Zimbabwe purchased nearly 650,000 metric tons of corn from Ukraine and Zambia following a poor harvest. Dry climate has also limited grains output in Zambia, where the harvest is anticipated to fall nearly 30% in 2016.
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Deflation in steel, other commodities dent Japan's export basket
Japan's exports were badly hit by the steep drop in steel prices and other commodities. The world's third largest economy's exports fell 12.9 percent on the year in January to Yen 5.35 trillion ($47.12 billion), while the imports also fell 18 percent.
Ride-Hailing Startup Juno Is Getting Ready to Compete With Uber, Aiming A Better Relationship With Drivers
A startup is getting ready to launch a ride-sharing app that could compete against Uber. The startup claimed that they would aim to form a better relationship with drivers and pay the drivers better with lower commission. As for now, the company is still gathering data, with the help of Uber drivers paid $25 per week to carry Juno devices while doing their job.
BDC Capital rolls out C$150-mln IT Venture Fund II
BDC Capital, a subsidiary of Business Development Bank of Canada, has launched IT Venture Fund II with corpus of C$150 million. With an objective of bridging gap in the mid-stage funding, the new fund will support new generation of IT entrepreneurs in Canada.
Standard & Poor cuts Brazil's loan rating, citing political turmoil
Standard & Poor has trimmed Brazil's loan rating into "junk territory' following the nation's failure to reduce its fiscal risks and the political hurdles facing the economy of Brazil. The government is hopeful to reform its fiscal strategy amid political challenges and economic slowdown.
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Google Translate has now 13 new additional languanges giving it a total of 103 that surpasses the 100 mark. Based on the Google's estimate, it envelops 99% of the online population which is about 120 million people around the globe.
The venture capital (VC) inflows into Chinese economy grew 25 percent in 2015. The US and China ranked at first and second slots respectively in mobilizing the venture capital funds. The VC investors are choosier and cautious in selecting the startups amid economy slowdown.
US-based coal mining company Peabody Energy Corp is facing a major problem over its $1.47-billion self-bonding practice. The coal miner has been negotiating with debtors for several months. Certain groups are criticizing the self-bonding practice, lodged complaints in courts against Peabody Energy Corp.
Standard & Poor's (S&P) has cut rating on Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as it's suffering from lower oil prices. The long -term foreign and local currency sovereign credit has been lowered to 'A minus/ A-2' from 'A plus / A-1.'
A startup offering up to $10,000 loan to help couples fund their wedding had shifted its business concept to a crowdfunding platform. The move infuriates many couples expecting the loan, whereas the startup said that the couple wouldn’t have to pay it back as long as they stay together. The change of business plan was due to overwhelming demand and regulation challenges, stated the company.
Kentucky and 26 other US states consider hemp cultivation and processing as legal. Industrial hemp and its derivatives are widely used in fabrics, shampoo, plastics, building materials etc. To avail the potential business opportunity, Seed CX has raised fund for $3.42 million aiming to run a platform for hemp and its derivatives.
SolarCity has left modest growth plan in the US market due to withdrawal of subsidy from renewable energy sector. Investment of $10 million by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has surprised many. This acquisition is believed to bring back confidence among the investors of SolarCity as a long term investment.
Yahoo announced another round of layoff after early February cutoff. Around 300 employees in California office will lose their jobs.
The US-based Victory Brewery and Southern Tier Brewing companies are forming an alliance to increase sales volume. However, the two mid-sized breweries will work independently under the parent company Artisanal Brewing Ventures (ABV).
