Archive
International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.
CUM-EX TAX FRAUD TRIAL BEGINS IN GERMANY
A EUR55 billion tax fraud case, in which two British investment bankers claimed capital gains refunds for taxes that had never been paid, is back in the spotlight as their trial kicked off in Germany. The Cum-Ex (with and without) tax loophole, where the traders claimed tax refunds twice on transactions when it had only been paid once, was closed in 2016, but not before it cost EU countries an estimated EUR55 billion.…
STOLEN IDENTITIES READILY AND CHEAPLY AVAILABLE ON THE MAINSTREAM INTERNET
AN INCREASING number of so-called ‘digital doppelgangers’, faked digital identities, designed to bypass financial anti-fraud systems, are being traded online via the darknet and even the open internet, according to David Décary-Hétu, Assistant Professor at the School of Criminology at the University of Montréal, Canada.…
UK BANKS CONSIDER SETTING UP FRAUD COMPENSATION FUND
UK banks are mulling setting up a fund to compensate victims of banking fraud. The British banking trade association, UK Finance, has written to the retail banking authority Pay.UK proposing it sets up a ‘No Blame Fund Trust’, financed by a GBP0.029 pence per transaction levy or ‘contingent reimbursement model’ (CRM) on faster payment transactions over GBP30.…
AROUND 56 MILLION PAID BRIBES FOR PUBLIC SERVICES IN LATIN AMERICA
More than one in five or around 56 million people who accessed public services in Latin America and the Caribbean last year paid a bribe, according to the latest 18-country survey from Transparency International. The police notched up the highest bribery rate (24%), followed by other public services such as utilities (19%). …
TURKISH PLASTICS MARKET FACES TOUGH TIMES, BUT HAS STRONG FUNDAMENTALS FOR SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY
THE TURKISH plastics manufacturing sector has grown exponentially over the past decade, but growth has spluttered over the past year due to the country’s economic downturn and currency depreciation raising the cost of raw materials. Investment has also slowed, but manufacturers are optimistic the sector will rebound, with exports remaining strong.…
ELECTRIFICATION OF SHIPS A KEY STEP IN DELIVERING PARIS CLIMATE COMMITMENTS
Described by environmental campaigners as “the elephant in the COP21 negotiations room” when climate change proposals were agreed in Paris during 2015, today – the electrification of shipping is moving ahead apace.
From inland ferries to cargo barges and cruise ships, vessels are being built or retrofitted with renewable power propulsion sources, curbing the shipping industry’s major emissions.…
EUROPE BRIMS WITH NOVEL FOOD INITIATIVES, BUT REGULATORY CONTROLS CAN BE EXPENSIVE AND RISKY
Novel food ingredients and products are becoming increasingly common in branded products across Europe, finding new markets by offering twists to traditional tastes. These new technologies are enabling manufacturers to identify new untapped taste demands, which many big corporations have missed or failed to develop a product that fits a potential new market.…
BRANDS NEED TO BUILD INSIGHT INTO SOUTH ASIA’S EMERGING BEAUTY PRODUCT MARKETS TO SCORE SUSTAINED INCREASED SALES
COSMETICS companies serving the south Asia market may grumble that they are facing challenges, but the reality is the region’s emerging markets offer growth rates that can only be dreamt of in richer countries.
India’s beauty and personal care product market is a case in point.…
BOOM IN NATURAL SKIN CARE BOOSTS THE AUSTRALASIAN COSMETICS MARKET
THE BEAUTY and personal care sectors have performed healthily in Australia and New Zealand throughout the past year, with companies providing consumers with fulfilling experiences, skin care excellence and natural ingredients performing particularly strongly.
The continued growth of beauty and personal care in Australia in 2018 was also driven by the expansion of specialist retailers Mecca and Sephora in premium beauty.…
INTELLIGENT MATERIALS DELIVERING BETTER FUNCTIONALITY AND SECURITY TO BEAUTY PACKAGING
INTELLIGENT materials make for packaging with better functionality and security, and innovative producers worldwide are developing better protection for personal care products.
Market researcher Smithers Pira, in a January 2018 report The Future of Active & Intelligent Packaging to 2023, notes potential uses for cosmetics manufacturers includes greater levels of engagement with customers, more personalised products and enhanced security and tracking features.…