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Gregory Miller told DairyReporter.com that dairy products offer “great nutritional quality at a pretty low cost”, with research supporting their association with reduced risk of type-2 diabetes and CVD, as well as better bone health.
He added that recognition of dairy as a source of high quality, easy-to-digest protein was also growing.
“Few foods deliver dairy’s powerhouse of nutrients in such an affordable, appealing and readily available way. Milk and milk products are an accessible and affordable source of important nutrients, including protein,” Miller said.
“Dairy foods are some of the most efficient and affordable sources of nutrition available,” he added.
Low nutrient-to-cost ratio
At $0.17/serving, Milk was among the top foods for overall nutrient-to-cost ratio, Miller said, while milk and milk products were among the lowest-cost calcium and protein sources.
At around $0.26/serving, Miller claimed that milk and milk products cost less than meat, poultry and fish, fruit, vegetables, were similar in cost to dry beans, legumes, nuts, and cost “scarcely more” than eggs, grains, sugars, sweets and other beverages.
Cost analyses also showed that milk and milk products were by far the lowest-cost source of dietary calcium and among the lowest-cost sources of riboflavin and vitamin B12, Miller added.
According to Miller, Dairy foods provided 50% of the calcium in the US diet, nearly two-thirds of the vitamin D and significant amounts of several more essential nutrients, yet only constituted around 10% of total calorie intake.
“Evidence continues to mount that higher consumption of dairy products to meet the recommended three servings of dairy per day (current average consumption is about two servings) is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases,” he said.
Miller added: “The benefits come from simply meeting the current recommended amount [to] close nutrient gaps and help decrease disease risk.”
‘Science supports dairy role in healthy diet’
As noted by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Miller explained, moderate evidence linked dairy intake to improved bone health – especially in children and adolescents – and a reduced risk of CVD and type-2 diabetes, as well as lower adult blood pressure.
Further research since the 2010 guidelines were issued provided further evidence of dairy’s role in reducing the risk of CVD, elevated blood pressure, metabolic syndrome or type-2 diabetes, Miller said.
“It doesn’t get more positive than that with science supporting the role of dairy foods in a healthy diet,” he added, [while] health benefits from higher dairy consumption can translate into healthcare cost savings.”
Miller said that a 2004 meta-review of nearly 100 studies projected that increasing US dairy consumption to three to four servings per day could lower the risk of chronic diseases (including CVD, type-2 diabetes and hypertension).
Not accounting for post-2004 inflation, this study estimated healthcare savings of $200bn over five years, and a 15%+ reduction in health spending.
He added that a more recent study from Australia concluded similarly that increasing dairy food consumption to recommended amounts could lead to substantial improvements in health and lower costs for healthcare services.
“That’s exciting, and shows the far-reaching impact dairy can have, not only on nutrition, but also good fiscal sense,” Miller said.
‘Protein is hot right now’
Miller also said that US awareness was growing that dairy products (e.g. milk, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurts (including Greek)) were a source of “high quality, easy-to-digest protein”.
Protein’s benefits included satiety, appetite control, body composition and building muscle health, he explained, before adding that, although most Americans met their protein needs “some people may benefit from higher protein diets, for instance, athletes, aging adults and those trying to mange their weight”.
Dairy proteins have a neutral color and flavor, are well-known for their nutritional benefits and digestibility, and are ingredients “formulators find it easy to work with to develop on-trend food and beverage products,” Miller said.
In addition to protein, dairy foods (milk, cheese, yogurt) were also important sources of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A,D, B12 and riboflavin in the US diet, he added.


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The rise of e-commerce has helped companies understand that good logistics can help them connect better with consumers, as it guarantees the fastest possible delivery of their products. Andrés Birlain, CEO of Rivus Material Handling, told MBN that “E-commerce has helped companies understand that the most important part of their strategy is the customer. This often takes companies years to understand.” To him, “Logistics is not an isolated activity or just part of the business; it directly impacts the entire operation and the bottom profit.”
Companies experienced dramatic surges in demand due to the pandemic. “The impact of [the pandemic] last year on logistics companies is comparable to that experienced by thousands of businesses. In terms of customers, the pandemic generated an increase of 10 times the number of clients within three months,” explained Iñaki de la Peña, Country Manager at Dostavista, in an article for MBN. “According to data from the Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO), 84 percent of Mexicans prefer home delivery of their products, so the courier and parcel service has become a key element for companies, which also need to guarantee the delivery of their products in the shortest possible time,” he continued. Thus, companies must innovate logistically to find solutions that satisfy their customers, which would allow them to turn a single transaction into a constant referral.
There are many trends in the logistics sector that companies could use to achieve this. One of them is technological innovation, as “Definitively, technology has turned into a facilitator, offering infinite possibilities, in as much as we stimulate the team to develop a digital mentality, with an environment based on habilitating technology to provide a unique labor experience. However, we must not leave unobserved other topics […] that we are bound to address as a company,” shared Ingo Babrikowski, CEO of Estafeta, with MBN.
ConaLog recently published an article explaining different solutions that can be implemented to optimize the supply chain, particularly when it comes to vehicle fleets. With the surge in shipments in the e-commerce sector, one popular concern comes from consumers wanting to know constantly where their products are before they arrive. To address this demand, companies could implement vehicle telematics and take advantage of a series of tools that could help them control and effectively operate their fleets. Vehicle telematics can also help to reduce costs, have better inventory management, and keep customers happy.

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Apple’s stock takes dip after iPhone sales rumors (Video)
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So Apple Inc.’s stock opened this morning under $500 a share ($485.92 per share) for the second day in a row.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company (Nasdaq: AAPL) behind the uber popular iPhone and iPad hasn’t found itself under $500 since nearly a year ago, said the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
Heck, IGN.com reports that “if things keep going this way, the company could lose its title as the most valuable company in the country. Currently, it holds a market cap of $457 billion, while its next closest rival, Exxon, trails at $407 billion.”
The drop is being attributed to reports that Apple cut back on some iPhone parts orders due to weaker than expected demands.
Now there could be other factors at play here, but anyone who has owned an iPhone or Apple device should know that maybe Apple’s downfall is the incessant release of a new device, sometimes less than a year apart.
Most of the releases of new products tend to be better machinery and parts that greatly enhance the experience, but then there are versions that lacked enough new gizmos, making some consumers ask why Apple even bothered to design it.
I fell into the latter group for this past iPhone 5 model. It didn’t carry enough new features to make me want to rush out and wait in line for it, like the hundreds of others in Central Florida. Maybe there are more consumers like me that are pleased with the model they have and thus have caused Apple to pull back parts orders.
Either way, this is only a temporary drop. Apple has proven it could sell most consumers a bottle of water for $100 if it was stamped with Apple’s logo.
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Volkswagen’s truck unit, Traton Group, is taking chips from unfinished vehicles to finish others, a new indication of the impact of the semiconductor shortage.
The semiconductor industry has been reeling as a result of the global pandemic. Early shutdowns and lockdowns interrupted production, while demand for laptops, tablets and gaming rigs skyrocketed. The auto industry has been particularly hard-hit, with multiple manufacturers slowing or halting production, or shipping vehicles without their full complement of fuel economy chips.
In the case of the Traton Group, a Volkswagen subsidiary, the company is pulling semiconductors from unsold finished vehicles and putting them in unfinished vehicles that have been sold, according to Insider.
The company blamed a recent COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia, a hub for automotive semiconductor manufacturing.


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The differences in air pressure previously made serving draught beer at altitude impossible.
But KLM and Heineken claim to have spent years developing a “Brew Lock” keg to overcome the technical challenge, leaving the taste of the beer unchanged.
As cabin pressure at altitude differs considerably from air pressure on the ground, the keg boasts new technology that works with the aid of air pressure instead of CO2.
“Because the air pressure is so much lower in an airplane than at sea level, a traditional beer tap will not work as it will only dispense a huge amount of foam,” Edwin Griffioen, supply development manager global innovation at Heineken, explained to Fox News.
“We do have dispensers that work on air pressure, but these were too big to fit in a plane. It was one big jigsaw puzzle, as the keg of beer, the cooling system and the air pressure compressor all had to fit in an airline catering trolley,” he said.
The cooling system had to be left behind but Griffioen compared the drinks trolley to a “Thermos flask” saying it will keep the beer under five degrees Celsius at all times.
The Heineken beer offered in-flight is brewed at the Zoeterwoude brewery in the Netherlands and each serving will be the standard Heineken draught serving of 25cl.
The airline hoped to launch the service in early July but it is currently still being cleared by civil aviation authorities.
KLM expects to use the new system on selected flights starting from August.
The brewery fresh draught beer will only be available for passengers flying in business class.
In recent year airlines have been launching additional services and perks to make the experience more exclusive for business class passengers.
The poshest beers
The poshest beers
Budweiser, famous for its bullfrog adverts, came in 5th. 38 per cent of those who buy the beer are middle class.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Italian beer Peroni topped the list, as 50 per cent of its customers are middle class
Jason Carter Rinaldi/Getty Images for Peroni
Dutch beer Heineken came second. 45 per cent of its customers are middle class.
4/10 Kronenbourg 1664
Tastemaker Alex James joins the celebrations of the 350th anniversary of the first Kronenbourg brewery at Le Cafe Du Marche
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Kronenbourg
Beck's, a German beer, came 4th with 38 per cent of its customers being middle class
A Belgian beer, Stella Artois came 6th with 36 per cent
Mark Renders/Getty Image
35 per cent of the customers of Dutch beer Grolsch are middle class
8/10 Fosters lager
Australian beer Fosters came in 8th. 33 per cent of its customers are in the AB social group
GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images
31 per cent of Carling customers are middle class
Graeme Robertson/Getty Images
Carlsberg came join last with Carling, with 31 per cent.
Niklas Morberg/ Flickr CC
In December, WindSpeed Technologies, a “premier aerospace engineering services company”, released details of a system called SkyDeck that allows passengers to observe the view in-flight from on top of the plane.
Emirates was the first airline to offer a shower to its passenger when it installed bathrooms on its Airbus A380s in 2008. It now also offers an on-flight bar for passengers travelling in business class.
Passengers with Etihad Airways can experience a completely private suite in the skies with an area called The Resident, a self-contained apartment on board, among other perks.Reuse content


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Sony has finally announced the release dates of two much-awaited PS4-exclusive games, The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima. Both these games have been pushed due to the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, but now, the studios have finalised the dates and have confirmed that both games will be released this summer.
Naughty Dog confirmed that The Last of Us Part II, sequel to the award-winning The Last of Us – hailed as one of the best games of all time and one of the top 50 best-selling games of all times – will be released on June 19, 2020. Initially, The Last of Us Part II was supposed to release in February 2020, but it was delayed to May 29, 2020. Unfortunately, much to the disappointment of fans, it was delayed yet again due to the ongoing pandemic when earlier in April, Sony mentioned that they were facing logistical constraints.
But finally, Naughty Dog – the developers behind the fantastic Uncharted game series – have sorted everything out and the game is greenlit to launch on June 19 with a 19-year-old Ellie fighting off in what is set to be yet another emotion-evoking stellar game. If you’ve missed them, which is highly unlikely, you must view the release trailer and the gameplay trailer revealing the details of the post-apocalyptic world Ellie journeys through.
Ghost of Tsushima is yet another promising PS4-exclusive game which was supposed to be released on June 26, 2020 but due to the ongoing pandemic and restrictions for developers to work from home, Sucker Punch Productions have confirmed that their game based on a samurai saga will be released on July 17, 2020. The story trailer of Ghost of Tsushima shows the open-world adventure gamers will experience through the journey of a lone warrior across the historical landscape of Japan.
“I want to personally congratulate and thank both the teams at Naughty Dog and Sucker Punch Productions on their achievements, as we know it’s not an easy feat to reach the finish line under these circumstances. Both teams have worked hard to deliver world-class experiences, and we can’t wait to see what you think of them when they release in just a few short months”, says Hermen Hulst, Head of Worldwide Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Both, The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima are also rumoured to be available on PS5. But, given that the PS5 is backwards compatible, they should be playable on the next-gen console regardless. Both the games seem to be violently gripping, with the former being much more violent and sexually explicit than its award-winning predecessor. The Last of Us Part II is also a much larger game where its ambitious adventure will be spread over two discs!
Simply put, we cannot wait to get our hands on both these titles.


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Warren Buffett offered Uber an investment of $ 3 billion earlier this year, but the talks finally broke in after a Bloomberg report.
The company is in a reputational crisis since its controversial founder Travis Kalanick was ousted last year. In his 1
A Berkshire investment would have found some approval for Uber prior to going public. Buffett sent Apple's stock higher this month as he revealed a massive stake in the hardware giant.
Uber, Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett did not immediately return CNBC's request for comments.
Read the full Bloomberg report.
This story is developing. Please check the updates.


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Richard Leech, executive director of CBRE Vietnam, told Vietnam Investment Review’s reporter that since opening in the final quarter of 2011, Parkson Keangnam and Vincom Centre Long Bien have been fully occupied, while Savico Mega Mall has reached 85 percent occupancy.
“I think this is the result of the fact that investors of those centres had very good understanding of their business, and opened them at the right time,” Leech said.
Another reason was that all of those centres are located outside the central business district (CBD) area of Hanoi, where the population is increasing, and where there is good access and parking systems, and reasonable rental rates, Leech said.
He added that those centres had met the increasing demand from the developing areas around them. All three centres opened in December last year and they have provided around 110,000 square metres to the market.
The performance of the three new centres is in stark contrast with the poor business of Grand Plaza Department Store and Trang Tien Plaza. The former has seen tenants withdraw, while the latter has been closed for restructuring because of low shopper turnout.
Parkson Keangnam has a leasable retail area of 28,700 sqm. This is Parkson’s second centre in Hanoi, and Tham Tuck Choy, general director of Parkson Vietnam, said he planned to set up an additional four, or even six, department stores in Hanoi in the future. Parkson’s first centre in Viet Tower opened in 2008 and is 11,000 sqm.
Located in the Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower, Parkson Landmark 72 has many advantages with its location in the new centre of Hanoi, linked by many key highways and with access to Noi Bai International Airport.
Situated at the intersection of Nguyen Van Cu, Ngo Gia Tu and Nguyen Van Linh streets, Savico Mega Mall has transport links to downtown Hanoi and the most dynamic cities and provinces in the north, including Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh.
Savico, developed mainly by Hanoi Savico Joint Stock Company, covers 43,000 sqm in the eastern part of the city and comprises a three-storey building with one basement level.
Meanwhile, Vincom Centre Long Bien is developed by Vingroup. With leasable area of 36,000 sqm over five storeys, the centre is home to many famous trademarks. In addition, there are a supermarket and restaurants.
Average asking rental rates in the CBD area have remained high at US$60 per square metre a month. Having had difficulties with vacancies, Hang Da is currently improving its occupancy rate. Pico Mall has compensated the loss of some shop units by opening its food court. Furthermore, the Garden Mall has improved its situation as attractive rental packages have brought in leading brands such as Mango and Charles & Keith. Rental rates in non-CBD locations have respectively declined, as more space with lower rental rates has entered the market.
With the current asking rate of US$32.20, it is likely that downward pressure will continue because of new supplies. According to CBRE, in 2012 approximately 181,000 sqm of new retail space will enter the market. These figures will heat up competition. Already existing challenges will intensify as the number of tenants will not increase significantly. Furthermore, tenants will prefer to concentrate on consolidation rather than expanding their business.
Among projects to come online in 2012 are Trang Tien Plaza (14,000 sqm), Indochina Plaza’s IPH (35,000 sqm), Habico Tower (34,000 sqm), Melinh Plaza (45,000 sqm) and Thang Long International Village (23,000 sqm). Hanoi Royal City which will supply 200,000 sqm will be finished in 2014.
Source: Vietnam Investment Review


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Tesco has announced it will close its distribution centre in Harlow with the loss of 800 jobs. The supermarket says its hopes to re-deploy the staff elsewhere.
Harlow Council's Tony Durcan said they were not expected the news as Tesco had been giving "reassurance" that the depot was safe in the company's re-organisation.
Click below to watch Cllr Durcan's reaction:
Tesco is opening two new distribution centres in Reading and Dagenham to create 1,900 jobs in total. The supermarket chain is closing distribution centres in Harlow, Weybridge, and Chesterfield.
Weybridge currently employs approximately 650
Harlow currently employs approximately 800
Chesterfield currently employs approximately 400
More top news
The first cruise ship of the season has arrived in Harwich this morning, with around 2,250 passengers onboard.
A series of relaxed new portrait pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge have gone on display at the National Portrait Gallery.
After a dry and sunny start, the cloud will thicken bringing patchy light rain across most parts by the evening. Highs of 14 degrees C.


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Freebirds World Burrito, the fast-casual burrito concept owned by Tavistock Restaurants, announced the addition of industry veteran Bobby Shaw as senior vice president of operations. In this role, Shaw will oversee more than 90 Freebirds World Burrito locations across seven states and support the growth of the brand through strategic planning initiatives and profit management practices.
“We are thrilled with the addition of Bobby to our company,” says Charles Lewis, chairman of Tavistock Restaurants. “He brings experience, drive, passion, and a broad base of operational knowledge and execution, which will help us build on Freebirds’ success. I am so pleased to have Bobby join our executive leadership team.”
With more than 20 years of operational experience in the restaurant industry, Shaw spent the last decade with Chipotle Mexican Grill, during the company’s growth.
Most recently, he served as an executive regional director for one of Chipotle’s most successful regions in the U.S., responsible for 228 restaurants in ten states. Under his leadership, Chipotle entered a number of new markets that contributed to new restaurant opening sales for the company. Bobby also developed a team that achieved 100 percent internal promotions ans company leading results in comparative sales and comparative transaction growth.
Shaw began his career with McDonald’s Corporation in 1984 as a crewmember, where he rose through the ranks to multi-unit management, before joining Chipotle.
“We are all excited to add Bobby to the executive management team at Freebirds,” says Keith Davis, chief financial officer of Freebirds World Burrito. “His experience and hands on management is just the kind of leadership we need to optimize our operations and accelerate growth.”
“Freebirds is unique—it is a compelling brand with a loyal following,” Shaw says. “I look forward to finding ways to help the team capitalize on this phenomenon and expand the business. With the broader support from Tavistock Group, we can accelerate this brand’s growth. It’s a great time to be at Freebirds.”
Freebirds World Burrito is known for its approach to burritos, tacos, and nachos. Clientele can choose from a variety of burrito sizes, tortilla flavors, and ingredients including grass-fed beef, hormone-free chicken, and slow-roasted carnitas. Entrées are topped with chopped vegetables and salsas, including the restaurant’s Death Sauce.


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Matson Inc. posts $15.6M Q4 profit
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Honolulu-based ocean shipper Matson Inc. on Thursday reported a net income of $15.6 million, or 36 cents per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2012, compared to net income of $1.6 million, or 4 cents per diluted share, during the same quarter in 2011.
The company’s net income for all of 2012 was $45.9 million, or $1.08 per diluted share, compared to $34.2 million, or 81 cents per diluted share, in 2011, Matson (NYSE: MATX) said in a statement.
Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2012 was $398.3 million, compared to $374.9 million for the same quarter in 2011.
“Continued strong Guam volume and an improved rate environment in our expedited China service led to a solid fourth quarter,” Matt Cox, Matson’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “Yet we believe we can do better.
Matson, however, reported that Hawaii container and auto volume was negatively affected in 2012 because of construction activity, competitive rates, a market contraction due to foreign sourcing of cargo and the timing of automobile rental fleets being replaced. But the company indicated that it believes the state’s economy is rebounding with an uptick in construction and consumer spending in the fourth quarter.
Matson’s figures show that automobile shipping for the Hawaii market fell from 19,700 units in the fourth quarter of 2011 to 18,800 units in 2012, while the company’s Guam shipping container business increased by 27.5 percent as it went from 5,100 containers in the fourth quarter of 2011 to 6,500 last year.
The China shipping container business also dropped in the fourth quarter to 14,000 units in 2012 from 15,800 units in 2011. The Hawaii shipping container business was flat with a slight increase from 35,000 containers in 2011 to 35,100 units in 2012.
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The consumer survey report 'Dealing with Debt: How India plans to pay EMIs' by paisabazaar.com was undertaken to gauge the impact of coronavirus pandemic on the Indian borrowers' income and loan repayment capacity.
It surveyed 8,616 customers with debt outstanding of over Rs 1 lakh in the age group of 24-57 years, covering 37 cities.
"In our survey, a whopping 65 per cent of the respondents said the coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdown has had a negative impact on their income. About 16 per cent of them claimed to have lost 100 per cent of their income with another 28 per cent reporting income reduction of more than half due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis," it said.
As per the survey, 56 per cent of the respondents said they had availed the moratorium offered by their lender banks or NBFC on their loans/credit card outstandings during March-August.
Paisabazaar.com said more than half of the customers surveyed said they want to apply for loan restructuring.
"55 per cent of the customers responded that they would approach their lender to restructure their loan in some form to provide relief. Within those who have already availed the moratorium, 70 per cent of them said they would like their lenders to provide them some form of relief in their loan repayment," as per the survey.
However, the surveyor said that these include many whose income has not been affected due to the coronavirus pandemic and hence their lenders may not find them eligible for a loan recast plan.
As a relief to the financially stressed borrowers, the RBI had permitted two stage moratorium from March to August that allowed deferment of EMIs and credit card payments.
The survey further said that as many as 46 per cent of the customers who had availed moratorium said they do not want a new moratorium. As many as 67 per cent of the moratorium beneficiaries expressed their loan tenure to be extended by up to 6 months only to bring down their EMIs.
As per the findings of the survey, 86 per cent of the self-employed customers said the pandemic has adversely impacted their income while 25 per cent claimed their income has come down to zero.
On the other hand, 44 per cent of the salaried respondents said their salaries have not been negatively affected. Another 30 per cent said their salaries have been reduced by more than half from the pre-Covid levels while 12 per cent claimed to have reported complete loss of salary due to job loss.
Geography-wise, Chennai came out to be the least impacted city by the coronavirus pandemic in terms of loss of income.
Over 48 per cent of consumers surveyed from Chennai said they did not suffered any negative impact due to the health crisis and the resultant restrictions imposed. Only 9 per cent suffered a 100 per cent income loss.
On the other hand, Delhi and the NCR cities were the most impacted with 70 per cent of their resident participants reporting a negative impact on income.
Among these, 16 per cent of customers from the NCR also said their income has come down to zero due to the pandemic related disruptions.
In terms of percentage of customers who had a complete loss of income, Mumbai fared the worst with 26 per cent respondents from the city reporting income plummeting to nil.
Also, Mumbai had the highest percentage of moratorium takers at 65 per cent.
"With the moratorium now over, when we asked consumers about their capacity to repay their EMIs, 66 per cent of respondents from Chennai said they would be able to afford their monthly debt obligation in full.
"Mumbai was the worst placed, with Delhi and Bengaluru only marginally better. 52 per cent of Mumbai respondents cannot pay their EMIs in full, with 15 per cent of them saying they currently have zero payment capacity," paisabazaar.com said.
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SELFISH shoppers pretended to be NHS workers in a bid to jump the queues at a Tesco store.
Customers tried to sneak past security staff during the special shopping hour for health employees at a Tesco Extra in Gallions Reach, east London.
One family argued with staff and rammed their trolleys into the barriers when refused entry.
Nurse Francesca Hamilton arrived at the store at 9am but left the 600-yard queue to help Tesco staff manage the crowds.
‘I am surprised people have tried to jump the queue. It’s unbelievable,’ said Ms Hamilton, 47. ‘Now is the time for people to look after us so that we can look after you, but they’re not listening.’
Ambulance driver Stacey Wyss, 32, praised the initiative but said: ‘There was still no pasta, no rice and no toilet roll.’ NHS workers have also raised concerns at lack of social distancing measures.


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Guimarpeixe, a company specialised in the transformation, sale and distribution of ultra-frozen food products, was recently recognised internationally for its food quality, safety and responsibility. The award was attributed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
The BRC standards comprise a worldwide benchmark for best practices in the food industry. This certification allows the company, which is based in Guimarães, to guarantee the quality and food safety of its products in international markets.
The BRC certification is especially appreciated by large retail chains, which seek to assess the quality of companies that supply food products.


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Canopy Growth (CGC) is set to release its fiscal 2020 second-quarter earnings results on November 14. The company missed the consensus revenue estimate in the first quarter. Here, we’ll see what revenue performance analysts expect from CGC in the upcoming quarter.
Canopy Growth’s revenue estimates
In the second quarter, analysts expect CGC’s revenue to rise 369.25% year-over-year and 209.77% sequentially to around 109.46 million Canadian dollars. This is lower than the previous revenue estimate of 112.86 million Canadian dollars, which had implied year-over-year growth of 383.79%.
Analysts now expect the company to report revenues of 544.57 million Canadian dollars in fiscal 2020, lower than the previous estimate of $547.16 million. This estimate is also much lower than the fiscal 2020 revenue guidance of $1 billion.
Canopy Growth losing share in the Canadian medical cannabis market
Canopy Growth seems to be facing challenges in the Canadian medical cannabis market. Even in the first quarter, the company reported Canadian medical cannabis revenues of $13.1 million, a year-over-year decline of 38%. However, the company’s international medical cannabis revenues rose year-over-year by 209% to $10.5 million in the first quarter.
On November 5, as TheFly reported, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Pablo Zuanic initiated coverage of the company with a “neutral” rating and target price of 27 Canadian dollars. Zuanic has expressed concern about the company’s position in the Canadian medical cannabis market despite its significant medical IP assets. The analyst also highlighted the company’s low gross margins compared to peers.
What else will affect CGC’s revenues?
Other headwinds in the cannabis industry may also affect Canopy Growth’s revenue performance. On October 31, as TheFly reported, Ladenburg Thalmann analyst Glenn Mattson highlighted flat market growth in Canada as the biggest negative driver for the cannabis sector. Mattson also highlighted a much slower retail rollout as a key concern for the industry. Plus, Mattson believes many companies may have to write down their goodwill. This outlook is due to the much higher valuations paid by the cannabis companies for acquisitions in previous years.
Mattson, however, also expressed hopes for upside potential for cannabis stocks due to Cannabis 2.0 legalization. According to the company’s investor presentation, Canopy Growth is focusing on launching differentiated Cannabis 2.0 beverages, vapes, and edibles in the third quarter of fiscal 2020. Mattson maintained a “buy” rating for CGC but lowered his target price from $42 to $29. He also maintained a “buy” rating for Aurora Cannabis (ACB) but reduced its target price from $9 to $6.
According to an investor presentation, Canopy Growth accounts for 25% of the Canadian recreational cannabis market by listings. In the first quarter, the company reported Canadian recreational cannabis revenues of 60.8 million Canadian dollars, a sequential rise of 88%.
Canopy Growth is also focusing on entering the US CBD (Cannabidiol) market in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. According to an investor presentation, the company will launch CBD products in several categories, including health and wellness, sleep solutions, skin and beauty, and pet aids.
The company has already planted low-cost and high-yield hemp plants across 4,000 acres of land. Interestingly, Canopy Growth has also hired Marth Stewart as a product advisor. It expects the total addressable market in the global CBD space to exceed 250 billion Canadian dollars.


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Müller Milk & Ingredients has launched a significant push to recruit more drivers.
The business is looking to fill over 150 vacancies to ensure that it can continue to deliver service levels of over 99 per cent for its private label dairy customers.
There are full time and part time vacancies nationwide, ranging from HGV drivers, driver trainers and driver apprentices, to dairy production and distribution operatives.
Jon Jenkins, chief executive at Müller Milk & Ingredients said their business model proved “exceptionally resilient” amid the industry wide driver shortage in 2021, successfully delivering over 99% of deliveries to retail partners over the course of the year.
“The key to this success was threefold: the vast majority of our logistics operations are in-house rather than outsourced to a third-party, we were able to work really closely and collaboratively with our customers and supplying farmers to find the right solutions, and of course, none of this would have been possible without the ongoing commitment and loyalty of our hard-working colleagues,” he said.
Jenkins added that labour shortages, despite the above measures, are one of the key issues facing the food supply chain.
“That’s why our message is simple, if you have the necessary skills and qualifications to come and work at Müller Milk & Ingredients, then we would love to hear from you. Our milk can be in fridges within only two days of leaving the farm, but we need great people to make that happen.”
In 2021, MMI was able to leverage its logistics partnership with sister company Culina Group, a leading UK based food and drinks logistics provider with over 5,000 vehicles, 22,000 employees at peak and 20 million square feet of warehousing.
The dairy company said it also modernised its terms and conditions to enable it to attract and retain suitable candidates.
The business is also helping its employees gain their driver qualifications. Through its apprenticeship scheme and an in-house ‘Warehouse to Wheels’ training programme, several individuals have already become full time HGV drivers, with more currently progressing through their training.
Müller is also working collaboratively with organisations like Veterans into Logistics, who help place highly-trained ex-military personnel into work within the logistics industry.


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Today’s press day (or press morning, rather) for the New York Motorcycle Show. We’re attending and we’ll be publishing photos and other short tidbits live from the show floor. No huge new model unveils, but we expect to see Victory’s 2012 range, some news from Kawasaki and it’s the first time we’ll be able to go hands-on with new models like the BMW K1600GT and Ducati Diavel.
Want a question answered, a photo taken or anything else? Leave a comment or hit us up on Twitter.
Update: Press morning is over. The Diavel is surprisingly good looking in person, the K1600 is surprisingly small and, no surprise, the Triumph Tiger 800 looks exactly like an F800GS.


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Market report: Wednesday close
The ill-effects of the credit squeeze are starting be felt by consumer related companies as investors fret about the shrinking amounts of cash in our pockets and purses.
Movers: Latest share prices
Sales are already under pressure. That will soon manifest itself in profit margins, which could lead to cuts in dividend payouts.
The biggest blue-chip casualty today was Enterprise Inns, down 14p at 307½p — within a whisker of its record low of 299½p. The pubs chain started the year at 649p but, with the average price of a pint in the capital now topping £3, it is little wonder that stay-at-home drinkers are buying cheap booze from the supermarkets.
The falling pound is giving package-holiday operators such as Thomas Cook, down 2p at 215p, a big headache. It means holidaymakers are paying more for their trips to the sun and have less to spend when they get there. TUI Travel shed 3¼p at 204p.
Costa Coffee and Brewers Fayre operator Whitbread lost 20p at 1113p. Brokers say consumers are switching to takeaways and meals at home to conserve cash, and skipping the odd cup of coffee.
We have already seen that fashion retailers such as Next, down 28p at 1015p, and Marks & Spencer, off 4¾p at 245¾p, are feeling the squeeze, with shoppers switching to discount retailers or just spending less in the shops.
Shares generally traded within a narrow range in thin conditions. Prices rallied this afternoon, despite a rise in oil prices.
The FTSE 100 index closed 57.4 points ahead at 5528.1. Wall Street was cheered this afternoon-by an unexpected rise in durable goods orders last month. But celebrations were tinged by those higher oil prices, which led to selling of the Dow future. The Dow rallied from opening falls to sport a rise of 5.5 at 11,418.4.
Satellite broadcaster BskyB was showing stock-market bears a clean pair of heels after Goldman Sachs chose to add the shares to its conviction buy list. They rose 6p to 456p, making them the best performers in the top 100 companies.
Despite adding the shares to its buy list, Goldman has slashed its target price from 770p to 593p, presumably because of the bleak outlook for advertising revenues.
The move by Goldman follows its latest review of the media sector, which also saw it upgrade ITV, in which BSkyB still has an 18% stake, from sell to neutral while repeating its 48p target. The price dipped 0.3p to 42.1p. BSkyB obtained its stake last year to thwart a merger with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Media. It paid more than 120p a share, and is nursing a large loss on the deal. It has been told by the regulator to reduce the stake to 7%.
BG Group, 30p better at 1194p, has won consent under New Zealand law to complete the acquisition of Origin Energy. This is subject to confidential conditions. Last week, BG said Origin's response to its bid 'lacks any substance or clarity', and added that it remains confident its offer represents full and fair value for Origin's shareholders. Origin has rejected its A$13.6bn ($6.3bn) hostile offer.
News of a bid approach lifted Highway Insurance 14¼p to 64p. Panmure Gordon says it could be Admiral or French insurer Axa. Others vulnerable to bidders include Novae, up 6p at 303p, and Hardy, down 2½ at 211½p.
Micap has requested its shares be suspended on Aim at 0.38p pending clarification of its financial position. After an abortive acquisition, higher-than-expected professional advisory fees have left the natural food ingredients supplier with enough funds for only one to three months.
SHARES ADVICE & TOOLS
Guinness and Smirnoff owner Diageo is tipped to report a 9% jump in full-year operating profits, boosted by strong growth in its emerging markets divisions. Chief executive Paul Walsh should even be upbeat about trading in the UK, where the drinks giant seems to have stopped Guinness sales falling. However, investors are likely to focus on management's comments about the outlook for trading in 2009.
Half-year results from Mr Kipling cakes-to-Hovis Bread group Premier Foods are likely to fuel fears food inflation is out of control as the company is forced to raise prices to claw back soaring ingredient costs. Analysts forecast profits broadly in line with last year at between £56m and £62m, but Premier's debt mountain will attract scrutiny on fears the firm is in danger of breaching its banking covenants.
The FTSE 100 over the past week...
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In addition to product delays for everything from game consoles to sofas and bikes because of the global shortage of computer chips and containers, the energy crisis in China is now also threatening Nordic Christmas shopping.
According to TV2, Chinese factories are being forced to cut back on production because the country’s electricity grid cannot keep up with demand and green transition. This means that the delivery time for “Made in China” products can be even longer and maybe also more expensive. This will apply to a long list of products including for example Christmas lights, Christmas decorations, toys, hair trimmers, and underwear.
The main reason for the acute shortage of electricity in China is because Chinese factories are in the midst of an export boom that no one had anticipated during a pandemic, according to Ma Jun who is one of China’s leading environmental experts and head of the NGO Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs.
“The high demand in Europe and the US means that there is a shortage of coal in China, and therefore prices have risen. But coal-fired power plants have no motivation to increase production because they operate with a price cap. This means that the more they produce, the more money they lose,” Ma Jun explains.
The result is that not enough electricity is produced to keep the world’s largest production apparatus running. Therefore, rationing on electricity has been introduced in several provinces. In the northeastern part of the country, power outages have also affected private apartment blocks and shopping malls.
But there is also another explanation for the power outages, which is something Ma Jun and other environmental organizations in China are very pleased about. Some local governments are limiting production at their coal-fired power plants to save CO2 emissions.
“The central government has recently tightened its grip on local governments and is now seriously implementing all the new environment and work rules that have been adopted several years ago. Local leaders are now being measured on their CO2 reduction,” he says.
The challenge is that China still gets about 60 percent of its energy consumption from coal, and there are major structural problems in the country’s electricity grid, which make it difficult to convert to solar and wind energy.
“There must be major changes in energy and transport. It’s a painful transformation, and the current lack of electricity is a reminder that it will not be easy,” says Ma Jun.


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Bob Iger has stepped down as CEO of Disney, a move that sent immediate shock waves through the media industry that he helped shape in recent years.
Iger’s move, announced Tuesday, is effective immediately. He’ll stay on as executive chairman through December 2021 and continue to direct Disney’s content creation — arguably the most important role at the company.
Bob Chapek, the head of Disney’s lucrative parks unit, is the company’s new chief executive, a job that had been sought after by at least half a dozen of Iger’s current and former deputies.
Iger was named president and chief operating officer of Disney in 2000 and became CEO in 2005, taking over from Michael Eisner, whose tenure was ended by a shareholder revolt led by Roy E. Disney, nephew of the company’s founder, Walt Disney, who wanted to shake up the company’s management.


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Just when the global supply chain was starting to recover from the pandemic upheaval, the Ukraine crisis happened. The crisis has disrupted numerous operations, but gas seems to be the most affected. Souring gas prices plus the deployment of emergency reaction plans by carriers and shippers have had a range of impacts on logistics operations. This has disrupted the output in different sectors and adversely affected the delivery of goods to most regions.
So, what does this mean for commercial shippers?
Every business owner aims to maximize their profits and mitigate loss, and this applies to the carries as well. Due to the high gas prices, carriers are forced to increase their shipping prices or take losses. In return, this will impact the logistics company and the shippers.
It is more of an outward domino impact whereby shippers will be charged more to make up for the hiked price if the cost of freight transport is high. Similarly, if the shipper is charged high, the receiver or consumer has to pay more to compensate for the added costs. This means that the products will reach the consumers at higher prices, adversely affecting sales. Also, shipping companies are looking for other fuel-efficient shipping methods.
Even truck drivers want to maximize returns. They cannot afford to engage in drives that only waste their gasoline without profits. Therefore, they are unwilling to deliver a load if there is no return delivery upon reaching the said delivery destination. They want to leverage every opportunity, so they may be forced to wait until there is another load for their return trip.
This means that if you want to ship a product to a particular destination, you may have to wait until your freight transportation service provider gets a scheduled delivery from that destination to avoid deadheading. Again, this will harm your bottom line, especially when your receiver is not patient enough to wait until the said schedule. They are likely to look for alternatives, which translates to reduced sales.
The impact of increased gas prices goes beyond the transportation industry. Other sectors like the environment and technological development are affected. And this could lead to higher costs of shipping time-sensitive products. Furthermore, consumers may be forced to give up on secondary needs like clothes and appliances to avoid high costs. When people are not buying as much as they would if the fuel prices were standardized, retailers end up with tons of unsold goods. Similarly, the high prices affect companies that depend on particular commodities for their businesses. The businesses have to pay more to receive the items and will also be forced to charge more to their consumers, and the cycle continues. Businesses will either have to accept minimal returns and even losses or be stuck with stock that may take a long time to move.
A Shift in Service Area
Businesses whose operations depend on transportation and delivery must think of ways to save on fuel costs. And among the tips to achieve this is to trim their target service areas. For instance, if you initially offered out-of-town deliveries, you may be forced to change your service area to areas that are only a few miles from your central location. Or, you may alter routes and driving practices to suit your transportation budget. Most businesses have already changed their service areas nearly in half to minimize fuel consumption. Others have changed their delivery routines. For instance, food truck operators may concentrate on lunch and dinner deliveries within the neighborhoods while skipping any in-between orders. Again, the idea of trimming service areas and times will harm your company’s bottom line. The frustrations to consumers may prompt them to look for alternatives, thus reducing your sales.
Changes in Service Usage Level
From the arguments above, it is clear that an increase in fuel costs disrupts business delivery routines. Most companies have opted to cut back on the frequency of services. If the price affects usage level, the affected businesses will try to save as much by reducing services. Some may even decide to offer only pickups where they set up central products’ pick-up points, and consumers will have to pick them up by themselves. The idea is inconvenient, especially during the digital era when most individuals prefer shopping online. They expect to have the products delivered right at their doorstep, but this is only becoming a challenge by day.
Unfortunately, the hiked fuel prices affect the employees too. In an attempt to cut down costs and boost profits, businesses that depend on transportation and delivery may lay off some workers or reduce work hours. The idea will harm your productivity, and it may take more time than you think to recover.
The Effects of Gas Disruptions on the Future
Over 80% of cities in the US ship and receive their goods by truck, meaning that you shouldn’t expect the trucking industry to go anywhere any time soon. Still, fuel prices may continue to rise, increasing freight transportation. This has made some businesses keep more products on hand to reduce the number of necessary trips. Others respond to the increased freight transportation costs by shifting from offshoring to near-shoring when sourcing products to reduce the number of miles traveled. While it’s inevitable that the increasing fuel costs will affect the transportation industry, businesses can minimize stress and increase profits by planning ahead. For instance, you can entrust all your transportation needs to a single freight broker. Despite the spiking fuel prices, the idea offers you reliable shipping services at affordable rates.
Haulitforward is your go-to freight broker for all business shipping needs. We offer fast and seamless shipping experiences regardless of the size of your loads and distance. Reach out to us today, and let’s discuss how we can help you achieve your bottom line during these challenging times. Try us today and share your experience.


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Google is set to release its Google Glass wearable technology to the public, but for one day only. Currently, Google Glass is limited to those selected for the explorer programme, but the company has...
High profile attacks like WannaCry have pushed cybercrime into the public eye
Don't panic! Oracle releases 237 patches fixing 153 vulnerabilities in business-critical applications
Critical flaws in Fusion Middleware, PeopleSoft and MICROS retail applications fixed in Oracle's latest Critical Patch Update
Hackers are becoming craftier and focusing on identity theft
Google removes fraudulent extensions


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Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has recently added a new report on the market for processed meat in GCC countries, which estimates this market to expand at an impressive CAGR of 8.40% during the period from 2016 to 2024. The research report states that the market is expected to rise from a value of US$0.7 bn in 2015 to US$1.5 bn by the end of the forecast period.
The report, titled “Processed Meat Market - GCC Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016-2024,” is published by Transparency Market Research (TMR).
According to the research report, the GCC processed meat market is heavily influenced by the busy lifestyle of consumers. People are increasingly opting for ready-to-eat food items, which has led to a significant rise in the demand for processed food. Consequently, the demand for processed meat has also increased and is likely to continue to move upward in the forthcoming years, notes the study.
Request a Sample Copy of the Report @ http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2141
Apart from this, the increased investments and aggressive marketing strategies by vendors are also reflecting positively on the sales of processed meat in GCC countries. In addition, the rising preference for fast foods, especially with processed meat, among children and young adults, the increasing number of working women GCC countries, and the upswing in product innovation by leading producers of processed meat are likely to boost the GCC market for processed meat over the forecast period, states the research report.
In this study, the market for processed meat in GCC has been analyzed on the basis of the type of meat, type of product, type of package, and the geography. Based on type of meat, the market has been classified into lamb, beef, and poultry. The poultry segment led the GCC processed meat market in 2015 with a share of more than 43%. Researchers predict this segment to remain on top throughout the forecast period.
Inquiry on this report @ http://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/2141
Based on the type of product, the market has been classified into frozen processed meat, shelf stable meat, and chilled processed meat. The demand for frozen processed meat has been higher among consumers and is expected to remain so over the period of forecast.
In terms of packaging, the report has segmented the GCC processed meat market into bulk packaging and retail packaging. Currently, retail packaging is preferred more than bulk packing due to the low cost and the longer shelf life it provides to products. The trend is expected to prevail in the near future, states the report.
Browse Full GCC Processed Meat Market Report with TOC:http://www.mrrse.com/gcc-processed-meat-market
Geographically, the market for processed meat in GCC has been segregated into Qatar and the Rest of GCC. The Rest of GCC led the overall market with a share of nearly 88% I n 2015. However, Qatar will register a high-paced growth over the forecast period at a CAGR of 8.80%, reports the study.
The competitive landscape of this the GCC market for processed meat is also provided in this market study. Sunbullah Group, Al Islami Foods, National Food Co., B.R.F. S.A., Cargill Inc., Tyson Foods, Mc Donalds, and Yum Brands are the key producers of processed meat in GCC countries, states the research report.
MRRSE stands for Market Research Reports Search Engine, the largest online catalog of latest market research reports based on industries, companies, and countries. MRRSE sources thousands of industry reports, market statistics, and company profiles from trusted entities and makes them available at a click. Besides well-known private publishers, the reports featured on MRRSE typically come from national statistics agencies, investment agencies, leading media houses, trade unions, governments, and embassies.


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Wednesday April 22,2015 : BAD SPORTS RESULTS HAMMER LADBROKES PROFIT
Operating profit plunges 60 percent to GBP 14.3 million compared to the previous quarter.
The latest quarterly results report from the land and online gambling group Ladbrokes plc reveals that operating profits plunged 60 percent quarter-on-quarter as a result of unfavourable football and horse-racing results.
Profit before tax and excluding one-off costs was GBP 14.3 million in Q1-2015 compared to GBP 35.6 million in the last three months of 2014, and a year-on-year comparison shows that profit is down 23 percent, from GBP 18.4 million in the first quarter of 2014.
The company admitted that its gross win margin was "well below target" of 17 percent, at 15.7 percent.
On the retail side, the group saw declining punter visits in its high-street stores. The bookmaker, which has 2,194 betting outlets, closed 15 shops in the first quarter, and plans to close 60 in total this year.
Jim Mullen, Ladbrokes' new chief executive who took the helm at the start of the month, said:
“These results demonstrate the challenges we continue to face. We need to change the way we run the business, build scale – primarily in Digital – and respond faster to the customer and changes in the market place.
"I will complete my review of the wider business quickly and I will present some of the principal changes that I intend to make, in June, earlier than planned.
"Shareholders should expect me to focus on how we will build an effective competitive position, develop scale and resilience over the medium-term.
"We have laid solid operational foundations but there is still a lot to be done."
The quarterly report notes that in Digital net revenue exc. Australia was up 9.5 percent, and the sportsbook KPIs remain strong, with mobile staking up 62.7 percent, although the margin and net revenue was significantly down, reflecting company-adverse sports results.
Australian Digital numbers were impressive, with wagers up 77.8 percent; active players up 137 percent; net revenue up 132 percent and margins at 9.8 percent.
Ladbrokes.com Gaming trends improved again in Q1 driven by strong growth in active online punters, especially in Australia where net revenue growth benefitted from the acquisition of Betstar in Q2 2014 and an improved margin.
Digital operating costs remain in line with expectations, and overall results in other Digital operations have broadly met anticipation.
In general, the company reported on the impact of new UK taxes and its withdrawal from unregulated digital markets in line with the guidelines of the UK Gambling Commission – Q1-2015 EBIT decreased by 22.3 percent
The group's net debt reduced by GBP 28.7 million to GBP 390.5 million at 31 March 2015.


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Niantic Inc, the augmented reality platform behind Pokemon Go, raised $300M from hedge fund Coatue at a valuation of $9B.
The company will use the funds to invest in current games and new apps, expand the Lightship developer platform, and build out its vision for the Real-World Metaverse.
How did Niantic come into existence?
In 2010, Niantic Labs was developed as a startup within Google based out on an idea to leverage mobile devices and maps to create a new kind of gameplay based on three core principles:
- Exploration and discovery of new places
- Real-world social interaction with other people
In 2012, the company launched Field Trip, a location-based mobile app that acts as a guide to the cool, hidden, and unique things in the world around users. The game was first released on mobile devices, and later on other wearable and AR hardware.
Later that same year, Niantic Labs launched Ingress, the first of its kind, location-based, augmented reality mobile game.
In 2015, Niantic Inc spun out of Alphabet Inc., as an independent, private company with $35M in Series-A funding from The Pokémon Company Group, Google, and Nintendo.
Niantic Inc is on a mission to inspire people to explore the world together.
The company aims to build products that inspire movement, exploration, and face-to-face social interaction.
“We’re focused on building games that get people outside and exploring by enabling our players to have fun while visiting new places, learning about the world around them, and meeting new friends,” says the company.
Partnership with Fold
Recently, the company has joined forces with bitcoin rewards and payments app Fold to unveil its first-ever augmented reality (AR) bitcoin earning a feature in the metaverse.
Fold AR is now currently available for users to play in beta in the Fold App. The app allows users to earn bitcoin and in-app benefits by exploring their physical surroundings.
“This is the easiest, most fun way to get your first piece of bitcoin,” expressed Fold CEO, Will Reeves.
The initial rollout of Fold AR on November 23rd, 2021 will allow a small number of users to access the experience for a limited time each day. Access will increase from November 23rd onwards.
“Anyone can use our app to earn bitcoin and other rewards by exploring the world around them. For us, it’s always been important to make participating in the bitcoin economy easy for anyone, regardless of education or technical expertise,” says Reeves.
Earlier this month, Niantic launched the Lightship platform, enabling developers globally to realise their visions for Augmented Reality and the Real-World Metaverse.
The launch partners include Historic Royal Palaces, Coachella, Lifull, the PGA of America, Shueisha, SoftBank, Science Museum Group, TRIPP, Universal Pictures, the d artist JR and Superblue, and Warner Music Group.
On the other hand, Niantic also announced Niantic Ventures, a $20M fund to help identify and fund the AR leaders of tomorrow.
Last month, Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo launched Pikmin Bloom, a smartphone app designed to spices up daily walks with the help of an adorable yet mischievous squad of Pikmin.
It will be available on the App Store and Google Play over the coming days says the company. You can check out more about this game here.


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MAP Archives - Inside Retail Asia
South Korean beauty company Amorepacific Group is set to launch the Etude brand in Indonesia.
The Debenhams Indonesia department store will close by the end of this year, local brand partner MAP as announced.
US private-equity company General Atlantic has made its first investment in Indonesia by buying into lifestyle retailer Mitra Adiperkasa (Map).
Migrant workers from Myanmar are subject to ‘wage theft’ in Thailand say campaigners for ethics in the garment making industry. But the organisation cannot name and hsame the apparel brands benefitting from the exploitation – because the workers have no idea whose brands they are making clothes for. To mark the recent United Nations International Migrant Day, the Clean Clothes Campaign and MAP Foundation released an in-depth study into the working conditions of migrants from Myanmar wh…
MAP plans 350 new stores this year.


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The Proud Mother! Kim Kardashian’s daughter North West made her runway debut!
North West debuts on the runway
On Friday, North West who is the eldest daughter of socialite Kim Kardashian and singer Kanye West made her first runway walk. This was at the L.O.L. Surprise Fashion Show in Palisades Park in California. Besides North West, there were other celebrity kids as well and these were Busy Phillipps’ daughter Birdie and Sara Foster’s daughter Valentina. These two also did the walk on the runway.
About the L.O.L. Surprise Fashion Show
The show celebrated the famous toy line and also had a glitter runway, a photo booth, and sweet treats for the kids.
Each child had a look which was modeled on their favorite L.O.L. Surprise character. North West’s outfit was similar to that of the rocking Thrilla. It had major Michael Jackson vibes. She had donned a red PVC jacket and shirt and was seen walking on the silvery runway. She was also carrying a Cult Gaia Ark bag when she walked the ramp.
Proud mother, Kim Kardashian and her statement
Kim was happy that her daughter managed to get involved in the show and she gave her performance well. Kim said in a statement:
“North is completely obsessed with L.O.L. Surprise already, so when we found out there was going to be an L.O.L. Surprise BIGGER Surprise Fashion show, she absolutely had to be involved. She loves to dress up like her favorite characters, so it was so exciting for her to actually become a real-life L.O.L. doll.”
Kim was in an elated mood and extremely supportive of her daughter’s first runway walk. The mother-of-three might have given her eldest a rehearsal before the real show and walk. Kim had uploaded videos of her daughter’s sassy walk on Instagram stories. Kim could be heard screaming North West’s name as she started her act.
North West’s previous encounter with the fashion world
This is not the first time that North West has been associated with the fashion world. In the early part of this year, North West was seen in a Fendi campaign when she accompanied mother Kim and also her grandmother Kris Jenner. Their shoot was a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Fendi Peekaboo handbag. It appeared to be a family affair since Kanye West gave the soundtrack for the campaign.
Though North West is only 5, she is considered a style icon in the making. She is an inspiration for other toddlers her age. She had attended a design summer camp and there was a fashion show at the end of the session. She has appeared with her mother on the cover page of Interview magazine last year and later was seen with her younger brother Saint West and her father Kanye West on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar magazine.
Source: harper’s bazaar.com, wmagazine.com, eonline.com


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It’s time to acknowledge that retirees who jump ship to Spain in their 60s are definitely on to something. While housing costs in the UK continue to be a sore point, it turns out you can buy an entire airport just south of Madrid for just under £7,000.
That’s the equivalent of less than a year's rent (10 months, to be precise) in this London ‘flat’.
Cuidad Real Airport opened in 2008 anticipating 2.5 million passengers per year, but closed in 2012 after declaring bankruptcy.
At auction, a Chinese company placed the only bid for 100,000 times less than it cost to build (over €1bn), hoping to use it as an entry point into Europe for Chinese companies.
However, there’s still time to outbid them before the sale goes through in September.
Our suggestion for what to do with it? Create your own TV motoring show and license it back to ITV - after all, the Top Gear team are already familiar with this particular set of runways.


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TYSONS, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cvent, a market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, today announced that it has acquired DoubleDutch, one of the unique leaders in the mobile event app industry based in San Francisco. The acquisition of DoubleDutch highlights Cvent’s investment in the mobile technology space and will complement and grow the company’s signature mobile event app and onsite solution capabilities.
Mobile event apps are an integral part of the attendee experience, facilitating – and capturing – engagement that leads to higher event ROI and attendee satisfaction. By acquiring DoubleDutch, Cvent is expanding its commitment to the critically important onsite experience.
“DoubleDutch is an innovator in the mobile event app space and both Cvent and DoubleDutch have a shared mission to unlock the business value of human connection,” said Lawrence Coburn, CEO and founder of DoubleDutch. “We are incredibly proud to join the market-leading team at Cvent. With their global reach and scale, we can fuel our passion to change the way people connect, learn, and grow at live events.”
“We are extremely excited to add DoubleDutch to the Cvent family,” said Reggie Aggarwal, CEO and founder of Cvent. “By adding DoubleDutch’s industry expertise to Cvent, we accelerate our investment in mobile event technology. We are also proud to welcome the talented DoubleDutch team to our more than 4,000 Cventers worldwide. Together, we will continue to drive innovation in how attendees engage at events.”
Tweet this: #BreakingNews: @Cvent acquires @DoubleDutch to accelerate its investment in mobile event technology. #eventtech
Cvent is a leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider with more than 4,000 employees, 25,000 customers, and 300,000 users worldwide. The Cvent Event Cloud offers software solutions to event planners and marketers for online event registration, venue selection, event management and marketing, onsite solutions, and attendee engagement. Cvent’s suite of products automate and simplify the planning process to maximize the impact of events. The Cvent Hospitality Cloud partners with hotels and venues to help them drive group and corporate travel business. Hotels use the Cvent Hospitality Cloud’s digital marketing tools and software solutions to win business through Cvent’s sourcing platforms and to service their customers directly, efficiently and profitably – helping them grow and own their business. Cvent solutions optimize the entire event management value chain and have enabled clients around the world to manage hundreds of thousands of meetings and events. For more information, please visit Cvent.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
DoubleDutch's mission is to unlock the business value of human connections by bringing the power of digital to live experiences. The DoubleDutch Live Engagement Platform powers events, conferences, and trade shows for more than 500 customers including Akamai, LinkedIn, ASAE, SAP, and more. The company has been named one of Deloitte's 500 fastest growing companies in North America, one of AlwaysOn OnMedia's 100 Top Private Companies, and one of Forbes' 10 Hot Companies to Work for in San Francisco. DoubleDutch is based in San Francisco with an additional U.S. office in Phoenix and a global presence in Amsterdam.


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A hungry American economy powered by a strong US dollar saw record imports in September, driving the US trade deficit to its highest level in seven months, the government reported Friday.
And amid President Donald Trump's trade war with Beijing, the US trade deficit with China swelled again, as crucial soybean exports -- a sore spot for Republicans in next week's midterm elections -- continued to suffer.
With rising wages and low unemployment, Americans purchased more foreign-made telecommunications equipment, computers, mobile phones, aircraft engines, clothing and toys, the Commerce Department said.
The US trade deficit posted its fourth straight monthly increase, rising 1.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted $54 billion, significantly overshooting analyst forecasts, as imports hit $266.6 billion, the highest level ever recorded. Exports also rose to $212.6 billion
The US trade gap has increased a steep 10.1 percent so far this year.
The expanding trade gap should weigh on GDP calculations in the third quarter, although many estimates may already have factored in the trade drag.
Trade with China, a central target of Trump's aggressive economic agenda, was a clear culprit, as the deficit in goods with the world's second largest economy jumped $3 billion to $37.4 billion, seasonally adjusted.
Goods imports from China hit a record of $47.7 billion, seasonally adjusted, an increase of $3.5 billion from August. The trade report showed American producers sold more gold, petroleum products and civilian aircraft, but exports of soybeans fell $700 billion from August, also largely the result of the trade spat with China.
US imports rose faster than exports on robust spending by companies and consumers -- driving the US goods deficit to its highest level ever recorded at $76.3 billion.
US goods imports also were the highest ever, at $217.6 billion. Analysts say recent tax cuts and fiscal stimulus should support demand that outstrips domestic production, keeping imports high and allowing the trade gap to widen further.
Excluding oil and aircraft, US exports fell at an annual rate of 8.6 percent, something Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics called "grim."


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A 71.8 per cent growth in share price has been posted by Metro Spinning Limited in 18 trading sessions till May 12, which was the last session before the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
The share price of the company rose to Tk 13.4 each on the day, which was Tk 7.8 on April 18.
But, the price of the shares declined by 1.5 per cent to Tk 13.12 on May 16.
The Dhaka Stock Exchange on May 12 sent a query letter to the company, seeking an explanation for the unusual price hike.
However, the company replied that there was no undisclosed price sensitive information behind this price hike.
In line with the company’s financial statements in the first half of the current fiscal year, the revenue of the company fell 10.39 per cent to Tk 36.05 crore, which was Tk 40.23 crore in the same time of the previous fiscal.
The net profit after tax increased around 7 times, compared to the same period in the previous year.
During the July-March period of the current fiscal year, its net profit stood at Tk 1.24 crore and earnings per share Tk 0.20, which was Tk 18.33 lakh and Tk 0.03 respectively in the same period previous year.
In the previous fiscal year, the company made a profit of Tk 47 lakh and recommended a 2 per cent cash dividend for its shareholders.
Before the pandemic, in fiscal 2018-2019, it made a profit of Tk 1.29 crore and paid a 2 per cent cash dividend to its shareholders.
A member of the Maksons Group, Metro Spinning Limited, was established in 1993 and got listed on the stock exchanges in 2002.
It produces yarn for both the local garments industry as well as the export market.


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Rita Ora's fight for 100k pounds
London: Singer Rita Ora has been dragged in a 100,000 pounds legal battle after she was spotted wearing the wrong trainers. Brand that signed singer as their ambassador attempt to bring her to heel after she's spotted sporting rival's company's shoes, reports dailymail.co.uk. The Kosovan-born singer might want to be a little more careful with her outfits after a pair of trainers landed her in the centre of a 100,000 pounds legal battle. As the face of the spring/summer 2013 campaign for sportswear brand Superga - a label owned by Scottish firm GL Dameck - Ora agreed not to be seen wearing any trainers other than the company's footwear. But in April 2013 the singer was spotted in a pair of grubby white Converse trainers as she left Mayfair haunt Mahiki with her celebrity friends Cara Delevingne and Ellie Goulding. GL Dameck claimed this was a breach of Miss Ora's contract and cited the Converse incident as a reason for withholding the third and fourth instalments of the singer's 180,000 pounds fee. Ora admitted breaching a clause of the agreement but claimed it did not excuse GL Dameck's failure to pay her fee.
She demanded payment of 90,000 pounds plus VAT, costs and interest - and the case has now been settled out of court.
Representatives for Rita Ora and GL Dameck declined to comment. IANS


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By Ryan Pickrell
China has agreed to open up its markets to U.S. financial firms and agriculture exports as part of a new bilateral trade agreement, in a decision the Trump administration called a “herculean accomplishment.”
The deal will allow the U.S. to export beef to China and the latter to export cooked poultry to the U.S. Furthermore, American firms will allow crediting services in China. The 10-point trade package unveiled Friday is being touted as an “early harvest” of the 100-day trade plan President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to during their meeting in early April, reports the Financial Times. The two sides may extend the plan from 100 days to one year.
China also agreed to speed up the process for approving certain U.S. biotechnology products.
The U.S. also revealed it will send a delegation to represent the U.S. at an upcoming forum in Beijing for China’s massive One Belt, One Road initiative, a major global trade project. In return, China will send a delegation to a foreign investors meeting in the U.S. this summer. “The United States welcomes direct investment by Chinese entrepreneurs as it does entrepreneurs from other countries,” the relevant joint statement explained.
While the Trump administration regularly complains about America’s almost $350 billion trade deficit with China, the president and other administration officials have taken a less aggressive and confrontational stance on trade, especially as Beijing appears to be taking clear steps to rein in North Korea.
“This will help us to bring down the deficit for sure,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross explained at press briefing. “You watch and you’ll see.”
“U.S.-China relationships are now hitting a new high especially in trade,” he added.
“This was pretty much a herculean accomplishment to get this done,” Ross said, praising the administration’s latest achievements. “This is more than has been done in the whole history of U.S.-China relations on trade.”
Trump praised the trade deal in a tweet Friday morning.
China just agreed that the U.S. will be allowed to sell beef, and other major products, into China once again. This is REAL news!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017
“We believe that Sino-U.S. economic cooperation is the trend of the times,” Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao told reporters in Beijing. “We will continue to move forward.”
The Wall Street Journal commented that it is unclear “how much, if at all, the changes would reduce the” U.S. trade deficit with China, noting that many of the breakthroughs the Trump administration is claiming have been hailed as victories by past administrations only to be encumbered by new roadblocks later.
“Past foot-dragging means we won’t celebrate until these promises are executed,” Ker Gibbs, the chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, told Reuters, adding, “This should have been done years ago when it would have made a difference. At this point, the domestic players are well entrenched so foreign companies will have a hard time entering the China market.”


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JSC Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) and Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Thailand) signed a Bilateral Investment and Trade Promotion Agreement on the afternoon of November 16, 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, in the presence of President of Socialist Republic of Vietnam, H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, H.E. Prayut Chan-o-cha during the official visit to Thailand and attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2022 by H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc from November 16 to 19, 2022. The formal signing ceremony took place at the Government House of Thailand after the official meeting between the President of Vietnam and Prime Minister of Thailand.
The officer representing Vietcombank to sign the Agreement was Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung, Deputy CEO in charge of the Board of Management, and the counter-signatory from EXIM Thailand was Dr. Rak Vorrakitpokatorn, President.
The officer representing Vietcombank to sign the Agreement was Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung, Deputy CEO in charge of the Board of Management, and the counter-signatory from EXIM Thailand was Dr. Rak Vorrakitpokatorn, President in the presence of President of Socialist Republic of Vietnam, H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, H.E. Prayut Chan-o-cha. (Photo: VNA)
EXIM Thailand is a specialized bank for investment and trade promotion owned by the Government of Thailand and under direct supervision of the Ministry of Finance of Thailand, with the operating mandate to promote Thai trade and investment with overseas markets. Meanwhile, Vietcombank is the leading commercial bank in Vietnam with great advantages in international payment, trade finance and a wide range of diversified and tailor-made products and services for customers who are foreign investors into Vietnam, including those with Thai origin.
Inheriting the Memorandum of Understanding dually signed by the two banks at the end of 2020, the new Agreement aims to identify key areas of cooperation to promote bilateral investment and trade, with focuses on such aspects as international payment, trade finance, project co-financing, corporate loans against each party's guarantee. The scope of cooperation is not only in the boundary of Vietnam and Thailand but may also be expandable to other markets in the region. The two banks aim to increase the total volume of trade finance and project co-financing under this Agreement to approximately $250 million in the first year after the signing and keep growing it steadily in the years that follow.
As of December 31, 2021, Thailand has 645 on-going projects in Vietnam with a total registered capital of over USD 13 billion, ranking 8th out of 140 nations and territories and 2nd among ASEAN countries that have foreign investment in Vietnam. Thai investment inflow into Vietnam goes mainly into such industries as manufacturing, processing, energy, petrochemicals, industrial real estate, etc. Cooperation agreement between Vietcombank and EXIM Thailand is expected to help attracting more investment from Thailand into Vietnam, further strengthen the bilateral trade and investment, as well as better support companies from the two countries to promote business cooperation./.


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Internet News reports:
America Online is expected to announce Wednesday that it has signed on as official presenting sponsor of the "The AOL Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show," to be produced by MTV.
Dulles, Va.-based America Online, will unveil three new 30-second spots, which are still in development, for the occasion. BBDO Worldwide is AOL's agency of record, but an AOL spokesperson could not confirm what agency is handling the creative. In November, AOL put its interactive creative and media accounts in review. Interactive has been handled by atmosphereBBDO. AOL will milk the sponsorship -- and its NFL connection -- for all it's worth. For a week before the February 1 football game, it will host an interactive theme park in Houston offering entertainment and displays. Immediately after the game, AOL will post its annual Super Bowl Commercial Showcase, offering its members streams of the big-budget, high-concept ads the football extravaganza famously attracts. The showcase will include exclusive behind-the-scenes Super Bowl content.


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In fact, the survey predicts that these two platforms will dominate mobile business usage, with iPhones to account for 42.4 percent of smartphones bought by mobile workers when current contracts expire and Android smartphones comprising 23.8 percent. Only 19 percent wanted the messaging-oriented BlackBerry, which iPass's Wastie says suggests the RIM platform is fated to rapid obsolence. At the SIIA All about Mobile conference this week, Motorola product development exec Rick Bylina, who works on its Android products, joked that Balsillie should donate some BlackBerrys to a museum "so his grandkids will know what a BlackBerry was." The iPass survey also shows declining interest in Nokia, Windows Mobile, and WebOS devices.
Personal and business use are already highly mixed
The iPass survey found that employees who had to buy their own smartphones were less likely to use them for work purposes -- but two-thirds of them still did. In other words, mixed personal/business use is already the norm.
The survey found that 58.2 percent of mobile workers had used a personal device for work, and that percentage didn't vary based on age. Nearly half of employees (46.2 percent) regularly use their own smartphones for work. When workers bought the devices themselves, nearly half of those (45.7 percent) chose iPhones, the survey found. The iPhone was the first choice for both work use (29.7 percent) and personal use (46.1 percent) among those who purchased their own personal smartphones.
When employers provided smartphones, 51.3 percent were BlackBerrys, 20.7 percent were iPhones, and 12.0 percent were the now-discontinued Windows Phone devices. Symbian followed at 7.9 percent and Android at 6.2 percent. About half of mobile workers expect such employers to broaden the range of provided devices, with iPhones and Android topping the list of devices expected to join the employer's menu of options.
Although the iPhone remained the most desired smartphone across all age groups, employees aged 22 to 34 were nearly as hot for the Android platform as for the iPhone (34 percent and 42 percent, respectively). Desire for Android devices dipped to about 25 percent for all other age groups. The BlackBerry was desired by 27 percent of workers aged 55 to 64, typically because of their familiarity with the platform, iPass says, but by only 11 percent of those aged 22 to 34.
The strong desire for iPhones and Android devices was fairly consistent across the globe. But Europe's pattern of mobile desire differed slightly from the rest of the world in that Europeans were less likely to want a BlackBerry (12 percent versus 24 percent in North America and 17 percent in Asia) and more likely to want a Nokia device (11 percent versus 1 percent in North America and 5 percent in Asia).
The risks of mobile devices
A constant concern in IT and legal circles is what happens if a smartphone is lost or stolen and has corporate data on it. That worry is why many organizations carry policies requiring supported devices have on-device encryption and remote-wipe capabilities. (The use of encrypted devices exempts businesses from the laws in most states that require public notification if employee or customer personal data may have been accidentally released. BlackBerry, iOS (used in the iPhone and iPad), Windows Mobile, and some Nokia Symbian devices support on-device encryption; Windows Phone 7, WebOS, and Android devices do not.
The iPass survey shows that device loss is a legitimate concern: 14.3 percent of mobile workers had lost their smartphones or had them stolen. And the percentage was higher for workers aged 22 to 34 (22.9 percent) and those who used their personal devices (20.0 percent).
This article, "The truth about today's mobile user," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Read more of Gruman et al.'s Mobile Edge blog and follow the latest developments in mobile technology at InfoWorld.com.


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Kellogg Co. K, +4.38% cut its full-year guidance as weak volume growth in certain U.S. categories and its European business contributed to weaker-than-expected first-quarter results.
Shares were off 6.6% at $50.44 premarket as the cereal company said first-quarter earnings were $1 a share, including a 5 cents a share gain from hedges related to its pending $2.7 billion acquisition of Procter & Gamble Co.'s (PG) Pringles business. The per-share amount is flat with the year-earlier period, but sales declined 1.3%. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were expecting earnings of 99 cents on 3% revenue growth.
The company now expects full-year earnings between $3.18 and $3.30 a share, including the impact of Pringles, on sales growth of 2% to 3%. Kellogg expects the acquisition to lower per-share earnings by 6 cents to 11 cents. Analysts were expecting 2012 earnings of $3.48 on 6% sales growth.
Kellogg--also known for such brands as Pop-Tarts, Rice Krispies and Nutri-Grain--had seen its revenue grow in recent quarters as it raised prices to pass along higher commodity costs. But the company saw a sharp decline in third-quarter earnings as it stepped up investments in its supply chain in an effort to avoid a repeat of two major product recalls in recent years. Kellogg also has plans to spend more on advertising to support product launches.
In February, the company reported its fourth-quarter earnings rose 23% as higher prices helped boost sales 5.4%.
The stock is up 5.9% over the past three months through Friday's close.