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Players of all ages are scooping up copies of the game The Last of Us, which has been out for almost ten years now, thanks to the success of the recently released HBO adaptation of the popular game series The Last of Us. This has caused a significant rise in sales for the much-loved title.
Fans of the video game as well as people who just watch a lot of television have already fallen in love with the characters, the world, and the photography in The Last of Us, which has just started airing on HBO.
It would appear that many are turning back to their PlayStations and firing up both of The Last of Us video games as a direct result of the success of the newly adapted version of television. In addition to this, thousands of new customers are signing up every single day as a direct result of the increasing sales.
The Last of Us is on Top 20 Best-Selling Video Games in UK
Recent reports from Games Industry.biz indicate that the number of people purchasing the first game has increased dramatically. Sales of “The Last of Us Part I” increased by an astounding 238% week-on-week in the UK, propelling the game into the Top 20 games for the region overall.
This achievement was achieved particularly in the UK. In a similar vein, the remastered PlayStation 4 edition of the first game has saw a tremendous surge in sales, with a sales jump of 322%.
These stats are astounding in and of themselves, but they become much more so when one takes into consideration the fact that The Last of Us is almost ten years old as a video game.
And despite the fact that sales of the second game have not yet skyrocketed to these figures, we will make sure to keep you updated if the second title is handled in a manner comparable to the first. On the other hand, due to the contentious nature of The Last of Us Part II, there is a possibility that it will only be the first game that players and new fans will get involved in.


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Oprah Winfrey is launching her own refrigerated food line, and I'm starting to wonder if there truly is anything on this planet that she can't do.
For $4.49-$4.99, you can snag a pre-made package from O, That's Good!, which of course is the name of her line, according to a press release from Business Wire. The products are in limited release at some grocery stores but should pop out nationwide in October 2017.
Oh, and because Oprah is a magical philanthropist, 10 percent of the line's profits will go toward hunger-fighting charities like Rise Against Hunger and Feeding America.
The line is starting off with four soups and four sides meant to be healthy spins on comfort food (free of artificial additives) like three cheese pasta and garlic mashed potatoes. By using some creative substitutions, such as adding pureed cauliflower to the mashed potatoes and swapping out some of the cheese in the broccoli cheddar soup for butternut squash, Oprah is hoping to make healthy eating as easy as can be.
"I love healthy foods and eating from my garden," she said, according to Business Wire. "When Kraft Heinz approached me for a food line, what got my attention is making nutritious comfort foods more accessible to everyone. This product line is real, delicious food with a twist. You'll feel good about serving it for your family."
As Delish notes, Oprah has been a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers and frequently speaks publicly about her many weight loss journeys she has taken over the years.
The motivation for the new food line, said Nina Barton, SVP of Marketing, Innovation and Research and Development for the U.S. business at Kraft Heinz, is to "drive excitement … with convenient soups and sides made with real ingredients and easy preparation" in the refrigerated section, a department that she said has been thriving, notes Business Wire.
"We are thrilled to bring our collective vision to life with O, That's Good! Soups and Sides," Barton said. "With Oprah's partnership, we're delivering unbeatable taste and quality that is sure to please everyone at the table."

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ESPN and advertising agency 77 Ventures have released a brand new hilarious campaign.
The videos present ESPN Radio, which will introduce to the latest sports news, whether they are good or bad. And opposite to the real life, the critique that athletes are receiving from the witty hosts is a normal thing. The creatives have pulled off these ads, that compare the real life conversations with those on air.
Watch the ads and have a good laugh.


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The farm ministry plans to crack down on deliberate mislabeling of food by introducing prison terms of up to one year and increasing maximum fines, ministry officials said Friday.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry wants to beef up the punishment for falsely labeling food under the Japanese Agricultural Standards Law in light of the recent rash of meat-mislabeling scandals, the officials said.
In addition to the threat of imprisonment, the maximum fine of 500,000 yen would be raised to 1 million yen for individuals and 100 million yen for companies, according to the officials.
The ministry is also planning to release the names of companies that violate the law.
Currently, the ministry can only divulge such information if the guilty firm gives its consent.
“One reason why this law has not been strictly followed is because penalties for offenders are so lax,” agriculture minister Tsutomu Takebe acknowledged during his regular news conference Friday.
Ministry officials have also said that there are not enough inspectors to check labels against contents.
The ministry plans to draw up a bill to revise the law by the end of April and hopes to secure Diet passage during the current session, which runs until June 19, the officials said.
The discovery of Japan’s first case of mad cow disease last fall shed light on the fact that a number of domestic companies, including Snow Brand Foods Co., have long been deceiving consumers by selling cheaper products bearing the labels of more high-quality brands.
In a devastating scandal, it was discovered that Snow Brand Foods included imported meat in shipments of domestic meat being bought up by the government in the wake of the mad cow disease outbreak.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


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ZOOPLA EXPANDS COMMS CAPABILITIES
Zoopla has scaled up its external communications team with the appointment of Tom Parker as head of communications and Melissa Scarlett as PR manager for B2B and corporate activity.
The appointments follow Zoopla’s acquisition by private equity firm Silver Lake and the creation of a new executive team.
Parker has joined from Amazon, where he was senior corporate communications manager. At Zoopla he will be responsible for leading external media strategy for trade, corporate and consumer audiences, providing an integrated programme of activity that aligns with the company’s sales and marketing activities.
Scarlett was associate director at Edelman, where she specialised in corporate communications for blue-chip clients in the real estate sector.
Parker and Scarlett will build on Zoopla’s consumer PR programme which is delivered by Consumer PR Manager, Tim Vooght.
Chief marketing officer Gary Bramall said, “Over the last year we’ve been hard at work building a business that comprises a range of impressive individuals with experience in disruptive sectors to reflect our ambitions of becoming the UK’s #1 property destination. With their respective backgrounds in technology and real estate, both Tom and Melissa are a central component to how we continue to communicate the benefits of our business and our successes as we achieve them.”
Parker commented, “Zoopla is a fantastic brand with unrivalled data, insight and expertise and plays a vital role for buyers, sellers, renters and landlords alike. I’m delighted to join the company and am hugely excited about working with such a forward-thinking leadership team as we harness our abilities to transform the UK property market.”


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LAST Friday, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, in collaboration with the Youth Training and Employment Partnership Program (YTEPP), launched a functional digital literacy program.
It was so well received by the public that the recording was almost at capacity on Saturday, the ministry said in a press release on Saturday.
Digital Transformation Minister Hassel Bacchus said that while he was not surprised by the adoption, he was encouraged by the response from the public, who welcomed the opportunity for personal advancement with open arms and national.
The functional digital literacy program is in its first cycle and will be followed by many other ministry offerings as part of its suite of digital skills projects. It relies on partnerships with training and development agencies and organizations to deliver this program.
As the ministry’s digital skills program expands during the year, digital literacy courses for intermediate and advanced participants will be rolled out, working with organizations with which the GoRTT has already entered into company agreements, as well as with other vocational training providers, the ministry said.
Different demographic groups will be targeted, using specialized delivery formats and classes for people over 65 and for younger students. These will cover a variety of topics including robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR).
“We are working ‘towards our digital future’, and a big part of our vision is to provide opportunities for as many of our employees as possible to interact with technology in meaningful ways, to understand the capabilities of smart devices that we use, and feel empowered to participate in the digital world,” Bacchus said.
In its first stage, the Functional Digital Literacy course with YTEPP Limited will be available in a fully online format and will focus on topics such as: using the computer to access the internet safely; effectively use the Internet and send electronic mail (e-mail); create a Microsoft Word document; use Microsoft at the basic level; complete and submit online forms; and the use of online government services.
According to the findings of the 2021 Digital Inclusion Survey conducted by the Trinidad and Tobago Telecommunications Authority (TATT), more than 70% of households have working fixed broadband internet service (internet subscription fixed).
The cultural change that the Ministry of Digital Transformation aims to achieve is citizens’ understanding of the potential and uses of the Internet as a basic good/service, and harnessing its creative and economic potential for digital transformation. , the ministry said.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation and YTEPP Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in providing digital and life skills training for 1,000 citizens initially. The delivery of the virtual course “Functional Digital Literacy” is done via the Moodle online platform.
For enrollees who do not have access to e-learning devices, such as desktop or laptop computers, or a reliable internet connection, arrangements will be made for them to use the Access Centers Ministry ICT and YTEPP Centers located in Trinidad and Tobago.
Many more people will be able to take advantage of the free digital training as the program scales up significantly in the coming weeks and months, the ministry said.
Bacchus was appointed Minister of Digital Transformation on July 12, 2021, after serving as Minister at the Ministry of Public Administration and Digital Transformation from August 2020.
For more information on the digital literacy program and additional digital skills training, individuals can visit the ministry’s website at www.mdt.gov.tthttp://www.mdt.gov.tt.


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By Greg Hazley
Social media for a large company should be about listening, participating and ultimately taking consumers somewhere, said Janet Swaysland, senior VP of global communications for Monster.com, in an interview with SmartBrief.
Swaysland, who discussed SM's place in a large company like Monster, noted a good place to start in the space is simply by listening. She sees SM as a way to extend what the company is doing and "activate" Monster's 5,600 employees.
"Our strategy really is to be tuned into the conversation, participate in the conversation, and ultimately take our customers somewhere as as result," she said.
She also discusses where SM fits into a large corporate communications aparatus, the importance of keeping a SM policy in place, and other companies that she thinks are doing it well:


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Does Volkswagen recognize that this model is a failure? What happens to the recently launched electric SUV5 July 2021
Volkswagen is looking to diversify its range of electric cars and has scheduled several launches in the coming years. But he doesn’t seem to be successful with everything he’s put on the market so far.
Volkswagen ID.4 is an electric model launched by the Germans last autumn. A few months after that, the manufacturer can draw a conclusion about the interest in this model and it seems that these conclusions are not the best. A group official acknowledges that he is not currently profitable.
“The car for millions of people, not for millionaires” – as Volkswagen praised the ID.4 model, would not have reached its maximum level of efficiency in the manufacturing process yet. ie. As a result, the company cannot open for the time being.
The irony is that the ID4 model, sent to dealers’ representatives since the end of last year, could have competed for the title of Car of the Year in the world and â¢ i cÃ Â¢ Ã â¢ tige. The SUV is the second electric model of the Germans, after ID3., But it seems that the success in his case, unlike its predecessor, comes harder.
The explanations came from Thomas Ulbrich, head of development for Volkswagen passenger cars.
“It’s not just a matter of developing the machine, but it’s also related to the pace of work in the plant. Everything is new, we have not reached the maximum level of efficiency in the manufacturing process, and so on, âThomas Ulbrich told Automotive News.
Specialists consulted by Automotive News believe that there are other reasons why the new ID.4 is not profitable.
“Volkswagen certainly has the best of intentions, but it will find that as it reduces assembly costs, it will increase the percentage of the cost of the battery, represented by raw materials. These raw materials are minerals from the earth, and their price increases with demand. This is a hard lesson for car manufacturers accustomed to reducing costs as volume increases. These are not assembly costs; are mineral costs, and the price of minerals does not work that way, âsaid Eric Noble, a representative of a consulting firm.
The new ID.4 model is a compact class SUV, developed on the MEB platform of the group, the same one on which ID.3 was created.


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New Milkshake Flavors at Campbell Creamery!
This event has already passed
This Friday Campbell and Willow Glen Creamery will be introducing brand new milkshake flavors! With our new milkshake release, there will be a new smaller 12oz size, and new protein shakes! (featured above) Try all three protein shakes: Strawberry Banana, Mighty Mocha and Chocolate Peanut Butter!


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Computers for $10 and bags of toys for $4.
Bargains like these drew adults and children alike to the 10th annual Rotary Annual Garage Sale (RAGS) Saturday at the Kitsap Fairgrounds Pavilion and Van Zee Building. The event needed two buildings and an outdoor area to display all of the items for sale.
People bought an array of items including computers, televisions, tools, sporting goods, exercise equipment, dishes, artwork, furniture, books and clothes.
First-time event chairman Greg Rogers, of the South Kitsap Rotary, was pleased with the turnout.
I think roughly 5,000-7,000 people came out Saturday, Rogers said.
Five local Rotary clubs sponsored the annual event including Bremerton Noon, East Bremerton, South Kitsap, Silverdale Noon and Silverdale Sunrise.
RAGS brought in $35,000 for the five clubs. It was back in October that planning began for the event.
This was about an average year for us, Rogers said.
The Rotary clubs share the profits from RAGS. The money goes toward community projects, Rotary scholarships and the exchange student program.
Jeanni Judt and her mother traveled from Belfair to shop at RAGS for the first time.
My best friends mom comes here every year, so we figured why not, Judt said.
Judt was not looking for any item in particular, but found clothes and other items that appealed to her.
If something catches my eye, Ill buy it, Judt said.
More than a hundred Rotarians donned bright green shirts to work as cashiers and security for the event. Silverdale Noon Rotarian Jo Schaefer sold floral goods.
The crowd turnout is great, Schaefer said. People get some real bargains. Its incredible.
Schaefer has worked at RAGS in the past and enjoys the event.
I wish I could shop, Schaefer chuckled.
Rotarians also had a silent auction and raffle. Auction items included paintings, U.S. Navy memorabilia, telescopes, rugs and benches.
Unsold items at RAGS go to local charities including the Benedict House in Bremerton and the Bremerton Boys & Girls Club.
The usable items go to charity, Rogers said. Just a handful goes to the garbage.
Rogers will serve as RAGS event chairman next year. Rotarians will host a meeting to discuss what went well at this years RAGS and what should change for future events.
This was my learning curve, Rogers said with a smile.


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Put the date in your diary, Monday 20th July, as the Footy Boots Football Boot Awards are back.
After the amazing success of last year’s competition, the original and best football boot industry awards will be up and running in just over a week and we’re expecting a flood of votes as you decide on which football boots are worthy of the title of Footy Boots Awards Winners.
Always looking to keep things fresh and exciting, we’ve decided to make some changes to the categories so this year’s list looks like this:
Populist Football Boot of the Year
At the Oscars, they have Best Film. At Footy Boots, it’s Best Football Boot. Quite simply, the Daddy!
Panel Football Boot of the Year
Aside from mass sales and mass appeal, our expert panel will be choosing their favourite football boot by considering price, performance, safety, technology, style, longevity and innovation.
Safest Football Boot of the Year
It’s all very well if your football boots look the business, but not so great if you are continually getting injured. You will reward the brand that has our safety at heart.
Outrageous Football Boot of the Year
The category that would be described on TV News as….. and finally. Why, because it’s fun. We’ve seen some extraordinary boots over the last 12 months. Sure to be keenly contested.
Most Innovative Feature
It can’t be too long now before universities start offering courses on football boot technology. There’s just so much of it. But what is the single most outstanding feature that has caught your eye?
Football Shirt of the Year
What a year it’s been for football shirts. Glitzy reveals, major campaigns, stunning images and serious debate. Shirt nominations supplied by the football shirt website, Football Shirt Culture.
So a week away from the start of voting, the questions begin. Can Nike repeat their domination of last year? Can the other brands, led by adidas and PUMA, come back at them? Will the panel vote reflect the public’s view? Has anyone entered Newcastle United’s away kit for 2009 / 10 in next year’s awards already!
Keep checking back on Footy Boots over the next few days as we reveal more details about the Football Boots Awards 2009 and don’t forget the all-important date of Monday 20th July when the voting gets underway.


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Behind The Wheel: High Demand, And High Prices For Cars New And Used In Wake Of PandemicPeople are hungry to get behind the wheel these days, but buying a new vehicle is a big challenge – because they’re so hard to find.
Automakers Report Best US March Sales In 16 YearsFord, Honda, Fiat Chrysler, Nissan, Hyundai and General Motors all reported increases, largely driven by SUVs and trucks.
Automakers Post Healthy February Sales GainsAutomakers posted big U.S. sales gains in February as consumers returned to showrooms after a snowy January.
Auto Industry Ends 2015 On A Very Strong NoteCar and truck sales set a new record in 2015, narrowly edging out the previous record--17.4 million, set in 2000.
Black Friday Boosts November Car SalesChrysler sales rise 20 percent. GM sales up 6 percent. Ford sales drop 2 percent.
Car And Truck Sales Show Strong--But Uneven--October GrowthChrysler sales rise 22 percent. Best October since 2001. GM sales were flat. Ford sales dropped 2 percent, on tight pickup inventories.
Solid September Car Sales Set Stage For Strong Close To YearGM and Chrysler sales increase 19 percent. Ford sales drop 3 percent.
Truck Deals Help Boost US Auto Sales In SeptemberSeptember sales won't be as hot as August, the best month in eight years, but industry analysts still expect them to be strong.
Some Fear Auto Industry Returning To Bad HabitsAs the auto industry strives to sustain its post-recession comeback, car companies are resorting to tactics that some experts warn will lead to trouble down the road.
Rebounding Auto Industry Should Give Boost To Auto ShowAs the Chicago Auto Show begins rolling into town, there are signs that an industry on a bumpy road might finally be turning a corner.
County Board Set To Vote On Preckwinkle's BudgetThe Cook County Board is holding a special meeting to vote on President Toni Preckwinkle’s 2012 budget.
Auto Sales Revving Up After SlumpAnalysts say consumer confidence has helped drive the surge in sales, which could be even better in 2011.


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Five countries where the governments are seriously promoting the production and buying of electric cars.
Top 5: Countries taking strides towards greener transportation
This country, with a population of more than 1.3 billion, has made electric cars a national priority. It plans to put more than one million EVs on the road every year by 2015 and 10 million electric cars and buses by 2020, helped by a 100 billion yuan (Dh58bn) injection into the local industry. Foreign car makers such as Volkswagen and BMW are joining local car makers to help develop the technology. In addition, the government has set subsidies for buyers and has starting building charging infrastructure in various cities.
The government has ambitious targets to have 10 per cent of all its cars be EVs by 2020, meaning about 250,000 vehicles. To do this, it is offering €5,000 in incentives for car buyers as well as exempting them from the Vehicle Registration Tax. Meanwhile, the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) is providing about 3,500 home and public charging stations across the country, while Renault-Nissan has agreed to supply its electric cars - most notably, the Nissan Leaf - and set up pilot projects for other EVs there.
This European giant is delving into electric cars, and has allocated billions of euros towards research and development, along with offering tax rebates and free parking for electric car owners. But Germany is also looking beyond electrons, investing heavily in a hydrogen fuel infrastructure. The government, along with the car company Daimler, is subsidising the building of 20 hydrogen filling stations across the country, with plans for 1,000 stations in 10 years, with an eye towards the eventual introduction of fuel-cell powered cars.
California-based Better Place partnered with the Israeli government to install more than 1,000 charging stations for EVs in car parks in various cities across the country. The company also has battery swapping stations to allow quick "refills" for specially prepared Fluenze saloons from Renault, with whom Better Place has signed a partnership agreement. The business model has consumers buying an electric car but renting the battery off Better Place, thus lowering the cost of the car itself.
The computing company Oracle has teamed up with a consortium of Portuguese companies to form Mobi.E, an organisation dedicated to setting up charging stations in a smart-grid-type application across the country. So far, it has set up more than 1,300 slow-charging stations and 50 fast-charging stations in Portugal. The country already produces about 43 per cent of its electricity through renewable sources, and the government has also offered incentives of up to Dh36,731 for electric car buyers.


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Having sailed past $200 million at the global box office with relative ease, landing Warner Bros.’ biggest domestic opening weekend since October 2019’s Joker in the process, it’s looking increasingly likely that Denis Villenuve’s Dune sequel will be officially announced in short order.
The filmmaker wasn’t happy about the sci-fi epic being sent to HBO Max the same day it hit theaters, but a stronger than expected $40 million first frame assuaged many doubts that a day-and-date streaming release would severely impact the movie’s chances of success.
HBO Max has never revealed any official viewing figures, but third-party aggregator Samba TV regularly unveils data from customers using the company’s software. As it turns out, Dune managed to top Zack Snyder’s Justice League in its first weekend on the platform, but not by much.
As per Variety, the latest adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel drew in 1.8 million subscribers on Samba-enabled televisions, a shade above the Snyder Cut’s 1.7 million. That’s still way behind the 2.6 million garnered by Godzilla vs. Kong, The Suicide Squad‘s 2.8 million and Mortal Kombat‘s 3.8 million, but Dune did earn more money from theaters in its opening weekend than any of those three titles, so it’s hardly going to be looked at as a disappointment.


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The latest diet fad making the rounds could cause consumers to lose their money instead of weight.
The Better Business Bureau this week is warning that weight-loss products made with the acai berry are not endorsed by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, as the makers claim, and that consumers easily can be scammed into long-term commitments disguised as free-trial offers.
In recent months, the acai berry has been promoted as a treatment for everything from obesity to aging.
The BBB has received thousands of complaints from consumers nationwide, including Columbus, regarding free-trial offers from two companies selling the acai products, Central Coast Nutraceuticals in Arizona and FX Supplements.com, which sells the products online.
Consumers who signed up for the free trial but didn't cancel within 10 to 14 days were sent more acai products and billed $85.90 monthly by FX Supplements.com and $40 monthly by Central Coast Nutraceuticals, according to the BBB.
Even if consumers tried to cancel within the correct time frame, the companies made the process almost impossible, said Kip Morse, president of the central Ohio BBB. Some have had to cancel their credit cards or close their bank accounts to get the billing to stop, he said.
Although the BBB can't say whether the products promote weight loss, Morse said, "We are taking companies to task for their misleading sales and marketing practices" of using celebrities to prey on consumers' trust.
"Consumers trust Oprah, and, unfortunately, if they are tricked into believing that Oprah is putting her stamp on a product, they are more likely to believe it," he said. "
Harpo Productions, Winfrey's company, said in a statement that Winfrey is "not associated with nor does she endorse any acai berry product or online solicitation of such products. Attorneys for Harpo are pursuing any companies that claim such an affiliation."
Calls to Central Coast Nutraceuticals were met with recordings advising a 25-minute wait to speak with a company representative.
FX Supplements.com's phone is answered with a recording that says the number is no longer in service.
The complaints come amid high consumer interest in products made with acai, a Brazilian berry.
About 1.5 million Google searches were done on the products in November and sales of acai-based products increased to nearly $15 million last year, up from $500,000 the previous year, the BBB said.


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One of the most beloved action game franchises of all time, Monster Hunter, is now headed to mobile. The game is currently in development at TiMI Studio Group, the developer that brought us gigantic mobile hits such as Call of Duty Mobile, Arena of Valor, Pokemon Unite, and Honor of Kings. The studio has had a massive streak of success and has developed some of the biggest games on mobile.
Capcom and TiMi confirmed Monster Hunter for Mobile earlier last night and although details are slim, it would seem that a primary goal for the game is to translate the deep combat and exploration of the franchise to mobile in a satisfying way. The Monster Hunter franchise is known for its incredibly rich and challenging combat systems that push players to prepare before each big battle and gather resources by exploring a sprawling, open world.
The game’s release window is currently unclear but it is likely that a release date will be announced sometime in the next couple of months, hopefully, with beta tests to let users try out the game prior to launch. The combat and exploration loop of the game is notoriously challenging and it is going to be incredibly complex to translate the experience to a platform like mobile.
Monster Hunter Mobile Game Could Be A Real Game-Changer for the Platform
While the early years of mobile gaming saw the market being dominated by the likes of casual games and endless runners – the past few years have been dominated by shooters such as PUBG Mobile, BGMI, and Free Fire. However, in the last couple of years – we’ve begun to see a lot more variety on the platform with games such as Diablo Immortal, Genshin Impact, and more.
Monster Hunter is the latest of massive IPs headed to mobile alongside Assassin’s Creed and The Division. From here, it looks like in the next couple of years, we will see a lot more variety and quality on the platform than ever before, and fans cannot wait to see what all these major studios have in store.
However, one of the most peculiar things about the platform is that only a handful of studios are responsible for the biggest games on the platform. While this hasn’t necessarily resulted in a lack of creativity in the medium so far, one can only hope that a larger number of studios find success in the mobile gaming space. Monster Hunter is one of the most exciting titles headed to mobile as the game presents a unique challenge to both developers as well as the audience. It will be interesting to see if the game picks up steam in India and becomes one of the bigger games in the country.


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WORK has begun on a new £1.4million brewery which is being built on farmland in Warwickshire.
Increasingly popular Purity Brewing Co, based just outside Great Alne, has started work transforming disused barns into a new brew house, which will be capable of tripling the amount of beer produced.
This landmark step marks the beginning of a six-month project for the local firm, as well as a major investment.
Purity first submitted its application for planning permission for the project in 2010.
Paul Halsey, managing director, said: “Since launching Purity in 2005 the business has grown each year. By 2010 the brewery was fast approaching capacity, so we investigated options for future expansion.
“Working closely with our landlord, farmer Granville Stevens, we developed plans to renovate disused barns on the farm.”
Local companies, Sheldon Bosely and SA Mogg Ltd, were contracted to design, manufacture and renovate the disused barns, following two years of extensive project planning.
Bosses say they expect the project to be completed in March.
The new brewery will be fitted with the latest state-of-the-art equipment, capable of producing a wide range of styles of beer.
Designed and manufactured in Germany by specialists BrauKon, the kit will be shipped in a modular format and installed in a matter of weeks, ready for testing.
It makes Purity the first all-cask ale brewery in the UK to install a BrauKon brew house.
Florent Vialan, director of brewing at Purity, added: “We will start the switchover by simultaneously brewing in both old and new facilities to achieve continuity in beer quality.
“We hope to be brewing solely in the new brew house by the middle of the year and plan to expand the team accordingly.”
Purity currently brews three award-winning beers, which are available across the Midlands and from certain outlets nationwide. The launch of a new beer is anticipated towards the end of 2013, details of which are still to be confirmed.
Purity currently produces 180 brewers’ barrels per week, equating to 2.7 million pints a year.
The brewing industry in Coventry and Warwickshire is going from strength to strength. Last week the Telegraph reported how historic pub the Rainbow Inn, in Allesley Village, Coventry, was opening a micro brewery on site – going back to its old brewing roots.
It follows the launch of Byatt’s Brewery on the Lythalls Lane industrial estate last June.
Before its launch Coventry was the second-largest city in the country not to brew its own beer.


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Charlie Farris and Jason Kesler, franchise owners of Jersey Mike’s Subs and 2004 UNC graduates, purchased Chapel Hill’s Al’s Burger Shack in December from Al Bowers, the founder and former owner of the popular joint.
Al’s Burger Shack has two locations in Chapel Hill, both of which serve locally raised beef, free of antibiotics and hormones. In 2018, Tripadvisor named it the best burger restaurant in America based on millions of customer reviews across the country.
Although the restaurant remains popular among the Chapel Hill community, it has been the subject of scrutiny. The acquisition follows 2020 allegations of sexual harassment against Bowers, according to Chapelboro.
Farris said they have no plans to change the name or ingredients, and they want customers to keep coming for the burgers they have grown to love since Al’s first opened in 2013.
“We want people to know that they can still come and get that same great cheeseburger and fries on every visit,” Farris said. “We’re not trying to reinvent it. We bought it because we liked what it was.”
Al’s already has great products and service, Farris said. He and Kesler want to use their knowledge to implement operational systems they learned from owning Jersey Mike's and ensure products are consistent across stores.
Farris also said he gives back to the Chapel Hill community through nonprofits in the area and will continue to do so at Al’s.
Lily Reckford, a senior at UNC, said she eats a burger from Al’s about once a week and tends to order the same thing each time she goes.
“I think my biggest fear would just be that they would change either the menu or the ingredients,” Reckford said. “As long as the food stays the same, I don’t really care that the ownership changes.”
As a customer of Al’s before the purchase, Farris said he understands patrons want to be able to order their favorite meal without worrying that it’s been modified.
The new owners are working with the current staff at both Al’s locations to learn about the daily operations. Farris said he plans to use training charts to perfect the consistency of their food.
“We’re trying to learn the business from the staff,” he said. “The staff has been absolutely fantastic and instrumental in the transition. We’ve been learning a lot more from them than they have been from us so far.”
Mary Margaret Bromhal, a junior at UNC, said Al’s is one of the only burger places that she enjoys in Chapel Hill and often dines there when her family visits.
“I like how homey it is, so I hope that doesn’t change,” Bromhal said. “They partnered with Puff (Johnson), so that would be good if they keep engaging with the Chapel Hill area like that.”
Additionally, since Al’s is important to the Chapel Hill community, customers have mixed opinions about the possibility of franchising the business. Bromhal said she would be worried about a decrease in quality if they expand.
Farris emphasized that he understands the importance of the restaurant staying local as his family is involved in the Chapel Hill and south Durham areas. He also said he knows customers value the locality of restaurants.
“It’s a bunch of Tar Heels and folks that have been in the area for a couple of decades now are continuing to operate the place,” he said.
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‘‘The bottom line imperative for (Sears) is that it needs to stabilize traffic in the domestic operations if it will remain viable for the duration,’’ Greg Melich, an analyst at the International Strategy & Investment Group LLC, said in a report released Tuesday.
Balter said uncertainty at rival J.C. Penney highlights another big problem: Sears could lose whichever direction Penney goes. Since Penney started a new pricing plan on Feb. 1 that eliminates hundreds of sales events in favor of everyday lower prices, the company has seen sales fall dramatically. Balter reasons that if Penney returns to discounting, it may take back some lost market share at lower prices, hurting Sears’ clothing sales. He believes a bigger problem for Sears would be further deterioration of the Penney franchise. If Penney starts closing locations, that could undermine the value of Sears’ real estate holdings, he wrote.
Brian Sozzi, chief equities analyst at NBG Productions, wonders whether Lampert will now just focus on selling off more assets instead of fixing the business.
‘‘Will any of the signs of life at (Sears) continue to be nurtured?’’ he asked.
But Chris Brathwaite, spokesman at Sears, emphatically said Lampert will focus not just on the financial performance but on the customer experience. Improving stores is just as important as generating cash, he noted.
D'Ambrosio noted that Lampert has ‘‘been ahead of the curve in understanding the role of information and technology,’’ and the company has appropriately invested in those areas.
Sears operates more than 2,600 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Shares of the company fell $2.76, or more than 6 percent, to $40.16 in trading Tuesday. In the past 12 months, shares have risen nearly 50 percent.


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Need an alternative to Red Bull for an energy boost? Grab some Pussy.
Don’t get the wrong idea—we’re talking about the new British-based energy drink. (Here’s the official link to avoid any NSFW Googling.) The attention-grabbing concoction spawned plenty of inspired headlines and groans around the MH offices, but more importantly, it prompted us to investigate the nutritional content of the drink.
So what’s in a Pussy? The 100 percent natural drink is made with a blend of fresh white grape juice, pressed Mexican limes, and lightly carbonated water mixed with fruit flavors and six botanical herbs, according to its website. (The drink is only available in stores the U.K., but you can order a 24-pack for a cool $46 on the site.)
More From Men's Health
While Pussy boasts an all-natural lineup, some of its ingredients sound strikingly familiar to every other energy drink on the market.
“The dosages of the herbs added to the energy drinks are usually so low as to have virtually no impact,” says Kevin A. Clauson PharmD, Associate Professor at Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale. “It probably doesn’t have much of a safety risk, but it also won’t do you any good.” Clauson was a lead researcher on the recent study of the effects of commercial energy drinks on athletic performance and weight loss published in The Physician and Sportsmedicine.
Check out these supposed benefits and dangers of five usual suspects in popular energy drinks:
More from MensHealth.com: The Anti-Energy Drink
Taurine, an amino acid abundant in the brain, can act as a neurotransmitter, and may even have mood-boosting benefits. A study published in the journal Amino Acids found that a taurine-supplemented diet had an antidepressant effect in mice. Here's the catch: The taurine found in energy drinks like Red Bull is dumped into the bloodstream and won’t get to where it needs to go to be beneficial in humans—past the membranes that protect the brain.
Guarana is a small red fruit found in the Amazon. Touted for its fatigue-fighting properties, guarana’s stimulant effects can often be attributed to the high levels of caffeine in its seeds—more than double that found in coffee beans. A study published in the journal Appetite found participants who drank a guarana supplement had better cognitive performance and reduced mental fatigue as compared to the placebo group. But be wary of downing one can after the other: The caffeine content in energy drinks doesn’t factor in the caffeine that comes from guarana, says Clauson.
Touted as a memory enhancer, ginkgo biloba seems like an ideal choice for late nights at work. A study from Purdue University found that after 3 weeks, men who drank 184 milligrams of the supplement daily were 20 percent more productive in the afternoons. “It’s used for memory, cognition, and circulation, which is why it is often included in energy drinks. But the evidence for most of those uses is poor,” Clauson says. You might want to avoid it if you take certain medications. When combined with aspirin the pair can increase your risk of bleeding, and when taken with the popular blood thinner warfarin it can reduce the drug’s effectiveness.
More from MensHealth.com: The Secret Health Risks of Supplements
“Its chief medicinal use is typical to help combat nausea and vomiting,” Clauson says. (Maybe to counter all the caffeine packed into energy drinks?) “It’s also used for arthritis and has some evidence that it acts as a blood thinner,” he says. (Caution: Like ginkgo, ginger can be dangerous when mixed with drugs that thin the blood.)
Some energy drinks like RockStar and Pussy include milk thistle in their recipes probably because of its liver-cleaning capabilities. Silymarin, the active ingredient in milk thistle, has been shown to help detoxify the liver and even form new liver cells. But don’t think downing a can pre-binging will help prevent a hangover. The herbal supplement’s liver-protecting properties have only been shown beneficial in cases of alcoholic liver diseases—not in moderate drinkers who had a little too much.
While we’re not promoting chugging a Pussy, the bottom line is energy drinks typically contain trace amounts of these herbs. Most of the drinks energy-boosting benefits come from plain old caffeine. Since coffee is chock full of antioxidants and may even help prevent Alzheimer's disease, it’s still your best bet for a quick pick-me-up.
More from MensHealth.com: Do the Ingredients in Energy Drinks Work?
Bari Lieberman is the former Senior Associate Fitness Editor for Prevention and Prevention.com. She's a certified personal trainer and Spinning instructor, and University of Miami graduate. She owns more sneakers than stilettos and tries to wear spandex as often as possible. Follow her on Twitter at @barilieberman.


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Air purifier sales boom caused by pollution in China
If you live in China now, especially if you live in a big city like Beijing or Shanghai, you must be familiar with the recent pollution wave. Looking at the Bund from the top of the Oriental Pearl Tower in 2007, I remember that the city slowly disappeared in front of me, but the recent photos from China are even more worrying.
Recently, the smoke measurement of the Shanghai air quality index has reached more than 450, but some values are less than 100, but “display warning, if more than 200, the indicator must be inside.” Therefore, many children are at home, at least one elderly person carries a 15 kg air purifier. In fact, from masks to air filters, everyone in the room tries to maintain at least a degree of contact with the surrounding air.
As you can imagine, this has also led to a recent surge in the number and type of air purification systems sold, as well as a search for Taobao Air Purifier, China’s largest online business website, which has increased by 513% compared with Dec. 10. The actual sales of air purifiers increased 267.50% year-on-year, 1264.40% year-on-year.


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Created: December 05, 2019 10:11 PM
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- On Thursday, Albuquerque business leaders listened to executives from two of the biggest companies in the state, Netflix and Virgin Galactic.
George T. Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic, and Nick Maniatis, Head of North American Production Policy for Netflix, spoke at the Albuquerque Economic Development, Inc. Quarterly Investors’ Luncheon.
AED President Gary Tonjes said both companies will attract new businesses to the state.
Tonjes told KOB, "When companies are looking at an area, what they want to do is talk with others who are there so they're drawn to big names."
During the luncheon, Whitesides announced that Virgin Galactic has had a $36.5 million economic impact on New Mexico since 2011.
Additionally, the company said it relocated more than a hundred employees to southern New Mexico to work.
Whitesides didn’t say when the company would start taking customers into space but officials previously said 2020 could be the year.
Meantime, Netflix’s Maniatis said the company planned on putting together more than 1,000 projects this year.
As KOB previously reported, Netflix purchased ABQ Studios and promised to invest more than a $1 billion over the next 10 years.
Maniatis said he had good news to share about that promise but wanted to wait until next week to make the announcement.
Tonjes also told KOB that there would be some big announcements in the near future but wouldn’t go into detail.
"Our outlook is quite bright for -- not just the balance of this month -- with expectations of at least a new announcement or two but also in the first quarter of next year,” he said.
Copyright 2019 - KOB-TV LLC, A Hubbard Broadcasting Company


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March 13, 2023
Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, email@example.com, 202-823-8442
Washington, D.C. – Data Science Solutions, LLC, in partnership with NCL, today released new research that dives into false or misleading medical claims made by several leading marijuana companies on their social media platforms. The analysis qualitatively observes how these claims are framed to appeal to consumers, determines the reach of their messaging, and identifies policy solutions to help increase state and federal regulatory and enforcement action to end false – potentially harmful – marketing.
“Consumers should understand what they’re up against when perusing social media,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League. “Twitter in particular may be viewed as a more trustworthy platform and licensed marijuana companies will often site reliable academic institutions or studies in a misleading way. These companies use Twitter to target consumers and declare that their products can help address, even treat, health issues from ‘pain’ to neurological diseases, even cancer. However, these claims are not backed by sound, clinical research – though the data is lacking at best, companies don’t let that stop them from trying to profit.”
The FDA, FTC, and Congress can do more to protect consumers and hold these companies accountable. The paper urges Congress to “encourage FDA and FTC to expand their enforcement against therapeutic claims made by cannabis companies and provide the necessary resources for the FDA to conduct effective oversight of marijuana-related health claims on social media platforms,” And recommends FDA begin using automated tools to monitor cannabis companies’ social media posts efficiently and effectively.
“Consumers deserve better,” said Greenberg. “These companies can and should market their products in an honest way and put consumer health over profits. Investing in thorough research so that we may better understand the true therapeutic potential of marijuana would be a win-win for all.”
To learn more about the risks of unregulated cannabis products, visit cannabiswatch.org.
About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit nclnet.org.


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As India continues to struggle with the COVID-19 crisis, with lack of protective masks and PPE (personal protective equipment), citizens are joining hands with the government to fight the situation together. Many private players have been doing their best to manufacture and distribute the masks and PPE, and disregarding the costs associated with it, a majority is providing it for free to those in need.
Gurgaon-based women’s fashion brand AKS Clothing is among them. The company recently donated more than 3000 PPE kits to the sanitation workers, the Police force and the Private Guard and distributed 50,000 masks (for free) in Jaipur. The company is manufacturing PPE Kits in their factory using their in-house design.
AKS founder and CEO Nidhi Yadav has told MAKERS India that the team is collaborating with the Haryana government now and will soon start working with Maharashtra government too. She stresses that the company is paying attention to the workforce, who are manufacturing these items, in terms of keeping up the norms of social distancing.
“We have our local units in Delhi-Gurgaon, where the workers are provided food and stay during this period. We are utilising only half of the facilities at these manufacturing centres so as to make physical distancing easier,” says Nidhi.
She added that since sourcing of new fabric is not possible due to the nation-wide lockdown, the masks are made out of the surplus fabric left over after their last segment of garment manufacturing. (This would have otherwise been sold to small sellers in kilograms.)
According to Nidhi, this initiative – aptly named Corona Kawach (meaning protection from Coronavirus) – is also an effort to keep the labourers engaged. With reports of domestic violence rising due to the lockdown, this is particularly relevant. Nidhi adds, “If they do not have work every day, they will be in deep financial trouble and will have to return to their native villages where they will have even lesser options for a livelihood.”
The brand, which counts on online commerce for its business, has not been able to conduct sales for more than a month due to the ongoing crisis. But Nidhi says that even after regular e-commerce restarts (whenever that is), the team intends to go ahead with the manufacture of these protective gears for at least three more months.
“We have a capacity of 150 personnel per unit; but right now we have only 45 personnel working in each unit so as to keep them safe as well. Three units are working on producing these essential items now,” Nidhi notes.
While there is no official timeline on when the lockdown will be entirely lifted, she is confident that the workforce – which is well-trained by now – can rise up to the occasion.


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The music economy is heading into its own version of the roaring 20s. Streaming last year accounted for well over half of global music industry revenue. Successful subscription models have unlocked wealth on an eye-watering scale for companies such as Spotify. After a year of rapid growth, the Swedish giant is now worth $60bn. Famous artists such as Dylan can more or less name their price, and investors are benefiting from the most bullish of bull markets. Hipgnosis floated only two years ago, but has already reached a market capitalisation of $1.25bn. The major labels are quids in too. Universal, Sony and Warner were making almost $20m a day even before Covid accelerated the digitalisation of everyday life… More here.
This is being looked at more and more now which is a good thing.


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After announcing it would be opening up to new investors, Seedrs has shown its hand for the February trading cycle.
Since its launch in June 2017, 1,330 share lots have been traded on Seedrs’ secondary market. Previously, the secondary market was only available to existing shareholders for buying more shares, with no auction pricing.
The platform has now revealed that the February trading cycle, which ran from 11am on 6th February to 11am today, saw a 298 per cent increase in average trading activity, with a total of 442 share lots traded in 128 different businesses.
“We are delighted that this development has facilitated record trading activity and provided our investors with further opportunities to invest in exciting businesses that have raised on Seedrs. From being able to realise early returns to buying shares in a company whose initial crowdfunding round you missed out on, the Seedrs Secondary Market has been a ground-breaking development for the sector and we are looking forward to continuing to innovate the product.”
The UK's oldest and best-loved conference for fintech and alternative finance insiders returns for its sixth iteration at etc.venues. We'll showcase the best of the UK's digital banking, online lending and digital wealth sectors through a series of uniquely in-depth discussions and presentations. Open Banking will be in full flight, just over a year on from its launch, and will be a central theme at the event.


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Related Topics & Questions:
- In which place, A two-day international conference on empowering handloom and Khadi was held?
- What is the name of special financing scheme which is launched by the SBI under which customers could avail credit facility at lower rates?
- First non-cricketer who has been inducted into the Legends Club, founded by the late Cricket Club of India president Raj Singh Dungarpur.
- एक ट्रांसफार्मर मुख्यतः किसे बदलता है?
- Which state education department has partnered with US based technology firm CISCO to promote digital learning across the state using virtual digital room?


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Despite the Governor’s recent announcement for a tentative reopening of the state by June, California’s legislature has been busy passing COVID-19-related laws. At the end of March, the Governor signed Senate Bill 95, which resurrected and expanded supplemental paid sick leave. And more recently, the Governor signed Senate Bill 93, which implemented a statewide right of reemployment for certain industries.
Over the last four months, numerous localities (including the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Costa Mesa, Irvine, and others) across California have issued or considered “hazard” or “hero” pay ordinances that mandate premium pay for grocery and drug store employees and similar industries. While several lawsuits have been filed seeking to strike down these local ordinances, the state is considering two statutes that would support them.
First, Assembly Bill 889, would require the owner of a grocery store as soon as possible, but not later than 60 days or 180 days before a planned closure of a grocery establishment, to provide written notice of the intended closure to the city and county in which the grocery store is located, the local workforce development board, and the State Department of Social Services, along with other requirements for store closures. While at first blush this ordinance seemingly has little to do with the hero pay ordinances, as support for the bill, the proposed statute explicitly cites to planned grocery closures allegedly done in response to implemented hero pay ordinances.
In addition to the grocery industry, the state legislature is also considering Assembly Bill 650, which would mandate hazard pay retention bonuses for employees in the health care industry. The bonuses would be in addition to all other compensation paid to eligible health care workers. The bill would also make it a violation for a covered employer to discharge, lay off, or reduce a covered health care worker’s compensation or hours to prevent that worker from receiving hazard pay retention bonuses.
Jackson Lewis will continue to track local and state laws pertaining to employers and COVID-19. If you have questions about hazard pay or related issues, contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.


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A sharp drop in global trade growth this year is underscoring a disturbing legacy of the financial crisis: Exports and imports of goods are lagging far behind their pace of past expansions, threatening future productivity and living standards.
For the third year in a row, the rate of growth in global trade is set to trail the already sluggish expansion of the world economy, according to data from the World Trade Organization and projections from leading economists. Before the recent slump, the last time trade growth underperformed the rate of an economic expansion was 1985.
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Despite an aggressive push to increase its variety of TV shows and movies, Amazon isn’t planning to split off its Prime streaming video service into a standalone subscription offering, according to the company’s management team. At least not anytime soon.
Indie streaming video startup Blip.tv announced today that it will ditch the “.tv” from its name in the first of many steps to refresh and improve the company. Blip has also secured a $12 million round of funding to help see those improvement efforts through.
If you’re considering an Amazon Prime subscription, you might be persuaded by Amazon’s new deal with Viacom to bring 2,000 new titles to the service.
The next time a nefarious organization wants to keep people off the Internet, it would do well to engineer its own championship professional football game.
Premium U.S. television network HBO has agreed to invest $10 million into DVD and streaming video rental service Quickflix, the companies announced today.
Top executives from Verizon and Redbox revealed more details about the new jointly-operated rental service announced earlier today.
Streaming video service Hulu is adding a huge collection of PBS television shows to its content library, the company announced Thursday.
AOL is planning to launch a new streaming video network branded under its Huffington Post web news site, the company announced Thursday.
Streaming video service Netflix recently appealed to a panel of U.S. senators to update an old law that forbids the company from launching a Facebook application within the country.
SnagFilms, an independent film-distribution startup, has secured a new $7 million round of funding, the company announced today.
Like it or not, more change is afoot at Google’s widely successful video site.
With increases in revenue and higher than expected subscriber growth, video rental service Netflix is once again the darling investment among Wall Street analysts (for the most part). However, not all the comments from Wednesday’s fourth quarter earnings results were positive.
The recent changes video sharing site YouTube has experienced are apparently paying off.
YouTube is launching a new film festival channel in partnership with the Venice Film Festival and film director Ridley Scott, the company announced today.
To help boost the quality and amount of original programming available, YouTube is launching a handful of new premium news-related channels to its site, which includes two celebrity and entertainment channels and an offering from Reuters.
[hulu id=-4hZ-vrT9CbrOr97juKfhg width=500] Hoping that content really is king in the battle for viewer attention, video streaming company Hulu has purchased its first original scripted series.
YouTube will soon add a helpful storyboard feature that will help you more easily navigate videos.
Netflix is putting the finishing touches on new film and TV licensing deals and launching an ad campaign this week for its streaming video service in the UK. The actual launch date for the service is still unknown.
Subscribers of Netflix’s streaming video service watched over two billion hours of television shows and movies in the fourth quarter of 2011, the company announced today.
Blip.tv, a site known for producing independent web videos, has raised a $6 million round of funding, according to a recent SEC filing.
Online retail giant Amazon continues to rank among the top companies for customer satisfaction while Netflix took a significant nose dive, according to an annual holiday online retail satisfaction report released today from analytics firm ForeSee.
Streaming video service Netflix has reached an agreement with BBC Worldwide to bring content to subscribers in Ireland and the UK, the company announced today.
HBO has reached an agreement with cable-television providers Cablevision and Time Warner that will allow cable subscribers to access the HBO Go streaming video service, the companies announced today.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed new legislation yesterday intended to update an antiquated law that prohibits companies from sharing a person’s movie-rental history.


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Link figurine from Legend of Zelda with shop staff inside Nintendo Tokyo store in Shibuya.
Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Nintendo said Wednesday it plans to develop a live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, one of its most popular characters, as the gaming giant looks to replicate the success it had with the Mario movie.
Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Zelda, and Avi Arad, chairman of Arad Productions Inc., who has been a producer on a number of hit Marvel movies, will produce the Zelda film.
Nintendo is looking to capitalize on its strong bank of recognizable characters in areas like movies with the hope of driving users to buy its game console the Switch. The Japanese firm has likely been buoyed by the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” which has generated more than $1 billion at the box office since its April release. The film was produced in collaboration with Universal Studios.
Investors had feared that sales of the more than six-year old Nintendo Switch console had peaked. But the Mario film drove people to buy the console and games. That was one of the reasons Nintendo raised its full-year profit and sales forecast on Tuesday.
Nintendo will be hoping for similar success with the Zelda movie. And the company is also looking to take advantage of the recently-released “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” game which has sold more than 19 million units since its May release.
Investors are likely hoping the same with Nintendo shares surging 6% in Japan on Wednesday.
“By producing visual contents of Nintendo IP (intellectual property) by itself, Nintendo is creating new opportunities to have people from around the world to access the world of entertainment which Nintendo has built, through different means apart from its dedicated game consoles,” Nintendo said in a statement on Wednesday.
Nintendo will co-finance the Zelda film with Sony Pictures. Nintendo will finance more than 50% of the movie and Sony Pictures will be responsible for theatrical distribution. Wes Ball will direct the film.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.


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- Report: Tyler Herro to miss Miami Heat’s next 3 games with latest injury
- Injury report released for Miami Heat’s Friday night game vs. Toronto Raptors
- Report: Miami Heat to use dogs to screen for COVID-19 as they begin welcoming fans back into arena
- Erik Spoelstra insinuates NBA forcing Miami Heat to play short-handed may have worsened Tyler Herro’s injury
- Andre Iguodala claims Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro have work ethics ‘just like’ Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson
- Kendrick Nunn discloses why he still thinks he deserved Rookie of the Year over Ja Morant
- Report: Miami Heat ‘really want’ Washington Wizards superstar Bradley Beal
- Dwyane Wade celebrates Kamala Harris making history as first female vice president
- Katya Elise Henry shares adorable pictures to celebrate Tyler Herro’s birthday
- Report: Multiple players remain out for Miami Heat’s Wednesday game vs. Toronto Raptors
Report: LeBron James Set to Open UNKNWN Store in Miami
- Updated: September 5, 2019
LeBron James is making his return to Miami — this time, as a fashion mogul.
As announced through a press release Tuesday, James’ UNKNWN concept store is set to open in December during Art Basel, an annual art fair held in Miami.
James, along with childhood friends Jaron Kanfer and Frankie Walker Jr., opened the first UNKNWN store in 2011 at Aventura Mall, when James was still a superstar on the Miami Heat. This new standalone store will be located at 261 N.W. 26th Street, across from the iconic Wynwood Walls.
The 10,000 square foot store will double as a retail space for UNKNWN apparel and as a venue for “sporting and lifestyle events.” The store will also house over 200 feet of mural wall space to feature artist installations and over 20 custom displays designed by the art collective New York Sunshine. As with anything James involves himself in, the UNKNWN store is set to be an awe-inspiring experience.
From the founding of his I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, to executive producing a growing list of TV series and documentaries, James already has a long track record of off-court successes across multiple industries.
With the opening of the UNKNWN store, James is again positioning himself as an unstoppable force in business, not just in basketball.


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Israeli cybersecurity firm Hunters has secured $30m from a Bessemer Venture Partners-led Series B funding round.
The round also saw participation from YL Ventures, Blumberg Capital, Microsoft’s Venture Fund M12 and US Venture Partners. After this round, the company has raised its total funding to $50.4m, following its earlier $15m Series A raise in June 2020.
Founded in 2018, Hunters has an extended detection and response (XDR) platform that helps companies accelerate threat detection, investigation and incident response. The company claims that it serves many recognised brands in the financial services, retail, media manufacturing and technology industries.
XDR is a vendor-specific, security threat detection and incident response tool that integrates a range of security products into a security operations system that unifies all components.
Hunters CEO and co-founder Uri May said, “Hunters’ customer engagements are accelerating with Fortune 1000 Companies adopting XDR to be at the heart of their security operations. Traditional security tools like SIEM have not fulfilled the need to clearly and rapidly identify and investigate threats at the scale of cloud data, leaving a crucial gap in supporting security analysts.
“Open XDR offers a new technology approach with a turn-key solution that stitches security events from across the entire security stack into contextualized and prioritized incidents. This maximizes the value security teams are getting from their current stack and enables them to see real incidents and rapidly respond.
“This investment takes us one step closer to building a pillar security company, becoming the centerpiece of the future SOC of the world’s leading organizations. The investment will be used to further drive innovation, enhance our customer satisfaction, increase our market reach, support partner expansion and hire exceptional talent.”
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Alex Ferrara added, “Hunters represents the future of security architectures, leveraging the performance and cost advantages of cloud data warehouses and Open XDR technology to deliver detection and response capabilities that were not historically possible on-premise.
“Hunters’ unique ability to identify low-fidelity signals of an attack that are traditionally missed and automatically stitch them together into a contextual attack story is a game-changer that helps organizations better address their cybersecurity risk, specifically for companies undergoing rapid cloud expansion and business growth.”
Copyright © 2021 FinTech Global


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A round-up of deals involving Irish law firms. Submit your deals to firstname.lastname@example.org.
- McCann FitzGerald advises Greencoat on wind farm acqusition
McCann FitzGerald advised Greencoat Renweables on its proposed acquisition of Gortahile Wind Farm in Co Laois.
Greencoat has agreed to purchase the eight-turbine wind farm from UK fund, Glennmont Partners.
The law firm previously advised Greencoat on its acquisition of a 48.3MW wind farm in Co Cork, two wind farms from Blackrock, Lisdowney Wind Farm and Knocknalour Wind Farm. The firm also advised on its 2017 IPO and subsequent €111 million share placing.
- LK Shields advises Halewood Wine & Spirits on distillery buyout
LK Shields advised Halewood Wine & Spirits, a UK drinks manufacturer and distributor, on the sale of a significant stake it held in the capital of Skibbereen Distilleries Holdings Limited, to the original founders of Irish whiskey and gin producer, West Cork Distillers.
The total cost of this buyout was financed by a combination of equity, debt financing and the restructuring of West Cork Distillers balance sheet in order to free up its distributable reserves.
The LK Shields team included Richard Curran, head of corporate and commercial; Seanna Mulrean, corporate and commercial consultant; and Joseph De Paor, commercial associate solicitor.
- Dillon Eustace advises Acumen & Trust on its sale to the Irish Life Group
Dillon Eustace advised the owners of the independent financial services consultancy firm Acumen & Trust on its sale to the Irish Life Group.
The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020, will be made by Irish Life through its independent intermediary subsidiary, Invesco Limited. Following the transaction, Acumen & Trust will continue to operate as an independent firm under its existing brand and with the same senior leadership team.
The Dillon Eustace team was led by Lorcan Tiernan, partner and head of corporate M&A, with support from senior associate Philip Lea and regulatory advice from Andrew Bates, partner and head of financial services.
- Ronan Daly Jermyn advises on sale of office and retail development to Kennedy Wilson
Ronan Daly Jermyn advised O’Callaghan Properties on the sale of the Half Moon Street office and retail development in Cork to global real estate investment company Kennedy Wilson.
The city centre mixed-use development, which was completed in 2009, provides 120,000 sq ft of space in a prime waterfront location.
The RDJ team was led by property partner Patrick Ahern, assisted by solicitors Maria O’Donoghue and Elaine Sweeney.


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Vivo in April unveiled the Vivo Y50 smartphone in its home town China. The budget smartphone is now arriving in several other regions and now it has landed in India. The Vivo Y50 smartphone’s major highlights are Quad-cameras at the rear, full-screen display, and massive 5,000mAh battery.
The Vivo Y50 smartphone debuted at CNY 1698 or roughly ₹18,300 Indian Rupees in China. In the Indian market, the device is retailing for ₹17,900 or $238/CNY 1685 which is a bit cheaper than the Chinese pricing. It has arrived in two-color variants – Pearl White and Iris Blue. The smartphone will be available for purchase from June 10 via online and offline retail stores.
Vivo Y50 Smartphone Specifications
Vivo Y50 budget smartphone powers the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Vivo is playing a bit safe here as some contenders have already propelled SD 665 devices under ₹14,000 price bracket and with more RAM and storage, Vivo seems to lure users.
As far as optics are concerned, the smartphone features a quad-camera setup with 13-megapixel primary sensor. It will be adjoined by an 8-megapixel secondary lens, third 2-megapixel portrait camera, and last 2-megapixel macro unit. There is a 16-megapixel selfie camera at the front that is said to provide great bokeh images.
The display on the device is a modern 6.53-inch hole-punch panel with FHD+ resolution. It has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and narrow bezels. The device is backed up by a massive 5,000mAh battery but sadly does not feature any fast charging support.
The 4G smartphone has the Fingerprint scanner at the rear and software-based Face unlock for security. It runs on Android 10 out of the box and on top of it, there’s the FunTouchOS.


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China's Baosteel Group Co. Ltd. and Japanese Nippon Steel Co. co-invested in a manufacturing line capable of annually producing 450,000 tons of zinc plates, China Business News reported on November 6.
The two companies also revealed they will jointly participate in a dust and waste recycling project on November 5, marking the 30th anniversary of their cooperation.
Baosteel, the world's fifth largest steel manufacturer and Nippon, the second largest global steel producer, plan to raise the annual production capacity of their co-invested Baosteel Nippon Auto Plate Co Ltd in Shanghai to 1.25 million tons by 2010, soaring 50 percent compared with current capacity.
This will enable the company to become the biggest auto plate producer in China, China Business News reported. Baosteel owns a major 50 percent share of the company, while Nippon has a 38 percent stake.
Industrial insiders believe the cooperation will help the two companies resist acquisition from ArcelorMittal, the worlds' largest steel maker. Baosteel Chairman Xu Lejiang said the group has considered issuing cross-shares with its Japanese partner when Baosteel completes its listing on the overseas market.
For more details, please read the full story in Chinese. (http://www.china-cbn.com/s/n/000004/20071106/020000059435.shtml)
(China.org.cn November 6, 2007)


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When Ozzy Osbourne’s new album “Ordinary Man” comes out later this month, some of his fans will remember it forever. That’s because they’ll have a permanent reminder on their skin. Ozzy is holding a world-wide early release party for the album, and in order to hear it first – you have to go to one of 50 tattoo shops around the world and get a special Ozzy tattoo.
Closest to us are in Houston and New Orleans!
The album officially comes out on Feb. 21. But those willing to get the tat can listen to it the night before while they get the new ink.
Each shop will have its own collection of special Ozzy tattoos to chose from. Those designs and costs will be released later. You can RSVP for any of the locations. But that doesn’t guarantee you a spot. It will be first come first served on Feb. 20.
Ozzy has already released several tracks including an autobiographical song about his struggles with drugs and alcohol back in the late 1970s. The music video serves as a mini biopic.


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Virgin Money has announced they will team up with TOWER Australia to offer life insurance products to Australians in early 2011. Virgin Money will lend its brand, innovative approach to product development, customer service and marketing expertise to the alliance, while TOWER Australia will manufacture the life insurance products and provide the ongoing infrastructure to manage all policies.
So who is Virgin Money? Virgin Money is the financial services arm of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. Established in Australia in 2003, Virgin Money offers a range of financial products including credit cards, savings accounts, superannuation and car insurance.
Virgin Money say they “promise to offer customers a great value, honest and transparent alternative to personal finance. Shaking up the Australian finance scene and driving fair competition to make everyone better off remains the primary focus of everyone at Virgin Money.”
About TOWER Australia: TOWER Australia is the only specialist life insurance company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. It has in-force premium of more than $1 billion and is committed to making life insurance a well understood and valued part of people’s lives.


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Preferred bidder for Dongbu Daewoo Electronics to be picked soon
- PUBLISHED :October 25, 2017 - 09:57
- UPDATED :October 25, 2017 - 10:57
[THE INVESTOR] The preferred bidder for cash-strapped Dongbu Daewoo Electronics is set to be selected soon, industry sources said on Oct. 25.
According to the sources, NH Investment & Securities, which oversees the deal, is currently conducting due diligence of candidates. After the procedure, the creditors will pick the preferred bidder based on candidates’ financial and business capabilities.
Sources said the candidates include Dayou Winia, a Korean firm well known for its refrigerators designed exclusively for kimchi.
The candidates may also include companies from Mexico, France, Turkey and Sweden, the sources added. Sweden-based Electrolux also expressed its intention to buy then-Daewoo Electronics before it was acquired by Dongbu Group in 2013.
Dongbu Daewoo Electronics currently relies on overseas market to generate 80 percent of its sales. The company makes TV and monitors, refrigerators, kitchen appliances, washing machines and air conditioners.
By Alex Lee and newswires (alexlee @heraldcorp.com)


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[ WINTER HAVEN ]
Winter Haven Blockbusters Closing
Published: Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 11:58 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 11:58 p.m.
Winter Haven is losing both its Blockbuster stores. The Blockbusters at 5580 Cypress Gardens Blvd. and 2035 Eighth St. N.W. are closing. An employee who answered the phone at the Cypress Gardens Boulevard location didn't know when the store would close; an employee at the Eighth Street store said it would be perhaps within a week or so. The chain has three locations in Lakeland, one in Haines City, and one in Lake Wales, according to the company's website.
This story appeared in print on page B3
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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A last-ditch effort by the Trump administration failed to get China to accept its demand for a $200 billion cut in the U.S. bilateral trade deficit, as Chinese officials resisted committing to any specific targets after two days of contentious negotiations.
The two days of deliberations in Washington ended with both sides arguing all night on Friday over what to say in a joint statement, people briefed on the matter said. The Chinese had come willing to step up purchases of U.S. merchandise as a measure to narrow China’s $375 billion trade advantage. But U.S. negotiators pushed the Chinese delegates to approve a specific target of $200 billion in additional Chinese purchases. The Chinese refused any such target in specific dollar amounts, and the matter is now in the hands of President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping, the people said.
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Now developers can publish AR apps directly to the Play Store.
Google has been doing more to support high-end devices that have the computing power for artificial intelligence, and ARCore is one way Android can compete with Apple's luxury handsets. Files Go, the storage manager for devices that need more memory and space, adds a small but useful feature to the app, making it easier to back up your files on Google Drive, which is logical given they're all part of the whole Google ecosystem. I've been digging around in the ARCore documentation to try to figure out just what "advanced" capabilities are specifically but haven't found much.More news: Armed deputy at Florida school resigns after failing to engage shooter
Variety was first to report about the impending launch of ARCore at Mobile World Congress Thursday. That's great and all, but when you consider that Android users have been asking for an official dark mode in the OS for years at this point, the feature remains pretty vague and offputting considering it doesn't make everything in the OS dark.
Google will also be showcasing new features it's developed for Google Assistant and Lens.More news: Antidepressants work, says major new study
"Through this collaboration, we've built a Lens experience that is totally immersive and unique."
Google Photos for Android and iOS will get Lens built-in so that when you take a picture, you get more information about what's in your photo. Moreover, the app has a new experience that lets you digitally place yourself in the football club, Barcelona FC's Camp Nou stadium.More news: Realtors Say Existing Home Sales Plummeted in January
ARCore now works on 13 Android devices: the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Samsung's Galaxy S8, S8+, Note 8, S7 and S7 Edge, LG's V30 and V30 Plus (with Android O only), Asus' ZenFone AR and the OnePlus 5. There's a whole lot more coming, and it's coming rather soon. Google says that future versions will support models from Nokia (HMD), Huawei, Motorola, Sony Mobile, Vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE. The tool, available in a Google Photos update for iPhones and Androids, uses Google's image searching power to identify objects and text in your photos and make them searchable. The update will also be available for English-language users in Canada, U.S., U.K., Germany, Australia, France, India, Italy, Spain and Singapore.
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- 11 die from flu this season in Tenn., including 10 children
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Cosmetics and personal care products can contain harmful endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and other substances of concern, but their labels can be hard to read. The infographic launched by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and Tegengif/Erase All Toxins today uncovers the story behind chemicals in cosmetics.
The EDC-Free Europe coalition, representing more than 70 health and environment organisations across Europe, is calling on the EU Commission to finally release a long overdue strategy on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).
EDCs, also known as hormone disruptors, are artificial chemicals that interfere with the natural hormones in our bodies. In 2017, the European Commission committed to bring out a new integrated strategy on EDCs, after previous attempts to update the existing EU Community Strategy on EDCs from 1999 had been derailed by intense industry lobbying .
Génon K. Jensen, Executive Director of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and EDC-Free Europe spokesperson, said:
“Every day, we are all exposed to a cocktail of chemicals that affect our hormone systems. But the EU’s current approach to identify and regulate hormone disruptors is full of loopholes and leaves every European at risk of preventable health impacts. We need the European Commission to finally release a new strategy on EDCs that will not only comply with citizens’ demands for better health protection but also boost innovation towards safer alternatives and bring down health costs through disease prevention.”


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A report published in May seems to indicate that there are not as many errors on credit reports as previous studies have shown. The credit reporting industry has been trumpeting the results – the study concluded that less than one percent of credit reports have errors that could adversely impact consumers. (Prior estimates have indicated errors in the range of three percent to 25 percent). But let’s take a closer look.
The credit reporting agencies have proudly proclaimed that the report, and the study it was based on, was done by an independent third party, the Policy and Economic Research Council (“PERC”). But let’s be clear – the study was commissioned and paid for by the Consumer Data Industry Association, the trade group for the credit bureaus, such as Experion, TransUnion and Equifax, that assemble and sell credit reports.
The Federal Trade Commission, one of the federal government agencies tasked with oversight of the credit and collections industry, is in the process of conducting its own nationwide study, expected to be ready next year. It will be interesting to see how a truly independent study compares with a study funded by the credit reporting industry.
And even if the one percent error rate is correct, according to a recent article in the New York Times, the big three credit bureaus reportedly have at least 200 million credit files – each. So even a one per cent error rate translates into two million consumers harmed at each bureau. That’s nothing for the credit reporting agencies to be proud of, that’s for sure.
And make no mistake, the harm to consumers can be significant, especially in the current economic climate. USA Today reports that 60% of businesses now check the credit histories of potential employees before hiring. The negligence of a credit reporting bureau may now mean the difference between consumers getting a job or ending up on food stamps and unemployment.
The PERC report can be found on the publications page of the PERC website.
-- Sheril Stanford


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By Subhashini Abeysinghe
Apparel is the single most important export of Sri Lanka. With export earnings of US$ 4.7 billion, apparel accounted for 42% of total exports of the country in 2014. The sector faces several challenges in the international market.
Erosion of cost competitiveness due to higher costs and a shortage of labour at home, sluggish growth in demand from key markets (e.g. USA and EU account for 90% of apparel exports) and having to pay import duties in foreign markets while competitors’ products enjoy duty free access through trade deals are a few of these challenges.
Trade deals with potential emerging markets such as India and China are considered useful in overcoming some of these challenges.
Together, India and China account for a mere 1.1% of world apparel imports. The two countries account for only 2% of the total apparel exports of Sri Lanka. What makes these two markets attractive is not their current size but the rate of growth and future potential.
During 2010-2014, total apparel imports into India and China grew at 26% and 24% respectively compared to lower or negative single digit growth rates recorded by leading importers in North America and Europe. Apparel exports from Sri Lanka to India and China grew at 46% and 62% respectively during the same period compared to single digit growth rates in exports to USA and EU.
Sri Lanka already has a free trade agreement (FTA) with India since 2000 and have agreed to enter into a FTA with China. This article briefly looks at prospects for Sri Lankan apparel in India and China. The analysis finds that despite the difficulties the sector faces in entering India through the existing FTA, the probability of getting better market access to China through the proposed FTA is relatively high.
Further analysis indicates higher market potential for Sri Lankan apparel in China compared to India as well.
The current growth in apparel exports indicates the likelihood of faring better if given duty free access under the proposed FTA with China. Sri Lanka can be more optimistic in this regard because China has already given duty free access to apparel exports from ASEAN countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Philippines under the China – ASEAN FTA.
Having given duty free access to larger and more cost competitive neighbors, the likelihood of extending the same concessions to Sri Lanka remains high. Further, unlike in the case of India, where the mandatory requirement to use Indian fabric was a barrier to export, flexibility to use Chinese fabric to meet 40% domestic value addition (DVA) in Chinese agreements will be an advantage for Sri Lanka. This is because China is the main source market for fabric used in manufacturing apparel in Sri Lanka.
The size of the market and future potential coupled with high growth in demand for branded and fashion apparel makes China a lucrative market for Sri Lanka that is vying to be a leading manufacturer of high end global brands. In 2014, the value of imports into China (US$ 2051 mn) was ten times the value of imports into India (US$ 203 mn). A report by IMA Asia (2013) expects China to replace USA to become the world’s largest apparel retail market by 2020.
The FTA with India has failed to provide effective market access to Sri Lankan apparel. However, the sector can be hopeful of getting better market access to China under the proposed China – Sri Lanka FTA. The experience with India provides a lesson for Sri Lanka in going forward with trade deals; i.e. trade coverage matters more than product coverage when a country has only a few exportable products. The FTA with India has extensive product coverage, yet restricts access to apparel, the single most important exportable product of Sri Lanka.
The full article can be read here
(–Subhashini Abeysinghe is a Senior Analyst and Head of Economic Research at Verité Research, an independent think-tank based in Colombo that provides strategic analysis to high level decision-makers in economics, law, politics and media –)


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WSJ announces Amazon plans to open new grocery store chain
The first outlet, according to the newspaper, may open at the end of the year. In the future, Amazon stores will appear throughout the United States, counting in the company
Photo: Matt Rourke / AP
Amazon.com Inc. plans to open dozens of grocery stores in several major US cities. About this, with reference to sources familiar with the question, the newspaper The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports. In this way, the retail giant, they say, is seeking to expand its food capabilities and touch on more aspects of consumer life.
One of the WSJ interviewees clarified that the company plans to open its first store in Los Angeles at the end of the year. In addition, Amazon, according to his data, has already signed space rental agreements for at least two other grocery stores. Their opening is scheduled for early next year, the source said. Where exactly they will be, they are not explained.
Other people familiar with this issue, according to the WSJ, are negotiating the opening of Amazon grocery stores in San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Washington, DC and Philadelphia.
It is known that the company's new stores will differ from the prestigious Whole Foods Market supermarket chain, which specializes in selling organic food without artificial preservatives and dyes (in 2017 it merged with Amazon.com, the transaction value was $ 13.7 billion) edition.