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Archive for the 'International trade' Category
China's Xi promised funding for bridge connections in North Korea, reports say
By Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein
This is quite interesting, and hardly surprising. Overall, I've seen very little to suggest that China regards the current sanctions pressure as anything but a temporary measure. That would fit the historical pattern well. (For more on this, feel free to check out my chapter on Trump's "maximum pressure" strategy and its impacts on the North Korean economy.) This time is very different because of the longevity and extent of the Chinese sanctions pressure, but in nature, I don't believe China's medium- to long-term strategy on North Korea and sanctions has changed. Talk of China "abandoning" North Korea, which used to be rife when Chinese trade data on North Korea pointed in a downward direction, has often been and remains much overblown.
The news is that Xi Jinping, during his June visit to North Korea, supposedly promised that China would fund facilities on the North Korean side of the new-ish border bridge between southwestern Dandong, as well as fund work on the Hwanggumpyong SEZ. Asahi Shimbun:
China has promised to foot the bill for the construction of related facilities for an already-completed bridge across the border between China and North Korea, sources said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping made the pledge when he visited North Korea in June, they said.
During the visit, Xi also promised that China will promote construction of an economic development zone on North Korea's Hwanggumpyong Island in the Yalu River, which forms a natural border between the two countries, the sources added.
Construction of the bridge and the economic development zone were agreed on when former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was still alive. But the projects were effectively frozen after his son and successor Kim Jong Un became the country's leader.
Xi's willingness to pay the costs of building an access road to the bridge on the North Korean side of the border, as well as customs-related facilities, suggest that economic relations between the two neighbors are moving to a firmer footing.
According to sources knowledgeable about trade between the two countries and those with links to North Korean authorities, Xi's promises were conveyed to high-ranking North Korean government officials during meetings to report on the outcome of a summit meeting between the two countries.
Xi's largesse was also shared in the North Korean military as it will be involved in the construction of bridge-related facilities as well as the economic development zone.
The New Yalu River Bridge connects Dandong in China with Sinuiju in North Korea. Although the bridge has been completed, it is not yet open to traffic.
China will provide about 2.5 billion yuan (39 billion yen, or $360 million) for the construction costs. Chinese engineers have been conducting field surveys since late June.
Since around that time, the upper parts of the bridge have been lit up at night.
In mid-July, cars carrying Chinese government officials traveled to a border gate in the middle of the bridge.
Construction of the bridge started in 2011 when Kim Jong Il was in power. China spent about 1.8 billion yuan in construction costs. The bridge was completed in 2014 under Kim Jong Un's regime.
China to fund costs so bridge to North Korea can open to traffic
YOSHIKAZU HIRAI
On the North Korean side, the bridge has been lacking a connection to the broader road network (or to anywhere, really) since construction began in 2011, as these pictures show:
The new Yalu river bridge, October 1st, 2011. Image from Google Earth/Digital Globe.
The new Yalu river bridge, March 2nd, 2019. Image from Google Earth/Digital Globe.
Overall, this emphasizes the reality that China really is the only country that North Korea has close, substantive and sustainable trade links with. It was truly unlikely that Xi's visit to North Korea would occur without any promises for economic benefits or the like. Kim Jong-un's visits to China have rendered similar benefits, though perhaps not of the same economic magnitude.
Posted in China, Foreign direct investment, Hwanggumphyong and Wihwado Economic Zones (Sinuiju), International trade, Special Economic Zones (Established before 2013) | Comments Closed
Daily NK: North Korean laborers reach Russian construction sites despite sanctions
Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein
Daily NK reports:
"Recently, there have been many North Korean workers coming in to Russia. They are arriving at Khabarovsk Station via Tumangang Station. North Korean workers are usually dispatched to Khabarovsk and Ussuriysk and most of them are construction workers," a source familiar with local affairs told Daily NK.
According to the source, a considerable number of new laborers are being deployed to Russian construction sites as well as some factories and logging sites.
In an interim report submitted to the United Nations in March, Russia said that the number of North Korean workers staying in Russia has declined from 30,023 at the end of 2017 to 11,490 at the end of 2018. Although the number with officially granted visas may have declined, it is believed that these new workers are entering Russia using methods other than a work visa, such as student or temporary stay visas.
It has been reported that in addition to the hard labor, those working in Russia have poor working conditions. They are cooking and sleeping at the same construction site at which they are working.
"North Korean workers are working at a building that is attached to the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok's Russky Island, and work an average of 15 hours per day from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm or even until 11:00 pm," he said.
"The daylight is long these days in Russia, so they are working until late in the night without lighting. North Korean workers are really angry because they are worked like dogs. And even though they are working so hard, they do not have much left after paying $1200 dollars to the North Korean company they work for."
Even under such dire circumstances, North Korean laborers still value being sent to Russia because they can make significantly more money than they can in North Korea.
Some of the highly skilled North Korean workers who have been working in Russia for more than three years are said to be finding their own work under the condition that they pay $1000~$1300 dollars to the state enterprise as a loyalty contribution.
"Those with good skills are freelancing. Some even make $2000~$3000 dollars a month," a separate source in Russia told Daily NK.
"Russian companies also prefer North Korean workers. Their wages are cheap and they are skilled and work very fast. That is why Russian construction companies prefer to hire them."
Currently in Russia, there are about 23 North Korean enterprises including Rungrado, Namgyong, Cholsan Trading Company, and Number 17 Construction Company that manage North Korean workers. "A Khabarovsk-based North Korean trading company manages about 2000 North Korean workers," said the source.
However, it has been reported that recently-dispatched North Korean workers in Russia cannot freely move or contact the outside world as they are under tighter surveillance.
North Korean laborers reach Russian construction sites despite sanctions
Jang Seul Gi
Tags:2018 sanctions, Sanctions
Posted in International trade, Russia | Comments Closed
China-North Korea trade up in first half of 2019
A fairly minor recovery from an already low level, one should bear in mind. SCMP reports:
China's trade with North Korea recovered in the first half of this year after a sharp fall in 2018, Beijing said on Tuesday.
The announcement comes as ties between the countries improve, with Chinese President Xi Jinping making his first state visit to Pyongyang last month.
Total trade with North Korea reached US$1.25 billion between January and June, up 14.3 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier, Ministry of Commerce figures showed.
Exports to North Korea amounted to US$1.14 billion – a rise of 15.5 per cent – while imports rose 3.2 per cent to US$110 million.
China remains North Korea's sole military ally and biggest trading partner. Trade in 2018 was worth US$2.7 billion, down 48.2 per cent year on year, the Seoul-funded Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency said last week.
North Korea's trade with China fell sharply in 2018, taking its overall foreign trade to less than US$3 billion for the first time since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took power in 2011.
Zhang Baohui, director of the Centre for Asian Pacific Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, said China was "doing its work under the UN sanctions regime" but that North Korea might have the strength to work through its economic hardships.
"The country is always economically isolated from the rest of the world, and North Korean people are used to this situation. In fact, self-reliance has been their way of life for a very long time," Zhang said.
China-North Korea trade up 14.3 per cent in first half to US$1.25 billion
Lee Jeong-ho
Posted in China, International trade, Statistics | Comments Closed
DailyNK on Xi Jinping's June 2019 and domestic economic impacts
Daily NK:
Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea on June 20-21 has garnered significant international interest on the impact it will have on the lives of ordinary North Koreans, who continue to suffer from the impact of international sanctions.
There is also interest in the "bag of gifts" that Xi will bring to North Korea for his upcoming visit. Past Chinese premiers visiting North Korea typically brought gifts for the regime: Jiang Zemin promised food, fuel and manure to North Korea during his visit in 2001, while Hu Jintao promised two billion USD in aid in 2005.
One potential reason that Xi has not made an earlier trip to North Korea may be because China's hands are somewhat tied in regard to such gifts while international sanctions remain in place. In all likelihood, however, the fact that Xi has decided to make the trip suggests that China intends to provide economic aid to the country.
Some observers say that China will have difficulty providing aid that goes outside the boundaries of international sanctions. There may be limits to only providing humanitarian aid such as food or manure as a show of sincerity.
Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) researcher Cho Han-bum told Daily NK on June 18 that "China will not be able to lift the sanctions or become a game-changer on the international stage in regards to North Korea," but that "it wants to influence events on the Korean Peninsula so it will try to maintain a strong relationship within the framework of international sanctions."
"China can provide large shipments of food and other necessities," Cho also noted. "They might try to strengthen the bilateral relationship by increasing human exchanges and tourism to North Korea."
While China has acquiesced to many of the international sanctions imposed on North Korea, the country may aim to improve the lives of the North Korean people given that it publicly opposes sanctions that damage the civilian economy.
"The Chinese government believes that the sanctions are damaging North Korea's civilian economy while failing to denuclearize the country," Gyeongsang National University professor Park Jong-chul told Daily NK when asked for comment. "I predict that China will drastically increase humanitarian aid that does not run afoul of international sanctions."
Park opined that Xi's visit to North Korea could lead to more human exchanges, which could in turn positively impact the North's civilian economy. "Many more Chinese business people, scholars, students and tourists will go to North Korea […] this could soften the impact of the sanctions on North Korea while still abiding by them," he said.
Xi's visit to North Korea could also change the atmosphere in the Sino-North Korean border region. China could scale back its strong-armed efforts to eliminate smuggling in the area or even allow North Korean workers to return to China.
Daily NK reported in January that smuggling was widespread in the border region after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's fourth visit to China. A Chinese source also reported that large numbers of North Korean workers were seen heading into China after Kim's first visit to the country in March last year.
"The Chinese government is cracking down on smuggling, but tends to soften its stance during and after summits," Park said. "There is an increasing number of North Korean workers at companies in Beijing and other places in China […] The Chinese government seems to be developing a visa that can allow these workers to stay under non-worker visas."
Impact of Xi's planned visit to North Korea on the country's civilian economy
Ha Yoon Ah
Posted in China, International trade | Comments Closed
Is China trying to destroy North Korea?, wonders this North Korean trader
I suppose the headline for this post might count as clickbait in our field, but I couldn't help it… Daily NK:
North Korean workers in China facing visa denials or restrictions on their sojourn periods are being forced to return home, according to an affected source in China.
A North Korean trader in Liaoning Province recently told Daily NK by phone that Chinese authorities are demanding that all North Korean workers return home.
"I do business in Liaoning Province. China is making a big fuss and ordering us out [of the country] and now my Chinese visa has almost expired. But few North Koreans actually care about their visa status in China. China telling us to leave and it's making me really angry and annoyed," he said.
"A lot of people are returning home. This happened in the past, but this time is different. I asked a North Korean customs official and he said that half of the North Koreans in Dandong have left. That's a huge number of people. Those who remain are worried about their status here. People who work in China generally have debts to pay back. I sometimes wonder if China is trying to destroy North Korea."
He also spoke about his own precarious situation.
"I've brought over many workers myself into China. Each of them gave me 500 dollars and I found them work in factories run jointly with China. They're all 500 dollars in debt. They can't repay this money, so they're worried about returning home. They could get beaten up or even die if they can't repay their debts," he said.
"I haven't been able to contribute enough to the [regime's] loyalty fund either. Returning home would be a death sentence. I'd rather die here (in China) before my body returns home."
Full article:
North Korean trader in China expresses concerns about his own precarious situation
Tags:2018 sanctions
Posted in China, International trade, Sanctions | Comments Closed
Possible North Korea five-year strategy document leaked, says Japanese newspaper
The following is interesting if true, and it makes a great deal of sense. One of North Korea's main challenges is diversifying itself away from the overwhelming reliance on China for trade and economic ties. It's easier said than done, though, and a wise (from a North Korean point of view) strategic ambition is one thing; realizing it is entirely different. I've written elsewhere about the age-old North Korean aim of diversifying itself economically away from reliance on China. Still, not much has happened since Kim Jong-il's speech in the 1990s…
Hankyoreh's re-write of Mainichi Shimbun:
A document titled "National Economic Development Strategy (2016–2020)" that North Korea adopted in the 2016 congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) stated that the country needs to become less dependent on China, the Japanese press has reported.Japanese newspaper the Mainichi Shimbun reported on Apr. 21 that the strategy document set the goal of achieving an average annual economic growth rate of 8% and proposed "reducing our reliance on China and expanding foreign trade in a number of areas, including Russia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East."
While this strategy was adopted in the 7th WPK Congress, held in May 2016, after a hiatus of 36 years, the specific details and figures in the strategy had not been previously disclosed. The Mainichi explained that the strategy document had recently been acquired by Cho Yun-yeong, a Korean-Japanese researcher on North Korea.This document said that China represented 71.6% of North Korea's trade value in 2014; Russia, 4.2%; and Germany, 0.8%. "China accounts for an overwhelming share of trade. We've been unable to move away from our dependence on China," the document said.
The solution posited by the document was the diversification of foreign trade.More specifically, North Korea set the goal of increasing the amount of its trade with Russia to US$1 billion by 2020. According to the latest estimate by the South Korean government, North Korea's trade with Russia amounted to US$77.84 million in 2017. In other words, the North was seeking to increase its trade with Russia more than tenfold in the space of just four years.The Mainichi Shimbun also said the North Korean document proposed gaining funds needed for building hydroelectric plants from Russia, as well as technical cooperation for upgrading facilities such as the Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex and the Musan Iron Mine.
North Korea also appears to have drawn up a plan to attract investment from Russian companies in international tourism zones in Wonsan and Mt. Kumgang and an economic development zone in Chongjin, along the the East Sea, in order to "build a cooperative network for producing medical products on consignment, processing marine products and developing natural energy."The Japanese newspaper predicted that economic cooperation between the two countries could be on the agenda of the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which is likely to be held in Vladivostok on Apr. 24. But given the failure of the second North Korea-US summit, in Hanoi, to live up to its expectations, it won't be easy for the North to massively boost its trade with Russia, as it hopes to do.
N. Korean document reveals strategy to decrease reliance on China, Japanese press reports
Cho Ki-weon
Hankyoreh
And here's the original article:
Documents obtained by a South Korean researcher have shed light on the full breadth of North Korea's top-secret state economic development strategy for 2016 to 2020, including an 8% economic growth target and strengthened ties with Russia and other countries to break dependence on China.
The 157 pages of strategy documents, along with a Jan. 21 paper titled "Cabinet decision No. 2," which presents North Korea's agenda for this year, were obtained by Cho Yun-yong, a researcher on North Korea who formerly served as a Tokyo correspondent for South Korean news agency Newsis.
According to the documents, Pyongyang aims to achieve 8% annual economic growth through technological development and trade diversification. While the state economic development strategy had been presented at the seventh convention of the Workers' Party of Korea in May 2016, its details and numerical targets were not publicly released.
The objectives outlined in the documents likely provided motivation for Pyongyang's strong demand that economic sanctions on the country be lifted during a February summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump. They also likely played a part in the planned summit between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month.
With regard to the current status of the North Korean economy, the strategy documents point to low output levels of electricity and coal and the failure to fulfill domestic demand for food supply and daily necessities. As measures to realize the economic development strategy, the documents cite technological development, trade diversification and the full introduction of a new economic management method, which implies de-facto economic reform.
Specifically, the strategy calls for a break from the North's exclusive devotion to China and expansion of trade to Russia and other countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. In particular, the initiative aims to boost the amount of trade with Russia to 1 billion dollars (about 110 billion yen) by 2020. The figure is more than 10 times the North Korea-Russia trade value of 77.84 million dollars in 2017, as reported in South Korean statistics.
The five-year strategic plan also suggests having Russia provide North Korea with the funds necessary to build hydroelectric plants and other facilities, as well as technological cooperation for revamping the Kim Chaek Iron and Steel Complex and the Musan Mine.
Furthermore, the economic strategy proposes inviting investment from Russian companies for special economic zones along the Sea of Japan. These proposals may become topics for discussion at the upcoming summit between Kim Jong Un and Russian President Putin.
Docs shed light on scope of N. Korean development strategy through 2020
Koichi Yonemura
Posted in China, Foreign direct investment, International trade, Political economy | Comments Closed
North Korea has skipped Kaesong liaison office meetings for eight weeks
Reports Yonhap:
North Korea skipped a weekly meeting of the co-chiefs of an inter-Korean liaison office for the eighth straight week on Friday, deepening concerns about slumping cross-border exchanges amid stalled denuclearization negotiations between the U.S. and the North.
"North Korea informed us in advance that the North's office head could not attend this week's meeting," unification ministry spokesman Lee Sang-min told a regular press briefing. "The meeting will not be held (this week), but the two Koreas continue to discuss necessary matters in a normal manner."
When the two Koreas launched the liaison office last September in the North's border town of Kaesong, they promised to hold a meeting of its co-heads — Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung on the South side and his North Korean counterpart Jon Jong-su — every week, mostly on Fridays, to discuss cross-border issues.
The weekly meeting has not been held since before the Hanoi summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, which ended without a deal due to differences over how to match Pyongyang's denuclearization steps with Washington's sanctions relief. It was last held on Feb. 22.
N. Korea skips meeting of liaison office chiefs for 8 straight weeks
Posted in International trade, Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC), South Korea | Comments Closed
New bridge crossing open between Jian and Manpo
China and North Korea opened a new border crossing over the Yalu River, signaling aspirations for deeper economic ties between the neighbors even as Pyongyang's trade remains crimped by international sanctions.
The border checkpoint at the foot of a new bridge opened Monday, connecting the northeastern Chinese city of Jian with North Korea's Manpo, Chinese state media reported. The China-DPRK Jian-Manpo highway connection is for passenger and cargo transport and hosts an advanced customs facility, the China News Service said.
The opening was marked by several tour buses crossing from the Chinese side and then returning from North Korea, the Yonhap News Agency of South Korea reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The ceremony appeared to show that local Chinese officials were ready to step up trade and exchanges with North Korea in response to its call for economic development, according to Yonhap.
China provides a lifeline to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his state has long been dependent on Beijing's help to keep its meager economy afloat. Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi broke down on Feb. 28 over sanctions that have cut Pyongyang off from global commerce and were imposed on North Korea for its pursuit of a nuclear arsenal.
It was unclear how the new border checkpoint — the fourth between China and North Korea — would operate under the sanctions, which ban or limit a broad range of goods from moving in or out of the country. The South Korean Unification Ministry declined to comment.
The economic penalties are expected to be a main topic of discussion when South Korean President Moon Jae-in meets Trump at the White House on Thursday. Moon, a long-time advocate of reconciliation with North Korea, has repeatedly played the role of mediator since he took office in May 2017 amid escalating threats of war between Trump and Kim.
The Manpo border area has drawn the attention of North Korea for years, with Kim's father and former leader, Kim Jong Il, crossing there in 2010 in one of his rare trips outside the country, the Chosun newspaper of South Korea reported at the time. In the 2010 trip, Kim Jong Il visited the school his father and North Korean state founder Kim Il Sung attended on the Chinese side when he was a child.
China and North Korea agreed to embark on the bridge project in 2012 and completed construction in 2016, Yonhap reported. The opening was delayed by UN Security Council sanctions imposed on North Korea.
In 2017, China's overall trade with North Korea declined by more than 10 percent to about $5 billion, as Trump secured Beijing's backing for four escalating rounds of sanctions in response to North Korea nuclear weapons program testing.
China, North Korea Open New Border Crossing Despite Sanctions
Jon Herskovitz and Dandan Li
Yonhap:
China and North Korea on Monday officially opened a new cross-border bridge halfway along the Yalu River, offering clues to their possible expansion of bilateral economic exchanges amid ongoing international sanctions.
The new bridge connects Jian in the northeastern Chinese province of Jilin with North Korea's northern border city of Manpo.
The two countries agreed to the Jian-Manpo bridge project in May 2012 and completed its construction in 2016. But they have since delayed its official opening, apparently affected by United Nations Security Council sanctions on the North over its missile and nuclear programs.
Jian, located about halfway along the Yalu River, is considered a representative base of trade between North Korea and China, along with Liaoning Province's Dandong on the Yalu River estuary and Jilin Province's Hunchun on the Tumen River estuary.
Four tourist buses arrived in China from North Korea via the new bridge at 8:20 a.m. Monday before returning to the North about one hour later carrying about 120 passengers.
According to a local tour company, the tourists are planning to return to Jian around 5 p.m. after visiting attractions in and around Manpo.
A source in the border area told Yonhap News Agency that China's provincial governments appear to be boldly trying to cooperate with North Korea in response to their demand for economic development.
"North Korea's denuclearization has not been implemented, but the environment surrounding North Korea and China appears to be partially changing," the source said.
"China may not expand its economic cooperation with North Korea considerably in consideration of its relations with the United States. But the opening of a new bridge may signal expansion of bilateral economic exchanges," said the source.
China, N. Korea open new cross-border bridge
Posted in China, Foreign direct investment, International trade, Political economy, Sanctions | Comments Closed
North Korea's harvest numbers: what "food production" really means
I wrote about the confusing harvest numbers this past Friday, and I've been able to find little new information to make things clearer. Basically, the problem is that talking about "food production" is too vague, since that can mean a lot of different things. In the standard World Food Program/FAO crop assessments, there are usually two numbers quoted: one estimate for total production of food, and one for "milled cereal equivalent", a standardized measurement used to translate the varying nutritional contents of different crops into a standardized weight measure.* (See below for a more detailed explanation.) Basically, the "milled cereal equivalent" figure tends to be significantly smaller, by about 20 percent or so, than the original, total food production figure.
Since we don't actually know exactly which number is being thrown around in analyses of the current harvest, I've calculated a possible milled-equivalent harvest figure, using the average difference between milled and unmilled for the years where I have the two different numbers from the WFP/FAO crop assessments. None of the historical estimates I've found correspond with the harvest numbers for previous years in the 2019 UN Needs and Priorities Plan. Crop production figures are usually given in terms of "marketing years", not in calendar years. For simplicity's sake, I denote each year by the second half of the marketing year, when most consumption will occur. So "2019" is the 2018/2019 marketing year, "2018" is the 2017/2018 marketing year, et cetera.
The following shows the scenario where the 4.95 million tonnes production figure is the "unmilled" cereal equivalent measure. Based on the average difference between milled and unmilled for the years where I've had data available from UN institutions (0.85 million tonnes), I've added and subtracted to complete the figures where necessary. This is not an exact, scientific way of looking at the harvest numbers. For exact accuracy, I'd need to calculate the milled cereal equivalent of each crop, something I don't have time to do right now. This may well make the figure even lower. (Hazel Smith's figure, for reference, is 3.2 million tonnes.) But the following does, at the very least, give a sense of the proportions at hand. And it makes the numbers look different from my initial assessment.
Food production, million tonnes (unmilled) Food production, million tonnes (milled)
2009.00 4.20 3.30
Table 1. Figures are sourced from various assessments by the WFP and FAO; contact me for exact sourcing on specific figures.
Graphically, the trend in food production in milled terms, i.e. the lower-end, more realistic figure of how much food is available for consumption, using the above assumption for the 2019-figure, looks like this:
Graph 1. Estimate food production in North Korea, million tonnes, in milled cereal equivalent terms.
In short, this does give a rather grim and highly problematic food situation, putting the quantity of the harvest at 4.10 million tonnes. It puts North Korea back to a state of food production prior to 2010–2011, when harvest started to climb. And now, North Korea receives far less aid than it did a decade ago. Plus, its imports will only amount to 200,000 tons, the government seems to be saying, a similar amount to what it procured in imports and humanitarian aid in 2016/2017, when the harvest was much larger.
For long, this is how low North Korean harvests were. Only a few years ago, this would have looked like a rather solid harvest. Looking back in the future, it might turn out that the past few years of food production growth, since around 2011, was an abnormally good period of time. None of this means that this food situation is anything but poor.
To me, among the figures I've been able to find, it's the only one that make sense in the context of the statement from UN representatives that this harvest was the worst "in a decade". Hopefully things will become clearer over the coming days and weeks, as more information may be published, in which case I'll update this post.
In sum, the actual food available in North Korea is, in all likelihood, much lower than the 4.95 million tonnes-figure quoted by the UN and the North Korean government. As the following graph shows, even using the North Korean government's figures, the drop from last year doesn't appear all that massive. But on closer inspection, the actual quantity of food available may be significantly lower than the figure the North Korean government states, as I've tried to show in this post.
Graph 2. Food production in North Korea, from the UN's "2019 Needs and Priorities" report on North Korea.
Finally, a note on the issue of the markets and the public distribution system. I maintain that it's impossible to get a sense of total food availability and circulation in North Korea as a whole, without taking the markets into account. According to most studies we have, the majority of North Korea's population rely on these markets, rather than the public distribution system, for their sustenance.
But one has to acknowledge that just like the UN and North Korean government figures may not reflect the whole situation accurately, there may be a fair bit of bias in the data on the prevalence of the markets too. Most of this data comes from surveys done with defectors in South Korea. They overwhelmingly tend to come from the northern provinces of the country, closer to China, where market trade has traditionally been more prolific. Most sources for news from inside North Korea are based in the northern parts of the country, where one can get access to Chinese cell phone network coverage.
There's likely another form of bias present in these surveys, too. Most people who are reliant on the PDS for their sustenance are likely underrepresented among defectors. People in state administration and security organs, for example, are less likely to leave North Korea, though that of course happens too. And in any case, we're talking about a quite large demographic of people, whose livelihoods would be significantly impacted by cut rations. Such cuts are already happening, Daily NK reports, with some professional groups receiving only 60 percent of what they otherwise would. The PDS may have changed shape and function quite drastically since the early 2000s, but it may also be more important to the North Korean public than the currently available survey data and reports from inside the country tells us.
North Korea's food situation, though not at famine-time levels, does appear to be dire. The figures, in combination with reports from inside the country, gives serious cause for concern. Government numbers may not tell the full story since they likely underestimate the role of the markets. Nonetheless, things do look serious. The government could easily alleviate the situation by changing its spending priorities and policies. Chances are that it won't.
*I'm borrowing here a footnote from a 38 North piece by the late scholar Randall Ireson, whose archive of articles remain one of the best sources for information on North Korean agriculture:
The FAO has consistently used grain equivalent (GE) values for the major crops to compensate for varying moisture and energy content. Thus, husked rice (GE) is .66 of the paddy weight, potatoes (GE) are .25 of the fresh weight, and soybean (GE) is 1.2 times the dry weight because of the high oil and thus calorie content.
Posted in Agriculture, China, Economic reform, International Aid, International trade, Political economy, Statistics, Uncategorized | Comments Closed
North Korea's 2018/2019 harvest and food shortage
The UN has officially compiled and published the estimated harvest figure for North Korea during the 2018/2019 marketing year, and as we already knew, it lands at 4.95 million tonnes. AFP:
North Korea recorded its worst harvest for more than a decade last year, the United Nations said Wednesday (Mar 6), as natural disasters combined with its lack of arable land and inefficient agriculture to hit production.
The isolated North, which is under several sets of sanctions over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes, has long struggled to feed itself and suffers chronic food shortages.
But last year's harvest was just 4.95 million tonnes, the United Nations said in its Needs and Priorities assessment for 2019, down by 500,000 tonnes.
It was "the lowest production in more than a decade", the UN's Resident Coordinator in the North Tapan Mishra said in a statement.
"This has resulted in a significant food gap."
As a result 10.9 million people in the North needed humanitarian assistance – 600,000 more than last year – with a potential for increased malnutrition and illness.
It is equivalent to 43 per cent of the population.
But while the number of people needing help rose, the UN has had to cut its target for people to help – from 6.0 million to 3.8 million – in the face of a lack of funding.
Only 24 per cent of last year's appeal was met, with Mishra describing it as "one of the lowest funded humanitarian plans in the world".
Several agencies had been forced to scale back their programmes and some faced closing projects, he said, appealing to donors to "not let political considerations get in the way of addressing humanitarian need".
"The human cost of our inability to respond is unmeasurable," he said, adding that sanctions had created unintended delays and challenges to humanitarian programmes, even though they are exempt under UN Security Council resolutions.
It was hit by a heatwave in July and August last year, followed by heavy rains and flash floods from Typhoon Soulik. As a result, the UN said, rice and wheat crops were down 12 to 14 per cent.
The figure is significantly larger than in the South, where rice production was down only 2.6 per cent last year, according to Seoul's statistics, even though it experiences similar weather and climate.
The North's soybean output slumped 39 per cent and production of potatoes – promoted by leader Kim as a way to increase supplies – was 34 per cent down, the UN said.
Last month Pyongyang told the UN that it was facing a shortfall of 1.4 million tonnes of food this year.
Full article and source:
North Korea food production 'lowest for a decade': UN
A few thoughts on this:
The UN figures must have been updated and adjusted over the past few years, because according to the data I have at hand, 4.95 million tonnes is not nearly the worst production figure in a decade. I'm assuming that the 4.95-figure refers to the "milled tonnes equivalent" number. According to the World Food Program's November 2011 estimate, for example, the equivalent figure for 2011/2012 was 4.66 million tonnes. But again, the numbers might have been adjusted since they were first calculated.
Like I wrote a few weeks ago, there is little to suggest a true food emergency of massive proportions. Market prices for rice, for example, have barely moved over the past few weeks, and are actually down quite a bit in the latest observation, from 4,600–4,870, to 4,200–4,210 won/kg. This might not mean much, but still, these prices tell us something. Usually, prices seem to only climb in reaction to shortages as the market gets closer to the next harvest season, and food availability becomes increasingly scarce. Expectations aren't easy to calculate or project. It may be that the market as such isn't even fully aware of the shortages.
While current prices alone aren't necessarily a sufficiently certain indicator of the food situation, however, were the situation completely disastrous, we should have seen prices rise already, as farmers and others hoard grains to store up for worse times to come. Instead, prices remain stabile.
Again, that's not to say that things aren't bad. A ten percent decrease in the harvest, even though not disastrous, is still a notable decrease. The view from the ground in North Korea seems to unequivocally be that yes, this year's harvest is much worse than those of the past few years, mainly due to the dry, hot weather in the summer and fall of last year. News outlets with sources inside North Korea, such as Daily NK, have also reported – independently of the North Korean government, unlike the UN – that harvests have been notably poor.
Conditions also vary a lot between different regions and socio-economic groups. Though there's been no wide-spread starvation in North Korea since the early 2000s, some particularly vulnerable groups do likely rely on humanitarian assistance for their sustenance.
It really is striking and strikingly problematic how little we know though. The fact that the international community isn't even allowed to monitor the markets, the most important source of sustenance for most North Koreans, is problematic. To my knowledge, international humanitarian organizations are not allowed to survey the market system in any comprehensive way.
There's also an important overarching question we should be asking: what about the long term? Food insecurity in North Korea did not arise with "maximum pressure" or the sanctions. It's been a fact since the late 1980s. Humanitarian international institutions are, I am sure, doing their best. Hopefully, they continuously to ask North Korean regime representatives what institutional, systemic changes the government is undertaking to alleviate the problem. Giving humanitarian aid without making demands for systemic change would be to let down the people in greatest need of help.
Tags:2018 food shortage, 2018 harvest
Posted in Agriculture, International Aid, International trade, Political economy, Statistics | Comments Closed
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QiZiNi – the company specialising in making up fresh sandwiches, wraps, baguettes and rolls. We continually work to create innovative and new concepts in food.
QiZiNi, the friendly food company, has been around in its present form for five years in 2016! The actual company has been around for much longer however – we've already been making the most delicious sandwiches for you, for 20 years. Our speciality is QiZiNi wraps and sandwiches – so very delicious! Then there's our filled Italian paninis that you bake off at home. Check our product pages for our full selection.
Sustainability is key to QiZiNi. We are of the opinion that our products must be tasty but they must be made in a sustainable way. This means that we must continually reduce our 'environmental footprint', use sustainable ingredients and work hard on reducing (food) wastage.
We're proud of all our products here at QiZiNi and really enjoy preparing the tastiest foods. You can actually taste this, any time you eat a QiZiNi product and our name reflects only fun and happy things – just try pronouncing our name without smiling!
QiZiNi products: delicious and simple! Bon appetit, from all QiZiNi connoisseurs.


American Idol is here to stay. The ABC revival of the legendary singing competition has been greenlit for a second season, and judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie as well as longtime host Ryan Seacrest are also confirmed to return. Luke took to social media to react to the second season renewal. "It's all because of you guys, the music fans out there, for bringing it back. Thanks for tuning in this season. Keep voting on this season. And we're so excited we get year two," he said from his pick-up truck. The Idol reboot' has been Sunday's No. 1 entertainment broadcast series in each of its eight telecasts this season, delivering ABC's best rating in the 8-10 time slot in four years.American Idol originally debuted on Fox in 2002 and dominated for 15 seasons before being canceled in spring of 2016. The current season continues with the top seven taking the stage live on both coasts Sunday (May 6) on ABC.


Clarification of Question: A frequent question that keeps arising is,"If I have a home based business, and I sell some products to my coworkers at my job, can I eliminate my commute?" The answer is NO. You can NOT eliminate your commute by simply selling products to coworkers on the job.
However, there is an old saying in Wash DC where I live. Where there is a will……there's a lawyer.
Instead, go to their house on the way to your home and make a presentation to them or deliver product. The trip from the job to a prospect or a meeting and back home will make that one way trip deductible.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Commuting, sale of products at work. Bookmark the permalink.


We're stuck on Current and Valid Photo IDs.
I am with 40 other people in the civil defense room of the Harrison County Courthouse. By noon, we will be official poll workers, ready for Mississippi's June 5 primaries for U.S. Senate and House seats.
A person over 18 can present any one of these IDs: A driver's license, a Photo ID card issued by a branch, department or entity of the State of Mississippi, a U.S. passport, a government employee ID card, a firearms license, a student photo ID issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college or community/junior college, a U.S. military ID, a tribal photo ID, any other photo ID issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the U.S. government or any state government, a Mississippi Voter ID Card. If you don't have any of these, you can apply for a free voter ID card at any Mississippi Circuit Clerk's office.
I know for a fact I couldn't have said it better.
This is a gorgeous appreciation of the gift of volunteering for poll work and an elegant summary of the big(ger) issues workers face. Thanks to Rick Hasen of Election Law Blog for flagging the piece – and especially to Ms. McMullan for writing it; it's an electiongeek ode to the people who make democracy work. Here's hoping that Unusual Occurrences are few and far between in the Magnolia State next week. Stay tuned!
Be the first to comment on "Author's USAToday OpEd Gives an Inside Look at Mississippi Pollworker Training"


Sandpiper Cove 8223 - Holiday Isle Properties, Inc.
Sandpiper Cove Studio 8223 sleeps four guests with a Murphy bed in the living area. Has a washer/dryer. Does not have an icemaker in the refrigerator.
This unit is a 15 second walk to the nearest pool and a 2 minute stroll to the complex's private beach. Sandpiper Cove, a 43 acre resort, has 1100 feet of sugar white beaches that rest against the Gulf of Mexico. Amenities include a 9 hole par 3 golf course, tennis, shuffle board, horse shoes, boat docks, 3 hot tubs, 5 pools, a restaurant, and BBQ grills scattered throughout the complex for your convenience. Boat docks can be rented for an additional fee.
We loved our stay at Sandpiper Cove 8223. It was just the perfect location with walking access to the beach and pool, and convenient central access to Destin and Okaloosa Island. The kids thought the Murphy bed was a cool "trick," and the large kitchen counter space was perfect for lining up snacks; great tv on a swivel mount; cool stereo system (but we never used it); wifi worked seamlessly; the balcony was perfect for enjoying gulf breezes as the sun set with a glass of wine. The pullout couch has seen better days, but was still amazingly comfortable. The bathroom is older, but it was suitable and met our needs! And with the guard shack at the entrance, staffed 24/7, we felt an extra sense of security. We would love to stay here again. It was really just perfect all around and it seemed like all of the other guests we met were friendly, too. And, we left a Swiffer mop for future guests - all of the condos in this area are subject to sand finding its way all over after multiple beach trips, and after sweeping the floors, it just felt like we wanted to mop up, too, since we were there for two weeks. Again, just perfect. The kids are already asking if we can stay there again next year.


text:
package fields

import "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/selection"

// Requirements is AND of all requirements.
type Requirements []Requirement

// Requirement contains a field, a value, and an operator that relates the field and value.
// This is currently for reading internal selection information of field selector.
type Requirement struct {
	Operator selection.Operator
	Field    string
	Value    string
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Tag: School Ethics Act
Union Endorsement of BOE Candidate Not an Automatic Conflict
By	Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev	on	October 16, 2018	in	School Ethics Act	with	0 Comments
An individual served as a board of education member for an initial term. During his candidacy for reelection, the local education association and statewide education association decided to endorse the individual. The individual was reelected. Is this a conflict of interest and a violation of the School Ethics Act? Not necessarily, said the School Ethics Commission ("SEC") in Advisory Opinion A10-18 issued on June 26, 2018. The local education association ("LEA") offered financial support to the individual, which he did not accept. On its own accord, the New Jersey Education Association ("NJEA") circulated printed material endorsing the individual's candidacy. The […]
SEC Issues Advisory Opinion on Board Member Who is a Current Student
By	Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev	on	February 13, 2018	in	School Ethics Act	with	0 Comments
In January, numerous individuals took the oath of office to officially begin their service as a school board member. Potential conflict of interest issues are never ending. On January 3, 2018, the New Jersey School Ethics Commission ("SEC") issued Advisory Opinion 36-17 which addressed questions pertaining to a newly elected board of education member who is also a current student within the same school district. The individual in question is an eighteen year old, twelfth grade student currently enrolled in the school district. The individual also serves as the Senior Class President and is a member of the Principal's Advisory […]
Commissioner of Education Upholds Violations of School Ethics Act
On September 11, 2017, the New Jersey Commissioner of Education ("Commissioner") affirmed six decisions by the New Jersey School Ethics Commission ("SEC") that various board of education members violated the School Ethics Act for failing to timely complete school board member training. These board members received penalties ranging from suspensions to reprimands. N.J.S.A. 18A:12-33 of the School Ethics Act requires, in relevant part, the following for members of a board of education or charter school board of trustees: (a) Each newly elected or appointed board member shall complete during the first year of the member's first term a training program…regarding […]
Appellate Division Upholds Findings of School Ethics Violations
By	Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev	on	May 24, 2017	in	School Ethics Act	with	0 Comments
On May 22, 2017, the New Jersey Appellate Division in Lowell v. Smallwood affirmed the Commissioner of Education's decision that a board of education member violated various provisions of the School Ethics Act ("Act") for her dealings with a potential candidate for superintendent. Specifically, the board member violated N.J.S.A. 18A:12-24.1(c) and (e) for acting beyond the scope of her authority and making personal promises. Felicia Simmons, Geneva Smallwood, and Corey Lowell were members of the Asbury Park Board of Education ("Board"). Lowell initiated a complaint with the School Ethics Commission ("SEC") asserting that Simmons and Smallwood violated the Act. Lowell […]
Appellate Division Clarifies Who May Issue Rice Notice to Superintendent
By	Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev	on	April 4, 2017	in	Labor & Employment	with	0 Comments
In 2013, the Appellate Division ruled that Daniel Woska, a former member of the Brick Township Board of Education ("Board"), exceeded the scope of his authority and violated the New Jersey School Ethics Act ("Act") when he directed the Business Administrator to issue a Rice notice to the Superintendent. As a result of that Rice notice, the Board discussed the Superintendent's employment and then terminated him. In the 2013 decision, the Appellate Division remanded the case to the School Ethics Commission ("SEC") to determine who is authorized to issue a Rice notice for the purposes of reviewing the Superintendent's employment. […]
School Ethics Act Violated Regarding Disclosure Statements
By	Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev	on	November 29, 2016	in	School Ethics Act	with	0 Comments
In November 2016, the New Jersey Commissioner of Education ("Commissioner") upheld three decisions by the School Ethics Commission that various board members violated the School Ethics Act for failing to timely file their Personal/Relative and Financial Disclosure statements. N.J.S.A. 18A:12-25 and 26 require school board and charter school board members to annually file with the School Ethics Commission disclosure statements regarding their employment, financial interests, and sources of income. Moreover, these provisions of the School Ethics Act mandate that board members also disclose similar information regarding their relatives. Financial disclosure statements must be filed on or before April 30 of […]
Appellate Division Affirms Board Member's Eligibility to Serve on Board of Education
By	Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev	on	April 15, 2016	in	Other	with	0 Comments
On March 7, 2016, the Appellate Division in Stargell v. Snyder, 2016 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 485 (App. Div. 2016) affirmed the trial court's determination that a board member of the Pennsauken Board of Education ("Board"), who assigned an outstanding claim against the Board for reimbursement of unused sick leave to her adult daughter, was not disqualified from serving on the Board. The Board employed Margaret Snyder as a school nurse for twenty-seven years. In March 2013, she provided notice of her retirement effective July 1, 2013. Snyder then made a request to the Board for compensation for unused sick […]
Interviewing Candidates is Beyond the Authority of the Board
By	Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev	on	April 1, 2016	in	School Ethics Act	with	0 Comments
Many boards of education have personnel committees in which one or two board members, in a limited capacity, participate in the committee. May a board member be involved in the interview process of a candidate seeking employment with the board? The New Jersey School Ethics Commission ("Commission") advises no. In Advisory Opinion A31-15 issued on January 26, 2016, the Commission determined that a board member would likely violate the New Jersey School Ethics Act ("Act") if he involved himself in the interview process of potential candidates. The specific provisions of the Act which would be violated are N.J.S.A. 18A:12-24.1(c) and (d): […]
Clarifying (Maybe) Who Can Participate In Negotiations
By	Capehart Scatchard	on	February 18, 2016	in	School Ethics Act	with	0 Comments
By: Kelly E. Adler, Esq. Editor: Sanmathi (Sanu) Dev, Esq. Negotiations are a hot topic in New Jersey right now; specifically, which Board members can and cannot participate in negotiating with teachers, administrators and staff is a question Board solicitors are constantly fielding. In an attempt to clarify this issue, the School Ethics Commission ("Commission") released three separate Advisory Opinions regarding this very issue. The School Ethics Act, N.J.S.A. 18A:12-24 et seq., governs New Jersey School Board members as well as school officials. Generally speaking, the School Ethics Act prohibits school officials and Board members from using or attempting to […]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Oil spray must be applied to all machine surfaces that come into contact with rice. This prevents the sticky sushi rice from sticking onto machine surfaces. This non-stick oil spray comes in either a 300mL plastic bottle, or in a 330mL spray can. Both come with extension nozzles to help you spray hard to reach surfaces. This oil spray is quality made in Japan.


text:
Institute for the Future of Law Practice
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Losing my cynicism (131)
By Bill Henderson on January 1, 2020
Posted in Founder Stories, Leadership
A story for the New Year. Maybe you can relate.
I recently turned 57 years old. Although I am dismayed and disappointed by many things happening in our republic, and impatient with an industry, profession and educational complex that is supposed to operate in the public interest, whatever quantum of cynicism I possessed went away in 2019. Moreover, it happened quickly, albeit many of the pieces were put into place more a decade ago.…
Become part of the solution (119)
By Bill Henderson on September 29, 2019
Posted in Institute for the Future of Law Practice, Legal Education, Legal Innovation
First Six Years: Tech Lawyer Accelerator / Institute for the Future of Law Practice Alumni, 2014-2019
Our challenges will be solved by the next generation of legal professionals. We all become richer when we invest in them.
This pattern fits me and many lawyers I know: We applied to law school…
Two types of legal innovation: Type 0 substantive law, Type 1 service delivery (071)
By Bill Henderson on October 28, 2018
Posted in Legal Innovation, Legal Productivity Problem
Innovation hype is alienating too many practicing lawyers. This is because we forgot that lawyers innovate in the realm of substantive law. It's time to fix that.
Last year I was at a conference on law firm innovation organized by the Ark Group. To close things out, the event's chairperson, Patrick McKenna, walked attendees…
What signal are legal employers sending to legal education? (064)
By Bill Henderson on August 26, 2018
Posted in Event Announcement, Institute for the Future of Law Practice, Legal Education, Legal Innovation
Credit: Institute for the Future of Law Practice
A handful of farsighted legal employers are seeking to build a better talent pipeline. You're invited to join them.
Practicing lawyers have long complained about the content of legal education – too much theory, not enough practical skills. If you're one of those…
The editor of Legal Evolution is Bill Henderson, Professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law where he holds the Stephen F. Burns Chair on the Legal Profession.
Bill is a prolific author and lecturer on the legal market. His industry accolades include ABA Journal Legal Rebel (2009), National Law Journal 100 most influential lawyers in America (2013), and National Jurist most influential person in legal education (2014 and 2015). Bill is also a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, and co-founder for the Institute for the Future of Law Practice.
Bill's academic work can be found on SSRN. For additional information, please see Bill's personal webpage.
Jae Um is the Director of Pricing Strategy at Baker McKenzie worldwide. She is also the Founder of Six Parsecs, a cutting-edge market insight company focused on the legal industry, and a regular contributor to The American Lawyer.
Evan Parker, Ph.D., is the Founder of Parker Analytics LLC, a data-driven consultancy focused on talent, diversity, and strategy. Parker Analytics is also the official analytics partner to the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.
Dan Rodriguez is the Harold Washington Professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where he also served as dean from 2012 to 2018. He is chair of the ABA Center for Innovation, past president of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), and Council Member of the American Law Institute (ALI).
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For accurate appraisals across Orange County, count on Kaspar Appraisal - Certified Residential Appraiser.
Contact Kaspar Appraisal at 949-422-3813 to discuss your real estate appraisal needs today.
As a Certified Real Estate Appraiser, Elaine Kaspar has the education and qualifications to give you the level of dependable property value opinions that banks and top lending institutions need for home loans.
"A good home appraisal is one of the most important components of getting approved for a mortgage, settling value, delineating estate planning and/or quantifying quality and value." says Elaine.
With 18 years of experience as a Certified Real Estate Appraiser, Kaspar is licensed to appraise any home in Orange County below or above 1 million in value as well as any type of home; typical or complex, any age; new or dated, any size or location; lot size, ocean, lake, or beach front as well as luxury homes larger than typical size.
Kaspar Appraisal takes advantage of the latest appraiser methods and technology to provide you with the best quality service available.
"Of course, it's been my experience that no matter where I go, service is the primary reason a client comes, goes, stays or refers their friends. This is my priority whether we are talking on the phone, in e-mail or visiting in person. My goal is simply to provide a comfortable experience throughout the appraisal process".


text:
MAS DE JOUAS
Boutique Family Retreat
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Elderflower cordial recipe
Organising your day
Abbi Coman Ricketts
Article 2 - The eCommerce Revolution
Adapted from Linguahouse.com.
Article - The e-commerce revolution
1 The retail industry is undergoing a revolution. As more and more tech-savvy consumers go online to shop, Internet sales are booming.
2 The first secure Internet shopping transaction took place in August 1994 - the sale of a CD in the US. By the time of the dotcom gold rush in 2000, Internet sales had reached £800m a year. Despite fears over the future of the Internet after the dotcom bubble burst and initial consumer concerns about the safety of shopping by credit card online, e-commerce sales have exploded since 2000.
3 According to James Roper, the chief executive at IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group), online shopping will transform the way people consume. Traditional retailers have to concentrate on the mass market as they only have the shelf space and time for the best-selling products, he says. But with the Internet, consumers have unlimited choice. "It is a bigger marketplace and consumers can find exactly the product they want rather than just what is available in the shops," he said. "You can get products from anywhere in the world."
4 According to an IMRG report in 2007, "the Internet does not recognise boundaries and is creating a huge global shopping marketplace, worth £250bn in 2007. More than a billion people use the Internet, some 17 per cent of the world's population, of which almost a third live in Europe." Today, almost 2 billion people use the Internet.
5 Nick Robertson, the chief executive of the online fashion retailer ASOS, said one of the biggest factors in the growth of his business has been the proliferation of broadband. "Due to broadband we are able to display our products in a more favourable way, for example with the use of catwalks," he said.
6 The other key factor is convenience, he said. "Girls don't have the time to go to the shops in their lunch hour. By shopping online they can get items delivered to their place of work."
7 Online shopping appears to be much more convenient, especially for products that are easy to post or that consumers want to buy in bulk. DVDs, CDs and books are the perfect example. Shoppers know exactly what they want; it is simply a case of finding the cheapest retailer online. However, when it is a question of something more personal, such as the perfect dress and piece of jewellery to match, consumers often prefer to see the item for themselves. They enjoy the whole experience, the pleasure of trying products on or simply browsing and planning a future purchase.
8 One retail analyst said that the traditional retailers that may prove ultimately more successful are those that go multi-channel by integrating their website with their physical shops.
9 "That is the next logical step," he said. "Websites will become more sophisticated. You will be able to order online, then arrange to go and pick it up yourself from a distribution point."
Adapted from The Independent, 01 May 2007, By Karen Attwood
Exercise 1: Match the definitions (1-5) below with the following words:
booming broadband in bulk secure tech-savvy
(adj.): having a good practical knowledge of technology
(adj.): very successful, e.g. business is
(adj.): free from being accessed by an unauthorized person
(phrase): in large numbers or volume
(noun): a communications system used for high-speed Internet access
Exercise 2: Find a word or phrase in the text which means:
experiencing (a change) (verb +-ing, P1)
a temporary period of very successful economic performance (noun, P2)
space in a shop to display products (noun phrase, P3)
a great and sudden increase (noun, P5)
Exercise 3: Grammar in the text - tenses for describing trends.
Study the following sentences from the article and the underlined tenses.
The retail industry is undergoing a revolution.
Websites will become more sophisticated.
By the time of the dotcom gold rush in 2000, Internet sales had reached £800m a year.
E-commerce sales have exploded since 2000.
Which sentence and tense describes...
a trend that started in the past and is complete in the present?
a trend that is in progress at the moment?
a trend that was completed before a particular point in the past?
a predicted future trend?
What type of tenses are each of these?
Exercise 4: Now form complete sentences below, using the same tenses as above.
Turnover / not change / since the company relocated to Germany
Next year / consumer spending / go up / dramatically
At present / sales / increase / rapidly
By the end of the last quarter / our profit / fall / by 12%
The number of online subscribers / reach / 2 million / since we started the business
At the end of this year / sales / reach / $1m
Interest rates / drop / by 2% / over the last five years
More and more people / work at home / these days
The population of the island / reach / 2 million / in 1999
By the time he was ready to expand the business / he / spend / $2 million / on advertising
Article 1 - Corporate Wellbeing
Corporate well-being Extract from Linguahouse.com training sheets VOCABULARY - match the words to the sentences absenteeism (h) well-being...
Article 1 Answers - Corporate Wellbeing answers
Questions and responses discussed during our call on the article. Adapted from Linguahouse.com Worksheet. Why is a healthy workforce good...
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Nellie A. Hayden was born on 20 December 1856. She was the daughter of Carmi Hayden and Ellen Butler.
Allen Edgar Hayden was born on 12 February 1852. He was the son of James Edward Hayden and Catharine Ives. Allen Edgar Hayden died on 25 October 1855 at age 3.
Hayden Rochester was born on 23 January 1879 at Brooklyn, NY. He was the son of Thomas Moore Rochester MD and Anna Eloine Hayden.
Thomas Afforby Rochester was born in March 1882 at Brooklyn, NY. He was the son of Thomas Moore Rochester MD and Anna Eloine Hayden.
James Alexander Hayden was born on 22 September 1856. He was the son of James Edward Hayden and Catharine Ives.
Agnes Rebecca Hayden was born on 14 February 1858. She was the daughter of James Edward Hayden and Catharine Ives.
Georgiana Hayden was born on 22 October 1869. She was the daughter of Seley C. Hayden and Annie J. Coburn.
Died in the Army. Edward H. Hayden was born on 1 August 1842. He was the son of Hiram Hayden and Mary Williams. Edward H. Hayden died on 12 November 1862 at age 20.
Moses lived in Simsbury, CT; was a Democrat, prominent in political life and in the Congregational Church. He was a blacksmith and tinsmith.
[S258] Maud Ensign Van Meter, James Ensign, Page 92, Item 189.
[S258] Maud Ensign Van Meter, James Ensign, Page 157, Iten 495.
Martha Tuller Whiting was born on 12 January 1797. She was the daughter of Elijah Whiting and Sabra Hart. Martha Tuller Whiting married Moses Ensign, son of Isaac Ensign and Lurannah Pettibone, on 11 September 1816. Martha Tuller Whiting died on 15 January 1853 at age 56.
Ralph was a successful merchant and manufacturer; President of the Ensign-Bickford Company of Simsbury.
[S354] Martha Eunice Ensign Nelson, Ensign Record, Page 145.
[S258] Maud Ensign Van Meter, James Ensign, Page 243, Item 1021.
[S258] Maud Ensign Van Meter, James Ensign, Pagae 157, Item 1023.
Julia Whiting Ensign was born on 3 October 1878.1 She was the daughter of Ralph Hart Ensign and Susan M. Toy.1 Julia Whiting Ensign married Robert Darling, son of David Henry Darling and Mary Hoskins Evans, on 14 May 1902.
Robert Darling was born on 1 July 1876. He was the son of David Henry Darling and Mary Hoskins Evans. Robert Darling married Julia Whiting Ensign, daughter of Ralph Hart Ensign and Susan M. Toy, on 14 May 1902.
Joseph Ralph Ensign was born on 24 November 1868.1 He was the son of Ralph Hart Ensign and Susan M. Toy.1 Joseph Ralph Ensign married Mary Jane Phelps, daughter of Jeffery Orson Phelps and Jane Humphrey, on 5 April 1894 or 5 April 1895. Joseph Ralph Ensign died on 22 January 1941 at age 72.
Ralph graduated Hartford High School, 1885; Yale College 1889, where he delivered the Commencement "Philosophical Oration," subject "Robert Morris." He is a member of Alpha Delta Theta; Manufacturing President of Ensign-Bickford Co., of Simsbury, Conn.
Mary Jane Phelps was born on 13 November 1865. She was the daughter of Jeffery Orson Phelps and Jane Humphrey. Mary Jane Phelps married Joseph Ralph Ensign, son of Ralph Hart Ensign and Susan M. Toy, on 5 April 1894 or 5 April 1895.
[S275] Frederick Humphreys, Humphreys, Page 611.
Resided in Warners, Onondaga Co., NY.
Herbert L. Hayden was born on 23 March 1850 at Lysander, NY. He was the son of Zora Hayden and Mary Lamerson.
Resided in Lac Qui Parle, MN.
[S241] Jabez Haskell Hayden, Hayden Family, Page 263, Item 881.


text:
Allergy Basics
Dairy Allergy
Shellfish & Fish
Soups Salads & Sides
Food Allergy Travel Vacation
Allergy Directory
Allergen Free Foods
Allergy Products
Restaurant Sites
Can Drinking Alcohol Make Allergic Reactions Worse?
BestAllergySites May 8, 2017 2:09 pm
It has been reported that physical exercise, alcohol consumption and use of several types of medication can make food allergy reactions more severe. Some people might be tempted to dismiss this as a food allergy myth, but "Co-factor enhanced food allergy" is real and is being studied by researchers. Approximately 13% of patients are reported to experience more severe allergic symptoms to food after involvement of a co-factor.
What is Co-factor Enhanced Food Allergy?
The term Co-factor Enhanced Food Allergy describes a situation where a food-allergic reaction is more severe or only occurs if there is an additional factor present. The three most common co-factors are: exercise, alcohol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or NSAIDs, including aspirin and ibuprofen).
A European study published in the Immunity, Inflammation and Disease, U.S. National Library of Medicine in December 2016 concluded that physical exercise and alcohol consumption were the most frequently reported co-factors associated with more severe allergic symptoms in patients with food allergy, but still in only 10% or less. A smaller percentage of patients (7.7%) used medication that might aggravate food allergic reactions.
While researchers are still not fully certain why these relationships occur, one theory explains that these co-factors could increase absorption of proteins from the gut into the bloodstream. The more efficient absorption may lead to an allergic reaction that would otherwise not have occurred.
Whether a reaction happens with these co-factors varies depending upon the allergen, the amount consumed, and the person's degree of sensitivity. Although not all allergic individuals are susceptible to these co-factors, it's important to increase awareness so that behaviors can be adjusted to minimize risks.
For example, some suggest that eating meals prepared at home with familiar ingredients before and after exercise can help minimize risks.
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All Site Articles 488 Studies And Trials 14 Your Questions Answered 45 allergic reaction 1 Co-factor Enhanced Food Allergy 1 exercise 1 Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis 2
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WNBA Playoffs Schedule 2021: How, When & Where to Watch
The 2021 WNBA regular season has come to an end, which means the postseason is here. The schedule is set for the 2021 WNBA Playoffs, and now it's time to see who can cement their spot in history as the 25th-ever W champion.
How, when, and where can you catch all the action? This is the 2021 WNBA Playoffs schedule watch guide that will have you fully prepared for all the dramatic and high-level action that's about to bless basketball fans across the world.
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2021 WNBA Playoffs Schedule: How, When & Where to Watch
In case you don't know, the WNBA has a pretty unique playoff structure. Eight of the league's 12 teams qualify for the postseason, then four rounds whittle that down to an eventual champion. Seeds No. 5 through 8 play in the first round in single-elimination games hosted by the higher seeds, then those winners play at the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in the second round in another single-elimination situation. The two squads that survive that play best-of-five series with seeds No. 1 and 2 in the semifinals, and then those victors advance to a best-of-five WNBA Finals.
Who's in the 2021 WNBA Playoffs?
These are the eight teams still alive to win the WNBA's ultimate prize:
Connecticut Sun, 26-6 in regular season (double bye to semifinals)
Las Vegas Aces, 24-8 in regular season (double bye to semifinals)
Minnesota Lynx, 22-10 in regular season (single bye to second round)
Seattle Storm, 21-11 in regular season (single bye to second round)
Phoenix Mercury, 19-13 in regular season
Chicago Sky, 16-16 in regular season
Dallas Wings, 14-18 in regular season
New York Liberty, 12-20 in regular season
2021 WNBA Playoffs Schedule
7 Dallas Wings, 64 at 6 Chicago Sky, 81 (8 p.m., ESPN2)
8 New York Liberty, 82 at 5 Phoenix Mercury, 83 (10 p.m., ESPN2)
With losses from the Mystics and Sparks, the @nyliberty have clinched the FINAL spot in the #WNBAPlayoffs
This is the first time NY has made the playoffs since 2017 @Google 🎉 pic.twitter.com/qmg1fOTMA0
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 19, 2021
Second Round
Sunday, Sept. 26
5 Phoenix Mercury, 85 (OT) at 4 Seattle Storm, 80 (3 p.m., ABC)
6 Chicago Sky, 89 at 3 Minnesota Lynx, 76 (5 p.m., ESPN2)
Game 1: 6 Chicago Sky, 101 (2OT) at 1 Connecticut Sun, 95 (8 p.m., ESPN2) – CHICAGO LEADS, 1-0
Game 1: 5 Phoenix Mercury, 90 at 2 Las Vegas Aces, 96 (10 p.m., ESPN2) – LAS VEGAS LEADS, 1-0
Game 2: 6 Chicago Sky, 68 at 1 Connecticut Sun, 79 (8 p.m., ESPN2) – SERIES TIED, 1-1
Game 2: 5 Phoenix Mercury, 117 at 2 Las Vegas Aces, 91 (10 p.m., ESPN2) – SERIES TIED, 1-1
Sunday, Oct. 3
Game 3: 1 Connecticut Sun, 83 at 6 Chicago Sky, 86 (1 p.m., ESPN) – CHICAGO LEADS, 2-1
Game 3: 2 Las Vegas Aces, 60 at 5 Phoenix Mercury, 87 (3 p.m., ABC) – PHOENIX LEADS, 2-1
Game 4: 1 Connecticut Sun, 79 at 6 Chicago Sky, 69 (8 p.m., ESPN) – CHICAGO WINS, 3-1
Game 4: 2 Las Vegas Aces, 93 at 5 Phoenix Mercury, 76 (10 p.m., ESPN) – SERIES TIED, 2-2
Game 5: 5 Phoenix Mercury, 87 at 2 Las Vegas Aces, 84 (TBD, ESPN2) – PHOENIX WINS, 3-2
With eight #WNBA teams remaining heading into the #WNBAPlayoffs, here's an updated breakdown from @FiveThirtyEight predicting which teams have the best chances to make the WNBA Finals and win the league title.https://t.co/nxgqsdzpv0 pic.twitter.com/xrVRZpu3Ab
— Mitchell Hansen (@M_Hansen13) September 20, 2021
Game 1: 6 Chicago Sky, 91 at 5 Phoenix Mercury, 77 (3 p.m., ABC) – CHICAGO LEADS, 1-0
Wednesday, Oct. 13
Game 2: 6 Chicago Sky, 86 at 5 Phoenix Mercury, 91 (9 p.m., ESPN) – SERIES TIED, 1-1
Game 3: 5 Phoenix Mercury at 6 Chicago Sky (9 p.m., ESPN2)
Game 4: 5 Phoenix Mercury at 6 Chicago Sky (3 p.m., ESPN)
Game 5 (if necessary): 6 Chicago Sky at 5 Phoenix Mercury (9 p.m., ESPN2)
2021 WNBA
2021 WNBA Playoffs
Who Was the First Player to Dunk?


Apple, Google and "Blade Runner" are part of an exhibit at London's Design Museum that chronicles California's global influence on technology, culture and design.
It was well worth the hour-long trek across London this week to check out an excellent Golden State-themed exhibit at the Design Museum. Titled "California: Designing Freedom," the exhibit explores California's outsized influence on modern design. Everything from the original Macintosh to the rainbow flag is covered here, with a focus on how design can promote personal liberation and expression.
Naturally, technology is a huge part of the exhibit. Starting with Silicon Valley giants like Apple and Google, it includes an Apple PowerBook 100, a first iPhone and iPod, a Waymo self-driving car and Google Cardboard. But some of the more interesting pieces, like a mould used to make the first Apple earPods in 2001, are less obvious. Keep poking around to find notable gadgets both new and old, like Snapchat Spectacles, the Amazon Kindle and the Atari 2600 complete with a Frogger cartridge.
But like California itself, technology is only a part of the exhibit. Curators Justin McGuirk and Brendan McGetrick broadened its scope to include elements of the countercultural movement and gay rights movements, filmmaking (concept art from "Blade Runner" makes an appearance) and the pastel-saturated graphic design of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The exhibit makes for an engaging day out at the museum's sparkling new home in Kensington. As some professional art critics have pointed out, the it spends little time on California's less-positive design elements, like tangled freeways and suburban sprawl, but as a native (and occasionally homesick) Californian, I didn't mind.
"California: Designing Freedom" runs through October 15 at the Design Museum in west London. Entrance to the museum is free, but the exhibit has a £16 admission charge for adults (about $20 or AU$25). You can prebook or pay when you arrive.