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The start of a new year can be both an exciting and somewhat anxious time for business leaders. Understanding trends, anticipating potential shifts in consumer behaviour and responding appropriately, poses a different level of challenge when you are based in as diverse a region as Southeast Asia.
This region is experiencing what some call ‘the rising wave’ – a large emerging middle class – which is getting ready for an exciting future throughout Southeast Asia. Fueled by growing economies, bold entrepreneurs and rising incomes, the middle-class community in Southeast Asia will approach 350 million in population with a combined disposable income of USD$300 billion by 2022.
This is a population that has leapfrogged into the mobile-first lifestyle and it affects how people discover, evaluate and converse with businesses and ultimately, how and where they make purchases. The shift to mobile is particularly pronounced in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, where people spend 3.9, 3.7 and 3.4 hours, respectively, on their devices. At Facebook, we are seeing three significant consumer communications trends which we expect will intensify in 2019: Video, Stories and Messaging.
Last August – we rolled out Watch, a video platform, showcasing a variety of content from creators and partners, as well as scripted and unscripted original programming curated by Facebook, and found strong adoption in Southeast Asia, especially in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. We also found that Southeast Asia leads the way in people accessing video content on mobile.
Another interesting development is the consumer adoption of the ephemerality of the Stories format. People now share more than 1 billion stories every day across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Four SEA countries are among the top 10 Facebook Stories and Messenger Stories viewers. A recent eMarketer report which examined the popularity of Stories, said it plays into several broad consumer communication trends – a preference for sharing photographs or video over typing out a text update, the comfort of knowing what you post isn’t going to stick around forever and the need to share everyday moments with smaller audiences.
This preference is also driving the rise of messaging. Of all the consumer communication trends we are seeing, messaging, has the most implications for business as it gives people a direct line to the businesses they are interested in spending their money with. People are turning to messaging when they want a brand’s guidance or expertise, when they seek a more streamlined shopping experience and when they want to signal that they are open to important updates, whether that’s a delivery notification from a favourite retailer or a gate change from an airline. People and businesses around the world now exchange over 10 billion messages on our platforms each month.
This preference for messaging is even more pronounced in Southeast Asia, with 85 per cent of the people in six countries – Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam – using messaging apps or services several times a day . Data points from the GlobalWebIndex also showed that messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and others are growing at a rapid pace in Southeast Asia.
Messaging is important because it draws people and businesses into what can become an ongoing conversation, rather than a one-time transaction. In many cases, messaging can offer people a concierge-like experience. After answering an initial filtering question, people are able to engage in a two-way dialogue, unlocking a more meaningful and personalised brand experience. We surveyed people across four countries and found that being able to message with a business made people feel more confident about the brand and more connected to it. This is a new paradigm where businesses can make people feel cared for and create a connection that fosters brand loyalty.
So what do these trends mean for business leaders? Where should they focus their energies in 2019? I have two areas of recommendation. First, experiment with different mobile-first formats from Stories, videos and slideshows to engage customers wherever they are. Second, choose messaging tools for your business that can help you start conversations with your audience and build memorable relationships.


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6th December 2018
Eazi-Apps are proud to announce their continued commitment to professionally developing their Partners by introducing additional sales training courses within their renowned Online Sales and Training Academy.
19th November 2018
Central and South America are amongst the new areas where Eazi-Apps has launched mobile app businesses for its partners.
29th October 2018
In order to show further commitment to its network of entrepreneurs around the world, Eazi-Apps recently launched a weekly development webinar which is open to all partners.
4th October 2018
The Eazi-Apps rebrand provides a fresh, aspirational and connected design of its logo.

domain: news


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This week, as major manufacturers started signing large and long-term orders and saw less sporadic ones, mono-grade polysilicon were mostly traded at RMB 128-130/kg, even though price quotes have already hiked to RMB 130-140/kg on the market. Polysilicon shortage drove up the average price overseas, which has risen more markedly than that in China, to USD 17/kg, and will be continually increasing. Multi-grade polysilicon, on the other hand, saw little price increases as companies are still negotiating.
Polysilicon prices remain on the rise despite the significantly reduced module production, posing more uncertainties to the market in the second half. With the market expecting Q3 to see a severer shortage, polysilicon prices may not drop back evidently as usual, even in low seasons.
The wafer sector has not seen evident impacts from cell and module makers’ lowered utilization rates; manufacturers that acquire enough polysilicon maintain full capacity utilization in the recent terms. With stable demand, prices this week stayed at RMB 3.78-3.8/piece in China and USD 0.518/piece in overseas markets for M6 wafers with 175um thickness as last week; RMB 4.56/piece and RMB 6.16/piece for M10 and G12 wafers with 175um thickness, respectively.
The continuous polysilicon price hike this week has once again increased costs for wafers. Cell manufacturers and module makers are both concerned about whether wafer prices will, in turn, rise as well. Presently, once wafer prices rise, the cell sector is expected to further trim down utilization rates to sustain cash cost.
Multi-Si wafer prices saw a ripple effect of previous surge in polysilicon prices, having increased rapidly every week recently. This week, the trading prices rosed to RMB 1.7-1.9/piece, averaging around RMB 1.8/piece. Prices in the overseas markets are constantly increasing as well.
Overall prices for mono-Si cells stayed pretty much the same as last week after the Chinese Qingming Festival. Prices for G1 cells have started to slip later in March, with trading prices slightly declining this week, to RMB 0.88-0.93/W, averaging RMB 0.9-0.92/W, and high price range began to narrow down. Some cell makers have turned back to produce G1 cells, so the supply was more sufficient than expected. Overseas manufacturers are willing to purchase as well. As a result, G1 cell prices will see a rather moderate decrease in the first half of the year.
Stocked M6 cell inventory was relieved after module makers bottom fishing them at the end of March. This week, price quotes for M6 cells are estimated to increase by RMB 0.01/W, as cell makers gradually lower utilization rates due to line modifications and equipment maintenance, and as price hikes in the upstream continued.
Overall utilization rates for cells are estimated to be around 70-80%, which have decreased more slowly than that of modules, as the later has cut production significantly in April. In view of this, cell prices are not likely to rise and await wafer price fluctuations next week for further estimations.
Business of large cells still rely on OEM and dual distribution model at present; trading volumes are rather weak, with low direct purchase amounts. This week, the trading prices of M10 cells slipped to RMB 0.88-0.9/W and RMB 0.87-0.9/W for G12 cells.
Being affected by price hikes in the upstream, multi-Si cell prices continue to surge to RMB 3-3.2/piece.
Since Q2 end user demand fell behind expectations, utilization rates for most of the modules makers sit at around 60% this month. Regardless of lowered utilization rates, module makers still suffered from high inventory pressures, owing to its huge production capacity and weaker demand, which is estimated to be around 9-11 GW, still lower than module production. Module utilization rates are, consequently, not expected to see marked recovery in May.
As inventory levels remained high and glass prices dropped significantly, mono-Si modules prices went down slightly in April. However, Tier-1 manufacturers’ modules with power output exceeding 500 W were mostly traded at RMB 1.68-1.72/W. Price quotes for orders to be fulfilled in Q2-Q3 stayed stable as polysilicon prices marginally increased.
With recovered demand in India and fewer suppliers, recent trading prices for multi-Si modules have risen to RMB 1.4-1.5/W, in response to price hikes in polysilicon, wafer, and cell sectors.


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by Marcus Dubois
Swift Caravans has launched its 2011 model line-up with a radical redesign of four of its popular ranges. Using 3D automotive technology Swift has created a new look for the Challenger and Conqueror which continues through the Sterling Eccles and Elite.
In our video feature we’ll take a closer look at the new design features of these four models, including a panoramic front sunroof on the exterior and new “wipe-clean” fabrics and wood finishes on the interior. In addition we’ll catch up with industry figures to hear more about the new 2011 Swift ranges.


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A POOR 2011 vintage, a rising dollar and stronger competition from rival countries: it all adds up to a recipe for crisis for Australia’s winemakers.
“This is absolutely the hardest time that you could ever imagine the industry could be in,” Alister Purbrick, chief executive of central Victoria’s Tahbilk Wines, told the Sydney Morning Herald recently. “There is nothing else that could go wrong in our industry that’s not already wrong at the moment.”
Purbrick’s pessimism seems to be well founded. New data from Wine Intelligence suggests that mainstream consumers in established markets are drifting away from Australian wines. Sales volumes are still high, and the clean, fruit-driven styles Australia is known for will probably never go out of fashion. There’s also evidence that Australia is making progress in the super-premium space, though from a very small base.
The latest Wine Intelligence consumer behaviour data on the US and UK reveals that the proportion of regular wine drinkers who say they’ve consumed Australian wines in the past six months has fallen significantly since 2008.
In the UK, traditionally Australia’s biggest export market, 59% of the monthly wine-drinking population say they have drunk Australian wine, down from 73% in 2008; in the US the decline is even more dramatic, from a high of 48% of the monthly wine-drinking population in 2009 to 28% in 2011. “The most serious problem for Australian producers in the UK is there is growing evidence that the everyday consumer is disconnecting from Australia,” says Wine Intelligence chief operating officer Richard Halstead. “In the UK alone there are 4 million people who used to buy Australian wine and now say they don’t. If you ask them, they may well say they still like Australian wine – it’s simply a case of not having a reason to buy it, or perhaps more accurately a better reason to buy wine from elsewhere. ”
Why should this be happening? Halstead argues that rising prices of Australian wine, thanks mainly to a strongly appreciating Aussie dollar, has hampered the country’s value for money proposition among mainstream consumers. At the same time, a surge in demand for lighter white wines has dented the traditional Aussie Chardonnay trade and benefited New Zealand, whose
consumer base has grown from 21% of the UK wine-drinking population in 2008 to 25% now. “And in reds, a number of other countries – Chile, Argentina, South Africa, and Spain – have successfully emulated the fruit-centric, low-tannin style that made Australia famous,” Halstead adds.
Worrying US picture
“Perhaps the more worrying picture is in the US. The data suggests that one in five American wine drinkers – around 15 million consumers – have stopped drinking Australian wine in the past two years. Again, I would caution against thinking these people have actively abandoned the Australian category – they may just be substituting their regular Aussie Shiraz purchase for an Argentinian Malbec.”
Nielsen statistics for the US off-trade market show that Australia is still the second most successful exporting nation, after Italy. But in the year to September 2011, sales value crashed by 9% and volumes by 4%.
Tim Boydell, director of sales and marketing at Angove Family Winemakers, says Australia’s main problems in the US are the strong Australian dollar, changing fashions, oversupply and the discounting this encourages, and “the Yellow Tail factor – it became so successful it was no longer cool”. "Our run as the flavour of the month as the New World wine of choice has been halted,” he says. “However, it had to, let’s face it. Wine is like fashion and food: trends change and consumers move with the trends. We have had to modify our offer and ensure that we take on board feedback, and review research from our expert partners, to ensure our offer is relevant to the marketplace and fashion of the time. We have done so and are growing in sales.”
Boydell believes that the problems in the UK market are slightly different. “The UK market has always been incredibly price sensitive,” he says. “If the deals do not work the buyers will find a supply country which will make them work.”
The challenge is made harder by the small number of buyers who control the bulk of sales, and the cosmopolitan nature of the market. “They have made sure that Australia is interchangeable with other New World wines,” Boydell says.
“Fashion has also moved on in the UK. Importantly this is driven more by our inability to hit price points. The consumer likes our wine at a price, according to the buyer. We have seen a decline in the UK market over the past five years to the point where we have little in the way of branded sales and the sales we do have are buyers’ own brands, exclusive brand or bulk. The volume is substantially reduced from where it was when it was a standout number one export market for us.”
Stephanie Duboudin, Wine Intelligence’s country manager for Australia and New Zealand, agrees that currency has been a major headache for exporters. “The high Australian dollar has crucified profits for producers in export markets, with many producers selling at a loss just to keep the channels of distribution open in the hope that the dollar will recede again,” she says. “It’s very common for producers to be pulling out of export markets at the moment.”
She also suggests that Australia has become a victim of its own laudable attempts at diversification and regionalism. “Australia has more than 60 wine regions across a range of areas and climatic conditions. This leads to a complicated message to communicate about brand Australia and what styles of wine we produce.
“We were originally known for good quality fighting varietal wines in these key export markets. That message has been broadened to include more premium wines, which has, in turn, made it more complicated for the average consumer in the UK or US to understand what we do best.” Not surprisingly, many Australian producers are turning their gaze to emerging markets closer to home. “Asia is certainly the focus region at the moment for Australian producers,” says Duboudin. “There is a very positive association between Australia and many Asian countries. We are near neighbours and it has been the one region with the shining light of growth in sales for Australian wine.
“It is very likely that, for many producers, Asia will become more important than some of the traditional export markets – but it’s unlikely to be the case for everyone. Asia is a complex operating environment and the pay-off is there for those that get it right with the right product offering, packaging and, the most important factor, good distribution. But it’s certainly not going to be the case for everybody.”
Lucy Anderson, director of Asia for Wine Australia, says Asia offers a mixture of opportunities. “Currently, mainland China offers the biggest growth potential for Australian wineries due to the population and growing number of wine drinkers in the market,” she says. "There are a number of other countries where we are seeing steady increases in Australian exports. However, all of these markets are off a relatively small base – such as Vietnam – or are relatively mature markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore and don’t necessarily have the same potential number of wine consumers.”
Already the Asian markets offer a better price per litre for Australian wines than the US or UK. But isn’t China a problematic market in that consumers only seem to be buying at the top and bottom ends of the price spectrum? “I do not think Chinese consumers ‘want’ wines at the top end or bottom end – rather, I think this reflects the current reality,” says Anderson. “In my opinion it is the middle ground that will end up being the winner – wines that offer quality, are trusted and known brands and appeal to local tastes. Australia is well positioned to deliver these wines.”
Understanding Chinese consumers is tricky, not just because the country is so vast and cultural differences exist between major cities, but because the market is evolving so quickly. For instance, Wine Intelligence focuses its consumer research on four cities – Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou – and on the upper-middle class wine drinkers who live there.
The big question is whether this expanding urban population, with its fixation with western drinking habits, will grow big enough to compensate for the downward trends in the US and UK. Says Boydell: “China is massive. They have an incredible thirst for knowledge and the fashion is very much in our favour – it is cool to drink wine. We are seeing potential across the board but the top and bottom get the most focus from the Chinese. China will be our number one export market in the next four years if it keeps the current rate of growth.”
Anderson at Asia Wine Australia hopes exporters will take an intelligent approach to China. “I think the metrics for measurement are changing and we should not just look at volume growth or market share,” she says.
“There is no point in Australia exporting larger volumes to Asia if the price points or volumes are not sustainable. If we look at current figures, China and Hong Kong make up 7% of export volume but 13% of total export value. This demonstrates a sustainable position. However, there is still a lot we do not know about China which makes it difficult to predict the future.
“I think, and hope, that Asia – China in particular – can provide Australian wineries with an opportunity to get things right. By this I mean ensuring price points and volumes are sustainable, building loyalty to brands/region/country, not to price-points, and planning for the long term instead of being satisfied with short-term results.”


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Louis Shanks Furniture legacy ends after 78 years as last two stores close forever
Former top 100 US furniture retailer going out of business
AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 19, 2023) — An iconic retail brand throughout Texas and once ranked among the top 100 furniture stores in the U.S., Louis Shanks Furniture announced it is going out of business after almost eight decades and closing its remaining two stores, the flagship Austin location and its sister store in San Antonio.
Louis Shanks Furniture has been family-owned and operated for four generations. The family will close both locations once the total liquidation of merchandise and inventory for the two stores is completed. The going out of business sale begins September 21 in Austin at 2930 W. Anderson Lane, and in San Antonio at 11035 IH10 West at Huebner.
Known for high-end furniture brands, quality selection and unparalleled service, the Louis Shanks liquidation sale features the nation’s finest home furnishings brands at heavily discounted prices across the two stores, totaling 200,000 square feet of merchandise. Also marked for immediate liquidation are hundreds of lamps and decorative accessories. Famous name brands include Vanguard, Theodore Alexander, Tempur-Pedic, Sherrill, Lexington, Hancock and Moore, John Richards, Century, Hekman, Hooker, Caracole, Bernhardt and more.
Louis Shanks got his start in the furniture industry as a factory representative for Kroehler Manufacturing Company. His retail journey began when he moved his young family to Austin in 1945 and partnered with John Stanford to open the Fourth and Congress store in downtown Austin. Five years later, that partnership dissolved, and he founded Shanks-Meyers with new business partner Harry Meyers.
A brilliant entrepreneur, Shanks bought out Myers in 1954 to become Louis Shanks Furniture on Lamar Boulevard. A growing market led to continuous expansions that began with converting the historic Hitchin’ Post Restaurant into additional showroom space in 1960; a second store on Anderson Lane in 1974; and entry into the San Antonio market in 1983.
In 1995, new locations opened in Houston and Sugarland, paving the way for Louis Shanks to debut in the industry’s Top 100 U.S. Furniture Retailer ranking at number 77 in 1996 and rising to number 69 just two years later. The retailer has been recognized by customers and the industry for its fine furniture selection and impeccably vignetted showrooms.
Four generations of the Shanks family have contributed to the longevity of Louis Shanks Furniture and maintained the ideals that Mr. Shanks founded the stores with almost 80 years ago.
For more information on their greatest and final sale, contact Mike Forwood at (512) 431-6928 or visit the website at https://www.louisshanksfurniture.com/


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So, a quick tally. If you use the London Underground then you’ll know that there’s a number of options for getting online through the WiFi system that’s provided by Virgin Media. EE, Orange and T-Mobile are all signed up in partnership agreements, so if you’re a customer then you can hop online down on the stations for no additional cost.
Just recently Vodafone also signed up and, of course, Virgin Mobile customers can surf down there too.
Now it’s the turn of O2, who have announced today that they’ll be doing a similar deal and, if you’re a customer of theirs, you can carry on checking your tweets, Facebook updates or web pages whilst waiting for the next Tube train.
O2 hops onto London Underground with Virgin Media WiFi
O2 customers to enjoy WiFi on the Tube at no extra cost Virgin Media hits 120 stations target Vast majority of Tube passengers stay connected at no extra cost
Virgin Media has signed up O2 as a wholesale partner for its WiFi on London Underground service, enabling O2 customers’ access to free London Underground WiFi from June. O2 joins EE and Vodafone as a wholesale partner for Virgin Media’s WiFi 1 service meaning the vast majority of Tube passengers can stay connected with full WiFi access at no extra cost 2 .
As part of the deal, all existing O2 customers signed up to O2 WiFi will be automatically registered for free WiFi on the Underground, taking away the need to sign up above ground or remembering a password.
Virgin Media also confirmed another 12 London Underground (LU) stations are coming online this week, including Bank, Baker Street and Earl’s Court 3 . This brings the total number of WiFi enabled stations to 120, meeting Virgin Media’s and TfL’s target of 120 London Underground stations online.
Mark Williamson, Head of London WiFi at Virgin Media said: “WiFi on London Underground has gone from strength to strength and we’re delighted the majority of Londoners are staying connected for no extra cost. Virgin Media’s unique fibre optic network means we deliver unrivalled capacity for next generation digital services both inside and outside the home, meeting the increasing demand for wireless services.”
Gary Booker, Head of Consumer at O2, said: “We’re excited to bring free Underground WiFi to O2 customers this summer. Our customers want to stay connected wherever they are and will soon be able to check their email, update their Facebook status, shop online, book their next holiday and stay connected to their friends and family right across Tube stations in Central London.”
Gareth Powell, Director of Strategy and Service Development for London Underground, said: “Having O2 on board is excellent news for the thousands of people that use the Tube everyday. Most customers will now be able to access live travel information or use social media to plan their social life while on the move.
“WiFi on the Tube is part of how we are improving services for our customers. 2013 is London Underground’s 150 th anniversary, we were at the forefront of technology when the first Underground train ran and this shows how we are maintaining that tradition, using modern technology to improve customers’ journeys.”
Virgin Media’s comprehensive WiFi portal will continue to keep all Tube passengers up-to-date with TfL travel information and great London entertainment and news for free. Virgin Media also offers a Pay As You Go service with daily, weekly and monthly passes 4 , giving Tube passengers a range of options about how to get online underground.


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Oxford Optronix received an emergency waiver from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) earlier this week that allows us to proceed with the manufacture of our Flo-Ox™ Oxygen Monitor.
The Flo-Ox™ is mandated to support the use of the UCL-Ventura cPAP device breathing aid recently announced, by ensuring the device is correctly set up for the particular requirements of the patient being treated, and to provide ongoing monitoring of the oxygen being delivered to the patient.
Everyone at Oxford Optronix has been involved in an extraordinary effort since the design and development was completed from the ground-up just 16 days ago. Our premises have now been reconfigured for volume production and we are working with suppliers in the UK and around the world to ensure a robust supply chain that will support the planned production ramp.
Having started taking delivery of large quantities of stock in recent days we’ve now reached the exciting point of production start.
We aim to achieve a peak manufacturing rate of 300 – 400 Flo-Ox units per day as soon as humanly possible, with production slated to involve 3 shifts for round-the-clock production.
Celebrating the launch of our all-new 2021 website
Dr. Chao Fang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China
Oxford Optronix Ltd is delighted to announce that it has received a UK government…


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As Microsoft prepares to release a major upgrade to its Windows Phone operating system, to version 8.1, some third party software makers are unsure whether smartphones running Windows Phone 8.0 will run the new OS.
Microsoft's new update for Windows Phone 8 added support for larger phones and higher-resolution screens, a move analysts hoped would soon put the operating system onto small-sized tablets, a market Microsoft and its OEM partners have largely ignored...
Troubled BlackBerry started the smartphone marathon race ahead of the pack years ago, but has fallen well behind as it faces 4,500 worker layoffs, a $1 billion write-off for unsold smartphones and the likelihood of being sold off in parts.
It appears that Amazon will eventually produce a smartphone -- the question is not if, but when.
Samsung will reportedly announce its next-generation Galaxy S5 smartphone in January -- two months sooner than expected -- because of poor sales of the Galaxy S4.
With its acquisition of gesture-recognition company Flutter, Google may be looking to beef up Google Glass and its Android products while also looking to win over the hearts and minds of Apple iPhone users.
Analytics and advertising firms tracking Apple's new mobile operating system iOS 7 said today that its uptake has been 14% faster than last year's iOS 6.
UCLA researchers reported this week that they have created a light-emitting electronic display that can be stretched, folded and twisted, while remaining lit and snapping back into its original shape.
Apple today said it had sold over 9 million iPhones during the opening three-day weekend of sales, an 80 per cent increase over last year's launch of the iPhone 5 and a record by a major margin.
Amid rumors of layoffs and a possible sale of the company, BlackBerry today announced some good news: its popular BBM messaging service will be available for Android and iPhone devices this weekend.
Google is buying the mobile startup Bump Technologies, makers of the popular app that enables users to transfer photos, videos and files just by bumping their phones together.
Microsoft will pay at least $200 for used iPads made by rival Apple, and in return issue credit that customers can use to buy one of the company's Surface tablets.
Early reaction to Samsung's new Galaxy Gear smartwatch, announced on Wednesday in Berlin, was decidedly downbeat if not downright negative.
The next version of Android will be called KitKat after the Nestle chocolate bar, and not Key Lime Pie, as was predicted for months, Google has announced.
Leaked photos show an upcoming BlackBerry smartphone/phablet with a 5in display that will launch with the name Z30 instead of the earlier-expected name A10.
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As the Maserati or BMW of laptops, it would fit perfectly in the hands of a professional needing firepower under the hood, sophistication and class on the surface, and gaming prowess (sports mode if you will) in between.
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Since the compact Lincoln MKC luxury crossover first went on sale for 2015, the response in showrooms has been strong. It’s not the Ford luxury brand’s strongest seller, but this year, it and the Ford Escape enjoyed their strongest sales start ever, moving so many units that Ford has decided to shorten its usual summer shutdown at Louisville Assembly Plant. And now, a refreshed version of the hot-selling CUV has been spied, with plenty of camouflage concealing the front end and liftgate.
You can view the spy photos yourself over at Autoblog.
What’s clearly observable through the camo is that the refreshed Lincoln MKC will ditch the luxury marque’s old split-wing grille, donning instead the more handsome, rectangular piece worn by the new Continental, the latest MKZ, and now, the brand-new Navigator. It’s a safe bet that the headlamps will be revised, as well, and the camo coverage on the liftgate suggests that it too will be massaged a bit. Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the wheels, which don’t look like any design currently available on the Lincoln MKC. Indeed, they look like a more subtle version of the wheels used on the Continental and Navigator concept cars.
Stay tuned for more on the forthcoming revamped Lincoln MKC as it breaks, and be sure to stop by Autoblog for the spy photos.


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Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations, including #China, on Sunday signed the world’s biggest trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), leaving India behind why has India chosen to stay out ?
What is the RCEP trade deal?
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a free trade agreement between 16 countries – the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations # (ASEAN), and the six countries with which the ASEAN bloc has free trade agreements (FTA).
The ASEAN, which includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, has FTAs with India, Australia, China, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand.
Negotiations on the details of the RCEP have been on since 2013, but yesterday in a sudden manner along with backing of china the RCEP was signed.
What does the RCEP propose?
The purpose of RCEP is to create an “integrated market” spanning all 16 countries, making it easier for products and services of each of these countries to be available across this region.
ASEAN says the deal will provide “a framework aimed at lowering trade barriers and securing improved market access for goods and services for businesses in the region”.
The negotiations are focussed on areas like trade in goods and services, investment, economic and technical cooperation, intellectual property, competition, dispute settlement, e-commerce, and small and medium enterprises.
Why is the RCEP important?
It is billed as the “largest” regional trading agreement ever — these countries account for almost half of the world’s population, contribute over a quarter of world exports, and make up around 30% of global #Gross Domestic Product (the value of all goods and services produced in a year).
Why has India refused to sign the deal?
On November 3rd Prime Minister #Narendra Modi announced that India has decided to hold off on signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) until “significant outstanding issues” were resolved, even as all other 15 countries involved in the negotiations stated that they were ready to sign the mega trade deal in 2020.
But these Issues were never resolved. The reasons being ….
Serval Indian industries, venture capitalists and economic pundits have raised concerns regarding the market access which would be granted to china and other members if this deal is signed rising concerns that India may lose its hold on indigenous industries in pursuit of liberalisation.
How is this possible?
- India is expected to cut tariffs or eliminate duties up to 74 or 80% of goods imported from china
- And similar behaviour was expected to be followed with other member countries under the agreement and this implementation would take place over a period of 5, 10, 15, or even 20years
- So naturally when you have an option of buying cheaper products or get more quantity for the same price consumer demand would increase for import goods as compared to indigenous products
We all have studied how the British took our raw materials and brought back finished products at cheaper rates and what it did to our indigenous industries and we all know how that turned out to be and what it did to the “common man”
This is not the only reason
- India currently has a whooping trade deficit of $112 billion with RCEP members which accounts for 64% of India’s total trade deficit of 2018-19
- Global dairy trade does not take place in milk but the solids derived from it mainly, milk powder, cheese, butter, oil etc.
- Despite being so high in demand indigenous milk products are nowhere close to dairy giant exporters such as Australia and New Zealand who rely heavily on these exports for their income
- Another Concern for India Is regarding the liberal rules of Origin which most RCEP members Adopt
- Wherein ROO lays down the minimum value addition required by a particular country on imported products for it to qualify as an item originating from there
So for e.g.: China wants to sell porcelain crockery but India has a high tax regime on Chinese imports
What china can do is send the raw material to any other ASEAN member say Indonesia where units may be set up to manufacture finished goods and these goods are then exported to India. Where there is only some minimum value added due to FTA and china would be able to dump finished goods without having to pay hefty custom duties.
What was India’s proposition?
Not just in interest of itself but also other member nations india proposed to include a clause to activate an auto trigger mechanism where member nations will have the options to increase custom duties in case of surge in imports, however this proposition was rejected by the majority.
What happens next?
RCEP countries have kept a door open but India has to bow down, that is it once RCEP comes into effect India must make an official written request to the member nations and must agree to all conditions set by member nations with no room for negotiations. However External affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made it clear at the East Asia Summit that “India does not wish to deal with a country which refuses to respect India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty”
India can hope for revival of Tran’s pacific trade under #Biden’s presidency but it is still a long way ahead. India also needs to brace itself for hurdles in bi-lateral trade with RCEP member nations in oncoming days
- Bhargav B.V
The Hindu (16/11/2020),
Indian Express 02/11/2019)
Business Insider (16/11/2020)


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June 18- Billionaire investor Carl Icahn told Dell Inc shareholders that an investment bank would help fund his offer for the PC maker as he sought to assuage concerns over his means to fund the bid.» Read More
NEW YORK, June 12- Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman said on Wednesday that revenue growth was "still possible" for the computer maker in its next fiscal year but that the performance of the overall PC market was a wild card.
NEW YORK, June 12- Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Meg Whitman said on Wednesday that revenue growth is "still possible" for the computer maker in its fiscal year 2014, but she said the performance of the overall PC market is a wild card.
Home to one of the headquarters of Chinese-owned personal computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd, North Carolina is fighting hard to draw computer component and software companies, machinery makers and pharmaceutical firms from China.
"In some ways, a smartphone is in the middle of Silicon Valley and Hollywood," he said. " Silicon Valley represents technology- and smartphones need strong technology- and the Hollywood aspect is about experience and perception. " It needs to be between Hollywood and Silicon Valley, "he said on the sidelines of a business conference in Chengdu in southwestern China.
June 5- A Dell Inc special committee said activist investor Carl Icahn's proposal for a $12- per-share special dividend is nearly $4 billion short of the financing necessary to succeed. Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell and private equity firm Silver Lake have proposed a $24.4 billion buyout of the personal computer maker.
*Lenovo says in talks, after media report of smartphone venture with NEC. HONG KONG, June 4- China's Lenovo Group Ltd, the world's No.2 PC maker by shipments, said on Tuesday it was in preliminary talks with an unidentified party on a potential smartphone business joint venture.
HONG KONG, June 4- Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd said on Tuesday it was in preliminary talks with an unidentified party regarding a potential smartphone business joint venture, without providing further details.
WASHINGTON, June 3- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear printer manufacturer Lexmark International Inc's appeal of a long-running dispute with Static Control Components Inc over replacement toner cartridges.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 28- Global personal computer shipments face a deeper-than-expected 7.8 percent slump this year as tablets overtake laptops for the first time, according to a report from market research company IDC.
May 27- The European Commission is investigating whether Apple Inc is using anti-competitive iPhone sales tactics and technical restrictions to squeeze out rival smartphone makers from the European market, according to documents seen by the Financial Times.
Bob O'Donnell, Program VP, Clients and Displays at IDC, says the market-share trajectory for Lenovo suggests it may outpace HP in 2013.
TOKYO, May 22- Japan's Sony Corp lowered its sales target for digital cameras to 1.3 trillion yen for the fiscal year to end-March 2015, from a previous estimate of 1.5 trillion yen. Sony also cut its sales target for smartphones and tablets to 1.5 trillion yen in its 2014 fiscal year from an earlier outlook of 1.8 trillion yen.
ORLANDO, Fla., May 14- BlackBerry announced plans on Tuesday to offer its popular instant messaging system on rival devices and introduced a new mid-tier smartphone targeted at countries where its faded brand remains strong.
BlackBerry, renamed from Research In Motion, had been the market leader but over the past few years has bled market share to Apple Inc's iPhone and Samsung Electronics Co's popular line of Galaxy devices powered by Google's Android operating system.
ORLANDO, Fla., May 14- BlackBerry unveiled a new mid-tier smartphone device with a physical keyboard on Tuesday, the feature that still sets it apart from most rivals, and said its make-or-break new devices had put the company back on "solid ground."
LONDON/ HELSINKI, May 14- Nokia unveiled a lighter, metal model in its Lumia smartphone range, as it tries to catch the eye of buyers to close the huge market lead of rivals Samsung and Apple Inc in the lucrative handset market.
NEW YORK, May 13- Dell Inc's special board committee on Monday asked activist investor Carl Icahn for details of his plan to buy the computer maker, including how he would finance a cash payout to shareholders and who would run the company if his preferred slate of board directors was installed.
NEW YORK, May 13- Dell Inc's special board committee asked activist investor Carl Icahn on Monday for details of his plan to buy the computer maker, including how he would finance a cash payout for shareholders and who would run the company if his preferred slate of board directors was installed.
May 13- The special committee of Dell Inc's board of directors on Monday asked Carl Icahn for more details on the activist investor's proposed offer for the computer maker. Last week Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management Inc challenged Michael Dell's $24.4 billion bid to take Dell private with an offer of $21 billion in cash.
May 10- Hewlett-Packard Co must defend against a lawsuit accusing former management at the world's largest personal computer maker of defrauding shareholders by abandoning a business model it had long touted, causing more than $16 billion of market value to be wiped out.


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One of the preferred methods for relieving gun stores of their inventory these days is to crash a truck through the front window or door, then make off with as much ballistic booty as you can in about two minutes. Some Detroit area robbers attempted exactly that early this morning, backing a pickup truck into Motor City Pawn which, we’re told, does a big business in gun sales. However . . .
A Roseville pawn shop was the spot of an attempted smash-and-grab burglary early Thursday morning, but the theft was stopped by an armed store employee who shot back and scared the suspects off, police said.
It was about 5:20 a.m. when a large vehicle, believed to be a pickup truck, drove into the glass windows at the front of Motor City Pawn, which is on the 26500 block of Gratiot.
Hmmm. Why would a gun store employee be at work at 5:18am? It’s almost as if he was expecting a robbery attempt.
Police believe that two or three men were in the truck; one of them entered the store through the hole the truck created, but soon encountered an employee, who was armed and fired at two shots at the intruder.
The suspect(s) fled, and the truck drove off north on Gratiot. Nothing was ultimately taken from the building.
All’s well that ends well. But remember . . .
The “good guy with a gun” narrative is a myth meant to scare people into buying guns for self-defense.
The truth? People rarely use guns for self-defense. Read more: https://t.co/JiRK3zkvkl
— Giffords (@GiffordsCourage) July 6, 2018


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With the latest investment from Pine Labs, Mosambee is now valued at upwards of $100 Mn
Post the acquisition, the leadership team at Mosambee will continue to operate independently
Pine Labs has not disclosed the terms of the deal
IPO bound fintech unicorn Pine Labs has made a majority investment into Mosambee, an end-to-end payment solution provider. With the latest investment from Pine Labs, Mosambee is now valued at upwards of $100 Mn.
Post the acquisition, the leadership team at Mosambee will continue to operate independently and use its proprietary tech platform. However, Pine Labs has not disclosed the terms of the deal.
“At Pine Labs, we continue to focus on deep technology and SaaS. Ever since its founding, Mosambee has made tremendous in roads into elevating the merchant experience through cutting-edge fintech solutions. They were a natural fit for us due to our shared purpose of making innovative fintech products accessible to all and driving forward the digital payment revolution in India,” Amrish Rau, CEO of Pine Labs, said.
Payment solution provider Mosambee offers a curated merchant solutions platform catering to offline and online merchants in India and six other countries. The startup works with corporate clients, as well as SME merchants and various government departments.
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“Pine Labs was our first partner when we launched our platform. Mosambee today caters to a wide array of businesses, from SMEs to private and government entities to leading banking institutions in India. With the extensive reach of Pine Labs and their portfolio companies, we aim to continue to deliver strong profitability and breakthrough solutions to our clients,” Sameer Chugh, cofounder of Mosambee, stated.
Currently, Pine Labs claims to have more than 250,000 merchant relationships across over 675,000 merchant network touchpoints in India and Southeast Asia, as of March 2022. It is also working on to scale its Pay Later proposition to newer markets outside India.
In February, PineLabs acquired Mumbai-based Qfix Infocomm, an online payments startup. The acquisition was aimed to aid the fintech platform’s Plural platform. It also acquired consumer fintech platform Fave last year.
While the fintech unicorn is reportedly gearing up for its initial public offering (IPO), it has recently closed a funding round worth $50 Mn, raising money from PE company Vitruvian Partners at a valuation of slightly more than $5 Bn. It also raised $150 Mn from Alpha Wave in February.
Among fintech players, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s Paytm, insurtech PolicyBazaar, Fino Payments Bank went public last year. On the other hand, fintech unicorn Mobikwik also received SEBI nod for its IPO last October but it deferred its IPO amid market volatility.


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MasterCard (MA), Visa (V) and American Express (AXP) will hold their own by charging fees as eBay's (EBAY) PayPal begins to encroach on their payment networks turf, says Nomura Equity Research in an investor note released Monday.
Analysts Bill Carcache and Brian Nowak reiterated buy ratings on MasterCard, Visa and American Express saying, "We remain confident in the long-term earnings power of (these companies) and believe they'll be able to successfully defend and preserve their competitive advantages within the broader payments ecosystem."
They noted that as PayPal moves into physical point-of-sale transactions through mobile wallet and other apps, MasterCard is responding by introducing a new fee (for payments firms that use its network), which goes into effect at the end of June. "These fees serve to price the benefits that ... digital wallet operators like PayPal derive from (MasterCard's) infrastructure and are intended to ensure that (MasterCard) gets adequately compensated for the value of its network.
"With billions invested in brand building over the years ($8.7 billion spent on advertising and marketing between Visa and MasterCard in the last five years alone), the incumbents will do everything in their power to prevent PayPal from riding on their rails without extracting a toll," the analysts wrote.
MasterCard hasn't said how big the new fees will be, except to say that they'll be tiered and based on prior-year volumes.
"We view these new fees as an effective vehicle for diffusing much of the frustration that exists among incumbents, who today view PayPal as a free rider. We would not be surprised to see other incumbent payment networks follow (MasterCard's) lead," the analysts said.
The analysts say they'll be looking for more clarity about the size of the new MasterCard fee at eBay's Analyst Day event on March 28.
EBay first mentioned the MasterCard fee in a regulatory filing on Feb. 1. Its shares have skidded over 12% on the news. Some analysts have said the sell-off was overdone.
Chris McWilton, president of MasterCard's U.S. Markets, said at a conference last week that PayPal "rides for free" on other companies' payment networks.
"They've got to be cautious that they don't get too big and start making people wake up and say wait a minute, I'm actually losing business here because of your moving into the physical space," he said.
PayPal, eBay Impact Of MasterCard Digital Wallet Fee?
PayPal, Apple Seen As Future Mobile Payments Leaders


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Movies and Beer
Flix Brewhouse keeps Mansfield hopping with new dine-in cinema brewpub
After a long wait, Flix Brewhouse has finalized plans for a location at the Shops at Broad in Mansfield, with a scheduled opening date in fall 2023.
The nine-screen luxury theater, which will become the chain's 10th overall location across six states and fifth in Texas, was originally scheduled to open in 2020 until construction stopped with the COVID-19 shutdown.
Flix Brewhouse, which claims it is "the world’s only first-run dine-in cinema brewpub," has signed a 15-year lease with Shops at Broad for a nearly 40,000-square-foot facility. It joins a booming area, with Tarrant County's first H-E-B scheduled to open nearby in 2024.
The Mansfield location will be the chain’s new prototype theater, featuring all nine auditoriums equipped with parabolic screens, state-of-the-industry digital audio and video, custom recliner seating, and proprietary “Easy Glider 2” sliding, pivoting tabletops.
Moviegoers will be able to enjoy in-theater service featuring a complete cooked-to-order menu, as well as a broad selection of soft drinks and adult beverages.
Their signature, of course, is the craft beers they brew on the premises. The Mansfield location will feature a dozen choices made by their own brewmaster. Guests can take in the brewpub experience with or without a movie.
“We are beyond thrilled to at last bring our unique brand of dining and entertainment to life in Mansfield," said Allan Reagan, Flix founder, in a statement. "A long, strange trip it’s been indeed, but the delay has enabled us to invest in the latest cinema technology such as 100% laser projection, offer compelling entertainment choices beyond movies, and evolve our food and beverage offerings to best-in-class."
According to Shops at Broad spokesperson Sam Kartalis, the shopping center has seen an increase in leasing activity since it changed owners in December 2022. Kartalis also says that the new movie theater "will be the linchpin for additional planned major entertainment concepts coming soon to Shops at Broad.”
In addition to first-run movies, Flix Brewhouse offers screenings of throwback favorites through fan events, family movie parties, beer dinners, and more.


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Today’s key global wellness news articles from around the world, impacting the industry and influencing the business of wellness.
Boris Johnson has said gyms could be able to open in a ‘couple of weeks.’ Speaking on LBC radio on Friday, the Prime Minister said: “We are going to reopen gyms as soon as soon as we can do it in a Covid secure way and I think that the date for reopening gyms at the moment, if we can do it, is in just a couple of weeks time.”
After launching her website, Ella Mills became a poster girl for ‘wellness’ – then faced a backlash when the movement came under attack Ella Mills has spent the past three months of lockdown much like the rest of us – wearing an endless rotation of yoga leggings.
Welcome to The People, a new weekly series highlighting those who have emerged as central figures in the anti-racism and Black Lives Matter movements. What began as a series of protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a white former Minneapolis police officer, has become a global racial reckoning.
Personally, I don’t think there’s ever a “right time” to start a business. If you look at the last big financial recession, a lot of powerful companies came out of the housing crisis of 2008, and a lot of powerful companies failed.
Swedish furniture and homeware giant IKEA has just unveiled its newest eco-friendly concept in Szczecin, Poland. Dubbed the Home of Tomorrow, the space was envisioned by Polish designers looking to redefine the way we live at home. The 2,700 square foot showroom is fitted with sustainable design solutions from micro-gardens to composting stations, furnished with recycled materials and decorated with plants.
How do you make a new London spa sound original? You put it on a boat. That seems to be the thinking behind the proposed Water Cures Spa project – which, if it goes ahead, will be located on an old Dutch barge moored in West India Quay, complete with a 25-metre open-air swimming pool on the top deck.


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US stocks go down, after Thanksgiving
The shares fell in the morning operations on Wall Street on Friday when the market receded after a week of record highs for major indexes. The trading volume was lower than usual with the markets open only half a day after the Thanksgiving holiday.
Energy opened the way when US crude oil prices fell 4. Helmerich and Payne fell 3.9.
Technological actions and medical care also helped reduce the market. Bristol-Myers Squibb fell 1.1, and Lam Research fell 1.5.
Large retailers mixed as investors watched the signs that consumers were in force to buy Christmas shopping deals on Black Friday.
Wells Fargo earned 0.6, part of a broad gain in financial sector shares as bond yields increased. Higher bond yields increase the interest rates lenders charge for mortgages and other consumer loans. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 1.77 from 1.76 on Wednesday night.
The stock market has been recording steady gains since October, shaking fears of a recession that helped lower stocks in August.
Surprisingly good corporate profits, solid economic data and interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve have helped set the stage for the rebound in the market recession. Investors have also become more optimistic about the prospects for a trade agreement between the United States and China.
New US tariffs are expected. UU. They apply to many products made in China as of December 15, but negotiators have said they could soon have a preliminary agreement that could avoid it.
The three main stock indexes have reached multiple records in recent weeks. That helped them close November with strong gains.
This year, retailers have less time to attract consumers because Thanksgiving fell on the fourth Thursday of November, making the holiday shopping season six days shorter.


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From Staff Reports
Eupora saw a $456 decrease in sales tax collections during November.
The city reported $35,075 in sales tax for November, down from $35,531 for the same month in 2012. Since the state fiscal year began July 1, Eupora has seen about a half-percent decrease in sales tax or $435 compared to the same period a year earlier.
Mathiston’s collections of $16,200 in November were up 7.7 percent, or $1,155, from the $15,045 collected the same month last year. Fiscal year-to-date collections are $92,246, down only $8 from 2012.
The Mississippi Department of Revenue collects 81.5 percent of the 7 percent sales tax from municipalities and distributes the remaining 18.5 percent back to the municipalities over a three-month cycle.
These figures reflect other municipal sales taxes collected on November sales with 2012 figures in parentheses:
• Maben: $6,361 ($5,922)
• Mantee: $2,724 ($2,388)
• Walthall: $1,689 ($1,708)


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Bike hailing service ORide to move more focus towards their delivery segment called OExpress. ORide will be joining other competitors who had already transitioned into the logistics space. The move was preceded by the February ban on motorbikes. This also affected other bike-hailing startups such as Gokada and MaxNG.
As of now, ORide’s bike-hailing operation does well in places like Ibadan. However, the company will continue rebranding its business shift towards logistics. The basis for their argument is
OExpress’s Director Of Operations and Business Development, Moses Awolowo, communicated to TechCabal that ORide’s services will continue as usual in Ibadan, as the service finalizes its “pivot” into “logistics.” This will require them to sell a “small percentage” of their motorbike inventory in the process.
The news of the sale first broke out on Twitter when someone shared that the bikes were being sold for 180K. At first, Opay did not confirm or deny the story. The bikes will be sold for ₦180,000 and ₦270,000, depending on their duration of use.
OExpress and Ride are both owned by Many Wheels Services which in turn is owned by Opay. The company operates the fintech aspect of transportation such as OBus, OCar, and ORide. By running these companies through a separate legal entity, the company does not have to alter its memorandum of association anytime it intends to introduce new vertigo.


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WePlenish has launched the Java Smart Container via a Kickstarter campaign. The new container is designed to automatically reorder coffee pods, espresso capsules, tea, snacks and other pantry essentials when supplies run low.
Frieling is celebrating the 150th anniversary of Zassenhaus Coffee Mills. The company is the exclusive North American distributor for the hand-crank mills.
StoreBound has launched the Dash Rapid Cold Brew System via an Indiegogo campaign. According to the company, the appliance is designed to cut brewing time from 12 to 72 hours to only five minutes.
Full Circle has debuted Brumi, a hot/cold pour over brew glass travel bottle. The Brumi design allows consumers to make and take both hot and cold brew coffee on-the-go, stated the company.
Cafflano has launched a Kickstarter campaign for its Kompresso handheld espresso maker.
NPD has reported that Millennials are at the center of the niche segment of consumers embracing craft coffee brewing methods at home. Fueled by this trend, NPD is forecasting 9% growth in coffee consumption by 2024.


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With 800 million people who suffer from hunger, it is clear that the global food system is not working. But never before were there more opportunities, knowledge and skills to do something to change that, says Alessandro Demaio, ceo of the Norwegian ngo EAT.
During the EAT Stockholm Food Forum, on 11 June, takes place in Stockholm, bend, scientists, policy makers, businesses and ngos about strategies to the global food supply to improve.
By 2050, the earth according to estimates by the United Nations 9 billion people. The world Bank states that because of climate change the yield of food crops with 25 percent may decline, and that the efforts to fight hunger are undermined. The food production would be 50 percent, in order to produce enough for the growing world population.
The Stockholm Food Forum took not the least speakers in the house to take up this challenge, bending: among others, Kristalina Georgieva (chairman of the world Bank), Christiana Figueres (co-architect of the climate deal Paris) and Sam Kass (nutritionist of the former government-Obama) are present to share their ideas.
“We hope with them and voedseldeskundigen from 29 countries to exchange ideas and hopefully to come up with strategies to this non-working system to recreate,” says Demaio.
One of the seventeen SDG’s (goal 2, nulhonger) wants extreme hunger eradication for 2030. Is this feasible?
DEMAIO: “the Food has in any way a connection with all of the seventeen Sustainable development Goals. As a doctor, I am seriously concerned about the fact that 800 million people go hungry worldwide and more than 2 million people are obese. Those figures go along with an epidemic of dieetgerelateerde and prevent diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
When I was in Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Cambodia, I saw the many forms that hunger can take. Malnutrition manifests itself in children by dangerously underweight for their age, or lack of growth. At the other end of the spectrum, you see people with a high calorie diet, which at the same time, are low in nutrients, the group where overweight and obesity are manifest.
“What we produce makes us sick and destroyed planet. But we continue to subsidize with billions of dollars’
There is a large discrepancy between the availability of food and the quality in the different parts of the world. A third of all food produced, gets lost or ends up in the trash. That is enough for all the hungry people in the world four times to feed!
The slow response to the increasing pressure of climate change and increasing social inequality means that not everyone is the right foods. Last year, noted the UN that the famine, after a decrease of ten years on the rise.
I believe in nulhonger for 2030. There are many solutions to achieve that, such as connecting small farmers with markets, the elimination of trade barriers and the improvement of sustainable food production. There is political will to the parties from different sectors and countries working together.
Food is the main global gezondheidsuitdaging and a climate challenge. What we produce makes us sick and destroyed planet. But we continue to subsidize with billions of dollars. Especially the poor in the world, who is not responsible for, bear the expense thereof.’
How should the global food system reform, including higher productivity and recycling of food waste?
EAT connects scientists, policy makers, businessmen, and civil society to five major goals to achieve: a healthy, tasty and sustainable diet, the realignment of priorities in food systems, producing more food with less waste, protect land and oceans, and drastically reducing food waste.
Every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food lost. In poorer countries, this happens usually before the food is on the market. That can be for a part with simple technology in the supply chain to be resolved, such as in the transport, packaging and cooling. Technical interventions such as precision farming or investments in processes after harvest can make a big difference.
In richer countries, most food is wasted after the market, in supermarkets and at home. Here is something to do less often to do some shopping, impulse buying is to prevent and, less often, actions such as ‘two get one free’ to keep. That kind of actions put people are encouraged to buy more that they need.”
The world must be at least 50 percent more food production to an estimated 9 million people in 2050 to feed. This Is, with the eye on the climate change, possible?
‘The bad news is that modern agriculture is not the entire world population is feeding, and not good feeds. The good news is that there’s never been a better opportunity, more knowledge and skills you have to to do something about it.
Greater investment in infrastructure and processing of the harvest will improve, in combination with better access to markets and technology may lead to a minimal part of the harvest is lost to farmers in low – and middeninkomenlanden. This allows millions of people lifted out of poverty. In rich countries, it is up to companies and consumers to engage in transformation in the area of food waste.
‘Whether it comes to climate change, food shortages, water shortages, sustainability of the oceans or geopolitical conflicts, mostly they are connected with each other’
Through new business models, improved production, packaging and education businesses available to consumers in the right direction. With other purchasing habits, the adaptation of portions, and better voedselbereidingstechnieken consumers can circular voedseleconomie embrace. Each pound of food rescued from the waste, creates profit, also in the field of environment and health.
Through my work in remote communities, with health professionals, scientists and companies, I have seen the trend to vegetable diets to follow, has led to the discovery of new crops with promising nutritional value. These crops deliver sometimes more food in relation to the input that they need, such as water, and unpredictable weather conditions to endure. Diversification can, therefore, help to meet the need for nutrients. Meat in a laboratory for breeding can lead to increased productivity, nutritional value and tolerance for klimaatonzekerheden.
In essence, it is the future of agriculture not only in intensive, expansion – he is in the embrace of a holistic, precise and technological methods aimed at the production of healthy and climate-proof food.’
What is the impact of conflicts, in particular in Asia and Africa, on the wereldvoedselvoorraden?
“Large national and regional conflicts often have deep impact on food supplies, because they disrupt the society. Conflicts are often also stems from the fight for natural resources such as land and water, both of which are needed to produce food.
A growing world population, lower yields and nutritional value of some crops as a result of climate change, may also cause stress. That increases the risk of civil unrest or military conflict. Countries that the most experience stress, are often also countries that have the least capacity to adequately respond to public unrest.
Whether it comes to climate change, food shortages, water shortages, sustainability of the oceans or geopolitical conflicts, mostly they are connected with each other. Acidification and warming of the ocean, for example, has an effect on the fishing and the distribution of the already overfished fish stocks. Therefore geopolitical tensions arise. Since many of these problems are interrelated, there are also opportunities to jointly reduce it.’
Text: Thalif Deen


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Brian McDonald named eASIC financial chief
- Staff Silicon Valley Business Journal
The Santa Clara company said McDonald has more than 30 years of finance experience with high-technology companies, most recently as CFO for Advanced Analogic Technologies, which he helped guide through its IPO process in 2005.
Before that he held senior financial positions at Monolithic Power Systems, Elantec Semiconductor, National Semiconductor, Mattson Technology, Micro Linear, and Read-Rite Corp.
"I am delighted Brian has decided to join the eASIC team," said CEO Ronnie Vasishta. "His experience and understanding of the important relationships between finance and the rest of the business is extremely important as we approach the next very exciting phases of our growth."
Click here to read eASIC's press release.
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Ford Media Center
DUBAI, UAE. January 17, 2019 – Ford kick-started the year on a high, as it celebrated two major milestones in the much-contested pickup truck and commercial vehicles segments. The company further drove dominance in these categories with F-Series sealing its 42nd consecutive year as America’s top-selling truck and best-selling vehicle for more than 35 years, while the Transit range helped Ford maintain its lead as best-selling commercial van brand in the US for 40 straight years.
Building trucks that are designed to define the way the market thinks about pickups is simply part of the F‑Series legacy and the 100+ years of Ford heritage. F‑150 is already one of the most revolutionary pickup trucks on the road, and the latest F‑150 builds on the game-changing features that currently cement this truck's reputation for quality, durability and strength.
In the Middle East and Africa, F-150 and Super Duty trucks enjoyed another stellar year with sales jumping more than 13 per cent over last year, proving its best-in-class payload and towing, matched with class-exclusive features and a tougher, smarter and even more capable vehicle, prove irresistible to the region’s truck buyers.
Unmatched in the industry, Ford has become America’s best-selling commercial van brand for the 40th consecutive year. Such a record speaks to the overwhelming popularity of Ford vans among the commercial buyers and fleets that keep businesses working, and cater to families who need a lot of seating and adventurers who prefer homes that have wheels.
From 1979 through 2018, Ford sold more than 7.1 million vans with powerhouse names like Econoline, E-series, Transit, and Transit Connect. Led by Ford Transit, America’s best-selling full-size commercial van, and Ford Transit Connect, the best-selling small cargo van, Ford sold more commercial vans than any other brand last year.
In the Middle East, Ford’s commercial vehicle range has also expanded to include three new versions of the Tourneo; the Kombi (a favourite for employee transportation), mid-series (for hotel/airport shuttle and travel operator use) and Premium (for business executive and luxury transportation use). It’s no surprise, then, that more and more businesses have opted for the Transit products in the Middle East, driving exceptional regional sales for Ford Transit in 2018, with a four-fold increase, having charted an incredible 240 per cent boost in regional sales for 2017.
“The Transit’s unparalleled versatility is key to its popularity in the region, something that’s highlighted not only in it being the vehicle of choice for fleet operators and SME businesses, but also amongst the Middle East’s motoring press, who have nominated the Tourneo Custom for a coveted Middle East Car of the Year award for 2019,” said Mahendra Menon, Commercial Vehicles Operations Manager, Ford Middle East and Africa.
Globally, Transit has enjoyed continued success with more and more businesses relying on Ford Transit to get the job done for over 50 years. From refrigerator van to ambulance, premium people-carrier to cargo mover, Transit offers both unparalleled versatility, and exceptional value for money, making it a firm favourite among businesses investing in the Ford brand.
To download the Word document of this press release in Arabic, click here
To download the Word document of this press release in English, click here
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 200,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
Ford’s history in the Middle East goes back more than 60 years. The company’s local importer-dealers operate more than 155 facilities in the region and directly employ more than 7,000 people, the majority of whom are Arab Nationals. For more information on Ford Middle East, please visit www.me.ford.com.
Ford Middle East is also a responsible corporate citizen with currently various CSR initiatives running in the region including the Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants, Ford Warriors in Pink® breast cancer awareness campaign, Ford Driving Skills for Life for young drivers and the Henry Ford Entrepreneurship Academy education initiative for young entrepreneurs.


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The lawyer bought the drug from Rednet and bought it from unknown vendors in Linz.
The 18-year-old spent his living expenses and medication.
According to investigators, a 1-year-old man received 4 marijuana cannabis, 25 grams of hashish and 0 grams of amphetamine per
An internal investigation, approved by the court and appointed by the Attorney General, allows for misuse and misappropriation of
income, profits from the sale of drugs and 20 cannabis that have already been sold. all 380 grams of different fruits. addicts and
some cell phones used kumbuyuutarro to commit a crime.
The accused will be questioned at the scene. The study examined 25 drug dealers or customers and reported them to the Ministry of
The Ministry of Public Works was notified of the 17-year-old. At the same time, the courts confiscated items, including money.


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MILAN, Italy – Within the , Marco Bizzarri was paying down towards an alternate character as head of the luxury Couture Fabric Products section away from Kering, managing a group of esteemed brands and Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint laurent, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, and Brioni.
A promising superstar from the luxury group’s exec ranks, this new 53-year-old got already turned out his mettle from inside the driving organization gains – such as for example in the Bottega Veneta, where annual incomes soared away from ˆeight hundred billion to help you more than ˆ1 million not as much as their check out. In advance of that he did closely that have Stella McCartney, whose providers he brought to earnings. Their the brand new role was thought to be detection of them achievements, and you will a chance to book the development of some of Kering ‘s names, in lieu of functioning you to definitely providers truly.
Which emerged while the a surprise to Bizzarri whenever Kering president and you will leader Francois-Henri Pinault requested him to take on brand new character since the president and you can President out-of Gucci, pursuing the flaming log off from Patrizio Di Marco just who remaining instantly at the end of just last year, followed closely by his mate, and you may Gucci imaginative director, Frida Giannini.
It was the second amount of time in 10 years that Gucci receive itself about unusual condition away from losing both a ceo and you can innovative movie director while doing so. Within the 2004, Tom Ford and his leading team mate Domenico De Sole produced their particular higher-reputation get-off, once using the provincial Italian leather-based items business straight back in the verge out of bankruptcy and transforming it on the most desirable trend brand internationally.
Around Frida Giannini, just who fundamentally took on the newest mantle out-of innovative manager within the 2006, Gucci became known for its solid tool appeal. Little by little, even while conversion continued to rise, the company started initially to cure the cred, specifically between style insiders. Sooner or later, creative stagnation began to effect incomes. Every quarter conversion process progress started initially to slow regarding second half regarding 2013 and you may, by , after years of successful increases, Gucci got educated about three straight household from declining conversion.
The time had come getting change. Bizzarri’s first rung on the ladder would be to appoint a unique imaginative director. The guy chosen Alessandro Michele, a developer heretofore unfamiliar into the trends business, but who’d worked behind-the-scenes during the Gucci for several decades.
Michele lead a revolutionary the brand new eyes to Gucci, and therefore banged away from having a quickly prepared menswear inform you into the January you to definitely watched many hard-to-delight people, force and you may insiders singing their praises, and raised questions about how designer’s intercourse-bending, close aesthetic is interpreted with the saleable device. Particular longtime Gucci fans had been perplexed of the change, voicing its discontent on the social media and you will requiring the fresh go back out-of Giannini.
Nevertheless reinvention away from Gucci are started. With every mindful action due to https://datingranking.net/santa-ana-dating/ the fact earliest tell you, Bizzarri and you may Michele has actually engineered an entire rethinking of one’s business’s choices, branding, ads, store concept and you may, even, business culture.
Early signs and symptoms of improvements has certainly gained this new believe away from Francois-Henri Pinault: “Marco and you may Alessandro have already showed their strong understanding of new brand’s label i am also convinced that he has got the relevant skills needed to elevate the mood and resume its growth system. Gucci has a track record of reinvention therefore the the new assistance directed out by their management cluster is really guaranteeing.”
But a few pre-determined questions are still: the thing that was the new thought behind the pace of the remarkable change and exactly how have a tendency to it lead to economic impression for the treasure for the Kering’s luxury profile and another out-of fashion’s largest and more than storied companies?


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Network Associates's Sniffer Technologies division is reaching out to companies with high speed wireless networks, adding support of the 802.11a wireless standard to its Sniffer Wireless product, the company announced on Monday.
NAI's Sniffer Wireless is an application and security management product for companies with wireless devices. The product allows network administrators to monitor the configuration of wireless devices on their network to support vulnerabilities, monitor the radio frequencies used by wireless devices to troubleshoot conflicts and detect rogue wireless devices that have attached to a wireless LAN, according to NAI.
802.11a is a cousin to the 802.11b standard that is used by many wireless products designed for the homes and small offices.
802.11a is geared to businesses interested in wireless technology, but with bandwidth-hungry applications such as those displaying multimedia presentations. It provides much higher bandwidth connections to wireless clients, up to 54M bits per second in the 5GHz band as opposed to 11M bits per second in the 2.4GHz band for 802.11b.
However, higher bandwidth equates to a shorter range. 802.11a supports the 54M bits per second for clients at about 60 feet from an access point, whereas 802.11b can support 11M bits per second at up to 300 feet from a wireless access point.
NAI's announcement Monday signals the greater use of wireless technologies by businesses and the growing popularity of high speed solutions that use non-802.11b standards, according to Pete Lindstrom, research director at The Spire Group.
"The Sniffer products made their mark by understanding every packet that goes across the network. All they're doing is saying 'We're going to cover everything in the 802.11 realm,'" Lindstrom said.
In expanding Sniffer to support 802.11a networks, NAI is competing with a host of other companies to grab a piece of the wireless security market, according to Lindstrom.
Companies such as AirDefense Inc., Internet Security Systems Inc. (ISS) and Netstumbler.com all offer competing security products for sniffing out vulnerabilities in wireless networks and securing wireless access points that can be used by attackers to gain direct access to corporate networks behind the firewall.
"These are things that are scary," said Lindstrom about the growing popularity of wireless technology on corporate networks. "This stuff is growing like weeds and its not top-down technology. It's like file servers and network operating systems in the early 1980s. Your techie guy goes out and buys this stuff and all of a sudden you've got it going on. " Sniffer Wireless with support of 802.11a is available immediately, according to NAI.


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Meizu 16S will be officially released tomorrow, after the Meizu 16S real phone exposure, now the network has flowed out of the machine’s packaging box, its important configuration at a glance.
The box shows that Meizu 16S will be equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, using 48 million pixel AI dual camera, brand new on-screen fingerprint, support NFC function, the box also shows that this phone has 6+128GB version.
According to the real Meizu 16S map of the previous exposure, Meizu 16S rear-mounted vertical double-shot, the back design seems to adopt the curved surface design from the reflective point of view, while the front design is not much different from the Meizu 16th series, and does not use the bangs or water drop screen.
Visit Also: Meizu 16S Real Phone Photo Exposure
In other respects, Meizu 16S uses a 6.2-inch screen with a resolution of 2232*1080, a horizontal linear motor, no 3.5mm headphone jack, and a built-in 3540mAh battery.


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smart Automobile Co., Ltd. Board of Directors Announces Key New Appointment: Ms. Mandy Zhang to Serve as the Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing and After-Sales of smart Automobile Co., Ltd.
(April 01, 2022, Hangzhou) smart’s Europe and China “dual-home“ business strategy is bringing the global market into focus. With the comprehensive renewal of its brand, products and business model, the premium all-electric automobile and technology brand is working constantly to ensure its high-quality growth in the global market. The continued strengthening of the management team remains a vital part of the brand’s ongoing development.
Today, the board of directors of smart Automobile Co., Ltd. announced a key new appointment: Ms. Mandy Zhang will succeed Mr. Daniel Lescow as Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing and After-Sales of smart Automobile Co., Ltd., and will also serve as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of smart Europe GmbH., overseeing smart brand operations in the global market. Meanwhile, Mr. Daniel Lescow will take up a new assignment within Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
Ms. Mandy Zhang, Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing and After-Sales of smart Automobile Co., Ltd.
Ms. Mandy Zhang has been deeply immersed in the premium automobile market for more than 20 years. She has held senior management positions at a number of different international brands, and has accumulated rich experience in the fields of multinational partnerships, corporate strategy, brand operation, sales management, retail business management and training.
The board of directors of smart Automobile Co., Ltd. said: "We are very pleased to welcome Ms. Mandy Zhang to smart for this important management role. Mandy has served the Mercedes-Benz brand for more than 20 years and has been deeply immersed in the development of China's auto industry throughout this time. She has the vision and insight, as well as the excellent leadership needed to manage our international operations. It is worth mentioning that she was directly involved in smart brand's successful entry into the Chinese market. We believe that her valuable experience will help the smart brand continue to expand globally and win the favour of more customers in the market. Both the board of directors and shareholders have full confidence in the future development of the smart.”
Mr. Tong Xiangbei, Global CEO of smart Automobile Co., Ltd. said: "I welcome Ms. Mandy Zhang, someone with both international vision and local experience, to join smart’s core management team. Overall industry development trends are providing a good basis for the development of the smart brand. We are ready to welcome future global customers with our renewed brand, product and business model. With our new product soon to launch, I trust Mandy will greatly assist the smart brand with further implementation of the China-Europe ‘dual-home’ global development strategy and streamlining of smart’s global marketing, sales and after-sales service operations.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Tong Xiangbei expressed his gratitude to Mr. Daniel Lescow for his contribution to smart Automobile Co., Ltd. Over the past few years, Mr. Daniel Lescow has made outstanding contributions to smart, not only by leading the team to successfully completing the comprehensive renewal of the brand, but also by redefining smart’s sales and after-sales business model both in China and in Europe.
With the upcoming World Premiere of the all-new smart #1 and gradual roll-out of the Direct-to-Customer agent-based business model, smart is in a phase of full speed development. Speaking of her new appointment, Ms. Mandy Zhang said, "I am honoured to be part of smart, a brand renowned for its innovative inspiration and pioneering spirit. I participated in the introduction of smart from Europe to China, witnessing smart become the urban mobility companion to large group of customers across China. Now, I look forward to working with the renewed smart, to bring a unique and premium all-electric urban mobility experience to more customers, and joining hands with our global colleagues to bring the new generation of smart all-electric products from China to the European market and worldwide.


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According to an article by Chris Isidore of CNNMoney.com, a vast majority of economists expect that the United States Federal Reserve will keep its overnight lending rate â€“ to which many home equity and credit cards interest rates are tied â€“ near 0% through 2010 and into 2011.
Obviously, this is great news for those of us to have any loans tied to the Federal Funds rate, since lower rates obviously mean lower (required) monthly payments. It is assumed that this decreased interest stress on consumers will help to spur more consumer and business spending. Since consumer spending accounts for nearly three-quarters of the U.S. GDP, this could ultimately be the thing that brings our economy completely out of â€œThe Great Recession.â€
Unfortunately, keeping rates this low has for what will likely be close to two years, has a negative impact on two fronts:
- It hurts those who depend on interest from their money market and savings account as income, for example, many retirees. Not only are many consumer loans pegged to the Federal Funds rate â€“ as stated above â€“ but so too are most interest bearing savings accounts. So, as long as these rates are low, people who depend on this income will have to learn to get by with little to no margin for surprise expenses.
- It fosters long-term inflation due to the increased availability of money in the economy. Currently, with the credit crunch still having lingering effects, inflation has been relatively tame. However, since many of the extraordinary efforts to keep the country â€“ and the world for that matter â€“ out of a depression have been centered around pumping massive amounts of money into the economy, there is a very good chance we will all face very strong inflationary pressures once the economic rebound solidifies.
Based on the current view of economists, it appears that the Federal reserve would rather wait for inflationary pressures to come to fruition before raising rates as opposed to risk raising rates too early and undoing all of the work theyâ€™ve done so far.
Iâ€™m torn on when rates should start to increase, although, Iâ€™m currently leaning towards wanting them raised sooner rather than later. When do you think rates should start to climb? Leave your thoughts below.


text: mct oil whole foods "If there is no allow most of the European Union oriented financial services agreement, the financial sector accounts for about 7% of GDP, but about 10% of tax revenue and 14% of the exports, may be affected by the special Britain will stay there," the report said. The international monetary fund cut its growth forecast for the UK to 1.6 per cent this year from 1.7 per cent in October and is expected to grow by 1.5 per cent in 2018. Therefore, several factors make Long Fin a good target for short-term speculation in the market. Newly listed, floating stock plate small, artificial intelligence and blockchain concept. It is worth mentioning that Surface Pro is by far the most popular with users of Surface equipment, Surface Pro 4 proportion is as high as 39.7%, Surface Pro 3 also is as high as 21.7%, while older equipment Surface Pro/Pro 2 still has 5.6% and 3.7% of the users. On the Surface Book, however, the average user accounts for just 0.4 per cent of the market, except for the 7.5 per cent share of the first generation, which may be due to a short listing.


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Are comics coming back? What’s coming back? Or is it a new thing? Does anyone really know?
Archives for 11/03/2011 5:35 pm
Slate has a preview of the autobio material in the upcoming Lynda Barry collection Everything Vol. 1. More in link.
This is just the news day for comics folks developing their own apps. Former Nickelodeon Magazine comics editor Chris Duffy, and his co-workers Laura Galen, and Carmen Morais all had some free time when the magazine was canceled. And now they’ve come up with Comixer, an iPad app aimed at kids that allows them to mix and match panels in various genres to make their own stories. The app is on sale for 99¢ at launch. More here:
Continuing the frantic pace of digital comics announcements, acquisitions and positioning, Graphicly has announced its acquisition of Double Feature, an application for mobile phones that was developed by the studio of Tim Seeley of HACK/SLASH fame. While the app was originally built to showcase the work of Seleey and his studiomates, apparently it will be available for more content from Graphicly.
Marvel is committing to making virtually all its comics available digitally day and date, accoridng to a story at Gizmodo.
The plan will roll out over the next six months, with “print and digital for nearly all comics will be same day release by April 2012” according to Marvel’s Ryan Penagos on Twitter. The books will shift over as they reach new “jumping on points” meaning the roll-out will be staggered. However the adults only MAX line and licensed books, inclduing the Stephen King adaptations, will NOT go to the DaD system.
As you all know, Stan Lee pacts the way other people breathe. Here’s a new one — a contest with online community MASScanvas to design a t-shirt; a portions of the proceeds of the winning design will go to the John Wayne Cancer Institute. Winners get their very own congratulatory video from Stan, as well.
The importance of this story will be self-evident to anyone familiar with L’Asso’s work but here’s a few reasons for those now in the know:
1) They published some of the best comics ever by major creators like Trondheim, Sfar and David B., to name a few.
2) L’Association was the original publisher of PERSEPOLIS, the work which more than any other legitimized graphic novels in the mainstream US publishing world of the Aughts
3) The story of the controversial Jean-Christophe Menu reveals one of the great paradoxes of the creative endeavor, in how the same character trait can often be both the doorway to greatness and its downfall.
This article on the “Speed Dating” sessions at the recent New York Comic Con paint an interesting picture of the social dynamics of Nerd World, especially with the growing participation of women
due to the anime and Vampire influences.
Since his death last summer, there’s been much talk about honoring the late Harvey Pekar in his native Cleveland with a statue.
Pekar’s widow Joyce Brabner, was uncomfortable with the idea of a heroic monument, so in conjuction with some local artists they’ve come up with a more populist memorial: a statue at the Cleveland Heights library that would also serve as a place where people can read and make comics.
Thwipster, the “Groupon for comics” has added an all-ages section. So far the offerings include The New Brighton Archeological Society, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and a Tron & Sark Kubrick Two-Pack — but they’ll be making them a regular feature.


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Holiday price war looms, and Best Buy shares get bloodied (Video)
Best Buy Co. Inc. beat Wall Street profit estimates for the third quarter and turned in its first quarterly same-store sales growth of 2013. But the immediate reaction from investors when that news came out Tuesday morning was "Yikes!"
Update: The Richfield-based retailer's shares fell throughout the day — as the close of trading nears, Best Buy is down by nearly $5, or more than 11 percent to $38.60.
Excluding restructuring charges, earnings were 18 cents per share, well in front of the 12 cents per share analysts had expected.
Revenue was in line with projections and roughly even year-over-year, at $9.36 billion. Same-store sales, a key retail metric, were up .3 percent. Best Buy's same-store sales were shrinking by 5 percent a year ago.
As The Wall Street Journal noted yesterday, Best Buy's stock has risen 264 percent since its third-quarter announcement in 2012, largely on the strength of a turnaround effort led by CEO Hubert Joly and CFO Sharon McCollam
But investors didn't like the sound of McCollam's tough talk on pricing, as she predicted a fierce fight for sales in the holiday shopping season:
"First and foremost, we are committed to being competitive on price. … It is table stakes in our transformation. So if our competition is in fact more promotional in the fourth quarter, we will be too and that will have a negative impact on our gross margin."
Mark Reilly manages daily and weekly coverage at the Business Journal newsroom.
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