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Former Flipkart COO Nitin Seth has reportedly served a legal notice to the ecommerce company. The notice was sent alleging the company of wrongful termination. He resigned from his position as the Chief Operations Officer in May 2017.
The IIM Lucknow graduate was allegedly let go just over a year after he joined the ecommerce company’s HR department in March 2016. Seth had risen to the rank of COO in less than 10 months.
Following Seth’s abrupt departure, CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy took over his responsibilities. According to sources, Seth believes that he was illegally fired and has, therefore, decided to take legal action against Flipkart.
Nitin Seth had previously served as the Chairperson of NASSCOM’s Regional Council in Haryana, and was also the MD and Country Head of investment firm Fidelity International. He was originally brought on board the Flipkart team in March 2016 by co-founder Binny Bansal. In less than six months, he was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer and, later, to Chief Operations Officer in January 2017.
During his tenure as the COO, Nitin Seth assumed control of the ecommerce giant’s in-house logistics arm Ekart. Furthermore, he was responsible for all people operations, strategy to execution capabilities and various corporate functions including HR, corporate strategy, strategy deployment, planning, analytics, corporate communications, government relations, risk management, facilities & infrastructure, and security.
Seth claims that he was abruptly asked to step down in May 2017. Since Seth’s exit, all the departments headed by him have come under the supervision of newly-appointed CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy. Commenting on Seth’s decision to take legal action against Flipkart, a source stated, “We have to see how strong the case is for him against Flipkart as it has to be judged from multiple legal perspectives.”
2016 was an especially controversial year for Flipkart. Apart from the Nitin Seth exit, the ecommerce giant witnessed multiple departures of top officials last year. Among them were Saikiran Krishnamurthy, Head of retailer supply chain unit Ekart; Samardeep Subandh, Chief Marketing Officer; and Senior Vice President Surojit Chatterjee.
Prior to that in January 2016, after Binny Bansal replaced Sachin Bansal as CEO, the company saw around seven resignations. This included Commerce Platform Head Mukesh Bansal, Chief Financial Officer Sanjay Baweja, Chief Business Officer Ankit Nagori, and Product Chief Punit Soni.
Despite raising $1.4 Bn funding from Tencent, eBay, and Microsoft in April 2017, things haven’t been very easy for the unicorn. In addition to increased competition from global giant Amazon, Flipkart is currently in the midst of the Snapdeal merger deal that seems to have reached a deadlock.
Recently, Flipkart ran into trouble with the All India Online Vendors Association (AIOVA) over a technical malfunction that caused the ecommerce marketplace to record wrong weights for shipments. As per reports, the financial impact of the problem ranged between 20% and 30% of a vendor’s gross merchandise volume (GMV).
Legal tangles, such as the one with ex-COO Nitin Seth, could potentially take away Flipkart’s dream of becoming the country’s top ecommerce player.
(The development was reported by ET)


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There’s bike-sharing, car-sharing, ride-sharing and even home-sharing in Singapore – but are the big companies in the “sharing economy” really sharing anything at all?
Economist Dean Baker doesn’t think so.
How the ‘sharing’ fad became bad
“The sharing economy’ is a misnomer, which the industry no doubt likes a lot. (But) it’s got nothing to do with sharing,” said Baker in an interview with The Atlantic.
Companies like Uber and AirBnB want to be associated with the “sharing economy” terminology because of the “halo of positive branding”, argues Baker. A Pew Research Center survey in 2016 found that while many Americans could not properly define the sharing economy, they viewed the phrase positively, like an altruistic endeavour.
“The real sharing economy is one built around goodwill, gratitude and mutual benefit, not commerce,” writes Creative Commons CEO Ryan Merkley in a commentary for The Globe and Mail.
“Sharing shouldn’t require compensation. If you’re paying for it, it’s not actually sharing: It’s just a service.”
Other stories you might like
Is the sharing economy diluting the true meaning of sharing?
April Rinne, writing on the World Economic Forum’s website, says that companies today are engaging in “sharewashing” – latching themselves to the “sharing economy” – because it makes them part of a hot trend.
Rinne says: “Who doesn’t want to conjure up notions of community and cooperation?
“Is it ridesharing when a driver leases out a car that they did not own before, in order to provide rides that they would not have taken otherwise? Hardly,” she notes. But Uber remains, to the public and the media, a common example of the sharing economy, she adds.
An article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR) expresses a deeper concern: It suggests that the idea of sharing has been subverted by the sharing economy to become more like a monetary-driven endeavour, rather than a community-driven social interaction.
“When consumers use the world’s leading car-sharing service (Zipcar), they don’t feel any of the reciprocal obligations that arise when sharing with one another,” the researchers cited as an example.
“They experience Zipcar in the anonymous way one experiences a hotel; they know others have used the cars, but have no desire to interact with them. They don’t view other Zipsters as co-sharers of the cars, but rather are mistrustful of them.”
Making money in the real sharing economy
At its core, the sharing economy, as we know it today, is really just a jazzed up term up for a behaviour we’ve been doing for a long time: Renting. Which is simply paying to share a product.
Still, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the bike-sharing, car-sharing, and ride-sharing services in Singapore. They are great services that bring additional convenience to our society. Nevertheless it is hard to label them as “sharing”.
So what should the real sharing economy look like and can we still make money from it?
In his book, Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success, researcher Adam Grant argues that those who “give first are often best positioned for success later.” Merkley cites Tesla’s founder Elon Musk as an example. In 2014, Musk declared that all his company’s patents for electric vehicle technology were free and open for all to use.
This decision was not just generous, but also a smart business move, says Merkley. For one, companies that use Musk’s patents get a free and faster lead-in to technology that they would have spent more time trying to develop.
Musk and Tesla also stand to gain when more companies use their patents, because their designs would ultimately become the industry standard. Tesla would then be seen as the industry leader, and would thus be able to sell more cars.
And finally, society benefits because the technology is more readily available.
A community-driven sharing economy
Besides companies, communities, too, can drive a sharing economy. There’s an odd phenomenon in Taiwan that often baffles visitors: Leave your umbrella outside a store on a rainy day, and there’s a high chance it may “disappear” before you return.
To the uninitiated, it may appear that your umbrella was stolen; but ask the locals and they’ll say your umbrella was “borrowed” by a passerby.
You see, in Taiwan, there’s an unspoken tradition for people to share umbrellas freely. On a wet day, local businesses will place umbrella stands outside their shops, and any passerby can take one if they need it.
This custom inspired one Danish entrepreneur to start his own free umbrella-sharing system back home, which has since expanded to five other European countries.
And recently in Singapore, there have been attempts to do something similar.
Around July last year, an umbrella-sharing project, called “Sharella”, began near Sembawang MRT station. The initiative allowed residents to pick up a brolly for free to cross an unsheltered road.
On Sharella’s first day, all 20 umbrellas placed at the racks went missing, reported TODAY. When a replacement batch came in, they disappeared after a few days, too, despite signs in four languages informing users of the sharing initiative.
Initially, people were calling for a deposit-refund system or CCTVs to encourage users to return the umbrellas. But then “an amazing thing happened”, according to Member of Parliament Ong Ye Kung. Volunteers stationed themselves at the crossing to educate users on the initiative, and these efforts later saw residents contribute their own umbrellas. The initiative was so successful that it has now expanded to 17 spots across the constituency.
The Sembawang example highlights a crucial point: For the sharing economy to succeed, the sharer and receiver must both be accountable and learn how to share.
It’s not enough that we show our disapproval of users’ lack of graciousness. Without any action we cannot change the situation. As the receiver, we have a responsibility to be considerate to others. As the sharer, we also have the responsibility to promote considerate behaviour.
Our success lies in collective acts – to create a culture that promotes and rewards sharing, for all of us to benefit.

domain: news


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Samsung Electronics’s President Shin Jong-Kyun has strongly denied the recent rumors regarding Samsung Galaxy S6 sales as well as release of Galaxy Note 5 by the end of July. Shin met the reporters today after a meeting held at Seocho Electronics building and swept away all recent gossips.
There were rumors in the smartphone world that the Samsung’s latest flagship phones Galaxy S6 as well as Galaxy S6 edge, which were launched on April 10, are performing less than its predecessors. But Shin has dismissed the report and confirmed that both the smartphones are strong engines of the company.
He had retracted the Note 5 rumors and confirmed that they are not showcasing the prototype of phablet to any of the partners next month.


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Updated: March 10, 2021 10:09:30 am
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Burger King in the UK wanted to draw attention to lack of female representations in the food industry. Their approach, however, got them grilled instead. Although the brand later apologised, the damage was already done.
“Women belong in the kitchen,” a tweet and ad by the popular fast food brand said on March 8, and quickly drew flak online. Although the print ad quickly makes it apparent that the headline is being used sarcastically, as the message that followed highlighted their intent, the use of the cliché sexist trope on Twitter backfired.
Finally, after calls of boycott started on social media platforms, they deleted the original tweet and said, “We will do better next time.” They also issued a clarification adding: “We decided to delete the original tweet after our apology. It was brought to our attention that there were abusive comments in the thread and we don’t want to leave the space open for that.”
Here’s what they wrote:
We decided to delete the original tweet after our apology. It was brought to our attention that there were abusive comments in the thread and we don’t want to leave the space open for that.
— Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) March 8, 2021
Fernando Machado, global CMO of brand’s parent company Restaurant Brands International, told Adweek he hopes the attention around the UK tweet will still help spread the campaign’s message in support of expanding the ranks of women as leaders in the culinary world.
As the message got diluted and misinterpreted, Machado admitted: “That did draw some negative feedback from people who only read the headline. But hopefully it will continue to shift to positive as people realize the real intent behind it.”
The ad in question by Burger King was to announce the launch of its H.E.R. (Helping Equalize Restaurants) Scholarship, which offers financial assistance to women who work at Burger King and aspire to an academic degree in culinary arts. “Fine dining kitchens, food truck kitchens, award-winning kitchens, casual dining kitchens, ghost kitchens, Burger King kitchens. If there’s a professional kitchen, women belong there.”
— Hannah Denham (@hannah_denham1) March 8, 2021
The company subsequently explained in follow-up tweets about their initiative in an effort to fix the gender ratio in the restaurant industry, however, many people only saw the first tweet and argued that there were better ways to present the campaign.
“If they want to, of course. Yet only 20% of chefs are women. We’re on a mission to change the gender ratio in the restaurant industry by empowering female employees with the opportunity to pursue a culinary career. #IWD” the brand tweeted. “We are proud to be launching a new scholarship programme which will help female Burger King employees pursue their culinary dreams!” it added.
As the brand started to draw ire on platform and asked it it really needed, they defended the move saying they thought it was important to highlight lack of representation in the industry. They also defend their move and not delete the tweets initially.
Our “thought process” is that women are shockingly underrepresented in our industry, and we thought it was time we did something about it. We’ve created a scholarship to give more of our female employees the chance to pursue a culinary career.
— Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) March 8, 2021
Why would we delete a tweet that’s drawing attention to a huge lack of female representation in our industry, we thought you’d be on board with this as well? We’ve launched a scholarship to help give more of our female employees the chance to pursue a culinary career.
— Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) March 8, 2021Advertisement
However, no amount of defending managed to impress people, they continued to slam the company over their misogynistic comment typically used against women saying they shouldn’t be in the workforce. As many hit out at them for their poor campaign strategy, others trolled with memes and jokes.
I knew there was a reason I’ve been avoiding Burger King my whole life
— Milo Manheim (@MiloManheim) March 8, 2021
— ♡andraea♡ (@Konp3ito_) March 8, 2021
Proof this could have even fit in one tweet
Please don’t use sexism as clickbait. The men in my mentions proves the damage you’re causing by doing this. pic.twitter.com/G0VKGgiZQp
— Becca (@BeccaBeckery) March 8, 2021
Burger King had the perfect setup to go with Burger Queen for the day but chose to publicly execute their social media people instead.
— Anthony (@BigJigglyPanda) March 8, 2021
Bad day for the royal family, especially the Burger King
— Washington Post TikTok Guy 🤹🏼♂ (@davejorgenson) March 8, 2021
burger king’s female employees asking for equal pay pic.twitter.com/JdtqgUk5KR
— b (@doyalikebaileys) March 8, 2021
Burger King’s social media manager pic.twitter.com/zBvPnpYuVt
— marj 🍳 (@cydoniasands) March 8, 2021
burger king after tweeting “women belong in the kitchen” pic.twitter.com/S71PuqmDr2
— mun || asleep (@sleepdeprivedza) March 8, 2021
the marketing team at burger king uk: we came up with a great tweet for international women’s day
the marketing team at burger king uk: pic.twitter.com/0eo2M202P0
— 灼熱chrisisgr8 📢stop getting covid📢 #BLM (@chriswhoisgreat) March 8, 2021
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The decision was taken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the lockdown across the country will be extended till May 3
Following Prime Minister’s announcement of extending nationwide lockdown by almost three weeks, the Indian Railways on Tuesday said all passenger train services, including premium trains, mail/express trains, suburban trains and Kolkata metro rail, will continue to remain suspended till May 3.
The Railways added that no advance reservation will be allowed “till further notice”. For all the cancelled trains, full refund will be given to the passengers.
“Resumption of train services as may be warranted in consideration of public safety, keeping in view the emergent situation, shall be announced in due course,” it said, directing Zonal Railways to ensure strict adherence to the instructions.
However, to ensure the essential supplies in various parts of the country, movement of goods and parcel trains will continue.
“All counters for booking of rail journey tickets for reserved/unreserved travel at railway stations and outside railway station premises shall remain closed upto 2400 hrs of 3rd May 2020,” it added.
The Indian Railways said full refund would automatically be provided to its online customers for trains cancelled up to May 3, while those who have booked at the counters can take refund till July 31.
Customers will also get full refunds of their tickets if they are cancelling their advance bookings for trains not yet cancelled.


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Qatar food outlets and abattoirs under inspection ahead of Ramadan
(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Mohammed Ahmed Yousef Al Sayed, Head, Health Control Section, Doha Municipality.
By Sidi Mohamed
DOHA: Ahead of the Holy month of Ramadan, the Doha Municipality has enforced new requirements for slaughter houses and intensified inspection campaigns on all food outlets across the city, a senior official said yesterday.
The round-the-clock inspections will focus on outlets that receive more visitors during the fasting month, said Mohammed Ahmed Al Sayed, head of Health Control Section at Doha Municipality.
“Inspection drives are all along the year and there is no special inspection for Ramadan. What is happening is that during Ramadan more people visit the food outlets. Due to the rush, some outlets especially sweet shops and eateries may not give proper attention to the health standards and requirements. This is forcing us to intensify inspection on such facilities,” Al Sayed told The Peninsula.
He said the Municipality, in collaboration with Widam has introduced new health standards for slaughter houses across the Doha city. They are required to keep the slaughtered meat in a lower height to ensure that they get proper refrigeration.
The walls have been covered with ceramic tiles and the abattoirs are equipped with new cutting machines and hangers, said Al Sayed. Widam has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Municipality and Environment to implement the new requirements.
Currently, about 4,500 animals are slaughtered in five abattoirs in the city daily and the number is expected to increase to 5,000 during Ramadan. Since January, a total 346,156 animals were slaughtered at the abattoirs.
“We are going to increase the number of inspectors covering the abattoirs from next week, while a special team of veterinarians has been deployed in the five abattoirs to follow up and check the slaughtered animals,” said Al Sayed.
Al Sayed said the municipality’s inspection team will work in three shifts during Ramadan.
There will be round-the-clock inspections to make sure that outlets preparing Iftar and Suhoor meals during the fasting month meet the health requirements.
Inspections during morning will focus on supermarkets and hypermarkets and food stores in Industrial area. In addition, evening and night inspections will cover eateries, sweet shops and hotels, among others.
Al Sayed said the municipality has conducted a total of 7,568 inspection campaigns from January until April and 57 erring outlets faced temporary closure following the raids.
Most of the violations were detected at restaurants and cafeterias, he added.
“Daily we are inspecting about 120 outlets and more than 2,000 outlets per month.
“On average, four to five food outlets face closure every month, for violating the health regulations,” said Al Sayed.
He said there will be more inspections at the central market because fruits and vegetables are perishables and most of them are imported.
“Daily we destroy tones of rotten fruit and vegetables.
“From January until now we have destroyed more than 907 tonnes of vegetables and fruits that are found not fit for consumption,” said Al Sayed.
He said some meat shops cheat customers by changing the municipality seal showing the price and variety and selling them at higher prices.
“We detect such violations during joint campaigns with the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy and Commerce,” said Al Sayed.


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That the global economy is nose-diving is now not news anymore. In a report titled, Global Economic Prospects, the World Bank has warned that the Coronavirus pandemic has caused a deep recession – probably one of the worst we have ever seen.
The repercussions are all too clear – world over, millions are losing jobs and businesses are shutting down. In America alone, between March and May of 2020, 22 million people filed for unemployment benefits. When it comes to businesses, the smaller ones face the worst future – since they have little holding power. In the UK, for instance, a research by McKinsey & Company found that small and medium-size businesses are badly affected, and that one in five may not survive past August 2020.
However, while smaller companies suffer, some of the bigger ones (read biggest) have further consolidated their wealth and have seen their incomes and profits expand exponentially during the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, those at the forefront of these gains include those in industries producing healthcare-related goods – producing masks, gloves, sanitisers, disinfectants and ventilators (amongst other things). The shares of companies working on producing forms of treatments or vaccines for the Coronavirus have seen spikes. For instance, Stephane Bancel, the CEO of Moderna, saw a 103% raise in stocks once vaccine testing began. Similarly, Gustavo Denegri, the CEO of DiaSorin, saw a 32% increase in wealth due to the production of swab-based testing kits.
But the gains, of course, are not limited to those specialising in healthcare. The wealth of the world’s billionaires has soared during the pandemic – with a combined $434 billion rise in their incomes from mid-March to mid-May alone. Needless to add, most of these billionaires are founders of Big Tech companies – Jeff Bezos saw an overall rise of $34.6 billion, and Mark Zuckerberg amassed $25 billion over the last two months. The five richest billionaires alone saw a combined $76 billion rise in wealth. Other tech companies like Alphabet (Google) and Zoom have also seen significant increases in their income during the pandemic.
What do you do when you can’t leave your home? You order what you want online, you take to social media more and you watch a while lot of TV. Quarantine, thus, has led to a huge rise in e-commerce, something Amazon has been able to easily capitalize on. However, this isn’t the only sector where the tech giant has been able to expand. Amazon Web Services, the cloud business provided by Amazon, has large conglomerates like Netflix, Zoom, and Fortnite as clients. With more free time, web streaming services like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix have seen a steep rise in subscription and consumption. Similarly, Facebook and its affiliates (Instagram, What-sapp) and YouTube have seen their sharpest user registrations ever, and also some of the high-est ever prices for ad sponsorships. Lastly, with work from home becoming the norm, video con-ferencing has become an every-day reality for many. This has led to greater usage of already large sites like Google (gmail, google meet), as well as an exponential rise in usage as well as share prices for companies like Zoom.
If reliance on tech services wasn’t enough, we now see tech billionaires diversifying and expand-ing into businesses that are likely to profit during the pandemic – namely, healthcare. While most of the world is afraid to invest in new businesses during a recession, these billionaires have the capital, reputation, and wherewithal required to do so. Microsoft, for example, partnered with Adaptive Biotechnologies to launch a virtual clinical study, mapping the immune response to COVID-19 and selling the data to public health officials as well as private researchers and academics.
Google’s MyBusiness dashboard added COVID-19 telehealth links to make informa-tion seamlessly accessible to to medical professionals and healthcare institutions. Elon Musk, too, has been developing and producing new forms of ventilators and sourcing them to hospitals over America, China, and Europe. Tech companies have also increased investment in wearable health devices such as the Apple watch and the Google Fitbit, both of which have seen a rise in sales over the last three months.
The global recession and economic crisis has caused companies across the world to let go, and reduce the wages, of thousands of their employees. The billionaires and their companies are no exception. From Amazon to Tesla to Apple, large tech companies have laid off hundreds of em-ployees over the world. However, this is not where the story ends. The classic Marxist prediction remains: since there is a surplus of labour due to layoffs everywhere, big tech companies have been able to hire new employees at lower wages, allowing them to cut costs, employ people with short-term contracts or on a freelance basis, absolving them of other responsibilities such as healthcare funds, insurances, and severance packages. Cutting costs and hiring cheaper labour allows these large companies to save on large amounts of wage expenditure.
Another crucial factor that has contributed to the ‘rich getting richer’ – albeit not limited to tech giants – is modified government policy. Amidst collapsing aggregate demand, governments around the world have taken significant measures to try and keep the economy afloat, many of which have been significantly beneficial to the 1%. The most obvious of these are changes to tax regimes. The United States, for example, as part of its Coronavirus relief package, allowed own-ers of businesses known as tax-through entities to deduct as much as they want from income unrelated to their business (a sum previously capped at $250,000). While the primary aim of the move was to improve liquidity, its effect has also been to allow the nation’s wealthiest to avoid nearly $82 billion in tax liability. According to the US Congress Committee on Taxation, almost 85% of the benefits will be enjoyed by those making over $1 million or more annually. Several other governments have provided large bailouts to businesses which provide significant em-ployment as part of their financial stimulus. While the chief focus for such schemes has been industries badly hit by the pandemic – particularly the airline business – their impact has not been limited to these, with many giant equity firms benefiting (the Apollo Group, for example, soared 80% following the aid). Through business, and through policy – the rich only get richer.
While this conclusion paints an uneasy picture, it is also important to point out that not all bil-lionaires have profited from the pandemic. Industries like travel, hospitality and retail have been hit hard, with household names like Ralph Lauren losing over a 100 million since the lockdown began. And it’s not over just yet. No one can predict how long the recession will last and to what extent the pandemic will affect businesses – some may be able to bounce back, others might sink. What is clear, though, is that the Big Tech not only has the holding power but will also come out as the winners of the pandemic.


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European dairy cooperative Arla Foods has unveiled its new five-year strategy to "cement its commitment to create sustainable dairy production and to grow its business responsibly".
In the next five years, Arla said that as part of the strategy - FUTURE26 - it is prepared to increase its investments by more than 40% to €4 billion.
This investment would focus on sustainability, digitalisation, new production technologies and product development, while also increasing its dividend to €1 billion to support its farmer owners on their "sustainability journey".
New retainment policy
Arla has just announced a new retainment policy allocating a higher supplementary payment of €1 billion over the next strategy period.
Going forward, the supplementary payment will be 1.5c/kg of milk instead of the current 1c/kg of milk, provided the company achieves an annual net profit of at least 2.8% of revenue, and to be paid out in two installments in March and September instead of only once a year.
“With our Good Growth 2020 strategy, we created the right recipe to grow our brands, deliver efficiencies and invest in sustainable actions across our value chain, while securing a competitive milk price to our farmer owners," Arla Foods CEO Peder Tuborgh said.
"Standing on this successful platform, our new strategy FUTURE26 will move our cooperative to the next level, grow our global business responsibly to meet the fast-changing eating habits among consumers and their increasing demand for sustainably-produced dairy products and improve returns to our farmer owners."
Sustainable dairy production
In the next five years, the company said it will continue to take "industry lead on data-driven sustainable dairy production throughout its value chain and raise its commitments to meet the 1.5° goal set by the Paris Agreement".
"Over the last decades, Arla’s farmer owners have steadily worked towards sustainable farming and today they are among the most climate-efficient dairy farmers in the world producing milk with an average of 1.15 kg CO2e per kilo of milk," the company said.
Arla’s farmer owners are committed to accelerate their reduction of greenhouse gas emissions towards the science-based 30% goal in 2030.
"Across its operations, Arla has raised its target to a 63% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 which it will deliver by accelerating its conversion to green electricity, fossil-free fleets, making all packaging recyclable and having zero virgin plastics in branded packaging by 2030."
During Good Growth 2020, the previous strategy, Arla "strengthened its position as a market leader" in northern Europe, the UK and the Middle East.
In the next five years, Arla will "utilise its key competitive advantage and grow its branded business by 3-4% year-on-year by investing in category innovation and development, new production technologies and supply chain scale".
Arla will also invest in its global specialised high-quality milk and whey ingredients business, Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI) to "secure world class innovation and collaboration and develop new solutions for its partners".
The newly-opened Innovation Centre in western Jutland in Denmark "aims to be the powerhouse to step change future opportunities and innovation efforts in AFI".
Arla also intends to strengthen and expand its presence in the markets of China, West Africa, and southeast Asia within dairy categories such as butter and cheese, organic, affordable dairy nutrition and early life nutrition.
Arla also aims to reach cost savings of €500 million before inflation during the next strategy period.
Arla also intends to invest in "end-to-end solutions to deliver efficiencies and improve productivity through further automation, digital tools, and upskilling of employees, reducing waste and energy consumption".
“We are at a defining moment for dairy and our farmer owners. The twin challenges of climate change and malnutrition are the most difficult facing our global food systems," CEO Peder Tuborgh added.
"It requires urgent action, and dairy is part of the solution. If there ever was a time to step up and create the future of dairy, it is now.
In the next five years, we must collaborate with our owners, customers and partners to accelerate our transformation to a resilient and sustainable dairy value chain fit for the future."
Arla notes that in the next five years, the global dairy market is expected to grow by 2% each year.


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Jul 7 2014
CONSUMER ALERT: AGO lawsuit returns approximately $120K to over 11,000 consumers for purchase of worthless food handler certificates
SEATTLE—A Washington State Attorney General’s Office lawsuit has stopped deceptive business practices and will return money to over 11,000 Washington state consumers. These consumers purchased worthless food handler certificates from eFoodhandlers, Inc. that do not comply with Washington state law.
Jun 30 2014
The Attorney General’s Office this week filed suit in King County Superior Court against Mandatory Poster Agency (MPA), doing business as Corporate Records Service, and its top corporate officers, for unfair and deceptive business practices in violation of Washington’s Consumer Protection Act after the company duped more than 2,900 Washington businesses into paying $125 each to comply with a phony government requirement.
May 22 2014
Identity theft is a growing problem nationwide, and Washington is no exception. In early March 2014 the Seattle Archdiocese learned that volunteers and employees at parishes and schools became victims of a tax-identity fraud scheme.
May 15 2014
CONSUMER ALERT: Attorney General sues Cal-Western foreclosure trustee for deceptive business practices
At the request of Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, the King County Superior Court has issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) requiring foreclosure trustee Cal-Western of Washington to halt its allegedly unfair and deceptive business practices.
Apr 30 2014
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is warning homeowners and businesses to steer clear of scam artists offering to pave driveways and resurface parking lots.
Apr 28 2014
The fraudsters are at it again. Members and non-members have reported receiving texts that appeared to come from Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU) stating their card had been deactivated or suspended. If you received this text, DO NOT respond.
Mar 24 2014
As donors consider contributing to relief efforts for the Snohomish County mudslide tragedy, Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Secretary of State Kim Wyman are urging consumers to be on guard against scam artists who try to take advantage of the situation.
Feb 26 2014
A new email phishing scam making the rounds nationwide has hit Washington state, and this one is disguised as a utility bill.
Feb 14 2014
AGO, BBB and AARP partner to combat romance scams As more people go cyber to find love, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office (AGO), the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and AARP warn of an uptick in reports of romance scams. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, romance scam victims lost more than $55 million in 2012. To combat this growing epidemic, consumer protection groups are spending Valentine’s Day warning singles about the dangers of “catfishing.”
Feb 10 2014
Are you puzzled by a missed mobile call from Antigua, Barbuda, Jamaica or other exotic locations? No, you have not won a trip to the Caribbean.


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Kenwood Collection gets new tenant
Sycamore Township-based health care technology company Unlimited Systems has signed a deal to occupy 32,000 square feet of office space on the Kenwood Collection's top floor, the mixed-use development's owner said Tuesday.
Phillips Edison & Co. said Unlimited Systems signed a seven-year lease and will occupy about one-eighth of the office space being developed at the site along Interstate 71 and Galbraith Road.
Founded in 2003, Unlimited Systems supplies software and technology for clients in healthcare with an emphasis on providing tools to cancer specialists around the country. A suite at 8044 Montgomery Road serves as the company's current headquarters.
The Kenwood Collection is envisioned as having 310,000 of square feet of upscale shopping, dining and other services, more than 240,000 square feet of Class A office space, and a 2,300-car fully covered parking garage.
Current tenants include Crate & Barrel, The Container Store and Mitchell's Salon & Day Spa. Retailer Saks Fifth Avenue and insurance company Neace Lukens have signed letters of intent to occupy space at Kenwood Collection.
Phillips Edison bought the property, adjacent to Kenwood Towne Centre, in 2012. Under previous owners and known as Kenwood Towne Place, the project became a symbol for failed real estate developments.
"This is an important deal because it represents a commitment from a well-respected growth company that understands the competitive advantage of locating at such a premiere project," said David Birdsall, president of Phillips Edison's Total Retail Solutions division. "We will continue to be judicious in our selection of tenants so they complement our vision of creating the finest collection of office and retail tenants in the Midwest."
Unlimited Systems Managing Director Brian Gockerman said the visibility of The Kenwood Collection aligns well with the company's goals for growth.
Sycamore Township-based real estate company Phillips Edison has more than 31 million square feet of U.S. shopping centers in its portfolio.


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Coffee Market Report May 14 2020
The Vietnam Customs Authority have reported that Vietnam’s coffee exports for the month of April are down by 2.5% from the previous month, to total 2,763,317 bags. This number proving to be slightly below the 2.83 million bags that had been initially forecast for the month’s coffee exports.
The report also states that for the first four months of 2020, Vietnam coffee exports are 8.1% lower than the same period last year at a total of 11,380,050 bags, while the report also illustrates that the value of Vietnam coffee exports for the first four months of 2020 are 5.3% higher than the same period last year, at a total of approximately 1.15 billion US dollars.
The July to July contracts arbitrage between the London and New York markets narrowed yesterday; to register this at 53.02 usc/Lb. This equates to 50.47% price discount for the London Robusta coffee market.
The Certified washed Arabica coffee stocks held against the New York exchange were seen to decrease by 11,632 bags yesterday; to register these stocks at 1,790,136 bags, with 90.7% of these certified stocks being held in Europe at a total of 1,632,998 bags and the remaining 9.3% being held in the USA at a total of 166,138. There was meanwhile no change to the number of bags pending grading for this exchange; to register these pending grading stocks at 13,359 bags.
The Certified Robusta coffee stocks held against the London exchange have been reported to decrease by 18,833 bags over the weeks of trade leading up to Monday 11th May, to see these stocks registered at 2,192,833 bags, on the day.
The commodity markets were softer in trade yesterday, to see the overall macro commodity index taking a sideways track for the day. The Sugar and Cocoa markets ended the day on a positive note, while the Coffee markets ended the day on a softer note. The Reuters Equal Weight Continuous Commodity Index that is related to 17 markets is 1.2644% lower; to see this index registered at 337.641. The day starts with the U.S. Dollar steady, trading at 1.219 to Sterling, at 1.081 to the Euro and with the US Dollar buying 5.885 Brazilian Real.
The London and New York markets started the day yesterday trading on a negative note with the London market trading close to par and the New York market opening very negative for the day, both markets continued on this respective softer track into the early afternoon trade. As the afternoon progressed the New York market attracted more selling pressure to accentuate the losses for the day. The London market followed suit and closed on a very soft note for the day.
The London market ended the day on a negative note and with 94.3% of the earlier losses of the day intact, while the New York market ended the day on a likewise negative note and with 95.8% of the earlier losses of the day intact. This very soft close does little to inspire any confidence and one might think the markets are due little better than a hesitant steady start to early trade today, against the prices set yesterday, as follows:
LONDON ROBUSTA US$/MT NEW YORK ARABICA USc/Lb.
JUL 1147 – 33 JUL 105.05 – 2.30
SEP 1168 – 33 SEP 106.35 – 2.20
NOV 1186 – 32 DEC 108.25 – 2.10
JAN 1207 – 31 MAR 110.20 – 1.95
MAR 1227 – 30 MAY 111.20 – 1.95
MAY 1246 – 30 JUL 112.25 – 1.95
JUL 1263 – 30 SEP 113.30 – 1.90
SEP 1281 – 30 DEC 114.75 – 1.95


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Bitcoin litecoin value
New Technology Cryptocurrency and Africa: Compatible in the Future.
Bitcoin - The Internet of MoneyTransaction speed (or faster block time) and confirmation speed are often touted as moot points by many involved in bitcoin, as most merchants would allow zero-confirmation transactions for most purchases.
A Litecoin Forecast: Will Litecoin's Price Continue To
Bitcoin, BTC, Litecoin, LTC, Ethereum, ETH, ICO, ICOs, Price Speculation, GAME, mGo, MobileGo.
Rising demand for this cryptocurrency promises more upside in bitcoin prices, thus pointing to an optimistic bitcoin price prediction 2018.If you are buying and selling Bitcoins, we recommend and endorse Coinbase 1) If you use 2-factor authentication.Litecoin mining profitability will depend on the price of litecoin,.On 3 March 2017, the price of a bitcoin surpassed the market value of an ounce of gold for the first time as its price surged to an all-time high.Bitcoin VS Litecoin. while the price of Litecoin seems to be meagre compared to the price of Bitcoin, Litecoin has shown an impressive ability to.
After a few days of Bitcoin price declines, the question becomes whether or not the market will ever recover. Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Litecoin: Price Analysis,.Hence, the supply of Litecoin is four times greater than the supply of Bitcoin and Bitcoin should, theoretically, always.There is no reason for the Bitcoin and Litecoin price to remain low forever.The code is open source, which means it can be modified by anyone and freely used for other projects.It is necessary to bear in mind that a transaction is instant, it is just confirmed by the network as it propagates.
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Which is Better, Bitcoin or Litecoin? - NEWSBTC.COMLitecoin invariably came to be known as a Bitcoin wannabe, (a Bitcoin clone at best) and investors simply had no reason to bet on Litecoin when Bitcoin was already hogging the limelight.The motivation behind its creation was to improve upon bitcoin.Litecoin can handle a higher volume of transactions thanks to its faster block generation.Scrypt favours large amounts of high-speed RAM, rather than raw processing power alone.Many cryptocurrencies have launched with modified versions of this code, with varying levels of success.
Litecoin News is Good for Bitcoin | A Bitcoin Blog By Magnr
Litecoin, Bitcoin Price Analysis: Price Next Move ForecastThe value of a bitcoin has risen 400% over the past 16 months alone. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Intuit.After multiple requests from readers to analyze other altcoins other than Ethereum and Bitcoin, we felt it was time to write our Litecoin price forecast.
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Litecoin Price Rises on Hopes of SegWit ActivationBitcoin News: Litecoin, Bitcoin Price Analysis: Price Next Move Forecast of the Gold and Silver Coin.
If ones wants to avoid the emotional rollercoaster ride that short-term cryptocurrency traders experience, one should seriously consider conducting due diligence to uncover sound cryptocurrencies that can be bought and held as a long-term investment.People who have been keeping an eye on the Litecoin price as of late may show small signs of concern.
Bitcoin and Altcoin price charts / graphsAnother point of differentiation is that Litecoin is more adaptive to progressive change than Bitcoin.However, chasing the next big thing in cryptocurrencies is mostly an endless journey that may yield the occasional winner, but lots of losers.Just like bitcoin, litecoin is a crytocurrency that is generated by mining.Mainly a Euro and US Dollar exchange for Bitcoin and Litecoin, but also offers markets for several other cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies.
There was a time when people could use GPU mining for bitcoin, but ASICs have made this method not worth the effort.How much are Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum coins predicted to be worth by 2020,.There is now an explosion of alt coins in the cryptocurrency industry and almost everyone with an idea of how blockchain works is planning an ICO for a new type of cyber currency.
Notwithstanding that brief drop last night on kraken (What the hell was that.The first reason one should start considering investing in Litecoin is that it is massively undervalued relative to Bitcoin, and in this undervaluation lies massive opportunity.Litecoin is the most popular alt-coin but will it last much longer.
Find best value and selection for your Bitcoin Litecoin Miner Skyminerlabs 600GHZ search on eBay.Get started with Bitcoin: find a wallet, buy bitcoin, shop with bitcoin, read bitcoin news, and get involved on the forum.For miners and enthusiasts though, litecoin holds a much more important difference to bitcoin, and that is its different proof of work algorithm.


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There are clear signs that business travel behaviour is beginning to change in response to global warming concerns, a forthcoming study by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and KDS will reveal. For the third consecutive year, ACTE and KDS, the European leader in on-demand travel & expense solutions, surveyed the opinions of an international group of business travellers and travel managers, and, for the first time, identified a real desire to reduce the frequency of travel and select ‘greener’ options. The full details of the wide-ranging study will be announced at next month’s London Business Travel Show.
The ACTE - KDS survey sampled the opinions of over 250 business travellers (53 percent of the sample) and travel managers (47 percent) between November 2007 and January 2008. The majority (40 percent) worked for businesses employing over 10,000 employees, and the largest geographic markets represented were the United Kingdom (29.5 percent), the United States (23.5 percent) and Continental Europe (22.9 percent).
The full research findings will be announced at a joint ACTE - KDS press conference to be held on February 5, 2008 at 1.30pm in Conference Room 1 at Earl’s Court.
Among the findings to be discussed will be details about the fact that 45 percent of respondents felt that guilt about global warming now directly impacts individuals’ decisions about business travel. The significance of this is explained by the related finding that almost 70 percent of respondents now use an online travel booking tool, thereby potentially creating a far closer link between individually held concerns and actual travel bookings. The traveller is now directly involved in the selection process and when given a choice may select a travel option according to its impact on the environment.
“This joint survey is especially significant as it indicates a major behavioral change in the way business travelers now link carbon reduction with the travel process,” said Susan Gurley, Executive Director of ACTE. “It is inevitable that travelers, and their companies, will incorporate a growing sense of environmental awareness into traveling smarter, more productively, and with less impact on the environment. Our industry will soon be looking at bold new trends.”
The survey will also reveal that in the past 12 months businesses have done more to convert good environmental intentions into firm actions. When compared with last year’s ACTE - KDS survey, the new study will show that the proportion of companies advocating a reduction in travel for environmental reasons has leapt from under a quarter to over one third. This rise in corporate social responsibility has also seen a marked increase in the proportion of travel departments reporting on carbon emissions to senior management.
“Individual travellers seem to be leading the way when it comes to greener behaviour”, says Stanislas Berteloot, marketing director of KDS. “While businesses are taking more action to improve their environmental conduct, this survey will show that most of their employees believe they should be doing even more. With the increasing adoption of self-booking travel systems, the quickest route to improved corporate social responsibility seems to be through individuals’ actions.”


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Amazon Prime Day is coming back for a third year.
Amazon has announced that Prime Day will be July 11, 2017. Deals will start a bit earlier than that, though, kicking off at 6:00 pm PT/9:00 pm ET on July 10th.
This year’s Prime Day will be available in 13 countries, with China, India, and Mexico joining in this year. The full list of countries participating in Prime Day includes U.S., U.K., Spain, Mexico, Japan, Italy, India, Germany, France, China, Canada, Belgium, and Austria.
Amazon’s Prime Day is one of the company’s biggest deal days of the year. Amazon touts that it’ll offer hundreds of thousands of deals with new deals as often as every five minutes, with some Alexa-exclusive deals that you’ll need an Amazon Echo device or Fire device to access. Deals will be organized by more than 20 of the most-shopped-for themes, including pet items, gardening supplies, and technology.
As its name suggests, you’ll need an Amazon Prime subscription to take advantage of the deals that’ll be offered on Prime day. The good news is that if you aren’t a Prime member, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial right here.


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Last year, Seko invested more than PLN 5 million (€1.2 million) with the aim to expand its processing capacity.
“Owing to the implemented investments, we were able to further automatise the production processes at our plant and ensure they are cost-effective,” Kazimierz Kustra, the company’s chief executive, told local news site Portalspozywczy.pl.
In 2016, Seko sold about 14,800 tonnes of various processed fish products. About 90% of its revenues were generated in the Polish market, with the remaining 10% reported in export sales. Germany is the company’s main foreign market, accounting for as much as 41% of the company’s export sales for 2016. Seko’s other major export markets include the UK, France, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company is also making efforts to expand to other countries.
The Polish firm specialises in processing salmon, herring, tuna and mackerel and, according to the company’s chief executive, Seko is planning to carry out further investments at its plant this year – including purchasing new machinery, and modernising its existing processing equipment.
Kustra said that the company has “ambitious plans for the coming years”, and that it aimed to further strengthen its position “as a leading player in the processed fish market”.
The announcement comes as Poland’s fish and seafood output is on the rise, with some 402,500 tonnes produced from January to November 2016, up 15.7% year-on-year. In 2016, Polish fish industry players increased their exports to PLN 6.35 billion (€1.52 billion), up 16.2% year-on-year, and sold 247,600 tonnes of various fish and seafood products to foreign markets, according to data from the state-run Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics (IERiGZ).


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Limited visitor capacity at malls and restaurants, and regular temperature checks of staff are among the preventive steps in place.
Malls and shopping centres in Ras Al Khaimah are now open to the public.
The establishments will open at 10am, according to sources at the Department of Economic Development, RAK.
“Closing time is yet to be decided by the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority.”
Cinemas, gyms, entertainment centers, public sitting areas, and prayer rooms are still closed, they added.
Visitor capacity at malls is restricted to 30 per cent, and visitors under 12 and over 60 are still not allowed.
Likewise, restaurants may only reopen for 30 per cent of their capacities at most, they underlined.
“Groups exceeding four individuals cannot share a single table, and tables need to be placed at least 2.5 meters apart.”
To ensure the health and safety of shoppers, health checks must be regularly carried out on all cleaning and security staff at malls, the department affirmed.
“All visitors need to wear masks and gloves, and bring their own bags.”
Car parks must only be operated at 50 per cent of their capacities, they said. “No more than three people should be allowed in a single vehicle.”
Valet parking and car wash services are still suspended, they noted.
“Disinfection devices and temperature checkpoints will be installed at entrances and those with a fever exceeding 38 degrees Celsius will be asked to leave.”
“Periodic disinfection campaigns will be implemented all around the centres, especially the surfaces shoppers are most in contact with, such as handrails on escalators.”
Shoppers are encouraged to use e-payment systems and leave elevators for people with special needs (at a capacity of two people at a time), they elaborated.
“Signages will be placed on escalators and floors to ensure that physical distancing is observed, while all public touchscreens will be disabled, and a team of paramedics will be available at all times.”
All stores need to have all their employees tested for Covid-19 before reopening, they announced.
“Staff are required to wear masks and gloves and change them frequently, while their temperature will be taken every day upon entering the premises, and throughout the day.”
Assembly of crowds is banned, the department cautioned. “Only one person per five square meters must be admitted.”
Encouraging e-payment solutions, they said returns and exchanges are prohibited.
“Shopping carts must be sanitised before and after every use, and certain activities should be restricted, such as testing cosmetics and perfumes or trying on shoes. Fitting rooms shall remain completely shut.”
In-mall restaurants are urged to disinfect their facilities on a daily basis, including tables and chairs, following every use. “They should opt for single-use utensils and provide hand sanitisers at payment terminals.”
“Salons may only offer hair and nail services, while guests are strictly through pre-booked appointments, with full attention to physical distancing regulations.”
Click here to read more news from @khaleejtimes


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St. Jean Baptiste Day will have its own beer this year.
The brew, called La BrewHAHA!, will have a debut tasting May 26 at Quest University.
The event will also be used to promote two upcoming events where the newest brew can be enjoyed: the Fête de la St-Jean-Baptiste in Squamish on June 24 and Whistler's Multicultural Celebration between June 27 and 29.
About 2,000 litres of La BrewHAHA! is being specially brewed for St. Jean Baptiste Day by the Howe Sound Brewing Company, which will also sell any leftovers.
To come up with the name of the specialty brew event organizers launched a national naming competition. Nearly 150 entries were received with an entry sent from Quebec City coming from farthest away, according to event coordinator Marie Josée Vermette.
The contest winner, La BrewHAHA!, came from Anne-Marie Riopel of Sorel, Québec. Though the panel of judges decided to tweak her original suggestion, La Brouhaha, to avoid potential trademark issues.
"It was decided that for a beer crafted to celebrate French culture in a primarily Anglophone area, the spelling modification fit the St. Jean's cause," wrote Vermette in a news release. "The word 'brew' facilitates uptake among non-French speakers, yet adheres to French pronunciation."
The name suggestions were reviewed by a jury, which included a graphic designer, a branding expert, Squamish Councillor Patricia Heintzman and Paul Wilson, the Howe Sound Brewing Company brewer.
Wilson will craft the new brew.
"La BrewHAHA! speaks to me as a strong beer, like an uproar or even an explosion in the mouth as the French word would suggest," said Wilson. "It also lends to festivity and summer celebration. I expect to brew a craft beer with character, which will crown one of Squamish's most popular summer festivals."
It's likely the beer will get some attention from those outside Squamish.
"I want several cases," said Alex Brabant, the founder of Francouver.ca., a website for French speaking individuals who live in Metro Vancouver and also one of the jury members.
"It's one of the craziest and coolest ideas that I've even heard of in francophone circles in a long time."
Squamish's francophone school ...cole Les Aiglons is the sponsor of the June 24 St. Jean Baptiste festivities, which will be held in the downtown area between 5 and 11 p.m. and will include musical performances, children's activities, francophone cuisine, a blueberry pie eating contest and prizes.
Nicole Guertin, an organizer of the multicultural festival in Whistler, said planning is underway to hold a street party on Main Street in Whistler on Monday, June 27.
She said the location is perfect because the street has ten restaurants representing cuisine from around the world. According to Guertin the restaurants offered to provide gift certificates for the festival and Main Street merchants have been looking for an opportunity to drive more traffic to the area.
"The timing is good because they area ready to do something," Guertin said of the business owners along Main Street. "I really see this festival growin


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Kickass Cupcakes in Somerville Is Closed, Cleared Out
A well-known cupcake bakery in Somerville is locked up and cleared out, with the future of the business unknown at this point in time.
According to multiple sources, Kickass Cupcakes on Highland Avenue is shuttered, with photos sent from one source indicating that there is a "Closed" sign on the door and that the inside has boxes, bags, and containers on the floor. A phone call placed to the cupcake shop indicates that the voicemail box is full, and its Facebook page could not be found this afternoon. It is not yet known exactly what is going on with the business; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here.
[January 23, 2015 update: The Boston Business Journal is reporting that Kickass Cupcakes has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, with the business having a total debt of more than $260,000; a creditors meeting will apparently take place on February 26.]
Kickass Cupcakes had moved its retail shop from 378 Highland Avenue to 199C Highland Avenue (where its bakery space was) earlier this year, bringing the shop and the bakery operations back together after branching the operations off in the summer of 2012. The business first opened in 2007, offering a variety of cupcakes made from scratch every day in small batches.
Thanks to Drew Starr for initially bringing this to our attention.


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A huge announcement was made at a Jordan Brand event last night in NYC.
The VP of Footwear David Schechter, informed us that the Air Jordan 3 will be going back into the vault for the foreseeable future.
“The Air Jordan 3 is going back in the vault. The last color just dropped” – David Schechter
That last color being the Sport Blue 3’s that just released on August 16th. Schechter stated that the plan is to “reset” the iconic model, and when the Air Jordan 3 comes back, it will be a remastered product. This sounds like a good idea and will build more interest of the model amongst the sneaker community. It will also give Jordan Brand more time to give us a better product, which is definitely worth it.
Hopefully when the Air Jordan 3 comes back, we see a smilier product to the ‘Remastered’ lineup Jordan Brand has planned for Spring 2015.
What do you guys think about this big announcement from Jordan Brand? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.


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One of the main advantages of investing in a Google Pixel smartphone is that the device tends to get regular software updates and bug fixes. As such, a new update has finally arrived for the recently-launched Google Pixel 6a, and is now available in several regions.
In what is officially the first update for the device, the new software patch comes with the latest June 2022 security patch. It’s been noted by some users online that their 6a units have yet to receive the latest software build, with some phones still stuck on the April 2022 software version. The update is available for the following regional variants of the phone with the respective software version number:
- Global (Unlocked) – SD2A.220601.003
- Japan – SD2A.220601.001.A1
- AT&T, T-Mobile – SD2A.220601.002
- Verizon – SD2A.220601.004
Launched this month, the Pixel 6a features Google’s first-generation Tensor chip, which was the same SoC used in last year’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. It comes with a smaller 6.1-inch OLED display, a pair of 12-megapixel cameras on the rear, 128GB of internal storage, 6GB of RAM, IP67 dust and water resistance, and a 4,410 mAh battery. The phone is priced at $449, and competes mainly against other mid-range Android phones like the Nothing Phone 1, and Samsung Galaxy A53.
The update should gradually roll out, so some users might get the update ahead of others, depending on their region.


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Snap chat is planning on selling its own merchandise on its recently opened snap store, the store is located in the discovery section of the Snap chat app and you can currently already purchase a dancing hot dog plushie and a wink face sweatshirt as well as a few other pieces of merchandise with new products scheduled to be released. Snap chat has previously sold some of their merchandise on amazon but before the release of the Snap store many of there products was removed to be sold exclusively by Snap.
By selling there own merchandise on the snap store, Snap will be able to increase loyalty and brand awareness with the merchandise essentially acting as advertisements. A spokesperson has said that its not a serious revenue stream for them, that creating its own merchandising is something they are doing for the community. But it still should bring in some revenue, which would also benefit them and help them achieve revenue targets which they was able to reach last quarter.


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Ever feel like you are paying more tax than appears on your annual tax return?
Your intuition is dead right. It is likely you are paying much more, even before Prime Minister Tony Abbott ups income tax rates with his so-called "deficit tax".
In fact, the average taxpayer ends up paying about two-thirds more tax than they pay through their income tax, according to new figures verified by Deloitte Access Economics.
For starters, Australians pay a small excise whenever they buy things such as beer and tobacco, or clothing and footwear. They pay customs excises and luxury car taxes.
And the goods and services tax costs Australians thousands of dollars a year each.
But taxpayers can often forget about these so-called "indirect taxes".
Figures from the Australian Tax Office and federal government show the average Australian can expect to pay about $4600 in indirect taxes this financial year, which is the equivalent of $8150 for the typical taxpayer.
(Given that less than half the population submits a tax return, the $4600 figure becomes $8150 for the typical taxpayer).
And those indirect taxes come on top of their personal income tax, which costs $12,700 for the typical Australian submitting a tax return.
Economists say some of these "hidden" taxes are worthy but others can be "rotten".
"Politicians like indirect taxes because people don't know that they're paying them, but there's also a good economic case for some of them," said Chris Richardson, director of Deloitte Access Economics.
"The GST is a great tax, for instance. But the way we tax alcohol is rotten because we should be taxing alcohol by alcoholic content, not by the strength of political lobbying."
The exact number of taxes is "difficult to determine" and "may be higher than these estimates"
Personal income tax gets the most attention because it is "in your face" when you do your tax return and it is the biggest single tax the average person pays, Mr Richardson said.
"But taxpayers pay a hell of a lot of other taxes and a lot of them are less visible," he said.
"You know that there's a GST but you forget there's a petrol tax and a beer tax. And you don't remember that, for some people, employers are paying their fringe benefits taxes for them, which would otherwise be affecting their wage."
Roughly half of the indirect taxes Australians pay are thanks to the GST.
The Henry Tax Review, which reviewed Australia's taxation system after the global financial crisis, found Australians pay "at least" 125 taxes each year.
Of these, 99 are levied by the federal government, 25 by the states and one by local government (council rates).
But the exact number of taxes is "difficult to determine" and "may be higher than these estimates", the report said.
"This reflects ambiguity in distinguishing when a payment to government represents a separate tax or part of a broader tax and whether a payment is a tax rather than a fee for service."
Last month, Treasurer Joe Hockey said Australians might have to pay more for health services in the future because "nothing is free – someone always pays".
But taxpayers are already paying for more things than they realise.


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The Maruti Alto has become India’s best selling model with a cumulative 29 lakh units sold over the past 15 years, taking over from the now discontinued M800.
Adding another feather to its hat, Maruti Suzuki achieved a new milestone as the Alto has become India’s best selling vehicle with cumulative sales of 29 lakh units clocked in the past 15 years. Certainly a fine record to hold, the entry-level hatchback beat the iconic M800 that previously held this title before being phased out in 2014. Launched in 2000, the Alto managed to achieve the stupendous feat within 15 years, when compared to the M800 that managed around 28 lakh units over its 30-year lifespan.
As on October 2015, sales for the Maruti Alto had reached 29,19,819 units in India. Always been a strong seller, the entry-level hatchback was essentially the next generation 800 but sold alongside the latter for the majority of its life in the country. Undoubtedly, the Alto very capably carries the baton from the 800 as a people’s car offering the same attributes of high fuel efficiency, low cost of maintenance and affordable asking price.
Over its 15 year journey, the Maruti Alto has been drawing power from an 800cc engine which received several upgrades over the years. Keeping up with the customer’s need for more power, a more vigorous Alto K10 was also introduced in 2010 with a slightly powerful 1000cc engine offering decent improvement in performance and optimal fuel economy levels. In 2012, Maruti Suzuki overhauled the Alto 800 completely with the all-new taller, spacious and modern version.
Back in 1983, the Maruti M800 redefined the affordable personal vehicle for the Indian middle-class car buyer who wanted to upgrade to a four-wheeler without burning a hole in his/her pocket. The small Japanese hatchback wasn’t just for the affluent and instead has been a representation of the Indian dream of owning a car. In modern times, the Alto has been able to take that dream forward and quite successfully soldiers on to do so. The more recent updates on the vehicle have also seen Maruti revamp the model in terms of features, keeping up with the new and improved competition.


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A new rest area opened Thursday on the New York State Thruway to provide travelers a chance to take a break from driving, eat food produced in the Mohawk Valley, and sit in the grass while they watch the day-to-day operations of a lock on the Erie Canal.
The Lock E-13 Living History Rest Area is located on the westbound side of I-90 between Exits 28 and 29 in Montgomery County. It made its debut Thursday and was packed with people sampling soaps, sweets, dairy products, syrups, and sauces that are for sale in the shop.
The single-story rectangular building houses a Taste NY market with neatly arranged products from across the Mohawk Valley and Capital Region, as well as historical information and a model of the lock.
“This is the only stop along the entire Thruway where you can actually pull off the Thruway and see a working Erie Canal lock,” said Canal Corporation Director Brian Stratton at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “For two hundred years, the Erie Canal has been a transformative force in upstate New York.”
Stratton said the Erie Canal generates just under $400 million dollars a year in tourism spending in New York, and that the addition of the rest area will help push that number higher. He said the stop is good draw for out-of-state tourists who might not know the historic canal is still operational.
Plans to build the scenic rest area began a year ago as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “Capital For a Day” initiative. The goal is to showcase the historical significance of the 570-mile Thruway and 524-mile Erie Canal, while giving visitors a taste of the products grown and crafted in the region, according to a joint statement from state organizations involved in the project.
“It’s a chance to taste New York, it’s a chance to taste the Mohawk Valley,” said Kevin King, a director with the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. “Take a gift home to somebody and show them the good quality products that we have abundant to the region.”
In addition, the state has partnered with Liberty Fresh Market, a program through the Liberty ARC in Montgomery County that provides retail job training to people with developmental disabilities.
Eleven people from Liberty ARC will be among those staffing the rest area, according to organization spokesperson Sharon Holbrook-Ryan.
“They are taking full responsibility and pride and just really loving this opportunity,” Holbrook-Ryan said. “And it’s an opportunity that they should have, that they’re well versed in, and they’re responsible for and they’re capable of.”
Among the products at the market was Brooks House of BBQ sauce from Oneonta, The Original James Ketchup made in Scotia, and milk from nearby farms.
Norman Bollen, a board member at the Fort Plain Museum and local history enthusiast, said the rest area will also be a great way to draw visitors to other historical sites in the county.
“You have all these beautiful eighteenth century historic sites that you just don’t see in other areas of the country,” said Bollen.“Because [the area] is rural a lot of these great sites have survived, and in the cities they’ve lost them. For tourists, they’re assets we can showcase to bring tourists to Montgomery County and to Fulton County,” Bollen said.
The rest area will be open during the canal navigation season, roughly from May to mid–November, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.


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Best Buy reportedly reaches out to Schulze to resume talks
Minneapolis — A Thursday report by Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, said that Best Buy Co. has rekindled its talks with co-founder Richard Schulze about an agreement that would allow Schulze to launch due-diligence efforts toward his proposed acquisition of the company.
Best Buy reportedly reached out to Schulze shortly after announcing quarterly earnings on Aug. 21 that missed Wall Street estimates, according to one of the unidentified sources, who also said that both parties could reach an agreement later this week.
Schulze refused Best Buy’s earlier offer to access confidential financial information because of what he deemed overly restrictive limitations such as curbing his contact with the board to gain information necessary toward the due diligence process.
Another sticking point has been that Best Buy is asking for a fully committed offer from Schulze within 60 days; Schulze said he needs 90 days to obtain financing. Impasses such as these brought the talks to a halt on Aug. 19, but sources say both sides are now willing to com
Target Facebook campaign raises $2.5 million for schools
MINNEAPOLIS — Target’s charitable Facebook campaign garnered more than three million votes in leas than four weeks, the company reported. Through its Give With Target campaign, the company was able to reach its goal of awarding $2.5 million in Target gift cards to schools across the country two weeks earlier than planned.
“We are thrilled with the public’s response to Give With Target and the record level of engagement we saw through Facebook,” said Laysha Ward, president of community relations, Target. “Thanks to the millions of people who voted, Target will award thousands of schools with Target GiftCards to use for classroom resources just in time for the start of the school year.”
Give With Target resulted in the highest engagement of any social media campaign in Target’s history.
From New York to California, more than 30,000 schools will receive Target gift cards as a result of the Facebook component of Give With Target. For every 25 votes a school received, it earned a $25 GiftCard from Target. The five schools with the most votes are:
St. Charles School, Staten Island N.Y. – $4,375
Andrew P. Hill High School, San Jose, Calif. – $3,475
Northside Elementary School, Benson, Minn. – $2,750
St. Hubert’s Catholic Girls H.S., Philadelphia, Pa. – $2,475
Mooseheart School, Mooseheart Ill. – $2,400
PacSun sees 2Q sales growth
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Pacific Sunwear of California reported that net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 ended July 28, were $210.3 million versus net sales of $200.9 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 ended July 30, 2011.
On a GAAP basis, the xompany reported a loss from continuing operations of $17.5 million, or 26 cents per share, for the second quarter of fiscal 2012, compared with a loss from continuing operations of $17.5 million, or 26 cents per share, for the second quarter of fiscal 2011.
"Our 5% comparable-store sales, 260 basis point increase in merchandise margins, and positive operating cash flow for the second quarter further demonstrate our belief that customers are beginning to rediscover PacSun, including our improved merchandising and brand mix, and our distinct Golden State of Mind brand identity," said Gary Schoenfeld, president and CEO. "Newer brands helped drive a 7% comps in our men’s business, which represents our biggest increase in Men’s since 2004. Women’s continued to improve as well with a 2% comp and higher margins, and we also achieved a 15% increase in online sales."
For the third quarter, the company is expecting a non-GAAP net loss per share from continuing operations of between negative 8 cents and flat. Same-store sales are expected to be between negative 2% to plus 2%.


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The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has said it plans to invest up to EUR 25 million in Poland-based grocery chain Żabka.
“The EBRD is participating in the acquisition of Żabka, one of Poland’s leading food retailers, with an equity investment of up to EUR 25 million,” the bank said in a statement.
Żabka is the sixth-largest food retailer in Poland with 4,600 franchise stores operated by 3,200 entrepreneurs, according to the EBRD.
The investment is expected to “further advance” Żabka’s competitiveness by strengthening its corporate governance and “green innovation” standards, the EBRD said in the statement posted on its website.
Set up in 1998 by Polish businessman Mariusz Świtalski, Żabka has grown from a single store in the western city of Poznań to a nationwide chain of franchise outlets serving around 2 million customers daily.
The chain was recently acquired by funds managed by CVC Capital Partners, one of the world’s leading private equity groups, from its previous owner Mid Europa Partners.
The EBRD says it has invested almost EUR 8.5 billion in more than 380 projects in Poland since it began operating in the country in 1991.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is an international financial institution that supports projects in more than 30 countries. The bank is owned by 65 countries from five continents, as well as the European Union and the European Investment Bank.
It was set up in 1991 to invest in the former communist countries of Eastern Europe to help them make the transition to a free-market economy.


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Recognising that Uber Eats and Deliveroo will be “important distributions channels for food”, especially with the increase of self-isolation, restaurants and cafés are calling on the delivery giants to cut their commission costs, with an online petition garnering over 2,000 signatures overnight.
While restaurants and cafés are reporting a decrease in diners as a result of social distancing encouraged by the government, Deliveroo announced on Monday it is rolling out a new feature to enable customers and riders to select contact-free delivery when they order food.
“Riders will be asked to let the customer know they have arrived, place their thermal bag open on the ground outside their door, step back at least one metre and wait nearby for the customer to collect the food before the order can be completed,” Deliveroo said.
“Riders are also able to make orders contact-less if they wish by letting customers know through the app before they arrive.”
Similarly, pizza company Domino’s announced that it too is offering zero-contact pizza drop-offs, while Uber Eats has always enabled its customers to choose how a delivery is made via their app.
Recognising that delivery platforms will increase in popularity, food writer Dani Valent has started an online petition, calling on Uber Eats and Deliveroo to cut their fees.
“Uber Eats and Deliveroo are important distribution channels for food. They are likely to play a crucial role in getting meals to isolated households during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dani wrote.
“However, commission charges of up to 30 per cent are insupportable by restaurants and cafés who are already suffering greatly due to a huge drop in diners.
“At the same time, the delivery operators are seeing a huge spike in business.”
She called on the delivery platforms to “help restaurants and cafés survive”, underlining that we all win when we have a vibrant, viable hospitality industry.
Last week, Deliveroo confirmed it is “sending frequent updates to our restaurant partners to share advice with them on what they can do to ensure food is prepared safely and packaged correctly for delivery”.
“Throughout this time, we’ll be relentlessly focused on doing everything we can to support the restaurants and riders working with us, and to bring you safe deliveries from the best restaurants across the country,” Will Shu, the co-founder and CEO, said.
Both Deliveroo and Uber Eats have also said they are offering financial support for their riders and drivers who contract the COVID-19 virus or those who have been instructed to be in isolation by a medical authority.


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REMOVED Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Finance Shadrach Fanega was removed for something else and not for withholding terminal grants according to a reliable source.
The source within Cabinet and the government claimed Mr Fanega accompanied Small Malaita outgoing MP Rick Hou to the United States (US) without the approval of the government.
“On top of that, he also received traveling allowances from public funds,” the source said.
The source claimed that praising Mr Fanega and coating his removal with terminal grants was misleading.
“The truth of the matter is, he accompanied Mr Hou, and on their return, reroute to Tokyo, Japan to look at purchasing a ship for the Small Malaita Shipping Company, which they both allegedly held 99 percent shares in.
“All the media reports saying he was removed for not releasing terminal grants to MPs were misleading.”
Mr Fanega was replaced by Fred Fakari’i who prior to the reshuffling held the Permanent Secretary’s post of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The source said many former ministers will never receive the terminal grants because they are holding onto government vehicles and incurred other arrears.
The source said if the boat purchase in Japan was done with the $3 million given to the South Malaita Constituency for as shipping grants, it will be unfair to constituents because of the shareholding arrangement of the shipping company.
Caretaker Finance Minister Rick Hou, Mr Fanega and two other directors of Small Malaita Shipping were taken to court last year in relation to the ownership and management of the shipping company.
Claimant Jerry Hite claimed then that Mr Hou owns 99 percent share and Fanega (fanga) 1 percent after its re-registration on October 10, 2011.
The claimant has sought amongst other remedies, declarations that the Small Malaita Shipping Company is a private limited company owned by Rick Hou and Shadrach Fanega, that company financed initially through funding from Small Malaita Constituency (SMC) funds and other constituency entitlement funds and that the company originally intended to be owned as a charitable trust property for its people of SMC as beneficiaries.
He claimed then that the company’s ownership structure defeated the original intention of the company to be a charitable trust company for the people of SMC in the absence of any trust provisions being contained in the company’s Articles of Association (AOA) and Memorandum of Association (MOA).
Those claims were brushed aside by Mr Fanega during that time saying at no time and never have they changed the ownership of MV Small Mala and the registration of Small Malaita Shipping Company as their own.
“The initial registration of the Small Malaita Shipping company as a private company under the Companies Act (1961) and its re-registration under the Companies Act 2009 had been proper and legal and fully met the requirements of these various Acts and had been agreed by the Small Malaita Shipping company board and consistent with the objectives of the Company,” Mr Fanega said in a statement.
The Solomon Star re-confirmed the shareholding arrangement of the shipping company on Tuesday and the shareholders remain 99 percent for Rick Hou and one percent under Shadrach Fanega.
By EDNAL PALMER


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1 min read.Updated: 26 Mar 2021, 12:44 AM ISTIshita Guha
Mukesh Ambani said Indian business owners are capable of providing quality that meets demand in domestic as well as global markets at competitive prices
He said India has the potential to be among the top three economies in the world using its technologies
India’s startup entrepreneurs must be ready to work with limited resources but with unlimited determination, said Mukesh Ambani, chairman, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).
Speaking at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, 2020, Ambani said Indian business owners are capable of providing quality that meets demand in domestic as well as global markets at competitive prices. This opens up the global market for Indian entrepreneurs, he added.
Sharing a “personal learning" with startup entrepreneurs, he said, “My young friends, my message is not to be deterred by failure, because only after many failures there is success. I am sure as an entrepreneur, you will have the courage and the determination to succeed. Therefore, I am absolutely confident that you are going to script far bigger success stories for India than the entrepreneurs of my generation".
Ambani-led RIL is India’s largest private sector company, with a market capitalization of ₹12.6 trillion. He said India has the potential to be among the top three economies in the world using its technologies, as emerging sectors such as clean energy, education, healthcare, life sciences and biotechnology, and the traditional ones—agriculture, industrial and services—offer ample opportunities.
“Small, medium and big businesses have once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the needs and aspirations of 1.3 billion people for good quality of life," he said.
Ambani has often spoken of India’s digital prowess and indigenous technologies that can improve quality of life. The launch of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd in September 2016 disrupted India’s telecom space, paving the way for 4G wireless services in the country.
RIL-owned Jio Platforms Ltd, which houses the telecom business and a slew of other digital services such as healthcare, payments, gaming, cloud, over-the-top (OTT) content, music, among others, last year raised ₹1.52 trillion from 13 global investors— Facebook, Google, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, ADIA, Mubadala, TPG, L Catterton, Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, Intel Capital and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. to support Ambani’s digital goals.


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Google has created a new Account Activity feature which sends users monthly reports about their online history recorded by Google while using their services like Google Play, Google+ and Gmail. Among other things, it shows emails you’ve sent and received, number and type of searches done while signed into your Google account, places you’ve logged in from, types of devices used and operating systems of the devices while using their services.
A Google product manager, Andreas Turk believes it gives a better understanding of the information gathered by Google, allowing you to control your information. By allowing users to know the places and times of which they have signed in, users can identify if there is unauthorized use of their accounts.
This feature has been designed since the company changed it privacy policies on March 1, which allow the sharing of data between Google services; to ensure the users are comfortable with the information being collected. Google maintains that the information collected is aimed at providing the public with relevant advertising, and not selling users’ data to third parties. Individuals always have the option of signing out of their accounts before conducting searches to avoid the information from being recorded.
Google’s new privacy policies became a subject of much concern. The issue highlighted the potential risk of increased identity theft since user information is now shared across so many Google services, making it easier for hackers to gain users’ personal information.


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Google My Business has added a new way for business owners to respond to reviews.
Twitter is testing a new way to view profiles of users in the mobile app without leaving the timeline.
Google appears to be testing the use of favicons within the top stories carousel in search results.
Reddit is now home to 330 million monthly active users, but they’re the least valuable of any social network.
A new study reveals the real reasons why consumers follow brands on social media.
A new report on digital advertising in Q4 2018 reveals that paid search spend grew 10% year-over-year.
Google’s John Mueller advises site owners that when content is syndicated elsewhere it may outrank the original source.
Google Ads is now expanding parallel tracking to Display and Video campaigns on May 1st.
Google Ads has begun rolling out click share for search campaigns.
More than once during his recent AMA on Reddit, Google’s Gary Illyes advised SEOs to stick to the basics.
According to Google’s Gary Illyes, image and video search are most often overlooked, and SEOs should be paying more attention.
Google’s Gary Illyes clarified the hreflang attribute is not a ranking signal, though it will result in more targeted traffic.
Google will soon be rolling out the ability for companies to highlight postings for remote jobs in search results.
Google’s John Mueller has advised that the new inspect URL tool in Search Console is only useful for webpages.
LinkedIn has released an ebook for social media managers that contains an updated list of stats about the platform.
Facebook has come out swinging against those perpetuating a myth that its news feed displays a limited amount of content.
Facebook will soon be rolling out two new ways for businesses to communicate with customers via messaging and groups.
Google Search Console will soon assign all search data for a single piece of content to the canonical URL.


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French Department Stores See Growth, Gloom
French consumers will lift spending on fashion and household items during this month’s sales amid concerns the country is tipping into a recession, according to department-store operators Galeries Lafayette SA (GL) and Printemps.
Galeries Lafayette expects 250,000 shoppers to spend 10 million euros ($12.8 million) at its Paris store today, the first day of the winter sales, Agnes Vigneron, the unit’s manager, said in an interview.
“I don’t think the economic climate is going to impact us during the sales period,” Vigneron said. “It’s a celebration time, something the French don’t want to miss. Right now is when they want to indulge themselves.”
The retailer expects revenue to rise 14 percent during the winter sales, which run through Feb. 14, she said. Rival Printemps, whose flagship Paris store is opposite Galeries Lafayette, forecasts that sales will increase 15 percent to 20 percent, store manager Pierre Pelarrey said. The winter and summer sales account for about 20 percent of each retailer’s annual revenue.
“I’m rather confident for the sales,” said French Finance Minister Francois Baroin, who cut a ribbon at Galeries Lafayette to mark the start of the discount period. “In those difficult times that some say are gloomy, in those uncertain times we need to do everything to support consumer spending, which is the main driver of the French economy.”
Consumer confidence in the country held near its lowest in almost three years in December as the public remained concerned about unemployment and said financial conditions were worsening, national statistics office Insee reported last week.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Sara Marley at email@example.com


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Network Services License now available at reputable online gambling jurisdiction
A new class of B2B license has been introduced by the Isle of Man online gambling jurisdiction - the Network Services Licence.
This new level of license available under the existing Online Gambling Regulation Act 2001 (OGRA) is offered in recognition of the business-to-business relationships that many gaming operators now have, and it provides Isle of Man-based gaming operations the opportunity to make their platforms available to business customers around the world.
The new business model is expected to attract more businesses into the Isle of Man and to boost the existing businesses’ opportunity to develop relationships with companies across the globe.
The new license will cost GBP 50,000 per year plus GBP 5,000 per overseas customer. Duty will be paid on retained profit at a maximum rate of 1.5 percent.
According to Garth Kimber, head of e-gaming development at the Isle of Man government, “The introduction of this level of licence gives us the ability to satisfy every model of gaming business in the Isle of Man from those selling their platform capabilities to other businesses to those with direct customers. Our system is now in three tiers; Network Services Licence, Standard Licence and Sub-Licence.
"The level of licence required is dictated by the type of business-to-business relationships a company intends to pursue and covers all gaming activities from sportsbook to poker and involves the same application process.
“The creation of this new licence demonstrates our ability to keep pace with the dynamism of the e-gaming industry without over complicating licensing. There remain many activities such as software downloads and marketing for example, which can be carried out without the need for a licence as we are focussed on the key issues of regulation, protecting players by ensuring their funds are protected and that games are fair."
In addition, the Isle of Man Department of Economic Development is providing financial assistance is for e-gaming companies creating economic value in the jurisdiction.