic interest rates. These and other factors suggest that China’s transition toward more consumption-driven growth is likely to be substantially delayed.
UPDATE: Brad Setser has more along that line of thought.


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Story | Oct 21, 2013 | 2:54 PM
A collection of news and information related to Starbucks Corp. published by this site and its partners.
Top Starbucks Corp. Articles see all
Displaying items 1-5
Story | Sep 23, 2013 | 6:44 PMHuntington Beach's new assistant city manager is bringing a range of expertise to the position.
Story | Oct 30, 2013 | 1:51 PM
A Victorville man who allegedly recorded women changing clothes in a Fountain Valley thrift store and while walking in public was arraigned Monday, according to a statement from the Orange County district attorney's office. Scott Ruvolo, 56, pleaded...
Story | Jul 3, 2013 | 10:57 AM
A delicious trend: Gourmet waffle restaurant chain Bruxie is offering holiday specials including a Maine lobster Bruxie (waffle sandwich), available Thursday only; Vermont apple pie Bruxie; red, white and blue shake; and black cherry cane sugar soda,...
Story | Jan 8, 2014 | 1:00 PM
Regulars can still order a venti mocha Frappuccino with a pastry at the Seacliff Village Starbucks, but starting this week, adults will be able to sip a glass of red wine from Paso Robles and munch on bacon-wrapped dates with a balsamic glaze. The...


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Famous Turkish chef and internet sensation, Burak Ozdemir, is visiting Pakistan this month!
He is best known for making gigantic-sized portions of Turkish and Middle Eastern foods.
A famous Turkish Chef and Internet Sensation, Burak Ozdemir, has revealed in a video that he will be visiting Pakistan this month.
Who is Burak Ozdemir?
Burak Ozdemir, or famously known as CZN Burak on social media, is a restaurateur and chef based in Turkey. He is best known for making gigantic-sized portions of Turkish and Middle Eastern foods.
Ozdemir went viral on social media when 9GAG posted his video, where he was making a giant-sized kebab.
Burak Ozdemir was born on the 24th of March 1994, in the Hatay province of Turkey. The chef is of the Syrian-Arab descent.
Burak became popular on social media after posting his videos of cooking Turkish and Syrian food, while looking directly at the camera with a huge smile. He likes to make huge portions of his food, from traditional Turkish cuisine to pizzas and burgers.
As of October 2020, Burak has more than 1.35 million YouTube subscribers, 26 million TikTok followers, 476.2K Twitter followers, and 17.1 million Instagram followers.
The 26-year-old owns the Hatay Medeniyetler Sofrasi chain of restaurants in Turkey, which has three branches named Taksim, Aksaray, and Etiler in Istanbul.
He works with a variety of ingredients. One of his most popular videos is the one where he is baking and cooking an entire ostrich.
Celebrities who visit Ozdemir’s restaurant
Since becoming famous, the chef has had many celebrities visit his restaurant, including YouTube star Atta Halilintar while on vacation in Turkey, Indonesian singer Virgoun, and Pakistani pop singer Momina Mustehsen.
The list of High Profile visitors includes the football player Mesut Ozil, the King Tamim of Qatar, and the Turkish President Erdogan who stopped by the restaurant to meet Ozdemir and try his food.
What are your thoughts about this? Share in the comment section below.


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Read the full article here: http://blogs.sacurrent.com/staff/la-panaderia-opens-april-11/
La Panaderia Opens April 11
March 28, 2014
Call it a Fiesta gift–La Panaderia will open its doors at 10 a.m. Friday, April 11 at 8305 Broadway. The bake shop is the brick-and-mortar offshoot of brother David and Jose Cacéres who are bringing their bread cultura to San Antonio....
...The bakery will focus on cultured bread, classic pan dulce and buttery French pastries along with Mexican birotes or sandwiches for breakfast and lunch.


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To be exact, developers have now published 100,145 apps in the Marketplace. The mark was reached in 20 months.
That means the Marketplace, which is adding more than 300 apps per day, reached the feat faster than the Android market, which did so in 24 months, but not quite as fast as Apple’s App Store, which got there in 16 months.
Windows Phone still falls behind the App Store, which leads the way with 600,000 apps, and the Android Market, which has 500,000 apps. BlackBerry comes in fourth place with its App World, which has yet to reach the 100,000 mark after nearly 40 months.
And although more than 100,000 Windows Phone apps have been published, users of the phone can access only 88,371 of them because some of the apps published have also either been taken down by Microsoft or their developers.
For American users of the operating system, there are only 77,450 apps because some apps are either exclusive to other parts of the world or are not available in English, according to All About Windows Phone. Read More


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Bank of kigali chief executive officer James Gatera has been nominated for this year’s Africa’s most prestigious business awards, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label CNBC Africa All Africa Business Leader (AABLA) of the Year Award for East Africa.
Other nominees are Jonathan Ciano, the Uchumi Supermarkets chief executive officer and group managing director and Chase Bank Kenya chief executive officer Duncan Kibui.
The three CEOs are part of the 12 finalists for the AABLA awards ceremony that takes place today evening at the Kigali Serena Hotel.
Now in its second year, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label CNBC Africa All Africa Business Leaders awards pay homage to the achievements of visionary individuals as the continent asserts its place at the world economic table, AABLA said.
In other categories, Joanne Mwangi, founder and chief executive officer of Professional Marketing Services Group, Diamond Trust Bank Group chief executive officer Nasim Devji and Priya Budhabatti, the head of human resources at Craft Silicon Kenya ICT and Craft Silicon Foundation Kenya are competing for the Business Woman of the Year Award.
Peter Nduati, the founder and chief executive officer of Resolution Health East Africa Limited, Chase Bank Group managing director Zafrullah Khan and Patrick Bitature, the Simba Telecoms Group of Companies East Africa founder, chairman and chief executive officer are vying for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Young Business Leader of the Year Award nominees are Kamal Budhabatti, the founder and chief executive officer of Craft Silicon ICT Kenya, Trans-Century Group chief executive officer and managing director Gachao Kiuna and Joshua Oigara, the Kenya Commercial Bank Group chief executive officer.
AABLA said in a statement over the weekend the East African finalists were nominated because of their game-changing contributions to the East African business landscape.
They will also contend for the opportunity to enter the national round for Africa’s most ground-breaking business person accolade in their respective fields.
“This year, we received a lot of entries from all countries across East Africa. There was also an increase in the number of entries, especially in the categories for Business Woman of the Year and Young Business Leader of the Year. The quality of entries has greatly improved compared to last year, which is a good indicator of the quality of leadership in East Africa,” Mary Waceke, the chief judge of the East Africa round of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label CNBC Africa All Africa Business Leaders Awards, said in the statement.
“As judges, we are looking for leaders who have made a significant and distinctive contribution in their respective sectors,” Waceke said.
“Across all categories, the winner has to exemplify outstanding leadership in business by demonstrating innovation, best business practices and accountability, together with intangible qualities such as integrity and a shared vision.”
The winners from each region will automatically qualify for the grand finale to be hosted in Durban, South Africa later this year.