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Another MP joins race to be the next Prime Minister

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A relatively unknown backbench Conservative MP has thrown his hat into the ring to be the next Prime Minister.

Ivan Reddy, the MP for Oxbridge, is the tenth MP to declare they are running to be the new Tory leader after Boris Johnson announced he was stepping down.

Mr Reddy said he loved a party, and the Conservative one was no exception.

His campaign chief Lorraine Fisher, 34, explained: “Ivan Reddy is ready by name and ready by nature.

“He will make a brilliant leader, uniting not just the Conservatives but the country, too.

“Unlike the current occupant of Number 10, Mr Reddy is a class act, known for straight-talking and also telling the truth.

“He is confident of rebuilding the country under his command.”

It is believed Mr Reddy will fight on a ticket of free workplace booze, touchy-feely staff events and tax cuts for fathers.

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Larry the Downing Street cat to be interim Prime Minister

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larry the downing street cat

Larry the Downing Street cat has been appointed interim Prime Minister until the Conservatives can elect a new party leader.

The statesmanlike moggy will run the country from Downing Street after Boris Johnson dramatically quit as Tory leader this morning.

Larry will lead his first cabinet meeting later today and expects an audience with the Queen, so long as her Corgis are out of the way.

“Things are going to be shaken up around here,” Larry told reporters outside Number 10.

“There will be no parties or sex-pest scandals. To be honest, everyone around here acts in an incoherent fashion all the time, so it’s hard to tell if they had been on a jolly-up or not.

“But what I will say is there will be no such outrageous behaviour on my watch.”

Downing Street insider Lorraine Fisher, 34, said Larry has been acting like he owns the place for years, so people should not be surprised at him ruling the country with an iron paw.

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The challenges facing construction firms in 2022

The construction sector remains one of the largest and most generative in the UK economy, employing 3.1 million people or some 9% of the total workforce.

However, the industry has also been in a state of flux for several years now, thanks to a longstanding shortage of specialist skills and issues involving access to materials. These are just two of the reasons why successive governments have struggled to build the requisite housing over the course of the last decade.

We’ll explore these challenges below while asking what other issues the industry could continue to face in the next year and beyond.

#1. Materials Shortage

Starting with the materials shortage, this issue has been exacerbated of late and is likely to worsen before it improves.

Currently, lumber, steel and lighting are subject to the most significant shortages, which are largely being driven by continued supply chain issues (that emerged during the coronavirus pandemic) and the ongoing impact of Brexit.

At the beginning of 2021, a staggering 71% of contractors faced material shortages (including those referenced above), while the current production of timber simply isn’t enough to meet the global demand.

However, the issue isn’t as challenging in other countries across the globe, as other nations are willing to pay more to secure the materials that are available.

#2. The Push Towards Net Zero

As part of its ambitious plans to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK to net zero by 2050, the government is looking to drive an infrastructure revolution that will place huge demands on the construction sector.

More specifically, the main objective is to transform the construction industry so that it becomes considerably more productive and sustainable. At the same time, there’s a wider aim of ensuring that it becomes more competitive on the global stage, through the use of data, technology and contemporary building practices.

This is already causing huge issues, with the UK construction sector accounting for approximately 45% of total carbon emissions on these shores.

Given this and the environmental impact of certain construction projects, net-zero represents a huge transition and one that will take a number of years to complete successfully.

#3. Health and Safety

As we touched on in our introduction, there remains a significant construction skills shortage in the UK. One consequence of this is that sites can struggle to work consistently and efficiently, creating huge challenges in terms of each employee’s health and safety.

It’s, therefore, more important than ever for employers to provide the necessary PPE to their workers, from high-viz jackets and hard hats to ear plugs that help to protect against excessive noise levels.

At the same time, they need to invest in continued training and ensure that staff members operate safely at all times while creating a transparent accident reporting process that also creates accountability.

4 considerations for your horse when facing hay shortages

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Horses have always been majestic creatures. But despite this, every single breed of horses has something that makes their personalities shine. Whether calm, playful, or temperamental, horses have shown that even when they seem majestic at first glance, they’re still perfectly capable of expressing their wants and needs. Thus, it’s up to you as an equestrian or hostler to provide them.

Naturally, food is essential since horses are living beings. And you will require much of it considering the size of fully grown adult horses, except for those miniature ones. They also have one of the most sensitive digestive systems in the animal kingdom. If anything changes from their usual diet, they may not take it well or not eat at all unless you take specific measures. So, you have to choose between a comparison of grass hays carefully.   

Why You Need To Consider Your Horses’ Needs

Besides coaxing them to go back to work, ensuring they’ll perform at their peak is crucial for many equestrians, especially those who own racehorses. Because although training teaches horses what to do at a contest, their health condition before the ‘big event’ can easily affect them and even compromise their performance. One factor that affects horses the most is their feeding.

As you already know, horses are herbivores, which means their diet mainly consists of plants. However, as mentioned earlier, horses are picky with their food despite their size. Unfortunately, considering they consume plants, many issues can contribute to their shortage, particularly weather problems and droughts. Since hay takes up a significant portion of their diet, you’re bound to encounter a problem regarding supply. Therefore, you must prepare for once that happens. For that reason, below are some factors you may consider for your horse when facing hay shortages:

  1. Know Your Horse

Like with people, you can’t feed your horse without knowing their conditions. After all, if people have allergies and other health-related problems, so does your horse. Therefore, familiarizing yourself with them as their equestrian should be a no-brainer. You must know their health status and needs so you may provide them with a plan B diet when there is a hay shortage.

Generally, horses are creatures who often lead an active lifestyle, especially ones used for events such as racehorses. Since it’s their nature to graze in the wilderness, that behavior will also bleed into domesticated horses. But as their owner, their grazing and roaming might be limited depending on your land. And with hay shortages, planning for the food they eat may even be more difficult. Luckily you can explore other food options that are good for your horse as long as you know their needs.

  • Choose Which Hay

Although more factors are involved (such as age, breed, and health condition), the horse’s activity alone already tells much about which hay you should feed them in case of a hay shortage. Because if you’re still new to being an equestrian, there are two categories of hay available: grasses and legumes.

Alfalfa hay, a type of legume, is a good source of fiber and protein, making it ideal for active horses, especially racehorses. However, because of how rich it is in nutrients such as calcium and phosphorus, it could skew a young horse’s nutritional balance and result in deficiencies. If that’s the case, you might consider choosing types of grass hay instead.

  • Prevent Waste

Since you’re already experiencing a hay shortage, you must learn to make every strand of hay count. Since horses don’t possess table manners while eating, they naturally leave hay all over their pen as they chew outside their feeder. Now that they’re all over the floor, they leave their scattered food open to get stomped on, even having the horse take a dump on them.

Encourage your horse to eat inside the feeder by investing in slow feeders. This way, the loss of hay can be reduced. Aside from teaching them new eating habits, always be mindful of where you’re storing hay. Since they’re plants, it’s much easier to transmit mold onto them, especially if you leave them in a moist environment. And as you may already know, mold targets the victim’s respiratory system, and horses are no exception.

  • Invest In A Hay Barn

With weather conditions getting unpredictable and prices hiking up, it’s safe to say that buying hay for your horse might be a lot more trouble. Therefore, purchasing hay in bulk while you still can is best. But leaving them exposed for too long leaves them open for mold to set in. Invest in a storage building where you can hold your hay bales. Ensure it’s dry and well-ventilated to avoid losing more of your supplies.

Takeaway

Like any animal companion, horses can be challenging and demanding to take care of; it is like caring for your child, after all. Ensuring they live a fulfilling life is in your hands. Even creatures as big as horses still have their own specific needs. Since you’re the only person they can count on, you must be prepared for any situation, especially if they’re hay shortages. Consider the above tips to help you feed your horses well, even when there is a hay shortage.

Soap introduced to Norfolk

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By Ian Bred, Norfolk Correspondent

The hygienic properties of soap are being introduced to Norfolk for the first time, it has been revealed.

An enterprising Suffolk company has found a stockist in Norwich willing to try out the new-fangled cleaning product.

The people of Norfolk, which is cut off from the rest of the UK, are still bathing in communal water pools in Norwich and other town centres.

Rural yokels are content to bathe in a puddle once a year, whether they need a wash or not.

Norfolk smell

But the smell wafting over the border into neighbouring Suffolk becomes unbearable when the wind comes from the North and especially when it’s hot.

Now soap manufacturer LatherBeInSuffolk Ltd has won an initial order of three bars of soap for the Norwich department store, Jarrold.

Soap queen Lorraine Fisher, 34, said: “We’ve been using soap in Suffolk for hundreds of years. But it’s never caught on in Norfolk.

“LatherBeInSuffolk had already expanded into Essex and London, but Norfolk always turned its nose up at soap.

“Now we have a foot in the door, we’ll see if the locals in Norwich like using it.”

Norwich retail expert Bubba Spuckler said: “It’ll never catch on.”

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July in technology history – important events throughout time

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As we head into the second half (and third quarter) of 2022, we’re taking a look at some noteworthy tech milestones which have occurred throughout time in the month of July.

It turns out plenty has happened in the month of July throughout the years. These may be events that changed the course of the world as we now know it or just some interesting tidbits that might arm you for a pub quiz somewhere down the line.

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The Sony Walkman – 1st July.

On 1st July 1979, the Sony Walkman model TPS-L2 was released. The device had a sleek aluminium case (although later models were made of plastic) and headphones which weighed 45 grams. The Walkman was the first listening device which was designed for use on the move, as the name suggests. Original models included two headphone jacks for multiple listener use and also an in-built microphone with music muting capabilities, so you could talk to someone whilst still wearing the headphones. However, the latter feature was later removed due to lack of popularity. What is for sure, is that the Walkman paved the way for changing listening habits.

Donkey Kong – 9th July.

Donkey Kong was released on July 9th of 1981 by Nintendo. The first in a long line of DK games and titles including the character(s) of the title. Of course, DK is associated with the Mario Brothers series, with Mario making his debut in this game. Developed by Shigeru Miyamoto from Japan, the story was centred around the character of Donkey Kong kidnapping a woman (later called Pauline). Players would have to navigate various perilous arcade-based challenges to rescue Pauline from DK’s grasp. Mario went on to star in over 200 games from this original title (up to this point) so you could say this was a bit of a game-changer.

Apollo 11 : The Moon Landing – 20th July.

The infamous, much-debated moon landing from the craft Apollo 11th was a July event. Back in 1969, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin et al landed the first moon-bound spaceflight. 6 hours later, Armstrong became the first to take first steps on the moon, Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later. The lift-off took place at Kennedy Space Centre, in Florida but throughout the years, many conspiracy theories have emerged and gained traction. Mainly, they centre around the notion that the landing itself was staged, and was in fact filmed in a television studio, citing factors such as a wind-blown US flag and ‘reflections’ in the background as proof. In reality, it’s pretty unlikely that it was staged and this is definitely a milestone July event worth recognising either way!

Americans would welcome return to British rule, new poll reveals

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The Queen of England
Americans want Her Majesty as head of state

As the United States celebrates Independence Day, a shock new poll reveals a growing number of Americans would like a return of British rule.

43% of those polled in the exclusive survey for this newspaper said they like the idea of the Queen as Head of State and Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.

The numbers are rising and approaching those required for President Biden to launch a national referendum.

British supporter Lorraine Fisher, 34, who lives on Long Island, said: “Quite frankly we’ve had enough of the political system here in the United States.

“We look enviously across the pond at what goes on in Britain.

“Tea, Wimbledon, harmony and no class divide or diversity problems. It’s quaint and we should never have given it all up back in 1776.”

The Suffolk Gazette poll of 27,000 Amercians across the nation is the biggest so far.

Whitehouse officials are refusing to comment on the findings.

The most successful small businesses to start in 2022

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The relevance and popularity of different business sectors change every year. The interest of the target audience in a certain type of services and goods directly affects the growth of profits of businesses engaged in sales and manufacturing. Annual statistics and forecasting of popular businesses are performed by leading analysts who carefully review a number of segments that are worthy of attention.

When considering small business analytics for 2022 with the aim to make an investment or launch a startup, it’s recommended to have a look at today’s online companies, which have shown rapid growth in profitability and customer reach over the last 7 years. Such online projects include reselling items, beauty products, toys, and everyday goods, or industries closely related to cryptocurrency, marketing, training, and the IT field.

How to find a popular startup idea

The success of almost any startup depends directly on a good idea. It makes no difference whether it was borrowed and taken from business analysts’ statistics or developed independently. In fact, there are millions of ideas, hundreds of directions, and dozens of ways to implement absolutely any project.

Search for relevant business ideas in 2022

A lot of ideas are offered to users online, which according to the forecasts and observations of experts should prove to be popular and profitable in the coming years. Naturally, one should also take into account the need to acquire a target audience, as well as the company’s growth trend compared to competing companies. Due to the pandemic, unstable currencies and restrictions, several startup areas that were offered in 2021 remained relevant.

FieldInvestments in the first yearFeatures and description
Automatic plagiarism detection systemMore than $5.000.000MarqVision’s robot detects and automatically reports copyright violations. Thanks to the software, the work of administrators of websites, marketplaces, and trading platforms are considerably simplified.
Authentic food deliveryThe project investment  amounted to more than $70,000,000 in its first year of operationDevelopment of applications for compatriots in different countries. The brightest example is HungryPanda. The application was invented for the Chinese but it gained unimaginable popularity among the citizens of 9 countries. The goal was to make it possible for people abroad to order their favorite food using a familiar interface and native language.
Fitness and HealthAbout $3,500,000 in outsourced investments from users of health maintenance programsAn online project designed for people who want to take care of their mental and physical health despite the limitations of pandemics. A survey conducted by McKinsey and Freeletics showed that more than 79% of respondents called it necessary for every person
The system of choosing a counselor$3,000,000 investment from usersFinding a psychotherapist, arranging for an online appointment. The Frame is software that became very relevant during the pandemic, even though it was being developed long before the restrictions associated with Covid-19.
Lending and online installment plans$825,000 in investmentsMaintaining a familiar lifestyle and celebrating personal festivities despite limited budgets is a standard problem that a startup called Maroo can solve
Storage and protection of crypto-investments of traders and miners$11,000,000 seed investment in the first quarter of operationRedefire is a new company that has attracted traders and investors from different countries. Its popularity is ensured by the relevance of Blockchain and the variety of currencies in which companies invest.

It was and still is natural for such startups not only to have ideas that are interesting and popular with the audience but also to have initial investments that are not limited to a couple of thousand dollars. A logical question would be “where to get funding for a startup business?”. The answer to this question can be found on the dedicated website in the article Where to Get Funding for a Startup Business.

Investing in a new business

It is unrealistic to start a successful business without financial investment and investment of one’s own time. Naturally, the initial promotion, the purchase of goods, and the hiring of employees or advertising are associated with good investments from the future business owner. The question of where to get the necessary amount, taking into account the initial investment and the investment in the first 3 to 6 months of the startup operation, is still crucial.

Is it recommended to take a business start-up loan in 2022?

Perhaps, it is one of the most unfortunate thoughts for a new entrepreneur to think about financing a startup with bank loans. At a time of economic instability, pandemics, and a global shortage of money among the country’s population, you cannot count on a quick payback of any investment in a startup.

Banks, feeling the instability of economic development, may refuse to finance even a person with an excellent credit rating. There can be many reasons for refusal, for instance,

  1. Uncertainty of the loan officer in the profitability of your business.
  2. Unstable situation in the labor market.
  3. Decline in purchasing power.
  4. Lack of guarantees for loan repayment.

These and many other reasons can be decisive in providing a loan. In fact, lending may not be profitable for both the bank and the entrepreneur. A higher interest rate or a reduction in the amount that they are willing to lend you against the security of property and with the condition of compulsory insurance will not be the best deal and is an extremely wrong first decision for any business owner.

Asset transfer

One of the solutions in getting an initial investment can be the sale of assets. Any property, be it a business, real estate, or a car, can be sold, and then the money is invested in a new startup. In terms of the financial component, this method has only one advantage – the problem of finding the necessary budget will be solved. There are a lot more disadvantages to such an idea, such as

  • loss of income;
  • change of habitual life;
  • transformation of an asset into a liability;
  • lack of a financial safety pillow;
  • decrease in credit credibility in the eyes of the bank or future investors.

Selling assets would entail finding transportation, renting a place to live, or finding a source of additional income, which is not compatible with the idea of developing a startup. If we consider business as a risk, it is much more reasonable to look for an investment in an activity that is similar in terms of risks and high profit. We are referring to the casino. Given the modern possibilities of online casinos, and the chance to get not only income but also to quench the thirst for excitement, the future business owner can take advantage of free gambling establishments that offer free spins slots. They will help you to assess your chances of winning for free and get the necessary investment for a startup, without resorting to the services of banks.