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Heavy metals testing: expect a fast-moving future
Toxic heavy metals (HMs) in our environment and foods represent “a severe issue” for humanity. Despite some success in reducing pollution, HMs’ toxicity, accumulation in biota, and inability to biodegrade in the environment means they continue to present a major global threat to both planetary and human health. Produced by natural emissions, industrial and agricultural activities, vehicles and waste, toxic HMs do not just contaminate most of the agricultural soils around the world, but are also “the primary cause of surface water quality degradation.” Moreover, their ability to mix with different environmental elements – like water, soil and air – means they become even more of a threat to humans, animals and their environment via routes such as the food chain. Although some HMs occur naturally, and even have biological significance as trace elements, exposure to their biotoxic effects can cause kidney, brain, liver, skin and cardiovascular toxicity, as well as reproductive problems, cell damage, and cancer. In June, Chemistry World reported on an Indian review paper linking uranium- and arsenic-contaminated drinking and irrigation water to high cancer rates in Malwa, “also known as the cancer belt of Punjab”. Meanwhile, computer analysis of pollution spread by dust in Nanjing, China, found “the risk of Zn (zinc) and Cr (cadmium)… to human health is relatively high, with the probability of carcinogenesis reaching 51.2 % and 50.2 % respectively.”
Taking a heavy toll
A global survey in The Lancet last year estimated that lead pollution alone caused 900,000 deaths in 2019, but said this was likely to be “a substantial undercount”, since new US data suggested that lead toxicity “could extend down to much lower blood lead concentrations than previously recognised.” It also calculated that more than 800 million children had blood lead concentrations above the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ‘concentration for intervention’. This, the report said, had “staggering” implications for children’s intellectual impairment and cognitive function that, in turn, triggered diminished economic activity and global economic losses of almost $1 trillion annually. Exposure to HMs also negatively affects global crop yields, through altered plant metabolism, growth reduction, and reduced biomass production.
The world began to get to grips with HM pollution in 1998, with the Aarhus Protocol on Heavy Metals, which committed participating nations to reducing emissions of cadmium, lead, and mercury to below 1990 levels. In 2012, the signatories agreed to more stringent emission controls, while a few years later the European Union also pledged to reduce the health impacts of air pollution by half by 2030, compared with 2005. As a result of these actions, EU cadmium, mercury and lead emissions fell by 39%, 51% and 49%, respectively, between 2005 and 2020.
Meanwhile, in the US, the Environmental Protection Agency seeks to protect the safety of drinking water from HMs through a system of maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs) and enforceable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs). MCLGs represent the level at which no adverse health effects are expected, and so MCLs are set as close to them as is possible to achieve in real-world conditions. In the EU, maximum limits and target values apply to both water and air quality, while a wide range of regulations and directives also covers potential sources of heavy metal contamination including: apparel and textiles, batteries, cleaning products, electrical appliances, food contact materials, furniture, packaging, toys, and more.
New rules and pressures
Despite the range of regulations already in place, the appetite for reducing our exposure to HMs has grown fast across the globe in recent years.
In June, stricter food contamination levels came into force in China – including reduced lead limits for infant formula, dairy and meat products, and new maximum permitted levels of cadmium, mercury and arsenic. Meanwhile, the EU and UK introduced lower limits for arsenic in everyday rice-based food items, infant foods, fruit juices and salt.
Big changes are also happening in the US, where industry watchers have commented on the recent “aggressive movement ” from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) towards monitoring and limiting heavy metals in foods. In its new draft guidance for the food industry, the FDA is proposing to slash permitted lead levels in apple juice from 50 ppb to 10ppb, and to 20 ppb for other juices. The move has also been accompanied by proposals to minimise lead levels in food intended for babies and young children, and to reduce inorganic arsenic content in apple juice. Commenting on the plans, food safety and public health specialist David Acheson warned the food industry to expect more demands from the FDA in future. “With scientific advances enabling increased detection and data, the agency is expanding its efforts to identify ways by which the levels can be reduced in foods,” he said, adding: “expect FDA to take a closer look at heavy metals and how you’re covering them in your food safety plan.”
The FDA’s initiative was announced in the wake of several high-profile news stories about heavy metals in American food which increased the pressure for change on regulators and manufacturers. Testing from the influential Consumer Reports organisation, which found 68% of the 50 baby products it tested had “worrisome levels of at least one heavy metal”, was followed by a 2021 House of Representatives committee report entitled ‘Baby Foods Are Tainted with Dangerous Levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury’. The latter report made several recommendations on reducing heavy metals in infant products – including mandatory testing and labelling, phasing out toxic ingredients, and introducing maximum levels for HMs.
Last December, Consumer Reports also issued research on cadmium and lead levels in 28 dark chocolate bars sold on the US market – finding that “For 23 of the bars, eating just an ounce a day would put an adult over a level that public health authorities… say may be harmful.” A study commissioned jointly by the US chocolate industry and the As You Sow advocacy group meanwhile found that, while cadmium finds its way into chocolate via the soil, cocoa beans become contaminated with lead post-harvest. The researchers also proposed a number of cadmium and lead reduction measures to the industry – an initiative that the leading confectionery manufacturer Hershey already seems to be taking on board. Speaking to reporters in March, the company’s chief financial officer Steve Voskiul said: “We would love to eradicate (lead and cadmium) completely and continue to look for opportunities in the process. Is there more we can do there?”
Consumer Reports meanwhile continues to petition the FDA to establish limits on heavy metals in all US foods, saying “No limits exist currently and there is no sign of any action from the FDA.” Could this perhaps be the next big regulatory change on the horizon?
LGC Standards – for all your heavy metals testing needs
With a combined portfolio of over 110,000 reference materials and analytical standards, LGC Standards provides critical tools for analytical scientists in environmental, food, pharmaceutical, healthcare, and industrial testing.
For more than 40 years, we have provided laboratories with high-purity single and multi-element calibration standards for spectroscopic instrumentation – and now offer an outstanding portfolio of 1175 regulation-compliant, aqueous inorganic reference materialsfor testing heavy metals in water, soilssewage sludge. Of this range, 919 products are ISO-17034-accredited and ship with comprehensive Certificates of Analysis. LGC meanwhile provides more than 1,000 reference materials in a wide range of matrix materials for testing elemental impurities in foods and beverages – almost 900 of them ISO 17034-accreditedthree new certified reference materials and two new multi-element kits for the analysis of elemental impurities in pharmaceuticalsor more on how LGC expertise helps your laboratory stay up to date with the latest ICH Q3D pharmaceutical guidelines, check out our free summary here.
Last but not least, LGC AXIO Proficiency Testing schemes provide more than 40 samples designed to support the integrity of your testing for heavy metals in water, soft drinks, air, soils, and much more..


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First grocery deliveries from Amazon commence on May 18th
05 May 2016 - 09:31 by Graham Miller
Amazon customers will be able to take advantage of the e-commerce giant’s new Fresh delivery service by the end of the month. According to the Guardian, the service aims to offer a range of groceries to be ordered online.
Although an official launch date has yet to be confirmed, May 18th is being cited by some of the retailer’s partners as being the first day on which Amazon Fresh will be available.
A small scale trial of the service has been running in London over the past few weeks, although since Amazon Fresh has been operating in the US since 2009, it is not an area that is entirely new to the company.
Buying food items through Amazon has been possible in the UK for a long time, although frozen products only arrived via Prime Now in 2015 and Amazon Pantry made certain groceries and household products available shortly afterwards.
The idea behind Fresh is that this will tie in all of these areas, along with consumables that need to be used within a far shorter period, including things like milk, vegetables and meat products.
This is good news for people who regularly use Amazon to carry out safe shopping online and would like to keep all of their e-commerce eggs in one basket, but bad news for supermarkets and other grocery delivery services.
The threat of Amazon’s arrival on the grocery delivery scene has not been taken lightly; Sainsbury’s announced its intention to work with Argos to improve its own e-commerce offering and the growing availability of click and collect services is helping rivals keep pace.
Meanwhile, Tesco is hoping to secure its place at the top of the grocery delivery market with ongoing investment in improving its infrastructure, lowering product prices and keeping customers loyal.

domain: news


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Blog: China cotton call
Leonie Barrie | 2 March 2015
International fashion brands and retailers are being urged to help build a more resilient cotton supply chain in China if they want to secure supplies of the raw material for the future. But can they really make a difference, and why should they care?
The call comes with publication of a new report warning that the falling price of cotton, coupled with the country’s massive stockpiles of the fibre, have left smallholder cotton farmers across the country struggling to earn a living.
Indeed, changes taking place in China’s cotton sector offer both implications and opportunities for brands and retailers, with issues to watch at both the farm and strategic levels.
Businesses with supply chains and operations in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Cambodia are benefiting from the world’s lowest labour costs. But they may also be exposed to the highest risks, a new global ranking suggests, including poor working conditions and high levels of child labour and trafficking.
But when it comes to investing in a developing manufacturing country, where capital is limited, should factories spend on their workers in the form of more sophisticated training, or in more sophisticated machinery and IT systems? Which gives better leverage, skills or new technology?
And in other news, a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract has been signed for dockworkers at 29 US West Coast ports, after nine months of discussions; Adidas Group is now using more Better Cotton than ever before; and Italian fashion retailer Benetton is to build a living wage roadmap for its supply chain. An initiative is also launching next month in South Africa to grow a new type of grass that can be used to create zero-waste recyclable textiles.
It also emerged that while spending on apparel was flat in the US in 2014, activewear sales were up, according to new research, as “casual and ‘athleisure’ have taken on a life of their own.”
Continuing our look at what lies ahead for the apparel industry and its supply chain in 2017, the panel of industry experts consulted by just-style last week tackled likely shifts in the sourcing land...
This week our focus turns to first thoughts from a panel of industry experts consulted by just-style on the challenges and opportunities likely to face the apparel supply chain in 2017, with prospects...
Welcome back after the holiday break, and from the team here at just-style I’d like to wish all our readers a happy and prosperous New Year....
Apparel sourcing is a complex process built on a mix of location, logistics, lead-time, price, compliance, risk and reliability. And it's in a constant state of flux as retailers, brands and manufactu...
- Apparel factory auditing is in the firing line
- How US border adjustment tax could affect apparel
- Trump and the apparel industry – Infographic
- "Buy American, Hire American" to guide Trump trade
- Ten retail trends to watch for in 2017
- Brands need to tackle Turkey factory refugee abuse
- Trump signs order to withdraw from TPP
- UK clothing factory workers paid half minimum wage
- Patagonia launching circular economy platform
- Auditing "in need of reinvention" says new project
- Outdoor performance apparel 2016: A broader perspective
- Southeast Asia strategic sourcing review – a focus on Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar
- Global apparel markets: product developments and innovations, October 2016
- Anti-odour clothing: fresh fashion for an active lifestyle
- Global market review of lingerie – forecasts to 2022


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Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt is a popular salt mix designed for reef tanks and traditional saltwater aquariums and a lot of consumers love the salt. As we enter a full year of pandemic-related lockdowns across the globe the thirst for reef tank gadgets and accessories is at an all-time high. For some additives and salt mixes, there is no exception.
We’ve had several readers report to us their inability to find Pro Reef Salt at their favorite local retailer. We chatted with Tropic Marin Europe and they are producing as much as possible but like other manufacturers, they were not prepared for the ongoing demand the pandemic has created. Thus they have increased their “manufacturing capabilities” In a statement to Reef Builders Tropic Marin says “We have been working very hard, over the past year, to increase our manufacturing capabilities, and we are finally starting to see the fruits of those efforts making their way to the US. We anticipate being able to get “caught up” to this exponential increase in demand by the middle of this year.
The Tropic Marin team also stated there have been shortages since August 2020 of the Pro Reef Salt but “has been no slowdown in production on the Tropic Marin side. In fact, there is more supply than there has ever been coming into the US. However, with the increase in demand, many retailers are finding that as soon as they get [the] product in, it is being sold out immediately!”
If you are a consumer aquarist and you prefer Tropic Marine pro reef salt call your favorite local fish store and get on their waitlist otherwise expect to wait until July or August 2021 for supply to stabilize.


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Majority of parents say they eat their kids’ Halloween candy
Will you spend Saturday night eating your kids’ Halloween candy?
A new survey by Yahoo Food found 68% of parents do just that.
As for our favorite candies, peanut butter cups top the list followed by snickers and chocolate bars.
But hold the licorice, 18% say that is their least favorite candy.
For many kids, candy is the best part of Halloween, but what about for you. What is your favorite part of Halloween?
Choose your favorite part of the holiday by taking part in our poll.


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Prudence still the watchword
The appearance of Finance Minister Bill English before Parliament's finance and expenditure committee this week was probably the most comfortable English has had since getting the job eight years ago. Rather than having to defend his actions in coping with the worst recession to hit the country since the Great Depression 60 years ago, he was able to talk of an economy that is looking benign and getting better by the day. The economy grew by more than most of our trading partners last year and is set to do the same this year, tens of thousands more people are in jobs than there were last year and the unemployment rate is falling, the prices of the commodities we sell to the world have recovered and our terms of trade are back to the high levels of a few years ago, and inflation remains under control.
The Government also expects to deliver a Budget surplus for the year. It will only be a tiny one but, as English said, all the indicators show that the Government can now shift its focus from managing a growing economy rather than managing a recession. Last year's bugbear - that the country was in some sort of manufacturing "crisis" - has faded. This year all the talk is of inequality.
As the economy picks up, many wage and salary earners will be hoping to benefit. In the last few years, wages and salaries have risen slightly ahead of consumer price inflation but many wage earners have felt the squeeze as things not caught by the consumer price index, such as house prices, have risen much faster and pay packets have shrunk as businesses have cut overtime and working hours to try to avoid laying people off.
English made some ritual noises to the effect that employees could be expected to feel entitled to share in any pick-up in the economy that may be coming. The Government, of course, has little say in what businesses will pay their employees, but this was a timely nudge to remind business people that the fruits of prosperity should not accrue disproportionately to the owners of capital.
One difficulty with that is that not all businesses are the same and not all sectors of the economy are flourishing equally. Overall growth may be healthy but it is patchy. The Government's efforts to diversify the economy may have been more intense than those of any government in recent times, but the results have been fitful. A disproportionate amount of the present economic vitality is still the product of high overseas prices for dairy products and the inflow of insurance money to pay for the rebuilding of Christchurch. One will taper off once the rebuilding is done and the other is subject to the vagaries of international markets.
One sign that this is no time to be carried away by economic over-exuberance was the Reserve Bank's decision yesterday not to raise its central interest rate. One of the reasons was that while inflation was a bit higher than expected in the December quarter it is still within bank's target level. More importantly, while the economy may be getting near to its long-run capacity, slowdowns in China and Australia, our two biggest export markets, may yet affect New Zealand.
For the Budget on May 15, this all means the Government has some room to, as English put it, "spread some of the benefits of economic growth". But it is limited. Government debt is still very high and rising. Much beyond the $1 billion in extra spending that Prime Minister John Key has already spoken of would be unwise.
Households, too, have got debt back up to near the lofty heights of the days immediately before the global financial crisis. The recovery may be well under way but, for the Government and households alike, the temptation to spend up in the year ahead must be resisted. Prudence continues to be the financial watchword.


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The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt on Thursday. Reuters
European and US stocks climbed on Friday as investors kept a watch on developments at a G20 summit in Japan, where US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are due to hold key trade talks.
European stocks slipped on Monday as concerns about an escalating fallout from a US crackdown on China’s Huawei Technologies offset a slightly more positive tone on trade.
Global shares slipped on Thursday on growing signs that a trade dispute between the United States and China was taking a toll on corporate earnings, with nerves spreading from Wall Street through Asia to European markets.
US stocks were upbeat at the open on Friday, amid new positive signs that Washington and Beijing are moving towards at least a partial deal to end the lingering trade conflict.
This year’s edition of the Dubai International Motor Show, taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) through Saturday, bears witness to car manufacturers’ innovation,
Consumer spending in India has slumped for the first time in four decades, a leading business daily reported on Friday, bringing more bad news for Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he struggles to revive a stuttering economy.
Alibaba’s planned $13.4 billion share sale will be Hong Kong’s first paperless stock market listing, a source with knowledge of the matter said, breaking with a long-held tradition of investors placing stock orders in bank branches.


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And soon they may drink on Sundays before noon. (Article here).
Kudos to Dave Andelman, the CEO of the hit TV show The Phantom Gourmet, for proposing a bi-partisan legislative bill that has now been introduced by four local senators, two Democrats and two Republicans. Currently, state law allows restaurants to serve alcohol beginning at 8 a.m., Monday to Saturday, but not until noon on Sunday. The “Restaurant Rejuvenation Act” will allow restaurants to serve alcohol beginning at 10 a.m. on Sunday.
Simply put, this makes sense. Brunch is big business in Massachusetts and there is no reason that diners should be denied the opportunity to have a mimosa at 10:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Restaurants do about 60% of their business on the weekend. Hard-working proprietors should be able to make some extra money on Sunday morning alcohol consumption, since beverages are where many restaurants can earn substantial profits.
As Andelman adeptly argues, this slight change could earn businesses tens of thousands of dollars each year, with no additional taxpayer costs. Sounds like a win-win.


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Michigan House passes bill extending closing time for bars, restaurants
LANSING, Mich. (WJRT) - Last call in Michigan could be gaining an additional two hours after House Bill 4213 was recently passed by state House lawmakers, meaning cocktails could be served until 4 a.m. instead of 2 a.m.
“Most people are driving, and I feel like if you know and go out drinking a lot, you would know that most people don’t make the responsible decision of not driving under the influence,” said bar patron Whitney Wright.
The bill is designed to bring in more revenue for bars and restaurants – an industry that has been hit hard because of the coronavirus pandemic. But Chris Poulos who owns White Horse Tavern in Flint isn’t too thrilled at the idea.
“At 4 a.m. the only people out there are the ones that shouldn’t be. They should go home and go to bed, because they’re already drunk,” Poulos said.
Polous is all about people having a good time responsibly, but said that would be an extra two hours people could make some poor decisions, and ones he doesn’t want to hear about the next morning.
“I don’t want people hurt. When they stop you and you blow into the little tube, that’s the gift that keeps on giving,” he said.
As it stands, the bill would require bar owners to apply for a late night permit with the state’s liquor control commission along with an annual $250 fee.
But what about liquor stores? The bill would not allow retailers to sell past 2:00 a.m. One Liquor store owner we spoke with said he’s not worried about sales -- like poulos, he’s worried about poor decision making.
“I would be concerned with the safety aspects of more people potentially out driving after consuming alcohol,” said Brad Khirfan, owner of Khirfan’s Super-K in Flint.
The bill would need to pass the state Senate and be signed by Governor Whitmer before becoming law.
Copyright 2020 WJRT. All rights reserved.


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After the recent spell of negative news in the motor industry, the team at Premier Products were pleased to hear some more positive news about UK car production this week.
According to research carried out by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), car production in the UK grew by 15.5% in September 2015 when compared to September 2014.
A growing trend towards premium products is a key factor in the rise, with over a third of the UK’s car production falling into the premium category. That figure is also expected to rise to 54% by 2020. The UK is currently the second-highest producer of premium cars, behind Germany.
The report also found that in five years time, the UK’s automotive industry will be producing more than two million cars per year – breaking the current record of 1.92 million cars produced in a single year, set in 1972.
Alongside the rise in manufacturing is a predicted rise in employment in the UK’s automotive industry. The rise to producing two million vehicles annually in this country is expected to result in an extra 9500 jobs created within vehicle manufacturers, with the potential for a further 28,000 jobs to be created within the wider supply chain.
Whether your car is premium, budget or somewhere in between, we have a range of car mats and seat covers to suit both your car and your budget.


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Tesla Claim of Outdoing Safety Ratings Met With Skepticism
Detroit — Debate about Tesla’s claims about its electric car’s safety score and performance in a roof crush test continued to swirl days after the automaker made its claims.
Most automakers brag about receiving a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
But billionaire and Tesla Motors Inc. co-founder Elon Musk went further.
“Model S achieves best safety rating of any car ever tested by US govt,” Musk tweeted earlier this week.
The electric car maker said in a news release this week that the Tesla S “set a new record for the lowest likelihood of injury to occupants,” with a combined score of 5.4 stars and exceeded the safety score of all SUVs and minivans.
But NHTSA said in its statement that its highest score is 5.
“The driving public should know that NHTSA does not rate vehicles beyond 5 stars and does not rank or order vehicles within the star rating categories,” the agency said in a statement posted on its website this week.
NHTSA did not name Tesla in its statement but said automakers should follow its guidelines when the companies make claims about the safety results.
Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics in Birmingham, Mich., said Tesla is on thin ice with its claims.
“You don’t say what the government doesn’t say, using government data,” Hall said. “(NHTSA) doesn’t rate vehicles above than 5, and somebody at Tesla should have caught that.”
The Model S is an all-electric luxury sedan car with a base price of about $60,000, after a $7,500 federal tax credit.
Tesla also said during validation of Model S roof crush protection at an independent commercial site, the testing machine failed after it was unable to crush the roof. The company has not identified who conducted those tests.
Musk also boasted about the roof crush test results in an interview on CBS This Morning Wednesday.
“When we did the roof crush test, it got to four times the weight of the car, and then the machine broke,” Musk told CBS.


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The FIA certified Gran Turismo Championship World Final is taking place this weekend
58 competitors, from 23 different countries are competing.
It has been revealed that the Gran Turismo Championship World Finals will be taking place this weekend. Set to see the 58 best Gran Turismo racers from around the world (with players coming from 23 different countries), the event has been certified by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and will be the last time players compete on Gran Turismo Sport ahead of the launch of Gran Turismo 7 in March.
The World Finals will start on December 3 with the Toyota Gazoo Racing GT Cup, before leading into the Manufacturer Series on December 4. This will then lead to the Nations Cup on December 5, where Porsche will also be looking to unveil its Vision GT.
Each day will start at 14:00 GMT / 15:00 CET, and you can catch all the action on Gran Turismo's YouTube channel here.


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Advertisers are spending a lot more money on Facebook, and naturally they want to know more about how their paid campaigns are performing. So Facebook is doing something about it.
The company’s product manager for Pages Insights David Baser said that over the next couple weeks Facebook will roll out more granular metrics intended to provide a more detailed view at what sort of actions resulted from specific Facebook ads.
Per Baser, the actions brands will be able to measured “could be anything [such as] liking, commenting or sharing a page post, claiming an offer, or, instead of just installing an app, actually using an app or doing things within an app."
Previously advertisers had only been able to measure page links or app installs. The new measurement system will be available for all Facebook ads but is designed for ads that direct on-site actions, said Baser.
On top of the new metrics Facebook is opening up the attribution window so that advertisers can trace an action like a comment back to an ad served up to 28 days prior. Given the industry-wide challenge with online ad attribution, and the general disdain for last-click attribution, the broader window could help Facebook cut into search budget allocations.
Additionally the broader suite of analytics will result in expanded ad optimization capabilities through Facebook’s Ads API, according to Baser. On top of optimizing for page likes or app installs, advertisers should be able to boost metrics such as offer claims, Facebook’s “People Talking About” metric, app use and “even potentially sales within an app,” Baser said.
Facebook's ad business has been tainted to a degree by brands looking to engineer how many likes or fans they accumulate. But Baser said he hopes the new analytics offering will incentivize advertisers to optimize Faecbook campaigns toward improved user engagement rather than simply accruing clicks. That goal aligns with Facebook’s ongoing push towards ads functioning more as interaction instigators than promotional tools, as most prominently demonstrated during the company’s marketer conference in February.


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2013 has not been one of the easiest years for Ryanair due to financial warnings, fines for breaking French labour laws, customer pressure for a new and improved service and an urgent need for an improved brand image.
How quickly Ryanair changes its strategies in light of new business conditions (ie increased competition and fuel costs, currency fluctuations and a challenging European market) will determine how successful it will be in remaining the leading low-cost airline in Europe.
Revamping customer service, tapping into social media, upgrading its corporate website and diversifying its distribution all represent a very smart, albeit rather delayed, move by the airline in what is a very competitive and challenging business environment. If implemented swiftly, these changes could start to pay dividends and attract a more varied customer base, including business travellers.
What Went Wrong?
A series of profit warnings have been released by Ryanair in 2013. It all began in September when the Irish company warned investors that the target for the end of its financial year in March 2014 would probably not be met. This was soon followed by another revision of the forecast in November. Concerns stemmed from the fact that the airline is downgrading its full-year profit expectations for the financial year from €570 million to somewhere between €500- 520 million, driven by intensified price competition from both budget rivals as well as schedule operators, in addition to a weaker British pound and lower demand, leading to a fall in passenger bookings and a 2% decline in fares.
The announcements caused tremors in the industry, with speculation about what is really behind these disappointing financial expectations. The financial slowdown of an operator such as Ryanair is raising questions as to whether the airline is indeed losing its attractiveness among passengers and if overcapacity has been too rushed, thus weakening its competitive advantage.
Another hindrance for the Irish player was a ruling from the French authorities in October 2013 which led to the airline being fined €9 million for breaching labour laws in the country by employing French staff using Irish labour contracts on one of its bases. The announcement further increases financial costs for the carrier and undermines its reputation as a brand and employer.
Ryanair’s main distribution tool, its own website, along with its dubious customer service, has also been a focus of attention, being regarded by many as the company’s Achilles heel, having faced continuous heavy criticism over a number of years.
The U-Turn Nobody Expected
Change is, however, imminent at Ryanair. Following customer complaints the company has taken the decision to improve its website through a major overhaul, thus making it much easier to navigate and ultimately make a booking.
Changes are also afoot with regard to its distribution strategy. The airline is specifically contemplating working with online travel agents, which it hopes will allow it to better tap into the business category.
The no-frills airline is also bringing back allocated seating, a move which it is hoped will diversify its customer base and attract more passengers, but at the same time mimicking what its rival easyJet has already been doing for almost a year.
As shocking as it may sound, Ryanair appears to be ready to experiment and perhaps curb its business model. This is an approach which does not necessarily go hand in hand with the obnoxious business style of its CEO, Michael O’Leary, who favours constant involvement of the airline in negative publicity. And yet, threatened by a rather slow next 12 months, the airline is altering its approach in an effort to still reach its target of 110 million passengers a year by 2018.
The Tale of Two Ends......
Nonetheless, the strength of Ryanair is not to be undervalued. The carrier still remains the leading budget airline in Europe and has one of the lowest costs per passenger in the region compared to players such as easyJet. It is also one of the best in the market at absorbing cost increases but at the same time being able to implement aggressive price wars.
The flexibility with which it is able to ground fleet and achieve deseasonalisation further helps to save costs when not achieving high yields and at the same time offer a better pricing structure.
Importantly, however, a market leader must continuously innovate, improve service and court passengers in an effort to retain its leadership. Failure to do so threatens its brand and ultimately its financial stability. Inability to recognise this could become a very costly and irreversible mistake.


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In 2023, the man of the hour—and possibly, the hero of the year—is our central banker, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Manguiat Medalla, 73, a veteran economist and a committed public servant all his professional life.
Medalla was dean of the UP School of Economics which produced most of the Philippines’ economic planners.
He took his economics and accounting from La Salle Manila, and his MA in economics from UP. He has a Ph.D. in economics from Northwestern University, Illinois.
He served as economic planning secretary of President Joseph Estrada who inherited a recession and licked it in his first three months. Medalla became BSP governor on June 30, 2022.
BSP says its main responsibility is to formulate and implement policy in the areas of money, banking and credit with the primary objective of preserving price stability.
Price stability refers to a condition of low and stable inflation. By keeping price stable, the BSP helps ensure strong and sustainable economic growth and better living standards.
As the chief monetary authority, Medalla’s main job thus is fighting inflation, the bane of every Filipino and of every businessman worth his salt.
To fight inflation, Medalla has resorted to something drastic – raising interest rates.
Accordingly, in less than a year, the BSP CEO more than doubled the interest rate banks pay for borrowing money from the central bank overnight, from 2 percent in February 2022 to 5.5 percent by December.
The job is not done yet. More rate increases are due.
According to ING, BSP expects inflation to settle at 5.8 percent in 2022 while 2023 inflation is now forecast to average 4.5 percent (from 4.3 percent).
ING’s chief economist Nicholas Mapa “expects inflation to stay elevated well into 2023 given the prevalence of second-order effects, or price increases driven by the initial energy price shock.
With inflation expected to stay high, we believe BSP will retain its hawkish stance going into 2023, taking its cue mainly from the Fed while also monitoring the path of inflation.”
Mapa expects “the BSP to bring its policy rate to as high as 6.0-6.25 percent this year, although recent comments from Medalla suggest that he is open to a potential ‘BSP pivot’ sometime in the second half of 2023.”
Interest rate is the price you pay for money.
If the price is high, you lessen the demand for money. With less money, a consumer buys less, because his demand is dampened. With less demand for goods, the rise in prices of such goods slows down.
That is the theory.
The rate of an increase or decrease in prices is called inflation. Inflation is the biggest enemy of poverty. It cuts or reduces the purchasing power of one’s income.
If a year ago, you had 100 pesos and the price of goods you buy with the 100 rises by 8 percent, this year, then your purchasing power is reduced to just 92. The 100 pesos you had a year ago is now worth only 92, thanks to 8 percent inflation.
Imagine if with your 100 pesos a year ago you could buy two kilos (2,000 grams) of rice, at P50 per kilo.
But the price of rice goes up by 8 percent, to P54. That means with the same 100 pesos, you can buy only less than two kilos, or just 1.84 kilos or 1,840 grams – 160 grams less.
On average, a Filipino eats 320 grams of rice a day. So a reduction of 160 grams, because of an 8 percent inflation, means missing half of your meal in one day.
If the 8 percent inflation persists for one year, you will be eating only half of your daily meal requirement each day for 365 days. That’s bad. You will feel bad.
You will hate your government. Or at least blame somebody for that somebody having messed up your daily meal because there is not enough rice while demand is constant or rising so that the cereal’s price has to increase to dampen demand.
That is exactly what is happening in most places in the Philippines today.
Food is 50 percent of a poor man’s daily expenditures; 50 of every 100 pesos, daily. Of that 50, P15 is allotted for rice, which unhappily is in short supply.
Not surprisingly, in September 2022, respected pollster Pulse Asia found out that most Filipino adults (66 percent) are concerned about the soaring prices of basic commodities; public concern regarding this matter became more pronounced between June 2022 and September 2022 (+9 percentage points).
Amidst the continuing increase in the prices of basic goods, 66 of every 100 Filipinos say controlling inflation is issue No. 1 for the administration of President Marcos Jr.
This view is widespread, in all geographic areas (56 percent to 81 percent of people surveyed), and all income classes (51 percent to 71 percent).
Accordingly, almost half of Filipino adults cite increasing workers’ pay as an urgent national concern (44 percent) while around a third of them are concerned about job creation and poverty reduction (35 percent and 34 percent, respectively).
A companion problem is corruption.
Filipinos are irritated that a government that cannot control inflation also cannot control corruption.
“Nearly a quarter of Filipino adults (22 percent) say the present dispensation should immediately take steps to combat corruption in government,” says the Pulse Asia September 2022 survey.
So there, when inflation is high and corruption is rampant, you have what you call misery.
Misery, of course, is a precursor to outrage.


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The Xbox One is about to become a development platform for everyone. This summer’s Anniversary Update will allow developers who create UWPs to turn their Xbox Ones into a development unit and use them to debug and test applications. $99 for businesses).
But there’s one category of applications they can’t write: games. Microsoft already has schemes for creating games on Xbox, with its existing partner program and independent developer program, ID@Xbox. All developers wishing to submit UWP games must be a member of ID@Xbox. While that doesn’t cost anything, it’s also not accessible to everyone like registration is for Windows developers. Companies must be approved for ID@Xbox and then agree to an NDA.
This is in contrast to desktop Windows, where UWP games are open to any developer and Microsoft is doing its best to actively encourage their development. The company is making UWPs in Windows 10 better for gaming in the Anniversary Update by giving developers control over v-sync and access to G-Sync and FreeSync, the adaptive frame-rate technology from Nvidia and AMD, respectively.
Company representatives say apps are tested when they are submitted to the store to ensure no mainstream developers are trying to sneak into a game.
While this might be understandable for games using Xbox One’s bare metal virtual machine, as there’s a lot more room for misbehavior and thus a much higher quality bar, it’s an odd decision for UWP programs running in the Xbox One’s Windows VM. console, and it introduces a rather peculiar wrinkle in the process. It means game developers can target any Microsoft platform except one: the device Microsoft has built specifically to play games. The implication here is that while Microsoft would like developers to make UWP games for Windows on the desktop, it would much rather they make UWP apps for Windows on the Xbox One.
Turning an Xbox One into a development unit is easy; a new app, “Dev Mode Activation”, is coming to the store that converts the console into a development system. This will restart the Xbox in development mode. Normal Xbox apps and games are not allowed in this mode (presumably as a way to protect them from attempts to break out of the sandbox and attack or modify them), but Windows PCs can connect to deploy and debug new apps.
If you want to play games on the system, you have to turn off the developer switch and restart.


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Verizon Wireless' move to acquire Hughes Telematics in a $612 million deal earlier this month is all about machine-to-machine, or M2M, connected car technologies and services. There's money to be made in allowing drivers to do everything from streaming music to getting customized routing based on current traffic trends to finding the cheapest gas stations. Expanding entertainment options while saving drivers time and money is never a bad proposition.
Verizon raised the stakes last week by introducing the 4G Venture Forum for Connected Cars, a consortium of car manufacturers teaming up with Verizon to take 4G LTE to the next level by powering a new breed of automotive applications.
Most of the major carmakers are in. General Motors
Sirius XM Radio
Sirius XM doesn't have to start worrying just yet. Its coast-to-coast satellite coverage is still superior to Verizon's massive yet incomplete nationwide coverage. We also can't ignore that Sirius XM spent nearly $325 million in programming and content costs last year. That's the kind of investment that may never make sense for free or ad-supported broadcasters. Pandora Media
However, it's clear that Verizon has big plans for streaming entertainment. It expects to team up with Coinstar's
The way we pass the time in cars will change dramatically in the coming years. It's a good time to be a driver, but it's also a good time for investors to keep their eye on the road ahead.
Running of the bulls
I remain bullish on Sirius XM's future. It should come as no surprise that I'm promoting the CAPScall initiative for accountability by reiterating my bullish call on Sirius XM for Motley Fool CAPS.
XM Satellite Radio was a Rule Breakers recommendation before the Sirius XM merger. It's now gone from the scorecard, but if you want to discover the newsletter service's next Rule-Breaking multibagger, a free report reveals all.


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Jeep Wrangler Cabrio
After almost four years from showcasing the JEEP Wrangler Mopar Recon Concept, Jeep announced the production version will hit the showrooms before March 2017. With an upgraded front-axle the Wrangler Rubicon Recon gets enhanced off-road 4×4 capabilities, along with visual upgrades such as new wheels and special additions to the interior. Below is the official press release from Jeep. Rent a Jeep Wrangler in Barcelona.
Already the most capable production vehicle in the world, Jeep® Wrangler is about to deliver even more capability – specifically more protection from the most severe, rugged off-road terrain – with the addition of the new Wrangler Rubicon Recon. Improved off-road prowess is a result of a stronger front axle, enhanced rock rails and heavy-duty cast differential covers.
“With an array of beefed up off-road components, the new Rubicon Recon provides even more legendary Jeep Wrangler capabilities,” said Mike Manley, Head of Jeep Brand – FCA Global. “With unmatched capability and a unique appearance, Rubicon Recon is the perfect Wrangler for our most loyal, diehard off-road enthusiasts who love to tackle the most demanding trails.


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SITA plans to develop a new passenger reservations system based on service-oriented architecture that will offer a complete suite of reservations, inventory, ticketing and departure control systems.
The new, as-yet unnamed system will be the "final installment" of SITA's Horizon portfolio of passenger management solutions. SITA said it will result in "the retirement of today's mainframe technology following a well-managed migration to new applications."
SITA recently migrated 120 airlines from a legacy mainframe environment to its air fare pricing applications suite. Richard Stokes, senior vice president of passenger travel solutions, said the company is targeting large second-tier carriers in the range of 20 million annual passenger boardings. It also will market the system to some smaller, more innovative low-cost carriers, he said. It expects to be in competition with Amadeus, which offers the Altéa platform, and with ITA Software, which is building a new system for Air Canada. SITA will invest in the neighborhood of $100 million in the project over the next five years, its largest-ever single investment in passenger management.
SITA is "aiming at providing a community-type model," Stokes said, in which the cost of development is shared by all users. It would, however, be open to building customized functionality for individual airlines under varying commercial terms.
Ian Ryder, senior director business transformation, said the new system is likely to be delivered in "waves" on a yearly cycle. "We're taking an incremental approach," he said, rather than a "big bang" rollout, and the new functionality will work alongside existing applications.
The first piece, slated for delivery within the next 12 to 18 months, will be a "customer journey record," which Ryder described as a customer-centric version of the traditional PNR. It will provide a single view of the customer across all channels, including the carrier's Web site and call centers. "It's about knowing the customer as an individual," Ryder said, "and it will enable the carrier to handle capabilities beyond just the flight content," such as ancillary revenue opportunities.
A major area of focus is the capacity to control and optimize distribution, he said, "and we are looking to extend the reach of direct distribution." The goal is not primarily to circumvent GDS segment fees, he said. "We will continue to support traditional channels, but direct distribution is simpler and more flexible, with more creative opportunities."
The new system's "marketplace" concept also will allow airlines to charge miscellaneous fees effectively, incorporate non-air content and carry out "unbundling" of fares, Ryder said. "There are some traditional ways to achieve some of this, but it's often only in the e-commerce space. We are looking to achieve it through all touch points, such as call centers and kiosks."
Later "waves" will include a free-standing DCS weight and balance system, revenue management innovations and new features built around SITA's existing calendar pricing availability service.
SITA does not yet have a launch customer for the new system, but it expects its existing airline customers to be interested. "We are keeping them abreast," Stokes said, and SITA plans to provide more details at a user group meeting in Lisbon next month. "Many airlines still have in-house mainframe systems," he said.
He said Lufthansa Systems' decision to drop its Future Airline Core Environment project was not a factor in SITA's plans or in the timing of its announcement. "We've had this program going for quite some time," he said.


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Chinese telecom giant Huawei‘s sub-brand Honor wants to take the Indian smartphone market by storm with some innovative and trend-setting products and become the country’s top smartphone brand within three years, its Global President George Zhao has said.
It plans to push its position up in the highly competitive Indian smartphone market by launching flagship products at “unbeatable price”, introducing cutting-edge technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), increasing presence in both online and offline platforms and boosting its marketing efforts.
“We will launch Honor 7X in December at such a price that it will have no competitor in that segment,” Zhao said while unveiling the smartphone maker’s roadmap for the Indian market to a group of journalists here over the weekend.
The bezel-less Honor 7X with dual camera technology is already available in the Chinese market. Its price in China is 1,299 yuan. The 4GB RAM phone that offers 32 GB internal storage and has a 5.93 inch display is already a rage among the young population here, according to Zhao, who informed the visiting journalists that Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan province in southwest China, is known as the most “relaxed city” in the country animated by its higher concentration of young population.
Honor will also start incorporating AI capabilities in its phones for the Indian market within the current quarter, Zhao told IANS.
“We have the capability to outcompete other dominating players in the Indian smartphone market in terms of quality, but our marketing efforts need to improve,” Zhao said, signalling its intention to go aggressive in the promotion of its upcoming products in India.
Globally, Honor, which has now a presence in 73 countries, spends just three percent of its revenue in marketing. Honor first introduced the AI capabilities in its Honor Magic phone. Although its application has so far been restricted to China because of the internet ecosystem, it wants its customers in other countries to avail the automation facilities soon. Indian customers, it appears, would not have to wait for long.
Currently, the smartphone market in India is dominated mostly by Chinese players spearheaded by Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Honor, among others. Launched in India in 2014, Honor started manufacturing in India from 2016 in partnership with leading global electronics manufacturer Flex Telecom at a facility in Chennai.
“Honor began manufacturing in India with the Holly series. It is the first brand to respond to the Government of India’s request for SOS feature on phones,” Zhao said, adding that it will further ramp up its manufacturing efforts in India. “Honor shipped 98.8 percent more devices in 2017 than in 2016. But in India, we need strengthen offline channels,” Zhao said, adding that exclusive Honor demo shops will also be launched in India soon. “Honor 7X will also be available offline.”
India recently surpassed the US to become the second-largest smartphone market in the world after China. And yet, according to Counterpoint Research, only one fourth of India’s population uses smartphones, making the country an attractive destination for players in the mobile ecosystem.


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India’s rice area grows on higher prices, cotton sowing lags
Higher rice planting could alleviate supply concerns in the world’s second biggest producer and consumer of the grain
MUMBAI – Indian farmers have planted 39.8 million hectares (98.3 million acres) with rice, up 3.7% on the same period last year, farm ministry data showed on Friday, as record high prices prompted farmers to expand the area.
Higher rice planting could alleviate supply concerns in the world’s second biggest producer and consumer of the grain.
India surprised buyers in July by imposing a ban on the export of widely consumed non-basmati white rice, following a ban on broken rice exports last year.
New Delhi’s decision to ban overseas shipments of its largest rice export category would be likely to roughly halve shipments by the world’s largest exporter of the grain.
“Farmers are very interested in rice, but the weather is not supporting the planted crop. In southern states, the crop is facing moisture stress,” said a New Delhi based dealer with a global trade house.
India had the driest August in more than a century as the country received 36% less rainfall than normal in 2023.
Millions of India’s growers start planting summer crops such as rice, corn, cotton, soybeans, sugarcane and peanuts from June 1, when monsoon rains typically begin lashing India.
The monsoon is critical as nearly half of India’s farmland lacks irrigation.
Farmers had planted 19 million hectares with oilseeds, including soybeans, by Friday, against 19.2 million hectares a year earlier.
Corn was planted on 8.3 million hectares, up from 8 million hectares a year earlier. The cotton area was slightly smaller at 12.3 million hectares, while pulses planting fell by 8.5% from a year ago to 11.9 million hectares.
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare keeps updating the provisional sowing figures as it gathers more information from the state governments.
The planting figures are also subject to revision depending on progress of the June-September monsoon season.
(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; editing by Barbara Lewis)https://www.zawya.com/en/markets/commodities/indias-rice-area-grows-on-higher-prices-cotton-sowing-lags-iuq6tqq0
Published Date: September 2, 2023


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Energy Hook creator Jamie Fristrom wrote yesterday that the game would head to PlayStation consoles "first." It turns out the developer meant it would launch on PS4 and Vita simultaneously with PC, Mac and Linux, the platforms the game was originally funded on Kickstarter for. Fristrom said as...
Posted on Oct 20th 2014 3:30PM
Posted on Oct 20th 2014 12:49PM
Posted on Oct 18th 2014 1:30PM


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Dr. Dre To Debut His Beats 1 Radio Show ‘The Pharmacy’ (Trailer)
It’s official: Dr. Dre has his own radio show on the newly launched Apple Music and Beats 1 radio. Titled The Pharmacy, the show was set to debut yeterday, July 4 where he was assisted by other personalities like Eddie Francis, DJ Pooh, Wyann Vaughn and music provided by DJ Jus Incredible.
Dre, who is technically an Apple employee after the company purchased his Beats brand for $3 billion last year, will go live every other Saturday at 3 pm PST, twice a month. Peep a video trailer below.


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If you're sick of hearing about Afrigator, um, get over it.
Today Erik of White African interviewed me about Afrigator and some other stuff for African Signals, his new project (very cool indeed). From the African Signals site:
African Signals is an internet video news channel that will highlight interesting technology stories from around Africa on a weekly basis. Find out what the movers and shakers of the African world are doing in interviews. See the newest gadgets and technology in action or watch as we explain the importance of new internet and mobile technology.
Go check it out and let me know what you think...
Tags: Afrigator, Africa, social media, African Signals, podcast
link to original post


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Plastiki, a 60-foot catamaran made of 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles and other recyclable materials will be on display in the outdoor plaza at the Perot Museum.
The team’s ultimate mission was to draw attention to the 73.9 million pounds of plastic waste that has been dumped into oceans, while inspiring people to pledge to reduce their plastic footprint. Viewing is free to all.
Visit perotmuseum.org to learn more.
Created by mwenk
2201 N. Field St.
Dallas, TX 75202


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Horizon Forbidden West director Mathijs de Jonge confirmed in a new video (below) that the sequel won’t arrive on the PlayStation 5 until 2021. Specifically, he says they’re “aiming to release the game next year in 2021.”
Guerrilla Games just dropped an announcement trailer for Horizon II: Forbidden West, the sequel to the 2017 smash hit Horizon Zero Dawn. And it’s coming, of course, to the PlayStation 5. Forbidden West “continues Aloy’s story as she moves west to a far-future America,” the trailer’s description reads, “to brave a majestic but dangerous frontier where she’ll face awe-inspiring machines and mysterious new threats.”
The game’s star, Ashly Burch, tweeted, “Time to go west, baby.”
The game will also feature actor Lance Reddick, who gamers might recognize as the voice of Commander Zavala from Bungie’s Destiny series or Martin Hatch from Remedy’s criminally underrated Quantum Break.
Time to go west, baby.— Ashly Burch 🏳🌈 (@ashly_burch) June 11, 2020
“Many outlanders have journeyed into the Forbidden West,” the Horizon Zero Dawn Fandom wiki explains. “The ones who return are either near death or driven mad by what they have discovered.”
There’s currently no release date given for the game, but it will be exclusive to the PS5.
Sony held its big PlayStation press conference on Thursday, June 11, to showcase the next-gen PS5 console and its slate of upcoming games. After skipping E3 2019 and announcing its plans to sit out of what would have been this year’s E3 as well, the company’s virtual briefing represents the culmination of two years’ worth of anticipation. The pre-taped broadcast commenced at 1:00p.m. Pacific time on PlayStation’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
“We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe,” a Sony spokesperson said back in January. “Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content. We have a fantastic lineup of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans.”
Featured Image: Guerrilla Games


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Celebrate food, fun and family time at Moomazing Food Festival
Good news to all foodies out there, prepare to enjoy a gastronomic adventure at the Moomazing Food Festival.
In conjunction with its second anniversary, food delivery platform NMooMoo will be hosting a food festival end of the month.
The festival will take place from May 26 to 28, 2023 at Carpark B, Stadium Bukit Jalil.
The festival will run from 12pm to 10pm on Friday and 10am to 10pm on Saturday and Sunday.
With the aim of becoming a hub for foodies, Moomazing Food Festival brings variety of food vendors serving everything from traditional Malaysian delicacies to International cuisines.
NMooMoo National Sales and Marketing Manager Francis Chio said the festival is more than just a celebration.
"We’re a local brand first and foremost, and support small food-based businesses was the main reason behind our founding.
"We wanted the festival to be a place where everyone, from the mak cik kuih and the pak cik burger, to the first-time food and beverage business joiners could begin curating and expanding their customer base across Klang Valley, a community of food vendors and food lovers alike.
"The Moomazing Food Festival is both a way to highlight the diverse range of vendors and food options available to the public, and to celebrate how far we’ve come since we first began," he said in a statement.
Visitors can also participate in fun food-related activities such as a lucky draw, a wind chamber, as well as a free photo booth and goodie redemptions, and a kid's area to keep younger visitors entertained. Apart from food tasting and purchasing, the festival boasts an impressive lineup of live music and entertainment to keep visitors entertained throughout the day, including the adorable antics of NMooMoo mascots, Moo Moo and Nii Nii. Groove to the tunes of live music acts and enjoy street performers, cheer performances, and other activities. But enjoying good food and good tunes isn’t all that visitors will get to do.
In line with helping the community, part of the funds collected from the event will be funnelled towards philanthropy efforts by NMooMoo’s Corporate Social Responsibility arm.
Funds raised from the festival will form part of a contribution to Persatuan Rakyat Miskin Malaysia, Kelab Anak Muda Bandar Tun Razak, and Persatuan Penduduk PPR Taman Mulia, meaning that festival visitors get to satisfy their taste buds while contributing to a worthy cause.
Entry tickets to the festival can be purchased on the ground on the day of the festival, or through the NMooMoo app. Priced at RM 10 per ticket, with free entry for children under 12 and adults aged 55 years and above.


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Indian platter goes casual; eateries reap bountyOctober 23rd, 2011 - 2:12 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Oct 23 (IANS) A large helping of green Tex Mex salad, a handful of tangy olives, chives, noodle, kadhai paneer, potato augratin and naan: the Indian dinner plate cannot get any more global than this.
The art of dining is changing in India as the well-travelled and cuisine-conscious foodie — with moolah to binge on gastronomic adventures — is moving from star hotels to the informality of the trendy neighbourhood eatery.
And the restaurant trade is booming.
The fare is multi-cuisine, allowing the foodie to jump the dividing lines between eclectic salads, starters and the main courses.
“If you look at the history of India in the last few centuries, it has drawn people and cuisines from all corners of the planet. The French came to Puducherry, we said come… The Portuguese came, we said come… And the Tibetans came… Who was getting richer?” Vikas Khanna, the new judge of Star Plus Master Chef India-2, told IANS.
“The Motherland gets richer. The Indians and the Americans are absorbing. I have told President Obama that India is so absorbing,” New York-based Khanna, a Michelin star chef, said.
Khanna, who has kept the Indian cuisine alive at his restaurant Junoon in New York, says the new Indian food is a reflection of nation’s younger generation.
The changing taste of consumers has made available a wide variety of cuisines to Indian diners, observed restaurateur and entrepreneur Romola Bachchan, a co-partner of the Olive Bar & Kitchen in the capital.
“The new consumer is well-travelled and more aware with technology and satellite connectivity. They are more demanding in their preference for food and are moving away from five-star chains to stand-alone restaurants,” Bachchan told IANS.
Bachchan’s eatery caters to the global appetite of Indian diner “with festivals of food from different nations like Greece, France and Germany.
A Spanish festival is round the corner.
“There is a definite difference between the Indian and the western diner. While the West eats its meals in courses from fixed menus, Indians want a little bit of everything on their plate. We like to taste all,” Bachchan said, explaining why Indians like to heap their plates with fare from around the globe at buffets and banquets.
Star Master Chef season 1 judge Ajay Chopra, an executive chef at Westin Mumbai Garden City Hotel, says “whenever there is a revolution in any sphere, it is when people travel”.
“They travel with their cuisines and spices. For the last five years, Indians have been going in and out a lot,” Chopra told IANS.
The globalisation of the platter has also resulted from more Indians eating out.
A survey by Franchise India, a business opportunity platform, says, “The average Indian urban consumer today eats out at least once every two weeks on an average, as opposed to once every four weeks in 2003.”
Sixty per cent of foodies under 30 like to experiment, the study notes.
“In India, the size of the consumers in the age-group of 22-35 years is quite huge. These are the people trying out new stuff. Youngsters, who go to study in the US and the UK return with international palates,” Shalin Gambhir, the executive sous chef at Radisson Blu MBD Hotel in Noida, told IANS.
The global journey of the Indian foodie began a little more than a decade ago when Turkish and Mediterranean cuisines captured the country’s culinary imagination, Gambhir said, recounting the history of assimilation.
“The Zodiac at the Taj in Mumbai introduced fine western dining. It made way for casual dining a few years later with stand-alone restaurants like Indigo and Olive. They offered Indian and western cuisines. We are now in the era of fusion and nouvelle cuisine — light fare with more emphasis on presentation,” Gambhir said.
The arrival of multinational fast food chains further freed the palate. The changing nature of dining has unleashed a boom in the stand-alone restaurant, says Shibu T.P, a leading hospitality consultant.
“We have lent our expertise and ideas to at least 600 eateries in 30 cities in the last 15 years. Free standing restaurants serve the best food,” Shibu T.P. told IANS.
His new eatery, the Hinglish Colonial Cafe in an essentially Punjabi-dominated neighbourhood in west Delhi, has revived “the Anglo-Indian food from British India with an Indian twist”.
“The essence of the menu at the cafe is like the word Hinglish — Hindi and English — with dishes like the mutton curry stew, nazza — naan with pizza topping — chicken tikka and paneer makhani croissant, kaathiroll sandwiches and tiffin meal,” the food consultant said.
(Madhusree Chatterjee can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.org)
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- Whiff of curry wafts over Helsinki with 30 Indian restaurants - Sep 25, 2011
- Palak paneer to tandoori - Indian food a hit in Helsinki (Feature) (With Images) - Jun 28, 2012
- Destination India could be next for Michelin guides (Eating Out With IANS) - Dec 12, 2010
- Making foodies at Delhi's first restaurant week (Eating out with IANS) - Feb 04, 2011
- Indian cuisine is next main food fashion: Michelin chefs - Sep 20, 2012
- Indian parantha with American omelette - enjoy! (Eating out with IANS) - Jun 14, 2010
- Culinary journey of Hindoostan on the canvas of Raj era (With Images) - Feb 05, 2012
- 'Foodistan' taught me about Pakistan's street food: Chef Manish Mehrotra - Mar 22, 2012
- South Korea has at least 300 Indian restaurants - May 18, 2010
- Chef's table week, unique concept taking root in India (With Images) - Feb 19, 2012
- Courtesy young enthusiasts, Japanese food takes a bow in India (With Images) - Feb 26, 2012
- Oh jolly, it's Tahitian coco prawns - Aug 12, 2011
- India, and its art of spices - Jun 20, 2011
Tags: chives, definite difference, dinner plate, dividing lines, festivals of food, foodie, gastronomic adventures, history of india, indian cuisine, indian food, junoon, master chef, michelin star, moolah, potato augratin, romola, satellite connectivity, star chef, tibetans, vikas khanna


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Posted Tue Nov 1, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by Dick Ward
DVD spending is down significantly, but Blu-ray helped pick up the industry as a whole - if that's not great news for the format, we don't know what is.
The Digital Entertainment Group's latest survey indicates that high definition packaged media is on the rise in a big way. And yes, when they say "high definition packaged media" they clearly mean Blu-ray. Unless there are still HD DVDs floating around out there, but we're just going to go ahead and make the assumption.
Blu-ray disc sales rose by 58 percent this year, with a 60 percent increase in catalog titles like 'Citizen Kane,' 'The Big Lebowski' and, of course, 'Star Wars.' That's great news, but giant sales numbers for titles like this doesn't necessarily mean that the format as a whole is on the rise. We need something more solid, and we got it.
Blu-ray player sales increased by 52 percent over last year. Certainly there are some upgrades in there, but the majority of that seems to be first-time Blu-ray owners, marking a huge shift in mainstream consumer adoption. The DEG puts the number of Blu-ray enabled homes at a whopping 33.5 million.
So how much did Blu-ray help the overall increase in entertainment spending? A lot. Blu-ray was up 58 percent, electronic sellthrough was up 13 percent and VOD increased by five percent. DVD sales are
way down again, rental revenue is down again and brick and mortar stores are hurting. Only one format is truly thriving, and that's Blu-ray.
Source: Home Media Magazine
The latest news on all things 4K Ultra HD, blu-ray and Gear.


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Tickets for Miami Heat’s first two home games in the second round of the Eastern Conference semifinals go on sale at 2 p.m. on Monday, the team announced Sunday after the sweep of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Up next: The winner of the Chicago Bulls vs. Brooklyn Nets series. The Bulls lead that series, 3-1. The earliest the Heat will start another best-of -seven series at AmericanAirlines Arena again is Saturday.
Fans can purchase tickets online at HEAT.com, Ticketmaster.com or call1-800-4NBA-TIX. There will be an eight ticket purchase limit per household.
Tickets will not be available at the arena ticket office on Monday. They will be go on sale at the ticket office at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, the team said.
Want to seat near the action? Those interested in lower level seats can register for Heat Game Time Tickets, which are seats in the lower level normally reserved for NBA executives that may be released for sale 48-hours before game time.
When those tickets are released for sale, registered Heat fans will be contacted by a HEAT sales representative.
For more information, visit www.WhiteHotHEAT.com


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One of every five beauty purchases online is made via the Amazon marketplace, according to a new report.
The merchant and technology company has introduced the RBO Hand 2, which can grasp most of the merchant’s 48,000 grocery products to fill online orders.
U.K.-based web grocer Ocado wants robots to take charge. At least, that is, when it comes to warehouse picking.
Merchant and technology company Ocado Group Plc has unveiled a robotic arm for warehouses that can grasp many of the merchant’s 48,000 items.
To avoid damaging sensitive and unpredictably shaped grocery items, the new robotic arm, called the RBO Hand 2, uses an orchestrated interaction between the hand, the object being grasped and the environment where the arm is working, according to Ocado.
"We are pursuing a new direction for robotic grasping by developing robot hands that can safely pick easily damageable items such as fruits and vegetables,” says Graham Deacon, robotics research team leader at Ocado Technology. “[The hand] offers a versatile, cost-effective and safe solution for robotic grasping and manipulation that integrates very well with Ocado's highly automated warehouse retail solutions."
The Ocado Technology unit of Ocado develops robotics, machine learning, simulation, data science, and forecasting and routing systems for its online grocery operation. The technology unit also markets its e-commerce platforms and technology services to other online retailers, including U.K.-based supermarket Morrisons, which sells online and in stores. Ocado says Morrisons is the fourth largest grocer in the United Kingdom.
Ocado, No. 23 in the Internet Retailer 2016 Europe 500, says its Ocado Technology unit and the Technische Universität Berlin (TUB) developed the arm, which is part of the SoMa project—a European Union-funded, Horizon 2020 program for research and innovation in humanoid robotics. Horizon 2020 is one of the largest EU research and innovation programs, backed by nearly €80 billion ($86.39 billion) in funding over seven years—2014 to 2020—in addition to private investments.
The SoMa project also includes researchers, academics and scientists from the University of Pisa, the Italian Institute of Technology, Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR, the German aerospace agency), the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, and Disney Research Zurich.
Ocado, which posted a 14.7% increase in 2015 web sales to $1.4 billion pounds ($1.74 billion) and has more than 500,000 active customers, has long focused on developing technology to boost sales. In December, Ocado opened a highly automated warehouse in Andover, Hampshire, U.K., which includes hundreds of robots swarming on a grid the size of several soccer fields. Ocado Technology is also involved in the SecondHands project, another Horizon 2020-funded program that aims to design a collaborative robot that can learn from and offer assistance to warehouse maintenance technicians.
Ocado also has employed for more than eight years a team of data scientists that has worked on several projects, including the development of a system called Instant Order that will predict a returning shopper’s order based on her purchase history. It also has used data science to improve warehouse operations in other ways beyond developing robots, says Dan Nelson, head of data for Ocado.
For example, the retailer regularly rearranges the location of items in its warehouses based on orders it received that are slated to be picked, packed and shipped the next day in an effort to get orders out the door more quickly, Nelson says.
Ocado also is implementing a system, built in-house, to eliminate manual review and sorting of the more than 2,000 daily customer service emails it receives. About nine months ago, Ocado began working on this new way to manage emails more efficiently using machine learning and Google’s TensorFlow, an open-source software library for building machine learning frameworks. Machine learning is a process by which computers can learn over time when they are exposed to new data, essentially modifying the computer’s initial programming.
The new system takes emails as they come into the contact center and determines if they contain positive or negative feedback. Next, it assigns a strength to the positive or negative sentiment of the email. Finally, it tags the message with a description of its content, such as a request for website help, a complaint about delivery, a product-related issue or a cancel order request. Based on all of that data, each email is immediately prioritized on how quickly it should be read and answered, Ocado says.


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Warisul Abid, Chief People Officer, SQ Group has sent a rejoinder to a secondary news published in Textile Today referring a report of a daily newspaper on 31 August 2019 where an allegation was made against 76 apparel manufacturers, including SQ Celsius Ltd, for misusing bond facility.
He claimed that the news article ‘76 apparel firms found abusing bond facility’ has been made by the reporter of The Business Standard without going into the details and ascertaining the actual issue.
He also said that Resultantly, such a generalized opinion formed against them is not only huge reputational damage for their, but also significant negative publicity for the entire apparel industry.
As Textile Today made the report from a secondary source (The Business Standard) and mentioned the source in the news, so that, Textile Today is not able to explain the authenticity of the news. It should come from the The Business Standard as they actually made the report on the basis of The National Board of Revenue (NBR).
We have put below the full explanation provided by Warisul Abid for the better understanding of our readers:
“With this rejoinder, we would like to clarify the actual issue that we are having with the Benapole Customs House. This issue was neither a case of misusing bond facility nor a matter dodging applicable duties of imported raw materials. In fact, it was a mere confusion raised at Benapole Customs House on a specific count of 100% Cotton Melange Yarn that we imported back in the year 2018. Hence, we believe the below information will adequately clarify our position since we refute the allegation made against us in the above-mentioned news article:
Back in 2018, we initiated procurement of a total of 13,269 KG of 100% BCI Cotton Melange Yarn in two different counts, i.e., NE 32/2 and NE 20/2, to produce and ship Sweaters to one of our valued global customers. The styles of the Sweaters were designed on 100% BCI Cotton Melange yarn of two different counts; and they required to be produced in our knitting machines of three different gauges, i.e., 12-gauge, 9-gauge and 7-gauge.
Accordingly, we issued LC to our customer’s nominated Yarn Supplier to ship the materials through Benapole Customs port. We released those materials on August 16, 2018, against the Yarn Supplier’s Invoice and Bill of Entry; and in all those documents, the yarn composition and the counts were categorically reconfirmed. Subsequently, we produced the Sweaters and shipped them to our customer strictly conforming with all parameters, including the yarn composition.
Now the confusion is: when Benapole Customs House, conducted a separate material test at Bangladesh Textiles University, the yarn count came as NE 24/2 instead of NE 32/2 and NE 20/2. This is basically beyond our knowledge; and there is absolutely no possibility of mismatch in the yarn-counts, since the composition of the yarn was checked and reconfirmed at all stages of this import.
We would also like to inform here that before shipment of yarns, our yarn supplier sent us a lab-test report as confirmation on the yarn composition and the counts. Also, as a standard practice, we had to conduct a pre-shipment lab test on the samples of finished products (i.e., sweaters) at the test lab of ITS Lab test Bangladesh Ltd to ensure overall materials composition of the products.
Moreover, to further re-establish our position on the yarn-counts, we re-tested the sample products at the renowned test lab of Bureau Veritas Bangladesh on September 9, 2019; and as usual, yarn counts have come as NE 32/2 and NE 20/2.
It is also very important to mention that NE 24/2 is a non-conventional yarn-count for sweater manufacturing, and we have never come across and used such yarn-count in our long 26 years of sweater manufacturing business. With that count (i.e., NE 24/2), we couldn’t have produced the Sweaters on 7-gauge, 9-gauge and 12-gauge machines, and met the strict specifications of the products.
We trust the above information clarifies the matter. And it becomes evident that the allegation made against us in the news article is not only wrong but also built on inaccurate information. And unfortunately, we have been quoted in the news article as one of the offenders whereas we have not committed any wrongdoings.”


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Georgina Arana’s return to Managua, Nicaragua, last week marked the end of her month’s internship with the Georgia Department of Economic Development. She hopes that her internship will strengthen communication between Nicaragua and Georgia, generating contacts with representatives from Georgia businesses.
Ms. Arana approached the department to do a month-long professional internship from her research and marketing post at the Center for Exports and Investment in Managua. Ms. Arana familiarized herself with the Georgia market and companies that work in transportation services, agro-industry development, textiles and industrial technology, that could be instrumental in developing the infrastructure Nicaragua needs to increase its exports.
The internship, a pilot project for the economic development department, gave Ms. Arana exposure to Georgia’s market only months before the U.S. Congress considers the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), a proposed agreement that would eliminate tariffs on 80 percent of U.S. consumer goods and industrial products sold to the Dominican Republic and Central America.
Nicaragua exports the least in Central America, but has shown the highest increase in exports from 2002-04, and it stands to benefit from the eliminated tariffs proposed by DR-CAFTA, especially in terms of developing its transportation infrastructure, which is crucial to the selling price of agricultural exports like cheese and fruit, Ms. Arana said.
“Nicaraguan cheese has a market [in Atlanta],” she said, “Our products are very high quality and now we cannot be competitive because of the high tariffs. I’ve seen other companies process cheese similar to Nicaraguan blends and use our name to sell it,” she said. “If DR-CAFTA is signed,” the amount of cotton Nicaragua buys from Georgia in the form of textiles could also increase, Ms. Arana said, explaining that much of Nicaragua’s imports are used to develop or create the country’s exports.
In 2004, Nicaragua exported over $ 990 million to the U.S. and imported $ 591 million, making the United States Nicaragua’s biggest market
The Georgia market is appealing to Nicaragua “because there are so many Latinos in Atlanta,” she said, referring to the 2000 census, which showed that Latinos made up over 5 percent of Georgia’s population.
Nicaragua’s agricultural industry, based in meats, coffee, fruits, vegetables, oil seeds and cheese could supply the Georgia Latino population with “nostalgic” food products that “many…Latinos would want to buy,” she said.
“We have a market here,” she added “We just need DR-CAFTA to sell our products with a better price.”
While in Atlanta, Ms. Arana participated in the March 21st DR-CAFTA conference sponsored by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. She also met with customs brokers, visited the AmericasMart-Atlanta, met with the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and visited Savannah’s ports facilities.
“It’s very important to keep contact with the Georgia Department of Economic Development,” she said at the end of her internship. “It will be very important for trading in the future.”
For more information about trade with Nicaragua, contact Ms. Arana at email@example.com or (505) 252-5747.


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The U.S. pot market is the golden goose for the marijuana industry. According to analysts from cannabis research firm BDSA, it will be worth $34.5 billion by 2025. That’s nearly six times the Canadian market, which will only be at a value of $6.1 billion by then. And internationally, cannabis sales may not be much higher at $6.5 billion.
With the U.S. pot market off-limits to Canadian marijuana company Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY), the business has been forced to look to other markets to grow its operations. And one surprising consequence of that is the business now has more market share in a European country than it does in its home base.
Tilray’s market share in Germany is 20%
On Tilray’s most recent earnings call, the company said it was a market leader in Germany with a market share of around 20%. A big reason for this is that the company says it has a state-of-the-art cultivation facility in the country. Plus, with its German subsidiary CC Pharma having “preferred access” to 13,000 pharmacies, that has positioned it for some excellent opportunities in the country. According to Tilray, it is the only company that is providing the German government with medical marijuana that is made within the country.
Germany is one of the top European markets for cannabis right now. While it only allows for medical marijuana, a new coalition government is looking to legalize pot for recreational use. With more than 83 million people (more than double the size of Canada), it’s easy to see why Germany could be a potentially hot market for cannabis producers to enter, especially if the U.S. remains unavailable.
Market share in Canada is slipping
The German marijuana market is still in its early stages but Canada’s industry is much further along, and more competitive. Recreational marijuana use was legalized in 2018, and there are now more than 800 companies that are licensed cultivators, processors, and sellers in the country fighting for market share.
All that competition is making it difficult for a company like Tilray to grow its market share in the country. The company noted that for the period ending Nov. 30, 2021, its market share in Canada dropped to 12.8% (previously it was 16%). Blair MacNeil, who is the president of Tilray’s Canadian business, said in January that the company is facing an “intensive price-competitive market” but that it won’t get too deep into price cutting as it “will not severely compromise margins.”
But Tilray may need to do something as it is nowhere near its goal of hitting 30% market share in Canada. It suggests to me that more acquisitions could be a key part of the company’s strategy to help reach that goal.
Is Tilray a Buy?
Tilray will likely lose some market share in Germany as more cannabis countries expand into Europe. Multi-state operator Curaleaf Holdings, which is a leading U.S. pot stock, set up Curaleaf International last year in an effort to penetrate the European market and is an example of a possible rival Tilray may need to worry about in the future. So while Tilray is dominating the market today, investors shouldn’t get too comfortable.
And in Canada, unless Tilray slashes its prices, which, in turn, could devastate its bottom line (it posted a surprise profit last quarter), acquisitions may be the best option to grow its market share. That move, however, could lead to dilution for existing shareholders.
There’s no easy answer for the company and that’s what undoubtedly makes Tilray a bit of a risky buy right now. But with the company generating more than $150 million in sales in each of the past two quarters, it’s a leading marijuana business in Canada that’s still arguably the best pot stock in the country. Its long-term growth plans coupled with the stock trading at 52-week lows could make this an attractive buy on the dip — as long as you’re willing to hang on for what could be some challenging months (and maybe years) ahead for the business.
This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. We’re motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.


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NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. dollar fell to a one-week low against a basket of currencies on Friday, after a survey showed U.S. consumer sentiment dropped sharply in early August, raising worries of a dent in economic activity.
A man counts U.S. dollar banknotes at a currency exchange shop in Beirut, Lebanon March 23, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
The University of Michigan said its preliminary consumer sentiment index fell to 70.2 in the first half of this month from a final reading of 81.2 in July. That was the lowest level since 2011 and one of the six largest drops in the past 50 years of the survey.
Investors this week have been treated to a mixed bag of data. While U.S. producer prices data out Thursday showed surging prices, bolstering the case for the Federal Reserve removing some of its stimulus, it followed U.S. consumer price data on Wednesday, which indicated inflation may be peaking,…


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A ROYAL TREAT: CFDA SNARES PRINCESS DI
NEW YORK — The CFDA is going royal.
WWD has learned that the Princess of Wales will be a presenter at the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s annual awards gala on Jan. 30.
Princess Diana, who will give Harper’s Bazaar editor Liz Tilberis one of the CFDA’s special awards, will join Roseanne, Karl Lagerfeld and possibly Mariah Carey, along with several others, in presenting the awards to designers, editors and other fashion notables.
The event will be held at Lincoln Center.


text: FESI has launched a third survey to assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the sporting goods industry. It is open to any sporting goods company operating in Europe, with a tentative deadline of April 28 for the replies. A specific section is devoted to winter sports. FESI’s previous survey, conducted in autumn 2020 before a second series of lockdowns in Europe, indicated that 55 percent of the respondents were predicting a sales decline of between 10 and 30 percent in 2020. Particularly strong concerns were raised by companies involved in the ski sector.