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Tag: social media
What are some of the big issues facing the consumer of tomorrow? How should retailers, lifestyle businesses and fashion brands equip themselves to reach these customers?
Speaking at the recent Asia Fashion Summit, Ruth Marshall-Johnson, Senior Editor of Think Tank at WGSN, highlighted that consumer businesses need to consider five key trends and suggested how these should be addressed as follows:
Congratulations to our boys and girls in blue for making the first Facebook arrest!
According to the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) media release, this development came on 11 Nov 2011 (an auspicious 11/11/11!) when a “public-spirited person called 999 and informed that he could identify a loanshark suspect from a photo posted on the Police Facebook Page since July 2009. The action led to the arrest of two 19 year old suspects for involvement in loanshark harassment activities in the Bukit Merah area.
Should one protect privacy but ban anonymity on the web? Are citizens able to “DIY” to form their own self helping communities? Do we have adequate access to data that can improve our lives?
These are the sort of questions which arose from the recent GovCamp Singapore, organised by Microsoft with the support of various institutions like IDA, NUS and ISS. As I look back at the various sessions I’ve attended, here are some lessons that I’ve learnt.
Article first published as Book Review: The Dragonfly Effect : Driving Social Change through Social Media by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith on Blogcritics.
Co-authored by Stanford University Marketing Professor Jennifer Aaker and her husband Andy Smith, a leading marketing consultant of Vonavona Ventures, The Dragonfly Effect offers a recipe for social change leveraging on the power of social media. Unlike many other books on social media which are strong on examples but weak on structure, the book proposed a systematic design thinking oriented process which anybody can follow.
Pirate DJ, music buff, and magazine publisher Matt Mason’s book The Pirate’s Dilemma – How Youth Culture is Reinventing Capitalism is a fascinating tour-de-force of the world of youth culture, content piracy and the future of commerce. Written from an insider’s perspective – Mason himself was once voted pirate of the year by Business Week – the book traces the development of various music genres over the decades and how they impacted societies.
Defying the class action suits launched by record companies and copyright owners around the world, Mason declared that piracy isn’t a sin but instead, a necessary ingredient for innovation and invention. By allowing others to adapt and modify original content and spread it freely around, piracy helps to foster change in popular culture in all its forms – fashion, food, hairstyles, movies, games, software and even enterpreneurship.
We love going on overseas vacations. There is a certain buzz in the air when one is planning and arranging for a trip abroad, regardless of the duration, distance or destination.
In the age of omnipresent online options, choreographing your own holidays is entirely possible. However, one may still want to weigh the pros and cons of DIY versus having a travel agent or travel planner do it for you.
Courtesy of Life’s a comic strip!
In the world of User Generated Content (UGC) on social media platforms, a common question always arises for those whose job involves blogging, facebooking or twittering.
How do we separate our personal and professional selves? More importantly, are we able to do that in the first place?
It was an afternoon to remember at Movida of St James Powerhouse when virtual virtuosos became real rock-stars. More than 100 bloggers, models, singers, friends, fans and followers of social media stardom congregated for Omy.sg’s Singapore Blog Awards 2010. As one of the judges for the awards, I had the privilege of evaluating the shortlisted finalists for two of the categories, and was blown over by the quality of the entries.
Before I talk about the great opportunity for bloggers, I must first declare that I’ve been selected to be a judge of the 2010 Omy.sg blog awards. Spearheaded by bilingual news portal Omy.sg, the awards have always been well received by the blogosphere year after year.
It is a great honour for me to be appointed alongside other more well-known luminaries from the arts, entertainment, and digital communities like Mr Kelvin Tong, movie director, Ms Kuo Jian Hong, Co-Artistic Director of The Theatre Practice, Ms Anna Lim, Radio 100.3 deejay, Mr Josh Lim, Managing Director of Advertlets, Mr Chua U-Zyn, CEO of Ping.sg, Mr Samuel Ng, CEO of Marine Parade Family Service Centre, Ms Xiao Han, Director and Lyricist of Funkie Monkies Productions, and Mr Danny Yeo, who is a theatre practitioner.
Jack Neo and his wife Irene Kng (courtesy of Syokkahwin.com)
The local and international media has gone wild with the latest celebrity news in every channel, and tremendous buzz has been generated in social media and mobile platforms – SMSes, MMSes, blogs, Facebook, forums, Twitter, Plurk, Youtube, blog aggregators (like Ping.sg), wikis and so on. Many have leapt into the fray with all kinds of judgements and interpretations, with some harsher than others. Jack himself has blogged about it here and apologised for his actions.
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Protecting eyes from the sun’s harmful UV Rays
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - The sun is finally getting higher in the sky, but with the sunshine comes possible damage to not only the skin but also the eyes.
The sun emits three different types of UV damage, the rays which cause sunburns and the skin to darken are called UVB rays. Dr. Erin Barrett, a local Optometrist at Vivid Vision Care, said UVB rays can also cause extensive damage to the front of the eye. She explained UVB rays can cause scar tissue to form on the whites of the eyes, cornea, and a sunburn to the eye itself. These effects can lead to astigmatism and blurred vision.
While UVB rays can’t penetrate past the cornea, UVA rays can pass through the cornea and be absorbed by the lens of the eye. Dr. Barrett said this type of sun exposure can lead to cataracts, but the sun’s damage to the eyes doesn’t stop there. Dr. Barrett explained some UVA rays can get as far back in the eyes as the retina and lead to Macular Degeneration or vision loss.
Dr. Barrett said protection begins with a comprehensive eye exam but also investing in good quality sunglasses. Ashley Freeborn, the owner of Aspire Optical company, said when picking out your next pair of sunglasses, go with sunglass brands you know. While sunglasses can be pricy, Freeborn said you get what you pay for when it comes to protecting your eyes.
Dr. Barrett and Freeborn emphasized the importance of protecting children’s eyes from the sun this summer. Freeborn said the bulk of sun damage to the eyes is done before the age of 10. To combat this, he suggests parents start treating sunglasses like they do sunscreen: putting them on when outside for periods of time.
“82% of parents are lathering their kids in sunscreen before they go outside,” explained Freeborn, “But only 17% of kids are wearing sunglasses.”
Freeborn added it’s important parents get in the mindset of combining sunglasses and sunscreen. He says by doing this, parents could prevent or delay possible sun damage to their children’s eyes later in life.
Copyright 2022 KVLY. All rights reserved.

domain: news


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(Bloomberg) — Arabica farmers in Brazil, the arena’s peak exporter, are seeing bigger-than-expected losses for a espresso crop that already had setbacks because of freakish climate, bringing decrease yields that threaten to increase a world delivery crunch.
Luis Fernando Ferreira da Silva, a grower in Brazil’s peak generating Minas Gerais state, anticipated this season’s crop to be lower by way of greater than part after drought and frost hit his farm closing 12 months. He to start with anticipated to harvest 8,000 60-kilogram baggage, however later slashed his estimate to a few,500 baggage. Issues ended up even worse.
“Now I consider it received’t succeed in 2,000 baggage,” da Silva stated in an interview. “It was once without a doubt a 12 months to omit.”
Growers and analysts are seeing indicators of yields struggling greater than expected from the lingering results of dangerous climate that slashed closing 12 months’s output and despatched international espresso costs hovering. Arabica futures have surged about 80% prior to now two years, when second-ranked provider Colombia additionally noticed its crop slashed by way of an excessive amount of rainfall. Brazil’s reduced outlook might stay costs increased for espresso enthusiasts and chains like Starbucks Corp.
Brazil’s drought and chilly curbed flowering closing season and serious frosts in July 2021 led farmers to chop down espresso bushes at a time of excessive prices for agricultural inputs, particularly fertilizer. That now not simplest slashed closing 12 months’s crop but additionally curbed the opportunity of 2022, which is meant to be the higher-yielding cycle of Brazil’s harvest.
“Farmers consider there shall be a vital crop failure within the present season,” when compared with the closing high-yielding cycle two years in the past, Margarete Boteon, an agricultural researcher on the College of Sao Paulo, stated in an Aug. 2 file.
Yields are under expectancies in maximum arabica areas and the cherries are husky with smaller-than-usual beans inside of, stated Regis Ricco, a expert who lately visited the principle generating spaces. Whilst ultimate plants glance stunning and leafy, yields have dissatisfied when end result get processed into espresso beans, he stated.
Because of this, extra beans are had to fill a bag this 12 months. Whilst 420 liters of beans are typically had to make a 60-kilogram bag, harvest studies counsel a median of 570 liters at the moment are required, he stated. Brazil’s output might slightly succeed in 32 million baggage this 12 months — down from 38 million baggage anticipated in March and smartly in need of the potential for round 53 million baggage for the high-yielding cycle, consistent with Ricco.
Different key coffee-growing states hit by way of dangerous climate have noticed identical woes.
Labareda Agropecuaria, a large manufacturer within the Mogiana area of Sao Paulo, has additionally been shocked by way of harvest effects. Output is now noticed to be 20% under what was once anticipated at the start of the 12 months, consistent with Gabriel Lancha Alves de Oliveira, the corporate’s industrial director. The extra lower to its estimate way the harvest shall be 40% under its attainable.
“If that development is showed nationally, it could sign an arabica crop under the initial anticipated attainable,” stated Gil Barabach, analyst for Safras & Mercado consulting company.
Non-public and co-operative warehouses are “very empty which is rare for this period of time,” stated Joao Prata Pereira, a spouse at a Minas Gerais exporting corporate bearing his identify, The company lower its crop estimate by way of 5% closing month.
Brazil’s nationwide delivery corporate, referred to as Conab, projected this 12 months’s arabica output at 35.7 million baggage in Would possibly, which was once down from its January estimate of 38.8 million baggage. Whilst the estimate alerts a restoration from 2021, manufacturing shall be 27% not up to the former high-yielding 12 months of 2020. The company will factor an replace on Sept. 20.
Decrease yields point out much less delivery to be had to procedure beans into washed arabica, which is pricey, and that can stay inventories low at ICE Futures US, supporting increased costs, stated guide Judy Ganes, who has toured Brazilian fields a number of occasions the previous 12 months to evaluate the well being of the crop.
Extra tales like this are to be had on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.


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New Jersey-based Butterfly Bakery shut its doors last week after an FDA investigation found that it was selling mislabeled products. Specifically, according to the Huffington Post, the bakery was charged with selling improperly labeled food, including “sugar-free” items that contained sugar and products with more than three times the listed saturated fat content.
While the bakery noted that only three of its 45 products were found to have inaccurate labels, the violation was enough to trigger a shutdown. This incident raises important liability issues for owners of bakeries and other food services businesses. Here's a look at the most important of those issues.
General Liability Insurance Does Not Protect Against Fraud
If Butterfly Bakery was shut down because of something other than fraud, the company's General Liability Insurance would have protected it in several ways. For example…
- If the policy included Business Interruption Insurance, it would have provided income for the period during which the bakery had to close its doors.
- Any lawsuits brought against the company (e.g., involving a slip and fall accident) would have been covered by insurance.
- Equipment repairs or replacements (e.g., those that might be necessary if a storm damaged the bakery and caused it to shut down temporarily) would be covered by insurance payments.
In the case of fraud, however, liability insurance does not pay out. This is because a bakery that commits fraud has actually broken the law – and most insurance policies do not pay for damages caused by illegal activity.
Butterfly Bakery, then, will not be able to collect Business Interruption Insurance while its doors are shut, meaning that this violation could easily cause its ultimate failure.
Liability Stakes Are High in Food Labeling
In addition to forgoing any business interruption payments, committing fraud exposes a business to extensive liability expenses – and the stakes are particularly high in food industries. Consider, for example, a diabetic who ate one of the falsely labeled “sugar-free” confections. If the snack caused a negative health reaction that required medical attention, the customer could easily sue the bakery – and would likely win.
Because the bakery was responsible for mislabeling, however, there's a good chance that its liability insurance would not cover the associated costs. This means that the bakery would be responsible for paying all its own court costs as well as any settlement or judgment for which it was found liable.
If those expenses are not enough to put the bakery out of business, it could face serious fallout from the incident, losing the trust of its patrons and potentially lots of business from skeptical customers.
Love independent bakeries? Help one win new equipment by voting in the Sugar Showdown insureon is sponsoring on Facebook!


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For those trying to maintain that swimsuit body, an easier way to monitor your progress is on the horizon. It has been speculated that Google will announce its latest development, Google Fit, in just two weeks.
"Google says it'll allow consumers to track health-related data through fitness devices and an app. The site will launch the new service during the Google I/O developers' conference in San Francisco." (Via WINK-TV)
Google is not the first company to attempt something like this. Last month Samsung announced its latest innovation, S.A.M.I., a wristband that collects and analyzes data in order to answer the user's health-related questions.
And just last week Apple released information about HealthKit, a health-tracking technology that will also enable fitness apps to share and analyze data.
According to Gizmodo, there is still some uncertainty about how Google Fit will be presented. It might be a stand-alone app or an interface programmed into a wearable Android device.
Business Insider reports Google will also announce fitness devices that are already compatible with Google Fit.
Of course, there are some reservations about the technology. According to GigaOM, Google may face issues with the FDA. It is possible the company will need high-priced medical approval if Google Fit is deemed a medical device.
You may remember Google has attempted to cash in on the health trend before. Google Health was an online service that provided a way for people to track their health care, but it was shut down in 2012 after it didn't take off like the company had hoped.
Will Google be more successful this time around? Only time will tell — until Google I/O, smartphone users will just have to keep fit the old-fashioned way — with multiple apps.


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Kovai.co, a multi-product SaaS company based out of Coimbatore, is looking at increasing its employee strength here to 300 – 320 by the end of next year.
The bootstrapped company, which inaugurated a 40,000 sq.ft office here recently, employs 240 people now and is looking at adding 60 to 80 people by the end of 2022.
Saravana Kumar, founder and CEO of Kovai.co, said the company was also targetting an annual revenue of $ 30 million by the end of 2024 from $ 10 million in 2020.
As Kovai.co aimed at becoming a SaaS-Unicorn by 2030 and build markets in India and globally, it would launch one new product in 2022. With that, it would have five products and would look at scaling these up. It would get into building more new products in 2023. It had a customer base in 60 to 70 countries now and had so far invested nearly $ 25 million. “We do not see a necessity, at least till the end of 2022, for external funding,” he said.
Secretary for Information Technology for Tamil Nadu government, Neeraj Mittal, said, “In the recent years, start-up and product ecosystem in the country has picked up steam, with software companies spearheading the growth – especially in our state of Tamil Nadu. Our focus is to build multiple world-class IT eco-systems across the State as it helps spur economic growth evenly.”
Source: Read Full Article


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Walk around under the bridge of the Chappaqua train station on the third Saturday of the month, and you’ll find craft, furniture, jewelry, and antique vendors showcasing their wares. Known as the Chappaqua Flea, it’s the “idea that kicked” conceived by Ilana Arazie, who first brought this bit of Brooklyn to our suburbs last year when she launched her first flea market, the Hastings Flea. Arazie’s idea has filled a void (Westchester residents who are New York City transplants know that a good flea market can be hard to find here in the ’burbs) and is growing as a viable business.
“I had recently moved here [Hastings-on-Hudson], and I wanted to do something that kept me connected to my area and town. I was brainstorming things with my friend, Michelle DeForest, who also founded the Flea with me, and we thought this would be a great thing to bring to Westchester and our town,” Arazie says of her decision to launch in Hastings.
To pursue their initial idea, Arazie and DeForest first got permission from the town; with only minor startup costs, thanks to the money brought in from vendors, Arazie says there wasn’t much to invest in initially. With a background in digital and freelance marketing, she knew that the best route for marketing the fledgling Hastings Flea was social media and local press.
“We created our website ourselves,” she says. “I didn’t pay for advertising but I was able to do a lot on Facebook and through word of mouth. Things get around in the town, and I put up as many signs as possible.”
The Hastings Flea experienced a successful first season, from April to November of 2014, says Arazie, who notes positive customer feedback and encouragement from the vendors and community continue to grow. This prompted Arazie to expand to Chappaqua for this season.
“In Chappaqua, I teamed up with the Farmer’s Market and Art Under the Bridge. Chappaqua is really trying to develop their downtown and community, so it was good timing,” Arazie says.
So what can visitors to Arazie’s markets expect? In Chappaqua and Hastings, the Flea is comprised of a unique array of vendors who sell hand-picked items “you can’t find anywhere else,” she says. Some of the Flea’s vendors—who apply online to be a part of the event—are regulars, while others move in and out and between Hastings and Chappaqua. The lineup of vendors includes home goods collectors; antique collectors with mid-century modern furniture; vintage clothing collectors from the 1970s and 1980s; and others who bring beaded and stone jewelry, crafts for kids, vintage comics and posters, all-natural handmade soaps and lotions, and even collectibles from Asia and Africa to the Flea.
At the Hastings Flea, local musicians and kid performers play throughout the event. One group, Solar Punch, powers the performance stage with solar energy and provides educational demonstrations on how to cook with solar energy. One boy, Arazie says, will play chess with community members as they move through the Flea, all while raising money for his charity in the August Flea.
“The community seems to be enjoying everything our vendors have to offer. And the vendors want to connect with the community,” Arazie says about both markets. “It’s a wonderful event to go to as a family.”
Arazie says although the Chappaqua location was a little bit of trial and error at the start, the town has been great, putting up signs and being open to finding the best place for the Flea. She continues to put a lot of work into the established market in Hastings, and strives to grow the Chappaqua Flea organically, without a big budget, through word of mouth.
“Every month, new people hear about us and come,” she says. “It’s something that grows over time, you stick with, and you look back and see what works and what doesn’t.”
Arazie also says she is open to working with other communities and in other towns in the future, continuing to pursue her love for the event. This may even include finding indoor spaces for winter markets.
“It’s something that feels good at the end of the day, when the vendors finally break down. You feel like you did something nice for the community, and it makes you want to keep going,” she says.
Visit the Chappaqua Flea next on Saturday, August 15 at 9am; the Hastings Flea’s next date is Saturday, August 9, at 10am in the MTA commuter parking lot. Visit www.chappaquaflea.com and www.hastingsflea.com to find out more information about the market and becoming a vendor


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Rumors have been circulating for months about the possibility of Apple introducing AirPods with a USB-C-compatible charging case, but we haven’t heard anything this definite until now. However, we still don’t know whether the AirPods Pro will get the USB-C charging case, too, and Gurman doesn’t specify.
In 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple would introduce AirPods with a USB-C charging case sometime this year. It’s also not clear whether Apple will make any significant changes to the AirPods themselves aside from the new case. Kuo said earlier this year that Apple may ship its fourth-generation AirPods in the second half of 2024 or the first half of 2025, alongside a rumored $99 pair of AirPods and the second-gen AirPods Max. That timeline suggests we may just be in for a case update.
Apple’s iPhone 15 event — called Wonderlust — will take place on September 12th. In addition to AirPods that support USB-C, Apple is also expected to include a USB-C port on all its iPhone 15 models in order to comply with the European Union’s incoming regulations. Apple is also expected to take the wraps off of a Watch Series 9 and a second-gen Watch Ultra.


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SCOTLAND’S Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has announced that four retailers have donated more than £1 million to good causes as a result of the single-use carrier bag charge, which came into effect almost six months ago.
Ahead of the six month anniversary on Monday the figure has been revealed following retailer reports that single-use carrier bag usage has been reduced by more than 80 per cent since the charge was introduced on October 20, 2014.
Mr Lochhead made the announcement at an ASDA store in Elgin.
Presently, Asda is indicating a more than 90 per cent reduction in single-use carrier bag use, while raising £350,000 for two social enterprise charities – Social Investment Scotland and Foundation Scotland.
The Co-operative Food has used the 5p charge to raise £375,000 for community projects across Scotland, reporting a usage reduction of 80 per cent.
Responding to the success of the carrier bag charge Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland said:
“It’s great to hear carrier bag usage in Scotland has dropped so significantly since the 5p charge was introduced. As well as removing thousands of bags from circulation, it’s also fantastic that nearly one million pounds has been raised for good causes across the country.
“Before the charge Scotland consumed a staggering 800 million carrier bags every year, many of which ended up polluting our environment and threatening wildlife. So, it’s really great to see just how successful this initiative has been.”


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Apex Legends: Hotfix Update Released Today (March 22) - Patch Notes, Download Size
What's new in the Apex Legends update?
It looks like there’s a brand new update for Apex Legends that has just been released (March 22). Unfortunately for players, it doesn’t look to be an update filled with content and is simply a hotfix update to fix some bug issues. We’ve got everything you need to know.
Apex Legends recently launched the Chaos Theory event, which included a brand new point of interest, new playlist takeover, and much more. You can find out all you need to know about the new Apex Legends Chaos Theory Event at the link below.
- APEX LEGENDS: Chaos Theory Event
Apex Legends Update March 22
It looks like there weren’t a lot of changes in the latest update to Apex Legends, but Respawn have taken to Twitter to announce the new update does fix a bug that was occurring with the blue Wattson Electric skin. It appears that the texture glitch has now been fixed and refunds have been issued by Respawn.
During our most recent @playapex collection event there was a bug with Wattson's Electric Blue skin that caused her textures to go missing.
We've since shipped the fix and fully refunded anyone who bought the skin before the fix went live. Refunded players keep the fixed skin. pic.twitter.com/erN18fN9Xn
— Respawn (@Respawn) March 22, 2021
It looks like this wasn’t the only change in today’s (March 22) update, according to @TitanfallBlog on Twitter, You can now turn off the survival slot in order to get the inspect button back. Although this wasn’t a glitch, it was an annoying feature that players have been complaining about. It looks like Respawn listened to the feedback and implemented a fix.
March 22 Patch Notes
UPDATE: The official patch notes have been released. You can find them below:
Console players can now toggle the survival slot off. If turned off, survival items will only be accessible through the inventory screen and the button will trigger the weapon inspect feature by default.
Fixed Electric Blue Wattson skin
As of writing, there are currently no official patch notes for the latest update. It is likely that there will not be any released due to the update simply being for stability improvements and bug fixes.
When checked on a PlayStation 5 console, the latest update information for the 1.62 update released on March 22 states:
- Stability Improvements and Bug Fixes
It’s likely that this is all the patch notes will be. However, if any further patch notes are released by Respawn Entertainment this article will be updated to reflect that.
The download size for this hotfix update is only 290MB, but may vary from platform to platform. We checked the update size on a PlayStation 5 console and can confirm the update comes in at 290MB.


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Indian retail chain Shoppers Stop has launched the first-ever shop-in-shop of Barcelonan casual clothing brand Desigual in the country.
According to media reports, the launch ceremony hosted a fashion show, featuring latest womenswear designs and accessories from the Spanish label, at Juhu -- one of the retailer’s premiere Mumbai-based locations.
Held in presence of Anna Carbonell - Desigual brand head, Asia Pacific and Salil Nair, customer care associate and CEO - Shoppers Stop, the event featured renowned models like Candice Pinto walking down the ramp in trendy fashionable creations enhanced with vibrant prints.
Known for its patchwork, intense prints, innovative graffiti art, asymmetrical silhouettes and flamboyant colours inspired men’s, women’s and children’s ensembles, Desigual operates in over 100 countries worldwide with a network of 400 stores, 2,500 locations in department stores and 11,000 multi-brand outlets.
One of the pioneers in setting up large format department stores in India, Shoppers Stop is a one-stop shop for products across multiple categories including apparel, accessories, kidswear, home decor and lifestyle and personal care items. The retailer, which owns 73 stores in 34 cities, offers products from more than 400 of the finest international and national brands. (PB)
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India


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In a dramatic move that has only been reserved for saving the public from communicable diseases in the past, the World Health Organization has called for a world-wide ban on trans fats in the next five years. In partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Gates Foundation-funded health organization Resolve to Save Lives, the WHO proposed an initiative to get rid of all “industrially-produced sources” of trans fats.
Industrially-produced trans fats can be replaced in food with healthier alternatives without affecting taste or cost.
We will work for a trans fat free 🌍 by 2023 https://t.co/KLK2auFJeg#REPLACEtransfat pic.twitter.com/3RU3aqa9QG
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 15, 2018
The WHO estimates that foods containing trans fats are the cause of 500,000 premature deaths worldwide every year by contributing to heart disease and heart attacks. They propose that banning the substance from all foods will be a major step in reducing preventable deaths. In 2004, Denmark became the first country to completely outlaw trans fats, and other countries have been getting on board more recently. Canada has approved a ban that is set to take effect in September and an America-wide ban will start in June (before now, only New York City had legislation to restrict the substance). The WHO’s main concern is countries in North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia which still use products that contain trans fats excessively.
Trans fats were first created artificially (they occur naturally in low levels in certain meat products) in the early 20th century and gained popularity in the 1950s as an alternative to butter. They are often present in frying oils, fried snacks, margarine and shortening since trans fat-based oils have a longer shelf life (don’t worry, Canada has nearly phased them out entirely in those products).
In their statement, the WHO proposed a plan called REPLACE which details a comprehensive strategy for eliminating trans fats at the government level. It suggests reviewing where trans fats are still used, educating the public about their dangers, creating legislation to add legal gravitas to the issue and enforcing the regulations that are put in place.
Former New York mayor and creator of the city’s trans fat ban Michael Bloomberg likened the REPLACE plan to the highly-effective anti-tobacco campaigns that ran in the latter half of the 20th century.
“A comprehensive approach to tobacco control allowed us to make more progress globally over the last decade than almost anyone thought possible,” he said, “Now, a similar approach to trans fat can help us make that kind of progress against cardiovascular disease, another of the world’s leading causes of preventable death.”
He’s right. Various studies have shown that both the bans in New York and Denmark noticeably reduced the rate of death from heart disease in just three years. However, as the WHO pointed out in their suggestions, many high-income countries have been able to encourage companies to lower or eliminate their trans fat use, while low- to middle-income countries might not have the resources to instigate a ban. The organization wants “to ensure that the benefits [of a ban] are felt equally around the world,” but with inevitable pushback from companies that rely on the inclusion of trans fat in their products, that might be difficult to achieve globally.


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Chana prices were down by 2.25 per cent to Rs 5,126 per quintal in futures trade today as participants reduced their exposure amid subdued demand... ...http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/muted-demand-drags-chana-futures-down-by-2-25-117072100470_1.html
Jeera prices rose by 1.22 per cent to Rs 19,860 per quintal in futures market today on account of increased buying by retailers and stockists at... ...http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/uptick-in-spot-demand-lifts-jeera-futures-by-1-22-117072100420_1.html
Turmeric prices drifted lower by 3.99 per cent to hit lower circuit at Rs 7,172 per quintal in futures market today as participants reduced their... ...http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/turmeric-futures-hit-lower-circuit-on-low-demand-117072100417_1.html
Posted by Equitymaster Stock markets in India are presently trading marginally higher. Sectoral indices are trading on a mixed note with stocks in... ...http://www.equitymaster.com/tm/tm.asp?date=7/21/2017&title=Sensex-Trades-Marginally-Higher-IT-Stocks-Witness-Buying
Spot sugar prices rebounded sharply from a recent low to hit the highest in three months, following a global move and traders returning to the... ...http://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/spot-sugar-price-jumps-to-three-month-high-of-rs-4-050-a-quintal-117072000974_1.html
NCDEX (National Commodity and...


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A look at North American equities heading in both directions
On the rise
Haivision Systems Inc. (HAI-T) jumped 19.7 per cent after the video streaming technology company received an offer to be acquired by Evertz Technologies Ltd. (ET-T).
On Monday, Evertz, a Burlington, Ont.-based company, revealed a “non-binding” proposal to acquire all of its issued and outstanding common shares at $4.50 per share, a 21.6-per-cent premium to the last trade. Last month, it disclosed a 10-per-cent stake in Haivision.
“We expect Haivision shares to trend higher and no longer see the stock limited by recent fundamental performance,” said Canaccord Genuity analyst Robert Young, who upgraded his recommendation for its shares. “We suspect that the offer will be turned down but this may put Haivision into play or create a short squeeze.”
Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B-T) was up 1.8 per cent on news it is set to acquire Latecoere SA’s electrical wiring and interconnection systems business in Querétaro, Mexico.
“Bombardier will remain an integral customer of the Latecoere Group in North America and Latecoere will continue to develop its own EWIS activities from Hermosillo, Mexico, within its co-located aerostructures and wiring site, where it can better leverage its dual aerostructures and EWIS capabilities to meet the growing requirements of its expanding North and South American aerospace client base,” the Paris-listed company said in a statement.
WW International Inc. (WW-Q), known as WeightWatchers, soared 78.8 per cent after it said late Monday it is acquiring subscription telehealth platform Sequence, moving the weight-loss program operator into the obesity drug prescription business.
WeighWatchers said it expects its US$132-million acquisition in cash and stock will complement its nutrition and behavior-change program for weight loss at a time when obesity drugs are seen as one of the biggest markets for drugmakers.
Analysts have forecast the global obesity market to be worth around US$50-billion in sales in 2030.
“As science advances rapidly, we know there is a significant opportunity to improve outcomes for those using medications,” WeightWatchers Chief Executive Officer Sima Sistani said in a statement.
Launched in 2021, Sequence now serves about 24,000 members across the U.S., as of February 2023, and clocks about US$25-million in annual revenue on a run-rate basis.
The telehealth platform’s website says its clinicians can prescribe medications like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Saxenda, and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro.
Currently, Wegovy and Saxenda are approved drugs for obesity in the United States, with tirzepatide also widely expected to be approved for it later this year.
In December, Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks called the drug one of its “generational opportunities.” The drug was last year approved for diabetes, for which it is sold under the brand Mounjaro.
On the decline
BlackBerry Ltd. (BB-T) plummeted 11.7 per cent after its revenue expectation for fiscal 2023 disappointed investors.
The Waterloo, Ont.-based software firm says it expects its fourth-quarter and full-year revenue for its cybersecurity business to be lower than expected as some large deals that were expected to close in the quarter were not completed in time.
BlackBerry executive chairman and chief executive John Chen says macro challenges were a key factor for the company’s cybersecurity business unit, with elongated sales cycles in government causing some large deals to slip into later quarters.
The company also said it expects to take a one-time, non-cash charge of up to US$440-million in its fourth quarter related to its Spark security business.
In a preliminary look at its results for the quarter ended Feb. 28, BlackBerry says it expects total revenue of about US$151-million. Revenue from its internet of things (IoT) business is expected to be about US$53-million, while cybersecurity revenue is expected to be about US$88 million. Licensing and other revenue is expected to be approximately US$10 million.
For its full financial year, BlackBerry says it expects total revenue of about US$656-million with IoT revenue of about US$206-million and cybersecurity revenue of about US$418-million. Licensing and other revenue for the full year is expected to be about US$32 million.
Analysts on the Street had projected US$674.7-million, according to Refinitiv data.
BlackBerry is scheduled to release its full financial results on March 30 when it will also provide its outlook for the year.
Ritchie Bros Auctioneers (RBA-T) dipped 0.2 per cent in the wake of saying it would pay a special dividend of US$1.08 per share to its investors if they back its US$7-billion deal for U.S. auto retailer IAA Inc. (IAA-N).
Shareholders of both the companies are set to vote on March 14 on the deal that will allow Ritchie to tap into a growing market for heavy machinery and equipment, salvaged cars, trucks and motorcycles.
However, Ritchie’s shareholders including Luxor Capital Group, Eminence Capital, Deep Field Asset Management and Janus Henderson Investors have opposed the deal.
Ritchie Bros.’s major U.S. acquisition opposed by two influential proxy advisers
The latest move by Ritchie comes after proxy advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis recommended that shareholders reject the deal, citing potential risks.
The dividend will be paid subject to receipt of required shareholder approvals of the merger, Ritchie said adding that IAA shareholders will not be entitled to receive it.
The deal is expected to close on March 20.
With investors concern about its earnings outlook, shares of Pet Valu Holdings Ltd. (PET-T) fell 3.6 per cent despite the introduction of stronger-than-anticipated same-store sales guidance for fiscal 2023, in-line fourth-quarter financial results and an increase to its dividend.
Before the bell, the Markham, Ont.-based retailer reported adjusted earnings per share for the final quarter of 2022 of 43 cents, up 5 per cent year-over-year and matching the Street’s forecast. Same-store sales rose 11.8 per cent topping the consensus projection of 9.3 per cent.
For 2023, it sees SSSG of 7 per cent to 10 per cent year-over-year.
In a research note, Stifel analyst Martin Landry called the sales growth expectation “an impressive target given the economic slowdown, suggesting that the industry and Pet Valu’s sales are very resilient.”
“However, the 2023 EPS guidance of $1.60 to $1.66, up 2.5 per cent year-over-year, is lower than our estimates of $1.72 and consensus of $1.71 as the company guides for gross margin erosion of 150 basis points year-over-year,” he added. “We believe that part of this gross margin erosion may be temporary during the transitions to a new distribution center. If that’s the case, we believe that shares could move higher with an organic growth that supports the company’s valuation.”
Pet Valu says it will now pay a quarterly dividend of 10 cents per share, up from 6 cents previously.
Meta Platforms Inc. (META-Q) finished narrowly lower after Bloomberg News it will cut thousands of jobs as soon as this week in a fresh round of layoffs, only a few months after the Facebook-parent reduced more than 11,000 people from its workforce.
The new round of job cuts is being driven by financial targets and is separate from the “flattening,” the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Meta declined to comment on the Bloomberg report when contacted by Reuters.
Last month, the Washington Post newspaper had reported that Meta was planning to cut jobs in a reorganization and downsizing effort.
Meta, at that time, declined to comment, but spokesperson Andy Stone in a series of tweets cited several previous statements by Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg suggesting that more cuts were on the way.
Meta’s mass layoffs in November that cut more than 11,000 jobs was among the biggest last year and the first in the company’s history. Other tech companies, including Google-parent Alphabet Inc and Microsoft Corp, have also cut thousands of jobs.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (CJR.B-T) slid 1 per cent after announcing a plan to cut its dividend for Class B shares in half to 12 cents annually (from 24 cents).
Its quarterly dividend is now set at 3 cents.
“While we continue to make strategic investments in the business to drive future growth, this redeployment of capital from dividends is expected to be directed to debt repayment,” said executive chair Heather Shaw.
The Toronto-based media company also revealed a change in its payment schedule of the quarterly dividend to align with its August fiscal year-end. After the March payment, they will follow the fiscal quarters (August, November, February, May).
“We believe the market may not be particularly surprised by the dividend cut given the prior 12.5-per-cent yield and indications from the company that the board was taking a hard look at dividend policy,” said Canaccord Genuity analyst Aravinda Galappatthige. “With that said, we believe both investor camps would be somewhat unsatisfied by the decision: those that believe that the full annual dividend of $50-million should have been diverted to debt paydown, and those who believed in maintaining the dividend considering the very low payout ratio. Ultimately, the company took the view that investors would want to a see meaningful dividend from Corus.”
Rivian Automotive Inc. (RIVN-Q) fell 14.6 per cent on its plan to sell bonds worth US$1.3-billion, as weakening demand and lofty costs tighten a cash crunch around electrical vehicle makers.
Initial investors will get an option to buy an additional US$200-million of the bonds for settlement 13 days after the bonds are issued, Rivian said in a statement.
The capital from this offering will help facilitate the launch of Rivian’s smaller R2 vehicle family, a Rivian spokesperson told Reuters, adding that convertible debt was “optimal cost of capital versus selling equity at today’s levels.”
Irvine, California-based Rivian, which makes R1T electric pickup trucks and R1S SUVs, has said its cash balance will fund its operations through 2025. It reported cash and cash equivalents of US$11.57-billion at the end of December, down from US$13.27-billion a quarter earlier.
In an effort to cut costs, the company last month laid off 6 per cent of its workforce.
Late last year, it shelved plans to build delivery vans in Europe with Mercedes and had earlier pushed back by a year to 2026 the planned launch of a smaller R2 vehicle family at the US$5-billion plant it is building in Georgia.
Rivian, which has been losing money on every vehicle it builds, forecasts 2023 production well below analysts’ estimates as it grapples with lingering supply chain bottlenecks after narrowly missing its target last year.
JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU-Q) was down 2.9 per cent after the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit to it from buying Spirit Airlines Inc. (SAVE-N), saying that the planned merger “would put travel out of reach for many cost-conscious travelers”.
The Justice Department said the tie-up would especially hurt cost-conscious travelers who depend on Spirit to find cheaper options than they can find on JetBlue and other airlines.
Attorney General Merrick Garland was scheduled to hold a news conference to announce the lawsuit — a sign of the importance that the administration places on stopping further consolidation in the airline industry.
JetBlue and Spirit have anticipated the government challenge for weeks. The government had previously requested additional documents and depositions about JetBlue’s proposal to buy Spirit, the nation’s biggest budget airline. Negotiations over a possible settlement failed.
The Justice Department said in the lawsuit, filed in federal district court in Boston, that the deal would end direct competition between JetBlue and Spirit and eliminate Spirit, the nation’s biggest “ultra-low-cost carrier.”
“If the acquisition is approved, JetBlue plans to abandon Spirit’s business model, remove seats from Spirit’s planes, and charge Spirit’s customers higher prices,” the department lawyers wrote. “JetBlue’s plan would eliminate the unique competition that Spirit provides — and about half of all ultra-low-cost airline seats in the industry — and leave tens of millions of travelers to face higher fares and fewer options.”
As signals grew that the government would challenge the tie-up, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes and other company executives launched a pre-emptive campaign to make their argument that the deal would help consumers by creating a stronger competitor to the four carriers that control about 80% of the domestic air-travel market.
With files from staff and wires


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- Advocare 500 on Sept. 1 in Atlanta.
- Hollywood Casino 400 on Oct. 6 in Kansas City, Kan.
- Bank of America 500 on Oct. 12 in Charlotte, N.C.
- Camping World RV Sales 500 on Oct. 20 in Talladega, Ala.
- Ford Ecoboost 400 on Nov. 17 in Homestead, Fla.
The fourth-quarter earnings season picks up speed in the coming week, unperturbed by new leadership in Washington that could roil the markets.
The weak companies could be clobbered.
The idea of buying American and hiring American is good news for defense, ag and energy stocks, says Jim Cramer.
An upgrade on stock of Clorox doesn't mean that company is set to outperform other consumer products companies.


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For More Information Contact:
Steve Means 608/266-1221
Dean Foods Company Must Sell Milk Processing Plant to Preserve Competition in Wisconsin
Madison — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that Dean Foods Company (“Dean Foods”) will sell its Waukesha Golden Guernsey milk processing plant to OpenGate Capital. The sale results after Judge J.P. Stadtmueller of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin issued a final judgment ordering sale of the plant in the federal antitrust case brought against Dean Foods by the State of Wisconsin, the U.S. Department of Justice and the States of Illinois and Michigan. The federal antitrust case and the March 2011 judgment resulted from a challenge to Dean Foods’ 2009 acquisition of the Waukesha plant and other milk processing plants from Foremost Farms USA. The lawsuit alleged that Dean Foods’ ownership of the plant presented serious antitrust concerns and could adversely affect the price of milk for retailers, school districts and other purchasers throughout Wisconsin.
“I am committed to protecting consumers by ensuring vigorous competition among milk processors,” Van Hollen said. “I am pleased that this sale will preserve milk processing competition in southeastern Wisconsin by introducing a new competitor capable of serving grocery stores, convenience stores, schools, and other milk retailers throughout Wisconsin.”
Dean Foods Company, based in Dallas, Texas, is the largest U.S. processor and distributor of milk and other dairy products. The complaint alleged that after the acquisition of the Waukesha plant and other assets, Dean Foods had a large portion of the fluid-milk sales in Wisconsin, Illinois and Upper Michigan. According to the complaint, Dean Foods’ acquisition deprived retailers and school districts of the benefits of substantial head-to-head competition between Dean Foods and Foremost Farms.
Foremost Farms is a member-owned business association headquartered in Baraboo, Wisconsin, whose members are dairy farmers. In 2008, its Consumer Products Division had net sales of $233.7 million. Before Dean Foods’ acquisition of Foremost’s Consumer Products Division, Foremost processed its members’ raw milk at its plants in De Pere and Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Milk processors such as Dean Foods and Foremost Farms purchase raw milk from dairy farms and agricultural cooperatives to pasteurize and package. The processors then distribute and sell the milk to school districts, supermarkets, grocery stores, and other retail customers.
OpenGate Capital is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Their holdings include, amongst others, Gabriel Ride Control Products, which designs and manufactures shock absorbers, and Fusion Paperboard, a manufacturer, converter and marketer of boxboard and folded cartons. As the new owner of the Waukesha plant, OpenGate Capital will acquire all of the Waukesha plant assets, including the right to market its products under the Golden Guernsey and La Vaca Bonita brands.
The final judgment also requires Dean Foods to notify the U.S. Department of Justice and the Wisconsin Attorney General 30 days before Dean Foods acquires any milk processing plant in Wisconsin or within 150 miles of its borders that is valued at more than $3 million.
Assistant Attorneys General Gwendolyn Cooley and Steven Means represent the State of Wisconsin in this matter.


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Apple Stock News: OLED Displays for the iPhone 14
Apple Stock News: According to The Elec, Apple is evaluating the OLED display for iPhone 14 this week. The LED display panel uses for the standard 6.1-inch “iPhone 14” model and plans to begin mass production in July and August. The displays came from BOE, a Chinese display panel maker, which was embroiled in controversy earlier this year. Apple discovered it had secretly changed the circuit width of the thin film transistor on the iPhone 13’S OLED panel. OLED panels were approved again after BOE executives visited Cupertino to resolve issues with Apple, and their presence in the supply chain puts pressure on Samsung Display and LG Display to be more competitive. This event is likely to limit the number of screens Apple orders from BOE to around 5 million. BOE hopes to get Apple’s approval by the end of June, and BOE possibly is behind Samsung and LG by several weeks. iPhone 14 series is expected to launch as normal in the autumn.
Apple Has Gradually Sold an Increasing Number of AirTags
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has been gradually selling more and more AirTags, despite not getting much attention”. He thinks Apple shipped about 20 million AirTag item trackers in 2021, rising to 35 million by 2022. If this trend continues and AirTag sales grow further, Apple may be more likely to develop a second-generation version of the device. It’s not clear what the upgraded AirTag will offer, but early rumors and patent applications associated with the device suggest it could be rechargeable instead of using disposable CR2032 batteries with motion-sensing capabilities for AR and VR.
MacBook Repair Parts Facing Delays
Affected by ongoing supply chain problems, Apple will now allow customers to take their devices home in case their repairs take longer than expected due to a backlog of missing parts. After the parts arrive on site, the customer can return the equipment to complete the repair. They will be notified when the parts needed for repairs arrive. From that date, customers will have five days to return their equipment to the service center before repairs are canceled. The new policy applies to some locations, and it’s up to the service center to decide whether customers are eligible to take their equipment home while waiting for repair parts. Logically, this applies only to customers whose equipment is in good and working condition.
Over the past few months, Apple has been dealing with ongoing supply-chain challenges affecting iPhones and Macs. Repair parts for the MacBook Pro, such as the 16-inch MacBook Pro display, are currently taking up to two months to reach certain areas, according to sources who spoke with MacRumors.


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Fantastic to see some new images of the box and components for Talisman: Star Wars Edition that is coming from The Op (USAopoly) this Autumn!
Category: The Op Games (USAopoly)
USAopoly (The OP) have just announced that Talisman: Kingdom Hearts Edition will be officially releasing in September this year! Not only that, but lucky attendees
Great news for fans of Talisman AND of the Batman Universe as Talisman: Batman Super-Villains Edition from USAopoly (The OP) is now available to purchase!
It seems like someone might be jumping the gun again, but thanks to Matthew for pointing me at an online auction where the seller has
A news post this afternoon confirmed that, as part of their celebrations for International Tabletop Day 2019, those fun-loving people at Geek & Sundry will
Well, it seems that someone has either jumped the gun, or USAopoly has decided not to continue with the spoiling of character minis for Talisman:
USAopoly AKA The OP have revealed yet another character sculpt from the upcoming Talisman: Batman Super-Villains Edition over on their Facebook page! This time it’s
The OP (or USAopoly) has started to show off the character sculpts for Talisman: Batman Super-Villains Edition that will be fighting to defeat Batman and
Rather than just post about it here, I figured I’d write up a little article with some thoughts about who we might be seeing in


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According to CCN, Bitcoin investors in Australia have claimed that major banks including National Australia Bank, ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Westpac Banking Corporation, have started to freeze the bank accounts of cryptocurrency traders without prior notice.
Australian cryptocurrency trader Alex Saunder publicly called out all of the major banks in Australia that have had a history of treating cryptocurrency traders unfairly, despite the criticism of the Australian government.
In May, the Australian government released the 2017-18 budget which contained the elimination of double taxation on the trading of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Given the controversy around some of the country’s largest banks unfairly closing down the accounts of cryptocurrency traders and businesses, the government also reaffirmed that it will provide a friendlier ecosystem for both cryptocurrency businesses and users.
Still, regardless of the efforts of the Australian government to revive its cryptocurrency and fintech industries that have struggled to see success for many years due to the unfair treatment of businesses, Australian banks are reportedly refusing to provide services to fintech businesses like bitcoin exchanges and brokerages.
CoinSpot, one of the few remaining cryptocurrency exchanges processing Australian dollar (AUD)-to-bitcoin trades, stated that the company has placed a temporary restriction on all forms of AUD deposits, because of the lack of banking services provided by local financial institutions.
“We assure you we are just as unhappy with the situation as you, but unfortunately Australian banks have been so far unwilling to work with the digital currency industry which leads to frequent account closures and strict limits on accounts whilst they remain operational, in effect debanking our industry”
A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson also Sydney Morning Herald in an interview that it does not embrace cryptocurrencies because the institution believes they have not been regulated. But, evidently, lack of regulation is not a viable reason to close down the accounts of traders, given that the Australian government has regulated bitcoin as a currency.
“However, we do not currently use or recommend any existing virtual currencies as we do not believe they have yet met a minimum standard of regulation, reliability, and reputation compared to other currencies that we offer to our customers”.
The Australian government eliminated double taxation on bitcoin in June to revive its local cryptocurrency and bitcoin markets. Without proper banking services, the Australian cryptocurrency industry will not be able to compete with other regions like Singapore and Hong Kong with friendly regulations.
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First All-Electric Car Dealership Open in Portland, Oregon
- Sep 13, 2007 1:59 PM EST
- [num] Comments
Let's all welcome America's first electric car dealership! Ecogeek points us towards Ecomotion, located in Portland Oregon. They sell both new and used cars, allow you to test drive 'em... looking at their current inventory, they seem to sell mostly ZAP cars (between $10,000 and $15,000), along with some of those goofy Myers NMGs.
Still--I'd certainly expect the variety to increase in the next few years, especially as the cost of oil hits an all-time high...


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Nigel Dowdney, owner of food retailer The Stalham Shopper, has witnessed first hand the decimation of his local high street in Norfolk at the hands of a large supermarket.
‘Tesco basically sucked the life out of the town,’ he says.
In 2002, Tesco opened its doors after a long battle with local businesses and residents, and Dowdney says that within a week, his turnover dropped by more than half, with many shops later closing down. As well as the independents, these also included the Co-op and Somerfield, which he had comfortably competed with for years.
‘The impact of Tesco devastated the high street footfall. We managed to survive by moving a lot of our stock between our two shops and by having a fighting fund in place. And when the other shops closed down, we got some of our turnover back. We’ve also been very proactive in our criticism, and that also seemed to pick up the anti-Tesco vote,’ he says.
But Dowdney is worried about the future of the high street in Stalham, as Tesco plans to expand its store even further.
‘The size is far too big for the town already. Instead of complementing the high street, they have dwarfed it. They just go for the biggest size they possibly can, and if they get turned down in their planning applications they go for the next biggest. They’re not bothered about the high street, all they are interested in is profits.’
Gill Grifffin, owner of school uniform shop Early Years has also been affected by the forceful tactics used by the supermarkets, and says over the last four to five, years they have begun to wage a price war.
‘I do believe that people should have a choice, but supermarkets are not making their prices fair. It seems that school uniforms in supermarkets are being sold as loss-leaders. They are not making a profit, it’s just something they are using as a way of getting more customers through the door.’
Stephen Alambritis, chief spokesperson of the Federation of Small Businesses, agrees that supermarkets have a huge advantage because of the way they can leverage their products.
‘Below-cost pricing is illegal in France. I don’t see why that’s not something we could have here. There are a number of MPs who are trying to get supermarkets to put the cost of alcohol up, where they are selling it at a loss. But this should be something to campaign for on all products.’
However, it is not just retailers who are affected by aggressive pricing strategies. Duncan Swift, head of the food and agribusiness recovery group at Grant Thornton, says that supermarkets manage to keep their prices low at the expense of the supply chain.
He says: ‘I have seen a number of small businesses affected by unreasonable buyer behaviour on the part of the supermarkets. They often demand that contract terms be changed retrospectively and will cancel suppliers at short notice, or delist their items without warning. In some cases, these factors are a direct cause of business failures.’
Unwritten contract terms between supermarkets and suppliers are common, adds Swift. ‘It would be far easier to achieve a financial turnaround for companies in this sector if the key trade terms were known.
‘All too many businesses we deal with fall over the [supermarket] buyer’s whims, and don’t understand that a proportion of the products they will be supplying will actually be causing them a loss. For certain businesses, it would be better not to trade with them at all.’
Swift believes that the government has failed SMEs in this sector: ‘It seems there’s a reluctance on the part of the Office of Fair Trading to do anything. I’d like to see a supermarket ombudsman, but that is something which appears to be painfully slow to implement,’ he adds.
Shane Brennan, public affairs director of the Association of Convenience Stores agrees: ‘If SMEs are in a position where they are unable to compete, that’s bad news for the consumer because it means less choice. In a monopoly situation, supermarkets should be monitored – that’s why we need an ombudsman.’
A spokesperson from Tesco said: ‘We depend on good and strong relationships with our suppliers, both large and small and we work hard to strike the right balance between getting the best possible price for consumers whilst ensuring that our supply base remains sustainable in the long term.
‘We remain to be convinced of the case for a supermarket ombudsman, as they are usually there to protect consumers. It is also difficult to see what additional benefits an ombudsman would have over the Office of Fair Trading, which currently provides effective independent scrutiny of the industry.’


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The Orange Group and the MTN Group, two of the largest mobile money operators on the African continent, today announced the creation of a Mowali joint venture that will enable interoperability of payments across the continent. Mowali makes it possible to transfer funds between mobile money accounts, in real time and at a reduced cost, regardless of the operator.
Mowali will immediately benefit from MTN’s and Orange’s Mobile Money customer bases – more than 100 million accounts on 22 of the 46 markets in sub-Saharan Africa. Mowali is intended to enable interoperability beyond existing MTN markets and
Orange, to benefit 338 million mobile money customers in Africa.
Mowali is a platform that connects financial service providers and customers within a single network. It operates as a service company, open to any mobile money provider, in Africa, including banks, transfer operators
money and other financial service providers.
Mowali’s goal is to increase the use of mobile money services for users and merchants. Mowali allows the free flow of mobile money flows between accounts, regardless of the country and the operator. From the point of view of
customer, it means “I can pay or receive money from any mobile account, regardless of the carrier”. Interoperability will foster innovation in
the mobile financial services ecosystem across the continent.
For Stéphane Richard, CEO of Orange, “By offering total interoperability between the different platforms, Mowali is a significant step forward allowing mobile money to become a universal means of payment in Africa. Increase inclusion
using digital technologies is an essential element for Africa’s economic development, especially for the most remote communities. This solution embodies Orange’s ambition to be a major player in
digital transformation of the continent. By partnering with MTN, another leader in the African market, we are accelerating the pace of this transformation to the point of changing the lives of our customers by providing simpler, safer and more profitable services. ”
“One of MTN’s goals is to accelerate the penetration of mobile financial services in Africa, and Mowali is one way to achieve it. In addition, cooperation and partnerships of this kind are essential when seeking to accelerate development and overcome some of the challenges facing modern society.
confronted in terms of size, scope and complexity. This partnership
Orange is therefore an important step in affirming our substantial role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of
eliminate extreme poverty and strengthen socio-economic development in the markets in which we operate. This is how we will give our customers access to the fabulous digital world of tomorrow. Said Rob Shuter, CEO of MTN Group.
The GSMA supports the Mowali initiative, with interoperability being a key accelerator for financial inclusion and the development of mobile money usage across Africa.
“There are more than 690 million mobile money accounts in the world today. These have become an essential tool that is changing the lives of consumers across Africa by providing access to secure and secure financial services, as well as opportunities for energy, health, education and education. employment. The creation of Mowali is helping to further transform mobile financial services across the African continent. It demonstrates the leadership and ongoing commitment of the mobile industry in promoting financial inclusion and building economic capacity through collaboration among industry players. The GSMA is therefore proud to support the development of Mowali, “said Mats Granryd, Executive Director
of the GSMA.
“The interoperability of mobile payments to support financial inclusion has been the most difficult hurdle for the financial services sector. With Mowali, Orange and MTN provide a solution that will allow them, as well as
other companies, to extend digital financial services more rapidly across Africa for all, including disadvantaged people, “said Kosta Peric,
Deputy Director of Financial Services for the Underprivileged at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. «This creation announces the arrival of a new wave of innovations
likely to reduce poverty and create economic opportunities. We are pleased that Mojaloop1 – an open source payment platform available to all industry operators – is helping to achieve this goal.
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Tencent’s super app WeChat has announced on micro-blogging site Weibo that it has partnered with Apple to explore the development of a new dark mode on WeChat’s iOS version. The dark mode will be soon available on the coming WeChat update for better users’ experience, the firm added.
Apple implemented the dark mode with its latest operating system iOS 13 at the 2019’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), a year after bringing the feature to macOS Mojave. When dark mode is on, the entire iOS ecosystem turns black, including apps, and input methods.
On March 4, Apple posted an update on its developer page, saying that “starting from April 30, all iPhone apps submitted to the App Store must be built with the iOS 13 SDK or later.”
While many other applications including Twitter, WhatsApp, Taobao, and NetEase Music have already embraced the dark mode, WeChat has been hesitant to introduce this major change. WeChat’s announcement comes after rumors indicating that the Chinese super app could have been taken down from the App Store if it would not update its platform to dark mode.
WeChat also mentioned that dark mode will be available for Android devices, but didn’t mention a specific release date.
This article is part of KrASIA’s “China Brief” section, where KrASIA’s reporters will provide quick daily updates about the tech ecosystem in China


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Zacks: Analysts Anticipate Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (NYSE:TEVA) to Post $0.61 EPS
Wall Street brokerages forecast that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (NYSE:TEVA) will post earnings of $0.61 per share for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Seven analysts have made estimates for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $0.56 and the highest estimate coming in at $0.67. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries reported earnings of $0.53 per share in the same quarter last year, which would indicate a positive year-over-year growth rate of 15.1%. The firm is expected to report its next earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th.
On average, analysts expect that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will report full-year earnings of $2.38 per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from $2.25 to $2.48. For the next ye ...


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What you need to know
- Apple TV+ has reportedly picked up a WeWork series.
- It'll be based on the podcast "WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork".
- Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello will co-write and executive produce the show.
Apple TV+ has reportedly picked up a new show that will be based on the WeWork story. While Apple hasn't confirmed the move, a Variety report says that Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello will co-write and executive produce the show.
If Esenberg's name sounds familiar it's because he is just coming off the back of "Little America," another Apple TV+ show that has been well received since it arrived on the streaming service.
The potential series is based on the Wondery podcast "WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork." Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello will co-write and executive produce the project. Eisenberg is fresh off the critical success of the Apple series "Little America," on which he served as co-creator and showrunner. It was announced in January that Eisenberg had signed an overall deal with the streamer. Crevello is a former Warner Bros. film executive who has since gone on to produce films such as "The Grudge 2." This would mark his first TV writing credit.
WeWork is a company that has been in and out of headlines almost constantly of late. The office space startup canceled an IPO in September 2019 following "revelations about the erratic management and personal enrichment" of co-founder Adam Neumann. He resigned at the time, with SoftBank bailing the company out of an ever-deepening pit.
This would make three projects underway related to WeWork, with Neumann even involved in writing one of them. That could be one to watch, although Variety notes that no network has picked that up so far.
100% exclusive content for the price of a cup of coffee.
With TV+, you can watch well-produced, big-budget TV shows from famed directors, and starring award-winning actors and actresses across all your Apple devices and with up to six members of your Family Sharing group.
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Separate names with a comma.
A chronological list of all the sportbikes that made the biggest impact in the new millennium
Ten Best Awards of the 2000s showcased...
Off-road-focused adventure-touring goodness
Bridgestone has released a new dirt-hungry adventure-touring tire in the Battlax...
The Sporty BATTLAX
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Online car retailer LatAm Autos has raised $10 million and is set for a return to the ASX boards, sources said on Wednesday.
It is understood a group of private investors, including board members Simon Clausen and Michael Fitzpatrick, have tipped into a convertible note which will bankroll the South American-focused automotive classifieds business through to a break-even position in third-quarter 2018.
LatAm operates in Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Bolivia, which gives it a $US685 million target market. The company was founded in 2016 by Australians Tim Handley and Gareth Bannan who set out to create a regional platform by aggregating online auto classifieds companies.
Street Talk understands the raising comes after the Rothschild-advised company fielded takeover approaches from local and offshore online classifieds companies in late 2016 but was unable to agree on a deal.
The shares have been suspended since early February following a failed capital raising managed by Bell Potter Securities.
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HealthCo’s army of brokers have successfully sold the REIT, attracting enough interest to upsize the deal to $650 million.
Circle In has attracted some big business and tech industry figures as investors, including Leigh Jasper, Rob Phillpot and Andrew Sypkes.
Danish shipping giant Maersk has doubled down on its investment in local logistics software company Ofload, whose growth has surged thanks to COVID-19.
Australia’s investment bankers and lawyers have gone boring, and they’re taking M&A activity down with it.
Quadrant Private Equity-backed Probe CX will make $688 million revenue and record $102 million EBITDA in the coming year from the sale of its customer experience and business process outsourcing services.
- Sally Patten


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Strong confidence in the UK economy drives a 40% jump in annual profits at house builder Berkeley Group
Home builder Berkeley Group today reported a 40 per cent jump in profits following a ‘surge of confidence’ in the UK economy, further illustrating the strength of the housing market.
The company, which specialises in upmarket homes and apartments in London, said profits rose from £270.7million last year to £380 million this time around.
It sold 3,742 newly build homes – up from 3,712 last year and 30 per cent more than at the peak of the previous boom in 2007 – for an average price of £423,000.
Upbeat: Berkeley's chairman and founder Tony Pidgley said the industry has the capacity to increase the supply of new homes across the country in the coming years.
Chairman and founder Tony Pidgley welcomed the ‘strong results’ as the company proposed a 90p a share dividend payable in September on top of the 149p per share already paid earlier in the year.
‘The last year has seen a surge of confidence within the UK economy,’ he said.
‘Housebuilders have been at the forefront of the return to growth, creating a feel good factor which benefits everyone.’
Pidgley said the industry has the capacity to increase the supply of new homes across the country in the coming years with the help of schemes such as Help to Buy.
But he warned of risks stemming from next year’s general election – including changes to tax and planning rules that could disrupt the market.
‘The group remains alert to the uncertainty which will arise from changes to the economic and political landscape in the run-up to a 2015 general election and may impact the business and the market more generally,’ Pidgley added.
He also warned that higher interest rates could hit demand unless they are accompanied by higher wages.
‘Provided any future increases in interest rates or regulation of mortgages are matched with future wages growth as the economy expands, the prospects for the housing market remain positive,’ said Pidgley.
However, Berkeley shares fell 61p to 2,200p, tracking falls in the sector on continuing fears that UK interest rates could rise sooner than expected.
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Gadget Insights: iPhone 12 line up was supposed to be released in September as apple’s tradition, but apple confirmed that it would be delayed. Ahead of the announcement, alleged screenshots and other information about the phone are now propagating like fire through online.
As the YouTuber Job Prosser a leaker with decent track record has reportedly accessed to a PVT (production validation test) build of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. PVT is ‘last build’ before the phones go into mass production and made a detailed video on that.
These screenshots of camera settings reveal that the Max will have a LiDAR sensor improved AR rendering. Additionally new video recording modes included – 4k@120fps and 4k@240fps in it. The enhanced night mode, superior noise discount, bit depth video, and zoom are the other camera specifications.
Based on the video, Prosser shared screenshots of iPhone 12 Pro Max Settings menu confirming that the display is going to support 120Hz refresh rate.
As it is only available on half of the early PVT (production validation test) product models indicating that Apple is waiting till the last minute to decide whether to incorporate the 120Hz refresh rate or not. The display supposed to offer adaptive refresh rate to switch automatically between 60Hz and 120Hz depending on what is displayed on the screen.
Prosser says by citing its source that Face ID has been improved to offer a wider variety of angles, so even if the phone is lying flat on a table, it should unlock if your face shows up in any odd angles.
Based on the leak, Apple 12 line up will be thinner than its predecessors and it looks like the notch will remain as wide for its iPhone 12 line-up this year, including the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Prosser also confirms that mass production of the new iPhone 12 series is expected to begin next month which means an effective delay in the launch.


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All the Tech Revealed by Google at Its Made By Google EventAll images courtesy of Google Tech Features Google
October’s conversion into tech keynote month came to an end with Google’s annual Made By Google event. The tech mega didn’t offer up as many products or wowing near-future dream devices as its competitors, though. Instead, it rolled out a reputable lineup of iterations on successful offerings alongside some new additions that preach the “ambient technology” messaging that permeated Google’s event. Every company wants consumers to engage with their technology persistently, but Google’s software development prowess positions them as a frontrunner in that race, especially after pulling Microsoft toward Android’s light. But do the devices stack up to others that have shown more deft hands in the hardware sphere?
One of the more functional assets in Google’s push for constant connectivity is its cloud-based security add-on Nest Aware. The service allows users to store recordings from Nest cameras in the cloud for an additional fee per camera. But, in an effort to push more users to the product, Google announced that Nest Aware will ditch the per camera cost in favor of an affordable flat fee. The improved Nest Aware gives users access to 30 days of select captured footage for $6 a month, bumping up to 60 days at $12. The second tier also delivers ten days of 24/7 footage, just in case you want unedited footage.
Google’s latest router combines a number of tools into a device that asks to be seen just as much as it showers your home in connectivity. The Nest Wifi partners the best features of Google’s previous routers, including device prioritization, with Google Assistant functionality thanks to a built-in smart speaker. The device also employs a Wifi Point for those that need their network to extend further. It’s main drawbacks are its cost and lack of support for Wi-Fi 6. You can pick up a Nest Wifi and Wifi Point bundle for $269.
What began as Google’s entry into the crowded laptop-tablet hybrid market back in 2017 is now completely reinvented in the Pixelbook Go. This premium Chromebook goes full-force at the laptop market, scrapping the flexibility previous Pixelbooks enjoyed. The Go boasts some sizable hardware upgrades compared to cheaper notebooks running Chrome OS, including 16GB of RAM, a 256GB hard drive, an all-metal casing and up to 4K screen resolution. This redefinition of the Pixelbook starts at $649.
The event’s worst kept secret was also its most notable drop as Google’s mobile line enters its fourth generation. The Pixel 4 and its larger counterpart, the Pixel 4 XL, deliver specs comparable to its competitors while enjoying under-the-hood advantages that come with its OS being a Google-developed product. Much like the iPhone 11, much of the Pixel 4’s messaging was centered on its improved camera and imaging.The Pixel 4 has one less camera than Apple’s latest offering, but Google makes up for that with improved imaging AI that promises to improve the photos users take through machine learning. This mainly comes into play in its improved Night Sight mode.
The other trait that sets the Pixel 4 apart is its use of motion controls. Users can control the device via a series of gestures thanks to Google’s Project Soli radar chip. That same chip also plays into Google’s self-developed version of Face ID. Users can use their face as authentication on the device far beyond just unlocking the phone, but the software still has some glaring security issues at launch. Most notably, the Pixel 4 can be unlocked via Face ID while users’ eyes are closed. Google is working on a fix, but you might want to sleep with the $799 phone in your pocket until things change.
The Google Home Mini got a new name and iteration as well. The newly-christened Nest Mini improves the smart speaker’s listening and learning capabilities with the addition of more microphones and a machine learning chip. It’s sound quality gets a boost as well and the speaker can now be wall-mounted to free up some mantle space. Its ultrasound sensoring can tell when someone is near and guides the use of the Nest Mini’s touch controls. All of these improvements still carry the $49 price tag of the previous version of the Mini.
Improved Google Assistant
Speaking the words “OK, Google” still feels cumbersome, but the tool it enables is getting plenty of updates that make that phrase more valuable to use. Google is looking to boost its digital assistant’s response time in addition to the ability to handle multiple queries at once. Both would go a long way to improve Google Assistant’s sometimes clunky functionality. But the best news was its ability to transcribe voice recordings in real-time. This addition is a huge development for sensory inclusion and one of the best quality-of-life improvements Google could have thrown out.
There was no way Google was going to let its stage show go by without touting its much ballyhooed cloud-based games streaming service. The company has spent most of the year detailing Stadia to the point that there aren’t too many details left that Google feels comfortable divulging ahead of its launch. It remains to be seen if Stadia’s promises of flexibility and performance will be met, but Google did confirm one promise: Stadia will go live on November 19 with pre-orders of its $130 Founder’s Pack being filled as they are received.
Pixel Buds 2
No 2019 tech keynote would be complete without an obligatory tossing of the hat into the wireless earbuds market, and Google didn’t disappoint. The second generation of Google’s Pixel Buds delivers adaptive sound with its improved speakers and sensors that adjust speaker and microphone volume based on an environment’s ambient noise. They block out a sizable amount of outside noise with silicone plugs complete with a spatial vent that keeps users from hearing unwanted body noises that come with such sensory deprivation. Sensors notice when your jaw moves and adjust the capabilities of the microphone when speaking. Throw in Google Assistant integration and you have an impressive package that stands up to Apple’s Airpods. The Pixel Buds 2 will land on store shelves in Spring 2020 carrying a $179 price tag.
Brian Bell is a queer freelance writer covering tech, pro wrestling, esports, games, comics and TV. Co-host of the Mr. Videogames Super Show podcast. Find and follow him on Twitter @WonderboyOTM.


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Knowles, a significant provider of microphones to Apple’s iPhone and plenty of different good gadgets, on Tuesday launched a brand new chip that may permit battery-powered wi-fi headphones to reply to Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant by saying the assistant’s title.
Previously, customers of most Alexa-enabled headphones have needed to press a button on the facet of the headphones to awaken the assistant.
Consumers have turn into accustomed to calling out names for widespread voice assistants, resembling Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, or Google’s Google Assistant.
But so as to detect the wake phrase, these so-called good dwelling gadgets should use electrical energy to maintain a microphone and what is named a digital sign processor working always to hear for the assistant’s title.
That has made it troublesome to engineer voice activation into small gadgets resembling wi-fi earbuds with restricted battery life.
Apple’s $160 AirPods wi-fi earbuds made their debut in 2016, however the firm didn’t introduce the flexibility to wake its voice assistant by saying “Hey, Siri” till March, when the second technology of the system was launched.
Samsung Electronics in April launched a restricted set of voice instructions for its Galaxy Buds and its Bixby voice assistant. Headphones utilizing Google’s Assistant nonetheless do not need the potential.
Knowles has designed a power-efficient chip that integrates a microphone and digital sign processor, together with a so-called reference design that may let third-party headphone makers simply place the Alexa assistant into their merchandise.
“It turned out to be a little more complicated than we thought, but we did it,” Mike Polacek, president of the clever audio enterprise unit at Knowles, advised Reuters in an interview.
Knowles mentioned that electronics makers Anker and LinkPlay plan to make use of the chips and Alexa design to carry voice-activated variations – versus push-button variations – of Alexa to their headphones.
Bose plans to launch headphones later this month with voice-activated Alexa, however Knowles declined to touch upon whether or not Bose is utilizing its chip.
In an announcement, Priya Abani, director of Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service unit, mentioned the Knowles designs are meant to “help developers save time and money building new devices for Alexa.”
© Thomson Reuters 2019


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04 December 1998
Banana war hots up again
THE European Union and USA were back facing an all-out trade war after talks broke down to resolve the dispute over Europes preferential banana import regime.
The two parties have been trying to arrange a timetable for a meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to hear the issue.
The USA is threatening to impose punitive sanctions on a wide range of European goods unless the EU complies with an earlier WTO ruling.
- Talks continue on banana dispute, FWi, 27 November, 1998
- USA in banana talks with EU, FWi, 26 November, 1998
- EU ready to do a deal over ACP bananas, FWi, 24 November, 1998
- US-EU banana battle reaches WTO, FWi, 23 November, 1998
- “Banana war will go USAs way”, FWi, 18 November, 1998
- USA backs off from EU banana war, FWi, 17 November, 1998
- Financial Times 04/12/98 page 4


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The show will run from Tuesday 21 to Wednesday 22 June at NAEC Stoneleigh.
With over 100 stands booked, across both halls NPS 2022 is not to be missed. It is shaping up to be a fantastic show, providing British companies the opportunity to showcase everything from seeds, bulbs, house plants and a wide range of garden plants to labelling and product information, growing media, display benching and machinery.
Following the success of the Virtual New Plant Awards in 2020 & 2021, we cannot wait to physically run the 2022 New Plant Awards. With the interest in plants and gardening at an all-time high, these new varieties will provide the perfect burst of colour and interest for garden retailers promoting our industry.
Supporting UK Horticulture is at the heart of everything the HTA does, listening to our members and the industry is key and the HTA will continue communicating with its members to identify and deal with key garden issues and opportunities.


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Analysts: Android to win 15% of tablet market
Android-based tablets will steal some sales from Apple’s iPad and hold 15.2% of the market in 2011, industry tracker IMS Research predicted.
The firm said in a report that over 15 suppliers will sell Android-based tablets by mid-2011, including Samsung, Acer, Cisco and Dell.
On the strength of those devices, IMS projected that Android will command 15.2% of the tablet market in 2011. And that will grow to 28.4% in 2015, IMS said.
Samsung has said it plans to sell one million of its Galaxy Tab tablets this year, with IMS suggesting its availability via mobile operators would help boost its sales.
Research firm iSuppli expects 15.6 million tablets to ship this year, with 13.8 million of those being iPads. Next year, 57.3 million tablets are expected to ship with the iPad making up 43.7 million of those units, iSuppli said.
The IMS Research report added that 7.8% of tablets will run on an OS other than iOS, Android or Windows, saying RIM’s BlackBerry Playbook and HP tablets with Palm’s webOS will win some market share.


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Nobody is sure when it will arrive. Google, which is testing a fleet of autonomous cars, thinks in maybe a decade, others reckon longer. A report from KPMG and the Centre for Automotive Research in Michigan concludes that it will come “sooner than you think”. And, when it does, the self-driving car, like the ordinary kind, could bring profound change.
Not so long ago, all women without children were known as childless, with its implication of a state of loss. Nowadays, a growing number of women are insisting on the term childfree – with its emphasis on liberation.
An increasing number of women in their 30s are rejecting the job description that they believe comes with parenting – loss of freedom, reduced career prospects and financial burdens.
This is the story of how the UK banking system could have collapsed in the early 1990s, but for the forbearance of a junior barrister who also happened to be an expert in computer law – and who discovered that at that time the computing department of one of the banks issuing ATM cards had “gone rogue”, cracking PINs and taking money from customers’ accounts with abandon.
In the past decade, Wal-Mart has quietly emerged as the nation’s biggest record store. Wal-Mart now sells an estimated one out of every five major-label albums. It has so much power, industry insiders say, that what it chooses to stock can basically determine what becomes a hit. “If you don’t have a Wal-Mart account, you probably won’t have a major pop artist,” says one label executive.


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It’s been 10 years since the mother of all cryptocurrency Bitcoin first came onto the scene. Here’s a list of which countries currently support spending Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency coins / tokens.
Switzerland has recently made headlines for pioneering a new framework for the regulation of initial coin offerings, or ICOs. The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has recently announced guidelines intended to assist local startups in launching ICOs in a manner that is compliant with Swiss law.
Japan is extremely friendly toward cryptocurrency, and is a major global market hub. In April 2017 Japan officially recognized cryptocurrency as legal tender and offers exchange platforms a liberal regulatory environment in which to operate. According to local media, Japanese Yen accounts for more than 50% of the global trade in Bitcoin worldwide.
It may seem surprising that a global financial hub such as the UK would be on the list of crypto-friendly nations, but perhaps as a fear of waning influence due to Brexit, regulators have been hands-off to date, and London is home to a thriving crypto community.
Amsterdam is widely known in the cryptocurrency ecosystem for hosting the “Bitcoin Embassy”, which is home to a highly active crypto-community that is working hard to promote widespread adoption of the most valuable cryptocurrency. Named as the best tech startup city in Europe, Amsterdam boasts the highest density of Bitcoin ATMs in the world.


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China- Africa cooperation has been going on for some time now. CAMAL’s Managing Director Mr. Walter Ruigu was spent some time to review the progress of FOCAC2015 which was held in South Africa. The theme was how to facilitate the movement or transfer of the industrial knowledge from China to Africa.
- From the macroeconomic perspective, the conference was successful because China stepped up the pledges from $20 billion to $60 billion which will be in different forms, they will increase financial funding to develop the SMEs
- China will offer more training support to African Students who will learn more about technology.
- From a company level FOCAC2015 could have done more as the attendance was mainly done by the Government state owned companies instead of firms from Africa. Africa should have more of these forums so that we can they can be a step in the same direction with China.
- China’s economy has been slowing down in that China has moved from economy that was based on investment and to fixed asset to domestic consumption. This means that Africa being a large trader in Commodity trading, the continent has been suffering from the economic fluctuation of the prices of these commodities.
- The Chinese manufacturing sector has been operating in over capacity i.e. the steel industry; this means there is need to move some of these industries in Africa. However, there is a lot of information which would help the industries in China to move to Africa. Many small medium enterprises are closing down because they do not know how to move to Africa because they do not have the regulations of the country they would want to move to.
- The companies in Africa need to engage with China at a macroeconomic level for them to benefit. Once the African companies engage with the big companies in China, definitely the issues of infrastructure will be addressed. China is able to integrate many companies to come up with one common industry.
- The market in china cannot be gauged by looking at the population, this is because of the difference in the consumption pattern and the marketing plans. African countries have to research more on Chinese market. Africa should focus on value addition so that export can be increase to China.
Comparing this with FOCAC2018, there has been an improvement as many companies came on board and attended the forum. Unlike in 2015, more countries are sending companies in china to carryout market research, procurement purposes and to get investors. CAMAL continues to be on the forefront to see that clients from African Continent get the best from china. CAMAL also continues to link more industries from China to the African market making it easy for entrepreneurs to source from China. The theme of these forums has been to see to it that Africa has achieved economic growth through these relations in the long-run.
Attached is a file with an audio where CAMAL’s Managing Director Mr. Walter sheds more light on what Africa needs to do for a smooth cooperation with China.


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IBM will invest $440 million to expand its disk drive and component manufacturing facilities in Asia, Europe and North America, company officials said today.
Growing customer demand for data storage products spurred the investment, which brings IBM's spending on its storage business so far in 1996 to a total of $1.32 billion, officials said.
IBM's Storage Systems Division now has offices in Germany, Hungary, Singapore, Japan, China, Mexico and the United States. A portion of the new investment is earmarked for a new disk drive manufacturing plant in Thailand, with construction scheduled to begin early next year and to be completed by the first quarter of 1998.
Another portion of the investment is slated for improvements to an IBM disk drive plant in San Jose, Calif., company officials said.
IBM is based in Armonk, N.Y.


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Shares of Netgear Inc. (NAS:NTGR) initially dipped 6% in after-hours trading Wednesday but are rallying after the maker of internet-connected products reported fiscal fourth-quarter results. Netgear reported net income of $30.95 million, or 99 cents a share, compared with a loss of $420,000, or a penny a share, in the year-ago quarter. Revenue jumped 45% to $367.1 million from $257.9 million a year ago. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected net income of 84 cents a share on revenue of $346 million. Netgear shares are up 60% over the last 12 months. The broader S&P 500 index (S&P:SPX) has improved 15% in the last year.
Feb. 3, 2021, 4:20 p.m. EST


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“We have no illusions; the market is very soft and we are prepared to deeply discount everything,” he says.
“This will represent the largest factory liquidation of a sport motorcycle manufacturing facility. These super bike parts and equipment, which are rolling art, are selling at enormous discounts, right off the factory floor.”
It’s been a sad and tumultuous couple of years for EBR:
The company ceased production in April 2015;
It was bought by Michigan company Liquid Asset Partners in February 2016;
EBR returned to small-scale production last March;
They released their 2017 models and promised new bikes in 2018 in September; and
In November 2016, EBR unveiled a blackened and lowered 1190SX “Black Lightning” model.
After such upheaval, the company could not earn the trust of dealers, including Australian distributors Urban Moto Imports.
It is such a shame as Erik is a nice guy with a lot of great and innovative ideas.