Select Page ::

Pat McAfee Inc. and FanDuel Group Expand Partnership, Announce First-Ever Official Partnership Between Legal Sportsbook and Sports Media Personality -…

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, FanDuel Group and Pat McAfee Inc. announced a broader extension of their relationship, designating FanDuel the full category exclusive sports betting, daily fantasy sports, casino, and horse racing provider for Pat McAfee Inc. A robust expansion of their current agreement, the announcement marks the first-of-its-kind official partnership between a legal Sportsbook and sports media personality.

FanDuel will now be a distributor of Pat McAfee content via FanDuel's owned and operated platforms. In addition, FanDuel and Pat McAfee are coming together to further bring sports betting into a legal, safe environment and deepen McAfee's relationship with the growing sports betting category. To further bring the partnership to life, FanDuel will be offering special odds boosts and unique promotions for FanDuel Sportsbook customers created by McAfee himself, giving sports fans a fun way to engage with McAfee throughout the year. The two parties will also work together to develop new talent under Pat McAfee Inc. to build a differentiated influencer network.

Watch Pat McAfees announcement on Twitter here.

"Pat McAfee is a star in the sports media world," said Matt King, Chief Executive Officer of FanDuel Group. "Our ability to evolve how we work together from a very successful affiliate relationship into a full-blown media partnership is something ground-breaking and incredibly exciting for McAfee fans and sports fans nationwide.

As part of the new, multi-year partnership, FanDuel becomes a fully ingrained part of Pat McAfee Inc., including Pat McAfee's daily shows, social media content, and podcasts. FanDuel will distribute the Pat McAfee Show airing nightly at 10 pm ET on SportsGrid which can be found on OTT providers such as Roku, Pluto, Xumo, and more. The Pat McAfee Show will also air on TVG -- FanDuel's nationally distributed horse racing television network that includes TVG, TVG2, and the Watch TVG OTT App -- with additional clips distributed on FanDuel owned and operated digital properties, syndication network, and social media channels.

"Pat has delivered incredible results and proves to be a key asset as we continue to elevate our media strategy," said Adam Kaplan, VP of Digital Content, FanDuel Group. "With the energy that Pat and his team bring, combined with his positive and uplifting approach to entertainment, I cant think of anyone better to be the face of our brand and content network.

"FanDuel has been an amazing partner of ours for the past year, and I've loved everything I've done with them whether it was helping launch mobile sports betting here in Indiana or the Spread The Love promotions," said Pat McAfee. "With this expanded partnership and FanDuels distribution and media muscle I cant think of a better place to reach and entertain sports fanatics. Together we will take the fan experience to new heights. I'm pumped for what the future brings."

About FanDuel Group

FanDuel Group is an innovative sports-tech entertainment company that is changing the way consumers engage with their favorite sports, teams, and leagues. The premier gaming destination in the United States, FanDuel Group consists of a portfolio of leading brands across gaming, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, advance-deposit wagering, and TV/media, including FanDuel, Betfair US, and TVG. FanDuel Group has a presence across 45 states and 8.5 million customers. The company is based in New York with offices in California, New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, and Scotland. FanDuel Group is a subsidiary of Flutter Entertainment plc, a leading international sports betting and gaming operator and a constituent of the FTSE 100 index of the London Stock Exchange.

See the rest here:

Pat McAfee Inc. and FanDuel Group Expand Partnership, Announce First-Ever Official Partnership Between Legal Sportsbook and Sports Media Personality -...

EveryMatrix Named Associate Member in European Lotteries Association – Latest Casino Bonuses

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

EveryMatrix has just unveiled that it joined the European Lotteries Association as an Associate Member. Famous as a B2B technology provider, the company will take the place next to the leading suppliers of lottery solutions.

European Lotteries Association is a prestigious organization, focused on three values - responsibility, sustainability, and integrity. It aims to protect customers in a rapid lottery sector. EveryMatrix, on the other hand, will be the perfect addition to the Association with its high-quality products, integrity standards, and adherence to responsible gambling.

Speaking on the new status, Group CEO of EveryMatrix, Ebbe Groes said:

We are happy to receive our Associate Member status in the European Lotteries Association. This is a recognition of EveryMatrix as a reliable partner in the lottery space and we are glad to be in such good company. The Associations responsible gambling policies and best practices should be the standard for any company in the iGaming space.

Supplying more than 120 clients in several regulated jurisdictions, EveryMatrix's goal is to support operators in delivering a one of a kind player experience. It currently offers services to multiple lotteries around Europe. The company has built its reputation as a reliable provider with a top-performing catalog of iGaming products.

EveryMatrix is a state of the art provider of modular and API products for casino, payments, sports betting, and affiliate/agent management. Its gaming products are created to support clients in delivering original ideas as well as an overwhelming player experience. The provider's products exist together and can be easily integrated with different platforms to meet the needs of clients including bookmakers, lotteries, and casino operators.

The European Lotteries is an organization of national lotteries providing games of chance for the community. It supplies both state-owned and private members, while offering high-quality services in different jurisdictions. Since its creation in 1983, the company has adhered to strict requirements of Swiss law with a center in Lausanne, Switzerland. Starting from 1999, the organization has been famous as The European Lotteries and included the sport betting brands to its membership.

Source:

EveryMatrix gains Associate Member status in the European Lotteries Association, everymatrix.com, July 9, 2020.

The rest is here:

EveryMatrix Named Associate Member in European Lotteries Association - Latest Casino Bonuses

Inside The World’s MOST Instagrammed Casino Resorts European Gaming Industry News – European Gaming Industry News

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

The VIE.gg CS:GO Legend Series will feature 12 teams from multiple European countries competing online for 50,000 in total prize money. The 5v5 tournament, which will be offered to customers on the VIE.gg platform, will be produced by Allied Esports from its HyperX Esports Studio in Hamburg, Germany and broadcast live onTwitch.tv/AlliedEsportswith a lineup of professional casters and analysts. Teams at Tier 2 or below that are interested in playing can apply online atAlliedEsports.gg/LegendSeriesstarting Wednesday, July 15. Invitations will be sent out to participating teams on Friday, July 17.

Were excited to partner with an industry leader, Allied Esports, as the title sponsor of their newest esports tournament, said Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group. Title sponsorship places the VIE.gg brand front and center for teams, fans and influencers alike, further accelerating user adoption of the VIE.gg platform.

Esports Entertainment Group offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at VIE.gg. The VIE.gg platform provides customers the ability to match bets against one another with Esports Entertainment Group taking a small commission on the winnings.

We believe that esports tournaments should not just be fun for participants, but also have the ability to help sponsors achieve their business goals, and our knowhow and portfolio of esports brands, arenas, mobile trucks and studios uniquely meet that need in todays ecosystem, said Frank Ng, CEO of Allied Esports Entertainment. The Legend Series has been one of our most successful original tournament brands and we are thrilled to work with Esports Entertainment Group and the VIE.gg platform to add a wagering component that will introduce Allied Esports to new consumers and elevate the brand even further.

Created in 2017, Allied Esports original Legend Series tournament brand was designed to expand the competitive ecosystem and total prize pool for second and third tier teams. The VIE.gg CS:GO Legend Series will be Allied Esports sixth edition of the CS:GO Legend Series and the first to feature a licensing partner and title sponsor. Additional versions of the series have previously included Overwatch, League of Legends, FIFA, COD Blackout and Valorant.

Allied Esports two-week, high-intensity CS:GO Legend Series format includes 11 consecutive days of single matches where teams will accumulate points and prize money for each win. The top eight teams from the first round will advance to a best-of-three bracket played over the last three days of the tournament.

Were excited to play a role in providing a platform for smaller teams to compete for prize money, commented Magnus Leppaniemi, VP of Marketing and Head of Esports at Esports Entertainment Group. While the largest esports teams earned tens of millions of dollars in prize money last year, there are hundreds of smaller teams that get excluded from the flagship competitions. The VIE.gg CS:GO Legend Series is our first effort at working to fill this void, and we look forward to getting involved in more events like this moving forward.

About Allied Esports

Named one of the Worlds Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company, Allied Esports International, Inc. is at the forefront of esports entertainment with a global network of properties designed to serve as competition battlegrounds, community experience hubs and content production centers.

Through direct operation or membership in the Allied Esports Property Network, the worlds first esports affiliate program, Allied Esports facilities span North America, Europe, China and Australia, and include the world-renowned HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas, a fleet of mobile arenas, the HyperX Esports Trucks, and the HyperX Esports Studio in Hamburg, Germany.

Allied Esports properties serve as the home to a number of online and offline proprietary productions and events, including Friday Frags and Saturday Night Speedway, as well as original partner programs like the Simon Cup.

For more information about Allied Esports, visitAlliedEsports.ggand follow@AlliedEsports. Allied Esports International, Inc. is a subsidiary of Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc.

About Allied Esports Entertainment

Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: AESE) is a global leader in esports entertainment, providing innovative infrastructure, transformative live experiences, multiplatform content and interactive services to audiences worldwide through its strategic fusion of two powerful brands: Allied Esports and the World Poker Tour (WPT). For more information, visitAlliedEsportsEnt.com.

About Esports Entertainment Group

Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. The Company holds a license to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Malta and Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands and is able to accept wagers from over 149 jurisdictions including Canada, Japan, Germany and South Africa. Esports Entertainment offers fantasy, pools, fixed odds and exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player mobile and PC video game tournaments for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry professionals and technical experts from the online gambling and the video game industries, and esports. The Company maintains offices in Malta. For more information visitwww.esportsentertainmentgroup.com

Here is the original post:

Inside The World's MOST Instagrammed Casino Resorts European Gaming Industry News - European Gaming Industry News

Inside the luxury nuclear bunker protecting the mega-rich from the apocalypse – CNET

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

For most of my adult life, I've had an apocalypse plan.

It's been straightforward. Grab my go bag, drive out to a shack in the woods, then hunker down under the floorboards eating canned food through the valve in my gas mask, waiting for the nukes to drop.

But after visiting my first real nuclear bunker, my apocalypse plan has been upgraded. Now my list of needs includes "underground swimming pool" and "postapocalyptic rock-climbing wall." I've become fussy about how I'll spend time during the planet's dying breaths. My bug-out bag has gotten bougie. I've seen the world's most high-tech bunker, and I want in.

Welcome to the Survival Condo. This former Atlas Missile silo turned luxury condominium complex offers the world's rich and powerful a chance to buy into the ultimate life insurance: an apocalypse bunker that promises the perfect combination of shelter and style.

The Survival Condo has a lot of the hallmarks of your standard fallout shelter. It's underground (200 feet underground, in the middle of rural Kansas, 200 miles from Kansas City). It was built during the Cold War (as a nuclear missile launch facility). It's also been retrofitted with nine-foot-thick reinforced concrete walls designed to survive everything from tornadoes to 12-kiloton nuclear warheads dropping half a mile away.

This story is part of Hacking the Apocalypse, CNET's documentary series on the tech saving us from the end of the world.

But if the proverbial hits the fan and you need a place to go, don't plan on coming here. Even if you could find it (the location is secret), the bunker is guarded 24 hours a day. Besides, that's not even your main problem. Your biggest barrier to getting in? This kind of security comes at a price.

The starting cost for a unit in this complex is $1 million, plus an extra $2,500 per month in dues to cover your living expenses: electricity, water, internet, all the tinned eggs you could dream of.

For the ultra-rich and paranoid, though, you can't put a price on safety. When nuclear war is on our doorstep, do you think the world's rich and powerful will be quaking in the streets? Hell no. They're going underground. And I'm determined to join them.

Hacking the Apocalypseis CNET's new documentary series digging into the science and technology that could save us from the end of the world. You can check out our episodes onPandemic,Nuclear Winter,Global Drought,Tsunamis,CryonicsandEscaping the Planetand see the full series onYouTube.

Nuclear winter isn't like spending Christmas upstate. It's a global nightmare realm, where Ice Age-like temperatures last for years, populations perish and life as we know it becomes the stuff of sci-fi nightmares.

At least that's according to Brian Toon, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Colorado and world-renowned expert on the global effects of nuclear war.

I met with Toon in his offices in Boulder, Colorado, to learn about exactly what happens when a 100-kiloton nuclear weapon falls.

After a nuclear blast, smoke gets pushed into the stratosphere where it can block out sunlight for years.

"If you get within a mile or so, the pressure wave is so intense it will blow down concrete buildings," says Toon. "And somewhere in that zone, there's a blast of radiation ... and basically half of the people exposed to that would die over a week or two from radiation burns on their skin and radiation poisoning."

Toon says a nuclear explosion is like "bringing a piece of the sun down to the Earth," and the aftermath of that kind of explosion causes huge fires -- think citywide infernos. Those fires push huge amounts of smoke up into the stratosphere. And because it never rains in the stratosphere, sunlight can't reach Earth. Welcome to nuclear winter.

The pressure wave is so intense it will blow down concrete buildings.

Professor Brian Toon

"The temperatures become colder than the last Ice Age," says Toon. "So we have sub-Ice Age temperatures over the whole planet for about 10 years."

That's exactly why the Survival Condo exists -- to protect the mega-rich from the devastation of global nuclear war, and to make sure the world's most powerful people can survive in comfort, rather than shivering in the wasteland, waiting to have their billionaire brains eaten by hungry hordes.

The Survival Condo sits behind a barbed-wire fence that's guarded 24/7.

It took three hours to get to the Survival Condo from the Kansas City airport, though your mileage may vary (citywide evacuations and blown-out bridges will add travel time). But after passing broad fields and bright red barns, I've found what I came for: The best the world has to offer in high-tech apocalypse prepping.

From the outside it doesn't look like much. A guard behind a barbed-wire fence. A wind turbine quietly turning in the breeze. Carefully placed surveillance cameras. And two eight-ton doors set into the nondescript hill in front of us. But this isn't some foxhole in the middle of nowhere. Inside is one of the most luxurious and unusual apartment complexes you're likely to find.

After I'm ushered through the perimeter fence, the massive doors in the hill open and I'm greeted by Larry Hall, the owner of the Survival Condo. He's a burly man with a firm handshake, and he's the picture of Kansas hospitality -- he invites me into the bunker like a neighbor having me over for Sunday afternoon beers.

The Survival Condo descends 15 floors and 200 feet underground.

But as we step inside, I realize this is no ordinary house tour. Despite the glaring sun outside, the air inside is cool and still. My footsteps echo on cold concrete. And as the eight-ton doors slam behind me with a resounding bang, it occurs to me I'm essentially trapped. There's no way I'd be able to get out of here on my own.

I'm at the very top of a bunker that descends 15 floors and 200 feet underground. On this upper level, a wide dome set into the hill houses the main entry and communal recreation facilities. That's where you'll find the pet park, climbing wall and swimming pool (complete with a water slide).

Beneath the dome, the cylindrical silo houses a further 14 floors -- the top three floors are where you'll find the mechanical rooms, medical facilities and a food store (complete with a full hydroponics and aquaculture setup), followed beneath by seven levels of residential condos. At the bottom, the final four floors house the classroom and library, a cinema and bar, and a workout room (with a sauna).

As we make our way through the main entry chamber (which acts as a protected car park if residents need to unpack their all-terrain vehicle during lockdown), Hall talks me through the layout, rattling off a baffling array of features like ballistic walls and bulletproof doors. We kick things off in the "entrapment area."

"If there's rioting or food shortages, that's a normal thing," Hall says, referring to the kind of run-of-the-mill emergencies you might find in the apocalypse.

"But what if there's radiation because of a dirty bomb? You would have to go in this room, which is a decontamination scrub room. The chemicals in here can take care of everything. We have iodine pills to treat you for radiation, we have Geiger counters that detect radiation, and we have special chemicals to scrub both biological and radioactive contaminants from you. But you would lose your clothes. You'd be naked and afraid."

As we wind our way through the Survival Condo, it's like I'm in an episode of Cribz, set in a dark, alternate reality. This is where we keep the camo gear! This is the gun range! Here's how we scrub the volcanic ash out of the air in the event of a supervolcano!

I don't even own a gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire room. The Survival Condo on the other hand...

A short elevator ride down to the cinema level, and we stop to scroll through the 2,000 films on the Survival Condo's internal database (we settle on Armageddon). I head to the gym and try out the exercise bike and sauna room. We pop into the school room and walk past a row of sleek iMacs, still in their plastic wrapping, awaiting the classroom of students that may never come.

The computers here are also equipped with internet... sort of. Everyone who has bought a unit in the Survival Condo has also provided a list of their interests: woodworking, knitting, post-apocalyptic survivalism. Hall and his team feed those keywords into software that crawls the internet, downloading and caching information and websites for each resident.

"So in the event that we had a catastrophe where the internet went down, we would have downloaded a lot of medical information and survival and hobby information for our residents so that they could still use their search engine," Hall says.

After touring the shared facilities, we get a look inside the condos themselves. These aren't the tiny panic rooms I'd been expecting -- they feel like units in a new apartment complex in San Francisco or Manhattan. The kitchens are full of stainless steel appliances, a Sub-Zero fridge here, a Wolf cooktop there. There are brand-new couches, untouched coffee tables and beds that are, frankly, way more comfortable than my bed back home.

The underground units inside the Survival Condo feature TVs instead of windows, showing a view of the outside world.

In the bathroom, an automated bidet awaits. While it's not my first preference in post-ablution freshness (I tried once, there was a lot of shrieking), Larry Hall tells us the complex was designed with long stays in mind -- up to five years. The amount of toilet paper required for the maximum occupancy of 75 people over five years would fill an entire floor of the condo. Turns out everybody poops, but in the apocalypse, you're going to have to do it without TP.

Toilets aside, I could see myself living here. It doesn't feel cramped, and that's probably because of the view. In a decorating touch straight out of Back to the Future II, TV panels built into the walls of each condo act as high-tech "windows" to show residents the real world.

As a bonus, if the world is really ending, these windows display a real-time view of the carnage outside, thanks to the Survival Condo's external surveillance cameras. Everyone come to the kitchen! The surface-dwellers are hunting in packs now!

Down the road from the Survival Condo, Hall has secured a second missile silo he plans to convert into an even bigger bunker. Right now this space isn't much more than a concrete shell, but it gives me a sense of the scale of the kitted-out bunker I've just visited. The deep silo has been divided up with new concrete floors, but an elevator shaft cut down the middle gives me a giddying view of just how deep this place goes.

This missile silo, which will be converted into a second Survival Condo, still has the original blast doors built during the Cold War.

Down a side passage, separated from the main silo by massive blast doors, we find the original living quarters for the military personnel who staffed this facility during the 1960s, living and working in cramped rooms for two weeks at a time. The place looks like a scene from the game Half-Life: peeling paint, rusted metal, old bathroom stalls that definitely look haunted.

The original Atlas Missile Silos were built to house America's nuclear missiles during the Cold War.

This place is a Cold War relic now, but Hall plans to spend the next two years retrofitting it to create another luxury bunker. Given that it's three times the size of the original Survival Condo, he's expecting a price tag of $50 million to $60 million on the build, but he already has a waiting list of people interested in buying the new units. Clearly, business is booming.

Getting a bolt-hole in one of these bunkers doesn't come cheap, however. The smallest half-floor unit in the original Survival Condo sells for $1 million, while the large, full-floor units go for up to $3 million.

Despite that high cost, Hall says his clients are willing to spend the money.

"All of our people are self-made millionaires," Hall tells me. "They're very successful: doctors, engineers, lawyers, international business people... almost all of them have children. And they're concerned about the 'what if' scenario."

Hall rattles off a list of potential "what ifs": Superstorm Sandy, tsunamis, Pacific earthquakes, hurricanes in Texas, global climate change, food shortages, economic collapse, meteorite impact, solar flares...

"If those are the kind of things that bother you, this is the kind of facility it takes to not worry," he says.

All of our people are self-made millionaires... and they're concerned about the 'what if' scenario.

Larry Hall

Those are the kinds of things that bother me, Larry. But frankly, I'm learning that I can't really afford to be worried. I don't have the money to buy a pied--terre in Kansas, just in case.

I don't own a bulletproof, extended-range vehicle to get me there, and you'd better believe I don't have a private jet waiting in the garage.

I realize with a kind of cold, inevitable terror that I've been blessed with nuclear fears and a tin-foil-hat budget.

I guess there's a grim irony in the idea that even when the nukes drop and the very fabric of society has disintegrated beyond recognition, the rich and powerful will still have it better off than the rest of us.

We'll still be a society of haves and have-nots. Except in this case, the haves will be watching Armageddon from the comfort of their air-conditioned, underground cinema. And the have-nots will be out in the wilderness, freezing through nuclear winter and picking over the bones of our loved ones, trying to survive the real thing.

Follow this link:

Inside the luxury nuclear bunker protecting the mega-rich from the apocalypse - CNET

Travelers Should Wear to Care" in the New Normal, Says WTTC – Travel Agent

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has called upon all travelers to don protective face masks to show they wear to care in the "new normal" of traveling. As countries transition from lockdowns to reopening their borders, the wearing of face masks helps signal the return of safer travels, while providing personal protection for users, as well as those around them.

The advice from WTTC in favor of mandatory mask wearing comes from evidence that countries that are recovering faster and avoiding second COVID-19 spikes are those where the use of face masks have been widely enforced and encouraged.

Following medical guidance from theHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, WTTC advises the wearing of masks on all forms of transport throughout the entire traveler journey, as well as when visiting any interior venue or those with restricted movement which results in close personal contact of two meters or less. WTTC has asked governments around the globe to enforce the wearing of face masks, as well as enlisting the support of the private sector to remind customers of their obligations to protect their health and that of fellow travelers.

Like this story? Subscribe to Daily News & Deals!

Featuring breaking news on the latest product launches, deals, sales promotions, and executive appointments. Be sure to sign-up for this free industry daily newsletter.

Travelers around the world are being encouraged to join in the WTTC social media campaign, which is launching with the hashtag #wear2care.

The new recommendations follow in the wake of WTTC recently issuing its new guidelines for Safe & Seamless Travel including testing and tracing to ensure people can enjoy Safe Travels in the "new normal."

Ramon Snchez, principal investigator and research associate at Harvard University, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a press announcement, Wearing face masks has been proven to provide the highest level of protection against transmission at 82 percent. Constant hand hygiene and surface cleaning, which kills more than 90 percent of viruses that are found on surfaces, also prevents the virus from reaching the face from the hands.

The public should keep a two-meter (six-foot) distance whenever they can; however, if that simply isnt possible, people should increase the ventilation around them. Inside buildings this can be done by opening doors and windows which decreases the viral concentration by more than 70 percent.

Mechanical ventilation, such as air conditioning decreases it by 80 percent, while going outdoors proves more effective by decreasing the viral concentration between 90 percent and 95 percent.

Visit https://wttc.org/.

Stats: 32% of Americans Definitely Plan to Fly in 2020

Carnival Corp., WTTC Plan Global Summit to Share COVID-19 Intel

RCL Group, NCLH Partner on Panel, Submit Separate CDC Plans

WTTC Lays Out Guidelines for Safe Travel in the New Normal

Read the original here:

Travelers Should Wear to Care" in the New Normal, Says WTTC - Travel Agent

Famous Athlone pub among the oldest companies in the world – IrishCentral

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

An Irish pub in Anthlone, Co Westmeath, has been recognized as one of the oldest companies in the world.

Sen's Bar, which is over 1,100 years old, holds the Guinness World record for the oldest pub in Ireland and is also believed to be the oldest in all of Europe, and possibly the entire world.

The pub was established in 900 as an inn by a man named Luain Mac Luighdeach, who acted as a guide to travelers crossing the treacherous River Shannon. The business has remained strong, until it was forced to temporarily close its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read More: Look inside Irelands oldest pub - it might be the oldest in the world

The French History Podcast shared a list of 32 oldest companies and the world and Sens Bar came in at number 10. It is the only Irish company on the list.

The oldest corporations in the world. The Monnaie de Paris is among the oldest, and has been in operation since 864, when Charles the Bald was king of France. (Charles was Charlemagne's grandson). pic.twitter.com/QAwh5Qvj5O

According to the podcast, hosted by PHD candidate Gary Girod, Sen's Bar is the oldest pub in the world. It is closely followed by The Bingly Arms, which was established fifty-three years later in the UK. These are the only two pubs on the list, with hotels making up a quarter of the list, The Irish Post reports.

A large portion of the companies can be found in Japan, which claims the top five oldest corporations. Number one on the list is Kongo Gumi, a Japanese construction company. It was established in 578 and has been in business for 1,442 years!

Read More: The surprising reason why Irish pubs around the world all look the same

Sen's Bar will be back to serving customer later this month; meanwhile, here is the list of the top 10 oldest companies in the world:

1 Kongo Gumi Construction, est. 578 (Japan)

2 Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan Hotel, est.705 (Japan)

3 Koman Hotel, est. 717 (Hotel)

4 Hoshi Ryokan Hotel, est. 718 (Japan)

5 Gena Shigyo Ceremonial Paper Goods, est. 771 (Japan)

6 St Peter Stiftskulinarium Restaurant, est. 803 (Austria)

7 Staffelter Hof Winery , est. 862 (Germany)

8 Monnaie de Paris Mint, est.864 (France)

9 Tanaka-Iga Religious Goods, est. 885 (Japan)

10 Sen's Bar, est. 900 (Ireland)

See the original post here:

Famous Athlone pub among the oldest companies in the world - IrishCentral

Sony BBC Earths Couch Travel Anthology with Simon Reeve, Sue Perkins and Romesh Ranganathan brings home the world – The Hindu

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

Im indulging in a bit of fantasy travel and documenting my photographs at the moment, says Simon Reeve over phone from London where he is in lockdown. Its difficult to say how travel will play out post-pandemic, he adds.

But until the world opens up again to the wanderer, Reeve, British author of books on international terrorism, history and travelogues, and two other presenters will give us exotic places to discover from the safety of our homes.

Sony BBC Earths Couch Travel Anthology will take viewers to well-known and not-so-known countries across the globe and go beyond the tropes of happy tourist sites to discover the mystique of these places.

This is nothing out of the ordinary for Reeve, 48, who has made a career travelling to dangerous destinations. He has found himself folding his 63 frame into the back of a gun-mounted open truck while rebel gangs challenged each other on the war-torn streets of Mogadishu, hunted with the bushmen of the Kalahari, cried at the sight of Rohingya camps, ziplined into Myanmar from Manipur, and roamed the forgotten citadels of Central Asia. He has visited nearly 130 countries, made 22 travel programmes for television, authored three best-sellers among his many books, and received a One World Broadcasting Trust award and the Ness Award in 2012 from the Royal Geographic Society.

Alongside Reeve, who will present Russia, Turkey, the Caribbean, Cuba, Colombia, Cuba and Myanmar, Couch Travel Anthology also has British comedian and actor Sue Perkins(Japan), and stand-up comic-actor Romesh Ranganathan(travel misadventures).

Doing it his way

For Couch Travel Anthology I chose some of the countries, the producer chose others. It includes an incredible variety of places, says Reeve. Travelling with a cameraman, producer, director and a local guide, Reeve admits that it sometimes takes three weeks to film an hour of television. It takes longer if I need to strike a rapport. Thats where local guides or fixers help. They sort out permits, translate and help curate the travel; they enrich your experience, he says.

Reeve admits that travelling to present unknown facets of a country takes many visits and an eye for experiences that fall through the gaps. Travellers like to tick off how many countries they have been to. But you could go to places like India or Brazil 20 times and still find new experiences. Ive been to India nine times and found dramatically different stories, and not in just terms of geography or culture. Finding extraordinary human beings is the real beauty of travelling. There are seven billion people on the planet and all their stories can be beautiful, he adds.

To decipher the focus of the series involves a lot of research. We do loads of it, says Reeve. You can turn up in a place and enjoy the experience but its not the same when you are filming a series. There is a joy when you prepare in advance, in reading up; you savour the place. We talk to our guides and plan what you may be allowed to film and who will be in it. Sometimes, the filming is spontaneous. You see something and stop; the schedules are not set in concrete.

For the series shot in Myanmar, Reeve says he was on the move every day. It took us a month to cover Burma, moving across Malawmyine, Yangon, Naypyitaw, Bagan, Mandalay and the Shan state. Travelling around the Caribbean was action-packed with incredible beaches that hide the harsh reality of these places, he says.

Reeve adds that travelling enables him to see the world in shades of light and dark. Writing doesnt come easy to me, Ive had to shed sweat and blood for my books, he says. I have had an incredible education through travel. I love my job but Im away for five months a year. I miss my nine-year-old son then. One day I hope to be able to stand on a hill and share the view with him.

Couch Travel Anthology is on SONY BBC Earth on July 13 at 10pm

You have reached your limit for free articles this month.

To get full access, please subscribe.

Already have an account ? Sign in

Show Less Plan

Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.

Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.

Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.

A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.

A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.

We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.

*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper ,crossword, iPhone, iPad mobile applications and print. Our plans enhance your reading experience.

Link:

Sony BBC Earths Couch Travel Anthology with Simon Reeve, Sue Perkins and Romesh Ranganathan brings home the world - The Hindu

Travel updates: Backlash against ‘lunatic’ cruise ban as other holiday restrictions ease – The Telegraph

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

As most Britons are today finallyfree to take their much-longed-for summer holidays without facing a 14-day quarantine upon their return, thecruise industry remains paralysed.

The UK Government has updated its guidance for cruise ships, advising all British people to avoid travelling on them. Minister Caroline Dinenage indicated this would stay in place "probably until October", and a government rep told The Telegraph today it was to avoid the risk of repatriations.

"In a week when weve quite rightly seen financial help for the struggling hospitality sector, the cruise industry, worth 10 billion a year to the UK economy and responsible for almost 90,000 jobs when you factor in cruise line employees, travel agencies, port staff, catering companies and more, gets a sharp boot in the teeth," argues Telegraph Travel's cruise expert Jane Archer, dismissing the stance as a "lunatic" ban.

Meanwhile,mandatory self-isolation hasbeen dropped for arrivals into England, Wales and Northern Ireland from a list of 75countries, including Spain, France andItaly. Scotland similarly eased restrictions but has notably left Spain off its quarantine exemption list, to the ire of many, thanks to its "significantly higher prevalence" Covid-19 infections.

These policies are subject to change, the Government has warned.Already, Serbia has been removed from England's list of quarantine-free countries on the very day the policy came into force.

Still, for many holidaymakers, this day marks a major step towards freedom in the new normal. Early flights todayincluded Malaga from Stansted, Palma from Gatwick and Barcelona from Heathrow.

What will this new normal look like? Muzzled. Yesterday, thechief executive of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), saidface masks should be mandatory for all forms of travel and in any indoor spaces from hotels and restaurants to cruise ships and bars.

Follow all the latest updates below.

See the rest here:

Travel updates: Backlash against 'lunatic' cruise ban as other holiday restrictions ease - The Telegraph

Flourishing Demand of Travel Medical Service Market to Witness Astonishing Growth by 2026 | Manor Medical Center, Saint Lucia Consulting, Concord…

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

Travel Medical Service Marketreport focused on the comprehensive analysis of current and future prospects of the Travel Medical Service industry. This report is a consolidation of primary and secondary research, which provides market size, share, dynamics, and forecast for various segments and sub-segments considering the macro and micro environmental factors. An in-depth analysis of past trends, future trends, demographics, technological advancements, and regulatory requirements for the Travel Medical Service market has been done in order to calculate the growth rates for each segment and sub-segments.

Get Sample Copy (Including FULL TOC, Graphs and Tables) of this report:

https://www.a2zmarketresearch.com/sample?reportId=270886

Top Key Vendors of this Market:

Manor Medical Center, Saint Lucia Consulting, Concord Healthcare Consulting, LAVION, Hopenoah, Ctrip International, Medretreat International, Icheckworld, Travelers Medical Service, UCLH, Passport Health, Travel Medicine & Vaccination Centre, e7 Health, EvergreenHealth, Global Travel Plus, World Travel Care, GMS (Group Medical Services), International Medical Services.

Note In order to provide more accurate market forecast, all our reports will be updated before delivery by considering the impact of COVID-19.

Various factors are responsible for the markets growth trajectory, which are studied at length in the report. In addition, the report lists down the restraints that are posing threat to the global Travel Medical Service market. It also gauges the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, threat from new entrants and product substitute, and the degree of competition prevailing in the market. The influence of the latest government guidelines is also analyzed in detail in the report. It studies the Travel Medical Service markets trajectory between forecast periods.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:

Market Penetration:Comprehensive information on the product portfolios of the top players in the Travel Medical Service market.

Product Development/Innovation:Detailed insights on the upcoming technologies, R&D activities, and product launches in the market.

Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of the market strategies, geographic and business segments of the leading players in the market.

Market Development:Comprehensive information about emerging markets. This report analyzes the market for various segments across geographies.

Market Diversification:Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the Travel Medical Service market.

Hurry Up! Get Upto 20% Discount on this Report:

https://www.a2zmarketresearch.com/discount?reportId=270886

The report summarized the high revenue that has been generated across locations like, North America, Japan, Europe, Asia, and India along with the facts and figures of Travel Medical Service market. It focuses on the major points, which are necessary to make positive impacts on the market policies, international transactions, speculation, and supply demand in the global market.

Global Travel Medical Service Market Segmentation:

Market Segmentation by Type:

Heavy Medical ModeLight Medical ModelComprehensive Health Care

Market Segmentation by Application:

Cosmetic MedicineDisease Treatment

Table of Contents

Global Travel Medical Service Market Research Report 2020 2026

Chapter 1 Travel Medical Service Market Overview

Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Industry

Chapter 3 Global Market Competition by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by Region

Chapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions

Chapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type

Chapter 7 Global Market Analysis by Application

Chapter 8 Manufacturing Cost Analysis

Chapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers

Chapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders

Chapter 11 Market Effect Factors Analysis

Chapter 12 Global Travel Medical Service Market Forecast

Buy Complete Report at2800 USD:

https://www.a2zmarketresearch.com/buy?reportId=270886

If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.

Read the original here:

Flourishing Demand of Travel Medical Service Market to Witness Astonishing Growth by 2026 | Manor Medical Center, Saint Lucia Consulting, Concord...

Global Honeymoon Tourism Market 2020 Trends, Outlook and Growth Opportunities and Forecast 2025 – Cole of Duty

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

This market research study determines the increase in changes and the aspects which are likely to have an impact on the growth of the Global Honeymoon Tourism Market. Increased demand for the technologies is also one of the factors, which are likely to boost the growth of the market research industry. The market research study uses several tools and techniques which are used for the determination of the growth of the Global Honeymoon Tourism Market.

Request a sample of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/4696406

The report is also used in the analysis of the growth rates and the threats of new entrants, which are used for the determination of the growth of the market for the estimated forecast period. Moreover, increased demand for the factors influencing the growth of the market is also one of the major aspects which is likely covered in depth in the report. One of the methods for the determination of the growth of the market is the increased use of the statistical tools, which is used for the estimation of the growth of the market for the estimated forecast period. SWOT and PESTEL analysis is one of the methods for the determination of the growth of the global Honeymoon Tourism market. These tools are also used for the determination of the major players for the growth of the market for the estimated forecast period.

Key vendors/manufacturers in the market:

The major players covered in Honeymoon Tourism are:Expedia GroupCorporate Travel ManagementHRG North AmericaPriceline GroupFareportal/TravelongAAA TravelTravel Leaders GroupBCD TravelAmerican Express Global Business TravelTravel and TransportMountain Travel SobekWorld Travel HoldingsChina CYTS Tours HoldingOvation Travel GroupWorld Travel Inc.JTB Americas GroupCarlson Wagonlit TravelOmega World TravelTUI AGChina Travel

Browse the complete report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-honeymoon-tourism-market-2020-by-company-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2025

This report focuses and highlights the strategies and the trends, in which the manufacturer and the company is likely to move. The research study is also known to provide in depth analysis of the reports which is one of the key aspects for the growth of the global Honeymoon Tourism market. The study covers the production, sales, and revenue of various top players in the global Honeymoon Tourism market, therefore enabling customers to achieve thorough information of the competition and henceforth plan accordingly to challenge them head on and grasp the maximum market share. This report is filled with significant statistics and information for the consumers to attain in-depth data of the Honeymoon Tourism and further Honeymoon Tourism growth.

Global Market By Type:

By Type, Honeymoon Tourism market has been segmented into:Below 7 days8~ 14 daysAbove 14 days

Global Market By Application:

By Application, Honeymoon Tourism has been segmented into:Below 20 Years20-30 Years30-40 Years40-50 YearsAbove 50 Years

Segment type is also an important aspect of any market research study. Reports are product based, they also includes information on sales channel, distributors, traders and dealers. This helps in efficient planning and execution of supply chain management as it drastically affects the overall operations of any business. The up-to-date, complete product knowledge, end users, industry growth will drive the profitability and revenue. Honeymoon Tourism report studies the current state of the market to analyze the future opportunities and risks.

Make an enquiry of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/4696406

About Us :

Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.

Hector CostelloSenior Manager Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: USA: +1 (972)-362-8199 | IND: +91 895 659 5155

Continue reading here:

Global Honeymoon Tourism Market 2020 Trends, Outlook and Growth Opportunities and Forecast 2025 - Cole of Duty

Experiential Travels Market Size By Product Analysis, Application, End-Users, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies And Forecast Up To 2026 – 3rd…

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

New Jersey, United States,- Latest update on Experiential Travels Market Analysis report published with extensive market research, Experiential Travels Market growth analysis, and forecast by 2026. this report is highly predictive as it holds the overall market analysis of topmost companies into the Experiential Travels industry. With the classified Experiential Travels market research based on various growing regions, this report provides leading players portfolio along with sales, growth, market share, and so on.

The research report of the Experiential Travels market is predicted to accrue a significant remuneration portfolio by the end of the predicted time period. It includes parameters with respect to the Experiential Travels market dynamics incorporating varied driving forces affecting the commercialization graph of this business vertical and risks prevailing in the sphere. In addition, it also speaks about the Experiential Travels Market growth opportunities in the industry.

Experiential Travels Market Report covers the manufacturers data, including shipment, price, revenue, gross profit, interview record, business distribution etc., these data help the consumer know about the competitors better. This report also covers all the regions and countries of the world, which shows a regional development status, including Experiential Travels market size, volume and value, as well as price data.

Experiential Travels Market competition by top Manufacturers:

Experiential Travels Market Classification by Types:

Experiential Travels Market Size by End-user Application:

Listing a few pointers from the report:

The objective of the Experiential Travels Market Report:

Cataloging the competitive terrain of the Experiential Travels market:

Unveiling the geographical penetration of the Experiential Travels market:

The report of the Experiential Travels market is an in-depth analysis of the business vertical projected to record a commendable annual growth rate over the estimated time period. It also comprises of a precise evaluation of the dynamics related to this marketplace. The purpose of the Experiential Travels Market report is to provide important information related to the industry deliverables such as market size, valuation forecast, sales volume, etc.

Major Highlights from Table of contents are listed below for quick lookup into Experiential Travels Market report

About Us:

Market Research Intellect provides syndicated and customized research reports to clients from various industries and organizations with the aim of delivering functional expertise. We provide reports for all industries including Energy, Technology, Manufacturing and Construction, Chemicals and Materials, Food and Beverage, and more. These reports deliver an in-depth study of the market with industry analysis, the market value for regions and countries, and trends that are pertinent to the industry.

Mr. Steven Fernandes

Market Research Intellect

New Jersey ( USA )

Tel: +1-650-781-4080

Four Vancouver hotels on new list of Top 10 Canada City Hotels – Vancouver Is Awesome

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

Travel in 2020 isn't what it was last year, but the hospitality and tourism industry is bracing for what they hope is an inevitable bounce-back. And there are still carry-overs from pre-pandemic times, like annual lists ranking destinations across the globe.

One such annual list - or rather set of lists - is the Travel + Leisure World Travel Awards. The publication surveys readers about travel experiences in the past year to create a multitude of rankings for destinations.

For 2020, the T+L World Travel Awards note that all the voting took place before cities went into "lockdown" or similar mode: "This years Worlds Best Awards survey closed on March 2, just before widespread stay-at-home orders were implemented as a result of COVID-19. The results, therefore, reflect our readers experiences before the pandemic."

While one B.C. property made the list of the world's Top 100 hotels - that's Tofino's Wickaninnish Inn on Vancouver Island at no. 80 - the list of the Top 10 Canada City Hotels features four Vancouver spots, including the top two spots: Loden Hotel and the Rosewood Hotel Georgia.

Rounding out the Vancouver representation are theWedgewood Hotel & Spa in seventh position, andThe Fairmont Waterfront in a tie for 10th place.

Here's how the Loden, a boutique Coal Harbour property, got to the top spot, according to T+L:

"This hotel in Vancouvers scenic Coal Harbour neighborhood keeps climbing the rankings. Last year, the Loden was ranked second, after coming in 10th in 2018. As in previous years, our readers applauded the hotels legendary, thoughtful service. 'The staff are amazing,' wrote one respondent, also praising its waterfront location and stylish, comfortable interiors, which feature floor-to-ceiling windows and Philippe Starck light fixtures. Dont miss a meal at the Tableau Bar Bistro, beloved by travelers and locals alike, as well as a spin around nearby Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre rain forest surrounded by water, on one of the Lodens cruiser bikes."

"We hope that this years honorees will inspire your trips to come whenever they may be," adds Travel + Leisure of this year's rankings. If you're sticking in Canada, plotting a Vancouver staycation, or are just continuing to add to your bucket list, consider this some fuel.

1. Loden Hotel, Vancouver

2. Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver

3. The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal

4. Htel Nelligan, Montreal

5. Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City

6. The Drake, Toronto

7. Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, Vancouver

8. The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto

9. Fairmont Le Chteau Frontenac, Quebec City

10. (tie) The Fairmont Royal York, Toronto

10. (tie) The Fairmont Waterfront, Vancouver

See the rest here:

Four Vancouver hotels on new list of Top 10 Canada City Hotels - Vancouver Is Awesome

Alternative Tourism Market Size, Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts to…

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

The Global Alternative Tourism market study focuses on major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. It provides information on trends and developments, and focuses on markets and materials, capacities and technologies, and on the changing structure.

The Alternative Tourism Market Research Report aims to provide insights that strongly demonstrate the Alternative Tourism Market structure, scope, history, potential, and development perspective. By crossing through the historical and present Alternative Tourism Market status, the Alternative Tourism Market report provides authentic and reliable estimates for the forecast period. The Best part of this report is, this analyses the current state where all are fighting with the COVID-19, The report also provides the Alternative Tourism Market impact and new opportunities created due to the Covid19 catastrophe.

The report also presents a thorough qualitative and quantitative data pertaining to the projected impact of these factors on markets future growth prospects. With the inclusive market data concerning the key elements and segments of the global Alternative Tourism market that can influence the growth prospects of the market, the report makes for a highly informative document.

Request a sample Report of Alternative Tourism Market at:https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/2568168

Key pointers underlined in the Alternative Tourism market report:

An overview of the regional terrain of the Alternative Tourism market:

Other inferences that will shape the revenue graph of the Alternative Tourism market:

Competitive Landscape and Alternative Tourism Market Share Analysis

Alternative Tourism market competitive landscape provides details and data information by players. The report offers comprehensive analysis and accurate statistics on revenue by the player for the period 2015-2020. It also offers detailed analysis supported by reliable statistics on revenue (global and regional level) by players for the period 2015-2020. Details included are company description, major business, company total revenue and the sales, revenue generated in Alternative Tourism business, the date to enter into the Alternative Tourism market, Alternative Tourism product introduction, recent developments, etc.

Elaborating on the competitive dynamics of the Alternative Tourism market:

Ask for Discount on Alternative Tourism Market Report at:https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/2568168

Report Highlights:

Key Questions Answered In The Report:

For More Details On this Report: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-alternative-tourism-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026

Related Reports:

1. Global Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) Market Size, Status and Forecast 2020-2026Read More: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-energy-as-a-service-eaas-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026

2. Global Intelligent Network Market Size, Status and Forecast 2020-2026Read More: https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-intelligent-network-market-size-status-and-forecast-2020-2026

See original here:

Alternative Tourism Market Size, Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts to...

The Age of Covid: A look at the worlds daily commute and travel – Daily Maverick

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

TOKYO, JAPAN - MAY 19: A man wearing a face mask walks over a pedestrian crossing on May 19, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan. As Tokyo remains under a state of emergency, Japans Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, confirmed yesterday that the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has plunged the country, the worlds third largest economy, into recession. To date, Japan has recorded 16,305 infections, 749 deaths and 11,564 recoveries from the virus. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

A warm thank you to Kim McCarthy from Gallo Images for her generous help in the production of this image selection. DM/ ML

Missed the last edition of Our World in Pictures? Click below to watch the selection of images We will always have cats!

We will always have cats!

Please note you must be a Maverick Insider to comment. Sign up here or if you are already an Insider.

Read the original post:

The Age of Covid: A look at the worlds daily commute and travel - Daily Maverick

Massive Income Loss: Left Behind By the Coronavirus – DER SPIEGEL

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

ByTim Bartz,David Bcking,Markus Dettmer,Martin Hesse,Henning Jauernig,Anton RainerundAnne Seith

When Andrea Anneser took up her new job at the beginning of the year, she could hardly believe her luck. The 49-year-old had just moved to the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein after six years in Manchester. She describes herself as a "Brexit refugee who wanted to return to Germany before Britain fell into a crisis.

Everything was supposed to be better in Germany, where industry is strong and the future seemed secure. And indeed: A Hamburg company with a long history as a supplier to the ship and car industry hired her as a project manager. It was well-paid and seemed crisis-proof. "2020 was going to be my year, she says. Then the first news stories began to trickle in from China. And Anneser started worrying about her plan.

Anneser is responsible for customers in the Italian car industry. She how Fiats supply chains collapsed, followed by sales at the company she works for. Finally, her dream of a new life crumbled. She had to leave the company at the end of her probationary period.

Millions of people are losing out because of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus. The virus can kill -- and we are learning that it can also divide societies. Even a rich country like Germany can run into trouble if social harmony breaks down because economic damage cant be contained and burdens aren't distributed fairly.

"Germany Is Getting Poorer

The global economy has plunged into its deepest recession since the Great Depression of the late 1920s. As many as 200 million people worldwide are threatened by unemployment according to estimates from the International Labor Organization. More than 6 million Germans are currently furloughed from work as part of the federal governments heavily subsidized "Kurzarbeit program. Many are likely to be laid off in the coming months. "Let's not fool ourselves, work furlough will unfortunately end in unemployment for many," says Clemens Fuest, the head of Munichs Ifo Institute, a respected economic think tank. "Germany is getting poorer."

The article you are reading originally appeared in German in issue 28/2020 (July 04, 2020) of DER SPIEGEL.

Does this mean that the fat years of prosperity seen in Germany in recent years will be followed by leaner ones? Is society slipping -- faster, harder and more permanently than ever before in Germanys history?

A survey conducted on behalf of DER SPIEGEL by the opinion research institute Civey found that three-quarters of Germans expect inequality in the country to increase as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Young adults, in particular, are worried about what comes next. And it isnt just some abstract fear of inequality, either. One-third of Germans expect to see a drop in income and wealth for themselves this year. Thirty-six percent say they expect this to continue for the next three years.

The question of who will ultimately be left to foot the bill has already long since been raised.

The figures reflect a fear of decline in the middle of society that has not been tangible since the financial crisis of 2008. More than half of the self-employed expect lower incomes this year, and just under 50 percent of staff workers. Thirty- to 40-year-olds feel they are the hardest hit financially. Theyre often families with children who have had trouble coping with work and family life during the lockdown and social distancing.

Another respected economic think tank, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) is expecting gross domestic product (GDP) in Germany to shrink by 6.8 percent this year. Despite the massive subsidies, aid and loans that have been paid out by the government to help people and companies get through the coronavirus, that would mean a drop in the national income of 110 billion euros ($124.2 billion) compared to 2019. On average, each citizen, from infants to the elderly, will have 1,325 euros less at their disposal.

Visible Cracks

But the actual effect that the crisis triggered by the coronavirus will have is much higher, because in the absence of the pandemic, the economy probably would have grown rather than stagnated. "The economy will probably grow again strongly next year," says Gabriel Felbermayr, the president of the IfW. But that doesnt mean "that we will return to pre-crisis levels. Income of around 390 billion euros would be lost by the end of next year compared to the development that had been forecast before the coronavirus, even if the economy grows by 6 percent in 2021.

Germany isnt America, where inequality was already extremely high before the crisis and is now worsening dramatically. But the cracks are also visible in this country.

Some hardships and conflicts can still be glossed over with money from bailout packages, and the government also wants to introduce tax relief to the tune of billions of euros soon. But the question of who will ultimately be left to foot the bill has been around now for a while. What part of society ultimately stands to lose as a result of the crisis and which will get through it relatively unscathed? And how fairly will the burdens ultimately be shared?

Andrea Anneser, 49, a project manager, got dismissed from her new job at the end of the her probationary period because of the crisis triggered by the coronavirus.

The loss of her new job threw the Brexit refugee Anneser completely off course. "It was like I was paralyzed, she says. Anneser returned to her country after a long absence as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Finding a job had already been a challenge even before the coronavirus struck. How is that going to happen at all in the crisis?

In the history of postwar Germany, there has been no situation with the labor market comparable to whats happening today, not even the 2008 financial crisis. In June, the number of unemployed rose to 2.85 million. The German governments Institute for Employment Research expects that number to pass the 3 million mark soon assuming there isnt a second lockdown. If that happened, things would get even worse.

Experts at home and abroad have praised Germanys response to the coronavirus crisis. "Crisis Resilience Made in Germany, was the title of a recent study by Deutsche Bank. But even if the German model with its social market economy, national healthcare system and a comparably good social safety net initially proved its effectiveness during the pandemic, there is no guarantee of a rapid economic rebound. It is too soon to tell how the country will emerge from the crisis.

The most vulnerable are all the people who have no financial reserves almost a quarter of the population.

Imbalances are already visible. For example, a disproportionately high number of low-skilled workers have been furloughed, and they were also less likely to be able to work from home during the pandemic. And the self-employed and freelancers didnt even have access to the Kurzarbeit work furlough program. A gap is opening between the public and the private sectors. For example, artists working for publicly owned theaters were furloughed, but freelance artists didnt get anything. Civil servants didnt lose anything, but many freelancers slipped into the welfare rosters.

Economist Felbermayr thus advises that civil servants and public employees should also share some of the burden. He suggests that federal, state and local governments could each reduce salary increases by a certain percentage over the next few years in order to compensate for the loss of income among blue- and white-collar workers.

The most vulnerable are all the people who have no financial reserves almost a quarter of the population. The German Advisory Council for Consumer Affairs has examined the impact of the crisis on such households. The measure for the calculation is the housing cost burden ratio meaning the proportion of income spent on rent, utilities and housing-related costs. A household is considered overburdened if that figure rises to over 40 percent. For households without savings or reserves that limit is already exceeded if 200 euros a month less is coming in. And there are many people who fall into that category. Full-time employees have, on average, made 400 euros a month less in recent months.

Viviane Borytzka is a woman with many strengths. Shes keen to learn and work hard and knows how to approach customers the right way. Thats what it says on page 12 of her job application the result of a vocational aptitude test. Borytzka, 24, completed it in March before the pandemic put her career plans at risk. Shes proud of the results, even if theyre of little use to her at the moment.

Borytzka wants to become a veterinary nurse. "I applied for 12 apprenticeships and internships, and I had a personal interview for four of them, she says. But all have either not been back in touch with her or they have turned her down.

Its the 20- to 30-year olds, young professionals, who may stand to suffer the most from the consequences of the pandemic. The financial and debt crises of 2008 and 2012 showed how quickly youth unemployment will skyrocket if policymakers dont act in time. Young people in Spain, Greece and Italy are still struggling today with a labor market that can offer them little.

The crisis caused by the coronavirus also threatens to make this an acute problem in Germany, as well. Between January and May, 18.3 percent fewer contracts for traineeships were registered with the local chambers of craft industries. According to a poll conducted by the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH), one-quarter of companies stated that they intended to take on fewer trainees this autumn. Given that internships and job fairs havent taken place in recent months, many prospective vocational trainees still have no idea where they might get placements at the end of the summer, which is when apprenticeships generally begin in Germany.

The risk groups got mixed up during the economic crisis.

Politicians now want to create programs to help young adults whose careers have been stalled by the coronavirus. Companies with fewer than 250 employees that dont cut back on the number of apprentices they hire are to receive a payment of 2,000 euros for each new training contract. If the number of traineeships is increased, then that payment goes up to 3,000 euros. But will that be enough to motivate companies?

The risk groups got mixed up during the economic crisis. Older workers have been able to build up financial cushions over the years, and they are more likely to have permanent contracts or can possibly even retire early. Young people are often the first to lose their jobs. The young are also the ones who will have to pay off the 219 billion euros in debt the German federal government wants to borrow this year. The way that they view the country in the future will also depend on how the government treats them now.

When Germanys benchmark DAX index of blue-chip companies slipped to 8,442 points on March 18, Peter Hrle made a huge bet. "I only held onto a bit, just in case, the computer expert says on the phone. It was a first for the 35-year-old. High prices had repeatedly prevented him from investing his savings in shares. But when the virus sent share prices tumbling to their lowest levels in more than six years, Hrle knew. "Nows the time."

In the days that followed, he scraped together almost all of his savings, close to 20,000 euros, and invested in three technology stocks. One reason he was able to take such a risk was the good money he earns as a hardware developer for a company that provides traffic control systems.

Hrle was lucky. Since he bought his shares, the DAX has risen by just under 40 percent and his stocks have been performing even better than that. With his stock market coup, though, Hrle is more the exception than the rule in Germany. For many middle to low-income earners, stocks are still considered the realm of gamblers and savings are seen as the safer course of action. This is another reason that asset inequality has widened so steadily over the past 20 years.

The crisis has mercilessly exposed undesirable developments in retirement benefits, says Markus Grabka of German Institute for Economic Research (DIW). He has spent decades as the head of the Socio-Economic Panel, which regularly surveys 16,000 households to collect precise data on the reality of life in Germany.

The losers in the crisis caused by the coronavirus will be hit twice.

Overall, Germans are actually very rich, having accumulated 6.6 trillion euros in financial assets by the end of 2019. But there are few other countries in Europe where peoples money is as poorly invested and as unequally distributed. According to the Institute for Socio-Economics at the University of Duisburg-Essen, the bottom 50 percent of German society rarely owns more than one car and at best have only one retirement plan. Only 8 percent own their own home. The rest of their mini assets, which in the case of the lower quarter amounts to a maximum of only 6,200 euros, are usually kept in their bank accounts, which have been earning practically no interest for years. They seldom have stocks or shares in funds, so they wont benefit if stock markets continue to rise despite the crisis, thanks to persistently low interest rates.

At the top end of the scale, the world is a completely different place. Only 15 percent of Germans own stocks or shares in equity funds, but they tend to be among the richest 20 percent of the population. This fifth of the population owns its own property and often other properties too, for which it collects rent.

Grabka believes Germans are facing a big problem. The retirement benefits paid by the government wont be enough for many people, and private pension plans have become less and less profitable due to low interest rates. The crisis caused by the coronavirus is likely to exacerbate that problem. "There is major political and economic pressure on the ECB to keep interest rates very low for years to come," he says.

This means that the losers in the crisis caused by the coronavirus will be hit twice. Many low-income earners who have been furloughed or laid off because of the crisis have also had to stop making payments on their private supplementary pension plans because they dont have the money to pay the premiums.

And even some who invested money in shares during the good years and then lost their jobs or had to give up their business during the pandemic quickly find themselves having to dip into their savings and sell their shares. "The lower middle class is more likely to be affected by the realization of such losses," says Grabka, whereas the wealthy could probably sit out the turmoil on the stock markets.

The statistics are packed with socio-political dynamite. If the wealthy ultimately become uncoupled from the rest of the population during the crisis and if the middle class shrinks and poverty in old age becomes the norm, the conditions on which social harmony is based will crumble.

To prevent people with low incomes from sliding into old-age poverty, Grabka is calling for the fundamental reform of state support for private pensions. "When, if not now, in the corona crisis, does the political community want to develop an alternative to the failed Riester pension?" he asked, referring to the countrys government-subsidized secondary pension plan.

The DIW researcher advocates a Germany fund to which all employed persons pay into. He proposes that the government pay subsidies for people who are either unable to save or are only able to save a little by themselves. In the longer term, he argues, a fund like that with a significant stock component could generate returns of 6 to 7 percent. Sweden, where every employee is required to pay into such a fund, is a trailblazer. The risk would also be manageable in Germany because a government fund would be in a position to diversify its investments widely.

The Kraatz family, who live in the eastern state of Brandenburg, now have weeks of uncertainty behind them. Its not because of the collapse of the economy, but because their six-year-old son couldnt go to daycare for more than two months. Anke Kraatz and her husband had to continue going to work as usual. "We were still up to our necks in work, she says of the carpentry workshop where she is employed as an office worker. It wasnt possible for her to work from home. Meanwhile, her husband was travelling for his job as an installer for a prefabricated housing company.

"I seriously started crying when I heard that."

Millions of parents faced similar problems when schools and daycares closed in mid-March. It was also a problem for business, and it still is. Around a quarter of the workforce has young children in need of supervision. In a survey conducted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Berlin of around 500 companies, 76 percent of respondents reported weaker performance among their employees as a result of the closures; 67 percent said they had experienced difficulties in planning reliably; and 63 percent said their employees had reached their limits health-wise due to the additional workload.

Yet politicians still offered little help to families. In mid-May, a provision in the Infection Protection Act was extended. The state will now pay parents who must stay home to look after their children due to the pandemic, and who therefore can't work, 67 percent of their salary for 10 weeks. Per parent. That's four weeks longer than before.

Anke Kraatz, however, did not qualify for the assistance. "My boss immediately dismissed it when he heard about it. He couldn't have afforded that," she says. Every employee was needed, Kraatz was told. She's tried to find an emergency daycare slot for her son. Her application was rejected because neither Kraatz nor her husband worked in "critical infrastructure," as the Oberhavel district explained to them. When Kraatz called an "emergency hotline" and protested, she was told by a public servant on the other end of the line that if she couldn't find a solution, then she would just have to quit her job and apply for welfare. "I seriously started crying when I heard that," Kraatz says. "Who keeps the economy going around here, if not us?"

Anke Kraatz, 39, an office worker and mother, was told by a worker at a government help hotline that she might have to quit her job and go on welfare if she couldn't find a solution.

Meanwhile, Kraatz can breathe a sigh of relief. Since June 15, daycares in Brandenburg and other states have reopened. In August, when her son is scheduled to start school, classes will also be held normally again. Assuming, of course, that infection rates don't spike again.

If that happens, it'll be mothers like Kraatz who will have to pick up the slack. An online survey of 7,700 participants, conducted by the left-leaning Economic and Social Science Institute of the Hans Bckler Foundation at the beginning of the crisis, revealed that 27 percent of mothers had already reduced their working hours due to daycare and school closures. Among fathers, it was only 16 percent.

Economic disadvantages are also a threat to children involved. "Even with interruptions of a just few weeks" as a result of the pandemic, "long-term negative macroeconomic effects" can be expected, warns a group of education researchers in an appeal titled, "Make education possible."

In order to provide meaningful education in case of a second and third wave of infections, money must be invested now, says Christa Katharina Spiess, an education expert at DIW.

However, in the government's crisis planning to date, education and childcare have hardly played a role. In the federal government's 130 billion-euro economic stimulus package, there were a meager 3 billion euros earmarked for the expansion of schools and daycares. Another 4.3 billion euros were earmarked for a one-off "bonus" of 300 euros per child, which parents will now receive. "I find this response relatively unimaginative," says Spiess, "and, in relation, it's nowhere near enough."

Just half a year ago, Olaf Knieriem thought himself to be well on his way to a successful future. With his planning agency for trade show construction, Expoworks, he had had a turnover of 2 million euros, year after year. The order books for 2020 were full. Then the coronavirus hit. Knieriem sits with his son, Daniel, in the top-floor office of a multi-purpose building in Knllwald-Remsfeld, south of Kassel. The two seem simultaneously determined and powerless. According to the Munich-based Ifo Institute, the trade show, exhibition and congress industry generates an annual revenues of 8 billion euros. Around 60 percent of the world's leading trade shows are held in Germany. According to figures from the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry, the cancellation of more than 110 trade shows this year endangers around 92,000 jobs -- and several small companies, such as Expoworks.

In March, business collapsed. In April, the elder Knieriem realized the situation would remain dire until the end of the year. What's more: "The business model of trade show construction is on the line."

Those who cannot afford to invest now will fall by the wayside.

Knieriem has reduced the working hours of his six employees, received 10,000 euros in direct aid and reinvented his business model. Expoworks now offers complete solutions for companies that have to comply with new hygiene regulations due to the coronavirus. An airlock, an app for visitor management, consulting and training. Knieriem and his son have sent their offer to hospitals, public institutions, congress organizers and companies. There's interest, but no orders. The company is struggling to stay afloat. Knieriem is afraid to take out a loan because planning for the future is impossible and he doesn't know whether he'll ever be able to pay it back. "Things are falling apart in the trade show construction industry. Even larger companies are struggling to survive," he says.

In other sectors, too, the self-employed and small business owners are becoming less optimistic -- everyone from restaurateurs and movie theater operators to owners of travel agencies, specialist retailers and hairdressers. In a survey conducted by the DIW as part of the "Socio-Economic Panel," around 60 percent of self-employed workers said they had suffered a loss of income: on average, more than 1,200 euros a month. Almost half of them only have enough money to keep their business running for three months at most.

This could have fatal, long-term consequences for the country's entrepreneurship. Though Germans are traditionally less willing to take risks than others, in recent years, they've been somewhat bolder. "The recent positive attitude in Germany vis--vis startups and self-employment" is in danger of "being damaged," warns the DIW. This partly has to do with the self-employed feeling less supported by the state than formal employees.

The impact of the 50 billion euros in direct aid that was promised to those self-employed people who work alone, as well as to small companies, is also limited. They cover operating costs, but don't make up for lost wages. Many companies are also afraid that their turnover won't be as high as it once was. As is the case with the Knieriems, they're only able to continue working with restrictions in place.

This is made all the more dramatic as the pandemic accelerates digitalization. Those who cannot afford to invest now will fall by the wayside. "There will be a sharp rise in insolvencies from the second half of the year onwards, especially among small and medium-sized companies," says Achim Wambach, chairman of the Monopolies Commission. Competition and the pressure to innovate will be lost. As such, the pandemic will strengthen the market power of Amazon, Google and the like.

Governments are further distorting competition during the current crisis. For politicians, it's more attractive to support established companies where they know how many jobs they are saving.

Andr Schwmmlein, a co-founder of the long-distance bus and regional train operator FlixMobility, sees himself as a victim of new coronavirus policies. The company has grown out of its startup phase, but the coronavirus hasn't only come close to paralyzing the Munich-based company, it's also set it back in its competition with Deutsche Bahn. The government wants to inject 6.7 billion euros into Deutsche Bahn as compensation for lost revenue due to the virus. The figure is so high because Deutsche Bahn maintained its operations as widely as possible throughout the crisis. But for competition, it's a problem. "We can only cautiously increase our offer, because as a private company we have to make sure that we cover our costs," says Schwmmlein. Deutsche Bahn can keep running without worrying about losses because the state is footing the bill. In doing so, the government is pushing competitors out of the market.

Wolfgang Schmidt is more powerful than ever. The state secretary in the Ministry of Finance is the right-hand man to Olaf Scholz, the German finance minister -- and the person ultimately responsible for releasing up to 1.9 trillion euros in coronavirus aid. Schmidt can feel that the pandemic and the economic paralysis it has caused are changing something in the country. He can tell that much depends on how fairly the costs of the crisis are distributed.

Viviane Borytzka, 24, wants to become a veterinary nurse, but all her applications for vocational training spots have been rejected during the coronavirus crisis.

In phase one, the German government helped make up for part of the loss of income and keep companies afloat with its billion-euro rescue packages. Scholz and Economics Minister Peter Altmaier initiated phase two with the economic stimulus package at the beginning of June, which was aimed at incentivizing consumers to spend more. A debate over burden sharing is sure to come, Schmidt says. "But now, we're still in crisis management mode."

But this is already changing. The head of the Left Party's parliamentary group, Amira Mohamed Ali, for instance, doesn't think much of the 6-month-long, 20 billion-euro reduction in value added tax. Large companies aren't going to completely pass along the advantage anyway, and in the end, they'll end up benefitting more from it than smaller firms, she says. Instead, Ali says the federal government should have come up with more direct aid for small businesses, vouchers for consumers or augmented smaller pensions and welfare payments.

It's big vs. small. Poor vs. rich. The battle over distribution is on.

The co-leader of Germany's center-left Social Democrats, Saskia Esken, favors a wealth tax to force multimillionaires and billionaires to cover some of the costs of the coronavirus crisis. This could garner votes, but according to Grabka, the distribution researcher, it's not a good idea. "Using such a tax or levy to get entrepreneurs, who have suffered a great deal from the consequences of the pandemic, to help with the financing regardless of the revenues they generate, is economically questionable," he says. It could cost jobs.

As unified as politicians seemed when it came to the rescue packages, the various political camps are equally as divided over who should cover the costs. And they're becoming more entrenched: liberal vs. social, business-friendly vs. employee-friendly. Friedrich Merz, a candidate for the leadership of the Christian Democratic Party, wants to rethink all government services after the crisis. Schmidt, a Social Democrat, on the other hand, is pushing for a significant increase in the minimum wage. "This contempt for the state and the ideology of lowering taxes should be over by now," he says.

In the battle between leftists and liberals, one group could suffer more than others. It's the group upon which everything else in the country is built, whether economic strength, social cohesion or political peace: the middle class.

Ifo chief Fuest warns that the middle class is crumbling because the pandemic is intensifying structural change. He recommends spending more money on education in order to give more people better opportunities in the job market. But thanks to the school closures, a growing number of people, especially ones from educationally disadvantaged milieus, are losing access. "The inequality of opportunity is growing," says Fuest. "This is a particularly bitter form of inequality, and it has not yet been adequately addressed."

Go here to read the rest:

Massive Income Loss: Left Behind By the Coronavirus - DER SPIEGEL

The sharpest rises are taking unemployment to historic highs: Is Britain Returning To The 1930s? – FE News

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

SINCE end of the Second World, many people have seen the inter-war period as an age of instigated economy failure, marked by mass unemployment, hunger marches, including the famous Jarrow March of 1936 and lengthening dole queues. For the historian Claude Cockburn, this was the ''devil's decade''.

However, this popular view has been challenged by the author and broadcaster Stuart Maconie in his book, 'The Long Road to Jarrow.' He points out that, although there was great hardship, especially in the north of England, Wales and industrial Scotland in the 1930s, it was unevenly spread out.

The hardships were very real, particularly for those who lived in the depressed areas of Tyneside, Teeside and Co Durham. For instance, between 1854 and 1913, then output of British coal had grown from 65 to 287m tons. By 1934, it had fallen. In human terms, the ruin of the traditional industries such as shipbuilding and mining was the ruin of hundreds of thousands of men through mass unemployment.

Certainly, to live in Jarrow was a grimmer experience the to live in the Midland town of Market Harborough. In 1936, Jarrow resembled a ghost town, with over 80% of the town's men jobless.

And the Durham town of Ferryhill experienced 25% unemployment. The consequences were devastating - shops, pubs and other businesses were forced to close. Families fell into debt. Diets suffered and health -both physical and mental deteriorated. The dole was meagre. The hated 'mean-test' was often applied in a harsh and heartless manner.

Today unemployment across the UK is rising sharply. TheEmergency exit: How we get Britain back to workreport by the Learning and Work Institute points out ''the sharpest rises are taking unemployment to historic highs.''

The report states: ''Unemployment could rise above 15% in the second half of 2020, perhaps reaching levels last seen in 1938. This would mean in excess of of four million people out of work.''

According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies COVID-19 is having a disproportionate effect on the job prospects of groups that were more disadvantaged even before the crisis - young people, women, older workers and the low-paid. In the North East 17% are NEET, the highest in Britain and this is likely too treble by the end of 2020. In Newcastle-Upon-Tyne 8,000 adults are claiming jobseekers allowance, a figure that's likely to increase to 24,000 by 2021 unless drastic action is taken , warns the Local Government Association.

You are using adblocker please support us by whitelisting http://www.fenews.co.uk

YOUTH unemployment has been a big socio-economic problem in the UK for

Graham Hasting-Evans from @NOCNGroup discusses the Chancellors Summer

So the English Apprenticeship guarantee is here And although it

While central government has unveiled its 2b 'Kick-Start, job creation programme, aimed at jobless 16 to 24-year olds, the Learning and Work Institute is calling on the government to bring forward ''large-scale investment and incentives to create jobs with shovel-ready and jobs-rich schemes''.

Millions more experience the insecurity and low wages of the ''gig'' economy. There's been a sharp rise in precarious self-employment and zero-hour contracts. Under austerity, the number of northerners using food banks has soared. The Trussel Trust gave out over a million food parcels in 2019. Child poverty and mental ill-health have increased with 16,700 north-east youngsters at risk of falling through the net in the school and care system.

As Maconie notes: ''The '30s in some ways start to look very much like Britain today, once you've wiped away the soot and coal dust''.

Social class, for Maconie, is alive and well. It's the principal division of UK society as he reflects upon the north-south divide through his contemporary journey from the post-industrial towns of Jarrow and Barnsley to the southern market towns of Bedford and St. Albans. The former industrial town of Ferryhill, today is a ''mining town with no pit'', he writes.

Yet as the historians Cook and Stevenson, point out Birmingham, although hard-hit, escaped the worst ravages of the interwar recession, while the leafy suburban towns of the home counties remained untouched, with full employment. New council housing was being built for the so-called ''respectable working-class''. With interest rates low, new mock owner-occupied Tudor semis were being built on the fringes of London for professionals in the private sector.

Nor did the era produce a potential revolutionary situation or extremism as predicted by many contemporaries at the time. Although membership of the far-left Communist Party grew from 2,500 in 1930 to 17,500 by 1939, it made very few advances. Likewise Mosley's Fascist blackshirts during the period made little impact in the nation, even though his party had over 30,000 members by 1935.

The 1930s were, in several respects, period of growth and socio-economic expansion. The well-established light industries of the Midlands, although they had always met the demands of the domestic consumer, found themselves faced with a rapidly expanding mass market. Inexpensive consumer durables such as vacuum cleaners, radios and electric irons flooded the market and were bought in vast quantities by 1939.

Department stores, especially Woolworths, grew and expanded rapidly, selling a wide range of cosmetics and women's magazines. Today the retail and hospitality industry is on the brink of partial collapse due to the COVID-19 crisis.

As the 1930s witnessed marked shifts in the economy in both middle England and the south of the country, leisure to became transformed.

In 1920, there had been about half a million motor vehicles of all kinds. By 1932 there were three times as many. By 1939, that figure had doubled. Of the three million vehicles on the roads, two million were private cars. In Oxford, traffic jams had become a familiar bank holiday event. In 1931, only 1.5m people were entitled to a paid holiday. By 1938, this figure had risen to 11 million.

Caravans, Butlins holiday camps and cinemas were becoming a familiar sight. The number of visits to the '' picture houses'' rose from 36,000 in 1924 to eight million by 1935 with cinemas like the Odeon packed out every weekend.

Throughout the thirties, the cost of living fell by one third faster than wage rises. Those in secure employment like office workers and skilled artisans, who formed the majority, enjoyed a rise of 17% in real incomes from 1924 to 1935.

The author JB Priestly, in his book 'English Journey'', in 1934 was not slow in noticing the paradox that prevailed: mass unemployment and poverty for one section of the working class in the north and a rising standard of living for another in the south.

He wrote: ''This is the England of arterial and by-pass roads, of filling stations and factories that look like exhibition buildings, of giant cinemas and dance halls and cafes, bungalows with tiny garages, cocktail bars, motor coaches, wireless, hiking, factory girls looking like actresses, greyhound racing, swimming pools and everything given away fro cigarette coupons.''

Maconie argues that, 80 years on, we're going back to 1930s depression, deepening inequality in material condition and the growth of ''populism''. It can't be denied that we're seeing a widening gulf both between the North and South of England.

Just as worrying, we appear to witnessing a big gap opening up between the cosmopolitan core cities and nearby urban post-industrial and coastal towns where there's much talk about the white working-classes becoming marginalised, angry and 'left-behind'.

It's imperative that we make our post-COVID-19 country a ''one-nation'' society again. But we also need to strive for a ''one region society'' too, if we're serious about re-creating a more equitable and fairer community which benefits the many and not just the few.

Stephen Lambert is a Newcastle City Councillor. He writes in a personal capacity.

You are now being logged in using your Facebook credentials

Comets | Facts and Information on Visible Comets – Sky …

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

Comets are a wondrous sight for amateur astronomers. As one approaches it often reveals a tail, slowly unfurling a long ghostly banner of light. Often marked by a distinct greenish-blue haze, they are not to be missed.Hale-Bopp was a splendid sight during 1996, when multiple jets spewed dust and gas from its nucleus. The clarity of features was outstanding even by historic standards. Charles Messier, of the Messier Catalog, actually created his listto help him in his hunt for the ghostly apparitions.Messier objects were things that might trip up a seasoned comet hunter and make him lose precious time in his nightly quest for the elusive cosmic snowballs.

Check here for guides and fun tips that you can use to observe comets. While Hale-Bopp wont return for another 2,500 years, there will certainly be another Comet ISON in the not-so-distant future. You can also check our news section for updates on the latest comets.

See original here:

Comets | Facts and Information on Visible Comets - Sky ...

Comet Facts – Interesting Facts about Comets

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

Comet ISON stardustobservatory.org/images.php?page=details&id=363What is a Comet?

A comet is a very small solar system body made mostly of ices mixed with smaller amounts of dust and rock. Most comets are no larger than a few kilometres across. The main body of the comet is called the nucleus, and it can contain water, methane, nitrogen and other ices.

When a comet is heated by the Sun, its ices begin to sublimate (similar to the way dry ice fizzes when you leave it in sunlight). The mixture of ice crystals and dust blows away from the comet nucleus in the solar wind, creating a pair of tails. The dust tail is what we normally see when we view comets from Earth.

A plasma tail also forms when molecules of gas are excited by interaction with the solar wind. The plasma tail is not normally seen with the naked eye, but can be imaged. Comets normally orbit the Sun, and have their origins in the Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt regions of the outer solar system.

There are many misconceptions about comets, which are simply pieces of solar system ices travelling in orbit around the Sun. Here are some fascinating and true facts about comets.

Comets come in several categories. The most common are periodic and non-periodic.

In the past, comets were named for their discoverers, such as Comet Halley for Sir Edmond Halley. In modern times, comet names are governed by rules set forth by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). A comet is given an official designation, and can also be identified by the last names of up to three independent discoverers.

Heres how it works. Once a comet has been confirmed, the following naming rules are followed. First, if the comet is a periodic comet, then it is indicated with a P/ followed by the year of its discovery, a letter indicating the half-month in which it was discovered, followed by a number indicating its order of discovery. So, for example, the second periodic comet found in the first half of January, 2015 would be called P/2015 A2.

A non-periodic comet would be indicated with a C/ followed by the year of its discovery, a letter indicating the half-month in which it was discovered, followed by a number indicating its order of discovery.

If a comet is independently discovered by three people named Smith, Jones, and Petersen, it could also be called Comet Smith-Jones-Petersen, in addition to its formal designation. Today, many comets are found through automated instrument searches, and so the formal designations are more commonly used.

Well-known comets include the non-periodic comets Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1), Hyakutake (C/1996 B2), McNaught (C2006 P1), and Lovejoy (C/2011 W3). These flared brightly in our skies and then faded into obscurity.

In addition, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (D/1993 F2) was spotted after it had broken up after a close call with Jupiter. (The D in its proper designation means it has disappeared or is determined to no longer exist). More than a year later, the pieces of the comet crashed into Jupiter.

The periodic Comet Halley (1P/Halley) is the most famous in history. It returns to the inner solar system once every 76 years. Other well-known periodic comets include 2P/Encke, which appears ever 3.3 years and 9P/Tempel (Tempel 2), which was visited by the Deep Impact and Stardust probes, and makes perihelion around the Sun every 5.5 years.

Undying romantic impulse – The News International

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Danzig

The writer is an Islamabad-based columnist.

Theres a sense of deja vu when one looks at the growing discontent with the PTI government, which was inaugurated barely two years ago amid tremendous expectations.

Here is a leader who had adopted an iconoclastic stance on the economy and governance and promised to bring about a metamorphosis of the nations politico-economic landscape. But as prime minister, his popularity has nosedived; and in the eye of even many of his erstwhile staunch supporters, his governments acts of omission and commission have thrown the country into a tailspin. So what has gone wrong?

Romanticism and classicism represent the opposite poles in a perennial intellectual-cum-political divide. Classicism puts its faith in rationalism and empiricism as the reliable guide to travelling along the road to advancement and freedom. People are regarded as essentially similar everywhere, governed by the same universal laws. They only differ in how far they have travelled on the same linear road. Knowledge constitutes the only credible difference between nations or societies.

Romanticism ennobles will, sentiments, intuition or faith. In one sweep, the will can accomplish what intellect fails to do despite years of sweat and labour. Cultural differences are abiding; some nations or ethnic groups because of their inherent characteristics are destined to rule the rest.

For classicists, the fundamental condition in society is one of cooperation and consensus. Conflict and disagreement, whenever they arise, are underpinned primarily by lack of knowledge. Over time, and with pursuit of enlightened self-interest, all conflicts and all contradictions are resolved. For romanticism, by contrast, the fundamental condition in a society is one of conflict; the apparent consensus is contrived and maintained by power. Far from being an aberration of an otherwise society in concord, discord is the driving force of history and the engine of social change. Conflict is undergirded by systemic, and often irreconcilable, forces in which one side either decimates the other or gets decimated.

In politics, whereas classicism appeals to common principles, programmes and ideologies, romanticism draws strength from shared sentiments, narratives and myths. Classicism puts its trust in commonsense, natural or fundamental rights, democracy, incremental change, peaceful conflict resolution, the rule of law and institution building.

Romanticism upends this world of harmony and freedom. Democracy is regarded as a sign of decay and decadence, of senility and stupor, while the very notions of fundamental rights and equality are considered to be essentially destructive. The prime political virtue for the people is not freedom but loyalty; the principal qualification for the leader is not common sense but charisma. Rules and regulations, procedures and precedents throw a spanner in the leaders works and therefore must be set aside when needed. Debates and arguments are only wit and gossip a bourgeoisie notion in the terminology of revolutionary socialism. Its the indomitable will and emotional intelligence that make all the difference. Romantics look to men and women of destiny, who, in the words of political theorist Carl Schmitt, make decisions and create politics by defining the peoples enemies.

In both intellectual and political realms, the romantic-classic divide is unending and has produced towering figures on both sides. For every Bentham, theres a Coleridge; for every Hegel, theres a Schopenhauer; for every Churchill, theres a Hitler; and for every Chiang theres a Mao.

Where do Pakistans politics and society stand in this clash of the romantic impulse and the classic intellect? For all its shenanigans and shortcomings, Pakistan is a democracy, where at least in theory, the law of the land reigns supreme. At the same time, its a society whose infatuation with a sweeping change refuses to die down and where the cult of the personality commands a creed-like devotion. Not surprisingly, the emergence of a saviour whos capable of turning things around by sheer will and strength of character has remained a dominant theme in the socio-political narrative.

Over the years, such a narrative has produced quite a few saviours both in uniform and wearing the garb of democracy. Until a few years ago, the person who came closest to satisfying popular aspirations for the emergence of a saviour was Z A Bhutto, who sought to strike a compromise between revolutionary socialism and parliamentary democracy. The former found its expression in his flagship nationalization programme; while the latter was embodied in the 1973 constitution, which marked the continuation of the status quo. In a way, Bhutto represented a synthesis albeit a jerry-built of classic and romantic ideals. Chairman Bhutto would style himself as Pakistans Chairman Mao but he lacked the titanic personality of the founder of the Peoples Republic of China by a long way.

The fall of Bhutto in the late 1970s coincided with the advent of the Islamic revolution in Iran. The images of Ayatollah Khomeini triumphantly returning to his country having pulled down a mighty monarchy gave fresh impetus to hopes for a comparable revolutionary change in Pakistan. That said, none of Bhuttos contemporaries or successors was cast in a revolutionary mold. They might have coveted to rule with an untrammeled authority, and, as in case of Nawaz Sharif or Benazir Bhutto, might have put up a defiant face once or twice, but they didnt have the making of a revolutionary. They remained primarily concerned with saving their neck.

The rise of Imran Khan created the impression that at long last the much awaited saviour had arrived. Here was a leader who promised and seemed capable of uprooting the old, creaky, corrupt, and rotten-to-the core system; eschewing the politics of opportunism and the electables, redistributing wealth from the ultra-rich to those lying at the bottom of the economic heap, breaking the begging bowl once and for all, and making the nation stand on its feet all by his indomitable willpower and charisma.

With or without taking a leaf out of the book of Carl Schmitt, Imran Khan created politics primarily by defining the peoples enemies: the corrupt elite, which he called mafias, self-serving politicians, and rent-seeking businesspersons. Like a true romantic, he ruled out, and continues to do so, compromise with his foes. His stature both as a cricketer and a philanthropist may have helped him get a foot in the door of power. But it was the peoples disenchantment with the erstwhile political parties that provided a fertile ground for his rise. The youth impatient and impressionable as they are everywhere were particularly swept off their feet by his potent anti-corruption, anti-elite narrative. Their leader had clearly defined their enemies and it was up to them to strike the final blow.

But so far the expectations of national rejuvenation have turned out to be a pipedream. Whether its embracing the electables and the tried and tested, announcing a tax amnesty, shedding reliance on foreign credit, curbing the powers of mafias or frequent administrative reshuffle at the top, Imran Khan has come a cropper in leading politics or governance off the beaten track. Worse, the sharp deceleration of economic growth and a perennial narrow fiscal space have thrown a wrench into the works of the government relating to job creation, income generation and price control the ultimate test of a government in the eye of the electorate. All these have combined to make craters in the ruling partys popularity.

Imran Khans supporters defend the below par performance of his government by arguing that the system is too thoroughly out of whack as to be set right in a couple of years and that if the nation is patient enough the indefatigable will of their leader would do wonders and whup the common enemies. They may have a point. The problem, however, is that once the sentiments of the people are whipped up so and their expectations are raised sky high, expecting them to be patient, though it may sound logical, is a tall order. Remember, rationality is a perfect stranger in the land of the romantics. In such circumstances, the leaders popularity is bound to come down with a thud.

Both romanticism and classicism have their merits and demerits. The success of romanticism requires above all a titanic figure; and even such a figure may in the end fall. In a nation where pygmies are cast as giants, its better to put ones money on classic ideals: incremental change, institution building and rule of law. At the same time, fascination with romantic notions is difficult to cast aside for long. Lets wait with bated breath for the next saviour.

Email: [emailprotected]

Twitter: @hussainhzaidi

EUIPO Report Names Turkey as the Third Biggest Producer of Counterfeit Goods – Lexology

Posted on July 12, 2020 by Danzig

Two important reports regarding intellectual property crimes have been published: 2020 Status Report on IPR Infringement published by European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and IP Crime and its Link to Other Serious Crimes published by the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL) and EUIPO.

2020 Status Report on IPR Infringement covers the economic value of intellectual property rights in the EU economy, the infringement mechanisms used to capture that value, and the actions being taken in response to these infringements. The report brings together findings of the research carried out through the European Observatory on the Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights and underlines the importance of IP rights to the EU economy and in terms of the COVID-19 crisis, which has dominated the first half of 2020 and threatens to have long-lasting effects. This report also presents organized crime groups (OCG) involvement in intellectual property crimes based on cases investigated by EUROPOL.

In order to identify the most prevalent provenance economies of counterfeit goods entering the EU, the research takes account of customs seizure percentages and trade flows and names Turkey as a provenance along with Benin, China, Gambia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Morocco, Panama, the United Arab Emirates.

Moreover, with reference to the study conducted by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the EUIPO with the aim of distinguishing between provenance economies that are producers of counterfeits and those that act as trade routes, the report identifies Turkey as the third biggest producer of counterfeit goods; following China and India.

The report titled IP Crime and its Link to Other Serious Crimes presents case examples regarding intellectual property crimes link to other forms of criminality; including money laundering, document fraud, cybercrime, fraud, drug production, and trafficking and terrorism.

Under the title Bribery & Corruption, the report defines corruption as a threat to societies safety and underlines that it is one of the means used by criminal organizations, including intellectual property crimes, to achieve their unfair objectives. The details regarding Operation Monkey Box, which is connected with Turkey are also presented as a case example. In the context of this case, the Greek Financial Police Division disrupted two independent organized criminal groups that systematically imported and distributed large quantities of counterfeit products from Turkey to Greece and sold those products as genuine.

The investigation revealed that EUR 1,551,226 was transferred to Turkey illegally during 2016-2018, and OCGs illicit profits are estimated to exceed EUR 3,500,000. As a result of this investigation, 86 people were prosecuted and twenty people were arrested, including 4 public servants. Two police officers were implicated in the case, one of whom was arrested for facilitating the work of the OCG, while the other one was charged with a breach of duty.

Both reports explain the harm of intellectual property crime, which is often seen as a victimless crime, to the economy; its presence with other crimes conducted by OCGs, and argue that the fight against intellectual property right infringement needs to be strengthened.

Please see thislinkfor the full text of 2020 Status Report on IPR Infringement, and thislinkfor the full text of IP Crime and its Link to Other Serious Crimes.

Information first published in theMA | Gazette,a fortnightly legal update newsletter produced by Morolu Arseven.

View original post here:

EUIPO Report Names Turkey as the Third Biggest Producer of Counterfeit Goods - Lexology

Select Page ::