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Small Business Snapshot
In the spirit: Christmas at Walnut Ridge is a combination of community service, big business
Photos by Ron Bath | Business First
Customers walked through the "avenues of trees" at Walnut Ridge Nursery & Garden Center.
Walnut Ridge Nursery & Garden Center
Address: 2108 Hamburg Pike, Jeffersonville
President: David Julius
Employees: About 35 full-time, at least 45 seasonal
Date founded: Started in 1913, incorporated in 1952
Phone: (812) 288-6691
Web site: www.walnutridge.com
Walnut Ridge Nursery & Garden Center knows how to get into the Christmas spirit.
After all, the company has offered trim-a-tree and other holiday merchandise for nearly 60 years. And when Santa Claus arrived at the Jeffersonville store by fire truck last month, “that was a big deal,” said president and co-owner David Julius, with “probably a two-hour line” of children who wanted to make their Christmas requests.
In the past, the store also had live reindeer during the holidays, but that caused “a lot of issues,” he said. “Things aren’t as simple as they used to be.”
Decking the halls
For at least 25 years, Walnut Ridge has offered decorating classes on topics such as designing floral arrangements and making bows.
It also hosts holiday tea parties for “little girls and grandmas,” pancake breakfasts for Grandpa and the grandkids, and a Santa pajama party.
Julius said the children’s events are mostly a community service. “We charge a little fee, but, believe me, it doesn’t begin to cover the expense,” which are at least $500 to $600 for each event.
He said the seasonal events have a positive impact on Walnut Ridge, but he declined to disclose revenue figures.
“Anytime you can get somebody to come to your store, shame on you if you don’t sell them anything,” Julius said. “Plus, when you teach people how to do stuff like that, they’re always going to need the materials.”
In the past, Walnut Ridge operated temporary satellite stores during the holidays in vacated spots in area malls and shopping centers — “as many as four or five,” Julius said.
Carolyn Tribble Greer manages digital operations of the news department.
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Apple’s New Privacy Rules – Privacy is Fundamental Human Rights
Apple’s New Privacy Rules – Privacy is Fundamental Human Rights
Apple Announces Great Privacy Protections. Apple Limits Control over Personal Data.
- Users will have to “opt-in” to allowing websites to track their browsing behavior on Safari, including sites with a “share” button usually provided by companies like Facebook or Google.
- Apple will also limit “fingerprinting,” or the ability companies to follow specific device activity.
- There will also be higher level protections against outside companies accessing information on a users’ contacts, photos, calendars, and reminders.
Apple is introducing more controls to allow Safari users to control who gets their personal information online, including limiting data tracking across websites, the company announced on Monday at Apple’s annual conference for software developers, WWDC.
The move helps Apple respond to increasing user concerns about privacy online but could make it harder for websites and advertisers to target ads efficiently.
One advertising agency executive told CNBC Apple’s new limits on tracking put Facebook and Google in a “precarious place” because it would block their ability to follow users across the web as well as attribute how many individual users were clicking on links or what kinds of people were looking at ads.
One of the main updates asks users to opt-in to allow websites to track their browsing behavior on Safari, including sites with a “share” button or comments section provided by companies like Facebook or Google.
To demo the new feature, Federighi showed how Safari showed a pop-up notice asking a user to allow Facebook to have access to cookie and website data before they were allowed to comment on a website. Though the website was not run by Facebook, its comments section allowed people to use Facebook Login to post their thoughts.
In most cases, users previously had to opt-out if they did not want to be tracked like this.
Apple will also limit “fingerprinting,” or the ability for companies to pinpoint precisely which device is visiting a website. That will make it “dramatically more difficult” for data companies to collect user information, Federighi explained, but could also make it harder for websites advertisers to measure how many people saw a particular piece of content.
Other protections include adding higher level protections against outside companies accessing information on a user’s contacts, photos, calendars, and reminders.
“There can be a lot of sensitive data on your devices, and we think you should be in control of who sees it,” Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said.
“We believe your private data should remain private,” Federighi said.
The changes will have the most dramatic effect on mobile usage and tracking. Safari is the second most popular web browser with about a quarter of U.S. internet users using the browser on mobile and desktop according to the federal government’s Digital Analytics Program. It is also the default web browser on Apple’s massively popular iPhone. The company sold 52 million iPhones in the quarter ended March 31.
Apple found itself embroiled in privacy issues after a New York Times report alleged Facebook shared its user data with Apple and other device makers without explicit consent. Facebook made deals with these companies to allow them access to user account information and activities. In exchange, the device makers included its Messenger, “like” buttons and other Facebook features in their products.
While Facebook blocked developers from accessing friends’ user information in 2015, it did not stop hardware companies from receiving the information. Facebook defended the decision, saying the contracts with device makers only gave limited use of user information for different versions “the Facebook experience” as opposed to third-party applications.
Apple is taking active steps to block Facebook’s data collection practices.
The Safari-maker said Monday that it will give users the ability to stop Facebook, Google and other platforms from tracking them across the web through “like” and “share” buttons.
The announcement is Apple’s most significant counter yet to Facebook’s data collection practices and comes after years in which Apple executives have criticized Facebook as reckless with user privacy.
“We’ve all seen these like buttons and share buttons,” Apple software VP Craig Federighi said at the company’s annual developer conference. “Well it turns out, these can be used to track you, whether you click on them or not. So this year, we’re shutting that down.”
Facebook’s chief security officer Alex Stamos immediately took issue with the move, questioning on Twitter whether it was a serious effort to protect privacy or “just cute virtue signaling.”
Apple has put a premium on user privacy for years. In 2010, then-CEO Steve Jobs said Apple had “always had a very different view of privacy than some of our colleagues in the Valley.”
“Privacy means people know what they’re signing up for, in plain English and repeatedly,” Jobs said. “I believe people are smart and some people want to share more data than other people do. Ask them. Ask them every time. … Let them know precisely what you’re going to do with their data.”
Current Apple CEO Tim Cook has returned to this theme in recent months as Facebook has come under fire for its collection of a huge amount of user data and its failure to protect that data from abuse by third parties — most notably Cambridge Analytica.
In an interview with CNN’s Laurie Segall on Monday, Cook said, “I think that the privacy thing has gotten totally out of control and I think most people are not aware of who is tracking them, how much they’re being tracked and the large amounts of detailed data that are out there about them … We think privacy is a fundamental human right.”
Facebook has made itself vulnerable to Apple’s criticism. Less than 24 hours before Apple’s conference, the New York Times reported that Facebook’s data-sharing partnerships with device makers, including Apple, were still in effect despite Facebook’s claim that they’d cut off such data sharing in 2015.
Meanwhile, Apple has seized the opportunity to cast itself as the best-behaved player in tech. In addition to the new privacy measures, Apple also introduced new features that will encourage users to limit the amount of time they spend on their phones.
“[Apps] try to draw us in for fear of missing out,” Federighi said. “We may not even recognize how distracted we’ve become.”
Source: money.cnn.com, cnbc.com

domain: news


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Bank of New York Mellon Corp cut its holdings in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) by 8.3% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 10,835,666 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock after selling 980,953 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp’s holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance were worth $786,885,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Commonwealth Bank of Australia boosted its position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 139.5% during the second quarter. Commonwealth Bank of Australia now owns 46,167 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $3,614,000 after buying an additional 26,893 shares during the last quarter. Andra AP fonden boosted its position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 6.9% during the third quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 62,300 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $4,811,000 after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the last quarter. Birinyi Associates Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 9.0% during the second quarter. Birinyi Associates Inc. now owns 9,100 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $713,000 after buying an additional 750 shares during the last quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC boosted its position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 48.6% during the fourth quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC now owns 261,369 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $18,981,000 after buying an additional 85,423 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CI Investments Inc. purchased a new position in Walgreens Boots Alliance in the third quarter worth about $27,555,000. 60.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Several brokerages have issued reports on WBA. Royal Bank of Canada set a $94.00 target price on Walgreens Boots Alliance and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Zacks Investment Research raised Walgreens Boots Alliance from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $76.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Loop Capital set a $90.00 target price on Walgreens Boots Alliance and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. ValuEngine cut Walgreens Boots Alliance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, Mizuho set a $87.00 target price on Walgreens Boots Alliance and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 24th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $85.37.
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ WBA) opened at $70.91 on Wednesday. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc has a 12-month low of $63.82 and a 12-month high of $88.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $70,250.00, a PE ratio of 19.59, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.18.
Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 4th. The pharmacy operator reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.27 by $0.01. Walgreens Boots Alliance had a return on equity of 19.15% and a net margin of 3.19%. The firm had revenue of $30.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $30.39 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. sell-side analysts predict that Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc will post 5.73 earnings per share for the current year.
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 15th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 14th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.26%. Walgreens Boots Alliance’s payout ratio is currently 44.20%.
Walgreens Boots Alliance announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, October 25th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the pharmacy operator to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.
TRADEMARK VIOLATION WARNING: This article was first reported by Community Financial News and is the sole property of of Community Financial News. If you are reading this article on another publication, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of international copyright and trademark legislation. The original version of this article can be read at https://www.com-unik.info/2018/02/21/walgreens-boots-alliance-inc-wba-position-lowered-by-bank-of-new-york-mellon-corp.html.
Walgreens Boots Alliance Company Profile
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc (Walgreens Boots Alliance) is a holding company. The Company is a global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. Walgreens Boots Alliance operates through three divisions, including Retail Pharmacy USA, Retail Pharmacy International and Pharmaceutical Wholesale. The Company’s products are marketed under a number of brands, which include No7, the Botanics range, Almus (generic medicines), Boots Pharmaceuticals and Soap & Glory (bathing and beauty brand).
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WBA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA).
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Philippine Airlines (PAL) will be upgrading its flagship route between Manila and London it was revealed today by Airline Route.
From October 28 PAL will be deploying its new A350-900. It will replace the B777-300ER, which PAL currently operates for the non-stop service to London.
Not only is the A350 recognised by our readers as a quieter aircraft aloft (compared with the B777-300ER) it features the latest amenities and seating.
In particular, with the A350-900, PAL will be offering a truly competitive product for business class.
On the A350, business class adopts the latest flat-bed seating configured 1-2-1 (by contrast business class on the B777-300ER is 2-3-2) and there’s a new premium economy cabin disposed 2-4-2.
Economy class will be 3-3-3 (it’s 3-4-3 on the B777-300ER).
There is no first class on either aircraft type.
Operating the A350-900 means that PAL will be offering roughly 80 fewer seats. These are almost all in economy class.
PAL’s A350 is configured for 30 business, 24 premium economy and 241 normal economy class. By comparison its B777-300ER is fitted with 42 business and 328 economy class seats.
It therefore suggests PAL will concentrate more on revenue rather than volume.
Flight timings (subject to change) are:
PR720 Manila-London Heathrow 1300-1920
PR721 London Heathrow-Manila 2150-1945
Note that the A350 is scheduled to enter service on the London route from the start of the winter timetable. Nearer the time we will have a better idea of connecting opportunities via Manila.
Airbus plans to deliver the first A350 to PAL on July 14.


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Grab is to receive an investment of US$1 billion (S$1.34 billion) from Japanese company Toyota, in its latest round of financing after it acquired Uber's South-east Asian operations in March.
The investment - touted as the largest by an automotive manufacturer in the global ride-hailing sector - will see both parties expand their collaboration in "connected cars", Grab said yesterday.
By using data collected by Toyota from Grab's cars on the roads, the two companies will explore such services as user-based insurance and financing programmes.
As part of the agreement, a Toyota executive will sit on Grab's board and another Toyota staff member will be seconded to Grab as an executive officer.
Grab president Ming Maa said: "As a global leader in the automotive industry, Toyota's investment in Grab is based on its conviction in our leadership in driving the adoption of new mobility solutions and expanding O2O (online-to-offline) mobile services, such as GrabFood and GrabPay, in the region."
Delivery service GrabFood, rolled out in Singapore last month, is one of Grab's newest products. It is also available in regional markets, including Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.
Toyota is not the first carmaker to invest in Grab. In January, Hyundai said it had injected an undisclosed amount, and the two parties plan to develop a mobility service platform using Hyundai's eco-friendly models such as the Ioniq Electric car.
The latest Toyota investment builds on its tie-up with Grab that started in August last year.
In a pilot scheme, Toyota installed its driving recorders in 100 Grab rental cars to collect data on vehicle and driving behaviour that is stored on Toyota's mobility services platform.
Mr Li Jianggan, founder of tech investment firm Momentum Works, said that motor financing can help automakers sell more cars and offers a steady revenue stream. "Grab will have the data of drivers as well as their driving patterns, and whether they are risky or not," Mr Li added.
He also said that Toyota's large investment in Grab means it is less likely to back other ride-hailing rivals, placing Grab in a more favourable position.
Associate Professor Lawrence Loh of the National University of Singapore Business School, said: "A lot of investors are now willing to put their money on the winning formula, which Grab has: A full spectrum of products and services centred on serving customers."


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An image seemingly showing a woman in China working on dozens of iPhones to manipulate App Store rankings has gone viral on the web.
The image was uploaded to Weibo with the caption: “Hardworking App Store ranking manipulation employee”. It shows a woman seated in front of around 100 iPhone 5C handsets, apparently downloading, installing then uninstalling apps repeatedly to boost their App Store rankings.
The photo has appeared on various tech sites, and Tencent Technology speculated that it shows evidence of a ranking manipulation factory of sorts, although it has no source and is unverified.
Another photo making the rounds supposedly shows the pricing for the service—70,000 yuan to break into the top 10 free apps and 405,000 yuan per week to keep it there.
The speculation might not be too far-fetched, considering similar app ranking manipulation services are available on Taobao. According to Tencent, around 100 fake ratings can be created within an hour or two, although it’s unclear how much of an impact this actually has on the App Store.


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Internet Solutions (IS), formerly Access Kenya, through its IS-Max solution, will attempt to increase competition in the home internet solutions market with their recently announced plans to provide internet to the home market Small and Medium Entrepreneurs in Kenya.
The service which is free to install will be subscription-based and available on both fiber and wireless infrastructure. The company will charge Sh3,000 for a 3MB connection burstable to 12 MB or 5MB burstable to 20 MB at Ksh.5,000.
“IS-MAX is an innovative product that provides access to a dynamic internet service allowing our customers to use more without additional spend. As you plan for your internet needs, more often than not you would work with the maximum capacity requirement as the determinant but ultimately you end up paying for much more than you actually utilize. With burst capabilities of up to 400 percent of the capacity subscribed, IS-MAX is your ultimate solution,” IS Group Managing Director Richard Hechle stated.
The move to offer home connectivity comes at a much needed time as this will enable more Kenyans to work from home as part of the many directives the government has suggested will help flatten the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID -19).
“Our venture into the home internet market has been informed by the fact that for people to work from home effectively as per the government’s directive, they need stable, secure, and high-speed internet connectivity. As a company, we realize that many people’s cash flow has been impacted by the pandemic hence our decision to waive installation fees for home users and SMEs. This will enable more people to access our internet service” Hechle added.
The company will join a barely populated internet solutions market that Safaricom and Zuku currently dominate. According to a study from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) Zuku currently holds a total of 175,433 fixed broadband connections while Safaricom is first runners up with 165,810.
Access Kenya started out with the name Communications Solutions Limited. Brothers David and Jonathan Somen founded the company in 1995 to provide ICTs for corporate clients in Kenya.


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Australian coffee firms lead ethical coffee production and go above and beyond the Fairtrade certification to improve coffee communities. In this article, we’ll look at how Australian coffee firms are upending the industry by focusing on community development, ethical sourcing, and sustainability.
Australian coffee businesses are dedicated to obtaining premium beans from morally and environmentally responsible sources. Many businesses engage closely with coffee farmers to guarantee fair prices, make investments in environmentally friendly agricultural methods, and assist their local communities. Australian coffee firms can ensure that their coffee is produced ethically and responsibly while still being superb by engaging directly with coffee farmers.
The growth of coffee communities is a priority for Australian coffee firms, as well as maintaining ethical sourcing procedures. In places where coffee is grown, many businesses have worked with regional agencies to assist initiatives in healthcare, education, and community development. As a result, Australian coffee businesses are contributing to enhancing the standard of living for coffee farmers and their families by investing in the growth of coffee communities. It’s possible for you to support coffee farmers as well by purchasing fairtrade coffee beans online.
Empowering women in coffee communities is another area where Australian coffee firms make a difference. Although they are frequently marginalised and have limited access to resources and education, women play a vital role in coffee production. Australian coffee firms are attempting to change this through funding initiatives that benefit women in coffee-growing regions. To assist women in achieving greater economic and social empowerment, these initiatives strongly emphasise offering them chances for education and training, financial assistance, and leadership development.
Reducing Waste Australian coffee firms are making progress in minimising waste in addition to ethical sourcing and community development. Several businesses are introducing sustainable practices at their cafés and roasting facilities, such as employing renewable energy sources, lowering water usage, and putting recycling systems in place. As a result, Australian coffee firms are supporting a more sustainable coffee industry while also assisting in environmental protection by minimising waste.
In conclusion, Australian coffee companies are leading the way in creating a new benchmark for ethical and sustainable coffee production. Their commitment to sustainability, ethical sourcing, community development, and waste reduction goes beyond the Fairtrade certification, making a significant impact on coffee communities worldwide. By supporting these companies, customers can help to ensure that their coffee is not only of the highest quality, but also produced in a way that benefits the coffee farmers, their families, and the environment.
In addition, supporting these companies can also help to promote a more sustainable coffee industry. By investing in sustainable farming practices and reducing waste, Australian coffee companies are helping to protect the environment and create a more resilient coffee industry. Customers can play a crucial role in supporting these efforts by purchasing coffee from companies prioritising sustainability and ethical practices. Ultimately, the success of the Australian coffee industry is a testament to the power of ethical and sustainable business practices. By prioritising the well-being of coffee farmers and their communities, these companies are improving the quality of life for those involved in the coffee industry and setting an example for other sectors. As consumers, we have the power to support these efforts and positively impact the world, one cup of coffee at a time.


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Webtech Wireless Inc. (WEW.TO) reported that its fourth-quarter net loss narrowed to C$934 thousand from C$8.24 million in the year ago quarter.
Total revenue increased 4% to C$11.4 million compared to C$11.0 million in the same quarter last year. The increase in revenue in the quarter compared to the prior year is the result of an increase in recurring revenue particularly due to sales of Quadrant transportation solutions, sales in the theft recovery segment and several large NextBus projects that were implemented in 2011.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: firstname.lastname@example.org


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According to data from the New Zealand Ministry of Health, the daily smoking rate has decreased by half over the past 10 years, but the decline is attributed to the use of updated electronic cigarette products replacing traditional cigarettes.
Fans of the television series "Breaking Bad" will enjoy the Heisenberg Slush flavor, named after the main character's alias, while Sour Batch e-cigarette liquid clearly draws inspiration from children's candy, offering Gummy Bear and Skittle flavors.
According to new regulations, these names may need to be changed, resulting in Heisenberg's blue product potentially becoming a more common "blueberry.Hachi stated that this may decrease the appeal of electronic cigarettes to young people, but the packaging and tactile feel of electronic cigarettes may still remain attractive.
There is a risk of a black market emerging.Starting in November, customers in New Zealand will no longer be able to purchase disposable electronic cigarettes, but will instead only be able to buy devices with removable or replaceable batteries, in accordance with the government's plan.
Disposable e-cigarettes are very user-friendly, while open systems can be somewhat cumbersome as they require coil replacement and refilling of liquid, which can sometimes result in leakage.
Karlbenda explained to the media the reasons for the popularity of disposable products.People can go out at night and simply pick up a $10 or $12 disposable e-cigarette to use and discard by the end of the night.
After the new regulations take effect, stores selling e-cigarettes will no longer be able to sell disposable e-cigarettes. They will only be allowed to sell e-cigarettes with tobacco, mint, or menthol flavors.
The new regulations represent the first phase of the government's plan to change electronic cigarette use, with the second phase focusing on providing young people with alternative methods for quitting smoking.
Content source:https://www.2firsts.com/news/new-zealan ... b-teen-use


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One of the largest consumer electronics enterprises in China is to build its new Smart TV range on the Opera Devices Software Development Kit (SDK) for Linux-based devices.
Some of the 2013 Samsung Blu-ray players now feature the Opera Devices Software Development Kit (SDK).
Opera Software has announced it will deliver its browser on Sony Bravia televisions and Blu-ray Disc players. Opera aims to deliver more “lean-forward”, interactive components to connected home users by […]
Opera Software today announced that its Opera Devices SDK 10.15 for Linux was selected by Loewe for its connected TVs, providing web browsing, widgets and HbbTV implementation.
Opera Software and Ocean Blue Software have announced the launch of a modular, scalable and integrated Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) solution for connected TVs and set-top boxes.
Opera Software, the Norwegian based browser company, and GooMe Interactive, an Over-The-Top (OTT) media solutions provider, have announced a strategic technology partnership.
Opera Software has announced that it has joined the cross-industry consortium that is leading the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) initiative.


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It was announced last month the prized artwork would be auctioned off by Christie’s New York as part of its Post War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale. Koons’ artwork had an estimated selling price of $50,000,000-$70,000,000 USD, to which it blew that number out of the water by making over $20,000,000 million USD more. The buyer of the piece remains unknown.
Standing at three feet tall (104 cm), this Rabbit sculpture was created by Koons nearly three decades ago from his signature stainless steel material. It made its debut back in 1986 at New York City’s Ileana Sonnabend Gallery.
The previous record was held by British artist David Hockney, set in November of last year, who sold his Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) for $90 million USD. Before then, Koons held the record when he sold his Ballon Dog (Orange) for $58.4 million USD.
For more record-breaking art, Claude Monet’s Meules painting sold for $110.7 million USD.


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It might not be until the far end of the year – but if there’s one thing we can tell you about Black Friday, it’s that it’s important to be prepared.
Each year, the late-November sale seems to only get bigger and longer, with more and more retailers getting in on the deals action and slashing prices. Last year’s Black Friday was no exception, with an astonishingly high number of people doing their shopping online due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions.
In fact, according to figures from Adobe, online sales on Black Friday 2020 reached $9.03 billion, up from $7.4 billion in 2019 and $6.2 billion in 2018. And, according to search experts Semrush, there was also a 14% global increase in interest for Black Friday last year. The US alone saw a 34% increase in Black Friday searches, making it the biggest year yet for the event.
Traditionally, Black Friday has been focused on high-value tech items, but we’ve found pretty much every last category of product on sale in recent years – it’s also a good time to pick up broadband deals. In 2020, Semrush confirmed that the most in-demand product groups were laptops, TVs, microwaves and furniture. And we have no doubt that you should expect more of the same this November. With Nintendo confirming the new Nintendo Switch OLED pre-orders, too, you can expect deals on the older Switch – great timing for those of you trying to snap up a bargain before Christmas.
Read on for our guide to Black Friday: when it is, what you should expect, and a few pointers to help you seek out the best deals. Plus, for those who don’t want to wait, our experts will keep bringing you the best live sales to shop.
When is Black Friday 2021?
Black Friday will take place on Friday 26th November this year, but that isn’t when you should expect prices to fall. Last year, we saw stores launching their sales as early as the beginning of the month, making us wonder if the whole thing should be renamed Black November for the sake of accuracy. However, these early waves of deals are often just teasers before the hottest discounts are rolled out on Black Friday itself or just before.
Three days after Black Friday comes Cyber Monday 2021, the follow-up sale. This year, it’s taking place on Monday 29th November.
Traditionally, Cyber Monday was always an online-only event versus the discounts of Black Friday that took place in-store. However, this is a slightly old-fashioned concept. In recent times, online shopping hasn’t so much boomed as become the norm, which means there’s very little practical difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There’s often a lull in fresh deals in the two-day weekend period between the two dates, but plenty of Black Friday deals continue to run into the week that commences with Cyber Monday.
What sales and deals can you shop now?
If you don’t want to wait until November, here are a selection of summer sales and deals live now:
- AO clearance sale
- Very electrical offers
- Argos clearance sale
- Laptops Direct student deals
- Get three months of Sky’s WiFi Guarantee add-on for free when you sign up for Sky Broadband Superfast, Ultrafast or Ultrafast Plus
- Get Netflix included with certain Android phones from EE
You can head to our other dedicated deals pages, too:
- For Amazon devices, don’t miss our pick of the best Amazon Echo deals and Amazon Fire TV Stick deals.
- Thinking of upgrading your television? There’s also our round-ups of the best smart TV deals and best QLED TV deals this month. Our guide on which TV to buy can help you decide on the right model, too.
- If it’s a printer you’re after for home-schooling or to upgrade your home office while you work remotely, we’ve also been watching prices to bring you the best printer deals.
- And finally, if you’re fed up with low streaming quality and lag, browse the best broadband deals.
Don’t forget that autumn is a key time for new tech releases. This means that it can be beneficial to wait for Black Friday if you’re after an iPhone or other flagship device. The iPhone 13 pre-orders are live and it means that the iPhone 12 series will likely see discounts during the shopping event.
What’s the history of Black Friday?
Black Friday is a shopping tradition that’s been going strong in the U.S. for decades – it always takes place on the day after Thanksgiving. It took a surprisingly long time to gain popularity in the UK, only becoming a fixture in the sales calendar a few years ago. Now, though, it is well and truly here to stay, and you’ll find very few British stores that don’t get in on the deals action at the end of November.
Are Black Friday deals real?
Yes – in fact, it’s usually in the Black Friday sales that you’ll find the hottest discounts all year round. It’s at this time of year that you’ll see retailers at their most competitive, dropping prices as low as possible to outbid their rivals.
That being said, there’s a fair bit of filler alongside the killer: not every deal you’ll find during the Black Friday sales is a gem. Read on to find out more about separating the wheat from the chaff.
Which products were popular for Black Friday 2020?
Black Friday is an opportunity to pick up premium products for less and get ahead on Christmas shopping. This means that Black Friday iPhone deals and other Apple products are always highly sought after, and toys and games consoles often make it high on shopper wish lists. Autumn is often a time when we see new tech releases meaning that many people will hold out until Black Friday to get a cheaper deal on previous models.
According to Adobe, hot selling products on Black Friday 2020 were:
- Hot Wheels
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars
- Animal Crossing
- Apple Watch
And popular products on Cyber Monday 2020 were:
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars
- Vtech toys
- HP and Dell computers
What were some of the best Black Friday deals in 2020?
Of the thousands (no, literally) of deals we scoured during Black Friday 2020, there were a number of highlights that really stood out.
- One product we watched yo-yo in price across a number of stores were Apple’s noise-cancelling AirPods Pro, which dropped as low as £195 at Laptops Direct.
- True to form, Amazon slashed prices across a number of its own devices like the 4th-generation Echo Dot, which was reduced by 42%.
- It was a particularly excellent Black Friday for phone deals – both handsets and SIM-only contracts. We saw the best pay-monthly offerings on the iPhone 11 (which had just had its flagship status poached by the iPhone 12), while there were some incredible data boosts in Three’s SIM-only plans.
- TVs are always a major component of what’s on offer during Black Friday, and we saw prices fall by as much as 40% across models like the Philips PUS8555 50-inch Smart 4K TV and LG 65UN81006LB.
- There were plenty of great price drops on kitchen appliances, too: we saw savings run as high as 50% on products like the Kenwood KHC29 BOWH Prospero Stand Mixer and Kenwood KMix Stand Mixer at Argos. Over at Currys, the offer on the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer was so popular it sold out online.
How to get a good deal on Black Friday
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of discounts that you’ll find online during the Black Friday sales. We’ve put together a few tips and tricks to help you get prepared for deal-hunting.
- If you’re thinking about buying a high-value tech item at some point this year and don’t mind waiting until November, holding off until then isn’t a bad idea. But don’t pin all your hopes on one item – put a wishlist together instead. For example, if you’re thinking of replacing your television, read our which TV to buy guide, and search out a handful of TVs that pique your interest. We’re certain at least one of them will be discounted come Black Friday. We also have guides to the best smartphone, best Android phone, best tablets and more.
- Don’t always go for the latest generation device. If you don’t mind not having the newest release, Black Friday can provide some brilliant deals on tech as retailers look to shift older models. Many of these products won’t be more than a year old. For example, with the Google Pixel 6 release date due to be in October this year, the Google Pixel 5 could see its price fall during Black Friday sales.
- As a general rule, don’t rely on inspiration if you’re searching for Christmas gifts during Black Friday. Of course, you might find a surprise gem – but remember that stores are very good at convincing you that you’ve just found the deal of the century.
- Price drops shouldn’t always be taken at face value: retailers like to exaggerate their deals by listing RRPs that might no longer reflect actual prices. A great online tool is CamelCamelCamel, which will tell you the price history of an Amazon product, so you get a better sense of the deal’s quality.
- Shop around. Always shop around! When you see an amazing deal, add it to your shopping basket. Then, use that window of time to take a look through prices from competing retailers in Google’s Shopping comparator. Keep in mind that stores like Currys PC World and John Lewis promise to match prices that are cheaper elsewhere – hold them to it.
- We love a good deal at RadioTimes.com – so much so that we share ones we like in a regular newsletter. Interested? Take a look below.
Which retailers take part in Black Friday?
The following stores were where we found some of the hottest discounts on electronics and other tech appliances, and we’re confident these retailers will lead Black Friday 2021 with the strongest deals.
Read more on Black Friday
- Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals
- iPhone Black Friday deals
- John Lewis Black Friday deals
- Amazon Black Friday deals


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Kenya Breweries Limited has unveiled radio personalities Maina Kageni and Adelle Onyango as Johnnie Walker brand ambassadors for the ongoing, Experience Formula 1 with Johnnie Walker promotion.
The brand ambassadors were announced at a ceremony attended by KBL Managing Director Jane Karuku, ahead of their trip (official role) to watch Formula 1 Grand Prix in Monaco this weekend. Maina and Adelle, presenters on Classic 105 FM and Kiss 100 FM respectively, will join other Diageo Global Influencers in Monaco – a Grand Prix race described as the Jewel in the Formula 1 Crown circuit.
“Today’s consumers are increasingly sophisticated and are seeking new experiences. Therefore, such partnerships are welcome since they will enable our consumers to associate with the brand in an unconventional way,” Ms Karuku said.
She added that the company will continue investing in innovative marketing solutions aligned to today’s ever-changing consumer trends.
Earlier in the month, Kenya Breweries Limited launched Experience Formula 1 with Johnnie Walker promotion that is giving six consumers an opportunity to watch one of the Formula 1 Grand Prix races anywhere in the world. The six, who will be picked during the 12-week promotion, will each receive an all-expenses paid trip to one of the countries across the world that are part of the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit.
At these races, winners will also enjoy access to the Johnnie Walker VIP hospitality tent. The Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit, which kicked off in March, comprises 21 races spread throughout the year until November. So far, five of the races have been held in Australia, Bahrain, China, Azerbaijan and Spain.
According to KBL Head of Spirits, AnnJoy Muhoro, Johnnie Walker, is the perfect partner with the world’s most progressive and technologically-advanced sport.
“For the first time in history, KBL is bringing the long-standing Johnnie Walker – Formula 1 partnership to Kenya.
“This partnership affirms KBL’s position as the leading alcoholic beverage company in East Africa, while at the same time strengthening the historical connections that the Walker family has with the world of motorsport and Grand Prix racing which go back to the 1950s,” said Ms Muhoro.
The promotion is open to consumers of any of the Johnnie Walker variants. Apart from watching the Formula 1 Grand Prix races live, Johnnie Walker consumers also stand a chance to win daily and weekly KSh2,000 and Ksh10,000 cash prizes.
International Premium Spirits, Senior Brand Manager Alice Owambo said: “This is the coming together of two globally acclaimed brands. Formula 1 is the perfect fit for Johnnie Walker, whose purpose is to connect with premium consumers. This association will enable Johnnie Walker to greatly extend its reach to F1 fans.”


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Coffee and tea company Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) and its partners are ploughing in US$1m on a coffee sustainability project in Vietnam’s Central Highlands designed to boost traceability and food safety.
Suntory Holdings Ltd. has invested $9m in Anellotech’s Bio-TCat technology to pursue the development of a 100% bio-based PET beverage bottle as part of the beverage company's corporate sustainability goals.
‘Food is at the heart of a growing global health crisis’, with a more joined-up approach from governments, industry and individuals needed to tackle the double burden of malnutrition in South East Asia.
An Indonesian consortium led by Singaporean palm oil planter Golden-Agri Resources’ local offshoot, PT Smart, has signed a new agreement with a French partner to support the development of sustainable plantations and develop maritime logistics.
Back in 2014 I interviewed Hans Jöhr, who at the time was corporate head of agriculture at Nestlé. We had a (refreshingly) open discussion about certification schemes. Some of them are “cheating consumers” and “cannot help farmers be better farmers per...
Greenpeace's damning report on Malaysian palm oil supplier IOI, just one month after its membership of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was renewed, could be damaging for the certifier, according to one sustainability consultant.
Australian scientists believe that the world’s livestock sector could account for up to half of the global agricultural, forestry and land-use sectors’ potential to mitigate greenhouse gases while still maintaining its economic and social benefits.
GreenPalm sustainable palm oil certificates will now offer buyers traceability back to the mill, meaning it is now the only fully inclusive supply chain open to all growers, says the trading platform. But campaigners are still calling it a "false...
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has moved a step closer to its ambitious goal of creating a global certification standard for seaweed production after announcing it will be working on the project with the NGO Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).


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LONDON, June 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --
Norgine B.V. today announced that it has completed the divestment of its MENA operations and product rights for MOVICOL®, MOVIPREP®, KLEAN-PREP® and NORMACOL® in MENA to Acino.
Peter Stein, CEO at Norgine said: "The divestment of Norgine's MENA operations and product rights to Acino ensures that patients in the region will continue to benefit from our products while enabling Norgine to drive our European strategy forward in order to deliver profitable growth and create a dynamic and sustainable business in the long term. Norgine will be looking to use the proceeds of this transaction to acquire further specialist products for sale through our European infrastructure."
Kalle Känd, CEO at Acino said: "The acquisition of Norgine's MENA operations is perfectly in line with our dynamic growth strategy in our key markets in the Middle East and Africa. The products are complementary to our existing portfolio in these markets and will considerably strengthen our offer in one of our core therapeutic areas - gastroenterology."
The transaction includes the transfer of Norgine's employees and entities in Egypt and employees in Tunisia. Norgine will continue to manufacture its own products for Acino.
Financial terms are not disclosed.
Notes to Editors:
Norgine Media Contacts:
Isabelle Jouin, T: +44-(0)1895-453643
Charlotte Andrews, T: +44-(0)1895-453607
Acino Media Contact:
Ulrike Seminati, T: +41-44-555-22-03
SOURCE Norgine B.V.


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Authorities say gunfire erupted at a North Carolina mall as holiday shoppers gathered, though there are no reports of any injuries. No evacuation was ordered, but several shoppers left the mall and some smaller stores closed.
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office says detectives are looking for two suspects after gunfire rang out at Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville early Friday.
The first shots were fired around 2 a.m. outside the mall near a food court entrance. Investigators say several more shots were fired after one of the suspects ran inside the mall.
Investigators say no one with gunshot wounds has shown up at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
Black Friday kicks off the holiday shopping season, when merchants can make 25 to 40 percent of their annual revenue.
Cortney O'Brien - Kevin McCarthy Withdraws from Speaker Race
The Problem Isn't Guns Or White Men | Human Events
Report: Boehner phones Paul Ryan, asks him to run for Speaker — or else he might stay on as Speaker himself
- Vladimir Putin’s Russia Adopts Concealed Carry
'The dim bulb thing wasn't an act'? Andy Richter tries his hand at #GunSense - twitchy.com
Debunking The "Declining Number Of Gun Owners" Lie - Bearing Arms - Gun Ownership, gun sales
Trey Gowdy to Elijah Cummings: so, hey, Sidney Blumenthal profited from the Libyan civil war? | RedState


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They release up to six new flavors annually
Talenti already has 40 flavors of gelato and sorbetto in their dessert arsenal. However, every year they work to release as many as six new flavors into their repertoire. Those 40 options were first formed around classics -- for example, Argentina’s dulce de leche inspired the Sea Salt Caramel Gelato and Caramel Cookie Crunch Gelato. Classic Italian flavors, like pistachio and hazelnut, were also incorporated. And, of course, the American standbys, like butter pecan.
The research and development team still considers these same factors when narrowing down new flavor options -- plus, of course, market trends. The team focuses on making the best flavors, then narrows them to 25 (!) options. After lots of taste tasting, they choose three to six flavors to bring to market. This year, they’ve unveiled three new gelatos and a sorbetto: Cinnamon Peach Biscuit, Vanilla Chai, Vanilla Blueberry Crumble and a dairy-free Peanut Butter Fudge Sorbetto.


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Virgin Mobile US has pulled an advert that seemingly made light of rape after Sir Richard Branson slammed the online commercial as "ill-judged" and "a dreadful mistake".
The offending ad depicted a man holding a gift while shielding the eyes of a woman, an accompanying caption asks: "The gift of Christmas surprise. Necklace? Or chloroform?"
Reference to the anaesthetic, and the implication of it being used to render attack victims unconscious, were immediately attacked on Twitter, with some posters alerting Branson to the ad.
"This advert is a disgrace. The suggestion of violence is not funny and perpetuates misogyny," wrote Carolyn Leckie.
"@virginmobileus u think normalisation of rape or violence is funny?," another Tweeter asked, adding: "@richardbranson have u seen this?"
Branson had indeed seen the advert. And despite not owning the company – Virgin Mobile USA was bought by communications giant Sprint Nextel in 2009 – the entrepreneur made his views known to those responsible.
In a post on the Virgin group website, Branson wrote: "Having just seen, for the first time, the Virgin Mobile US advert which has upset many today, I agree it is ill-judged.
"Although I don't own the company, it carries our brand. I will speak to the team there, make my thoughts clear and see what can be done about it."
He added: "Virgin Mobile US usually get these things right, although on this occasion it is clear they have gone too far."
In an update to the post, Branson confirmed that the people behind the ad had acknowledged that "a dreadful mistake was made" and had agreed to remove the advert within the hour, "never to be seen again".
A spokeswoman for Virgin Mobile USA said: "This image was not approved by Virgin Mobile USA. We apologise deeply to anyone who has been offended by this posting. It was removed early this morning."


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The FDA said it was assuming regulatory authority over e-cigarettes and all tobacco products with rules that will prohibit sales to anyone under 18 and require products to be submitted for approval.115
Donald Trump’s elevation to presumptive presidential nominee has raised fears among some Republicans that he could damage the election prospects of congressional candidates. Vulnerable lawmakers face choices now.281
The U.S. Treasury’s latest currency report is supposed to ratchet up pressure on trade partners whose exchange-rate policies are giving exporters a leg up on American firms. But the new metrics for calling out currency offenders still leave countries enough latitude to avoid triggering censure by Washington.
MetLife reported a 19% decline in first-quarter operating income.


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A weekly electronic news briefing on African issues for the Southeast Asian community
Editor: Johan Burger
Issue 157 3 August 2018
- Africa: The key for governments in Africa is to support the agriculture sector to exploit the global shift in consumer behaviour and consumer demand towards higher quality agricultural products. This can lift millions of farmers out of poverty, creating tremendous revenue generation potential and job growth.
Many countries are focused on mineral resources and tend to forget the principles for inclusive growth. The second challenge is to position themselves in the face of climate change and international markets. The third challenge is to create a better institutional regulatory policy environment to enable the sector to grow, setting broad rules and facilitating private sector activity. African countries with oil and its attendant riches can experience negative consequences. First, a country’s currency can appreciate, making food imports cheaper, which appears very attractive in the short run. However, it can restrain the opportunity to grow agriculture in the long-term. Second, oil revenue bears the risk of financial governance problems and opens the doors to poor money management. Countries should create a buffer for leaner times by creating a sustainability fund, focusing on soil and water. It would be tragic to ignore agriculture. For more information, read.
CAS Analysis: A few thoughts come to mind reading the article. It emphasizes the importance of agriculture and of understanding the consumers. Tapping into the higher value products can not only lift millions of farmers out of poverty, but it can transform the nature of Africa’s agriculture from a subsistence sector characterized by poverty to a lucrative sector. This has 2 benefits. Firstly, it can become an attractive sector for the youth of Africa. This is a major potential benefit as it is an outcome that has long been pursued. Secondly, it can boost the contribution of agriculture to the GDP of Africa’s economies. There has been a mismatch between the size of the employment force in Africa’s agriculture and its contribution to GDP. It can also contribute towards keeping greater numbers of the population in the rural areas, thereby lifting the pressure on urban areas, where governments are not geared to accommodate the high rate of urbanization. Another thought that comes to mind is the need for a sovereign wealth fund that can act as a buffer for bad times. Countries that have done this with great success, include Qatar and Singapore. Furthermore, Nigeria of a few years ago is an example of a country that used the short-term benefit of a relative strong economy to import food instead of cultivating its own agriculture. Although the government put in place subsidies to stimulate the cultivation of cassava, for instance, this was not implemented ruthlessly and did not bring about the sought-after results. Lastly, it shows upon the risks inherent in the negligence of the agriculture sector and placing an overemphasis on the extractive industries.
- East Africa: Recent visits by China’s President Xi Jinping and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Rwanda and Uganda signalled their growing interest in East Africa.
In Rwanda, President Xi signed 15 bilateral agreements and concessional loans, and reiterated China’s endeavour to have a “mutual understanding” with Africa on equal terms. China will fund projects in road construction, hospital renovation and the development of the airport. PM Modi donated 200 cows towards Rwanda’s One Cow per Family poverty eradication initiative, on top of a US$200 million loan from India’s Exim Bank for the development of industrial parks, irrigation schemes and the expansion of the Kigali SEZ, with the message that India and Africa are looking to work together towards development. Asia is gaining in terms of its presence in Africa and in East Africa. Bilateral relations between Rwanda and India or China will ensure that they secure markets for Asian exports that are produced in bulk, such as leather, agriculture and pharmaceuticals products. India intends to open 18 new embassies across Africa, adding to the 29 it already has. China currently has 43 embassies across Africa. Xi’s approach and commitment to pump at least US$60 billion into development in Africa could alter the global power play. For more information, read.
CAS Analysis: The competition for Africa between India and China appears to be heating up. China has its Belt and Road Initiative, and has recently stated that the whole of Africa can participate in the BRI. India subsequently responded with its Asia-Africa Growth Corridor. The AAGC will be focusing on 7 countries in East and Southern Africa, as well as 4 Indian Ocean islands. The two initiatives are not really comparable, as the BRI is vastly superior in scale and scope. Having said that, this has not stopped the competition between India and China in Africa. During a recent visit of PM Modi to China, the 2 countries leaders agreed on a number of issues, but PM Modi refused to back down on the AAGC. The outreach of these 2 Asian giants to Africa raises questions about the unwillingness of other countries to launch similar initiatives of a comparable scale. Turkey is an example of a country that is increasing its footprint in Africa. We are also seeing Russia reaching out, although it still has a long way to go to reach a similar footprint.
- Kenya: One decade ago, no restaurant in Kenya had rabbit meat on its menu. However, a rising demand for meat, decreasing sizes of land holdings for farmers, climate change–induced shortages in fodder for cattle and a health-driven turn-away from red meat are combining to spark a Kenyan dietary shift.
The country’s only rabbit abattoir processed 200kg of meat a week until 2016, but now churns out between 500kg and 1,000kg. That increased demand has raise the price for 1kg of meat from US$4.50 to US$5. Restaurants that have always sold lean meat are making the rabbit a central part of their offering. Traditional families are reluctant to serve rabbit meat to guests, worried that may be seen as a sign of disrespect or economic desperation. Demographic and economic pressures — and a growing health awareness — are battering against those stereotypes, increasingly bestowing cultural acceptance to what was socially a no-go. At the same time, though, the increasing population has led to a sharp growth in demand for meat. The demand for rabbit meat is rising so fast that the supply is struggling to keep up. For more information, read.
CAS Analysis: An interesting case study of a unique new product finding strong potential growth in Kenya. The lesson is that one should push all boundaries and test the market. Making assumptions about a market can be fatal. One has to identify the orthodoxies in the industry and test their relevance. Many organisations fail because they assume that “this is the way this industry works,” or that “this cannot work in this country.” Having identified the orthodoxy, one has to brainstorm as to how they can be exploited to your benefit.
- Rwanda: The USA on Monday suspended duty-free benefits for apparel from Rwanda due to tariffs imposed by the country on used clothing and footwear imports it blames for harming the local textile industry. The proclamation suspends the application of duty-free treatment for all apparel products from Rwanda.
The now-suspended duty-free benefits came under AGOA, but Rwanda remains eligible to receive nonapparel benefits available under the measure. Affected products accounted for around 3% of Rwandan exports to the USA in 2017, valued at US$1.5 million, meaning that the vast majority of Rwanda’s exports to the United States are not affected. Rwanda blames used clothing — which mainly comes from the USA — for undermining the development of its local textile industry. Initially, the EAC was united in its battle against used clothes, but the alliance cracked as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda balked at the prospect of a retaliatory loss of access to USA markets via AGOA. Rwanda alone did not capitulate and in 2016 its imports of used clothing dropped by a third. For more information, read.
CAS Analysis: According to the UN, 80% of Africans wear second-hand clothes. Clothing and textiles are collected from donors, sorted and shipped to Africa. Vendors purchase these items and sell them at a low price to Africans. The industry creates many jobs in Africa and provides the market with affordable clothes. Domestic textile manufacturers, however, cannot make clothes as cheaply as the second-hand items, and are being forced out of business. Tariffs may protect the local manufacturer, but consumers end up paying the higher price. So there is a trade-off somewhere. South Africa’s textile industry was destroyed for all practical purposes in the late 1990’s due to cheap imports from the East. Rwanda’s textile industry has already started to turn towards the EU and the rest of Africa for alternative markets to make up forthe loss of exports to the USA. An example of such a strategy is where Ethiopia is now producing textileproducts for not only companies such as PVH (including brands such as Polo and Tommy Hilfiger) fromthe USA, but also for H&M from Sweden.
- Tanzania: Palm oil seeds have now become the sixth priority cash crop as the government seeks to end the importation of edible oil and boost domestic processing
Initially, there were 5 cash crops of priority that earned Tanzania foreign currency through exports. The crops are cashew nut, cotton, tobacco, coffee and tea. The aim is to embark on mass farming of the cash crops. Massive farming of palm oil seeds will enable the country to produce enough palm oil and eventually curb the importation of edible oil from other countries. The Prime Minister appealed to farmers to start preparing farms as the government works on modalities to provide them with seedlings. The PM also urged the residents to form farming groups that will enable them to access credit facilities from financial institutions. For more information, read.
CAS Analysis: Agriculture is a priority sector in Africa. It is the major source of employment, but unfortunately its contribution to GDP does not track the scale of its employment. In this case, the farming of palm oil seeds will generate revenues, provides jobs, create import substitution, and expand participation further down the palm oil value chain. With this initiative, the importation of palm oil into Tanzania can become redundant. As it is, we already see large multinationals involved in Tanzania in the palm oil business. Some of them import palm oil from Southeast Asia and then process it in Tanzania. It will be interesting to see the extent of their participation in this Tanzanian initiative.
- Nigeria: The Swiss Government is to strengthen its relations with Nigeria in the non-oil sectors in line with its diversification agenda.
Nigeria is a main exporter of oil to Switzerland and both countries were working to diversify relations in other sectors. There is the Lafarge Nigeria cement factory; Nestle Nigeria Plc that produces consumables; pharmaceuticals companies and companies in new technologies as well. In addition, there are Swiss investors in the agriculture field, involved in Swiss-Nigeria JV’s that are trying to promote the value of potatoes. Nigeria is a major oil producer and has since 2015 been Switzerland’s biggest oil supplier. In 2017, 45% of Swiss oil imports came from Nigeria. Some 45 Swiss companies are currently present in Nigeria. Together they employ nearly 9,000 people. For more information, read.
CAS Analysis: Nigeria has for very long largely depended on its oil reserves to generate foreign revenue. The oil price slump of a few years ago hurt its economy severely and emphasized the need for a diversification of its economy. The involvement of the Swiss Government to expand its relations to non-oil sectors can only be good for the Nigerian economy. In addition to the diversification of revenue sources, the jobs created are an additional benefit. This case study should serve to warn countries with newly discovered oil reserves of the negatives that could arise from an overemphasis on the production of oil. It can also serve to show upon a route to reduce this over-dependence. Hopefully the Swiss influence will keep Nigeria focused on expanding its non-oil sector.
- Nigeria: Nigeria withdrew from signing the AfCFTA having initially committing to sign it. The government explained that its decision wasn’t a rejection of the accord, but that it wanted time to consult with key stakeholders in Nigeria.
Some saw holding off on signing the agreement as a sign how seriously the Nigerian government is taking the agreement. It has consulted with think tanks, trade expert groups, institutions such as the Nigeria Institute for Advanced Legal Studies, civil society, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, and other private sector institutions. However, Nigeria is finally getting ready to sign, stating it sees great merit in the AfCFTA, e.g. expanding market access for Nigeria’s goods and services, boosting economic growth and job creation, improving competitiveness and the ease of doing business in Nigeria, while it provides a platform for Nigeria’s continued leadership role in Africa. The AfCFTA’s dispute settlement mechanism will provide protection against hostile and discriminatory trade practices. It’s concerns include unfair trade practices such as dumping. The Nigerian government has confidence in the potential of the agreement’s dispute settlement mechanism. Not signing the AfCFTA is not an option for Nigeria, particularly given the rise in protectionism, nationalism and backlash against free trade in the global multilateral trading system. For more information, read.
CAS Analysis: There was a lot of discussion when the 2 largest economies in Africa, i.e. Nigeria and South Africa, did not sign the AfCFTA at the occasion in Rwanda. South Africa did sign the agreement, but not the actual AfCFTA. Nigeria did not even reach Rwanda. The article clearly shows why Nigeria cannot refuse to sign the AfCFTA. It provides clear benefits, as well as protection against a world rife with uncertainty in the trading domain. This is actually true for all the countries in Africa, including the other large economies on the continent such as Angola, Egypt and South Africa. Truth be told, the AfCFTA would not be a realistic and viable economic community without the participation of its large economies.


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Nintendo announced today that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai will be presenting the newest characters to the series from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the legendary blade’s two personalities Pyra and Mythra, including when they’ll be released. The presentation will be held on March 4 at 6 AM US Pacific time.
The presentation will be roughly 35 minutes long, and there will be no further new fighter announcements.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 24, 2021
The above tweet notes that the presentation will be around 35 minutes of pure Sakurai fun and that no new fighters will be revealed during the presentation, which is understandable considering they’re likely still working on Pyra and Mythra.
Watch the announcement trailer from last week’s Nintendo Direct:
Source: Nintendo of America on Twitter
Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza, and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.
Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!


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Latest Radiation protection Stories
Believing wired headsets are a safe alternative to placing a cellphone against the head, many consumers use wired hands-free headsets and attach the phone to their belt or purse worsening exposure
Studies suggest many men carrying their cell phone in their pockets all day will be shooting blanks on Valentine’s Day.
RF Safe provides the most easy-to-use cell phone radiation protection with custom shielded flip cases and air-tube headsets in one accessory package for reducing exposure to potentially cancer
According to RF Safe, recent studies suggest that cell phone users face huge odds that are not in their favor when it comes to being exposed to cell phone radiation.
New Samsung Galaxy S4 Flip-cases are shielded with ultra light space-age radio frequency radiation shielding fabric that protects users from cell phone radiation. New
RF Safe cell phone radiation protection designed in fashionable pink intends to protect unborn babies from exposure to cell phone radiation. Cambridge, Massachusetts
Worried about cell phone radiation? RF Safe suggests an air-tube headset for parents that purchased smartphone’s for their children. San Francisco, CA (PRWEB)
RF Safe helps parents get their children into the habit of cell phone radiation safety with a new line of colorful RF Safe headsets.
Laptop radiation shield pioneer HARApad, LLC solidifies their position as industry leaders by releasing a brand new product that is the first and only shield against all forms of electromagnetic
Dade Moeller is pleased to announce The Institute of Nuclear Materials Management recognized Glenda K. Ackerman with the Edway R.
- A handkerchief.
- Specifically— The legendary sweat-cloth; the handkerchief of St. Veronica, according to tradition miraculously impressed with the mask of Christ; also, the napkin about Christ's head (Johu xx. 7).
- In general, any miraculous portrait of Christ.


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Alpine Meadows ski resort in Lake Tahoe, CA will close for the season on April 29th, 2018.
In celebration, Alpine will run the Summit Chairlift until 7pm on April 28th!
Squaw did this on KT-22 last year and trust us, it was crazy fun to ski until 7pm!
Squaw will be open until Mary 28th.
Alpine Meadows saw 309-387″ of snowfall so far this season.
“This is it folks, the last days to make turns of the 2017-18 season at Alpine Meadows on Sunday, April 29. We’ll be celebrating a fantastic season in Spring Skiing Capital fashion with a late closure of Summit Express on Saturday, April 28 at 7pm. It’s always bitter sweet to close out the season at one mountain, but we’ll be operating Squaw Valley every day through Memorial Day Weekend (May 28, 2018), weather and conditions permitting.
More details coming soon!” – Squaw Alpine, today


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EA Sports has released the highly anticipated FIFA 15 demo today, in advance of the official game release date of September 23rd, 2014 (September 18th for EA Access users).
The FIFA 15 Demo teams are:
- Manchester City
- Boca Juniors
What are your early impressions of the gameplay?


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Aurora Innovation Inc., a Silicon Valley-based autonomous-driving startup with at least a $10 billion valuation, has agreed to a long-term strategic partnership with Toyota Motor Corp. and its supplier Denso Corp. that aims to mass produce autonomous vehicles and launch them on ride-hailing networks, including Uber's, over the next few years. The first model that will be equipped with the Aurora Driver, the company's hardware, software and sensor suite, is the Toyota Sienna minivan, with testing of an initial fleet to begin this year. Toyota, which overtook Volkswagen AG as the world's top-selling automaker in 2020, is also an investor in Uber Technologies Inc. and has a formidable brand that has long been associated with high volume manufacturing and safety. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Toyota will gain an observer seat on Aurora's board. "This is a really exciting set of developments," said Sterling Anderson, Aurora's Chief Product Officer, in an interview.
Eighteen months ago, Uber's self-driving car unit, Uber Advanced Technologies Group, was valued at $7.25 billion following a $1 billion investment from Toyota, DENSO and SoftBank's Vision Fund. Now, it's up for sale and a competing autonomous vehicle technology startup is in talks with Uber to buy it, according to three sources familiar with the deal. Aurora Innovation, the startup founded by three veterans of the autonomous vehicle industry who led programs at Google, Tesla and Uber, is in negotiations to buy Uber ATG. Terms of the deal are still unknown, but sources say the two companies have been in talks since October and it is far along in the process. An Uber spokesperson declined to comment, citing that the company's general policy is not to comment on these sorts of inquiries.
Progress on self-driving technology has been slower than many people expected just a few years ago. Google's Waymo was aiming to launch a fully driverless taxi service by the end of 2018 but missed its deadline. GM's Cruise abandoned plans to launch a commercial service in 2019. Tesla has repeatedly fallen short of Elon Musk's optimistic timelines for delivering fully self-driving technology. They have plenty of cash and can keep working on the problem as long as they need to. But it is a big challenge for some of their competitors: independent self-driving startups that rely on venture capital to stay afloat.
At the end of last year, it looked like Uber's self-driving cars were done for good when autonomous vehicle tech startup Aurora took over its robocars unit as part of a $400 million deal. But now Aurora is reviving a driverless ride-hailing service. Aurora announced Tuesday that by the end of this year it'll design, build, and start testing a fleet of self-driving Toyota Sienna minivans. The cars will be equipped with the Aurora Driver autonomous system through another partnership with automotive parts supplier Denso. While Aurora has previously tested on Chrysler Pacifica minivans, this will be the first fleet of autonomous Siennas.
The autonomous vehicle industry is looking a lot like a middle-school dance. Monday, Aurora and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced they would work together to put the startup's self-driving tech, called Aurora Driver, into FCA's commercial vehicles, including cargo vans and Ram pickup trucks. On Tuesday, word leaked that Aurora and Volkswagen had discontinued their 18-month joint effort to build an urban robotaxi system. Wednesday, Aurora and Hyundai said they're doubling down on their own partnership, with the South Korean company (and its conglomerate partner, Kia) pouring more money into Aurora's now $600 million Series B financing round. The companies will continue to work together to build Aurora's tech into Hyundai's hydrogen-powered Nexo.


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The NFL is the only league in the NFL that uses fiber internet to deliver its games and content to its fans, but it’s also one of the most expensive.
And for the last couple years, the league has been trying to figure out how to get it to customers faster.
“We’ve been trying for the better part of two years to get the network up and running,” said Adam Green, vice president of marketing and operations for Comcast SportsNet, a division of Comcast.
Comcast said it has installed about 200,000 fiber connections across the league since 2015. “
But as we’ve learned, that’s what consumers want, that is a good way to engage with the NFL.”
Comcast said it has installed about 200,000 fiber connections across the league since 2015.
In October, the NFL said it had reached an agreement with Charter Communications for up to 500,000 new internet connections, and the league is working to finalize a deal with Verizon Communications, which owns the cable networks DirecTV and Verizon FiOS.
The deal includes more than 300,000 Comcast internet access points, including in-home wireless access, a new wireless network and new cable connections.
“This agreement ensures the NFL’s digital offerings continue to deliver the value consumers have come to expect and deserve,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement.
The NFL also recently rolled out its own wireless network, called the NFL Wireless, and a wireless device called the Xfinity Internet.
Comcast said that its new wireless devices will connect fans to a network that offers faster speeds than that of Directv’s and Verizon’s networks.
The company said that it will also provide access to more than 1.4 million Comcast internet users.
Comcast is also in talks with Time Warner Cable, a subsidiary of Charter Communications, for a separate wireless network that will include more than 100,000 homes.
The league is hoping to get more than 700,000 additional internet subscribers from the new wireless service in 2018.
Comcast’s deal with Charter, however, is subject to approval from the Federal Communications Commission.
The FCC has until April 28 to approve the deal, which could mean the NFL could end up with its best wireless network yet.
The Comcast deal is a major win for the NFL.
The cable and satellite TV industry is dominated by cable companies like Comcast, which has a market value of about $72 billion.
But with cable providers facing tough competition from satellite companies like Dish Network and Direcison and the growing popularity of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, Comcast is in a position to control much of the industry.
“When you look at the size of the wireless market, Comcast has been the leader,” said Michael Pachter, a sports and entertainment analyst at Forrester Research.
“They’ve got a lot of capital and a lot in place.
But they also have the capital and they’ve got the people.
They’ve got their network.
They have their fiber.
They’re pretty well positioned.
And they’ve done it.”
Comcast also has its own streaming service, Xfinai, which is a competitor to Netflix.
The network, which offers a subscription-based model for users, is currently available in more than 20 markets, including the East Coast.
Comcast had a deal in place with Netflix that expired in 2020.
Comcast also acquired the cable rights to HBO and Showtime, which were also included in the Comcast deal.
Comcast bought Direcord, the cable provider that owns HBO and the Showtime networks.
It also bought the rights to the NFL Network, which was previously owned by NBC Universal.
Comcast and other cable companies have also purchased satellite television rights from Time Warner.
The NBA, the NHL and MLB all have their own streaming services.


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Head to Golf World Stansted to enjoy its new driving range with 28 bays, TopTracer and Powertees technology
Introducing everybody to one of the world's oldest games and making it accessible to the whole family is the aim for the new owners of Golf World Stansted.
And the opening of its impressive new state-of-the-art, fully floodlit two-storey driving range is already proving a real hit.
Friends and business partners Rofu Miah, Sharif Hussain and Abdus Sabur, and their families, bought the near 100-acre complex in September and have made a sizeable investment in the new facility.
It boasts 28 bays and has TopTracer technology, using high-tech cameras to track the ball, and Powertees, in 22 bays, which automatically tee up the ball ready for you.
TopTracer not only provides the serious golfer with a wealth of useful stats and information to improve their game, but allows friends, families and parties to play virtual games, like nearest the pin and longest drive.
You can even play a virtual round on some championship courses and imagine you're on the professional tour. Online booking is highly recommended to avoid disappointment and to avoid queues.
It is all part of a grand plan to make the venue, in Hall Road, Elsenham, a go-to destination for the serious golfer, the novice and everyone in between.
Rofu and his fellow directors have taken over at Golf World Stansted from Colin Pharaoh. Colin and his wife Tracy built up the business over the last 12-and-a-half years and the family is still heavily involved. Their daughter Leanne is still general manager while her siblings Daniel and Emma have also continued to work there.
Rofu said it was important to have that continuity as he and his fellow directors look to continue growing the business and giving people of all ages and backgrounds the chance to enjoy a range of different activities.
"We had various businesses, some of them in retail and in the leisure sector, but not sporting and we were looking for something slightly different," said Rofu.
"We looked at the Topgolf model, but we want to be a different type of business. We think there's a niche for a golf club with driving range facilities that's for everybody.
"There aren't enough facilities where the average person can go and get involved in golf.
"Colin was marketing this place with planning permission for a double-storey driving range so it was more attractive then, rather than having to go into something and start afresh. It was ideal."
Rofu and his fellow directors first got involved at Golf World Stansted in early 2019 and worked with Colin to complete the driving range.
The new facility, which opened with a soft launch at the start of May, features televisions in each bay showing sports channels and players can have food and drinks delivered to them by ordering on their phone via a QR code.
And it is just one of many attractions – as well as a nine-hole course there is a six-hole short course, three-hole academy course, 18-hole 1066-inspired adventure golf and a footgolf course. Head coach and PGA professional Bradley Smith runs the academy and offers lessons.
VIP lounges on the driving range are in the pipeline and other facilities include a café and bar, a gym and health and beauty services while the venue can also host functions, meetings and weddings.
Taking over the business during a global pandemic has obviously presented challenges. Rofu and his team traded for roughly two months before the country went into the second lockdown in November, before a short-lived respite and the third lockdown which began to ease at the end of March.
"Since we've owned it we've been closed half the time, so we've felt the financial pressures of course," said Rofu, who has implemented a full range of measures to make the site Covid-safe. "We've had to dig deep and believe in our vision. Now that we're open we're hoping we'll be open permanently."
Diversity is key for the success of the business, says Rofu, with outdoor golf alone not enough.
"Colin started this vision by diversifying the site with the adventure golf, footgolf, driving range, but to survive winters even that's still not enough," he said.
"This is where the new driving range comes in, a bit like the final piece of the puzzle."
Not only is Golf World Stansted looking to entertain everyone, it is also set to provide new jobs as the country rebuilds from the coronavirus crisis.
The team of around 20 is set to grow following the opening of the two-storey driving range, with roles in all departments.
"We're looking to add five, six or seven people in different areas," said general manager Leanne Pharaoh.
"With the new driving range we need more balls collecting because there are more people hitting them; it's getting busier and busier on food so we need more chefs; we need someone to manage all the bookings on the driving range and we need more bar staff now that we're running more food and drink out there."
Go to www.golfworldstansted.co.uk to find out more about the new driving range and everything else it has to offer.


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Last year, Sony’s Vision-S electric car went from a simple prototype to something the company said it wanted to bring closer to reality. In July, Sony announced that it plans to begin testing the car on public roads by the end of 2020. True to its word, it has done just that. Although it did not provide a substantial EV update to CES 2021’s core report, Sony says it began testing EV in Europe in December and shared a clip of the car driving on scenic Austrian roads – the company̵
When Sony first introduced the S-Vision at CES 2020, it said it was created to introduce its technology to companies in the automotive industry. The prototype we saw at the trade show included two 200kW engines and had the ability to accelerate to 62 MPH in 4.8 seconds. At the time, Sony said the car also had Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities, but planned to make it more autonomous in the future.


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1951 Jaguar XK 120 Roadster, which was the first post-war sports car from the carmaker, will now have one of its editions go under the hammer for a listed price of $88,100. It was manufactured between 1948 and 1954, and it was launched in roadster form at the 1948 London Motor Show as a test bed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine.
This particular piece was one of the first to sport the aluminum body before it got replicated further. The 120 name referred to its 120mph top speed which made the XK120 the world’s fastest standard production car at the time of its launch. It was available in two convertible versions: first as the roadster, then also as a drophead coupé from 1953 and as a closed, or fixedhead coupé from 1951.
The car features the classic green paint job on the outside, with a lighter tone of the color being used for the leather interiors. Other than that, the original UK registration and matching numbers are a part of the package the new owner would be receiving. Under the hood, there is a 4-speed manual transmission engine which could go up to 120 m/ph of top speed, which ended up giving the car its popular name. For those who might want to verify the authenticity, a Jaguar/Daimler certificate will also be issued along with.
Supplied new through Henley’s of London and reportedly restored in the late 1980’s, there are also a number of more recent invoices from specialists. These include a new aluminium petrol tank in 2009, five new Avon Turbospeed tyres in 2008, the fitment of a lead-free cylinder head, a new stainless steel exhaust system and a new battery amongst many others that can be seen in the history file. MoT test certificates attest to just 9,000 miles covered in the last 12 years and the overall condition certainly reflects that of a cared-for car.
This example is expected to sell for $88,500, placing it among the higher-end examples – and it will be sure to lusted after again at Historics at Brooklands’ sale, this weekend.\


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With Heavy rainfall since August-end leaving market-ready crops extensively damaged, affecting arrival and quality of the produce, prices of onion and tomatoes have gone up steadily across the country.
Data from the Ministry of Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs show that retail prices of onion and tomatoes have increased significantly in the last one month. Onion prices in Delhi have gone up from Rs 33/kg in September to Rs 47/kg.
The price escalation has been steeper in the case of tomatoes, with Delhi markets now retailing it at Rs 59/kg, compared to Rs 28/kg a month ago. At some other places, onion prices have touched or crossed Rs 50/kg, while tomato prices are nearing Rs 60/kg.
Farmers had earlier reported damage to stocked produce, harvested in April-May. The overall availability of onions had started dipping since September-end.
At Lasalgaon’s wholesale market in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, the average traded price of onion is rising since the third week of September. The prices, which for most part of the year were around Rs 1,500-Rs 1,600/quintal, have breached Rs 3,300/quintal.
Suresh Deshmukh, a commission agent in Nashik’s Dindori taluk, said new arrivals were of poor quality. “Such onions don’t have much market value. The only tradable onion now is stored onion, which farmers are offloading,” he said.
In the case of tomatoes, the average traded price at Karnataka’s Kolar market has been over Rs 3,000-Rs 3,500/quintal. Traders in Kolar pointed out that September rains had caused damage to the crop in the area.
“The present trend is expected to continue till December-end. Prices are also going to increase as demand increases after Covid-19 restrictions ease out,” said Deshmukh.


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UAE: Duplicate luxury items worth Dh30 million seized
The police seized duplicate leather products, clothes, accessories, watches and sunglasses.
The Ajman Police have seized nearly 120,000 counterfeit items with a street value of Dh30 million.
The police said that their Criminal Investigation Department (CID) received complaints from international companies about a group of shops selling the duplicate products.
In subsequent raids, the police seized leather products, clothes, accessories, watches and sunglasses that bore brand names like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Boss, Chanel, Dior, Prada, Adidas, Rolex and Versace, among others.
Brigadier-General Khaled Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Deputy Director General of Police Operations, said the police have confiscated the products and taken legal action against the shop owners.
( 120 ) 30 pic.twitter.com/3aDEMyVS7R— ajmanpoliceghq (@ajmanpoliceghq) June 1, 2021
Saud Sultan Al Shammari, Director of the Supervision and Commercial Protection, Ajman Department of Economic Development, said the team would continue its crackdown on counterfeit products.
He said the department seized over 300,000 fakes worth Dh7.3 million in three months from January this year.
Commercial fraud has decreased by three per cent in the Emirate, he added.
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Apr 1st - Nintendo has showcased the rewards for platinum and gold members for the final year of Club Nintendo.
Apr 1st - Today's Nintendo Direct is incoming, so let's have a quick discussion on what we think will be showcased!
Apr 1st - Nintendo will have a booth presence at WonderCon this weekend, including Smash amiibo tournaments for attendees to participate in!
Mar 31st - Image & Form have released a core gameplay trailer that showcases the gameplay of Steamworld Heist.
Mar 31st - March 31st marks the final day you can register any products with Club Nintendo in order to redeem points toward Gold or Platinum status.
Mar 31st - Nintendo has announced a Nintendo Direct for tomorrow, April 1st. Nope, it's not a joke, we're finally going to see what they've been planning!
Mar 30th - Splatoon's devs have already given us a look at the paint roller and the hot blaster, so this week the SMG is making its appearance.
Mar 30th - Frozenbyte is happy with the sales of the recently released Trine: Enchanted Edition. Could this mean Trine 3 on Wii U if sales are good?
Mar 30th - Club Nintendo Europe has restocked the Super Mario 3D World soundtrack, alongside offering the Kirby Triple Deluxe soundtrack.
Mar 30th - Playtonic's Gavin Prince said he'd love to do a cross-collaboration with Rare on future projects as an homage to their history.
Mar 30th - According to an insider familiar with the matter, ZombiU 2 was quickly cancelled in 2013 after sales for the first game fell off a cliff.
Mar 29th - Could the delay mean the new Zelda will be also released on the NX as a launch title?
Mar 28th - Not only has the new Zelda game been delayed to 2016, we won't be seeing it at E3 2015 either.
Mar 27th - Eiji Aonuma has updated Zelda fans via Facebook to let them know that the new game for Wii U won't make its projected 2015 release date.
Mar 27th - 1001 Spikes is getting a patch that enables Off-TV play next month if all goes well during the approval process.
Mar 27th - Nintendo president Satoru Iwats sits down to discuss the Xenoblade Chronicles series with producer Tetsuya Takahashi.
Mar 27th - According to president Iwata, Nintendo wasn't cornered into the mobile market by flagging sales, but rather they were waiting for the right opportunity to present itself.


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Press release from Business Wire India
Source: BMW India
Tuesday, July 31, 2012 03:12 PM IST (09:42 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest, Entertainment, People; Business: Advertising, PR & marketing, Automotives, Business services; Automotive
BMW India Records One Million Fans on Facebook
Gurgaon, Haryana, India, Tuesday, July 31, 2012 — (Business Wire India) — Sachin Tendulkar becomes the ‘One Millionth Fan’
First luxury car manufacturer in India to achieve ‘One Million’ fan base in 14 months.
BMW India has become the first luxury car manufacturer to reach the milestone of ‘One million fans’ on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bmwindia
On 31 July 2012, BMW India welcomed legendary sportsman, the GOD of cricket Sachin Tendulkar as the ‘One Millionth fan’ to mark the special occasion.
Sachin Tendulkar said, “I have been driving BMW since 1993. I have owned various models- 3 Series, M5 and X5. Right from 1993, I started the trend of BMW and now my entire family including my brother and wife believes in BMW’s safety and comfort. It feels great to share the JOY of driving a BMW on social media and be the one millionth fan of BMW India community on Facebook.”
Dr. Andreas Schaaf, President, BMW Group India, said, “With the launch of BMW India page on Facebook, we have focused on harnessing the power of social media to create passionate brand engagement with the fans of BMW. Today, our Facebook page interacts with an ever growing fan base and spreads Joy in the virtual world. With Sachin Tendulkar as the One Millionth fan of BMW India on Facebook, we are proud to have achieved yet another milestone in our social media journey.”
BMW India launched its official page on Facebook in May 2011.
80% of the fans associated with the BMW India on Facebook belong to the age group of 18-34 highlights the affinity towards the BMW brand. In terms of engagement, the wall posts on BMW India page on Facebook organically reach out to more than 1.5 million unique people on a weekly basis. The exclusive content and the viral nature of the wall posts on BMW India page further extend the total reach of the page to 5 million unique people.
Since its launch, BMW India Facebook page has been one of the most highly active pages engaging nearly 30% of the fan base into active conversations on a daily basis. Presently, over 0.2 million people are talking about the page via commenting on the wall posts, contest participation, sharing, responding among others.
To view the photograph, please click on the link given below:
Sachin Tendulkar – 1 millionth BMW fan on Facebook
For picture(s)/data to illustrate this release click below:
Abhay Dange, Press and Corporate Affairs, BMW India, +91 9910481013, [email protected]
CONSUMER, ENTERTAINMENT, PEOPLE, MARKETING, AUTOMOTIVE, BUSINESS SERVICES, AUTOMOTIVE
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