Beyond Meat’s revenue fell nearly 9% in the third quarter as higher sales of its plant-based meat in Europe failed to make up for plummeting demand in the U.S. Beyond Meat on Wednesday reported revenue of $75.3 million for the July-September period

By Peter Frontini SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil's central bank kicked off its rate-cutting cycle more aggressively than expected on Wednesday,

Earlier this year, Apple launched Apple Music Classical as a standalone music app that comes included in the price of Apple Music. It was an unusual move for a streaming platform perhaps more associated with Drake and Taylor Swift. And building it was a major undertaking, given the vast complexity of classical music libraries and the difficulties in navigating them. Apple Music Classical continues to grow. In its latest move, Apple announced a new partnership between Apple and the London Philharmonic Orchestra with the release of a live recording of Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust coming on 3 November. This is just one of the partners Apple Music Classical has. From day one, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra was a partner. The content from that orchestra is extensive, with recordings dating back to 1929. Some of it is unique to Apple and this exclusive content alone has already been streamed millions of times. Recently, senior staffers at the app talked exclusively to The Independent. Apple Music Classical came about because Apple realised that classical artists and fans were really not being served well by streaming. As part of its mission to use its engineering knowhow to fix this, it bought Primephonic, widely recognised as the classical streaming platform that succeeded where others had failed. It took more than a year of work before Apple was happy with what it had created and its release to a highly positive response. Now, classical music lovers don’t have to clamber past Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift to get to Bach and Rachmaninoff. Classical music provides challenges other kinds of music don’t, or at least not to the same extent. Instead of playing an album, artist or track, classical lovers have favourite composers, orchestras, soloists and so on. The search parameters are mind-boggling. Apple is well-equipped, with more classical music than anywhere else on the planet, and Primephonic’s brilliant data metrics were a starting point from which Apple’s engineers and expertise transformed the experience. Want to listen to Vivaldi’s Spring from the Four Seasons? Apple has 1,243 versions for you to choose from. If that sounds overwhelming, Apple has a solution: careful navigation with sophisticated search. Just as Apple Fitness+ has a mantra that everybody is welcome, no matter their fitness level or knowledge, Apple Music Classical is designed for seasoned devotees and newcomers alike. “If you didn’t know much about the world of classical, Apple Music Classical offers a structure so you can get into it. It’s centuries of music, right, so where do you start? It gives you an opportunity to get some perspective on it, explains Mariana Pimenta, who works in operations at Apple Music Classical, saying: “We don’t expect everybody who downloads it to be a professional musician, and we want everyone to experience classical music. Our goal is to bring as many people as possible to this service.” Marina Boiko is an editor. She goes on, “The story of classical is a great place to start and we’ve made sure there’s enough beginner-friendly content, such as playlists of periods or genres.” Not all traditional classical listeners will be especially tech-savvy, but that may not be a problem, as Guy Jones, global head of classical editorial, explains. “Lots of classical fans are new not just to technology but to streaming. The whole point of this product is to bring classical to streaming. It’s the musical genre that wasn’t really being streamed because the experience was previously so bad. The technical side of things may be less of a problem, especially as Apple’s guidelines around human interface design are baked into our product, but the challenge is more in explaining that streaming opens up opportunity and accessibility. “When I was first getting into classical music, I had to buy CDs. I had to choose carefully what CD I wanted to buy each month. The ability now to just pick a random composer and ask, ‘Do I like this composer?’ That ability to let you dip your toe in the water, I think that’s the real power of something like Apple Music Classical, and not just for beginners, for the experts too.” The absence of the Primephonic app while Apple Music Classical was being developed was down to getting it right, Carlos Anez Gomez, from the metadata team, says. “It took us time, but it paid off because we needed to take care with every single point and I think we managed to do it, both in human terms and the algorithms: we made a great balance between computer work and human work. Where Primephonic had a relatively small catalogue, Apple Music Classical has a huge number of albums, for example.” Boiko adds, “No one knows everything that has ever been recorded in the history of classical music. And in that sense, we put a lot of emphasis on the discovery element, especially when it comes to the underrepresented composers.” Each work has its own place, called the work page in Apple Music Classical, where you can find all the recordings, so it’s easy to compare different versions. Primephonic’s unique data continues to be essential. “The structured metadata, that’s the uniqueness of it,” Boiko says. “It makes it easy to find things even if you don’t know what you want. That structure, it’s what classical music apps needed and didn’t have. There are many ways not to get lost because you can search by ensemble, by orchestra or even by instrument.” The work page is important, then. As Gomez says, “People discovering music can check this work page and say, ‘Aha, there is a new piece by a certain composer and I have a work page which will give me all the information that I need.’ I discover music every day going through this.” Another key element is the playlist. Boiko goes on, “Playlists are structured in different ways. So, genre playlists are the best way for you to start listening to classical music. The story of classical is a narrated cycle, that guides you through all the centuries of music. “Then there are more specific playlists. You can listen to duets and trios and quartets or quintets and then it gives you an overview of all this chamber music and maybe something that you wouldn’t necessarily find on other platforms.” Jones explains the importance of the human touch. “I don’t think it’s widely known that at Apple it’s human curators behind the playlists. The assumption is that it’s all algorithms now. But for classical that’s a particularly important point, because it’s such a huge genre. People talk about classical like it’s one block and it’s really a thousand years of music from pretty much every country in the world. Our job is breaking classical into smaller chunks, to give people the agency to discover what they like, and to go down their own rabbit holes and feel more confident exploring.” How does Apple Music Classical find a way to appeal to everyone? Jones explains, “It’s a really hard thing to do, to cover that broad spectrum. It’s a constant tightrope walk because you have very knowledgeable people with clear ideas about what they think the genre is as well as trying to please newcomers. We strike that balance in terms of our editorial strategy by being as authentic and genuine as possible and conveying our passion for classical. For those hardcore classical nerds a big part of the product is the browse and the search as much as it is the editorial, I think for the newcomers, they use the editorial a lot more if they don’t know what to search for.” As it grows, there’s a lot more for Apple to do, and the team are working on changes and improvements. Here’s a last word from each of them about why the app matters. Gomez says, “People will discover that along with any classical library that they can have their access quickly to any recording they have.” As Boiko says, “It’s a lot of music. I think there’s not one person that wouldn’t find something they would love here.” Boiko has a different take on the importance of Apple Music Classical: “Maybe the listeners will have emotional responses to it. And at the end of the day music is there to make our lives better. It definitely enriches our lives.” Finally, Jones comments, “The thing about human curation is we are ultimately making a human decision. And so, for instance, if you choose a recommended recording for Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, you’re instantly upsetting everyone who has a strong opinion about their favourite. That’s what comes with the human aspect: this is our opinion, our recommendation, but you have the other recordings there to explore if you want them.” Read More Apple is about to add a host of new features to the iPhone The Apple Watch feature everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived Apple’s plans for the future of AirPods might just have been revealed Apple TV+ and other subscriptions are about to get a lot more expensive What to expect Apple’s surprise, spooky upcoming launch Apple announces surprise event: ‘Scary fast’

After returning to New York from Oslo in late May, Harley Hendrix noticed her suitcase containing a cherished

The United States has collected specific intelligence that casts doubt on the idea that Iran was directly involved in the planning, resourcing or approving of Saturday's bloody attack on Israel by Hamas, according to several sources familiar with the intelligence.

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 26, 2023--

Warning: This article does contain spoilers for The Flash (2023). If you are in any way interested in superheroes or movies in general you'll no doubt be aware that a new comic book film is being released this week concentrating on the DC character The Flash. It's the first time the scarlet speedster has ever been given a solo movie and despite the controversy surrounding the film's lead star, Ezra Miller, Warner Bros have invested a lot into making this a thrilling experience for fans. The premise of the film is a loose adaptation of the 2011 comic Flashpoint, where The Flash travels back in time to prevent the untimely death of his mother but inadvertently changes the future, as is often the case with time travel movies. As a result, Michael Keaton will be reprising his iconic performance as Batman, a character he hasn't played since 1992 with the likes of Michael Shannon also returning as General Zod and Sasha Calle also delivering a new take on Supergirl. However, people who have already seen the film have noted that several other iconic iterations of these famous characters also make appearances despite some of the actors having already passed away. Many of these are included in the film's climax and feature CGI incarnations of beloved actors like Christopher Reeve as Superman and Adam West as Batman. Other cameos include George Reeves as the Superman from the 1950s, Helen Slater from the 1984 Supergirl movie, Nicolas Cage playing Superman from the unreleased 1990s film and George Clooney reprising Batman from the much maligned 1997 Batman and Robin movie. While The Flash isn't the first movie to use this type of technology (numerous Star Wars titles have already recreated the likes of Carrie Fisher and a younger Mark Hamill for new stories) the use of Reeve's Superman has struck a particularly sour note due to both the messaging and the apparent ugly aesthetic. While Warner Bros is likey to have gotten permission from Reeve's estate to include his likeliness in the film many fans feel that it sets the wrong precedent given that the actor was left paralysed in 1995 before passing away in 2004. Fans of the Superman TV show Smallville have pointed to Reeve's cameo in the show in a 2003 episode which didn't hide his paralysis but respectfully recognised his contribution to the character's legacy and also allowed him to promote his paralysis charity. Ultimately, Warner Bros' owns the rights to Superman and essentially can do whatever they want to with the character but with the growing popularity of multiverses and an over reliance on nostalgia this type of thing will only become more and more common. One thing that we can hope for is that if the technology continues to be used then the tributes will be more tasteful and considered than this time around. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Follow The Independent's live coverage of all the action in the FA Women’s Super League today. The WSL is the top tier of English women’s football with international players from all over the world plying their trade in one of the most competitive and entertaining leagues around. Chelsea have won three of the past four titles and Emma Hayes’ side will be right in the hunt again, with the likes of Arsenal - champions in 2018-19 – and Manchester City, who have been runners-up for each of the past four seasons, among their competitors. With the top three sides qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Champions League, all 12 WSL teams have plenty to play for, although some clubs’ main ambition will simply be to avoid the drop. The side who finish bottom will be relegated to the FA Women’s Championship – a fate that befell Bristol City in 2020-21 – and newly-promoted Leicester City, competing in the top flight of the women’s game for the first time, will be eager to avoid an immediate return. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

'The Tonight Show' host Jimmy Fallon poked fun at Mike Pence's recent campaign event in Iowa

Israel’s foreign reserves fell by more than $7 billion in October as the central bank sought to defend

Gregg Popovich was angry at Spurs fans for booing Kawhi Leonard.

Sheikh Jassim has withdrawn from the process to buy Manchester United, the PA news agency understands. Fans have protested against the Glazer family since their controversial leveraged takeover in 2005 and last November’s announcement of a strategic review brought hope of change. The possibility of a full sale was mentioned and Sheikh Jassim became the first bidder to publicly confirm he had made an offer for the Old Trafford giants. Sir Jim Ratcliffe swiftly followed but the interminable potential takeover process has rumbled on as the demanding Glazer family dragged their heels. It is now understood that, following further discussions, a frustrated Sheikh Jassim has withdrawn from the process to buy the Premier League club. The Qatari banker informed the United owners of his decision in the last few days. Sheikh Jassim’s team announced in February that he had submitted a bid to buy 100 per cent of the club, promising a completely debt-free takeover via his Nine Two Foundation. The bid is understood to have eventually reached around double the current 3.2billion dollars (£2.6bn) market valuation of the Premier League club. An additional 1.7bn dollars (£1.4bn) is believed to have been pledged for infrastructure projects. Earlier this month it was reported that rival bidder Ratcliffe was considering changing his offer and buying a minority stake in United. It was reported he may seek a stake in the region of 25 per cent as part of a proposal to try to bring the drawn-out sale process to an end, having initially wanted to complete a majority takeover. If the Glazers accepted this new reported offer, it would see the American family still retain majority control of the club. United sit 10th in the Premier League after a difficult start to the season for Erik ten Hag’s team. Read More Emiliano Boffelli stars as Argentina send Wales home from World Cup Joe Root dismisses ODI retirement talk with next Cricket World Cup in his plans Michael O’Neill hails Paul Smyth impact on first Northern Ireland start