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Frommherz 6/29/10 (Thomas, Chief Editor at CEOWorld, “What is China Taiwan Economic Framework Cooperation Agreement (EFCA)?” http://ceoworld.biz/ceo/2010/06/29/what-is-china-taiwan-economic-cooperation-framework-agreement-ecfa)
China and Taiwan have signed a landmark trade agreement, some 60 years after the island cut ties with the Chinese mainland. Under the new deal, tariffs on goods traded between the two sides will be scrapped and Taiwanese firms is to have access to services on the mainland. Aiming to establish a systematic mechanism for enhancing cross-Strait economic cooperation, the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) was agreed upon by the mainland’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF). The ECFA will formally take effect one day after both sides “complete due procedures and notify each other”, the agreement said. Under the 16-article agreement, the two sides agreed to “gradually reduce and remove trade and investment barriers and create a fair environment”. The agreement also provides protection for cross-Strait investments to boost two-way capital flows. The two sides agreed on the items to be included in the “early harvest programme” to benefit from the pact first with preferential duty cuts and treatment. The “early harvest programme” will launch within six months of the ECFA taking effect, the agreement said. The two countries will continue discussing agreements for commodity trade, service trade and investment for six months after the ECFA takes effect. China and Taiwan will jointly set up a committee for cross-Strait economic cooperation to ensure ECFA agreements can be reached and to supervise the implementation of the ECFA. The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement ends import tarrifs on some 800 items, such as textiles, petrochemicals and machinery over two years, and open up some of their service sectors to each other. The framework pact will also pave the way for both sides to reach further market liberalisation in goods and services and put in place processes for investment protection. The ECFA is the greatest economic integration between the two – benefits are for both countries
Singh 7/3/10 (Gunjan , Singh is a Research Assistant at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, http://www.eurasiareview.com/201007034275/ecfa-and-the-changing-china-taiwan-relations.html)
In a historic step, China and Taiwan are ready to sign the Economic Co-operation Framework Agreement (ECFA). It is expected that this trade agreement will be a great step in the ongoing economic integration. There will be a major lifting of tariff of about 800 commodities and will create a large number of employment opportunities for the Taiwanese. It will accelerate the level of Taiwanese growth by more than 1.7%. By showing the good returns from the ECFA the Kuomintang government is hoping to see positive results in the 2012 mayoral elections. Though it took about 2 years of negotiations to reach the point of actually signing the deal there is a general apprehension within the Taiwanese community about the future outcomes. The analysts are predicting that it will be Taiwan which will be the major beneficiary. There is also a general consensus that Beijing will use this step to gain political mileage, more than economic. As Taipei becomes more and more ingrained in the Mainland economy, its political independence might be compromised. This may also have an effect on the Taiwan–United States relations. The more influence China has on Taiwan, with the increase in the economic interdependence in addition to the KMT government which has been a pro-reunification section, one can expect a large change in the Taiwan-US dynamics. It would not be far fetched to conclude that Taiwan may like to use its closeness with Beijing in order to gain some economic as well as political mileage in the international space. President Hu is hailing the recent agreement as a peaceful development of relations
AP 7/12/10 (“Hu hails China-Taiwan trade pact”, http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/12/2077500/hu-hails-china-taiwan-trade-pact.html)
President Hu Jintao hailed a historic trade pact between China and Taiwan on Monday when he met with the chairman of Taiwan's ruling Nationalist Party, saying it signals progress on their deepening ties. Hu told Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung during his visit that the trade deal signed last month is an "important achievement" that helps reach the two sides' goal of "peaceful development of relations." Footage of their meeting was aired on the evening news by national broadcaster China Central Television. Last month, negotiators for China and Taiwan signed a trade deal that slashes tariffs on a wide range of products, pushing their economies closer together and further easing political hostilities across the Taiwan Strait. The threat of military conflict has lingered since Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, but in recent years, the tensions have eased under the policy of rapprochement taken by Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou. Under his tenure, regular air and sea links have resumed after a hiatus of 60 years and restrictions on Chinese investment in Taiwan have been lifted. "As long as the exchanges and consultations are made on an equal footing, relations will be pushed forward and a feasible method could be found for a gradual settlement of the problems constraining the cross-straits relations," Hu said. In the meeting, Wu passed on a message to Hu from Ma, who called for closer ties following the signing of the trade pact. The deal, formally known as the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, is expected to boost bilateral trade, which already totals $110 billion a year.
There is public popularity for the agreement and it goes into effect immediately
Yu and Dingding 7/13/10 (Xie and Xin, Staff writers for China Daily, http://www2.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-07/13/content_10096596.htm)
Top Chinese mainland and Taiwan leaders have expressed their latest confidence in the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties, following the signing of a historic trade pact. Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said on Monday that the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed last month was an important achievement in the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Straits and a sign that economic and trade ties have entered a new stage. Hu said the ECFA was in line with the interests of people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. He also said he hopes that the cross-Straits trade pact will take effect as soon as possible to bring practical benefits to people from both sides. Hu met Wu Poh-hsiung, honorary chairman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party, on Monday afternoon in Beijing. It was the third meeting between the two leaders since 2008, when the KMT became the ruling party in Taiwan. Hu said both sides should continue to push for normal cross-Straits economic ties. Wu brought Hu greetings from Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou, also chairman of KMT, and a message. The message, which was condensed into 16 Chinese characters, read: "Looking into realities, overcoming differences and seeking common ground; accumulating mutual trust and further creating win-win situations." Wu said Ma is confident of the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and he believed that Taiwan will complete the legislative review of the ECFA before August and start implementing it as soon as possible. Li Jiaquan, a senior researcher with the institute of Taiwan studies affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it was notable that both Hu and Ma extended greetings during the meeting, which was rarely seen before. "It creates a good atmosphere ... and also matches the current trend of cross-Straits relations. I believe there is profound meaning behind the greetings," he said. But he said time is still not ripe for talks on political and military issues. "Both sides need to consolidate what has been achieved and firmly hold onto the right direction, as well as take their time to move forward step by step," he said. The ECFA, a landmark trade pact signed on June 29, is a wide-ranging agreement that will reduce tariffs on hundreds of petrochemical, textile and other items. It also opens service sectors such as banking to cross-Straits investment, aiming to bind the two economies closer.


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Even if you aren't within a convenient distance of a Whole Foods grocery store, if you're an Amazon Prime member, you can get some Whole Foods groceries shipped straight to your door. This also means that when Prime Day rolls around, you can be ready.
This year's Amazon Prime Day is officially happening on June 21 and 22 (that's right now!), a date that is pretty traditional for the event. Last year, the two-day shopping event was postponed due to the pandemic and took place in October. Typically, though, the event happens at some point during the summer so this year it's back to business as usual.
While Prime Day is typically a good time to shop for electronics and kitchen appliances while top-rated products are discounted, it's also a good time to do your grocery shopping if you want to pick up some things from Whole Foods. Last year, Amazon brought back its Whole Foods $10-for-$10 deal that essentially gifts you free money to use online. When you spent more than $10 on a Whole Foods order by a certain predetermined date, you got a $10 credit to your Amazon account to use however you wanted on Prime Day.
This exact deal isn't on the agenda for this year's Prime Day, but there are some deals for the occasion that you can take advantage of. A spokesperson for Whole Foods told Delish that there are some totally new and exclusive seasonal items that are available with special in-store pricing for Prime members through June 22. These items include a Summer Sunset Pie (25 percent off), Heirloom Caprese Pizza ($10), and Butterfly Berry Lemonade ($1).
Whole Foods is also offering Prime member deals like buy one get one free single-serve mochi, beef rib steaks for just $11.99 per pound, 25 percent off of Chilean sea bass, and 30 percent off of reusable water bottles.

domain: news


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PUTRAJAYA: The Food Safety and Quality Division (BKKM) of the Ministry of Health (MOH) said the local company manufacturing 'Timah' whisky did not apply for any labelling advice service from the division.
In a statement today, BKKM also stressed that it did not give any approval related to the labelling.
BKKM explained that it offers food labelling advice services to ensure that labels comply with the labelling provisions under the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985.
"The monitoring of food labelling is done according to the Food Act 1983 and the regulations under it," the statement read.
It added that Order 18 (1A) of the Food Regulations 1985 did not allow any words that indicate grading, quality or superiority, or other words of the same significance, to be used as a brand name.
"Therefore, brands like 'Timah' and 'Omar' and others do not reflect grading, quality or superiority, and as such, this matter does not fall under Order 18 (1A)," it said. – BERNAMA


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We're only 6 months away from the announcement of the iPhone 15 line up, and it feels like rumours are already reaching fever pitch. From a brand new design to some controversial new charging port tech, there are a few persistent rumours doing the rounds this time.
We've brought all the key rumours and leaks together, and we'll keep updating this post as we learn more, so keep it bookmarked. And if you don't fancy waiting, check out the best iPhone 14 deals available now.
Apple iPhone 15: design
We're a long way off from the likely release of an iPhone 15, but we're already certain it will feature one big design change: a move from Lightning to USB-C. That's because new EU rules announced last autumn will require all phones sold after autumn 2024 to use the USB-C connector for charging.
Apple has agreed to comply, and although technically they could still sneak out a new phone with a Lightning connector between now and the deadline, it wouldn't make much business sense to do so. And with the iPad, MacBook and most third-party accessories shifting to USB-C, it makes sense from a brand viewpoint anyway.
Every iPhone 15 model, then, is likely ditch Lightning for USB-C... but that's not the whole story. As we reported in November, leaks suggest that the capabilities of the ports won't be the same across all four iPhones. It appears that only the iPhone 15 Pro models will support USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3, while the standard iPhone 15 will just support USB 2.0, offering no speed improvement over Lightning. Bah. And the whole thing is already proving controversial.
In other slightly worrying news, it sounds like the iPhone 15 Pro's camera bump could be even bigger than that of the iPhone 14 Pro. Renders based on leaked CAD files show a similar design to the 14 Pro, but with an absolutely enormous set of lenses.
Other leaks and rumours about the design of the iPhone 15 range may be less grounded in fact. But where they come from reliable sources, they're still worth paying attention to. For example, many seasoned Apple leakers have claimed that the Dynamic Island, Apple's interactive notch replacement, will hit all four iPhone 15 models. That would be a big deal, as it's currently only available in the more expensive iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
There's also a persistent rumour that the iPhone 15 will replace physical buttons with haptic touch sensors; like the 'taptic' home button in the iPhone SE. We're really sure this isn't a good idea, though, as it would make it difficult to restart the phone if the software freezes, and might make using a case more problematic too. So if Apple really is thinking about this, we hope they back off the idea sooner rather than later.
Speaking of buttons, one recent rumour suggests the iPhone 15 Pro will take a leaf out of the Apple Watch Ultra's book and include a customisable Action Button. This could let users carry out various functions, from activating Control Center to turning on the torch.
And then there's the display. Recent rumours have suggested that Apple is working on brightness of up to 2500 nits – up from the 14 Pro's current max of 2000. Seeing as a brighter display is a selling point of the Apple Watch Ultra, we wouldn't be surprised to see the same thing happen with the iPhone line up.
Less concerning is the suggestion that the rumoured iPhone 15 Ultra will be made of titanium. It's not exactly something we're crying out for, but at least it wouldn't make us upset (unless it made the price prohibitive, of course).
Apple iPhone 15: camera
We don't know anything official about the iPhone 15's cameras yet, and we haven't even seen many leaks either. The biggest rumour is the prediction that the iPhone 15 Ultra will have a second selfie camera (while the iPhone 14 Pro has three main cameras on the back, the front camera remains a single lens.)
What that would be for, though, we can only speculate. It could mean the addition of an ultra-wide selfie lens (no more having to stretch your arm out of its socket to take a group selfie) or better zoom. Or it could introduce a dual system for sharper, more detailed images, or allow selfies to be taken with a shallower depth of field so subjects stand out more from the background.
Apple iPhone 15: pricing and release date
We haven't heard anything about pricing or a release date for the iPhone 15 range yet. In terms of the latter, though, past practice can point us to a likely release window.
Apple tends to launch new iPhones in the first couple of weeks of September: for example, it launched the iPhone 14 on 7 September 2021, with the 14, Plus and Pro going on sale over a week later (16 September) and the iPhone 14 Plus a little after that (7 October). The company also usually launches new stuff on a Tuesday. Taking all that into account, Tuesday 5 September or Tuesday 12 September 2023 is our educated guess for an iPhone 15 launch. If that's too far away for you, take a look at today's best iPhone 14 Pro deals below.


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DETROIT (Reuters) -- Ford Motor Co. plans to produce both its current F-150 pickup and a new model for about six months to avoid disrupting sales of the top-selling U.S. vehicle and safeguard against potential kinks tied to the truck's extensive overhaul, people familiar with the plans said. The second-largest U.S. automaker aims to start production of the new truck around July 2014, sources said. Ford will continue to build the older model during the first six months of the new F-150's launch.
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20130723/OEM04/130729965#ixzz2ZzUAveMN
Discuss the next gen F150 in our Ford Atlas Forums


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This holiday season, how about giving the gift of healthy living! Fitness expert Chris Freytag shared these eight ideas of some fun and trendy gifts this year
Fitness experts regularly say that physical activity is key to our overall health but putting together a regular exercise routine can be a daunting task.
It's active aging week, and the theme this year is Discover Your Community. It recognizes the important role that older adults play in all sorts of communities.
A lot of us look for a workout that really pushes us, or leaves us on the ropes, literally.
There's a new trend popping up in gyms and sporting goods, that's really not so new. Sandbag training has been around for a quite sometime, but it's becoming more popular again in recent years.
Everyone knows they should be working out to stay healthy. But sometimes it's hard to get motivated to get up and exercise by yourself.
Too often when grabbing a snack, it's the unhealthy stuff that finds its way into our hands. That's especially the case on road trips.
A glistening Medicine Lake beckons swimmers, boaters and, increasingly, stand up paddleboarders.
A constant flow of produce trucks, and the steady hum of customers talking to vendors means the Minneapolis Farmers Market is now in full swing.
One of the benefits of summer's nice weather is you can take your workouts outside. It doesn't have to take a lot of your time, either.
We're well into summer now, and that means swimsuits are a key staple to many people's wardrobes as they hit the beach, to beat the heat.
June is Men's Health Month which is the perfect opportunity to discuss and inform men of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most
Has it really been two months since my last (and only other) blog entry? Well, then, let's get cracking. As you're about to see, I'm not
Rick Kupchella, Jeff Wiltgen and John Drilling
He's not more powerful than a locomotive. He's not able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. But Chaska's Ben Theis of Vikings
You have never met Mr. Betty Crocker, Julie Green Giant, or uncle Jemima. So on our way to meeting a Minnesota food product icon - we thought we'd start by introducing you to her spouse.
Some pet owners will do just about anything to ensure their pet lives a happy healthy life, but these days it can come at a pretty hefty price.
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - It's your green connection to healthy sustainable living and Twin Cities businesses.
From free golf to free food, more businesses than ever are offering birthday deals thanks to online birthday clubs and internet coupons.
Mysterious concrete structures in Dakota County are ghosts of a nation at war six decades ago.
With renewed attention to American laws governing firearms, Minnesota has its own rules. Gun shop owners must comply with the regulations.
WCCO-TV has let go of one of their news anchors. Jeanette Trompeter, the 5 p.m. newscast anchor was let go from WCCO-TV for budget


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Describing MetLife's online self-service objective, vice president Sachin Shah told Customer Service Leadership Forum attendees, "We don't want you on our site for 20 minutes. We want to offer policyholders 'click-and-gone' functionality." Shah, along with Mark Boxer, senior vice president, e-business, Anthem Inc. (Indianapolis), spoke at the session "Are You Ready for the Next Generation of Portals & Self-Service?" at the Insurance & Technology event last week in New York.
With the goal of doing online and better what it currently does offline, according to Shah, MetLife aims to make the Internet the channel customers prefer. The carrier also concentrates on the business objectives of driving cost reduction and process redesign while increasing cross-selling opportunities. At the same time, MetLife strives to know who its customers are, what they are eligible for and what products they may be interested in, Shah explained.
In order to gauge the success of its strategy, Metlife conducts monthly MyBenefits Customer Satisfaction Surveys, he added. MyBenefits is an online resource used by employee customers to manage their non-medical MetLife benefits. The results of the December 2002 survey revealed that 95 percent of users said they are satisfied with MyBenefits, 96 percent said they would recommend it to co-workers, and 60 percent said they are very likely to visit again in the next six months. Additionally, the survey found that 87 percent of those polled said MyBenefits gives them a better understanding of their benefits, 92 percent said they prefer MyBenefits to other channels, and 99 percent said they appreciate their employers for making MyBenefits available.
Anthem is also realizing success with its online strategy of offering services that enable customers to "not only use the Internet for self-service but also to improve their health as well," said Boxer. "Consumers of health care are far more savvy and their demand for online health information and self-service tools is growing and maturing," reported Boxer. According to the e-business executive, Anthem's member portal strategy is to establish and maintain personalized relationships that improve health and increase convenience with value-added online content, tools and self-service.
Anthem's strategy, explained Boxer, is based upon the expectation that Internet adoption will accelerate from 156 million today to 198 million by 2005. Additionally, the carrier recognizes that personalization will extend beyond user profile and permission-based approaches, becoming increasingly sophisticated and leveraging contextual integration that combines silo services into a seamless, integrated Web application.


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Adobe had announced that Flash Player will no longer be supported after 31 December 2020, meaning the end of this life-long web content tool. Adobe has also stated that the Flash content will be blocked from running in Flash Player beginning from 12 January 2021, since no further updates or security patches will be issued afterwards to secure users’ systems .
Major web browser vendors as well as web development platforms including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla etc., have been starting to disable the Flash Player plug-in by default     . Moreover, most of the major web browsers are planned to stop loading Adobe Flash content in the cause of its EOL.
HKCERT recommends users to abandon and uninstall Adobe Flash Player from their computers and mobile devices, and update the web browsers to the latest versions as to disable the default use of Adobe Flash Player plug-in as soon as possible. For web developers, they can switch to open standards for rich content such as HTML5, WebAssembly and WebGL etc.
Is your business effected by Cyber Crime?
If a cyber crime or cyber attack happens to you, you need to respond quickly. Cyber crime in its several formats such as online identity theft, financial fraud, stalking, bullying, hacking, e-mail fraud, email spoofing, invoice fraud, email scams, banking scam, CEO fraud. Cyber fraud can lead to major disruption and financial disasters. Contact Digitpol’s hotlines or respond to us online.
Digitpol is available 24/7.
UK +44 20 8089 9944


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While consciousness has spread in recent years about the foods we eat, fewer of us think about how harmful the products we put on our skin can be…
About Roddy Scheer
Posts by Roddy Scheer:
The Mojave Desert is a literal ecotourism hotspot.
Despite a proposed $12 million funding increase by the Bush administration earlier this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is still going to cut way back on services and operations at more than 500 national wildlife refuges across the country due to a mammoth $2.5 billion unfunded maintenance and operations backlog.
A year after voluntarily agreeing with the EPA to reduce the use of PFOA in the production of Teflon, DuPont recently announced that it would phase out its production.
Since the 1950s, multi-level marketing (MLM) companies like Amway have sold billions of dollars worth of products to consumers through independent individual distributors, who take a cut on every sale they make as well as on the sales of other "downline" distributors they have recruited. These days, a new crop of green companies has adopted the MLM business model to sell various types of environmentally friendly merchandise.
In the wake of corporate scandals at Enron and elsewhere, stock market investors are becoming increasingly aware of the power of voting their "proxies." Anyone who owns a single share of stock in a publicly traded company can weigh in on a variety of resolutions on corporate governance and social and environmental issues. Proxy voting is an increasingly important tool to nudge companies toward cleaner and greener behavior.
Don’t Pan-ic! New Non-Stick Cookware Alternatives Safer and Easy to Clean Searching for the Safest Cookware
Tried-and-true alternatives to Teflon non-stick cookware might go a long way toward easing the conscience of the cook in your house.
The one-two punch doled out by Katrina and then Hurricane Rita literally wiped out thousands of promising small businesses—and the jobs that went with them—all the way from Texas to Alabama. Several socially responsible community investment projects are helping shoulder the daunting burden of getting the local economy back on its feet.


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Normal Bob Smith has been documenting life amongst the weird and woozy regulars at Union Square for years now with his Amazing Strangers site—they're all unique characters, from the butt sniffers to the horde of creepy peepers. But the Tupac fan in the video below deserves special recognition for his incredible, unmistakable, undeniable swagger. Show More Summary
MUNI's Central Subway tunnel boring machines have already made it past Union Square and are inching their way towards Chinatown. Once they make it to North Beach, the SFMTA plans extract the machines without building a station, and wave...
Here’s a look at the FishbowlNY posts that made the most buzz this week. 1) Journalist Matthew Power Dies in Uganda 2) ESPN Launches New Content Unit “Exit 31? 3) Too Many Zooz Rocks Union Square, Reddit 4) Newsweek Returns with a Thud 5)...Show More Summary
· SF evictions keep rising, latest report shows · Apple flagship approval means more Union Square construction · Rough waters force Alcatraz shutdown · Brilliant mustard flowers at Laguna Honda Hospital · If I need to break my lease...
Apple has been given final approval to begin work on a new store and public plaza in Union Square.
San Francisco has given Apple the final stamp of approval for the construction of a new flagship retail store in the city's Union Square, Re/code reports The new store will replace Apple's current store at Stockton Street. At aroundShow More Summary
Apple Stores are fascinatingly designed (well, there are exceptions perhaps), and it is always huge news to Apple fans if there is a new Apple Store in the works in their area. For the people of San Francisco, particularly the UnionShow More Summary
Apple has received final approval for its upcoming Union Square Apple Store from the San Francisco Planning Commission and the city’s Board of Supervisors, reports Re/code. With the go ahead from the city, Apple can begin construction...Show More Summary
Re/code reports that the city of San Francisco has finally granted Apple permission to begin work on its iconic new Union Square retail center, which the company has said will be “more iconic than the glass cube in New York City.” The store, pictured in the rendering above, has been in the works for almost a year […]
All'onda in Union Square feels more grown up than most of its surroundings and more lively and spry than its established fine dining neighbors. The Italy-with-dabs-of-Asia menu has some next-level moments of radiance here—but what they add up to is still up in the air.
A well-known Howard Stern superfan got into big trouble with police Monday in NYC -- after "Booey bombing" a live newscast in Union Square... and the footage is pretty hilarious.Kemberly Richardson was doing a live shot for WABC when the fan -- who…
Empire builder Danny Meyer is at it again: AMC Theatres has announced their partnership with Meyer's Union Square Events on Red Kitchen, a dine-in movie theater now open in Aurora, CO. The menu of salads, hot dogs, pizzas, and...
If you don't silence your phone, Danny will make you. The restaurateur's growing catering and special operations division has introduced an entirely new concept called Red Kitchen, a fast casual operation that's launched at a solitary AMC Theatres location in Aurora, Colorado, of all places. Show More Summary
Too Many Zoos, an amazing, powerful horn-based trio with a very big sound, performs to commuters in the 14th Street-Union Square subway station in New York City in this video captured by Jake Dietrich. Their digital album is available for purchase and you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter to find out when and [...]
After a desperate search for a boy who disappeared from his Brooklyn apartment building last week, the police announced that he was found in Manhattan. 11-year-old Kareem Granton was spotted at the Union Square subway station by a Good Samaritan. [ more › ]
The controversial planned restaurant in Union Square will make headlines again this week now tht New York legislators are calling on Mayor de Blasio to cancel the restaurant's contract. But it turns out this kind of struggle over park and commercial space in nothing new to the city, dating all the way back to the post-Civil War era. Show More Summary
Friday was a BIG day for New York “Brass House” trio Too Many Zooz. Also known as Matt Doe, Leo P and Dave “King of Sludge” Parks. At one end, their January video of a rip-roaring Union Square subway station performance hit the front page of Reddit. Show More Summary
Wes Anderson's new film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, opens today in limited release -- in NYC it's at the Regal Union Square Stadium 14 and the Lincoln Square 13. With eight films under his belt, Anderson's whimsical style is...
I think Kin Khao, the new Union Square restaurant from Pim Techamuanvivit (of popular food blog Chez Pim) and Chef Michael Gaines (formerly of Manresa), could be San Francisco's best Thai restaurant....soon.
Some hotels are using guests' smartphones as a high-tech alternative to traditional hotel keys. CNET's Kata Tsuboi visited Hotel Union Square in San Francisco, the first hotel to employ the technology on the West Coast.


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Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange, is rumored to be ramping up its development strategy as it continues to acquire South Korean exchange Gopax.
The world's largest cryptocurrency trading platform, Binance, reportedly made the claim that Gopax, Korea's top-five trading platform, was about to be acquired at the same time on January 2 in the afternoon. Kimchi nation.
The platform will retain the exchange's current operating system while purchasing 41.2% of Gopax shares from CEO Lee Jun-haeng, according to the source. One of the top five cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea is Gopax, which is also among the top five there with Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, and Korbit. In regards to the transaction, both exchanges have declined to comment.
This is Binance's most recent attempt to enter the Korean market; earlier attempts were unsuccessful due to regulatory barriers. Due to its inability to comply with financial transparency, anti-money laundering, and investor protection rules, the company had to remove its Korea Branch sub-platform, which it had established to serve Korean consumers in 2020.
Upbit currently holds 80% of the market, although Gopax, a cryptocurrency exchange, has a presence in this region and has applied for a bank account there. Binance will probably restructure Gopax's operations by adding more fresh spot trading pairs, but it will be difficult to offer derivatives trading like margin or futures because Korean law forbids it.
The largest platform in the world also signed a deal to buy Sakura Exchange BitCoin in Japan and Tokocrypto in Indonesia in the final two months of 2022, two platforms that presently have operating permits in their respective nations. This arrangement mirrors the company's current strategy. Instead than starting from scratch and going through a license process that will undoubtedly be examined, Binance will enter the market by buying authorized businesses.
Following the FTX crisis, Binance announced the development of a $1 billion Market Relief Fund; however, there haven't been any new updates on the fund's status in over a month.


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The COOL Online Act updates our labeling laws for the online era
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators JD Vance (R-OH) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) have introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure that all goods sold online list their country-of-origin in order to protect Americans’ right to know where the products they buy are made and promote American-made goods for online shoppers.
Unlike products sold in-person, products sold online are not currently required to disclose their country-of-origin. The Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) Online Act would increase transparency online by updating our labeling laws for the e-commerce era so online shoppers have the same access to country-of-origin and seller location information that in-person shoppers do. In addition to Senators Baldwin and Vance, the legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Mike Braun (R-IN).
“The American people deserve to know where the products they buy are made, regardless of whether they’re shopping in-store or online,” said Senator Vance. “Our legislation would close a legal loophole by extending current, commonsense labeling requirements to e-commerce. With this proposal, we can give American consumers the confidence that their online purchases support American workers and industry.”
“Whether we buy things online or in-store, Americans have a right to know if the product they are purchasing was made in America, by American workers,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’ve heard from Made in Wisconsin businesses across the state who work hard to innovate and create new products, only to have cheaper, lower quality imitations sold online with no requirements to identify themselves as foreign-made. I am proud to join my Democratic and Republican colleagues to fix our outdated country-of-origin labeling laws to promote transparency for shoppers and boost American manufacturers, businesses, and workers.”
E-commerce’s share of total retail sales has been steadily increasing each year, and the pandemic only accelerated that trend. As e-commerce grows, it will pull more sales from brick-and-mortar retail locations, making big companies bigger, while threatening small businesses and mom-and-pop stores nationwide and leaving Americans increasingly unsure about where products are made. According to a November 2022 poll, 79 percent of Americans believe online retailers should be required to provide the same country-of-origin information as in-person retailers, and 81 percent would purchase more American-made goods if they could.
The COOL Online Act will update our labeling laws for the e-commerce era by amending the Federal Trade Commission Act. Specifically, the bill requires:
- The country-of-origin labeling for a product, as required by existing law, be clearly and conspicuously stated in the website’s description of the product
- Clear disclosure of the country in which the seller of the product is located in the online product listing.
The COOL Online Act is supported by the Coalition for a Prosperous America, the Alliance for American Manufacturing, and American Compass.
“The Coalition for a Prosperous America fully supports enactment of the Country of Origin Labeling Online Act, or COOL Online Act, sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin and JD Vance. Consumers have a right to know where the products they purchase on the Internet are made and where the seller is located – and to know this when they buy them, not when they show up on their doorstep,” said Michael Stumo, CEO of Coalition for a Prosperous America. “By requiring this information in Internet sales, the bill will help consumers protect themselves against unsafe, counterfeit and shoddy goods, and, if they choose, to purchase products made in America. CPA urges the bill’s enactment into law.”
“We applaud Senator Tammy Baldwin and Senator JD Vance for introducing the Country of Origin Labeling Online Act. By giving online shoppers information about where a product is being made and where the seller is located, consumers will be well-positioned to support the U.S. economy and create more jobs for American workers. It is long overdue that Congress close this loophole and we are grateful to Senators Baldwin and Vance for leading the way,” said Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.
“The foolish economic theory that it doesn’t matter where things are made, or whether America makes anything at all, has done great harm to the United States. Americans want to know where the things they buy come from, and to buy from America when they can. That’s no less true when they shop online, and Senators Vance and Baldwin are right to insist that clear labeling provides the needed information,” said Oren Cass, Executive Director of American Compass.
More information on the COOL Online Act is available here. Text of the legislation is available here.


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Zomato share price was off to a flyer on Friday hitting a new 52-week high as the company made its first-ever consolidated net profit during the quarter that ended June.
What Happened: The food delivery giant’s net profits stood at ₹2 crore for the June quarter as against a loss of ₹186 crore in the same quarter last year. The company's revenue from operations went up 71% to ₹2,416 crore, as compared to the ₹1,414 crore in the year-ago period.
Analyst Reactions: Brokerages across the board remained bullish on the stock after the company’s stellar showing in the June quarter. Jefferies maintained its ‘buy’ rating on the stock with a price target of ₹130. The research firm said that Q1 casts all doubts about the company’s ability to generate profits.
HSBC also maintained its ‘buy’ rating for the stock with a price target of ₹102. The analysts said that the company expects to probability to improve further company. The research firm also added that the food delivery business is expected to grow sustainably in the long term.
UBS maintained its ‘buy’ rating on the stock with a target price of ₹90. The firm said that Q1 earnings beat expectations as demand recovered. The firm added that Zomato’s strong revenue growth was supported by the food delivery business.
JP Morgan also maintained its ‘overweight’ rating for the stock with a target price of ₹100. The global research firm noted that Zomato achieved adjusted EBITDA and PAT breakeven ahead of guidance.
However, global brokerage firm Nomura holds a different view. The firm maintained its ‘reduce’ rating on the stock with a target price of ₹60. The firm said that while the company’s Q1 results beat expectations sustaining growth will be difficult in the long term.
Price Action: Zomato’s share price was up 6.47% to ₹92.15 at market open on Friday.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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Meet Michelle, a marvelous market manager and MyPick® vendor
Last week, we told you how Michelle Seaborn kept the Grimsby Farmers’ Market alive after a disastrous downtown fire.
This week, we’d like to tell you about the other side of Michelle. Not only is she a savvy market manager, she’s also a brilliant MyPick® vendor with an inspiring opinion about locally grown food.
Local and proud
Being a MyPick® Verified Local Farmer® vendor means Michelle can proudly say that everything she sells has been grown at Silmaril Farms. The farm, which has been operating since 2004, is home to a small flock of sheep, turkeys and chickens, just to name a few. The animals are fed a natural diet that’s free of hormones and growth promotants. Silmaril Farms also produces eight varieties of apples, including MacIntosh, Honey Crisp, Empire, Red and Golden Delicious, Mutsu (Crispin) Fiji and Ida Red.
“Customers feel more assured that they are getting local, homegrown products from a verified farmer,” said Michelle. “I can tell you exactly how they were raised. For many shoppers, that is extremely important.” Silmaril Farms has been MyPick® verified for two years.
The MyPick® brand fosters customer loyalty
Michelle hopes that eventually every farmer who sells at an FMO member market will receive the MyPick® designation so that customers never have to worry about whether or not their food is truly local.
“We have a steady clientele that comes to the farm and seeks us out at the market,” Michelle said, adding that the farm is only about five minutes away from the market. “I spend a lot of time talking about my products, how they are raised and grown.” Michelle’s customers are so loyal to her brand that they often visit the farm if she sells out at the market.
“I enjoy the whole farmers’ market experience and as the market manager of Grimsby Farmers’ Market, I am very pleased and proud of the wide variety of products our local vendors have on hand. Markets are a tremendous way of learning about nutritious and healthy food.”


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Of the many economic riddles the Web has posed to traditional businesses, few are more challenging than the free vs. paid conundrum.
Now, a marketing professor from Columbia Business School is testing out a mix of free and paid where it’s bound to meet with a chilly reception: college textbooks.
Starting today, Noel Capon will offer his textbook, “Managing Marketing in the
21st Century,” as a free download on his Web site. Hard copies of the book will continue to sell for $45.
Following in the footsteps of musical acts Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails, who let their fans pay what they wanted for their music online, Capon will ask the students who opt for the free download to pay what they think is fair midway through the semester. Capon will donate half the proceeds to college scholarship charities.
Capon describes himself as frustrated with the publishing system, and a professor sympathetic to students struggling with textbook prices that he calls exorbitant.
“What’s going on in this business is that [cost is] becoming a major social issue,” he told InternetNews.com. “It never really concerned me before. But it got to me the last few years. They’re in the $100 to $150 range, and that’s just out of sight.”
Capon’s current book, brought out by Wessex Inc., a boutique imprint that he finances, is not his first. He published a previous marketing text through Prentice Hall, but he said the sales representatives have heavy incentives to promote the books of the established, incumbent authors that it was next to impossible for his book to gain any traction.
“Long story short, Prentice Hall didn’t put any effort into this book,” he said. (InternetNews.com was not able to reach Prentice Hall for comment.)
Following his split with Prentice Hall, Capon set to work on the current book. Until today, he has been offering an electronic version of it for $25 dollars, but he said that about three quarters of his students have opted for the $45 hard copy. Lowering the price from $25 to free will certainly adjust that ratio, but Capon still expects a majority of the students will opt for the traditional format, for the same reason that e-book readers have struggled to gain market share.
“There are some people who like reading online, but some people like reading a book and marking it up,” he said.
He’s not expecting to make much money from the voluntary contributions. Looking at the Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails experiments, he said the “lesson is most people don’t want to pay. They’re happy to take it for free.”
But even giving the book away, there’s still money to made from the peripherals. Capon will continue to sell supplementary materials to the text, such as study guides and electronic flash cards.
He likens the business model to the British airline Ryanair, which has been experimenting with ultra-low fares in the hopes of making money from in-flight sales of food and beverage. It’s also similar to Hewlett-Packard’s (NYSE: HP) long-time strategy of taking a loss on printers but netting a healthy margin on cartridges.
For Capon, it’s also a way of broadening the reach of his book in a way that he was unable to achieve through a major publishing house. Aside from the novelty of his approach, he expects the sheer economics of the situation will compel other instructors to consider his book versus a text that will set students back in excess of $100.
“The idea to now offer a free option means that people around the world will have to look at it,” he said. “Any professor that has concern for the financial welfare of their students would have to take a look at my book.”
He’s not alone in his concern. Last month, Congress passed the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, which included language requiring publishers to notify professors about the costs of textbooks before committing to a purchase order.
As to the extent that his experiment will reshape the publishing industry, Capon is pragmatic.
“The problem of course is the textbook publishers is they have a structure in place, and it might be very difficult to go to a new model,” he explained. “It’s very, very tough for participants in a mature industry to make those changes if a new model comes along.”
But if nothing else, it will give him a hands-on case study that he can incorporate into his next marketing book.


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Customers in Kuwait are set to benefit from a series of new initiatives following the roll-out of the Ooredoo brand earlier this month.
Kuwait became the latest market to adopt the Ooredoo brand, following successful launches in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, and the Maldives. Customers in each of these markets have seen tangible improvements in their services resulting from the arrival of the Ooredoo brand.
The roll-out of the new brand has brought Ooredoo customers immediate benefits, including the ‘My Offer’ service for prepaid customers, which recommends specific products based on customers usage patterns. Ooredoo is also launching reward-based data packages, pre-paid and other smartphone plans to enhance the customer experience.
All data services will be supported by the Ooredoo’s USD 400 million modernized network, enabling it to offer some of the best-performing 3G and 4G LTE mobile broadband networks in the region and the world.
To support the focus on digital, customers are enjoying a new website that includes account management facilities, social media interactive engagement and the introduction of a revamped range of services including Kuwait’s online telecommunications store enabling them to buy electronics online.
As part of the celebration of the success of the launch in Kuwait, Ooredoo held a special VIP ceremony, attended by ministers, dignitaries, key customers and partners; and opened by H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Thani, Chairman of Ooredoo.
H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Thani, said: “The roll-out of Ooredoo in Kuwait has been a major success. Ooredoo is looking to take the lead in all our markets, offering best-in-class data and digital services, and delivering the full benefits of 4G and Fibre solutions for businesses and consumers. By bringing our Kuwait team closer to the whole Ooredoo family of operations, we are able to leverage significant economies of scale and shared resources – and ensure that the benefits are passed on to our customers.”
Abdulaziz Fakhroo, General Manager and CEO in Kuwait, said: “Our customers are already beginning to see the results with the recognition from independent sources that we have the best network in the country. The arrival of Ooredoo further enables us to deliver the digital services that will transform every aspect of our customer’s daily lives.”
Ooredoo has hosted celebratory events for key segments, which were enjoyed by thousands of fans in Kuwait.
Ooredoo’s commitment to society is being demonstrated through its sponsorship of a sports arena which includes three indoor soccer fields; donating the first privately-owned braille printing press for the Kuwait Blind Association, and supporting Bayt Abdullah Hospital by fulfilling the wants of children with terminal conditions.
The company has also continued its new “I Want” campaign, which encourages women, entrepreneurs and young people to upload their wishes on the new Ooredoo website and receive support from Ooredoo to fulfil their dreams. Recent beneficiaries include a customer who wanted to set-up a bakery for an Instagram-based food business, and a family who received a full home makeover.
As part of its efforts to celebrate the biggest sporting event in the world with Leo Messi, the world’s best footballer, Ooredoo has launched its “Simply Do Wonders” campaign in Kuwait. The initiative encourages young people to upload videos of their football skills to the internet, and offers the chance to win a trip to Barcelona to meet the football star in person.
Employees in Kuwait have also benefited, moving to a new state-of-the-art headquarters in Kuwait City in parallel with the brand roll-out.
Markets that have launched the Ooredoo brand have recorded significant successes in 2014. Qatar, which rolled-out the brand in March 2013 in parallel with the commercial launch of 4G services, recently announced the milestone of more than three million customers. Algeria, which launched the Ooredoo brand in parallel with the roll-out of 3G services, now has more than 1.1 million active mobile broadband users as of March 2014.


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Trail King to Showcase Improved Paver Special at World of Asphalt Show
MITCHELL, SD – Trail King Industries, a leading North American trailer manufacturer, will be exhibiting at the 2018 World of Asphalt Show & Conference in Houston, Texas to showcase its company brand and products.
Trail King is proud to announce the release of the new and improved Hydraulic Detachable Gooseneck Paver Special within its Advantage Plus Construction line. The trailer has a load capacity of 55 tons distributed or 51 tons in 16 feet. The Paver Special offers a tapered deck with 42 inch spring assist front ramps and an 11 degree load angle. The 18 degree extended transition area slope offers easy loading of equipment such as asphalt pavers and rollers. The standard boom trough has an optional removable insert for hauling versatility.
"The Trail King 110 HDG Paver Special offers incredible flexibility. We've taken our bestselling detachable lowboy and integrated its top features into the Paver Special. With the removable center insert, customers can move their paver then remove the insert and haul their excavator with just one trailer," says Director of Sales, Barry Freifeld. "Trail King is excited for the opportunity to showcase the Paver Special as well as our wide range of products – all which hold a reputation for quality, reliability, and performance."
World of Asphalt will be held March 6-8, 2018 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas and feature the leading manufacturers and service providers in the aggregates, asphalt, pavement maintenance, and traffic safety industry sectors coming together to highlight their latest product innovations and technology advancements.
Visit Trail King Industries at Booth 2752.


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THE GIVING SCENE
Fashion show a fun event for Cornerstone School
Published: Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 6:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, May 20, 2006 at 8:53 a.m.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Fundraiser: Robin Spielberg Concert and 24th Annual Cornerstone Fashion Show
Coordinator: Cornerstone School
Amount Raised: In excess of $20,000 at each event
Results: Money raised from the two events goes to the school's operating budget. Once that is met, a wish list for special items or services for the school is used to determine which ones will be selected for remaining funds.
Spielberg is very interactive with the audience, making the concert more personal and enjoyable for many who like to hear stories about the music or performer.
"She was so wonderful and really kept the audience's attention with how she spoke and while she performed," said Kathy Popeil, a volunteer for the school. "It was fantastic."
About $20,000 was raised from the concert, which was held in February. Just last month, another $20,000 was brought in for the school from the 24th Annual Cornerstone Fashion Show, held at the Ocala Hilton.
The fashion show event includes a preview party on Friday evening to offer a look at the large number of auction items donated for the event. On Saturday, both a live and silent auction take place.
In addition to donations of auction items, local businesses provide fashions for the models, who are teachers, parents and students from Cornerstone. Attire from stores such as Adobe East, Bear Dance Boutique at Sumter Landing, Marketplace on Broadway, Beall's, Olivia & Co. and Savvy is put on the local runway.
This year, three alumni of the school returned to help out by providing their modeling services with the finale. Karlie Urban, a junior at Trinity Catholic High School, Kassie Urban, a senior at Belleview High School, and Jennifer Popeil, a student at the University of Florida, took a Saturday morning out to show support for Cornerstone.
According to Kathy, attendees of the fashion show aren't necessarily connected with Cornerstone, since the event has established a reputation as a fun thing to do.
"We have a lot of people attend," she said of this year's nearly 300 member audience. "It's not just parents but people in the community."
Popeil praised the businesses that support Cornerstone fundraisers, noting that without them the events would not be successful. She pointed out that several of the clothing vendors have participated in the fashion show for years. In addition, Merle Norman Studio and Salon assisted with hair and makeup for the models, providing a professional look while local radio host Storm Roberts from 98.5 KTK radio was the emcee.
"It is the community support for events such as this one that we are able to continue in our efforts to cultivate the love of learning for every child in a supportive, nurturing and enriching environment," Popeil said. "The educational experiences and opportunities that the people who support us have helped make possible for the children at Cornerstone School will continue to impact their lives long after this event."
The combined fundraisers, along with others conducted through the year such as the fall Chili Cook-off, bring income to the school's operating budget and sometimes special projects. Founded by parents in 1982, Cornerstone is a non-profit school that emphasizes the value of parent partnership as part of its program. According to the school Web site, "Academic programs are challenging, enriching, individualized and are presented in recognition of all modes of learning. Our teaching methodologies are compatible with current research on the Brain and Learning."
"The fundraising money is used to close the operating budget," Popeil said. "Once that is met, then we have a wish list for items or services for the school. In other years the money has bought new technology, improved the playground and improved the physical plant of the school.
_________ Carole C. Savage, APR, CPRC, is the owner of Write Results, a public relations firm in Ocala. If you have an event benefiting a charitable or nonprofit organization, send your information to Cause and Effect, The Star-Banner, P.O. Box 490, Ocala, FL 34478. Information may also be faxed to 867-4018.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
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Launch of Retail Tech Accelerator
International accelerator IoT Tribe launches its first Retail Tech Accelerator in Barnsley.
IoT Tribe, the global equity-free accelerator for market-ready tech startups, has launched its
first cohort focused on retail tech in Barnsley. This is the third accelerator programme that
IoT Tribe has delivered in partnership with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council.
Barnsley is committing to supporting local businesses in their pandemic recovery efforts
through seven Prioritised Recovery Projects as part of a £2 million economic investment by
Barnsley City Council and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
The IoT Tribe Retail Tech Accelerator programme targets startups based in the UK and
Europe with best-in-class technologies which can support the revitalisation of Barnsley’s local
retail economy. IoT Tribe supports startups in developing their Proof of Value and expose
them to the IoT Tribe networks in the UK and Europe as well as further afield, in Singapore
and across Asia, in order to prepare them for market expansion.
With headquarters in London, IoT Tribe will be kick off the Retail Tech Accelerator in January
2022, applications to join the programme close on December 13th 2021. Together with
industry experts, IoT Tribe’s programme will equip retail tech startups with the essential
knowledge in business management, business development & marketing, product &
technology, and investment & fundraising, to accelerate their startups to the next level. As
part of the curriculum, capacity building workshops, 1- to-1 business planning sessions, pitch
coaching, marketing and business development clinics, data science and technology clinics
will be conducted.


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The Volkswagen Group’s (VW’s) sales increased by 27.9pc in H1 2021, to 4.9 million units from 3.8 million in the same period of 2020, the German manufacturer indicated on Friday.
The company’s total sales increased by 34.9pc in Q2 2021 to 2.5 million cars against 1.8 million units in the same quarter last year, when the world was reeling under lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Volkswagen maintained its upward sales trend in June as well, registering a 6.5pc improvement in sales at 856,300units compared to 804,100 units in June 2020.
In terms of its brands, MAN recorded the highest growth in the first half of the year with sales of the truck brand increasing by 63.3pc to 77,200 units from 47,300 units sold in H1 2020. The Lamborghini brand increased sales by 37pc to 4,852 cars in the same period, the European carmaker noted.


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Uber is coming to Cincinnati. And to celebrate the company is offering free rides for 2 weeks starting today!
Tags » Cincinnati
by Hannah Doll ’17
Yes, the time has come. Every Friday of Lent the sound of sizzling fish reaches the ears of every West Sider. Fish fries are an excellent way to avoid eating meat and to get involved in the community, but some are better than others. 113 more words
Per a recent Forbes report, Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio have been ranked among the top U.S. cities that are most affordable:
- Cincinnati – 3rd most affordable… 33 more words


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Rambus Inc., an electronic chips and silicon IP provider, has agreed to acquire Hardent Inc., an electronic design firm.
The transaction will utilize Harden’s IP and services and their silicon design and error correction code expertise to help Rambus upscale their CXL Memory Interconnect Initiative. Hardent will bring 20 years of semiconductor experience and unique silicon design to the Rambus CXL Interconnect Initiative. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022.
Luc Seraphin, president an CEO of Rambus, said, “The addition of the highly-skilled Hardent design team brings key resources that will accelerate our roadmap and expand our reach to address customer needs for next-generation data center solutions.”


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If there’s one in-road for next-gen PS4 information that’s almost as good as Sony it’s first party developers. If Sony wants to hit the ground running — presumably this Fall — they’ve likely already provided dev kits to first party guys like Naughty Dog, Media Molecule, and Guerrilla Games and maybe even those third party devs, like Quantic Dream, that have been favoring Sony in recent years.
Obviously, Sony has trained any members of these various teams in the arts of careful PR dodging, but there’s still the likelihood of a slip up. That’s why when Quantic Dream’s David Cage — the man behind the forthcoming Beyond: Two Souls — showed up at D.I.C.E. he was grilled about the PS4.
For as hard as IGN tried, they were unable to get anything too revelatory out of Cage, who chose to tout the still-viral PS3 rather than talk PS4. And even when asked about the PS4 not playing used games, Cage was very diplomatic in his response:
“On one hand, I understand consumer’s position. Games are expensive. When they buy something they want to be able to trade it, most of the time to buy more games. I can understand that point. On the other side, I understand the point of the industry. Each time you buy a used game, this is money that doesn’t go into the pocket of the people that took the risk to create this, to finance it, to develop it. This is also unfair. So I don’t know what is the right answer. I don’t know if making this impossible [to play used games] is the answer. Maybe it is, maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s more about explaining and about telling people who really love games that if they buy used games, there will be a day where there won’t be any new games at all.”
He didn’t say much to reveal if such a feature was headed to the PS4, but discussed both the pros and cons for consumers and publishers. He is a developer after all, so any new game purchases are likely to be his preferred source of income.
Cage’s upcoming game, Beyond: Two Souls, has been quite a mystery since a big reveal at Sony’s E3 2012 Press Conference, and a brief showing at Comic-Con. But some new information might be on the horizon.
When asked about a Beyond: Two Souls release date, Cage revealed that the game is almost in beta and will come out this year. In fact, he revealed a release date will be announced soon.
Deciding to say “soon” leads us to believe that Cage might be making an appearance at the Sony ‘See the Future’ event that takes place on February 20th. That is believed to be ground zero for PS4, and by extension next-gen, talk, so what better place for Cage to hype up his publisher’s new system.
Moreover, we wouldn’t be surprised if Cage revealed that Beyond was targeting both PS3 and PS4 for release. The game does look phenomenal — especially the motion capture work done on Ellen Paige (who plays Jodie Holmes). We’ll hopefully learn more in less than two weeks.
When do you think Beyond will hit store shelves? Will David Cage announce a release date at the ‘See the Future’ event? Might the game be a PS4 release?
Beyond: Two Souls will release some time in 2013 for the PS3.
Follow me on Twitter @ANTaormina


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Text: Henrik Hamrén
Parliament approve single-use plastics proposal – an important step forward for the Baltic Sea
The European Parliament has voted in favor of introducing new and extensive measures to reduce the plastic littering. Researcher Damien Bolinius believe the measures can make a big difference for the Baltic Sea – if they come into effect.
The Parliament plenary vote on the Environmental Committees report builds on the European Commission’s original single-use plastic proposal. The vote was backed by 571-53, with 34 abstentions – and is a prospective great win for the Baltic Sea, according to Damien Bolinius, researcher at Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre.
– Single-use plastic items and fishing gear make up most of the litter that is found on European beaches, giving an indication of what can be found in the sea. This problem has been increasingly highlighted in recent years, and we’re happy to see that Parliament now wants to strengthen the legislative tools for reducing the environmental impact of single-use plastic on the marine environment, he says.
After the Parliament vote, the MEP responsible for the bill, Frédérique Ries, said it was "a victory for our oceans, for the environment and for future generations."
The Parliament’s environmental committee (ENVI) proposed several improvements which the plenary vote now supports.
– We particularly liked the inclusion of cigarette filters, which are one of the most common pieces of litter that we find in both the marine environment and on land. Most cigarette filters contain a large fraction of plastic which break down very slowly. Used filters can also be ingested by marine animals, and contain many toxic chemicals that can be released to water and soil, he says.
Furthermore, the ENVI amendments to the Commission’s original proposal added takeaway boxes and cups made of expanded polystyrene to the list of banned items. Plates and cutlery made of plastic are exempted from the ban until 2023, but only in hospitals and school canteens.
– We are also happy to see that the issue of agricultural plastics now seems included into the proposal. A large fraction of agricultural mulch is littered into the environment as it can be difficult to recover the mulch from the soil, says Damien Bolinius.
The use of plastic mulch in agriculture is projected to increase in Europe in the future. According to Damien Bolinius, there are different product design requirements, for example increased film thickness, that can be enforced to make it easier to retrieve and recycle the mulch after use.
– It would also be possible to introduce extended producer responsibility schemes or separate collection objectives, that would help increase the collection and recycling of this type of plastic, he says.
After today’s vote, the Parliament’s report nowstates that Member States have until 2025 to, among other things, achieve:
- an “ambitious and sustained” reduction of single-use food and drink containers
- a minimum annual collection rate of 50 percent of all plastic fishing gear (and recycle 15 percent)
- that 90 percent of all plastic bottles are separately collected and recycled.
- a reduction of 50 percent of the post- consumption waste from tobacco product filters containing plastic
– There also seems to have been a successful vote on an amendment to include the labelling of single-use plastic products with information regarding chemicals of very high concern. This is highly welcomed, and in line with the conclusions that we recently published in a policy brief about chemicals in consumer articles, says Damien Bolinius.
Despite the quite extensive measures now stated in the Parliament’s report, there is still more that can be done to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastic, according to Damien Bolinius.
– We would have liked to see the inclusion of very light plastic bags to the list of banned items, as these types of bags are not covered by the plastic carrier bags directive. But while suggested in the amendment by ENVI, it seems to have been voted against, he says.
The next step for the legislative file is for the Environment Council to vote on their report. Hopefully the Austrian Presidency will be able to finalise the dossier before the end of its term.


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Since 2018, when PepsiCo Inc. announced its intention to achieve 50 percent recycled PET usage across the European Union by 2030, technical developments have occurred that are allowing the company to speed up this ambition by a considerable margin.
Having already reached 30 percent toward its goal, the company today said it would completely eliminate the use of all virgin plastic from its Pepsi brand beverage bottles sold in nine European Union markets by 2022. Already, the company’s Tropicana, Naked Smoothies and Lipton Iced Tea brands are marketed in 100 percent recycled PET bottles across a number of EU markets.
innovations in the use of recycled PET in carbonated drink bottles, improvements in the appearance of recycled plastic, and greater availability of recycled materials on the market have all combined to make it possible for PepsiCo to accelerate its progress.
A critical part of increasing the availability of recycled plastics suitable for re-use in food packaging is ensuring that bottles are easily recyclable and recycled. Almost 90 percent of PepsiCo’s packaging portfolio is already recyclable, compostable or biodegradable.
The company is working to increase that percentage further through design improvements such as moving to clear bottles. PepsiCo will also continue growing reuse and refill systems such as SodaStream.
The move to 100 percent recycled PET for these beverage bottles is estimated to eliminate over 70,000 metric tons of virgin, fossil-fuel based plastic per year, and will lower carbon emissions per bottle by approximately 40 percent.
Germany, Poland, Romania, Greece and Spain will switch to 100 percent recycled PET in 2021, while France, Great Britain, Belgium and Luxembourg will be at 100 percent recycled PET in 2022. The move applies to both company-owned and franchise bottlers in the relevant markets.
In France, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg the commitment goes beyond Pepsi brands, to include all soft drinks in the PepsiCo stable, including7Up, Mountain Dew and Lipton Ice Tea. Poland and Romania will also use 100 percent recycled PET in Mirinda brands.
The company will also continue its consumer education efforts to ensure that more of its packaging is placed in the recycling system rather than in the environment.


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- Mondelēz International, the company that split with Kraft earlier this year, reported a net loss in revenue in its first earnings report.
- The company, which took with it brands like Oreo and the Trident, blamed the loss on operational issues in countries like Brazil and Russia.
- These results come to investors in stark contrast to a very good earnings report released by Kraft, leading some analysts to question the reasons behind the split.
From the article:
Mondelēz International was weighed down by operational issues in Brazil and Russia in the third quarter (Q3) which harmed overall performance in its first results since it split from Kraft Foods in October.


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The move has been bitterly resisted by the Scotch Whisky Association and major supermarket retailers for years, but in a historic ruling from the Uk Supreme Court the Scottish Government has won its case - decisively and permanently.
In Falkirk as in any other large centre of population in Scotland, cheap drink produces its quota of alcohol casualties.
Contrary to what is often supposed, it isn’t weekend binge drinkers that are most likely to en up in hospital but serial addicts who quietly ingest poison, year after year.
Often irreparable damage has been done by the time they end up in NHS care.
Violent offender spat on and tried to bite female officer at Falkirk Police Station
'Bored' Grangemouth offender abused alcohol and street Valium
Bonnybridge offender told partner 'your car's getting it' then slashed her tyre
Career criminal with 229 convictions pinched £180 of clothing from Falkirk Next store
Falkirk offender subjects woman (77) to five frightening minutes of verbal abuse
Now it seems likely new policy measures will be fast-tracked to finally tackle the ultra-high abv “ciders” (which do not involve apples in production) and cheap vodkas said to cause much of the problem.
Some argue drink addicts will “only get it elsewhere”, but the thinking behind having a minimum price per unit is mainly about trying to do away with the concept of “cheap as water” booze that can be bought almost anywhere at a pocket-money price.
Dr Graham Foster, NHS Forth Valley’s Director of Public Health and Strategic Planning, told the Falkirk Herald: “Anything that can be done to reduce harmful levels of alcohol consumption and help tackle Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol is welcome.
“We look forward to seeing the positive impact these measures are expected to deliver locally and nationally.”
Rooney Anand, chied executive at UK pubs and beer firm Greene King, says he hopes Scotland brings in a new pricing regime as soon as possible - and that the English and Welsh authorities follow suit.
Scottish Licensed Trade Association chief executive Paul Waterson is also enthusiastic about the ruling, pointing out that nearly three quarters of all Scottish booze sales are from off-sales. and most of those off-sale purchases are made in supermarkets.
He is in agreement with the police, when he says: “When people drink in uncontrolled environments, alcohol-related problems increase significantly”.
But will it really make that much difference?
One notorious cheap strong “cider” brand is reckoned set to rocket in price from £3.59 to £11.25. while a typical cheap bottle of vodka is likely to cost a couple of pounds more.
A 12 per cent abv bottle of wine will not cost less than £4.50, and even the less aspirational brands of whisky are likely to come in at around £14 once new rules takes effect.
Those who spend most on drink relative to their income are facing a major price rise - while those who drink moderately, and pub drinkers, will (it’s argued) hardly notice the difference.
As with the contentious 2006 smoking ban (from which it’s been claimed the traditional pub trade never recovered) Scotland has blazed a trail the UK may again decide to follow.


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FOR THE WEEK OF
FEB. 27, 2012
Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
President pushes Privacy Bill of Rights to let us protect online information
Look for any news report or commentary on a privacy issue in health care, personal finance, law enforcement or education.
Find a mention of social media in coverage or a link to one of the newspaper's online communities.
Is another presidential policy statement or action making news this week?
President Obama wants to assure we can control what information websites collect about us and how they use it. He's asking Congress to turn a 60-page Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights into federal law. Proposed safeguards also would also let people see and correct personal data collected by Internet companies, and require that companies protect sensitive information. "Consumers can’t wait any longer for clear rules of the road that ensure their personal information is safe online," Obama said last week. "As the Internet evolves, consumer trust is essential." All European countries have online privacy laws, as do Canada, Australia and some South American nations.
The U.S. push comes as smart phones, tablet computers, mobile apps, Internet services and other tools track what we do online and where we go in real life. Companies also have new ways to collect and combine data on our interests and habits. Beginning this week, for instance, Google is merging data it gathers from email, video, social networking and other services when you're signed in with a Google account.
In a related move, leading Internet companies and online ad networks visited the White House last week to promise they'll comply when consumers use a Do Not Track option in most major web browsers. Google even will add a Do Not Track button to its Chrome browser. The online ad industry also pledged not to release any browsing data to employers or insurers. "The administration is encouraged by these commitments," a White House statement says.
President says: "Never has privacy been more important than today in the age of the Internet, the World Wide Web and smart phones." -- White House statement, Feb. 23
Skeptic says: "This is just a policy outline. . . .. Congress . . . isn't likely to touch it anytime soon." -- Keith Wagstaff, Techland blogger at Time magazine
Optimist says: "I'm optimistic that there will be enough major players cooperating that we'll see real successes in a few key areas. If we try to solve all of the privacy issues for the whole industry, we’ll probably be arguing for the next 50 years." -- Jules Polonetsky, director of the Future of Privacy Forum
Front Page Talking Points
is written by
Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2017
We welcome comments or suggestions for future topics: Click here to Comment
Front Page Talking Points Archive


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On May 21, a MarketWatch story misstated Standard & Poor's new price target for the parent of American Airlines, AMR Corp,
Standard & Poor's lowered its price target for the stock to $10 from $12. See the corrected story.
BERKELEY (MarketWatch) -- The hype over the unreleased iPhone has actually increased over the past month despite the fact that nobody has seen or used the device. This, if nothing else, proves the power of branding and especially the power of brand loyalty.


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Published in Matador Network (August 2014).
LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 100 million people from China traveled abroad, making the country the world’s #1 exporter of international tourists. What’s most amazing about this fact is that, just a generation ago, only the elite and politically connected could get permission to travel abroad. The rest of the population could only dream of such a “bourgeois” activity under the restrictions of the Communist state. But today, with a rapidly growing middle class and a socialist economy that looks and smells a lot like capitalism, Chinese citizens have unprecedented opportunities to travel the world.


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Unicode Consortium has finally announced the launch of Unicode 10 which brings a number of new emojis that will be rolled out to your Android and iOS devices in coming days. Back in March, the Unicode Consortium shared a list of emojis that might be included in the next update. The list has now been finalized and includes a total of 56 new emojis.
The Unicode 10 brings in 56 new emojis along with a major addition of 8,518 characters taking the total number of characters to [...]
Instagram is on a quest to bring in new features to its app, intending to get ahead in the race with its rivals. After rolling out the Live Video Replay feature recently, it has now been reported that the Facebook-owned photo sharing app is apparently testing a new feature that will make Instagram even more convenient to use.
As reported by The Verge, Instagram is testing a new feature called ‘Favorites’ which lets the users share posts and Stories with a group of [...]
Samsung’s next flagship Galaxy Note 8 is most probably on the production line and the continuous leaks about the smartphone, from a while, are creating even more excitement. There is yet another leak about the smartphone and this time it is about the possible price along with its launch time.
As per a report, on VentureBeat, citing an individual aware of company’s plan, the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 from Samsung will retail at a price of €999 (Rs. 72,000 approx). If this [...]


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#TechTuesday: Electronic tattoos and robot companions
A few weeks ago, the Consumer Electronic Show showcased some of the latest developments in technology.
Among these, a sticker-like device that looks like a tattoo. It's a computer chip that can record vitals and send them to a person's doctor or family members. It isn't available to users yet, but should be in the next couple of years.
Also part of the big tech discussion, robots that could be used as babysitters or companions for the elderly.


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Tungsten witnesses 'strong momentum' in new sales
Electronic invoicing firm Tungsten Corporation said on Friday that trading had continued to recover following the initial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on transaction volumes, with the group witnessing a "strong momentum" in new sales and "recovering" transaction volumes.
Tungsten saw new customer wins from "large international corporations" increase from six to eight in the twelve months ended 30 April, delivering a total contract value of £2.0m, with £700,000 expected to be recognised in the 2021 trading year, a total TCV growth of 137% year-on-year.
The AIM-listed firm also secured its largest ever customer win with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone and signed a "significant new partnership" with FIS Worldpay.
Revenue grew 1.4% year-on-year on a reported basis, while new sales billings increased 7% to £3.6m. Adjusted underlying earnings were expected to be in line with guidance.
Chief executive Andrew Lemonofides said: "We have delivered a robust performance in response to a challenging business environment, centred on our strategic investment in our sales team and the building out of our partnership network.
"Our current sales conversion rate and increasing year-on-year transaction volumes across the business, particularly in Europe and North America, gives us cautious optimism for FY22 delivery. The solid sales pipeline and an additional £1.0m of investment in tech development and compliance functions in FY22 will provide us with a strong platform for future growth."
As of 0955 BST, Tungsten shares were up 3.66% at 34.0p.


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LaFayette Main Street and Gimme Some Sugar hosts sidewalk chalk party
Published 9:00 am Tuesday, August 1, 2023
LaFayette Main Street and Gimme Some Sugar coffee shop in LaFayette wrapped up the summer vacation with a paint and sidewalk chalk party on July 27. From 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CT, kids and families from around the community dropped by Gimme Some Sugar cafe to paint.
The event will also contribute to LaFayette Main Street’s Kindness Rock Garden project. Many children and families came out to paint rocks and create colorful sidewalk art outside of the LaFayette Main Street and Gimme Some Sugar buildings.
“For events like that, the community really rallies together and comes together and does good stuff,” said Gimme Some Sugar owner Jennifer Graves. “And I think the more that the community comes together, the more events will come and the more people that will come, it’ll help to put LaFayette back on the map.”
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In addition to Gimme Some Sugar, local My Sweet Treats owner Seneathia Williams came out to provide children with popcorn and popsicles. Williams is often a vendor at local school sporting events. Williams said Main Street’s community events help highlight downtown LaFayette as a “hidden gem.”
“There’s plenty of opportunities here,” Williams said.
LaFayette Main Street has partnered with downtown businesses to host community events while also promoting shopping locally. Recently, Main Street announced it would be hosting a second summer Food Truck Festival after the success of the one in May.
“This is such a … town of community,” Graves said. “It is a town where people want to do things. They want stuff around here.”
“It really shows the true heart of LaFayette,” said LaFayette Main Street Director DeAnna Hand.
As a business owner in LaFayette, Graves said the more events the city has, the more businesses that will flourish. She said LaFayette Main Street has helped businesses continue to grow.
“We’ve got small businesses here that want to see growth and can grow. We just need more people to see that,” Graves said. “And that’s what these events are for, to showcase these small businesses.”
Beginning Aug. 1, Graves will be launching Gimme Some Sugar’s LaFayette Merchants booths with the same goal. Local artisans, merchants and creators who may not have access to a storefront will be showcased at Gimme Some Sugar with their own booths.
The booths will showcase homemade, local artwork, jewelry, boutique clothing, candles and cultivated antiques.


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Get a sneak peek at Amazon's Black Friday sales, which includes hundreds of items, daily deals and local 2-hour delivery.
The electronics titans square off in a tangled tale of mobile technology, centered on Apple's iPhone and iPad, that delves into where one company's designs end and another's begin.
Netflix's December offerings look strong with the star-studded "A Very Murray Christmas" and a new show by Bill Burr.
You'll have to overlook quirks in design and performance, but the VSN Mobil V.360 360-degree action cam offers up some serious wow factor now and potentially even more in the future.
Is the Millennium Falcon alive? That's just one of the questions answered when I watched the original Star Wars films in the popular Machete Order.
To celebrate Warner Bros.' announcement that the new "Wonder Woman" is in production, actress Gal Gadot shares a photo of herself in costume on social media.
The Samsung AllShare Cast Hub is worthwhile only for select Samsung mobile device owners absolutely dying to view mobile content on their HDTVs.
In 1989's "Back to the Future: Part II," Marty McFly travels 30 years forward in time to land on...Wednesday. This Wednesday. Join the CraveCast crew today as we prepare for BTTF Day.
The V10 is equipped with steel railings on its edges, two front-facing cameras, and a secondary display for your favorite apps and contacts.
LG's latest smartphones enter the pre-holiday frenzy of phones.
Series designer and director Takashi Tezuka says he'd like an actress to play the Hero of Time.


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IPsoft challenged us to significantly elevate its profile in the UK. In particular, the company wanted to raise awareness for the IPsoft brand among enterprises exploring the potential of AI.
We designed a hard-hitting thought leadership campaign that established IPsoft as a leading commentator in the wider debate on AI and its impact on the future of work. Developing a series of creative angles exploring how intelligent assistants will affect the biggest enterprise trends, and being first to react to relevant breaking stories, we targeted national, business and top tier trade media with exclusive interviews, contributed content and reactive commentary. IPsoft executives discussed topics including the AI industry post-Brexit, the four-day working week, the skills divide and the risk of job displacement.
In just the first six months, we secured briefings with a series of national titles including the Financial Times, BBC News, The Daily Telegraph and POLITICO, as well as with key trade media, such as Computer Weekly and ComputerWorld UK. In addition, we secured contributed articles and commentary on key issues in City A.M, the Evening Standard, the Financial Times and more. This resulted in a 33% increase in national and business coverage, from the preceding six months.


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Back in 2015, Google launched the Android Pay even though it had the Google Wallet service. While both these services functioned independently till date, Google now announced the Google Pay by combining Android Pay and Google Wallet. As of now, the existing users of Android Pay and Google Wallet will only see a change in logo. According to Google, combining both the services will result in the faster checkout process.
In the coming weeks, the Google Pay can be used for making payments online, in-store, and across Google products, as well as when you’re paying friends. The company also mentioned offering a new service for making payments to friends via Google Pay and India-exclusive Google Tez. In December 2017, Apple also launched the person to person payments for the Apple Pay customers in the U.S.
The Google Pay is said to be already available on few apps and websites including Airbnb, Dice, and Fandango. There are offers from the selected brands like $10 off any $50+ order at B&H or $5 off a Fandango ticket by using Google Pay. Apart from Google Pay, the company also had the UPI-based payment service called Tez. It was launched in India in September 2017 and works on Android and iOS devices.
Google Tez comes pre-loaded on smartphones from several brands like Lava, Micromax, Nokia, and Panasonic. With the lack of NFC-based payment terminals, both Android Pay and Apple Pay haven’t been launched in India from the past few years. However, the Samsung Pay, which works on both NFC and MST technologies, was launched in early 2017. It also has the liter version called Samsung Pay Mini.


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Concentrations of cannabidiol extract among products sold online varied widely, according to a research letter in JAMA.
The concentrations ranged from 0.10 mg/mL up to 655.27 mg/mL among 84 samples purchased from online retailers. However, only 30.95% (n=26) were labeled accurately, while 42.85% (n=36) were under labeled and 26.19% (n=22) were over labeled. The most frequently mislabeled cannabidiol product was vaporization liquid (87.50%), while oil was most accurately labeled (45.00%).
Lead author Marcel Bonn-Miller, PhD, of University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and colleagues urged these findings underline a need for both federal and state regulations upon these products.


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Simons tapped "Stranger Things" actress Millie Bobby Brown to model looks from the new line.
The Women's March on Washington drew close to half a million people.
Kris Van Assche set about creating suits for the streetwear generation as part of his raver-inspired collection.
The fashion community is in wait-and-see mode as President Trump kicks off his agenda.
Moody’s cut the retailer’s credit rating after steep holiday sales drops and noted the company was running out of things to sell.
President Trump’s speech championing Made in America and protectionism was welcomed by some but raised concerns for others.
Walgreens previously said it anticipated the merger for the two chains to close in early 2017.
Hunsinger, who most recently served as chief revenue officer of Golf, leaves the company after 36 years.
The country and its workers find themselves in the global spotlight again.
According to a market source, the private equity fund is placing around 400 million euros, or $425 million, on the plate.
The fashion industry and country face a future of policy and cultural changes that could give — and take.
Viviscal’s product line is sold in more than 25,000 U.S. doors.
The company has named Christopher Zanardi as his successor.


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Picture: The correct keepnet - essential for every angler! Alex Murray at Viaduct Fisheries
It seems hard to believe that it is only three years ago that the Angling Foundation launched its Nets Accreditation Scheme for keepnets, landing nets and allied equipment. The scheme was formulated because of increasing concern by observant fishery owners over the abrasiveness of certain types of nets and the effect this could be having on their fish.
In the initial months, in early 2003, the initiative was the subject of public comment because of the mistaken belief that there would be moves to prohibit poorly designed nets. True, fishery owners did - and still do - reserve the right to examine anglers' equipment to ensure that it does not jeopardise the welfare of their fish, but the scheme was always voluntary and remains so.
Once the net standards had been established and publicised, manufacturers were invited to join the Foundation – for an annual fee - and submit nets for testing, for which an additional charge was also levied. In the initial period, significant numbers of nets failed the tests because of the abrasiveness of their mesh or design faults which would have caused the equipment to fail the Environment Agency's net byelaw provisions. Nevertheless, appropriate nets began to be accredited, each labelled with the distinctive water-lily logo and the accreditation number unique to that product.
Contrast that situation with the current position. Such has been the success of the scheme that there are now 15 manufacturers in membership, and more than 100 products have passed the tests. They are listed on the Foundation's website www.anglingfoundation.com. Indeed, the majority of nets on sale in the UK have now been examined, tested and approved, and manufacturers know exactly what standards need to be met when new product is being designed.
Anglers who purchase this equipment can do so safe in the knowledge that the equipment that meets the highest conservation standards for fish welfare. Moreover, there has been no attempt to hike up the price of the accredited products, despite rumours that this might happen.
This scheme really does represent a win-win situation. The quality of nets available for purchase has improved significantly in the last three years, equipment that meets and – in most cases – exceeds the legal requirements. The welfare of fish has improved as a consequence, with obvious benefits to fishery owners and their customers.
It is worth pointing out that although the water-lily logo and accreditation number provide assurance to fishery owners and anglers that a net has passed the tests, those few manufacturers who have yet to join the scheme are also aware of the standards. Some of them produce excellent nets which would also meet the standards, of course.
There are wider implications that stem from the nets accreditation scheme. Here is an excellent example of how a sport can recognise a problem, take decisive action and improve matters within a short period of time. It broadcasts a strong message to those who might wish to impose restrictions on angling that the sport can indeed 'put its own house in order' through the combined, concerted efforts of manufacturers, fishery owners and anglers themselves. That message has been recognised and acknowledged at the highest levels!
The Angling Foundation itself is a non profit-making organisation. The fees that it derives from its members and from the product testing have helped promote the scheme – so it is financially self-sufficient – and any surplus is ploughed back into the sport via educational and conservation initiatives.
Membership of the Foundation is open to any manufacturer or distributor of nets and allied products, but only members may submit products for testing. Details of how to apply for membership – and further information about the scheme - are available from: The Angling Foundation, The Sports Industries Federation, Federation House, National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park,Warks.CV8 2RF. Tel: 02476 414999; Fax: 02476 414990 or on the Foundation's website.
The Nets Accreditation Scheme is good for fish, good for fisheries and good for anglers. It promotes the best products modern technology can produce… and you are playing your part in the raising fish welfare standards when you purchase and use approved nets.
Now that really is a success story!