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GAO REPORT SHARPLY CRITICAL
OF GOVERNMENT'S SCIENCE-BASED,
IN DISARRAY, FOOD INSPECTION SYSTEM
ELLIOT JASPIN, COX NEWS SERVICE: The federal government's new science-based system of food inspections is in disarray, according to a draft report prepared for Congress.
The report by the General Accounting Office, obtained by Cox Newspapers, concluded that inadequately trained food inspectors are unable to spot problems at a majority of the nation's thousands of meat and poultry plants. GAO investigators also found that nearly all of the 47 plants that it sampled had food safety programs that "failed to meet regulatory requirements."
Despite these shortcomings, the report said the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees food safety, continued to allow plants to ship meat and poultry for consumption by the public, even though tests repeatedly found some were laced with either hazardous bacteria or feces. Despite the findings, it is unclear what impact these problems are having on the safety of America's food supply.
In April the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta announced that the incidence of food borne illness had declined 23% since 1966. The Bush administration cited the new inspection system as one of the reasons for the decline. Specific plants were not mentioned in the GAO report.
Steven Cohen, an Agriculture Department spokesman, said his agency is still formulating a response to the GAO. But he said the report does not accurately reflect the current state of the government's food inspection program.
"Many of the things that the GAO cite in their report were things that (the Agriculture Department) had identified prior to the beginning of their investigation," Cohen said. "And what we are going to be reporting to the GAO are systems and programs that have been designed but not fully implemented to address many of the things that the GAO cited." A GAO spokesman declined to comment, citing the agency's policy of not talking about reports until they are made public.
Beginning in 1997, the Agriculture Department started phasing in a new system of inspecting meat and poultry plants. Under the old program, food safety inspectors stationed in slaughterhouses oversaw the killing and processing of animals. Derided as the "poke and sniff" method, it was replaced by a program called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, or HACCP.
Under HACCP, such things as the presence of bacteria are continuously monitored by company inspectors at key points in the production process. If a problem is detected at a control point, the plant knows it needs to stop production to make corrections.
HACCP has dramatically changed the role of government inspectors. Instead of inspecting each carcass as it moves down the production line, they are now supposed to monitor how well the company is implementing its HACCP program.The GAO investigation found that the government "has not trained and does not expect in-plant inspectors to be able to identify deficiencies in the scientific basis of HACCP plans."
Two years ago, the Agriculture Department asked Congress for money to create a force of 588 specially trained inspectors capable of reviewing HACCP plans. However, that request was turned down. Instead, the Agriculture Department cobbled together a force of 35 --- a group so small that the GAO says it will take years to look at the thousands of plants around the country. The result, according to the GAO, is that no one can be sure that a plant's HACCP plan is effective.
The GAO noted that when special teams reviewed the HACCP plans in 47 plants, they found that 94% "failed to meet regulatory requirements." While not disputing the GAO numbers, Cohen said the GAO's sample size may be too small.
The GAO report also found that, according to Agriculture Department records, 55% of the plants in the United States are so-called "perfect plants" because they do not have a single violation from Agriculture Department inspectors. Because it is highly unlikely that a plant could have a perfect record, the GAO suggested that "inspectors did not understand, or were not fulfilling their responsibilities under HACCP."
Cohen acknowledged that the department's implementation of HACCP has been uneven and that it is working to correct the problems cited in the GAO study. Even when problems are found, the GAO said that the government is not moving quickly enough to have them corrected. It cited one unnamed plant where drug residues were found repeatedly in the animals that were slaughtered. Although first discovered in August 2000, the problem was not addressed until April 2001.
Felicia Nestor, a lawyer at the Washington-based Government Accountability Project (GAP), a consumer group that protects whistle-blowers, said the report shows "we don't have a science-based inspection system." She said that the Agriculture Department training programs for inspectors are inadequate and "no one out in the field knows what to do." She also argued that Agriculture Department policies are vague and contradictory.
Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science in the
Public Interest in Washington, a nonprofit education and advocacy group, said
she also questions administration claims about the reduction in food borne
illness. She said that while there has been an overall reduction in salmonella
outbreaks, this has been because salmonella contamination of eggs has dropped.
The incidence of salmonella in meat and poultry products has either stayed the
same or gone up, she said.
UNDERPAID ANGRY OREGON FARMERS ACCUSE
CORPORATE AGBIZ PRO-FAC COOPERATIVE
OF FRAUD, BREACH OF CONTRACT, MISDEEDS
JIM CARLTON, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Farmers helped build Pro-Fac Cooperative Inc. into an agricultural giant. Now some of them are going to court about an accounting dispute with the company. About 170 farmers in Oregon's fertile Willamette Valley have banded together to sue the Rochester, New York, company, alleging it inflicted an estimated $50 million in damages on them by shifting profitable assets of a Pro-Fac unit they belonged to called AgriFrozen Foods Inc. to the parent company.
As a result, the farmers say, AgriFrozen was left so unprofitable that Pro-Fac closed it down last year, leaving them with no place to sell many of their fruit and vegetable goods while also wiping out their investments in the company.
On top of that, they allege Pro-Fac underpaid them by as much as 50% for their crops. The farmers accuse Pro-Fac and its subsidiary, Agrilink Foods Inc., of fraud, breach of contract and other misdeeds in an Oregon Circuit Court case that a judge on July 1 certified to be heard as a class action. Trial is set for January 15.
"We feel like Pro-Fac just came in here, promised a lot of things and then let us down," said Bob Dettwyler, one of the farmers who filed the suit. He added his family farm's annual income has been reduced by about 20% as a result. Mr. Dettwyler said other farmers who sold a greater percentage of their crops to the Pro-Fac unit are in danger of going out of business.
Officials of Pro-Fac, a co-op with more than 500 growers nationwide that trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market, declined to comment. In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said it believed the case was without merit and it intended to vigorously defend itself.
Pro-Fac was founded in 1960 to process and market crops grown by its members. Its Agrilink subsidiary is the largest frozen-vegetable producer in the nation. Last month, the private equity firm Vestar Capital agreed to buy a majority stake in Agrilink, the producer of Birds Eye frozen vegetables, for $175 million. Agrilink's management will continue to run the business and Pro-Fac will retain a significant minority stake, both companies said.
Roots of the Oregon case go back to early 1999, when Pro-Fac's AgriFrozen unit bought the frozen-food division of a financially ailing farmers cooperative in Salem, Oregon called Agripac. The farmers who belonged to Agripac agreed to a deal under which they would sell their canned-good crops such as beans and corn to AgriFrozen for three years, while also getting restricted shares of Class B stock in the parent company that they believed would be valued at as much as $1,000 each.
But the deal unraveled, they say in the suit, as payments by Pro-Fac for their crops during both 1999 and 2000 were reduced below commercial market value by 11% and 50%, respectively. Last year, the farmers say in the suit, they didn't get a chance to send any of their co-op crops to market because Pro-Fac shut down AgriFrozen, citing its unprofitability. But lawyers for the farmers allege Pro-Fac used accounting gimmicks to transfer many of the profitable parts of the Oregon operation to its Rochester headquarters. They also allege AgriFrozen sold frozen vegetables at a low price to its parent's Agrilink unit, which would resell them for a higher price to benefit Pro-Fac.
"Had Pro-Fac operated the Oregon operation in good faith and not this
self-dealing, we think the Oregon operation would have been successful," said
Michael L. Williams, partner in the Portland, Ore., law firm of Williams,
Dailey, O'Leary, Craine & Love P.C., which represents the farmers who first
filed suit last year.
PHARMACIA BOUGHT BY PFIZER FOR $60 BILLION
CREATING WORLD'S LARGEST DRUG COMPANY,
WILL SPIN OFF MONSANTO CORP.
ROBERT FRANK & SCOTT HENSLEY, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: In the biggest corporate combination in more than a year, Pfizer Inc. agreed to buy Pharmacia Corp. for stock valued at $60 billion, giving what is already the world's biggest drug company full rights to one of the industry's crown jewels, the blockbuster arthritis drug Celebrex.
The deal will create an industry behemoth with over $48 billion in revenue and a research-and-development budget of more than $7 billion. The new combination will be the world's largest drug maker by far and the leading pharmaceutical company by revenue in every major market around the globe.
That any company should strike a deal amid the stock-market turbulence of recent months is surprising. Corporate accounting scandals, plunging share prices and economic uncertainty have made companies reluctant to strike bold deals, while several big mergers --- such as AOL-Time Warner ---- have faced strong investor criticism. While the Pfizer-Pharmacia deal is seen as practical, it's unclear how investors will react to such a large deal in the uncertain market environment.
The deal comes amid unprecedented pressure on Pharmacia Corp. pharmaceutical companies, as the industry struggles with a dry spell in its research labs, fights rising competition from generics makers and wrestles with intense pressure on prices from governments and private buyers around the world. As a result, drug companies are facing slowing or declining revenue and are watching their stocks sink to their lowest level in years.
Under terms of the deal, Pharmacia will proceed with its previously announced plans to spin off its remaining 84% ownership of Monsanto Co. to its current shareholders After the spinoff, Pharmacia shareholders will receive 1.4 shares of Pfizer stock for each share of Pharmacia, valuing Pharmacia stock at $45.08 per share, representing a 36% premium over Pharmacia's Friday closing price.
In addition to the blockbuster Celebrex, the transaction will join Pfizer's dominant cardiovascular franchise --- including the cholesterol drug Lipitor and the blood pressure pill Norvasc, as well as its Zithromax antibiotic and its epilepsy medicine Neurontin --- with such popular Pharmacia drugs as Xalatan for glaucoma and the cancer drug Camptosar.
People familiar with the transaction expect minimal antitrust problems because the companies have few overlapping products and because Pfizer's global share of total pharmaceutical sales --- currently at eight percent ---would rise only to about 11% if the deal is completed. However, one potential antitrust roadblock could be in the area of urinary incontinence, where Detrol, Pharmacia's blockbuster-in-the-making was poised to get competition from Pfizer's Darifenacin, which it expects to submit for Food and Drug Administration approval this year.
The Pfizer-Pharmacia deal is expected to heighten pressure for other companies to consider combinations --- including industry giants Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Merck & Co., which have been hard-hit by generic competition as their flagship medicines lose patent protection. A Pharmacia spokesman and a Pfizer spokeswoman declined to comment.
Pfizer's move, which is largely the brainchild of Pfizer CEO Henry McKinnell, echoes its acquisition two years ago of another of its partners, Warner-Lambert, in a $115 billion deal that gave it full control over the cholesterol-lowering drug, Lipitor. In recent years, big mergers had fallen into disfavor with some industry executives, who note that companies that pursued that tack, such as GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Bristol-Myers Squibb, failed to solve their problems --- particularly in research --- and appeared to be distracted by the merger process.
Pfizer's acquisition of Warner-Lambert, however, is considered one of the success stories to emerge from the raft of drug industry-combinations in the mid-1990s. In that case, Pfizer's acquisition was hostile, so it was free to unilaterally cut Warner-Lambert operations and personnel to make the operations meld smoothly.
As in the Warner-Lambert deal, Pfizer is capturing a blockbuster drug, in this case Celebrex and its follow-on drug, Bextra, both of which it already markets with Pharmacia, a mid-sized drug company based in Peapack, New Jersey. Buying the company will give Pfizer full control over the Celebrex-Bextra arthritis franchise. The two drugs are expected to have combined sales of $3.75 billion this year . . .
Industry experts long speculated about a deal between Pfizer and Pharmacia because of the good strategic fit. The two companies have had a partnership since 1998 to market Celebrex, the world's leading arthritis medicine and the No. 7 global drug overall, and have continued that arrangement with Bextra, a second-generation medicine launched in the U.S. this spring.
In Pharmacia, Pfizer is acquiring a relatively strong drug company, with four drugs that have $1 billion-plus sales or potential sales. That could give Pfizer, with eight drugs already at those sales levels, an even dozen blockbusters. Moreover, Pharmacia's major drugs don't face any patent threats for years. Its cancer drug Camptosar is the closest to patent expiration --- in 2007. . . . .
Pfizer shareholders will own about 77% of the company, with Pharmacia shareholders owning around 23%. The deal, which is expected to close by year-end 2002, is subject to approval by shareholders of both companies and regulators. The deal isn't expected to dilute Pfizer's 2003 adjusted net income and to add about six cents a share to earnings in 2004. . . .. .
Pfizer, feared and sometimes cursed by rivals for its brashness, hopes the deal will cement its status as the leading company in the global pharmaceutical industry. Ten years ago, most drug-company CEOs decided the rise of managed-care companies and government proposals for universal care meant the end of the large sales forces and huge marketing campaigns. Most executives in the industry predicted that government or managed-care groups would choose which drugs to buy no matter how much salesmen tried to persuade doctors otherwise. Merck & Co. and other companies cut their sales forces and slashed their marketing expenses. Pfizer did just the opposite --- adding salesmen and investing heavily in smart marketers.
Pfizer proved prescient, surpassing everyone else in the industry on the strength of the organization's selling power. Merck eventually acknowledged it had made a mistake and has been steadily adding to its sales and marketing forces since the mid-1990s, playing catch-up ever since. By having a large sales force, Pfizer was also able to license blockbuster drugs from others --- including Lipitor and Celebrex --- and turn them into even larger sellers. Sales of Lipitor, after Pfizer acquired Warner-Lambert, "exploded," a person familiar with this deal said. Pfizer hopes the Pharmacia arthritis franchise would show similar results.
Now Pfizer is doing it again, betting heavily that size is what counts most. The combined company will put even more distance between itself and its rivals in two of the most important parts of the drug business: sales and research. Pfizer expects to spend $5.2 billion on finding and developing drugs this year, already about 20% more than GlaxoSmithKline, the next biggest spender. Add in Pharmacia's $2.2 billion in research spending, and the combined company would have a research budget nearly one-third the size of the National Institutes of Health.
In the war for drug sales, the expanded Pfizer would field 13,000 sales representatives in the U.S. alone, more than any other drug company. A person familiar with Pfizer's plans said the sales force could grow even larger to support new products in the works at both companies. . . . .
The deal is expected to get tough scrutiny from antitrust enforcers given its
size, according to people familiar with the situation. The transaction will
likely be reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission, rather than the Justice
Department, because of the agency's expertise in drug-industry mergers. The FTC
is likely to do a market-by-market investigation of the two companies and could
seek divestitures or compulsory licensing in areas where the two companies have
a combined dominant market share . . . .
ADM BUYS REMAINING 70% SHARES
OF MINNESOTA CORN PROCESSORS
Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) agreed to acquire the remaining 70% of Minnesota Corn Processors it doesn't already own for $2.90 a share and the assumption of $240 million of debt.
Minnesota Corn President and Chief Executive L. Dan Thompson said Archer Daniels will buy 136 million shares for $2.90 apiece in cash, which puts the cash portion of the deal at about $394.4 million. Archer Daniels originally bought 58 million shares of Minnesota Corn, or a roughly 30% stake in the company, for $120 million in August 1997.
Based on Minnesota Corn's recent trading price of $1, the purchase price represents a 190% premium, which Minnesota Corn called "fair from a financial perspective."
Archer Daniels, with about $20.05 billion of annual revenue, plans to merge
the corn processing company with a unit of the corporation. In a press release
Thursday, Minnesota Corn said the transaction remains subject to a number of
conditions, including shareholder and regulatory approval. Minnesota Corn
expects to have a shareholder vote in late August.
CONSUMER AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS
WARN NEW CLASS OF GE FIELD CROPS THREATEN
TO CONTAMINATE THE NATION'S FOOD SUPPLY
MATT RAND, NET: A coalition of consumer and environmental groups called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) . . . . to prohibit a new class of genetically engineered food crops that threatens to contaminate the food supply much the way StarLink genetically engineered corn did in September 2000.
In a letter to the USDA, the coalition called for an end to open air cultivation of crops engineered to produce prescription drugs or industrial chemicals. The new crops, already planted in over 300 field trials at secret locations nationwide, include plants that produce an abortion-inducing chemical, growth hormones, a blood clotter, and trypsin, an allergenic enzyme. The coalition proposed that the USDA permit only contained cultivation of non-food plants under the same controlled circumstances as other drug production.
"Just one mistake by a biotech company and we'll be eating other people's prescription drugs in our corn flakes," said Larry Bohlen, Director of Health and Environment Programs at Friends of the Earth, a member of the coalition. "The USDA should prohibit the planting of food crops engineered with drugs and chemicals to protect the food supply from contamination."
The National Academy of Sciences warns: "it is possible that crops transformed to produce pharmaceutical or other industrial compounds might mate with plantations grown for human consumption, with the unanticipated result of novel chemicals in the human food supply."
And the editors of Nature Biotechnology recently warned: "Current gene-containment strategies cannot work reliably in the field." A contamination incident may already have occurred as one biotech company official noted at an government-industry conference that: "We've seen it on the vaccine side where modified live seeds have wandered off and have appeared in other products."
In a new report released [recently], the Genetically Engineered Food Alert coalition details the threats that biopharm crops pose, the extent to which they have been planted across the U.S., the failure of regulatory agencies to serve the public, and a set of recommendations. The report, entitled "Manufacturing Drugs and Chemicals in Crops: Biopharming Poses New Threats to Consumers, Farmers, Food Companies and the Environment," may be found at www.gefoodalert.org.
The majority of engineered biopharmaceuticals and chemicals are in corn, a prolific pollinator. ProdiGene, the company with the most plantings of drug and chemical-producing plants, projects that 10% of the corn crop will be devoted to biopharm production by 2010. StarLink corn, planted on less than 1% of total US corn acreage, contaminated hundreds of food products and corn seed stock with a potentially allergenic protein despite the use of gene containment measures.
Far from supporting containment strategies such as buffer areas, Anthony Laos, ProdiGene's CEO, wrote farmers in 2001 that: "We will be dealing with these distances until we can gain regulatory approval to lessen or abandon these requirements altogether." Some companies also propose extracting drugs or chemicals from plants, then selling the remainder. Incomplete extraction would mean drugs or chemicals in food or feed.
"Farmers cannot afford another contamination incident hurting sales and throwing the harvest into turmoil like StarLink did in 2000" said Matt Rand, Biotechnology Campaign Manager at the National Environmental Trust.
Genetically Engineered Food Alert founding members include: Center for Food Safety, Friends of the Earth, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, National Environmental Trust, Organic Consumers Association, Pesticide Action Network North America, and the State Public Interest Research Groups.
Genetically Engineered Food Alert supports the removal of genetically
engineered ingredients from grocery store shelves unless they are adequately
safety tested and labeled. The campaign provides web-based opportunities
for individuals to express concern about genetically engineered food and fact
sheets on health, environmental and economic information about genetically
engineered food. The coalition is endorsed
by more than 250 scientists, religious leaders, doctors, chefs, environmental and health leaders, as well as farm groups. The executive summary, the full report, the letter with recommendations to USDA and a link to the ProdiGene statement are located at: www.gefoodalert.org
CHEMICAL POISON INDUSTRY AND OFFICIALS
"CONNIVE" TO SUCCESSFULLY LIFT BAN
ON DEADLY PESTICIDE IN KERALA , INDIA
AGBIOINDIA: A hard-hitting expose by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its publication Down to Earth on how the pesticide industry connived with government officials and scientists in Kerala to successfully lift the ban on a deadly pesticide.
At stake here is the integrity of the state government's decision making for generations far into the future. It not only spells irreparable harm for the residents of Kerala, India but also makes a mockery of public health concerns.
A recent confidential report by the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad, has unequivocally blamed endosulfan, an organochlorine pesticide, as the reason for the unusually high cases of disease and deformity in Kerala's Kasaragod district. Endosulfan is either banned or restricted in many countries.
When Down To Earth first broke the story in February 2001, both the Union and the state governments imposed a ban on the spraying of the deadly pesticide in Kerala. But shockingly, the Kerala government lifted the ban on March 22, 2002 based on two industry-sponsored studies --- one by the Fredrick Institute of Plant Protection and Toxicology (FIPPAT) in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, and another by the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU).
Surprisingly, both these reports did not find any trace of endosulfan residue --- even though these samples were collected within a few months of the last aerial spraying (done by Plantation Corporation of Kerala since the mid-1970s on its cashew plantations). However, the NIOH study, conducted ten months after the spraying, found conclusive evidence of endosulfan residues in water and blood samples collected from Kasaragod.
The Rs 4,100 crore-pesticide industry is working over time on a no-holds-barred campaign to promote endosulfan sales and ensure their own survival. India is the largest producer of endosulfan in the world. The murky games of the industry include disinformation campaigns, involving misleading advertisements, manufacturing scientific data by sponsoring "scientific" studies, and influencing government scientists and officials.
For the time being, their strategy seems to have worked. The silent screams of Kasaragod's residents have fallen deaf ears. There is no safe level for endosulfan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified endosulfan as "highly hazardous." Worldwide research emerging in the past few years has found a clear link between pesticides and mental retardation, stunted growth and even cancer.
As is the case with the people affected in Kasaragod. State government officials are taking recourse for this dangerous slide away in the fact that legally they cannot continue the ban. But Section 27 of the Insecticides Act, 1968, --- under which pesticides are regulated --- clearly states that the state government can either extend the ban or issue fresh orders. It is apparent that the A.K. Anthony government has preferred complicity with the pesticide industry to public health commitments.
"Has this damning NIOH report been kept secret because it clearly implicates the pesticide industry," asks Jayakumar C of Thanal, a Thiruvananthapuram-based non-governmental organisation fighting for the victims.
Down To Earth's latest cover story (Endosulfan conspiracy, July 15) gives a blow-by-blow account of the pesticide industry's deadly intent to profit over public health. One can read the full seven-page story at: http://www.downtoearth.org.in/cover.asp?foldername=20020715&filename=anal&sec_id=9&sid=1
The AgBioIndia mailing list is an effort by the Forum for Biotechnology &
Food Security to bridge the yawning gap in the understanding of the politics of
food. It believes this mailing list will create wider awareness and
understanding of the compexities of the crisis facing Indian agriculture and
food security. This list will keep the reader posted on the intricacies and
games being enacted in the name of eradicating hunger.
It is a non-commercial educational service for non-profit organizations and
individuals. Subscribers are welcome to contribute information. Previous issues can be viewed at http://www.agbioindia.org/archive.asp
SMITHFIELD FOODS THREATENS IOWA
WITH "ECONOMIC BLACKMAIL" UNLESS STATE
ENDS BAN ON PACKERS FROM OWNING HOGS
JERRY PERKINS, FARM EDITOR OF DES MOINES REGISTER: Smithfield Foods Inc., the world's largest pork processor and pork producer, plans to build two new hog processing plants in the next five years. But the Virginia-based company said it won't build the facilities in Iowa if the state continues its "anti-Smithfield" bias.
"We would love to be at peace in Iowa," Richard Poulson, Smithfield's executive vice president and general counsel, told The Des Moines Register after filing a federal lawsuit last week that challenges the constitutionality of a state law that bans packers from owning hogs. But, Poulson said, the company won't build the processing plants "in a state where we are constantly singled out."
"We want to build them in a state where we can have a reasonable relationship with state officials," he said. Poulson charged that the state Legislature singled out Smithfield last spring when it strengthened Iowa's packer law by prohibiting packers from also financing hog operations.
The Legislature approved the amendment after the attorney general's office
unsuccessfully challenged whether Smithfield could help finance the purchase of Murphy Family Farm's Iowa operations by former manager Randy Stoecker. Smithfield bought Murphy Farms in 1999. Poulson called the Iowa amendment "anti-Smithfield legislation."
Ron Parker, press secretary for Gov. Tom Vilsack, denied that the amendment was anti-Smithfield. "I followed the (amendment to the packer ownership ban) legislation last spring, and there was no intention to go after Smithfield," Parker said. "I hope they don't change their plans because of the legislation."
Smithfield claims the amended law restricts out-of-state commerce and impairs the company's ability to comply with existing contracts, violating the U.S. Constitution.
In a prepared statement, Attorney General Tom Miller defended the validity of the law. "The Legislature stated that the purpose of the statute is to preserve free and private enterprise, prevent monopoly and protect consumers, and we will defend the law," Miller said. Tim Bierman, president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, said Iowa needs another pork processing plant.
The Iowa Pork Producers Association lobbied for passage of the amendment to
the state packer law, Bierman said. "We were in favor of closing the loophole
that allowed packers to finance hog operations, but we favored it for every one,
not just Smithfield," Bierman said.
KROGER, TYSON AND CONAGRA FOODS SEEK
TO BOARD ORGANIC\NATURAL FOODS BANDWAGON
JOHN TAYLOR, OMAHA WORLD-HERALD: A sign of the times: The Kroger Co., a Cincinnati supermarket chain that owns Baker's Supermarkets in Omaha, plans to add 120 natural-food departments to its stores this year. Another sign of the times: Tyson Foods has been test-marketing for a year something called Nature's Farm Chicken, an organically grown chicken product.
And what times might these be? The era of the aging baby boomers, of course. As members of that generation born between 1946 and 1964 grow older and become more concerned about their health, they're demanding more of the food they put in their bodies.
Retailers like Kroger and food makers like Tyson and ConAgra Foods Inc. have come to realize --- although in some cases a bit late in the game --- the scope of those demands and the size of the market. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that over the last ten years, retail sales of organic-food products in the United States have increased 23% annually.
The federal agency quotes industry sources as saying that organic-food retail sales in the United States were estimated at $7.8 billion in 2000, with that figure expected to increase to $20 billion by 2005. Those numbers apparently do not include sales of other foods that are considered "natural" but don't fall within the strict definition of "organic."
The two terms are not interchangeable. Natural foods are made without additives or preservatives but can contain chemicals, pesticides or genetically engineered grain. The reason, according to Holistic.com, is that natural food may be produced using conventional growing methods, which can include pesticide use.
Organic foods are produced without pesticides, irradiation or genetic engineering, and are grown with a system of farming that not only doesn't use fertilizers and pesticides but enhances the environment.
Starting in October, the USDA will begin certifying and labeling as organic foods that meet a uniform, national standard that adheres to environmentally friendly farming practices.
Organic food advocates --- such as the Organic Trade Association --- make no claim that organically produced foods are more nutritious. Instead, they point to the absence of possible cancer-causing toxic insecticides, herbicides and fungicides in organically grown food. More healthy or not, sales of the food no longer are restricted to the so-called health-food store. At the end of 2001, Kroger stores, for example, had natural-and organic-food departments in 985 stores, spokesman Gary Rhodes said.
"It's safe to say that natural and organic foods comprise one of the fastest- growing parts of our business," he said. "It has grown in the double-digits over the last two to three years." . . . .
Depending on their size, the natural- food departments at Kroger carry 2,000 items, ranging from natural and organic cereals to soy milk, Rhodes said.
The list of items is expected to grow as large food companies become more active in the natural- and organic-food markets. The USDA said that "just as conventional supermarkets have muscled in on natural-food stores, so large food manufacturers have entered the supply chain, in many cases using brand acquisition to establish a foothold in the organic market."
ConAgra, the Omaha-based company that in 1988 revolutionized one part of the health-food industry with the introduction of its Healthy Choice brand of frozen food, dipped its toe in the natural- and organic-pond four years ago. The company introduced Advantage/10, a full line of vegetarian foods, in 1998. Then, two years ago, the company acquired Lightlife Foods Inc., a maker of refrigerated vegetarian food and soy products.
Lightlife, based in Turners Falls, Massaxhusetts, has annual sales of more
million, selling meatless hot dogs, burgers, ground meat substitutes and tempeh, soybeans that are fermented with different flavorings. Some of the company's products already carry an organic label.
Susan Rolnick, director of marketing for Lightlife, said the organic and natural- food industries are more highly developed in the Northeast and on the West Coast, although they are growing everywhere. One thing that may help the industry grow is the widespread distribution of such mundane products as ketchup and chicken.
H. J. Heinz Co. last month began selling organic ketchup in the nation's supermarkets and health-food stores. There is "a segment of the population that values organic" that Heinz hadn't been servicing, a spokesman said. Another big company late in arriving on the organic scene is poultry giant Tyson Foods of Springdale, Arkansas, which also owns IBP, based in Dakota Dunes, South Dakota.
The company is test-marketing its Nature's Farm organic chicken at supermarkets in Dallas and Houston. "It has been successful in certain markets and not in others," said spokesman Ed Nicholson. "It seems to be a product that works better in more-affluent neighborhoods. It's more expensive to produce, so it's going to cost more than other products."
Officials of big companies like Tyson and ConAgra are realizing that they're
going to have to find ways to compete in the organic- and natural-food markets.
"It's a niche that's fast growing into a larger business, and anybody who is not
on top of that is probably going to miss the bus," said Tim McMahon, a spokesman
UPDATED AND STREAMLINED
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WEB SITE INITIATES RENEWED SUPPORT EFFORT
It is rather curious that as more and more people from literally around the
to regularly receive THE AGRIBUSINESS EXAMINER, lavish in their much
appreciated praise for the work it seeks to do, fewer and fewer people seem willing to
financially contribute to its support.
Those handful of regular contributors who have earned the editor's undying
over the past four years and the few other occasional welcome individual supporters
stand in marked contrast to those many who obviously have believed during that time
that their aid could be better applied elsewhere, particularly when it comes farm and
rural organizations. Such neglect, however, when it comes to rural concerns is
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In a bid to ward off criticism from anti-alcohol movements, Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) says it has taken to the internet in a quest to provide accurate and balanced information on alcohol and responsible consumption.
The brewer through the website, www.talkingalcohol.com, educates users in an engaging and easily understood format, employing the latest research and expert advice as a way to instill and promote the responsible consumption of alcohol beverages amongst Batswana.
KBL’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mokoro Ketsitlile, said the company has consistently reiterated its commitment to provide alcohol beverage consumers with easily accessible, accurate and balanced information.
He added that it is a way of ensuring that all their stakeholders understand the risks that arise from irresponsible drinking.
Ketsitlile pointed out that talkingalcohol.com was officially launched in Botswana in 2009.
He said it is hoped that the rapid proliferation of internet services, increasing connectivity and ease of web access through 3G cellular telephony, particularly among the youth, would place the website as a unique and increasingly relevant platform through which to engage stakeholders, helping them to make more informed choices regarding alcohol consumption.
“Alcohol responsibility is one of the critical pillars of our sustainable development strategy. We care about the harmful effects of irresponsible alcohol consumption on both individuals and the society; hence we always encourage retailers, consumers and parents to regularly visit the website,” he said.
He emphasised that KBL is an affiliate of SABMiller plc, the global brewer, which hosts the talkingalcohol.com website to ensure that the latest information is easily available to stakeholders.
He added that it is also useful for consumers, when it comes to helping them to make the right choices, when it comes to responsible alcohol consumption.
“Talkingalcohol.com is available in seven languages and can be accessed from eighty five countries worldwide,” said Ketsitlile.
He urged more people to visit talkingalcohol.com in order to obtain factual information to help them to make informed and responsible choices when it comes to the consumption of our alcoholic beverages.
He stated that as the leading brewer and distributor of alcoholic beverages in Botswana, creating awareness of the dangers and issues that arise from the misuse and abuse of alcoholic beverages remains a matter of top priority at KBL.
“The website also hosts interactive links to other global alcohol-related resources, including the latest news and society’s views on alcohol,” he said.


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News by Topic
- Search Marketing
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- Trends & Ideas
- Internet Marketing 101
2014: Tipping point for mobile
New data out from BIA/Kelsey indicates this year may be the tipping point for mobile advertising. Thanks to location targeting options like geo-fencing, their experts believe 2014 will be the year when mobile advertising comes into its own.
Mobile attribution methods including location data analysis, paneling data and offline purchase data will help to pull more ad dollars into the mobile space in 2014 according to the new BIA/Kelsey report, "Attribution: The Next Phase in the Age of Mobile Advertising".
"Mobile holds a 12 percent share of consumer's current media consumption, but has a disproportionately low - three percent - share of U.S. ad dollars," said the report's author Michael Boland, vice president of content, BIA/Kelsey. "However, we see a few factors that will counterbalance this in the coming year, including location-targeted ads and the ability to measure effectiveness through attribution technologies."
About $1.4 billion in ad revenues (37%) were attributed to location-based targeting campaigns in 2012, finds the data, that number is expected to put to 52% ($10.8 billion) by 2017. Other interesting findings include:
• Location targeted revenues will account for $4.35 billion in 2014
• $5.80 billion will be non-location-based (2014)
• In 2015 more than $6.5 billion will be pushed to location-based mobile advertising
• 2016 will see just over $8 billion spent on location based mobile ads
Meanwhile, the total mobile ad spend is expected to grow from $10.15 billion in 2014 to more than $20.6 billion in 2017.
Image via Shutterstock
- Ad Roundup: Launches to increase mobile, social capabilities
- Zendesk: Brand promoters talk less, detractors talk more
- Spending up but enthusiasm down for Halloween celebrations in the UK
- Study: Santa's Using SaaS
- Brits have financial concerns in the run up to Christmas
- Top 3 tips to create a solid cross-device strategy
- Ad Roundup: Mobile video and retargeting solutions
- Forecast: 27% of holiday buys could be 'lost' to abandoned carts
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John Phillips/UK Press via Getty Images
You can't expect wax royalty to just wear the same outfits forever.
Figuring it was time for a refresh, Madame Tussauds in London gave Kate Middleton and Prince William's wax figures their first makeover in two years, the couple having first been installed at the popular tourist attraction in honor of their first wedding anniversary.
And while they were previously immortalized in the outfits that will forever be associated with their engagement—who can forget Kate's royal-blue wrap dress—the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are now ready for a black-tie gala.
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
William's hands remain folded genteelly in front of him, but now he is wearing a traditional Gieves and Hawkes tuxedo, and Kate 2.0 is clad in a full-length turquoise silk jersey gown with a jeweled neckline by Issa London, accessorized with shoes and envelope clutch by LK Bennett.
The duchess' hair was previously down and now it half of it is pulled up and teased glamorously at the crown.
Now the London-based pair—created for what today's rate of exchange is $258,000 apiece—are ready for a double date with their New York doppelgangers, that wax William also wearing a Gieves and Hawkes tux and his equally artificial beloved in a replica of the lavender Alexander McQueen gown she wore to BAFTA's "Brits to Watch" gala in Los Angeles.
"After two years in the attraction, it seemed the perfect time to give them a glamorous makeover," said Madame Tussauds marketing manager Matthew Clarkson.


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Google and Apple in iTV content talks from The Register covers how Google (according to Newsweek) may be providing video clips for Apple's "iTV," announced at last week's Apple developers conference. Meanwhile, Apple is about to break big into ad sales from Valleywag covers a rumor ad partnership between Apple and Google. Valleywag says Apple will soon carry Google ads on its web sites and within iTunes. I guess Google's CEO joining the Apple board does make the two companies more friendly. Google will be providing video content to Apple and plus help Apple monetize their products and content with Google Ads - wow!
Meet Your Favorite Search Engine Watch Contributors
Many of SEW's leading expert contributors will be at ClickZ Live, the new online and digital marketing event kicking off in New York (March 31-April 3). Hear from the likes of: Thom Craver, Josh Braaten, Lisa Barone, Simon Heseltine, Josh McCoy, Lisa Raehsler, Greg Jarboe, Dan Cristo, Joseph Kerschbaum, John Gagnon, Eric Enge and more!


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The comments suggest that the iPad will fail, Android will win and that Dell's strategy of hybrid Android/Windows tablets would be just what the enterprise wanted.
However the comments also suggest that, aside from perhaps wanting to generate precisely this kind of global coverage on the basis that there's no such thing as bad publicity, that perhaps it is Mr Lark who forgot to take his tablets in the morning before making such statements.
The source of the iKerfuffle and iConundrum comes from Australia's CIO Magazine, where Mr Lark first declared that the iPad would 'fail in the enterprise'.
Saying how pleased he was that Apple had done all the hard yards in finally popularising the tablet concept (despite years of near fruitless work by Microsoft), Mr Lark then poured cold water over the iPad's success, stating that 'longer term, open, capable and affordable will win, not closed, high price and proprietary' while making the startling declaration that 'already Android is outpacing them.'
Perhaps Android is outpacing Apple in the smartphone space, where the Android 'race to the bottom' has already seen Telstra deliver a $99 pre-paid Android handset, even though it basically uses the cheapest parts possible and resembles an iPhone in the same manner a basic VW Beetle resembles the luxury Porsche.
Then Mr Lark went on one of the biggest larks of them all, suggesting that 'An iPad with a keyboard, a mouse and a case [means] you'll be at $1500 or $1600; that's double of what you're paying', saying 'that's not feasible.'
Erm'¦ what? Surely this is one of the weirdest statements of the year?! More on page two, please read on!


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The Macalope has written a lot about iPhone X sales in the first four months of this year. Based on the company’s quarterly results we can see that many were wrong about iPhone X sales, but who among them were the wrongerest?
Witness now the unbearable wrongness of being an Apple bear this cycle.
Remember this one? Just late last month Quartz’s David Gershgorn was telling us that “Almost nobody wants the iPhone X.”
This would be the iPhone X that Strategy Analytics senior analyst Juha Winter has since declared “the world’s most popular smartphone model overall, due to a blend of good design, sophisticated camera, extensive apps, and widespread retail presence for the device.”
Ugh, who would want that? That sounds gross. It’s no wonder almost no one bought one. Except for enough people to make it the world’s most popular smartphone. And how many people can that be? Well, Strategy Analytics’ sales estimate for the iPhone X for the quarter was 16 million units, which, when you multiply it by even just the base price of $999, gets you well into scientific notation territory.
Around the same time, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty was so down on the iPhone X that she revised down her estimate of iPhone sales for Apple’s third fiscal quarter from 40.5 million to just 34 million based on “soft chip demand,” which is not what happens at Chevy’s when a server spills a pitcher of margarita into the tortilla chip bin.
It will be really interesting to see if Huberty is on the mark since Apple has posted guidance for third-quarter revenue between $6 and $9 billion higher than the same quarter last year when it sold 41 million iPhones. Maybe they’re bringing iPod Socks back and that’s where all the revenue will come from. Possible. People did love their iPod Socks, there’s no denying it. There’s literally no better way to keep your iPod warm.
It was almost mind-boggling how many people took reports of cuts in iPhone X part orders at face value and ran with “iPHONE X FAILURE” titles like, oh, “Apple’s Uncertain Future After Misjudged iPhone X Failure.” Ewan Spence of the Forbes contributor network and Spin Doctors cover band training academy seemed to be patient zero for this, promulgating it repeatedly and suggesting the iPhone customers were switching to Android because of iOS bugs, battery problems, and other ill tempers of the body.
Apple had a very solid quarter and signaled that it intends to have another one this quarter. But in the punditry business, there’s no cost for being wrong all the time.


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Wall's Pastry is to launch a vegan range for the first time in its 233 years history
Famous for its sausage rolls, Wall’s Pastry has supplied the nation with meat-based products since 1786. Producing over 17 million rolls a year, the move to introduce a vegan rolls range to its meat-based portfolio marks a major moment for the brand as it looks to reach a wider consumer pool in response to the growing number of consumers now following flexitarian, vegan and vegetarian diets.
Set to land in-stores across the UK this week, the range features two flavours. The Wall’s Vegan Jumbo Roll (120g) is made with a unique mix of minced mushrooms, oats and seasoning, and wrapped in a light, vegan puff pastry.
Its BBQ Jackfruit Roll, is filled with pulled jackfruit and hickory smoked BBQ sauce.
Coming in at 242 and 251Kcals, Michael Holton, brand manager at owners the Addo Food Group, says: “Times are changing, and whilst meat remains at the heart of the Wall’s business, we understand the need for choice.
"No-one can escape the overwhelming change that is taking place in the food industry, the fact that 91 percent of consumers now consider themselves as flexitarians is proof of this.
"As a business it is integral that we continue to evolve our products to ensure we maintain relevance amongst modern day consumers.
“Some may ask why now, but with being the UK’s number one sausage roll supplier comes great responsibility, we had to ensure our vegan range delivered on taste, texture and experience – and we believe they are worth the wait.
“With the UK vegan market estimated to grow to £1.1bn by 2023 and the demand for meat-free alternatives rising, we are confident that the vegan range will become a much larger proportion of our production in years.”
The Addo Food Group is currently worth £30million.


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Changing demographics affect the biker image.
The motorcycle industry has seen several notable trends emerge in recent years. Since 2003 the number of households that own motorcycles, the number of women who ride motorcycles and the number of younger motorcycle riders on the road have all increased, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. As motorcycles become an increasingly common sight on American streets and driveways and motorcycle riding becomes more accepted by non-riders, the profile of the average motorcycle owner is changing.
Financial growth in the motorcycle industry started out relatively strong in the early years of the new millennium, but like most other industries, motorcycles took a hit from the economic recession of the latter part of the decade. In 2005, the $14.6 billion American motorcycle market had seen 12 consecutive years of financial growth, according to MarketResearch.com. Motorcycle sales began to decline nationwide in 2007, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The demographics of motorcycle riders have also changed since about 2003. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, the number of female motorcycle owners increased nearly 3 percent in the five years from 2003 to 2008. Also according to the MIC, in 2008 women accounted for nearly 6 million of the country’s 25 million motorcyclists. The ages of motorcycle riders are changing, too. In 2003, those 40 and over composed the majority of motorcycle riders. But from 2003 to 2008, the number of younger riders–those under age 40–increased about 62 percent, according to the MIC.
Changes in Use
More riders are using their motorcycles for transportation. In the MIC’s 2008 U.S. motorcycle owner survey motorcyclists cited transportation as the No. 2 reason for owning a bike and riding, ahead of short-distance leisure riding, or “touring.”
User Income Increase
The median income of motorcycle owners has increased significantly. In inflation-adjusted dollars, the 1985 median income was $50,366.89. In 2005, it was $55,850, and in 2009 it was up to $59,290, according to MIC motorcycle owner surveys.


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Want more Pokémon in your Pokémon Go collection? There are some new rare spawns that have been released. Niantic has introduced the infamous Lake Trio to Pokémon Go. Azelf, Uxie Mesprit and Uxie can now be found as the new very rare wild spawns in the game.
The lake trio are a group of three Legendary psychic Pokémon that was first introduced in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl back in 2006 and then in the Pokémon Platinum game.
Good luck trying to find them though, it would seem that they are very hard to acquire. Early reports say that they can show up anywhere at anytime. So, you better have your eyes open at your nearby Pokémon list hoping that they show up.
Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie are appearing around the world in the wild rather than in Raids. Each Legendary is currently only available in a specific part of the world. Mesprit is available in Europe, Azelf is only appearing in America and Uxie is only spawning in Japan.
There is also another Legendary Pokemon making another appearance, Groundon, who has returned to the game for a limited time as one of Pokemon Go’s Earth Day bonuses. However, that is not all, one more special Pokémon is here that is making a first time appearance – shiny Diglett, but these bonuses are only live until May 2nd.


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Voting on HK$12.4 billion funding for a package of over 9,428 public works items was further delayed on Friday...
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) вЂ” Bright signs, a few of them neon that is flashing lure passers-by along historic Route 66 with claims of quick money if theyвЂ™re in a bind. Window dressings in strip malls, converted gasoline stations as well as other storefronts in brand brand brand New MexicoвЂ™s city that is largest inform would-be customers they wonвЂ™t need to вЂњpay the max.вЂќ
The payday and name loan industry claims that despite a bad reputation, little lenders offer mostly of the alternatives for low-income residents in brand brand brand New Mexico, where high poverty and jobless prices are chronic.
вЂњPeople require the money,вЂќ stated Charles Horton, a fresh Mexico native and creator of FastBucks. вЂњWeвЂ™re licensed, weвЂ™re regulated, weвЂ™re not out breaking kneecaps and doing such a thing illegal to complete the collections. The thing I constantly say is find something better that works and place it into spot.вЂќ
The industry is once more the prospective of brand new Mexico lawmakers, as a couple of bills pending when you look at the homely house and Senate demand capping interest levels at 36 per cent on tiny loans released by loan providers maybe maybe maybe not federally insured.
Customer advocates argue that brand brand brand New Mexico wouldnвЂ™t be taking a leap that is giant the legislation.
Some 30 states have previously prohibited car name loans, and a dozen of these have actually capped prices at 36 % or less.
Probably the most data that are recent brand New Mexico legislation and certification officials reveal interest levels on name loans can consist of an average of 238 per cent to significantly more than 450 per cent. Installment loans can get a lot higher.
Short-term, high-interest financing techniques happen a target of customer advocates for many why not try this out years in brand brand New Mexico, but efforts to rein in the commercial fall flat year in year out. Some fault lobbyists; others blame the possible lack of governmental will.
Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, an Albuquerque Democrat sponsoring one of several measures in 2010, stated predatory financing methods took in more urgency as state officials seek out comprehensive methods to jump-start the slow economy while assisting working families. She sees the proposed cap as one prong within the stateвЂ™s combat poverty.
вЂњThey simply target their state of the latest Mexico because we've a susceptible populace вЂ” and thatвЂ™s what we should stop,вЂќ she said. вЂњThe main point here is it is exploitation.вЂќ
Regarding the significantly more than 23,000 name loans reported in New Mexico in 2015, state numbers reveal about two-thirds had been renewed, extended or refinanced. Customer advocates argue that the present rates of interest allow it to be hard for the loans become paid back combined with other costs, starting borrowers for the period of financial obligation.
Ona Porter, mind regarding the Prosperity that is nonprofit Works said the borrowing is because limited-income people attempting to fill a space between month-to-month costs and earnings.
вЂњThey have actually all types of extremely creative ways of creating that really work, but one bump into the road вЂ” a medical center bill, a co-pay they canвЂ™t show up with, a blow-out вЂ” in addition to entire home of cards boils down. ThatвЂ™s the point from which they make an effort to fill that space with your loans,вЂќ she said.
Porter argued you will find numerous legislation targeted at consumer security with regards to meals, toys and medications. вЂњThis is really an exception that is heinousвЂќ she stated.
The industry states the cap that is proposed force lending shops throughout the state to shut their doorways.
вЂњBanks donвЂ™t make loans to individuals for $300 to $400 for the reason,вЂќ Horton said. вЂњA two-week or loan that is one-month $300 at 36 % interest, it is a couple of bucks, and you also canвЂ™t pay for lease and workers and particularly bad financial obligation for a few bucks.вЂќ
One proposition with the attention of Horton and lawmakers alike is really a brand new financing choice that will allow workers to attract against their paychecks for interest rates that might be centered on a portion of month-to-month earnings. It will be billed as a member of staff advantage but will be administered through a party that is third. Economic training would come with such loans.
Porter said Dona Ana County, Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Santa Fe Public Schools along with other federal federal government companies are thinking about the system, and advocates are hopeful hawaii will too.
Studies indicate that at the least 20 per cent of public workers use payday, title along with other forms of installment loans, Porter stated.


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#Facebook to verify identities of suspiciously popular accounts
14:40, Saturday, 30 May, 2020
According to the social media firm, it will require profiles that are ‘high-reach’, and whose posts rapidly go viral, to undergo verification by showing some form of ID if they’re found to be exhibiting patterns of “inauthentic” behaviour. Facebook said it will store the information “securely” and the information won’t be shared on a user’s platform. Due to security reasons, however, the firm hasn’t divulged the metrics it will use to determine “inauthentic” behaviour, but said that it will base its requests for verification on “patterns”. It said in a blog post: “We will verify the identity of people who have a pattern of inauthentic behaviour on Facebook and whose posts start to rapidly go viral in the US.


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Ludhiana: Bringing excitement to the university campus after several days of protests by students, the 31st Inter-University North Zone Youth Festival 'Goonj' will kick off at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) from Thursday. It will be an ... Times of India, 4 weeks ago
3 images for "goonj"
Zee Media Bureau New Delhi: The Goonj India Index has brought out the annual chronicle of what Indians were most interested in, most searched for and most talked about on digital platforms in 2015. Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and ...ZeeNews.com, 1 month ago India's top 20 e-commerce brands in 2015 ZeeNews.com, 1 month ago Top 20 most searched brands in 2015 ZeeNews.com, 1 month ago India's 20 most searched keywords in 2015 ZeeNews.com, 1 month ago
Fire broke out at Goonj’s warehouse on DiwaliThe Hindu, 2 months ago Non-Profit Goonj's Delhi Centre Gutted in Diwali Fire, Says Founder Anshu Gupta NDTV, 2 months ago Goonj warehouse gutted, woollens for needy destroyed Times of India, 2 months ago NGO Goonj founder blames Diwali crackers for the fire Business Standard, 2 months ago
More from: DNA, Outlook...and 2 other sources
Flipkart's Sachin Bansal has topped the list of India's most wanted entrepreneurs in 2015, by Goonj, a data analytics firm.DNA, 1 month ago India's top 20 entrepreneurs in 2015 ZeeNews.com, 1 month ago
Airtel, AAP, Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi Were Most Hated On Social Media; Mia Khalifa Most Wanted Porn Star – Goonj India Index 2015
Goonj Labs , who calls themselves as the ‘Most Advanced Entertainment Analytics’ ever has come out with their annual ‘Goonj India Index’ list for 2015. Based on the sentiments observed on Google searched, Facebook trends, Twitter trends and Youtube ...Trak.in, 1 month ago
Friday, 13 November 2015|http://www.nerve.in/news:2535002649125|channel:India " We lost materials like winter clothes and blankets. It is a major loss but I'm sure we will be able to recover it through our ongoing campaigns, he said." New Delhi, Nov 13 - ...Nerve, 2 months ago
More from: , Prokerala...and 1 other sources
Salman Khan, Sunny Leone, Deepika Padukone: Goonj India Index Report 2015 reveals the most wanted Indian Movie Stars
Home» Showbiz Every individual have their very own favourite stars from the showbiz industry. The glamorous B-town stars have won millions of hearts not just in the country but across the globe with their amazing performances. We might have ...MyInforms, 4 weeks ago Kapil Sharma, Divyanka Tripathi, Gautam Gulati: Goonj India Index Report 2015 reveals the most popular TV stars MyInforms, 1 month ago Kapil Sharma, Divyanka Tripathi most popular TV stars, says survey United News of India, 3 weeks ago Salman Khan remained the King of Bollywood, followed by Sunny Leone in 2015! Siasat Daily, 1 month ago
Seems that India will never get over with their obsession with the Pakistani celebrity, Fawad Khan. According to Goonj India Index 2015 report, Khan has proudly made it to the list of India's Most Wanted T.V stars. The Fawad-fever in the Indian ...Brandsynario.com, 1 month ago Kapil Sharma - India's most favourite TV star! ZeeNews.com, 1 month ago Kapil Sharma, Pakistan's Fawad Khan in India's most favourite TV stars list ZeeNews.com, 1 month ago
Prakhar Bhartiya's parents belonged to a small village near Kanpur. The year he was born, his parents decided to move to Kanpur to enroll him in one of the top schools in the city. It overlooked a slum where Prakhar would often see children just ...Yourstory.in, 1 week ago
As Chennai battled the floods, Ola had boats in action to help people get from one end of the city to another. The subtle take on the state of infrastructure aside, it made for a decent feel good story. At the same time, start-ups were endearing ...Smart Investor, 2 weeks ago Inside Chennairains.org and How Tech Helped Face Disaster NDTV, 1 month ago Chennai floods: This group of volunteers fed thousands by churning out 40,000 food packets a day DNA India, 2 months ago Volunteers bring relief to flood battered Chennai The Statesman, 2 months ago
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Good & Bad PR 6 minute read
Howdy wet ‘n’ windy good and bad PR fans! (That is not a comment on your current health – I am merely starting this with reference to the weather, as many a PRO in the UK has no doubt done with an email pitch this week. We Britons love a weather moan to encourage bonding). It is I, Emma from 10 Yetis, hurling this week’s good and bad PR winners at you; as head honcho Andy may or may not currently be in Sochi competing in the figure-skating category. Keep a close eye out.
Let’s dive right in to this week’s column …
Good PR of the week
This week’s winner of good PR is a stunt for a new Comedy Central show in the US which has had media chins wagging across the world.
An independent coffee shop cropped up in Los Angeles last week, contentiously named Dumb Starbucks. Seeming to appear from nowhere, the shop attracted some pretty hefty attention for its outrageous piss-taking of the real Starbucks – copying the coffee giant’s layouts, menu and signature branding.
Californians queued around the block to grab themselves some of the free coffee on offer at the store, with such delights as “dumb iced coffee“, ‘”dumb white chocolate mocha” and coffee ranging from “bitter” to “horrible” gracing the menu. According to the shop, no copyright was breached due to the all-important ‘”dumb” in front of the branding, with a statement from the shop owners saying "By adding the word 'dumb', we are technically 'making fun' of Starbucks, which allows us to use its trademarks under a law known as 'fair use’.”
Of course, the world’s media aren’t no fools, and suspicions of a PR stunt lingered amongst all the press attention the store was receiving. And rightly so, as a PR stunt it was – with comedian Nathan Fielder revealing himself as the prankster behind the store for his new Comedy Central show Nathan For You. You can see him in action in a video released by the pranksters a few days ago.
The store has since been shut down by health and safety officials, but not before it amassed over 3,000 Facebook fans and over 14,000 Twitter followers – not too shabby for a stunt that lasted no more than a few days. A pretty impressive social following and a whole host of international press attention means that Dumb Starbucks is a worthy winner of this week’s accolade – and we tip our hats to Mr Fielder.
Mention this week also has to go to app du jour Flappy Birds – which bagged an unbelievably good amount of PR – so good that the creator hated his own success and, erm, removed the app completely.
In a twist I don’t think anyone saw coming, creator Dong Nguyen couldn’t live with his creation’s popularity – and so removed it entirely from all relevant app stores. Clearly not content with it being the most-downloaded game of the year to date and amassing over $50,000 a day in advertising revenue, Nguyen wrote on his Twitter page that the app’s fame “ruins my simple life.” No known legal issues caused its removal, its creator simply didn’t want it to be as popular as it was.
I have to tip my hat to the game for the amount of press attention it’s received, as well as the subsequent chancers putting their iPhones on eBay with the app pre-installed for thousands of pounds. Just a bit of a shame that the creator didn’t like his own success – proving that PR can sometimes be TOO good.
Bad PR of the week
A double whammy for this week’s bad PR, the first of which goes to design house Valentino for a whopper of a press release blunder.
Journalists were somewhat surprised to receive a release from Valentino last week including pictures of actress Amy Adams carrying one of its coveted designs, stating: “We are pleased to announce Amy Adams carrying the Valentino Garavani Rockstud Duble bag from the Spring/Summer 2014 collection on Feb 6 in New York.”
Journalists, however, were quick to pick up on the fact that the images of the actress carrying the bag were actually taken outside Philip Seymour Hoffman’s wake; which the grieving actress was stepping out of a car to attend when she was papped. Whoops. Cue a front page splash on the New York Post with the headline “DEAD CARPET” naming and shaming the Valentino press office for its enormous faux pas.
I’m not naming the poor old PRO who has been pinpointed as the distributor of said offending release, but Valentino has been digging out blind to apologise for the poor-judgement release; insisting that “We were not aware the photograph was taken while she was attending the wake of Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was an innocent mistake, and we apologise to Ms Adams who was not aware, or a part of, our PR efforts.”
Amy Adams’ publicist even had to wade in to defend her client, stating: “Amy Adams is not a paid spokesperson for Valentino, and the suggestion she would use this moment to participate in a promotion is truly appalling.”
Huge PR shit storm for Valentino, and proof of how important triple-checking a press release can be.
I can’t go without mentioning Copenhagen Zoo in this week’s bad PR slot for a frankly appalling decision to slaughter one of its healthy giraffes to prevent inbreeding; despite online petitions signed by over 5,000 people calling on the zoo not to do so.
Marius the giraffe was otherwise healthy, but the Zoo claimed it had “no choice” but to kill the animal as, under European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (Eaza) rules, inbreeding of giraffes should be avoided. The Zoo shot Marius dead and then proceeded to dissect and skin the animal in front of an audience – apparently giving children a good opportunity to “understand the anatomy of a giraffe“. Marius’ body was then fed to the zoo’s lions, to round-up the mildly horrifying spectacle.
The decision to kill Marius, and the subsequent public parading of the animal’s body, has had the world’s media up in arms – particularly since it was found that several zoos offered to take Marius but were not granted permission by Copenhagen Zoo. An event that will no doubt leave a very sour taste in the mouths of all those who may have been planning to visit the zoo in the future.


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Following moves by Dick's and Walmart, will gun sales change at San Angelo shops?
Recent moves by major retailers such as Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart to change their gun sale operations have some San Angelo residents questioning what changes will occur at local stores.
On Feb. 28, in response to the Parkland High School mass shooting that killed 17, Dick's and Walmart raised the minimum age a person can buy a firearm to 21, with Dick’s also ending the sale of AR-15s and other semiautomatic rifles, along with high-capacity magazines.
Walmart discontinued the sale of AR-15s in 2015 and has never sold high-capacity magazines.
Dick’s Sporting Goods also owns the retail chain Field & Stream, which has no relation to San Angelo’s locally owned gun shop Field & Streams Sporting Goods.
In an Instagram post March 1, the store stated, “…we do not and have never held any affiliation with [Dick’s Sporting Goods] or their brand [Field & Stream]. We fully support the [Second Amendment], without conditions, and, as such, have no plans of pulling any products from our shelves.”
Like Field & Streams, other locally owned gun shops don’t plan to make any changes but do anticipate an increase in sales.
“If those customers that shopped at those stores don’t have access to those items, they have to get them somewhere,” said Will Higgins, manager of The Outdoorsman, 2231 W. Beauregard Ave.
Higgins noted when Academy Sports + Outdoors announced it would no longer display AR-15s in the wake of the 2016 mass shooting at Orlando's Pulse nightclub. Academy did not quit selling the guns, but the change did boost sales at The Outdoorsman.
“Since that’s not the only thing they sell, I can understand the change,” Higgins said about Dick’s and Walmart. “They don’t want to lose customers who think that is the right move.”
When it comes to raising the minimum age limit, he said, “the maturity of an 18- to 19-year-old is probably far less than that of a person 21 or older. Some of the most stressful points of your life, up to that point, occur between 18 and 21.”
He pointed to the alcohol age limit change, raised from 18 to 21 by the federal government in 1984, as proof that the government recognizes someone not yet 21 is not as mature as someone who is.
“If my kid got shot in a school because some 18-year-old kid got his feelings hurt, I’d probably be on board,” he said about raising the age limit. “But fortunately, I haven’t experienced a tragedy like that.”
Despite understanding the thought behind the changes, he doesn’t believe they will make much of a difference.
“People who want to hurt people are going to hurt people,” Higgins said.
“Do you think the pressure cooker company felt bad when the Boston Bombers used them to build bombs?” he asked, also pointing to tragedies such as the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995, in which 168 people died without guns being used.
Steve Montoya, owner of Trail's End Gunworks, 209 S Magdalen St., agreed that the age limit changes would have little effect on tragedies, pointing to the age of Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas shooter who at the age of 64 killed 58 people and injured 851 last October.
“This is a people problem, not a gun problem,” said Ken Thomas, owner of Texas Gun Shop, 1018 W Beauregard Ave.
Referring to Dick’s and Walmart, Thomas said, “If they choose to do business like that, that’s their choice, it’s a free country,” but “I don’t endorse their choice, I don’t believe in it. We have federal laws, and until the federal law changes I see no point in changing our policies.”
Following suggestions made by President Donald Trump, Montoya, of Trail's End, said he supported arming teachers and officials in schools to "give a better illusion of security," he said.
"TSA did that, and hijackings went down," Montoya said.
The changes that need to be made, Higgins said, are about mental health.
When a person comes into The Outdoorsman, Higgins said he is less worried about their age than their intentions.
Although he said he and the other employees at the gun shop do not profile people, Higgins said they do have to read people, and as a privately owned business, “we have the right to refuse service to anyone.”
The store’s employees use that right more often than people would think, he said.
“You can’t always tell someone’s mental state,” he said, but “you can usually tell who’s going to dove hunt and who’s not.”
While retailers like Dick’s and Walmart also reserve the right to refuse sales, he said he assumes there would be “too much red tape to pick and choose who they sell to,” as he can at the shop.
When it comes to increased gun sales, Higgins said the boost doesn't stem from mass shootings themselves, but rather “political officials who go on record and say they’re working on a new bill or passing a law or anything pertaining to firearms.”
John Goodman, owner of San Angelo home-based gun shop G Squared Guns, 3126 Pronghorn Path, said he immediately “saw a spike” in bump stock sales following the Las Vegas mass shooting.
“It's something that’s fun to shoot and people enjoy shooting, just like people enjoy playing video games,” he said of the item.
He said many people had bump stocks on their list of things they eventually would buy, and the political talk of banning the item caused people to go out and buy them earlier than planned.
The reason for the increased sales in response to these sorts of announcements is because “we naturally want things we can’t have and people worry they might not have the ability to buy it at a later date,” Higgins said.
That, he said, has been the case since the Sandy Hook mass shooting in 2012.
“It doesn’t need to be a school shooting to do that, but it does seem more convenient to pull that card,” he said, referring to politicians. “There’s usually more support when there are dead children.”


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NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A large grocery and hygiene supply giveaway event is happening Saturday in North Charleston.
The Community Resource Center is partnering with the Charleston Hispanic Association and Bundles of Joy to distribute groceries, baby products, and hygiene products on Saturday, June 4, starting at 11 a.m.
“I’m humbled, deeply humbled to be a part of this community. To be the very fabric of this community and to be able to give back like we’ve been doing at the centers, and with the Hispanic Association, sir, I am overwhelmed. And I love the Lowcountry,” event organizers, Louis Smith and Henry Grace said.
The event will have jump castles, hot food, produce, and COVID-19 vaccines provided by Lowe’s.
Attendees can also submit applications for free air conditioning units and make appointments for rent and utility assistance through SC Stay Plus.
The giveaway will happen at Lowe’s Improvement Store located at 4775 Northwoods Boulevard.


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Interpublic Group has hired Simon Bond, BBDO's chief marketing officer, as its first chief growth officer.
Havas Media International has been appointed to handle the international media planning and buying account for global investment firm Source.
John Lewis' ad featuring a young girl dancing around a house has taken the top spot in the Campaign Viral Chart.
St John Ambulance, the first aid charity, has launched an awareness campaign featuring comedian and TV presenter Rufus Hound called "Save a Life September".
With so many brands producing their own content to reach consumers in innovative ways, they will need to up their game significantly as expectations grow, says Mindshare's Adam Fulford.
Mail Brands, the new commercial operation that brought together sales at the DMG Media's national newsbrand titles, has released its first partnership with a major brand since forming in July.
Admiral, the insurance company, has appointed McCann Birmingham to handle its ad account following a competitive pitch process.
Freeview, the free-to-air TV service, is launching Freeview Play, its video on-demand and catch-up TV service, next month.
AOL has confirmed its acquisition Millennial Media, the end-to-end mobile platform, for $1.75 (£1.15) per share.
Harvey Keitel returns as Winston Wolf and helps a group of women on a hen do in the new ad for Direct Line.
Senior Data Analyst £45,000 p.a. Ball & Hoolahan, South East England
NPD Strategy Consultant £60,000 per annum Ball & Hoolahan, London (Central), London (Greater)
Senior Strategy Consultant £65,000 per annum Ball & Hoolahan, London (Central), London (Greater)
Business Director - Digital Sales - Media Owner to £70,000 + bonus Silverdrum, London (Central), London (Greater)
PR Manager - Social / Content Marketing Agency Excellent Salary + Company Benefits Package Recruitment Revolution, Southampton, Hampshire
A creative who won a new blood pencil at this year's D&AD awards has taken matters into her own hands after three months of not receiving her real prize.
Supermarket giant Sainsbury's will sponsor ITV's Showcase Drama package in a two-year deal.
Poke, the Publicis UK digital agency, has promoted Angus Mackinnon to take charge of its creative department.
A billionaire media owner is coming to London to offer UK brands the chance to resurrect icons of music and film with new holographic technology.
Maxus has appointed Rudi Symons as its first EMEA head of talent and culture.
Consumers underestimate the contribution that advertising revenue has in funding high quality editorial, research from video advertising specialist Teads has found.
A leadership group has been set up for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in advertising called PrideAM.
New media, new tools, new people. What is the state of art direction today? Campaign asked J Walter Thompson's head of art and design, Dave Dye
Pot Noodle has released its first TV campaign since hiring Lucky Generals as its creative agency.
An Oxford University graduate is combining creativity with her maths background to develop tools that can transform search marketing


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MUNCIE, Ind. – Your smartphones could be making you fat. One Ball State University researcher says one way to stay healthy over the holidays is to put the phone down and get moving.
But, this could have multiple benefits. If you put the phone down that will allow you to spend more quality time with family.
Gathering around the table to give thanks and eating a meal as a family. Sounds like a traditional Thanksgiving, but these days, there’s more than food at the table…the invasion of gadgets.
“I think we’re gonna be on our phones together looking at memes and posts together so I think we’re going to be on it even at dinner time. Not the whole meal but for part of it,” phone lover Kimberly Ostiller said.
A Ball State University researcher looked at a thousand people around Muncie. Professor Khubchandani found people are spending more than two hours a day watching TV and using smart phones or other technology. And the results are unhealthy across the board.
“And it becomes a vicious cycle. The more you sit and use phones and computers the more likely you’re gaining weight, and then the more likely you are depressed, you stay lonely and continue to gain weight,” Professor Khubchandani said.
Whoa, weight gain and depression? Not good, but people we found say they just can’t break away from their phones even during family time.
“Do you think you’re going to be able to put down your smartphone and interact with your family during thanksgiving? FOX59 asked holiday grocery shoppers.
“Hmm I don’t think. I don’t know. I’m going to try to but I doubt it,” Stacey Jones said.
Kimberly and her mother say they’re pretty close to their technology but they’re up for a challenge.
“So I think this thanksgiving we should put it down, enjoy some quality family time and leave it at that,” Patricia Ostiller said.
The professor says use family time as a way to get active during the holiday. Like getting out and walking around the mall or signing up for local holiday run-walks.


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It’s about that time of year when Asus takes the wraps off of new ZenFone phones, and the latest report suggests the ZenFone 3 family of devices is set for a June unveiling. These phones are targeting the mid-range segment, so don’t expect anything crazy and high-end just yet. Read more
Verizon announced its prepaid wireless plan refresh, offering customers even more data than before.
Google Calendar is receiving a new update over the next few days that makes it easier to dial into conference calls.
So, you’ve just watched an amazing video on YouTube and want to enthuse about it with your bestie, usually it means you have to leave the YouTube app to access a separate messaging app. But hold on, that may not be the case for much longer because the YouTube app will soon offer a built-in messaging capability. Read more
It’s been a question asked by many, and for quite some time – “Why hasn’t Google developed a product yet to compete with Amazon’s Echo device?“. Well, it looks like someone at Google is finally listening, and such a device could be unveiled sometime this year, as alluded to recently. Read more
The leaks appear to be intensifying in frequency for Samsung’s Galaxy C range of handsets, having made an appearance last week showing off its metal body. Today, we have another leak showing off the C5 in greater detail as well as the alleged specifications for it and its larger C7 sibling. Join us after the break for more details. Read more
This is hardly a surprise to those familiar with how mergers and acquisitions work out in the real world, but popular calendar app Sunrise will be shutting down in just a few more months. This announcement from the development team that built Sunrise comes a little more than a year after it was revealed that Microsoft was purchasing Sunrise. Since that acquisition by Microsoft, the members of the Sunrise team have joined the Outlook development efforts where their work is being rolled into that product. Read more
As Google prepares to launch their latest conference, Google I/O 2016, the latest rumor to surface is that the company will announce their new phone-less virtual reality headset, tentatively named Android VR. Besides the standalone virtual reality device, which we have seen rumors of in the past, Google is expected to also announce that Android VR simultaneously represents the software and operating system support for virtual reality and that it will be baked in to Android N. Read more
Do you value privacy? Do you want to keep your number hidden when making calls on Craigslist ads? Or maybe you don’t want your date to see your main phone number? Then you might want to take a look at Hushed over on Talk Android Deals. You won’t have to worry about people getting their hands on your primary number ever again!
T-Mobile is convincing consumers to buy the new HTC 10 on its wireless service. For a limited time, T-Mobile will give freebies away to those who purchase the device and sign up.


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The Turkish foreign minister on Saturday said Turkey wants to develop holistic relations with Asia that has become the center of global economic power.
Inaugurating a new office of Sri Lanka’s Antalya Honorary Consulate General in the town of Alanya, Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara desires to promote cooperation with Sri Lanka in fields such as economy, culture, and education.
Emphasizing that honorary consulates play an important role in diplomatic interactions, he recalled that the first Turkish diplomatic contact with Sri Lanka was established in 1864 when the Ottoman Empire opened an honorary consulate.
Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize Sri Lanka following its independence in 1948, he added.
Cavusoglu said bilateral ties have grown stronger since a tsunami rocked Sri Lanka in 2004 and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a visit to the country at the time.
Commenting on financial relations, Cavusoglu said the two countries set a trade target of half a billion dollars, but the figure stood at about $102 million in the first half of 2021.
He suggested, however, that maintaining economic relationships based on a few specialized products would be unsustainable, and that trade ties should be more diverse.
The Turkish diplomat said health and tourism sectors should also be explored and incorporated into relations.
In a Twitter post, Cavusoglu said: “[Turkey] Will further develop our cooperation with friendly Sri Lanka in the framework of our Asia Anew Initiative.”
“Your generous gesture toward Sri Lanka reflects our two countries’ historical brotherly relations. I must say Turkey is a true friend,” said Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Turkey Mohamed Rizvi Hassen.
“By opening the consulate we are looking forward to increasing trade, investment, tourism and cultural relations, and more importantly people-to-people contact with this region.”
He added: “The region of Antalya has many opportunities, which can bind the business community in Sri Lanka. Our initiative to open this office provides an opening to explore untapped opportunities available in Antalya for the betterment of the people of Turkey and Sri Lanka.”


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Volvo Trucks Launches Program to Simplify Electric Truck Charging Infrastructure Installation
- Volvo Trucks North America has launched a program to streamline the process of installing electric truck charging infrastructure for fleet owners.
- The program aims to provide fleet owners with the necessary resources and support to easily transition to electric trucking.
- By simplifying the process, Volvo Trucks hopes to encourage more fleet owners to adopt electric trucks and contribute to a sustainable future.
Volvo Trucks North America has introduced a new program aimed at simplifying the installation of electric truck charging infrastructure for fleet owners. The program, launched on August 22, is designed to provide fleet owners with the necessary resources and support to smoothly transition to electric trucking. With the growing demand for sustainable transportation solutions, Volvo Trucks aims to encourage more fleet owners to adopt electric trucks by making the installation process as hassle-free as possible. By taking this step, Volvo Trucks North America is committed to contributing to a greener and more environmentally-friendly future in the trucking industry.
With the launch of their program to simplify electric truck charging infrastructure installation, Volvo Trucks North America is demonstrating their commitment to a sustainable future. By providing fleet owners with the necessary resources and support, Volvo Trucks hopes to encourage the widespread adoption of electric trucks. This initiative not only benefits the environment but also enables fleet owners to contribute to a greener and more sustainable transportation industry. As the trucking industry continues to evolve, Volvo Trucks is positioning itself as a leader in the development and promotion of electric trucking technology.
This blog post has been generated using the information provided in the article:”Volvo Offers Fleets a Leg Up on Charging Infrastructure” by “Keiron Greenhalgh”.
Check it out at: https://www.ttnews.com/articles/volvo-turnkey-charging-ev.


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The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong has issued a significant warning against two cryptocurrency firms, Hong Kong Digital Research Institute (HongKongDAO) and BitCuped, for their involvement in fraudulent operations. This step underscores the SFC’s commitment to regulating the burgeoning digital currency market and protecting the interests of investors.
Hong Kong SFC acts against crypto firms’ deception
The SFC, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Police Force, has blocked access to the websites of HongKongDAO and BitCuped. This measure aims to prevent potential investment scams. Investigations revealed that HongKongDAO allegedly distributed deceptive information online, falsely claiming regulatory licenses and authority. Promoting its HKD token raised serious concerns, as it appeared to be a ploy to attract investors under pretenses.
Similarly, BitCuped’s website was found to contain significant misrepresentations. Claims of affiliation with prominent Hong Kong figures Laura Cha and Nicholas Aguzin were deemed false and potentially misleading to prospective investors. The misinformation about their executive roles posed a risk of deceiving individuals about the legitimacy of BitCuped Corporation.
Wider warning and upcoming regulatory changes
The Hong Kong SFC’s warning extends beyond these two firms, encompassing additional platforms involved in virtual asset trading. Companies such as JPEX and Hounax are scrutinized for disseminating misleading information about their credentials and business partnerships. The SFC urges public caution when considering online investment opportunities, especially those advertised on social media and messaging platforms.
In line with its October announcement, the Hong Kong SFC is set to implement new rules by June 2024. These regulations will require all exchanges operating within Hong Kong to obtain a license to function as virtual asset service providers. This regulatory measure is part of the Hong Kong SFC’s ongoing efforts to enhance consumer protection and establish a safer environment for cryptocurrency transactions.
The Hong Kong SFC’s actions reflect a growing global trend towards stricter oversight of digital currencies. As the cryptocurrency market evolves, regulatory bodies worldwide are stepping up measures to combat fraud and protect investors. The SFC’s proactive approach serves as a model for other regulators, highlighting the importance of vigilance in the rapidly changing digital finance landscape.


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Google Tests YouTube Mobile Ads
"This is our first step in testing mobile advertising for YouTube--it will give you a new way to interact with content on the go, while allowing us to learn how video viewers engage with mobile advertising," wrote Christine Tsai, product marketing manager at YouTube. "Our test advertisers will also have an additional branding tool at their disposal and the opportunity to reach the millions of people who visit YouTube every day on their phones."
Google is actively seeking new ways to monetize content on YouTube, which it purchased for $1.6 billion in 2006--but so far has failed to meet ad revenue expectations. It's estimated that will generate $200 million in ad sales this year, according to a recent Wall Street Journal story. The bulk of that amount will come from display rather than video ads.--Mark Walsh


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Keep up to date. Reports from the world of Hatebur.
Hatebur had the opportunity to do an interview with Mr. Dominique Garbe, Plant Manager at LISI AUTOMOTIVE in Dasle/France.
The Hatebur HOTmatic AMP 20 N has replaced a 1976 Hatebur AMP 20 in the workshop of hot forging expert Metform, taking production to a whole new level.
In order for the high-performance Hatebur forming systems to produce parts smoothly in continuous operation, the movable functional units must always be lubricated. What a shame that afterwards the lubricating oil is waste oil. Now, with its new system for oil processing, Hatebur is providing an effective improvement.
With minimal use of raw materials, the greatest potential for cost savings on a forging and consistent component quality are achieved on Hatebur HOTmatic machines.
Collaboration in building electrical cabinets When two companies are consolidated, experts like to talk about synergies promising the best prospects.
Possible for large machines remotely too A Hatebur HOTmatic HM 75 XL horizontal forging machine is ready for its factory acceptance test at the Swiss assembly plant in Brugg.
An example of us overcoming obstacles related to the pandemic and current travel restrictions has been the recent use of smart helmets.
The core of every Hatebur forming machine is the PLC, the programmable logic controller.
As even long-lasting forging presses like a Hatebur AMP 70 HFE reach their output limits after 20 years, in 2011 GKN Driveline in Trier commissioned a new Hatebur HOTmatic HM 75 XL as a replacement.


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The characters from DreamWorks popular Madagascar series are headed on-line.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the popular animated films will be featured in online and mobile learning content. Dreamworks is working with kids educational game company JumpStart to develop the applications.
Available on Thursday, Madagascar Online offers learning quests and adventures. Also launching on iOS and Android platforms is a learning game titled Madagascar Preschool Surf ’n Slide.
JumpStart additionally plans to create a new gaming franchise inspired by DWA’s How to Train Your Dragon.
“JumpStart is at the forefront of developing innovative educational games and progressive technology for kids and we are pleased to join forces with them to launch new learning adventures that incorporate characters from DreamWorks Animation franchises,” said Jim Mainard, head of digital strategy for DWA.


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BBB warns of convincing airline scam
The Better Business Bureau is warning people about an airline scam targeting travelers online.
People will often search for cheap airline tickets online and purchase them through an unfamiliar website. The scammers will buy the tickets and the victim will get a real reservation number. Scammers will later cancel the ticket and keep the money from the refund.
The BBB says what makes the scam so convincing is that the ticket is actually booked and victims get a real confirmation email that can be verified with the airline.
In order to avoid these scams, the BBB recommends you do your research, use a reputable travel site when booking, and buy tickets with a credit card.