Star Citizen game to reach $ 100 million funding milestone

Early artwork for Star CitizenImage copyrightRoberts Space Industries
Image captionThe ambitions coders behind Star Citizen expanded as it grew Development Fund
Star Citizen Crowdfunded video game grossed more than $ 100 million (£ 66m) from fans and patrons.

The drive funding for space exploration, trade and combat games began in 2012 on Kickstarter.

Since then, the game continues to raise cash from people who have signed up to play and test early versions.

The milestone comes as a virtual reality Oculus developer confirms that Eva space combat game: Valkyrie will be the name of the launch of his headset.

crowded space

With its Kickstarter campaign is over, Star Citizen continues to raise money through pre-orders, as well as through the sale of spaceships that players can fly and fight in the virtual universe of the game. In October it was announced that over one million people have signed up back and play the game.

This week saw the release of the second test or alpha Star Citizen. It's starting to tie the separate elements of the game developed into a more coherent whole.

So far, players have access to the absolute value of the hangar, where they keep their boats and dog fighting arena. It will also eventually have a first-person element that allows them to take on other players in the ships and space stations. All these elements will exist in a constant universe that players can explore and trade in.

Also under development is a single-user mode called Squadron 42, which allows people to carry out the mission as a rookie space pilot of the Navy. Actors including Gary Oldman, Mark Hamill and Gillian Anderson have all signed up to provide a voice for the role of non-fiction, as shown in this campaign.


Development of the game is conducted under the supervision of veteran developers Chris Roberts, who was responsible for a series of Wing Commander games.

No firm launch date for Star Citizen has not been announced. Until now, Roberts Space Industries developer only said that the game will be launched at some point in 2016.

Star Citizen has competition in the form of two other spacecraft and fighting games - Elite: Dangerous and Eve: Valkyrie.

Elite: Dangerous and got going by raising cash on Kickstarter and was released in March 2014 Big expansion for the game, called Horizons, which allows players to put ships on some planets, due to be released this month.

Eve: Valkyrie is set to be available in early 2016, when the headset Oculus Rift becomes public. A copy of the game is given to anyone that pre-orders for the headset.

China Postal Savings Bank has attracted $ 7 billion ahead of IPO

Postal Savings Bank outletImage copyrightAFP
Postal Savings Bank Image captionChina has branches in remote rural areas of China
Postal Savings Bank of China raised $ 7 billion (£ 4,6 billion) of 10 domestic and foreign investors ahead of an initial public offering (IPO) in the next year.

National Bank has sold 17% stake to investors including UBS, JPMorgan and Investment Board Canada Pension Plan.

The deal is estimated China's sixth largest bank by assets to $ 41 billion.

The bank said the sale of the shares was the largest private collection of funds Chinese financial institution.

Its Chinese investors include Ant Financial Unit Alibaba, Tencent and China Life Insurance.

The banking giant has more than 40,000 branches in China and nearly half a billion customers. It is a subsidiary of the Post Group China, which belongs to the Ministry of Finance.

His public listing in Hong Kong in the next year could rise to $ 15 billion, according to analysts, but the bank did not reveal the time or the size of its IPO.

The placement of shares would make a second Chinese bank Japan Post Bank publicized in Asia after record IPO Japan Post in November.

According to analysts, this move will help the Chinese bank to raise funds at a time when the economy slows down, and bad loans are growing.

Hyundai and Kia miss 2015 sales target

Hyundai car grillImage copyrightAFP
Image captionHyundai expects to sell more than five million vehicles this year, while Kia expects to sell more than three million vehicles
The South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors missed its global sales targets in 2015 for the first time since the financial crisis.

Automakers, which together are the fifth largest automaker in the world by sales, sold 8.01 million vehicles, lower than the forecast of 8.2 million.

They expect sales to grow by 1.5% in 2016, after a flat performance in the past year.

Both brands are facing stiff competition in recent years.

US and Japanese rivals have lost ground to the US recovery, while demand in emerging markets and the world's largest car market - China - was cooling.

At the same time, the weaker yen benefited Japanese automakers as a stronger Korean Won, and plunging currency markets, such as Russia and Brazil has reduced the value of foreign sales of South Korean automakers.

Revenues hit

In October, Hyundai said its quarterly profit fell to its lowest level in five years. Its shares fell more than 12% last year.

The purpose of sales automakers this year marks the weak sales growth over the past 10 years.

The economic slowdown in China, which is the largest market in terms of the group, will continue to have an impact on its growth this year, the company said.

Sales in the second largest economy in the world fell in the first 11 months of last year.

Anxious investors continue to sell shares of Asian

Japanese share Image copyright AFP

Asian markets extended their losses on Tuesday after a 7% dive in mainland China shares on Monday caused the stock sale worldwide.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.4% to 18,371.29, while the S & P / ASX 200 in Australia fell 1.1% to 5,213.60, while South Korea's Kospi lost 0.3% to 1,912.43.
Trading on the Shanghai Composite was suspended at the beginning of the previous session after it fell by 7%, triggering a new mechanism for the circuit breaker.
The move spooked global markets.

Overnight, US stock indices lost up to 2% as fears grew that the immersion in Chinese stocks was the beginning of another volatile period after the dramatic market rout last summer.

Adding an escalation of tensions in the Middle East, oil prices also dented investor confidence.
Oil prices were flat after rising as much as 4% compared with the brewing dispute between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

In South Korea, a senior finance ministry official said that if necessary, after a steep dive on Monday that the government will take measures to stabilize the situation on the market.

According to analysts, investors expect to see if Beijing can stop the last sale in Chinese stocks and additional measures will be introduced there.

Rule breaker, which has suspended trading all over the country for the first time on Monday, was created after a sharp fall last summer and was intended to contain the volatility of the market in China.

Gun sales growth in the US, as Obama opens control plans

Jerry Kunzer looks at Smith & Wesson display during the NRA annual meeting and exhibition April 14, 2012 in America's Center in St. Louis, MissouriImage copyrightGetty Images
Image captionThe right to bear arms is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States
Arms sales in the US are rising, as well as President Barack Obama is the control measures aimed at limiting the availability of weapons.

Shares gunsmith Smith & Wesson rose to its highest level since 1999, ahead of President ad.

On Monday, Smith & Wesson raised its sales forecast, saying that the market was "stronger than originally anticipated."

Number of checks on potential buyers - a guide to future sales - has also increased.

National Instant Criminal Background Check System says that checks increased by about 38% last month compared to December 2014.

Smith & Wesson brand update says that ended January 31, expected sales of around $ 175m- $ 180m in the three months. Earlier, the management put the likely figure of between $ 150m and $ 155m.

The company said that the "sell-through of its products in the distribution has been stronger than originally anticipated, which led to a reduction in stocks of the distributor of his firearm." This means that the weapons are bought faster than Smith & Wesson delivers them.

The company said its net income was $ 14.2m (£ 9.46m) for the period, compared to $ 5.2m for the same period last year.

In December, the company said profit was nearly tripled in the three months to October, while net sales increased by 38% over the past five years.

A graph showing the number of inspections carried out by the FBI in December 2007 to December 2015
On Monday, the White House has presented proposals for measures to control firearms, which require more sellers to obtain licenses and more buyers gun to be tested.

According to the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will require that people who sell guns in stores, at gun shows or via the Internet to obtain a license and carrying out checks,

The Bureau is also finalizing a rule requiring verification data for dangerous weapons buyers from the trust, corporation or other legal entity. President Obama needs to disclose more details about the plans on Tuesday.

The President said that he will curb gun violence and unregulated sales after a series of mass executions that included an attack last month in San Bernardino, California, that killed 14 people.

James Hardiman, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, said that the increase in sales volume the gun was probably because of the buyers, who fear tighter controls.

News of a strong market saw the gun Smith & Wesson shares up to 11% on Tuesday, despite the equity markets as a whole is significantly reduced. Share Competitor Sturm Ruger rose 7.28% to a 52-week high.

Buying a firearm

arms sales to Smith & Wesson after principal photography

48%

increase in sales year on year in August-October 2012, after shooting a Sikh Temple of Wisconsin

38.8% higher than after the Sandy Hook (December 2012)
12.1% more than the following Charleston (June 2015)
$ 180m projected sales in November 2015 and January 2016, an increase of 38.5%
Smith & Wesson

Osborne warns of "dangerous cocktail" of economic risks

George Osborne
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George Osborne is to say that the UK faces a "cocktail" of the serious threats posed by global economic slowdown in 2016 shapes up to be one of the most difficult since the financial crisis.

The Chancellor will later lay out a litany of risks facing the economy on Thursday in the next 12 months.

This is in contrast to the relatively positive Autumn statement when he said that the UK "is growing rapidly."

People should not become "complacent", that the economy is largely fixed.

There are serious problems, he will say in his speech in Cardiff.

Tensions in the Middle East, slowing growth in China, as well as low commodity prices all weigh on global confidence that he will say in his speech.

On the domestic front, the first rise since 2007, interest rates could come this year.

Treasury sources say that this is not a decision for the chancellor - raising interest rates are subject to the Bank of England - but there are many homeowners with large mortgages, who have never experienced even a small rise in rates.

Unofficially close to Mr. Osborne expressed concern that the growth rate could have an impact on consumer confidence.

Despite what they say, it will mean the return of the UK economy in some semblance of normality.

This is a very sensitive area, and late last night, this part of the speech was still being worked on.

The Chancellor wants to raise this question, but be careful to strike the right tone.

"New threats"

"Anyone who thinks that the mission has been accomplished with the British economy makes a serious mistake," the Chancellor is expected to say in a speech later today in Cardiff.

"Last year was the worst for the global economic growth, as the [financial] disaster, and this year opens with a dangerous cocktail of new threats.

Two workers welded panels of the car at the factory in Sunderland, Nissan, in the north-east of England, 12 November 2014Image copyrightGetty Images
Image output growth slowed captionUK, according to economic surveys
"I'm worried about complacency creeping into the national discussion about our economy.

"The feeling that hard work at home is complete, and we are insured against risks abroad. The feeling we can let up, and the good economic news will just keep rolling.

"We are only seven days in the New Year and already we had concerns news about the stock market falls around the world, a slowdown in China, the deep problems in Brazil and Russia.

"Commodity prices have fallen very significantly. Oil, which amounted to over $ 120 per barrel in 2012, currently stands at less than $ 40.

"It is good for consumers and business customers here in the UK, bad news for the oil and gas industry, worrying for creditors who lent him and a massive problem for countries that depend on it.

"Meanwhile, political developments in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia and Iran, concern us all."

stagnating

The harsh words of the Chancellor come the same day, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) publishes a quarterly economic survey, which gives quite a mixed assessment of business confidence in the UK economy.

Evidence is likely to worry Mr Osborne of the survey of more than 7,000 firms that Britain risks becoming a "two-level" of the economy.

The protest in Basra, Iraq, 6 JanImage copyrightAFP
Image captionPolitical events in the Middle East concerns us all, the Chancellor says
The services sector, which includes retail trade, banking and tourism, works well, although confidence about growth in 2016 already lowered.

In the manufacturing industry - the key to the Chancellor's efforts "re-balance" the economy - a grim prospect.

BCC Research suggests that confidence among manufacturing enterprises is below the pre-crisis levels of 2007 and that the sector is in a state of stagnation.

Mr. Osborne loves to talk about the "march of the creators." Someone may say that it is a slow stirring.

"It's not enough to rely on consumer spending and the housing market for economic growth, not to rely solely on services, to stimulate export growth. We need to rebalance the economy," John Longworth, director general of the BCC, said.

"In addition, the government's policy [on the cost of living] has created an irresistible pressure to increase wages settlements, despite the downward pressure on wages created by the continuing migration to the UK.

"Businesses find themselves worn out and stagnation."

Sunny Plateau

On Wednesday, the National Audit Office report revealed the risks faced by major UK infrastructure projects such as road and rail development, the delivery of which is a key component of economic prosperity.

More than a third were in danger or "unreachable" if corrective measures are not taken.

The government can make big promises. Providing them more problematic.

Of course, there is a political edge question, Mr. Osborne.

Chancellor knows very well that if people are concerned about the economy, polls show that they tend to turn to the Conservatives, as a variant of "security."

So, voters concerns, Mr. Osborne said, it's not always a bad thing for his party.

I was told that there will be some "sunny uplands" elements in the speech from the Chancellor that growth in the UK was better than "almost everyone dared to hope."

But, with his dark boots, the Chancellor tramping pretty familiar territory.

Oil prices briefly fall below $ 30 per barrel

Dmitry MedvedevImage copyrightGetty Images
Image captionRussian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (right) during a visit to the factory, which makes steel tubes for the oil and gas industry in the Urals
Oil prices briefly fell below $ 30 per barrel in international markets for the first time since April 2004 before recovering again.

Brent crude, used as an international benchmark, fell to $ 29.96, but bounced back to trade at $ 30.22.

Oil prices have fallen by 70% over the past 15 months.

Earlier, Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev warned tumbling oil prices may force his country to reconsider its budget in 2016.

He said that the country should be ready to "worst" economic scenario, if the price continues to fall.

Taxes on oil and gas produces about half of the income of the Russian government.

2016 federal budget, which was approved in October was based on an oil price of $ 50 per barrel in 2016 - the figure of President Vladimir Putin has since described as "unrealistic".

Government departments were ordered to cut costs by 10%, repeating the policy, introduced in 2015, according to Reuters.

Pensions and pay for civil servants will be protected from the cuts, which could save up to 700 billion rubles (£ 6,3 billion $ 9.1 billion).

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that Russia's budget can only be balanced at an oil price of $ 82 per barrel.

"New Realities"

According to him, the budget 2016 should be revised to assume oil prices of $ 40 per barrel.

"Our challenge is to adapt our budget to the new realities," said Mr. Siluanov.

Anton SiluanovImage copyrightGetty Images
Image captionRussian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov
Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev warned that Russia faced a long period of low commodity prices, with oil at $ 15 or $ 20 a barrel.

"The biggest risk is that there will be a low price for a long time - that is, for many years, for decades," he said.

Mr. Medvedev also said that high interest rates are holding back economic growth in Russia.

Russian Bank held rates at 11% in the last month, with the governor of Elvira Nabiullina, warning of "high volatility" in world markets.

A year ago, the central bank shocked markets by increasing the rate from 10.5% to 17%.

Inflation is 15% in Russia, but the bank expects it to fall to 4% next year.

The wealth of the richest 1% 'is the other 99%'

Luxury Yacht NiceImage copyrightGetty Images
The richest 1% now has as much wealth as the rest of the world combined, according to Oxfam.

It uses data from Credit Suisse in October on the report, which calls on the leaders meeting in Davos this week to decide on inequality.

Oxfam also estimated that the richest 62 people in the world had as much wealth as the poorest half of the world's population.

He criticized the work of lobbyists and the amount of money stored in tax havens.

Oxfam predicted that 1% of the world catch up with the rest of this time last year.

It takes cash and assets in the amount of $ 68,800 (£ 48,300), to get into the top 10%, and $ 760,000 (£ 533,000) to be 1%. This means that if you have an average house in London without a mortgage, you are probably in the 1%.

The figures are different reefs, for example, information about the wealth of the super-rich is hard to find that Credit Suisse says it means the estimate of the proportion of wealth owned by 10% and 1%, "probably err on the low side."

As a global report, these figures are also sure to include some assessment of well-being in the countries from which the precise statistics are not available.

Oxfam said that the 62 richest people, with so much wealth as the poorest 50% of the population is a remarkable concentration of wealth, given that it would take 388 individuals to have the same wealth as the bottom 50% in 2010.

Comparison Chart wealth of 62 richest people in the lower 50%
"Instead of an economy that works for the benefit of all, for future generations, and for the planet, we instead created the economy by 1%," Oxfam said in a report.

The trend during the period that Credit Suisse provides, this study was the fact that the share of the wealth is in the top 1% has fallen gradually from 2000 to 2009 and has risen every year since then.

In fact, it is only in 2015 figures, that the proportion owned by the top 1% ahead of the share taken by them in the first report in 2000.

Oxfam calls on governments to take action to reverse this trend.

He wants to pay workers a living wage, and the gap narrowed with executive rewards.

It calls for an end to the gender gap in wages, compensation for unpaid child care and equal land rights and inheritance rights for women.

And wants the government to take action on lobbying, reducing drug prices by taxing wealth, rather than consumption, and using progressive government spending to address inequality.