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BUA Cement, Nigeria’s second largest cement company, has announced full year revenue of N209 billion in its unaudited financial accounts for the full year ended December 31, 2020, showing an increase of 19 per cent 2019.
Gross profit printed at N95.432 billion in 2020, indicating an increase of 16 per cent, compared with N82. 443 billion in 2019. BUA Cement Plc’s excellent cost management led to a decline of 33 per cent in net financing cost to N3.438 billion in 2020, from N5.192 billion in 2019.
Also, the focus on efficiency, a strong management team and newer technologically advanced plants resulted in an improved bottom-line with profit before tax (PBT) growing to N79.066 billion in 2020, up from N66.273 billion, while profit after tax (PAT) rose from N60.61 billion to N70.518 billion in 2020.
The performance consolidated BUA Cement’s position as one of Nigeria’s most profitable companies – a position it is expected to strengthen further with the inauguration of its new three million Metric Tonnes Sokoto Cement Plant in 2021 and the addition of three new lines of 9 million metric tonnes total capacity in Adamawa, Edo and Sokoto States by 2023.
Commenting, the Managing Director, BUA Cement Plc, E Yusuf Binji, said the exceptional performance in the 2020 financial year was a reflection of the continued value and strength of the BUA Cement brand and product offerings as well as a nod to the excellent implementation of the company’s Business Continuity Plan which ensured that the company was able to withstand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic throughout 2020.
“Despite the prevailing economic conditions in 2020, BUA Cement remains quite optimistic about the future because it affords us not only with the opportunity to further evolve our business model but also provides an opportunity for accelerated development. We will continue to push to new markets aided by a focused distribution strategy,” Binji had said.
BUA Cement in 2020 entered strategic alliances for the supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at its Kalambaina Plant, Sokoto State, and for the management of its mining operations.
According to the company, given these deliberate and strategic choices amongst other cost management efforts, it will continue to combine development and innovation into its offerings and activities to drive efficiency, reduce operating costs and maximize profits.
Chairman of BUA Cement, Abdul Samad Rabiu, recently said that that despite the strides made in the Nigerian Cement Industry in the past few years, there was still room for immense growth.
According to Rabiu, Nigeria with its population of about 200million people was still greatly underserved by the Cement Industry with current consumption levels at about 130 kilogrammes per head compared to smaller African countries with consumption levels at about 170 to 180kilograms per head.
Nigeria’s cement consumption is expected to increase to about 200kilograms per head in coming years which is one of the reasons why BUA Cement is ramping up its investments in new plants to be able to meet this potential demand as well as take advantage of regional export opportunities through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement which came into effect in 2021.
Ecobank Partners NiDCOM to Mobilise Nigerians Abroad for National Development
In a bid to fulfill it’s objectives and mandate, the Pan African Bank has promised to support Nigerians living and working abroad through it’s partnership with NiDCOM.
The Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Patrick Akinwuntan has stated that the bank is privileged to work closely with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NiDCOM) and will continue to pursue one of its key mandates of helping to enhance the economic development and integration of Africa through its support to Nigerians living and working abroad.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the Diaspora Quarterly Lecture Series with Ecobank as the sole banking partner which took place on Saturday, 8th May 2021, he noted that Ecobank remains a critical bridge for Nigerians abroad, as it has made huge investments in the necessary platforms to enable them connect with home seamlessly. The event held online and had over 2000 participants from across all the continents in attendance.
“Nigerians in the diaspora play a major role in nation building, their contribution goes a long way to catalyse economic development. For us at Ecobank, we are a pan-African institution positioned to foster the economic growth and integration of our continent, so we are particularly pleased to work closely with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), ably led by the Chairman/CEO, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa”.
“We are committed to ensuring that every Nigerian living abroad is able to remit home seamlessly and affordably, access viable investment opportunities and as the financial institution of choice for Nigerians abroad, we have deployed the necessary resources to actualise this.” He stated.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who was also present, reiterated the readiness of the government to collaborate with Nigerians in the diaspora, highlighting the new processes put in place to facilitate passport issuance, noting that all backlog of passport applications would be cleared by the end of May 2021.
Also speaking, the Hon. Minister of State, Foreign Affairs Amb. Zubairu Dada said harnessing the human capital and material resources of Nigerians in the diaspora towards the socio-economic, cultural, and political development of Nigeria can no longer be ignored. He pointed out that the Nigerian diaspora community is well educated, resourceful, skilled, and exposed to global best practices.
The NiDCOM Chairman/CEO, Hon. Abike Dabiri- Erewa explained that the Diaspora Quarterly Lecture Series is projected to be a major aspect of national discourse, where Nigerians abroad can be kept abreast of the government’s policies, programmes and projects.
Increase in Price Boosts Revenue of Dangote Sugar by 41.5 Percent in Q1 2021
Revenue of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc rose by 41.5 percent to N67.394 billion in the first quarter (Q1) of 2021 from N47.643 billion recorded in the same quarter of 2020.
According to the leading sugar manufacturer, the increase in revenue was a result of the increase in the price of sugar in the first quarter. The company claimed price adjustment was necessary to mitigate the negative effect of inflation and depreciation on the company.
Volumes only rose by 5.7 percent during the quarter despite a 41.5 percent increase in revenue, meaning the increase in price was the main sales catalyst.
In the company’s unaudited financial statements, gross profit grew from N12.721 billion in Q1 2020 to N18.044 billion in Q1 2021.
Similarly, operating profit stood at N15.884 billion, up from N10.747 billion posted in Q1 2020.
Finance cost more than double from N1.353 billion in Q1 2020 to N3.412 billion in Q1 2021.
Dangote Sugar’s profit before tax rose from N9.509 billion recorded in the corresponding quarter to N11.949 billion in the quarter under review.
The company paid N3.646 billion in income tax, slightly higher than N3.137 paid in the same quarter of 2020.
Profit for the period grew from N6.372 billion in Q1 2020 to N8.302 billion in Q1 2021.
Commenting on the company’s performance, Dangote Sugar said “EBITDA increased by 34.7% to N17.02 billion (2020: N12.64 billion) on account of increased earnings. Group profit after taxation for the period increased by 30.3% to N8.30 billion (2020: N6.37 billion) reflecting management’s unrelenting drive to deliver consistent shareholder value.”
On price increase, the company hinged it on series of devaluation carried out in 2020 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), escalating inflation, port congestion and rising in price of global sugar. Dangote Sugar said its imported raw sugar from Brazil under Federal Government’s backward integration plan.
“We have continued to witness high cost of raw materials, energy costs and other input costs due to rising inflation and FX rate fluctuation. Further cost escalation is anticipated in the year as inflationary pressure mounts,” the company said.
FBN Holdings Suffers 39 Percent Drop in Profit to N15.6 Billion in Q1 2021
FBN Holdings Plc profit after tax declined by 39 percent from N23.140 billion recorded in the first quarter (Q1) of 2020 to N15.6 billion in the first quarter of 2021.
In the leading financial institution’s unaudited financial statements released through the Nigerian Exchange Limited, gross earnings declined by 14.5 percent to N137 billion in the period under review, down from N160 billion filed in the previous quarter.
Similarly, net interest income declined from N60.253 billion achieved in Q1 2020 to N52.793 billion.
Net interest income after impairment charge for losses also dipped from N50.547 billion in Q1 2020 to N39.619 billion in Q1 20201. While net fee and commission income rose from N20.773 billion in Q1 2020 to N28.427 billion in Q1 2021.
Profit before tax declined by 34 percent to N18.906 billion in the quarter under review, down from N28.680 billion posted in the corresponding quarter of 2020.
FBN Holdings paid N3.285 billion in income tax in the first quarter of 2020.
Therefore, profit for the period stood at N15.621 billion. While Net Assets contracted from N765.2 billion to N764.8 billion.
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On Friday afternoons between work and rugby practice, Brittany Wolfe would rush to the campus library hoping copies of her advanced algebra textbook had not all been checked out by like-minded classmates.
It was part of the math major’s routine last quarter at the University of California, Los Angeles: Stand in line at the reserve desk in the library’s closing hours with the goal of borrowing a copy for the weekend.
The alternative was to buy a $120 book and sell it back for far less. If she could sell it back at all.
“It’s like this terrible game of catch your books when you can,” said Wolfe, a new graduate who estimates she saved $800 a year using books on reserve and who now shares textbook tips as a counselor to incoming UCLA students. “It’s frustrating when you’re already stressed about school. Being stressed about textbooks doesn’t seem right.”
Maybe, just maybe, relief is on the way.
A new federal law requires publishers to provide textbook price information to professors and calls on colleges to identify course textbooks during registration, giving students more time to shop around.
Experts call it a step in the right direction, but not a game-changer.
At the same time, a robust online marketplace of used books and recent inroads by textbook rental programs give students more options than ever. The prospect of digital books and slow-but-steady growth in free online “open” content loom as developments that could upend the textbook landscape and alleviate the perennial problem of rising prices.
“Change is coming, but it’s not going to happen immediately,” said David Lewis, dean of the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis University Library and assistant vice president for digital scholarly communications at Indiana University. “If you’re in junior high school, you can be sure it’ll be better. If you’re in high school, there’s a shot. If you’re starting college as a freshman, you might see it as a senior. It’s on more and more people’s agenda.”
According to a 2005 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, college textbook prices increased at twice the rate of inflation over the previous two decades, though not as dramatically as tuition.
More recent data from the National Association of College Stores show textbooks costs climbed 14 percent from the 2006-2007 academic year to 2008-2009. A 2010 survey by the group found students spent an average of $667 per year on required course materials including textbooks, although other studies have put the figure at about $900.
In 2008, Congress responded by including textbook-affordability provisions in the Higher Education Opportunity Act.

domain: news


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Google is holding a “white sale.” First it announced earlier this year that it made changes to its natural search results algorithm, which it reports will impact “approximately 12% of search queries.” The change impacts only the US at this time.?
Then, Google unequivocally threw down the gauntlet on JCPenney when it discovered “link buying” boosting the search engine optimization (SEO) rankings of the retailer. The ensuing hubbub caused all sorts of fallout for SEO practitioners. One of our recent studies showed that organic search drives 50% to 55% of all Web traffic on average for e-tailers. Keeping up-to-date with the ramifications of these trends is critical for retailers.?
Google is making it clear that retailers practicing “white hat” methods of driving SEO rankings will benefit at the expense of those who experiment with more controversial methods. A report from Experian Hitwise said that people who search on the Web report 82% of their searches in the US on Bing are successful, while they experience only a 66% success rate on Google. Since the change, we surveyed more than 20 retail customers and saw that 80% of them had seen no change in their average Google natural search ranking for their top 100 terms, while 20% saw a 2% to 4% improvement in average ranking.?
The recent algorithm changes address two key issues: link buying and content farms. Link buying means leveraging services that allow for links from well-regarded sites to be connected to an advertisers’ site for a fee, regardless of their relevance. Content farms leverage systems to track trends in search queries, then autobuild content that is often irrelevant or of “low quality.”?
The Google algorithm change is a welcome opportunity for retailers practicing classic and successful SEO tactics that drive results. Driving useful content, ensuring it can be found, and then syndicating it through social media and link building practices develops sustainable SEO assets that deliver over time, and keep the marketer from unwarranted risk.?
As Google levels the playing field, an advantage will actually be given to those that follow best practices. The techniques being penalized will allow better links to be driven to a site, because it is acknowledged that a good link strategy is the key driver to improved search ranking. Building quality links requires building quality content and then syndicating that content. There is no shortcut to a quality site.?
Craig Macdonald is the CMO and SVP of products at Covario. Reach him at [email protected]


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McLaren has released more pictures of the P1 concept, including some shots of the car's retractable rear spoiler.
It shares the original project name of the nineties legend and is set to take on the next generation of hypercars – from the Ferrari Enzo successor to the Porsche 918 Spyder. And it will be built right here in the UK.
But before you get too excited by the crazy looks, it’s worth pointing out that McLaren has called the P1 a ‘design study’ that’s supposed to preview the production version that’ll be on the roads late next year. But judging by spy shots we’ve seen, the production car won’t look too much different from this.
A regional director for McLaren hinted that only 500 P1s will be built, and McLaren told us that we should expect a price tag of less than one million Euros.
The P1 follows McLaren’s philosophy of ‘innovation, integration of Formula One technology, and ultimate performance’. McLaren boss Ron Dennis has even gone so far as to say that the P1 will be “the most technologically advanced supercar”.
But if that sounds like the Bugatti Veyron Supersport is about to lose its crown as the fastest production car in the world, think again. McLaren Automotive Managing Director, Anthony Sheriff, said: “Our aim is not to be best in top speed, but to make the quickest, most rewarding series production car on a track.”
The company is keeping most details under wraps for now, but rumours suggest adaptive suspension, a carbon fibre monocoque and a 1,000bhp version of the McLaren MP4-12C’s twin-turbo V8, complete with an F1- derived KERS hybrid system. Expect a 0-62mph time of less than three seconds and a top speed around 239mph.
The design follows similar lines to the Ferrari 458-rivalling 12C, but it’s wider, which will improve stability and cornering. The lack of an obvious spoiler suggests active aerodynamics, which reduces drag in a straight line, while increasing grip during high-speed cornering.
There are no details for the interior, but unlike the F1 – which had a three-seat cockpit – the P1 will be a two-seater.
Buyers will reportedly be able to place orders at the Paris Motor Show, before the production version is shown next year. Deliveries are due at the end of 2013.


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Sending presents in the mail is common year-round, but the increased number of parcels sent in the run-up to Christmas makes the chance of yours going missing much higher. The festive season is a stressful time of year without having the additional worry of whether or not your package will arrive safely.
This year, uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 restrictions means that more parcels than ever are likely to be sent from afar as opposed to being gifted face-to-face.
To help you decide on the best gift-delivery method this year, the team here at PACK & SEND have collated the Police data on parcel theft in 39 UK areas over the last two years, showing you the places most and least likely to safely receive their parcels.
The Thames Valley Police, who cover over 2,200 square miles stretched across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire, topped the danger table. They reported the most parcel thefts per capita across 2018 and 2019, experiencing on average 31 thefts per 100,000 people (705 in total):
Suffolk Constabulary placed 2nd, reporting 26 parcel thefts per 100,000 people (188 in total), whilst Essex Police reported 25 thefts per capita (433 in total), putting them in 3rd place.
Kent Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary made up the rest of the top 5 most dangerous areas for parcels this Christmas.
If you’re posting something to these areas, tracking the delivery and ensuring that the person on the receiving end is actually in to receive the package is probably your safest bet.
Looking at the areas most likely to receive their parcels, the Police Service of Northern Ireland reported only 21 parcel thefts in 2018 and 2019 combined. This works out as 1 theft per 100,000 people, meaning Northern Ireland is the safest place in the UK for parcels:
Cleveland Police, located in the North East of England, placed 2nd for parcel safety. They reported 7 parcel thefts in total over 2018 and 2019, and due to the population in their area this also works out at 1 parcel theft for every 100,000 people. Third place went to the Gloucestershire Constabulary who reported 10 parcel thefts, working out at 2 per capita.
Durham Constabulary and Northumberland Police make up the top 5 areas most likely to receive their parcels safely this Christmas.
In total, over 6,000 parcels were reported stolen in the UK during 2018 and 2019. This averages at 8 parcels per day, but with the increased number of deliveries during the Christmas period, you can assume that there’s a much higher risk of something going wrong.
In 2016, Royal Mail delivered 130 million parcels in the month of December alone. Increased ecommerce sales over recent years and the building restrictions around Covid-19 means that the number of parcel deliveries is likely to be much higher than this in December 2020.
The cost of parcels going missing adds up, whether as a result of theft or any other means. In 2018/19, Royal Mail spent almost £10 million on customer compensation, over half of which was due to parcel loss. Other common causes for complaint were P739 failure (the ‘sorry we missed you’ cards) and delays to delivery.
Mike Ryan, UK CEO at PACK & SEND commented on the findings:
“The process of delivering gifts wouldn’t be possible without a good packing and delivery service. We take pride in safely packing our deliveries, and always aim to get a signature upon final delivery to avoid leaving packages unattended. This research has highlighted the need for safe and secure delivery, especially during the festive season.”
View the full findings in the table below:
45 police forces were contacted for information. 41 of these provided data outlining the number of parcel thefts reported in 2018 and 2019.
This data was used to work out the number of parcel thefts per capita (per 100,000 people) in each police area, using the latest population data available.
Ofcom published online the 2018/19 data for the number of complaints issued to Royal Mail, and the amount of financial compensation paid out.


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Merck, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ivory Coast's ministry of health launched a tablet distribution programme to fight schistosomiasis...
20 Oct 2016
Internet.org presented six Innovation Challenge in Africa awards to what it considers leading examples of ideas, apps, websites and/or online services...
3 Oct 2016
Africa's overall growth has slowed but new research shows long-term fundamentals are strong and there are big business opportunities ahead...
16 Sep 2016
With smartphone usage on the up and IT literacy expanding, bringing Internet of Things (IoT) level connectivity is a natural progression for this tech-hungry continent...
Brett Parker 16 Aug 2016
As the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, H5N1, spreads across countries in West and Central Africa, the region is on high alert...
15 Jul 2016
An anthropology study in Cote d'Ivoire shows how cultural influence plays a role in nutrition and anaemia in young children...
13 Jun 2016
Resolve, an Imperial Logistics group company, through its division Resolve Capacity, completed its latest Warehouse-in-a-Box in Abidjan, the capital of Côte d'Ivoire...
10 Feb 2016
At yesterday's official draw for the Orange Africa Cup of Nations 2015, the Confederation of African Football announced the launch of Africa United, a global health communications campaign aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola in West Africa...
4 Dec 2014
The Minister of Communications, Faith Muthambi, says South Africa's tourism sector is not under threat from the Ebola Virus Disease even though a number of Asian visitors have cancelled planned trips to this country.
20 Aug 2014
If there is one industry where everything is in flux and companies have to re-jig their shapes and formats all the time, it is SA's packaging manufacturers. Apart from constantly changing industry conditions, not least from encroaching rivals, each firm has specific obstacles to get over.
Mark Allix 2 Jun 2014
YAOUNDE, CAMEROON: From Cameroon to Ivory Coast, Kenya to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), traders in counterfeit drugs do a thriving business with the utmost cynicism and sometimes at the cost of human lives.
24 Aug 2013
While SA has been growing genetically modified (GM) crops for many years, resistance from across most of the continent is set to slow global plans to turn Africa into the world's breadbasket.
12 Aug 2013
Food security in the sub-Saharan African region improved this year because of greater food availability and income growth‚ the DuPont global food security index shows.
7 Aug 2013
SA's biggest drug manufacturer Aspen Pharmacare expects its Asia-Pacific business to generate the biggest share of the company's revenue by the end of the year‚ its chief executive Stephen Saad said at the release of its interim results for the six months to December.
Tamar Kahn 8 Mar 2013
LONDON: The panel of judges has been announced for the eighth Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards set to take place on 30 June 2011. The annual awards aims to encourage more prolific reporting of economic opportunities in Africa and to celebrate excellence in business journalism.
15 Mar 2011
Here is a roundup of the posts published on sxswsa.co.za this weekend. We're over halfway through SxSW Interactive in Austin, Texas, but there's still plenty material in the works, so keep an eye on the blog for another few days. Also, follow @sxswsa, or the entire #sxswsa Twitter list. [view twitterfall]
Ivo Vegter: @sxswsa 14 Mar 2011


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A war by any other means, a ban by not naming a name. A year after blood was spilt on the desolate heights of Ladakh on their de facto border, the India-China tango continues awkwardly, as if to the tune of ‘Love to Hate You’.
Or make it ‘Hate to Love You’. The June 15 clash between soldiers may be the bloodiest between the two distrustful neighbours in decades, but interestingly, it did not lead to any bullets ringing or artillery being fired across the length and expanse of the Line of Actual Control. The hyper-patriotic colours of post-Uri Narendra Modi’s India instead decided to hunker down and adopt a more sober reaction in the form of an economic spurn. Apps were banned, contracts were cancelled and cargo shipments got vexed.
“This is the first time India has adopted economic warfare as a policy,” pointed out Sethurathnam Ravi, noted economist and former chairman of the Bombay Stock Exchange. “At one point or the other, India has had (economic restrictions) on countries like Afghanistan, Nepal etc over issues which got resolved, but the first time against China. After the 1962 war with China trade got affected, but that was a natural phenomenon rather than a policy decision.”
With no love lost, India’s slew of economic measures against its neighbouring behemoth actually started even before the border clashes in June. While Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union budget in February 2020 had a few provisions for hiking customs duty on import of cheap Chinese raw materials, a bold strike came a few weeks into the pandemic and national lockdown. Spurred by a Chinese state-run bank picking up a minority stake in HDFC Bank, the Indian government brought out an order blocking the automatic route for Chinese investments in Indian entities.
To maintain a veneer of diplomatic decorum perhaps, that order (or any of the ones which came later targeting the People’s Republic) does not mention China by name. Instead, the restrictions were imposed on ‘countries sharing a land border with India’. National security was cited in many later contract cancellations. All that did not stop Beijing from seething with anger, though.
But after Ladakh, and anti-China sentiments at a high, India went trigger ‘app’y on its neighbour, shooting through economy crosshairs. Along with a couple of hundred other apps, out went TikTok, a Chinese short video app that was a rage with young India. State-run entities cancelled contracts with Chinese companies, ranging from solar panels and telecom equipment to railway infra. ‘Country of Origin’ tag became mandatory for products on the government’s e-Marketplace, in an effort to identify Chinese-origin goods.
The restriction of buying power supply systems from China was particularly significant, as power equipment was one of China’s big ticket export items to India. Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari also indicated that Chinese firms will miss out on India’s ambitious highway construction projects that would see spending of several lakh crores in the coming years.
A year on, has it worked?
The numbers tell a shocking story. Trump-era US had replaced China as India’s biggest trading partner in recent years. But ironically, China regained its numero uno slot in the very year India was trying to snub it. Commerce ministry figures show that India imported goods worth USD 65 billion from China last year – its highest from any country or trading bloc. It is also interesting to note that while overall trade declined in the year of a pandemic and national lockdown by 32 per cent, trade with China fell only 15 per cent. The government actually had to ask ports and customs points last month, as the second wave of COVID-19 crippled India, not to delay oxygen and other equipment coming in as cargo. It even appears many Chinese life-saving items were re-routed through Singapore as a face-saver.
So, even while a LocalCircles survey after the Ladakh clashes showed 87 per cent of Indian consumers willing to boycott Chinese goods, the reality is different. Possibly due to pent-up demand for raw materials once the Unlock process started, Chinese imports actually increased to near pre-lockdown levels in the months following the clashes.
“Reducing dependency (on China) depends not just on choice but greatly on the availability of alternatives. The wait might be longer than what we have expected,” Gurmeet Singh, chairman and managing director of Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air-conditioning India told THE WEEK. “India has reinvented itself in the past and it has the potential to do so again in spite of all the adversities,” he added.
This need for reinvention is at once due to the pragmatic realisation that any sudden economic boycott of China will hurt India more, as also the real purpose of all the measures—a leg up for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. PM Modi had actually announced the ‘Vocal for local’ initiative three weeks before the border clashes happened, and the Chinese aggression has only reminded the nation once more how it is too dependent on its powerful neighbour for comfort, and alternatives need to be found.
“The whole government’s thinking is to create an Indian economic infrastructure,” explains Ravi. “I look at the measures in two ways – some, like restricting Chinese funding, was a symbolic way of saying ‘we don’t want your money’. The banning of apps were actual steps (meant to hit China where it hurts). A lot of (Chinese) apps lost money as they had deep roots in India. So, it was effective that way.”
The aim is also to kickstart a domestic ecosystem, and if apps were supposed to be the ‘laboratory’ case, the results have been promising. ““Since the ban on TikTok and other foreign apps, a slew of new domestic apps have emerged. The Indian government’s decision has pushed Indian applications to the forefront,” points out Shivank Agarwal, CEO & co-founder of Mitron TV, a short video app that claims it gained 5 crore users largely due to the TikTok ban.
India’s dependency on China is real. A staggering 70 per cent of electronic components, 70 per cent of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs or raw materials that go into making medicines by India’s pharma companies), and 40 per cent of leather goods come from China. In finished goods, more than half the smart TVs in India are Chinese, since an alternative, say from Japan, could be pricier by up to 45 per cent. About 80 per cent of all smartphones sold in India right now are Chinese brands. While the big ones are now ‘made’ in India, it is more an assembling set-up, with many components coming in from, yes, you guessed it right, China.
Cost is a major factor. Fertilisers are 76 per cent cheaper, electronic circuits 23 per cent etc. One of the reasons Indian telecom operators would have preferred Huawei for 5G technology and equipment (the Chinese company has been barred from 5G trials), is the fact that it would have been cheaper, some estimates put this at as much as 20 per cent, than rival players.
“Cost is obviously at the centre of it all,” admits Singh, “The service sector has always attracted FDI. If through various initiatives they are diverted to the manufacturing industry, then it would prove to be a huge boost.”
That is exactly the strategy. The production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes where companies both foreign and domestic that set up manufacturing are offered something akin to a ‘cashback’ for meeting annual targets forms the crux of it. Already, such schemes have been announced for mobile handsets, electronics, auto components, electric batteries, LED bulbs. Additionally, the Centre has also set up industrial parks to kick-start an environment conducive to development of domestic production, like those announced for pharma industry, toys.
It’s not going to be quick, or easy. “If you say that in just a year since government started taking measures, industries (should) completely move away from China to some other country, it’s not possible,” said Arjuna Bajaj, director of Videotex, a big manufacturer of TVs for various brands, and depends on Chinese component imports for the same. “It’s a very slow process and requires huge, huge, huge, huge investments by companies to set up manufacturing facilities like that.”
To take an example, open cell panels account for up to 70 per cent of the cost of a TV—setting up a production plant for it is estimated to cost a massive Rs 60,000 crore. Obviously, something like that works only if there is a well-developed business hub around, with many TV manufacturers buying from it for a global market. Obviously, it is one of the areas where China has a stranglehold on, with even Korean TV brands buying from it.
For manufacturers, China is cost-effective and offers a time-tested, flourishing raw material supply network. It makes sense for them to uproot and come to India only if there are enough attractions in the form of land and tax breaks, as well as a well-developed supply chain. And the supply chain won’t come in unless there are manufacturers in place. It is a chicken-and-egg situation.
“We have to give incentives for companies in China or elsewhere who want to invest in India and set up plants like that,” feels Bajaj. “It cannot happen overnight; the groundwork has to be set up.” His estimate is that if the government makes it attractive with the right measures, India could well become the manufacturing hub of the world in 5-10 years.
“India has to build its own infrastructure and go in a very granular way to replace imports from China. That approach is not there at the moment,” points out Ravi. “We have kept the Chinese at bay physically, we have pushed them back and shown the strength of India, but not necessarily gone all the way to substitute them.”
In a globalised economy, moving away completely from China may also not be reasonable. Since February, reports have emerged of the government slowly easing investment and other restrictions, though it was officially denied. “The global market dependence on other economies is so complex that absolute independence is an unrealistic expectation,” feels Singh. “The focus should be on taking the Indian industries to the next level of readiness which capacitates it to play a dominating role in the changed future global market. Everything else will follow.”


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GroupM is reconfiguring its agency businesses for a new advertising world in which advertisers expect to measure and pay for ads that bring real, identifiable business results.
In this video interview with Beet.TV, GroupM north America CEO Brian Lesser explains the group is responding a world in which the agency business model is fast-changing, now that brands can increasingly see consumers’ purchase events and link them to ad exposure.
“We’ve been able to measure the effects of online advertising directly to sales for a very long time – it’s just been expensive in the past,” Lesser says. “Ten years ago, we could take one digital impression and match it to a product bought in-store. The data has become ubiquitous. Today, we’re closer to being able to do that at massive scale.”
Watch and read more on Beet TV here.


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By Sabina Mollot
This holiday season, Stuyvesant Town boutique Ibiza Kidz is hoping to spread some cheer to Syrian women refugees, by selling dolls they’ve made with 100 percent of the money from the sales going towards helping them and others who are in the same position.
The elaborately embroidered dolls, which have just made their debut in the United States, arrived at the kids’ clothing shop last Friday. They come in sets of three (a mother, a father and child) and are meant to tell the stories of real refugee families.
Each one comes with a story parents are encouraged to read to their children that Ibiza Kidz owner Carole Husiak describes as “reality in a meaningful, kid-friendly way.
“It demystifies and explains the concept of people starting a new home, not to frighten children but explain what some families go through,” she said.


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Toyota has finally started working on the new generation of Innova. It has been a while since the Innova Crysta has gotten a significant upgrade because of which the MPV has decided to show its age. The test mile has been spotted in Thailand already. However, this time the new-gen Innova was spotted near Mysuru, Karnataka.
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According to online reports, Toyota would finally be moving to a monocoque chassis instead of a ladder-frame chassis that they use currently. The current Innova is based on the IMV platform which is also shared with the Fortuner and the recently launched Hilux. The new platform could be the TNGA-B platform.
The new platform means that this time Innova will be front-wheel drive now. Some people would not be happy with this decision that Toyota has made. But the fact is that front-wheel drive vehicles are more fuel-efficient than rear-wheel-drive vehicles. This is because there is no drivetrain loss in front-wheel-drive vehicles. The reason is that there will be no driveshaft that will be transferring power to the rear wheels.
The design of the new-gen Innova has been completely revamped. It looks more squared-off, there are new headlamps and tail lamps, both of which are quite sleek. There are strong creases on the bonnet to provide a muscular look to the front. It also gets a new set of alloy wheels.
The interior would also be redone. So, expect a new dashboard design, a new multi-function steering wheel, multi-information display, automatic climate control, touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and much more.
According to media reports, Toyota is also working on hybrid technology for their diesel engines. The hybrid tech will be seen on the 2.4-litre 2GD-FTV diesel unit and the 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV diesel motor. These engines are currently being used on the Innova Crysta, Fortuner and Hilux. These engines are known for their less maintenance cost and reliability.
Usually, we see hybrid technology on petrol engines only. This is because petrol engines lack low-end torque and the hybrid tech can be very beneficial in getting a move on. Moreover, the petrol engines are not very efficient in their low-end.
Whereas, the diesel engines most of the torque is available in the lower rev range. And there is no point in using the hybrid power in increasing the power at a higher rev range. What Toyota could be doing is using the hybrid tech to reduce emissions. Some countries also provide tax benefits if the car comes with a diesel hybrid. However, this information is not yet confirmed by Toyota.
Toyota launched Hilux
Toyota recently launched the Hilux pick-up truck in the Indian market. It starts at Rs. 31.39 lakhs ex-showroom. The only other competitor that Hilux has is the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross. However, Hilux is larger and more luxurious than the D-Max V-Cross.
Hilux is offered in two variants. There is Standard and High. There is only one diesel engine on offer that is shared with the Fortuner. It is a 2.8-litre unit that produces 204 PS of max power and 500 Nm of peak torque. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.


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Indian taxi and cab hailing unicorn Ola continue its overseas expansion by taking its presence to New Zealand market. In the last 12 months, the Bhavish Aggarwal-led company has penetrated into Australian, UK and New Zealand markets.
The company started its operations in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. Ola will continue its considerable discounting strategies offering more than 50 per cent discount to passengers and charge less than 9 per cent fees from drivers during its first few months. Ola used this strategy earlier to capture Indian markets.
“With this move, Ola is offering Kiwis a reliable ride-share service, which provides a safe and affordable alternative as well as a better deal for drivers with lower commission rates that enable them to earn more,” the company said in a press release.
In September this year, the firm raised around INR 362 crores and announced its expansion plans into New Zealand. The firm has appointed Brain Dewil as Country Manager for New Zealand business.
The ride-sharing firm will include safety features like in-app emergency button using which riders can share ride information including vehicle number, the name of the driver, the photo of the driver as well as real-time ride tracking with their friends and family.
Ola’s rival Uber already has a presence all over New Zealand. Ola handles more than 1 billion rides across the globe every single year and helps more than 125 million customers in more than 110 cities with more than 1 million drivers on their network. Ola has a fleet of 50,000 cabs across Australia’s seven cities and manages more than 2 million rides.
Earlier another Indian unicorn OYO expanded to China, Malaysia, Nepal and Indonesia. Indian companies are demonstrating tremendous growth in India as well as internationally leveraging their aggressive expansion and marketing strategies.


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Earlier this year at WWDC, Apple showcased their vision of Augmented Reality and announced its stunning Augmented Reality platform called ARKit. After the developer conference, all eyes were fixed on the new iPhone hardware to make use of the ARKit. With the launch of iPhone 8, 8 plus and iPhone X, Apple has launched a series of smart phones that is going to help Apple write the history of AR in the coming years.
iPhone X, 8 & 8 plus designed for the ultimate Augmented Reality experience
Augmented Reality is the ‘Next Big Thing’ and it is one of the major technology trends that is expected to dominate in the years to come. Those who are unfamiliar with this hot tech? Augmented Reality shows computer generated images that let you see virtual objects in the real world where users are transported into an entirely digital environment through their smart screens.
Alongside hardware reveals at the event, Atli Mar Sveinsson, CEO of Directive Games showcased its first competitive multiplayer game ‘The Machines’ designed to be played entirely in augmented reality. Moreover, we have seen a number of great demos that highlight the potential of ARKit in real time.
At first ‘Pokémon Go’ was one of Augmented Reality’s huge success and now ‘The Machines’, the future of AR gaming looks bright as it will have a huge impact on mobile gaming. Whereas, ARKit opens up huge possibilities that are making it easier for developers to make AR apps. By building an easy-to-use AR framework into iOS 11 itself, developers can simply use Apple’s tools to quickly implement augmented reality into their applications.
With Apple’s introduction to ARKit, excitement escalates through the development community as it is giving developers an opportunity to build AR apps leading to realistic AR experiences for millions of iOS users. This proves that ARKit will be a grand incursion into the tech for Apple.
ARKit will not only revolutionize domains like interior design, photo filters, media but also Augmented Reality in Education and health care has wide reaching implications that will transform both Medical and Education sector.
Having said that, the significance of ARKit is huge. The tool has been designed to provide advanced Augmented Reality features to consumers in iOS 11. Which will help not only to expand the Apple’s user base but also this technology is set to revolutionize the way in which we interact with our devices and the world around us.
In conclusion, the launch of ARKit is just a first step in a huge paradigm shift. As this breakthrough technology is entirely directed towards creating innovative and new experiences for both developers as well as consumers. And with Apple backing AR, we can expect to see a whole lot of exciting new AR applications in coming years.
-By Sadia Mehmood, Business Development Executive @onebytellc


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Google updates Android Market
-Google recently announced that an update to the Android Market has started rolling out to devices. Google stated that the new Android Market will be pushed out to all devices running Android 1.6 or later over the next two weeks.
Some users have already reported receiving the update, which apparently creates a much more appealing Market experience. Among the listed improvements are a better UI, faster searches, more information about apps and an improved ratings system.


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New Delhi. Feb 1:
The average monthly collection of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the current fiscal has increased to Rs 97,100 crore from Rs 89,700 crore last year, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said Friday.
He said that in spite of major rate reductions and relaxations, revenue trends are encouraging.
“The average monthly tax collection in the current year is Rs 97,100 crore per month as compared to Rs 89,700 crore per month in the first year,” Goyal said while presenting Budget 2019-20 in the Lok Sabha.
The state revenues, he said, are improving with guaranteed 14 per cent annual revenue increase for the first five years from the implementation of GST.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was rolled out on July 1, 2017 and has consolidated over a dozen central and state levies.
Goyal added that GST has resulted in increased tax base, higher collections and ease of trade.
“This will reduce the interface between the tax payer and the government for day-to-day operations and assessments. Now returns are fully online and e-way bill system is in place,” he said.
Goyal said with the introduction of GST, inter-state movement of goods has become faster, more efficient, and hassle free with no entry tax, check posts, and truck queues.


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Uber Technologies Inc. plans to launch a driverless food-delivery pilot program in the U.S. next year, the company announced on Thursday.
The ride-hailing giant is partnering with Motional Inc., an autonomous driving joint venture between Hyundai Motor Co. and Aptiv Plc., to test Uber Eats deliveries in California.
The pilot, which is Uber’s first foray into driverless deliveries, will be rolled out in Santa Monica to customers ordering from the Uber Eats app.
Rideshare competitor Lyft Inc. also teamed up with Motional to test self-driving taxi rides in Las Vegas and expects customers will be able to use its app to hail autonomous vehicles starting in 2023.
“Our consumers and merchant partners have come to expect convenience, reliability and innovation from Uber, and this collaboration represents a huge opportunity to meet —and exceed— those expectations,” Sarfraz Maredia, head of Uber Eats in the U.S. and Canada, said in a statement.
Last year Uber sold its self-driving car division to Aurora Innovation Inc. and took a stake in the startup


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Born out of multiple crises, Ajjerni is Lebanon’s first digital rental platform.
“The concept is simple; it allows users to make and save money by renting items to and from other users from the Ajjerni community,” Mansour Habchi, Ajjerni’s business developer told The961.
The platform was founded last year by Samer Corban, who got the idea after noticing many of his friends struggling because of the worst financial crisis since Lebanon’s independence.
Hyperinflation, a decrease in purchasing power, and market shortages all led up to the creation of the solution Ajjerni. It can help people save money, make money, and have easier access to certain items.
The platform puts “borrowers” (aka renters) in contact with “lenders” where any renter can search for and borrow items they need to use for a certain period of time.
In return, lenders can make a profit out of items they own that are just lying around the house.
From electronic equipment, camping/hiking gear, musical instruments, to even home furniture, office equipment, and venues, Ajjerni has currently 20 different categories, including one for free items and giveaways.
Our team works tirelessly to ensure Lebanese people have a reliable alternative to the politically-backed media outlets with their heavily-funded and dangerous propaganda machines. We've been detained, faced nonstop cyber attacks, censorship, attempted kidnapping, physical intimidation, and frivolous lawsuits draining our resources. Financial support from our readers keeps us fighting on your behalf. If you are financially able, please consider supporting The961's work. Support The961. Make a contribution now.


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Governor Tom Corbett announced Monday morning that MIQ Logistics is planning on relocating its distribution facility from New Jersey to Tannersville, Monroe Co., and bringing at least 80 new jobs within three years with it.
MIQ Logistics will move its regional distribution operations from a 45,000-square-foot New Jersey facility into an expanded 116,000-square-foot facility in Tannersville. The company will enter into a 15-year lease at the former Roadway facility.
The company received a $356,000 funding offer from the Department of Community and Economic Development, including a $160,000 PA First grant, $36,000 in job training assistance and $160,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits.
“My administration is committed to creating a business climate that positions Pennsylvania to compete for new jobs and economic investment,” Corbett said. “MIQ Logistics’ decision to relocate in Pennsylvania is a testament that this pro-business approach is working. Our efforts will result in 80 new jobs coming to Monroe County.”
MIQ Logistics enables companies to improve their transportation network and overall supply chain efficiency by offering flexible logistics solutions supported by Web-native technology and global logistics management capabilities.


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La Jolla Group (“LJG”) and Rusty have mutually agreed to return the apparel license for Rusty North America to the brand owners, Rusty International, at the end of 2013. This concludes a six-year licensing partnership with Rusty and LJG.
As of Jan 1, 2014, the new Rusty licensee, Happy Shovel L.L.C. will assume responsibility for all aspects of the management of Rusty’s apparel business in North America.
“A further announcement will be made next week” said Geoff Backshall, Rusty International CEO.
“That said Spring 14 production has been purchased and the sales reps are on the road with Summer guaranteeing a seamless transition for retailers and consumers who have known the popular R-dot logo for decades. We thank the La Jolla Group for the last 6 years and we look forward to the next phase of Rusty’s development in the region.”
Rusty operations at the La Jolla Group will continue through the end of the year facilitating all orders, customer service and marketing responsibilities for the period.
La Jolla Group was started 20 years ago with the acquisition of the O’Neill Clothing license, and has since included a variety of core brands in action sports in its portfolio. With a renewed focus on its operational backbone and core competencies, recently appointed CEO Daniel Neukomm and his leadership team are well positioned to strengthen its current brands and businesses in the coming years.
“Both Rusty and LJG have successful operations to run, so we want to make sure that our staff and sales partners know that it’s business as usual,” said Neukomm. “The timing is perfect for this transition.”
Logo courtesy La Jolla Group


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Every year, National Sandwich Day is celebrated on Nov. 3. This year, that day happens to fall on a Sunday, which happens to be the one day of the week that the beloved Atlanta-based chicken chain Chick-fil-A is closed.
So earlier this week when the chain sent an email to its loyalty club subscribers promoting this special day honoring sandwiches, a lot of people were very confused.
“No matter which Chick-fil-A sandwich you love, order yours on November 3 for National Sandwich Day,” read the email.
Of course, had anyone actually followed up on that offer and headed to a Chick-fil-A, they would have found a very empty restaurant.
On Thursday, someone must have realized the mistake and the company followed up with a tongue-in-cheek apology note. The subject line read, “Well … this is awkward.”
"We recently sent an email that included a message about National Sandwich Day, which naturally we were very excited about," the email read. "We didn't realize it falls on Sunday when we are closed. We apologize for the confusion and hope to see you soon (Monday-Saturday)."
So what, exactly, happened here?
"The cows sometimes get over-eager on their quest for self-preservation. They have been reminded that Sundays are off-limits,” a Chick-fil-A spokesperson told Business Insider. A representative for the brand was not immediately available to offer additional comments on the snafu.
Sandwich lovers need not fear, though, because they’ll have lots of other sandwich options to enjoy, including a certain very popular fried chicken sandwich available at Popeyes. The chain's first chicken sandwich, which originally sold out in just a few weeks, is scheduled to return on Nov. 3, so of course Popeyes couldn’t resist throwing some shade at the rival chicken chain.
Popeyes even took a dig at Chick-fil-A before the email incident, announcing that its chicken sandwich was going to return on a day when the competition wasn’t even open. The chain posted a YouTube video with a highway sign showing both Popeyes and Chick-fil-A restaurants. "Open Sunday" was written under Popeyes, but "closed Sunday" appeared under Chick-fil-A.


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By Maria Rocha-Buschel
City University of New York students, education advocates and local elected officials rallied on the Baruch Plaza at Lexington Avenue and East 25th Street last Thursday, protesting tuition hikes for CUNY students.
Assemblymember Harvey Epstein argued at the rally that more money should be allocated to the city and state university systems, and also said that bills he has introduced would help provide that funding.
One piece of legislation from Epstein, which is co-sponsored by Assemblymember Dick Gottfried, would impose a 2% sales tax on various luxury items, including vehicles, jewelry and clothing over a certain amount, and the tax would be distributed equally to SUNY and CUNY. Another bill would increase taxes on beer and would direct the revenue generated from the tax to SUNY and CUNY, with Epstein noting that New York currently has one of the lowest beer taxes in the country. The bill would increase the tax to 30 cents per gallon, up from 14.


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Irving Consumer Products Breaks Ground for New Tissue Production Plant in Georgia
Oct. 3, 2017 - Irving Consumer Products on Sept. 28 broke ground on the construction of their new $400 million state-of-the-art tissue plant in Macon, Georgia at an event at the site of their future home.
“We're excited to begin construction on this new plant. The plant will create over 200 permanent, skilled jobs and allow us to continue to meet our customers' growing demands,” said Robert K. Irving, President of Irving Consumer Products. “It will also provide growth in our home province. The pulp will be from Irving Woodlands, manufactured at our New Brunswick pulp mill.”
In November 2016, Irving announced that it agreed to purchase a new Thru-Air Dried (TAD) tissue making machine from Valmet, and in August 2017 the company selected Macon, Georgia as the site for their new plant.
The new plant will produce ultra-premium quality household paper products including soft bath tissue and high quality paper towel and will double the company's Thru-Air Dry capacity, increasing it by 75,000 tonnes — the equivalent of 15 million cases.
“It's a great day in Georgia when we get to celebrate a ground-breaking event,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Deputy Commissioner, Tom Croteau. “We are excited that Irving Consumer Products chose Macon to expand their North American footprint, and are confident that they will find success here in Georgia.”
Following the ground breaking, Irving Consumer Products hosted a community BBQ in Rosa Parks Square to recognize first responders for their efforts during Tropical Storm Irma. Hundreds of emergency responders worked to open shelters, restore major power outages and clear debris from blocked roads. Irving Consumer Products contributed $30,000 to local relief efforts. The American Red Cross of Central Midwest Georgia and Salvation Army of Central Georgia each received a check for $15,000 for disaster response and relief efforts in Macon-Bibb County.
Construction of the new facility will be completed in 2019.
Irving Consumer Products is one of North America's leading manufacturers of household paper and baby diaper products. Irving Consumer Products companies include Irving Tissue and Irving Personal Care. To learn more, please visit: www.jdirving.com.
SOURCE: J.D. Irving, Limited


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The campaign has been conceptualised by Wunderman Thompson
With the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country further leading to an extension in the lockdown in many states, Everyuth Naturals is encouraging consumers to practice social distancing to protect themselves from the pandemic through its social media campaign. Conceptualised by Wunderman Thompson South Asia, the social media creatives of the brand promote the importance of wearing masks, sanitising hands as well as staying home in order to prevent the spread of the disease.
According to Tarun Arora, CEO, Zydus Wellness, in these difficult times it is imperative that brands do their bit. “While beauty may not be the top of the mind concern at this juncture, Everyuth Naturals has stepped up to help spread awareness of safer and responsible behavior among its consumers,” he added.
The Corona pandemic has brought to the forefront the need for all of us to wear masks, wash hands and practice social distancing, Tarun Rai, chairman and group CEO, Wunderman Thompson South Asia said. “For Everyuth Naturals, we decided to use their logo identity itself to give out simple, visually powerful social messages. This is the time for brands to do their bit to help in the fight against the virus through relevant messages to their audience,” he elaborated.
Wunderman Thompson, a WPP agency provides consultancy, technological and consultancy services to brands. With a network of 20,000 people in 90 markets around the world, the company offers services across the entire customer journey, including communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production and technology. In South Asia, the group provides integrated communication solutions to its clients through its network across India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore), Sri Lanka and Nepal. The group includes Wunderman Thompson, Contract Advertising, ADK-Fortune and Mirum.


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Hong Kong has been steadily progressing in terms of cryptocurrency adoption, with more local businesses and government entities embracing digital currencies. However, despite these developments, mainland China has not changed its anti-crypto stance in terms of local regulations.
In September 2021, China banned all cryptocurrency transactions and mining, causing a significant decline in the value of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Since then, the Chinese government has maintained its hard stance on digital currencies, and there are no indications that it will change anytime soon.
Zhou emphasized that despite the backing of the Chinese government, CPIC Investment Management operates as a Hong Kong entity regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission, and their involvement in cryptocurrency is permitted by Hong Kong regulations.
However, Zhou does not expect the Chinese government to change its crypto policies in the foreseeable future. “China has maintained its anti-crypto stance for a long time, even before the September 2021 ban,” he noted.
Lesperance & Associates founder David Lesperance agrees with Zhou, stating that “Given that the Chinese government is coming down hard on the financial sector, it is hard to imagine that China is loosening its control over the ability for Chinese nationals to use crypto.”
Despite the strict regulations in mainland China, some Chinese state-affiliated banks have been opening bank accounts to serve crypto clients in Hong Kong, and CPIC Investment Management even launched two cryptocurrency funds in April.
However, as Lesperance notes, the crypto market in mainland China is still effectively shut down, and Chinese clients using Hong Kong exchanges to get money out of China could face enforcement concerns.
“Certainly, the authorities will try to stop this leakage,” said Lesperance.
Zhou also stated that crypto exchanges in Hong Kong have strict Know Your Customer policies, which aim to restrict mainland Chinese investors on their platforms. “I don’t expect any licensed crypto exchanges in Hong Kong to accept onshore mainland citizens to trade in the exchanges,” he noted.
Despite the challenges faced by cryptocurrency adoption in mainland China, Hong Kong continues to make progress in embracing digital currencies, with local businesses and government entities exploring their potential. However, it remains to be seen how the geopolitical tensions between China and Hong Kong will impact the future of cryptocurrency in the region. As the world continues to navigate the complex landscape of digital currencies, investors and regulators must carefully consider the opportunities and risks associated with this emerging asset class.


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Dr Michael Ayamga-Adongo, a Development Economist and Senior Lecturer at the University for Development Studies (UDS) has alleged that the Akufo-Addo administration cannot cut rice importation because they financed their campaign in 2016.
The outspoken academic posited that the government is hiding behind the “eat Ghana rice campaign” because it is unable to cut rice importation to create demand for local rice due to its conflicted position as beneficiaries of the importers’ support.
“You can’t eat your cake and have it. You took rice and poultry importers money to run your campaign. We all know you are too afraid to cut imports of rice, so you hide behind the eat Ghana rice campaign. Cut the imports and create market,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Dr Ayamga-Adongo has also alleged that the campaign will ultimately benefit some rice importers who are repackaging imported rice as local rice so as to hoodwink consumers, concluding that the campaign is a deceptive campaign that in the end does not really promote consumption of local rice.
“You know very well some of your rice-importer financiers are re-bagging the imported rice as local so this you eat Ghana rice is a facade and plays to the benefit of your cronies in the rice import business. The Ghanaian should not be taken for granted,” he averred.
The campaign to eat Ghana rice has intensified following a rice glut in parts of the country due to bumper harvests.


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OneStopPlus.com, an online destination for curvy women who demand high style in plus-size fashion, announces today influential plus-size model Lizzie Miller as the brand’s new ambassador. As the face of OneStopPlus.com, Miller will serve as an all-encompassing consumer and media liaison, through the establishment of a social networking presence on Twitter and Facebook, as well as through the OneStopPlus.com website.
Lizzie Miller is a beautiful plus size model who made international headlines and caused quite the stir back in 2009 when she appeared in an issue of Glamour magazine in the nude.
Sharing the tricks of her trade and personal style on the OneStopPlus.com website, Lizzie’s unique voice will continue to empower OneStopPlus.com customers and women throughout the world. As a brand ambassador to OneStopPlus.com, Lizzie will offer style tips and product picks in the quarterly OSP Mag published by OneStopPlus.com, video posts, Q&A’s with OneStopPlus.com customers and more, creating an interactive community for fashionable plus-size women.
Lizzie Miller has recently become a plus-size industry staple, stemming from her famed nude photo in Glamour. The picture, which caused a stir by depicting a curvy woman exuding confidence in her body, catapulted Lizzie to the forefront of the growing plus-size movement. She furthered her position in being at the forefront of the plus-size revolution by headlining the first ever plus-size only runway show during New York Fashion Week, produced by OneStopPlus.com in September 2010.
“Lizzie Miller is a revolutionary in the plus-size industry and is a role model for women of all ages,” said Stephanie Sobel, President of OneStopPlus.com Group. “Through her grace and confidence, she has helped to revolutionize how plus-sizes are represented within the fashion industry. Lizzie is an advocate for healthy body image and positive self-esteem, much like OneStopPlus.com.”
“I am so honored to have been chosen as OneStopPlus.com’s ambassador, as they are a major player in the plus-size fashion world. I believe that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and I admire OneStopPlus.com for being willing and able to think outside the box when it comes to women’s fashion.” said Lizzie Miller. “I dream of the day when we will be able to open a magazine and see women of all sizes and colors represented. With OneStopPlus.com, that dream will become a reality and I’m so excited to be a part of it.”
OneStopPlus.com made history last September when they hosted the first plus-size fashion show during Fashion Week in New York and they continue to be on the cutting edge of fashion with their upcoming streaming International Fashion Show during Fashion Week (February 17 at 1pm EST). For additional information, please visit: www.onestopplus.com, the OneStopPlus.com Facebook page and follow them also on Twitter @onestopplus.
They really need to redo the whole numbers thing again. Whatever this girl is, that should be a zero. Everyone thinner than that should be a minus number, and everyone bigger should be plus. She is totally perfect.


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At Women’s World Banking’s Making Finance Work for Women Summit in Berlin last November, our Chief Product Development Officer Anna Gincherman was joined by Liz Kellison of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Louise Holden of MasterCard, Tom DeLuca of AMP Credit Technologies, and moderator Audrey Mothupi of SystemicLogic Group to discuss the potential for technology to drive women’s financial inclusion.
Why does technology matter for women’s financial inclusion?
Digital financial services[i] have tremendous potential to be a silver bullet for women’s financial inclusion, because they address so many key barriers for women such as convenience, confidentiality and security. Mobile phones are spreading rapidly in developing countries, with penetration now over 50 percent globally,[ii] making it more possible than ever before to serve women with digital financial services.
Two billion people, including over one billion women, do not have access to any formal financial services. Digital finance matters, because we cannot close this gap through traditional “brick-and-mortar” approaches. Liz highlighted the Gates Foundation’s work to “lay the rails” for digital financial services to flourish by developing an ecosystem including government involvement, private sector engagement, enabling regulations, and agreement on payment rules among key players. At the same time, she noted that it is critical to make sure women are included, because they are more likely to invest in health and education for their families, accelerating positive outcomes for the poor.
The promise of technology is in what it makes possible, such as breakthroughs in product design to meet women’s financial needs through different channels and with better products. For instance the BETA proposition, developed for women market traders in Nigeria by Diamond Bank and Women’s World Banking, delivers a saving service to clients’ doorsteps. Another example is AMP Credit Technologies’ innovative approach to lending to women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs): by analyzing information banks already have about their customers, the company breaks down traditional barriers and levels the playing field in access to credit.
If digital financial services are so important for women’s financial inclusion, why has more not been achieved?
One reason is that there are still real barriers to including women, in particular access to identification (ID). To open a digital account, take out a loan or register for an insurance policy, you need to be able to identify yourself, and women face more hurdles in proving their identity than men. There are numerous countries in the world where a woman still requires her husband’s permission or additional documentation to obtain formal ID.[iii] It is no coincidence that most innovations in women’s access to digital finance have taken hold in countries where national ID is readily available, like Kenya, or where regulators have simplified ID requirements for basic accounts, such as Nigeria.
The scale of the challenge is enormous, and addressing it requires sustained commitment from players with the resources to achieve real gains. Louise highlighted an example from MasterCard’s financial inclusion initiatives, which are part of the company’s strategy to onboard over 500 million new consumers by 2018. MasterCard has partnered with the South African government to offer a biometric national ID card, enabling payment of benefits from over 7 government social services programs through a single channel.
Another key barrier to reaching women with digital financial services is that most innovative product design fails to take their needs into account. Research by Women’s World Banking shows that the majority of players in digital financial services – whether mobile network operators or banks – were unaware of or unable to measure even how many women they were reaching, much less how women were using their products. Innovation in digital financial services has been delivered mainly by mobile network operators and as such has focused on payments solutions, rather than on other financial services that could be more relevant to low-income women (e.g., savings).
As Muna Sukhtian of Jordan’s Microfund for Women asked during the Q&A period, many microfinance institutions (MFIs) wonder whether digital finance will only hasten other types of providers’ access to their clients, and how to preserve the institution’s relationship with clients as it shifts to a digital environment. MFIs and other organizations that care about serving women must be at the table, bringing their focus on customers and understanding of the financial needs of low-income women. However, the panelists encouraged these institutions to focus on partnerships in order to leverage the capacity of different players in the ecosystem as well as their own strengths. By reaching out to other types of organizations with different competencies and scale, we can close the gender gap in financial inclusion together.
So is technology really a silver bullet for reaching women with financial services?
Our panelists agreed that technology itself is not the game changer, but rather the people and organizations who can put technology to use. Technology creates new opportunities to reach women and to serve them where they are: on their farms, in their businesses and in their homes. Yet making a difference means focusing on essentials like designing simple, accessible and useful products that are relevant to women. Ultimately it’s up to us to make it a priority to understand women’s needs and meet them.
To watch the full panel discussion, check out the video here.
[i] Financial service providers are using mobile phones and point-of-sale devices, together with mobile and fixed agents, to offer financial services at greater convenience and lower cost than traditional banking allows.
[ii] “The Mobile Economy 2015,” GSMA (2015), http://www.gsmamobileeconomy.com/GSMA_Global_Mobile_Economy_Report_2015.pdf


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Over the recent months, sportswear giant Nike has done its fair share in contributing towards the fight against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, not only by manufacturing full-face shields and air-purifying respirator lenses or donating sportswear kits for healthcare workers, but also pledging $2 million USD from employees.
Now, Beaverton is increasing its efforts once again, working with nonprofit Good360 in the U.S. as well as other local organizations in Europe to donate 140,000 pieces of footwear, apparel, and equipment to the frontline medical staff all across the globe.
Part of that donation will consist of Nike’s Air Zoom Pulse, a sneaker specifically designed with healthcare workers in mind.
Click on the comment box below and leave us your thoughts. Thank you


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Update: Nintendo's English support page has released its own patch notes. Take a look below:
It's also been confirmed the latest update patches out the recently discovered duplication glitches.
Original story: Exactly one month after the previous update, Nintendo has now released a new patch for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It takes the game from Version 1.2.0 to Version 1.2.1. Unfortunately, the English patch notes aren't available on Nintendo's support website just yet, so we'll just have to settle with the Japanese ones:
According to the notes on this support page, the update fixes some bugs, but as usual, it doesn't go into any detail. If you want to be able to continue enjoying the game's multiplayer, locally and online, you'll need to update to this latest patch.


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National bank unveils high security chip cards
By Standard Reporter | August 13th 2015
NAIROBI, KENYA; National Bank has launched an in-house card personalization facility that will enable the bank issue high security chip cards to its customers faster and within 24 hours of application.
This makes National Bank one of the first banks in Kenya to achieve this milestone, as the Kenya banking sector deepens the adoption of EMV Chip and PIN technology. The bank's in-house card personalization centre will help stabilize card issuance at the bank and improve the turnaround time from card production to issuing.
Speaking during the launch, National Bank of Kenya Managing Director Munir Ahmed said, the facility would accelerate the bank’s debit/ credit card business. “We now have market leading efficiency in card issuing and the whole process will be done within the National bank’s premises. The period within which cards are delivered to customers at the requesting branch will be reduced significantly from the current 10 days to only 24 hours,” he said.
National Bank was among the first banks in Kenya to embrace the new high security Europay Mastercard and Visa (EMV) Chip card technology for ATM, Debit and Credit cards. The bank is also introducing Pin-less technology for all new debits, credit and prepaid cards where customers are no longer issued with peel-back or scratch off pin mailers but instead receive a one-time pin during activation of their cards at any National Bank ATM. “This will greatly reduce the environmental impact of printing and cut the time taken to sort and deliver pin mailers as the banks leverages technology to improve customer convenience,” said Mr. Muhammad Abid - Business Director for Financial Services- North, East and West Africa who represented Oberthur Technologies during the launch.
Recently the bank reported doubling of its half-year profit before tax (PBT) in 2015 at Sh. 2.48 billion compared to Sh. 1.25 billion posted in a similar period in 2014.
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Earlier in September, the news broke about a new retail holiday being launched, dubbed the 10.10 Shopping Festival. Coresight Research, Shopkick, and Fashwire dreamed up this event as a way to kickstart holiday shopping earlier and help retailers navigate a highly unusual holiday season.
As a result of the pandemic, retailers are dealing with lower supply and longer shipping times. By encouraging earlier shopping, the event hopes to give retailers more time and insight into what consumers want so they can manage their holiday inventory accordingly.
What is the 10.10 Shopping Festival?
Here’s how it works: When shoppers purchase from participating retailers either online or offline, they will earn ‘kicks’ from Shopkick, which they can redeem for free gift cards to retailers like Target, Walmart, Amazon, and others. At the same time, Shopkick will match and donate 5% of all kicks to St. Jude, and Fashwire will donate $0.50 for every download of their app to the same.
According to a Bloomberg article about the holiday, the event has about two dozen retailers signed up so far, and Fashwire is incentivizing its roster of brands to also participate.
10.10 is modeled after the wildly successful Alibaba Singles’ Day event held in China, on 11/11. This event, which started as a casual celebration of singledom has now become the largest shopping event in the world. According to our own data, online retail sales in key Singles’ Day markets across APAC spiked as much as 477% during the event last year.
How 10.10 and Amazon Prime Day Could Kick-Off Black Friday Season
If 10.10 can capture half as much interest as Singles’ Day, it will be a runaway success both for consumers and its participating retailers. And this year, if Amazon Prime Day also occurs in October as is rumored, there could be a massive halo effect for retailers who run their own promotions at the same time:
Criteo analysis shows that our US clients who ran deals during Amazon Prime Day in 2019 saw an average of 59% more sales compared to the average between June 1 and June 28. Many retailers only participated in discounting for one day, and our data showed that only around 40% of retailers participate at all—leaving a potentially huge opportunity on the table.*
So, will the 10.10 Shopping Festival add some more cheer to the holidays this year? It’s hard to say, but if it can gain momentum it just might replace Black Friday as the new start of the holiday shopping season.
For more data and strategies to prepare for the holiday and festive season, download our free guides:
*Criteo Data, United States, Retailers driving promotions during Amazon Prime Day, July 2019 compared to June 1-28 2019.


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Singapore is the perfect place to sell and store precious metals thanks to its stable government and friendly tax environment, says the co-founder of a new company trading bullion for bitcoin.
He moved to Singapore after discovering the government there was removing GST (goods and services tax) on precious metals in 2012. Rather than increasing red tape and discouraging bullion investment like other countries, he said, Singapore was more interested in removing it.
Singapore also has no capital gains tax on bullion investments, there are no associated reporting requirements, and cash transactions are allowed. Together with its many options for secure storage and strong property protection rights, the city-state holds a degree of appeal for more conservative investments like metals.
It is also one of the few jurisdictions with official policies relating to digital currency transactions and taxation.
At least one other bullion dealer, Ripple Singapore, has taken advantage of both Singapore's economic freedoms and the fast-moving Ripple network since the end of last year to innovate with its services.
Despite both bitcoin and bullion having their philosophical foundations in sound money principles, though, the two don't always share the same fans.
There are still several in the precious metals sphere who view bitcoin with suspicion, distrusting an investment without a physical form or agreeing with mainstream economists by saying bitcoin lacks 'intrinsic value'.
BullionStar's Persson is definitely not one of those people, and views bitcoin as both sound money and an interesting investment. He said:
He wants users to view their portfolio holdings in both bitcoin and precious metals as actual currencies, viewing charts and comparing the prices between them as units of account and stores of value.
Buyers in Singapore can buy online or at BullionStar's shopfront right in Singapore's Central Business District, and take physical possession of their bullion as soon as a bitcoin transaction receives the required six confirmations.
They also have the option of storing it in BullionStar's own integrated vault, acting as a kind of 'bullion bank' while letting owners view their metals whenever they choose. The company is insured to store up to SGD$20 million in metals on its premises.
Selling bullion for bitcoin can be quite lucrative, even outside Singapore. In fact, it may be one of the more profitable forms of digital currency business around today.
, based in the US, was one of the first bullion dealers in the world to accept bitcoin and has turned it into a successful enterprise. It began accepting bitcoin about a year ago, and is now one of BitPay's largest clients.
Marketing Director Megan Duffield said the company now does about 30% of its business in bitcoin alone, and has "seen well over $10.5m in bitcoin sales since the payment method was integrated".
Duffield is another precious metals proponent who also believes in digital currencies. In fact, Amagi has taken the concept much further than most and now also accepts litecoin, dogecoin, Ripple's XRP, darkcoin and even potcoin.
She has also hosted a series of YouTube videos, called "Ask Megan”, that explain the world of precious metal investments, and also the mysteries of bitcoin and how to use it securely.
Amagi also plans to add a raft of cryptocurrency-related features to its website, including text and email price alerts, in the coming month.
CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


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Baltic Exchange Board Backs SGX Bid for London Firm08.23.2016
(This article originally appeared on Reuters)
The Baltic Exchange board has unanimously backed a takeover bid from Singapore Exchange Ltd, a deal that will give SGX access to a trading platform for the multibillion-dollar freight derivatives market.
The exchanges have agreed on the terms of the SGX offer, they said in a joint statement on Monday, with Baltic shareholders entitled to 160.41 pounds per share plus 19.30 pounds per share as a final dividend, giving the business a total valuation of about 87 million pounds ($114 million).
“The proposed acquisition will accelerate the growth and development of the Baltic Exchange beyond what it could achieve on its own,” Baltic Exchange Chairman Guy Campbell said.
Founded in 1744 as a forum for chartering vessels, the Baltic Exchange now produces benchmark indexes for global shipping rates. SGX’s offer comes as freight costs wallow at record lows after a slump in commodity markets coincided with an increase in the number of vessels.
“We look forward to working together with the Baltic Exchange to develop new products, benchmarks and services to the benefit of Baltic members, SGX shareholders and the shipping community worldwide,” SGX Chief Executive Loh Boon Chye said.
The deal requires the approval of the majority of the Baltic Exchange shareholders and SGX said it has the support of directors and certain shareholders representing about 74 percent of the company’s issued share capital.
SGX is looking to expand its global presence in shipping and has been developing Asian pricing benchmarks for commodities such as iron ore, liquefied natural gas and coking coal as it seeks to diversify revenue streams in the face of sluggish equities markets.
The deal is expected to be completed towards the end of November, subject to the necessary shareholder, regulatory and court approvals, the companies said.
Jefferies International is acting as financial adviser to SGX, with Nomura International advising the Baltic Exchange.
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Surveys from online price comparison sites show 4G devices account for around a fourth of all searches for mobile phones.
Of the 4.7 million searches over a month for cellphones on mysmartprice-.com, over a million were for smartphones supporting 4G LTE (long-termevolution) technology, which will allow playing videos without buffering due to much faster download speeds than 3G.
91mobiles.com, which specialises in price comparisons of mobile phones, added that 32% of all searches on the platform were for 4G smartphones, and 11 4G smartphone models priced under Rs 10,000 accounted for a fourth of the total searches for 4G devices.
“We are seeing an encouraging growth across our 4G product portfolio and demand for 4G-enabled smartphones continues to grow,” said Asim Warsi, Vice President, Marketing, Mobile & IT, Samsung India.
The number of 4G smartphones available in the fastgrowing market is expectedly outpacing the 4G network availability, with most carriers still rolling out 3G services. Mukesh Ambani’s flagship telecom venture, Reliance Jio Infocomm, is widely expected to launch 4G services from mid-July while the country’s No. 1 carrier Bharti Airtel is expanding the reach of its still nascent 4G offerings. Vodafone India and RCOM have also announced launches on the technology towards end of 2015.
“With operators in India currently rolling out 4G LTE networks, the demand for 4G devices is only going to increase,” Warsi said.
Handset makers want a first mover’s advantage as well as need to cater to increasing consumer demand for cellphones that support 4G, with network availability not a criterion, said Sitakanta Ray, cofounder of MySmartPrice.
As of April-end, 49 4G-enabled models have been launched by home-bred and MNC smartphone brands, which is about 30% higher than the number of launches in 2014. In 2013, only six smartphone models were 4G-enabled, data from 91mobiles.com shows.
Insights reveal that the most popular devices searched by users on his site are Apple iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy E7 and Apple iPhone 5S, indicating the brand and aspirational value attached.
The demand for 4G phones will only grow as prices come down. Industry insiders say the number of 4G phones in the affordable smartphone segment — under Rs 15,000 — is set to jump in 2015 as handset makers such as Xiaomi, Gionee, Meizu, Microsoft and Intex, to name a few, place their future bets.
“4G phones are still expensive, but then it’s a matter of time as handsets prices go down and data plans become affordable,” said Satish Babu, founder of retail store chain UniverCell Mobiles, who added that consumers must be shown the USP of using 4G service over their existing 3G or 2G plans. MySmart-Price’s Ray added that as prices of 4G phones will continue to drop sharply — moving well into the budget sub-Rs 10,000 range.
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Sometimes, discovering a free app is like finding gold; other times, it’s more like finding a rock covered in gold paint. Case in point: While we really dig the free version of HoursTracker HD for iPad, the freebie of the iPhone version is severely hobbled — and not nearly as useful.
But just for today, the superb full version of the HoursTracker iPhone app is free.
UPDATE: As the app’s developer, Carlos Ribas, correctly points out, syncing is actually not included — though he says it’s coming soon. Manual backup is included standard. There are also added benefits to the cloud subscription: web reporting, charting and data export.


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The Securities and Trade Commission has frozen new cryptocurrencies 2017 at echat the property of a cryptocurrency startup https://ico.echat.io accused of fraudulently selling up to $15 million in tokens. The platform guarantees returns of up to 45% per month depending on the size of the person’s initial new cryptocurrencies 2017 to invest investment. That said, there exists a darkish underbelly to the pink-scorching marketplace for ICOs. Securities and Change new cryptocurrencies 2017 Fee gained an emergency asset freeze to cease an preliminary coin offering that the company stated has defrauded investors by promising a thirteen-fold revenue in lower than a month. Realisto is https://ico.echat.io a decentralized and borderless real estate crowdfunding platform connecting small and enormous scale traders with real estate funding opportunities globally.
One of the first new cryptocurrencies 2017 ever mainstream” ICOs was finished by the developer of the messaging app Kik final September 2017. The likelihood exists that you would sustain a loss of some or your whole initial investment and due to this fact you shouldn’t invest money that you just can’t afford to lose. Seen from the angle of a excessive yield funding program, nevertheless, the TEX Lending Platform is an affordable offering. These concerns prompted an ICO investigation into the campaign’s compliance with knowledge safety and digital advertising regulation.<img src="http://icons.iconarchive.com/icons/graphics-vibe/classic-3d-social/256/rss-feed-icon. If you liked this article and you would like to receive more info regarding new cryptocurrencies 2017 to invest kindly visit our site. png” width=”254px” news ico/>
Round $1.78 billion have been raised by way of preliminary choices since 2014, based on an ICO tracker from trade outlet CoinDesk. Preliminary Coin Offerings (ICOs) have been making information for reasons both good and unhealthy. There were greater than 200 ICOs in 2017 , and conducting due diligence on all of them can be extraordinarily time-consuming, even for a knowledgeable analyst, not to mention an novice investor. They’ve provided the fuel for a speedy ascent within the value of cryptocurrencies this year that has raised fears of a bubble that might burst, with bitcoin soaring greater than 1,000% because the start of 2017.
Probably the most vital high 10 ICO funding analysis suggestions – take time to learn the whitepaper for each project and ICO you want to put money into. White papers are long and typically confusing. The platform makes use of lawyer-backed good contracts and blockchain technology to offer full transparency and security for its users. This fall , it charged two companies, which claimed to be promoting ICO tokens backed by actual property and diamond investments, with fraud. The Commission’s grievance, filed in federal court docket in Brooklyn, New York, alleges that Lacroix and PlexCorps marketed and sold securities known as PlexCoin on the web to investors within the U.S. and elsewhere, claiming that investments in PlexCoin would yield a 1,354 % revenue in lower than 29 days.
In November, the FBI charged Brooklyn businessman Maksim Zaslavskiy with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud for allegedly bilking investors out of $300,000 through an ICO rip-off referred to as REcoin which he claimed was “the first-ever cryptocurrency backed by real estate.” He was additionally hit with an SEC civil grievance. The firm and Lacroix, described by the SEC as a recidivist securities regulation violator, have raised $15 million since August marketing and selling a product called PlexCoin over the Internet, according to the statement.
On September 29th, 2017, NEO was listed on the South Korean exchange CoinNest with a South Korean Won (KRW) pair. In simple terms, a premine refers to when a portion of the tokens for a crypto mission is made accessible to a small group previous to being made publicly accessible. Toggle between the buttons above to disclose knowledge on all-time cumulative ICO funding and monthly ICO funding, or search venture to challenge with our interactive visualization. Ripple pre-mined 1 billion XRP tokens and bought it to prepared traders for bitcoin or fiat currencies in return.
We offer info on the Ticker title, Change identify it’s listed on, Itemizing Date, undertaking time limit, trading value now, price through the token sale, % change in the price and forex. NaPoleon Crypto aspires to be the first algorithmic asset manager for crypto investors in search of to focus on both crypto and conventional market opportunities, and is creating a platform and funds ecosystem designed to appeal to giant, conventional investors seeking to diversify into crypto belongings. It’s indeed a reason behind concern that such actors could easily destroy thousands of dollars’ value of investment made into initiatives and their crowdsale with ease and it’s as much as the cryptocurrency group to decide how they wish to deal with such a difficulty.
The complete width version for net pages shows extra ICO information points, like description and quantity raised this far. PKT tokens are already available on Coinexchange. Analysts name the UK a extremely energetic state on the cryptocurrency and ICO market. Cryptocurrency has revolutionized forex transactions, and now persons are discovering even more uses for the digital foreign money expertise. Comply with the bulletins from the mission and the exchanges themselves to study when your token will get listed.
I used to be happy to find a advertising and marketing plan in the Nau whitepaper, something that the majority different ICOs haven’t even thought of. The exponential rise in the number of ICO launches and money raised has brought them under the microscope with regulators issuing public notices, warning investors about ICOs being a ‘ pump and dump ‘ scheme and some other form of rip-off. Bengaluru-based blockchain startup WandX launched its ICO on October 27 and had already raised $430,000 as on December 4. Its target: $four million.
Our funding platform enables traders to develop their investment portfolio and earn passive earnings with out having an enormous capital. Though the functions range relying on the digital token, customers can usually use them to buy goods and services on a start-up’s platform or to take a revenue ought to the asset appreciate in value. The most recent methodology of crowdfunding originating in the cryptocurrency world is exploding, with ICOs elevating greater than three.5 billion this year. This does occur; not all ICO-issued tokens will jump tenfold in worth, and even the uncommon ones that do won’t necessarily keep there.


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Happy 1st Birthday Pokémon GO! One year ago, this mobile augmented reality game hit the App Store, and the rest remains history. With over 750 MILLION downloads in its first year, it’s no wonder that this game became a beloved pop culture phenomenon.
In celebration of it’s first birthday, The Pokémon Company International and Niantic, Inc. have created in-game events and, for the first time, LIVE events that will bring trainers physically and digitally together.
The first official LIVE Niantic Inc hosted event, “Pokémon GO Fest”, will take place at Chicago’s Grant Park on July 22nd, 2017. No specific details appear about the event, which has a lot of fans wondering what the event will entail. What we do know is that it will be a day for trainers to meet other players, participate in an assortment of activities, and celebrate the world of Pokémon GO. Tickets for “Pokémon GO Fest” will be available for sale on June 19th at 10:00 AM PDT at PokemonGoLive.com/Fest. And while this festival may be the highlight event of the summer, Niantic notes that there will be future events across various cities in North America.
But for those who don’t live in North America, do not worry! Trainers in Europe can expect festivities June through September in conjunction with Unibail-Rodamco shopping centers. Additionally, Japan will receive a region-specific event, “Pikachu Outbreak”. This event will take place in Yokohama during August 2017.
This June, Pokémon GO introduces their first in-game event of the summer – the Solstice Event. The event begins Tuesday June 13th at 1:00PM PDT and will run until June 20th at 1:00PM PDT. The Solstice Event highlights fire-type and ice-type Pokémon. Trainers can expect heightened encounter rates for Charmander, Cyndaquil, Lapras, Swinub, Sneasel, their evolutions, and more. Additionally, trainers can earn bonus XP for Nice Throws, Great Throws, Excellent Throws, Curveballs, and other in game actions. Even more XP can be obtained when trainers discover and catch the event’s featured fire-type and ice-type Pokémon.
Hopefully in this next year, we will see more themed events and even more game updates. In-game trading and trainer battles are two features that fans have requested for some time. Maybe we’ll receive these additions, along with Generation 3 Pokémon in 2017. Pokémon GO remains a creative and unique augmented reality mobile game. It took the world by storm in 2016, and with any luck and future updates, it will continue to do so.