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|The opening ceremony of the Vietnamese Goods Identification Program 2023 called “Pride of Vietnamese Goods” and “Essence of Vietnamese Goods” (Photo: dangcongsan.vn)
Having operated for seven years, the Vietnamese Goods Identification Program launched by the Ministry of Industry and Trade highlights Vietnamese pride for locally made goods and the role and production capacity of Vietnamese enterprises.
Le Viet Nga, Deputy Director of the Domestic Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said, “In every situation, including the most difficult time for export, Vietnamese businesses can find their segment in the domestic market and are able to create a network of distribution and traditional business partners to cater to the market of 100 million Vietnamese people. The purchasing power of the domestic market needs to be further promoted with effective and practical stimulus programs suitable to the needs of Vietnamese people.”
The Campaign "Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods" has supported businesses to develop the market and meet people's consumer demand. The campaign has contributed to fulfilling economic targets, including controlling inflation and stabilizing the macroeconomy. Since 2009, the total annual turnover of retail goods and services has seen the annual growth of about 10%.


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Here’s a clarification if you happened to misread any of the Nokia-Microsoft news from last night: Microsoft didn’t buy all of Nokia — it just bought the most visible parts of it.
What remains of Nokia are three primary revenue streams that together will make the Finnish company a smaller but likely more profitable business.
1. Maps, maps, maps. One Nokia’s stronger products is Here, its mapping platform. Unlike its device business, Nokia is keeping Here to itself, which enables it to not only license the software to Microsoft for Bing but also opens it up to offer the platform in other applications as well. One of these is Here Auto, the connected car platform that Nokia launched in August.
2. Another big business for Nokia is its 16,000 item-strong patent portfolio, which some analysts say is worth as much as $4 billion. While Nokia licenses its patents to over 40 companies, the company also hasn’t been shy about targeting those that it says infringe on its intellectual property — including BlackBerry and HTC. Litigation may be tiring, but it could also mean big bucks.
3. Also big here is Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN), Nokia’s networking and telecommunications arm. Nokia’s commitment to the company became clear in July when it announced its plans to spend $2.22 billion to buy out Siemens’ 50 percent share of the venture.
So far, NSN’s business is unaffected by Nokia’s sale, as NSN CEO Rajeev Suri confirmed Tuesday.
“For NSN, it is business as usual. We remain focused on executing our strategy, completing our restructuring and delivering industry-leading innovation to our customers every day,” Suri writes.
Again, from all of this it’s clear that the new Nokia will be a much smaller company — but it could also be a lot better off. In response to news of the sale, investors helped boost Nokia’s shares 47 percent on the Helsinki stock exchange. For investors, a leaner Nokia might just be a better one.

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The global cannabis market is expected to reach $90.4 billion by 2026, according to a MarketsandMarkets report. This equates to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28% from the cannabis market’s $20.8 billion evaluation in 2020.
Within the cannabis market, concentrates are projected to have the largest CAGR through 2026 due to the wide variety of different types of concentrates including shatter, budder, rosin, wax, oils, and tinctures.
The medical cannabis sector is expected to dominate the market with the growing list of countries embracing medical cannabis and the increasing use of various types of CBD, the report says.
Additionally, the North American market is expected to continue expanding: Canada legalized adult cannabis use in 2018, the legalization process is in the works in Mexico, more U.S. states pass adult-use cannabis laws each year, and medical cannabis treatments across North America have never been more popular. The presence of large cannabis corporations like Canopy Growth Corp, Aurora Cannabis Inc., and Medical Marijuana Inc., will also spur investment in the North American market, the report says.
In Europe, Germany is moving forward with plans to legalize adult-use cannabis while Malta — the European Union’s first member nation to pass legalization — recently shipped its first medical cannabis export.
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Report: Global Cannabis Market Expected to Reach $90.4B By 2026


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LAWRENCE COUNTY, AR (KAIT) -With the low temperatures falling into the 40s this week the countdown to the holiday season has begun. The women at Hoxie United Methodist Church got a taste of Christmas on Saturday at their "Christmas in October" cooking school and cookbook sale.
The class allowed the women to sell a cookbook they put together about four years ago.
Guests were able see area chefs prepare dishes from the cookbook, "Taste and See", so that they could make them for their own holiday events.
Vice President Lida Tinker said the money from projects like this one go towards their mission projects in the community. "We use the funds that we make from this to provide food for our food pantry, and we help with the children's shelter here in Lawrence County," said Tinker. "We also do a local missions for the schools with school supplies."
A table was also set up with items available for purchase including crocheted scarves, knitted dishrags, bead jewelry, string angels, and sourdough breads, as well as copies of the featured cookbook.


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ECB Preview + Half Point Hikes for CAD and NZD
The global tightening cycle is in full swing with half point interest rate hikes from the Bank of Canada and Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Expectations for changes by both central banks did not stop the Canadian and New Zealand dollars from reacting strongly to these adjustments. The Canadian soared dollar after the rate decision while the New Zealand dollar plunged. Their diametrically opposite movements underscores the importance of policy guidance.
To the surprise of many investors including ourselves, the Canadian dollar sold off ahead of the rate decision, hitting a bottom about an hour before the Bank of Canada raised interest rates by 50bp for the first time in 22 years. This was the bank’s largest single move in more than two decades. According to Governor Tiff Macklem, “the economy can handle higher interest rates, and they are needed.” Like many countries around the world, Canada is struggling with high inflation – the last consumer price report from February showed prices growing at its fastest rate in 30 years. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drove prices even higher in March. Although a half point hike and end to bond purchases were widely anticipated, Macklem’s guidance sent the loonie soaring. He said “we are prepared to move as forcefully as needed to get inflation on target” and that rates should return to the “neutral range of 2% and 3%.” Canada should brace for another 100 to 200bp of tightening this year.
The New Zealand dollar plunged despite a similar size rate hike from the Reserve Bank. The half point move from the RBNZ was a surprise as economists had been looking for a quarter point hike. However according to the RBNZ, “The committee agreed that their policy ‘path of least regret’ is to increase the OCR by more now, rather than later, to head off rising inflation expectations.” Even though they said “it is appropriate to continue to tighten monetary conditions at pace,” investors interpreted today’s move as a dovish hike and a sign of the central bank slowing down. They have raised interest rates for four straight meetings since October as inflation surged to 5.9 percent.
Tomorrow, the focus turns to the European Central Bank who is not expected to change monetary policy. Although high inflation is also a problem in the Eurozone, growth is hampered by sanctions on Russia, supply chain issues and the shock of higher food and energy costs on consumers. The rise in long term rates across Europe should help to cool prices. Even if the ECB can’t raise rates this week, there are steps that can be taken in that direction. The most important of which is addressing their Quantitative Easing program. Previously, the ECB said rates won’t increase until asset purchases end. The choice now is to end QE immediately or to shift guidance by suggesting that rates could increase as QE is unwound. We expect the ECB to raise interest rates this year but the move may not happen until the late third or early fourth quarter, leaving the central bank far behind its peers.
The U.S. dollar is trading strongly, particularly against the Japanese Yen ahead of Thursday’s retail sales report. With prices and wages rising, consumer spending growth is expected to accelerate. The focus will be on core prices – if spending ex autos and gas beats, USD/JPY could extend its gains. Even if it doesn’t expectations for a half point hike at the next FOMC meeting will remain intact.
Managing Editor, 60 Second Investor
Read more articles like this on my website


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Jamaica has long been ripe for a revival. The most prominent retailers in the once-bustling southern Queens neighborhood are 99-cent stores, bargain beauty salons and dusty no-name apparel discounters. National chains—from Starbucks to Victoria's Secret—have long shunned the one-square-mile area despite its status as one of the city's biggest transportation hubs—featuring the terminus of the AirTrain to JFK and a major transfer station for the Long Island Rail Road, not to mention four subway lines and a half-dozen bus lines.The problem is that very few of those hundreds of thousands of people who pass through daily stick around. That gives retailers little incentive to open up shop—and in turn forces the area's 643,000 residents to take their shopping and dining elsewhere, typically to places on Long Island. "We don't need more beauty supplies and nail salons and fast food," said Yvonne Reddick, district manager of Jamaica's Community Board 12. "We need quality stores that are going to draw people in to shop." Surprisingly, that need may yet be met. In late September, six years after the city rezoned the area to encourage more commercial development, plans were approved for a 24-story hotel on a property across the street from Jamaica's central transit hub. The site, owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Greater Jamaica Development Corp., has been used as a local meeting-room facility. The hotel could open as soon as 2016. Meanwhile, the Blumenfeld Development Group, which opened East Harlem's successful East River Plaza shopping mall three years ago, is planning to build a $50 million, two-level retail complex spanning one block on the corner of 90th Avenue and 168th Street, a site that is now home to a parking lot. The developer is hoping to lure a major national department store, as it did in East Harlem, where anchors include Target and Costco. Neighborhood advocates, including executives at the GJDC, are hoping the two big projects on the horizon will serve as the catalyst to whip the area into shape. "We've just now reached the period where interest is keen from lots of sources," said Carlisle Towery, president of the GJDC, noting attention from multiple real estate developers and lenders. "The neighborhood is changing." More specifically, hopes are rising that Jamaica could recapture some of its former glory, when its restaurants and stores, including a big Macy's, drew patrons not just from the immediate area, but also via car and train from Long Island. It was in the 1960s, as new shopping venues such as Green Acres Mall and Roosevelt Field Mall in Nassau County opened, that the flow reversed and Jamaica withered.
Sun starts to shine in Jamaica
Today, locals complain about the dearth of retail opportunities. Almost one out of every three residents said they never dine in Jamaica, according to a survey recently conducted by the GJDC. That report found that such avoidance translates to $228 million in lost revenue each year for Jamaica eateries. Meanwhile, residents doing their shopping elsewhere drain $325 million from the local economy annually."Jamaica isn't a place for sit-down dining, and they need more healthy options," said T. Garriga, who just moved to the area from the Bronx to look after her elderly parents.
$553M—Dining, shopping revenue lost to other areas annually
5—Train/subway lines in area
Other neighborhood officials say they'd love to see some national retailers in the area, a possibility that may now lie within reach, courtesy of the Blumenfeld retail project. That plan, however, still must go through lengthy city reviews, which will likely push off the start date of construction until at least 2015.However, Able Management Group, a proven hotel operator with properties on Long Island, is expected to start work on its 24-story hotel next fall. Viral Patel, chief executive of Able, is hoping to attract business travelers using the AirTrain, which provides an eight-minute journey to JFK airport. With 210 rooms, a sit-down restaurant and 3,700 square feet of retail, the new hotel will still have room rates about 40% lower than prices at Manhattan-based competitors. "It will only spur growth for others," said Mr. Patel, noting the bevy of retail projects in development, including one next door to his site on Sutphin Boulevard.
Nearby on Parsons Boulevard, the Dermot Co. opened an eight-story, 350-unit residential building called Moda three years ago. The good news there is that the project has already drawn one important endorsement. In July, Peter Poulakakos, who runs several trendy eateries in Manhattan as well as the Financier Patisserie coffee-shop chain, cut the ribbon on his new barbecue joint, CityRib, in the base of the building. The 4,000-square-foot space includes both dine-in and takeout options, and employs about 30. Mr. Poulakakos explained that he hadn't considered Jamaica until Dermot, his longtime real estate partner, suggested it."There's great potential—the transportation to New York is effortless and easy and fast, and the area has a lot to offer," said Mr. Poulakakos. "Obviously, like everywhere else, it just takes time."


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PUBG Company as we speak introduced that it’s getting ready to launch PUBG Cellular INDIA, a brand new recreation created particularly for the Indian market. The corporate additionally revealed plans to offer a safe and wholesome gameplay atmosphere alongside investments to domesticate native online game, esports, leisure, and IT industries.
The worldwide model of the sport, which is revealed by Tencent, was banned within the nation at first of September as a part of India’s strict anti-China stance that noticed elevated scrutiny over Chinese language tech merchandise and investments. The Indian authorities cited knowledge safety and person privateness violation issues as the first causes for the ban. Since then, PUBG Corp. took over the publishing rights of the sport from Tencent, in a bid to distance the title from China. PUBG additionally introduced a partnership with Microsoft to make use of its server internet hosting service, Azure to deploy all its merchandise.
In an official assertion, PUBG Corp. emphasised that privateness and safety of Indian participant knowledge can be a high precedence and that the corporate will conduct common audits and verifications on the storage methods holding Indian customers’ personally identifiable data to strengthen safety and be sure that their knowledge is safely managed.
As well as, the Indian model of the sport can be improved and tailor-made to mirror native wants by way of in-game content material. The announcement reads “Varied features of the sport can be personalized for Indian avid gamers, comparable to the sport now being set in a digital simulation coaching floor, new characters robotically beginning clothed, and inexperienced hit results to mirror the digital nature of the sport. Extra importantly, the corporate will embody a characteristic that locations restrictions on recreation time to advertise wholesome gameplay habits for youthful gamers.”
PUBG Corp. additionally introduced plans to create an Indian subsidiary to boost communications and providers with gamers. The Indian firm will rent over 100 staff specializing in enterprise, esports, and recreation improvement. Along with establishing an area workplace, the corporate will look to actively collaborate and leverage native companies to strengthen its gaming service.
Lastly, with its guardian firm KRAFTON, Inc, PUBG Corp. plans to make investments value $100M USD in India to domesticate the native online game, esports, leisure, and IT industries. The corporate additionally plans to make investments by internet hosting India-exclusive esports occasions, which is able to characteristic the ‘greatest’ tournaments, the ‘largest’ prize swimming pools, and the ‘finest’ event productions.
Shounak Sengupta is a employees author for AFK Gaming.


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People’s daily, Moscow, January 20 (reporter Zhang Guangzheng) – on the morning of January 20 local time, the provisional plenary (report) meeting of the Russian Chinese Council of entrepreneurs, a non-profit organization, was held in the Russian chamber of Commerce and industry. Zhang Hanhui, Chinese ambassador to Russia, representatives of the Russian federal government and local governments, representatives of more than 30 of Russia’s largest commercial companies, and leaders of Russia’s local governments all attended the conference. At the meeting, the Russian Chinese Council of industrialists elected and approved its leading body.
The Russian Chinese Council of industrialists was established to promote and support bilateral economic projects and promote cooperation between Russian and Chinese business circles. Its main task is to establish direct business ties between Chinese and Russian entrepreneurs, implement joint projects of trade, economy and investment, protect joint investment and solve enterprise disputes. The Russian Chinese Council of industrialists operates under the auspices of the Russian chamber of Commerce and industry and gathers the largest Russian enterprises, entrepreneurs’ associations and federations that do business with China.
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Warner Bros. had stood alone as the sole studio supporting both HD disc formats—until today. The studio gave Blu-ray a boost by deciding to release movies exclusively in that format, announcing that it would limit its HD releases to Blu-ray beginning later this year.
Calling the move a "response to consumer demand" necessary to avoid further confusion, Warner says that after May, it will no longer release HD DVD versions of its movies. "The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger," said Warner Chairman and CEO Barry Meyer in a statement. "We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers."
Warner's move had been rumored for some time, so its decision doesn't come as a complete surprise. With Warner now on board, Blu-ray now has six of the eight major US studios—Warner, Fox, Disney, Lion's Gate, MGM, and Sony—in its camp. The other two, Paramount and Universal, are backing HD DVD.
Both Warner and Paramount had been the only studios to support both formats. This past August, Paramount decided to cast its lot with HD DVD, a move that dealt a blow to Blu-ray's hope of staving off a protracted format war. Paramount reported received $150 million in "financial incentives" from HD DVD's backers to switch, but the company also cited the format's lower manufacturing costs, the inclusion of mandatory Managed Copy for backups, and Ethernet ports as reasons for switching.
Warner's decision to cast its lot with Blu-ray is an unwelcome development for HD DVD. The studio is positioning its move as an attempt to put the brakes on the format war, which is one factor in the slow consumer uptake of HD optical players. "A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry," said Kevin Tsujihara, president of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. "Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience."
That's not entirely accurate: consumers haven't clearly chosen anything yet. But Warner's decision to stop playing both sides of the fence will make the choice a bit more clear-cut for those in the market for an HD player.


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Word Balloon host John Suintres moderates a conversation with some of the brightest minds in independent comic publishing, including Image Comics's director of business development Ron Richards, Dark Horse's director of publicity Jeremy Atkins, BOOM! Studios's VP of publishing and marketing Filip Sablik, and IDW's VP of marketing Dirk Wood, discussing what they are doing to expand the marketplace.
Friday July 19, 2013 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Attendance numbers do not account for private attendees. Get there early!


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Construction underway on new Mitre 10
Kerikeri’s home improvement offer is set to expand with construction now underway on a new Mitre 10 store in the Waipapa Retail Centre.
Construction began last month on the forty-first Mitre 10 store which, at 6400sqm, will be one of the largest Mitre 10 stores in the network. Scheduled to open mid-2018, the store will have a spacious and airy retail floor, an undercover garden centre, a covered drive thru and a large timber and building materials yard. Customers will also find a full-service Columbus Café, a children’s playground and more than 200 car parks.
Store owners Ben and Debbie Leduc will be relocating to Kerikeri from Auckland and are excited to be part of Mitre 10’s re-introduction to the Kerikeri community.
“We’re excited to have this opportunity to become Mitre 10 store operators and thrilled to develop this site,” says Debbie.
“Mitre 10 has long wanted to re-establish its presence here in Kerikeri so it’s fantastic to be a part of making that happen,” added Ben.
Both Ben and Debbie are experienced business and retail professionals who are excited to settle in the region. They’re confident that the new store will be welcomed and embraced by the community.
“Ben and I have been spending a lot of time up here over the past while, we’re convinced that the store will enhance the home improvement offering in the Far North and we also want to play a role in both local DIY and community projects.
“Mitre 10’s locally owned and operated model means it’s owners are very hands-on and involved in their communities. That’s exactly how we like it and we’re very much looking forward to getting involved and supporting our local community,” says Debbie.
Ben knows the Mitre 10 Group well, having held various executive positions with the New Zealand cooperative over the last 15 years. He played an instrumental role including introducing the larger Mitre 10 MEGA format to New Zealand also gained significant retailing and hardware management experience in both Canada and Australia.
Debbie also brings significant business expertise and has held several senior financial management roles in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, including most recently Chief Financial Officer for Child Labor Free.


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The latest influx of U.S. retail giants such as Target setting up shop in Canada may be a competitive threat to Canadian retailers – but it could create new opportunities for Canada’s IT solution providers.
That was the conclusion reached by Canadian IT solution providers who took part in CDN’s Retail Without Boundaries executive roundtable in Toronto. The event was held the same day Target held surprise openings at its first three Canadian stores, located in the Ontario cities of Guelph, Fergus and Milton. (Target, which plans to have 124 stores in Canada by year’s end, wasn’t expected to open its first Canadian locations until April.)
Headlines have played up the coming battle pitting Canadian retailers like The Bay and Winners against U.S. giants now heading north such as Target, Nordstrom and J. Crew. But the newest wave of American retailers hitting Canada will raise the bar not only for Canadian retailers but for their Canadian IT solution providers as well, said roundtable guest Louis Le, marketing director at Gibraltar Solutions.
“It will force other Canadian retailers to revisit their own IT strategies,” Le said. That, he added, will create new opportunities for Canadian IT firms that cater to the retail industry here.
“There’s a huge opportunity (for Canadian IT companies) to help Canadian retailers” in the face of new U.S. competition, said Steve Kadolph, retail supply chain solution principal at SAP Retail Inc., which sponsored the event. “We have all this press and news about Target, Nordstrom and J. Crew coming into Canada. That, plus the new technologies emerging, presents new opportunities here.”
The arrival of both Target and Nordstrom in particular is “a wakeup call” for Canadian retailers about their investment in retail technologies and may spark them to spend on new technology to stay competitive, said roundtable participant David Toms, area V.P. and general manager for central and western regions at Metafore Technologies Inc.
One of the big data technologies now turning heads among retailers is predictive analytics, which moves beyond simply revealing who a brand’s shoppers are and what they buy. Instead, it crunches a dizzying array of data patterns to help retailers anticipate future retail trends, develop hit products and even predict what individual shoppers will buy next.
“The next venture (retailers) are looking at is all the ‘what if’ situations and how you predict and then react to all those uncertainties,” Kadolph said. “Five years ago, who would’ve predicted Target was coming here?”
Kadolph said three major Canadian retailers who are SAP clients use predictive analytics to try to understand the change in retail trends “from a consumer perspective – and it’s changing faster than ever before.”
This opening question sparked an enthusiastic discussion about predictive analytics as a tool to help retailers and their partners go beyond understanding shoppers to actually anticipate their future behaviour and thus predict upcoming retail trends. “We’ve really shifted from understanding analytics to anticipating analytics,” said Imran Syed, sales and marketing manager at BAASS Business Solutions Inc.
Casey Shea, business development manager at Keyora Inc., cited the example of U.S. apparel retailer Worth, which maintains a ‘virtual closet’ for every customer tracking all their previous purchases. When Worth releases new fashions, the system automatically searches each customer’s past history to suggest items from the new line that will fit in with the client’s existing outfits in terms of colour, style, etc.
Today’s retail data isn’t just predictive, however; it’s social, mobile and timely. Shea talked about how the younger demographic of shoppers in particular is driving this fast-paced data trend. Smartphones and tablets are allowing retailers to directly interact with younger consumers instantly. Macy’s has invested heavily in iPads for its stores so shoppers can ‘try on’ makeup or clothing virtually; and with their smartphones.
Mobile devices and social media are two of the biggest reasons that consumer trends are changing at lightning speed these days, roundtable attendees agreed.
“It’s about immediate gratification, especially among the younger consumers that are filling out the marketplace,” said Randy Bergeron, president of Unity Telecom.
Roundtable attendees gave examples of how today’s shoppers, especially in the ‘millennials’ demographic, tweet a product query and expect to get a response from a retailer instantly. They can also be fickle if their experience with a brand doesn’t meet their expectation, and then pan that brand all over social media before even leaving a store or Web site. It’s not enough to focus on the product and traditional customer service; now retailers have to pay constant attention to what’s being said about their company and brands – online and on social media – and react to that sentiment quickly.
Social media analytics solutions can play a role in managing this tricky virtual customer relationship scene by monitoring and measuring social sentiment towards companies and their brands on Twitter, Facebook and other sites.
Smartphones are the major mobile tool revolutionizing retail. Using their phones, buyers can pre-order coffee from Starbucks, receive a coupon offer or marketing message (based on their past purchase patterns) sent to their phone upon entering the coffee shop later, and pay for their brew with a tap of their handset.
Analytics, mobile devices and social media have shifted retailers’ focus from maintaining inventory to maintaining a great customer experience. “Ten years ago it was about how to improve warehouse efficiency. Now it’s about how can the warehouse improve the customer experience,” Kadolph said. Amazon is the leader in this trend, Kadolph said, adding that the U.S. retailer wants to have enough warehousing space to allow same day delivery within 50 per cent of the U.S. market in the next year. Home Depot’s acquisition of analytics startup BlackLocus in December “shows the value that retailers are putting on timely data,” said Trevor Marshall, vice-president of sales at Navantis. “They’re developing a (data) innovation arm.”
One caveat with all the personal and financial data that can be harvested and analyzed from shoppers is that it must be protected in terms of privacy and security, especially since a data breach (like the one that hit Best Buy back in 2011) can launch an avalanche of negative sentiment against a brand, noted Michael Brameld, senior account executive at The Herjavec Group. Another caveat with using analytics and big data for instant, targeted, mobile marketing is knowing when to draw the line between catering to consumer tastes and creating useful value opportunities for them versus bombarding them with an annoying stream of offers and marketing messages they’ll start to tune out.
“There’s a danger if the industry overwhelms the consumer too often that what is useful has become background (noise),” Bergeron said.
The roundtable had two tips for Canadian retailers grappling with how to invest in the newest technology: step back and assess what you already have in place and what you still need before you dive into too quickly, and investigate teaming up with partners (like Foursquare, for example, to add some social spice to your mobile marketing component) who can share some of the risk, responsibility and cost with you.
These technologies have made the in-store shopping experience just as important as the actual products, roundtable participants suggested. Apple has incorporated mobile and big data analytics technologies into its stores (from e-coupons to self-checkout on mobile devices), they noted, but it has also designed them with a coffee shop feel in mind so the ‘cool factor’ of Apple’s social and mobile branding extends to the atmosphere inside the store. A retailer’s in-store branding has to match its online, social and mobile branding, roundtable guests concluded.
Toms pointed out that big data puts bigger demands on traditional retailing technology such as POS and help desk systems, causing retailers to worry about how to maintain their existing legacy systems while also investing in new technologies. Marshall suggested retailers develop “a very robust social strategy,” embrace native mobile apps and form strategic partnerships with social media players like Foursquare, for example; Louis Le, marketing director at Gibraltar Systems, suggested retailers could work with their entire supply chain to share some analytics data (and therefore share some of the data-related risk, responsibility and cost) where appropriate; Syed said such collaborations on data could culminate in collaborative marketing: “We’ll be checking into an Audi dealership and an ad will pop up from TD Bank asking if you want a car loan. It’ll become a collaborative retail experience.”


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Activision Blizzard, Inc. today announced an agreement to acquire King Digital Entertainment for $5.9 billion in equity value ($5.0 billion in enterprise value). The addition of King’s highly-complementary business further positions Activision Blizzard for growth across platforms, audiences, genres, and business models. King Digital Entertainment is the creator of ‘Candy Crush’.
The highly addictive online video game is one of the most popular mobile games in the world right now and it comes as a non-surprise that a juggernaut in the game world would decide to obtain it. The acquisition comes as one of the first for the game company, giving them a taste of the mobile game market. The news also comes in light of impressive financial results by the company, fueling potential stock price rise in the forthcoming weeks as well.
or the quarter ended September 30, 2015, Activision Blizzard’s GAAP net revenues were $990 million, as compared with $753 million for the third quarter of 2014. On a non-GAAP basis, the company’s net revenues were $1.04 billion, as compared with $1.17 billion for the third quarter of 2014. For the third quarter, GAAP net revenues from digital channels were a record $629 million. On a non-GAAP basis, net revenues from digital channels were a record $697 million and represented a Q3 record 67% of the company’s total revenues, growing 38% year-over-year.
For the quarter ended September 30, 2015, Activision Blizzard’s GAAP earnings per diluted share were $0.17, as compared with a loss of $0.03 for the third quarter of 2014. On a non-GAAP basis, the company’s earnings per diluted share were $0.21, as compared with $0.23 for the third quarter of 2014.
At constant FXA, non-GAAP revenues were down 4% and EPS was up 13% for the quarter versus prior year. Year-to-date, non-GAAP revenues and EPS were up 5% and 35%, respectively, year-over-year, given strong engagement and recurring digital trends on our year-round monetizing franchises.
Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard, said, “We continue to benefit from our focus on creating the world’s best interactive entertainment. Our incredibly talented employees around the world once again delivered great content and strong financial results. Mobile gaming is the largest and fastest-growing opportunity for interactive entertainment and we will have one of the world’s most successful mobile game companies and its talented teams providing great content to new customers, in new geographies throughout the world. King has a truly fantastic management team and over 1,600 incredibly talented employees and we are excited to welcome them into the Activision Blizzard family.”


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COLUMBIA, SC (WSPA)- Many South Carolina businesses are hesitant to reopen out of fear of being sued if someone becomes sick at that establishment. So now South Carolina lawmakers are drafting legislation to better protect businesses who are trying to keep the public safe.
“If we accomplish what we are set to do we are giving the businesses a leg up by giving them some clarity on the standards,” explained Rep. Tommy Pope, chair of the House COVID-19 Liability Protection Committee.
On Tuesday, members of the committee spent 2 hours discussing a bill that would help ease those fears. The “safe harbor bill” would outline clear guidelines businesses would have to follow in order to avoid a successful lawsuit.
Representative Russell Ott represents the business side of the discussion on the committee. He broke down the goal of the bill. “We are trying to threat the needle giving protections to those that are trying to do right thing, while at the same time saying to the bad actors if you are doing nothing to protect your customers or employees then we are not trying to give you immunity.”
Some argue the legislation is not needed and current law already covers similar lawsuits.
“This is exactly why we think we don’t need a bill because if the standard is going to be reasonable then that’s the standard set by common law,” said one industry at Tuesday’s meeting.
But the lawmakers interested in defining the standard and those guidelines further, say the legislation is needed to keep businesses open.
“There would be the concern that individuals would bring forth a number of lawsuits and therefore shut down businesses and would be very harmful to our economy,” added Representative Jason Elliott.
Members of the Senate are also working on similar legislation to the House’s safe harbor bill.
This bill does not mean that someone would not be able to sue a business; however, it would make it harder for a lawsuit to be successful since lawmakers will be defining what standards businesses need to adhere to.
The bill would apply to government buildings, schools, and entertainment venues, in addition to store front businesses.


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Biggest Gaming Titles to Arrive at E3 This Year
The E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) has revived the gaming mania, and it is going to soar manifold on its onset. The annual video game conference and show kicks off on June 16, Tuesday, at Los Angeles Convention Centre, and it will allow a sneak peek at haunting animations, mean machines and hulking characters. Many famed developers will mark their presence at the event, bringing a slew of AAA games. Some of the games to draw the spotlight this week are the sequels of the old favourites, in addition to some new titles.
Here’s are some of the biggest games to arrive at E3 this year:
Star Wars Battlefront
Based on Star Wars films, the game is one of the long-awaited titles to release this year. Started in 2004 by developers Pandemic Studios, the franchise was taken over by Electronic Arts DICE. The teaser video released by EA shows a first-person view of the Battle of Hoth and features four planets – Hoth, Tatooine, Endor, and Sullust. Featuring first and third-person gameplay perspectives, the game is slated to launch later this year.
Developed and published under Bethesda banner, Fallout 4 was introduced ahead of E3 in a press conference organised by Bethesda Softworks. Fallout 4 has a backdrop of approximately 200 years after a war that ends up in a nuclear holocaust in 2077. The setting is a post-apocalyptic desert, known as Commonwealth. The player character takes shelter on Vault 111, just to mysteriously awaken 200 years later without aging a single day. The Fallout sequel is confirmed to release on November 10 with a version for PC, Xbox One, and PS4.
Here’s the Fallout 4 gameplay trailer released in E3 2015:
Halo 5: Guardians
Microsoft is ready to showcase its massively popular instalment Halo 5: Guardians in Halo series. Scheduled to release on October 27 exclusively for Xbox One, we are expecting even more alluring visuals from this sequel, which 343 Industries has maintained from the past four series. The follow-up will see Master Chief being hunted by UNSC and solving a mystery that threatens the entire galaxy.
Watch the Halo 5: Guardians trailer here:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
One of the biggest jewels in Activision’s games portfolio is the Call of Duty franchise. The incredibly thrilling operations of the intense spy adventure sends chills down the spine. In the third part, you play as a member of a prototype Black Ops unit that has cybernetic enhancements with mission briefings of a missing CIA team in Singapore, set 35 years later in 2060. The forthcoming title Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is a game taking leap into the future with new characters, landscapes, and weaponry, which can be customized as a player progresses. The major alteration with Black Ops 3 is the multi-player mode where players can share information about threats during the game.
Have a look at its trailer below:
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
As the number symbolises, ‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ is the fourth and final instalment in the Uncharted franchise. The third-person action-adventure shooter developed by Naughty Dog for PlayStation 4 and published by Sony is set to release early next year. For the first time, vehicles will be playable and the protagonist Nathan Drake will be riding a bike in the upcoming sequel.
The game is set several years post Nathan’s last adventure. He is forced back into the world of thieves. For his loved ones on stake, Drake embarks on a journey across the globe in quest of a historical conspiracy behind a pirate treasure. The gameplay demo is tantalizing, truly. Have a look at it below:


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Coinbase Announces Four New GBP Crypto Trading Pairs
Just a month after Coinbase announced that it would support UK banks on its platform the crypto exchange is now launching GBP trading pairs.
According to the company blog the new Sterling trading pairs will be launched on Friday, September 7. The move is part of the San Francisco headquartered firm’s push to make buying and selling cryptocurrencies easier for UK customers. Previously Coinbase users in Britain had to deposit fiat into an account in Estonia and endure excessive fees and commissions since it was then converted to Euros on the trading platform. The announcement explains that it is now much easier to use the platform;
“With support for UK domestic bank transfers in GBP via the Faster Payments Scheme, it is now significantly easier, faster and cheaper for UK customers to trade cryptocurrencies on the Coinbase platform. Coinbase Pro is the only major digital currency trading platform that supports UK Faster Payments and it’s our goal to be the trading platform of choice for UK crypto traders.”
Coinbase currently uses Barclays Bank which makes transferring from other UK accounts, though not all of them, quicker and cheaper. Account verification is done with a simple £2 deposit which is acknowledged the following day. The Faster Payments Scheme is only available in the UK and allows up to £250,000 per transaction.
In addition to the existing BTC/GBP pair four new ones will be enable; ETH/GBP, LTC/GBP, BCH/GBP and ETC/GBP. There will be three stages to the launch to ensure a smooth rollout and adoption;
Post only. In the first stage, customers can post limit orders but there will be no matches (completed orders). Order books will be in post-only mode for a minimum of 10 minutes.
Limit-only. In the second stage, limit orders will start matching but customers are unable to submit market orders. Order books will be in limit-only mode for a minimum of 10 minutes.
Full trading. In the final stage, full trading services will be available, including limit, market, and stop orders.
Despite the current market calamity Coinbase is aggressively expanding into new markets and new currencies. By making it easier to deposit fiat and trade in the home currency the exchange is angling to take the top spot in the UK.


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SDE BOKER, Israel — Say “wine tasting,” and the words immediately conjure images of verdant hills in Napa Valley or Tuscany. What they don’t bring to mind: the desert.
But at a small cafe on a communal farm in the Negev Desert in southern Israel, a local winemaker was pouring a variety of deep crimson nectars last month, inviting some guests to swirl their glasses to release the fruity flavors and aromas.
As growers in more established wine-producing areas of Europe and elsewhere in the world battle unpredictable, extreme weather, including scorching heat waves, Israelis have found themselves at the vanguard of dry-weather wine production, testing approaches that might soon find more global application.
And the work is being done in the Negev, home to hundreds of technology start-ups and a futuristic solar tower — and long a laboratory for experimentation in Israel.
“It is in the Negev that the creativity and pioneering vigor of Israel shall be tested,” read an inscription on the cafe’s wall — an iconic quote from David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s founding prime minister, who lived out his last years about 50 yards away, in an austere wooden cabin.
Still, even Ben-Gurion probably could not have imagined the unexpected scene at the cafe, whose shelves were stacked with bottles of locally produced malbec, merlot and petit verdot syrah. He might have also blanched at the prices. The boutique winery produces a selection of 5,000 bottles in a good year, and they go for a pricey — by local standards — $27 to $45 a bottle.
“Water is very expensive here,” Zvi Remak, the local winemaker, said.
The cafe and winery are part of the Sde Boker communal farm, founded in 1952 and once better known for its less bourgeois products, peaches and sheep. But in the 1990s, Mr. Remak, a commune member and an agronomist, planted a vineyard and, after a period of study back in his native California, turned to winemaking.
“It was a bit complicated,” Mr. Remak recalled. He needed permission from the community, whose orientation had started out “almost Soviet” in its utilitarianism and whose decision makers needed some time to adjust to the idea of handcrafted reds aged in oak barrels.
But he convinced them, and then others followed in his footsteps. Today, about 40 boutique wineries are scattered throughout the Negev, their emerald-green vineyards dotting the stark beige landscape.
Desert viniculture, and the tourists beginning to explore this relatively new wine route, have become important to the development and rebranding of the arid expanses that make up half the territory of Israel.
Some stops on the Negev wine route are still a bit rough around the edges, in the spirit of desert survival.
The Tzel HaMidbar winery and ranch, on the edge of the stunning Ramon Crater, offers accommodations in spartan mud houses, outfitted with little more than a bed and air-conditioner. Some of its vines grow in a valley below a prison and are irrigated with recycled wastewater from the lockup.
“Wine and the desert sounds absurd, like a kind of oxymoron,” Ziv Spector, a co-founder of Tzel HaMidbar, said as he poured a local red petit verdot.
But his vines have risen to the challenge of the poor desert earth, which only makes them hardier, he said, as opposed to those that have it easy like “a spoiled child.”
While these Negev vineyards are new, making wine here is not. The area was famed for its locally produced wines in ancient times.
But the climate then was probably more forgiving than it is now, and the area’s wineries are developing farming techniques that might soon need to be replicated around the globe, as the effects of climate change worsen.
“To succeed in the Negev, you have to be bold and experiment,” said David Pinto, a vintner who planted his family plot with vines about three years ago.
Taking a corkscrew to a 2021 rosé on a vivid green patch of lawn by his vineyard on the edge of Yeruham, a small desert town, Mr. Pinto said a new chardonnay from his winery would be out in January and a sparkling white, the Negev’s first, would be ready in two years’ time.
The heavy clusters of purple grenache and syrah grapes ripen quickly on vines in the harsh desert sun. The trick, Mr. Pinto said, is to find the sweet spot where the high sugar content is kept in balance by the level of acidity.
So harvest time comes earlier here than in other Israeli wine-producing areas to the north that have a more Mediterranean climate. Several Bedouin women have been hired to come and handpick the juicy bunches in the cool of dawn.
With some 325 days of sunshine and little annual rainfall, the desert vines depend on drip irrigation, an innovation developed by another Negev collective in the 1960s that allows the farmer to tightly control the amount of water.
Desert vineyards also come with some natural advantages.
At night the temperatures drop steeply, even in midsummer, benefiting the vines. With low humidity, the Negev vines are exposed to few pests and fungi and require little pesticide spraying, making much of the wine production close to organic.
While artificial irrigation is frowned upon in traditional winegrowing regions in Europe, and is even banned in some locales, it may become more of a necessity.
And in a global wine industry that must adapt to climate change, Israel could be a role model, said Aaron Fait, an expert in desert research and agriculture at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
“The wine industry needs to understand that things are not as they were,” he said.
Modern Israeli vintners are mostly producing fruitier New World wine from imported grape varieties rather than Old World wines from varieties that originated in the region, said Shahar Shilo, a researcher who specializes in Negev Highlands tourism. The area’s orange wines, essentially whites macerated with grape skins, have strong fruity flavors, including notes of apricot and lychee.
The wineries are working to trademark the Negev as a wine-producing region, with the help of the David & Laura Merage Foundation, a philanthropic organization that focuses on desert technology, agriculture and tourism.
That, said Nicole Hod Stroh, the executive director of the foundation, means identifying any specific characteristics shared by the wines, ensuring that a majority of the grapes are grown in the area and showing that “there is a history, a tradition.”
That last part should not be a problem.
Among the ruins of Avdat, an ancient city in the Negev Highlands that existed from the Nabatean period in the fourth century B.C. until its demise soon after the Muslim conquest in the seventh century A.D., archaeologists have unearthed wine presses and cisterns from up to 1,600 years ago — evidence of a thriving Byzantine-era wine production and export industry.
The ancients of the area grew vines on terraced hillsides and may have produced up to one million liters of wine per year, according to Lior Schwimer, an Israeli archaeologist. The remnants of the distinctive jars used to store the wine have been found as far afield as France and Britain.
Israeli researchers have identified at least two varieties of ancient seeds and are now trying to recreate the Byzantine white and red.
“There are not many places in the world,” Mr. Shilo said, “that can boast 1,500 years of winemaking tradition.”


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Kimberly-Clark Professional launches 'The Clean Hands Campaign Against Flu'
October 19, 2009
ROSWELL, GA — Kimberly-Clark Professional today announced the launch of "The Clean Hands Campaign Against Flu," a program that includes a "Flu Fighters Contest" and flu prevention-related educational materials, according to a press release.
The Clean Hands Campaign website offers an arsenal of flu-fighting materials, such as workplace wellness guides and information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other sources, the release stated.
Andy Clement, director of the washroom business for Kimberly-Clark Professional, said: "Our goal is to spread the word about flu prevention, so office workers will be less likely to pass germs to their co-workers. Basic commonsense measures such as frequent hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue can go a long way toward preventing the spread of flu germs."
The "Flu Fighters Contest" runs from October 19 to December 15; at the end of the contest, one office building will receive up to $25,000 worth of hygienic restroom products, including new, touchless bath tissue, skincare and hand towel dispensers for its restrooms and a year''s supply of products for the touchless dispensers, the release noted.
Ten runners-up will receive a year''s supply of Kleenex brand facial tissue and Kimcare brand instant hand sanitizer, the release added.
Click here to read the complete release.
For related information, click here.


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LONDON - Pascal Saint-Amans deserves a lie-down. After months of talks, the head of tax at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development seems to have brokered a peace between member countries such as France and the United States. But this may only be a temporary ceasefire in the global war over who gets to tax technology giants such as Facebook.
The OECD on Wednesday published a global tax reform proposal that is far more radical than its dry language would suggest. Saint-Amans wants multinational companies that make money from consumers, rather than just other businesses, to pay tax partly based on where they generate sales, rather than where they declare profits. That would make it harder for tech groups to shift income to low-tax countries like Ireland. France quickly backed the idea. The OECD reckons that other members, including the United States, see its plan as the basis for a negotiation, a person familiar with the discussions told Breakingviews.
The idea is that countries would first specify a “routine”, or normal, level of profitability. This could, for example, be set at 10% of revenue. The difference between that number and a company’s actual pre-tax profit margin would be deemed “residual”, or excess, profit. For Google parent Alphabet, whose 2019 pre-tax profit margin will be 26% according to Refinitiv data, the excess profit would be 16% of revenue in this scenario.
Next, countries would specify the proportion of that excess profit that should be allocated to countries based on sales. Imagine it is half. On that basis, and again using Google, 8% of its global sales would be captured by Saint-Amans’ new taxing right. That taxable income would then be divided up between countries, for example based on their overall percentage of Google’s global sales. It’s a significant conceptual departure from the current rules, which are unpopular in France and elsewhere since they allow Google and others to shift their profits to tax havens.
But thrashing out the details will be tough. There’s no clear precedent for defining “routine” versus excess profit. Governments will push for thresholds that maximise their own takings while minimising income they will lose to other countries. Without a consensus, France, Britain and others will press on with emergency levies on digital behemoths. The new global tax peace looks fragile.
- The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on Oct. 9 proposed giving governments outside of tax havens the power to raise more revenue from multinational companies such as Alphabet, Apple and Facebook.
- The OECD put forward a new rule that would allow countries where companies generate their sales to have some right to tax them, rather than such rights being the sole preserve of countries where companies declare profits. The proposal calls for the rule to apply to all consumer-facing businesses that meet yet-to-be specified revenue thresholds, which could vary by country.
- France's Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the proposals were "very good".
- "The key question now is to find a consensus and a compromise among all members of the OECD by the beginning of 2020," Le Maire said.
(Editing by Swaha Pattanaik and Karen Kwok) ((firstname.lastname@example.org; Reuters Messaging: email@example.com))


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Philly AIDS Thrift to Re-Open Giovanni’s Room as a Thrift Shop
Exciting, rather shocking news: Philadelphia Gay News reports that Philadelphia AIDS Thrift (PAT) has just signed a two-year lease to take over our recently shuttered LGBT bookstore Giovanni’s Room. According to the article, the new business will be called Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room, and will, much like PAT in Queen Village, house books along with secondhand clothing, furniture, and jewelry.
Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room will open Oct. 10, with sneak-peak shopping days throughout September. The store will offer new and used LGBT-centric books, as well as a wide variety of higher-end thrift-shop items.
The new store will be considered an outpost of PAT’s successful flagship store at 710 S. Fifth St. PAT is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt charitable organization, which donates proceeds from sales to AIDS Fund, which distributes funding to area HIV/AIDS service organizations. …
Philly AIDS Thrift @ Giovanni’s Room will encompass the 3,000-square-foot building at the corner of 12th and Pine streets It will stock $15,000 worth of LGBT-related books, about 2,000 titles, as well as items such as clothing, jewelry and small furniture.
Store manager Alan Chelak says the business will run with a variety of volunteers, and be stocked with donations from the public. He also hopes to continue regular book readings, and will continue to sell books and ebooks at queerbooks.com. In keeping with PAT’s philosophy, proceeds from all business will be donated to HIV charities around the city.
What do you think? Exciting move? Disappointed it won’t be strictly a bookstore? Would love to hear your thoughts.
You can read more about the takeover here.


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Several major trucking companies are included on a new list of America’s 500 best big companies.
Named to the Forbes list of America’s Best Large Employers are:
159. Estes Express Line
226. Penske Logistics
311. Averitt Express
349. Crete Carrier
372. United Parcel Service
481. Old Dominion Freight Line
Estes jumped more than 300 spots to a ranking of 159 this year, making it the highest ranking trucking company on the list.
The Transportation and Logistics category of Forbes’ list was dominated by airlines. Southwest Airlines was ranked second out of all of the top 500 companies. JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, Delta and Alaska Airlines were among the top 200 companies on the list.
Grocery store chain Trader Joe’s was number one on the Forbes list.
Forbes based the list on an independent survey of over 50,000 employees covering 25 industries. Survey participants worked for companies with at least 1,000 people in their U.S. locations, and they responded to open-ended questions about their employers.


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Kylie Cosmetics slashes price of lip kit with Jordyn Woods amid Tristan Thompson cheating scandal
Nearly two days ago, an allegation emerged that Kylie Jenner's best friend and recent business partner Jordyn Woods 'hooked up' with Tristan Thompson, Khloe Kardshian's ex and child's father.
Jenner and Woods worked together on the Kylie x Jordyn BFF makeup collaboration in September 2018. However, since the news broke, Kylie Cosmetics has slashed the price of the original 'Jordy' Velvet Liquid Lipstick Kit named after Jordyn Woods in half from $27 to $13.50. The price of the duo's entire collection has yet to be affected.
Take a look at some Kylie Cosmetics' most popular items:
While the cause of the markdown is still unknown, sources claim the move may be directly related to the rumor as the youngest Jenner is reportedly 'broken up' about it.
“Betrayal from someone that close is not something she would tolerate, turn a blind eye to or get over,” an insider told PEOPLE. “If it’s a slutty stranger, sure, she could move past it but this is next level betrayal.”
The report spread like wildfire on social media, and since it initially surfaced, the Kardashian/Jenner clan, along with Woods, have been relatively quiet regarding the matter. Since the story broke, sources claim Woods has moved out of Kylie's Calabasas home to be with her mother during this time.


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Like the iPod before it, the Apple Watch is quickly becoming a status symbol, giving people with cash to burn an expensive way to tell the world that they know what time it is.
But not everyone wants to fork out £450 for a smart watch capable of tracking their every move and heartbeat.
Fortunately, Japanese toy company Tama-Kyu has the answer: the Stone Watch.
READ NEXT: Apple Watch saves life of woman who had been 'buried alive'
The Stone Watch is being sold for around 400 Japanese Yen, or £2.50. It looks just like an Apple Watch, complete with stylish wrist strap and even a black touch screen.
But of course, there's a catch.
Unfortunately, you get what you pay for with the Stone Watch, which is to say very little. The watch face is just a piece of shiny black plastic incapable of connecting to your phone, tracking your steps, or even telling the time.
In fact, the Stone Watch does precisely nothing except look like a smart watch, giving you the opportunity to pretend you have one and become a target for muggers for no reason.
However, it could be even better than an Apple Watch as you don't need to have an iPhone to use it. That's because you can't use it. You just wear it.
Your iPhone keeps track of you everywhere you go – but it's easy to delete
The best part of all is that the Stone Watch is a highly collectible piece of future landfill. It's available in five striking colours, meaning you could pick up the lot for about £12.50.
That is, of course, if you're in Japan. The fake wrist pieces (can we even call them 'fake watches'?) are only sold there, so unless you want to fork out for shipping or an expensive flight to Tokyo, the Stone Watch is going to be even further out of reach for you than an Apple Watch.
Tesla driver blames eight-vehicle crash on car's AI powered full self-driving mode
Porsche to refuel cars with 'water and thin air' instead of petrol
'Time traveller' who gets drunk and predicts the future says AI could kill us all
'Dying' Mars rover makes people cry with heartbreaking farewell message to Earth
Futuristic robo-McDonald's 'without a human in sight' leaves fast food fans divided
Source: Read Full Article


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By Nick Lambe, Managing Director, Links International
Well it’s obviously all been about the Olympics these last 2 weeks and if you read the British press, the medal ‘rush’ that has started from team GB in the last few days is impressive! What was also impressive in very different ways were the Philippine diving squads’ efforts and also the Armenian weightlifter’s dislocated elbow…. ouch on both counts!
Hong Kong vs. Singapore – Hedge Funds fight it out……
Anyway, on to more business related news, the Hong Kong and Singapore financial services battle rages on with Bloomberg reporting that Singapore’s Hedge Funds have posted better returns than their Hong Kong counterparts, breaking a five-year trend of supremacy from Hong Kong. Naturally, with many Hong Kong funds being equities-focused, this would make sense with the equity market activity this year, but what does this mean for Hong Kong and its hedge funds in the future?
Has China’s love of cinema died, or are the films just not as good as last year?
There has been a reported 15% fall in cinema attendance in China in July and ticket sales dropped 10% in the three months leading up to June, which was the first drop in FIVE YEARS for the sector. This comes off the back of a 50% growth last year alone. Now, it is obvious to say that consumers on the mainland may be tightening the purse strings in light of a more challenging economy, but with epic films like Star Wars being released at the end of 2015, perhaps the films this year haven’t excited Chinese viewers enough. Batman vs. Superman, for example, received pretty poor reviews. So will there be a big blockbuster on the horizon to excite Chinese viewers as we near the end of the year?
Who said Retail was struggling in Asia?
COACH has just reported a massive boost in net income in the region with income at nearly SEVEN times over its final quarter. The luxury brand exhibited double-digit growth in China and strong sales in SEA. It seems that real estate (most notably the flagship store on Queens Road Central being replaced by Adidas) and its growing global footwear category are the key to their success. The outlook for the brand for 2017 is revenue growth at low-middle digits and double-digit growth for net income, which is a positive outlook for the brand and possibly also the sector…
Disclaimer: This column is designed to be a lighthearted weekly update on the global business news that I enjoyed reading. We would welcome your thoughts, comments and suggestions. Please feel free to contact us.
More next week…


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Nutella could be taken off store shelves in Europe after a study says one ingredient can cause cancer.
Nutella, like many other products, uses palm oil as an ingredient. Palm oil is used to give Nutella it's smooth texture and shelf life.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) declared refined palm oil to be more carcinogenic than any other oil.
Some store chains overseas are considering taking it off the shelves of their store after that study. The maker of Nutella says they use it in a way that isn't dangerous. They've launched a huge ad campaign to tell the public that Nutella is safe.
More on the story here.
Editorial: Stop the madness! Everything we love seems to be dangerous. So...


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Anticipating difficult economic conditions well into 2009, Target Corp. on Tuesday unveiled job cuts affecting about 9 percent of its headquarters staff in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The company said 600 jobs will be eliminated at its headquarters and 400 open positions will not be filled. In addition, Target said it will close its Little Rock, Ark., distribution center, which employs 500 people, later this year.
Target has experienced weaker-than-expected sales, which is pressuring earnings performance. Same-store sales in November declined 10.4 percent compared with the same prior-year period and comp-store sales in December decreased 4.1 percent. Earnings per share in the third quarter ended Nov. 1 dropped 13.8 percent to 49 cents a diluted share from 56 cents in the same period a year ago.
The retailer is taking a more conservative approach to its business planning as it continues to grapple with an increasingly frugal customer base that’s buying necessities rather than the apparel and other discretionary products that account for 40 percent of Target’s merchandise mix.
“We are clearly operating in an unprecedented economic environment that requires us to make some extremely difficult decisions to ensure Target remains competitive over the long term,” said Gregg Steinhafel, president and chief operating officer of Target.
Other measures to manage expense and capital investment have recently been undertaken by the retailer, including suspending salary increases for senior management, suspending share repurchase activity, tightening credit card underwriting and credit granting, implementing initiatives to improve store productivity and reducing planned new store openings.
“The bottom line is the company is fine-tuning its business model with regard to investments and overhead,” said Bill Dreher, a retail analyst at Deutsche Bank. “They’ve already brought down [2009 planned] square footage growth from 7.5 to 4.5 percent. Target used to do comps of 4 to 6 percent. Even when we get out of this horrible environment, their results will be lower. They will have to bring down the corporate overhead and this is one way of doing it. It’s a painful process.”
Target said affected headquarters employees will receive full pay and benefits through April 1. After that they will receive a separation package based on their years of service. Workers at the Little Rock distribution center will be offered jobs at other centers or will be eligible for separation packages. Target expects to record a charge of about 3 cents a diluted share occurring mostly in the 2008 fourth quarter. Target said the annualized benefit from the actions should exceed the charge.
EXCLUSIVE: @tomford is opening its first-ever beauty store. The boutique, which opens November 20 in London’s Covent Gardens, was designed with the over-the-top glam Ford is known for. Read the full story on WWD.com, link in bio. #wwdbeauty #wwdnews (📷: Simon Wagner) #TomFordBeauty
New York-based DJ @harleyvnewton threw a party to celebrate the holiday collection of her dress and pajama line @hvn at the Ladurée Beverly Hills. It Girls @katebosworth, @rashidajones and more joined in on the fun, which included cocktails, croque monsieur sandwiches and a photo booth. #wwdfashion (📷: Owen Kolasinski/BFA.com)
For the holidays, @Burberry partnered with 20-year-old artist @blondeymccoy on a series of three outdoor murals in downtown Manhattan. The murals are McCoy’s interpretation of a Christmas eve party, the idea of charity and the spirit of family. His third mural, pictured here, is the most personal. The image depicts McCoy’s grandparents and father in London’s Trafalgar Square in the Seventies. “My work often features lots of sentimental objects.” #wwdeye
For spring 2018, designers applied bold colors and cartoonish motifs on everything from sneakers and belts to key chains. See all the top men’s accessories trends on WWD.com. #wwdtrends (📷: George Chinsee; Prop Styling by @rnasti; Market Editor: @luiscampuzano)
The @dior-sponsored @guggenheim international gala pre-party has a history of drawing cool-girl musical acts to serenade the crowd –– and last night was no exception. @haimtheband performed songs both new and old, and lured a star-studded audience with the likes of Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Mamoudou Athie and more. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
In a partnership between the @metopera and the @englishnationalopera, “Marnie” was born. The opera, with costumes sponsored by @mrporterlive, is an adaptation of the 1961 thriller by Winston Graham. Arianne Phillips, who created the costumes, is no rookie: She’s styled Madonna for her tours and created costumes for a myriad of films in the past. Read WWD’s interview with Phillips, where she talks about her inspiration for the opera’s costumes on WWD.com #wwdfashion
@barneysnyc took a different approach to their holiday windows this year. Instead of Christmas decor, Barneys tapped @thehaasbrothers to tell a story of positivity, gratitude and inclusivity via heartwarming silliness and humor. “It’s about kids and it’s about coming together and being family and loving each other,” said Simon Haas. #wwdfashion (📷: @joshuascottphoto)
Beauty influencer @kandeejohnson makes her foray into hair care with a collaboration with @ogx_beauty — making it the first time that OGX has teamed up for a product creation. The collab includes shampoos and conditioners in three scents. At 39 and a mom, Johnson is a different profile than the emerging social media stars, but is considered one of the pioneers of the digital beauty influencer world. Read WWD’s interview with her on wwd.com, including the strangest beauty product she’s ever tried #wwdbeauty


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Tiger Global and Point72 Ventures led a USD20m Series A for Ontop, a Colombian onboarding and payroll management platform for companies with international teams, with participation from SoftBank. Point72 Ventures led a USD4.5m seed round in June.
(Refresh Miami) – It was August of 2020, in the depths of the global pandemic, and Colombian entrepreneurs Santiago Aparicio, Julian Torres and Jaime Abella were busy with their own companies. But with workers suddenly remote and moving around the world, “we couldn’t resist the opportunity of just jumping in trying to solve one specific, huge pain point – cross border payments and cross border contracts,” Torres said.
The trio founded Ontop, which helps enterprises streamline their international hiring and payment processes by managing contracts, documents, taxes, regulatory compliance and payments with an easy, automated platform. As part of Y Combinator’s recent winter batch, Ontop’s founders further accelerated development of their employee-centric solution, said Torres, Ontop’s COO who previously co-founded LatAm gym aggregator FitPal with Aparicio, Ontop’s CEO. “We started obsessing with what international workers want. We’re building various financial products tailor-made for them.”
Ontop’s base of client companies has grown 40% month over month – along with revenue. The platform already being used in 67 countries is transacting millions of dollars per month in international payments as clients make their digital transformations and adapt to the future of work. “We wanted to go global from the start to show the world that the world has changed and being fully remote lets you roll out global solutions really fast and scale up quickly,” said Torres.
A fresh round of venture capital can help with that.
Ontop announced today that it has raised a $20 million Series A round, led by Tiger Global and Point72 Ventures, with participation from SoftBank’s $100 million SB Opportunity Fund. In total, the one-year-old company has raised $26 million.
“The shift to decentralized, global work has created a global need for flexible organizational tools and capabilities,” said SB Opportunity Fund Managing Partner Shu Nyatta, who is based in Miami. “For many companies, the future of work lies in emerging markets, with teams spread across multiple geographies. Ontop is a solution that makes it easier to build an international workforce, while putting the employee first and streamlining hiring and payments for the company.”
Putting the funding to work
Ontop started out by connecting US companies with Latin American talent, and its customers were mainly tech startups. But very quickly companies in Europe and other places around the world were reaching out, wanting to hire people everywhere because talent is everywhere, Torres explained, in an interview with Refresh Miami.
The companies coming to Ontop were not just in tech but included traditional enterprises like oil and gas companies whose contractors were suddenly able to work anywhere and did, as well as banks that were seeing their workers fleeing because of the prospect of returning to the office when they can do their work just as well from home.
Ontop charges companies $29 per month for each employee managed plus a fee equaling 1% of the size of the payment. So an employer would pay Ontop $49 for an employee making $2,000 a month, for example – no hidden fees hitting employers or coming out of the workers’ paychecks. Indeed, high commissions and exchange rate fluctuations can cut a worker’s paycheck by up to 15% using current cross-border payment options in the market. Notably, Ontop has experienced no customer churn, Torres said.
Ontop’s founders, now in Miami, will use the funding to keep growing their team, hiring “the best minds” in FinTech, traditional banking and legal to grow and strengthen its global payment network, which the startup has built. Ontop plans to eventually launch a whole suite of FinTech products, Torres said.
“One of the biggest problems in the financial world is how to move money around the world faster, and even though we have created certain railways to make this happen faster and cheaper, there’s still more development to do,” said Torres. At the same time, regulations in every country are changing all the time, he said. “This is a very dense and complex industry. We want to make it sexy.”
Ontop co-founders used the Ontop platform to build their own team, now 200 people in 15 countries spanning 7 time zones. Ontop’s headcount grew an amazing 130% in Q3 alone as the startup opened new markets quickly, including in Africa, the Middle East and Japan.
The founders, including CTO Abello, are moving with their families from Bogota to Miami. As a remote company, they have offices at WeWork Brickell City Centre where team members can drop in as needed.
More LatAm talent on way
Amid the surge of talented founders from the San Francisco Bay area and New York moving to Miami, don’t overlook our neighbor to the south, as Ontop’s story shows. #MiamiTech could soon be on the receiving end of a tidal wave of talent from Latin America, some observers have told me.
That wouldn’t surprise Torres.
“We see in this city something really special, which is the government is very forward thinking toward tech,” said Torres, pointing to Miami Mayor’s Francis Suarez’s tech and crypto efforts. More investors are opening or expanding offices here, too, and at the same time, LatAm is experiencing a boom of its own in venture capital, fueled by SoftBank making early-and-often bets.
“The doorway between the world’s largest market, the US, and LatAm is clearly Miami,” said Torres, who also wrote about this in Forbes. “This is the place where things will start to happen.”


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Google released its 2022 Ads Safety Report on Wednesday, revealing its efforts to combat malicious use of its advertising platforms. The tech giant announced that it removed 5.2 billion ads for violating its policies last year, up from 3.4 billion ads removed in 2021.
While 1.36 billion of those ads were removed for abusing the ad network, 562 million were removed for not following Google’s trademark policies, and 343 million were removed due to non-compliance with legal requirements.
In addition, the company blocked over 2.6 million election ads from unverified advertisers, removed more than 17 million ads related to the ongoing war in Ukraine, and removed ads from more than 275 Russian state-funded media sites last year.
The company also said that it removed more than 6.7 billion advertiser accounts and restricted over 4.3 billion ads covering content ‘’that is sometimes legally or culturally sensitive’’.
‘’Online advertising can be a powerful way to reach customers, but in sensitive areas, we also work hard to avoid showing ads when and where they might be inappropriate,’’ Google explains. ‘’For that reason, we allow the promotion of the content below, but on a limited basis. These promotions may not show to every user in every location, and advertisers may need to meet additional requirements before their ads are eligible to run.’’
Furthermore, the company prevented ads from being shown on a total of 1.57 billion individual publisher pages, and took action against 143,000 publisher sites in 2022. 1.15 billion of those pages had sexual content, 166 million had dangerous and derogatory content, and 110 million featured weapons promotion and sales.
Google introduced or added 29 updates to its advertising policies last year, including the expansion of its protections for teens, expansion of its verification program for financial services to ten new markets, as well as new policies for election ads and political content. The company also began rolling out its My Ad Center hub in October, to provide users with more control over the ads they see.
‘’Providing a safe and trustworthy ads experience for users is a critical contribution to Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,’’ said Alejandro Borgia, Google’s Director of Product Management & Ads Safety, in a blog post. ‘’As 2023 continues, we will stay diligent in our efforts to combat abuse across our platforms while helping advertisers and publishers grow their businesses.’’
The report comes days after Google announced that its Play Commerce service prevented over $2 billion in fraudulent transactions in 2022.


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BGMI 1.6 Release Date – 100% Confirmed: BGMI has confirmed the release date of Season 21 or Cycle 1 Season 2 (C1S2). The C1S2 M3 Royale Pass is going to launch soon. As M2 Royale Pass called Project T is going to end soon on 16 September. Lately, Krafton is introducing the Ranking system and the Royale Pass in BGMI, to make it different from PUBG Mobile. The current season is going to end soon in September. And many players want to know about the new AI mode in the upcoming 1.6 updates.
BGMI has also announced rank reduction and extra rewards for RP ranks. Moreover, there is a new ranking season C1S1 and bonus RP. In this article, you will find everything about the BGMI 1.6 Release Date – 100% Confirmed.
BGMI 1.6 Release Date – 100% Confirmed:
The 1.6 Update in BGMI is going to be available on 14th September 2021. With this update, there will be many new features and modes available in the game. Some of the new features in the update will be:
1. New AI Mode:
In the new AI Mode, there will be three difficulty levels such as Easy, Normal, and Hard. This mode can only be played as a squad and you will be able to fight against AI Bot Squad. This mode is for practice purposes only. In the best version, only Livik Map was available and there will be 100 players in the lobby. Now, you can practice with your squads in this new AI Mode.
2. Vikendi 2.0:
One of the most favorite maps Vikendi 2.0 will be back in the next update. There will be a lot of changes in the just like Erangel 2.0 but it players will get used to it.
3. Spaceship Story Mode:
A brand new mode is going to be available in the BGMI new update. Just like the Godzilla cinematic mode in which we have to kill the Godzilla, it will be like that. There will be free rewards for completing this new story mode.
4. Zombie Mode:
As we all know Halloween is going to come in October and that’s why zombie mode is back again BGMI. With this Infection Mode will be back too. Now, players will again have the chance to complete the achievement missions.
5. New Upcoming Features:
In the upcoming update of BGMI, now you will be able to see the highlights of your game and if someone shoots at the helmet, a new type of metal hitting sound will come. Also, you can now merge the crouch and prone buttons. If you press it, your player will crouch and if you hold it, your player will prone. Moreover, there will be some new changes in the UI and the Game will become smoother.
BGMI M3 Royale Pass Details:
To buy Elite Royale Pass, you have to spend 360 UC and for Elite Royale Pass Plus, you have to spend 960 UC. Most importantly, BGMI will give every player a free voucher worth 60 UC. Additionally, you will get a voucher worth 60 UC if you reach rank 30 in the current RP season so that you can purchase the next update Royale Pass.
Surprisingly, Krafton has already mentioned that BGMI will now have three ranking seasons in one cycle. Furthermore, Royal Pass was used to introduce every two months but now it will be introduced every month. And now, because of that, the maximum RP rank is now till 50. Moreover, Krafton has changed the naming system from Season 21 to C1S2 in BGMI.
The Beginning Date for C1S2 and Royale Pass M3:
In the BGMI 1.6 update, RP M3 which is based on french fries will start on September 18.
If you purchase Elite Royal Pass and reach RP rank 47 then you will have an extra 60 UC because of the voucher. You can do the same in Royale Pass Month 2 and gain an extra 60 UC. Till now there are already two Royale Passes in which we got 60 UC vouchers and we’ll get the same deal in the future too.
In conclusion, we hope that you found everything about the new BGMI 1.6 Release Date – 100% Confirmed.
Also, read about BGMI 1.6: Upcoming Features and Exclusive Rewards.


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Google Glass could be a $3 Billion dollar per year cash cow, because an analyst estimated the wearable tech could be worth $3.27 billion in the next couple of years due to increased searches, better ad targeting, and app sales. Google Glass is a novelty product for select users, it can actually be a good cash flow for Google. In 2017, they are predicting $86.4 billion dollars total revenue for that year. The big dollars are going to come from additional searches on Glass, enhanced ad targeting, and app sales, according to AllThingsD. Google Glass is company's into a wearable computer or smartphone.
Google Glass is basically eyeglasses that can record videos, take pictures, chat, get directions, look up facts on the web and more. Google started to ship this prototypes out in April for $1,500 and they should be available for the public later this year. They plan to launch an app store serving to Google Glass by 2014. Robert S. Peck, financial analyst with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, estimates that 64,500 devices will have been sold and they should sell for as low as $349. Peck said "If there is one point investors should take away from Glass, it is that the technology is unique because it enables a person to perform actions while keeping their head up and continuing their first-person perspective." Therefore you should wait till 2017 to pick up your cheaper Google Glass and see what the big fuss is all about. It seems really cool how you can do so much with just a eyeglasses.


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Chipotle Mexican Grill is a fast-casual restaurant brand cultivating a better world by serving responsibly-sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients and without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. As COVID-19 continued to restrict in-restaurant dining, Chipotle focused on making its real food more accessible and convenient by expanding its Chipotlanes — drive-thru pickup lanes that allow customers to pick up digital orders without leaving their cars. To emphasize its digital channel access points, Chipotle celebrated the opening of the company’s 100th Chipotlane in Sunbury, Ohio, and hosted a nationwide hiring event to fill the 10,000 positions needed to staff the growing number of Chipotlanes.
Linhart PR had to break through the tough COVID media landscape with positive and innovative stories that:
Here is how Linhart PR tackled the challenge:
Linhart PR secured 75 stories and more than 70 million impressions for Chipotle’s rapid growth, easy and convenient access points, and job openings during an economic recession. These wins included:


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The Macho Taco food truck will be making a new home at the Trolley District’s East Market after all.
We initially reported that Macho Taco was planning to join the development, but according to East Market, the deal was not finalized. But as of today, May 28, the deal is back on.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Macho Taco was initially expected to join the East Market at the beginning of May, before the eatery’s expansion plans stalled for a several-week period. But now, with pen having been put to paper, we can all expect to see Macho Taco in the East Market at its grand opening, which is tentatively scheduled for this summer.
The East Market, which is slated to open sometime this summer, although no hard date is set, will feature a collection of 14 different vendors, such as The Butcher & Grocer and Fourteen Twenty Nine, an area bakery dedicated to supporting victims of human trafficking.


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- Wall Street Bets looks set to mark Reddit's IPO by making it "the biggest meme stock ever."
- The group behind this year's meme stock frenzy discussed pumping Reddit's stock once it goes public, in a similar mania that sent GameStop shares soaring.
- Not all members were happy, as some said upcoming changes to the site would mean Reddit wasn't the same.
Members of the 11 million-strong Wall Street Bets community have found their next meme stock target after Reddit confidentially filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission to go public.
Known for its heavy usage of profanity and memes, WSB had mixed reactions to Reddit's announcement that it plans to list on the stock market. But most joked about wanting to pump the platform's shares once it goes public.
"If Reddit doesn't become the biggest meme stock ever I'm going to be severally disappointed with all of us," one subredditor 'HoltzmaN' said.
Retail investors on the group were key drivers behind the meme stock frenzy in January, banding together to boost the shares of heavily-shorted stocks like GameStop and AMC in defiance of hedge funds and investing norms.
'RenewAi' predicted Reddit would become an "instant meme stock," while 'porcupineapplepieces' suggested "If we all bought shares we could control Reddit. Just sayin."
But some members weren't too happy. One user predicted "mass censorship," while others pointed to commercial ads and changes to the site as indicative of a remolding of the brand.
Another user said: "That is pretty depressing to hear. Reddit has been the place I call home online for a long time and this means a lot of changes are going to happen, probably for the worst. Nothing lasts forever I guess."
Founded in 2012, the Wall Street Bets subreddit is a movement aimed at empowering the "little guy" investors of the world against Wall Street's mighty financial institutions and hedge funds.
"When r/WallStreetBets was first created, the idea was to bring the fight to powerful institutions and tap into the subreddit's collective wisdom to outperform the pros in the market," Jaime Rogozinski, founder of WallStreetBets, has previously said.
Reddit didn't offer much detail about its upcoming IPO, saying its offering size and price range haven't yet been decided. "The initial public offering is expected to occur after the SEC completes its review process, subject to market and other conditions," the company said in a blog post.
The company was valued at $10 billion in a private fundraising round in October, and Reuters reported it's eyeing a $15 billion valuation by the time it lists.
Read More: Nike just snapped up a virtual sneaker brand with a huge valuation. The CEO of a digital agency behind a $4.5 million NFT sale shares 3 ways fashion brands could shape the metaverse — and an under-the-radar virtual world to watch.


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LAKE COMO, NJ - On September 21st I had the pleasure to organize, together with Rosa Davis, our first Jersey Shore Fashion Show. The event took place on the
Rosa explained the motivation behind this idea: “We wanted to do something for the community, to bring together small businesses from the
Preparing for the Jersey Shore Fashion Show
It was indeed a joint community effort. We picked beautiful girls and women from the
From down the street in Belmar, we had JLynn’s Boutique. Its owner Jaimie Hardell said that “besides Chris & Rosa doing a fabulous job coordinating the entire event, I think it was an excellent way to promote local businesses while everyone gets a chance to network with all kinds of business types.”
Nearby Manasquan was represented by Rare Cargo, who came with a big crew, including some of the spunkiest models on the catwalk. FYB Boutique from
The “youngest” shop in the line-up was the new Uphoria in Little Silver. Tina Montanez opened it just over a month ago and was excited to show off her line at our fashion show. In her own words: “being a brand new boutique in Little Silver, the Jersey Shore Fashion Show was not only an amazing experience, but a great way to get to know local business owners around Monmouth County for a great cause”.
Runway models at the Jersey Shore Fashion Show
Besides promoting local businesses, the show seemed to spark interest in modelling for many girls. Lisa Coleman is glad to have “finally experienced [her] life time dream of walking the fierce runway” and is looking forward to more shows. Cathy Ruggiero was equally excited: “A great event for a great cause with great people! Finally got to the catwalk!”. And realtor Joanna Shearer gave props to the entire team that helped the event: “Walking the runway was fun but the real experience was behind the scenes. In only short couple hours, we met great team of hair dressers and make up artists and made some wonderful new connections. I found out about amazing boutiques I didn’t know existed and met their wonderful owners.”
Now the plan for the future is to continue this and organize fashion shows for every season. We know shore businesses definitely need the exposure in the off-season and we want to do whatever we can to help everyone. Below you can see the event producers celebrating the success of tonight’s event.
We also have to look forward to a feature movie about the preparations and the behind the scenes work of producing the fashion show, coming from Atlantic Highlands-based company Reaction 1 Media.
Chris Fotache is the President of Jersey Media Network, located at


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No wonder they're not smiling: Models forced to wear bizarre wigs at Tokyo Fashion Week
- Models looked far from impressed as they strutted their stuff on catwalk
- Took centre stage in range of bizarre wigs, such as highly coiffed styles
- Wigs created for Japanese designer Yoshio Kubo's fashion week event
- Tokyo Fashion Week is renowned world over for its alternative fashions
Wearing designer couture and with all eyes on them, it is a place where models are supposed to feel at their best.
But these Japanese men looked far from impressed as they strutted their stuff on a catwalk at Tokyo Fashion Week today.
The models took centre stage in a range of bizarre wigs - from highly coiffed hairstyles to makeshift helmets.
Looking far from impressed: Two Japanese men don eccentric Yoshio Kubo wigs at Toyko Fashion Week today
One man appeared to gaze at the crowd in dismay as he walked down the catwalk in a colourful, knitted jacket and an enormous blonde wig.
The striking headwear, featuring a long trail of hair at the back, seemed to bear more resemblance to a centurion helmet than the sleek, perfect locks typical of models.
Another did not look impressed with his attire as he stared out from under a helmet of highly coiffed hair with a forlorn expression and a furrowed brow.
And even a jazzy suit could not cheer one man up - whose ginger-coloured wig attracted much more attention than his matching moustache and beard.
Taking centre stage: A model dons a striking poncho and a highly coiffed blonde wig (right) while a jazzy suit fails to cheer up another man (left) - whose ginger wig attracts more attention than his moustache and beard
Strutting their stuff: A model in a deer-inspired top (left) and a huge blonde wig gazes at the crowd in dismay as he takes to the catwalk at the Mercedes-Benz fashion week. Right, another man dons a slightly less garish wig
Unusual attire: The fashion week, which is held in Tokyo twice a year, is renowned for its alternative fashions
The unusual wigs, created for Japanese designer Yoshio Kubo's collection, were captured on camera at the Mercedes-Benz fashion week, which is being held in Japan's capital until this evening.
The fashion week, which takes place twice a year, is renowned world over for its alternative fashions that see women dressed in haute goth and men don eccentric, feminine hairstyles.
This year's event has showcased the creations of numerous designers and brands, including Kidill, Né-net, Ariunaa Suri, Sretsis, NurZahra, Afriqan Apeiron, Dresscamp and Major Minor.
Dressed in blue: Two models don eye-catching blonde hairstyles and blue outfits as they take to the catwalk
Large turnout: The fashion week has showcased the creations of numerous Japanese designers and brands
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Raphye Alexius via Getty Images
As of January 1, 2019, disposable plastic bags from large supermarkets will be banned nationwide.
According to the Yonhap News, in order to reduce the use of plastic bags, the Ministry of Environment decided to implement the "Resources Recycling Act" in order to reduce the use of plastic bags,
This is not Possible to use disposable plastic bags at over 2000 large-scale March and 11,000 supermarkets over 165 square meters.
Mart is supposed to ikbare reusable weight bags, carts △ paper bags, etc. Instead of providing disposable plastic bags.
If disposable plastic bag is provided, shouldn't we also use vinyl to contain fruit or vegetables? Yes.
In addition, some of the new year's bakery stores (10,800 across the country), which are not included in the industries currently being used to use plastic bags, only have plastic bags
To ensure that the system is well established, plans to run the intensive field system from January to the end of March.