Bubs was the early mover in the application process and was one of the first infant formula manufacturers globally to receive temporary US government approval to help address the country’s baby formula shortage.
Bubs delivered more than 540,000 tins between May and July, funded by the US government’s Operation Fly Formula. Chinese-backed Bellamy’s Organic was approved to sell products at the end of June to ship at least 1.25 million tins of its formula.
The latest Australian formula manufacturer to get the tick on July 8 was Care a2 Plus – a little-known infant formula player formerly named Acell Milk Australia.
Care a2 Plus makes Care a2+ infant and toddler formula using single-sourced milk from Australian grass-fed a2 cows.
The FDA approved Care a2 Plus to deliver up to 4.8 million tins of Australian-made Care a2+ Premium Infant Formula with Iron and added Lactoferrin to the US market. Its first orders for more than 250,000 tins of infant formula are due to ship starting this week.
According to documents lodged with the corporate regulator, the company was founded in 2019 with Dominic Galati, Kerry Hyland and Gary Lissa all named as directors.
In early 2021, it snared $50 million in equity financing from alternative investment group LDA Capital. LDA’s other recent Australian portfolio companies include software group GetSwift, lithium player Altura Mining and technology group BrainChip Holdings.
Comment was being sought from Ms Hyland who did not return calls from the FinancialReview.
Empty shelves
About 160 companies have applied under this enforcement discretion policy – including a2 milk and New Zealand’s Fonterra – all of which are seeking to gain a foothold into the world’s second-biggest formula market.
While the Abbott Laboratories’ plant in Michigan has reopened after being shuttered in February due to the contamination worry, and importation from global companies surged, US supermarket shelves in many places are still in short supply as the crisis moves into its sixth month.
Despite the need, the US food safety watchdog suspended emergency imports of baby formula from a UK-based company after accusing it of submitting altered paperwork to authorities in England, according to a Financial Timess article published August 1.
The suspension of Global Kosher’s plans to export millions of tins to the US is a major setback in the country which has traditionally relied on just three major players for domestic production including Abbott, Reckitt Benckiser and Nestlé. However, it might provide more opportunity for local players.
At Kotaku, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you’ll like it too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.
If you spend a lot of time playing racing sims and you feel a need for speed that your controller just can’t handle, then it might be time to grab yourself a steering wheel. Also known as racing wheels, these controllers are designed to replicate the feel of driving an actual car, by replicating the force feedback and resistance of the steering wheel and pedals.
A racing wheel isn’t something that everyone needs, but if your gaming diet is predominantly consumed by titles like Grand Touring 7, then it could be a worthwhile investment – especially when you can nab one at a nice price.
Logitech’s G29 Driving Force Wheel with Shifter combo is currently on sale for $439 here. This set includes a steering wheel, pedals and gear shifter, and usually retails for $549.95, so you’ll be saving a meaty $110 off its price tag.
Considering that the base G29 set – which includes just the steering wheel and pedals – retails for $499.95, that’s a pretty solid bargain. You’re paying less for the steering wheel and pedals, with a bonus shifter thrown in (coincidentally that G29 base set is also on sale for $375 here).
What can the Logitech G29 wheel do?
Image: Logitech
As far as racing wheels go, Logitech is one of the go-to brands when it comes to quality and durability. The Logitech G29 is a sturdy steering wheel and pedal set, which uses a dual-motor system and helical gears to provide precise force feedback while driving. Much like an actual car, the wheel also has a 900-degree lock-to-lock rotation.
The added 6-speed shifter is also another step in replicating the real-life experience, by allowing you to change gears as you would with an actual car.
Is the Logitech G29 compatible with the PS5?
Screenshot: Kotaku/Sony
It sure is! According to Logitech’s listing for the G29, the steering wheel is compatible with the PS3, the PS4 and the PS5. So if you’re looking for something to use with your PS4 with the intention of upgrading to a PS5 down the line, you’ll have a future-proof steering wheel. It’s also compatible with PC if that’s your preferred platform when playing racing sims.
In terms of games, the Logitech G29 steering wheel is compatible with recent and popular titles like WRC10, NASCAR 21 Ignition, F1 2021, Grand Touring Sport and Grand Touring 7. You can find a full list of PS4, PS5 and PC games that the Logitech G29 steering wheel is compatible with at the end of this page.
You can drive away with the Logitech G29 Driving Force Wheel (with Shifter) on sale here, while the standard Logitech G29 Driving Force Wheel is on sale here.
Former A-League Men coach Ernie Merrick has been given the freedom to shape Australia’s footballing future after being appointed as Football Australia’s first chief football officer.
The former Melbourne Victory and Newcastle coach will be able to “disrupt Australian football’s technical vision”, according to FA. The newly-created role encompasses improving Australia’s development of players and coaches.
The 69-year-old will also have an input into the direction of national team programs from junior age groups through to the Socceroos and Matildas at senior level.
“My challenge as chief football officer is to assist in raising participation numbers and improve elite youth development and high-performance programs for both boys and girls,” Merrick, who begins work next Monday, said.
“To increase the production of world class Australian players we need to review our football curriculum and development programs to benchmark ourselves against top-ranking nations.
“Training alone is not enough to develop elite performers and prepare them for Australia’s national teams.”
FA cited the advancement of fellow Asian nations and a desire to return to being a global leader in developing world-class players as reasons for a reset under Merrick.
“Ernie will work closely with our already very experienced technical and coaching teams, and we are excited about the contributions he will make to Football Australia and the game more broadly,” FA chief executive James Johnson said.
The Solomon Islands government has ordered the country’s national broadcaster to self-censor its news and other paid programs and only allow content that portrays the nation’s government in a positive light.
Key points:
The Solomon Islands government is seizing financial and editorial control of the Pacific nation’s public broadcaster
The government says its censorship will protect the public from “misinformation and lies”
Local media and observers fear democracy will suffer as a result
Staff at Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC)confirmed to the ABC that acting chairman of the board William Parairato met with them last Friday to outline the new requirements.
They include vetting news and talkback shows to ensure they did not create disunity.
Mr Parairato had earlier attended a meeting with the Prime Minister’s office, the SIBC journalists said.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has become increasingly critical of the public broadcaster, accusing SIBC of publishing stories that have not been verified or balanced with government responses.
Last month, SIBC was removed as a state-owned enterprise (SOE) and became fully funded by the government, raising concerns about the broadcaster’s independence.
The government defended the reclassification, saying it had a duty to protect its citizens from “lies and misinformation”.
It is unclear whether SIBC — which plays a vital role as a government watchdog — will be able to publish any news or statements from the opposition under the new regime.
Critics are concerned the new rules resemble media policies adopted by the Chinese Communist Party, and could essentially make SIBC a mouthpiece for the government.
Local reporters say the government has become less inclined to answer media questions since the country signed a security pact with China. (Photo by Yao Dawei/Xinhua via Getty)
Media Association of Solomon Islands president Georgina Kekea said there were growing fears the government would be influenced by its “new partner”, referring to the security pact recently signed between Solomon Islands and China.
“It really doesn’t come as a surprise,” she told the ABC.
“This is one of the things which we are fearful of for the past month or so now.
“We’ve been vocal on this issue, especially when it comes to freedom of the press and media doing its expected role.”
What impact will it have?
Honiara-based Melanesian News Network editor Dorothy Wickham said it was unclear how the development would play out.
Dorothy Wickham says she isn’t surprised by the move, given the government’s ongoing criticism of the media. (Supplied: Dorothy Wickham )
“We haven’t seen this happen before,” she said.
“If the opposition gets on SIBC and starts criticizing government policies, which every opposition does… would the government disallow SIBC to air that story or that interview? That is the question that we’re asking.”
Officials have denied taking full control of SIBC’s editorial policy, saying it just wants the broadcaster to be more responsible because it’s a government entity.
But University of South Pacific journalism professor Shailendra Singh said the government’s intentions were clear.
“There seems to be no doubt that the government is determined to take control of the national broadcaster, editorially and financially,” he told ABC’s The World Today.
“I don’t think there’s any way the government can be stopped.
“This latest move by the government, what it has done with the SIBC, is bringing it closer to media in a communist system than in a democracy.”
Press freedoms dwindling
Local media have been vocal about increased government secrecy, the closing of doors and controlled dissemination of information from the prime minister’s office.
Wickham said the media did not have issues with governments in the past, adding that since the security pact was signed with China, the government had been making life harder for the press.
“I don’t think this government actually restricts us, I think it’s controlling their information more than they used to,” Wickham told ABC’s The World.
“The government has been concerned that the negativity expressed by a lot of Solomon Islanders is affecting how the government is trying to roll out its policies.”
When China’s foreign minister toured the country in May, Solomon Islands local media boycotted a press conference because they were collectively only allowed to ask one question — to their own Foreign Minister.
They also struggled to obtain information about the timing of the visit and agreements being signed between the two countries.
Last month, the ABC was also shunned after being promised an interview with Mr Sogavare after his national independence day speech, in which he thanked China for being a “worthy partner” in the country’s development.
Instead, his minders escorted him to a nearby vehicle, with police blocking reporters from getting close to the Prime Minister.
Professor Singh warned that the country’s democracy would suffer as a result of less media freedom.
“Media is the last line of defence, so if the media are captured, who will sound the alarm? It’s happening right before our eyes. It’s a major, major concern,” he said.
The local police force blocked the ABC from speaking to the Prime Minister. (ABC News: Adilah Dolaiano )
‘A wake up call’
Kekea said SIBC staff should be able to do their jobs freely without fear and intimidation.
loading
But the best thing the media can do is uphold the principles of journalism, stressing that “we must do our jobs properly.”
“It’s a wake-up call for SIBC to really look at how they have gone over the years, how they format their programs, the quality control they have in place,” Kekea said.
“It’s really a wake up call for every one of us.”
She said the media landscape had changed over the years and standards had been dropping, but the government also needs to respect the role of journalist and be more open to requests for information.
The Prime Minister had repeatedly said he was available for questions and calls, but local media complained they were continuously left unanswered, she said.
“They do not have the courtesy to respond to our emails. Even if we want to have an exclusive it gets rejected,” Kekea said.
“So it’s time governments should also walk the talk when it comes to responding to the media when they ask questions.”
The ABC has contacted Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister’s office and SIBC for comment.
An elderly convenience store owner in California is being hailed as a hero after he shot at a would-be robber who ran out of the store screaming his arm was “shot off.”
Shocking surveillance footage from Norco Market & Liquor at the 2800 block of Clark Avenue in Norco, Calif., showed a masked assailant entering the business at about 2:47 am with an AR-15-style rifle pointed at the 80-year-old store-owner.
The suspect yelled, “Freeze, hands in the air,” but within seconds, the quick-thinking store owner pulled out his own rifle from under the counter and immediately shot once at the robber, hitting him in the arm.
Video footage further showed another man getting out of a black BMW SUV, but he stopped and got back inside the vehicle once he saw the first suspect run out of the store repeatedly screaming, “He shot my arm off!”
The three suspects involved in the attempted robbery were all caught, with the suspect who was shot in the hospital in critical but stable condition.Fox11
Riverside County Sheriff’s officials arrested three suspects—Justin Johnson, 22, of Inglewood, Calif., Jamar Williams, 27, of Los Angeles, and Davon Broadus, of Las Vegas, Nevada—at a local hospital.
The primary suspect, a 23-year-old man, remained in critical but stable condition at the hospital, officials said. His identity is being held pending his release from the hospital.
“In this case, a lawfully armed member of our community prevented a violent crime and ensured their own safety, while being confronted with multiple armed suspects,” Riverside County Sheriff’s said in a press release. “This investigation is active and ongoing and no additional information will currently be released.”
Employees at Norco Market & Liquor said the owner was watching the store cameras as the SUV pulled into the parking lot. Once he saw the first assailant get out of the SUV and pull a mask over his face from him, the owner immediately went for his rifle.
The 80-year-old store owner did not hesitate to defend himself and his business when the suspect entered with his rifle pointing directly at him. Fox11
“He just prepared himself … and he stood right here, aimed and shot,” store manager Marnia Tapia told Fox11.
The two other suspects frantically drove off after the suspect who was shot ran shouting, “He shot my arm off,” into the car.Riverside County Sheriff’s Office
Employees said the owner was not at the store on Monday, but Fox11 reported the man suffered a heart attack right after the shooting. He is expected to recover and will be discharged from the hospital sometime Monday night.
Sheriff’s officials said the SUV used in the attempted robbery was stolen and numerous stolen firearms were also found inside the vehicle.
Johnson, Williams and Broadus were booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside for robbery and conspiracy. They are being held in jail in lieu of a $500,000 bail.
The primary suspect will also be booked at the facility once he is released from the hospital, officials said.
Giant Supermarket Woolworth’s you have announced a national change to the trading hours of its in-store deli, meat and seafood sections.
The grocer said the move to standardize operating hours of its counters across Australia is due to a shift in customer shopping behavior and to “offer a consistent customer experience across our store network”.
“We’ve made a change to the trading hours of our fresh service counters nationwide, due to a shift in customer shopping behaviour,” a spokesperson for Woolworths told 9News.com.au.
Woolworths wish to “offer a consistent customer experience” across their store network by altering operation hours. (Janie Barrett)
“This includes our meat, seafood and deli counters.
“Customers can still purchase similar products, such as chicken breast fillets and salmon, within our packed Fresh Convenience range located in-store.
“Select stores across the country will open one hour later or close one hour earlier to align with other stores and better match customer shopping patterns.”
The changes mean Woolworth’s Fresh Service Deli will open from 7am to 8pm, seven days a week.
The Seafood and Meat Counters will trade from 9:30am to 7pm on weekdays, and 9am to 7pm at the weekend.
Woolworths fresh service deli, seafood and meat sections to see a change in operating hours. (Janie Barrett)
A handful of stores will operate longer fresh service counter hours due to high customer demand at those specific stores.
Woolworths have posted signage at the Fresh Service areas and at the front of stores for customers to be informed of the altered trading hours.
The changes come following a handful of trials across New South Wales stores in May.
Spotify is set to roll out separate play and shuffle buttons for it’s premium subscribers, replacing the current 2-in-1 button that the app currently features on playlists and artist pages.
Announced in a post on their ‘For The Record’ blog, Spotify announced the change would appear on iOS and Android “worldwide over the coming weeks.”
“This new change will allow you to choose the mode you prefer at the top of playlists and albums and listen the way you want to. Whether you love the joy of the unexpected with Shuffle mode, or prefer listening to tunes in order by simply pressing Play, Spotify has you covered.”
Being the most popular music streaming platform in the world, with over 350 million users and 150 million paid subscribers, this seems like a simple change that should have come long ago.
“We don’t create albums with so much care and thought into our track listing for no reason,” said Adele in a tweet she posted last year when the Shuffle Button was removed as the default last year.
This was the only request I had in our ever changing industry! We don’t create albums with so much care and thought into our track listing for no reason. Our art tells a story and our stories should be listened to as we intended. Thank you Spotify for listening 🍷♥️ https://t.co/XWlykhqxAy
Now, both the Shuffle and Play Buttons will be displayed for premium users. Free users will still have shuffle as the default, something the company has enforced on free users since its launch.
Incoming Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens has confirmed he wants halfback Luke Brooks to remain at the club next season and beyond on a reduced contract.
The Daily Telegraph reported Sheens wants Brooks to see out the remainder of his contract which expires at the end of 2023, before signing an extension on a reduced salary.
Speculation is rife that the Tigers were keen to move Brooks on given his salary is worth a reported $1.3 million on their salary cap for 2023.
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Brooks reportedly twice sought a release from the remainder of his contract last season to move to the Knights, despite denials from the No.7.
The 27-year-old, who is currently injured, has scored 42 tries in 189 games for the Tigers since his debut in 2013, but has never tasted finals football during a tough period for the club, who have the longest finals drought in the NRL stretching back to 2011.
Brooks has been linked to the Dolphins and the Knights for 2023, but Sheens, who will take over the team for 2023 and 2024, wants him to stay, but on a reduced deal.
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Tim Sheens wants Luke Brooks to stay.Source: Supplied
“Obviously everyone would prefer it to be at less money,” Sheens told The Daily Telegraph.
“But we can sit down and negotiate with him and extend the contract out.”
Sheens categorically denied the club were looking to move Brooks on to free up salary cap space for 2023.
“On the record, he’s contracted,” Sheens said.
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Luke Brooks and Benji Marshall.Source: AAP
“Point blank. He is contracted to us and I expect him to turn up for pre-season training.”
Jock Madden starred in Brooks’ absence in a win over the Broncos in Round 20, but remains unsigned beyond 2022, while the club also has Adam Doueihi and Jackson Hastings on their books for next season.
Sheens and incoming assistant Benji Marshall have publicly thrown their support behind the embattled playmaker, but the former refused to guarantee Brooks would finish his career at the Tigers.
Tigers shock Broncos in Brisbane | 02:27
“Unless the world changes, that’s what I’m doing (trying to get Brooks to stay),” Sheens said.
“Can I ever (guarantee he’ll stay)? Not one can. But I’m not indicating he’s leaving.
“I like the kid and I want him in the side. Benji loves him and wants him in the side. But we can’t say any more than that.”
Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis also threw his support behind Brooks.
“A guarantee is not a word that I use comfortably in my capacity as chairman or as a lawyer, but Luke Brooks has a contract with the Wests Tigers for 2023,” Hagipantelis told Fox Sports News.
“Tim Sheens spoke publicly in the last 24 hours of his intentions to retain him. We are all big fans of Luke.
“He is a one club player. I would love to see him finish out his career at the Wests Tigers.
“Are there challenges there for both parties? Perhaps. Both have identified those.
“But the reality is he is a truly gifted footballer and I would love to see him perform at his best for the Wests Tigers.”
Hagipantelis clarified that there would be no pay cut for Brooks’ existing contract and it would be up to the club and the player to meet in the middle over a contract extension.
“There will be no pay cut concerned with his current contractual arrangements,” Hagipantelis said.
‘Not a fan’ Chairman shares frustrations | 10:15
“He will be paid in full. We will honor that. I think Tim was alluding to the end of the current contractual arrangements.
“Those are matters for the club and the player to negotiate what they think is a fair market value.
“It is always up in the air. There is an underlying tension of course. Players want to receive as much as they can, which is understandable and clubs want to pay as little as they can, which is of course just as understandable.
“At the moment those discussions have not been held. There is a long way to go.
“Tim Sheens, Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah are assimilating themselves into the roster at the moment. They will decide moving forward.
Is O’Brien under pressure at Knights? | 05:59
“Unfortunately the injuries to Luke and Jackson Hastings have thrown a little spanner into the works because I know the boys were very keen to see the combinations work for the balance of this year. But they will work it out.”
However, like Sheens, Hagipantelis left the door ajar for Brooks to potentially move on in the future if it suited both him and the club.
“Never say never because every option would be considered on its merits at the time,” Hagipantelis said when asked if he would consider an offer from another club for Brooks’ services.
“But as we speak at this very moment there is nothing on the table. There is no consideration. There is nothing before me or the board to suggest Luke Brooks will not fulfill his contractual obligations with the Wests Tigers and nothing would make me happier.”
So much of the heat over how we manage the current COVID-19 wave is about mandatory masks, yet Australia has dropped the ball where it matters most right now – booster vaccination.
Australia led the world in two-dose uptake, reaching 96 per cent of people aged over 16 years. But we have stalled on boosters, where rates have sat about 70 per cent for weeks. For NDIS participants, 76 per cent have had a booster; for First Nations people, it’s just 54 per cent.
The number of Australians receiving booster shots has stalled. Credit:AP
We need to focus our attention on boosters. They sit at the top of a limited set of COVID-19 management tools. A booster markedly reduces a person’s risk of severe disease if they have it three months after a previous vaccine or infection. A study of more than 2 million Sydney residents during the first Omicron wave estimated that one hospitalization or death was prevented for every 192 people aged over 70 getting a third dose. In an Israeli study, a fourth dose lowered the rate of severe disease by a factor of three.
Your postcode should not determine your likelihood of having a vaccine that could greatly reduce your risk of hospitalization from COVID. Yet, that is what is occurring. Some of this will be explained by people’s recent infections delaying their booster. But the huge differences in geographic vaccination rates tell a familiar story of inequity.
Local council areas of Queensland and western Sydney dominate the lowest-ranked booster rates. Just 49 per cent of people in Queensland’s Central Highlands have had three or more doses. In Cumberland, western Sydney – which includes Greystanes, Merrylands, Guildford, Granville and Auburn – it’s 55 per cent. Contrast that with wealthy Mosman in Sydney at 83 per cent. This drops even more for First Nations individuals – in one very remote community in Queensland, only 31 per cent are boosted.
The take-up of booster vaccinations has been poorest in areas that most need the protection.Credit:Wayne Taylor
It is easy to get outraged about so-called “anti-vaxxer” hotspots when such areas have the lowest vaccination rates. But we need to pay attention to the areas where people face disadvantage, and not with outrage or stigmatisation, but with listening and constructive solutions.
As a resident of western Sydney for two decades, I know there are many communities with different reasons for not vaccinating.
Social research, backed up by conversations I’ve had with people in my local community, reveals an information gap on vaccination. There is a lack of clear, translated, actionable information about why boosters are needed now. We learn how misinformation fills voids created when accurate information flows too slowly. We learn of the challenges in getting transport to the clinic and other practical barriers that remain for some.
The tree recognized as the tallest in the world is now off-limits to visitors.
The National Park Service announced last week that it is discouraging hikers from visiting Hyperion, an old-growth redwood in Northern California that holds a Guinness World Record for height at 380 feet, 9.7 inches, according to a 2019 measurement. People who are caught in the closed area of Redwood National and State Parks could face a $5,000 fine and six months in jail, NPS says.
The tree, which was “discovered” in 2006, is located off designated trails and amid dense vegetation that requires heavy bushwhacking.
“Despite the difficult journey, increased popularity due to bloggers, travel writers, and websites of this off-trail tree has resulted in the devastation of the habitat surrounding Hyperion,” a National Park Service bulletin says.
6 alternatives to America’s most popular national parks
According to the park service, the number of people trampling through the area over the years has caused the base of the tree to degrade and has wiped out ferns that would normally surround it. Trash and human waste have also been found littered on the way to the world’s tallest tree.
In addition to the damage and litter, getting to Hyperion can be dangerous because hikers have to go completely off the trail to access it. The tree is rooted in an area that doesn’t have cellphone reception and has spotty GPS coverage, according to NPS, so suffering a small injury could be scary and dangerous.
In its release, the park service discourages people from visiting Hyperion by pointing out that it’s not as exciting as it sounds.
“A view of Hyperion doesn’t match its hype,” the NPS statement says, adding that the tree’s trunk is small in comparison with many other old-growth redwood trees and its height can’t be observed from the ground.
The “tallest tree” label is a moving target of sorts. Years ago, the park created a Tall Trees Trail so hikers could see a tree then designated as the world’s tallest tree. That tree no longer holds the title, but the trail features many redwood trees that exceed 350 feet, NPS says.
It’s common for redwood trees to lose sections of their crown — the section above the tree trunk — because of wind and lightning.
