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The truce in the US-China trade war announced after the G20 talks on Saturday was welcome, but does not appear to pave the way for a more comprehensive trade deal in the foreseeable future. Instead, tariff levels have been frozen, with no deadline set for further progress.
President Donald Trump offered some concessions to China, apparently allowing a resumption of trade with Huawei on its consumer products, while maintaining restrictions on its “strategic” products such as the 5G network system. In return, China has promised to buy more US agricultural products, although the exact amount is unknown.
This outcome was broadly in line with the market’s expectations ahead of the summit.
Because of the removal of the immediate tail risk of much higher tariffs, there may be a relief rally in some asset classes in the coming days. But a more fundamental shift in investor opinion probably requires a more durable settlement of the tariff issues, and greater signs of progress on the more strategic problems concerning intellectual property, IT and China’s industrial policy. It has become clear that these are all thorny and intractable disputes that are unlikely to blow over rapidly.
Trade wars and the markets
The latest flare-up in the tariff wars started with Mr Trump’s aggressive tweets on May 5, following some backtracking on commitments that China had given earlier in the talks. Since this fundamental shift in approach by both sides, global bonds have rallied sharply, with 10-year Treasury yields in the US falling from 2.54 per cent to 2.00 per cent.
The market has also markedly shifted its assessment of monetary policy in a dovish direction. It now expects almost five reductions of 25 basis points each in the Federal Reserve’s policy rate before the end of 2020, while the central bank itself is expecting only a single cut.
Market optimism that the Fed and other central banks are willing to ease monetary policy very aggressively has underpinned equity markets in the face of negative demand shocks throughout the advanced and emerging economies. The US stock market has managed to remain unchanged since the deterioration in US-China relations in early May.
Trade uncertainty has damaged global business confidence, but for now this is being offset by easier monetary conditions. Unlike the situation in the final quarter of 2018, when tariff threats were combined with forward guidance about tighter policy from the Fed and the European Cental Bank, global financial conditions have this time supported risk assets.
According to Goldman Sachs the global financial condition indices tightened by almost 100bp during 2018, but have been broadly unchanged this year. Following the G20, this monetary policy support remains crucial in persuading investors that sluggish global activity growth will not develop into a full blown recession. This seems consistent with the latest global activity data, although growth is clearly below trend in most of the major economies, and has shown little sign of rebounding around midyear.
Nowcasts sluggish as manufacturing slumps
The latest Fulcrum nowcasts for global activity indicate that activity growth is around 3 per cent, which is about 0.7 percentage points below trend (see box). The advanced economies have slowed even more than the emerging economies, which is somewhat hard to explain, given the degree of concern about tariff wars.
The common thread that has driven the global economy has been the slowdown in manufacturing and industrial sectors, with goods production growth declining to about zero this year.
Weakness in the goods sector has been consistent with two factors that may have been connected with higher tariffs. Imports and exports growth have fallen much more than gross domestic product, possibly because of disruptions in global value chains, especially in Asia, causing temporary disruptions in goods supply.
In addition, there has been a continuing slowdown in fixed investment in many economies, which may have been due to declines in business confidence connected to uncertainty about future tariffs. Fortunately, service sectors, consumer confidence and labour markets have so far been entirely unaffected by these developments.
Largest economies out of sync
While subpar global growth has been recorded throughout the first half of 2019, the three largest economies — the US, China and the Euro Area — have not been perfectly synchronised during this period:
- US activity appeared fairly robust in the first few months of the year, but the growth rate has dipped to only 1.5 per cent during May and June;
- The Euro Area began the year close to recession, with Germany apparently being hit by transitory shocks in the auto, chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. Germany has remained surprisingly subdued since these transitory shocks started to abate, and there has been only a moderate rebound in the eurozone as a whole, taking activity growth up to 0.7 per cent;
- Chinese activity growth has been very bumpy this year, with industrial activity rising sharply in February, only to subside even more sharply in the spring. Overall, growth has been running at the bottom end of the authorities’ 6-6.5 per cent target range, and is only being held there by progressive easing in fiscal and monetary policy.
With the tariff war now in limbo, markets will be focused on the next significant shift in global activity data. Assuming that the Federal Reserve maintains its recent dovish rhetoric, that move seems more likely to be upwards than towards recession.
Latest nowcasts for the world economy
The global economy has been growing about 0.7 percentage points below trend throughout 2019 and is not improving . . .
The advanced economies have been particularly weak, with growth running about 1.0 percentage points below trend and 2.5 points below the peak rates seen 18 months ago . . .
Each of the three largest economies has slowed sharply since late 2017, when tariff threats started to dominate sentiment . . .
The goods sectors have been much weaker than service sectors, as trade in goods and fixed capital expenditure have dragged down growth in industrial production to around zero . . .


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Fish and fish spawns from 26,417 waterbodies and farms worth Tk 11.57 crore have been washed away by the recent flood in Netrokona.
Most of the fish farmers had taken loans from banks, which have become a burden now. The flood ruined their dreams as they have lost everything they had invested in fish farming.
Md Rokonuzzaman Khan Khokon, owner of Nipa Agro Fisheries, said that he had cultivated various species of fish in 100 decimals of land. “All of the fish were ready for sale. I had hoped that I would get Tk 30 lakh by selling these fish. But sudden flooding has destroyed my hope completely.”
“I had taken Tk 12 lakh as loan from a bank. I have no idea how I’ll repay my debt,” Khokon said.
Md Arifur Rahman and Mukhlesur Rahman, two other fish farm owners, said that they cultivated fish worth Tk two crore in 34 acres of land.
They too had taken a loan of Tk 1.9 crore from a bank. But all of their fish have been washed away by flood.
“I had taken Tk 11 lakh as loan from Bangladesh Krishi Bank. I had also taken money from some of my acquaintances. I had invested Tk 30 lakh in fish farming. But all of my dreams were ruined. I’ll have to spend the rest of my life in repaying my debts,” said Md Ilyas Talukder, another fish farmer from Netrokona’s Baushi union.
According to Mohammad Shahjahan Kabir, Fisheries Officer of Netrokona district, a total of 15,826 fish farmers and fish farm owners have been affected due to severe flooding.
“Around 3,500 hectares of area used as fish farms have been affected by the flood. Farmers incurred losses of Tk 11.57 crore,” said Shahjahan.

domain: news


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Daily Archives: May 1, 2015
NEW DELHI: Free mobile messaging app Viber has unveiled a new version of its app that is optimized for Windows 10’s responsive OS at Microsoft Build in San Francisco and it would be available from later this year.
During the keynote presentation, a demonstration showed how Cortana voice commands could be used to send Viber messages and to start chatting with contacts quickly. It also allows users to send messages and make voice and video calls via Viber more easily.
The app will work smoothly across PC, tablet and mobile, resizing and adapting the on-screen content to optimize the experience even as the window size changes, a release said.
Integration with Live Tiles enables users to pin Viber, or a specific chat, to the start menu allowing them to see notifications from Viber even before opening the app, and through actionable notifications Viber users can respond to a message immediately without exiting their current task.
“We’re really excited about Windows 10 and the opportunities it offers to developers,” said Michael Shmilov, Viber’s COO.
“The Universal Windows Platform has allowed us to create a unique version of Viber that lets users switch to the device that suits them at any given moment and stay in complete sync, without compromising their experience. Beyond that, the integration with Live Tiles and Cortana, plus the social extensibility that Windows 10 offers will enhance the way people communicate with Viber.”
“As one of the first chat apps to embrace Windows 10, Viber has taken advantage of new OS features to enhance a user’s communications experience on any Windows device ,” said Steven Guggenheimer , Corporate Vice President and Chief Evangelist at Microsoft.


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T-Mobile certainly is feeling cheery this year. The company announced its Black Friday offers early, along with “Un-Carrier Unwrapped,” which gives T-Mobile users on the postpaid Simple Choice plans unlimited 4G LTE after their data runs out beginning on November 24. The offer also brings Simple Choice plan customers three free months of unlimited data, beginning on December 1.
Customers will automatically be enrolled in the promotion, and they can retain their data through March 1, 2016 as long as their Simple Choice account with Binge On is active.
Un-Carrier Unwrapped is also a month-long event that brings deals each week (starting next week) to customers who are not only on T-Mobile, but on Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon as well. The idea is to incentivize switching to T-Mobile, but the company hasn’t announced exactly what it will be offering yet. All the holiday deals (so far) are listed on the company’s site.
“We’ve had a fantastic year, and we’re going to spread that T-Mobile cheer by starting with the most important people first … our existing customers. Now you get Unlimited LTE data on our blazing fast network for three full months as a gift from the Un-carrier to you,” said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile in the blog post. “But that’s not all … we know that Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint customers need some holiday cheer, too — so we’ve got presents coming for them.”
For Black Friday, the company is offering the following deals:
- The 7-inch Alcatel Onetouch Pixi 4G LTE tablet is free (minus the sales tax) with any qualifying data plan at participating T-Mobile stores or online.
- The Samsung Galaxy S6 32GB is free (minus the sales tax) with JUMP! On Demand with an eligible trade-in.
- You’ll get $100 off a Samsung tablet if you buy any Samsung smartphone.
- You can also snag the UE Boom Bluetooth speaker for $100 off. It usually costs $200.
T-Mobile’s main competitor Sprint also unveiled its Black Friday deals, alongside its continuous half-off bill promotion.
- Get a free LG 24-inch TV when you purchase the LG G4.
- The Samsung Galaxy S6’s leasing price will be half-off, bringing the monthly payment down to $9.
- Customers with the S6 or certain other Samsung devices on Sprint can grab one year of Amazon Prime for free.
The company is offering discounts on a variety of products such as the Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Charge HR. The Sprint Black Friday offers begin November 26.


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It's no surprise that this Ramadan is more different than any other Ramadan we've ever experienced. With the Coronavirus running amok, most restaurants have chosen to shut down completely without even offering their delivery services. Iconic Egyptian restaurant Sobhy Kaber did exactly that, however, Sobhy Kaber himself announced via a Facebook video that they're coming back, and they're bigger and, well, disinfected as ever.
Sobhy Kaber will be opening up their new butcher shop on May 3rd where they will sell affordable meat to the public. Moreover, Kaber explained in the video that they will reopen the restaurant itself on May 8th where it will only be available for delivery and takeout.


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OSI Group, a manufacturing food company based in Chicago is expanding its business to outside the United States. The company is not just expanding its facility in terms of capacity but also in terms of the product they produce. Since the company was started in 1909, it has been dealing with the supply of food products to the large food chains in the country. The company is now led by President David McDonald and CEO Sheldon Lavin. The two executives have worked hard for this business, and the results are impressive. Today the company is acquiring some other huge food processing companies in other parts of the world to boost their business.
OSI Group has set up new facilities for production in various parts of the world. In the last two years, they have constructed seven food processing plants. The company is anticipating that the expansion strategies they have been applying will lead to more business and therefore demand for their products will go up. OSI Group has also concentrated on determining which product customer wants. Through product development plans, the company is serious to identify the products which the client wants. Their role as a business is to supply clients with what the customer wants.
While pushing for business expansion, the company has partnered with Dutch Food Company called Baho. Baho is one of the best food companies in Europe. It supplies more than 18 countries in the region with food products, mostly conveniences gods and snacks. The company also has five subsidiaries in Netherlands and Germany. So, for OSI Group, this is a prime acquisition which will help the company earn immensely. The European market is one of the best and OSI Group is hoping to grow even further.
David McDonald, the president of OSI Group, has referred to the acquisition of Baho as an opportunity for them to gain a broader presence in the world. For a company that is hoping to reach every corner of the world. The acquisition of Baho with a presence in 18 countries is just the kind of deal they would be interested in.
David McDonald is a holder of Animal Science degree. He has been the chairman of North America Meat Institute. His first role while serving OSI Group was as a project manager.
For details: www.crunchbase.com/organization/osi-group#/entity


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After the successful 2010 launch of Apple’s iPhone 4, complaints of dropped calls and reduced signal began to pour in from major tech blogs. Apple’s initial response was to deny it had a hardware issue. Soon after, Consumer Reports released a...
This case study focuses on Raelyn Campbell, a former Best Buy customer, who is suing the company for $54 million. Campbell states Best Buy lost her laptop - while being serviced for repairs - and tried to cover up its disappearance for more...
Opened in 1992, the Pittsburgh International Airport midfield terminal complex was designed and built for the hub operations of USAir. Fifteen years and two bankruptcies later, US Airways has reduced what was their largest hub to a focus city...
American Apparel, a multinational fashion retailer headquartered in Downtown Los Angeles, looked to target the plus-size clothing customer segment in an effort to grow its stagnant sales. It launched “The Next Big Thing,” a marketing campaign...
On August 15th 2013, Moritz Erhardt was found dead at his student housing. The official cause of death was an epileptic seizure possibly caused by the long hours and lack of rest associated with his work, after pulling “all-nighters” and “magic...
Kickstarter, a brand leader in the crowdfunding market, is facing certain challenges as it negotiates the uncertain waters of competition. To date, Kickstarter has experienced stellar growth, despite offering no formal protection to its...
Progressive Insurance faced a widespread public relations crisis when Matt Fisher took to his personal Tumblr site to post a scathing account of his family’s experience with the company who insured his deceased sister. The blog entry went “...
On Friday, January 13, 2012, around 9:40 p.m. local time, the Costa Concordia, a luxury cruise ship carrying 4,200 passengers, punctured its hull off the coast of Italy. What followed the collision was a chaotic evacuation, irresponsible...
Bank of America experienced significant backlash in late 2009 regarding excessively high credit card interest rates and overwhelming late fees. This backlash came in the form of YouTube videos and a “debtors’ revolt” started by a former...
On January 15, 2012, Zappos, an Amazon subsidiary, was the victim of a purposeful hacking attack. CEO Tony Hsieh sent out a tweet, alerting customers that the systems had been penetrated and directing them to a letter with incident details and...


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Aurealis Celebrates 100 Issues May 2017 with PRINT COPY
Aurealis - The Magazine of Australian Fantasy and Science Fiction is celebrating its 100th issue in May with a one-time return to print! But that's not the only nod to its roots. Editors Dirk Strasser, Stephen Higgins and Michael Pryor have solicited new fiction from authors appearing in the very first issue, released back in 1990.
And then there's my interview with Dirk about the evolution of the magazine over the 27 years since its modest launch, plus great editorials and reviews.
So whether you're new to Aussie speculative fiction, a long-time fan hankering for a stroll down memory lane, or just someone wanting to get their hands on some great genre material, you can pre-order your copy here.


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During April 2019-February 2020, Vietnam imported 276,655 tonne of oilmeals.
The export of oilmeals during February is provisionally reported at 76,017 tonne compared to 294,510 tonne in February last year— down by 74% — by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA).
The overall export of oilmeals during April 2019 to February 2020 is reported at 2,200,690 tonne compared to 2,941,971 tonne in April 2018-February 2019, registering a decline by 25%.
This is mainly due to better price realisation for oilmeals in the domestic market compared to export realisation, coupled with increased domestic consumption resulted into lower exports.
The silver lining for the exports is sharp increase in export of castor meal, which is used as organic fertiliser.
The exports jumped nearly 41% to 505,194 tonne from 359,351 tonne in the same period last year.
During April 2019-February 2020, Vietnam imported 276,655 tonne of oilmeals (compared to 592,697 tonne) consisting of 6,417 tonne of soybean meal, 167,643 tonne of rapeseed meal and 102,595 tonne of de-oiled rice bran extraction.
South Korea imported 809,733 tonne of oilmeals (compared to 699,334 tonne) consisting 51,098 tonne of soybean meal, 365,243 tonne of rapeseed meal and 393,392 tonne of castor seed meal.
Thailand imported 218,320 tonne of oilmeals (compared to 298,400 tonne) consisting 197,798 tonne of rapeseed meal, 17,581 tonne of rice bran extractions and 2,905 tonne of soybean meal. The export from Kandla is reported at 754,590 tonne (34%). Mundra handled 703,303 tonne oilmeals.


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AdDuplex has released its Windows Phone report for March 2016. For your information AdDuplex gathers, analyses and releases Windows Phone market share report every month. Here is how the report was generated.
Data Source This report is based on data collected from 5,120 Windows Phone apps running AdDuplex SDK v.2 (and higher). The raw data analyzed was collected over the day of March 18th, 2016 (UTC time) unless otherwise stated. We have made every attempt to consolidate different reported phone model names under their canonical retail model names, but it is possible that some of the rare model name variations were not accounted for.
- Check the featured image above. It seems Microsoft’s latest decision will make 49% of Windows Phone smartphones ineligible for Windows 10 Mobile upgrade.
Windows 10 Mobile Upgradeability March 18th, AdDuplex There are two important figures here: 15.2% of the devices that are capable of running Windows 10 Mobile already are. For developers this means that there’s around 6x growth potential for your UWP apps on Mobile. Of all the devices in use, 50.4% are capable of running Windows 10 Mobile while 49.6% are not.
- Windows 10 Mobile is running on 7.7% of overall Windows Phone devices.
With Windows 10 Mobile now available, as an upgrade to most of the devices that are supported, it has gained 2.4% of market share and is now the second most popular OS version. 7.X and 8.1 are both down 0.6% while 8.0 is down 1.1% which suggests that the growth of 10 isn’t entirely down to people upgrading.
- Lumia 640 sees significant growth globally
The biggest growth this month is for the Lumia 640 which has gained 0.9% of market share and moved ahead of the 635. The 520 takes the biggest individual loss as it goes down 0.5%. If current trends continue this, could be the last month where it is number one. After a 1% growth last month, the ‘Other’ category falls back 1.3%
- Lumia 640 grows by massive 3.6% in US too
The growth this month is shared by the 640 (which has grown a massive 3.6%) and the 640 XL which is a new entry in the top ten. The 435 and the HTC One (M8) are unchanged and every other model is down. The 635 sees the biggest loss and is down 1.7%
- After a few months of decline, Lumia devices (manufactured by NOKIA/Microsoft) gain 0.34% BLU have gained 0.01% but every other manufacturer has seen a loss of share: HTC is down 0.18% Samsung is down 0.06% Huawei is down 0.04% Other is down 0.07%
Click on the source link below to read detailed reports for individual markets.


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Los Angeles, CA (Obama.net) – The Kardashians, one of America’s favorite families, has recently revealed their 2010 Christmas card. In the photo each member of the family is wearing either a black suit or gray or white dress. The portrait, which also includes NBA superstar Lamar Odom, shows the family standing on steps inside a house with a black and white checkered floor design. The Kardashians are lined up on the stairs with two members sitting on the bottom steps.
Fans have been eagerly awaiting this year’s Christmas card photo as the Kardashians have been known to go “all out” with their Christmas cards. As Khloe Kardashian mentions on her blog, “Christmas cards have always been a REALLY big deal in my family. For as long as I can remember, my mom has made it a point to go all out, whether it was a ninja turtles themed card, or bringing a Santa into the mix, each year she always managed to top the year before.” This year is certainly no different from the rest as the iconic Hollywood family has certainly tried to top themselves yet again.
While Khloe Kardashian might thoroughly enjoy this year’s picture, some fans of the Kardashians are giving mixed reviews. Some people are saying the photo creeps them out because of the seriousness it portrays along with all of the dark colors. This year’s photo is certainly different from the traditional Christmas card picture with a holiday tree, decorations and Santa Claus, but it gives fans the chance to see the family in a different setting than they normally would. The family was certainly going after a glamorous look and I think that most people out there will agree that they achieved their goal.
Why all the hype over the Kardashian’s Christmas Card? Comment below.


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Windows 8.1 offers native support for 3D printing, bringing the technology one step closer to the mainstream. In this latest episode of Microsoft News Center’s video series “On the Whiteboard,” hear from Microsoft’s Shanen Boettcher about the possibilities and get an inside look at 3D workshop Makerhaus.
It’s been a very busy week for killer apps on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.
Windows 8 Release Preview – now ready for download.
Kinect for Windows is now available to businesses and developers in an updated Version 1.8 SDK.


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Kirsten Bender is opening the Popcorner in Andover in a popcorn corner she’s quite familiar with.
Bender was a high school sophomore in 2004 – back then she was known as Kirsten Placzek – when she became the first employee of Vic’s Corn Popper at 528 N. Andover Road in Andover.
She regularly returned to the store on breaks from school.
“It’s like the one job I truly never got sick of coming into work every day,” Bender says.
The store eventually became known as the Andover Popcorn Co., and Bender says she told owners Vaughn and Kristi Huslig that if they ever wanted to sell, she’d be interested in buying the business.
That’s what’s happening now.
“I hope to build a really reputable brand and expand throughout the Wichita area,” Bender says.
She graduated from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a degree in business management and a minor in marketing.
“I just have such a passion for small businesses.”
Bender says she plans to have an emphasis on the gift-giving market. In addition to popcorn and popcorn balls, the Popcorner also will sell fudge and what Bender calls nostalgic candy, such as saltwater taffy and old-fashioned candy sticks. She plans to make everything except for the candy, at least initially.
“If I could learn how to do that, that would be really fun,” Bender says.
The Popcorner opens Sept. 30, and there will be a grand opening in October or November.
Sept. 27 is the Andover Popcorn Co.’s last day in business.
Vaughn Huslig says he’ll continue to focus on his banking career, which he’s had in addition to the store for several years.
He says Bender was a great employee.
“I’m really excited,” Huslig says. “She’s going to bring in a lot of good ideas. I foresee her taking it to the next level that we haven’t had a chance to get to.”


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FINLAND: Nurminen Logistics says its purchase of Estonian national freight operator Operail’s Finnish business has attracted great interest from its customers in Finland, central Europe and China.
Nurminen announced the completion of the transaction on February 14, saying it was now a full-service rail freight operator with ambitions to transport more than 4 million tonnes in 2023-24 and a capacity of 5 million tonnes/year.
Nurminen said it expects the acquisition to have a positive impact on its results and development, as Operail Finland has grown its revenue and operating profitability with volumes reaching 300 000 tonnes/month.
The deal will increase the demand for Nurminen’s forwarding and terminal services, and it also expects the global use of rail to grow faster than other transport segments because of its low environmental impact.
Operail disposed of its Finnish activities as part of the Estonian government’s policy for it to divest its non-core activities.
Operail Finland has been acquired by North Rail Holding, which is owned 79·8% by Nurminen Logistics and 20·2% by smaller investors. The €27·7m purchase was financed with new long-term debt financing instruments.
The deal includes nine 1 524 mm gauge Wabtec/Tülomsaş PowerHaul main line diesel locomotives and one C30-MF shunter, with two more shunters to be delivered this year
Nurminen noted that business risks include escalation of the Russian war against Ukraine and expansion of sanctions to goods such as food supplies and the green energy transition, ‘which we do not consider likely’.


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Portugal’s health and food safety authority (ASAE) said there is a link to sausages and cheese from the Origem Transmontana brand which may have been distributed throughout the country.
After a risk assessment it was decided to withdraw the product, which can be frozen, and inform consumers so they do not eat it.
Two further probable cases are under investigation and awaiting the outcome of analysis but no deaths have been reported.
One of the cases is a resident of Switzerland who ate contaminated food in Portugal, according to the Directorate-General of Health (DGS).
Human botulism, caused by ingestion of contaminated food, is a rare but potentially fatal disease if not diagnosed rapidly and treated with antitoxin, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Foodborne botulism is often caused by eating improperly processed food. Homemade canned, preserved or fermented foodstuffs require extra caution, it added.


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2014 Mazda6 Diesel Postponed Due to Emissions Testing Delay
Although the 2014 Mazda6 Skyactiv-D diesel sedan was supposed to go on sale by the end of this year, a Mazda representative told us today that the car's on sale date would be postponed until spring 2014 due to delays in emissions testing and final certification. When the car does arrive, though, it will be the only Japanese diesel passenger car sold in the U.S.
Mazda originally announced the 2014 Mazda6 would be getting a diesel engine in the U.S. at the 2012 Los Angeles auto show. The diesel engine is a 2.2-liter four-cylinder that is part of Mazda's Skyactiv family of engines. Already offered in Europe, the diesel produces 173 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque and should offer at least 30 percent better fuel economy than the Mazda 6's 2.5-liter Skyactiv gasoline engine. The 2014 Mazda 6 is already rated at up to 40 mpg on the highway by the EPA , so we expect lofty ratings from the upcoming diesel.
According to a report from Automotive News, senior vice president for Mazda North America Robert Davis sent a letter to Mazda employees explaining that final certification testing is taking longer than expected for the diesel powerplant. However, the AN report also says that around 4000 extra units of the gasoline-powered Mazda6 will be distributed to U.S. Mazda dealers early next year to accommodate high demand. Sales for the 2014 Mazda6 have more than doubled compared to last year.
We should receive more information about the 2014 Mazda6 Skyactiv-D like pricing and mileage ratings closer to its on sale date next year.
Source: Mazda, Automotive News (Subscription required)
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tyson foods and malayan flour mills berhad announce partnership | tyson foods
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Springdale, Ark., USA 10 February 2021 Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) and Malayan Flour Mills Berhad (KLSE: MFLOUR) today announced a partnership in which Tyson Foods will invest in the Malaysia-based companys vertically integrated poultry business, which will add more supply flexibility for both companies. The transaction is subject to approval by the shareholders of Malayan Flour Mills Berhad (MFM), amongst others.
Once completed, the poultry deal will optimize our existing Malaysia business and expand MFMs poultry business, said Chris Langholz, International President of Tyson Foods. This partnership will add more supply flexibility for both companies in serving halal-certified poultry to consumers and customers in the country and across priority export markets.
Tyson Foods Malaysia currently operates one plant and one innovation center. MFMs vertically integrated poultry business includes feed mills, hatcheries, farms and processing facilities.
We are pleased to partner with Tyson Foods to expand MFMs long-established poultry business, said Teh Wee Chye, managing director for MFM. Tyson Foods is one of the worlds largest food production companies with a strong global manufacturing and distribution footprint. Malaysia is one of the key poultry markets in Southeast Asia, with a high per capita consumption of poultry. Together with Tyson Foods, we look forward to increasing our halal poultry product offerings in the country, especially in the further processed poultry segment, as well as exporting to demand markets with the help of Tyson Foods global network.
Malaysias halal industry market value is expected to reach $147.4 billion USD (RM614.36 billion) by 2025, according to the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC). The country exports about $9 billion USD (RM35.4 billion) in halal-certified products.
Our global resources and robust innovation capabilities paired with MFMs more than 30 years of expertise as a leading poultry player in the country, enable both companies to make halal-certified products more readily available and affordable, said Tan Sun, president of Tyson Foods APAC.
Established in 1961, Malayan Flour Mills Berhad (MFM) is the pioneer in the flour milling industry in Malaysia. Over the years, MFM has grown to become one of the leading flour millers in Malaysia. Outside of Malaysia, MFM also has presence in the flour milling industry in Vietnam and Indonesia. In Indonesia, MFM is one of the shareholders in PT Bungasari Flour Mills Indonesia, along with Toyota Tsusho Group (Japan) and PT FKS Food and Ingredients (Indonesia). MFM ventured into the poultry feed business in 1983 and since then has expanded considerably across the poultry value chain in breeding, farming and processing, to become one of the leading poultry integrators in Malaysia. In November 2019, MFM commissioned a new state-of-the-art poultry processing plant with a processing capacity of up to 280,000 birds per day. MFMs group revenues in FY19 were RM2.7 billion. Visit MFM.COM.MY to learn more.
About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the worlds largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Wright, Aidells, ibp, and State Fair. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere its available and raise the worlds expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 139,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit TYSONFOODS.COM to learn more.
pollution control in palm oil mills in malaysia | springerlink
Pollution prevention approaches are being adopted by more and more mills. Digested POME increasingly is being used successfully as a fertilizer/soil conditioner, resulting in significant savings in imported fertilizers. Studies also have shown that energy can be obtained from biogas generated from anaerobic digestion of POME; in fact, electricity from POME has become a reality. These technological developments and the increasing awareness of the economic value of POME have made it a valuable, renewable resource.


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This year, LeBron James won't be a part of the NBA Finals, but he's already a billionaire.
According to Forbes, the 37-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star has joined the three-comma club. First NBA player to become a millionaire.
Michael Jordan is the only other NBA great to become a billionaire, and he did so after retiring.
James just ended a two-year, $85 million agreement with the Lakers and has earned $387 million, per Spotrac. Since 2003, he's made $900 million in sponsorships, per Forbes.
James has started several successful businesses during his 19-year career. In 2016, he signed a speculated $1 billion lifetime agreement with Nike. James never acknowledged the sum.
James has ties with restaurants including Blaze Pizza, where he has a $10 million share. He's an investor in Fenway Sports Group and saw a profit from the Beats sale to Apple in 2014.
Forbes says he owns $80 million in property, including a $37 million Beverly Hills residence.


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After being teased last month, a Lollipop Chainsaw remake has officially been announced by Dragami Games.
Yoshimi Yasuda, CEO of Dragami Games and producer on the original Lollipop Chainsaw, confirmed that the project is in development with a planned launch in 2023. Platforms have yet to be revealed though we’ll likely see it appear on PlayStation systems and maybe the Nintendo Switch at the very least.
The studio hasn’t shared any footage from the Lollipop Chainsaw remake, though promises visual enhancements for the goofy zombie-slaying action game. In addition, it’s been confirmed that staff who worked on the original will return to help bring the game to a new audience. Released in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Yasuda highlights how difficult it is to access the game on modern systems, this being part of his motivation to bring LC back from the dead.
Lollipop Chainsaw has players take on the role of cheerleader Juliet Starling, who finds herself in a zombie apocalypse on her 18th birthday. Along for the ride is her boyfriend Nick. Well, his still living decapitated head that Juliet lopped off after he was bitten by a zombie. Luckily for him, Juliet comes from a family of zombie hunters. In the game, Juliet uses a chainsaw to kill zombies which disappear in sparkles. This feature would later influence James Gunn’s stylistic choice for 2021’s Suicide Squad when Harley Quinn goes on a rampage.
In our review, Tuffcub did not come away too impressed by the game, writing, “Lollipop Chainsaw features some of the crudest language ever heard on a video game, barely a moment goes buy without an insult being flung and this is perfectly demonstrated by the first boss battle. Zed, a punk rocker who attacks by uttering curse words which then appear on screen in huge letters and rush towards Juliette. You can literally be killed by the word ‘Cocksucker’.


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The problem was simple: too much of a good thing. "We were seeing lots of pictures of stars in great outfits and couldn't always find a place for them," says senior editor Elizabeth Fenner, who heads up PEOPLE'S fashion coverage. The solution? Expand our one-page Style Watch section to three pages and cover everything from hair to handbags to heels. The makeover begins in this issue on page 75. We've also added to Style Watch a new weekly column called Behind the Seams, by Steven Cojocaru, our West Coast style editor. "We will finally have enough room for the good, the bad and the truly egregious," says Fenner.
She will lean heavily on Cojocaru, who is already putting the heat on his sources to provide great behind-the-scenes fashion dish. "It's just like The Sopranos on TV," he explains, referring to his methods of squeezing out information, "except I'm threatening to take away their stilettos and their python-print hip-huggers." No one said this was a pretty business. (His first column appears on page 77.)
Cojocaru, who grew up in Montreal, was born for style commentary. His mother, Amelia, once was a dressmaker. "She's from the Zsa Zsa Gabor school of fashion," he says. "Imagine lots of fuchsia housecoats with glitter." While attending Concordia University in Montreal, Cojocaru covered parties for the Canadian fashion magazine Flare. In 1991 he moved to Los Angeles and began a freelance writing career that included a style column syndicated in more than 100 newspapers.
Since joining PEOPLE in 1994, Cojocaru has been a fixture at hundreds of East and West Coast parties on the magazine's behalf—always decked out in his own eclectic vintage wardrobe, which includes zebra-patterned bell-bottoms and a cherry-colored fake-fur coat. Over the years he has learned how to chat with the glamorous (his favorites include Minnie Driver, Goldie Hawn and Salma Hayek
) about fashion. "We have great fluffy exchanges about their dresses," he says. "I love it—and it keeps me gainfully employed."
And in vintage shoes.


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- About Us
Women Entrepreneurs Business Council supports efforts to safely reopen the economy
June 22, 2021
According to the World Bank, external shocks over the past 12 months have resulted in an economic contraction of 19 percent in 2020 and a rise in unemployment to 27 percent – the most severe contraction in Fiji’s history.
These numbers are expected to rise given the resurgence of COVID-19 positive cases across Viti Levu and the restricted movement and closure of non-essential businesses since April 17th. Although Fiji is still battling wave 2 of the virus, the Fijian Government has encouraged the reopening of businesses and return of Fijians to jobs through the release of Protocols for COVID-Safe Business Operations, a set of measures designed to minimise the risk of COVID-19.
The protocols require employers to ensure all employees, customers and clients wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and must ensure a two-metre physical distance. Businesses must also set up hand washing stations and provide sanitizers, monitor the temperature of their employees and customers, monitor absenteeism and establish a dedicated isolation room/section to isolate suspected COVID-19 positive cases with referral pathways to the Health Ministry in place. Other requirements to reopen include the provision of transportation for staff using only company owned vehicles and the need for staff to have smartphones with the careFIJI app turned on for contact tracing purposes.
While some businesses have been able to comply with the protocols, the majority of businesses in Nadi, Lautoka, Suva, and Nausori remain closed and are struggling to meet many of the requirements.
Eseta Nadakuitavuki, President of the Women Entrepreneurs Business Council (WEBC) says her members have raised concerns that the protocols were quickly implemented by the Government without consultation with the private sector and the lack of clear communication on the hefty penalties.
“Whilst we understand the need for COVID-safe measures, many women-owned businesses fall under the SME and microenterprises categories and cannot afford the added costs of complying with the protocols or the penalties for non-compliance. We had hoped that businesses would have been given time to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and given support with daily transportation for staff,” said Mrs. Nadakuitavuki
She added that the prolonged period of restricted movement had meant many of WEBC’s members have had little to no sales or income over the past eight weeks.
“The Council is also concerned about the impact the prolonged closure of businesses is having on families who are in dire need of assistance with food, rent and money for other utilities. A few of our members are already struggling to put food on their tables and it would be difficult for them to comply.”
Through Australian Government funding, the Fiji Women’s Fund has provided a Resilience Grant to support WEBC’s “Readiness to Reopen” project. The project aims to create awareness on the protocols, provide advice, and support members with the application and compliance process.
Through a small grants programme, WEBC will also call for expressions of interest from its members that may need help with purchasing PPEs and help with the cost of transportation. WEBC also intends to provide food rations for members that may need them.
Women entrepreneurs share experiences and advice on the protocols
Under its Economic Recovery and Reopening project, WEBC hosted a panel discussion on 17th June to create awareness on the Protocols for COVID-Safe Business Operations, provide practical advice on how to apply and the legal ramifications of non-compliance.
Panellists included President of Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF) Sandeep Chauhan, women entrepreneurs Cathy Wong – Suva Physio Centre, Vera Chute – Value City (SP) Pte Ltd Fiji, Stella Tiko – Pepe & Pepe and Glenis Yee a partner at Munroe Leys law firm.
Physio Therapist Cathy Wong said entrepreneurs should not get easily disheartened by the application process.
“Despite being classed as an essential business, I had to submit my application three times before my business was approved to open. If we want to operate in these difficult times then we must be ready to do all that is needed,” she said.
She advises businesses to honestly submit as much information as possible no matter how small they thought it was.
Vera Chute, a medium-size business owner with 15 recycled clothing stores across Fiji employing close to 200 Fijians, said the process was not an easy one and many of her outlets remained closed.
“We have introduced many measures to minimise any risk such as the allocation of personal utensils for all staff, keeping staff separated in bubbles, spacing out items in the store and increasing cash registers in more locations around the store to avoid lines. We have increased the frequency of our cleaning in all outlets, regularly sanitize all company vehicles and have also taken the initiative to speak with all staff about the importance of vaccinations,” said Ms. Chute.
She added that Value City had adjusted its business model to incorporate online sales which would be introduced soon. She also raised her plea for the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport to consider some flexibility on the transportation requirements for staff saying it would be helpful if businesses could hire van services.
Lawyer Glenis Yee said there were concerns about the hefty penalties that businesses could face if in breach of the protocols. Penalties she said were the same regardless of the size of the business. She said that many businesses were anxious about the spot checks and confused about the appropriate statutory bodies with the authority to enter and shut down businesses deemed non-compliant.
Sandeep Chauhan said FCEF would continue to lobby with the government on private-sector-led solutions to help restart the economy. He said the Federation was ready to support businesses through the process and encouraged business owners to take care of their mental health in these trying times.
WEBC is a subset of the Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation and part of its seven (7) Councils. Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation is established under the Companies Act and is governed by its Memorandum and Articles Association. WEBC’s primary objective is to ensure that the voice of women entrepreneurs in the formal and informal sectors is heard at the policy level. WEBC also provides capacity development and networking opportunities for its members.


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Farmed Salmon investigation
On 19 February 2019, the European Commission announced that it had carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of several companies in the sector of farmed Atlantic salmon. The Commission stated that it had concerns that the inspected companies may have engaged in anti-competitive practices.
Mainly Norwegian producers are reported to be targeted by the Commission, which sent out questionnaires in June 2020 to customers of those under investigation.
Actions for damages
Assuming that the Commission concludes its investigation into the cartel with a decision that there has been an infringement of competition law, it is well established that any person or business affected by the misconduct identified by the Commission may bring the matter before the courts of the member states and seek damages.
Hausfeld is investigating potential claims relating to this cartel. If you believe that you or your business may have been affected and would like to learn more, please contact one of the related lawyers.


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Fallout 76, the latest Bethesda Game Studios creation, enters beta tomorrow for the Xbox One.
The beta will run in specific test phases, expected to be between 4-8 hour windows in which the game will be live. The aim is to stress test the game by maximising the number of players online at the same time.
Start times for the first test phase have been announced (Xbox One only):
UK: 12 midnight - 4am (BST), Wednesday 24th October
Europe: 1am - 5am (CEST), Wednesday 24th October
East Coast US: 7pm - 11pm (ET), Tuesday 23rd October
West Coast US: 4pm - 8pm (PDT), Tuesday 23rd October
The start times for UK and Europe are not ideal, but hopefully some future test phases will be more focused on European time zones.
Beta for the PC and PS4 versions of the game will start next week (October 30th).


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Bank to cut queues with RFID cards
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has this week started testing RFID-equipped payment cards to reduce queues in shops.
The bank is working with MasterCard to test the contactless card payment system at its Edinburgh headquarters.
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UOL's Q3 earnings up 6% at $93.5m
THANKS mainly to higher profit margins and a higher share of profits from joint-venture companies, UOL Group's third-quarter net profit rose 6 per cent to $93.5 million, from $87.8 million a year earlier.
The property and hospitality group's revenue for the July-September
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Turnover is a recurring challenge for some farm equipment dealers seeking stability in their precision farming business. New hires may look to quickly transition into more lucrative roles within a dealership, such as equipment sales, while experienced specialists may depart for less stressful positions with manufacturers.
Colby Reichling, store manager at R-Equipment in Sycamore, Ill., understands the frustration that can come with developing a precision department as well as anyone. Three years ago, the 3-store New Holland dealership group hired a full-time precision farming specialist to sell and service Trimble and New Holland’s Precision Land Management products.
But the hire ended up not being a good fit and for the last year, Reichling has been restructuring the dealership’s precision operations, without a full-time specialist.
“We found that it was hard to justify the cost of a dedicated precision person because it was hard for that individual to be selling when they are spending most of their time servicing and installing other precision equipment,” he says.
“So we implemented a system where 8 of our service technicians throughout our locations handle precision service.”
Reichling says their service technicians are trained on precision technology the same way a specialist would be and having more than one capable employee to service and support hardware gives the dealership flexibility to solve problems in an efficient manner.
It’s also made billing out precision service easier because customers were already used to being charged for mechanical repairs by their service techs. R-Equipment provides one year of free precision service on all new purchases, then charges the shop rate of $88 per hour for future repairs or maintenance.
“Because we’re not relying on one person to handle our entire precision operation, we can service customers a lot faster and this is adding to our bottom line,” Reichling says. “This is improving customer satisfaction with our precision business.”
But not having a dedicated precision specialist can restrict sales growth. Reichling says that the dealership’s entire sales team shares the responsibility of selling hardware, though it’s not necessarily done as proactively as he’d like.
“We do struggle with upselling precision equipment because we don’t have someone exclusively selling those products,” Reichling says. “When we had a precision specialist, he would be responsible for seeking out business, where now we’re relying more on customers coming to us.”
While he hasn’t ruled out hiring another precision specialist in the future, Reichling says he’s going to continue developing the dealership’s current precision business model. As a smaller dealership group relatively new to precision, he admits that it’s difficult to compete with larger, more established dealers in the area.
But for other dealerships in a similar situation, Reichling doesn’t recommend abandoning precision altogether if they don’t have a specialist.
“We know that specialists are hard to come by and it’s a competitive market for talent,” he says. “People leave and that’s the nature of the business, but our advice is don’t rely on one person to run your entire precision department.
“By spreading the responsibility around to parts, sales and service, there is a lot more accountability and reliability in the system, and it’s been working for us.”


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As part of its effort to provide access to finance for small and medium enterprises, SMEs, to grow and expand their businesses, Access Bank Plc has launched a digital lending portal, “Cashflow Loans by Access”, which is a solution for business owners to access loans easily from the comfort of their homes through an online platform while staying safe.
This new service, is accessible to all SME customers who have established sufficient cashflow records with the bank.
Speaking at the launch of the portal, Victor Etuokwu, the bank’s Executive Director, Retail Banking, reiterated the bank’s commitment to impact SMEs positively.
He stated: “In a period like this, when we need to be more present and relevant in the lives of our customers than ever, we have risen to the challenge to ensure business owners have easy access to funds to sustain and expand their businesses while keeping safe. We are committed to not only providing uninterrupted service but superior service to meet the needs of all our customer segments.
“To deliver on our promise to continually give our customers ‘more’, we have developed this efficient digital lending platform which will make loan application more convenient with flexible collateral, favourable interest rates, application tracking, robust customer service and much more.
“We have been focused on providing solutions targeted at boosting the economy because we believe it is our responsibility to contribute to the stimulation of economic growth. With the launch of “Cashflow Loans by Access”, we are renewing our committment to providing the much needed financial support to SMEs.”


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An electric car company is expanding its operations and moving headquarters to Greenville County.
Dash EV, which produces vehicles to expand the carsharing business, made the announcement Wednesday. Dash EV created “Dash,” a 100% electric, solar-charged vehicle. The company’s mission is to provide sustainable mobility that fills a gap between walking, biking and mass transit in cities and on campuses, according to a company news release.
“Dash EV is thrilled to be establishing our headquarters in South Carolina,” said Dash EV founder and CEO Roman Kuropas.
The state’s commitment to green energy and electric vehicles provides an ideal opportunity for the company to provide an affordable, zero-emission carsharing program for the Greenville and Clemson communities to get to school, work, grocery shopping and more, he added.
“We look forward to expanding to other communities in South Carolina, and working with the South Carolina Research Authority, Gov. (Henry) McMaster and the entire state on innovating sustainable transportation — now and in the future,” Kuropas said.
The company’s new operations are set to create 10 additional jobs.
Operations are expected to be online by mid-December. Individuals interested in joining the Dash EV team should visit the company’s website.
“South Carolina has become a hub for innovative automotive companies, and with this announcement, our impressive roster only continues to grow,” McMaster said in the news release. “We welcome Dash EV to South Carolina and look forward to the work they will do here.”
McMaster will host the Governor’s Electric Vehicle Summit today at the AC Hotel Greenville.
Dash EV is a family-owned company that aims to offer transportation services to communities in need and to help lower America's carbon footprint. Its shared and on-demand service complements other existing transportation options on campuses and in neighborhoods and cities, according to the release.
“Dash EV’s innovative combination of electric vehicle technology and carsharing services is a unique concept, and we welcome this cutting-edge company to the Greenville County community,” Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III said in the release. “Dash EV is the type of company that underscores our vision at S.C. Commerce, which is to embrace the future to ensure South Carolina’s sustainable advantage.”
Working with the Greenville County and city officials, the S.C. Research Authority began engaging with Dash EV in 2020. Since then, SCRA has introduced Dash EV to potential partners and clients, culminating in the award of a new relocation grant to bring its headquarters to South Carolina, which will create more technology jobs and opportunities for residents of the state, the release said.
“We are excited to be part of this collaboration that is bringing Dash EV to South Carolina,” Bob Quinn, SCRA executive director, said in the release. “The job creation potential — as well as the prospects for new technologies and innovation— is the result of SCRA working with trusted partners, including the Upstate SC Alliance, Carolinas Alliance 4 Innovation, Greenville Area Development Corp., and South Carolina Department of Commerce.”
The Dash EV headquarters will be at 355 S. Main St. in Greenville, according to the release.
“We welcome Dash EV to our internationally recognized business community and celebrate the culture of innovation and sustainability they bring to Greenville County and our state,” Greenville County Council Chairman and Greenville Area Development Corp. board member Willis Meadows said in the release. “We take pride in being home to their new headquarters and helping advance the next-generation mobility solutions they are developing.”l


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Bandai have confirmed two new Action Figure Kit sets for Star Wars, The Last Jedi.
First is a new Captain Phasma. She most likely be a revision of The Force Awakens version She comes with her new staff/spear weapon.
The other release confirmed is this R2-D2 and C-3PO kit. This is the first time the iconic pairing have been boxed together with C-3PO having been a single release and R2 being packed first with R5-D4 and then with BB8.
Both kits will retail in Japan for the equivalent of £15 / $20. Due to licencing agreements they are not officially allowed to be sold outside of the Japanese market. That will leave collectors relying on imported goods - and that means a bigger price ticket. For me, the best avenue for these models in the UK appears to be 3rd party sellers on Amazon.


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Elon Musk has made it clear to metaverse fans he has no time for the idea of virtual worlds and living life as an avatar.
"I don't know if I necessarily buy into this metaverse stuff," the Tesla CEO said Tuesday, in an interview with satirical site The Babylon Bee. "Although people talk to me a lot about it - Web3."
Hype has been building around the potential of the metaverse, where plots of land have sold for millions of dollars and big brands like Nike have jumped in.
Wall Street has got excited about opportunities in virtual worlds and Web3, the next generation of the internet that underpins the metaverse. Jefferies' analysts believe it has the potential to disrupt almost everything in humans' lives.
Musk is not convinced, and he poked fun at the suggestion people would willingly wear virtual or augmented reality headsets for big chunks of their day, just to wander a futuristic virtual landscape.
"Sure, you can put a TV on your nose," he said, mocking the idea this would actually transport a person into a different world.
The billionaire noted he grew up being told not to sit too close to a television screen, as it was bad for his eyesight - and living in the metaverse means having to wear AR or VR goggles for long stretches.
"I'm like ... uh, what? Is that good for you?" he said.
Musk added he couldn't envisage anyone strapping a screen to their face all day a...


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Cedric Hutchings, Withings wearable company’s CEO gave a statement on the current wearable market off and referred to Smartwatches this is by no means as wearables currently. This is because among other things the bad image, which have Smartwatches due to the low battery life on the wearable market.
The Withings CEO continues a wristwatch on the own Withings Activité, providing an exceptionally long Akkulautzeit up to 8 months. The company combines the classic watch design and high-tech sensors at his product, as they are built in a fitness Tracker.
Hutchings still stresses that wearables in eyes of his company constantly on the wrist are worn and must not ever be removed for charging. Here it enters Moto 360 competing models such as the, which lasts for just once a day. Primarily the company according to CEO not to “Smartwatches”, but on “Smarter Watches” focuses, to put it in his words.
As he speaks during his opinion on the fact that ordinary wristwatches in the pattern of the devices, which must be loaded every day – here wanted to join the company with its first model. More generations will follow and also here the company will evolve.


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Agriculture in brief: Dietary guidelines get update; industry learning opportunities ahead
Newly released dietary guidelines generate mixed reactions
New five-year dietary guidelines, released in late December by USDA, brought strong approval from mainstream beef, dairy and grain organizations, but left other health advocates concerned.
Updated every five years, the guidelines serve as the foundation for federal nutrition policy and shape the recommendations found on USDA's MyPlate graphic.
Nina Teicholz, author and executive director of The Nutrition Coalition, said the new guidelines overlook the fact that 60 percent of the U.S. population already suffers from at least one chronic, diet-related condition.
Ultimately, USDA rejected recommendations from an advisory committee made up of health and medical experts, which advised lower limits on alcohol and added sugars.
AgrAbility announces winter workshops
The Colorado AgrAbility Project will offer a series of winter workshops focusing on different themes. The program is designed for farmers and ranchers struggling with physical or emotional limitations or for professionals who serve that population.
Dates and themes include:
- January 11: Women in Ag
- January 18: Resources for Veterans in Ag
- January 25: Agricultural Mediation.
Each webinar will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
CoBank expects milk prices to stabilize
In 2020, the pandemic caused unprecedented market volatility in dairy prices, leading to lower milk checks for dairy producers. However, an abnormal price spread between certain segments of the market is expected to realign in the first half of 2021, according to a report by CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division.
Extreme volatility in cheese and milk prices resulted from supply chain disruptions, government purchasing and changes in consumption habits during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report.
Most notably, record-high cheese prices lifted Class III milk prices disproportionately higher than Class IV milk prices, which were held in check by low butter and milk powder prices, the report concluded.
Colorado Wine conference planned in January
The virtual VinCO Conference and trade show will be held Jan. 18-22.
Sponsored by Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, the event is the region’s premier opportunity for industry learning.
VinCO is a multi-track, multi-day conference covering viticulture, enology, business and marketing. For more information, go online to ColoradoWineFest.com.
National Western Stock Show offers virtual learning
Though the National Western Stock Show has been postponed until next year, show management is teaming up with Colorado State University and agricultural organizations like Colorado Corn to make the virtual 2021 Ag Adventure Guide available to the general public.
It will allow for the exploration of a different part of Colorado agriculture each day Jan. 9-24.
Meanwhile, many national beef cattle breed shows are being held in conjunction with the inaugural Cattlemen’s Congress at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.
Jarold Callahan, president of Express Ranches and a member of the Cattlemen’s Congress board of directors, said more than 11,000 head of cattle were entered, nearly twice as many entries as Denver drew last year.
In addition to the National Western, the Fort Worth stock show has also been cancelled.
Drone oversight to include ag representation
Several U.S. senators recently applauded the signing into law of bipartisan legislation to ensure the Federal Aviation Administration’s chief drone policy committee includes representation from agriculture, forestry and rural America.
Sens. Gary Peters (D-Michigan), John Thune (R-South Dakota) and Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) said the Drone Advisory Committee for the 21st Century Act requires FAA to provide representation for local government officials, including those from county and tribal governments.
“As technology becomes more sophisticated, farmers will increasingly rely on drones to assess, monitor and manage their farm activities,” Thune said. “Rural areas like South Dakota – where agriculture is the state’s top industry – deserve to have a seat at the table when it comes to making decisions on drone policies and best practices.”
Oklahoma group starts new beef promotion program
Oklahoma’s National Farmers Union affiliate the American Farmers and Ranchers organization has launched a marketing program for producers who want to sell their beef as “Oklahoma certified.”
To earn the distinction, ranchers must prove their animals are bred, born, raised and processed within Oklahoma state borders through an affidavit-based, third party verification system. Once verified, the certified beef products can be marketed to consumers with an official seal from the newly formed Oklahoma Certified Beef Association.
Through pandemic-related meat shortages, the demand for local and direct market beef soared in 2020. The OCBA seal is intended to help new and established businesses distinguish Oklahoma certified products in the marketplace, the group said.
New Conservation Reserve Program sign-up begins
Agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program can sign up through Feb. 12. The competitive program, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provides annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes.
Through CRP, farmers and ranchers establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland.
CRP general signup is held annually and is competitive; general signup includes increased opportunities for wildlife habitat enrollment through the State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement initiative.
New cropland offered in the program must have been planted for four out of six crop years from 2012 to 2017.
Additionally, producers with land already enrolled but expiring on Sept. 30 can re-enroll this year.
The contract for accepted offers will begin Oct. 1.
‘One Health’ approach proposed to prevent another pandemic
The Wildlife Conservation Society — America’s oldest conservation organization, founded in 1895 — has joined 20 other leading conservation groups to ask government leaders “to prioritize protection of highly intact forests and other ecosystems, and work in particular to end commercial wildlife trade and markets for human consumption as well as all illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade,” according to a recent press release.
Experts predict it would cost about $700 billion to institute these and other measures, but it’s estimated that COVID-19 already cost $26 trillion in economic damages.
In November, the German Federal Foreign Office and the Wildlife Conservation Society held a virtual conference called One Planet, One Health, One Future, aimed at heading off the next pandemic. The conference was timed to coincide with the meeting of the world’s economic superpowers, the G20, to urge them to recognize the threat that wildlife-borne pandemics pose, not only to people, but also to the global economy.
The growing invasion of natural environments as the global population soars makes another deadly pandemic a matter of when, not if, experts say, and it could be far worse than COVID-19. The spillover of zoonotic viruses into humans is said to cause some 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases.


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LG has unveiled the 2018 Signature Edition with some flagship specifications that comes much later after its announcement of its first Signature Edition smartphone in December 2017. Dubbed as LG Signature Edition 2018, the smartphone features a Zirconium ceramic back to avoid scratches.
Customers of the V35 ThinQ Signature Edition will also enjoy a live personal assistant along with premium tailor engravable tailor made leather case. Protecting the display is Corning's Gorilla Glass 5. The smartphone is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor coupled with Adreno 630 GPU. The phone packs 256GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 2000GB via a microSD card. There is a 16MP primary sensor with f/1.6 aperture and 71-degree wide-angle lens.
LG has announced a high-end version of the V35. It has been created to meet the MIL-STD 810G standard. It measures 151.7 x 75.4 x 7.3mm and weighs 157 grams.
Connectivity-wise the smartphone offers 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 5 LE, GPS, NFC (Near Field Communication), USB Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack and 32-bit Advanced Hi-Fi Quad DAC (digital-to-analog converter). The device boots Android 8.0 Oreo-based LG UX out of the box. The phone will have a 6-inch AMOLED display and a 3,300mAh battery. This year, LG's new top of the line special edition phone is a V35 ThinQ, but comes with a ceramic body that probably feels incredible to hold. It will be released for self-help and will be sold for 300 units. Chief among these is a set of Bang and Olufsen Beoplay H9i wireless headphones that normally retail separately for US$500. LG allows users to personalize the smartphone by engraving their desired text on to the smartphone. You also shouldn't pick this up even if you could, seeing as how it fetches a whopping 1,999,800 won, roughly equating to $1,780.


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Sometimes you’ve just gotten paid and have dollars to spare; other times, you’re a buck or two short. Some are down on their luck for more than just a few days, while others want to help out their neighbors however they can. All of these can converge over a bacon turkey sandwich and a chai latte at Panera Bread – the chain already has several “Panera Cares” locations that work off a “pay what you want” model, but this week it announced plans to open even more across the United States.
Panera Cares’ sliding-scale model is actually ingenious, and quite similar to Jonathan Stark’s Get a Coffee, Give a Coffee experiment that made waves last year. How it works: Panera posts suggested prices for its sandwiches and café fare, but instead of a cash register, customers are free to pay as little or as much as they want to a cash donation box, no questions asked. The customers who give a little bit more balance out those who come up short, giving those who need a hand a warm and fresh-baked alternative to soup kitchens or other charity options. "My idea was that you should be able to eat a nutritious meal with the same dignity as everyone else, in the same place as everyone else,” Panera founder Ron Shaich told reporters when the model first launched. “It would let you hold your head up high, and rebuild a bit of your confidence."
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There are currently Panera Cares locations in St. Louis, Missouri; Portland, Oregon; and Dearborn, Michigan. This week Panera spokesperson Kate Antonacci told the press that the brand plans to open at least two (and maybe even three) Panera Cares locations by the end of the year. We’ll have to wait a little longer to find out where – the concrete details won’t be announced until Spring – but it’s a heartwarming concept, and we look forward to seeing it spread.
[SOURCE: Huffington Post]


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BECOMING a parent is no easy feat, from pregnancy to learning how to be the sole provider for the smallest being you’ve ever seen – it’s a journey.
And worrying about everything becomes the norm – are they at a healthy weight? Are they socialising well? Is there too much sugar in this snack?
The pair made their own snacks called Freddie’s Farm[/caption]
They praised the TV show Aldi’s Next Big Thing for helping them[/caption]
It’s the snack part that really got to parents Laurie, 35, and Charlie Fermor, 36, who are parents to two beautiful children Freddie, seven, and three-year-old Ottie.
Speaking to The Sun’s Fabulous magazine, the pair recalled how they once found themselves walking around the aisles of a supermarket and were left feeling unimpressed with the selection of snacks available for kids.
Coming from a long line of farmers, Charlie explained that he knew how most of them were produced, too.
“Because I’ve been in food production for a while, I kind of looked at the products and I knew how they were produced,” he shared.
“And I just wasn’t comfortable giving that to my children and I think Laurie was the same.”
He said: “So it was just a no brainer… It was the way to go.”
Laurie shared that they had one of the very first commercial dehydrators in the UK and her husband often helped startups develop their products using the machinery.
“I think we spent some time lobbying for it for other people and we thought, hang on a minute, let’s try it ourselves,” she explained.
After identifying a gap in the market, they set about using Charlie’s knowledge in both farming and manufacturing to create their ideal snack for their kids.
It was a slow process to begin with though as they had grand plans to go wholesale at the time of their launch, but then Covid-19 hit.
Aldi's Next Big Thing Takeaways
- Laurie encouraged people to “just go for it” and apply as there’s nothing to lose and “everything to gain”
- Even if you don’t win, the exposure could bring you a lot of customers
- “Winning isn’t the most important thing. Even if we hadn’t won, we still would have been thrilled,” Laurie said
“Pretty soon after that everything kind of shut down and a couple of wholesalers went bust,” Charlie explained.
They had no choice but to re-evaluate their situation and how they were going to get their product out to people.
He continued: “That came along with the rise of eCommerce and people buying off websites, especially Amazon. We had jumped into that, which really propelled us and we were able to kind of fine tune the product based on people’s feedback pretty quickly.”
One of the biggest things people were after was sustainable packaging, for example, so the pair switched from plastic to recyclable paper.
And then their big break came along.
“One of the producers from the show came up to the stand and said, ‘Please apply’”, Laurie explained.
They were then emailed with a nudge to go on the show, and from there, it “snowballed”.
“We are forever grateful to them for that, because it got our products in front of so many people,” Laurie went on. “That is like winning the lottery for a small business.”
While the couple confessed that being on the show, which is hosted by Anita Rani and Chris Bavin alongside Managing Director of Buying at Aldi, Julie Ashfield, was “terrifying”, they also said it was a “lovely experience”.
I think we’re on track for a seven figure turnover this year and that’s all down to the show
“We did our first three pitches and then found out we were through to the second round. They came to visit us from there…” she added.
When they first started the business, the pair weren’t sure how big it would become, but in the three years since the launch it appears they’ve come incredibly far.
“I think we’re on track for a seven figure turnover this year and that’s all down to the show,” Laurie said.
She went on to share how the experience has opened many doors for them and, if all goes to plan, their product will be going into another major retailer this year.
Applications to go on the show are live currently and Laurie key piece of advice on it is: “Just go for it, you’ve got absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.
“I think when we did it, we thought we’d never get on it, let alone win it.”
She continued: “Even if you don’t win, you’ll have this wonderful exposure on TV.
“I think the runners up probably had better online sales than us, because people would go in store and buy our products while they saw their website crashing from so much traffic. They made huge online sales and it is a huge exposure.
“Winning isn’t the most important thing. Even if we hadn’t won, we still would have been thrilled.”
Aldi is calling for small businesses/food and drink entrepreneurs to star in the series. Entries close on 12th June.
My mummy side hustle was picked up by Aldi – now it’s worth six-figures… and your hobby could be[/caption]


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Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One: Scarif DLC Plagued with Problems
Looks like of all the Battlefront DLC, Scarif is the rogue one.
Released this month to coincide with the hype-wave for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the Scarif DLC for Star Wars: Battlefront has arrived, but not without fault.
Scarif is the last DLC pack to be released for Battlefront, and brought with it two new heroes, a new Infiltration game mode, and a huge patch for the base game. It has also caused a lot of trouble for purchasers, with a large list of bugs across all platforms being tracked by developers, including an issue that causes owners of previously released DLC to lose access to their purchased content.
For some season pass owners, previous DLC packs have been locked. EA has issued a workaround, citing a reissued license as the root of the problem. Other users have reported an inability to unlock hutt contracts for the medical droid, an exploit on the U-Wing phase of the new Infiltration mission, sonic imploder kills not registering, and challenges resetting or not responding to in-game actions. Multiple users have even reported an issue in which the mission-critical U-Wing is marked as 10,000m away, meaning rounds in that state can never end.
If you think it might be a good idea to hold out for a while before picking up the Scarif DLC, maybe our gameplay video will tide you over.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.
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Pender said: “Pubs are a fantastic sector that employs people and creates jobs and they deserve more Government support.”
Focusing on the well-documented issue of business rates that have hit some operators hard, he told The Morning Advertiser (MA): “I’d like to see a total re-evaluation of the business rates system. We need a tax system that taxes online businesses and big economy businesses, like Amazon, in the same way as bricks and mortar companies. We need a total reclassification of business rates with people from RICS, BBPA and UKHospitalty involved, it needs to be discussed by an open committee.”
He said the closures he has seen recently in pubs and casual dining are “unprecedented”, adding “as an operator, I have never been offered so many vacant businesses”.
Pender said: “Just a year ago, chains like Byron were doing really well, now they and other chains like Prezzo and Jamie Oliver are closing sites."
“That said, we do have to stay positive despite the closures as there are a lot of people doing really well. We don’t want to be too maudlin or endanger those businesses.”
Responding to Pender’s comments at the event, Keith Knowles OBE, chief executive and founder of Beds & Bars, told MA: “We’ve seen £650,000 was ripped out of my businesses bottom line by additional Government rates, mainly business rates. One of my sites in Newquay has been re-evaluated up by 135%. Another of my sites in London has seen its rates valuation increase by 404%.
“As a result, only a third of my managers [in the UK] got their bonus. In Europe, all my managers got their bonuses. The rates re-evaluations are killing businesses.”
Responding to tweets about Pender’s on-stage statement, Kate Nicholls chief executive of UKHospitality tweeted: "Absolutely right – that failure prevents investment in people, jobs, growth and communities."


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Berry Global Group (NYSE:BERY) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The industrial products company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.37, MarketWatch Earnings reports. Berry Global Group had a return on equity of 32.39% and a net margin of 5.06%.
BERY traded down $0.65 during trading on Friday, reaching $54.50. 6,345 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,472,671. The company has a market capitalization of $7.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.51, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.72. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $50.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $47.82. Berry Global Group has a fifty-two week low of $25.00 and a fifty-two week high of $57.94.
Several brokerages recently weighed in on BERY. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Berry Global Group from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Berry Global Group from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Berry Global Group from $52.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Berry Global Group from $62.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Berry Global Group from $56.00 to $64.00 in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Berry Global Group currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $61.31.
Berry Global Group, Inc manufactures and supplies non-woven, flexible, and rigid products. Its Consumer Packaging International segment offers narrow neck blow molded and injection-stretch molded packaging solutions; injection molded and thermoformed pails, jars, and tubs; closures, dispensing systems, and applicators; inhalers and dose counters; polythene films; and molds and molded components, as well as recycles rigid and flexible end of life materials from industrial and consumer sources.
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Note from Editor: TopRank Account Manager, Jolina Pettice recently attended the ad:tech conference in Chicago. Along with her formidable knowledge gathering and networking duties, Jolina is sharing notes and observations on a few of the sessions. Enjoy!
The second keynote speech at ad tech Chicago included a panel of leading marketing folks discussing how to build great brands in the digital age.
The panelists, including those below, shared their insight on building brands such as YouTube.com, Ponitac Sunfire, McDonalds and its recent collaboration with Shrek and the like:
Marc Landsberg, President, Arc Worldwide
Suzie Reider, Head of Advertising Sales, YouTube.com
Tor Myhren, Executive Creative Director, Executive VP, Leo Burnett Detroit
Robert Leverone, VP, Television, Dow Jones
An overarching theme of ad:tech this week was how to engage prospects and consumer in conversation with company and/or client brands.


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Xiaolang Zhang allegedly planned to work for a Chinese self-driving car startup and booked a last-minute flight out of the country after downloading the circuit board plan.
Apple’s self-driving vehicle competitors Uber (UBER) and Waymo were locked in a lengthy court battle over the theft of Waymo trade secrets by an engineer who later worked for Uber.
Previously: Uber settles with Alphabet's Waymo for $245M (Feb. 9)
Now read: Apple: Not Priced For Buybacks Boost »
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Pakistan's sugar exports to China top $18 million in first half of 2023
BEIJING, July 24 (Gwadar Pro) - Pakistan’s exports of sugars and sugar confectionery crossed $18 million in the first six months of 2023, according to data received from the General Administration of Customs of China, said Ghulam Qadir, Commercial Counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing.
Qadir said that this export achievement this year demonstrates the country's commitment to economic growth and trade diversification. The growing demand for Pakistani sweets in the Chinese market reflects the high quality and authenticity of these products, along with strengthened trade relations between the two nations.
“As Pakistan continues building on this success, there are bright prospects for further export growth and strengthened bilateral cooperation, heralding a sweet future for both countries,” he added.
Qadir explained that Chinese consumers have shown increasing interest in unique and exotic treats from around the world, and Pakistani sweets have become popular due to their rich flavors and traditional recipes. The authentic taste and stringent quality standards of Pakistani confectionery have established a niche market for these products in China.
He further said that exports of chemically pure sucrose (community code 17019910) to China remained at $18.11 million, while last year during the same period it was only $0.6 million. The total export of sugars and sugar confectionery to China reached $18.22 million from January-June 2023.
Qadir emphasized that to maintain their competitive edge in the Chinese market, Pakistani exporters have focused on stringent quality control and compliance with international standards. Adhering to Chinese government regulations is vital for the sustained success of exports. By prioritizing quality and safety, Pakistani exporters can build consumer trust in China and solidify their market position.


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Here’s a number – 2,000. That’s how many donors we need this fall to stay on track. Can we count on you?
The U.S. had banned the import of fresh lemons from Argentina for 16 years, citing risk of citrus diseases.
Back in April, President Trump met with the president of Argentina.
“I’ll tell him about North Korea, and he’ll tell me about lemons,” Trump said. Days later, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would lift the ban starting today.
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The USDA estimates the new supply will push down the price of lemons a couple of pennies. U.S. consumers could save $22.4 million on their collective lemon purchases.
But for U.S. citrus farmers, “We get nailed. We get nailed,” said Joel Nelsen, president of California Citrus Mutual, a trade group.
The USDA estimates lifting the ban will cost domestic lemon growers as much as $19.9 million.
For economists, the trade calculation is simple.
“You aggregate gains to consumers and losses to producers,” said John Beghin, professor of agricultural economics at NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. In this case, the net welfare gain to the U.S. of Argentine lemons is about $2.5 million.
But, for the citrus growers, the math isn’t so straightforward.
“It’ll effect the ability of some producers to stay in business. It just will,” Nelsen said.
California citrus producers worry the fruit still carries a disease risk and have filed a lawsuit against the USDA in federal court.
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The Kiwanis Club of Greater Turlock hosted its annual holiday shopping spree for children at Kohl's on Tuesday.
Thirty children, from fourth to sixth grades, were aided by adult volunteers and members of the Kiwanis Club to pick out clothes. Later, the children were treated to a free meal at Chili’s.
Coordinator Mary Ann Urrutia has been involved with the event since 2004, and believes that the shopping spree's success is due to the community involvement.
“This is the one treat they get; just the look on their faces, smiling and excited. We work all year for this, and the community helps. We are giving back to the community,” Urrutia said. “We strive to do that.”


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In somewhat of a surprise, Apple CEO Tim Cook says that users may eventually be able to delete some stock iOS apps.
He discussed the subject in a recent interview with BuzzFeed:
“This is a more complex issue than it first appears,” he says. “There are some apps that are linked to something else on the iPhone. If they were to be removed they might cause issues elsewhere on the phone. There are other apps that aren’t like that. So over time, I think with the ones that aren’t like that, we’ll figure out a way [for you to remove them]. … It’s not that we want to suck up your real estate; we’re not motivated to do that. We want you to be happy. So I recognize that some people want to do this, and it’s something we’re looking at.”
I’ve never had an issue with the number of stock apps installed on the iPhone or iPad – I throw them in a specific folder and never think about them again.
But the number of pre-installed apps has definitely increased lately, especially with both the Podcasts and Apple Watch app. And I know a number of users who prefer to delete apps they never plan on using. While I don’t think you’ll ever be able to delete all of the stock apps from your iOS device, even just being able to delete a select few would be a nice gesture. Maybe we’ll get the chance starting with iOS 10?
In the interview, Cook also said Apple was careful to weigh the privacy issues of the always-on “Hey Siri” feature of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Users can interact with the personal assistant at any time without needing to press the home button.
“First you can decide you don’t want Hey Siri,” Cook responds. “But the real answer to that is that the information is held on the device and so it is not going back to Apple. Apple doesn’t have access to it. So there’s not privacy concerns I think, for most people, when the information is held on their device and they can encrypt it with their passcode.”
“Hopefully people will look at our stance on privacy in general and know that we’re not trying to operate outside of a fairly distinct line that we’re drawing,” Cook elaborates. “I hope that people trust us to do the right thing there.”
The entire article is definitely an interesting read as Cook, along with Apple’s Eddy Cue and Greg Joswiak, make a surprise (and somewhat chaotic) visit to a Manhattan Apple Store. I think it’s great to see that Cook seems to truly enjoy getting out to visit customers and employees.
For other news today, see: Hurry, get your free Super Hexagon from the Apple Store app, Launch Center Pro gains a Today widget and more, and Just like the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the iPad mini 4 sports 2GB of RAM.


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Grand Theft Auto 5 shines with its PS5 upgrades throughout PlayStation Showcase 2021. Sadly, there’s a catch. Seen in motion throughout PlayStation Showcase, the GTAV remaster for PS5 exhibits Michael, Franklin and Trevor again on the streets trying higher than ever. The trailer additionally teases a lot sooner hundreds for fast character adjustments.
GTA V: we all know the discharge date on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Collection X/S
Nonetheless, the free replace introduced for November 11, 2021 will lastly happen in March 2022. We are going to remind, earlier Sony stated that GTA V will run on the PlayStation 5 in 4K at 60 frames per second. We nonetheless hope to at all times have the surprises deliberate for the 20th anniversary of GTA three on October 22.
PlayStation 5 video games will rise in worth quickly
In line with the previous head of PlayStation, video games for the PlayStation 5 console could quickly rise in worth. That is as a result of rising price of manufacturing new video video games.
In line with Shawn Layden, the price of creating video video games for brand spanking new platforms doubles with every era of consoles. He said that the price of creating AAA-grade video games for the PlayStation 5 might be round $ 200 million. Although that is already an enormous quantity, Leiden believes that it’ll proceed to develop.
Furthermore, he stated that giant recreation growth studios and even some impartial studios in order to their very own monetary stability should implement a technique that he known as “danger mitigation.” Most corporations might be extra in creating sequels to present video games, relatively than creating utterly new initiatives based mostly on unique eventualities.
Sean Leiden said that the PlayStation 5 and its video games will evolve all through its lifecycle. The console will quickly have fun a yr because it hit the market with the unique Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7 and the brand new God of Warfare.
The PlayStation 5 lastly confirmed its energy with God of Warfare: Ragnarok
Sony right now unveiled a full recreation trailer for the brand new action-adventure God of Warfare: Ragnarok, which is being created in the PlayStation four and PlayStation 5 variations.
The trailer was recorded on PlayStation 5, and it exhibits us cutscenes and actual recreation moments. God of Warfare: Ragnarok will run at 60Hz on the PlayStation 5; and supply higher visuals than the PlayStation four model.
As Sony stated, in the continuation of the God of Warfare relaunch, it is possible for you to to go to utterly new locations, together with Asgard. New places crammed with secrets and techniques will even seem in beforehand visited worlds.


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ArrivaClick are proud to announce a new on-demand minibus service to launch in Watford from 23rd March.
Adam Toone, Business Development Director, said: "We’re excited to launch the ArrivaClick service with Watford, who should be applauded for their forward-thinking approach to addressing connectivity issues. Commuters will be able to download the app and start using the service on the 23rd March 2020”.
The new service will mean improved connectivity between Watford Junction, only 20 minutes away from London Euston, and local points of interest including Watford town centre, Croxley business park and the major tourist attraction of Warner Brother Studios, home of the Harry Potter studio tour.
Seven buses, that can seat up to 15 people, will be introduced within a defined operating zone. Journey prices range from £1 to £2.50 per mile depending on the time of day and further discounts are available to regular users via weekly passes and credit bundles.
- Monday to Thursday 6am to 10pm
- Friday and Saturday 6am to 11pm
- Sunday 8am to 9pm
The buses are fully accessible, with front kerbside double door access and a low-level fold-out wheelchair ramp. Passengers can pre-register as a wheelchair user. There will also be space for pushchairs. Journeys can be booked via a smartphone app using technology provided by ioki, DB's smart on-demand mobility business. Each bus will have comfortable seating, tables, free Wi-Fi, USB chargers and air conditioning ensuring a clean, comfortable and safe method of public transport.
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “Introducing new, greener ways to travel around the town is one of my top priorities. I am delighted to be announcing a demand responsive bus scheme for Watford and am confident that ArrivaClick will be a real success in our town, offering a great alternative to the car. I am looking forward to welcoming the first buses to Watford and joining local people next year in using them to get around.”