Today helping student teachers create their own blogs. This is also the first time I have used my new blogging screencasts, which should be fun. Took a very long time to get into work today as the wet and windy weather doubled my commute time.
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Business News
AOL SHARES RISE
Shares in AOL have jumped 22% after the US internet firm reported a sharp rise in advertising revenues.
Advertising sales jumped 7% to $340m (£212m), boosting net profit for the third quarter to $20.8m, compared with a loss of $2.6m a year ago.
Overall revenue was flat at $531.7m, the first time year-on-year revenue has not fallen in seven years.
The firm has struggled to reinvent itself as a media and news group since its spin off from Time Warner in 2009.
FALKIRK BUSMAKER SEALS NEW ORDERS
Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), the Falkirk-based bus and coach building firm, has announced new orders worth £220m.
In all nearly 1,000 buses in total will be built over the next 18 months. ADL said 640 vehicles are bound for Hong Kong, many for assembly in China. The export deals represent contracts worth £150m.
The work will sustain 900 manufacturing jobs in central Scotland, with plants also in Guildford and Scarborough. The orders represent slightly less than half of the annual turnover of the manufacturer.
MEGABUS ORDER NEW FLEET
Stagecoach are to spend £3.2m on 11 new buses for its Megabus inter-city travel service.
The fleet of 15m-long coaches will be delivered in December and introduced on Megabus routes covering Scotland and England.
Megabus.com now covers around 60 locations across the UK and carries about five million passengers a year. Perth-based Stagecoach said the Plaxton Elite i coaches had 20% extra capacity than its existing coaches
GENDER PAY GAP TO WIDEN
The pay gap between men and women is at risk of widening for the first time on record, a leading pay equality campaign group warns.
The Fawcett Society says that women still earn 14.9% less on average than men for the same job.
But it says this gap could widen as public sector cuts push women into the private sector, where the gap is wider.
The warning coincides with a survey which suggests that a woman can earn £423,000 less than a man in her career.
That average lifetime earnings figure comes from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) 2012 Gender Salary Survey, which also finds that the average pay gap stands at £10,060. This is a drop from 2011, when the difference was £10,546.
COMET STAFF MAY BE SAVED BY DIXONS
The electrical chain Dixons is offering Christmas jobs to hundreds of Comet staff who face redundancy because their firm is insolvent.
The administrators, appointed last week, are keeping the Comet stores open in the hope of finding a buyer. But the outlook for the 7,000 staff is bleak and they all face potential redundancy.
Sebastian James, chief executive of Dixons Retail, said 500 Comet staff had already approached his firm.
"We are taking on a total of 3,000 people -2,000 in the stores."
Comet staff were attractive to Dixons because they already know about its business - which includes Currys and PC World - its customers, and the products it sells.
However he said that Dixons would not be trying to buy any Comet stores from the administrators.
Source: BBC Business News
Shares in AOL have jumped 22% after the US internet firm reported a sharp rise in advertising revenues.
Advertising sales jumped 7% to $340m (£212m), boosting net profit for the third quarter to $20.8m, compared with a loss of $2.6m a year ago.
Overall revenue was flat at $531.7m, the first time year-on-year revenue has not fallen in seven years.
The firm has struggled to reinvent itself as a media and news group since its spin off from Time Warner in 2009.
FALKIRK BUSMAKER SEALS NEW ORDERS
Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), the Falkirk-based bus and coach building firm, has announced new orders worth £220m.
In all nearly 1,000 buses in total will be built over the next 18 months. ADL said 640 vehicles are bound for Hong Kong, many for assembly in China. The export deals represent contracts worth £150m.
The work will sustain 900 manufacturing jobs in central Scotland, with plants also in Guildford and Scarborough. The orders represent slightly less than half of the annual turnover of the manufacturer.
MEGABUS ORDER NEW FLEET
Stagecoach are to spend £3.2m on 11 new buses for its Megabus inter-city travel service.
The fleet of 15m-long coaches will be delivered in December and introduced on Megabus routes covering Scotland and England.
Megabus.com now covers around 60 locations across the UK and carries about five million passengers a year. Perth-based Stagecoach said the Plaxton Elite i coaches had 20% extra capacity than its existing coaches
GENDER PAY GAP TO WIDEN
The pay gap between men and women is at risk of widening for the first time on record, a leading pay equality campaign group warns.
The Fawcett Society says that women still earn 14.9% less on average than men for the same job.
But it says this gap could widen as public sector cuts push women into the private sector, where the gap is wider.
The warning coincides with a survey which suggests that a woman can earn £423,000 less than a man in her career.
That average lifetime earnings figure comes from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) 2012 Gender Salary Survey, which also finds that the average pay gap stands at £10,060. This is a drop from 2011, when the difference was £10,546.
COMET STAFF MAY BE SAVED BY DIXONS
The electrical chain Dixons is offering Christmas jobs to hundreds of Comet staff who face redundancy because their firm is insolvent.
The administrators, appointed last week, are keeping the Comet stores open in the hope of finding a buyer. But the outlook for the 7,000 staff is bleak and they all face potential redundancy.
Sebastian James, chief executive of Dixons Retail, said 500 Comet staff had already approached his firm.
"We are taking on a total of 3,000 people -2,000 in the stores."
Comet staff were attractive to Dixons because they already know about its business - which includes Currys and PC World - its customers, and the products it sells.
However he said that Dixons would not be trying to buy any Comet stores from the administrators.
Source: BBC Business News
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
5 Best NASA inventions
Great sldieshow on 5 inventions that NASA have came up with:
http://www.investopedia.com/slide-show/nasa-inventions/?utm_source=financial-edge&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=PF_v2-10/9/2012#axzz28uFaEdr7
http://www.investopedia.com/slide-show/nasa-inventions/?utm_source=financial-edge&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=PF_v2-10/9/2012#axzz28uFaEdr7
Dragons Den reject wins Wine 'Oscar'
Perhaps the Dragons aren't s clever! They rejected the ‘cup-a-wine’ concept – wine sold in plastic glasses with a tear off lid .
First the product was snapped up by Marks & Spencer for its ‘Food on the Move’ section, proving a big hit with commuters and picnickers. And now the wine itself has won an award in the international wine ‘Oscars’. The M&S wine Le Froglet Rosé has been named the Great Value Champion Rosé at the The International Wine Challenge.
This same wine is sold in the ‘cup-a-wine’ packaging that featured on Dragons Den and was famously rejected.
The man who developed the idea, packaging expert James Nash, was given a particularly tough interrogation by the Dragons, James Caan, Duncan Bannatyne, Deborah Meaden, Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones, when he presented the idea in 2009.
They rubbished his financial projections, suggested the product would not sell well and questioned whether he would be able get a patent.
Mr Bannatyne was particularly dismissive, saying: ‘This doesn’t work as a selling item. People do not want to buy wine in plastic glasses like that. For that reason, I’m out.
First the product was snapped up by Marks & Spencer for its ‘Food on the Move’ section, proving a big hit with commuters and picnickers. And now the wine itself has won an award in the international wine ‘Oscars’. The M&S wine Le Froglet Rosé has been named the Great Value Champion Rosé at the The International Wine Challenge.
This same wine is sold in the ‘cup-a-wine’ packaging that featured on Dragons Den and was famously rejected.
The man who developed the idea, packaging expert James Nash, was given a particularly tough interrogation by the Dragons, James Caan, Duncan Bannatyne, Deborah Meaden, Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones, when he presented the idea in 2009.
They rubbished his financial projections, suggested the product would not sell well and questioned whether he would be able get a patent.
Mr Bannatyne was particularly dismissive, saying: ‘This doesn’t work as a selling item. People do not want to buy wine in plastic glasses like that. For that reason, I’m out.
Ireland set for an oil bonanza
Ireland is on the verge of securing revenue from oil that could run into billions of pounds, this could be a vital boost for the country after its financial woes and problems within the EU.
A joint Irish and UK firm, Providence Resources Plc, has said a site 30 miles off the Cork coast, should yield around 280m barrels of oil.
The money generated will depend on the market value at the time of extraction and on licensing arrangements. Providence chief executive Tony O'Reilly Jr said this was the beginning of an Irish oil industry.
This has followed decades of exploration around the Irish coast, which now seems to have paid off. It remains to be seen if there is any oil to be found off Ireland's Atlantic coast.
A joint Irish and UK firm, Providence Resources Plc, has said a site 30 miles off the Cork coast, should yield around 280m barrels of oil.
The money generated will depend on the market value at the time of extraction and on licensing arrangements. Providence chief executive Tony O'Reilly Jr said this was the beginning of an Irish oil industry.
This has followed decades of exploration around the Irish coast, which now seems to have paid off. It remains to be seen if there is any oil to be found off Ireland's Atlantic coast.
Electric Cars may be a big polluter!
Electric cars might pollute much more than petrol or diesel-powered cars, according to new research.
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study found greenhouse gas emissions rose dramatically if coal was used to produce the electricity.
Electric car factories also emitted more toxic waste than conventional car factories, their report in the Journal of Industrial Ecology said.
The report pointed out that the longer an electric car in Europe stays mobile, the greater its "lead" over petrol and diesel engines.
"Assuming a vehicle lifetime of 200,000km exaggerates the global warming benefits of electric vehicles to 27-29% relative to petrol and 17-20% relative to diesel," it said.
"An assumption of 100,000km decreases the benefit of electric vehicles to 9-14% with respect to petrol vehicles and results in impacts indistinguishable from those of a diesel vehicle."
An electric car's longevity depends a great deal on how long its battery lasts, not least since it is very expensive to replace them.
Source: BBC Business News
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study found greenhouse gas emissions rose dramatically if coal was used to produce the electricity.
Electric car factories also emitted more toxic waste than conventional car factories, their report in the Journal of Industrial Ecology said.
The report pointed out that the longer an electric car in Europe stays mobile, the greater its "lead" over petrol and diesel engines.
"Assuming a vehicle lifetime of 200,000km exaggerates the global warming benefits of electric vehicles to 27-29% relative to petrol and 17-20% relative to diesel," it said.
"An assumption of 100,000km decreases the benefit of electric vehicles to 9-14% with respect to petrol vehicles and results in impacts indistinguishable from those of a diesel vehicle."
An electric car's longevity depends a great deal on how long its battery lasts, not least since it is very expensive to replace them.
Source: BBC Business News
Toyota to recall 7 million cars
Toyota is voluntarily recalling more than seven million vehicles worldwide, including some Yaris, Corolla and Camry models, over faulty window switches.
It affects 1.39 million cars in Europe - 138,000 in the UK - 2.47 million in the US and 1.4 million in China. It is the biggest single recall since Ford called back eight million vehicles in 1996.
Toyota said there had been no reports of accidents, injuries or deaths as a result of the window problem.
Toyota is also recalling 459,000 vehicles in Japan, 650,000 in Australia and Asia, as well as hundreds of thousands from across the Middle East, and from within Canada and its other, smaller markets around the world.
The number of vehicles being recalled is roughly the same as its sales for the whole of its last financial year.
Toyota did not say how much the recall would cost. In 2009, Toyota recalled 12 million cars over faulty pedal accelerators. Toyota used to be a brand synonymous with quality and customer care, but this perception is now seriously damaged. It begs the question where do Toyota go from here?
The one saving grace for Toyota is that they can argue they have customer interests and satisfaction at heart and have the will to make such a massive product recall which is something of a loss of face - an ideal which is very important in Japanese culture.
Toyota have suffered since a drop in production after the 2011 Tsunami in Japan, and also recently seen sales in China - the world's biggest growth market for cars - dip due to growing tensions between Japan and China over disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Business News - No appeal for Chevron
The US Supreme Court has declined to block a judgement from an Ecuadorian court that a US oil firm pay billions in damages for pollution in the Amazon.
Chevron was fighting a ruling that it must pay $18.2bn (£11.4bn) in damages, a sum increased to $19bn in July.
It is the latest move in a decades-long legal wrangle between Texaco, bought by Chevron in 2001, and the people of the Lago Agrio region of Ecuador.
The decision could affect other oil firms accused of pollution.
The high court did not explain why it decided to reject the appeal from Chevron.
The case claimed that Texaco contaminated land between 1964 and 1992, and has triggered several other lawsuits in courts within the US and elsewhere.
Source: BBC News
Curriculum for Excellence - S3 ICT with Business
I have been wanting to publish an ebook and so I thought why not put some of the stuff I did for S3 Business Management online. I had intended to give it away free, but Amazon won't let me! This is the cheapest I could sell it at.
You can find it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Business-Management-Pupil-Booklet-ebook/dp/B009M1ET0A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349829482&sr=8-2
You can find it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Business-Management-Pupil-Booklet-ebook/dp/B009M1ET0A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349829482&sr=8-2
Higher Business Management - POGADSCIE
Earlier today when my Higher Business Management class were discussing POGADSCIE, one of the pupils came up with a problem that really did get the class thinking...
why are our glazed donughts not selling!
Okay so they were thinking with their bellies, but it actually prompted a good example of the POGADSCIE process.
I am going to work on this example and share it on here later. I thought it was pretty good.
why are our glazed donughts not selling!
Okay so they were thinking with their bellies, but it actually prompted a good example of the POGADSCIE process.
I am going to work on this example and share it on here later. I thought it was pretty good.
Travel - China 2012
Earlier in the year I was lucky enough to visit China. I have posted the Canton Tower, Guangzhou before, so here are some pictures of things I saw and did on my travels. Our school is taking a group of pupils to Beijing in June 2013!
Forbidden City, Beijing
Inside the Forbidden City
Temple of Heaven (I think)
The Great Wall
The 'Bottle Opener' in Shanghai
Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai
A Chinese Junk boat in Hong Kong Harbour
I do hope this inspires some of you to go and visit China. It is an incredible place.
Busabout - a fun way to see Europe
For those who have left school and are at University or College, I recommend seeing a bit of Europe (in particular Eastern Europe) and one way to do so is to travel by bus. I know it doesn't sound good, but it is actually great fun.
I have done three trips with Busabout:
http://www.busabout.com/
The Classic Rhapsody which includes a visit to Auschwitz;
Ottoman Trek which takes in the famous bridge in Mostar, and also goes to the besieged city of Sarajevo, and ends up at Asia in Istanbul;
Balkan Trek - a quieter affair but gives the opportunity to visit Gallipoli and you get to see Athens and the Acropolis, which is well worth a visit.
Yes there are long journey times on the bus, but you do get to see an incredible amount of European history, including the very street in Sarajevo where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, thereby starting The First World War.
The plaque commemorating the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
A Sarajevo Rose
The Acropolis
Walking tours and bike tours are plentiful, and on the whole are very interesting. It isn't cheap, but you will find the trips full of Australian and Kiwi backpackers who are on their Overseas Experience - a bit like our gap year.
Through the day you will delve into the culture of Europe and in the evening you will have more than enough time to do your own thing.
I have done three trips with Busabout:
http://www.busabout.com/
The Classic Rhapsody which includes a visit to Auschwitz;
Ottoman Trek which takes in the famous bridge in Mostar, and also goes to the besieged city of Sarajevo, and ends up at Asia in Istanbul;
Balkan Trek - a quieter affair but gives the opportunity to visit Gallipoli and you get to see Athens and the Acropolis, which is well worth a visit.
Yes there are long journey times on the bus, but you do get to see an incredible amount of European history, including the very street in Sarajevo where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, thereby starting The First World War.
The famous bridge at Mostar
The plaque commemorating the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
A Sarajevo Rose
Istanbul
Meteora - monasteries built in the hills of Greece (seen in For Your Eyes Only)
The Acropolis
Bulgarian Entertainment!
Meeting Angelina Jolie in Sarajevo!
Walking tours and bike tours are plentiful, and on the whole are very interesting. It isn't cheap, but you will find the trips full of Australian and Kiwi backpackers who are on their Overseas Experience - a bit like our gap year.
Through the day you will delve into the culture of Europe and in the evening you will have more than enough time to do your own thing.
Sunday, 7 October 2012
James Bond Box Office
With October the 5th being recognised as the 50th Birthday of the cinematic James Bond, it is interesting to look at the vast money gathered in by the movies.
In the USA here is the box office for the movies adjusted for inflation:
So it is no wonder to see just how big an impact Sean Connery made as the first cinematic James Bond!
More information can be found here: http://www.007james.com/articles/box_office.php
In the USA here is the box office for the movies adjusted for inflation:
Highest Grossing Bond Films
| Position | Film | Year | Actor | Gross (with inflation) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Thunderball | 1965 | Sean Connery | $1,014,941,117 |
| 2. | Goldfinger | 1964 | Sean Connery | $912,257,512 |
| 3. | Live and Let Die | 1973 | Roger Moore | $825,110,761 |
| 4. | You Only Live Twice | 1967 | Sean Connery | $756,544,419 |
| 5. | The Spy Who Loved Me | 1977 | Roger Moore | $692,713,752 |
| 6. | Casino Royale | 2006 | Daniel Craig | $669,789,482 |
| 7. | Moonraker | 1979 | Roger Moore | $655,872,400 |
| 8. | Diamonds Are Forever | 1971 | Sean Connery | $648,514,469 |
| 9. | Quantum of Solace | 2008 | Daniel Craig | $622,246,378 |
| 10. | From Russia with Love | 1963 | Sean Connery | $576,277,964 |
| 11. | Die Another Day | 2002 | Pierce Brosnan | $543,639,638 |
| 12. | Goldeneye | 1995 | Pierce Brosnan | $529,548,711 |
| 13. | On Her Majesty's Secret Service | 1969 | George Lazenby | $505,899,782 |
| 14. | The World is Not Enough | 1999 | Pierce Brosnan | $491,617,153 |
| 15. | For Your Eyes Only | 1981 | Roger Moore | $486,468,881 |
| 16. | Tomorrow Never Dies | 1997 | Pierce Brosnan | $478,946,402 |
| 17. | The Man with the Golden Gun | 1974 | Roger Moore | $448,249,281 |
| 18. | Dr. No | 1962 | Sean Connery | $440,759,072 |
| 19. | Octopussy | 1983 | Roger Moore | $426,244,352 |
| 20. | The Living Daylights | 1987 | Timothy Dalton | $381,088,866 |
| 21. | A View to a Kill | 1985 | Roger Moore | $321,172,633 |
| 22. | License to Kill | 1989 | Timothy Dalton | $285,157,191 |
So it is no wonder to see just how big an impact Sean Connery made as the first cinematic James Bond!
More information can be found here: http://www.007james.com/articles/box_office.php
Friday, 5 October 2012
In the News...
FAULTY SEATS GROUND AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHTS
American Airlines has cancelled 94 flights as it works to fix passenger seats that could come loose.
The move comes after a flight from Boston to Miami had to make an emergency landing last weekend after a block of three seats disconnected from the floor.
American said the problem affected 48 Boeing 757s, and that it hoped to have them back in service by Saturday.
The faulty seats had recently been refurbished. The Federal Aviation Administration is now continuing to investigate the issue.
ELECTRIC CARS "A POLLUTER"
Electric cars might pollute much more than petrol or diesel-powered cars, according to new research.
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study found greenhouse gas emissions rose dramatically if coal was used to produce the electricity.
Electric car factories also emitted more toxic waste than conventional car factories, their report in the Journal of Industrial Energy said.
SAMSUNG BOAST RECORD PROFITS
Samsung Electronics has estimated record profits in the three months to September, led by strong sales of its Galaxy smartphones.
The South Korean company said it expects operating profits of 8.1 trillion won ($7.3bn; £4.5bn), nearly double last year's figure.
The estimates beat analyst expectations sending Samsung shares 1.5% higher. However, ongoing legal tussles with Apple have cast a shadow over its future performance.
MP3 RULING IMMINENT
A US court is to consider a case that could determine whether digital media files can be resold.
One-year-old start-up ReDigi is battling music giant EMI over whether digital music can be retraded after it has been legally purchased.
ReDigi says that its software is designed to comply with existing United States copyright laws. But EMI argues a legal principle which allows consumers to resell purchased material goods does not apply.
INDIA AIRLINE GROUNDED
India's Kingfisher airline has grounded its fleet for a further week after talks with workers protesting against months of unpaid wages failed.
On Monday the cash-strapped airline had to suspend flights for three days after some technical staff went on strike. But late on Thursday it said flights would be grounded until 12 October.
Meanwhile, the wife of a Kingfisher employee has killed herself, leaving a note blaming financial stress because her husband's salary had not been paid.
Source: BBC Business News
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
National 5 Business Management
Here is the page to key in the search term for National 5 Business Management:
Some helpful resources.
Higher Business Management Resources for Teachers
I did some work a while ago for Education Scotland (it was then LTS) and the resulting resources have been published here:
Hope they are of use to Teachers in particualr, though naturally they will need to be adapted and customised. Copyright plays a big part when creating materials for publication, as I am sure you are aware.
Please give feedback on the materials. I can safely say I used them last year and got a good response from the pupils, and we ended up with good results! Whether that was down to the pupils, the teacher, or the resources we can only guess!
Seriously, I think having a bank of Short Answer Questions (with solutions) was very handy, especially for pupils who were crashing.
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
ICT in Business - Cars without a driver heading for California!
Oh how it seemed like the future... a car with no driver. That was the premise behind Knight Rider, the old TV show which had KITT the car that could drive itself. Now however, fact looks like following fiction.
A new bill to bring driverless cars to roads in California has been signed. State governor Jerry Brown backed legislation on Tuesday, and said: "Today we're looking at science-fiction becoming tomorrow's reality".
The bill was signed at the headquarters of Google, which has been testing a fleet of 12 autonomous computer-controlled vehicles for several years, which some may have seen on Stephen Hawking's New World TV show.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin said self-driving cars would be "far safer" than those driven by humans.
Other major car manufacturers, including Audi, Ford and Volvo also have their own driverless car programmes!
How quickly they will become a mass market product and reach UK shores, who knows? But a driverless car that perhaps in future could be electric or run on solar power would transform the world as we know it.
A new bill to bring driverless cars to roads in California has been signed. State governor Jerry Brown backed legislation on Tuesday, and said: "Today we're looking at science-fiction becoming tomorrow's reality".
The bill was signed at the headquarters of Google, which has been testing a fleet of 12 autonomous computer-controlled vehicles for several years, which some may have seen on Stephen Hawking's New World TV show.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin said self-driving cars would be "far safer" than those driven by humans.
Other major car manufacturers, including Audi, Ford and Volvo also have their own driverless car programmes!
How quickly they will become a mass market product and reach UK shores, who knows? But a driverless car that perhaps in future could be electric or run on solar power would transform the world as we know it.
Ryder Cup could be a pot of gold for Scotland in 2014
Scotland could generate five-times the £20m it is paying to host golf's showpiece Ryder Cup in 2014, it has been claimed.
A Scottish government delegation is in Chicago for this year's event, to promote sport, trade and culture ahead of the 2014 contest at Gleneagles.
The efforts are aimed at attracting as many golf fans to Scotland as possible.
Sport Minister Shona Robison said the overall economic boost from the Ryder Cup could top £100m.
With the Commonwealth Games being held in Glasgow in 2014 as well, it promises to be one of the most memorable and hopefully proftable years for Scottish sport.
A Scottish government delegation is in Chicago for this year's event, to promote sport, trade and culture ahead of the 2014 contest at Gleneagles.
The efforts are aimed at attracting as many golf fans to Scotland as possible.
Sport Minister Shona Robison said the overall economic boost from the Ryder Cup could top £100m.
With the Commonwealth Games being held in Glasgow in 2014 as well, it promises to be one of the most memorable and hopefully proftable years for Scottish sport.
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Consumer demographics - China and her ageing population
Found this superb article on China by the BBC:
China's population is ageing. By 2050 more than a quarter of the population will be over 65 years old and younger generations face an unprecedented burden of care.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the government advocated a "later, longer, fewer" lifestyle, encouraging people to marry later, have wide gaps between children and fewer children overall. It also instated the controversial one-child policy. These were attempts to curb population growth in a bid to help modernise the economy.
Chinese women are having fewer children, but having a smaller generation follow a boom generation - and longer life expectancies - means that by 2050, it is expected that for every 100 people aged 20-64, there will be 45 people aged over 65, compared with about 15 today.
For the full feature visit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19630110
China's population is ageing. By 2050 more than a quarter of the population will be over 65 years old and younger generations face an unprecedented burden of care.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the government advocated a "later, longer, fewer" lifestyle, encouraging people to marry later, have wide gaps between children and fewer children overall. It also instated the controversial one-child policy. These were attempts to curb population growth in a bid to help modernise the economy.
Chinese women are having fewer children, but having a smaller generation follow a boom generation - and longer life expectancies - means that by 2050, it is expected that for every 100 people aged 20-64, there will be 45 people aged over 65, compared with about 15 today.
For the full feature visit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19630110
India's Supermarket Crisis Deepens
Opposition parties and trade unions in India are staging a day-long strike over plans to open the country's retail sector to global supermarket chains. Workers blocked railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states, and the opposition strongholds of Calcutta and Bangalore were virtually shut down.
The reforms are essential to revive India's slowing economy, ministers say.
"Multinational companies will destroy the economic and social fabric of the country and will adversely impact traders, transporters, farmers and other sections of retail trade," Praveen Khandelwal, the head of the group, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
The Government's plan is aimed at reviving a flagging economy, as well as avoiding the threat of a downgrade in India's credit rating, but small shops fear they will be put out of business.
A Delhi-based trader Deepak Sethi said shopkeepers would lose business if foreign supermarkets were allowed into India.
"These big companies can attract customers by selling at cost prices. That means people here are going to lose jobs. Shops like ours will be hit the most."
Under the government's proposal, global firms - such as Walmart and Tesco - will be able to buy up to a 51% stake in multi-brand retailers in India. Multinational retailers already have outlets in India, but at present they can sell only to smaller retailers. This decision allows them to sell directly to Indian consumers.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the reforms would "help strengthen our growth process and generate employment in these difficult times".
The reforms are essential to revive India's slowing economy, ministers say.
"Multinational companies will destroy the economic and social fabric of the country and will adversely impact traders, transporters, farmers and other sections of retail trade," Praveen Khandelwal, the head of the group, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
The Government's plan is aimed at reviving a flagging economy, as well as avoiding the threat of a downgrade in India's credit rating, but small shops fear they will be put out of business.
A Delhi-based trader Deepak Sethi said shopkeepers would lose business if foreign supermarkets were allowed into India.
"These big companies can attract customers by selling at cost prices. That means people here are going to lose jobs. Shops like ours will be hit the most."
Under the government's proposal, global firms - such as Walmart and Tesco - will be able to buy up to a 51% stake in multi-brand retailers in India. Multinational retailers already have outlets in India, but at present they can sell only to smaller retailers. This decision allows them to sell directly to Indian consumers.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the reforms would "help strengthen our growth process and generate employment in these difficult times".
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
China and Japan island row escalates
$345bn of trade is under threat between Japan and China. Several major Japanese companies have suspended operations in China after attacks on shops and car dealerships. Shares fell in Tokyo on Tuesday. The Japanese government has asked Beijing to do more to protect Japanese businesses.
Tokyo had asked Beijing via diplomatic channels to take necessary steps to protect Japanese interests and prevent further damage to Japanese companies in China.
Nissan Motors shares dropped 5% in Tokyo, Uniqlo-owner Fast Retailing fell 7% and Honda Motors was down by 2.5%.
The protests in China is linked to controversial islands that both China and Japan claim known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. China claims sovereignty over these islands, which Japan has recently purchased.
Tokyo had asked Beijing via diplomatic channels to take necessary steps to protect Japanese interests and prevent further damage to Japanese companies in China.
Nissan Motors shares dropped 5% in Tokyo, Uniqlo-owner Fast Retailing fell 7% and Honda Motors was down by 2.5%.
The protests in China is linked to controversial islands that both China and Japan claim known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. China claims sovereignty over these islands, which Japan has recently purchased.
Monday, 17 September 2012
Corporate Social Responsibility in Asia
Corporate Social Responsibility conference for Asia was held this year in Bejing.
The summit had the following aims:
- Greater emphasis by the government to regulate CSR. A growing number of laws and regulations contain CSR elements and requirements
- Rising popularity of social media. This has facilitated public discussion on social and environmental issues
- Stakeholder expectations are increasingly sophisticated and clearly articulated
- Rising employee expectations. A new generation of employees knows its rights and expects them to be met
- Greater awareness of business impact on the environment
- Expanding awareness by consumers of their rights
For more information please visit the website:
http://csr-asia.com/summit2012/index.php
The summit had the following aims:
- Greater emphasis by the government to regulate CSR. A growing number of laws and regulations contain CSR elements and requirements
- Rising popularity of social media. This has facilitated public discussion on social and environmental issues
- Stakeholder expectations are increasingly sophisticated and clearly articulated
- Rising employee expectations. A new generation of employees knows its rights and expects them to be met
- Greater awareness of business impact on the environment
- Expanding awareness by consumers of their rights
For more information please visit the website:
http://csr-asia.com/summit2012/index.php
Company Profiles - Irn Bru
History
Irn-Bru is a Scottish carbonated soft drink, for long advertised as "Scotland's other national drink" (next to Scotch whisky).It is produced in westfield Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire by A.G. Barr of Glasgow, since moving out of their original Parkhead factory in the mid-1990s, and at a second manufacturing site in Mansfield, England. In addition to being sold throughout the United Kingdom, Barr's Irn-Bru is available throughout the world and can usually be purchased where there is a significant community of people from Scotland. Innovative and sometimes controversial marketing campaigns have kept it as the number one selling soft drink in Scotland, where it competes directly with global brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
United STATES
Irn-Bru and Diet Irn-Bru have been formulated since 2002 by A.G. Barr plc to meet the regulations for food colouring of the U.S. Foo and Drug Administration (FDA). Ponceau 4R used in the UK formulation is prohibited by the FDA. Barr uses alternative food and drink colourants manufactured by a U.S. company approved by the FDA. The product labelling also meets U.S. labelling standards on nutritional information and bar code. Compliant Irn-Bru is solely imported by Great Scot International in Charlotte, North Carolina, who supplies distributors and retailers throughout the U.S. It is only supplied in 500 mL
By Mark and John
Company Profiles - Starbucks
15 million people in Ethiopa depend on the coffee sector; this generates 60 % of the wealth. So starbucks keep them afloat.
Starbucks helped differentiate Ethiopan coffee from coffees from other countries. It strengths their confidence of the coffee growing and exporters of the country.
This means theres an increasing demand for Ethiopian coffee in the worldwide market.
Increases the income and living stanards of the coffee producers.
Increased the price of coffee.
Starbucks have increased the amount theyre paying for the coffee beans by 60% to help them out.
Through Fairtrade the small-holder families and farmers can get better incomes for their hardwork.
This allows their children a good opportunity to go to school. And hold onto their land.
For every coffee they sell a litle profit goes to the Fair Trade. When other major companies would not.
By Laura, Alanah and Rebecca
Starbucks helped differentiate Ethiopan coffee from coffees from other countries. It strengths their confidence of the coffee growing and exporters of the country.
This means theres an increasing demand for Ethiopian coffee in the worldwide market.
Increases the income and living stanards of the coffee producers.
Increased the price of coffee.
Starbucks have increased the amount theyre paying for the coffee beans by 60% to help them out.
Through Fairtrade the small-holder families and farmers can get better incomes for their hardwork.
This allows their children a good opportunity to go to school. And hold onto their land.
For every coffee they sell a litle profit goes to the Fair Trade. When other major companies would not.
By Laura, Alanah and Rebecca
Company Profiles - Nike
Who are Nike?
Nike is an International Corporation
They make a whole load of sportswear and trainers.
Although they are an American based company, most of their goods are made in sweatshops in developing countries.
Where are the Sweatshops Located?
Most of Nike’s sweatshops are located in the following countries;
South Korea
Vietnam
Taiwan
China
Indonesia
Sweatshops
Within China and Vietnam, the workers in the sweatshops are forbidden from forming independent trade unions.
This helps Nike out as it means there are no groups or organisations fighting for better rights on behalf of the workers.
The Reason For Sweatshops
These sweatshops save Nike a lot of money due to the very lenient labour laws in the chosen countries.
Due to these laws, Nike were able to force 8 year old kids to work a nine hour shift making trainers and goods for the European market.
Nike are currently working alongside the governments of these countries to make labour laws stricter.
By Craig
Yamaha in India
Yamaha in India
By Nicky and Cara
Benefits for workforce of Yamaha in India
To better relate to the local people Yamaha are planning to produce scooters which are very popular in India. This is because their rivals have abandoned production leaving many people without transport.
This also allows the workforce to earn more money as profits are increased
costs
The only cost is the small increase in pollution and there MAY be some poor working conditions but this is made acceptable as the scooters are epic!!!
Yamaha
Yamaha is a Japanese corporation who produce many different products including:
Motorbikes, scooters, guitars, drums, pianos, keyboards and recording technology. They are very diverse in their productions.
By Nicky and Cara
Benefits for workforce of Yamaha in India
To better relate to the local people Yamaha are planning to produce scooters which are very popular in India. This is because their rivals have abandoned production leaving many people without transport.
This also allows the workforce to earn more money as profits are increased
costs
The only cost is the small increase in pollution and there MAY be some poor working conditions but this is made acceptable as the scooters are epic!!!
Yamaha
Yamaha is a Japanese corporation who produce many different products including:
Motorbikes, scooters, guitars, drums, pianos, keyboards and recording technology. They are very diverse in their productions.
India to allow foreign supermarkets in
A key political ally is to meet on Tuesday to decide on whether or not to withdraw from the Indian government. The Trinamool Congress party has demanded that the government scrap its decision to open up India's retail sector to global supermarket chains.
India's opposition parties have called for a nationwide strike on Thursday to protest the decision. Delhi's plan is aimed at reviving a flagging economy, but small shops fear they will be put out of business.
Last year, the government was forced to suspend a similar plan amid protests.
International firms such as Walmart and Tesco will now be able to buy up to a 51% stake in multi-brand retailers. Analysts say the government has reintroduced the measure in an effort to revive a flagging economy.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: "I believe that these steps will help strengthen our growth process and generate employment in these difficult times."
India's opposition parties have called for a nationwide strike on Thursday to protest the decision. Delhi's plan is aimed at reviving a flagging economy, but small shops fear they will be put out of business.
Last year, the government was forced to suspend a similar plan amid protests.
International firms such as Walmart and Tesco will now be able to buy up to a 51% stake in multi-brand retailers. Analysts say the government has reintroduced the measure in an effort to revive a flagging economy.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: "I believe that these steps will help strengthen our growth process and generate employment in these difficult times."
Boots expands into China
Alliance Boots, one of Europe's biggest pharmacy chains, has agreed a deal to buy a stake in a Chinese firm as it looks to expand in the country.
Boots said it will acquire a 12% stake in Nanjing Pharmaceutical Company Limited, for 560m yuan ($88m; £56m).
China, the world's second-largest economy, is home to more than 1.3 billion people, making it an attractive destination for foreign firms. Nanjing is the fifth-biggest pharmaceutical distributor in China.
Boots, which first entered the Chinese market in 2008, said that it was aiming at a 20-30% share of the Chinese pharmaceutical distribution market.
Source: BBC Business News
Boots said it will acquire a 12% stake in Nanjing Pharmaceutical Company Limited, for 560m yuan ($88m; £56m).
China, the world's second-largest economy, is home to more than 1.3 billion people, making it an attractive destination for foreign firms. Nanjing is the fifth-biggest pharmaceutical distributor in China.
Boots, which first entered the Chinese market in 2008, said that it was aiming at a 20-30% share of the Chinese pharmaceutical distribution market.
Source: BBC Business News
Monday, 14 May 2012
Stay connected in the air
Apparently it has been going on for a decade, but for the vast majority of travellers once you are airborne the world of the internet is a no go. However that is about to change.
UK telecommunications firm Immarsat and US giant Honeywell are developing new satellite links to improve connectivity while in the air, ensuring people can stay in touch on the go and in the air.
For the full story go to BBC Technology news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18021468
UK telecommunications firm Immarsat and US giant Honeywell are developing new satellite links to improve connectivity while in the air, ensuring people can stay in touch on the go and in the air.
For the full story go to BBC Technology news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18021468
Don't lie on your CV
Looks like Yahoo's Scott Thompson has become one of the biggest ever casualties of lying on his CV. He apparently put down he had studied Computer Science at a college in 1979, but back then the course didn't exist.
Thompson is CEO at Yahoo and only joined in September 2011, after a spell at PayPal.
It is worth noticing that in The Apprentice UK, eventual winner Lee McQueen was less than honest over his own college days when he had put down he was at college for 3 years when in fact he had only started the course and left after a matter of weeks.
Despite this he was still hired, something that perhaps shows a rare lack of judgement by Lord Sugar. Embelishments are probably part of the game, but making things up or taking credit for other peoples work should not be rewarded at all.
I will look to see if I can find some other high profile cases of people being undone by their own CV.
Thompson is CEO at Yahoo and only joined in September 2011, after a spell at PayPal.
It is worth noticing that in The Apprentice UK, eventual winner Lee McQueen was less than honest over his own college days when he had put down he was at college for 3 years when in fact he had only started the course and left after a matter of weeks.
Despite this he was still hired, something that perhaps shows a rare lack of judgement by Lord Sugar. Embelishments are probably part of the game, but making things up or taking credit for other peoples work should not be rewarded at all.
I will look to see if I can find some other high profile cases of people being undone by their own CV.
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