Aveyro

t is easy to dismiss the market for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a hotbed of scammers and con artists. The reality is much weirder and wilder than that. After spending a few months lurking in the Discord chats and Twitter circles where NFT folks hang out, I have slowly come to appreciate the constant chaos, outsized personalities and close-knit communities that make trading NFTs so different to regular stocks or even bitcoin. For most people, the very concept of an NFT – a digital artwork that uses blockchain tech to prove ownership – still feels impenetrable and the froth of speculation surrounding them is even more off-putting. But for committed NFT traders, many of whom have embraced the label “degenerates”, the mayhem is just part of the appeal. As one owner of a Cool Cat, a collection of digital cartoon profile pictures, told me: “It is crazy how attaching an image to a blockchain entry can make some connection in the brain that wasn’t there before.” Yes, you can lose a lot of money pretty fast by trading in these generic, often unappealing images. But watching the daily dramas that NFTs seem to create is almost worth the entry fee of buying an overpriced cartoon animal. It is like a high-school playground meets major league sports event, with the constantly fluctuating price of each collection as the scoreboard. An NFT crash for the ages occurred just last February in the form of Pixelmon. Promising a crypto-tinged take on Pokemon, Pixelmon made its public debut in the days after Russia invaded Ukraine, while traditional stock markets were plunging. Two weeks earlier, thousands of hyped-up buyers paid as much as 3 eth (US$10,000 or S$13,529) for each monster egg, generating tens of millions of dollars for the developers. When the eggs hatched, however, the crudely drawn and poorly animated creatures were a far cry from the developer’s earlier previews. “I can’t believe I paid $10,000 for this” became a meme. It might say something about NFT buyers that as many seem to blame Pixelmon as Putin for the past few weeks’ precipitous drop in trading activity and prices. Yet rather than cry foul or cash out, many NFT traders simply inserted a gif of Michael Jackson eating popcorn into their Discord group and enjoyed the fallout of yet another spectacular blow-up. One Pixelmon character called Kevin – a squinted green lizard that looks like a reject from Minecraft – became totemic of the sorry affair. What began as memes were soon turned into tradeable NFTs themselves and more than a dozen Kevin-themed collections were launched. The price of a Kevin Punk, a green-faced variant of the po[CENSORED]r CryptoPunks, briefly topped 3 eth (more than US$7,500 at the time), almost 10 times the price of a Pixelmon after it crashed on the secondary market. https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/nft-hype-appeal-ethereum-198426

The Mercedes-AMG SL43 is an entry-level model for the latest generation of the SL. It is powered by a 389-horsepower turbocharged inline-four. This is the first production vehicle to feature a turbo with an electric motor on the turbocharger shaft that can spin the compressor wheel to reduce lag and maintain boost pressure when the driver lets off the gas pedal. Mercedes is still deciding whether it wants to bring the four-cylinder SL43 to the United States market. The new Mercedes-AMG SL43 may be the entry-level model in the grand tourer’s lineup, but that doesn’t mean the SL43 is basic. While it has only half as many cylinders as its higher-performance, V-8-powered SL55 and SL63 siblings, this model has technology derived from Formula 1 that promises increased responsiveness from the turbocharged inline-four. The SL43’s party piece is a turbocharger with an electric motor plus the typical exhaust-gas plumbing. This production-car first is fitted to the M139 2.0-liter inline-four, the same engine found in the CLA45 and GLA45 AMG models. The motor is only about an inch and a half thick and mounted on the shaft between the turbine wheel and compressor wheel. The whole point is that this motor can spin the compressor wheel before the exhaust gases do, reducing turbo lag, providing a near-immediate response when the driver pins the throttle, and maintaining boost pressure even when the driver lets off the gas or hits the brakes. This same technology is found in the turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6 hybrids used by the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team. The four-cylinder engine pumps out a continuous total of 376 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, while the 48-volt, belt-driven starter-generator can provide a brief boost of 13 extra horses. The 48-volt setup also allows the SL43 to recoup energy while slowing and smoothing out the engine’s start-stop function. The M139 is, for the first time, mounted longitudinally in the SL43 and linked to a nine-speed automatic transmission with the AMG-typical wet clutch pack in place of a torque converter. Mercedes claims the rear-wheel-drive roadster can hit 62 mph in 4.9 seconds on its way to a 170 mph top speed. A few minor visual changes distinguish the SL43 from the 55 and 63. The tailpipes are round and the rear bumper is simplified, ditching the vents behind the rear wheels. The front bumper is also reshaped, and the SL43 rides on 19-inch wheels as standard, with optional 20- and 21-inch wheels. The SL43 isn’t confirmed for the United States, with a Mercedes spokesperson telling Car and Driver that the roadster is “is currently still under consideration for the U.S. market.” If it does reach our shores, expect it to be considerably cheaper than the SL55, which we estimate will cost around $135,000. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a39652892/mercedes-amg-sl43-details/

WASHINGTON: The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has wrested control of thousands of routers and firewall appliances away from Russian military hackers by hijacking the same infrastructure Moscow’s spies were using to communicate with the devices, US officials said on Wednesday (Apr 6). An unsealed redacted affidavit described the unusual operation as a pre-emptive move to stop Russian hackers from mobilizing the compromised devices into a “botnet” - a network of hacked computers that can bombard other servers with rogue traffic. "Fortunately, we were able to disrupt this botnet before it could be used,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately return an email seeking comment. The targeted botnet was controlled through malware called Cyclops Blink, which US and UK cyberdefense agencies had publicly attributed in late February to “Sandworm,” allegedly one of the Russian military intelligence service’s hacking teams that has repeatedly been accused of carrying out cyberattacks. Cyclops Blink was designed to hijack devices made by WatchGuard Technologies Inc and ASUSTeK Computer Inc, according to research by private cybersecurity firms. It provides Russian services with access to those compromised systems, offering the ability to remotely exfiltrate or delete data or turn the devices against a third party. Watchguard issued a statement confirming it worked with the US Justice Department to disrupt the botnet but did not disclose the number of devices affected - saying only that they represented "less than 1 percent of WatchGuard appliances." AsusTek, better known as Asus, did not immediately return messages seeking comment. FBI Director Chris Wray told reporters the FBI, with court approval, secretly reached into thousands of routers and firewall appliances to delete the malware and reconfigure the devices. "We removed malware from devices used by thousands of mostly small businesses for network security all over the world," Wray said. "We shut the door the Russians had used to get into them." The affidavit noted that US officials launched an awareness campaign “to inform owners of WatchGuard devices of the steps they should take to remediate infections or vulnerabilities” and yet less than half the devices had been fixed to expel the hackers. The affidavit noted that the FBI had carried out its work in cooperation with WatchGuard. The announcement came amid a flurry of new sanctions announced against Russian banks and elites, days after grim images emerged of the bodies of civilians shot at close range in the town of Bucha. Russia says its "special military operation" is aimed at demilitarising and "denazifying" Ukraine, and it has denied targeting civilians. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-fbi-says-it-disrupted-russian-hackers-2612746

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. But before there were dogs — or even dinosaurs — there were trilobites brutally biting each other on the Cambrian seafloor. New research has revealed that these armored predators didn't only hunt smaller and weaker animals for food, but would occasionally take bites out of their trilobite comrades of the same species. This finding represents the earliest evidence of cannibalism in the fossil record to date. Trilobites are now-extinct marine arthropods that first appeared in the fossil record around 541 million years ago. They were stout creatures with thick exoskeletons, which is likely one of the reasons so many trilobite fossils remained preserved all these years; exoskeletons fossilize much easier than softer tissues. Russell Bicknell, a paleontologist at the University of New England in Australia, spent five years examining trilobite fossils from the Emu Bay Shale formation on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. There are two trilobite species from the same genus found in this formation: Redlichia takooensis, a deposit feeder(opens in new tab) that ate particles on the ocean floor, and the larger, predatory R. rex. Many of the R. takooensis fossils were found with what appeared to be bite marks, mostly on their hind ends. This was expected, as paleontologists already knew that R. rex made meals of R. takooensis. In the Emu Bay formation, fossilized feces, called coprolites, left behind by R. rex contain trilobite shell remnants. This suggests that R. rex had the capability of eating the smaller trilobite species. What was unexpected, though, were signs of similar bite marks on R. rex. These injuries, the researchers concluded, were likely the result of cannibalism. Related: Why did trilobites go extinct? "There's not much else in this deposit that has the toolkit, is biomechanically optimized for this kind of thing, and could willingly crunch down on something hard," Bicknell told Live Science. While not much is known about trilobite mouthparts, Bicknell is certain that these injuries weren't "bites" in the traditional sense. Instead, the underside of a trilobite featured two rows of legs, and on these legs were little inward-facing spines. If you have ever eaten crab legs or lobster, then imagine an animal with legs like the tool modern chefs use to crack open these shells. R. rex was born to hunt trilobites, and apparently it didn't matter much which species. Most of the injuries seen on the Emu Bay fossils were injuries to the abdomen and not the head. Bicknell believes this is because the injured animals were trying to get away from their predator's clutches, but he also suggests there may have been a bit of survivorship bias at play too. The injured fossils are from the animals that got away — they weren't eaten. Trilobites that sustained head injuries likely ended up as coprolites. While this is the earliest documented example of cannibalism for any animal in the fossil record, Bicknell said it's likely that cannibalism is much older and more widespread than even these fossils suggest. "I would go as far as to say that arthropods have been eating arthropods since the dawn of arthropods becoming arthropods," Bicknell said. However, direct evidence of such ancient cannibalism has not been available in the fossil record, until now. While it is difficult to prove that cannibalism took place, Bicknell and his colleagues were able to systematically remove all other explanations for the injuries found in R. rex fossils. "What you're left with is this almost demonstrable record of cannibalism, just short of going back in time and watching it happen," said Bicknell. https://www.livescience.com/oldest-cannibalism-found-in-trilobite-fossils

BERLIN: European and international donors agreed on Tuesday (Apr 5) to extend €695 million (US$762 million) in aid to Moldova, Europe's poorest country, which is hosting more than 100,000 refugees from Ukraine at a time of soaring energy prices. Speaking after a donor conference she hosted in Berlin, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Germany would work to help Moldova free itself from its dependency on Russia for energy supplies. With fewer than 3 million people, Moldova has taken in more refugees fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine per head than any other country. "We agreed today to support Moldova with loans, budget support and other financial assistance worth €695 million," Baerbock said at the end of the conference she hosted jointly with her French and Romanian counterparts. Like Ukraine, Moldova is a former part of the Soviet Union, some of whose territory is occupied by Moscow-backed separatists. Although it has strong historical and linguistic ties to neighbouring European Union member Romania, it relies exclusively on Russia's Gazprom for gas imports. Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita asked donors at the conference, who included the EU and the French and Romanian foreign ministers, for support in diversifying her country's energy supplies even as it deals with refugees in need. "Since the beginning of the war, 400,000 refugees have crossed Moldova's borders and 100,000 have decided to stay," she said. "Almost half of them are children, these are vulnerable po[CENSORED]tions." Moldova's electricity network needed to be interconnected with the European Union's over the Romanian border in order to boost its energy independence, she said. She also asked the EU to lift barriers to selling its agricultural produce westwards, noting that Russia, Belarus and Ukraine had accounted for 15 per cent of Moldova's foreign trade before the war. "Moldova is the most vulnerable among Ukraine's neighbours," she said. "Today Moldova needs good friends and reliable partners." https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/ukraine-invasion-donors-give-eu695-million-aid-moldova-2609211

The flow of "bloody money" to Russia must stop, Kyiv's mayor said on Tuesday (Apr 5) as the West prepared new sanctions on Moscow after dead civilians were found lining the streets of a Ukrainian town seized from Russian invaders. Since Russian forces withdrew from northern Ukraine, turning their assault on the south and east, grim images from the town of Bucha near Kyiv, including a mass grave and bound bodies of people shot at close range, have prompted international outrage. Russia denies targeting civilians and said the deaths had been staged by the West to discredit it. Sanctions already imposed have isolated Russia's economy but its gas is still flowing to Europe and a number of international companies continue to do business there, leading Ukraine to say more is needed to starve Moscow's war effort. "Every euro, every cent that you receive from Russia or that you send to Russia has blood, it is bloody money and the blood of this money is Ukrainian blood, the blood of Ukrainian people," Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko, dressed in military clothes, told a mayors' conference in Geneva via video link. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that while what happened in Bucha was unforgivable, Ukraine had no choice but to negotiate with Russia to end the war, now in its sixth week. "All of us, including myself, will perceive even the possibility of negotiations as a challenge," Zelenskiy said in an interview broadcast on national television. He said it was not clear whether he and Russian President Vladimir Putin would speak directly. Russian news agency Interfax cited a deputy Russian foreign minister as saying talks, which last convened on Friday, were continuing via video link. There was no update from the Ukrainian side. Zelenskiy said earlier that at least 300 civilians had been killed in Bucha and that many more dead were likely to be found in other areas. He said he would address the United Nations Security Council later in the day as he builds support for an investigation into the killings. SATELLITE IMAGES Russia denied that its forces had carried out any atrocities and said it would present "empirical evidence" to the UN Security Council meeting proving its forces were not involved. But satellite images of Bucha taken weeks ago showed bodies of civilians on a street, a private US company said, undercutting Russian claims that the scene was staged. Maxar Technologies provided nine images taken of Bucha on Mar 18, 19 and 31 to Reuters. At least four of the images appear to show bodies on Yablonska Street in the town, which was occupied by Russian forces until about Mar 30. US President Joe Biden called for a war crimes trial against Putin and Washington will ask the UN General Assembly to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council. At the weekend, Reuters reporters in Bucha saw several bodies apparently shot at close range, along with makeshift burials and a mass grave, but could not independently verify the number of dead or who was responsible. Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said he spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about Bucha and stressed that "Ukraine will use all available UN mechanisms to collect evidence and hold Russian war criminals to account." Kuleba spoke to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Monday, with Beijing again calling for talks to end the conflict. 'FEEL THE CONSEQUENCES' Russia launched what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb 24, saying it aimed to demilitarise and "denazify" its neighbour. Ukraine and the West say the invasion was illegal and unjustified. Germany and the Biden administration said new sanctions against Moscow would be announced in coming days, while several European countries, including Germany, France and Italy, announced expulsions of Russian diplomats and Moscow said it would respond in kind. The US State Department said it was supporting an international team of prosecutors and experts in their work collecting and analysing evidence of atrocities. German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said the European Union must discuss banning Russian gas, though other officials urged caution around measures that could touch off a European energy crisis. Russia supplies about a third of Europe's gas, and Putin has tried to use energy as a lever to fight back against Western sanctions. So far, however, Moscow has kept gas flowing to Europe, despite uncertainty over Putin's demands for payments in roubles. In the latest effort to pile pressure on Moscow, the United States stopped the Russian government from paying holders of its sovereign debt more than US$600 million from reserves held at US banks. BATTLES IN THE EAST Ukraine said it was bracing for about 60,000 Russian reservists to be called in to reinforce Moscow's offensive in the east, where Russia's main targets have included the port of Mariupol and Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city. Ukraine's general staff said Russian forces aimed to fully take over the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces claimed by Russian-backed separatists and encircle a group of Ukrainian forces. "Russian troops have attacked Mykolayiv with cluster munitions banned by the Geneva Convention. Whole blocks of civilian buildings have come under fire, in particular, a children's hospital. There are dead and wounded, including children," the general staff said in a daily update on Tuesday. Reuters could not independently verify the claims. In Mariupol, a southeastern town on the Azov Sea that has been under siege for weeks, Reuters images showed three bodies in civilian clothes lying in the street, one against a wall sprayed with blood. West of Mariupol, in the town of Mykolaiv, shelling on Monday killed 10 people, including a child, and injured 46 others, regional administration head Oleksandr Senkevich said. Reuters was not immediately able to verify the report. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/kyiv-mayor-klitschko-calls-halt-bloody-money-flow-russia-2608876

A drawing by Michelangelo, discovered in 2019, will be offered for sale next month by Christie's and could fetch 30 million euros ($33 million), the British auction house said on Tuesday. The drawing, one of the few works of the Renaissance Italian artist in private hands, was sold in 1907 in Paris and billed as a work of the school of Michelangelo. It was largely forgotten until 2019, when a Christie's specialist recognized it as one of Michelangelo's own. The drawing is thought to be one of the artist's early works, from around the end of the 15th century. It reproduces a shivering man depicted in a fresco, "Baptism of the Neophytes", by Masaccio. Two other people stand near him in the drawing. "This drawing I think is one of the most exciting discoveries made in the field of Old Masters drawings in a long time," said Stijn Alsteens, Christie's international head of the department for Old Master drawings. "It shows Michelangelo doing two things at the same time, looking back at artists that preceded him, in this particular case Masaccio, as well as looking forward to his own work and the revolutionary aspect of it. In particular the depiction of the human body which becomes such an important part both in the sculptures, I think of the David in Florence, or the many, many figures he painted in the Sistine Chapel," Alsteens added. The work had been designated a French national treasure, which prevented it from being exported, but the French government recently removed the designation, allowing the drawing to be offered to collectors anywhere in the world, Christie's said. The drawing is scheduled to be exhibited in Hong Kong and New York before it is auctioned in Paris on May 18. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/rare-michelangelo-drawing-could-fetch-30-mln-euros-paris-sale-2022-04-05/

Honda and GM will co-develop a line of affordable electric compact SUV models. They will share platforms and new battery technologies that could include solid-state batteries. We can expect these models to arrive in the U.S. starting in 2027. We already know that Honda will use GM's EV platform for two upcoming electric SUVs coming in 2024. But that won't be the end of the two automakers' partnership, as they have just announced a massive expansion of their plans. GM and Honda now say they will co-develop a lineup of affordable compact crossovers set to launch in 2027 with new battery technologies. The companies clearly have high sales ambitions for these vehicles, as they cite manufacturing plans that will "enable global production of millions of EVs." These new models will use a common platform and share new battery technologies that the two companies are exploring, such as solid-state batteries and materials such as lithium-metal and silicon. Due to their affordability bent, we can assume that these compact SUVs will wear Chevy and Honda badges at first, but they may expand into GM's more upscale Buick, Cadillac, and GMC brands as well and could also result in a product for Honda's Acura luxury division. These new models will be smaller and cheaper than the previously announced 2024 Honda Prologue and its Acura spinoff, which could be called ADX. These vehicles, launching in about two years, are expected to use a version of the Ultium platform that will be similarly sized as the mid-size Cadillac Lyriq electric crossover that has already begun production. Both GM and Honda say they are working to achieve price parity between EVs and existing gasoline models, and that a key mission of this project is to drive down the cost of electric vehicles so that they can sell in higher volumes. GM, for its part, is currently way ahead of Honda towards achieving this goal; it already offers the Bolt, starting at $32,495, and has announced plans for an Equinox EV coming next year that it claims will start around $30,000. GM also claims it will later launch an EV to slot in below the Equinox EV price-wise. Honda, meanwhile, does not currently sell an EV model in the U.S. at all but has shown EV concepts (pictured at top) for various global markets. Honda also says that it is developing electric models on its own platforms, but won't share where these vehicles will fit in with the GM partnership. If we were to guess, we'd think that Hondas own EVs may take the form of smaller hatchbacks and sedans rather than the SUVs it will build with GM. The company does currently sell the tiny Honda e hatchback abroad but has no plans to bring this vehicle to the U.S. Honda also recently announced that it plans to establish a new EV brand with Sony, so we're not sure how that fits in with these new plans with GM. Look for more information to come within the next few years as we find out more about GM and Honda's growing collaboration in terms of production, technology, and where these new EVs will fit into the automakers' respective lineups. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a39636625/honda-gm-affordable-ev-plans/

WARSAW: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Monday (Apr 4) condemned the "exceptionally cruel" violence against civilians near Kyiv in an apparent reference to killings in the town of Bucha. Japan's top diplomat, who is visiting Poland, joined a chorus of global outrage after dozens of bodies were found in mass graves or littering the streets near the Ukrainian capital over the weekend. "I am deeply shocked by news of the exceptionally cruel acts of violence against civilians near Kyiv," Hayashi told reporters alongside his Polish counterpart in Warsaw. "The murder of innocent civilians is a violation of international humanitarian law and is unacceptable and I strongly condemn these acts," he added. "The Russian assault is a blatant violation of international law and an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo through the use of force." Earlier Monday the Kremlin rejected accusations that Russian forces were responsible for killing civilians near Kyiv and suggested images of corpses were "fakes". Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau for his part stressed the importance of diplomacy in ending the war. "The only way to resolve the conflict has been, is and will continue to be diplomacy and dialogue," he said. "We regret that Russia chose the path of aggression and war instead of dialogue and diplomacy." The Japanese minister spoke while on a multi-day trip to Poland, during which he visited the EU member's border with Ukraine and met with refugees who fled the war-torn country. "I was able to see for myself how difficult of a situation the refugees are in," he said. Hayashi later told Japanese reporters that several refugees would return to Japan with him. "I have learned that there are several people who are keen to evacuate to Japan, but who currently have difficulty in securing travel means on their own," he said. He added that "20 evacuees will board a reserve government aircraft on my return journey home." https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/ukraine-invasion-japan-slams-exceptionally-cruel-civilian-deaths-kyiv-bucha-killings-2607191

Honda has revealed the first photos of the redesigned 2023 HR-V. The new model is larger than before, with a longer wheelbase. It now shares its platform with the Civic. More info will be coming soon and the new HR-V is scheduled to arrive at U.S. dealerships over the summer. Honda's smallest SUV is entering its second generation, and there are some notable changes in store for the new 2023 HR-V. These are the first official photos of the redesigned model that's headed to the U.S., which is larger than before and distinct from the smaller, hybrid-only Europe-market model revealed last year. While the HR-V previously used the same platform as the now-discontinued Fit hatchback, Honda says that the new subcompact SUV rides on the same platform as the Civic. It has a longer wheelbase than before and now features an independent rear suspension. All Honda claims about the powertrain is that it will be powered by a "more responsive engine," and we'd guess that the Civic's 180-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four will be under the hood to replace the old HR-V's 141-hp 1.8-liter inline-four. The naturally aspirated 158-hp 2.0-liter inline-four from the Civic's lower trim levels may also be offered as the HR-V's base engine. Front-wheel drive will likely be standard, with all-wheel drive optional, and a CVT automatic should be the only transmission choice. An HR-V hybrid is likely to join the lineup, too, although it may launch later than the gas-only version. Honda has yet to release photos or information about the HR-V's interior, and we're wondering what the new platform will mean for the packaging. The previous HR-V, like the Fit, featured a remarkably low cargo floor thanks to its fuel tank being mounted under the front seats. So we're not sure if the old HR-V's highly configurable rear seat that could fold in multiple configurations will carry over to the new model. The current model's LX, Sport, EX, and EX-L trim levels are likely to carry over, and Honda released a video showing the new HR-V in several colors including red, grey, silver, black, and white. Expect pricing to rise slightly from the current HR-V's $23,095 starting price, with loaded AWD models costing over $30,000. More information will be coming within the next few months before the 2023 HR-V goes on sale in the summer. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a39612342/2023-honda-hr-v-revealed/

LOS ANGELES, April 3, (Variety.com) - "Morbius," the latest comic book adventure from Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters, opened in first place at the domestic box office, though ticket sales were considerably softer than recent superhero blockbusters. Dinged by comically terrible reviews, "Morbius" sunk its teeth into $39.1 million from 4,268 North American theaters in its first weekend of release. That initial tally is at once a sign that audiences truly love comic book movies (in pandemic times, a non-superhero film with a 17% on Rotten Tomatoes wouldn't stand a chance at the box office) and an indication that not every superhuman character will be greeted equally on the big screen. (Sony's 2018 antihero origin story "Venom" was similarly panned but still managed to score at the domestic box office with $80 million to start and $213 million in total). "Morbius" took in $44.9 million at the international box office, boosting its global total to $84 million. Like many Hollywood movies, it's unclear if "Morbius" will land a release date in China. Sony spent $75 million to produce the vampire-infused "Morbius," which is less than studios typically shell out for superhero blockbusters. Marketing and other promotional costs added many millions more to expenses. Since Morbius the Living Vampire is not nearly as well known as Spider-Man, Batman or even Venom -- who was introduced to general audiences in Tobey Maguire's "Spider-Man 3" and later played by Tom Hardy in the standalone movies -- film industry analysts were not expecting "Morbius" to break box office records. Still, Sony has a lot riding on "Morbius," which stars Jared Leto as Michael Morbius, a renowned biochemist who becomes a lethal vampire after attempting to cure himself of a rare blood disease. The studio majorly scored with "Spider-Man: No Way Home" ($1.88 billion at the worldwide box office) and successfully spun "Venom" into cinematic gold (the first movie earned $856 million globally and the 2021 sequel "Let There Be Carnage" earned $501 million at the worldwide box office). But Sony has grander plans to fashion a viable rival to Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a so-so turnout for "Morbius" signals that in order to get audiences to go to theaters, these movies actually have to be watchable. After "Morbius," Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters is chugging along with standalone stories on "Kraven the Hunter," starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and "Madame Web," featuring Dakota Johnson. Daniel Espinosa directed "Morbius," with a cast that includes Adria Arjona, Matt Smith, Jared Harris and Michael Keaton, reprising his role from previous "Spider-Man" films. Given the muted reception from critics and moviegoers (it landed a "C+ CinemaScore), box office experts do not expect "Morbius" will have a fruitful life on the big screen. It'll face steep competition from younger male ticket buyers as "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" (April 😎 and "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" (April 15) open in theaters. "This is a weak opening by Marvel's exceptional standard for launching a new superhero series," said David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. He added, "Marvel movies are generally very well reviewed; here reviews are uncharacteristically poor." In a distant second place, Paramount's action-adventure "The Lost City" collected a strong $14.8 million from 4,283 venues in its second weekend of release. So far, the screwball romantic comedy, starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, has grossed $54.5 million at the domestic box office. Since the film cost $68 million, "The Lost City" is not yet a commercial winner. However, it's a promising sign that meet-cutes haven't entirely fallen out of favor with moviegoers. Another comic book tentpole, "The Batman" with Robert Pattinson, landed in third place with $10.8 million from 3,732 theaters. After five weeks on the big screen, the Warner Bros. film has pulled in a mighty $349 million at the domestic box office. "The Batman" has continued to be a force across the globe, crossing $700 million over the weekend. The movie's worldwide total now stands at a massive $710.5 million. For the second weekend in a row, Tom Holland's video game adaptation "Uncharted" and Crunchyroll's manga adaptation "Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie" took spots four and five, respectively, on box office charts. "Uncharted" brought in $3.6 million from 3,064 cinemas, buoying its North American tally to $138.9 million. Overseas, the $120 million-budgeted tentpole added $5.5 million from 55 markets. That takes "Uncharted's" tally to $234 million internationally and $373 million globally. The anime film "Jujutsu Kaisen 0," an unexpected box office champion, earned $1.9 million from 2,070 screens in its third weekend in theaters. To date, the movie has grossed $31 million. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/box-office-morbius-opens-no-1-with-decent-39-million-2022-04-03/

CHICAGO : Chinese buyers bought 1.084 million tonnes of U.S. corn, their biggest purchase of U.S. grain since May 2021, the U.S. government said on Monday. The deal comes as shipments from Ukraine, the world's fourth biggest exporter of corn, are snarled following Russia's invasion. China had been a big buyer of Ukrainian corn and the fighting, which also has disrupted spring planting season, has created uncertainty about their reliability as a supplier. The U.S. Agriculture Department said that the deal was for 676,000 tonnes of corn to be delivered in the 2021/22 marketing year that ends Aug. 31 and for 408,000 tonnes to be delivered in 2022/23. USDA said last week that U.S. farmers plan to cut their corn plantings this spring despite the strong global demand, with high prices for inputs such as fuel and fertilizer cutting into potential profits for growing the yellow grain https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/china-books-biggest-deal-us-corn-may-2021-2607156

When the rock now known as the Chicxulub impactor plummeted from outer space and slammed into the Earth 66 million years ago, cockroaches were there. The impact caused a massive earthquake, and scientists think it also triggered volcanic eruptions thousands of miles from the impact site. Three-quarters of plants and animals on Earth died, including all dinosaurs, except for some species that were ancestors of today’s birds. How could roaches a couple of inches long survive when so many powerful animals went extinct? It turns out that they were nicely equipped to live through a meteoric catastrophe. If you’ve ever seen a cockroach, you’ve probably noticed that their bodies are very flat. This is not an accident. Flatter insects can squeeze themselves into tighter places. This enables them to hide practically anywhere – and it may have helped them survive the Chicxulub impact. When the meteor struck, temperatures on Earth's surface skyrocketed. Many animals had nowhere to flee, but roaches could take shelter in tiny soil crevices, which provide excellent protection from heat. The meteor’s impact triggered a cascade of effects. It kicked up so much dust that the sky darkened. As the sun dimmed, temperatures plunged and conditions became wintry around the globe. With little sunlight, surviving plants struggled to grow, and many other organisms that relied on those plants went hungry. Not cockroaches, though. Unlike some insects that prefer to eat one specific plant, cockroaches are omnivorous scavengers. This means they will eat most foods that come from animals or plants as well as cardboard, some kinds of clothing and even poop. Having appetites that aren’t picky has allowed cockroaches to survive lean times since the Chicxulub extinction and other natural disasters. Another helpful trait is that cockroaches lay their eggs in little protective cases. These egg cartons look like dried beans and are called oothecae, which means “egg cases.” Like phone cases, oothecae are hard and protect their contents from physical damage and other threats, such as flooding and drought. Some cockroaches may have waited out part of the Chicxulub catastrophe from the comfort of their oothecae. Modern cockroaches are little survivors that can live just about anywhere on land, from the heat of the tropics to some of the coldest parts of the globe. Scientists estimate that there over 4,000 cockroach species. A handful of these species like to live with humans and quickly become pests. Once cockroaches become established in a building, it’s hard to rid every little crack of these insects and their oothecae. When large numbers of roaches are present in unsanitary places, they can spread diseases. The biggest threat they pose to human health is from allergens they produce that can trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions in some people. Cockroach pests are hard to manage because they can resist many chemical insecticides and because they have the same abilities that helped their ancestors outlive many dinosaurs. Still, cockroaches are much more than a pest to control. Researchers study cockroaches to understand how they move and how their bodies are designed to get ideas for building better robots. As a scientist, I see all insects as beautiful, six-legged inspirations. Cockroaches have already overcome odds that were too great for dinosaurs. If another meteorite hit the Earth, I’d be more worried for humans than for cockroaches. https://www.livescience.com/how-cockroaches-survived-dino-killing-asteroid

For the first time, the Chevy Silverado 1500 is available as a pursuit-rated pickup truck for police departments. Known as the Silverado PPV (Police Pursuit Vehicle), it has huge 16.0-inch front rotors, a rear locker, and a 2.0-inch-lift option. Chevy's police truck features a 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Johnny Law is getting a new chase vehicle courtesy of Chevrolet that's capable of pursuit on public roads, through the back woods, and everywhere in between. Enter the 2023 Silverado PPV. It's the first time Chevy has built a pursuit-rated pickup truck, and it joins the Tahoe PPV that's been a trusty steed to police departments since it debuted in 1997. PPV versions of the Tahoe and the Silverado share a lot of components, including a powertrain and other equipment. Both use a 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 linked to a 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. They also share black 20-inch rims mounted on Goodyear all-terrain tires and massive 16.0-inch iron front rotors clamped by Brembo six-piston calipers. For comparison, the Silverado's standard front discs are three inches smaller, measuring 13.0 inches in diameter. Every 2023 Chevy Silverado PPV is configured with a crew cab and the short five-foot-eight-inch cargo box. The truck's tow rating maxes out at 9300 pounds, and that's 1100 pounds more than the Tahoe PPV can pull. Unlike its SUV counterpart, the Silverado is available with a 2.0-inch suspension lift. This raises its ground clearance and approach angle to 11.4 inches and 25.9 degrees, respectively, so lawbreakers will have a harder time using treacherous terrain to hide. Even without the lifted ride height, the Silverado PPV comes equipped with some notable off-road hardware. There's a skid plate for extra underbody protection, a set of Rancho shocks from the regular truck's Z71 package, and a locking rear differential. The cops can also opt for a hard tri-folding tonneau cover for the bed or Chevy's multifunctional tailgate. The Silverado PPV's interior takes a no-nonsense approach that we dig. From its tried-and-true column shifter to its power-adjustable cloth seats and vinyl flooring options, there are few creature comforts. The front jump seat can even be removed by request, freeing up space for whatever else cops might want to put there. While we certainly don't want to see a Silverado PPV in our rearview mirror, we'd love to see one in our driveway. In fact, the more we thought about the truck's off-road chops, bare-bones interior, and all the other neat features, it made us wish the bow-tie brand would offer one to regular law-abiding citizens. After all, it'd be a fitting rival to the recently revealed Ford F-150 Rattler, which exists as an entry-level off-roader. Chevy hasn't said how much the 2023 Silverado PPV will cost, but the company did say it'll be available in the U.S. and Canada sometime later this summer. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a39611089/2023-chevy-silverado-police-truck-revealed/