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The door of China’s opening to the outside world will not be closed, it will only be opened wider and wider, and the utilization of foreign capital is an important part of China’s high-level opening to the outside world. At present, foreign-funded enterprises not only account for 2% of the total number of enterprises in China, but also contribute 1 / 10 of urban employment, 1 / 6 of tax revenue and 2 / 5 of import and export. It can be seen that China’s efforts in “stabilizing foreign investment” are crucial, and to a large extent, China can get more dividends in the economic globalization.
Of course, these efforts will also enable investors from all over the world to share more development opportunities from China’s economic development. Otherwise, people will not invest in China.
Under the background that the world economy is facing great challenges due to the epidemic situation, the transnational investment of all countries in the world is seriously hindered. Some time ago, the International Monetary Fund once predicted that the world economy will shrink by 4.4% in 2020, while the economies of major economies, except China, will show varying degrees of negative growth. In contrast, due to proper measures, China’s economy was the first to get rid of the epidemic and achieved 2.3% economic growth in 2020.
On November 4, 2020, at the Haian production base of Ximeng Qitong electric, located in Haian economic and Technological Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, workers are producing electrical products on the production line for domestic and Southeast Asian markets. (source: Oriental IC)
Reasonable economic growth means more opportunities for return on investment, so China naturally becomes the preferred choice for international investors. In June 2020, the United Nations Conference on Trade and development predicted in the “World Investment Report 2020” that the global FDI flow in 2020 will be reduced by about 40% from that in 2019, reaching the lowest level in nearly 20 years. However, China is not “following the trend” in the utilization of foreign capital at this time.
According to the data disclosed by China’s Ministry of Commerce, in 2020, the actual use of foreign capital in non-financial fields nationwide reached 999.98 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%, equivalent to 144.37 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 4.5%. Not only the scale reached a new record, but also the total amount of foreign capital, growth rate and global share of “Three Promotions” were realized.
At the present time when the world economy is generally depressed due to the epidemic situation, China’s remarkable success in utilizing foreign capital can not be separated from a series of measures taken by us to overcome the problems caused by the epidemic situation, such as adopting flexible means such as online promotion, online investment promotion and online contract signing. However, to a greater extent, these successes are due to the implementation of its own opening-up policy A bit.
On April 10, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed in the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao forum for Asia, that China will take four major initiatives to expand market access, create more attractive investment environment, strengthen intellectual property protection and take the initiative to expand imports, and the first two initiatives are most direct in terms of China’s foreign capital utilization. Pick up.
On October 19, 2019, in the new area near the port of Shanghai, the Tesla super factory after the completion of the main aerial project is as grand as a “land aircraft carrier”. (source: Oriental IC)
On the one hand, in terms of expanding foreign investment access, with the birth of China’s Shanghai pilot Free Trade Zone in 2013, the negative list management mode, which highlights the characteristics of “can be done without prohibition”, is more and more widely used in China, which is not only more transparent, but also consistent with the international practice.
Initially, the negative list of the pilot Free Trade Zone included 190 restrictive measures. However, from the negative list of foreign investment access of the national version, the pilot Free Trade Zone version and the Hainan free trade port version so far, there are only 33, 30 and 27 restrictive measures respectively. There are no special restrictive measures for foreign investment projects in other fields.
On the other hand, “stabilizing foreign investment” depends not only on expanding the access scope of foreign investment, but also on whether the business environment is suitable.
According to the global business environment report of the world bank, from 2018 to 2020, China’s business environment ranks 78th, 46th and 31st among 190 countries and regions respectively, indicating that China’s business environment has improved significantly.
The rise of the above ranking can only show the improvement of the business environment from the perspective of “software”. In the past year, more “hardware” carriers have played a supporting role in the improvement of China’s business environment. In addition to 21 pilot free trade zones and Hainan free trade port, there are also national level new areas, economic and technological development zones, high-tech industrial development zones, comprehensive bonded zones and service zones Comprehensive demonstration zone for business opening, comprehensive pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce and other parks.
“Stabilizing foreign investment” is not only an arduous task, but also a complex system engineering. Therefore, it is far from enough to rely on our own efforts. We also need to let foreign investors recognize the series of efforts we have made. In this regard, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of investors can be said to be a prerequisite for the smooth development of the work of utilizing foreign capital.
On March 15, 2019, the second session of the 13th National People’s Congress voted and passed the new version of the law of the people’s Republic of China on foreign investment. Some of its provisions can be said to be “reassuring” for foreign investors. For example, the state does not impose a levy on foreign investors’ investment; administrative organs and their staff are not allowed to use administrative means to forcibly transfer technology; there is no law or administrative system According to the laws and regulations, the legitimate rights and interests of foreign-invested enterprises shall not be impaired or their obligations shall not be increased, market access and exit conditions shall not be set, and normal production and operation activities of foreign-invested enterprises shall not be interfered with.
Faced with the uncertainty of the external environment, these “reassurances” will help foreign investors enhance their confidence in investing in China. According to a recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Commerce, nearly 60% of foreign-funded enterprises in China will achieve growth or even profit in 2020, and nearly 90.5% of them are optimistic or cautiously optimistic about the future.
It is worth noting that China’s success in “stabilizing foreign investment” in the past year is not only reflected in the scale, but also in the quality of attracting foreign investment. In the era of innovation driven, the quality of foreign investment will be more reflected in the technical content of foreign projects. In 2020, China’s high-tech industry will absorb 11.4% foreign investment, and the high-tech service industry will absorb 28.5% foreign investment, which is higher than the overall growth rate of the actual use of foreign investment in non-financial fields in the same period.
On December 2, 2020, the announcement ceremony of Mercedes Benz heavy truck localization plan with the theme of “made in China, exclusive to China” was held in Beijing, marking the official landing of Mercedes Benz heavy truck localization. According to the domestic market demand and based on the latest and most advanced technology platform of Mercedes Benz heavy truck, the project will create exclusive heavy truck products in China, which is expected to be officially put on the market in 2022.
At the same time, the level of investment is also reflected in the specific project. In 2020, the large projects invested by ExxonMobil, Daimler, BMW, Toyota, LG and other multinational companies in China can also be said to be the finishing touch of “stabilizing foreign investment” at a high level.
In this sense, if the former “stabilizing foreign investment” focuses on stabilizing the scale of foreign investment, the future “stabilizing foreign investment” will focus more on pursuing the double stability of the scale and level of foreign investment utilization, especially on opening wider space for foreign investment utilization by upgrading the level.


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AnTuTu's top 10 list might help make that just a tad easier.
spotted in benchmark testing, and may not be what some had hoped for. The mid-range score hints at a very capable device, but also could mean some lower-end specs than Android fans were hoping for.
Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 800, the ARM chip manufacturer is now reportedly already working on its next generation Snapdragon chip.
it was everyone. Cheating on benchmarks has become fashionable for OEMs, but AnTuTu may have an answer for them. In releasing their all new Benchmark X, AnTuTu hopes to end the madness while keeping their name and app relevant as an industry standard.
AnTuTu, makers of the popular Android benchmarking utility. has just released its report summarizing data that it has collected for the first half of this year, from January to June 2013. They have grouped the results of their data analysis into two broad categories: hardware performance of smartphones on a global scale and popularity in select Asian markets.
Lenovo has some pretty impressive smartphones, most notably the 5-5inch Intel-powered K900 smartphone, but today we're seeing a newly leaked benchmark for something completely different. While we've been waiting for the multinational Chinese technology company to launch phones in the US, they've been busy dropping them elsewhere. Although the K900 was impressive, we're excited to hear more details about this new X910 that leaked today.
Galaxy Note II and have been patiently awaiting additional details or rumors about the upcoming Galaxy Note 3, get excited. Today we have a juicy new report that has just surfaced showing the Note 3 running some benchmarks. More importantly the handset is also running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Head down past the break for more details.
Samsung devices have appeared in AnTuTu's database, and quite a few folks are thinking that both are variants of the highly-anticipated Galaxy S IV. After the success of the Galaxy S III, it isn't exactly a secret that Samsung is plotting another flagship release this year, but so far, we haven't heard anything official from the company.
AnTuTu Benchmark has just received a massive update to v3.0 that brings an entire new experience. They've added support for tons of popular devices, improved the user interface, and added more testing options and even a compare tool.

domain: news


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The long-time neighborhood staple, in business 20 years, won the DVlicious contest "Best Pizza in Dutchess" contest with 80 percent of the vote.
Mama Pizza II will be awarded a DVlicious plaque and bragging rights to having the best slices and pies. The family-owned eatery is known for its stuffed bacon cheeseburger pizza and the prosciutto roasted pepper pizza, among others. Click HERE for story.
Next up for DVlicious: Soup, so stay tuned. And, thanks to all who voted.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Southwest Dutchess and receive free news updates.


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Reliance Jio has reportedly withdrawn its Jio Summer Surprise offer after six days of its announcement. The offer provides free 4G data, SMS and app subscriptions for next three months. TRAI has advised the youngest telecom in the country to withdraw the benefits under Summer Surprise offer. However, Jio Prime membership plans which were announced earlier remains unchanged.
Jio Prime membership will be available until April 15, and users can enroll for it before it expires. The only new change comes into effect after TRAI announcement is the user will not get free 3 months on complimentary basis. Customers who enrolled for Jio Prime membership bundled with Rs.303 plan or more can avail all the benefits of the plan.
“Today, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has advised Jio to withdraw the three months’ complimentary benefits of Jio Summer Surprise. Jio accepts this decision. Jio is in the process and will be withdrawing the three months complimentary benefits of Jio Summer Surprise as soon as operationally feasible, over the next few days,” the company said in a statement.
Jio has announced the Welcome offer and Happy New Year offers which majorly affected all other players in the industry. Jio Prime service valid for one year provides the same benefits with paid monthly plans starting at Rs. 303. Now, with the withdrawal of Jio Summer Surprise offer, users should start paying for usage.
Recently, the telecom operator has announced that 72 million of 100 million subscribers have enrolled for Jio prime. On the other hand, other players like Bharti Airtel, Idea and Vodafone has got a sign of relief from the aggressive pricing of Reliance Jio. However, other telecoms are also offering very competitive prices.
For More Reliance Jio News and Offers Click Here


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The LA Times recently reported on a new publication by Experian Automotive indicating that, contrary to what we might like to believe, a $1 increase in gasoline prices here in the U.S. would not boost sales in hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs). However, the Experian group’s report claims that higher fuel prices would increase sales of new, small, gas-powered cars.
Experian’s analysis is based on what the Schaumburg, IL based group called “an average month” of 1 million new car sales. Within that month, a $1 per gallon increase in gas prices would increase sales in the small car economy segment by 0.7% (close to 7,000 vehicles). In the same month, hybrid sales would grow by just 0.2% (about 1,000 cars), while EV sales would grow by just 0.1%.
Experian explains that the reason for the lack of a sales spike in the hybrid and EV market is that, even as gas prices increase, new small gasoline powered cars simply cost less than current hybrids and EVs. On the surface, then, it seems that the American consumer is motivated more by sticker price than any potential long-term savings.
Before jumping to that conclusion, however, it should be noted that most EVs and hybrids are more expensive than their ICE counterparts, and that gas-powered cars have been making huge strides in MPG in recent years. Additionally, the potential fuel savings made by switching from a new gas powered vehicle to an EV or hybrid has been brought into question in the past, and easy access to public charging stations is still a major issue facing electric car owners across the U.S. These factors, along with an American economy that is still not “back up to speed” and the populations’ compliance with the roller coaster ride of gas prices, means that consumers may just feel more comfortable going with what they know and understand – conventional gasoline powered vehicles.
Source: Experian, via the LA Times.
Andrew Meggison was born in the state of Maine and educated in Massachusetts. Andrew earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Government and International Relations from Clark University and a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Northeastern University. Being an Eagle Scout, Andrew has a passion for all things environmental. In his free time Andrew enjoys writing, exploring the great outdoors, a good film, and a creative cocktail. You can follow Andrew on Twitter @AndrewMeggison


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We all agree, 2020 was an exhausting, chaotic, surreal and almost unbelievable year. But now that we have made it through, it isn’t as if a switch gets thrown and everything goes back to how it was. In fact, for those of us who sell surplus inventory distribute closeouts for a living, this year we are facing a whole new set of challenges. Just when we thought we would finally begin returning to how things were, we discover liquidation buyers get to deal with a “new normal”. And so far it doesn’t look like much fun.
1. Import Container Costs. The cost of import containers has increased by 400%. Cans that used to cost $2500 from ShenZhen to Los Angeles are now $10,000. Today’s $14,000 China to Chicago container used to cost $3,500. What in the world is going on and what’s going to happen to prices and liquidation buyers? Well for starters, prices will most definitely go up. There is no way to absorb these huge costs without increasing prices. Unfortunately, this will eventually result in a slowdown in business, and those companies getting stuck with and having to liquidate excess inventory. It may also lead to contraction rather than expansion, and there will be some companies that will downsize their business.
2. Inflation Fears. With unprecedented levels of Federal stimulus money being dumped into the economy, we will continue to see soaring consumer demand followed by massive price increases. It won’t take long before things begin slowing down and backing up. Housing costs will stabilize, consumer spending will level off, and inventory levels will replenish. Companies will again find themselves in a position where they have to sell surplus inventory to liquidation buyers.
3. Shortage Of Employees. Another big challenge today is hiring. Whether you believe it is due to too much stimulus money encouraging people not to work, people needing to stay home and care for elderly parents or children, or just too much pent up demand for business, doesn’t matter. At the end of the day there aren’t enough people to fill jobs. This is forcing some companies to downsize their business or even close because they cannot get help. When stores can’t hire even a skeleton crew of employees to work, they are forced to sell surplus inventory, clean out their warehouses, and close down.
5. Downsizing Business. Many companies are choosing to downsize. Shipping costs are up, hiring is nearly impossible, inventory levels are difficult to maintain, and running a business in general is difficult. These companies are choosing to call in liquidation buyers and liquidate excess inventory, They can make the same or even more money on a smaller scale with fewer headaches. Navigating through today’s crazy environment is a challenge, to say the least. And in some cases it just makes more sense to sell surplus inventory, scale back, do less and be happier.
6. Buying Frenzies. Today’s consumer is empowered by, hope, promise and money. They are feeling better about where we are with Covid-19, they are ready to get out and buy stuff, eat in restaurants, go to bars, travel, and enjoy life again. Their savings are way up and they are ready to start spending. Airplanes are filling up, stores are crowded and food establishments are busy. Housing inventory is low because the consumer has pushed up prices in bidding wars and over-asking prices. Stocks are at an all time high with no sign of a slowdown in sight. It’s a buying frenzy. Unfortunately these won’t last forever and they don’t always end well (think Roaring 20s).
Companies may have to liquidate excess inventory to remain as lean as possible through these crazy times. Building up excess inventory at today’s prices would be more costly than ever.


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A new Italian four-seater has just been unveiled and it’s the new Ferrari GTC4Lusso, a car that the automaker is hailing as “a major evolution of the sporting Grand Tourer concept.” How is this new model such an evolution? With the addition of rear-wheel steering combined with four-wheel drive.
If the GTC4Lusso looks familiar, it’s because it replaces the FF, Ferrari’s previous four-seater model. What also may be familiar is its name, which Ferrari says “references its illustrious predecessors,” including the 330 GTC, 330 GT and 250 GT.
And, like the GTC4Lusso’s predecessors, it comes with a V12 engine. This time, however, its power is rated at a worthy 680 hp at 8,000 rpm and 514 lb-ft of torque at 5,750 rpm, with 80% of its power at just 1,750 rpm., making for a 0-62 mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 208 mph. It’s not too often that you can reach those types of speeds in a four-seater weighing in dry at 3,946 lbs. These figures have also increased over the previous FF model (650 hp and 504 lb-ft).
Ferrari GTC4Lusso Specs
- Engine: 6.3-liter V12
- Horsepower: 680 hp
- Torque: 514 lb-ft
- 0-62 mph: 3.4 seconds
- Top Speed: 208 mph
- Dry Weight: 3,946
Helping the wheels stay connected to the ground below is Ferrari’s patented 4RM Evo four-wheel drive system, which now has rear-wheel steering for the first time. Ferrari also updated their Slip Slide Control (version 4.0) with an electronic differential (E-Diff) and SCN0E dampers. If you thought the FF could handle snowy and wet roads well, wait until you get behind the wheel of the GTC4Lusso.
The GTC4Lusso’s interior houses an array of standard Ferrari luxuries, like fine leather, a 10.25-inch HD touchscreen and what the automaker calls a Dual Cockpit architecture.
Ferrari will be releasing more information on the GTC4Lusso as we get closer to the car’s official world premiere at the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show, starting March 3.


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Coffee drinkers can now rejoice - drinking coffee has been associated with a reduced risk of death from various causes, including stroke and digestive diseases. Scientists found that this was the case in 10 European countries.
Worldwide, many people consume coffee. It is estimated that more than 2 billion cups of coffee are drunk worldwide every day.
Many studies have shown that the beverage had a beneficial impact on the health, with higher consumption linked to lower levels of inflammation and to a lower risk of diabetes. There has also be some indication that coffee could reduce the risk of liver disease and Parkinson's disease.
However, the published data has at times been confusing especially when scientists investigated the relationship between coffee drinking and risk of death. Studies that have hinted that a higher consumption of coffee is related to a lower risk for all-cause death have often been limited in size and inconsistent.
The research now published in the Annals of Internal Medicine is the largest and one of the most robust to date to address this question. It looks at the coffee consumption of 521,330 people enrolled in a large European cohort study known as the European Prospective Investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC).
"Large US and Japanese studies have previously found that drinking more coffee was related with a lower risk of death. However, in European populations, where coffee consumption and preparation methods are variable, the relationship was less certain as relatively small studies had previously been conducted," study co-lead author Neil Murphy, from the Section of Nutrition and Metabolism at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, told IBTimes UK.
Different coffee habits
The participants included in the study came from 10 European countries. They filled in questionnaires regarding their lifestyle and diets, including coffee consumption. They were followed up for 16 years during which almost 42,000 of them died from a range of conditions including cancer, circulatory diseases, heart failure and stroke.
The scientists analysed the data, and after statistical adjustment to take into account lifestyle factors such as diet and smoking, they established that the group with the highest consumption of coffee had a lower risk for all causes of death, compared to those who did not drink coffee. This effect was not only seen with coffee that contained a lot of caffeine - decaffeinated coffee had a similar effect.
Drinking coffee also appeared to reduce the risk of death from specific causes, including digestive diseases, circulatory diseases and liver cancer. However, higher coffee intake was also linked to a higher risk of ovarian cancer.
The fact that Europeans have different coffee habits from one country to the next allowed the researchers to check that it was coffee in itself, and not the way it is prepared, which was having an impact on people's health.
"We found that higher coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of death from any cause, circulatory diseases, and digestive diseases. Importantly, these results were similar across all of the 10 European countries, with variable coffee drinking habits and customs," Murphy added.
The benefits of drinking coffee
These findings do not mean that people should rush to drink litres of coffee everyday. This is an observational study and it is not able to demonstrate that coffee is responsible for a reduced risk of death - it merely highlights a strong correlation.
Furthermore, it is still unclear how coffee acts on the body to improve people's health. More experimental research will be needed in coming years to shed light on the chemical compounds in coffee that are exerting a protective effect.
Scientists are similarly unsure why a higher risk of ovarian cancer was observed among coffee drinkers in this analysis.
"We do not fully understand the possible mechanisms underlying the coffee and mortality association. Coffee contains numerous chemical compounds, such as polyphenols which have antioxidant effects and other health promoting properties," Murphy explained.
"In our study we observed that compared to non-coffee drinkers, those drinking coffee had healthier liver enzyme profiles, lower inflammation, and better glucose control so it's possible that coffee could be having beneficial effects by impacting on these pathways. However, I would stress that more research is needed."
Although we are not yet at the stage where clinicians should recommend that people include more coffee into their diets, the study suggests that drinking coffee everyday is not necessarily detrimental to the health.
"This study is a careful analysis that factors in potential confounders in the statistical analysis. However, this is an observational study, and coffee intake was only measured once at baseline - so we do not know if this remains the same over time or not," said Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition & Dietetics at the University of Newcastle (Australia), who was not involved in the study.
"However, the findings suggest that for many people, drinking coffee is fine, and they do not need to stop drinking it with some exception, which may include women at risk of ovarian cancer. For those who like coffee but are sensitive to caffeine, or have heart conditions or high blood pressure, they can use decaffeinated coffee."
To reduce the risk of cancer, digestive disease and heart and circulatory disease, the best evidence-based advice to date remains to stop smoking, improve our diets, treat cholesterol and blood pressure, and exercise more.


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As part of its continuing efforts to promote a healthy travel environment, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) began a pilot program to provide free, disposable face masks on CTA buses.
Initially, the pilot program will feature disposable mask dispensers on 200 buses serving 20 bus routes serving all areas of the city.
The disposable masks will be available from dispensers placed at the front of the bus, near where customers board.
“Since the start of the pandemic, my No. 1 focus has been to provide the healthiest travel environment for our customers and employees,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. “This new pilot program reflects our unwavering commitment to seek out new tools and ideas to help keep everyone healthy during this ongoing pandemic.”
The pilot will allow CTA to assess a variety of factors, including demand for masks and logistics for replenishing stock on buses that are out in service all day. If successful, the program will later expand to the remainder of CTA’s buses serving all 129 routes, as well as rail stations.
The free mask pilot is the latest among numerous steps the agency has taken to promote a healthy and safe travel environment.
Overall, the CTA has implemented and expanded a rigorous cleaning regimen for buses, trains, and stations, with greatly expanded resources dedicated to cleaning and disinfecting — including new technologies like electrostatic sprayers. CTA continues to run as much service as possible to provide adequate space for social distancing and has created online dashboards to help customers determine the least-crowded times to travel.
The CTA also continues giveaways of free Travel Healthy kits, which include a reusable cloth mask, hand sanitizer, and healthy travel tips. More than 19,000 kits have been distributed across the system since summer, with additional giveaway events planned in early 2021.


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Nearly 90% of manufacturers surveyed by TraceGains said higher ingredient prices have shaped the way they are doing business today. For many, this includes modifying or creating new formulas altogether and making research and development cuts.
In TraceGains “2022 State of Supply Chain Disruption” report, which surveyed more than 300 food and beverage manufacturers, the report found new product development and formula modifications have been critical to compensating for higher ingredient prices, according to the report. Thirty-seven percent of companies acknowledged modifying more than 20 formulas. A quarter admitted to modifying between six and 20 formulas.
Two-thirds of companies also said they were forced to raise prices in the last two years. Almost 50% halted production on some products. Another 46% said they have been unable to keep up with consumer demand. Respondents were evenly split between CPGs continuing to innovate and those making R&D cutbacks.
TraceGains also asked respondents about lessons learned for the future. Increasing supplier diversity was the most important strategic shift followed by leveraging contract manufacturers. Nearly 7-in-10 companies said they plan to expand their supplier networks in the next 24 months. Some 41% plan to change or eliminate product offerings altogether.
“As consumers, we feel the pain of supply chain issues each time we walk out of a grocery store,” said Gary Nowacki, chief executive officer of TraceGains. “This survey sheds light on the problem directly from a CPG brand’s perspective and lets other food and beverage companies know they’re not alone in this fight. Forward-thinking brands have used this unfortunate time as a wake-up call to modernize antiquated operations and those who already have are much better positioned to mitigate disruptions with as little impact as possible.”


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Mobile App and Website Enhance Shopper Experience, Offer Special Discounts and Savings, and Make it Simple to Register and Shop for Gifts
No is the short answer. TheStreet breaks down some top predictions for 2018.
The first 400 people in every store receive a free gift card valued between $5 and $500
The closures are part of a trend that could push the number of shuttering stores above 12,000 next year.
~ Updates Fiscal 2017 Earnings Guidance ~
Nervous suppliers reportedly had been asking for cash upfront.
The chain retains AlixPartners as it joins the many retailers that are struggling, and the company is looking for other advisers that can improve its situation.
~ Reaffirms Fiscal 2017 Earnings Guidance ~
U.S. stock futures are higher on Monday in a market rebound.
The president's claim Friday that the military is 'locked and loaded' didn't weigh on markets Sunday evening.
Wall Street will have to divide its time in the coming week.
Wall Street snaps back to gains on Thursday as positive earnings from Walmart help distract from brewing trouble in Washington, D.C.
Stocks add to gains on Thursday, coming back from their worst losses in eight months a day earlier, as a positive quarter for Walmart boosts consumer names.
Stocks turn higher as Walmart does the heavy lifting on the Dow and S&P 500, and health care gives a boost to the Nasdaq.
Stock futures decline on Thursday as more details come to light in the investigation over the Trump campaign's ties to Russia.
U.S. stock futures decline following a report that says former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and others in Donald Trump's presidential campaign had extensive contacts with Russian officials.
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The Welsh Government is reminding retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in Wales they won’t have to pay any rates until April 2022 as full discounts in England come to an end tomorrow (1st July).
In March, the UK Government announced its 100 per cent retail, leisure and hospitality rates relief holiday would reduce on June 30, with a 66 per cent discount coming into effect for the rest of the financial year.
In Wales, the Welsh Government has extended the full 100 per cent discount for all businesses and charities in the leisure and hospitality sectors until April 2022. Retailers in properties with a rateable value of up to £500k will also continue to receive full discounts on their rates for the remainder of the year.
The £380m package is providing small and medium sized businesses in Wales struggling to cope with the impacts of the pandemic a much-needed boost. It operates in addition to our permanent relief schemes which are providing £240m of relief to ratepayers across Wales this year.
Minister for Finance and Local Government, Rebecca Evans said:
As bills start to land in England, we’re reminding retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in Wales they won’t need to pay rates until April 2022.
We’ve listened to the sectors and want to help shops and venues get back on their feet. Even though these businesses can now open, the difficulties of the last year, coupled with the restrictions that remain in place, mean many would still struggle to pay even some of their usual rates.
Minister for the Economy, Vaughan Gething said:
Our 100% rates relief discount is a vital part of the economic support package we’ve made available to help businesses across Wales, giving them the breathing space they need to focus on recovery.
Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve backed Welsh businesses with £2.5bn in support, which has helped protect in excess of 160,000 Welsh jobs which might otherwise have been lost.
We will continue to do all we can to back Welsh businesses.


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Trade Agreement Will Face ‘Intense Scrutiny’ in Congress
McConnell: ‘serious concerns have been raised on a number of key issues.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement on the announced agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP):
“The Trans-Pacific Partnership is potentially one of the most significant trade deals in history and could shape our engagement and commerce with these nations for decades. We are committed to opening trade in a way that benefits American manufacturers, farmers, and innovators. But serious concerns have been raised on a number of key issues.
“This deal demands intense scrutiny by Congress and the legislation we passed earlier this year provides us the opportunity to give this agreement that scrutiny. In the months ahead, the Senate will review this agreement to determine if it meets the high standards Congress and the American people have demanded.”
Related Issues: Middle Class, Jobs, Trade Promotion Authority, TPP, Free Trade, Economy


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The Chinese Smartphone manufacturer Huawei has announced the launch of its first foldable 5G Smartphone in the country. The company has officially announced this on its Twitter handle. The first Huawei foldable 5G Smartphone will be launched on the Mobile World Congress 2019, scheduled to be held on 24 February in Barcelona. The company has already sent media invites for the launch event of the said handset.
Of course the company has officially not revealed anything on the specs and features of this Huawei Foldable 5G Smartphone, but whats known, the company is going to built in íts in-house High Silicon Kirin 980 processor and for 5G this Smartphone will have 5000 modem.
— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) February 1, 2019
Here we must say that the foldable Smartphone concept is in talks since 2017 and reprotedly Samsung is going to launch its foldable Smartphone on Febaruary 20. Now with this, both the companies are going to confront each other.
Though not officially, but the leaked reports reveal that the Huawei 5G Smartphone will pack a 7.2 inch display. Also it’s reported that initially the company will manufacture 30,000 units of the Huawei Foldable 5G Smartphone and then according to demand.


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The technology uses cameras to identify the age and sex of store customers. Although it has been described as being “like something out of Minority Report,” the system has been licensed from French firm Quividi and, says a spokesman, does not store images, nor does it use biometric data. Tesco, whose mobile division is one of the few corporate entities to have figured out Twitter, played down the Big Brother aspect of the system. “This is not new technology,” a spokesperson said. “No data images are collected or stored, and the system does not use eyeball scanners or facial recognition technology.”
To avoid being targeted, says The Guardian, wear a baseball cap, keep your eyes averted from the advertising screen, or pay at the pump.


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The controversial topic surrounding inhumane working conditions at Foxconn plants (often likened to sweatshops) has entered a new phase as monologuist Mike Daisey backtracks on his unpleasant claims, now admitting they were partly fabricated from sensationalist news reports.
As you might recall, the whole thing gained traction as the New York Times published a lengthy piece on the conditions of Apple’s supply chain in China. Other mainstream outlets immediately picked up the story as consumer groups began demanding an ethical iPhone. The public backlash also pushed Apple to list its suppliers for the first time. CEO Tim Cook dismissed the allegations as “patently fales”, insisting that “We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain.”
Now, as the popular NPR radio program This American Life retracted their story based on Daisey’s highly acclaimed show “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs”, the monologuist ran a post on his personal blog this morning basically saying that even though he spiced up his original report, the basic premise on workers’ plight in China sweatshops still holds true…(...)
Read the rest of Workers’ plight at Foxconn sweatshops is real despite fabricated facts, monologuist says
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Carr Lane partners Rialto to set up machine tool facility in Chennai
To invest 1 billion to serve aerospace cos from India
With an aim to serve global aerospace majors in India, St Louis-based Carr Lane Manufacturing Company, has partnered with Rialto Enterprises to set up machine tool facility in Chennai.
Carr Lane is specialised in aerospace tooling and serves customers worldwide with more than 10,000 standard components used in the manufacturing of civilian and defence aircraft and support equipments. The most significant customers for Carr Lane are Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Pratt & Whitney, GE Aero Engines and Sanfran.
“With the recent expansion of aerospace manufacturing in India, Carr Lane Manufacturing has begun to promote its products within India. Here we have recognised an opportunity to not only control production costs through product sourcing from India, but also a market within the country for India produced products,”Colin Frost, COO, Carr Lane Manufacturing told BusinessLine.
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“India is a significant market opportunity for us; with its large industrial base, a growing economy, and modernising infrastructure we think the market in India has the ability to rival our market in North America,” he added. Talking about the Indian facility, he said “We have very positive outlook on the aerospace sector in India. Currently our business here is growing very quickly.”
The company’s initial plan is to invest about $500,000. “We know that the Indian marketplace will differ from the American and European one. So it is critical that the unit begins to operate, then collects feedback from our customer in India to determine how to proceed with further investments. So we will make investments over the next 3 years,” said Frost.
At the moment, Research and Development is carried out in the US. “But it will not remain there. We are starting the unit in Chennai because the company in India must be able to make its own decisions, about when to deviate from the products and technologies used in the US,” said Frost.
Ranjit Pratap, Managing Director, Rialto Enterprises said, “We are about to spend ₹100 crore over three years for the basic infrastructure to be readily available to produce the components that are used by the aerospace industry.”
Talking about how the company has benefited from R&D, Frost said “Investment in R&D is critical. Even minor advances in established technology can mean significant improvements in production. For example, we make tens of thousands of locating pins annually. These pins wear as the work-piece makes contact with them. We have now been able to coat these pins with a super-hard proprietary carbide coating — extending the life of these components by at least two times. , a significant improvement in productivity and cost.”
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We’re starting to sound like a broken record, but it’s been yet another epic week for startup funding in Australia and New Zealand.
But there was plenty of cash flying around that we didn’t get to cover in full. From a biotech producing a new COVID-19 vaccine to eco-friendly tiny homes to the Canva for building apps, here are the startup funding stories you might have missed this week.
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Q-CTRL $35 million
Aussie quantum technology startup Q-CTRL has raised $35 million in a Series B round led by Airbus Ventures, the VC arm of the global aerospace giant Airbus.
The funding will allow Q-CTRL to take advantage of new data-as-a-service markets, using quantum tech for measuring acceleration, gravity and magnetic fields.
“Q-CTRL’s vision has always been to enable all applications of quantum technology,” founder and chief Michael Biercuk said in a statement.
“This new fundraise accelerates our mission to deliver real value to the space, defence, and commercial sectors.”
Foundry Lab $11.3 million
Kiwi startup Foundry Lab has closed an US$8 million Series A raise ($11.3 million or NZ$11.7 million), led by Aussie VC Blackbird.
The startup has developed microwave-based tech to create metal castings quickly. The tool can reduce turnaround times for casting jobs from one to six weeks to as little as eight hours, providing an alternative to 3D printing.
“3D printing is great for look-alike parts, but the world runs on real parts, and metal printing can never produce a real casting,” founder and chief David Moodie said in a statement.
Elenium Automation $10 million
Once an aviation-tech startup designed to streamline the airport experience, Elenium Automation pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic, repurposing its kiosks to provide contactless temperature, heart rate and respiratory checks.
The SmartCompany Resilience Awards finalist has now reportedly secured $10 million as it expands its reach outside of airports and into the aged care and events sectors, as well as in other workplaces.
The startup has also named a new board member in ANZ non-executive director Paula Dwyer.
“It’s a pivotal time for the company as the world reopens and the applications for its technologies grow increasingly important,” Dwyer reportedly said.
Particular Audience $10 million
Particular Audience has bagged $10 million to fuel its AI-powered platform helping small e-commerce retailers compete with the global leaders, by identifying items an individual consumer might be interested in.
Founded in 2017, the startup now has a presence in the UK, Europe and North America and is reporting revenue growth of 460% year-on-year.
Sales through the platform are almost at $100 million per year — up 19x over the past two years.
EnGeneIC $5 million
Sydney-based biotech EnGeneIC has raised a huge $5 million through a VentureCrowd equity crowdfunding campaign, for a new COVID-19 vaccine suitable for patients with compromised immune systems.
EnGeneIC usually creates nanocell technology used to make cancer treatments less toxic. Co-chiefs Dr Jennifer MacDiarmid and Dr Himanshu Brahmbhatt have now used the same tech to develop a COVID-19 vaccine suited to those who may not have been able to get the existing jabs on the market.
The startup smashed its $1 million minimum target for the raise and is now gearing up to launch on the NASDAQ in 2022.
Big Tiny $4.2 million
Singaporian-Australian startup Big Tiny has bagged $4.2 million in pre-Series A funding to roll out 300 mini holiday cottages throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Inspired by a trip to Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, Big Tiny co-founder Adrian Chia dreamt up the idea to place tiny homes on private property, taking advantage of an eco-tourism boom while allowing property owners to make some cash.
The startup currently has about 100 tiny homes across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, and has seen revenue growth of almost 260% in 2021.
The raise values the business at $31 million.
Jupiter Ionics $2.5 million
Jupiter Inonics has secured $2.5 million in funding, plus the rights to use tech developed at Monash University’s School of Chemistry to create a carbon-neutral form of ammonia fertiliser.
The startup uses an electrochemical process to produce ammonia, reducing nitrogen extracted from the air and combining it with hydrogen extracted from water.
All of this is powered using renewable electricity, making it a much more eco-friendly alternative to traditional ammonia production methods, which contribute heavily to carbon emissions.
“The current global market for ammonia is worth around US$70 billion ($98 billion),” chief executive Dr Charlie Day said in a statement.
“But proposed new uses for green ammonia as a shipping fuel and a form of energy storage mean it could be many multiples of that in the future.”
Cogniss $1.1 million
No-code app building platform Cogniss has closed its OnMarket equity crowdfunding campaigning, raising $1.1 million from 302 investors and smashing its minimum target more than four times over.
The funding will allow the business to “press go” on its scaling plans, hiring new developers, embarking on a marketing campaign and expanding its customer base.
Cogniss makes it easier for non-technical folk to build apps, while also cutting the cost of building custom apps by up to 90%.
“In the same way that Canva enables anyone to produce amazing designs, Cogniss enables anyone to create powerful, transformational apps,” founder and chief Leon Young said in a statement.
The Aussie Airbnb for boats Flotespace has reportedly secured a fresh batch of pre-Series A funding, as it plots a course for expansion to the US — starting with Miami.
The value of the raise has not been disclosed, but according to a report in The Australian it values the startup at $12 million. It follows a $600,000 raise in April this year which valued the business at $4 million.
According the report, new investors include Airtasker chief executive Tim Fung, Siteminder founder Mike Ford, Amaysim co-founder Rolf Hansen and Catapult chairman Adir Shiffman.


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With 11 staterooms, a swimming pool/dance floor and a cinema, you’ll truly be sailing the seas in luxury
If you’re a fan of both the high seas and the tech world, you could charter late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s megayacht Octopus for US$2.2 million a week. Or you could just buy his other superyacht for a cool US$90.4 million.
Allen’s 22-year-old, 92-metre superyacht Tatoosh just went up for sale, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. It’ll be available for viewings at the Monaco Yacht Show later this month, where you’ll be able to check out its offerings after an extensive 11-month refit, with interior design by Terence Disdale and exterior design by Claus Kusch.
Built by the German shipyard Nobiskrug, the yacht comes equipped with 11 staterooms that can hold 19 guests, with room enough for 31 crew members. Along with five decks, two helipads and a jetted, heated pool, you’ll also find a host of more lavish amenities. (Yes, it can get even more lavish than that.) The pool can transform into a dance floor; you can watch movies in the on-board cinema; and there’s a beach club, a dive centre and a beauty salon. Honestly, you’ll have little reason to ever disembark.
Allen, who was the world’s 27th richest man at the time of his death in 2018, named the yacht after a wilderness area near his hometown of Seattle. The ship was just one of the assets contributing to his US$26 billion fortune. His estate is now working to offload some of those assets, and it’s so far sold more than US$350 million worth of property, according to Bloomberg. To add to that, in November, Christie’s New York will sell Allen’s 150-plus piece art collection, estimated to be worth about US$1 billion.
As for the show-stopping yacht, Tatoosh, which has a range of 6,855 nautical miles and can hit 16 knots at maximum speed, is being co-listed by Fraser Yachts and Burgess. If you’ve got an extra US$90 million lying around, now’s your chance to sail the high seas in jaw-dropping luxury.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA


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Buyers can now choose between electric and gas powertrains for Totem's modern take on the iconic Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA.
Italy's Estrema promises 2,040-hp electric hypercar
An early backer of the original Fisker now plans to launch an electric hypercar.Viknesh Vijayenthiran
Italy’s ATS unveils modern GT supercar at 2017 Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance
In 2012, Italian sports car brand Automobili Turismo e Sport was revived after a 50-year hiatus by a man named Daniele Maritan. The company initially dabbled in lightweight track cars as well as a retro speedster, but the long-term goal was always to build a successor to the Ferrari-rivaling 2500...Viknesh Vijayenthiran


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Continental Airlines to share profits with employees.
Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) has announced that it is to distribute USD158m in profit sharing payments to employees at more than 200 locations across the globe.
The airline said that the cheques will be distributed on 14 February and represents the second consecutive year that the company will be sharing profits with employees.
Continental's chairman and CEO, Larry Kellner, will reportedly hand out profit sharing cheques at the airline's New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport, while the carrier's president, Jeff Smisek, will distribute cheques at its Houston hub at Bush Intercontinental Airport and other Houston locations.
In addition other Continental executives will distribute cheques throughout the Continental system, including Los Angeles, Orlando, Salt Lake City, London, Mexico City and Tokyo.
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|Publication:||Airline Industry Information|
|Date:||Feb 12, 2008|
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Canada’s Federal Court ruled recently that the country’s Patented Medicine Prices Review Board — a federal tribunal that regulates pricing on branded medicines — could not extend price-control measures to cover generic drug companies, according to published reports.
Safeway has announced its entry into a memorandum of understanding to settle the consolidated class action pending in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware filed on behalf of alleged Safeway stockholders against Safeway in connection with Safeway's proposed merger with an affiliate of AB Acquisition LLC.
Canada’s Federal court ruled recently that the country’s Patented Medicine Prices Review Board – a federal tribunal that regulates pricing on branded medicines – could not extend price control measures to cover generic drug companies.
Teva Pharmaceutical was denied in its suit to block approval of Mylan's and Sandoz' generic Copaxone, a multiple sclerosis, drug 10 days before the patent on the medication expires, according to a Bloomberg report published Thursday morning.
Canadian pharmacy retailer Shoppers Drug Mart has announced that the Supreme Court of Canada has upheld the Dec. 23, 2011, decision of the Court of Appeal of Ontario that restored the prohibition on private-label generic drug products in the Province of Ontario, which was subsequent to a decision of the Ontario Divisional Court dated Feb. 3, 2011, that declared the regulatory restrictions in respect of private-label generic drug products to be invalid.
The Supreme Court usually has a lot on its plate in any given year, but this year's term included a pretty big case for the pharmaceutical industry: the Federal Trade Commission v. Actavis, which concerned legal settlements between branded and generic drug makers that often occur when the latter attempts to market a generic drug before the former's patents have expired.
Half a loaf, the saying goes, is better than none. For the generic drug industry, that means that the Supreme Court handed it a partial victory Monday by ruling that “pay for delay” patent settlements between brand name and generic drug companies aren’t necessarily illegal and should be considered on a case-by-case, “rule of reason” approach by the Federal Trade Commission, which staunchly opposes the practice.
The Food and Drug Administration's temporary stay pending its appeal of a district court decision ordering all levonorgestrel-based emergency contraceptives be available without a prescription and without any age restrictions was extended through May 28 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Last month, the Supreme Court heard Federal Trade Commission v. Actavis, which could impact the future of the generic drug industry at a time when 80% of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States are generic.
The stakes are high in a case involving generic drug maker Actavis and the Federal Trade Commission that will soon go before the Supreme Court, the head of a generic drug industry lobbying group said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.
A federal judge has ordered a California company and its owner to stop manufacturing and distributing drugs and dietary supplements in domestic commerce until their manufacturing operations comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Food and Drug Administration reported.
In an effort to quell the significant sway creditors wield in dictating terms with retail vendors, the National Community Pharmacists Association, the National Grocers Association and the National Association of Convenience Stores on Monday submitted a joint brief to the Supreme Court as amici curiae in the case of American Express vs. Italian Colors Restaurant.
Consumers who purchased Chattem’s ACT Total Care Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash between Jan. 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, may be entitled to a cash refund from a class action settlement, according to a statement issued by the manufacturer.
The National Retail Federation and more than a dozen retailers on Thusday asked a judge to reject a proposed class-action settlement of a federal antitrust lawsuit filed against Visa and MasterCard because of credit card swipe fees.
A coalition — which includes the California Medical Association, the California Dental Association, California Pharmacists Association, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, California Association of Medical Product Suppliers, AIDS Healthcare Foundation and American Medical Response — continues to work to block the state of California from cutting Medi-Cal reimbursement rates by 10%.
The National Community Pharmacists Association and a number of independent pharmacy entities on Monday refiled its complaint against Express Scripts concerning its acquisition of Medco, demanding either Express Scripts be compelled to "unwind their merger" or alternatively be required to divest assets acquired from Medco.


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Microsoft’s Bing search engine continued to grow its share of U.S. searches in January, largely at the expense of market leader Google, according to data from comScore.
The measurement firm estimates Bing increased its share of searches by 1.1 percentage points over the course of the month, compared with data from December, to account for a total of 16.1 percent of all queries. Google, meanwhile, exprienced a loss of one percentage point, attracting a total of 65.6 percent of searches.
Yahoo, Microsoft’s search alliance partner, saw little change in its share of searches, while AOL’s and Ask’s portions dipped slightly.
|Explicit Core Share* of U.S. Searches Among Leading Providers, January 2011 vs December 2010|
|Share of Searches (%)|
|Domain||December 2010||January 2011||
Note: Data is based on the five major search engines including partner searches and cross-channel searches. Searches for mapping, local directory, and user-generated video sites that are not on the core domain of the five search engines are not included in the core search numbers.
*Excludes contextually driven searches that do not reflect specific user intent to interact with search results.
|Source: comScore 2010|
Online consumers with intent to purchase only find what they’re looking for in 50% of ecommerce searches. That needs to change. eBay ... read more
Update: Google’s Rudy Galfi, Google’s lead product manager for AMP, has revealed to Greg Sterling from Search Engine Land that the global rollout of ... read more
Businesses near ‘PokeStops’ are enjoying a huge surge in footfall due to the popularity of Pokémon Go, according to our first major ... read more
Three years ago, Mark Knowles wrote a thorough checklist for testing a website prior to its live launch. It was a very ... read more


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Facebook has begun pushing smartphone chats between friends to a stand-alone Messenger application.
The move to make members of the world’s leading online social network resort to Messenger for text exchanges on the move comes shortly after Facebook outlined a strategy to focus on specialized “apps” for smartphones and tablets.
“Today we are starting to notify people that messages are moving out of the Facebook app and over to the Messenger app,” Facebook said in an email response to an AFP inquiry.
“To continue sending messages on mobile, people will need to install the Messenger app.”
The change coming in an update to Facebook applications for iPhones and Android-powered mobile devices is starting in “a handful” of countries in Europe.
Messenger was touted as a speedier and superior tool for chats. The switch also lets Facebook focus engineering resources on honing one application instead of dividing resources between two.
Some questioned the wisdom of making Facebook users switch between apps when wanting to engage friends in chats.
Zuckerberg in February cut a $19 billion-deal to takeover free mobile messaging service WhatsApp, saying it is actually worth much more.
The 29-year-old Facebook chief announced the stock and cash purchase, a deal that marries his social network of 1.2 billion active users with WhatsApp’s 450 million users.
Facebook users are increasingly linking to the social network with smartphones or tablets.
By the end of 2013, mobile devices accounted for 53 percent of Facebook’s advertising revenue, bringing in $1.2 billion in the last quarter and more than $3 billion over the whole year.


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China's economy is slowing and growth in 2014 could fall short of the government's official target, according to a CNNMoney survey of economists.
Nigeria is now Africa's largest economy thanks to a long overdue 'rebasing' of GDP. Founder of Zenith Bank Group Jim Ovia discusses the risks and rewards of investing in the country.
Italian Finance Minister Pier Carlo Padoan discusses the European economy, high unemployment and major political reforms in Italy.
|Denny's aimed at 1% opens in New York with $300 Grand Slam|
|A&E deal would price Vice at $2.5 billion|
|Slow Comcast speeds were costing Netflix customers|
|The Coolest Kickstarter ever raises over $13 million|
|A dozen McDonald's outlets closed in Russia|


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Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani on Sunday inaugurated Srinagar office of Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) in the premises of IICT Srinagar through video conferencing facility.
The inauguration ceremony was held in the presence of Shantmanu, Development Commissioner Handicrafts, Ratnesh Kumar Jha, Additional Development Commissioner Handicrafts, Mahavir Pratap Sharma, Chairman CEPC, Purnima Mittal, Additional District Development Commissioner Srinagar, Zubair Ahmad, Director IICT, and other concerned.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister expressed hope that CEPC’s Srinagar office will be beneficial for all the stakeholders and will lead to enhance exports and open new avenues for more employment opportunities in the region.
She said that Indian Handmade carpet is an age-old industry and has made significant strides in the recent past. She said the industry is highly labour intensive and provides employment to over 2 Million workers.
“Kashmir is famous for exquisite high-quality hand-knotted woollen and silk carpets which are symbolic of quality and finesse,” she added.
Irani informed that 90,000 applications have been received for the registration under Pehchan initiative and 60,000 Pehchan ID Cards have been distributed to the artisans so far.
She also assured full support to the Kashmir carpet industry for its growth and promotion.
Meanwhile, it was given out that the Textile Committee in partnership with Development Commissioner Handicrafts (DCH) and CEPC will provide special lab testing facilities at IICT in Srinagar.
CEPC and DCH assure the availability of designers in collaboration with institutes like National Institute of Design (NID), FDIC etc.
Further, Wool Bank will be opened in collaboration with Wool Development Board to ensure availability of sufficient raw wool through the follow up of the office of the DCH.
It was also said that for reduction of GST on Pashmina Shawls a suitable proposal of the industry will be recommended to the Ministry of Finance from the Ministry of Textiles.
CEPC will work closely with JKTPO to help the marketing and branding requirement of the manufacturers and traders from J&K at trade shows within India and across the globe.
Chairman CEPC said that Council will also run an awareness campaign to educate members of the J&K region about no applicability of GST on weavers of Pashmina shawls and Silk carpets, who make less than 40 Lakhs per annum.


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Premier Kathleen Wynne is in China on a one-week trade mission and is keen to sell more agri-food items. Officials met with senior executives at Alibaba, aiming to convince the Chinese online shopping giant to carry Ontario made products.
In this Toronto Star article the interest by the company sounds very positive: http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/10/29/wynne_woos_alibaba_in_ch...
Is there anything Ontario farmers or the ag industry can do to help?
What else can Kathleen Wynne do to help the agri-food industry in Ontario?
The government is investing $713,000 to Martin’s Family Fruit Farm to adapt their processing equipment for the slicing and dehydration of fresh vegetables into chips.
“This type of innovation is key to creating jobs and increasing profitability for farmers,” said MP Harold Albrecht, who made the announcement on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.
The company already makes apple chips at their processing facility in Elmira. They will work to develop a dehydration method for potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. Martin’s will also design and install processing equipment for large-scale production.
“This project will help create jobs and increase demand for vegetables leading to increased opportunities and greater profitability for farmers,” Albrecht said.
The money comes from the AgriInnovation program. Albrecht said the goal of the program is for Canadian producers to benefit from cutting edge science and technology while boosting the economy.
“When we think about innovation in Waterloo Region, we think about computers and digital media, but Martin’s Family Fruit Farm are a shining example of the innovation occurring at the farm gate,” Albrecht said.
“It’s exciting to see the growth from where we came from, from the first hundred apple trees that my father planted in ’71 to where we are now,” said Kevin Martin, the President of Martin’s Family Fruit Farm.


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Posted Fri 17th Feb 2012 by Jake MillarComments (0)
GQ recently attended David Jones’s autumn/winter 2012 collections launch at David Jones’s recently re-opened level seven - “On Seven at David Jones” - in its flagship Elizabeth street store in Sydney.
Miranda Kerr led the way, opening the show with one of 160 looks. A selection of menswear was included in the parade from Australian brands Calibre, Bassike, Brent Wilson, Jac + Jack, Jack London, Ksubi and Zanerobe.
Click through to see all of the men’s looks from the David Jones A/W 2012 Launch.
If Blofeld wanted a weekend away with his mates at the global... more
Here are five ways that you can introduce traditional tailoring... more


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Slam Dunk!4 Feb, 2010 By: Jacqueline Renfrow Response
Coffee and baked-goods leader Dunkin’ Donuts ushers marketing into a new decade using digital DR.
In the ultra-competitive market of coffee companies, Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin’ Donuts (DD) has found a way remain one of best-known names among baked-goods and java chains. One of the older brands in the United States, established as a single shop in Quincy, Mass., in 1950, DD now has 6,395 franchises around the nation (34 states) and 2,440 international shops in 31 countries, making it the largest coffee and baked-goods chain in the world.
Although popular for its drive-thrus and on-the-go mentality — “America Runs on Dunkin” became its tag line in 2006 — in 2007, the brand also became a household name with its home brews. And since then, DD has managed to not fall into the shadows of other major brands that have entered into the spotlight, such as Starbucks and more recently, McDonald’s. How has DD stayed one of the most beloved coffee (and let’s not forget tasty donuts) brands in the country? It’s a powerful brew of multi-channel marketing from traditional television ads and billboards to its more recent digital and mobile direct response campaigns.
Dunkin’ Donuts sells more than 1 billion cups of coffee per year. In 2008, 60 percent of the brand’s sales came from beverages and 40 percent from baked goods, making coffee a high priority on its merchandise list for both consumers and the brand’s marketers.
“We’re in a competitive business now. Coffee was always a big business, but with the new entrance of brands like McDonald’s (with the McCafé launch), it means even more choices and makes it more competitive,” says David Tryder, director of interactive and relationship marketing for Dunkin’ Donuts. “The great thing is we have an advantage — great quality and great value.” He adds that while competitors may have one or the other, DD coffee has both quality and value in one offering.
Tryder finds direct response marketing to be a great opportunity to talk to customers about that message of quality and value, while still reflecting the original goals of Founder Bill Rosenberg: Make and serve the freshest, most delicious coffee and donuts quickly and courteously in modern, well-merchandised stores. Especially in the past year or so, DR has been a great platform for “softening the blow” of the economy for customers by making the conversation more relevant, more precise and to demonstrate value in tough times.
When Tryder began at the company in 2005, he had just come from working on loyalty marketing for Delta Airlines at Digitas — where he was first introduced to direct marketing, CRM and loyalty management.
This initial foray into DR marketing was a big step for someone coming off of 13 years in retail banking working in the branch side, call centers and online banking. Today, Tryder handles all digital marketing aspects for DD. His responsibilities include dunkindonuts.com, mobile, online social media and any online promotions. In addition, Tryder is in charge of the electronic payments side of the business, including the Dunkin’ Donuts Card and relationships between the brand and credit card partners. Tryder’s third responsibility is customer loyalty.
The Mobile Brand
One of Dunkin’ Donuts’ ingredients for success is its ability to adjust its campaigns with the time. Beyond changing the focus of its image from one centered on donuts to one centered on coffee, the company has leapt into mobile marketing in the past year, with no signs of slowing down on the digital front.
In 2009, Studiocom built an SMS platform for DD, which it has since used to test and pilot for direct response marketing. One of the platform’s largest uses is for customizing local offers, in real time, and distributing them via mobile to customers who have opted in.
“Mobile is good for Dunkin’ because we’re an on-the-go brand,” says Tryder. “More and more, people are relying on it as a tool to help manage their lives, for social networks and for communications. It provides a great fit for Dunkin’ Donuts.”
One application that launched last year, and was also built by Studiocom, integrated both online and mobile marketing with the idea of being “on the move.” The Dunkin’ Run platform is an application available either online or on a mobile device with which a person can reach out to friends or colleagues and say they are making a DD run. Then it asks those friends and colleagues, “Does anyone want something while I’m at DD?” The system allows those interested to place a digital order that goes back to the person making the Dunkin’ Run. The aggregated list can even be printed out and handed to the cashier at DD. “Instead of using a napkin to write it on, or relaying on memory, the Web and mobile make the process easier and fun,” says Tryder.


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Is the U.S. ready for a new economic paradigm? America, Argentina, and a New Paradigm of Dignity
Back in December 2008, I compared the take over the the New Republic Window factory in Illinois with the factory take overs in Argentina in 2001.
This interview with a couple of Argentine journalists describes how the economic situation in Argentina in 2001 is similar to what is taking place in the United States today. They say we are now faced with making choice about whether we want to go back to a system in which banks control the economy, or a "new paradigm" in which work builds the economy in favor of the dignity of people and of society. Is the U.S. ready for a new anarchist inspired worker's movement?
Thanks to Latin American News Review.


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Archive for January, 2013
The AGCO team’s efforts to create an impressive display of equipment at the LAMMA Show, alongside comfortable accommodation for visitors were rewarded with the HSBC Cup for the Best Outdoor Stand at the event.
LAMMA is now acknowledged as the UK’s premier machinery showcase, and AGCO’s events team made an early decision to ensure that its brands – Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Valtra – would really make an impact at the 2013 event. At the same time the stand was designed to also provide top quality information and comfort for visitors.
“We started preparing for the show back in April 2012 and, although January is a great time to meet our customers, we know the weather is sometimes not the best. As this year proved,” says Andrew Rawson, Advertising and Promotions Manager.
“Our aim was to provide the best environment to show off all the equipment, offer loads of information as well as create areas where customers and dealers could have a hot drink and get out of the cold. Despite erecting five igloo-shaped marquees on the stand, even we didn’t anticipate just how cold it would be this year!”
At LAMMA 2013 AGCO doubled the size of its stand because it feels it is the ‘right show, at the right time and in the right place’, which attracts a huge audience and results in a lot of business. “We also support the plans to move the event to Peterborough next year – it’s clear to see it’s outgrown the current location,” adds Mr Rawson. “We have had assurances from the organiser that apart from the move everything else will stay the same – and retaining the same formula of free entry for visitors, with value for money for exhibitors, but on a larger site means it will just get better.”
The Massey Ferguson MF 5600 Series was honored with an Award of Merit for the Best New Product or Innovation at the LAMMA, UK show 2013. The tractors, which made their UK debut at the event, attracted many positive comments from throngs of visitors to the busy stand.
“The MF 5600 Series brings together straight-forward operation with some sophisticated features that provide great comfort and control,” says Andy Prosser, Manager Sales Support, who accepted the Award at the event.
Operators will also appreciate the new, spacious cab that is the based on that used on the larger MF 7600 range. This boasts a new right-hand console and controls that provide simple operation and can be specified with a Slimline, Visio or Standard roof as well as being fitted in two positions to exactly suit all customers’ requirements.
The MF 5600 Series sets the new standard for loader operations. The three cylinder engine’s compact dimension ensures excellent maneuverability and combines with the transmission’s ease of operation, with a new joystick not only operating the loader, but also changes direction with the same lever. A new automatic high-flow 100 liter/min hydraulic option also speeds up cycle times.
Mixed farmers from central NSW Australia, Roger Booth & Kirsten Hutchings were the happy if not surprised winners of a Massey Ferguson MF20-MD ATV. The Couple went into the running to win the 20hp diesel powered 4×4 ATV unit after entering the recent MF9500 Series Combine competition. Ignoring calls from an unfamiliar number for 3 days, Kirsten was in disbelief when she was finally delivered the good news that she had won the ATV worth $16,500. The MF20-MD made a very welcomed Christmas present when the whole family picked it up on Christmas eve from local dealer Serafin Ag Pro, Griffith. Congratulations Roger, Kirsten and family.
Today, AGCO held the 2nd annual AGCO Africa Summit in Berlin. The Summit is a joint initiative of AGCO, Bayer CropScience, DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH and Rabobank. “Africa’s population is set to rise to two billion by 2050,” said Martin Richenhagen, AGCO Chairman, President and CEO. “But food security in Africa is by no means where it needs to be to face this challenge. It is a global responsibility to develop agriculture in Africa to meet the growing demand for food security and better nutrition.”
The AGCO Africa Summit highlighted the needs of the African continent and discussed the challenges of today’s agriculture with regard to the world food supply problem, declining arable land base and rapid population growth. The participants stressed the great potential of Africa to help to resolve these problems. Guest speakers included Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler (former Federal President of Germany), John Agyekum Kufuor (former President of the Republic of Ghana), and Olusegun Obasanjo (former President of Nigeria). Panelists included Jose Condugua Antonio Pacheco (Minister of Agriculture of Mozambique), Dr. Baba Dioum (Coordinator General of the Conference of Ministers of West and Central Africa) and Stephen Hayes (President and CEO of the Corporate Council on Africa) – among others.
The AGCO Africa Summit gathers politicians, CEOs and industry experts to help Africa move in the right direction by developing a new vision for agriculture and sustainable investments. To meet the growing needs of Africa’s rapidly growing population, farm productivity must increase. Africa is estimated to hold more than 60% of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land. This untapped reserve of farmland holds the key to ensuring a sustainable food supply. “Large areas across Africa have suitable soil and climate for farming, but are not used,” explained Richenhagen. “We need to support agricultural mechanization in Africa to create better food security.” African farmers need more modern mechanized farming techniques to enhance their productivity level. Higher productivity and efficiency will help African countries become less dependent on imported crops, thus increasing the degree of self-sustainability.
During the past year, AGCO has already taken strategic steps to expand its presence in Africa: AGCO opened a Global Learning Center and Future Farm in Zambia that allows local farmers and dealers to be trained on modern farming technology. Farmers can benefit from a wide range of training classes and get access to professional farming equipment. AGCO also built a new Parts Distribution Center in Johannesburg to better serve customers in Sub-Saharan Africa and opened a regional office in Cape Town. AGCO established a joint venture operation with local partners in Algeria to manufacture Massey Ferguson tractors for the African market as well. Just one month ago, the tractor production started. In addition, AGCO is working on a variety of projects to improve its distribution network in West and East Africa.
AGCO will host the 2nd annual Africa Summit on January 21, 2013 in Berlin, Germany.
Food security has never been so profoundly challenged. In 2050, it is projected that the global population will rise to more than 9 billion people. The challenge is to produce more food to meet this ever-increasing demand; with less resources and at a higher cost than ever before.
In addition to the world’s exploding population, diet patterns are changing: as developing nations gain affluence eating habits shift from staple crops towards more consumption of dairy and meat products. Annual meat production alone will need to increase 75% by 2050 to keep up with demand. This puts further pressure on already-dwindling reserves, and means society will have to make a trade-off between growing crops to feed the local community, and delivering marketable goods to meet demand elsewhere. Innovation and investment has driven agricultural productivity to new highs in developed countries, and should now be redirected towards a continent that has the resources and potential to feed the world.
Africa provides the answer. Nowhere in the world is there such an abundance of untapped resources. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 15% of the world’s arable land lies in Africa, of which 86% remains uncultivated. Pre-1960 – Africa provided 10% of the world’s food – that figure is less than 1% today.
Africa lies at the heart of what promises to be a new Agricultural Revolution.
The solution is to develop a systematic approach that enables a strategic partnership to deliver crops that feed increasing populations in an economically, environmentally and socially responsible way. While the challenge is enormous, the opportunities are both substantial and achievable. Farmers are among the main beneficiaries of agricultural development and are at the very core of the solution. But there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. A lack of infrastructure, mechanization and technology across the continent calls for market-based cooperation between farmers, private industry, government and society to establish a new blueprint.
Africa holds the key to ensuring a sustainable food supply, but only if a new road map for progress is developed, harnessing both the expertise of the private industry sector and the knowledge of local communities.


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Luxury brands failing to demonstrate sufficient progress in sustainability risk becoming less desirable and even obsolete, Stéphane JG Girod, Professor of Strategy and Organizational Innovation, has said.
“If we don’t reverse negative social and environmental trends, we could see a questioning of what luxury is, and of its relevance going forward,” he said at his LiTT webinar.
Half (50%) of participants polled that they felt that “just enough” was being done in their companies to comply and manage risk in the area of sustainability. Close to 20% thought their firm was lagging behind.
Girod said the luxury industry was under increasing pressure to create a new dimension of exemplarity. Instead of being an example of pure quality and creativity, it would need to also take on sustainability. This was down to forces including stakeholder activism, employees taking a stand, and requests from investors.
He added that there would be no basis for luxury at all if our healthy…


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Scotland’s smaller businesses are urged to enter the National Business Awards’ Small to Medium-sized Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Santander Corporate Banking.
The award recognises companies that have maintained consistent growth and strong financial performance. Entrants will be asked to demonstrate a clear understanding of their customers, full buy-in from staff, and how they have delivered on core strategic objectives.
Open to all organisations with no more than £25 million turnover in their last financial year, this award will go to the company that best demonstrates the following:
• An established market position
• Significant growth or expansion
• Potential for sustained growth
• Innovation in products, services or processes
• Customer and staff engagement
• Effective leadership and management
• An ethical approach to business
• Strong business results
Marcelino Castrillo, Head of SME at Santander UK, said: “Small and medium sized businesses are the drivers of the UK economy, and the National Business Awards are an excellent opportunity to recognise the innovation, flexibility and hard work of these companies. I would urge companies to enter these prestigous awards to celebrate the success of Scottish businesses.”
Now entering its eleventh year, the National Business Awards recognises the best performing organisations in the public, private and third sectors – from thriving SMEs, dynamic entrepreneurs and enterprising charities to FTSE 100 businesses.
Across 17 categories (full list below), this annual awards programme recognises excellence in seven core areas – growth, innovation, staff engagement, customer focus, leadership, ethics and financial performance.
Caroline Jackson Levy, CEO UBM, the company that owns the National Business Awards said: “The National Business Awards is the UK’s most prestigious independent business awards, open to businesses of all sizes. We’re delighted to have Santander on board aligning with the SME category – raising the profile of these businesses in the UK.”
To submit an entry for the National Business Awards visit www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk. To find out more about the award itself or any other category, contact email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.org or talk to one of the National Business Awards team directly by calling +44 (0) 20 7234 8755.
Finalists will be announced on the 2nd August 2012 and winners will be honoured at the National Business Awards gala dinner and dinner and awards ceremony in London at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Tuesday 13th November.
Chamber member, Iain Summers from Santander, can be reached on 07884 113838 if you’ve any other questions regarding the above.
About the National Business Awards
Open to organisations of all sizes from all sectors across the UK, the National Business Awards in partnership with Orange is the UK’s most prestigious independent business recognition platform with its particular emphasis on excellence, innovation and ethical business. Now in its eleventh year, the National Business Awards connects the nations’ professionals through its annual awards ceremony; year-round thought leadership and round table events; and is UBM plc’s flagship awards programme. Visit www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk for further information.
Categories for 2012
For information about the criteria for any of the following award categories, visit http://www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk/Content/Award-Categories/2/
• Santander Small to Medium-Sized Enterprise of the Year
• Daily Telegraph Award for a Decade of Excellence in Business
• Start-up Business of the Year
• ICAEW Sustainability Award
• Orange Innovation Award
• 3i International Growth Business of the Year
• Small Online Business of the Year
• Ecommerce Strategy of the Year
• Business Enabler of the Year
• Non-Executive Director of the Year
• Huawei Customer Focus Award
• Croner Employer of the Year
• BlackBerry Growth Strategy of the Year
• Coutts & Co FTSE 100 Business of the Year
• Transformational Change of the Year
• Entrepreneur of the Year
• Orange Leader of the Year


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Jannah Hotel & Resorts announced the appointment of Haitham El Gohary as their new Area Sales Director and Ossama Charrouf as the Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
With over 12 years of regional and international experience, Haitham El Gohary will oversee the sales activities while developing business strategies that drive market share and increase revenue growth of the hotel.
Haitham comments, “I am excited to start a new challenge as the Area Sales Director, and I look forward to working with the team to further develop and expand market share to further strengthen the Jannah Hotel brand.”
Former Vice President of Sales, Ossama Charrouf will now serve as Jannah Hotels & Resort newest Vice President of Sales and Marketing where he will lead the team to furtherly strengthens and achieve the short and long-term strategic objective to establish Jannah Hotels as a preeminent destination.
“I am extremely excited to continue my career with the prestigious Jannah Brand, a reputable tourism industry within the UAE. I look forward in developing relationships with key partners and continue to deliver exceptional experiences to our guests” Ossama said.
Commenting on their appointment, Richard Haddad, CEO of Jannah Hotels and Resort said, “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Haitham El Gohary and Ossama Charrouf at such a prestigious event such as ATM. With tremendous ability to drive results and organizational initiatives, they are already key addition to the company, and we are confident that their strong vision and leadership abilities will play a major role in the growth of Jannah Hotels & Resort.”


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Iconic actor and comedian Jim Carrey is now a member of the NFT space. The legendary pop culture actor has been shopping on SuperRare, the NFT marketplace. In a tweet to his 19 million followers, he announced he had purchased his very first NFT.
Jim Carrey buys his first NFT
After purchasing a tranquil 1:1 piece of NFT artwork by Ryan Koopmans on SuperRare, Jim Carrey told his followers, “This one stops me. James Joyce said that’s a good thing. Thank you, @ryankoopmans, for gently capturing nature’s exquisite and relentless reinvention.”
Significantly, Jim Carrey is an artist and has spent decades painting and drawing. His artwork is expressive and emotive, and he has held numerous exhibitions worldwide. Now, the multi-talented actor, famous for roles in films such as Ace Ventura, Dumb and Dumber, Liar Liar and The Truman Show, is exploring the world of…


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Panasonic to sell Sanyo digital camera business to private equity fund
TOKYO (Reuters) - Panasonic Corp (6752.T) said on Friday that it would sell its Sanyo digital and digital movie camera business to Japanese private equity fund Advantage Partners for an undisclosed sum.
Panasonic aims to sell 110 billion yen ($1.30 billion) of assets, including buildings and land, by the end of March to boost free cash flow to 200 billion yen for the business year.
Panasonic acquired rival Sanyo, a leading maker of lithium ion batteries and solar panels, in 2010. Sales of compact digital cameras are under pressure from increasingly powerful smartphones.
($1 = 84.39 Japanese yen)
(Reporting by Tokyo Newsroom; Editing by Ron Popeski)
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Unilever has signed a contract to outsource some of its financial transactional services to IBM, in a deal covering more than 20 European countries.
IBM will provide financial transaction processing from centres in Portugal, Poland and India.
The consumer goods firm, which has operations in nearly 100 countries and sales of more than £42bn, expects the deal to contribute to the £700m annual savings targeted by the One Unilever programme to streamline the business.
"IBM brings strong business process knowledge, deep technical expertise and a flexible business model to finance shared services. As a specialist in this area, IBM will be able to help us optimise our business process performance and deliver additional savings in support of our core business," said Unilever Europe president Kees van der Graaf.
"This change will affect quite a number of our employees in Europe. We are committed to treat all of them responsibly and will follow all appropriate consultation processes. When jobs are affected we will do our best to find alternative employment."
The implementation will be phased over two years, starting in the first quarter of 2006. About 750 staff will be affected.


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Several United States senators become ill after consuming raw milk in celebration of the passing of a bill that allows West Virginia residents to consume unpasteurized milk. West Virginia Senator and bill sponsor Robert Karnes brought the milk in question into the Capitol building to share with fellow delegates, including senator Pat McGeehan, who appeared on a Charleston news segment to describe his ailment. According to the Charleston health department, “raw milk can contain dangerous bacteria and parasites,” and while McGeehan denies his troubles are milk-related, health officials are currently investigating the origin of the illness plaguing the group of senators. With the alternative dairy market skyrocketing, new vegan milk options—which in addition to rice, soy, coconut, and nuts is now made with innovative ingredients such as potato, pea protein, and cassava root—and dairy milk’s proven negative health effects, why would anybody chose to drink milk, especially raw, in 2016?
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|Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak
Medtronic ($MDT) is teaming up with LifeTech Scientific to manufacture and distribute cardiac devices for China's growing cardiovascular market.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lifetech will develop pacemaker and cardiac leads at its Shenzhen facility and Medtronic will provide technological support and training. The Minnesota device giant could also partner with Lifetech further down the line to commercialize the products once they've cleared the necessary regulatory hurdles, the companies said in a statement.
"We are delighted to partner with Lifetech in this new venture to bring lifesaving technology to Chinese patients," Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak said in a statement. "We expect these pacemakers to serve the local market and to meet the healthcare needs of significantly more Chinese patients."
In 2012, Medtronic shelled out $66.2 million for a 19% stake in LifeTech, grabbing a bigger piece of the Chinese device sector and bolstering its long-standing goal of getting 20% of its revenue from emerging markets by 2016. The company has already made significant forays into the Chinese market, buying orthopedics company Kanghui Holdings for $816 million in September 2012 and launching a Beijing patient care center the same year.
Medtronic is not the only device outfit looking for its cut of the profits. Last year, Boston Scientific ($BSX) announced that it was forging ahead with major growth plans in China to achieve 30% annual sales increases over the next 5 years. Big names like Johnson & Johnson ($JNJ), Stryker ($SYK) and Covidien ($COV) are also looking for a seat at the table, launching manufacturing and R&D initiatives to introduce devices to the Chinese market and build its local presence.
Partnering with LifeTech could also help Medtronic stay a step ahead of local competitors, as domestic operations are developing patient-specific products for China's aging population. Shanghai's Kinetic Medical enjoys a nearly 50% market share in the country two years after filing its IPO, and co-founder Jay Qin touts the company's technology and commercialization strategy as superior to that of multinational rivals.
"Unlike many of our Chinese competitors' overseas strategy, we've been focusing on developed markets from the start," Qin told Forbes. "Our products have the same quality as Medtronic's. Lower price alone wouldn't get you too far."
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Special Report: Blockbusters and bloodlettings: A look at 2013's hot M&A start - All eyes on China


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The Cosmic Crisp — a new apple set to debut in grocery stores after this fall’s harvest — will be the largest launch of a produce item in American history. It’s highly anticipated for central Washington apple growers, who are facing hard times in the industry.
Brooke Jarvis reported on the apple’s launch for the August issue of the California Sunday Magazine. She spoke with Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio about what the Cosmic Crisp means for the apple industry.
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FEBRUARY 19, 2024 – Inspired Entertainment, Inc. (“Inspired” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: INSE) a leading B2B provider of gaming content, systems, and solutions, is excited to announce the launch of its ground-breaking Virtual Baseball product Home Run Shoot Out Legends™, featuring Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) licenced players, with leading online sports betting and gaming brand Betano.
Kaizen Gaming operates under the Betano brand in multiple markets in Europe, South & North America and Africa and under the Stoiximan brand in Greece and Cyprus.
Betano is one of the first bands to launch Home Run Shoot Out Legends™, which features legendary baseball players of the past including Babe Ruth, Cecil Fielder and Mickey Mantle. The product is available across Ontario on Betano’s online and mobile platforms. The launch of Home Run Shoot Out Legends™ is an integral part of Inspired’s strategy to bring its branded portfolio of U.S. centered sports, such as American football and basketball, to the North American player base.
Betano has further extended its partnership with Inspired by launching its award-winning Virtuals in Nigeria and Bulgaria. Major products include V-Play Soccer 3™, V-Play Matchday, V-Play Basketball™, V-Play Horses™, V-Play Greyhounds™, and V-Play Marbles™.
Meanwhile, Stoiximan has introduced a customized edition of V-Play Multi-Stream Matchday™ in Greece. This edition features seven games taking place simultaneously and boasts exclusive sponsorship from the Greek Super League, named as Stoiximan Super League, including all actual league teams, their uniforms and logos. It also features an appealing standings table with the teams’ progress and league position.
“The Kaizen Gaming team sees the incremental revenue value that our Virtuals products can drive. It is a true partnership, enabling us to enhance our products and distribute them to a wide range of regulated markets, including North America,” said Ian Freeman, Chief Commercial Officer of Virtual Sports at Inspired. “As the Betano and Stoiximan brands continue their dynamic growth, we will continue to deliver the highest quality and most diverse range of content, including branded American football and basketball to players across its international portfolio”.
“Collaborating with Inspired has been a resounding success,” said Vangelis Kalloudis, Gaming Senior Product Manager at Kaizen Gaming. “We have launched a unique collection of products across a range of territories and are planning to provide more thrilling and entertaining experiences to the global community of players in the near future.”