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Selection of publications and articles about the company and our new products
Green Concrete Startup ECOncrete Wins Pitch to Rich Event in Tel Aviv
Read the article (English)
/// CTECH 24.10.2019
Green Concrete Startup ECOncrete Wins Pitch to Rich Event in Tel Aviv
Five Israeli entrepreneurs pitched their startups to Virgin Group’s Sir Richard Branson on Thursday as part of Virgin Atlantic and Calcalist's Business Is an Adventure conference in Tel Aviv
Pitch to Rich
Tel Aviv is bursting with entrepreneurs and it was great to hear some of their best new ideas in Virgin Atlantic’s Pitch to Rich competition. Five start-ups got the chance to pitch their idea to me for the chance to win a place on a Virgin StartUp course, flights to London and mentoring time.
Yofix releases dairy-free yogurt line containing probiotic cultures
Yofix Probiotics, the Israeli start-up which last week was awarded €100,000 through PepsiCo’s European Nutrition Greenhouse, has launched its first dairy-free yogurt line with probiotic cultures.
PepsiCo start-up program: Israeli dairy alternative innovator secures top prize
Israel-based start-up, Yofix, one of the ten finalists in PepsiCo’s European Nutrition Greenhouse program, has been awarded the final €100,000 grant (US$114,000) following a six-month journey. Yofix, which makes clean label plant-based fermented dairy alternatives impressed PepsiCo’s selection committee with its launch and retail growth during the program.
Yofix wins 100,000 euros through PepsiCo’s Nutrition Greenhouse
/// FOODBEV MEDIA 9.01.19
Israeli plant-based yogurt maker Yofix, one of the ten finalists in PepsiCo’s European Nutrition Greenhouse programme, has been awarded the final €100,000 grant after “significantly scaling up its operations”.
Yofix, which makes clean-label, plant-based fermented dairy alternatives, impressed PepsiCo’s selection committee with its strategic launch and retail growth during the initiative.
Last year, the start-up was announced – along with nine other breakthrough brands in the food and beverage sector – as a finalist in the second edition of PepsiCo’s Nutrition Greenhouse in Europe.
Yofix emerges as winner of PepsiCo's second European incubator project
/// Just Food 9.01.19
Yofix Probiotics, an Israel-based start-up manufacturing dairy- and soy-free yogurts, has emerged as the winner of the second European incubator programme run by food and drinks giant PepsiCo.
The company was among ten fledgling firms picked to take part in PepsiCo's six-month Nutrition Greenhouse project in July, with each getting an EUR20,000 (US$22,872) grant and mentorship from the conglomerate's executives in corporate structuring, marketing and branding.
PepsiCo said in a statement today (9 January) that its nine-member incubator selection committee was "impressed" by Yofix's "strategic launch and significant retail growth during the programme", and as the winner will be awarded EUR100,000.
PepsiCo awards Yofix €100,000 through European Nutrition Greenhouse Programme
/// NEW Food 9.01.19
Yofix have been awarded €100,000 through PepsiCo’s European Nutrition Greenhouse Programme, after being given €20,000 to begin the business as a finalist.
Yofix, one of the 10 finalists in PepsiCo’s European Nutrition Greenhouse programme, has been awarded the final €100,000 grant following a six-month journey. The company makes clean-label plant-based fermented dairy alternatives, and impressed PepsiCo’s selection committee with its strategic launch and significant retail growth during the programme.
The Israeli start-up YOFIX won first place in the PepsiCo International Innovation Competition
/// Food is 9.01.19
The Kitchen, Food Tech Hub, invests in promising projects and helps them penetrate global markets. It is natural that Strauss partners such as Pepsi and others will be part of the exit of these ventures abroad.
The Kitchen of the Strauss Group has faced European start-ups and won a grant of € 100,000
PepsiCo's Nutrition Greenhouse 2018 Final Grant Recipient Announcement
After a six-month journey with 10 of Europe’s most exciting breakthrough food and drink companies, we are proud to announce the final grant recipient of our 2018 Nutrition Greenhouse program.
/// PEPSICO UK 7.01.19
PepsiCo reveals the ten finalists for its 2018 nutrition greenhouse
/// FOODBEV MEDIA 16.07.18
Brands of non-alcoholic wine and vegan-friendly drinks capsules are among the start-ups chosen to participate in the second class of PepsiCo’s health and wellness incubator in Europe.
First launched in 2017 to support the next generation of food and beverage entrepreneurs, the PepsiCo nutrition greenhouse programme offers each of the ten participating companies a €20,000 grant, and access to PepsiCo mentors and experts to take their business to the next level.
The incubator, which was announced earlier this year, focuses on nutrition food and beverage products aimed at European consumers with sales of €5 million or less. This year’s finalists were chosen based on their product quality and positioning, with a focus on health and wellness and scalable business model.
One fo the Brands is, Yofix (Israel) – Clean-label vegan and soy-free fermented dairy alternatives.
PepsiCo unveils newest entrants for Europe-wide incubator programme
/// Just Food 16.07.18
PepsiCo has revealed the ten companies that are the second intake for its Nutrition Greenhouse incubator programme in Europe.
Each of the entrants will get a EUR20,000 (US$23,410) grant along with access to the US-based food and drinks giant's executives to help them grow.
PepsiCo said the company that "demonstrates the most scalable and sustainable market approach by the end of the programme will be awarded a EUR100,000 prize to continue its expansion".
PepsiCo's Nutrition Greenhouse focuses on nutrition food and beverage products aimed at European consumers with sales of EUR5m or less. This year's finalists were chosen based on their product quality and positioning, focus on health and wellness and scalable business model.
Three of the firms are from Israel: A1C Foods, which makes low-carbohydrate food products such as chocolate, bread and ice cream; The Sprouted Grain Company, which produces what it describes as "nutrient-dense" and "easy-to-digest" whole grains, legumes and flours; and Yofix, a maker of clean-label, vegan and soy-free fermented dairy alternatives.
After the impressive exit: Who will be the next Frutarom?
/// Globs 9.05.18
Frutarom is not the only company in the field of technology that provides technological solutions to the food industry. • Crackers are made from fruit flies and meat grown from cow cell cultures - start-ups that are going to change what we eat as presented at the Strauss Podcast Conference
At a random time, Strauss's annual foodtech conference was held yesterday, in which 50 different start-ups from the world of foodtech were presented - from crackers with protein from fruit fly products to coffee capsules. 12 of them are start-ups that operate in the incubator of Strauss's (50%) and the Ministry of Economy's Innovation Authority (50%) , which is called The Kitschen Hub.
And who will be the company that will make the next big exit? "It's hard to predict who will be the next star," says Florentz, "We have 12 investments in start-ups, and we still hope that one of them will reach significant activity.
The leading of them, at least in terms of its development, is Yofix, a delicacy made from vegetable proteins and sold in cold storage, unlike the products currently on the market, which has raised a total of NIS 7 million to date. In addition to Strauss's investment through the hub, the company also took part in the rounds of financing, when its total investment, according to close estimates, gives it shares of about 20% in the company. Sources inform "Globes" that an agreement has recently been reached between the Strauss Dairies (which is part of Danone International) to carry out the distribution and trade of the product in Israel, with real intentions to expand in the world market in which Strauss is active.
Not only Frutarom: The Israeli companies that lead the global PodTech revolution - and raised NIS 1 billion
/// The Marker 7.05.18
In 2050, the world will have to feed 9.6 billion people. With hundreds of companies and government support, Israel is poised to lead the global podtech industry, which is harnessing the technology to produce more accessible and healthy food.
Six years ago, Strauss understood that the whole world is moving towards a healthier food that is tailored to the unique needs of every consumer. "The world is going to a place where food companies will not mass-produce, but will tailor food to the weaknesses and strengths of every consumer," Mr. Lessin said. "The food industry will undergo an evolutionary leap and become a launching pad for the pharmaceutical industry - it's not futurism, you see it here and now.
"We have been developing products for individuals who are allergic to lactose or gluten and sugar, and we are developing unique product categories with huge investments and are preparing to respond to trends such as veganism.These days, a marketer, a product from The Kitchen hub in Ashdod, Yofix, a vegetable yoghurt that is not even based on soy - (wich is controversial). "
Israel: Opportunities to "rethink food"
/// Process Alimentaire 3.05.18
Frutarom in the field of flavor solutions, lycord, carotenoids, or drop in packaging ... Several major players in the global food industry were born in Israel. The country is the world's first country for R & D expenditure, the fifth most innovative country in the world, and the number of incubators in the last three years (see our April issue) Which is scheduled to take place on May 7 in Tel Aviv, with 600 to 800 participants from around the world (entrepreneurs, start-ups, investors, suppliers and service organizations) to create multi-national relationships with Israeli start-up companies Nestle, Givaudan, Bühler, Pepsico , Danone and Migros announced their participation.
The Kitchens hub was born three years ago and hosts a dozen companies. This initiative of the Strauss Group (a coffee maker in Israel) has already led and promoted the emergence of Yofix, a company offering probiotic, vegetable, non-dairy yogurt.


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Finding people with experience in recreational marijuana cultivation can be tough in an industry that just recently became legal in Oregon.
Like many recent entrants to the recreational marijuana growers’ sector, Ben Nadolny is searching for skilled staff to expand his business.
“As an employer, you don’t get a resume where cannabis is on it,” says Nadolny, owner of Fox Hollow Flora near Eugene.
Hiring skilled staff can be a challenge in many sectors; but in the rapidly growing recreational marijuana industry the recruitment hurdles are particularly high.
Many cannabis businesses are so new they are still building out critical operations, such as marketing and compliance. Recruitment is high on their agenda.
The marijuana sector offers living wage jobs and has the potential to be an important source of income, particularly in economically depressed rural areas where there is little else employment opportunity.
Nadolny has hired cooks — a profession he knows well from his previous job as an executive chef at a winery. “At least I can give them a dollar more an hour,” he says.
He plans to hire someone who can fill a marketing position.
Recruiting people who can navigate the sector’s many regulations is also a priority for businesses.
Strict regulations cross many areas of the sector from weighing and measuring products, getting worker permits, to paying taxes.
Legal fees were becoming a burden for Nectar Markets, a retailer and grower of marijuana, that management hired someone to take care of compliance, said Devra Karlebach, chief operating officer.
“We brought on an inhouse attorney because our legal bills were so high,” she said.
Nadolny wishes a local college would offer a cannabis business program so that he can hire people who can show they have industry knowledge.
“What a great thing to have on a resume,” he said. “Right now I can’t confirm somebody’s experience because there is no accreditation.”
No Oregon higher education institutions offer marijuana businesses courses yet.
But an official accreditation may be in the cards for an industry that is fast becoming an important employer in the state.

domain: news


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From February 10, 2014, eBay UK site would have a “virtual currency” commodity category in its classified ads. Bitcoin has already been included in this category, other currencies such as Dogecoin is included as well.
On eBay, consumers can trade virtual currency like any other commodity. However, when you buy virtual currency from eBay, you have to use currency issued by government.
“In order to promote a trustworthy market, and to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, eBay is currently updating its monetary policy,” an eBay spokesman said in an email. “The policy will be clear after the update. Bitcoins, and other similar virtual currency must be listed in the classified ads of virtual currency category.”
The spokesman added that this category will alive on the eBay UK site on February 10.
There have been incidents that consumers trade USB or external hard disk to exchange virtual currency. This new virtual currency category provides certain legitimacy, and an informal virtual currency market, although the market is still very inefficient.
The spokesman also said, eBay only allows virtual currency transactions carried out in the form of classified ads that the actual transaction will not appear on eBay’s main site.
The classified ads on eBay is a list of goods and services. This approach is very effective, because it doesn’t create an auction style pricing formula.
Today, virtual currency is continually evolving, especially bitcoin. In the mainstream online marketplace like eBay, this is a completely different and innovative approach.
The NBA Sacramento Kings is now accepting the coin; online retailer overstock.com also accepts bitcoin as a payment method. With increasing acceptance, this will enhance the bitcoin’s value. So far, bitcoin is the most widely accepted, and the most valuable virtual currency.


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It’s been quite a challenging apple season in Poland. Not just in terms of picking all the apples, but also when it came to sales in the early parts of the season. Dominik Woźniak, VP of sales for Polish apple exporter Rajpol, says: “The 2022/23 apple season was a challenging one for the growers in Poland. The crop in the Autumn of 2022 was one of the largest yield in the last five years. However, a lack of workers meant that a significant volume of apples was left in the field. The first part of the season was also difficult in terms of sales, especially the prices were disappointing at this point. Thankfully, since February situation became better now we are almost in end of sales and all looks good.”
Although the stocks of Rajpol aren’t depleted completely just yet, Woźniak is certain they’ll be able to sell everything before the new season gets going. “Our stock of apples remains in balance and it looks that all of our product will be sold before the new season will start. As Rajpol, we supply about 60 per cent of our apples to Polish retailers, while 30 per cent makes its way to European supermarket chains. The final 10 per cent of apples is exported to markets outside of Europe, mainly India, Middle East and Asia, but also Latin America is present in our client base.”
The new season starting will look quite different, with availability depending on the variety, Woźniak explains: “The coming Polish apple season will be different than the last one. It’s certain that the total apple crop will be lower than it was in 2022. Especially when it comes to the Jonagold and Idared varieties, but these are more for the local market. That said, the crops for Gala, Golden and Red Delicious look promising and we are counting on good volumes for these apples. Quality seems to be on par, as we have enough water here in central Poland. So far, the only big problems until now have been with hail or other weather events.”
On 15th June, during the Gala, being a culmination of this year's edition of the Modern Distribution Congress, the Rajpol Fruit Producers Group was awarded in the Top Exporter category. The award was received from the President of Lidl Polska, Mr Włodzimierz Wlaźlak, by Rajpol's CEO, Hubert Woźniak. When receiving the award, Hubert Wozniak emphasised the uniqueness of the cooperation between the 170 fruit growers associated within the Rajpol Group.
“In the coming season we would like to develop the new markets we managed this season, while keeping our options open in terms of new possibilities. We can show the world there’s a good reason we’ve won this prestigious award. I see a good demand for high quality fruits from Latin America, the Middle East and Asia,” Woźniak concludes.


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- Kristopher Fraser |
Canada Goose has launched its second collection of Project Atigi in partnership with Inuit designers from the Northern countries of Canada. Established in January 2019, the second iteration will showcase 90-bespoke parks handmade by 18 Inuit designers, from twelve communities of Inuit Nunangat. As an extension of brand's longstanding support of the North, Project Atigi celebrates the heritage and craftsmanship that has enabled Inuit to live in some of the most formidable climates and conditions.
“Project Atigi was born in the North, created by the North and for the North,” said Dani Reiss, president and CEO of Canada Goose, in a statement. “We’re leveraging our global platform to share Inuit craftsmanship with the world and to create social entrepreneurship opportunities in the communities that inspire us. When you purchase a Project Atigi parka, you’re making an investment in the place and people that shape them.”
"The community support and response from participating in Project Atigi has been incredible. Being a part of this project for the second year has allowed me to showcase my designs with the world, while shining a light on our decades of tradition and craftsmanship,” said Eileena Arragutainaq, Project Atigi designer and entrepreneur from Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, in a statement.
Proceeds from the sale of each parka will be donated back to Inuit communities across Canada through the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the national Inuit representational organization that works with the four Inuit regions of Inuit Nanagat. The 2020 collection includes men's and women's styles and will be sold across select Canada Goose stores across North America and Europe, as well as on CanadaGoose.com.
photo: courtesy of M Booth


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Sunday, May 15, 2011
News aggregators aren’t exactly raking it in
But aggregators like the Huffington Post have profited from that content.
They’re not making a whole lot from leveraging the content of others, but their overhead is lower and profitability is easier to reach.
The problem with the transition from a traditional news product, like a newspaper or magazine, to an online version is that advertisers pay much less for online ads. So analog dollars get converted to digital pennies, as former NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker famously said.
But when an aggregator cherry-picks the best parts of someone else’s article, it can get by with less ad revenue because it isn’t paying the salary of the writer or writers who researched and wrote the original article.
The Huffington Post, purchased by AOL in March for $315 million, is expected to generate $50 million in revenue, with a profit margin of 30%, according to the Associated Press. That works out to $15 million in profits.
That’s a pittance compared with what news organizations like the New York Times and Gannett spend on original reporting each year. No wonder New York Times executive editor Bill Keller is peeved at HuffPo. Keller slammed HuffPo in an article titled “All the Aggregation That’s Fit to Aggregate.” HuffPo co-founder and editor-in-chief Ariana Huffington quickly responded with some choice words of her own for Keller.
Last year, HuffPo posted its first annual profit since its founding in 2005, Bloomberg reported. It reported sales of $30 million.
The Huffington Post has been adding more original reporting, but still gets a large share of its articles by summarizing news from other publications, including the New York Times.
Another prominent aggregator, Business Insider, recently revealed that it generated $4.8 million in sales last year and a profit of $2,127.
Aggregators can do what they do because of fair use, a legal provision that allows people to use snippets of news stories and video for purposes of commentary, criticism and education. How much of the source material can used is a gray area.


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Microsoft Build 2019 was scheduled from May 6-8 in Seattle. The Redmond company has revealed just ahead of the keynote session of the annual developer conference that Microsoft 365 is being used in 181 markets and 44 languages worldwide.
In its quarterly earnings, Microsoft announced that Office 365 Commercial has 180 million active users. The company has introduced the integration of AI capabilities within Microsoft 365. It has also publicized the updates coming to the Chromium project-based Microsoft Edge.
Microsoft also announced an update to its Cortana Skills for Enterprises so that the businesses are enabled to build custom skills for the digital assistant.
The Chromium project-based Microsoft Edge which debuted on Windows 10 devices is expected to receive a lot of new features.
There is a dedicated IE mode that integrates Internet Explorer (IE) within Microsoft Edge via a tab for letting businesses run legacy IE-based apps using the modern browser.
There are three additional privacy controls for letting the users choose from three levels of privacy in the browser namely Unrestricted, Balanced, and Strict.
The browser will adjust how the third parties are able to track the access on the web depending on which option you pick. This will provide more choice and transparency for a more personalized experience to the customers.
The company has also highlighted that Microsoft Graph is now seeing 100 million requests a month. Also, the general availability of Microsoft Graph data connect has been announced which brings productivity data from the Microsoft Graph together with the data available within Azure Data Factory.
The Enterprise customers are able to access Microsoft Graph data connect as a feature through Workplace Analytics. It can be also accessed as a standalone SKU through various independent software vendors.
The company has announced a Fluid Framework for enabling a platform where teams can work together on different tasks.
This Fluid Framework will be available through an SDK later this year. The company also expects the first Microsoft 365 experiences powered by Fluid later this year. The company has also announced that its open source Q# simulators and compilers will bring new experiences for the developers working on Quantum computing.
So, here was a brief overview of the Microsoft build 2019 presented by Technographx. You can watch the highlights of the Build 2019 on YouTube, you will really enjoy watching it and knowing about the new updates from the company.


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To mark the 50th anniversary of the DB4 GT Zagato, Aston Martin and Italian Zagato introduced 2011 Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato sports car, which became available to buyers since mid-2012.
The price was around €400,000, with the announcement that the car would be produced in a limited edition of 150 pieces.
Nearly a decade later, Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato returns to the scene to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Zagato. This time around, we have the Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage Twins, available in a limited edition of only 38 (19 in the Coupe and 19 in the Speedster).
Zagato realized this project with Swiss AF Racing, which is a traditional motorsport partner for Aston Martin, with the Swiss taking the opportunity to launch their R-Reforged brand.
It is powered by a 5.9 liter 600hp V12 engine, carbon-fiber body, and carbon-ceramic brakes in charge.
The car is 4385 mm long, 1865 mm wide, 2600 mm wheelbase, and the wheels are 19 inches.
The price of these cars is not mentioned in the short news, while deliveries to buyers will start in the fourth quarter of this year.


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Coastal provinces to launch new islands tour
Do Tan Cuong, deputy director of Quang Nam Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told the Daily that the tour would likely be launched next year. Tourists will start the tour in the ancient town of Hoi An to explore Cu Lao Cham, or Cham Islets, before getting on board speed boats to ply the waters for two hours to Quang Ngai’s Re Island on the island district of Ly Son.
The two tourism departments will explore the route between Cu Lao Cham and Re Island to develop new tourism products before opening the new tour late next year, Cuong said.
The new tour will likely attract many tourists due to the good combination between sightseeing in the ancient town of Hoi An and Cu Lao Cham biosphere reserve, and exploration of the neglected beauty of Re Island as well as beautiful beaches along the route.
“We will make the survey trip next summer in the hope of launching the new tour late next year,” he said.
The tourism industry in the central coastal province of Quang Nam is growing rapidly with the total number of tourists expected at around 2.45 million this year, with half being foreigners. In Quang Ngai Province nearby, the hospitality sector is much less developed, with just over 300,000 tourists expected for this year.
Cuong said Quang Nam’s tourism industry has been enjoying strong development in recent years.
“More and more tourists are coming, and we are trying to enrich tourism services for them,” he said.
Cuong said the room occupancy rate was high in Hoi An, with the current rate hovering around 73%.
Along with preparations for the new tour, the province’s tourism sector has decided to replace the Heritage Itinerary Festival next year by an international music festival. The Heritage Itinerary Festival, which was organized every two years, has become less attractive.
“We need to end the ten-year old festival to make the new and exciting festival for tourists. We need to refresh the image of Quang Nam’s tourism,” Cuong said.
He added Lung Lo 5 Company had asked the province for approval to map out a scheme to turn Cu Lao Cham into a high-end tourist area in the biosphere reserve.


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There is a lot of talk over the impact trade with China has had on the United States and global economies. Hu Jintao in his meet with President Obama claimed China's exports to the United States (so stuff we bought from China) saved American's more than $600 billion dollars from 2000 through 2010. In addition the exports additionally created 14 million jobs. We need someone to unload the ships and remember China is a very large country for selling domestic goods. If you're curious the United States lost 3 million jobs in manufacturing industry that are in competition with China while gaining 19 million jobs in other industries during the same time period.
We it turns out he may have underestimated the impact, and China's exports have actually saved U.S. households even more and created more jobs.


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Almost a third of the UK government's most critical no-deal Brexit preparation projects are not on track for completion in time for the scheduled Brexit date of 29 March, according to a new official document.
The previously unseen British cabinet paper warns that many businesses are unprepared for withdrawal without an agreement, which would result in shortages in shops, additional costs to companies and price increases.
The paper also warns that the impact of a no-deal Brexit would be severe in Northern Ireland, where businesses will not have sufficient time to prepares.
The document says disruption to closely-interwoven supply chains and increasing costs could "affect the viability of many businesses across Northern Ireland",
It adds that a no-deal Brexit could lead to some Northern Ireland businesses relocating south of the border.
The document was released in response to an amendment tabled by Independent Group MPs Chuka Umunna and Anna Soubry.
It repeats official analysis suggesting a no-deal could leave the UK economy 6.3%-9% smaller after 15 years than it would otherwise have been, with the worst-hit areas Wales (-8.1%), Scotland (-8.0%), Northern Ireland (-9.1%) and the North East (-10.5%).
The document emerged 31 days ahead of the scheduled date of Brexit, and hours after British they will be given a chance to vote on delaying EU withdrawal.Prime Minister Theresa May told MPs that
The paper indicates that delays and obstacles to cross-Channel trade as a result of no-deal "would not lead to an overall shortage of food in the UK".
But it warns that 30% of the UK's food comes from continental Europe, and Britain is "particularly reliant" at that time of year on supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables via the Channel ports and Tunnel.
"In the absence of other action from government, some food prices are likely to increase, and there is a risk that consumer behaviour could exacerbate, or create, shortages in this scenario," it said.
And it added: "As of February 2019, many businesses in the food supply industry are unprepared for a no-deal scenario."
Following a no-deal Brexit, UK citizens could find themselves subjected to longer waits at the border and exclusion from the use of e-gates for passport checks, the government document said.
And about 240,000 UK companies which trade only with the EU would be caught up in customs processes, with a total administrative burden on business from customs declarations of about £13 billion a year.
The loss of the current "fully free-flowing border" with the EU could result in the flow of goods via Dover and Eurotunnel being "very significantly reduced for months," said the document.
But it added: "French willingness to facilitate cross-border flows means that the government does not currently expect 'day one' disruption to be at the most severe end of its planning assumptions."
The introduction of EU export tariffs, including about 70% on beef, 45% on lamb and 10% on motor vehicles, could have a "very severe" impact on some UK industries, said the document.
It was "impossible to accurately predict the ability of businesses to adapt", but the risk of no-deal is "of major concern" for the car industry, both because of tariffs and disruption to just-in-time supply chains.
Today, MPs in the House of Commons will vote on a number of amendments to a Brexit motion tabled by the government.
Included in those is expected to be the Labour Party's plan for Brexit which supports a permanent customs union with the EU.
If Labour's plan today is defeated - as would be anticipated - then the party leader has pledged to row in behind the idea of a second referendum.
The newly formed group of MPs who defected last week from the Conservatives and Labour has also tabled an amendment relating to another public vote on Brexit.
Additional reporting Fiona Mitchell


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Dollar General loses alcohol license
A Dollar General in Jackson has lost its license to sell alcohol following sales to minors, according to the Jackson Beer Board.
The store at 3224 North Highland Ave. has had its Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) license revoked for 12 months after three illegal sale-of-alcohol-to-a-minor offenses.
Dollar General, along with five other businesses, was were given a show cause hearing by the Jackson Beer Board Thursday morning at City Hall.
“It’s very serious as far as I’m concerned,” Beer Board Chairman Charles Rahm said. “This board has worked diligently over the last several years to stop this type of thing, and for this to be the third offense at your location … I am very disappointed.”
On March 28, members of the Madison County Metro Narcotics conducted an underage alcohol operation where they visited several locations.
The confidential informant went into the store about 6:40 p.m. and purchased a three-pack of 25-ounce Natural Lite beer. The informant was asked to present ID but was still able to purchase the beer despite being underage.
“Every employee has to go through our computer-based learning and it covers alcohol and tobacco sales, especially to minors,” General Retail District Manager Ed Stuteville said.
Dollar General was represented by the store manager, who has only held his position for six weeks, and Stuteville, who started his position one week before the offense took place.
The manager who was on duty the night of the offense claimed she made an honest mistake and was terminated, Stuteville said.
“I have had other encounters, not with this store, but with Dollar General … ignoring for months fire code violations,” Jackson City Attorney Lewis Cobb said.
There was one store in Jackson that ignored a fire code violation for about six months, Cobb said. It took a significant fine for them to take care of something that could have been easily fixed, he added.
“I don’t think … a mere fine is enough to get their attention,” Cobb said, noting that he was concerned that corporate did not take action after the second offense.
Reach Brittney Jackson at email@example.com or 731-425-9643.


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- Articles tagged ‘samsung’
The next big thing is here for tablets. Samsung's new flagship Galaxy Tab S tablets come in 8.4- and 10.5-inch display sizes, both with gorgeous 2560 x 1600 Super AMOLED displays, and thinner and lighter bodies than Apple's iPad Air and Mini. Is this the iPad killer?
While not Samsung's first mirrorless system camera, the NX Mini is definitely the smallest. So what does it have to offer? We sum up our initial hands-on experience.
When someone mentions Samsung, most people will think of smartphones, tablets and televisions. But the Korean conglomerate is expanding into a whole new territory of business printers as revealed in a recent visit to its headquarters in Seoul, Korea. Read on to find out why.
If the TV industry has its way, it won't be long before you'll join the curved 4K TV bandwagon. Think it's a gimmick? With Samsung making available the industry's first curved UHD TVs, we spent some time with them to share our findings that might convince you to consider curved 4K TVs in your next upgrade.
With three smartphone brands putting out their flagship 5-inch models at about the same time, we took this opportunity to test their cameras' imaging capability in a head-to-head comparison to find out which is the better shooter. Is it going to be HTC, Samsung or Sony? Read on to find out the victor!
Samsung earlier today announced the local pricing and availability of its latest U9000 curved UHD TV, U8500 flat UHD TV, and H8000 curved full HD smart TV. Of course, we've all the details.
With HTC, Samsung and Sony all releasing new flagship smartphones, you may be facing the dilemma of which one to buy. We've reviewed all three, but now it's time to compare them head-to-head.
The Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 is Samsung's flagship product in its new pro tablet lineup, but is it just a tablet with a giant screen? To dispel the misconception, Samsung collaborated with HardwareZone to bring our members a special hands-on event - so check out what took place!
When Samsung launched its mainstream SSD 840 EVO last year, it also introduced a new caching technology called RAPID mode and it has now included this technology for its flagship SSD 840 Pro drive. We take a closer look to find out how and if it really works.
At MWC 2014, Samsung unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the 5.1-inch Galaxy S5. Yes, it has a fingerprint scanner. Yes it's IP67 water and dust resistant. Yes, it can monitor your heart rate. And yes, it comes in gold. But what else does it do? Find out in our full hands-on.
- Japanese developers start to embrace AMD's Mantle
- Futuremark announces new benchmarking software for Windows 10
- Corning's Gorilla Glass 4 is twice as tough as competitive glasses
- Sony announces launch of the A7II, the first full-frame camera with 5-axis image stabilization
- AMD's Freesync technology is almost here and Samsung's leading the charge
- Alcatel Onetouch to debut smartphones at Sitex 2014
- Apple changes App Store buttons from "Free" to "Get"
- Brio, the smart power outlet that you'll definitely need


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Honor MagicPad Display Features
Honor Mobile, the renowned smartphone manufacturer, has made an exciting announcement that has technology enthusiasts eagerly anticipating its upcoming releases. Alongside the highly anticipated flagship foldable device, the Honor Magic V2, Honor has unveiled a lineup of new products set to be officially launched on July 12. These include the Honor MagicPad tablet, Honor Watch 4, and Honor Smart Screen 5.
The Honor MagicPad tablet is set to make its debut as the newest addition to the prestigious Honor Magic family. Positioned as a “large screen flagship,” this tablet aims to deliver an exceptional user experience. Honor has revealed that the MagicPad will boast a remarkable 13-inch 2.8K IMAX Enhanced eye-protection screen, marking it as Honor’s most powerful screen tablet to date. The inclusion of this immersive display ensures that users will witness a significant difference in their visual world.
The size of the MagicPad alone is noteworthy, as 13 inches is already comparable to the dimensions of a notebook, making it a rarity among tablet products. Additionally, the IMAX Enhanced screen technology that Honor has been emphasizing adds another level of uniqueness to this tablet. With these impressive features, the Honor MagicPad is expected to stand out in the market and capture the attention of tech enthusiasts and professionals alike.
While the complete specifications of the Honor MagicPad, Honor Watch 4, and Honor Smart Screen 5 are yet to be unveiled, fans can anticipate a series of previews and announcements in the coming days leading up to the official launch.
In particular, the Honor Watch 4 is expected to support eSIM call functionality, elevating the convenience and versatility of wearable devices. Furthermore, the battery life of the Honor Watch 4 is said to enter the “double-digit era,” indicating significant improvements in power optimization.
As for the Honor Smart Screen 5, it promises to offer a “flagship image quality new choice.” With an emphasis on high refresh rates, users can anticipate a truly immersive viewing experience that takes their visual enjoyment to the next level.


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The Last of Us takes home a whopping 10 awards whilst GTA V wins only one award at last night’s 17th Annual D.I.C.E Awards.
Activision say that the upcoming first person action shooter title, Destiny, “will be the best selling video game in history”.
Titanfall on the Xbox 360 has been delayed until March 28th whilst the Xbox One and PC version launches on March 13th.
The Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry standalone title will launched exclusively on PS4 & PS3 on February 19th and on PC on February 25th.
A video-game tie-in for the upcoming 2014 Brazil FIFA World Cup has been announced by Electronic Arts, releasing on April 17th.
The nominations for the New York Video Game Critics Circle Awards have been announced with GTA V, BioShock and Gone Home leading with five.
12 Years A Slave scoops three Critics’ Circle awards, but Steve McQueen loses out in the Best Director category
High School Musical star Zac Efron has spoken with producers of Star Wars: Episode VII
A Production Designer for Kojami Productions has defended reports that Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeros lasts only two hours.
Call of Duty: Ghosts Onslaught DLC, already available for Xbox consoles, will release on PC and PlayStation consoles late February.
According to a preview by Game Informer, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeros runs for just under two hours.
2K Games and Irrational Games have revealed that BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Episode 2 will be available on March 25th.
Rumours are still flying in circles around Quentin Tarantino’s supposedly shelved western The Hateful Eight, which it seems may be back on the cards
Take-Two have revealed that GTA V has shipped more than 32.5 million copies with GTA Online leading the company’s digital revenue.
Sam Houser and Dan Houser, co-founders of Rockstar Games, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Leslie Benzies this Thursday.


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Latest strategy shifts focus back to more profitable motorcycles and core markets
REUTERSSep 24th 2020 at 9:00AM
U.S. motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson said on Thursday it expects to report $75 million in additional restructuring costs for 2020 related to actions including discontinuing its sales and manufacturing operations in India.
The announcement comes two months after Harley unveiled a strategy to shift focus back to more profitable motorcycles and core markets such as the United States.
Harley said earlier in the year that it planned to reduce its product portfolio and exit lower volume markets, without specifying which ones.
The company said it now expects total restructuring costs of about $169 million in 2020, and this will also include a workforce reduction of about 70 employees in India, a market where its annual sales volumes account for less than 5% of the company’s total.


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Microsoft Defender for Business has reached general availability. It's designed for small and medium businesses with limited resources to tackle cyberthreats that could damage their firm.
Dangbei Atom, a HDR10/HLG laser projector with Dolby sound, Chromecast, Google TV and more
Forget Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, what you really want to download this month is Fedora Silverblue 40
The benefits of ESET's integration of Intel's TDT into its multi-layered cybersecurity technology suite allowing for superior ransomware protection will be made available later in the year.
Microsoft 365 Business Voice will be merged into a new SKU with Enterprise-grade features and will be available from January 1, 2022. The new plan is called Teams Phone with Calling Plan.
Microsoft's latest Garage project focuses on time-saving for small and midsize businesses. It does that by automatically optimizing their digital marketing across various platforms.
Today, Microsoft announced that its Windows 7 Extended Security Updates won't only be available to its Volume Licensing customers, and small to mid-size businesses will have access as well.
Amazon has revealed some statistics about small- and medium-sized businesses operating on its platform. Businesses generating more than $1 million in sales grew by 20% during the last year.
Amazon has launched Amazon Storefronts, a new initiative aimed at U.S. customers. Through Storefronts, customers will be exposed to small- and medium-sized businesses via promo videos and profiles.
Microsoft is claiming that its upcoming Xbox One console, while an excellent entertainment device, is also capable of doing "real work". And its $499 price tag makes it a great option for SMBs.
Lenovo is broadening its commercial relationship with brick-and-mortar retailer Best Buy, saying it will work with the computer and electronics chain to sell notebook and desktop PCs to small-business customers. Under the deal, Lenovo will...
Microsoft and several leading storage hardware vendors are planning advancements for the company's Windows Storage Server, all in the name of helping small and midsize businesses (SMBs) buttress their infrastructures. Microsoft Corp. is...
Cisco Systems Inc., the undisputed king of the enterprise networking market, is setting its sights on a smaller fry with the launch of an SMB initiative this week. Cisco's SMB effort will include...
One in four UK small and medium businesses (SMBs) now use Linux, and more than than half think it robust enough for mission-critical applications, according to a new study. Two in five of the 200...


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The Digital Expansion of Lamborghini into the World of eSports
Lamborghini, the luxurious Italian car manufacturer, has recently been making strides towards digital transformation in the automotive industry. With the ever-growing influence of technology and digital innovation, Lamborghini’s entry into the world of eSports was almost inevitable. In this post, we will delve into Lamborghini’s partnership with simracing, the role of the luxury car brand in creating an eSports community, and the significant impact it could potentially have on the automotive industry.
The Partnership Between Lamborghini and Simracing
Undoubtedly, Lamborghini’s venture into eSports began with its sponsorship of the highly-anticipated events such as The Real Race and The Simracing Expo. These events served as a launching point for the luxury car brand’s entry into the world of simracing and gave them the opportunity to connect with a younger, tech-savvy audience. The game developers and superior simulation technology used in these events further strengthened the already-existing partnership between Lamborghini and the world of simracing.
The Role of Lamborghini in Creating an eSports Community
More than just sponsoring events, Lamborghini’s presence in eSports has helped to improve its engagement with fans both on social media and streaming platforms. By doing so, the luxury car brand has initiated the creation of a tight-knit eSports community, opening up new avenues for engagement with younger potential buyers. Lamborghini’s entry into the world of eSports has also allowed the brand to be a part of the digital transformation conversation, which is an excellent step for businesses that are always looking to stay ahead of the curve.
The Future of Lamborghini in eSports
Lamborghini’s entry into simracing is only the beginning, with plans to expand into other competitions and games in the foreseeable future. If executed correctly, this could potentially boost Lamborghini’s brand awareness and consequently improve sales, giving the luxury car brand an advantage over its competitors in the increasingly competitive world of luxurious cars.
In conclusion, Lamborghini’s entry into eSports not only represents its commitment to digital transformation, but it is also a savvy way to reach out to the younger, tech-savvy audience. Its partnership with simracing and presence in eSports has allowed the brand to create and nurture its very own tight-knit and engaged eSports community across various platforms. Moreso, as the world continues to shift towards digital innovation, businesses’ embrace of these changes will be a defining factor in their success in the long run. Lamborghini’s presence in eSports is undoubtedly just the beginning and could be a significant move in the competitive luxury car industry.


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Players’ union partners with Russell Westbrook clothing company for social justice message line
The National Basketball Players Association is partnering with Russell Westbrook and his clothing line to make sure players have clothes with the message they want. Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the story.
Sources: The NBPA is partnering with Russell Westbrook’s clothing line to design social justice shirts for all NBA players to incorporate some messages that were not approved for jerseys.— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2020
Multiple players had said the messages on the NBA’s approved list were limiting. Some wanted the names of victims of police violence on their jerseys, but beyond that were the phrases such as “police reform” and “Am I next?” that the league did not allow.
Smart move by Westbrook and the union to sidestep the league.
Don’t be surprised if and when these shirts, jackets, hoodies, and whatever other articles of clothing with the phrases on them start showing up in players’ social media from the bubble.
The Rockets’ Westbrook is not yet in Orlando, he is still in quarantine in Houston after testing positive for the coronavirus. He is expected to join his teammates soon.


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The Sue Ryder store in Queen Street, Whittlesey, has shut after its lease came to an end.
The store shut on Friday, March 20.
The nearest Sue Ryder charity shop is now in Whittlesey Road, Stanground.
Meta Lear, Sue Ryder area manager, said the Whittlesey store required more funding which would divert money away from vital services.
She added: “It is with much regret that we took the decision not to renew the lease.
“We have enjoyed being a part of the town’s community and are very sad to leave.
“We have done everything we possibly can to offer alternative employment for the shop’s staff and are pleased that all of them will remain working for Sue Ryder.
“We would like to thank them and the volunteers who have supported them for all their outstanding work and support to the charity.”


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- Amazon's Echo is in high demand.
- Allows Amazon to capitalize on AWS platform.
- Robotics and AI from Amazon will be huge growth driver down the line.
We are in the trenches of a pivotal moment in history. In the past decade, the tech world has made stratospheric progress, and very soon, the products of our imagination will be things that the future generation won’t be able to live without. From autonomous cars to drone technology, and virtual reality, this is an exciting time to be alive.
Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) Echo might be small, but it has set the foundation for a game-changing decade. This is a device which gives users the ability to check the news, order products and literally speak to the web. Voice recognition isn’t new; however, the way Amazon has implemented it makes it a huge long-term growth driver for the company. I will get into why it is so later in this post.
In fact, the consumer demand for “the robot in a tube” has been so high that since release, it has frequently been out of stock. Amazon recently released the Echo dot which is a smaller, more affordable device for placement around the home. Despite the fact that it is exclusive to current Echo owners, it too has been sold out.
When we take a look at Amazon’s huge, diversified business, this couldn’t have come at a better time. Timely products and services tend to be a recurring theme with Amazon. Their AWS cloud offering is currently dominating the market and had a huge part to play in Amazon posting significant profits during their latest earnings call. Moreover, it is so powerful and efficient that video streaming competitor, Netflix, hosts its videos with them.
And this is the infrastructure the Echo is able to tap into…
The Echo might be performing fairly simple consumer-focused commands now, but the possibilities for the enterprise market are endless.
Amazon made the smart move of giving developers access to the Echo from launch. As many companies have realized too late, (looking at you Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)) developers can make or break a products success. The collaboration and creativity inherent within the developer community drives profits when harnessed. For instance, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) still has a significant lead in the apps market due to making their platform conducive to developers.
The future will be all about big data as the lines between humanity, robotics and the Internet of Things (IOT) become increasingly blurred. Therefore, demand for platforms which make sense of all this big data will skyrocket. In fact, one leading analyst estimates that within 4 years, the Internet of Things could be a trillion dollar industry.
In the short term, the Echo provides Amazon with unprecedented data about their customers. Although useful, it is Amazon’s trojan horse into the home. It will be able to record family habits which were previously out of bounds. As a result, they can fine tune their product recommendations and use the data gathered by the Echo to launch more commercially-viable products and services.
The Echo aside, Amazon has been conducting business with ruthless efficiency over the last few years. Arguably, their aim is to set up multiple monopolies. For instance, the Kindle dominates the eBook market. Plus, the upcoming drone delivery will give Amazon huge leverage over brick-and-mortar establishments. Every launch from their streaming offering to their food delivery program quickly eats up market share.
It is clear that Amazon’s management have developed a process that works. Plus, they have an uncanny ability to be able to gain a ground on competitors by releasing innovative products and services.
A critique bearish analysts continually bash Amazon with is their continual reinvestments, and consequently poor showing on the profits front. However, over the past two quarters, Amazon has shown significant profit. Admittedly, Amazon still doesn’t still give out dividends; however, that should change soon.
In conclusion, Amazon continues to think a step ahead of competitors. Not only does Jeff Bezos and team diversify their interests but they are at the pinnacle of most industries they find themselves in. Amazon’s economies of scale are also unprecedented. Moving forward, these factors and more will help them to build a formidable company. Buy Amazon stock for its potential. Expect year-on-year growth over the next 3 years.


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Johannesburg - Pick n Pay will donate R4.5 million to the new Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital in Gauteng, the supermarket chain and the hospital said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
Pick n Pay chief executive Richard Brasher said the money exceeded the profits for December 15, the day of former president Nelson Mandela's funeral.
A number of other major supermarket chains, including Woolworths and Shoprite Checkers, opted to close on that day as a mark of respect for Mandela. Pick n Pay chose to stay open with the intention of generating money to donate to good causes.
Brasher said: “By opening our stores on Sunday 15 December, we gave our staff and customers an opportunity to contribute in a very tangible way to Mr Mandela's legacy.”
In addition to the R4.5m, which included a contribution from franchisees, Pick n Pay's regional teams would donate R500,000 to help provide equipment for children's homes, orphanages and care facilities in their areas.
“The total sum of R5m donated to good causes significantly exceeded our day's profits,” Brasher said.
He thanked Pick n Pay staff, franchisees and customers for their contribution.
Pick n Pay's external auditors, KPMG, checked the calculation of profits and confirmed that the amount donated to charities exceeded the profits of December 15.
Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital chief executive Sibongile Mkhabela thanked Pick n Pay for its donation, saying it honoured Mandela's legacy.
“We are proud that they chose our project and are confident that their donation will benefit many children in need for years to come.” - Sapa


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Nike and Urban Outfitters among stores closing all locations in Canada
People hoping to distract themselves from the current coronavirus situation with some retail therapy will have to do so online, as a slew of major retailers have made the decision to shut down operations across Canada and abroad in light of the growing global pandemic.
While we see measures like library, museum, school and arena closures to help slow the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus nationwide — following cities around the world that have gone into some form of lockdown — stores like Nike, Lululemon and Urban Outfitters have decided to temporarily shutter their locations for the health and safety of their customers and staff.
As such, we have decided to temporarily close all 258 Lush retail stores across Canada and the US from March 16 - 29. We are working through how we can best support our employees through these changes, ensuring regular pay for all staff during this period.— Lush North America (@lushcosmetics) March 15, 2020
So far, large brands that have closed the doors of all their Canadian stores include Nike, Urban Outfitters and associated brands Free People and Anthropologie, Aritzia, Sephora, Lululemon, Lush, Abercrombie & Fitch and sister brand Hollister, Warby Parker, Levi's, Nordstrom, Under Armor, Patagonia, Apple, and GoodLife and its offshoot Fit4Less.
Many have also shut down stores across North America and Europe, if they have them. Some closures are for a number of weeks, and some are indefinite.
A number of small businesses, like restaurants, have also followed suit, while many malls have reduced their opening hours.
A letter to our Community:— aritzia (@ARITZIA) March 16, 2020
To keep our people, our clients, our partners, and our communities safe, our boutiques will be closed until further notice. Should you need some normalcy https://t.co/8BIGg3jNeV and @aritzia will continue to be there for you. https://t.co/mZsAAJE4nV pic.twitter.com/6gSY7R5jzs
At the time of publication, 377 Canadians and counting have tested positive for COVID-19 across all provinces.
Prime Minister Trudeau, like many leaders, is urging Canadians to avoid overseas travel and is due to announce new restrictions on which airports will remain open for international flights today.
Officials around the world have instructed the public to self-isolate — or at the very least, avoid large crowds and socially distance — if at all possible to help inhibit community spread.
Join the conversation Load comments


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BELMAR, NJ — As the first of two Belmar Cruise Nights rolls into town tomorrow, July 18, commemorative T-shirts are available through Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More.
Available in men's, women's, and children's sizes, the orange shirt features a slick-looking roadster and the Belmar Business Partnership logo. Click on this link for more information.
T-shirts also will be on display during the event, to be held from 6 to 9 p.m. along the two-block stretch of Main Street between Eighth and 10th Avenues, where hundreds of vintage and classic cars and motorcycles will be on display.
As a DJ will be spinning tunes from the 1950s and 1960s in the event’s main hub at Pyanoe Plaza, many downtown merchants and eateries will also be joining the festivities.
Presented by the Belmar Business Partnership, Cruise Night has grown to become one of the area’s most-anticipated events of its kind, not only among car enthusiasts, but for visitors who enjoy taking a stroll down Main Street when it turns into a showcase of cars from yesteryear.
For participants, check-in and registration will be held in Belmar Plaza between Eighth and 10th Avenues, in the parking lot behind Pyanoe Plaza. Move-in is from 5 to 6 p.m. Dash plaques will be given to all cars.
Rain date is Thursday, July 19. Registration and admission is free. Cars dating back to 1986 and earlier are eligible to enter the free event. The summer’s second Cruise Night will be held on Wednesday, August 22.
Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More is located in Belmar Plaza behind the Belmar Beach Haus Brewery on Eighth Avenue and Main Street. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call 732-749-7700 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
TAPinto Belmar/Lake Como is Belmar and Lake Como’s only free daily newspaper. Accredited by the New Jersey Press Association, it is the official electronic newspaper of both municipalities. As a locally owned news organization, TAPinto through its advertisers is able to publish online, objective news 24/7 at no charge. Sign up for its free daily e-News, and follow it on Facebook and Twitter.


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They say pot-smoking is a victimless crime, but it turns out pot-legalization is hardly victimless. Consider the plight of marijuana growers:
[AP] If California legalizes marijuana, they say, it will drive down the price of their crop and damage not just their livelihoods but the entire economy along the state's rugged northern coast....
Local residents are so worried that pot farmers came together with officials in Humboldt County for a standing-room-only meeting Tuesday night where civic leaders, activists and growers brainstormed ideas for dealing with the threat.
This is a real-life example of a common analogy for rent-seeking -- the tale of the Baptist and the Bootlegger. Prohibition creates a barrier to entry, which drives up prices and profit margins. Lowering the government barriers to entry is good for consumers and would-be competitors, and bad for the incumbent businesses.
Nick Gillespie at Reason has a good blog post on this (including a parody video which this story has brought to life):
So we can all understand why pot growers might be nervous at the prospect of legalization. And hopefully they can understand why their fears about competition are no more compelling than those of any producer in a free-market economy.


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Tuesday, March 19, the Guerlain fashion house revealed French actress and filmmaker Sonia Rolland as its new makeup and fragrance ambassador. The former Miss France will feature in the luxury label's upcoming campaigns.
Revlon Inc reported on Monday a net sales drop for the fourth quarter 2018, but narrowed profit losses, adding that it expects to disclose "material weakness" in its internal control over financial reporting for 2018.
The New York-based cosmetics giant announced on Monday that the special committee formed to evaluate the tender offer made by JAB Holding in February has recommended that the deal be allowed to proceed.
The extreme uncertainty surrounding Brexit and Britain’s future has prompted The Body Shop to relocate a part of its operations from Littlehampton to Frankfurt, Germany with the opening of a new distribution centre.
The Illinois-based cosmetics retailer beat out Wall Street estimates on Thursday to report net sales of $2.12 billion in the fourth quarter, with progress driven by impressive growth in the company’s digital channels.


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The unemployment rate in Scotland dropped by 8,000 in the three months to October, official figures show.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics show the number of people out of work in Scotland in the three-month period, including those not eligible for benefits, dipped to 156,000.
The jobless rate now stands at 5.6 per cent compared with the UK rate of 5.2 per cent.
ONS figures show the UK unemployment rate fell by 110,000 in the three months to 1.71 million.
The number of people in employment in Scotland also rose by 3,000 in the three months to 2,615,000 which is up 10,000 on the same period a year ago.
Scotland's employment rate now stands at 74.3 per cent compared with 73.9 per cent for the UK as a whole.
The number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance in Scotland was also down 1,900 in the period October to November to 66,700, which is down 20,200 on the sale period a year ago.
Commenting on the latest figures, Scottish Chambers of Commerce chief executive, Liz Cameron, said: "External factors such as the renewed fall in world oil prices and lower than expected growth in China are continuing to have an impact on a number of key Scottish sectors.
“This could explain the apparent divergence of UK and Scottish growth rates this year.
“Also of concern are the recent reports of fragility in the retail sector in the run up to Christmas at a time when low inflation and rising real incomes ought to be pointing towards strengthening consumer confidence, which has been an important driving factor in our recent economic growth.”


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British supermarket Sainsbury's has posted its first annual underlying profit fall since 2005. As Hayley Platt reports it's been hurt by an industry price war that shows no sign of abating.
It's unfamiliar territory for Sainsbury's. The British supermarket has posted its first full-year profit loss in a decade. It was hurt by property writedowns, deflation and an industry price war which shows no sign of ending. Sainsbury's couldn't rule out further price cuts beyond the 150 million pounds already committed to. Shares, already down 14 percent over the last year, fell a further 2.8 percent. And the full-year dividend is being cut by almost a quarter. Justin Urquhart-Stewart is from Seven Investment SOUNDBITE: Justin Urquhart-Stewart, Seven Investment Management, saying (English): "What all these supermarkets need to do, is go back to basics. What are they there to do, focus on that, at the right price for the right customer. If they get that wrong, as Tesco did then they'll be in serious trouble." Food deflation is a problem for all UK supermarkets. But Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons are also having to cut margins to compete with discounters like Aldi and Lydl. SOUNDBITE: Justin Urquhart-Stewart, Seven Investment Management, saying (English): "The British consumer over the past few years has realised that the difference between what they can buy at a discounter and what they can buy at a full service supermarket wasn't just a matter of a few pence but a very significant difference indeed and most people just hadn't realised it." The changing retail landscape to one where more consumers shop little and often isn't the only problem facing Sainsbury's CEO. Mike Coupe is trying to overturn a conviction he received last year in Egypt. It relates to charges of embezzlement following the collapse of a business there which Sainsbury's invested in over a decade ago. Coupe was sentenced, in his absence, to two years in jail.


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#Ferrari #Armani #luxury #fashion
Ferrari (NYSE:RACE) will stage its 1st runway show at it Maranello, Italy HQ on 13 June.
The show is expected to take place in person. The collection will feature men’s, women’s and children’s clothing along with accessories, all of which will be made in Italy through a network of luxury suppliers.
Designer Rocco Iannone, the brand’s Milan-based brand diversification and creative director, will oversee the collection. He previously served as creative director of Pal Zileri and as head designer at Giorgio Armani. Ferrari will not produce its collection at Armani’s manufacturing facilities.
Armani has signed a multi-year sponsorship of the Scuderia Ferrari racing team. Under this agreement, the fashion house will supply formal attire and travel wear for the team’s management, drivers and technicians to be worn at official events and during transfers linked to F1’s Grand Prix races.
To further cement its status as a luxury brand pn the road and track, Ferrari has also inked a deal with Richard Mille to produce exclusive timepieces. And to accompany the launch of the brand’s fashion collection, the Ferrari-owned restaurant, Cavallino, will reopen in Maranello, led by renowned Michelin-star chef Massimo Bottura.
“Over the years, we have developed considerable knowledge about the luxury sector and our ownership of Ferrari has allowed us to understand better the art of building luxury brands,” said John Elkann, Chairman of Ferrari. “This sector is characterized by strong economics and durability. In 2020, it proved its strength and resilience and it is benefitting from strong market growth, particularly in China.”
Ferrari is The Aristocrat of the automotive sector.
Our overall technical outlook is still Bullish, a Key indicators are Bullish long-term. Ferrari reported strong earnings for Q-3 on 3 November and did the same for Q-4 and F-Y 2020 as reported on 2 February.
Ferrari on Friday finished at 215.90 within its 52 wk range of 127.73 – 233.66 in NY. It’s all time high in NY was marked at 233.66 intraday on 29 December.
Key technical indicators have turned Very Bullish. The candlestick pattern indicates the confirmation of the break out at 196.01 on 3 November and confirmed.
The Key support is strong at 211.08 and the Key resistance is at 233.66 at the close Thursday in NY.
Note: At the beginning of Y 2020 I called RACE at 230 by year’s end, the stock was trading at 165.22 on 1 January 2020, on 29 December 2020 it marked 233.66 intraday, its all time high
The Maranello Outfit’s shares were raised to Buy from Hold at HSBC, and Buys at Morgan Stanley and Bank of America.
UBS is now calling the stock at 365. Citi downgraded the stock from Neutral to sell. I have not seen any other Street downgrades.
Ferrari will continue to create value in the long term as it becomes the world’s 1st Super Luxury brand.
Ferrari is a quality 1st long term luxury products investment, BAML raised its call to 270 long term.
I have raised my long term target to 375, a Strong Bull call, the strongest on the Street and am holding the mark during this recent profit taking, and seeing RACE as a buying opportunity.
Ferrari has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price at 236.92.
The Maranello Outfit’s shares were raised downgraded from Buy to Hold at HSBC.
Ferrari will continue to create value in the long term. Ferrari is a quality 1st long term luxury products investment, and I am calling it 375 long term, the Top on the Street, and adjusting it to 250/share short term.
A number of large investors have recently bought shares of RACE, and there have been very few instances of insider selling over the past yr that we have seen.
The stock is considered defensive in the sector.
Have a healthy week, Keep the Faith!


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Tennis star, Madison Keys, has been selected by evian to join its Live Young lineup of ambassadors as the brand’s newest spokesperson.
Evian has unveiled its new 750 ml sport cap featuring its latest spokesperson, tennis champion Madison Keys. As its first American ambassador, she will appear in a campaign which includes print, digital, outdoor, and point-of-sale executions across retail channels in the US and Canada.
She joins the premium water company’s Live Young lineup alongside Stan Wawrinka, Maria Sharapova, Lucas Pouille, and Lydia Ko. In addition to the advertising push, Keys will lend her support to the brand’s sponsorship of the US Open and feature evian in her popular Instagram feed.
Supplied by BETC Paris, the creative from the new marketing initiative captures the tenacious and playful spirit of the rising tennis star, while effortlessly linking her with the marque’s Live Young philosophy, where youth is about adopting a healthy lifestyle and cultivating a certain mindset.
“Like the brand, Madison understands that it’s the source and the journey itself that shape who and what you are. We’re now excited to join Madison on her journey to athletic greatness, with evian by her side,” said Antoine Portmann, General Manager at Danone Waters of America.


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While 3G connectivity remains the standard for current networking technology, we are fastly moving into a 4G era, with many companies looking to be the first ones to support faster speeds.
One of these companies is AT&T of course, who are looking to boost speeds from 2Mbps (3G) to up to 10Mbps (4G), according to wi-fiplanet, who have stated that AT&T has reached an agreement with equipment providers for 4G technology.
If the next version of the iPhone supports 4G speeds, as it most certainly will, it will put an end to the bandwidth issues that have surfaced recently, as 100Mbps or even 1Gbps will supply all your data requirements for sure.
Meanwhile, Verizon are moving onward with their LTE plans, as we are still unsure of an iPhone release which would even support LTE tech.
If you’re on AT&T, let us know what you think about an iPhone supporting a 100Mbps 4G network.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Mobile app startup What The Trucks?! could put an end to long lines at food trucks
Those irksome long lines at food trucks during lunchtime could be a thing of the past.
Founder Christo Kyriakidis said the app is similar to Chicago-based online food ordering service GrubHub (NYSE: GRUB), but specifically for food trucks — a food service segment that has been largely left out of online ordering.
"The growth of mobile and tech really is helping put food trucks on a level playing field with restaurants and giving them the same advantages," he said.
So far, four food trucks have signed on to participate with Dookans' app: Baja Taco Truck, Benny's Crepe Cafe, Renula's Greek Kitchen and The Pasta Pot.
Another four food trucks will sign on beginning in August, Kyriakidis said.
To date, the app has had more than 750 downloads since it launched about six weeks ago. The company, which charges food trucks to use the service, makes money by taking a cut of each food truck order transaction, Kyriakidis said. Food truck customers don't get charged extra to use the app.
In the coming weeks, the app will also allow users to find all food truck locations, hours and menus in the Greater Boston area.
Kyriakidis also hopes the app will be beneficial for food truck owners who are looking increase the value they can obtain from analytics, such as information about who's ordering what food items and what times.
"Food trucks right now don't really have any information of who eats from the truck and what they like," Kyriakidis said.
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News Briefs for September 20, 2018September 20, 2018
•Highland Park single malt Scotch has launched Valknut, the second release in its Viking Legends series. The 46.8%-abv non-age-statement whisky was matured in Sherry-seasoned American oak. Some of the barley used in Valknut was grown in the Orkney Islands, the home of Highland Park. Valknut ($80) is now available in select retail locations across the U.S. Last year, the Edrington-owned brand was up 21.3% to 23,000 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.
•St. Helena, California-based Grounded Wine Co. is releasing a new wine label, Public Radio. Retailing at $25 a 750-ml., Public Radio is a blend of two-thirds Grenache with smaller amounts of Syrah and Petite Sirah. It joins Napa Cabernet blend Steady State ($65), Washington state-sourced red blend Collusion ($22), and Paso Robles Grenache-based rosé Space Age ($20) in the Grounded portfolio. Public Radio will be distributed by Vintage Wine Estates to select retailers nationwide. Grounded is led by winemaker Josh Phelps.
•Mast-Jägermeister U.S. has partnered with the NHL to make Jägermeister the official shot of major league hockey. The partnership allows Jägermeister to release team-branded bottles, have on-ice ads, and to craft stadium experiences around the brand. In addition, the brand will expand its local sponsorship program to include the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, and Washington Capitals alongside the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers, which return for another year of local sponsorship. In 2017, Jägermeister depleted 1.66 million cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.
•Champagne Billecart-Salmon is launching Bicentenary Cuvée, a new limited release celebrating its 200th anniversary. The Extra Brut Champagne is made from 92% Pinot Noir sourced from the 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2012 vintages, and vinified in oak and stainless steel. The wine is sourced from eight Grand Cru vineyards in the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs. 1,818 magnums are available worldwide. Retailing at $2,000, Champagne Billecart-Salmon Bicentenary Cuvée is rolling out to specialty wine retailers.Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.
Tagged : Billecart-Salmon, Edrington, Grounded Wine Co., Highland Park, Jagermeister, Vintage Wine Estates
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*Update – October 18th* CRYSTAR is coming to Switch on February 24th 2022 in Japan! The game costs 5,775 yen and includes 30 pieces of previously released DLC from the PS4/Steam versions. Fans can also purchase a limited edition BOX version for 7,975 yen featuring an 80-page artbook. Participating retailers in Japan include pre-order bonuses such as post card sets, B2 tapestries and more.
Switch Announcement Trailer
*Original Article* FuRyu is bringing CRYSTAR to Switch! A new Amazon Japan listing has surfaced for the Switch version. Additionally, a 3rd Anniversary Special Video premieres on October 18th at 12:00 JST/October 17th at 11 PM EDT. A release date for the Switch version is likely to be announced during the video. Lastly, CRYSTAR is out now for PS4 and Steam worldwide.
Stay tuned at Final Weapon for the latest Japanese gaming news and updates!


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The latest notification issued by Ministry of Corporate Affairs makes it mandatory for the companies to disclose crypto trading and investments during the financial year. The central government has amended the Schedule III of the Companies Act which guides the preparation of financial statements of every company in India.
"Where the Company has traded or invested in Crypto currency or Virtual Currency during the financial year, the following shall be disclosed:- (a) profit or loss on transactions involving crypto currency or virtual currency (b) amount of currency held as at the reporting date, (c) deposits or advances from any person for the purpose of trading or investing in crypto currency/virtual currency," reads the notification.
The amended schedule will come into force on April 1, 2021, but needs to be approved by Parliament.
The industry is still unclear about the legal status of cryptocurrencies but believes this is a positive step for the digital assets space. The industry players believe this will increase institutional participations in the crypto space in the country.
"This a major step towards regulating the crypto assets in India and will bring in lot of transparency in reporting/filing of crypto investments. The move will boost institutional adoption of crypto assets in India and will take Indian crypto industry to the next phase of growth," says Shivam Thakral, CEO, BuyUcoin.
However, the legal experts fail to predict what has triggered this change. "Government is looking to gather data on Indian companies' extent of exposure to crypto assets," says Sanjay Khan, Partner, Khaitan & Co.
Some legal experts fear that the exercise of data collection could be to begin investigations around the participating institutions. According to Avimukt Dar, Partner at IndusLaw, this reporting exercise, which will need sign off by external auditors as well, can be a prelude for possible investigations and penalties as there is no clarity yet from the government as to what 'calibrated regulation' means.
Despite the perplexity, Sanjay Khan is hopeful that the Government might wish to evaluate this data and take a decision for overall regulation or taxation of crypto transactions and businesses.
He says, "If implemented correctly and with care, this should pave way for an informed Governmental decision and effective regulation / taxation of crypto transactions and businesses in India, one of the world's largest and fastest growing crypto markets."
According to Thakral of BuyUcoin, it is important to note that Indians have already invested around $1.5 billion into crypto assets.
The industry players are eagerly waiting for guidance from the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to clear the air for them. Nobody could clearly define the private virtual currencies till date.
Copyright©2022 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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DALLAS, Sept. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Sales Benchmark Index (SBI), a management consultancy specializing in B2B revenue growth, today announced the publication of their latest research report, “Revitalizing Growth: Accelerate While Others Stand Still.” The report uncovers how market leaders have responded to the disruptive economic climate to outpace the competition.
SBI’s study surveyed 37 CEOs from both public and private B2B companies and have found that IT Services companies have found themselves in one of three categories: Survivors, Observers, or Accelerators. While the research has shown that 61% of industry leaders fit within the Observers category, only 8% were identified as Accelerators based on their ability to remain pragmatic, agile, and vigilant throughout the planning process.
“In an industry that was anticipating high single-digit growth, IT Services companies must lower sales and marketing costs given market compression and margin pressure,” said Matt Sharrers, CEO of SBI. “Our research indicates that Accelerators are not only able to do this but also maintain growth.”
This report outlines how CEOs and their teams can make strategic decisions to outpace their competition and industry by adapting best practices form the Accelerators. Namely, how to:
- Re-assess the revenue growth strategy to adapt to changes over time.
- Re-imagine the commercial engine to evaluate new opportunities in the market.
- Re-allocate resources and execute to implement quickly and flawlessly.
“Although CIOs drive the buying process, consensus is more important than ever with more influencers and decision makers involved,” said Anthony Erickson, Managing Director, IT Services Practice. “In response, Accelerators have reexamined the buyer and customer experience, including the rapidly growing impact of digital to meet these needs.”
You can access the full research report here and subscribe to get more information on upcoming webinars and virtual annual planning workshops.
About Sales Benchmark Index:
SBI is a management consulting firm specializing in sales and marketing that is dedicated to helping you Make Your Number. SBI is a firm comprised of former sales and marketing senior executives and top tier management consultants that help clients accelerate their rate of revenue growth. SBI provides consulting, insights, research and advisory services, and benchmarking data to private equity clients and enterprise clients across North America and Europe. Founded in 2006, SBI is headquartered in Dallas, TX. For more information, please visit: www.salesbenchmarkindex.com.
SOURCE Sales Benchmark Index


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Directors of distressed sale company Westland Cooperative Dairy did not tell independent adviser Grant Samuel about their controversial agreement to pay $1.6 million in bonuses to senior managers.
It's doubtful the advice would have materially affected Grant Samuel's valuation of the Westland company, poised to be sold to Chinese dairy giant Yili, but it's a further twist in the Westland board's tardiness in informing shareholders about the bonuses.
Westland's original scheme booklet last month on the proposed sale to Yili did not mention the planned bonuses for six executives. They came to light when the company later issued a one page "update" to the scheme detailing "a management incentive plan".
Grant Samuel's report dated May does not mention the bonuses.
A Westland spokesman said chairman Pete Morrison would answer the Herald's question about why Grant Samuel wasn't advised of the bonuses after the result of the shareholder vote on the sale on Thursday July 4.
The spokesman said the omission of the bonus agreement from the initial scheme booklet was "a genuine oversight". He said the omission had been identified by the company itself, not a financial markets regulator.
The company refused to provide a copy of the Grant Samuel report.
Grant Samuel has been approached for comment.
Herald inquiries established that independent advisers would expect to be told of such bonuses. While they may not make a material difference to a valuation, the advice would be of use to shareholders. An independent adviser could be expected to at least comment on such a plan, market sources said.
Chief executive Toni Brendish, who was paid more than $1 million last year, will receive $680,000 of the $1.6m cash bonus.
The bonus plan has been strongly criticised by shareholders because some of the executives have contributed to the poor performance that has led to Westland's present situation.
Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor told the Herald the bonuses are "unethical, immoral and outrageous".
But Westland chairman Pete Morrison and major shareholder Dairy Holdings have said the "management incentive plan" is standard practice in a takeover to ensure the incoming owner has managers in place to run the business. Morrison said the total bonus was comparable with that paid by other companies.
The update about the bonuses said senior managers had put "a significant amount of additional work" over more than 12 months into investigating future capital and ownership options for Westland.
Minister O'Connor has a different take.
"If the management and board had put more effort into selling product and less effort into selling the company, everyone would be better off."
He said while the sale proposal was up to farmers, he was "deeply disappointed" for the West Coast.
"If this proceeds it means the loss of the only big company and one that the West Coast owns."
As well as shareholder approval, the sale to Yili needs a tick from the Government through the Overseas Investment Office and from the High Court.
Yili, which owns the Oceania dairy company in South Canterbury, is offering $588m for Westland. Of this $246m is to buy all farmer shares - the rest is the assumption of Westland's debt and liabilities.
Grant Samuel valued 75 year old Westland's equity in the range of $63.3m to $99.7m, which corresponds to value of 88c to $1.38c per share. Yili is offering farmers $3.41 per share.
Westland is highly geared within current debt facilities of about $390m.
As at January 31 there was about $65m "headroom" available within these facilities, said Grant Samuel.
The company was likely to come under pressure to reduce net debt which would curb planned capital expenditure and more likely ensure a reduction of milk payment to shareholder suppliers.
For several years Westland has not been paying its farmers a market price for milk primarily because its processing facilities have become less competitive, overheads had risen and new investments were not contributing to the balance sheet as expected.
A group of former farmer-shareholders who say they are owed up to $8m by Westland has asked the Overseas Investment Office to delay or block the sale until they are repaid. The money owed to them is for share redemption. The farmers left the company in 2018 citing lost confidence and poor payouts.
Westland now classifies them as unsecured creditors and has advised they may not be paid until 2023. The group says their money has become an interest-free loan to Westland, and makes the balance sheet more attractive to Yili. In total $11m is owed to farmers who have left the cooperative.


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Carlsberg has unveiled a new alcohol-free beer, Carlsberg Nordic.
The 0.0% beer will roll out into Tesco in 300ml cans this week, replacing the existing Carlsberg 0.0 brand (rsp: tbc).
It had been “specifically brewed as an alcohol-free beer, meaning it delivers the same refreshment that drinkers expect from regular beer, with a crisp, hoppy bite”, said Carlsberg.
The alcohol-free category “has seen huge growth in the last few years as consumers seek to moderate their consumption without compromising on the taste of their beer”, said Liam Newton, VP marketing at Carlsberg UK.
It comes after Carlsberg last year rolled out Special Effects, the first non-alcoholic beer from Brooklyn Brewery, which it sells and distributes in the UK.
Meanwhile San Miguel 0.0% (the Spanish brand is also distributed by Carlsberg) grew value sales by almost a quarter (22.9%) last year, hitting £2.04m [Nielsen 52 w/e 7 September 2019].
William Reed – the publisher of The Grocer – has launched a new exhibition exclusively for the low & no category. For more information, visit low2nobev.com.


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The latest addition to the Corolla lineup is the Corolla Cross Hybrid, a compact SUV that uses the fifth generation Toyota Hybrid System to deliver exceptional performance and efficiency.
Toyota has been steadily expanding its Corolla range for the past few years, starting with the Corolla Hatchback, then the Corolla Cross, and now the upcoming GR Corolla and Corolla Cross Hybrid. The all-new model will be assembled at the company’s brand-new manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama, and will be offered at five trim levels: LE, XLE, S, SE, and XSE.
Positioned between the Toyota C-HR and the bestselling RAV4, the Corolla Cross Hybrid will use an exclusive electronic all-wheel-drive system and produce 194 horsepower. Toyota anticipates it will get 37 miles per gallon combined, pending testing by the EPA. That’s 25 more ponies and seven more mpg than the gas-only version. And with a 0-60 mph time of just 8 seconds, it will be faster too.
The new Toyota SUV will feature the brand’s latest multimedia system, wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ smartphone integration, USB-C charge ports, available Wi-Fi, and Toyota Safety Sense™ 3.0. To learn more about its many other features and how they can fulfill your driving needs, call or visit Motor Inn of Spirit Lake, Iowa!


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Researchers have said that the black-eyed pea, one of the world's oldest cultivated vegetables, is also one of the most promising as a nutritious food product.
Locally known as the "niebe", and also called the cowpea, the vegetable is good for both human beings and livestock, according to the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research (ISRA), which has helped organise the four-day conference.
At a time when most African countries are seeking to reduce their dependence on imported rice or wheat, participants at the Fifth World Cowpea Research Conference plan to present promising research into this food product.
According to an ISRA document, "the mature grain contains 23-25 percent protein, 50-67 percent starch, and B vitamins including folic acid, which is important in preventing malformation in newborn babies. The grain is also rich in essential micro-elements, such as iron, calcium and zinc."
Stockbreeders keep the stalks, which are also rich in proteins and make good forage for their cattle.
"It is difficult to imagine a more perfect culture, in particular for Africa," the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), based in Nigeria, said in a statement. The IITA is co-organising the Senegal conference with ISRA and Purdue University of the United States.
"Cowpeas provide strong yields, even in hot and dry conditions, and scientists are developing ever more resilient varieties," the IITA stated on its website.
"And as climate change turns up the heat in sub-Saharan Africa, there is growing concern that production of current staples such as maize and rice will fall or even collapse in some areas, requiring so-called 'climate-ready crops' like cowpeas to fill the void," added the institute.
Even the plants' roots are appropriate for impoverished African soils, which they infuse with nitrogen.
In Dakar, at his House for Consuming Senegalese Products, Aissatou Diagne Deme has long worked with the cowpea, at the same time as locally grown cereals or the fruit of the baobab tree.
"We produce niebe powder which is 100 percent locally consumed," Deme said, during a visit to his workshop which employs 52 people. The powder is used in cakes, fritters, grilled food and baby products.
A plan is afoot to test bread rolls that will be 85 percent wheat and 15 percent cowpea on pupils at a school in the Senegalese capital.
"A decline in students' grades has been noticed, which is attributed to insufficient nutrition for the pupils," said the director general of the Institute of Food Technology (ITA) in Senegal, Ababacar Ndoye.
"We thought of linking milk (which is already distributed) to a bread based on wheat flour, the niebe and groundnuts, which have a high energy value," he added.
"One reason cowpeas are not as widely cultivated as corn or rice is that storage of dried peas is complicated by a tiny reddish-brown beetle, the cowpea weevil, that rapidly reproduces in traditional grain sacks and renders the food inedible," the IITA said.
In Saly, south of Dakar, scientists from Purdue University and Niger?s Institute of National Agriculture Research will report on a bid to provide African farmers with a simple storage technology, comprising a three-layer plastic bag that shuts off the oxygen needed for a "weevil population explosion", added the IITA.


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Nobody had this on their 2022 bingo card.
The DeLorean is a legendary car immortalized as the car of the future in the quintessential 80’s movie trilogy “Back to the Future”. Originally founded in Detroit in 1975, the car company went backrupt in 1982 before getting revived by a mechanic in Humble, TX in 1995.
The styling of the car has always revved up the imaginations of science fiction fans, authors, and today’s futurist builders including new-Texan Elon Musk who adopted the ‘gull wing’ doors on some of the Tesla automobiles (which are widely credited with pushing the mainstream adoption of electric cars in the USA).
The Future was never promised. Reimagine today.
Sign up for the premiere of the DeLorean in 2022.
— DeLorean Motor Company (@deloreanmotorco) February 13, 2022
The company will hire roughly 450 skilled workers for its new operation at Port San Antonio with the city and Bexar county possibly kicking in some incentives to help the company grow in its first few years.
The relaunch announcement comes as electric vehicles are fast becoming the new normal in automotives and the new DeLorean is expected to be an electric car too. It also comes after Toyota moved their North American headquarters to Plano, TX and after Tesla announced a factory in Austin and moving their headquarters to Austin from California.
Texas, it would appear, is on the cusp of becoming the new Detroit.
Aside from snarky comments like mine:
I had better be able to just shove some garbage in it and travel through time.
— Joe Youngblood (@YoungbloodJoe) February 13, 2022
Most people appear to be genuinely excited about the car making a comeback 47 years after the company first opened its doors.
There’s also a hint in their video (see below) that DeLorean might be teaming up with Texas-based Tesla, though it’s only speculation at this point. Did you see it?
Watch the DeLorean Motor Company Relaunch Teaser Video:
Featured photo a screenshot from the DeLorean Motor Company teaser video as embedded above from their official Twitter/Youtube


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In 2019, RBI reported that losses due to banking frauds have grown by 73.8%. AI-backed robo advisory services have a lot of potential in fraud detection and prevention. Many banks in India have already launched fraud detection robo advisory services for investments. RBI also recently proposed the Positive Pay System for cheque truncation system to prevent frauds in high value cheques. AI is faster, accurate and reduces dependence on humans.
The RBI came out with a 5-pillared strategic approach ‘GUARD’ to deal with cybersecurity threats faced by UCBs. GUARD comprises Governance Oversight, Utile Technology Investment, Appropriate Regulation and Supervision, Robust Collaboration and Developing necessary IT and cybersecurity skills set. RBI plans to develop a forum for UCBs to share, discuss best practices, practical issues and challenges, creating a framework for providing awareness/training.
An RBI official said on Monday that the bank is setting up an innovation hub, focussing on future tech in the financial service space. They expect tech firms, financial entities, academic entities etc to interact on this hub and start the entire process from ideation to creation of projects. RBI has also released a framework for setting up umbrella entities for operating pan-India retail payments systems.
The GOI is mulling a law that’d ban cryptocurrencies’ usage in India. Reportedly, the finance ministry has already initiated inter-ministerial consultations. Cryptocurrency usage in India, during the lockdown, rose 10X for local exchangers whereas 545% for global ones; new users rose a humongous 4100%. In 2018, RBI prohibited financial institutions from providing cryptocurrency-related services as it lacked govt stamp. It was changed in March this year.
Bank-based loans are replaced by apps. Structured paperwork, restricted loan accessibility for small consumers, marginalised sections resulted in its unpopularity. Fintech enables hassle-free loans to almost everyone. Supported by RBI, fintech is expected to grow $100 B by 2023. Documentation, verification details etc are maintained by AI. Amid excessive use of digital payments, app-based money lending, digital literacy campaigns are essential.