Lonrho signs deals to boost John Deere in Africa

Lonrho boosted its bet on African agriculture by doubling to four the number of countries in which it has exclusive rights to sell John Deere farm equipment.

The hotels-to-transport group - one of the remnants, with Lonmin of the conglomerate whose operations once spanned assets from Ghanaian gold to UK newspaper The Observer said it had won the licence to sell John Deere products in Africa's newest country - South Sudan.

South Sudan, which split in July from Sudan following years of civil war, is, despite boasting notable oil reserves, woefully poor, with 90% of the country earning less than $1 a day, and having just 40 miles of paved roads, according to the US Central Intelligence Agency.

However, "it has a vast natural resource base and huge agricultural potential, with more than 90% of the land being suitable for farming", Lonrho said.

"Significant foreign direct investment and international donor funding is forecast to support large scale agricultural development following the independence of South Sudan."

'Strong demand'

In Tanzania, which already boasts a reasonably-developed agriculture sector, noted in particular for 700,000-1.2m bags of coffee it produces every year, Lonrho bought the country's sole John Deere dealership group, Lonagro Tanzania.

The farm equipment market in Tanzania, which relies on agriculture for some 45% of economic output, "is already substantial and is set to increase rapidly as the Tanzanian government is giving significant attention to the agriculture sector".

Tanzania has launched a public-private partnership scheme named, Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania, or Sagcot, to boost commercial activity, and close the gap with neighbouring Kenya which, for instance, has a far higher share of vegetable imports to the important European Union market.

The country is Africa's fourth-ranked farm equipment market, worth some $125m-175m a year.

Lonagro Tanzania is believed to have run up a small?loss last year?on revenues of about $5m.

'John Deere confidence'

The deals bring to four the number of African countries in which the company is the exclusive John Deere dealer, with Angola and Mozambique, where Lonrho said it had seen "strong demand for John Deere products as the mechanised farming market expands across Africa".

And they were viewed by analysts at Panmure Gordon as reflecting "the confidence that John Deere has in Lonrho as a long term strategic partner in Africa".

"Typically John Deere would expect to achieve circa 30% market share and we are encouraged that John Deere see Lonrho as the strategic partner capable of improving the business in Tanzania and establishing the franchise in South Sudan," Panmure analyst Damien McNeela said.

He restated a "buy" recommendation on Lonrho shares with a price target of 21p.

The shares closed unchanged at 9.69p in London.

Source: http://www.agrimoney.com/news/lonrho-signs-deals-to-boost-john-deere-in-africa--4022.html

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PFT: Fears of LA move could scuttle Fisher-to-Rams

Indianapolis Colts v Jacksonville JaguarsGetty Images

The story of the early phase of the 2012 offseason will come from Indianapolis, and it will focus on the payment of $28 million due and owing to Colts quarterback Peyton Manning on or about March 8.

Peter King reported during the NBC wild-card pregame on Saturday that the Colts and Manning may be amenable to pushing the deadline back.? On Sunday, Chris Mortensen of ESPN said that Colts owner Jim Irsay and Manning each were ?emphatic? that there have been no discussions about moving the date.

In this regard, Manning holds the cards.? The March 8 trigger, which comes before the new league year begins, wasn?t selected accidentally.? Agent Tom Condon wanted Peyton to have the upper hand, forcing the Colts to fork over $28 million or cut Peyton loose.

If Peyton truly wants to stay with the Colts and if both sides agree come early March that he?s not yet healthy, it should be a no-brainer to bump the deadline deeper into the year.? But if Irsay intends, as Tony Dungy believes, to keep Manning ?if healthy? and also draft Andrew Luck, Peyton may want a new place to play.

I?ve said for months that Peyton won?t want the Colts to take Luck, not when they could trade the selection and get Peyton multiple players and/or draft picks aimed at helping Peyton win another Super Bowl or two.? Ordinarily, a player like Peyton would have no choice but to go along with whatever the team tries to do.? In Peyton?s case, if there?s any question about his health and if Irsay is skittish about the possibility of sending Manning?s total haul for two seasons north of $50 million with no guarantee he?ll ever take another snap, a decision to dig in could get Peyton his freedom.

And so Peyton may indeed be willing to delay the due date on the bonus ? if he gets an assurance that the first overall pick in the 2012 draft won?t be looming over the shoulder of the first overall pick in the 1998 draft.

It?s doubtful such an assurance could come.? As Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star explained this week on PFT Live, Irsay needs to think about the future, not the past.? Without Luck, the Colts could return to their hard-luck ways of the past.? Which could eventually cause empty seats to infiltrate Lucas Oil Stadium.

And which, as Kravitz fears, could put the Colts in line for a move to the place where the team Robert Irsay originally owed once played its home games.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/08/report-concerns-over-move-to-l-a-could-be-hangup-in-fisher-to-rams-deal/related/

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The Best Things I've Read All Week (8 Jan 2012)

Here are the best things I?ve read all week. The pieces are not necessarily news and could be decades old, and they?re probably longform writing but not always. Maybe there is one link, maybe there are forty. But they all were thought-provoking enough that they hopped around in my brain long past the read. Enjoy.

1) A rare interview with John McPhee (?John McPhee, The Art of Nonfiction No. 3?) from the Spring 2010 issue of the Paris Review is about so much more than how he writes, though it is about that ? from getting ideas to structuring to getting words on paper. It also gives a fine sense of the man who is an inspiration to many of us nonfiction (or, as he prefers, ?factual writing?) writers.

The thing about writers is that, with very few exceptions, they grow slowly?very slowly. A John Updike comes along, he?s an anomaly. That?s no model, that?s a phenomenon. I sent stuff to?The New Yorker when I was in college and then for ten years thereafter before they accepted something. I used to paper my wall with their rejection slips. And they were?not making a mistake. Writers develop slowly. That?s what I want to say to you: don?t look at my career through the wrong end of a telescope. This is terribly important to me as a teacher of writers, of kids who want to write.

2)?How do you want to live the final months, weeks, days, hours of your life? Many of us, healthy, would say, ?with my friends and family,? but this rarely happens in practice: too many of us will die fighting for even one more second of life. But, as physician Ken Murray points out in an article at?Z?calo Public Square, doctors themselves, who should be best informed to choose how they will die, rarely go out fighting. And in ?How Doctors Die,? Murray tries to answers the question: ?How has it come to this?that doctors administer so much care that they wouldn?t want for themselves??

It?s not a frequent topic of discussion, but doctors die, too. And they don?t die like the rest of us. What?s unusual about them is not how much treatment they get compared to most Americans, but how little. For all the time they spend fending off the deaths of others, they tend to be fairly serene when faced with death themselves. They know exactly what is going to happen, they know the choices, and they generally have access to any sort of medical care they could want. But they go gently.

If you enjoy this article and find it thought-provoking, definitely check out ?Letting Go? from the August 2010 issue of the New Yorker by Atul Gawande, which is one of the best things I?ve ever read.

3) For 14 years now, the scientists behind the?All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory have been working to catalogue all the species?in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is contained within North Carolina and Tennessee. And an article published in November in Knoxville, Tennessee?s Metropulse by Jesse Fox Mayshark (?17,000 Species in the Great Smoky Mountains. And Counting.?)?recounts the project and whether it has a future.

The old-fashioned ambition of the project presents some serious challenges, though. There are, first of all, the unforgiving terms of the mission: Count everything. The name says All, not Some or Most. There is the problem that the natural world does not stand still. Every count is a snapshot of this year, this organism, this place. One of the hopes for the ATBI is that it will make it easier to understand the effects of forces like climate change, air pollution, and invasive species. But those forces are already at work, which means that things already counted have to be monitored and revisited even as the search for new species goes on.

The project has come a long way, as Mayshark explains, but it faces the same problem as much of taxonomy and species collecting: funding.

The funding that got the ATBI started has largely fallen off, and people to do the hands-on research are increasingly difficult to come by. It turns out that for all its scope, the kind of work the project demands is not, in a lot of ways, the kind of work that modern science most values and rewards.

?What happens when the hopeful, impossible task runs up against pragmatic reality?? Bartels says. ?That?s the question.?

While Mayshark doesn?t address them head-on, the article raises all sorts of questions about what scientists, the public, and funding institutions value about science. And the sort of nitty-gritty work that should be ? and perhaps must be ? done.

Check back next week for more gems.

Image: via Mo Riza on Flickr under Creative Commons licensing

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=39cdfcce9539859e2fd425c3a64059c8

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Microsoft Appears to be Exploring Xbox LIVE Gaming for Android and iOS Platforms

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Published on 01-09-2012 02:00 AM

With the release of apps such as My Xbox LIVE, Halo Waypoint, the Kinectimals game, and a SkyDrive client in the iOS App Store, it isn?t surprising to see Microsoft trying to expand further in the iOS platform. According to a recently-posted job listing, the Redmond based company is looking to port its Xbox Live gaming portal to the other platforms, including the iOS platform. Despite the release of the My Xbox LIVE app, the gameplay portion of the service currently remains a Windows Phone 7 only feature.

The job listing which was posted recently mentions the following:

Xbox LIVE Mobile team is looking for a passionate and experienced developer to join us in bringing Xbox LIVE entertainment experiences to various platforms. As the team inside IEB (Interactive entertainment Business) dedicated to mobile experiences, we work closely with the console software team and Xbox LIVE services to bring the latest and greatest gaming and entertainment experience to mobile platforms including Windows Phone, iOS, and other mobile platforms. With news of Xbox LIVE integration branching out to new platforms, many people are left confused as they saw Xbox LIVE integration as one of the key advantages that Windows Phone 7 had over its competitors. It could possibly be a sign that Microsoft understands that the Windows Phone platform isn?t gaining enough traction with its consumers but with news of more Windows Phones coming out this year, it seems to be the company?s plot to just expand and take advantage of the communities that their competitors have accumulated.

For those of you who are iOS users who also utilize the Xbox LIVE service on the Xbox 360, this is great news. The Xbox LIVE marketplace is home to many downloadable games that are inexpensive and this means that Microsoft might be working to bring these to your iOS device as well. The thought of possibly playing Xbox LIVE Arcade titles on my iOS device leaves me with a lot to look forward to in the future.

Are any of you Xbox playing iOS users excited for what?s to come? Share any thoughts and comments below!

Source: SlashGear

Source: http://modmyi.com/content/6530-microsoft-appears-exploring-xbox-live-gaming-android-ios-platforms.html

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tedder42: RT @JamesUrbaniak: Gross. Every time I google "Rick Santorum," articles about Rick Santorum come up.

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U.S. concerned about Bahrain activist, urges probe (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The United States called on its ally Bahrain on Saturday to investigate the case of a prominent Bahraini human rights activist who the opposition says was beaten by security forces.

Opposition activists said several security officers threw Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, to the ground and beat him on the head, neck and back after a protest march on Friday.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry has denied those accounts, saying on its Twitter feed that police found Rajab "lying on the ground" and took him to the hospital for treatment.

The Sunni-led island kingdom, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet, last year sought to crush anti-government demonstrations mounted by the country's Shi'ite Muslim majority. Protest marches have continued in recent months, sometimes turning violent.

Officials from the U.S. embassy in Manama met for about an hour on Saturday with Rajab, who had a cut beneath one eye and bruising on his face, a senior U.S. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

"The United States is deeply concerned by continuing incidents of violence in Bahrain between police and demonstrators," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a written statement.

"While the facts surrounding the violence that transpired remain in dispute, we strongly urge the Government of Bahrain to undertake a full investigation (of Rajab's case) to determine if excessive force was employed by police," she added.

Nuland said embassy officials had raise Rajab's case with senior Bahraini officials and urged the government to carry out recommendations made by an independent commission that found Bahrain used excessive force in last year's crackdown.

"In general we urge all demonstrators to refrain from acts of violence and for police and security forces also to avoid excessive use of force," she added.

U.S. 'VERY CONCERNED' ABOUT RAJAB CASE

"We are very concerned about this case," said the senior U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying that if an investigation found the Bahraini police used excessive force against him, those responsible should be punished.

While the official said there has been a pattern in recent months of protesters using Molotov cocktails and throwing things at police, he said there was no indication of violence by protesters during the march in which Rajab was hurt.

Bahrain launched a sweeping crackdown on anti-government protests last year that drew criticism internationally and from the state-sponsored Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, which found detainees were systematically abused and in some cases tortured to death.

The events in Bahrain, part of last year's "Arab Spring" of popular uprisings against autocratic rulers in the Middle East, have posed a policy challenge for the United States, which values the country as an ally in countering Iranian influence but which wants to be seen as supporting democracy everywhere.

The United States has said a $53 million arms sale to Bahrain depends in part on its response to the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, which issued its report on November 23.

Bahrain's largest Shi'ite opposition bloc, al-Wefaq, welcomed the comments by the U.S. official, saying the government needed to be pushed to carry out the panel's recommendations.

"We appreciate this response and the Bahrainis are awaiting actions on the ground," said Wefaq member and former member of parliament Mattar Mattar.

"There is struggle in implementing the recommendations of the BICI and the regime needs to be pressured and monitored to apply it, rather than the international community just believing the regime's fake response, which contradicts the facts on the ground," he added.

(Additional reporting by Isabel Coles in Dubai; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120108/wl_nm/us_bahrain_usa

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Apple may file lawsuit against the makers of disturbingly realistic Steve Jobs doll (Yahoo! News)

Manufacturer says he will not stop the production of the dolls no matter what Apple does

There may be no other statue or figurine made in the likeness of the late?Steve Jobs more realistic than the?12" doll by Chinese company Inicons. The action figure even comes with his trademark clothes and a "One More Thing" backdrop. Tandy Cheung, owner of Inicons, believes "the best way to remember [Jobs] is to make an action figure of him." But as he doesn't have the license to use the late tech executive's likeness,?Apple has reportedly threatened his company with legal action.

The Chinese manufacturer allegedly received a letter from Apple calling what it did a criminal offense. According to intellectual property lawyer Lawrence Townsend, the Inicons doll violates the?Right of Publicity (or personality rights), which is a law that protects the image, voice, and other aspects of a person's identity. Also, as Steve Jobs lived in California, he's protected by the?Celebrities Rights Act that extends the Right of Publicity law for up to 70 years after his death. Personality rights, however, is recognized only in a handful of states across the U.S., prompting?Paid Content to call Apple's warning to Inicons an "empty threat."

In spite of this development, Cheung remains unfazed. Speaking to?ABC News, he says, "Apple can do anything they like. I will not stop, we already started production." If you find yourself oddly wanting the doll instead of being creeped out, Inicons announced its launch in February for $99 each, and has already started?taking pre-orders. Of course, nobody knows what'll happen now that Apple has threatened to sue. Several?listings for the action figure have also popped up on?Ebay for around $30 to $50 more than the original price.

Telegraph via?Slashdot

This article was written by Mariella Moon and originally appeared on Tecca

More from Tecca:

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20120106/tc_yblog_technews/apple-may-file-lawsuit-against-the-makers-of-disturbingly-realistic-steve-jobs-doll

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Remaining GOP candidates face whole new ballgame in New Hampshire

by MARK WIGGINS / KVUE News

Bio | Email | Follow: @MarkW_KVUE

kvue.com

Posted on January 5, 2012 at 6:20 PM

AUSTIN -- With the Iowa caucuses in the rear view, the remaining six Republican contenders for the presidential nomination face the year's first primary and a whole new ballgame in New Hampshire.

"It's a primary, not a caucus, so it's more of a traditional election," explained Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs at the University of Texas.

"People go into a booth and actually vote for someone," he said. "They don't get in groups and decide who they're going to as a group endorse, and it's a population, unlike Iowa, that is much closer to the kind of places where Romney and other more mainline Republicans have come from."

Unlike Evangelical-friendly Iowa, New Hampshire favors its own brand of candidate.

"The best way to think about New Hampshire and the way the citizens of New Hampshire view politicians is that they like people to be competent, boring and helpful to them," said Suri.

As one of the oldest states in the Union, New Hampshire residents share a common view of their role in the national conversation.

"Citizens in New Hampshire really feel a connection to what they see as the origins of our society," explained Suri. "It was created around Massachusetts and that part of the country, and they believe that there are certain core principals, particularly in the Republican Party, that Americans need to stand for."

New Hampshire is also different demographically from Iowa. With a more Caucasian, upper-middle class constituency, New Hampshire voters are often fiscally conservative and may have more moderate views than Iowans on social issues. Like Texas, New Hampshire residents also pay no state income tax.

"They are a small government state," said Suri. "They are a state that believes in the United States playing an international leadership role, by model and example as much as by military force, and they believe in capitalism."

After briefly reassessing his campaign, Rick Perry recommitted Wednesday to a run through New Hampshire. Perry suggested that his disappointing finish in Iowa may have been due in part to Democrats allegedly involving themselves in the caucus process.

It's a scenario Suri finds implausible.

"The Republicans who go these caucuses have been doing this for generation after generation," Suri countered. "It's like trying to infiltrate tailgaters at a football game. People know what they're doing, and they know who you are. Everyone knows everyone, so this is an exaggeration."

Jon Huntsman bypassed Iowa entirely to stake his entire campaign on the Granite State, where the former Utah governor's first television ad aired this week.

"They pick corn in Iowa. They actually pick presidents in New Hampshire," Huntsman said on CBS's "The Early Show."

It's an oft-repeated phrase that Suri finds somewhat disingenuous.

"Iowa matters enormously in New Hampshire, in spite of what people say," said Suri. "Rick Santorum is a serious candidate now. He was not before the Iowa caucus. He has to be taken seriously."

In Texas, the primary is still months away, so there's still plenty of time for voters to make up their minds, but could they be influenced by the outcomes of early races in Iowa and New Hampshire?

"I'm more pro-life so I have to lean toward Santorum, but at the same time, I'm looking also for somebody who's going to beat Obama, so I'm kind of torn right now," voter Jon Bruce told KVUE Thursday.

"New Hampshire's definitely going to influence my vote," Bruce admitted.

"New Hampshire can play a mixed role," furthered Suri. "It can give momentum to candidates, it can help a candidate who's in the lead, but it won't determine the race. This will go on."

According to the latest poll conducted Jan. 3 through Jan. 4 by 7 News / Suffolk University, Mitt Romney leads the field in New Hampshire with 41 percent of likely primary voters. Ron Paul follows with 18 percent, followed by Rick Santorum with eight percent.

Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich are tied in the bottom rung with seven percent each, with Rick Perry receiving zero percent support from those surveyed. The poll's margin of error is +/- 4.4 percent.

Source: http://www.kvue.com/news/Remaining-GOP-candidates-face-whole-new-ballgame-in-New-Hampshire-136775138.html

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