Ryzen2

Well, you made it through 2020, and now you have to prepare for 2021. Last year, most of us scrambled to cope with every new historic curveball lofted our way. In the food and lifestyle arenas, 2020 was marked by shake ups in supply chains, online ordering, and new demands on local food systems. We also saw novel pop culture trends enter the zeitgeist—from obsessions with sourdough to #cottagecore to TikTok. While many are looking to 2021 with trepidation, we now have nearly 12 months of our new normal to learn from, which means we can be better prepared for what’s to come, personally and professionally. Here are the top 7 trends anyone working in the food and lifestyle industries should be paying attention to in 2021. Salty snack including peanuts, potato chips and pretzels. GETTY 1. Flavor fatigue Exhaustion, anxiety and stress are limiting people’s interest in complex flavors, according to new research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology. “Hedonic appreciation of food...varies with the degree to which consumers are mentally depleted,” the study’s authors write, concluding that “cognitive depletion reduces consumer enjoyment of complex-flavored (but not simple-flavored) foods.” This finding is reflected in the latest food trends: sales of salty, familiar snacks like potato chips are up as are sales of sweet treats like chocolate—90% of U.S. shoppers purchased some form of chocolate in the first few months of the pandemic. Food for Climate League found similar findings in our fall menu communications research sprints, with U.S. respondents in particular gravitating toward familiar and simple dish descriptions. Recognizing the desire for comfort and familiar flavors, Dunkin’ Donuts brought back their fall favorite pumpkin donuts and coffee several months early. 85% of consumers say that eating their favorite snacks makes them feel ‘normal’ and nearly half say that eating them makes them feel happy, according to Frito-Lay’s annual snacking index. MORE FOR YOU U.S. Army Paratroopers Capturing Chinese Outposts? People’s Liberation Army Scoffs At The Idea Did You Get A Second Stimulus Check Today? Here’s Why Why Faking It Fails And How To Start Banking True Confidence “Simple foods with a single ‘flavor dimension’...don’t take as much brain power or comprehension as dishes consisting of multiple flavor components (such as sweet, salty, bitter),” explains the behavior insights agency Canvas8 in their own analysis of what they call “flavor fatigue.” “The more mentally drained a person is, the harder it is for them to appreciate more complex tastes,” they conclude. As many of the stressors of 2020 are likely to continue in this new year—think: overwhelming personal health and safety concerns, economic strife, content inundation, home schooling, marches for equal rights—those in the food and beverage industry should focus in on simple, approachable and familiar flavors that will appeal to our emotionally overwhelmed world. A middle-aged woman in a yoga pose in front of a laptop. Remote work at home. GETTY 2. Mental health awareness Prior to 2020, the world already faced record high rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, in large part led by the Millennial and Gen Z generation, but in 2020, our mental health was taxed to a new degree. One-in-four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 say they considered suicide in the spring of 2020, notes the United States Centers for Disease Control, specifically citing the pandemic as a leading culprit. Nearly one-third of the 5,412 survey respondents, across all age groups, said they had symptoms of anxiety or depression, and over a quarter reported trauma and stress-related disorders because of the pandemic. Those under 40 believe that caring for one’s mental health is just as important as caring for one’s physical health and discussions of mental health are becoming more open and less stigmatized, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z. Some of the most po[CENSORED]r pop stars and platforms of 2020 openly address mental health issues, be it Chloe x Halle or Bilie Eilish or Snap. In the face of a year that challenged our wellbeing—both physically and mentally—many are looking to brands to help them lighten the load. For brands, this means a focus on affinity over awareness is key. “Post-COVID, people are looking for mission-driven brands that help them navigate the current situation,” writes Emily Tang, VP of Innovation and Insights at Datassential. “They’re attracted to brands with clearly stated objectives and values - to provide comfort, offer a solution to a problem, or to combat current issues.” LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 03: Models pose during the Oxfam Sustainable Fashion Show at Oxfam Shop ... [+] GETTY IMAGES 3. Sustainability as table stakes Early in the pandemic, many made the assumption that, with our personal health at risk, public attention on the climate crisis would wane. That prediction turned out to be mightily wrong. 2020 was a banner year for the environmental movement. In the U.S., consumption of plant-based foods rose and all signs point to this trend continuing in 2021. A survey by menu research firm Datassential found that 58% of U.S. respondents in July 2020 said they want to increase their consumption of plant-based foods and 33% want to specifically increase their consumption of plant-based animal protein substitutes, with many asserting that plant-based eating is both healthier and better for the environment. The survey also found that 31% want to decrease their red meat intake. Across the pond, the pandemic has accelerated the uptake of veganism. A quarter of British 21- to 30-year-olds say that the COVID-19 pandemic has made veganism more appealing to them, found Mintel. In fact, this fall, students at Oxford voted to ban lamb and beef from most of campus eateries in an effort to make the university more environmentally-friendly. During the past year, around the world, people adopted many new sustainable eating behaviors such as wasting less food, which is one of the most impactful actions for tackling the climate crisis. The rapid shift in grocery availability gave many people a new focus on using all of what they have. The FMI U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends COVID-19 Tracker from the month of May shows that 51% of consumers say they’ll be better in the future (versus before the pandemic) about not letting food they have at home go to waste. The eco-conscious mindset has also infiltrated the fashion, retail, and travel markets, with clothing and home goods companies launching new products with recycled, organic, circular materials, and hoteliers and cities alike are integrating sustainability standards into their business models. Skift Research’s 2020 Hospitality Innovation award went to Sensible Sustainable Solutions by Bensley, an open-sourced guide on integrating sustainable design into architecture and interior design for hotels. In 2020, the concept of sustainable fashion, home goods, and travel also progressed beyond the things we buy and shifted to a focus on what we don’t purchase, or, in the case of travel, where we don’t go. Fashion brands have begun to taut their long-term wearability as a sustainable bonus. Consumer packaged goods companies are launching reusable containers, bulk, and responsible sourcing to all limit waste, and often, cost. When it comes to travel, some destinations are noting that, in order to maintain the sustainability of their cities, the number of visitors each year must be limited. Over-tourism has entered the list of sustainable travel concerns. Other issues like fair wages and gender equality are also a part of the sustainability conversations. BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 14: Assistant farm manager Sabrina Pilot-Jones reaches for a carton of broccoli ... [+] BOSTON GLOBE VIA GETTY IMAGES 4. Relocalization There are many sociological factors signaling a new relocalization movement. From championing local farmers, local talent, local businesses to local attractions, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to center our attention on what’s in our surroundings and what makes our town, city, region or state unique, beautiful and resilient. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) expects domestic tourism to return faster than international travel, providing a likely economic boost for local businesses. The lockdown has urged people to investigate every nook and cranny of their local environments. Additionally, the Black Lives Matter movement inspired many to seek out local businesses owned by people of color. This exploration sparked new patrons for many of these minority-owned establishments and a discovery, for some, of new local businesses. Relocalization has also been a major issue is the agriculture sector. 2020 sparked greater consumer demand for local foods. For example, interest in farm box deliveries spiked around the world. These direct-from-farm boxes allow eaters to receive fresh, nutrient-dense foods from farmers they can meet and communicate directly with — two aspects of safety and security so direly desired these days. Further, these kinds of locally-sourced food services allow for safe culinary exploration—many are discovering new types of grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables cultivated right in their hometowns. Grocer shortages also inspired this movement, with many finding their local food systems to be more reliable. “Relocalisation can not only improve food security, but support a more climate-smart sustainable food system,” notes the British agency Veris in their insights report. Even mega-businesses like Unilever are seeing the benefits of relocalization. “Previously we shipped many of our products’ ingredients around the world,” Harry Brouwer then CEO of Unilever Food Solutions told Food Inspiration Magazine. “Since COVID-19 we were getting a different view on the goods supply chain. First we focus on obtaining the ingredients as local as possible. For each composite product we first check the possibility to acquire the raw materials locally. Only if that is not possible, because the ingredient is not locally produced, we are looking across the border.” When asked if Unilever plans to revert to their more globalized systems once a vaccine is in place, Brouwer responded: “Absolutely not. We are not going back. This was a process we should have started a lot earlier. It is utterly ridiculous that we ship ingredients across the globe while they are also produced locally. The coronavirus crisis made our company realize that it is urgent and necessary to initiate this process right now.” Mountain hiking trail lined with beautiful aspen trees on a clear autumn day GETTY 5. A desire to commune with nature During a year in which many of us were housebound, the great outdoors took on new significance. Sales of seeds and baby chickens hit all time highs in the U.S. while people looked for birds and nearby trails to explore. NPD group notes that sales of bicycles were up 63% compared to the same time last year. Golf gear and paddle board equipment also saw growth as did searches for plant identification apps. In Japan, 2020 inspired many to look for plots of forestland. As reported in the Japan Times, a company that lists forested land for sale said they typically have around 10 to 20 deals a month, but in August of 2020, they received 500 inquiries, a fivefold increase from the same period last year. In September, they received around 650 inquiries. Meanwhile, in the U.K., folks looked not toward the forests, but their backyards as a potential natural oasis. A survey by LV=GI found that Brits spent an average £125 on their gardens during lockdown, with Millennials and Gen Zers between the ages of 25 and 39 spending the most on their outdoor spaces. Over the past year, when people weren’t outside, they were sitting on the couch learning about nature. Many of the top streamed documentaries of 2020 touch on the topics of the natural world. Think: David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, My Octopus Teacher, Kiss the Ground, and Down to Earth. Nature even dominated screen time on TikTok, Animal Crossing and Minecraft. Oneness with nature is being discussed a cure all: A way to improve one’s mental health, a place to work out our bodies, and also an avenue to address the climate crisis. Some are calling for a “rewilding” of lands and our way of living. Rewilding is the return of our natural lands and ways of living to be in sync with nature. Some cities (like Detroit) and countries (like Britain and Australia) are seeing widespread adoption of urban rewilding programs. Some have named rewilding a 2020 gardening trend. And, in April of this past year, the Global Charter for Rewilding the Earth was released, a document already endorsed by over 30 NGOs around the world. Ultimately, the interest in nature is all about health — healthy lands, healthy minds, and healthy bodies. And it’s a trend that’s likely to accelerate as we maintain our semi-quarantined lifestyles. Variety of iced colorful latte drinks Iced coffee, turmeric and matcha latte cocktails in glass jars ... [+] UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES 6. Health and immunity as essential It should come as no surprise that, in response to a global health crisis, demand for products that claim immune-boosting properties is on the rise. Hartman Group’s 2020 report on Functional Food & Beverage Supplements finds that almost 90% of American adult consumers today look for functional benefits in their food, beverages, and, of course, supplements. "Consumers are looking to become more empowered and resilient to help propel them through this time of uncertainty,” explains Laurie Demerrit, CEO of The Hartman Group in a Specialty Food Association webinar. “This has resulted in a stronger focus on health and wellness, which will open up new opportunities for functional products of all types.” In the UK, the COVID-19 pandemic also shifted Briton’s diets, with 51% claiming to be eating more fruits and vegetables. In India, there’s a particularly potent focus on using one’s diet for immune-boosting benefits, with many emphasizing the power of ayurvedic ingredients. This attention to personal health and a desire for control over one’s wellbeing has also benefited the supplements market. Nutrition Business Journal estimates immunity supplement sales in 2020 will be 51.2% over 2019 sales. “The biggest winner of all is elderberry—the purple syrupy herb is being pegged by NBJ to grow at just north of 200% in 2020. But it’s not even just immune-centric supplements that are being snatched up—sales of multivitamins, the cornerstone of nutritional wellness, are up about 112% in 2020,” notes New Hope Network. Similarly, Hartman Group reports that 31% of U.S. consumers are taking more supplements and 29% say they’re consuming more functional foods and beverages as a result of COVID-19. What does this mean for businesses? It’s likely that, for a long time to come, people will be asking: What can this food, drink, lotion, or supplement do for me? How can it help protect me? GETTY 7. Democratization 2020 was a year of reckoning with ever-present issues around racial equality. The Black Lives Matter movement is influencing perspectives on human rights issues worldwide. Indigenous po[CENSORED]tions are vocally protesting the co-option of their native lands, methods and traditions. In the U.S., Black Americans are pointing at the inequalities in healthcare brought starkly to light during the pandemic. Blue collar workers are demanding health and economic protections currently offered to white collar and higher-income individuals. Much like 2019’s Me Too Movement, 2020’s Black Lives Matter Movement will have lasting impacts on the way we talk about and address inequalities across racial and economic lines. It’s a topic that once seen can no longer go unseen, and is an issue that has begun to impact the makeup of corporate boards, fair wage programs for factory workers, and internal HR policies. Without question, the focus on racial equality will also infiltrate the other areas mentioned in this article: Access to nature, affordability of healthy foods, support for minority-owned businesses, democratization of sustainable living options, widespread need for mental health services and wellness programs, and even the diversity of flavors and representation of BIPOC communities in our local and global food systems and on restaurant menus. While it may feel overwhelming to think about what comes next, you’ve already made it through one of the most turbulent year in modern human history. With that fortitude and strength, 2021 can become the year of a resilient recovery and innovation.

Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with the pandemic in the U.S.: THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY — January is beginning as a grim month around the globe as the coronavirus resurges and reshapes itself from Britain to Japan to California. It’s filling hospitals anew and shutting down livelihoods as governments impose new lockdowns to keep people apart. Mexico City hospitals hold more virus patients than they ever have. Germany reported one of its highest daily death tolls to date Tuesday. Even virus success story Thailand is fighting an unexpected wave of infections. Doctors are facing or bracing for rising numbers of COVID-19 patients after end-of-year holiday gatherings. And more and more countries are reporting cases of a new, more contagious variant of the virus that has already rampaged across Britain. — Distribution hiccups and logistical challenges have slowed the initial coronavirus vaccine rollout in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the pace is “not good enough." Only about 1% of California’s 40 million residents have been vaccinated. About 454,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered — just a quarter of the 1.3 million doses the state has received so far. The state’s death toll on Monday topped 26,500 and confirmed cases neared 2.4 million since the pandemic began. California’s hospitals are swamped with more than 22,000 COVID-19 patients. — Rhode Island emerged as a surprising COVID-19 hot spot last month, briefly posting the highest rate of new cases in the country. The nation’s smallest state has not experienced the number of deaths seen in more populous states. But experts say Rhode Island’s experience offers lessons for other states wrestling with the same factors, including high po[CENSORED]tion density, an aging po[CENSORED]tion and many nursing homes, plus poverty and an economy that relies on low-wage workers who cannot work from home. THE NUMBERS: According to data through Jan. 4 from Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average for daily new deaths in the U.S. rose over the past two weeks from 2,655.3 on Dec. 21 to 2,664.9 on Jan. 4. DEATH TOLL: The number of COVID-19-related deaths in the U.S. stands at 353,628. QUOTABLE: “We are in a race to prevent infections, bring cases down, protect health systems and save lives while rolling out two highly effective and safe vaccines to high-risk po[CENSORED]tions. This is not easy. These are the hard miles.” — World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. ICYMI: If you’ve already had the coronavirus, it’s possible you could get it again, but such cases seem to be rare. Some reinfections have been confirmed, but two new studies suggest that would be unusual for at least several months and maybe longer. In one study of people in the U.S., only 0.3% of people who had been infected tested positive for the virus over the next several months. A similarly low rate of reinfections was found in a study of health workers in the U.K. The findings bode well for current COVID-19 vaccines, which trigger the kind of immune responses that the studies found protective. ON THE HORIZON: Dozens of residents in an impoverished Miami neighborhood are staying fed thanks to the efforts of a woman whose generous acts have sparked widespread giving. Since August, Sherina Jones has been feeding the hungry through free community refrigerators. When word got out that one of the refrigerators was stolen just before Thanksgiving, donations began flooding in. Residents in a neighborhood where people can barely pay their rent came forward to all give a little something that ended up being quite a lot. A former classmate of Jones' bought two fridges, and a local pastor donated another. Other people contributed enough money so that Jones was able to give Christmas presents to 400 families.

TORONTO, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Software Inc. (“Constellation”) (TSX:CSU) and Topicus.com Inc. (“Topicus.com”) announced today that Constellation, acting through its Total Specific Solutions (“TSS”) operating group and its subsidiary TPCS Holding B.V., has completed the previously announced purchase of 100% of the shares of Topicus.com B.V. (“Topicus”), a Netherlands-based diversified vertical market software provider, from IJssel B.V. and that in connection with the closing of the acquisition, TSS has been spun out of Constellation and now operates, together with Topicus, as a separate public company (collectively, the “Spin-Out Transactions”). In connection with the completion of the Spin-Out Transactions, on January 4, 2021, all of Constellation’s common shareholders of record on December 28, 2020 received, by way of a dividend-in-kind, 1.859817814 subordinate voting shares of Topicus.com (the “Spin-Out Shares”) for each common share of Constellation held. The Spin-Out Shares have been conditionally approved for listing on the TSX Venture Exchange, subject to Topicus.com’s fulfillment of final listing requirements. Trading of the Spin-Out Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange is expected to begin on or about February 1, 2021. Daan Dijkhuizen, Chief Executive Officer of Topicus.com: “We are delighted that the intended combination of Topicus and TSS into Topicus.com is now a fact. A promising combination is born. As stated in May 2020, we see TSS as the designated partner to fulfil our further growth ambitions in Europe. The combination contains a wealth of opportunities for our colleagues, customers and business partners. “Both Topicus and TSS have a strong culture of entrepreneurship and proven craftsmanship, combined with great focus. The mutual additional benefits lie in the union of healthy business operations, effective and customer-oriented services, and innovative strength. “I really look forward to joining forces with the Operating Group CEOs of TSS, Han Knooren and Ramon Zanders, and the 4,500 professionals within the TSS and Topicus Operating Groups.” Robin van Poelje, Chairman of the Board of Topicus.com: “The creation and spinout of Topicus.com enables us to stand fully on our own feet and focus on our ambition to build a leading European Vertical Market Software company while still being part of Constellation Software’s global ecosystem. Topicus.com will operate on a strongly decentralized basis, providing for autonomy, entrepreneurship and identity to all of our business units while maintaining our competitive advantage of exchanging best practices on a global scale and creating a great learning environment to our employees supporting us to deliver value to our customers.” Early Warning Reporting Disclosure In connection with the Spin-Out Transactions, each of Constellation and Joday Investments II B.V. (“Joday”) will file early warning reports in respect of their ownership of the subordinate voting shares of Topicus.com (the “Topicus Shares”), and/or their ownership of securities, which are either exchangeable for, or convertible into, Topicus Shares. The head office of Topicus.com is located at 20 Adelaide Street East, Suite 1200, Toronto, Ontario. Copies of the early warning reports will be available on SEDAR, and can be obtained by contacting Jamal Baksh at the number below. Constellation’s address is 20 Adelaide Street East, Suite 1200, Toronto, Ontario. On January 4, 2021, in connection with the Spin-Out Transactions, Constellation acquired (i) 39,412,385 Topicus Shares, immediately following which 39,412,367 of such shares were distributed to Constellation’s shareholders, and 18 of such shares were retained by Constellation, (ii) 1 super voting share of Topicus.com and (iii) 39,412,385 preferred shares of Topicus.com. The super voting share and the preferred shares held by Constellation are convertible into Topicus Shares on a one for one basis. Prior to the completion of the foregoing transactions, Constellation owned 1 common share of Topicus.com, representing 100% of the then issued and outstanding securities of Topicus.com. Following the completion of the foregoing transactions, Constellation owns 18 Topicus Shares (representing 0.000046% of the issued and outstanding Topicus Shares), 1 super voting share of Topicus.com (representing 100% of the outstanding super voting shares of Topicus.com) and 39,412,385 preferred shares of Topicus.com (representing 100% of the outstanding preferred shares of Topicus.com). Constellation’s ownership of Topicus Shares is 30.35% on a fully-diluted basis. Constellation acquired the securities of Topicus.com as part of the Spin-Out Transactions. Constellation may purchase or sell securities of Topicus.com in the future on the open market or in private transactions, depending on market and economic conditions and other factors material to the investment decisions of Constellation. Joday’s address is Binnenweg 1A, 1261 EK Blaricum, The Netherlands. On January 4, 2021, in connection with the Spin-Out Transactions, Joday acquired (i) 18,479,460 ordinary units of Topicus.com Coöperatief U.A. (“Topicus Coop”), and (ii) 18,479,460 preference units of Topicus Coop. The ordinary units and preference units of Topicus Coop held by Joday are exchangeable, directly or indirectly, for Topicus Shares on a one for one basis. Prior to the completion of the foregoing transactions, Joday did not own any securities of Topicus.com, or securities exchangeable for securities of Topicus.com. Following completion of the foregoing transactions, Joday owns 18,479,460 ordinary units of Topicus Coop (representing 28.46% of the ordinary units of Topicus Coop) and 18,479,460 preference units of Topicus Coop (representing 28.46% of the preference units of Topicus Coop). Joday’s ownership of Topicus Shares is 28.5% on a fully-diluted basis. Joday acquired the securities of Topicus Coop as part of the Spin-Out Transactions. Joday may purchase or sell securities of Topicus Coop or Topicus.com in the future on the open market or in private transactions, depending on market and economic conditions and other factors material to the investment decisions of Joday. Forward Looking Statements Forward Looking Statements Certain statements herein may be “forward looking” statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual events to be materially different from any future events expressed or implied by such forward -looking statements. Words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “should”, “anticipate” and other similar terminology are intended to identify forward looking statements. Forward looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the intention of the Topicus Shares to begin trading on the TSX Venture Exchange on or about February 1, 2021. Such forward looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved, or when such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to vary significantly from the results discussed in the forward looking statements. These forward looking statements reflect current assumptions and expectations regarding future events and are made as of the date hereof and Constellation assumes no obligation, except as required by law, to update any forward looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances. About Topicus.com Topicus.com is a leading pan-European provider of vertical market software and vertical market platforms to clients in public and private sector markets. Operating and investing in countries and markets across Europe with long-term growth potential, Topicus.com acquires, builds and manages leading software companies providing specialized, mission-critical and high-impact software solutions that address the particular needs of customers. About TSS Total Specific Solutions is a European vertical market software company, consisting of independent specialized business units which supply products and services to their specific market. This market expertise is, in most cases, based on decades of experience. TSS is predominantly active in the following sectors: local and central government, healthcare, retail, financial services and accountancy, legal services, real estate, automotive and professional associations. TSS is active in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, France, Italy, Spain, Romania, Iceland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Additional information can be found on the website: www.totalspecificsolutions.com. About Topicus Topicus has been at the forefront of devising and building smart software since 2001. The focus is on developing innovative software platforms. Topicus connects organizations, professionals and end users within and across vertical markets. Topicus is active in the following sectors: education, healthcare, finance and social services. With over 1,000 employees, Topicus works on a daily basis to make an impact through its IT. More information can be found on the website: www.topicus.nl. About Constellation Software Inc. Constellation acquires, manages and builds vertical market software businesses that provide mission-critical software solutions. For further information, contact: Constellation Software Inc.

Despite a flurry of new CPU and graphics card launches at the end of last year, 2021 is already shaping up to be quite a busy year for PC gaming hardware. Not only have we got Intel’s new 11th Gen Rocket Lake processors due before the end of March, but 2021 will also be the year Intel finally enter the graphics card arena with their new desktop Xe GPUs. That’s not all either, as we’re also likely to see Nvidia’s RTX 30 series GPUs make their way over to gaming laptops, plus significantly faster game loading times thanks to Microsoft’s DirectStorage tech. So, to help you keep on top of everything that’s coming up, I’ve put together this handy guide on all the exciting new hardware we’re most excited about in 2021. The bulk of this year’s new PC gaming hardware announcements will likely come next week when CES 2021 (aka: tech Christmas) starts on January 11th. It will be here that hardware makers unveil the precise line-up of new gaming monitors, laptops, SSDs and the like, and I’ll be covering all those announcements in detail next week. For now, though, here are the broad strokes of what’s coming up in hardware land for 2021, and man alive it looks pretty darn exciting. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your PC recently, this is almost certainly going to be the year to do it. Actually being able to buy last year’s best hardware Between the launches of AMD’s Ryzen 5000 CPUs, their ray tracing-capable Radeon RX 6000 graphics cards and Nvidia’s next-gen RTX 30 series GPUs, the end of last year should have been a great time to upgrade your PC… if only we’d actually been able to buy the damn things before they all got snapped up by bots. AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600X, for example, obliterated its Intel competition in my CPU gaming tests when it first came out at the beginning of November, and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 GPUs all showed huge performance gains over their RTX 20-series predecessors. The only problem was they all sold out in seconds and prices have remained eye-wateringly high ever since. However, as with the great GPU drought of 2017 / 2018, the stock shortages that plagued the back half of 2020 will (hopefully) eventually settle down in 2021, although quite when we still don’t know. Whereas 2017 / 2018’s price hikes were driven by a surge in cryptocurrency mining, many of today’s stock problems stem from Covid-related delays at the beginning of last year. AMD and Nvidia have both said they’re working as hard as they can to meet demand, but it may well take another few months for everything to settle down again. Once it does, though, would-be upgraders are going to have a grand old time kitting out their new PC. Of course, I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled every week for new stock arrivals in our regularly updated graphics card deals and CPU deals posts, so make sure you look out for those if you’re looking to get your hands on one. Intel’s 11th Gen Rocket Lake CPUs Of course, if you’re thinking about upgrading your CPU and motherboard this year, then it’s probably best to wait until Intel release their new 11th Gen Rocket Lake CPUs anyway, which are currently due out sometime before the end of March 2021. While Intel’s existing crop of 10th Gen Comet Lake CPUs offer some great performance boosts over their 8th and 9th Gen Coffee Lake chips, Rocket Lake introduces some crucial new bits of tech that will make it a much better foundation for a ‘next-gen’ PC than what’s come before. Chief among them is PCIe 4.0 support, which doubles the amount of bandwidth available in your PC for churning through all that data. It’s been a staple over on AMD’s side of the fence for a few years now, but 2021 will finally bring Intel up to speed on it, too, letting you take full advantage of new PCIe 4.0 SSDs such as Samsung’s 980 Pro and WD’s Black SN850, as well as PCIe 4.0-capable graphics cards. PCIe 4.0 support will also be key to unlocking the potential of Microsoft’s upcoming DirectStorage tech (more on that below), which is set to, among other things, dramatically reduce game loading times to bring them more in line with their super-fast console counterparts. You’ll likely need a PCIe 4.0 SSD to take advantage of it, but at least it won’t be limited to just AMD systems anymore. To help ensure everyone gets the full whack of what PCIe 4.0 has to offer, Intel have confirmed their Rocket Lake CPUs will be accompanied by a new 500-series motherboard chipset as well. It’s possible that their existing Z490 motherboards might get a BIOS update to add PCIe 4.0 support in at a later date (assuming Intel don’t also switch to another new socket type for Rocket Lake, of course), but unless you bought into Comet Lake last year and are desperate to upgrade again already, I’d advise waiting for a proper 500-series board to ensure full compatibility. I’m also just keen to see how Rocket Lake’s gaming performance compares to AMD’s recently released Ryzen 5000 CPUs. While AMD’s new processors were miles ahead of Intel’s 10th Gen Comet Lake chips when I tested them at the end of last year, I’ll be dead impressed if Intel manage to reclaim their crown with their Rocket Lake line-up, as it’ll not only mean substantial gen-on-gen speed improvements, but an even sturdier gaming foundation that will set you up for years to come. Intel’s Xe graphics cards 2021 is also the year that Intel’s much-anticipated Xe GPUs will arrive, too, bringing some much needed competition to Nvidia and AMD in the old graphics card arena. There’s still a lot we don’t know about Intel’s Xe GPUs, such as how many they’re going to produce and how much they’re going to cost, but we do know they’ll come with GDDR6 memory and have accelerated ray tracing support. This should put them on a pretty level playing field with Nvidia’s RTX 30 GPUs and AMD’s Radeon RX 6000 cards, and I can’t wait to see how they stack up against each other. Fingers crossed we’ll hear more about what Intel have in store for their Xe GPUs in their CES 2021 press conference next week on Monday January 11th at 1pm PST (9pm GMT). Nvidia’s RTX 30 GPUs coming to gaming laptops It’s not 100% confirmed yet, but I’ll eat my RTX 3080 if Nvidia’s new GPUs don’t also end up coming to gaming laptops this year. It’s one of those inevitable hardware improvements you know is bound to happen at some point, and I’m excited to see what they’re going to do for all those increasingly high 300Hz refresh rate displays knocking about these days, as well as on-the-go ray tracing. I mean, with the world still being what it is at the moment, it’s not like many of us will need high-powered laptops for playing games away from home, but if 2020 taught me anything, it’s that being able to play games in a different room in my house is an absolute god-send when you’re working from home all the time. It’s nice to have that separation sometimes, and a gaming laptop is a great way of achieving it if you don’t want another PC clogging up your living room. Again, we’ll likely hear more about which of Nvidia’s RTX 30 series will be getting the laptop treatment during their CES press conference next week on Tuesday January 12th at 9am PST (5pm GMT), so stay tuned for more info then. Cheaper Nvidia RTX 30 and AMD RX 6000 desktop GPUs Speaking of Nvidia’s CES 2021 press conference, here’s hoping we also get a glimpse of what they’ve got lined up for their mainstream desktop RTX 30 family as well. The RTX 3060 Ti is a stonking graphics card for £369 / $399, but it’s still pretty expensive as these things go, and it would be great to see Nvidia’s RTX line-up extend even further down into potential RTX 3050 territory. Of course, the RTX 3060 Ti’s name alone suggests there will at least be a regular RTX 3060 at some point, but the dream is to have those RT cores running through Nvidia’s entire next-gen line-up. The same goes for the rest of AMD’s RX 6000 family. We’ve already seen what the RX 6800 and RX 6800 XT can do for the 1440p and 4K end of the market, and I’m excited to see what their budget line-up of (presumably) RX 6700 and maybe even RX 6600 and RX 6500 cards can do for the 1080p end of the spectrum. Again, it would be great if we got ray tracing support across the board here, but we’ll have to wait and see if this does indeed come to fruition. AMD’s CEO Dr Lisa Su is due to give a CES 2021 keynote speech on Tuesday January 12th at 11am PST (4pm GMT) next week, so fingers crossed we’ll get some more juicy announcements then. 480p low geselecteerd als afspeelkwaliteit360p geselecteerd als afspeelkwaliteit Watch on YouTube Microsoft’s DirectStorage tech This is considerably less sexy than a bunch of new graphics cards, I’ll admit, but the implications of Microsoft’s new storage API will likely have a huge impact on games going forward. This is exciting because it means we should be able to start reaping all the benefits of those super fast loading times that console folk keep banging on about, as well as generally better, more efficient performance across the board. Based on the super fast Xbox Velocity Architecture inside Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, DirectStorage is set to streamline your PC’s entire IO (or input-output) system when it eventually arrives, allowing your PC to load stuff into your RAM and GPU banks much faster than before and dramatically cut down loading times as a result. Microsoft also hope that DirectStorage will, in theory, give developers the opportunity to create bigger, more detailed worlds than ever before, as the old bottlenecks preventing them from realising their huge, open-world visions won’t be there anymore. I’ll believe this when I see it, of course, but cor, it’s nice to dream about what might be, eh? Alas, you’ll likely need a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD to take full advantage of it, given that’s what’s inside both of the new Xboxes, but here’s hoping that older PCIe 3.0 SSDs will still be able to get some use out of it, too. We should find out more once Microsoft release their developer preview of DirectStorage later this year.

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Mumbai: Indian arm of the world's largest automaker Volkswagen has posted a 20% drop in its consolidated net profit for 2019-20 as a drop in export volumes and slowing domestic market took a toll on its operational performance. The consolidated financials are of the merged entity of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India that brought together all the three Indian subsidiaries of the German parent, namely Volkswagen India, Skoda Auto, and Volkswagen Group Sales, its sales and marketing organisation .. Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/earnings/skoda-auto-volkswagen-fy20-net-profit-drops-20-revenue-falls-11/articleshow/79684047.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

You don’t need fans in the stands for a blockbuster IPL, and India can win a Test in Australia without Virat Kohli or his brand of aggression. The year 2020 busted myths; it also re-classified cricket’s ‘indispensables’. Just when sports had looked the most vulnerable, it showed why it has survived wars, economic depression and pandemics. From inside the bio-bubble, it screamed out that its strength was its script and its mass appeal was not a slave to spectators or superstars. With Olympics, Euro football and T20 World Cup slotted for 2021 and the vaccine distribution expected to take time, the resilience of sports and its administrator will continue to be tested. The 2020 experience, though, has shown it will do fine. The IPL template The IPL 2020 success story gives hope and sets the template. In an alien country, inside the UAE’s brilliantly lit up but eerily desolate coliseums, the intensity of the contest didn’t dim. There was no one dancing in the aisles, no cheerleaders to encourage or barrackers to instigate. Sixes kept spilling out of the stadium and small groups of expats would scramble on empty roads to secure the IPL souvenir balls without even knowing who had hit it. On the other side on the imposing walls, circling the sanctum sanctorum, recorded roars would be played out. It didn’t seem the players were missing anything; at least the count of sixes didn’t drop. With due apologies to the Wankhede Stadium faithful, especially the die-hards at the North Stand, Mumbai Indians had their most dominating season ever without the chants they chorused and the sledges they directed at rival fielders on the fence. There was no sea of blue to intimidate their rivals this IPL. On most days, the 2020 winners needed just a couple of boys in blue on field to blow away the rivals. Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult took turns at being match-winners, all without the fans wildly urging them. Coronavirus Explained Two Covid-19 vaccines approved, what happens now? Why sport will continue to be played in Covid shadow in 2021 Guidelines for shops, commercial establishments to operate 24x7 in Karnataka CLICK HERE FOR MORE Over the years, books, films and newspapers have called fans the 12th man, the ever-present catalyst that provokes phenomenal sporting feats. It needed a pandemic to call out this theory. Fans do add to the atmospherics but their role in inspiring players is grossly overrated, if not untrue. Sport desperately needs a research paper that calculates the correlation between runs scored or wickets taken and the rise in the decibel level because of empty mineral water bottles banged on plastic bucket seats. Johnson vs Jordan precedent Until then, take the word of the world’s tallest sporting icons. Basketball’s big boys Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson say that their most intense game and the one they loved the most wasn’t played in front of screaming fans at Madison Square Garden but inside an empty obscure Monte Carlo gymnasium. At the pre-1992 Olympics camp, the Dream Team was split into two for a practice game. Jordan and his senior Johnson were named captains. Sports Illustrated would later call the training session match-up the ‘Greatest game that no one saw’. Sadly this greatest game is recorded for posterity in the form of single-camera grainy amateur video, shot by the coach’s assistant. With 10 Hall of Famers and at least three GOATs, it was a face-off of high skills and higher egos. The faithful would have sold their house to witness the once-in-a-lifetime assembly of the Gods of All Tall Things. Be it a connoisseur or a star-gawker, there was something for everyone. No one gave an inch, they teased and taunted each other. Jordan reminded Johnson that the Magic decade, the 80s, were over. This was his time, the Air Jordan 90s, he would shout after a three-pointer. Magic gave it back but had to eventually surrender his place at the top. Minutes after the game, an epic moment of generational shift would unfold. There are documentaries on YouTube that have romanticised this exalted bit of hoop-history. Last year’s sleeper hit Netflix web-series The Last Dance, too, dedicates an episode to this celebrated game. 📣 Express Explained is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@ieexplained) and stay updated with the latest Johnson has been gracious enough to relive the moment when the crown that was slipping from his head finally fell on the floor of that empty gym. He talks about how he and Larry Bird, both giants of the game from the 80s, are sitting by the court side and Jordan, with a smirk pasted on his face, passes them. “There’s a new sheriff in the town,” he blurts. Johnson says he didn’t retort or debate or sledge. With a hearty laugh, he recalls tapping Bird with his elbow and saying, “He isn’t lying”. So on what would have been just another training morning, this nondescript Monte Carlo gym witnessed sport in its purest form. There were no qualified referees to officiate, no replays, no analysts, no army of coaches; it was just a court-full of men proving who was better on the day. There was no live telecast, no financial incentive and no fans to carry tales. It was all about two men playing for pride and respect. There was intrigue, drama, inventiveness and heroism — there was enough at stake to give their best. At this pristinely primal duel, almost a personal battle of two minds, it felt a ‘Come on, Michael’ shout from the stands would have been a distraction. It would have broken the trance of the men on court. Big achievers & survivors At Roland Garros in the 2020 French Open final, Rafael Nadal too had that sublime stupor. Paris did allow a handful of fans but the court was painfully silent. It didn’t come in the way of Nadal’s ferocious defence of his turf. In the backdrop of the big Grand Slam race, the Nadal vs Novak Djokovic final was more than a fight for the silver bowl. Before the final, the Big 3 Slam count was Federer (20), Nadal (19), Djokovic (17). All three were ageing; they didn’t know how long they could defy age or avoid injuries. Nadal wasn’t going to wait until next year for the stands to fill, for his fans to cheer him to get inspired. In what many say was his best show even on his favourite surface, he breezed to a three-set win against an opponent in prime form. In a year where Djokovic had been unbeatable, Nadal served him a 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 humiliation. It’s not just those chasing lofty goals who can elevate their game to a higher plane. Even those showing resilience to survive can be equally stimulating. Rahul Tewatia, 27, an IPL journeyman, knew time wasn’t on his side. At the start of the season, Delhi Captials had traded him with Rajasthan Royals. Playing against King’s XI, his team chased 224. Tewatia was promoted up the order. With the run-rate climbing, the unassuming all-rounder seemed to be crumbling under pressure. He was swinging the bat but rarely connecting. Commentators were seriously suggesting that he should retire. If he couldn’t smash the ball, he should smash the stumps and get out hit wicket, suggested another pundit. There was general consensus that the Haryana boy was playing his last IPL innings. Soon it would be back to his village Sihi near Faridabad and trying to play the Syed Mushtaq T20s. But in a magical transformation, the puny boy awakened the inner Chris Gayle in him. He would hit 5 sixes in an over from Sheldon Cottrell, the formidable West Indian new-ball bowler. From going home defeated, he was suddenly a household name, the Cinderella story of IPL 2020. Tewatia didn’t need the cheer or the jeer from the crowd to play the innings of his life. In the zone These pandemic tales have thrown up an uncomfortable question. Sports stars love the attention and cherish the affection but do they depend on fan support to do well? If we listened carefully, the players have been dropping hints and in a way answering that question. From Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli, they have spoken about withdrawing into a shell or going into a meditative mode to cut the clutter around them when batting. They also talk about going into the zone. For years, youngsters have sat at the feet of these masters to learn the art of switching off. Switching off, shell, zone — these are euphemisms about going blind to everything beyond the boundary rope. These are polite expressions that refer to the act of blocking out the fans while single-mindedly pursuing their goals. In these times of obnoxious fan behaviour and growing cases of offensive and racist chants from the stands, this is a timely warning. Be around but don’t be overbearing. They can do without you, but you can’t do without them.

ILove Your Lifestyle don’t go outside unless it’s absolutely necessary. On the title track from 2019’s The Movie, frontman Lukas Feurst enjoyed the natural splendor of his Swedish homeland through his television screen, watching movies about camping until the trash piled up too high to ignore. “Dreamy Dreams” made getting home and going to bed sound like the highest possible reward for another day of pretending like you were someone who actually belonged in an office. Those two songs were preceded by another titled “Indoor Living.” Barring a massive attitude adjustment in the past 18 months, I Love Your Lifestyle were going to make an album suited for global indoor living whether they intended to or not. At the beginning of the pandemic, grim introverts joked that they’ve been training for quarantine their whole lives; on No Driver, I Love Your Lifestyle are likewise prepared to make the best of it. Oh, and there’s been no massive attitude shift. “This song is made for rocking out,” they said of No Driver’s opening track, “and talks about how stupid this band must look from the outside.” Fair enough: “Stupid” uses the common tools bequeathed from pop-metal to emo—tapping riffs, massed harmonies—with the kind of self-deprecation that can be life-affirming in small enough groups. Gulfer provide backup vocals in a show of fourth-wave solidarity, underlining how I Love Your Lifestyle remain an anomaly of both time and geography. At the turn of the 2010s, this kind of music could convince a couple dozen kids in a Philly basement that they were witnessing the world’s best-kept secret. These days, a first press vinyl of Glocca Morra’s Just Married might run you over $400. No Driver appears inspired by the same set of bummer personal circumstances as The Movie: “Car” is a sequel to “Dreamy Dreams” where not having a job doesn’t make sleeping all day sound any less appealing, while “Inner Freakness” recoils at even the possibility of roommates. But I Love Your Lifestyle are more in tune with their powers; they had previously made one song longer than five minutes, a number that quadruples on the first half of No Driver. Everything likeable about The Movie has been supersized: Verses are no longer speedbumps, but carefully constructed ramps that give Feurst enough momentum to leap towards chorus melodies at the absolute limits of his range. Guitar leads are now doubled in glam-rock harmonies, “No Harm, No Foul” swaps lines in English and Swedish, and “Align!” simultaneously evokes the lovesick innocence of American Football’s first album and the jazzy sophistication of their third. If the second half of No Driver can’t quite sustain those peaks, the less ambitious tracks show a keener grasp of sequencing and flow. The 46-second thrasher “Well, That’s Not Ideal” comes just after the band’s signature Swedish-language track (“Fram Och Tillbaka”) regales itself with King’s Quest prog fanfare; the Tokyo Police Club fanfic “OK” arrives to reiterate the underappreciated bridge between blog-rock and revival-era emo. These guys can’t not be emo even when they try: The mesmerizing krautrock groove of “Inner Freakness” frees Feurst to take inventory of his failures until he’s buried in paperwork, and even though ILYL aimed “to make this song 0 percent emo,” they estimate it’s “at least 60.” Despite all evidence to the contrary, Feurst might be willing to start digging his way out. No Driver closes with “Making Nothing Out of Something,” which isn’t about an inferiority complex. Rather, this song ends the album because it’s when Feurst admits he’s finally run out of things to say about boredom. Hell, he might actually have to leave the house at some point for new material. The post-quarantine I Love Your Lifestyle album will either break big or break them.

Duncan Clark’s flight was rolling down the runway in Paris in late October when President Emmanuel Macron announced a second national lockdown in France. The country had nearly 50,000 new Covid-19 infections that day. The United States had almost 100,000. He sighed with relief. He was headed to China. That day, it had reported 25 new infections, all but one originating abroad. Mr. Clark, a businessman and an author, returned to China after spending nine months in the United States and France, his longest time away from the country since he moved to Beijing in 1994. He had been spending more time outside China over the past few years to get away from air pollution, censored internet and an increasingly depressing political environment. But when he returned in October, he felt something new: safe, energized and free. “The ability to just live a normal life is pretty amazing,” he said. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story While many countries are still reeling from Covid-19, China — where the pandemic originated — has become one of the safest places in the world. The country reported fewer than 100,000 infections for all of 2020. The United States has been reporting more than that every day since early November. Thanks for reading The Times. Subscribe to The Times China resembles what “normal” was like in the pre-pandemic world. Restaurants are packed. Hotels are full. Long lines form outside luxury brands stores. Instead of Zoom calls, people are meeting face to face to talk business or celebrate the new year. The country will be the only major economy to have grown this past year. While such forecasts are often more art than science, one outfit is forecasting that the Chinese economy will surpass that of the United States in 2028 — five years earlier than previously predicted. Image Sharing a meal in November in Beijing. Some Chinese are perplexed at the daily infection rate in the United States.Credit...Greg Baker/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The pandemic has upended many perceptions, including ideas about freedom. Citizens of China don’t have freedom of speech, freedom of worship or freedom from fear — three of the four freedoms articulated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt — but they have the freedom to move around and lead a normal day-to-day life. In a pandemic year, many of the world’s people would envy this most basic form of freedom. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story The global crisis could plant doubts about other types of freedom. Nearly half of voting Americans supported a president who ignored science and failed to take basic precautions to protect their country. Some Americans assert that it is their individual right to ignore health experts’ recommendations to wear masks, putting themselves and others at increasing risk of infection. The internet, which was supposed to give a voice to the voiceless, became a useful tool for autocrats to control the masses and for political groups to spread misinformation. OPINION TODAY: Get expert analysis of the news and a guide to the big ideas shaping the world. Sign Up China’s freedom of movement comes at the expense of nearly every other kind. The country is about the most surveilled in the world. The government took extreme social-control measures at the beginning of the outbreak to keep people apart — approaches that are beyond the reach of democratic governments. “There are actually a lot of parallels between how the Chinese government treats a virus and how they treat other problems,” said Howard Chao, a retired lawyer in California who invests in start-ups on both sides of the Pacific. “It’s kind of a one-size-fits-all approach: Just completely take care of the problem,” he said. “So when it comes to a virus, maybe that’s not too bad a thing. When it comes to certain other problems, maybe not such a good thing.” That realization has not stopped Mr. Chao from enjoying his time in China. Since flying to Shanghai from San Francisco in mid-October, he has hosted business dinners attended by as many as 20 people, gone to a jazz bar, seen a movie, visited a seafood market and flown to Shenzhen, in southern China, to check out a self-driving car start-up. Editors’ Picks In 2020, We Were There: The Year’s 13 Most Po[CENSORED]r Dispatches The Things Our Bosses Said a Lot This Year Is Dairy Farming Cruel to Cows? Continue reading the main story Image Evening rush hour in Wuhan, in December.Credit...Roman Pilipey/EPA, via Shutterstock “This is where I had lunch in Shanghai today,” he wrote on Facebook on Nov. 6, alongside a photo of people dining. “Starting to remember what normal life looks like.” ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Mr. Chao said the people he met in China were “perplexed” and “incredulous” that the U.S. daily infections were so high. “They rolled their eyes and were like, ‘How was it even possible?’” he said. The Coronavirus Outbreak › Latest Updates Updated Jan. 4, 2021, 10:31 p.m. ET13 minutes ago 13 minutes ago The F.D.A. opposes halving Moderna vaccine doses. The surging virus prompts a call to halt in-person TV and film production. Mexico approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use. Of course, the Chinese government is eager to help the world forget that it silenced those who tried to warn the world in the early days of the outbreak. But there’s no denying that China’s success in containing the outbreak burnished Beijing’s image, especially when compared with the failures of the United States. It has given currency to the so-called China model — the Communist Party’s promise to the Chinese public that it will deliver prosperity and stability in exchange for its unrelenting grip on political power. “In this year of pandemic, the Communist Party has provided the public a social good: stability,” said Dong Haitao, an investor who moved to Beijing from Hong Kong in August. For Mr. Dong, China’s success gives him an opportunity to achieve financial independence. Mr. Dong, who is setting up an asset management firm as well as a start-up devoted to pu’er tea, is bullish on the Chinese economy. He believes that after the pandemic, China will have even stronger supply chains and a vibrant consumer economy driven by a young generation that is more interested in China’s traditional culture, like tea, than his generation, which grew up in the era of globalization. Mr. Dong, who moved to Hong Kong from New York in the middle of the 2008 financial crisis, decided to leave Hong Kong because the city has felt anemic during the pandemic, while many mainland cities seem to glow with energy and hope. Image Making a delivery in Beijing in February. After imposing the strictest lockdowns in the world, China has become one of the world’s safest countries.Credit...Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times “I don’t think I can find the kind of freedom I want in Hong Kong,” he said. It isn’t clear whether this shift in perception can be sustained after the pandemic ends. But the West may find it has to work harder to sell its vision of freedom after China has made its model seem so attractive. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Mr. Clark, the businessman and author, founded a technology consulting firm in Beijing in 1994 and was an adviser to Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, in the company’s early days. Since leaving quarantine in mid-November, he has traveled to four cities and attended many events and conferences, including one with about 900 people. “Normally, China was sort of an adventure,” he said. “But that has flipped. Something has changed in the world.” Mr. Clark said he had made the acknowledgment with mixed feelings. “You kind of want it to be not true,” he said, “but it is kind of true.” Beijing and Shanghai are increasingly cosmopolitan, and their consumers are growing more sophisticated, he said. Last month, he went to a Scottish ball in Beijing. The bagpiper was Chinese because the organizer couldn’t fly in anyone from Scotland. China “feels a bit like the Epcot Center at Disney,” he said. “It’s like the microcosm of the West is still here, but the West is shut down at the moment.” For Mr. Clark, being in crowds again has taken some getting used to. “If you’re talking to people at a party or something, you can’t just mute somebody if they’re annoying,” he said. At the first big event he attended, he said, he noticed somebody had really bad breath. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story “I’m like, oh my God, I haven’t had to experience that for nine months because everyone was wearing masks, and you didn’t see anybody,” Mr. Clark said. “I feel like I’m living in the future here,” even when he thinks about bad breath, he said. “I mean, it’s like, ‘Get ready.’”

Call it a geezer crisis. An old man grasping for a semblance of youth. A harebrained scheme that would almost certainly end in lack of dignity or, even worse, serious injury. Seventy at 70 was nothing more than trying to participate in 70 different sports during my 70th year. The motivation? Simply to have some fun. In retrospect, it turned out to be a fascinating adventure that encompassed not only exercise but travel, new acquaintances, history, family time and even learning a little about myself. The goal was not to master any of these sports, but just to give them a whirl. Athleticism, after all, does not end at some arbitrary age. In every one of these activities, there are people much older who can play the game at a level I could never hope to achieve. “Try anything once,” was my motto, then move on. There were some standards. To qualify as a sport, the exercise or game would require at least some of the following: agility, strength, hand to eye co-ordination or at least leave me huffing and puffing. That obviously eliminated competitions such as poker, chess or hotdog-eating contests. The lack of dignity bit came early. Shortly after my 70th birthday, I took a crack at paddle boarding. Not a confidence builder! Family members were greatly entertained watching me first try to get on the damned board, then stand on the board and finally fall into the water before trying all over again. Lesson learned: perseverance pays off. Eventually, I stood, I balanced and I paddled. An early success. Winter sports brought their own challenges. Scrub hockey resulted in the odd collision, not because the old lads I was playing with meant to hurt anyone; it’s just that we couldn’t always stop. Then came the attempt to teach myself the basics of figure skating. They made it look so easy on YouTube. But just attempting a simple spin left me prostrate on the ice, my elbow and knee throbbing. Fortunately, there were no lasting injuries but it was a clear warning I was not 21 anymore. I refused to give in. Some might call it stubbornness, I preferred self-discipline. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. In this case, I learned the rudiments of the sport, enough to do a very short program. Not the slightest threat to Scott and Tessa. When it came to downhill skiing, I willed myself not to fall. Admittedly there was a tinge of terror as I headed down the slope the first time but after all, it was only a bunny hill carved out of the Red River Floodway. That glorious soft March evening was capped by a beautiful Prairie sunset. A touch of paradise. Who could have predicted what was about to unfold? A few days later, most of my province was shut down. COVID-19 proved a significant setback in my 70 at 70 goals. With virtually all sports facilities locked down, it became evident I would have to resort to my own devices if I were to keep going. Individual sports would have to be the order of the day. Running, jumping, walking. For track, I built my own high jump and constructed my own hurdles. I even came up with my own version of the Scottish games, tossing a makeshift caber and shot-putting a stone found in a ditch. Athletics does not have to be complicated. Two and a half months later, Manitoba began to reopen, allowing travel to some superb sports facilities in various parts of the province. Pickleball and horseshoes were added during a visit to Riding Mountain National Park, hill climbing in the beautiful Pembina Valley and swimming in Lake Winnipeg. My discovery of unknown gems further added to the experience. The southeastern Manitoba community of Friedensfeld has no post office, no shops and only a handful of houses. However, cut from the corner of a farm field is a pristine baseball facility with green grass, floodlights, stands for the fans surrounded by what else… a field of corn. On my little adventure, I had stumbled across Manitoba’s own field of dreams. A supportive family was essential to make my goal achievable. My wife was on hand to photograph every event and even participated in a couple of sports so that I could move forward. My three sons were always ready for a spirited game of something. Dodge-ball, tug-of-war and beach volleyball turned out to be events involving the whole family. It brought us together. One of the most memorable experiences was taking my nine-year-old granddaughter on her first trail ride. Being a history buff provided an extra dimension to the journey. Evidence of sporting activity can be traced almost to the beginning of human activity. Skating has a patron saint, a form of hockey was played in ancient Greece, and Mary Queen of Scots once shocked her courtiers by showing up to play tennis wearing pants. Every sport has its story. Could our cave-dwelling ancestor ever have imagined that running, jumping or whacking a stick at a stone would someday serve as the basis for billion-dollar industries? Or provide endless entertainment for a man reaching his 70th year? There were some health advantages to all the exercise I was getting and in the era of COVID-19, developing extra lung capacity can’t be bad. Each activity triggered endorphins that brought an immediate, if short-lived, high. Any athlete can identify with those feelings. Longer-term came the realization that dreams are important, regardless of how far-fetched or unrealistic they might seem. As youngsters we dream of playing in the NHL, hitting a home run at Yankee Stadium or participating in the Olympics. As we age, our hopes and dreams change, but one should never let them disappear. We need something to look forward to; what better than to wake up each morning knowing there is a game to play? Garry Moir lives in Winnipeg.

HOCKENHEIM, Germany — The Porsche Taycan rocketed from a standstill so fast that my skull banged against the headrest and my vision went blurry. It was a demonstration of what can happen when German engineers apply their brainpower to electric cars. And it offered a clue to how German luxury carmakers hope to prevent Tesla from destroying the country’s most important export industry. A year after Porsche brought the Taycan to market, Mercedes-Benz and Audi are on the verge of rolling out their first luxury cars that were designed from scratch to run on batteries, rather than simply being awkward conversions of gasoline models. These new purebred electric models will determine whether the German carmakers can retain their hegemony in the high end of the market in the face of an onslaught from Tesla, which is encroaching on their turf — literally — by planting a so-called Gigafactory in a forest outside Berlin. German engineering is confronting Silicon Valley audacity head on, with the future of the German economy at stake. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Tesla also has a lot at stake. The company’s $658 billion stock market value makes sense only if investors believe the company will one day eclipse the traditional carmakers in sales and render the likes of Daimler and Volkswagen irrelevant. Thanks for reading The Times. Subscribe to The Times The Taycan, a four-door sedan that Porsche recently let me try out at the Hockenheimring racing complex south of Heidelberg, provides an early example of what the German automakers are capable of. The car, with a starting price a little over $100,000, can blast from zero to 60 miles per hour in well under three seconds. So, it happens, can the Tesla S. But tests by Car and Driver confirmed Porsche’s assertion that the Taycan can replicate those blastoffs 10 times in a row, unlike the Tesla, which becomes sluggish with repeat use as the battery wears down. Porsche has found a way to maintain explosive acceleration even when the battery is not fully charged. During an hour of all-out driving on Porsche’s serpentine test track, egged on by a Porsche instructor who encouraged me to probe the car’s limits, the Taycan stayed glued to the asphalt like a roadster and never showed signs of fatigue. I ran out of juice before the car did. Editors’ Picks Is Dairy Farming Cruel to Cows? The Things Our Bosses Said a Lot This Year Karl Ove Knausgaard’s Essays Struggle With Big Ideas Continue reading the main story Image A Taycan production line in Stuttgart, Germany. Credit...Thomas Kienzle/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images “Our plan from the beginning was that our electric vehicle should be a real Porsche,” Stefan Weckbach, the Porsche executive in charge of the Taycan, told reporters this year. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story That pretty much sums up the approach that the German luxury carmakers, after a belated start, are taking to electric cars. Germany is considered the birthplace of the gasoline-powered automobile, and it remains a source of national pride. Its automakers want to show that they can adapt their expertise in high performance, reliability and comfort to electric vehicles. “We will score points with our classic qualities,” Markus Duesmann, the chief executive of Audi, said in an interview. The pandemic has only increased the pressure on traditional carmakers to offer true electric vehicles. PAUL KRUGMAN: A deeper look at what’s on the mind of Paul Krugman, a world-class economist and opinion columnist. Sign Up Sales of gasoline and diesel cars in Europe have plunged since the virus hit, but sales of electric vehicles have more than doubled, largely because of government incentives. In November, one out of 11 new cars registered in Western Europe was electric, a record, according to Matthias Schmidt, an analyst in Berlin who publishes a monthly report on the electric car market. The Germans have decades of experience creating cocoon-like interiors, sinewy suspensions and exteriors dressed in precisely fitted steel. Tesla, founded in 2003, has struggled with quality and manufacturing problems, though it has proved to be a fast learner. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story When it comes to electric cars, the Germans lag Tesla. The Taycan cannot go as far on a charge as the Tesla Model S and lacks Tesla’s self-driving software, two features that may be more important to many buyers than drag strip performance. The German carmakers are trying to close that technology gap and, they hope, overtake Tesla before it’s too late. Image The Audi Q4 will be Volkswagen’s first vehicle built using its new modular toolbox for electric cars. Credit...Robert Hradil/Getty Images The first manifestations of their efforts are about to hit showrooms. Audi, which like Porsche is a part of the Volkswagen empire, began production in December of the battery-powered e-tron GT, which will cost more than $100,000 when it goes on sale in March. It shares many components with the Taycan, but its emphasis is on driving comfort rather than setting speed records. Later in 2022, Audi plans to begin selling the Q4, a compact electric S.U.V. that will be the division’s first model based on the so-called modular electronic toolbox, a collection of components designed specifically for battery-powered cars that will be shared among Volkswagen car brands. The toolbox allows auto designers to make the interiors of electric cars roomier than those of gasoline cars by arraying the batteries and motors in ways not possible with internal combustion engines. Tesla already applies that principle to its interiors, which are known for their spaciousness and lack of clutter. Carmakers have been using these collections of shared components, often called platforms, for years, but Volkswagen is one of the first mass-market carmakers to develop one specifically for battery power. By building hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions of cars using the same components, Volkswagen, the world’s largest carmaker, hopes to do what it does best: drive down the cost per vehicle with massive production volumes, and beat Tesla on price. The strategy is helping to hold down the cost of the Audi Q4, which will start around 40,000 euros, about $49,000, in Germany. That is competitive with comparable gasoline cars and in the same general price range as Tesla’s base car, the Model 3. Image The Mercedes EQS will cost more than $100,000.Credit...Michael Probst/Associated Press ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Next year, Mercedes, a division of Daimler, will introduce the EQS, a battery-powered counterpart to the company’s top-of-the-line S-Class. The EQS, which will cost more than $100,000, will be the first vehicle built with Mercedes’s so-called electric vehicle architecture, the same idea as Volkswagen’s modular toolbox. Daimler says the EQS will be able to travel 700 kilometers, or 435 miles, on a charge. That would be slightly more than the current Tesla S. In 2022, Daimler will introduce additional models based on the electric vehicle platform, including a battery-powered S.U.V., to be produced at the company’s factory in Tuscaloosa, Ala. BMW has been slower than its rivals to offer luxury electric vehicles. The company was a pioneer with the battery-powered i3 compact in 2014, but it never caught on with buyers. BMW does not plan to begin producing its own pure electric platform until 2025, instead offering electrified versions of its conventional models. Pieter Nota, the head of marketing at BMW, told reporters in November that the company did not expect sales of electric vehicles to take off until 2025. “That’s why we are starting our battery-centric platform by then,” he said. After stealing significant market share from vehicles like the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes C-Class, Tesla has been showing some vulnerability. Sales in Europe of the Model 3 have been basically flat in recent months after it decisively outsold the European carmakers last year. The Renault Zoe, a utilitarian compact designed for urban use, overtook the Model 3 to become the best-selling battery-powered car in Europe during the first 10 months of 2020. Volkswagen is trying to undercut Tesla’s lead in battery technology. The company invested $300 million in QuantumScape, a Silicon Valley firm that is developing solid-state batteries. If the new type of battery can be perfected and mass produced, it will cost less, charge faster and go further than current technology. Tesla s trying to challenge German carmakers by building a so-called Gigafactory in Grünheide, east of Berlin, in record time.Credit...Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story “If they succeed in bringing this technology to market sooner than Tesla, then Elon Musk has a problem,” said Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, director of the Center Automotive Research in Duisburg, Germany. Mr. Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, will strengthen his foothold in Europe when his new factory in Grünheide, east of Berlin, begins producing cars in 2021. The factory, which Tesla announced in November 2019, hit a snag this month when environmental groups won a court order blocking Tesla from clearing trees on a portion of the site. The groups argued that the construction work threatened an endangered species of sand lizard. But Tesla has strong support from local political leaders thrilled at the prospect of 10,000 new jobs and the presence of a company that is worth far more on the stock market than all of the German carmakers combined. The main factory building in Grünheide, on a site already approved, appears to be complete. Mr. Musk, who frequently flies in for quick visits, said he sometimes spent the night in a conference room at the factory because “it gives me a good feel for what’s going on.” “I’m a big fan of Germany,” Mr. Musk said while in Berlin this month to pick up an award from Axel Springer, which publishes the country’s biggest newspaper. “I’ll be spending a lot of time there.”

THE year 2020 will be remembered as the year of Covid-19 virus which impelled a decline in almost all aspects of human life. To say that the pandemic rocked the entire world will, in fact, be a huge understatement; it not only accounted for almost two million deaths but turned the economies of nearly all countries upside down, leaving millions and millions of people including health experts haplessly grappling with the hitherto unknown yet lethal virus. Like all else, sports, too, was badly hit by Covid-19. The postponement of Tokyo Olympics 2020 was, of course, an unprecedented incident that literally shook the world of sports. The Games organisers - International Olympic Committee — are now desperately hoping that the pandemic subsides to a great extent in 2021 and are determined to hold the Tokyo Games in July. It remains to be seen, though, what measures the IOC will take to ensure the staging of the Olympics. In the past week alone, Japan has witnessed more than 300 Covid-19 casualties while more than 16,000 corona cases have been reported. Many critics around the world, therefore, are still skeptical about the Olympics taking place this year and are questioning the IOC’s plans and its resolve to hold the Games ‘with or without the Covid-19 pandemic’. Besides Olympic Games, hundreds of other sporting events around the globe including football leagues, cricket series, Wimbledon, boxing events, athletics meets etc also had to be postponed while many renowned athletes and sports personalities posted their training sessions on social media during the quarantine period to stay healthy, fit and safe. Among these postponed events is also the Asian Beach Games which were to be hosted by China in 2020 and Pakistan was gearing up for the exciting event. It will now be hosted this year. This forced break from sports has not just created considerable distance between fans and sports it also affected the livelihood of thousands of ground staff and match officials. It is indeed alarming how the second wave of Covid-19 is spreading, causing rapid increase in the cases which is leading to several casualties and causing further serious threats to the environment. Having said that, 2020 is now behind us and the optimists and strong-willed people are confident of a miraculous change in the prevailing scenario and are hoping to once again breathe in a coronavirus free environment in the new year. Let’s hope they are right and 2021 brings smiles back on every face!

A new year often makes people think of setting New Year’s resolutions. Instead, consider setting small goals to achieve a healthier lifestyle. If you are not sure what goals you should set, keep track of what you eat and drink and how much physical activity you get. Reviewing this information will help you decide what changes you may want to make. Ask yourself the following: Do I need to drink more water? Am I getting the 4-5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily to meet my nutrient needs? Do I need to reduce my intake of caffeine, sugar, salt or fat? Am I getting at least 150 minutes of activity per week? Break bigger goals into smaller, more specific goals. Instead of making a goal to eat better, set a goal to include fresh vegetables at lunch five days a week. Make the goals measurable. The goals must provide answers to “how much” or “how many.” Evaluate your progress every week or two. If you are meeting the goal, set another. If you have not met the goal, think about revising it. Here are other ideas to help you set and achieve your lifestyle goals: 1. Get to know the food labels. Look at the ingredient list to see what is added to the food and make sure to note how much sugar, salt and fat are added to the product. This will help you make better food choices. 2. Get active. Regular physical activity helps lower stress, improves your immune system and helps lower your blood pressure and your blood glucose. Start by doing what exercise you can for at least 10 minutes at a time. Work up to the recommended 150 minutes per week. 3. Eat enough fiber. Naturally occurring fiber helps fill you up, controls cholesterol, prevents constipation and promotes a healthy weight. Dietary fiber is found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. 4. Stay hydrated. Drinking water helps keep us energized and hydrated. Sometimes we think we are hungry when we really just need some hydration. Aim for 8-10 glasses of fluids a day. Try adding fresh herbs, lemon, lime or cinnamon for variety. 5. Try adding more herbs and spices to foods to add flavor. Try lemon or lime zest, garlic, seasoning blends and hot sauce to boost taste. 6. Ask for accountability. Tell a friend or family member about your goals. They may even want to join you to help keep you on track. Make an appointment with a registered dietitian to be a professional accountability partner. They can check in on your goals, assess barriers to accomplishing your goals and help you revise strategies, as needed. 7. Tap into technology. Some devices track steps, sleep habits, heart rate and more. There are many apps available to track food intake to make you more accountable. 8. Learn from experts. Consider taking one of Columbus Community Hospital’s lifestyle-change programs, such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program or CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program). Information provided by Joan Plummer, dietitian and diabetes educator at Columbus Community Hospital

India tested its COVID-19 vaccine delivery system with a nationwide trial on Saturday, as it prepares to roll out an inoculation program to stem the coronavirus pandemic. The trial included data entry into an online platform for monitoring vaccine delivery, along with testing of cold storage and transportation arrangements for the vaccine, the health ministry said in a statement. The massive exercise was followed by India's drug regulator recommending the emergency-use approval of two vaccines for COVID-19 — one developed by Oxford University and U.K.-based drugmaker AstraZeneca, and another by the Indian manufacturer Bharat Biotech. Both the vaccines will now have to wait for final approval from the Indian regulator. WATCH | Inside the scramble to mass produce a COVID-19 vaccine: Inside the scramble to mass produce a COVID-19 vaccine 1 month agoVideo 3:01 A major vaccine manufacturer in India scrambling to mass produce the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine so it can get into the arms of billions opened its doors to CBC News. 3:01 Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturing company, has been contracted by AstraZeneca to make 1 billion doses for developing nations, including India. On Wednesday, Britain became the first to approve the shot. The vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech is based on an inactivated form of the coronavirus. It is being made in collaboration with agencies of the Indian government. Early clinical studies showed that the vaccine doesn't have any serious side effects and produces antibodies for COVID-19. The company said in November that it was starting late clinical trials. Front-line workers say they shouldn't be forgotten as pandemic continues The government plans to inoculate 300 million people in the first phase of the vaccination program, which will include healthcare and front-line workers, police and military troops, and those with comorbidities who are over the age of 50. The government is expected to initially lean on the vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India, which doesn't require the ultra-cold storage facilities that some others do. Instead, it can be stored in refrigerators. This makes it a feasible candidate not just for India but also for other developing nations. A health worker takes a nasal swab sample at a COVID-19 testing centre in Hyderabad on Saturday. (Mahesh Kumar A./The Associated Press) Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan reviewed the preparedness for the vaccination drive at a government hospital in New Delhi on Saturday and urged the public not to pay heed to anti-vaccine rumours. "We will not compromise on any protocol before approving a vaccine," he told reporters. Q&A History will judge us if we vaccinate rich countries while poor ones suffer: African CDC head Pooja Moriya, a health worker in the capital who will be one of the first to be inoculated, said hospital staff has had several meetings about the vaccine and how it works. "Our seniors have told us to not be scared at all," Moriya said. India has confirmed over 10.3 million coronavirus cases, second in the world behind the U.S. More than 149,000 people have died from the virus in India. What's happening across Canada As of 2:45 p.m. ET Saturday, Canada's COVID-19 case count stood at 590,280, with 79,483 of those cases considered active. A CBC News tally of deaths stood at 15,714. In British Columbia, families are demanding answers after 38 residents at the Little Mountain Place long-term care home in Vancouver have died from COVID-19. Alberta saw an estimated 900 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, according to the province's chief medical officer of health. Dr. Deena Hinshaw said tweeted Saturday that Alberta's hospitalization and ICU totals remained stable, and no additional deaths were reported. Saskatchewan recorded 495 new cases and three more deaths. WATCH | High number of COVID-19 cases could last until mid-January, experts say: High COVID-19 cases could last until mid-January, experts say 2 days agoVideo 3:31 Ontario has set records for new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions, as the consequences of Christmas gatherings start to set in and the province still has a few weeks before numbers start coming down. 3:31 Manitoba announced 327 new cases and 11 deaths in the past two days. Ontario reported a two-day total of 5,839 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday after the provincial health ministry did not release daily figures on Jan. 1. The province saw 2,476 cases on Friday and a new single-day high of 3,363 cases on Saturday. In Quebec, three physicians and three other employees in Cité-de-la-Santé Hospital's emergency room in Laval have tested positive, according to the regional health board. A union representing staff at the hospital is concerned about hospital staff's ability to deal with a potential influx of patients in the new year. The province will release its first COVID-19 update of 2021 on Sunday. A person wearing a face mask leaves the emergency department of a hospital in Montreal on Saturday. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press) Nova Scotia announced 13 new cases, including five cases connected to a Dartmouth school. The province says all the new cases are close contacts of previously reported cases or linked to travel outside Atlantic Canada. Newfoundland and Labrador's active caseload dropped to 11 after the province reported no new cases and six recoveries Saturday. New Brunswick registered 10 new infections. WATCH | Why Canada has been slow to get COVID-19 vaccines in arms: Why Canada has been slow to get COVID-19 vaccines in arms 1 day agoVideo 3:22 The provinces are behind targets of getting COVID-19 vaccine into Canadians' arms, and experts say logistical challenges are largely to blame but are hopeful the arrival of the Moderna vaccine will help speed things up. 3:22 On Prince Edward Island, testing clinics are open in Charlottetown and Summerside after clinics were closed New Year's Day. Yukon added four new cases, which they say are "close or household contacts" of an out-of-territory traveller. In the Northwest Territories, a non-resident worker in Yellowknife has tested positive. The territory says the individual travelled to Yellowknife by air, is asymptomatic and "safely isolating" in the city. Here's a look at what's happening with COVID-19 across the country: More than 4,000 new Edmonton businesses open during pandemic 52 dead in COVID-19 outbreak at Toronto long-term care home. New Brunswick still developing its priority list for COVID-19 vaccines. N.L. marks end of 2020 with no new cases of COVID-19 — and a new vaccine. Manitoba 'headed in the right direction' but COVID-19 cases must drop further before restrictions lift: health official. Siksika Nation receives its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. B.C. announces 683 new cases of COVID-19 and 8 new deaths in final update of 2020. What's happening around the world As of Saturday, more than 84.2 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported worldwide with more than 47.4 million cases considered recovered or resolved, according to Johns Hopkins University's tracking tool. The global death toll stood at more than 1.8 million. In Europe, the U.K. has registered a record 57,725 daily coronavirus cases as hospitals in Britain have started receiving batches of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, which was approved by British regulators this week. WATCH | Virus variant 1st reported in U.K. spreads quicker than original strain: U.K. coronavirus variant spreads faster than original strain: study 12 hours agoVideo 2:17 A new study from Imperial College London has found that the U.K. coronavirus variant is much more transmissible than the original strain. 2:17 In Asia, South Korea is extending stringent distancing rules for two more weeks as authorities seek to suppress a viral resurgence, while confirming its first case of an apparently more contagious coronavirus variant detected in South Africa. In the Americas, funeral homes in Southern California are turning away bereaved families because they're running out of space for the bodies. Los Angeles County has surpassed 10,000 COVID-19 deaths. In Africa, Chad has locked down its capital N'djamena for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic and has declared a dusk to dawn curfew due to a rise in infections.

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In a year in which Covid-19 caused more than 1.7 million deaths worldwide, sports competitions took place amid much debate over their necessity and the wisdom of their proceeding during a global health crisis. Did any good come from them? As these personal stories from the New York Times staff and contributors attest, in small ways and momentous ones, sports in 2020 offered some perfectly timed reminders of what it means to be human right now. When LeBron brought the Champagne celebration It was nearing 11 p.m. on Oct. 11, the final night of the N.B.A.’s extended residence at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Fla., when I joined a small group of reporters outside the Los Angeles Lakers’ locker room. The Lakers had just defeated the Miami Heat to win another N.B.A. championship — the franchise’s 17th — but it was their first with LeBron James as the team’s centerpiece, and there was no question that this particular title run was unique for other reasons. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story The league had spent about four months playing out the remainder of the 2019-20 season inside its celebrated bubble at the theme park. After four months of isolation, daily coronavirus testing and games in empty arenas, the Lakers emerged triumphant. Unlock more free articles. Create an account or log in Outside the locker room on that final night, we could hear the sounds of celebration coming from within — music and singing and cheers. After a few minutes, James appeared. Wearing goggles to go with his commemorative T-shirt and hat, he brandished a bottle of Champagne that he proceeded to spray on the reporters in his immediate vicinity. Since he could not share his excitement with any fans, it seemed he had to settle for doing it with us. — SCOTT CACCIOLA As a dabbler in the sport of triathlon, I know full well that lots of unexpected things happen on the swim-bike-run course. The waves in the swim choppier than advertised. Hills steeper than what you trained for. Never enough water stations on the run. And, of course, the wrong turn. So I could certainly relate to the British triathlete James Teagle, who veered off course in the final moments of the Santander Triathlon in Spain in September. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story He was poised to claim third place, and then he wasn’t. The Spanish triathlete Diego Méntrida overtook him. And then he didn’t. Right at the finish line, true sport happened. Méntrida looked back and paused. In my imagination, he looked back on the whole dreadful year and decided: “Enough. Can we not have a good thing?” And then he did a good thing and let Teagle step past him, for the third-place spot. Later Méntrida said he was just being a good sport. “This is something my parents and my club taught me since I was a child,” Méntrida wrote on Instagram. “In my view it should be a normal thing to do.’’ But that little bit of normal, in a year full of the abnormal, reminded me and others that, yes humanity, we can and will get back on course. — RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD When U.S. Open tennis players became fans The United States Open Tennis Championships were among the first major international sports events held in the United States after the start of the pandemic. There were no paying spectators, but there were fans. Whenever a firecracker of a match broke out at Arthur Ashe Stadium, or even on one of the field courts during the first week, other players began to appear in the stands. Editors’ Picks Shere Hite Explained How Women Orgasm, and Was Hated for It ‘Vodka in Your Coffee Cup’: When Pandemic Drinking Goes Too Far ‘As the Train Pulled Out of the Station, the Older Man Stood Up’ Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Sometimes they cheered on their countrymen. Sometimes Novak Djokovic, or Dominic Thiem, or Sofia Kenin, or Naomi Osaka, would emerge from a luxury suite to catch a few games of Serena Williams grinding once more. Kenin, in particular, seemed to watch for hours and hours, match after match. — MATTHEW FUTTERMAN When sled dogs raced … home It was a story about the pandemic. It was a story about an antique airplane. And inevitably, it was a story about dogs. RORY SMITH ON SOCCER: Our correspondent covers the tactics, history and personalities of the world’s most po[CENSORED]r sport. Sign Up Thomas Waerner of Norway won the nearly 1,000-mile Iditarod sled dog race in Alaska in March. But his odyssey was just beginning, as travel became increasingly complicated because of the worldwide spread of the coronavirus. Because of border security rules and flight cancellations, especially for cargo planes, Waerner realized: “I can get home, but I can’t get home with my dogs. And I won’t leave them.” After two months of being stuck in Alaska, he found a novel solution. He learned of an aerospace museum in Norway that hoped to obtain an old plane from an air cargo company based in Alaska. Waerner’s sponsors would chip in to help fund the journey, but only if Waerner and his 16 dogs could hitch a ride in a 1960s-era DC-6B airplane. Their 20-hour flight in the unpressurized, noisy cabin led to a nine-hour drive back home. “It’s the same as for me and you,” Waerner said of his dogs’ homecoming. “It’s nice for them to be in their own bed.” — VICTOR MATHER When Michael Jordan took that personally The perfectly timed release of “The Last Dance” in late March — right as we entered lockdown — was lifesaving. I watched it more than once and laughed and cried. Being transported to those heady Three-peat days — and that wild-hearted Bulls starting roster — reminded me of my ’90s Chicagoland childhood, and kept the reality of the outside world at bay. Seeing how Rodman could get up to all his shenanigans — that bender in Vegas — without anyone knowing where he was? Definitely a highlight. And one that would be totally impossible today. Maybe everything but M.J. was my favorite part. He didn’t exactly change anyone’s opinion; he just sort of solidified it. — NATHAN REESE When synchronized swimmers trained Covid-free The U.S.A. Artistic Swimming National Team, which in March will compete for a spot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, spent 76 days training virtually at the beginning of the pandemic. The swimmers returned to in-person training on June 17 and have spent the past six months training eight hours a day, six days a week. They do not operate in a bubble, and they train in proximity to one another, both on land and in the water. But they have not had a single coronavirus case in those six months, according to Adam Andrasko of U.S.A. Artistic Swimming. U.S.A. Artistic Swimming has not qualified to send a team, which does a routine with up to eight swimmers, to the Olympics since 2008. It sent only duets in 2012 and 2016, but hopes to send both a team and a duet to Tokyo next summer. — GILLIAN A. BRASSIL When the N.F.L. almost went full Vegas I was in awe of the potential for chaos from the moment I heard about it: The 2020 N.F.L. draft would be set in the fountain of a Las Vegas hotel. Drafted players would be shuttled to a huge, water-locked stage in boats. What could go wrong? A lot of things. Moments of drama like these help me, a person who doesn’t watch sports, understand what draws others to the spectacle. Beyond the extreme violence, spectacle has always been a part of the N.F.L. — an element of professional sports that those of us who don’t know what those yellow football flags mean can latch on to. Here is to a lost cultural flash point for those of us who look at sports culture from afar, occasionally peeking in when the noise is loud enough. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story And here is to the many, many lost memes, perhaps the biggest casualty of them all. — JAMAL JORDAN When Oskar Lindblom returned to the ice The roar of the crowd was artificial, but the emotion was real when Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom returned to the ice in September after nearly a year spent battling a rare cancer. Lindblom, 24, learned in November 2019 that he had Ewing’s sarcoma and was ruled out for the season. But the pause across sports, due to the coronavirus pandemic, allowed him to return for the final portion of the season. He had completed his treatments during the suspension of play. While noise was piped into the fan-less arena in Toronto during the N.H.L. postseason, the officials on the ice applauded and the players — including the opposing Islanders — tapped their sticks in appreciation of Lindblom’s journey back for Game 6 of the second round. “He’s a true warrior. I know our team supported him every step along the way,” Philadelphia center Kevin Hayes said. “Just to see him in the locker room before we went on the ice was something special.” — ANDREW KNOLL When Hayley Wickenheiser challenged the I.O.C. Image Hayley Wickenheiser, Canada’s most decorated hockey athlete, pushed the Canadian Olympic Committee to call for a postponement of the Tokyo Games.Credit...Brian Snyder/Reuters ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Hayley Wickenheiser, a four-time Olympic gold medalist in hockey for Canada, was an emergency-room physician in training last March. She could see the distress on doctors’ and nurses’ faces doing her rotation through hospitals. As a member of the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission, Wickhenheiser had to make a choice: Sit in silence as plans for the Summer Olympics continued or speak up about the pandemic’s ravages in order to protect athletes. The country’s most decorated hockey player opted to discourage Team Canada from going through with Olympic participation as planned. “This crisis is bigger than even the Olympics,” Wickenheiser wrote on Twitter on March 17. “I think the IOC insisting this will move ahead, with such conviction, is insensitive and irresponsible given the state of humanity.” Wickenheiser had several conversations with the Canadian Olympic Committee, which announced five days after her post that it would not send the country’s athletes to Tokyo in 2020 and pressed the I.O.C. toward its eventual decision: postponing the Games to the following summer. — CURTIS RUSH When Clayton Kershaw (finally) went all the way For years, October haunted the greatest pitcher of this generation. Nine times, Clayton Kershaw had poured himself into the effort of taking his team all the way. Nine times, he had come up short. That changed in 2020. Six years after his third and most recent Cy Young Award, Kershaw led the Los Angeles Dodgers to their first World Series title since 1988, the year he was born. In his 10th postseason, everything finally came together with a six-game triumph over the Tampa Bay Rays. Image Clayton Kershaw finally earned a World Series ring in October, when his Los Angeles Dodgers became the champions of Major League Baseball.Credit...Tim Heitman/USA Today Sports, via Reuters ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Kershaw now has a winning record in the postseason (13-12), plus a winning record in the World Series (3-2) — and, in a twist, he got to clinch the title in his hometown. The pandemic shifted the World Series to a neutral site for the first time ever: Arlington, Texas, just 20 miles or so from Kershaw’s high school in Dallas. After the final out, he beamed as he spotted his family and friends among the limited fans in attendance. “It’s just overwhelming to see how much people care about you,” Kershaw said, “and how they want you to have success and reach your dreams.” — TYLER KEPNER When a soccer bubble burst My 9-year-old daughter can tell you her best sports moment of 2020, and it happens to be mine, too: One Saturday morning in mid-October, she played team soccer for the first time in seven months. The pandemic had kept her from playing with her travel team since its winter season ended in March. Although she had tried to hide it, we could tell that she was sick of backyard drills and juggling the ball in our living room. She was sick of meeting with her coaches on Zoom and sending them videos of the moves she was practicing. When in-person school was canceled this fall, some risk on the soccer field became risk that was worthwhile, particularly for our sporty, gregarious little girl with no siblings. We crossed our fingers and signed her up for a tryout with a team that was getting together for drills, but not to play matches. It took only a few minutes for me to know that our decision had been the right one. I saw her eyes squint and knew she was smiling. And then I heard her laugh. It was the sound of happiness. — JULIET MACUR When Tommie Smith passed the torch Tommie Smith, the Olympic gold medalist who was all but banned from track and field after his protest of racial injustice at the Mexico City Games in 1968, doesn’t often speak publicly these days. Now 76, he seems more content to work behind the scenes with the next generation fighting to end police brutality and institutional racism. ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story But in June, not long after the death of George Floyd set off nationwide protests, Smith felt compelled to address the country’s latest wake-up call. Speaking from his home outside Atlanta, Smith offered much-needed context. He was heartened that so many people — including prominent athletes like LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes — were speaking out. The key, he said, is assuring that when the news media moves on and the protesters leave the streets, the harder work of getting people to vote and lobbying for new laws continues. “Getting young folks involved and voting will change the course of what America is,” he said.

Personal hygiene and cleanliness are virtues that have been known to society since ancient times. Yet, factors such as neglect due to lack of time and access to resources, poverty, and in most cases, lack of awareness continue to lead to unhygienic practices even in the modern world. It could be wearing the same clothes for days, not washing hands before meals, and other such habits that many people continued with until the microbe struck. Once the COVID-19 outbreak happened, hygiene emerged as the best prevention. Throughout the year, we have all fought the war against COVID-19 on the strength of hygiene practices. Personal hygiene is no longer a choice, but a necessity. It is essential for our safety and for the well-being of the people around. Having said that, let’s take a look at some of the major personal hygiene lessons that emerged in 2020 and will form the bedrock of health and wellness in the years ahead! Social distancing and masks This is a viral pandemic that spreads through respiratory droplets. When an infected person releases such droplets in the air, they are estimated to travel up to around six feet. Any healthy person coming in close proximity with someone infected can end up inhaling the contaminated droplets. Thus, it is highly advised that we should maintain a distance of about six feet or more from other people in public spaces. Wearing a face mask is also a mandatory requirement these days as it can block the heavy respiratory droplets and prevent accidental inhalation. Hand hygiene The second-most prevalent channel of spread is when someone touches a contaminated surface which might have accumulated respiratory droplets or been touched by an infected person. Surfaces like door knobs/handles, counters, poles and switches etc., in public buildings and vehicles can prove to be risky as we are prone to touch our face quite frequently. Hence, hand hygiene measures such as washing them frequently with soap and water especially after coming home or after touching an object or surface plays a crucial role in keeping them germ-free. While outdoors and at work where washing hands frequently could become challenging, it is advised to use high-quality alcohol-based hand-sanitisers which can kill disease-causing microbes. This can not only keep us safe from the virus, but also other contagious diseases. Touch-less living Another aspect of personal hygiene that has emerged in 2020 is the ‘hands-off’ lifestyle. Traditional greetings with folded hands or by waving hands are replacing handshakes and high-fives in most countries and there is a growing prevalence of contactless functions. For instance, in most public places, doors are either being kept open or are automated through sensors which make them open automatically whenever a person approaches them. Biometric systems are being replaced by face scanners or other such smart technologies. Sensor-equipped taps, lights and air-conditioning systems are further boosting contactless living. Further, wearing gloves is advised for people visiting or working in high-risk zones such as hospitals, diagnostic centers and restaurants. Sanitisation Make sure you sanitise repeatedly. (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock) Hygiene of surfaces wasn’t a high focus area prior to the pandemic for most of us. As long as a surface looked clean, it was considered safe, but that’s not the case anymore. No matter how clean or sparkling a surface looks, it could still be teeming with harmful microbes, invisible to the eye. Hence, it has become a habit to sanitise surfaces frequently especially in public spaces. People prefer to get seats sanitised before occupying them and we have all learned to become extra cautious about the hygiene and sanitation of our surroundings. ALSO READ |Do away with these habits if you want to stay healthy Menstrual hygiene This is a key aspect of hygiene habits under focus these days. Women are at the center of all household activities in most Indian families, and their own hygiene and wellness directly impacts the well-being of the entire household. Thus, it is an absolute must for them to have easy and regular access to menstrual hygiene products to confidently protect themselves and their family members from any infections. Personal cleanliness Habits like a regular change of clothes, washing them in good quality detergents and using soap as well as disinfectants while taking bath are the norm nowadays. In conclusion The pandemic has caused tremendous disruption to our lives and work processes. Irrespective of how severely or mildly it affects a person, it is still capable of wreaking havoc with our physical and mental fitness and ability to perform various tasks. In such a scenario, using hygiene and sanitation products and adhering to cleanliness can keep us safe from illness. It can also reduce other social-economic costs and be a win-win scenario for all of us! Even with a vaccine in sight in the near future, we need to continue to follow all the hygiene protocols since that is the only long-term effective defence for better health. The author is founder, Pee Safe

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has told international nuclear inspectors it plans to enrich uranium up to 20% at its underground Fordo nuclear facility, a technical step away from weapons-grade levels, as it increases pressure on the West over its tattered atomic deal. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency acknowledged the step after news of a letter it sent to the International Atomic Energy Agency leaked overnight Friday. Russia's representative to the IAEA similarly acknowledged Iran's letter on Twitter, though the agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Saturday. The move comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. in the waning days of the administration of President Donald Trump, who unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear deal in 2018. That set in motion an escalating series of incidents capped by a U.S. drone strike killing a top Iranian general in Baghdad a year ago, an anniversary coming Sunday that has American officials now worried about possible retaliation by Iran. The decision comes after parliament passed a bill, later approved by a constitutional watchdog, aimed at hiking enrichment to pressure Europe into providing sanctions relief. It also serves as pressure ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who has said he's willing to reenter the nuclear deal. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to the Vienna-based IAEA, wrote on Twitter that Tehran planned to resume enrichment up to 20% after a Wall Street Journal journalist broke the news. IRNA later reported Ulyanov's comments, linking the decision to the parliament bill aimed at restarting higher enrichment at Iran's underground Fordo facility. Since the deal’s collapse, Iran has resumed enrichment at Fordo, near the holy Shiite city of Qom, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) southwest of Tehran. Shielded by the mountains, Fordo is ringed by anti-aircraft guns and other fortifications. It is about the size of a football field, large enough to house 3,000 centrifuges, but small and hardened enough to lead U.S. officials to suspect it had a military purpose when they exposed the site publicly in 2009. The 2015 deal saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. The accord also called for Fordo to be turned into a research-and-development facility. As of now, Iran is enriching uranium up to 4.5%, in violation of the accord’s limit of 3.67%. Experts say Iran now has enough low-enriched uranium stockpiled for at least two nuclear weapons, if it chose to pursue them. Iran long has maintained its nuclear program is peaceful. Iran separately has begun construction on a new site at Fordo, according to satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press in December. Iran's announcement coincides with the anniversary of the U.S. drone striking Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last year. That attack later saw Iran retaliate by launching a ballistic missile strike injuring dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq. Tehran also accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet that night, killing all 176 people on board. As the anniversary approached, the U.S. has sent B-52 bombers flying over the region and sent a nuclear-powered submarine into the Persian Gulf. On Thursday, sailors discovered a limpet mine on a tanker in the Persian Gulf off Iraq near the Iranian border as it prepared to transfer fuel to another tanker owned by a company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. No one has claimed responsibility for the mining, though it comes after a series of similar attacks in 2019 that the U.S. Navy blamed on Iran. Tehran denied being involved. In November, an Iranian scientist who founded the country's military nuclear program two decades earlier was killed in an attack Tehran blames on Israel. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.