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In the framework of its annual developer conference, WWDC 2020, Apple presented news for its tvOS operating system.
It had been rumored that the Californian company would launch a children’s mode, as well as the Screen Time function, however, this was not the case.
The tvOS 14 platform includes enhanced compatibility with dedicated HomeKit smart home accessories as well as the Home app on Apple TV.
Among the possibilities, users will be able to receive a “Picture in Picture” alert from the people who arrive at their home —recognized by their HomeKit cameras— directly on the screen connected to Apple TV.
For Apple Arcade, which can be enjoyed on the device streaming Apple, yes there is the possibility of having multiple users, which will allow them to take their game right where they left it. In more news for gamers, tvOS 14 extends the compatibility with Xbox controls.
Also, the operating system will enable better audio sharing with AirPods (which will also have new functions) and video streaming up to 4K from the Photos application on iOS mobiles.
Specifically with the Home app, you’ll be ready for light bulbs that change color – you’ll adjust these to suit the environment.
A new HomePod was not announced; the Californian firm only added new features to its existing model, such as compatibility with third-party music services.
The smart speaker will also have the automatic audio change, depending on the device that the user “starts”, just like the AirPods and AirPods Pro.
The company led by Tim Cook, this year, is holding its annual WWDC developer conference online, mostly because of the health emergency caused by the new coronavirus.


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The recent release of a "Technical Assessment Report" on automakers' efforts to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards has kicked off a debate over whether those standards should be lowered.
The report indicated that carmakers might fall slightly short of the goal of an average 54.5 mpg (or about 38 mpg on window stickers) for vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2025.
While carmakers are technologically capable of meeting the 54.5-mpg goal, a combination of low gas prices and high SUV sales might cause them to miss the mark, the report concluded.
Since the report's release last month, automaker lobbyists have latched onto that conclusion as they argue that the current CAFE mandate is unrealistic.
But much of what they are saying about fuel-economy standards simply isn't true, notes a recent Consumers Union article.
Pointing to booming SUV sales, critics of the current CAFE standards have argued that such high fuel-economy goals will force automakers to sell cars consumers don't want to buy.
2016 Dodge Durango
Because the standards are based on a fleet average, the actual fuel economy of individual models can vary, notes Consumers Union.
Fuel-economy targets are higher for smaller vehicles than larger ones, with the actual targets based on vehicle footprint.
However, the mix of vehicles sold does affect the fleet average, which is why high SUVs sales led regulators to conclude that automakers may not meet the 54.5-mpg target.
While fewer SUV sales would likely help matters, carmakers would not necessarily need to vastly increase sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids to meet that goal.
Ford 3.5-liter V-6 and 10-speed automatic transmission
The Technical Assessment Report said that carmakers could likely meet CAFE standards largely through improvements to the efficiency of internal-combustion engines.
It projected that sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids will account for only 2 to 3 percent of the total new-car market in the coming years, while hybrids will attain 3 to 14 percent, Consumers Union noted.
Contrary to what some industry lobbyists have said, Consumers Union research has also indicated that any increase in the cost of new cars to meet fuel-economy standards would be offset by fuel savings.
Despite the questionable nature of their arguments, though, carmakers are likely to continue pushing for lower CAFE standards with the argument that higher standards would adversely affect consumers.

domain: news


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His visit, from Sunday (Jul 23) to Tuesday, comes at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Sunday.
MFA added that the Hong Kong leader will call on and be hosted to lunch by Mr Lee Hsien Loong. He will also be hosted to breakfast by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat and Mr John Lee will also speak at the ‘Singapore-Hong Kong: Partnering for Success’ business dinner on Monday. The event is jointly organised by the Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
Singapore is the first leg of a week-long ASEAN trip for Mr Lee. He will also visit Malaysia and Indonesia and will be accompanied by five top officials and 30 leaders from the finance, investment, business, legal, innovation and technology and logistics sectors, reported the South China Morning Post.
He will also use the trip to drum up support for Hong Kong to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest free trade bloc, said SCMP.
Source : cna


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Posted 27 August 2002A FARMING ROADSHOW that will take the Tesco Food and Farming Masterclass on tour around the UK will begin in Wales next month.
The one-day seminar, entitled 'Organic Food: Meeting the Challenge in Wales?' will be presented by Harper Adams University College, the UK's largest specialist institution of Higher Education for the land and food-based industries, and by Tesco, with the support of the Welsh Development Agency and the National Farmers Union in Wales.
Tesco have announced their intention to increase their organic market to £1 billion within the next five years and have thrown down the gauntlet to British agriculture to help them achieve that goal by growing more organic food.
This seminar will be a forum in which farmers and producers can hear about and discuss issues that will shape the development of the organic market. This will include an outline of one vision for the future of organics, ways of developing organic brands, a farmers' perspective on marketing organic livestock to turn a profit and a look at the performance of different organic milk production systems.
The high profile group of speakers who will attend includes Carlo Leifert, Professor of Ecological Agriculture and Director of the Tesco Centre for Organic Agriculture at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and Richard Weller, Leader of Organic Research for the Institute of Grassland & Environmental Research (IGER).
Martin Cooke, Divisional Technical Manager for Tesco, and Nigel Elgar, Director of Graig Farm Producers Ltd, will also attend to address delegates.
The seminar has previously been held at Harper Adams University College, in Shropshire, and was so successful on that occasion, that organisers decided to tour the UK and make the event accessible to all.
Martin Hingley, Harper Adams' Senior Lecturer and the Tesco Teaching Fellow organised the event and acted as Conference Chair. He said: " By repeating the organic food seminar, on at least three more dates over the coming months, we hope to spread a greater understanding of the challenges we all face to meet the growing demand for organic food in the UK."
The Organic Food seminar will be held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Powys, on Wednesday, September 18, 2002, between 10am and 3pm. Places are free to anyone whose primary business is farming and will cost just £50 per person to all other delegates.
Given the quality and reputation of the speakers attending, it is anticipated that demand for places on the seminar will be high and organisers have therefore urged people to book early to avoid disappointment.
To reserve a place on the seminar, please contact Carole Hinks, Conference & Short Courses Manager at Harper Adams, on 01 952 815 324 or E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org and request a booking form.
Notes to Editors:
Further information on the Organic Food seminar and about the Tesco Food and Farming Masterclass in general is available from Martin Hingley, Senior Lecturer and Tesco Teaching Fellow at Harper Adams University College, Shropshire, on 01 952 815 386 or by E-mail: email@example.com


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The BC government is initiating a province-wide response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says on the recommendation of the Provincial Health Officer, he will use the Emergency Program Act to ensure a co-ordinated coronavirus response at all levels of government.
A new Provincial Supply Chain Coordination Unit will be established for goods and services distribution.
There will be a ban on the resale of food, medical supplies. personal protective equipment and limits on how much people can purchase at retail outlets.
Local by-law officers will be enabled to enforce the Provincial Health Officer’s orders on closures and crowd size restrictions.
The government will require ferry services to offer minimum service levels and priority access for residents and essential goods or services.
Local councils can hold meetings in a more flexible manner to speed up their decisions.
The province will also be able to make use of local facilities such as community centers for services such as testing, medical care, self-isolation, or warehousing and distribution.
Farnworth says local governments and First Nations are working to ensure their communities are protected from the impact of COVID-19 and these measures “will make sure communities are taking necessary steps, in coordination with the province, to get ready should more action be required.”


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The Microsoft 365 brand will replace the decades-old Office brand, though Microsoft will keep offering existing Office 365 subscriptions and Office perpetual licences.
Recent Office 365 Stories
Microsoft is backtracking on its plan to block all Office VBA macros obtained from the Internet by default.
Microsoft has started rolling out seamless account switching across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other Microsoft 365 web apps.
Microsoft is making its Office apps more secure by blocking Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros obtained from the Internet by default.
Microsoft said that it would release the first preview version of its Office Visual Refresh for Windows 11 last week, but it never happened.
Microsoft is combining the best of its services into a single product: Microsoft 365 Life. It includes a new Microsoft Editor, Office 365, Teams for Life, and more.
Microsoft is putting Cortana across Outlook, and it's promising major new advancements in Cortana's natural conversational interactions for the near future.
Slack is introducing improved support for Outlook Mail, Outlook Calendar, OneDrive, and Office 365 files.
Microsoft Excel now lets you take pictures of tables in real life and turn them into actual, editable tables on Excel.
Microsoft and Apple announce the release of Office 365 on the Mac App Store.
Microsoft could be working on a consumer version of Microsoft 365.
Microsoft Office apps are getting a new identity as part of a major overhaul.
Microsoft is reportedly planning to ads to the Mail app in Windows 10. Yikes.
Inking in Word and PowerPoint is getting smarter than ever before.
Microsoft Whiteboard is now available for your iPhone and iPad.
A big update to Office is here.
Microsoft starts testing a modern Outlook for Windows experience with Office Insiders, and Office 365 users.
Facebook is reportedly discussing ditching Microsoft for Google's G Suite over employee dissatisfaction.
Microsoft tackles productivity within workforce head-on with intelligent new features in Office 365.
For the first time in over a decade, Microsoft will redesign the user interface for its core Office-branded apps across platforms.
Microsoft is introducing major security updates to its flagship Office 365 products, launches new File Restore, encryption features for OneDrive and Outlook.
Microsoft Teams' mobile apps are getting updated with some key new features as Microsoft gets ready to launch a new freemium version of the service.
You no longer need to have an Azure Active Directory account to use Microsoft Teams' guest account feature.
Microsoft is bringing its Resume Assistant feature to Word powered by LinkedIn today.
Microsoft gives OneDrive for Business a huge push with new offers for Google, Dropbox and Box customers.
This month's Office 365 update includes a brand new look for OneDrive, a new app store for Microsoft Teams, a big Education push, and more.
Microsoft's Office suite is now available to all Windows 10 users from the Microsoft Store. Even for non-Windows 10 S users.


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In 2016, Goldman Sachs introduced Marcus, the firm’s first consumer banking offering that included an online saving account and no-fee personal loans for retail consumers. Named after Goldman’s founder, the Marcus platform provided highly competitive rates, delivered without the branch and back office infrastructure that often hampers legacy financial institutions.
Beyond organic growth, Marcus has increased their consumer banking business with the acquisition of the deposit base of GE Capital Bank and the personal finance management capability and customer base of Clarity Money. In 2019, Marcus introduced a highly successful consumer credit card in conjunction with Apple.
Since the 2016 launch, Marcus has grown into a formidable digital banking platform, leveraging extensive research and development, advanced digital technology and a focus on simplicity and transparency. The result has been a consumer business with $60 billion in U.S. and U.K. deposits, $7 billion in consumer loan balances and more than four million customers in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Explore a three-month view of consumer transactions and trends during the 2023 holiday spending season, including BNPL activity and mobile wallet purchase performance. As the financial landscape continues to evolve, check out these four anticipated financial marketing trends to focus on for maximizing ROI in 2024.
Explore a three-month view of consumer transactions and trends during the 2023 holiday spending season, including BNPL activity and mobile wallet purchase performance.
As the financial landscape continues to evolve, check out these four anticipated financial marketing trends to focus on for maximizing ROI in 2024.
The expansion of the consumer business made a significant jump forward early in 2020, with the long-awaited introduction of the Marcus mobile banking app. Built with the assistance of many of the same developers and engineers who worked on Clarity Money, the app is very clean and straightforward.
Completing the portfolio of products consumers expect from their primary digital banking provider, Goldman Sachs has just announced plans to offer retail consumer checking accounts in 2021. Obviously, the intention is to expand the relationship in place with more than four million existing customers as well as to build new relationships without a bricks and mortar infrastructure. The bank will also offer zero-fee wealth management services accessed through the mobile app by the end of 2020.
“We aspire to be the leading digital consumer bank,” stated Eric Lane, Global Co-Head of Goldman’s Consumer and Investment Management Division. “We’re starting with loans, we added savings and cards, and we’re working to build out the balance of the digital products suite, including wealth and checking.” Lane continued, “We’re trying to deliver a retail bank branch through your phone.”
The growth targets for the Marcus banking app reinforce their commitment to the retail consumer and the reason why all retail banks should keep a watchful eye on Goldman Sachs going forward. According to Goldman, they have plans to more than double consumer deposits to at least $125 billion over the next five years and to grow loans and credit card balances fourfold, to over $20 billion during the same period.
The introduction of Marcus has transitioned Goldman Sachs from their investment bank and trading legacy. Marcus allows Goldman to diversify its revenue and funding sources by offering savings and lending services to retail consumers. To illustrate one reason retail deposit growth is important, Goldman CFO Steven Scherr states, “For every $10 billion in new deposits, Goldman can reduce the cost of capital by $80 million.”
- Marcus by Goldman Sachs: Perfectly Positioned Post-Pandemic
- Why Bank + Fintech Partnerships Are Going Nowhere
- What the Surge in Fintech Launches Signals for Banking’s Future
Integrated Platform Banking
Five years ago, former Goldman chief executive Lloyd Blankfein declared that their company had become a tech firm. This is very clear when you see the massive commitment that has been made to engineers, developers and R&D. This was further reinforced during the firm’s recent investor day presentation, where the consumer banking platform was introduced.
The origin of the Marcus platform was a no-fee, no-minimum online savings account that offered above market interest rates. This was a key differentiator as Goldman sought to lure clients away from national as well as regional banks that kept rates exceedingly low. The platform expanded to offer no-fee loans and credit cards in partnership with Apple. The platform is now further expanding into checking and wealth management later this year and in 2021.
In explaining the movement into new services and new delivery channels, CEO David Solomon stated, “We set out to build our consumer business from a clean sheet of paper. In designing Marcus, we spoke with more than 10,000 people across the country to understand their banking needs. Value, simplicity and transparency are at the core of our consumer products, which is based on this feedback.”
As shown in the chart above and the one below from Goldman Sachs, the Marcus platform is also open to other partnerships and collaborations to build additional services or find new ways to expand market share. There is even positioning of the Marcus brand as banking-as-a-service.
Marcus to Offer Loans to Amazon Merchants
It has been reported by The Financial Times that Goldman Sachs is close to signing an agreement with Amazon to offer small business loans to companies that utilize Amazon’s e-commerce platform. While Amazon already offers credit for their small business clients, the Marcus partnership would extend the capability, helping both Amazon and Goldman Sachs in the space. Amazon introduced their lending capability in 2011, with $863 million in small business loans reported at the end of 2019.
This is an excellent example of the positioning of Marcus as a ‘Banking-as-a-Service’ (BaaS) provider. This is also the second time Goldman has sought to partner with a tech giant to expand their market reach. Their partnership with Apple in the credit card business is considered a success by many industry observers, giving Goldman access to Apple’s 100 million U.S. customers. The partnership with Amazon would connect Goldman to 1.9 million merchants that work with Amazon.
Commitment to R&D
Unlike other traditional financial institutions, but similar to fintech organizations globally, Goldman Sachs has committed enormous resources to support R&D and technology. As shown below, this commitment extends beyond just resources to ‘run the bank’, but also includes close to half of the investment being spent to set the firm up for future growth.
More importantly, as a corporation, 46% of Goldman Sachs job postings are in technology. The key is that Goldman has committed extensively to leveraging technology to efficiently scale the delivery of products and services to clients.
Positioned for the Future
Unlike most fintech start-ups, Goldman Sachs has strong corporate name recognition to support issues around trust and security with the Marcus brand. When asked about brand recognition, Goldman executives state, “It’s not just Marcus. It is Marcus by Goldman Sachs. There is a high familiarity with the brand and people want to engage with Goldman. … We are creating a user experience that is tethered to the mother brand.”
Obviously, with the Goldman organization behind the Marcus brand, there is also significant investment potential. While many fintech firms need to go to the marketplace for funding rounds, Marcus has funding available from the parent organization. When we think about some of the challenges that many fintech firms have, it’s things like scale and distribution, which many can only get through partnerships.
“The tech capabilities of Amazon, Apple and their peers combined with the regulatory know-how of incumbent FIs like Goldman is a powerful force,” states Business Insider. “Such collaborations can allow these firms to offer digital financial products directly to millions of customers at price points that can significantly undercut their fintech peers, creating a huge competitive barrier for fintechs to navigate.” Obviously, this also changes the traditional banking competitive landscape as well.
In the future, the Marcus brand will only grow. With the addition of wealth management and eventually checking accounts that are 100% supported by a mobile app, financial institutions of all sizes should take note of the potential for Goldman Sachs to be a major player in the marketplace. If banks and credit unions are not paying attention today (when there is time to react), there is a good chance Marcus will be the source of nightmares going forward.


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According to the "Digital 2022 Global Overview" published by DataReportal, a provider of various global data, Thailand is the world's No. 1 country in terms of cryptocurrency ownership by Internet users (aged 16-64), with 20.1%.
The global average ownership rate is 10.2%, and Thailand's result is twice as high as the global average.
By gender, 12.7% of respondents were male and 7.2% were female, and the number of global cryptocurrency holders increased 37.8% year over year.
According to a February 10 Bangkok Post report, among other survey items, Thailand ranked first in the world for "doing online shopping at least once a week" at 68.3%, about 10% higher than the global average of 58.4%.
Thailand ranks second in the world in both "time spent online on cell phones" and "video games played," indicating that the spread and use of the Internet is growing significantly.
In the future, Thailand, with its active Internet use, will also be proactive regarding cryptocurrency.
We look forward to the further expansion of Fintech in Thailand.


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Jun 08, 2020
By Gavin Day
Restaurants and bars hard-hit by closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic are hoping patio season will bring a revival in their fortunes and the provincial government is given them their support.
Licensed establishments will be allowed to set up a new patio or expand an existing patio without paying a fee.
It won’t take effect, however, until bars and restaurants are allowed to fully reopen for business. Details on when that could happen are expected on Monday when Premier Doug Ford announces the outline for stage two of reopening in the province.
Attorney General Doug Downey says the relaxed measures give business owners the chance to prepare so that they’re ready the second they have the green light.
“They point in time I was working towards was patio season,” Downey told CP24 on Monday morning. “We want to have these tools in place. The one thing I’ve heard is ‘give us some lead time. Let us know what’s coming so that we can get ready.'”
Mayor John Tory says the city wants to make it as easy as possible for businesses to add or expand patio space.
Physical distancing will be a priority for these spaces but they could be a big help in getting the food and drink industry back on its feet.
“We’re going to try and make it simple in terms of the application process,” Tory told CP24. “It’s going to not only be important for peoples’ enjoyment of the summer but also the survival of these businesses which have been struggling so much to stay afloat during the shutdown period.”


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ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott couldn’t be more bullish about the generative AI opportunity that he says some experts believe could boost global gross domestic product by nearly $7 trillion.
“We see unprecedented parallel (generative AI) adoption across consumer and the enterprise,” said McDermott in a conference call with analysts after the enterprise IT automation leader announced a blockbuster expanded partnership with AI behemoth Nvidia. “Our platform experts who have worked with the greatest brands in technology believe this moment is as transformative – if not even more so- than the internet or even the iPhone.”
McDermott’s comments come with ServiceNow infusing generative AI into all of its ServiceNow workflow offerings. In fact, ServiceNow just announced Wednesday new case summarization and text-to-code generative AI capabilities.
ServiceNow is set to unleash in September a new set of Premium Plus generative AI offerings for IT Service Management, Customer Service Management and Human Resources Service Delivery.
The generative AI revolution has businesses throwing out the old business playbooks and reinventing themselves for the AI era, said McDermott. “This is the entire enchilada as it relates to transforming businesses,” he said. “Generative AI and these LLM models are now putting CEOs in a position where they have to come up with a new playbook.”ADVERTISEMENT
C.R. Howdyshell, CEO of Advizex, a Fulcrum IT Partners company which works with ServiceNow and Nvidia, said Advizex and Fulcrum are also seeing a huge sales pipeline for AI solutions.
“I can’t recall a bigger or more impactful opportunity for the channel,” said Howdyshell. “We are making big investments in AI-as-a-service solutions. We expect to be the leader in AI-as-a-service.”
Howdyshell said he sees the new expanded ServiceNow partnership with Nvidia as a sign of stepped up commitment to deliver generative AI solutions through partners. “This is a big commitment by ServiceNow and Nvidia to allow the channel to deliver AI software and services,” he said.
McDermott, for his part, said the ServiceNow-Nvidia partnership along with the new Lighthouse program is aimed at accelerating “value realization” for customers at the “cutting edge” of generative AI.
“This involves our engineers locking arms with Nvidia engineers to co-develop new use cases for the enterprise,” he said. “We already have the most significant pharmaceutical, financial services, manufacturing and healthcare customers engaged with us. Additional customers will become design partners for new AI capabilities in their specific industries. We are currently evaluating a range of customers who are candidates for this program and the interest is continuing to surge. These engagements share one sentiment perfectly in common: the propensity to buy is there even as our underlying growth is already strong… AI represents a market-making tailwind to ServiceNow.”
The stepped-up ServiceNow AI offensive comes with the company posting better-than-expected results for its second fiscal quarter ended June 30.
ServiceNow, which was added to the Fortune 500 during the quarter, reported earnings of $2.37 per share on a 23 percent increase in sales to $2.15 billion. That compares with the Zacks consensus estimate of $2.05 per share on sales of $2.13 billion.
ServiceNow said subscription revenues were up 25 percent in the quarter to $2.07 billion with 70 transactions over $1 million in net new annual contract value (ACV).
The better-than-expected results come with ServiceNow becoming the driving force behind digital transformation for the enterprise, said McDermott.
“We’re lifting people out of soul-crushing work and modernizing these companies with a 21st century platform that is resonating,” he said. “You combine that with LLMs (large language models), the combination of Nvidia and others. I really think this is a once-in-a-generation moment.”LEARN MORE: AI | Generative AI
Steve Burke has been reporting on the technology industry and sales channel for over 30 years. He is passionate about the role of partners using technology to solve business problems and has spoken at conferences on channel sales issues. He can be reached at [email protected].
AWS’ 5 New Generative AI Tools For Nvidia, Anthropic And LLMsQuantiphi Talks ‘Enormous’ Gen AI, Google Cloud, Databricks MomentumServiceNow Teams With Nvidia To ‘Fast-Track’ Enterprise Generative AIMicrosoft Q4 Earnings: 7 Big TakeawaysMicrosoft Q4 Earnings: ‘Aggressive’ Spending, ‘Gradual’ AI Services Growth TO TOPADVERTISEMENT


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WNBA Announces Winners of 2008 Pannell Award
The Women’s National Book Association is proud to announce the winners of this year’s Lucile Micheels Pannell Award given annually since 1983 to two bookstores that excel in contributing to their communities in ways that bring books and young people together. The winner in the General Bookstore category is Kepler’s Books and Magazines in Menlo Park, CA; the winner in the Children’s Specialty Store category is The Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, VT. Honorable Mention is awarded to Vero Beach Book Center in Vero Beach, Fl.
A jury of five book industry professionals deliberated for four weeks, then selected the winners based on creativity, responsiveness to community needs and an understanding of young readers. Jurors noted that the staff at Kepler’s has done “an amazing job resurrecting a store that was on the verge of closing just three years ago.” With initiatives like their African Library Project, they are raising awareness of books for young people, not just in their community, but in parts of the world where children do not have books of their own. The Flying Pig Bookstore “is more than a bookstore” in that the owners—Elizabeth Bluemle and Josie Leavitt—”have created a place that gives back to everyone who wants to be part of the book community;” as well as sharing their knowledge and experience with other booksellers at national and regional organizations, such as the New England Children’s Booksellers Assn. and NEBA/NEIBA. The jury admired the creative programming at Vero Beach Book Center, like the Coral Reef which was designed in a way that customers young and old could learn while being entertained.
In addition to WNBA, the Pannell Award is underwritten by a generous gift from Penguin Young Readers Group. Each winner will receive a check for $1000 and a framed piece of original art by a children’s book illustrator. This year’s art was contributed by Janet Stevens, an award-winning illustrator of many books including her latest, Help Me, Mr. Mutt!; and Chris Van Dusen, illustrator of the bestselling Mercy Watson Series by Kate Dicamillo, including this summer’s Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig. The presentation of the awards will be at the “Celebration of Bookselling” at BEA on May 29, 2008 in Los Angeles.


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U.K. iPhone sales drop due to Galaxy SIII launch, iPhone 5 anticipation
Of course we’re now just a couple of months out from the launch of the next iPhone, and many customers may be delaying the purchase of an iPhone to wait for the next generation of Apple’s popular smartphone. Last year a similar pattern occurred, and Apple’s Q3 sales actually missed Wall Street’s expectations as consumers put off purchases as they awaited what would be the launch of the iPhone 4S.
In terms of hard numbers, Samsung is said to be moving close to 50,000 Galaxy S III units a week in the UK, while Apple is currently selling close to 55,000 units a week. You can see the importance of the reports that Samsung hasn’t been able to meet demand – they may be missing out on their ability to be the highest selling phone in UK at least.
Looking at current trends and last year’s sales pattern, it’s getting hard not to notice that the annual iPhone refresh leads to a long-term market share pattern, where Apple gains some market share in Q4 and Q1 after launching a new device, and Android regains market share in the second and third quarters. As a result we may all need to take a step back from the quick and easy claim that either platform is gaining ground, and instead look at the big picture to see whether the market is actually shifting more than expected, or if one of the mobile platforms is simply in the strongest part of the cycle.
source: Financial Times (requires registration) via BGR


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On January 19, 2018 (U.S. local time), the U.S. Trade Representative Office published a report on its website, accusing China and Russia of violating the rules they agreed with and not keeping their promises they made when joining the World Trade Organization(WTO). In the report, the United States said that it was a mistake to support China's accession to the WTO in 2001.
In response, Wei Jianguo, Vice Chairman of CCIEE and former Vice Minister of Commerce, China, claims that China is the biggest victim of the unequal trade rules and as a matter of fact, the United States government is the one who does not abide by WTO rules.
In an exclusive interview with China Daily on Sunday, Mr. Wei said: “China has made numerous efforts to eliminate nearly 8000 documents, policies or measures that are inconsistent with the WTO rules since its accession to the WTO. At the same time, it has reduced the tariffs to the standard it promised before joining the WTO, sometimes the reduction is even more than its promise. "
Mr. Wei cited the comments made by former U.S. trade negotiator Charlene Barshefsky, “China is the best student after joining the WTO.” She also believes that China will enjoy more popularity from WTO and its member states if China continues to make efforts. China's return to international trade is a great joy in world trade. Former U.S. The former US Trade Secretary Gutierrez also said that the efforts made by China after joining the WTO deserve global admiration. To be fair, China has done a strenuous and remarkable reform.
In the view of Mr. Wei, all the previous U.S. governments think that China has overcome many restrictions on policies, systems and markets, made efforts to comply with the WTO rules and achieved significant progress.
On the contrary, however, the US authorities are increasingly ignoring the WTO rules. Mr. Wei pointed out that the US takes the lead in refusing to recognize China's market economy status. Furthermore, the US puts the "Section 301" as the international law above the rules of global trade. The "Section 301" is the abbreviation of Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974. The so-called 301 investigation comes from the Section 301, which was launched during the Cold War era and is regarded as a tool of trade diplomacy.
“This kind of assertiveness of the United States is increasingly causing global anger," Wei stressed.
The U.S. Trade Representative Office also said in the report that 20 years after its accession to the WTO, the Chinese government still continues to extensively implement intervention policies and measures to restrict the market access of imported goods and services, foreign manufacturers and service providers.
Wei responded by saying that after China's accession to the WTO, it has opened its doors to all the nations and allowed the market to play a decisive role in resource allocation, as well as actively promoted trade liberalization and investment facilitation.
According to the “2017 American Business in China White Paper” released by the China General Chamber of Commerce, 68% of the US companies said their business operations in China were profitable in 2016, while 58% of the respondents said their business revenue in China has increased.
However, the United States has stopped many Chinese private-owned enterprises from investing in the US, the so-called “endangering national security and ecology” is questionable. Wei said: "So far, the US government has only approved one investment project with the worth of over 10 million USD.
Since Trump came to power, China and the United States have reached many economic and trade achievements through dialogue and consultation. However, according to the report of the U.S. Trade Representative Office, measures like "China re-open its market to the US beef and lamb industry is insignificant."
In Wei’s view, the remarks above show that the United States is on the way to trade protectionism and runs counter to global investment facilitation and trade liberalization.
In fact, China has become an important overseas market for many products of the United States, most notably agricultural products and high-end manufactured goods. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Commerce, China is the largest export market for U.S. aircraft and soybeans, and the second largest export market for automobiles, integrated circuits and cotton. Among the US total exports, 62% of its soybeans, 17% of cars, 15% of integrated circuits, 14% of cotton, and about 25% of Boeing aircraft are sold to China.
According to the“Research Report on the Economic and Trade Relations between China and the United States" , launched by the Ministry of Commerce of China last May, China will expand its import from the United States in the next five years, and the total import volume will reach 8 trillion dollars in fields such as energy, agricultural products, manufacturing products, Service trade and so on.
The customs data show that China’s imports from the US amounted to 1.04 trillion Yuan in 2017, an increase of 17.3% over the previous year. In the same year, the total value of trade between the two countries was 3.95 trillion yuan, up 15.2% over the previous year and accounting for 14.2% of China's total import and export value.
Regarding the future economic and trade trend between China and the United States, Wei said that 2018 is a crucial moment for the bilateral relations and hopes that China and the United States can make full use of the existing channels of dialogue and continue to solve their problems peacefully.
"We do not want see a US-China trade war because it will not only hurt the two countries’ economic and trade interests, but also affect the global economic development and recovery. However, if the United States really wants to abuse the trade protectionism, China has a way to deal with it. The US should cherish China’s tolerance, not using it to bully China, which is not allowed. "
"I hope the United States can recognize that China is formulating international rules with the United States and other countries."
Mr. Gao Feng, the spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce, China, also expressed similar views at a press conference last week.
Mr. Gao said that China hopes the trade frictions will not escalate, and China will also resolutely defend its legitimate rights and interests. We hope that the United States will be able to work with the China, promote pragmatic cooperation in the economic and trade fields between China and the United States, resolve conflicts in cooperation, erase concerns during development, avoid risks by conducting talks and take concrete actions to maintain the good momentum of the US-China Economic and trade cooperation, ensure that the US-China Economic and trade relations are on the right track, so as to bring more tangible benefits to the people of the two countries.


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Jackpot winner Melissa Ede has bought the first present for her fiancé out of her £4m winnings – and it’s a Henry Hoover.
Former taxi driver Melissa Ede won £4m on a scratch card last week, and has since said she will be buying a house and a car with the winnings.
But her fiancé has revealed the first present she bought for her just several weeks after the pair got engaged.
Rachel Nason posted on Facebook: “My first prezzie from my millionaire missus … A “Henry” pmsl.”
Melissa has already spent £1,000 of her winnings on clothes for her interviews on national and local media, and will be putting an offer on a house in the coming days.
She said: “The next thing I am going to do is go and get a new mobile phone. Then over the next week or so, I want to approach the estate agent about this house that I’ve seen.
“I want a viewing on it first then I’m going to put an offer on it – cash.”
She is also hoping to get her teeth "fixed" and to write her autobiography, as well as launch a fashion line, including clothing and even her own perfumes.


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At the Tokyo Game Show recently, publishers Capcom and Sega announced that a Sonic the Hedgehog event was coming to Monster Hunter 4G. The event will be available to the Japanese, European, and North American markets.
Basically, the event will involve a member of the Felyne race who will be wearing a Sonic outfit. Players who participate in the event will have a chance to obtain the Caliburn sword from Sonic & The Black Knight to wield in-game, as well as a classic Sonic-themed guild card. There will also be a special Sonic running pose for your character to adopt.
Classic nostalgia feels rising…
It’s not clear exactly what the event actually entails, but it’s pretty certain you’re going to have to hunt some monsters. Call it a hunch.
Monster Hunter 4 is currently out on Nintendo 3DS in Japan and Korea. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is scheduled for release in Japan in October 2014, and in North America and Europe in early 2015.


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Ofcom: Internet up, TV down
August 26, 2007
Ofcom has revealed the findings of its latest survey on viewer habits. Its annual Communications Market Report reveals new trends in the UK's £50 billion (E72.4bn) electronic communications sector.
Consumers now spend 50 hours per week on the phone, surfing the internet, watching television or listening to the radio. Average daily internet use in 2006 (36 minutes) was up 158 per cent on 2002 and time spent on the mobile phone (almost four minutes per day) was up 58 per cent. Time spent watching TV was down 4 per cent at three hours and 36 minutes, listening to radio was down 2 per cent at two hours and 50 minutes and time spent on a fixed line phone was down 8 per cent at seven minutes.
While consumers are getting more out of their communications services, the amount they are spending on them continues to fall. In 2006, average household spend on communications services was £92.65 per month, down from £94.03 in 2005.


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Meaning ‘Develop’ and ‘Onwards,’ DEVELON represents HDI’s new beginning and its challenging spirit. The new brand name encompasses our willingness to move onwards to the future through innovation and to relentlessly change the world with top level products and solutions.
Made to Move the Earth
HDI has developed products and solutions needed for building infrastructure that can improve society and the world. HDI has strived to provide products and solutions beyond what the market and customers request, and it will move forward by introducing more innovative products and solutions that go beyond the world’s expectations.
Continuous evolution, for better
HDI has been with you since 1937 when it began to produce machines. With the new brand name ‘DEVELON,’ HDI will add growth momentum with the next leap forward as a global leader in CE products and solutions for infrastructure.
We are DEVELON
A bold name to welcome a new era for our business that encapsulates our core ambition to continue developing onwards and leaving behind a positive footprint in our world.
More details will be revealed at the end of February through the ‘New Brand Showcase.’ Please join us on this journey toward the new future!


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Celebrity designer John Varvatos has launched a record label.
The menswear guru has teamed up with executives at Republic Records for his new venture, John Varvatos Records.
He tells RollingStone.com, "I think the record industry has gotten to be more about labels wondering what the new single is rather than labels nurturing artists. It's gotten away from making a full album of music that someone would want to listen to all the way through...
"I want the artists to feel like I'm a real partner with them, not that I'm just a label head that's connected with another big label, Republic Records. I want them to feel that there's a partner there."
Varvatos has yet to sign anyone to the label, but he explains he is searching for the next big act.
He continues, "We want to find the next Guns N' Roses, (but) I'm not looking for old-school rock & roll, and I'm not looking to sign old-school rockers that are looking for a label. That's not the thing. I'm looking for young artists who are looking for a haven to create and evolve their music...
"If somebody's got a different style, I want to embrace that style... It's really to embrace and nurture their style in every regard, the musical style and their own personal style."
Varvatos has long been linked to stylish musicians - recent fashion campaigns have featured Iggy Pop, Paul Weller and Kiss.
The rock fan is also a big part of music history - his main New York store is located on the site of punk mecca Cbgb.
Jack Antonoff hears a ''female voice'' in his head when he writes music.
The show will be seen by everybody at the same time.
The Scottish comedian has been speaking about gaining a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
With Will Smith and Martin Lawrence fronting the franchise, 'Bad Boys' was a huge success for Sony Pictures upon its initial release in 1995.
The creator will be able to give her input during season 2 production.


text: Microsoft has already done a not-so-stellar job of keeping its upcoming Lumia 950 and 950 XL smartphones a secret, and it just erased whatever doubt was left. The company's UK online store briefly listed both of the unannounced Windows 10 flagships, confirming some of the devices' juiciest specs. As suspected, both Lumias will have Quad HD displays, 20-megapixel cameras and 32GB of expandable storage. The biggest difference is, as you might have gathered, the display sizes: the standard 950 will have a mid-sized 5.2-inch screen, while the XL bumps that up to 5.7 inches. The pricing was conspicuously absent (not surprising given the accidental listings), but there's a real chance that you'll get the full scoop on both handsets at Microsoft's event next week.


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Wholesale is not the kind of company that gives a lot of bad news, and Thursday’s earnings report was no different.
Still, Costco (ticker: COST) stock was down 2.6% in after-hours trading on Thursday as investors expected more than they received from retailers’ earnings.
Costco reported net income of $1.87 billion for the quarter, or $4.20 a share, slightly better than the analyst consensus of $4.17 a share. Sales were US$ 70.8 billion.
That Costco made a hit shouldn’t be shocking. Between its long history of upbeat earnings and robust monthly sales updates — the last of its kind among major retailers — Costco Wholesale’s (COST) quarterly earnings results typically don’t include many surprises. This was also true for the fiscal fourth quarter: we already learned earlier this month that comparable sales for the quarter were up double digits when he provided his August update.
However, anything that causes the stock to fluctuate should be considered a gift to investors. While Costco’s stock is down 13% this year, that’s handily beats the
With a drop of 21%, its shares, which have always earned a premium in the market, are not cheap at all. They still change hands at more than 34 times future earnings, around their five-year average of 33.
A negative reaction, then, should not be met with dismay. For those who missed out on Costco’s multi-year run, or hesitate to increase their position when the stock dropped earlier this year, an opportunity to get the stock a little cheaper should always be a treat, especially when there are no signs that something is wrong. with the Costco business.
Buying on the dip has undoubtedly been a profitable gamble in the recent past. Costco is up more than 205% in the last five years, nearly four times the S&P 500. But what about those who fear this means they’ve missed the boat? There are trends that should give you comfort.
Recent monthly same-store sales figures show that Costco comps are still more than 30% above where they were before the pandemic, while traffic and the amount shoppers spend when they visit has increased. This indicates that the market share gains the company has seized during the pandemic are likely to be lasting.
Then there’s the fact that “Costco’s membership trends have never been stronger,” as Baird analyst Peter Benedict noted earlier this month — and could earn additional revenue if it instituted a seemingly timely membership fee increase. , although this is not something to be expected. yet to happen.
The reality is that while high inflation, concerns about the economy’s trajectory, and inventory problems are indeed weighing on retail as a whole, Costco avoids many of those concerns. Its August update showed continued resilience in non-food categories, which suggests there isn’t a glut of goods that its buyers are suddenly feeling too tight to buy, not unexpectedly given its relatively affluent customer base.
Its discount gas may have helped traffic during the summer price spike, but in fact, for the entire year from 2022 through Labor Day, Costco’s traffic was above pre-pandemic levels for 31 out of 36 weeks. of the year, according to data from Placer.ai.
It’s clear that the company’s low-price strategy is resonating. Or as Jefferies analyst Corey Tarlowe said earlier Barron’s“Value retailers like Costco are the best positioned because … when people’s pockets are tight, value wins.”
Investors can too.
write to Teresa Rivas at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Biol Prize at the Ifoam Congress
by Redaktion (comments: 0)
Which is the best 2008 organic olive oil in the world, where does it come from, who produced the best blended and which extra virgin olive oil presented the best label and packaging?
The most important rewards in the world for organic olive growing - Biol Prize, Biolblended and BiolPack - will will be handed out in Modena on June 19 on occasion of the IFOAM international Congress during the Gala Dinner. During the evening, the winners of other territorial and thematic mentions will be awarded such as the prizes connected to BiolPhoto competition, BiolKids and BiolEthic.
Biol is one of the most important olive growing events in the world today, not only in the organic field. After the territorial pre-selections in Italy and abroad, the international jury tasted 310 finalist olive oils, which is a new record. The oils came from 19 countries: Albania, Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Croatia, Jordan, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, New Zeeland, Palestine, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and the USA.
The competition final works took place at the end of April in Monopoli, in the south of Bari, during the XIII edition of Biol – organized by CiBi and sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Bari, the regional agriculture local authority, and the Ministry of Agricultural Policy.
This year, the event was connected to BiolFish, an Interreg project on organic aquaculture and sustainable fishery. This was a week of events with a lot of conventions, gastronomic and cultural events on olive oil and organic fishing.


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London based ‘Serwaa Bags’ which has over the years supplied Ghanaians with quality but affordable bags, shoes, fragrances, accessories, etc is opening a one stop shop at Osu, Accra…
‘Serwaa Bags’ which is located behind Koala, Osu (inside Opik) will be opened to the public from the end of April, 2012.
‘Serwaa Bags’ is bringing London to Ghana in terms of quality and latest brands. So if you are interested in buying all the latest designer brands (authentic) in Ghana, check out Serwaa Bags at Osu from April ending…
For more information;
Call ‘Serwaa Bags’ on 0244540289/0246379420/0262920338
Email: [email protected]


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Working on the international stage is always an attractive proposition.
In sport playing in or against another country either as an individual or as part of a team is often seen as a benchmark of excellence. If you can cut it on foreign soil, so the theory goes, your expertise or prowess is validated. Not least the promise of foreign travel and learning new customs and practices is always a great adventure.
And so it is in business. Brexit has brought into sharp focus the UK’s place in the world as a trading partner and I’m delighted to report that lately Lee Peck Media has been doing its bit to fly the flag.
In the past couple of months thanks to our client InstaVolt we found ourselves working alongside Silicon Valley based ChargePoint, the global leader in providing charging stations for electric vehicles. ChargePoint is InstaVolt’s exclusive charging partner as it looks to install 3,000 rapid charge systems across the UK in the next three years.
The multi-million pound deal was ChargePoint’s first foray into Europe so strategically it was vitally important to both organisations. From a professional perspective, it was reassuring to see we worked in similar ways on both sides of the pond, although we were careful to anglicise certain words to clarify interpretations.
The campaign was hailed as a great success and we obtained high quality coverage across all platforms worldwide, including trade, consumer and business press in print, online and broadcast. City AM, The Times and the BBC were just a few of the titles which ran the story.
In May I flew to Dubai to secure Enviromena, the leading provider of transformative energy solutions in the Middle East and North Africa, as a client. Lee Peck Media has been engaged to reposition the organisation through marketing collateral, raise its profile in the region and re-energise its Twitter feed. To date it has been fascinating. One weekend I found myself speaking to Dubai based CEO Sami Khoreibi at an international sustainability conference in Jordan and subsequently seek approvals for a collaborative press release from the World Economic Forum in Geneva.
Naturally, as the UK increasingly looks outward and beyond Europe, India looms large. And so it is that we find ourselves promoting the work of the UK based India Business Group, which has a team of consultants on the sub-continent and provides expertise, connections and cultural awareness to help organisations reach new markets and make successful deals. Working directly to IBG’s CEO Amarjit Singh we have so far delivered media relations for the inaugural Indian Awards held at the Houses of Parliament last month where former UK Prime Minster David Cameron received a special recognition award which applauds an individual’s outstanding commitment to building UK-India relations.
Completing our international interests for now is the news that the new title sponsor of one of the world’s largest on-water boat shows has appointed Lee Peck Media to manage its PR. TheYachtMarket.com has signed a two-year deal with British Marine Boat Shows which will see the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Southampton Boat Show named TheYachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show.
TheYachtMarket.com is the global online marketplace for boats and yachts for sale. Representing brokers in 66 countries and deploying cutting edge technology, the company has grown considerably over the last 14 years and offers a wide range of cost effective and targeted marketing resources for its brokers, dealers and marine advertiser.
Without doubt it’s a terrific coup for TheYachtMarket.com and, together with the Southampton Boat Show, they represent the very best of British. These are a exciting times for all of us and we’re thrilled to be on board (pun intended!).
We very much look forward to spreading the word far and wide as Lee Peck Media’s international dimension looks to gain a bigger foothold in the brave new post Brexit world.


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Hong Kong: Inflation slows to four-month low in December
January 22, 2015
Annual inflation inched down from 5.1% in November to 4.9% in December. The reading remained above the 4.7% that markets had expected. According to the Census and Statistics Department, December’s result was driven by higher prices for electricity, gas and water as well as for housing. A government spokesman explained that, “inflation eased further in December, mainly reflecting the benign global inflation, with slower year-on-year increases in food prices and enlarged declines in the prices of clothing and footwear, durable goods as well as motor fuel.”
Consumer prices increased 0.5% over the previous month in seasonally-adjusted terms in December, which followed the 1.6% increase recorded in the previous month. Meanwhile, in the full year 2014, inflation rose to 4.4% from 4.3% in 2013 and represented the highest reading in three years.
Author: Carl Kelly, Economist


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You got an extra dollar to spare?
All your favourite Netflix shows are about to come at a higher price. Starting this November, two popular subscription plans will see a price hike. The Standard two-screens streaming plan will now cost $10.99 a month (from $9.99) and the Premium four-screen plan that includes Ultra HD will now cost $13.99 (from $11.99). The regular plan that is $7.99 a month, that only allows one-screen streaming in standard definition, will see no price change.
These new prices only affect American viewers, so Canada is good...for now.
“From time to time, Netflix plans and pricing are adjusted as we add more exclusive TV shows and movies, introduce new product features and improve the overall Netflix experience to help members find something great to watch even faster,” the company said in a statement via Variety.
The price increase should come as no major surprise since Netflix continues to produce some of the most popular series out there, Stranger Things, Orange Is The New Black and House of Cards being the most well-known shows to come from the platform. It's also a comparison to other streaming services such as HBO, $14.99 per month, and Hulu, $11.99 per month.
We recently compiled a list of some of the top Fall picks to hit Netflix this season. Whether you decide to stay as a member or want to cancel your subscription after this month, it's worth it to get a few flicks in such as Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood, Donny Darko, Stranger Things 2, Chirs Brown: Welcome To My Life, The Hateful Eight, I Love You, Man and more.
Another series that's set to hit Netflix is "The Punisher." The show that follows Frank Castle setting out for revenge on those who killed his loved ones was supposed to be at New York's Comic-Con this weekend but was pulled due to the nature of gun violence in the show.
"We are stunned and saddened by this week's senseless act in Las Vegas. After careful consideration, Netflix and Marvel have decided it wouldn't be appropriate for Marvel's The Punisher to participate in New York Comic Con. Our thoughts continue to be with the victims and those affected by this tragedy," a statement from both Marvel and Netflix read.


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Want to join the conversation?
$M still expects full-year 2016 comparable sales on an owned plus licensed basis sales to decrease in range of 3-4%, with comparable sales on an owned basis to be about 50 basis points lower. The company still expects EPS, excluding asset impairment charges and retirement settlement charges, in FY16 to be in a range of $3.15-3.40.
$NFLX a monster move, going up. Expect making some money on Monday.
$AMD down more than 6% even after posting above consensus third quarter results.
$MCD stock rose more than 2% after it posted better than expected 3Q16 results, driven by global same-store sales growth. Meanwhile, earnings and revenue were lower than last year, hurt by refranchising efforts.
$RAI has received a $47 billion take over offer from British tobacco giant British American Tobacco! This is huge!


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Gameloft Q1 2010 sales up 7% to 33 million euros
21% from iPhone
Revenues in its first quarter ending 31 March were 33 million ($44 million), up 7 percent year-on-year.
The company's shares rose 12 percent to over 4 on the news.
In terms of platforms, Gameloft pointed to iPhone, in particular, as a driver of growth.
Apple's App Store represented 21 percent of the company's sales during the period.
This is an increase from 2009, during which iPhone game sales accounted for 17.6 million, or 14 percent of Gameloft's mobile total.
There were also contributions from Java and Brew as Gameloft grew its market share as smaller competitors such as I-play and Glu Mobile withdrew from that market.
Overall Europe represented 37 percent of sales, down from 39 percent during 2009. North America was 34 percent, compared to 32 percent in 2009, while the rest of the world was unchanged at 29 percent.
"The recent and future releases of high-performance smartphones from Apple, Palm, Samsung, Nokia and Google should continue sustaining Gameloft's growth in the upcoming quarters," the company added.


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Orora chief executive Nigel Garrard expects tough economic conditions to prevail in Australia and the United States over the next year and it will be gains in market share and "self-help" inside the business that will drive growth.
Mr Garrard is bracing for subdued market conditions in both major markets.
"We've been in tough economic times for the last couple of years. I don't see any sign of it improving," Mr Garrard said on Wednesday. "It's going to have to be self-help that drives it."
Orora did enough on the self-help front in the first half of financial 2019 to lift bottom-line net profit 9.5 per cent to $113.7 million.
Revenue in the six months ended December 31 rose 9.9 per cent to $2.31 billion. This was despite its US visual merchandising point-of-sale business taking a small hit when big toy retailer Toys 'R' Us went bankrupt.
Toys 'R' Us was a big customer of the $3.9 billion company and Mr Garrard said that meant between $US10 million ($14 million) and $US12 million in lost sales. "That was a hole we had to fill," he said.
The company lifted its interim dividend to 6.5¢ per share from 6¢ a year earlier. The dividend is 50 per cent franked and will be paid on April 11. Macquarie analyst John Purtell said it was a "solid in-line result" for a company with a strong balance sheet. He said the Australasian business performed better than the North American operations.
Orora shares were at $3.69 in early August but slipped by 19 per cent to $2.98 by mid-December in the broader sharemarket sell-off that unnerved investors across most sectors. The stock gained 1.9 per cent to $3.29.
The Australasian division, which runs fibre packaging operations and a beverages business, lifted earnings before tax by 5.4 per cent to $127.6 million. It added volumes in fresh produce and meat packaging, while there were higher volumes in beer cans in line with a consumer shift driven partly by the popularity of craft beer. "There's a trend toward higher can volumes in the market that probably hasn't been there in the past," said Mr Garrard.
The company is also spending almost $50 million on a new warehouse and plant upgrade at its glass wine bottle manufacturing plant near Gawler, north of Adelaide.
Orora made a small gain of 10 basis points in EBIT margin to 11.7 per cent in the Australasian business.
Orora was split out of packaging giant Amcor in 2013. It has been on the acquisition trail in the United States, buying the 100-year-old family-owned Pollock Packaging operations based in Texas for $110 million in late November, and this purchase followed the buyout of US fresh food packager Bronco, also in Texas, in September for about $30 million.
The company operates 28 packaging plants in Australia and 36 distribution centres. Mr Garrard said the Australasian business was more "asset-heavy" with large plants. "Growth needs to come from innovation and share growth," he said.
He said Orora in Australasia was working on packaging innovations where ultimately fibre packaging would replace more plastic packaging, and was in a "good position" in glass and aluminium recycling as consumers focused more on recycling.
- Sue Mitchell and Emma Connors
- Louise McElvogue
- Lauren Sams


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A customer uses his mobile phone to pay with bitcoin at a coffee shop in the center of Athens, Greece, Feb. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Lefteris Partsalis)
Greece's bitcoin community grows in recent years, buoyed by the capital controls imposed on the traditional banking system since the summer of 2015, users and investors told Xinhua, although local authorities warn about the risks of crypto currencies.
In a small cafe near the Acropolis hill in the center of Athens, Dimitris Tsapakidis is buying a coffee using his mobile to pay with bitcoin.
Tsapakidis, with a background in mathematics, computer science and information security, is one of the co-organizers of the bitcoin community in Athens. He is into crypto currencies over the past two decades.
Vassilis Papadopoulos, the cafe's owner, is comparatively new in the community. He placed the welcome sign "bitcoin accepted here" a year ago, and said a lot of the transactions in Greece are from tourists.
There are at least 2,000 people all over Greece interested in bitcoin and crypto currencies that have registered with the community and attend regular meetings asking for information or are already making transactions, Tsapakidis told Xinhua.
They include young tech savvies and grey-haired professionals. There are about 70 businesses accepting bitcoin and other crypto currencies as a means of payment nationwide, ranging from restaurants and coffee shops to dentists and lawyers, as well as bitcoin ATMs.
The numbers are quite high compared to other countries, Tsapakidis noted, attributing crypto currencies' growing popularity in Greece partly to the capital controls imposed amid the debt crisis to avert the collapse of the traditional banking system.
The capital controls have gradually loosened ever since, but with the restrictions many Greeks sought and seek alternative paths.
"There was an explosion in interest for bitcoin in Greece in the middle of 2015, when we had capital controls in Greece and when the banks closed. A lot of people were interested because they couldn't use the money in the banks. A few people also had to make payments abroad and the only way to make payments abroad at the time was with bitcoin and crypto currencies," Tsapakidis explained.
Media reports about bitcoin's meteoric rise in 2017 to over 10,000 U.S. dollars also intrigued people and more Greeks turned to the community asking for information, he said.
Tsapakidis has invested in bitcoin which first circulated in 2009, after weighing up the advantages and disadvantages.
"I got involved in crypto currencies about 20 years ago, when we had some early crypto currencies, but were centralized and they all failed. The innovation of bitcoin and other crypto currencies is that they are decentralized. That is what makes them survive. There is no single bank that issues crypto currencies," he explained.
Tsapakidis is more than happy that for the first time it is possible for people to exchange value without anyone being in control. One can make an almost instant transfer across borders with a very low fee without having to ask any permission.
However, this lack of control and inspection by authorities so far, for the critics of crypto currencies, is the biggest warning sign.
As most countries across the globe have still not set up a clear legal framework to ban or regulate the digital currency, bankers and other representatives of the mainstream financial system worldwide warn that investors in virtual currencies are facing a pricing bubble risk and losses without a minimum safety net.
"This is a bubble which serves no need and poses great risks for citizens who are attracted by the promise of making easy profit... We warn consumers to stay away from such trading to protect themselves," Haralambos Gotsis, President of the Hellenic Capital Markets Commission, said in a statement earlier this month.
He pointed to a similar joint warning issued by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) on the high risks of buying and holding the so-called Virtual Currencies (VCs).
"The VCs currently available are a digital representation of value that is neither issued nor guaranteed by a central bank or public authority and does not have the legal status of currency or money. They are highly risky, generally not backed by any tangible assets and unregulated under EU law, and do not, therefore, offer any legal protection to consumers," they warned.
Tsapakidis acknowledges the issue of bitcoin's extreme price volatility. Within a year it went up about 19 times and then dropped in half.
"It is a little early to guess what would happen. Greece will follow what happens in Europe in terms of law. So a lot depends on how the EU governments will decide to treat crypto currencies, whether they will make it an acceptable form of payment, depends on how they will tax it. Right now it acts more like a store value, not as a form of payments (for Greeks)," he said.


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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Invitation IATF Dubai 2020
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to invite you to our stand. IATF Dubai 2020...
In its "GREEN TEXTILES", VEBA emphasizes its responsibility to the environment and its focus on long-term sustainability and a minimum burden on the environment in the cultivation of the raw materials, transportation, production and..
We present you our trendy collections for the year 2021...
The 50th annual Heimtextil International Fair, which annually sets new trends and innovations in home and public sector textiles, was held last week in Frankfurt am Main...
Invitation HEIMTEXTIL 2020
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to invite you to our stand. HEIMTEXTIL 2020 - Hall 12.0, Stand No. E59 We are looking forward to your visit.
VEBA COULEUR in the limelight at the Mounir Moda fashion show
The prestigious fashion show of Mounir Moda, a talented young designer, took place on July 6th at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dakar....
VEBA COULEUR TV Commercial Staring DJ Boub's
As of Mai 26 our new commercial, featuring Senegalese show business celebrities DJ Boub’s, Djiby Dramé and Maman Chérie, has been running on several African TV channels...
Once again VEBA introduced its trendy collection of home textiles to the professional and lay public at the Heimtextil Fair in Frankfurt am Main...
Invitation HEIMTEXTIL 2019
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to invite you to our stand. HEIMTEXTIL 2019 - Hall 12.0, Stand No. E59 We are looking forward to your visit.
VEBA in new Salif Keita’s music video
VEBA presents a brand new music video of the king of African music Salif Keita named TONTON...
New collection Ve-Bax
VEBA proudly presents a brand new collection Ve-Bax, a successor of a popular Ve-Bax .......
VEBA and Jitka Klett
Take a look at the next presentation of the INSPIRA 2018 summer collection made from VEBA fabrics in collaboration with fashion designer Jitka Klett .......
With deep sadness and sorrow we inform you that today after a long and severe illness the President and Managing Director of company VEBA, Ltd., Mr. Josef Novak, passed away.
The VEBA COULEUR commercial spot, staring the famous Malian pop singer Salif Keita and the Senegalese singer Viviane Chidid, is now conquering Africa on TV channels...
The Heimtextil 2018 trade fair
Once again, VEBA presented its luxury clothing fabrics line and its new trendy collection of home textiles to experts as well ....
Gillian Zubko, a fashion designer based in Canada
"My first VEBA clothing collection called 'Emergence' was produced for the 2017 African Fashion week in Edmonton, Alberta....
VEBA at the Africa Fashion Week Nigeria 2017
The fifth annual Africa Fashion Week Nigeria took place in Nigeria's largest city Lagos at the beginning of June. Local designers, exhibitors ....
VEBA took part in Czech Days in Ghana 2017 exhibition
The first annual Czech Days in Ghana exhibition was held in Accra, Ghana in the first half of April. The event was organized by the Czech-Ghana Chamber ....
The 3rd annual "Welcome Spring!"
The 3rd annual "Welcome Spring!" event took place on March 25, 2017 in Broumov, Czech Republic. The event organized in cooperation with the city of Broumov ....
In bed with Beata or "As you make your bed…"
The stylish limited edition of luxury bed linen and terry towels, created in cooperation with the Czech fashion designer Beata Rajská, was presented by VEBA at the Heimtextil 2017 fair in Germany....
550 01 BROUMOV
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Lagos - Nigeria
Tel./fax: +234 703 648 8360
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The COVID-19 pandemic crushed Portland's economy last year.
One indication of how dismal things were: the sharp decline in the number of new business licenses issued by the city of Portland.
The city's restaurant industry, which faced some of the nation's tightest pandemic restrictions, was particularly hard hit.
The Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association says that 500 Portland restaurants closed during the year. Balanced against those closures were 330 new openings. But the net loss of 170 and the fact that most eateries that remained open employed skeleton crews for takeout only explains why the restaurant and hospitality sector lost more jobs than any other business sector in the state and why unemployment in Multnomah County (7%) remains higher than the state average (6.4%).
Even when the news is good for restaurants, it's bad. Gov. Kate Brown reopened Portland-area restaurants for indoor dining Feb. 12, albeit at 25% of capacity. That day, of course, was when a snowstorm paralyzed the city.
So where's the sunshine? At the bottom of the food chain: carts. These meals on wheels are where low startup costs have long been the incubator of the city's nationally renowned restaurant scene. When running brick-and-mortar restaurants grew impossible, many chefs returned to their roots.
Food industry veteran Anthony Brown started his food cart Nacheaux the same week in March that Brown closed the state. "It was insane," Brown recalls. But business was so good that Nacheaux is moving on March 5 to a brick and mortar space in the old Alameda Brewhouse, part of a new wave of restaurants that will redefine the scene. "I feel very, very fortunate," Brown says.


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The use of biometric tools to secure business assets and monitor employees is a growing trend. But is it right for your SMB?
By Debbi G. McCullough
Biometric security solutions—devices that use anatomical and physiological aspects of the human body, such as fingerprints, iris recognition, facial and voice recognition—are on the rise in the U.S. The trend could bring valuable tech benefits for your SMB—but there are risks to watch for, too.
The idea isn’t new—you’ve likely seen smartphones and laptops that offer a fingerprint scan as a more secure method of access than a password. Government agencies also employ the technology. For example, fingerprint readers now appear at border crossings in the U.S., helping immigration officials confirm identities and identify people on watch lists. Read about security and data backups for SMBs.
But the business applications are growing. For example, Meijer Inc., a supermarket chain in the Midwest, uses fingerprint readers at cash registers, allowing managers to monitor which employees log in and where. A growing number of companies use biometric tools (versus pins and passwords) for identity management of guests and employees, to protect intellectual property and to monitor access to inventory rooms, internal databases and other sensitive assets. Biometrics security also makes it easier for human-resource managers to track attendance and automate payroll, which helps to reduce errors, fraud and costs.
“Employers progressively find you can’t always trust people based on credentials [ID cards and PINs]—the only way is through biometrics,” says Dr. Anil Jain, a professor of computer science and engineering at Michigan State University and author of the textbook “Introduction to Biometrics.”
A growing trend
Exact numbers on how many businesses currently use biometrics are scarce, but Biometric Research Group Inc., a research and consulting firm, predicts the market for all biometric workplace management solutions will reach $600 million in sales by 2018. Separately, a recent report from market analyst firm Tractica predicts the biometrics market in the health-care industry worldwide will reach $12.5 billion in revenue by 2024.
In a January 2015 report, market research firm Juniper Research predicted that people will download 770 million biometric authentication apps annually by 2019, with fingerprint authentication counting for most. Research consultancy Acuity Market Intelligence forecasts a global market of 2.5 billion users with nearly 4.8 million biometric devices (smartphones, tablets and wearable mobile devices) by 2020.
Jain finds several factors driving the trend. Growing threats of terrorism makes biometrics, especially fingerprints, an efficient, thorough way to confirm identities at border crossings. From a business perspective, employers can confirm the identities of employees and guests to prevent financial fraud and cheating.
“People can fake documents or timecards; however, it’s very difficult to fake a fingerprint,” he says. “Biometric security provides employers with an audit trail more reliable, and more trustworthy, than just a lock and key.”
Range of products
Intriguing products exist for corporate use. John Trader, director of communications at M2SYS Technology, a biometric identification management company, finds fingerprint recognition the most used biometric modality among businesses, but recently, more employers are opting for iris recognition scanners, vascular biometrics (such as finger vein and palm vein pattern readers) and facial and voice recognition products as well.
“Companies, especially [in the] health-care and manufacturing industries, are moving beyond fingerprint recognition, which relies on skin integrity. Iris, facial and vascular biometrics provide more reliable and accurate recognition,” he says.
Growing demand also helps inspire more creative products. SRI International, a nonprofit research center, offers drive-through and walk-through iris recognition systems and handheld biometrics cameras, allowing users to capture subjects’ iris and facial images from 18 inches away. Intelligent Systems and Solutions, a product researcher and manufacturer, recently launched iSattva, a desktop time and attendance terminal powered by biometric fingerprint sensors. Read how security threats pose a big hurdle for SMBs as they move to BYOD.
Biometrics at work
Michael DeFalco, payroll manager at JMG Realty Inc. in Atlanta, Ga., replaced an archaic, cumbersome system keeping track of employees across several states with RightPunch, a PC-based biometric employee time clock using fingerprint readers. Using a web-based system alongside the finger scanners prevented employees punching one another’s timecards (causing the company financial loss) and HR and the employees found the system easy to follow.
“My team was freed up considerably and no longer had to fax over barely legible spreadsheets tracking people’s times,” DeFalco says, adding that the investment was not as high as he’d initially perceived; his company quickly made the money back.
Nonetheless, caveats exist. Jain cautions that employers must remain ethical and not share the personal biometric data with outsiders. Additionally, fingerprint scanning (and iris scanning) could reveal health conditions and any drug usage, he notes.
Maintaining the security of biometric systems and data provides another potential issue—employers must carefully secure the biometrics data to avoid theft. Employers must protect themselves also because enterprising users can fake fingerprints, for example, using a 3-D printer.
And while biometrics data is extremely accurate, nothing is 100% foolproof. “If employees’ fingerprints are too dry, moist or dirty, systems may not correctly recognize the noisy data,” he says. “We will definitely see more of biometrics in corporate environments—the systems do save time, money and improve security—but people must understand the limitations and make informed decisions.”
This article was underwritten by HP: Introducing HP BusinessNow, the right technology to help your business grow.


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Regardless of what review you've read for Windows 8, Microsoft is claiming success in at least one area this holiday season. The Seattle company announced Tuesday that its pop-up stores are hopping -- so much so they'll stay open through the new year.
Still, Microsoft announced Tuesday that it will no longer rely solely on its retail locations, whether they be permanent or pop-up, to sell its new Surfact tablet. Hoping to catch shoppers' attention before the holiday shopping season is over, Microsoft said it will begin distributing the tablets unveiled in October at other retailers, which it will announce this week. Already, office supplies retailer Staples had said it will have the Surface in stores by today.
Other activies at the mall include:
Photos with Santa: Now through Dec. 23, Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Monday, Dec. 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Santa "Paws": Pets can have their photos taken with Santa in center court on Wednesday, Dec.12, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
25 Days of Joy: A series of daily events leading up to Christmas, including a visit by live reindeer on Saturday, Dec. 22, from noon to 4 p.m.; and "snow shows" every Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in center court.
Pets can head over to Lloyd Center in Northeast Portland next Monday between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. While Santa will be happy to see them, the mall folks ask that you bring them in on a leash or a crate. Bah humbug.
The holiday season is in full strum at Streets of Tanasbourne, too. The mall will offer free carriage rides and a strolling Santa each Saturday in December between noon and 3 p.m. Carolers also will tour the outdoor mall on Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m. A number of Streets of Tanasbourne retailers are offering special deals, check out the list at the Hillsboro mall's web site.
This Thursday is one of downtown Portland's Holidates. The folks at Pioneer Place are offering their own gift card deals. Shop at the downtown Portland mall and earn gift cards good at all of its tenants: Spend $150 or more on Dec. 13, and earn a $20 gift card. (Take receipts to the "guest services" kiosk on the lower level between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
Near Westfield Vancouver, Steamers & Screamers opened earlier this month offering café fare for adults and an indoor playground for the kids. The 3,000-square-foot location will be open daily, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. The space, which also features a room for children's classes, will feature Monday night football parties and today, it offered holiday-inspired crafts for kids.


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Whether you’re in the mood for Italian panna cotta or South Korean beef bulgogi, the Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival offers something you might crave.
This year’s festival will have new kiosks and food items, said Busch Gardens executive chef Justin Watson.
One reason for this is every four to five years, the park rotates out old booths for new ones.
“It just kind of keeps the event fresh and new,” Watson said.
“The process that we go through to write the menu, it actually starts literally the second week of Food and Wine. We tour around and start talking about the next year. It usually starts out by ‘OK, what’s going to be ready to retire next year? Which kiosks are we ready to say goodbye to?’”
For example, this year the festival’s Southwest booth has been replaced by one featuring Mexico.
“So kind of a similar theme, but two brand new tacos added to that location,” Watson explained.
Another new booth is the Philippines, which will sell chicken adobo, a chicken braised in a soy and vinegar marinade, and siopao, which is a steamed pork bun.
Watson said he received feedback on menu items from students who come over to work at Busch Gardens from the Philippines.
“During a team member event we had, we sampled the chicken adobo and I went right to some students who were here and I said, ‘What did you think?’” Watson said. “They said, ‘Oh, it was good.’ I said, ‘No, be serious. What does it need?’ They’re like, ‘You need a little more sugar in your marinade for the chicken.’
“So literally after that, I adjusted the recipe for the chicken … and that’s helped me to tweak and make it a little more authentic and appropriate.”
There are also four new beverage kiosks with alcoholic and soft drinks.
“One is called Herbal Infusions. All of the drink recipes have herbs somewhere in them,” Watson said. “We have lavender lemonade, a watermelon and mint mojito, a mint julep and a rosemary and lemon Moscato wine.”
The park started a partnership with Total Wine and More this year, which Watson said helped them pair wines and beers with the dishes.
“On our little information cubes that are around the kiosks, we have little descriptors that talk about how and why the wine pairs well with the food, along with the beers,” Watson said.
While your taste buds can travel the world, Busch Gardens is also bringing some local favorites to the event. A Virginia kiosk will sell beer from local breweries, including Virginia Beer Company.
“One of the things we love about where our brewery is is we’re just a hop skip and a jump up the road to Busch Gardens. … We actually have a great relationship with the park,” said Robby Willey, co-founder of Virginia Beer Company.
“When the Food and Wine Festival comes up one of the things we love most isn’t just that we’re already having our beers poured there, kind of celebrating all the local flavors and local entertainment of the neighborhood, but just a chance to send our staff over and our director of sales, or myself or my business partner and give talks at the Festhouse, or the Irish pub, about our brewery and what makes our beer special.”
Local artisans will also sell their wares at the festival.
Belinda De La Garza, a Williamsburg-area jewelry maker, said she has been selling through the Food and Wine Festival for the past four years.
“I try to cater (my jewelry) to everybody in terms of what they like, and then also on price point,” De La Garza said. “(My items) range from really inexpensive to expensive.”
With food, artisans and all the regular rides and shows, Watson said the festival is a great way for people to round out their Busch Gardens experience.
“You’ll get some people who are coaster enthusiasts and they can go ride coasters in the morning and then spend the afternoon and the evening touring around the park sipping great wine and eating lots of food,” Watson said. “Or we get some of the older crowd that may not be into coasters at all but they still have a great time walking around being able to sample all the food and beverages.”
Want to go?
The Food and Wine Festival runs weekends through June 30. Festival is included in park admission. Food and beverage samplers are $49-$69. Purchase at buschgardens.com/williamsburg/upgrades/food-festival.
To view the full food and beverage tasting menu for the festival, visit buschgardens.com/williamsburg/events/food-festival.


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- 25 February 2021
- Transport / Logistics Services
The UK government has announced a £50 million grant programme for the expansion of the electric vehicle Workplace Charging Scheme and support for people living in leased and rented accommodation to get chargepoints.
Industry body Logistics UK has welcomed the move. Denise Beedell, Logistics UK’s Policy Manager for Vans and Urban, commented: “This announcement is a positive step forward in the government’s drive to decarbonise light commercial vehicle (LCV) operations. Respondents to a Logistics UK EV survey noted that access to overnight chargepoints is a key barrier to uptake so we are pleased these concerns have been considered and that additional funding is now available for van operators who take their vehicles home, provided they have access rights to off-street parking.
“The expansion of the Workplace Charging Scheme, which provides funding for up to 40 chargepoints per premises, to small and medium enterprises should be sufficient to cover operators, fleets, staff and visitors for companies of this size. However, sufficient power infrastructure must also be in place to meet this increased demand for electricity before any chargepoints are installed; Logistics UK is calling for a fair and equitable way of apportioning costs for such energy supply upgrades at commercial premises. And, to lead to a greater uptake of EVs among LCV operators, we continue to push for greater electric van model grants, especially for heavier vans over 2.5 tonnes.”


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Ocala, Florida — The Ocala Police Department arrested a teen after his employer reported that he had been stealing from the company.
Ocala Police responded to Macy’s, located at 3100 Southwest College Road, Ocala, in reference to an employee who was caught stealing money from the cash register.
According to Macy’s, Matthews Guzman-Zetino, 19, had been stealing cash from the business since August 8, and the store had been building a case against Guzman-Zetino since that time.
Store officials were able to provide police with detailed documentation of each theft.
Guzman-Zetino had stolen small amounts of cash that totaled $610, which was taken directly from a cash drawer.
According to reports, he also stole three Alfani T-shirts and one pair of Polo socks.
When questioned, Guzman-Zetino stated that he stole the money because he had lost his medical coverage and pays a lot for car insurance, so, he needed the extra money.
Guzman-Zetino told police that he had planned to pay back all the money he stole.
He was charged with Retail Grand Theft.
Guzman-Zetino was released from jail on a $2,000 bond.


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Nancy Isime talks about her Skin routine and what keeps her fit
By Guardian Exclusive
15 April 2022 | 11:43 am
Nancy Isime is a Nigerian actress, model, and media personality. She spoke with GuardianTV about her Skin routine and what keeps her fit.
June 3, 2023
June 26, 2023
The Teachers' Lounge, a story of a teacher who gets caught between her own ideals and that of the school where she teaches, while trying to solve a case of theft, won the best film at the German Film Awards.
Modest fashion is a way of dressing that respects specific clothing requirements for reasons of faith and also personal preference. The market for modest fashion is huge – and it's only getting bigger, with both designers and influencers keen to get in on the action. FRANCE 24 went to check out the second edition of Paris Modest Fashion Week.
The movie measures of men spotlights the first genocide of the 20th century in which tens of thousands of indigenous Nama and Herero were slaughtered by german soldiers. The film bids to confront viewers with the harsh realities of colonial violence.
In a statement on their Instagram page, the Miss Gay Mato Grosso pageant said the man was the runner-up's partner, and added that ''appropriate legal measures'' would be taken for his actions.
An enormous part of a museum's success depends on its curators. At Paris's Palais Galliera fashion museum, curator Alexandre Samson has declared 1997 a year unparalleled in its influence on global fashion. It was the year Jean-Paul Gaultier designed the costumes for Luc Besson’s film "The Fifth Element", Comme des Garçons and Martin Margiela revealed iconic collections and Tom Ford embraced the porno-chic aesthetic at Gucci.
This year's Tunis Fashion Week took place at the Museum of Carthage, a recent recipient of some hefty funding from the European Union. The setting for the 14th edition was chosen by event founder Anis Montacer. He's launching his own label, Outa, with a collection made from recycled plastic waste.
More than 40 years after "Raiders of the Lost Ark" introduced the world to adventure-seeking archaeologist Indiana Jones, an 80-year-old Harrison Ford returns to the iconic role for a fifth and final instalment. For FRANCE 24 film critic Lisa Nesselson, it's an "exemplary popcorn flick", complete with action, suspense, exotic locations and one of the most recognisable music scores around.
The upcoming "Barbie" movie will not appear in Vietnamese cinemas because it depicts a map showing China's claims to the South China Sea, state media reported. It had been scheduled for release later this month.
A Tunisian startup is refurbishing shoes and leather bags by adding a pop of color. Kenenti's aim is to reduce waste and inspire eco-conscious individuals.
The parlors are one of the few remaining avenues for women to earn an income and socialize away from home. The Taliban now want them shut within a month.
Kevin Aubert founded Senegal's last photo studio of its kind two years ago. In its darkrooms he hopes to rekindle his country's love for film photography and the analog process.
With advancements in technology and the rise of digital platforms, filmmakers around the world are embracing digital tools and techniques to enhance production, distribution, and consumption of films. Ghana’s film industry has been struggling to keep up with digitalization, although it remains the second-largest producer of films in Africa per year.
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We look at the profiles of some of the hostages released by Hamas over the past three days and take a look at how Israeli papers are reacting to the hostage release deal. We also see why there's little optimism ahead of this week's COP28 climate summit in Dubai. We finish with a look at this year's highly timely Booker Prize winner.
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Samuel Paty was killed by a suspected Islamist after showing cartoons of Prophet Mohammad to his class. Five teenagers are charged with identifying the teacher to his killer for payment.
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Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.


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Vignette Stickers For 2018 Are on Sale From TodayDomestic | December 22, 2017, Friday // 09:51| views
Vignette stickers for 2018 are on sale today. For the first time, the annual sticker will be valid from the date of purchase.
Another innovation for vignettes, which will be valid for three months - its price is 54 BGN. The prices of the other vignettes remain unchanged.
Yearly for cars it costs BGN 97, BGN 30 is monthly and BGN 15 - weekly.
Today, over 2 million vignettes are sold, with almost half of them being annual. 2018 must be the last year with paper stickers.
With the establishment and introduction of the toll system by 2019, it is expected to move entirely towards electronic charging.
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