text:
In early 2016, Candace Payne in the USA bought a Chewbacca mask from her local Kohl’s department store. Nothing unusual in that you may say, except she went one further. She filmed herself trying it on. It has now become one of the most watched videos on Facebook Live attracting over 30 million viewers and one million shares.
To answer that, we have to look at the impact live streaming is currently having on our lives (both personal and business)
In October 2016, we broadcast Sheffex – Sheffield’s annual business exhibition – to the world via Facebook Live. If you’ve not seen it yet, the recording is still on the Sheffex Facebook page. It certainly got people talking and more importantly sharing.
So why did we go down the live-streaming route rather than producing a traditional video?
Immediacy. An event such as Sheffex, buzzing with activity and energy, lends itself perfectly to live streaming. As we’ve seen with ‘reality TV’ we are drawn in by the rawness of ‘real stuff’ especially when we are taken ‘behind the scenes’
So could live streaming work for you and what are your options?
Since October 2016, disregarding YouTube for the time being, there have been just two front runners, each vying for populist supremacy. Facebook Live and Twitter owned, Periscope. A month before and you had a choice of three. Meerkat – a live streaming app. – launched in February 2015, a month before Periscope, despite having $12m of VC funding, never found a foothold and pulled the plug to avoid further losses.
So why did it fail and will FB Live and Periscope go the same way?
According to Meerkat’s CEO, Ben Rubin (who is no stranger to live streaming) ‘we had the viewers but not the consistency’ So is this what will drive the future of live streaming? Mark Zuckerberg seems to think so. He’s found that viewers watch live streams x3 times longer and comment x10 times more than regular video.
They also share it with their contacts.
So if the future of live streaming is creating consistently good content delivered to the most relevant audience, we need to ask our self, how do we do it and what do we produce?
There is no doubt, that the integration of new technology such as HD quality smart phone cameras coupled with the explosion of social media activity and the ease by which just about anyone can produce live video has created something of a broadcasting phenomenon.
And the timing could not be better, which is why both Facebook and Twitter are spending millions on the ‘next big thing’ Chris Sacca, an early Twitter investor, recently said, ‘all of a sudden, the world’s pockets are full of good cameras and good screens with good data plans and good social platforms to let everyone know you’re broadcasting’
This doesn’t mean it’s a sure fire thing. Ustream and Livestream have been around for years without pulling up any trees and others such as ‘Viddy’ and ‘justin tv’ have come and gone as fickle consumer interest soon waned.
However, this does not seem to have put off either Twitter or Facebook. Twitter paid around $100m to acquire Periscope months before it was even launched and Facebook expects to dramatically increase their current $1 billion per quarter advertising revenue thanks to increased traffic to their pages.
So is now the right time for us to consider live streaming?
There is a need to understand that live streaming is distinctly different to traditional recorded video. For longevity and gravitas, a professionally produced video cannot be beaten, however, for ‘breaking news’, ‘behind the scenes, product demo’s, launch events, broadcasting from exhibitions, presentations and conferences etc. live streaming offers many unique benefits.
A local event, for example, can suddenly ‘go global’ reaching untapped visitors and increasing physical footfall with a virtual audience. Exhibitors at a trade show can demo their products or services to a worldwide audience or to a specifically targeted group. Also, live streaming gives the viewer an opportunity to ask questions – all in real time.
It really is that easy.
Over 90% of marketing managers are already using video and it’s said that by next year over 70% of all internet traffic will be video. So how do you choose which platform to use, making sure we don’t overlook the one that’s synonymous with video, You Tube?
Here’s what we’ve discovered so far. The three current key players of Periscope, Facebook and You Tube each offer a different benefit.
You Tube, although slow to join the current livestreaming party, has recently added an ability to broadcast live from its mobile app. This easy to use tool enables those that have a You Tube channel to live-broadcast with minimal set up.
Facebook, on the other hand, differs by focussing on users who already have a fanbase of established followers. Contacts receive a notification whenever the person they are following is broadcasting. Businesses then use these notifications to attract viewers to tune in to content that can be viewed on both static and mobile devices.
If Facebook is about selection, then Twitter’s Periscope is about swamping. Despite having less than 10m users compared to FB’s 1.65b, Periscope is currently creating over 100 years’ worth of video every day.
So what’s its appeal and should we include it in our marketing strategy?
If you use social media and Twitter in particular it’s almost a no brainer. Social media is all about sharing stuff with those that you know. Periscope, takes this to another level. As with FB, it does this by ‘humanising’ your brand with your loyal followers by building on the trust you have already generated.
You can share your broadcast with everyone or just a selected few and even create exclusive content just for your Periscope viewers, to create a high degree of engagement. It is also possible to save your live streaming to your ‘camera roll’ and upload it to other social media platforms.
Social media is all about instant gratification and live streaming is no different. A concept that is much more difficult to exploit with other tools. Create a ‘how to’ ‘we’ve something new to show you’ or ‘here’s something interesting’ and generate excitement with your followers – all in real time. And remember, viewers can ask questions, tweet comments and find out more about you and your business all from their desk or even while on the move.
So to summarise:
Periscope, FB Live and You Tube are each battling it out for supremacy. However, they each come with different benefits. The task is to work out which platform is best suited to your needs or even consider integrating all of them into your marketing strategy.
Finally, there is no doubt, that livestreaming can help you dramatically grow your brand. Now could be the time to harness the power of your very own pocket TV station.
Or alternatively, give us a call and let us do it.


text:
Comcast is about to launch Xfinity Streampix, a new video-on-demand service for Comcast subscribers. Will this really keep people from quitting cable to sign up for Netflix?
Oh great, yet another video streaming service. Streampix will allow Comcast customers to access what appears to be a huge pool of content on their TVs, tablets, and laptops no matter where they are. According to the announcement:
This new service complements the 75,000 TV shows and movies currently available on Xfinity On Demand, XfinityTV.com and through the Xfinity TV app. To launch Streampix, Comcast has entered into licensing agreements with leading movie studios and programming providers including Disney-ABC Television Group*, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Cookie Jar and built a line-up of top-rated content, which is available starting this week.
So basically, it's Netflix for Comcast subscribers. If there's one perk, it's that it will be cheaper than Netflix (as long as you ignore the price of a cable subscription). Streampix will be free to Comcast customers who subscribe to the "triple-play package" and will cost $4.95 for people with other variations of Comcast service.
Maybe Comcast will be able to leverage the NBCUniversal content it owns to create a service that people want to spring for. In the past, the company has demonstrated a willingness to keep its most popular content to itself. The question remains: Will a streaming service with exclusive content keep you from quitting cable? [Comcast]

domain: news


text:
- The consumer confidence index fell 5.9 pts to 109.3 in September
- Merchandise trade deficit increases 0.9% to $ 87.6 billion in August
- Wholesale inventories jump 1.2%; retail stocks gain 0.1%
- House prices post record gains in July compared to the previous year
WASHINGTON, Sept.28 (Reuters) – U.S. consumer confidence fell to its lowest level in seven months in September, as a relentless rise in COVID-19 cases heightened concerns about the near-term outlook for the economy, consistent with expectations of slower growth in the third quarter.
Tuesday’s Conference Board survey showed consumers were less interested in buying homes and expensive items such as motor vehicles and major appliances over the next six months. Consumers were also not as optimistic about their view of the job market as they had been in the previous month.
Economic activity has cooled in recent months as the momentum for pandemic relief money waned and infections erupted, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus. Shortages of labor and raw materials have also eroded growth.
“But given that this wave seems to be at its height, there is hope that confidence has just bottomed out,” said Robert Frick, business economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna. , Virginia. “Assuming predictions of a Delta fall hold true, this setback could be a three-month low during the recovery.”
The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index fell to 109.3 this month from 115.2 in August. The third consecutive monthly decline pushed the index to its lowest level since February.
The measure, which places more emphasis on the labor market, fell 19.6 points from a peak of 128.9 in June. This contrasts with the University of Michigan consumer survey, which showed sentiment leveled off at the start of the month.
Economists polled by Reuters expected the consumer confidence index to rise to 114.5.
“These back-to-back declines suggest that consumers have become more cautious and are likely to cut spending in the future,” said Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators at the Conference Board in Washington.
Washington politicians bickering over expanding the federal government’s borrowing capacity are also casting a cloud. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers on Tuesday that the government could run out of cash by October 18 unless the U.S. Congress raises the debt ceiling.
Yellen warned that a default would be a “catastrophic” event that would trigger a “financial crisis and calamity.” Read more
The Conference Board’s so-called labor market differential, derived from data on respondents’ views on whether jobs are abundant or hard to come by, fell to 42.5 this month from 44.4 in August, the highest since July 2000.
This measure is closely correlated with the unemployment rate in the Ministry of Labor’s closely watched employment report. The September jobs report is due for release on October 8, but could be delayed if Congress cannot reach an agreement by Friday to maintain government funding. Read more
Wall Street stocks were trading lower. The dollar appreciated against a basket of currencies. US Treasury prices have fallen.
HOUSEHOLD PRICES INCREASE
Consumer inflation expectations over the next 12 months slipped to 6.5% from 6.7% last month.
Purchase intentions for motor vehicles fell to their lowest level in nine months. Fewer consumers planned to buy home appliances like washing machines and dryers over the next six months, supporting expectations of a sharp slowdown in consumer spending this quarter, which will ultimately dampen economic growth . Estimates of gross domestic product growth for the third quarter are mostly below an annualized rate of 5%. The economy grew at a pace of 6.6% in the second quarter.
Expectations of slower GDP growth were bolstered by a separate Commerce Department report on Tuesday showing the merchandise trade deficit increased 0.9% to $ 87.6 billion in August, businesses having imported more products to replenish their stocks. Trade subtracted GDP growth for four consecutive quarters.
Imports of goods rose 0.8% to $ 236.6 billion, led by consumer goods and industrial supplies. But imports of food, capital goods and motor vehicles fell. Imports of motor vehicles have likely been weighed down by a global semiconductor shortage, which is impacting production.
Higher imports offset a 0.7% increase in goods exports to $ 149.0 billion, supported by industrial supplies and consumer goods. But the nation has reported a drop in exports of capital goods, motor vehicles and food products. Exports are increasing as global economies continue to recover from the pandemic.
Some of the increase in imports ended up in the warehouses of wholesalers and retailers. Wholesale inventories accelerated 1.2% last month. Inventories at retail edged up 0.1%. Inventories at retail were held back by a 1.5% drop in inventories of motor vehicles.
Non-auto retail inventories, which are included in the calculation of GDP, rose 0.6% after advancing 0.5% the previous month. Business inventories were reduced in the first half of the year. Last month’s increase is expected to soften the blow to GDP growth from the widening merchandise trade deficit.
“The real change in inventories could be slightly positive in the third quarter, as a decline in retail auto inventories is offset by inventory gains in other parts of the economy,” said Daniel Silver, economist at JPMorgan at New York.
The news on the housing market was disheartening, with the Conference Board survey showing that consumers are less inclined to buy a home for a third month in a row due to rising house prices due to tight supply.
A third report released on Tuesday showed that the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index hit a record 19.7% in July from a year ago, after accelerating 18.7% in June.
The sustained inflation in house prices was corroborated by a fourth report from the Federal Housing Finance Agency showing that house prices hit a record 19.2% in the 12 months through July after having jumped 18.9% in June.
“We expect some moderation in home price inflation in the second half of this year, but we are still looking for the annual price
double-digit growth, âsaid Nancy Vanden Houten, chief US economist at Oxford Economics in New York.
Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Chizu Nomiyama
Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


text:
IMAGE EXPO 2013 ANNOUNCED
IMAGE COMICS ANNOUNCES IMAGE EXPO 2013
Image Expo kicked off last year in San Francisco, and as you an imagine, it away a great success. Well we received the following press release, and we are pretty excited about it:
Exclusive media event on July 2 in San Francisco.
At the Diamond Comics Retailer summit in Chicago today, Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson announced Image Expo 2013, a unique media event that will take place in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on July 2, 2013.
Image Expo 2013 will be an all-day event featuring announcements from Image Comics, the publisher of the best-selling comic book titles THE WALKING DEAD, SAGA, FATALE, EAST OF WEST and JUPITER’S LEGACY, as well as appearances by superstar creators, including Image partner and THE WALKING DEAD creator Robert Kirkman and Ed Brubaker, co-creator of the Eisner-nominated FATALE, revealing panels, and autograph sessions. Tickets for this exciting event will available to the general public for purchase on May 3, 2013.
Image Expo 2013 follows the publisher’s successful 2012 Image Expo convention, which was held in Oakland, California. Image Expo 2013 will be be the most intimate comics event of its kind, offering unprecedented access to creators, exclusive swag, and the first chance to hear what the publisher that has been taking the comics industry by storm has planned for the future.
Image Comics fans can keep on top of all the latest Image Expo 2013 developments at www.imagecomics.com/expo for ticket information and guest announcements.
All ComicBookTherapy contributors must agree and abide by our Site User Agreement. ComicBookTherapy.com is protected from liability under “OCILLA” (Online Copyright Infringement Liablity Limitation Act) and will actively enforce said provisions. If you represent an individual or company and feel as though this article has infringed on any of our terms or any existing copyrights, please contact us for a speedy removal.


text:
This is what people have been buying in Canada for their quarantine grocery list
What's on your quarantine grocery list? According to food and consumer goods manufacturers, certain types of items have experienced a surge in demand across the country over the past few weeks as Canadians have stocked up to practice self-isolation and social distancing.
And what's on most people's grocery list as they quarantine? Toilet paper, of course.
According to Food & Consumer Products of Canada, paper products are among the most desirable quarantine products on the market. Other "in-demand" items include:
The FCPC — which includes notable brands like Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Heinz and Unilever — also says that 70 per cent of its members are now focusing on manufacturing their most "in-demand" products.
We’ve got manufacturing covered, and we continue to work with partners across the business community. Thank you @CdnChamberofCom for your help in supporting the 300,000 workers Canada depends on. We’re in this together for all Canadians from #FarmFactoryStoreToDoor. https://t.co/0CViGzT6ea— FCPC (@FCPC1) March 27, 2020
"It appears likely the COVID-19 pandemic will entail a prolonged period of uncertainty for Canadian businesses and consumers," CEO Michael Graydon said.
"Quantifying the profound impacts of COVID-19 on our production, supplies, and workplaces is critical to making smart preparations for continuing the smoothest possible operations to make the food, cleaning, household and health products Canadians need."
The majority of FCPC members also reported that orders were at an all-time high for the last two weeks of March.
One-third of members experienced at least a 200 per cent increase in orders, with some reporting a staggering 500 per cent increase in demand. Fortunately, 80 per cent of FCPC members also say they feel confident that the increased pressure is manageable.
Canadian grocery delivery services are also reporting historic demand, with major companies like Instacart and Inabuggy reporting thousands of orders each day.
Join the conversation Load comments


text:
Well, here’s something straight out of science fiction for ya: If a pair of recent rumors is to be believed, Google may be planning to include a futuristic radar chip in its next Pixel phone — possibly to allow for a wild new kind of touch-free gesture controls.
Stop and let that sink in for a second. Crazy stuff, right?
Now, let’s be clear: The chip itself is absolutely real — no question about it. Google’s been talking about the thing since 2015, in fact, as part of its Motorola-born Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group. That’s the same group that came up with Google’s now-defunct modular smartphone system, Project Ara, as well as the also-abandoned Project Tango program that aimed to create a new kind of augmented reality platform.


text:
Ford will offer a new online course called Ford Explorer Learning com to help people learn about the Ford Explorer and Ford cars through Ford Learning.
The course, which was created in collaboration with Ford Learning, will launch in 2018.
It will be available for free on Ford Learning’s website, and Ford Learning will be offering the Ford explorer in the near future.
The Ford Explorer was introduced in the 2020 Ford Explorer pickup, and the Ford Expedition is the next-generation Explorer model.
“Ford Explorers are the world’s best-selling cars,” said Ford Learning CEO and CEO Greg Neeley.
“Our Explorer learning program is an excellent way to get your hands on Ford Explorers for the first time.
It’s also a great way to learn about Ford cars and Ford culture.
Explorers come with a world-class technology, plus the Ford Experience, which is a personalized way to meet and learn with other Ford fans around the world.”
Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer pickups have been available for about five years, but Ford Learning says they’re available in a few different models now.
The Ford Explorer is available in two versions, the Expedition and the Expedition Plus.
The Expedition Plus comes with a 10.5-inch touchscreen, an eight-speaker audio system, and a leather interior.
The Explorer Plus starts at $59,990.


text:
FedEx today launched a new ad, titled ‘Little Mistake, Big Demand,' designed to spotlight how small businesses can benefit from making FedEx their transportation and shipping partner.
Directed by Noam Murro, known for his work on blockbusters including 300: Rise of an Empire and Smart People, the ad stars Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry. Henry, trying to tweet at Titan fans, instead accidentally tags @TitanPans, a small kitchen supply store. As a result, Maya Titan’s pan business starts trending – leading to a surge in orders that is so substantial that it breaks the internet. Luckily, even with satellites exploding, Maya can rest easy knowing that FedEx is helping her stay abreast of countless online orders.


text:
Carmakers are shifting senior roles out of the UK in the aftermath of Brexit, according to headhunter DHR International.
The recruiter says R&D and procurement positions are being relocated to Eastern Europe as auto businesses seek to create low-cost hubs for innovation, with senior supply chain positions also being reviewed.
Jobs are switching to Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria in particular, it added.
The news comes after Japan's ministry of foreign affairs delivered a memo to the UK government raising concerns over the impact of Brexit for carmakers, including the potential for manufacturers to pay tariffs in both the EU and the UK.
Read More: Uber's going electric in London
Renault, Daimler, Audi and Jaguar are among the firms to have either announced new bases in Eastern Europe, or have already established sites.
DHR managing partner Frank Smeekes said: “For some industry players, the UK now makes less sense as a long-term base for their high level European operations, if they can make the knowledge/cost ratio stack up elsewhere.”
“While this is not going to be an overnight transformation, this trend looks set to grow among both manufacturers and suppliers over the next two years or so as they seek to maximise intellectual capital and consolidate their operations into fewer key locations, while containing their costs.”
And while salaries remain roughly 40 per cent lower, senior executive based in the UK could be tempted by relocating to markets ike Bulgaria, were rents are 86 per cent lower than London.
Smeekes said: “Automotive companies will have to invest time and resources into sourcing, attracting and retaining suitable candidates. If existing staff are unwilling to relocate away from the UK, competition for local or more mobile talent could heat up.”


text:
Maltese online casino software innovator EveryMatrix Software Limited has announced that the portfolio of virtual sports games offered via its CasinoEngine iGaming platform has recently been expanded.
Headquartered in the northern Valletta suburb of St Julian’s, the developer used an official Thursday press release to declare that this enlargement should help online casino operators to increase their entertainment options and ‘keep players connected’ as an increasing number of more traditional live sporting events are cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
EveryMatrix Software Limited stated that its CasinoEngine advance now features virtual sports games from ‘top providers’ such as Golden Race, Leap Gaming, GlobalBet, Kiron Interactive and NSoft as well as the Betradar subsidiary of Sportradar AG. The firm also proclaimed that this platform will be integrating content from even more suppliers ‘in the coming week’ so as to further ‘support operators’ by allowing them to ‘build new revenue streams’ during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Ebbe Groes, Chief Executive Officer for EveryMatrix Software Limited, used the press release to detail that iGaming firms can quickly integrate his firm’s modular CasinoEngine platform in order to provide their aficionados with access to over 8,000 games from some 140 third-party providers. He furthermore pronounced that the innovation allows operators ‘to fill in the content gaps and maximize sportsbook or online casino potential’ and can be serviced through the GamMatrix gaming and player management solution.
Read a statement from Groes…
“I am happy that our teams are fully operational, doubling efforts to make available extra entertainment options. Content will be essential in the upcoming months and we are proud to be able to offer instant access to a massive library of virtual sports with only one integration thanks to the CasinoEngine platform. Despite the gloomy present, I am positive that everyone will quickly adjust to this new reality and make the best out of this situation.”


text:
Actor James Cromwell will not rest until Starbucks drops its vegan milk surcharge in the United States.
The 83-year-old actor is best known for his role as Arthur Hoggett in Babe and, most recently, as Ewan Roy on HBO’s Succession. This month, Succession wrapped its fourth and final season, with a noteworthy performance by Cromwell.
While all eyes are on him, Cromwell also took this opportunity to draw attention to an issue he cares deeply about: the vegan milk surcharge at Starbucks. While many coffee chains offer plant-based milk substitutions free of charge, Starbucks continues to charge up to 80¢ per substitution in milk-based beverages such as lattes and cappuccinos.
As part of an ongoing campaign with animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Cromwell bombarded the Atlantic City Boardwalk in New Jersey with a message to Starbucks: “Stop milking customers who choose vegan milks.” Cromwell’s face and message to drop the vegan milk surcharge was visible on 100 screens along the boardwalk, which runs near two Starbucks locations.
“My friends at PETA and I are calling on Starbucks to stop punishing kind and environmentally conscious customers for choosing plant milks,” Cromwell said in a statement.
Cromwell’s vegan activism at Starbucks
Vegetarian since 1975, Cromwell initially decided to go vegan 28 years ago after connecting with a piglet on the set of Babe. And Cromwell has been protesting Starbucks’ vegan milk surcharge policy for some time.
Last May, Cromwell joined PETA and other activists at a Manhattan Starbucks location where he superglued his hand to the counter in protest of the vegan milk surcharge. “All over the world, in Great Britain, in France, they give these things away, no charge for it,” Cromwell said in a video shared by PETA.
“Here, there’s an exorbitant charge,” Cromwell said. “Why? Why, when it’s so important now to address climate change? There’s no reason for it except greed.”
While Cromwell was not arrested, the police arrived to disband the protest as the disruption went against Starbucks’ store policy. “We respect our customers’ rights to respectfully voice their opinions so long as it does not disrupt our store operations,” a Starbucks spokesperson told VegNews at the time.
Starbucks’ vegan milk surcharge
Starbucks aims to become a resource-positive company by 2030, which it cannot achieve unless it grapples with dairy, the main driver of its carbon footprint globally.
In addition to Cromwell, many others—including Alicia Silverstone and Paul McCartney—have rightfully argued that in order to encourage customers to make more climate-positive choices, Starbucks cannot continue to charge extra for plant-based milk substitutions.
Outside of the United States, Starbucks has made more progress in eliminating obstacles for consumers making more animal- and climate-friendly choices with vegan products. Last January, Starbucks dropped its vegan milk surcharge in the United Kingdom. At its more than 1,000 UK locations, the chain committed to no longer charge extra for all five of its plant-based milk options, including oat, almond, coconut, soy, and Starbucks Original Nut Blend (a housemade vegan milk option).
Earlier this year, Starbucks dropped vegan milk surcharges in France and Germany, where it operates approximately 205 and 145 locations respectively. Also, at Starbucks locations in India and China—where it operates a total of more than 6,000 locations—vegan milk has always been offered at no extra surcharge
However, with nearly 16,000 locations, the US is home to the majority of Starbucks outposts and maintaining its vegan milk upcharge places a cost barrier on many consumers that could choose more climate-friendly options to help the coffee giant reach its sustainability goals.
“We all have a stake in the life-and-death matter of the climate catastrophe, and Starbucks should do its part by ending its vegan upcharge,” Cromwell said.
James Cromwell fights for animal rights
In addition to protesting Starbucks’ policy, Cromwell uses his fame to bring attention to other issues within the food system.
In April, Cromwell rescued a piglet who had fallen from a truck that was taking him to be fattened before being slaughtered for Easter. Now living at the Indraloka Animal Sanctuary in Dalton, PA, Cromwell aptly named the piglet “Babe,” making sure to bring public attention to his rescue to spotlight the suffering animals who are exploited for agriculture.
“Having had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing pigs’ intelligence and inquisitive personalities while filming the movie Babe changed my life and my way of eating, and so I jumped at the chance to save this real-life Babe,” Cromwell said in a statement at the time.”
“Every pig deserves to live in peace and joy at a sanctuary, choosing when to frolic, where to forage, and how to spend their time, yet few do,” Cromwell said.
Over the years, Cromwell says he has lost track of how many times he has been arrested for fighting for issues he cares about and his other animal-rights efforts include protesting against the exploitation of marine animals at SeaWorld, demanding the removal of gelatin from Peeps, and more.


text:
lamborghini aventador, record
List of News and Information about lamborghini aventador and record on 4WheelsNews.com
News and Information about lamborghini aventador and record
Read the latest news and information about lamborghini aventador and record published on 4WheelsNews.com! View comments and pictures about lamborghini aventador and record on 4WheelsNews.com!
Late last year, on September 20, Porsche took the 911 GT2 RS to the Nurburgring in attempt to take down the lap record for the fastest production car around the ‘Ring, finishing in 6 minutes and 47.3 seconds. Now, it looks like its record could be broken again soon, this time by Lamborghini’s up and coming Aventador Superveloce Jota (SVJ). So does it have the goods to surpass the already impressive record?
We have been seeing a lot of spy shots of the said model as it is being tested in Sant’Agata Bolognese at the Green Hell but it looks like Lamborghini was there for another reason. According to those who witnessed it, the naturally aspirated V12 supercar managed to lap the ‘Ring in 6 minutes and 54 seconds or 6.7 seconds slower than the Porsche. However, they made it clear that the track conditions were less ideal then.
When the new Lamborghini attempted its run on the Green Hell, a number of other automakers were out on the track, so traffic was indeed a factor that affected its results. Aside from that, there was a section of the circuit that had a few cones, and this also took their toll on the SVJ’s lap time. But even with all the obstacles and the imperfect conditions, it was still able to finish in 6:54, which is a striking result. This probably means that in ideal conditions, the hardcore Aventador will drop below the 6:50 mark. Therefore, there’s a good chance for it to beat the Porsche 911 GT2 RS’s record.Read the entire article Porsche 911 GT2 RS Nurburgring record is at risk of being crushed by Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
It is finally here, a new offering from Automobili Lamborghini that combines the thrill of the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (Superveloce Jota) and the joy of an open-air drive. After unveiling the coupe version last year in the California, the carmaker has taken the wraps off the new Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.
It was August 2018 when Automobili Lamborghini unveiled the V12-powered Lamborghini Aventador SVJ in Pebble Beach, California. A week after, speculations suddenly appeared that a roadster version would be coming after the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued an executive order that certified four Lamborghini Aventador models: S Coupe, S Roadster, SVJ Coupe, and SVJ Roadster. Since, we have been waiting for Lamborghini to formally unveil the Aventador SVJ Roadster. Now, the newest Aventador can be seen in metal in Geneva.
Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini, remarked that the new Aventador SVJ Roadster essentially inherits all the power, performance and innovative aerodynamic technologies of the coupe version but with an added exclusivity of driving in the open air. He added that Aventador SVJ Roadster offers the same extraordinary performance with roof on or off.Read the entire article Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster unveiled at 2019 Geneva Motor Show
Alistair Moffatt drives a Fiat 124 Abarth to a new Guinness World Record for fastest figure of eight
Setting a new record, especially a world record, has been a way for carmakers to advertise the capabilities not just of their cars, but also of their organizations as well. Fiat is nothing new to setting new world records, and its most recent feat was certified by none other than the Guinness World Record. This new Guinness World Record was for achieving the 'fastest figure of eight, five times between two cars,' as set by a Fiat 124 Abarth Spider.
Fiat made the world record attempt during the 2018 Chateau Impney Hill Climb in July this year. Two Fiat 124 Abarth spiders were placed in a distance from each other, serving as large markers. A Fiat 124 Abarth stunt car was on standby, with Alastair Moffatt -- a world-renowned stunt driver and world record-holder -- behind its steering wheel. All Moffatt has to do was to maneuver the stunt car in a figure of eight between the two Fiat 124 Abarth spider markers five times in a row without a slip.
Then, Moffatt commenced the stunt. He executed the figure-of-eight sliding maneuver neatly between the two cars. He did it five times in close succession, and completed the entire stunt in just 45.66 seconds. In the process, Moffatt and the Fiat 124 Abarth achieved a new Guinness World Record for the 'fastest figure of eight, five times between two cars.'Read the entire article Alistair Moffatt drives a Fiat 124 Abarth to a new Guinness World Record for fastest figure of eight
The Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany has been considered as one of the ultimate tests of quickness and speed for carmakers and their cars like. Setting a new record on the so-called Green Hell is fairly a difficult feat to accomplish, but Porsche seems to be taking it real easy as its creation broke anew the record for the fastest road-legal sports car at the Nurburgring.
More than a year ago, on September 20, 2017, a Porsche 911 GT2 RS (991.2) underwent a challenge at the Nurburgring, as piloted by Porsche test driver and development engineer Lars Kern. Riding on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 'N2' tires and fitted with the Weissach Package, Porsche Motorsport bucket seat and harness on driver's side, this Porsche 911 GT2 RS managed to set a new record on the 20.6-km Nordschleife section of the Nurburgring, with a record lap time of six minutes and 47.3 seconds (6:47.3)
However, less than a year later on July 26, 2018, the record was broken by nearly three seconds. The culprit was a 2018 Lamborghini Aventador LP 770-4 Superveloce Jota as piloted by Italian Lamborghini factory driver Marco Marpelli. The time needed by the Aventador Superveloce Jota to complete a lap at the Nurburgring Nordschleife was six minutes and 44.97 seconds (6:44.97).Read the entire article 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR is now the fastest road-legal sports car at the Nurburgring
Unveiled in April this year, the 2019 Jaguar XE 300 Sport special edition is out to prove that it is potent enough to set new records. It just did so after breaking the decades-old record at the original track of the Circuit de Charade in France.
Located in Saint-Genes-Champanelle, France, the modern Circuit de Charade is a technical circuit with a total distance of 3.975 km (2.470 mi) and a total of 18 turns. A challenging circuit for many drivers, the current circuit is not how it used to look around 30 years ago. After all, the modern Circuit de Charade just came into existence in 1989. It was built using the southern portion of the original Circuit de Charade.
The original Circuit de Charade is considered as an iconic circuit in France, having hosted the French Grand Prix four times (1965, 1969-1970, 1972) and the French motorcycle Grand Prix ten times (1959-1964, 1966-1967, 1972, 1974). It was constructed in 1957 and opened in 1968, and was built using pre-existing roads around the Puy de Dome volcano.Read the entire article 2019 Jaguar XE 300 Sport sets new production saloon record at original Circuit de Charade
Spending more than $40 million for a used 56-year old car is totally absurd. But it wouldn’t be weird at all if that car is a Ferrari 250 GTO that was driven by Phil Hill, the only American-born driver who has a Formula 1 crown. Just recently, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was sold at $48,405,000 at RM Sotheby’s auction sale in Monterey, California.
The auction started when the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO -- – with the chassis number 3413 GT -- was driven on the stage by Derek Bell, himself a legend for winning the Le Mans 24 Hours five times. The sale was conducted by auctioneer Maarten ten Holder, who started the bidding at $35 million. The bid price quickly jumped to $40 million, and then slowly climbed itself up -- with increments of $250,000. When the bid price reached $44 million, nobody dared to top the amount, and the hammer was banged.
Final bid price for the 3413 GTO was $44 million, but the addition of buyer’s fee and other taxes pushed the total price to $48.4 million. It was sold to a major car collector based in the United States. The seller was former chief software architect at Microsoft, Greg Whitten, who is also known for being a Ferrari enthusiast and vintage car driver. Whitten had been the owner of the 3413 GTO since 2000. He has shown it at a number of vintage motorsport events, including four GTO anniversary tours.Read the entire article Phil Hill's 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO grabbed for $48.4 million at RM Sotheby's auction in Monterey
Since electric vehicles are becoming more popular, and are also becoming more viable for long distance trips, car enthusiasts would try and push the limits of what their cars are capable of on a single charge. Two men in Denver decided to take out the Tesla Model 3 over the weekend to drive it, and after 32 hours, they celebrated victory. However, that’s all their car can do.
EV aficionados have this term they use, “hypermiling”, to describe the idea of them getting the most juice out of their car’s battery, though efficient driving on a forgiving route. The guys we mentioned earlier were Sean M. Mitchell and Erik Strait, who set out on Friday to firmly beat the previous hypermiling record on a closed loop near the Denver Airport. The loop was about a mile in distance, and featured an elevation change of only 10 feet, while the two drove at speeds between 20 and 30 miles per hour.
Tesla rates the Model 3’s range between 220 and 310 miles on a single charge, but the two guys hoped they could reach 600 miles. So what they did was they live-streamed their circuitous journey on Youtube, interacted with those who commented, caught Chipotle burritos in a fishing net and were able to go past their goal 32 hours later.Read the entire article Tesla Model 3’s crazy new record is 606.2 miles
Even when companies say that they don’t care about setting records, they sometimes don’t mean it. For instance, Mercedes-Benz executives just said that they’re not really after record-breaking Nurburgring lap times.
But in contrary to this, they have talked about plans of pushing the Project One hypercar to its limits by taking it to the Green Hell. By doing so, aren’t they trying to prove themselves wrong, by hoping that this could be their fastest car ever? That’s not all, because the automaker also brought in the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe alongside it, which recently finished a near-record time lap.
Mercedes CEO, Tobias Moers, said in his interview with Automobile that the AMG GT Four-Door finished lapping the Ring in “7 minutes 30 something” seconds. Not only does this make it really quick, but that “something” could likely break a record. Even if it doesn’t, it will still be placed at one of the top spots of the leaderboard for four door vehicles, just behind Jag’s newest special edition.Read the entire article Did the Mercedes AMG GT 4-door coupe just break records at the Nurburging?
A few days ago, we talked about two cars that attempted to set a record at the Nurburgring. One of those would be the Porsche 911 GT3 RS that finished the course in 6 minutes and 56 seconds. To be more precise, it was actually 6:56.4 and Porsche has finally confirmed the performance of the track focused model, with Kevin Estre behind its wheel. Impressively, he was able to beat its predecessor’s record by as much as 24 seconds.
Estre wasn’t the only one who drove the 911 GT3 RS, as he was also joined by fellow driver, Lars Kern. Both of them completed four laps of the 20.6 kilometer (12.8 mile) Nurburgring, or the so called Green Hell. And both drivers finished each lap in under seven minutes with just a few tenths of a second difference. This is clear proof of how fast naturally aspirated cars are, especially when the one driving it is extremely skilled too.
During the fastest lap finished by the 911 GT3 RS, the conditions were very much ideal too. At exactly 11:40 on Monday morning April 16, it recorded 18 degrees Celsius (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit) track and 14 degrees Celsius (57.2 degrees Fahrenheit) ambient temperatures.Read the entire article Porsche reveals 911 GT3 RS has an official Nurburgring lap time of 6:56.4 [w/video]
It’s a given that Sports Utility Vehicle could never take on a supercar. A Mercedes G-Class for instance, or even a Mitsubishi Outlander, would find it hard to outperform a supercar like the Ferrari. All that is about to change with the Range Rover Sport SVR from Land Rover.
Driven by Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver Ho-Pin Tung, this performance SUV set a new unofficial record at Tianmen Road. Located in the Hunan Province in China, the Tianmen Mountain Road is well-known for its 99 turns, making it one of the best ways to test man and machine.
The record for completing this 11.3-kilometers (7-mile) ascent was in 2016 by a Ferrari 458 Italia clocking in 10 minutes and 31 seconds. Taking an average speed of 68.8 km/h (42.8 mph), the new Range Rover Sport SVR managed to traverse the same in 9 minutes and 51 seconds.Read the entire article 2018 Range Rover Sport SVR beats Ferrari’s record at Tianmen Road
The Lamborghini Huracan LP580-2 has been out in the market for about 2 years now, with the last number in the model’s name indicating that the vehicle has a two wheel drive layout, which was implemented in the new Audi R8 V10 RWS. If you are a fan of RWDs and are expecting to see a larger Aventador with that setup, you will be disappointed as the automaker has no plans of developing an RWD version.
During the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, Australia’s Drive magazine interviewed R&D boss of Lamborghini, Maurizio Reggiani. Here, he revealed that the Aventador will remain to be the company’s flagship model and is going to keep its all wheel drive system. You may be wondering why that has been decided. Well, it is because sending as much power from the V12 to the rear axle will allegedly make the vehicle difficult to manage once it hits a certain speed. To be safe, the automaker decided not to let this happen as they will be liable for it.
Furthermore, they assured that the decision was not only made due to safety reasons, but also because the Lamborghini Aventador is meant to keep its all-four wheel configuration. Without this AWD layout, the supercar’s traction control system would be so invasive, says Reggiani.Read the entire article Lamborghini Aventador will never have an RWD setup
The Nurburgring Nordschleife has long been considered as a benchmark for performance in the automotive world. Because of its complicated course, carmakers and tuners have been trying to prove the worth of their creation by driving through the so-called Green Hell. Now, Mercedes-AMG could try to prove the performance of its Project One hypercar by challenging the Nurburgring.
In an interview with Autocar, Mercedes-AMG chief executive Tobias Moers remarked that it was "reasonable to speculate" that the new Project One hypercar would challenge the lap time record at the fabled Nurburgring lap time record. Right now, the lap time record for the Nurburgring for a production car is being held by a Porsche 911 GT2 RS (991) driven by Larns Kern. With a lap time of six minutes 47.30 seconds, this Porsche 911 GT2 RS had set a new record at this challenging course.
Interestingly, Moers is looking beyond the lap time record by a production car at Nurburgring. The AMG Project One will also try to challenge the overall lap time record at the Green Hell. This means that the AMG Project One will aim not just at becoming the fastest production car at this circuit, but also set the target of becoming the fastest among all cars that ever set their tracks on this road.Read the entire article AMG chief thinks Mercedes-AMG Project One could be the fastest car ever in Nurburgring
A new version of the Lamborghini Aventador is definitely on the way; it is just that the supercar maker has yet to announce its official name. There have been reports saying that this would be a Performante, an SE, a GT, a JOTA or an SV, although nothing is sure yet. Nonetheless, the newest Aventador is a true performer, with a potential power output of more than 800 PS.
While Lamborghini has yet to officially announce the true moniker of its new Aventador creation, it seems like a leak has occurred. Weeks ago, an Instagram user shared a leaked image of the instrument display showing the name of the new Lamborghini supercar – the Aventador SVJ. The letters SV has been known to stand for Super Veloce, which are the Italian words for “super fast.” Quite a number of Raging Bull models have already received this designation.
The letter J, meanwhile, was first used by adopted by the factory’s test driver Bob Wallace, whose drove a special version of the Lamborghini Miura that bears the J mark. In fact, Lamborghini actually managed to convert some Miura SV models to SV/J specification. The Aventador J – unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show -- was the last Lamborghini model to use the letter as a suffix.Read the entire article V12-powered Lamborghini Aventador SVJ could deliver more than 800 PS of max output
2017 was definitely a great year for Porsche as the automaker was able to break their sales record in the United States. Overall, they delivered a total of 55,420 vehicles, which stands for a 2.1 percent increase over the previous year.
Of course, you are probably wondering which model contributed the most to the total. And to answer your question, that would be the Macan. In fact, that nameplate alone sold 21,429 units, which is a huge improvement over 2016, which posted a total of 19,332 units delivered. Next in line is the Cayenne, which had 13,203 deliveries. The third most popular car would be the 911, which sold 6,731 units.
Just like the 911, 6,731 units of the Panamera premium sedan were sold as well. The Cayman and Boxster duo, on the other hand, reported 5,087 units in combined deliveries.Read the entire article Porsche surpasses US annual sales record in 2017 with 55,420 deliveries
BMW has teased us a couple of times about its record breaking attempt, and finally, they have decided to post the extended video of the M5’s actual eight hour drift that they have documented.
It was Johan Schwartz, an instructor of BMW’s Performance Driving School, who was behind the wheels of the performance sedan. He drove this as an attempt to improve his previous performance record from back in 2013, when he took the previous generation M5 for a drift, leaving with a record of 51.27 miles (82.51 kilometers).
At that time, he was able to cover 322.5 laps of one of the course at the BMW Performance Center located in South Carolina. And recently, with the new M5 (F90), he took on the same track, and was able to go around it, 2,000 times.Read the entire article 2018 BMW M5 (F90) beats longest drift record by covering 232.5 miles, refueling was done mid-drift
Volkswagen proves just how big of an automotive company it is as it is celebrating a very important milestone on the last day of the year. It is set to roll out its 6 millionth car on Sunday, the 31st of December. Most of the cars that were built this year were familiar nameplates, but of course, new members of the family like the T-Roc, Tiguan Allspace, and Atlas also played an important role as their production numbers have increased significantly as well. It should be mentioned though that for this calculation, the Arteon has been excluded because it is considered as the CC’s successor.
As mentioned earlier, it was the more popular models like the Polo, Golf, Jetta and Passat that took up the majority of the percentage of cars produced this year. Alongside those models, the Santana that is available in several versions in China, had an impact too.
The automaker has a total of about 60 models in their lineup globally, and this will still increase as models like the T-Cross and the Phaeton are currently being developed. Apart from all that, Volkswagen also has plans of expanding their current electric vehicle lineup, so we wouldn’t be surprised if they easily break the 6 million record by next year.Read the entire article VW breaks own production record with 6 million units built in 2017
BMW revealed that the new M5 (F90) has taken on the Shanghai International Circuit and has shown its exceptional driving properties by setting a lap record. Driven by Bruno Spengler, the new M5 managed to clock in a time of 2:22.828 minutes.
Spengler, who had won the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) back in 2012, managed to break the record by five seconds. Making the record lap even more astonishing is the fact that the four-door saloon is a production version and was driven without any changes made for the racetrack. Not surprising, especially for BMW enthusiasts, as the M series follow the principle of a road-going car being capable of going through the racing track any time.
With the perfect mix of athleticism and luxury, the new M5 is powered by the 4.4-liter V8 engine that is fitted with the M TwinPower Turbo technology. Given that the engine has undergone changes by none other than the engineers at M, it can deliver output of 441 kW (600 hp) with peak torque of 750 Nm. Thus compared to the previous models, the new model shows that performance has indeed increased significantly. Paired to the engine is the Steptronic 8-speed transmission that comes with Drivelogic. Thus the new M5 can go from standstill to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. Putting in the M-specific suspension ensures that driving dynamics is optimized. Further, BMW made sure to put focus on weight as it has a significant impact on the performance. Actual weight was lowered by using carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the roof.Read the entire article BMW M5 (F90) is named fastest 4-door production sedan after breaking records at Shanghai Circuit
Many automakers seem to always have the Nurburgring in the back of their heads when they build new cars. And a lot of them seem to be obsessed about making an attempt to break the record. Now, Lamborghini has decided to join the rest of these guys. It is not the first time for them to take their cars to the Green Hell. In fact, the Huracan Performante once took home the record around the Ring, before the Porsche 911 GT2 RS took over with a total of 6 minutes 47.3 seconds time.
Next spring, the Italian automaker plans to head back to the Green Hell, but with a different model this time - the Lamborghini Urus -- as it attempts to be the fastest SUV to lap the Nurburgring. At the time of this writing, it is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio that holds the record time with 7 minutes and 51.7 seconds.
However, if you could remember, some people doubted its performance saying that the video had been edited to make it look like it finished that soon. Whether it is legitimate or not, that is still the same time the Urus has to beat to become the record holder.Read the entire article Can the Lamborghini Urus beat Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s Nurburgring SUV record?
We never doubted the outstanding performance of the new 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, with its 6.2 liter supercharged LT5 V8 engine that enables it to produce up to 755 horsepower (563 kilowatts) and 715 pound-feet (969 Newton-metres) of torque. Moreover, it has a top speed of 210 miles per hour (337 kilometers per hour). However, there is one question that a lot of us are asking, and that’s how fast can it perform around the Green Hell, and will it break records?
Just like any other automaker out there, Chevy also has plans of taking the hardcore Corvette ZR1 to the Nurburgring to try and beat the performance of other vehicles. The problem is that there are few dry days left to attempt a record run on the track. Having said that, the best thing they could do is wait until next season. Road & Track also said that Chevy has already used up their 2017 run on the Camaro ZL1 1LE, and the said model was able to leave the track with a lap time of 7 minutes 16.04 seconds.
Going back to the new Corvette ZR1, it will be even faster than the one that lapped the Nurburgring this year. It was fitted with a set of super sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that shifts quickly, and an optional package they call the “High Wing”. This package gives it 60 percent more downforce over the Z06. With all these new features, Chevy believes that it can lap the ‘Ring in just under seven minutes. If this is accurate, it would be looking at beating the Dodge Viper ACR’s 7:01.3 record, and may even come close to the Lamborghini Aventador’s 6:59.73 record.Read the entire article 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1 will take on the Nurburgring in 2018
Last April, the new Honda Civic Type R made a new record for the current front wheel drive, by going around the Nurburgring and finishing a lap with a time of 7 minutes 43.80 seconds. But today, Toyota thinks that they have what it takes to beat the Honda Civic Type R’s record, even without a true hot hatchback in their lineup. Rather, it is the C-HR that recently made its debut at the 2017 SEMA Show, with 600 horsepower (447 kilowatts) which they think could make a new record.
They say that if the head of the tuning company behind Toyota’s R-Tuned C-HR, Dan Gardner were to decide, the C-HR would already be at the track. In fact, the Japanese automaker believes that it is the “world’s quickest SUV”, and we’re not doubting them. True enough, it has been proven to be faster than the Lamborghini Aventador, the Porsche 911 GT3 and many other supercars as it only took 1 minute 25.22 seconds to go around the Willow Springs Raceway.
Gardner said to Autocar that this model was actually built for SEMA, and so far, the automaker has announced no plans for it. He also described it to be the real deal, and that it is his dream to take the super-SUV to the Nordschleife. And as mentioned earlier, he is confident that it is capable of setting the front-wheel-drive record.Read the entire article Toyota thinks that the 600 hp C-HR could beat the Honda Civic Type R’s Nurburgring record
Did you film an important event?


text:
It is a Make in India story of a different kind. Indian mobile phone maker Micromax features on the list at the 10th spot with 9.9 million units sold in the April-June 2015 quarter.
Indian tablet market had stabilised and was growing again, says research firm IDC as a part of its Q2 2015 report announced on Wednesday. The tablet market grew by 23 per cent. Overa
More than 30 million smartphones was shipped in India in the third quarter of 2016, registering 7.5 percent growth over the previous quarter, according to the International Data Corpora
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has rolled out 4G feature phone that is bundled with mobile services. The miniratna enterprise has also entered into an agreement with Extr


text:
By AKIFUMI NAGAHASHI/ Staff Writer
May 29, 2023 at 06:30 JST
NIIGATA--A brewer in this renowned sake-producing area is trying out novel flavors for sake, such as pizza, in the hopes of tickling the taste buds of a much wider range of consumers.
Lagoon Brewery Inc. quietly stands near the Fukushimagata lagoon in Kita Ward.
Among items available under Lagoon Brewery’s Shoku line is an alcoholic drink characterized by its reddish hue known as Sake Margherita.
As its name suggests, Sake Margherita is brewed with locally produced tomatoes and basil as well as rice, creating a unique aroma resembling that of a Margherita pizza.
A bottle using Niigata Prefecture’s brand-name strawberry Echigohime as a side ingredient is alike envisioned for the line.
“I will reinvigorate the industry by showing brewing is a highly lucrative venture,” said Yosuke Tanaka, 43, head of the brewery.
HOOKED ON SAKE IN COLLEGE
Tanaka became captivated with traditional sake during his college days, when he frequented a liquor shop run by a friend’s parents. After graduation, he organized sake-themed events while working in an ad industry.
When he turned 30, Tanaka started considering switching jobs and learned that the parent company of Imayo Tsukasa Sake Brewery Co. in Niigata’s Chuo Ward was looking for a new president of the brewing firm.
Tanaka joined the company and became Imayo Tsukasa Sake Brewery’s head in 2014.
He took full advantage of his establishment’s easy access from Niigata Station to strengthen the brewery’s observation tour and direct sales. The products’ labeling was also changed to appeal to younger women.
The enterprise’s sales improved so dramatically that Tanaka was tapped to serve as chair of the Niigata Sake Brewers Association’s overseas strategy committee.
A turning point came again in 2021, when the central government started issuing licenses for new businesses that brew sake exclusively for export. The growing popularity of rice wine abroad led to the decision amid the recent global Japanese food boom.
Domestically, however, demand for sake has declined so dramatically that no breweries have been awarded new licenses for internal sales for more than 60 years to help prevent more makers from going under.
OUTSIDE OF 'ORDINARY SAKE'
Tanaka found an old private house with a charming atmosphere around Fukushimagata as he often visited there at the time. He obtained a license to be an exporter that year and rolled out Lagoon Brewery.
The brewing staff of Echigo Denemon, another maker in Kita Ward that was then temporarily closed, was invited to work at Lagoon Brewery.
Tanaka also obtained a license to create alcoholic beverages that fall outside the category of ordinary sake so he can sell them alongside products for exports.
Mixing another material into sake’s ingredients of rice, “koji” mold and water can generate what is considered to be “other brews” under the liquor tax law, all the while maintaining a sake-like fragrance.
Such bottles, including the “doburoku” unrefined sake, are touted as “craft sake” and are available even for domestic consumers.
To promote such a tipple, Tanaka plays a leading role at the Japan Craft Sake Breweries Association, which was founded in 2022.
One objective is to revitalize the sake industry by winning over more fans. His ultimate goal is to have the government lift its ban on issuing new licenses for breweries for the domestic market.
A representative of the National Tax Agency’s Liquor Tax and Industry Division acknowledged that may be possible.
“We would be able to issue licenses if spending goes up,” said the official.
Tanaka said he believes in the potential of sake. He currently sees a stream of young people who want to manage their own breweries at some point show up asking for advice, and one such individual is working with Tanaka as an intern.
Visit this page for the latest news on Japan’s battle with the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
The Asahi Shimbun aims “to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” through its Gender Equality Declaration.
Let’s explore the Japanese capital from the viewpoint of wheelchair users and people with disabilities with Barry Joshua Grisdale.


text:
It is planned to implement 56 new projects for $ 918 million by 2020, 21 of which with foreign capital.
This was reported by the head of the main department for technical policy and forecasting of the SJSC Uzbekengilsanoat, Dilbar Mukhamedova. According to her, the new capacities will provide creating about 17 thousand jobs.
“This year we launched the fourth phase in the FE Indorama Kokand Textile, which provides the organization of spinning production with an annual design capacity of 12 thousand tons of cotton yarn. The total cost of the project is $ 50 million. Commissioning is scheduled for 2017,” said Dilbar Mukhamedova.
By the end of this year, SJSC Uzbekengilsanoat under the Investment Program plans to implement 33 investment projects worth more than $ 230 million. Their successful completion ensures the creation of more than 2.8 thousand new jobs, the increase of volume of exports, and the level of saturation of the domestic market with high quality textile products. Last year alone, 30 new companies were created in the country. Foreign investment in the sector over the past 10 years amounted to about $ 2 billion. Their annual increase reaches $ 160-200 million. Concerning the geography of exports, it is already more than 50 countries. This year, new products are presented to the markets of Latin America, Africa and the United States.


text:
Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, which took place at the Bologna Fairgrounds in Bologna, Italy, March 8-11 closed its 2013 show with record-breaking figures: 193,842 visitors for a 14% increase with 48,823 visitors from outside of Italy for a 22% increase.
The number of exhibitors this year—2,390—was also up from 2,320 in 2012.
That figure included about 1,500 (63%) from outside of Italy as well as prominent new country pavilions from India and Colombia.
Topping the list of exhibitor-leading countries after Italy (666) were China (272) and France (161 exhibitors). Other countries with significant numbers of exhibitors included the United States (143), Germany (125) and Spain (113).
And for the second consecutive year there was also a California pavilion via a trade-mission export initiative organized by the Center for International Trade Development in Long Beach, California. It included 28 brands of cosmetics, hair care, nail care, fragrances, skin care and spa products.
“The ‘new’ Cosmoprof is increasingly international and professional with the participation of buyers and delegations from abroad to whom we have offered the highest levels of quality and specialization,” says Duccio Campagnoli, president of BolognaFiere and SoGeCos, the company that organizes Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna and a partner in Cosmoprof North America (July 14-16, Las Vegas) as well as Cosmoprof Asia (Nov. 13-15, Hong Kong). SoGeCos is 100% owned by BolognaFiere.
Next year Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna is April 11-14. Cosmopack—an exhibition alongside Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna—will once again open and close one day earlier than Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna: April 10-13, 2014.
Cosmopack is a "show within the show" for visitors interested in the production process, finding new materials, formulating new textures, designing production equipment, and packaging—including those seeking graphics and designs.
[Image courtesy of Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna]


text:
London fog coats are the best option for women who prefer a softer coat, according to the fashion house.
The London Fog Coat, which comes in a variety of shades, has been the most popular winter coat in recent years.
The company has been selling the product since 2012, and now it is being rebranded as the Winter Coat.
“This rebranding gives us more time to create the best possible product and create a more premium product,” said Claire Lacey, marketing director at London Fog.
“London Fog is committed to offering women a range of colour choices, so we want to give them the best choice available.”
London Fog said it wanted to make the winter coat more affordable for women to consider.
“We’re always looking to improve the quality and affordability of our products, which is why we have a long-term commitment to continuing to invest in our brands and in the London Fog team,” said Lacey.
London Fog also said that its customers have asked for the London fog coat to be a better option for their winter coat.
“Many of our customers have expressed their preference for a more affordable alternative to the iconic black London Fog coat.
So we’re working to make this coat even more affordable and offer it in multiple shades,” said the brand.
The rebrand comes after London Fog’s latest offering, the Snow Veil, was released in 2016.
It is a lighter, more comfortable coat with more coverage.
The snow veil has been available since December 2018 and is available in black and grey.
London’s Fog Coat has been around for over 30 years and is one of the brand’s longest-running products.
The brand has been working on its Winter Coat for many years and says it is looking to expand the range.
“The London Fog winter coat has been popular for many reasons, including its versatility, its affordability and its versatility for those seeking a warmer and more comfortable alternative to a traditional winter coat,” said Kate Williams, chief marketing officer for London Fog in a statement.
“With this new rebrand, we are making a bold statement that our London Fog product is a premium alternative to existing brands that have already had success in the market.”
London is currently experiencing an economic downturn.
The city is on track to record its worst year for the number of days without power in its history.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan recently called on Londoners to avoid travelling outside at all costs.
“As London continues to see the impact of the financial crisis, it is imperative that people do not travel outside during the coldest of winter,” he said.
London is also the UK’s most expensive city to live in, according the London Office.
The capital’s average annual household income is £27,716.


text:
Researchers have achieved the first ever pictorial evidence that light can simultaneously behave as a particle and as a wave.
The trio of products signals an ambition to be more than just a smartphone maker. But is it enough to break HTC out of its corner?
Chairman Tom Wheeler shouts "No, no, no, no!" The new regulations won't dictate carriers' rates, impose tariffs or meddle with their business.
The largest city on the Mediterranean Sea sits on giant flood-battling rainfall tanks, patrolled by drones to see what's going on in the sewers.
Mozilla's major new ally will sell its Klif phone and six months' network service in 13 countries in Africa and the Middle East. Orange likes Firefox OS's inexpensive hardware requirements and expects to sell millions.
The famous Paris landmark has been fitted with two new wind turbines that generate enough electricity to power the commercial areas of its first floor.
Artist Nathan Sawaya chats with Crave about the Lego Oscar statuettes that stole the spotlight at this year's Academy Awards show.
A limited-time, $75 option will soon be available to current and prospective subscribers.
The search giant is granted a patent for a "fragrance emission device" that would sense when you have B.O. and steer you away from any friends who might be nearby at the time.
The Miami-based company will showcase its first modules compatible with Google's Project Ara during the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona.


text:
DuBOIS — It was a youngster’s dream come true Tuesday morning in the toy aisles of the DuBois Walmart.
Six-year-old Keegan Stanisic, and his family, who are residents of Snow Shoe, got to live out that dream after being one of just three grand prize national winners of Walmart and Nickelodeon’s Toy Run: Family Style Shopping Spree sweepstakes.
The children’s entertainment brand and retailer partnered to bring back the iconic 90s classic and give youngsters the chance to win a three-minute shopping spree worth up to $3,000 in the toy aisles of their local Walmart — just in time for Christmas.
In addition to the shopping spree, the prize package also included transportation to the Toy Run, $500 in spending money and shipment of the products to the winner’s home.
The grand prize winners were selected from more than 150,000 entries. Other winners are from Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin and College Station, Texas. Ten runner-up winners each received a $500 Walmart gift card.
Lindsey Williams, director of brand management at Walmart, said the sweepstakes, which started on Oct. 15 with the deadline for entries on Nov. 4, was open to youngsters between the ages of 6 and 11 in the continental U.S.
“We are coming out and we are staking our claim as ‘America’s Best Toy Shop,’ and what better way to do that then partner with Nickelodeon and bring back this iconic, highly recognizable event that we all loved to watch in the 80s,” said Williams. “And bring it back and let some kids really truly experience the magic of Christmas in that way.”
Since Snow Shoe doesn’t have a Walmart store, Williams said they reached out to Carol Williams, who manages the area.
“We said, ‘Hey, Carol, what do you think? Which store would be the best store for him to do this in,’” said Williams. “And so she just praised Howie Allen a lot, the store manager here, he’s been a phenomenal help. And we are just really thrilled with the way that it’s coming to life.”
“This is fantastic. This is great for the local economy, this is great for Keegan from Snow Shoe,” said Allen. “The fact that they selected our store in DuBois speaks again to the fact that DuBois is the best place to live and the best place to work. We’re excited to host Nickelodeon and all these folks from Bentonville, from L.A, New York City. They came in, they got to go to Dr. Doolittle’s, they enjoyed that, they thought it was fantastic. They went to Luigi’s and had a great time there, and I think a few of them even hit up The Hitching Post. It was pretty great.”
Allen said the DuBois Walmart was notified on Friday that the store was selected for Keegan’s shopping spree.
“Our store was selected from a geography standpoint, and our store associates always come together when we’re mounted with a difficult situation,” said Allen. “Everyone comes together, and our community is fantastic and our store is full of great people from the area. That’s what affords us the opportunity to do stuff like this on such a short notice.”
“We put in a lot of hard work yesterday and the day before, and a lot of our folks did a lot of great things over the weekend,” said Allen, noting that the toy department manager, assistant manager and co-manager “really just crushed it.”
Keegan had a base run of three minutes and was able to get some extra shopping spree time when he placed five “power items” in his cart.
There was lots of silly string and a large crowd of family and Walmart employees waiting to congratulate Keegan when he reached the finish line.
“You trashed the place,” Allen joked as he high-fived Keegan, who had at least five cart-loads of toys.


text:
- Blog >
- Vortex in the spotlight
Vortex Solution to present AVL Track and its web and mobile solutions at the prestigious Mobile World Congress
22 February | Posted by @Guy Michon Mr Guy Michon, Vice President and Partner, is proud to announce that Vortex Solution has been invited by Exportation Québec to represent Québec’s booming mobile industry with its GPS tracking solution for transportation fleet management, AVL Track, along with its mobile and Web solutions at the prestigious Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, from February 25 – 28, 2013.
16 October | Posted by @Guy Michon Vortex Solution is proud to announce its strategic partnership with computer security firm Go Secure.
11 September | Posted by @Vortex Solution On September 10 at the Le Blainvillier Golf Club was held the Pascal Ialenti Open that was organized to benefit the Maxime-Letendre Foundation.
01 May | Posted by @Vortex Solution Having become one of the most viewed online restaurant directory in the city of Quebec, TonResto.ca is pleased to have obtained an advertising spot on NRJ’s website, Quebec’s most-listened to radio station.
05 April | Posted by @Vortex Solution Action Tox is more than just a community-based organization. It’s also a philosophy of life and concrete actions that are taken to help young people and guide them towards a healthy future, far away from substance addiction.
Vortex Solution’s Florida division will attend the 2012 Internet Retailer Web Design & Usability Conference
30 January | Posted by @Vortex Solution Vortex Solution will attend the 2012 edition of the Internet Retailer Web Design & Usability Conference as an exhibitor. The conference will take place from February 13 to 15 2012 in Orlando, Florida, and close to 50 expert speakers from various industry sectors are invited to discuss all things web design and usability.
On January 25 and 26, Vortex Solution will attend Dx3 Canada, a professional trade show dedicated to digital technologies in the business environment
23 January | Posted by @Catherine Beaumier Lacroix
Dx3 Canada is the biggest Canadian event devoted to new technologies. Established in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Dx3 Canada gathers over 100 exhibitors that specialize in digital solutions, and offers numerous seminars, keynotes conferences, practical workshops and several other activities developed within the framework of the event.
Vortex Solution is proud to participate in this event and is looking forward to welcoming you at its booth.


text:
Samsung Galaxy S2 comes pre-loaded with several apps that give it a unique look. Then there are other apps like Google Docs that are a joy to work with on a Super AMOLED Plus screen.
Android, by its very nature, is a multi-tasker, which is why the pre-loaded Task Manager app comes handy to find out which apps are running in the background, and which apps need to be shut down to save battery life.
It is especially useful when some app has crashed or has stopped responding. Users just need to tap the "exit all" option to shut down all the apps.
Most other smartphone owners find it difficult to open or edit MS Office documents, but that is not the case among Samsung Galaxy S owners. Due to the pre-loaded Polaris Office, Samsung Galaxy S owners find it extremely easy to open and edit Office documents.
Obviously, users cannot expect the same level of efficiency that they get with MS Office on desktops; but, that being said, people in a rush find Polaris Office extremely useful.
The next app on the list is Samsung Smart View, which is specially crafted for Samsung Galaxy S users. With this app people can stream television content to their phones, thus using it as their second TV. With the help of this app the Samsung Galaxy S handset can also be used as an advanced remote control.
Samsung Galaxy C7 comes in Grey, Silver, Pink Gold and Gold colour variants and will go on sale in China soon.
The Samsung Galaxy C5 offers a 5.2-inch display with full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) Super AMOLED display.
The press renders show a gold colour variant of Samsung Galaxy C5.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Active is reportedly launching with a huge 4000 mAh battery.
DigiTech has also revealed the pricing of the Galaxy C7 and Galaxy C5.
The phone with model number SM-A910F, has been found on Indian export import website Zauba.
Samsung Galaxy C5 was spotted on the website of Chinese certification agency TENAA.
Samsung Galaxy C5 is expected to cost CNY 1,599 (approximately Rs 16,400) while the Galaxy C7 any be priced at CNY 1,799 (approximately Rs 18,500).
Recently Samsung Galaxy S7 active was spotted on GFXBench benchmarking website.
Samsung launched Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in March this year in India at Rs 48,900 and Rs 56,900 respectively.


text:
Originating in the US, it has now been adopted by many other countries around the world including the UK.
Except, of course, with shops around the world either closed or open with strict social distancing and hygiene protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s bonanza will look a little different.
But what is Black Friday and where does the name come from?
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the informal name given to the shopping day after Thanksgiving in the US when big retailers offer huge discounts on goods, in what is considered to be the biggest shopping day of the year.
In normal years some stores open just gone midnight, but most open at either 5am or 6am and customers queue around the corner – some even camping out overnight – to get their hands on a bargain. This has often resulted in mayhem as customers scramble and fight each other over heavily-discounted goods. Since 2006, there have been seven reported deaths and 98 injuries throughout the US on Black Friday.
This year the rush is likely to be manifested more in websites crashing as Black Friday shoppers move online due to the pandemic, with all non-essential retail currently shut in England.
Why is it called Black Friday?
It is believed to be the point in the year when retailers start to turn a profit and go from “in the red” to “in the black”.
Another explanation dates back to the 1960s when The Philadelphia Police Department coined the phrase to describe the chaos ensued by the congestion of pedestrian and vehicle traffic on that day.
When was Black Friday adopted in the UK?
Black Friday first made an appearance earlier this decade when Walmart-owned Asda announced it would be running a Black Friday campaign. More and more retailers – including Tesco, Amazon, John Lewis and Argos – began to follow suit.
But in 2014, police were forced to get involved after fights broke out and people were trampled and assaulted in many stores across the country as shoppers violently scrambled for a bargain.
As a result of this, Asda no longer participates in the day with many others downplaying their event in order to avoid such scenes.
How will Black Friday be affected by coronavirus?
England remains in national lockdown with only essential shops like supermarkets staying open, so there will be few opportunities for shoppers to descend on high streets.
Online retailers have said they expect their “biggest Black Friday yet” as their bricks and mortar rivals miss out on sales through the enforced closure of stores. Retail analysts have warned that total sales on Black Friday could be lower than previous years.
Online marketplace eBay has said it expects a surge of sales as people continue to complete their Christmas shopping early.
Murray Lambell, general manager of eBay UK, said: “We predict online baskets will be filled with items such as gym equipment, toys and entertainment that the whole family can enjoy as we stay home more and put an increased focus on keeping our minds and bodies healthy.”
Pippa Wicks, executive director at John Lewis, said it would “undoubtedly be a Black Friday like no other”, with 39 of its 42 shops closed as a result of lockdown measures.
“We are offering hundreds of Black Friday deals at John Lewis and are also continuously monitoring the prices of our high street competitors as part of our commitment to being never knowingly undersold,” she said.
Police in Cardiff, Wales, have been given extra powers to carry out random spot checks on vehicles amid fears shoppers desperate for a deal will flock there this weekend. Those found to be in breach of coronavirus legislation face being fined and told to leave the city and return home.
Meanwhile, such is the expected surge in online orders, Amnesty International has warned it is “gravely concerned” workers at Amazon warehouses could be at risk of contracting Covid-19 during the Black Friday rush.
What goods are discounted?
Customers usually take advantage of the big price slashes to buy themselves a new television, games console or mobile phone.
But it’s not a sale day exclusive to electronics and the bargains now sweep across the retail board to include clothes, toys, cosmetics, food and drink.
Discounts are not just found on the high street but online, too. Some retailers including Currys PC World, Argos and Amazon start their sales early.


text:
McDonald's launches a Vegetarian kids Happy Meal
It may be best known for its burgers – but McDonald’s has become the latest in a string of major food outlets to cater for our growing interest in a plant-based diet.
As millions join the ‘Veganuary’ campaign – giving up meat, dairy and fish for this month – the fast-food giant is today launching its first vegetarian Happy Meal for children.
It features a breaded red pesto goujon wrap rather than the burger or chicken nuggets that come with the standard Happy Meal. A similar goujon will also be served in the chain’s new Spicy Veggie Wrap on its main adult menu.
The new Happy Meal Veggie Wrap was created with the Vegetarian Society and the Britmums network, which put together a panel of parents and children to help choose the final recipe.
The goujon in the tortilla wrap is made mainly from yellow split peas, tomato, Arborio rice, sundried tomato pesto, tomato paste, red pepper, olive oil, herbs and some sugar, and is served with tomato ketchup and shredded lettuce.
The ingredients are dairy-free and vegan but the wraps pass through the same toaster as the chain’s buns, which contain milk, so McDonald’s labels it as vegetarian.
Supermarkets, restaurant chains and other food retailers have launched a raft of vegetarian and vegan products to reflect changing eating habits.
Research by McDonald’s found that a third of its customers believe it is important to eat more plant-based meals.
Millions now define themselves as ‘flexitarians’, cutting down on animal products and often going without meat for several days at a time.
Warnings about the effects of livestock farming on the environment, coupled with concerns about health and animal welfare, are the main driving forces.
The Happy Meal Veggie Wrap has 209 calories – less than the 250 in a burger but higher than the 173 in the four chicken nuggets offered on the children’s menu. It has less fat than both of these choices.
© Daily Mail


text:
Apple’s Strong Quarter, Verizon’s BlackBerry Exclusive, and 2 More Hot Stocks
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL): On Monday, Apple reported earnings per share of $8.26, beating by 33 cents, while revenues of $37.47 billion also beat, by $630 million. Shares are trading around flat despite positive analyst chatter and a round of price target increases. The company moved 33.8 million iPhones, 14.1 million iPads, and 4.6 million Macs during the period. The gross margin fell at 37 percent, which although it dropped 300 bps year-over-year, came at the high end of a guidance range of 36-37 percent. The R&D spend grew 29 percent to $1.17 billion year-on-year, as SG&A saw a 5 percent gain to $2.67 billion.
Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ): Verizon has won the exclusive contract for BlackBerry’s (NASDAQ:BBRY) new Z30 smartphone, a larger version of the touchscreen Z10. The device will hit stores sometime in November, wearing a sticker price of $200. While it could be a boon for Verizon, CNET notes that, “It appears as if Verizon’s “exclusive” arrangement is less about having locked up a deal with BlackBerry, and more about the lack of interest from rival carriers.”
Aetna, Inc. (NYSE:AET): Aetna has reported EPS of $1.50, missing by two cents, as $13 billion in revenue beat by $0.11 billion. The earnings include $0.09 per share worth of integration-related costs and $0.03 per share of net realized capital losses. The acquisition of Coventry Health Care and growth in Aetna’s own Medicare membership helped boost revenue by 46 percent over last year. Aetna grew its base by 200,000 members in the quarter, racking up a total of 22.2 million.
Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE:TM): Toyota’s Camry, RAV 4, and Prius V hybrid have had their Recommended rating yanked by Consumer Reports, related to poor scores in the new IIHS front overlap crash test. The magazine states it will no longer recommend cars that do poorly in any of the crash tests. The move is a bit of a blow to Toyota, as the Camry has routinely been the recipient of the Recommended designation. The company is aiming to retake the test in December, after making some improvements.
Don’t Miss: Did Apple Commit a Design Faux Pas in iOS 7?


text:
Baltic cruise season kicks-off surrounded by a mix of hope and uncertainty
Cruise managers from multiple Baltic ports met again yesterday, during an internal meeting organized by the Baltic Ports Organization (BPO). The main topic discussed was the greatly anticipated start of this year’s cruise season. While some ports are expecting calls in the upcoming weeks, the situation remains uncertain for a number of them.
The season has already begun for the Port of Kiel, with vessels operated by Aida and TUI calling at the German port. Passengers are eager to travel and prove to be very disciplined when it comes to complying with various safety measures and regulations put in place to ensure their health. This is despite the fact, that travel is currently only possible in the form of so called blue cruises. Passengers are not allowed to leave the vessel during calls at ports other than the one they boarded the ship at.
Port of Rostock is expecting to open the season with the beginning of July. These trips will also be subject to the blue cruise model. Beginning of July also marks the expected start of the season for the Ports of Stockholm and the Port of Tallinn. Ports and operators both hope, that chaperoned bus tours will be allowed soon in order to make the experience more appealing to the passengers.
"Passengers are eager to travel and prove to be very disciplined when it comes to complying with various safety measures and regulations put in place to ensure their health."
The situation is much more dire in a number of different countries, who are still awaiting more specific directions by the authorities. Denmark is slowly opening up and some more information about a possible start of the cruise season in the country may be available mid-June.
Ports of Riga and St. Petersburg report similar uncertainty. Riga is expecting the first call mid-July, but in all likelihood it will be cancelled. Port of Gdynia is more optimistic, but just as everywhere else, the situation is dynamic and prone to change at any moment. St. Petersburg is also eagerly awaiting further decisions from the government side, but for now the borders remain closed with no hint of possible restriction softening.
It is in Finland where hopes seem to be lowest. Ports of Helsinki and HaminaKotka accept the reality that there might be no cruise calls this year. A possible positive aspect of the difficult situation the ports and operators find themselves in, is a turn to the domestic market.
Current lack of information on when and what restrictions might get lifted, coupled with the time it requires for the ship operators to prepare a ship for the season (approx. eight weeks are required to make the ship ready), may result in high competition between the ports to attract calls. There simply won’t be enough ships to go around and the operators will gravitate towards countries where clear information as to the restrictions in force is readily available, since it will allow them to prepare their itineraries in advance.
"A possible positive aspect of the difficult situation the ports and operators find themselves in, is a turn to the domestic market."
For the time being, even an extension of the cruise season well into the autumn months might not be enough for the industry to start to recover.
The participants of the meeting decided to gather again in the second half of August 2021.


text:
Trade-based money laundering was used extensively in Malawi’s so called Cashgate corruption scandal according to a report in a South African newspaper.
The Mail & Guardian said it obtained a leaked copy of the report by UK auditor, Baker Tilly, which examines 48 companies allegedly involved in the scandal.
“The scam was based on over-invoicing, double payments and payments for items that were not supplied or for which there was no supporting documentation,” the report says.
It identified a total of 32 cheques worth 1.3bn kwacha (US$3 million) that were paid to 18 companies without supporting evidence; 3.8bn ($8.8 million) kwacha flowed from inflated procurement prices, and the sum of 1.9bn kwacha (US$4.3 million) related to payments for which there was no evidence of goods or services being provided.
“Eight businesses were identified as opening new bank accounts or reopening dormant accounts and within three months depositing at least one cheque, with no supporting records or evidence of supply available,” according to the report.
The newspaper report also suggested that the companies were in league with commercial bank officials.
The Cashgate corruption scandal may have cost the public 24bn kwacha (US$54 million) – almost double the official estimate – with some of the money siphoned off for politicians’ election campaigns, according to the Baker Tilly report.
Categories: Trade Based Financial crimes News


text:
Google is redesigning the Google Lens app on Android that shifts the focus from the live viewfinder to screenshots and images found in the user’s
Cooking time: 10 minutes or less When the egg whites were left over, I used to use them as miso soup or bake them to
So after the waiting time, the first Preview version of Windows 11 has also been released by Microsoft. Although it brings many interesting things about
In the early morning of the 1st, a singer performed on stage in Las Vegas, an American casino, to celebrate the city’s release. (AFP file
(Techz.vn) Samsung is focusing on developing a smartphone with a scrolling screen. And their next product will be the Galaxy Z Roll. LetsGoDigital recently reported
Are you ready for the future of smartphones? Many people will probably agree with the idea that smartphones today rarely make us as excited as
We are familiar with the folding screen smartphone Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, or the vertical folding device Galaxy Z Flip. But
Google has yet to showcase its folding smartphone, the supposed Pixel Fold, but it won’t be long. It actually has to face competition, especially Samsung.
Samsung Korea is already famous for its folding screen smartphones like the Galaxy Flip and Galaxy Fold series. But in the near future, maybe the
The news that the two who tried to play the leading role in “Escape is shameful but useful” got married by electric shock, and on
[스타뉴스 문완식 기자] BTS JUNGKOOKBTS’ Jungkook captivated fans around the world with her homme fatal charm in the official teaser for her new digital single’Butter’.
I haven’t submitted anything for a while: I’m six months into a medical condition that largely effects my upper limbs, in particular so-called ‘clumsy hands’.


text:
Trump kills NAFTA, reaches better deal with Canada and Mexico
A historic new trade agreement with Canada represents a “new dawn for the American auto industry” that will transform the United States back into a “manufacturing powerhouse,” President Donald Trump said Monday.
The $1.2 trillion trade agreement replaces NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), which Trump promised to repeal during his presidential campaign.
“Today we have kept that promise,” Trump said. “But for 25 years as a civilian and businessman I used to say, ‘How could anyone sign such an agreement?’ With this [new] agreement we are closing all of these terrible loopholes, they’re closed, they’re gone. They were a disaster.
” The new agreement was reached before Sunday’s midnight deadline and will incorporate the United States’ trade deal with Mexico that was reached in August. Trump coined a new name for the trade deal: United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
The replacement for NAFTA includes new provisions on digital trade and intellectual property.
[“Mexico and Canada have agreed to strong new labor protections, environmental protections and new protections for intellectual property,” Trump said at a press conference Monday. “This new deal is an especially great victory for our farmers.”]
The agreement will benefit farmers, ranchers and automobile workers, Trump said. Under the agreement, 75 percent of every automobile must be built in North America. The auto industry in particular, which was hit hard by NAFTA, will see the biggest benefit.
“We will be manufacturing many more cars,” Trump said. “Our companies won’t be leaving the United States, firing their workers and building their cars elsewhere. There’s no longer that incentive.”
[“For example, we [will] require a large portion of every car to be made by high-wage workers, which will greatly reduce foreign outsourcing which was tremendous problem,” he said. “More automobiles and parts will be manufactured inside the United States. We will be manufacturing many more cars and our companies won’t be leaving the United States, firing their workers and building their cars elsewhere.”]. [“It is a great deal for all three ｃountries,” Trump wrote on Twitter.]
Trump’s hard line on trade is having an impact far beyond North America, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saying more automakers will be moving factories to the United States.
The threat of tariffs has brought India to the negotiating table and Trump said he’s confident other ｃountries, too.
“Without tariffs, we wouldn’t be talking about a deal,” Trump said. “Japan is wanting to negotiate. India, the tariff king, also wants to negotiate.”
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Schrystia Freeland said in a joint statement the new deal “will strengthen the middle class, and create good, well-paying jobs and new opportunities for the nearly half billion people who call North America home.”
The USMCA is regarded by some a big policy win for Trump and Republicans heading into the Nov. 6 midterm elections. It’s unclear how long it will take to ratify the deal, since the U.S., Mexican and Canadian governments must approve it.
Article Source :https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/daily-news-article/trump-kills-nafta-reaches-better-deal-with-canada-and-mexico/
1. repeal /verb : to revoke or withdraw formally or officially:
2. loophole /noun : an opening or aperture.
3. incorporate /verb : to put or introduce into a body or mass as an integral part or parts
4. rancher /noun : a person who owns or works on a ranch.
5. incentive / noun : something that incites or tends to incite to action or greater effort, as a reward offered for increasedproductivity.
6. tariff /noun : an official list or table showing the duties or customs imposed by a government on imports or exports.
7. ratify /verb : to confirm by expressing consent, approval, or formal sanction:
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. How did President Trump describe the new trade agreement he introduced in a press conference on Monday?
2. a) What is the name of the new trade deal the Trump administration signed with Canada?
b) What trade deal does it replace?
c) Name the third ｃountry that is a partner in this deal.
3. How much is the trade agreement the Trump administration made with the two ｃountries worth?
4. President Trump has used the slogan “Promises Made. Promises kept.” What campaign promise does the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal fulfill?
5. Peter Navarro is an economist and the Director of the White House National Trade Council. Watch the clip from an interview with Mr. Navarro (under “Resources” below). What is the tone of Mr. Navarro’s responses?