Pirelli will assess a special prototype front tyre in Barcelona which could be used at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
Pirelli’s new tyre has been engineered to cope with the specific load factors that F1 teams will encounter at the Dutch track where two corners have been reprofiled to feature an 18-degree incline.
The banking of the Turn 4 Hugenholtzbocht and the final right hand Arie Luyendijkbocht will no doubt get the drivers’ attention and Pirelli wants to make sure its tyres will be up to the task of handling the track’s specific constraints.
Zandvoort’s ‘element of surprise’ will reward brave drivers
“I’m going to tell the teams that we’re going to test prototype front tyres in the next session,” explained Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola.
“This prototype had been designed with a slightly different construction because we are still analysing data coming from Zandvoort.
“We made some analysis on the banking, and the plan is to use these tyres with a slightly higher pressure.
“So in preparation for that, because we are not fully aware of everything, we do not have final data on the circuit, on the tarmac roughness and so on, the idea is also to test a slightly different construction here. It’s working in a slightly different way – it’s more resistant.”
Isola says Pirelli disclosed its plans to the FIA, insisting the sampling of the front rubber next week was not the result of a “panic” decision.
“It was discussed with the FIA and agreed with the FIA. I don’t want to hear comments like ‘panic, panic,’ there is no panic,” said Isola.
“It is part of a serious and professional process where we need to be ready in case.
“Finally, we may go with the normal tyres, with the appropriate prescriptions, but we prefer also to test the driveability of a different construction, and we have the opportunity here in Barcelona during the pre-season test.
“In the regulations it is written that during the race weekend we can test an additional prototype, two sets per car.
“We are going to give two sets per car of additional prototypes here at the next test. We’ll supply the whole set, but just the front tyres are different.”
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
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NBC Late-night comedian Seth Meyers ripped former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke over his 2020 presidential announcement on Thursday, describing his reasons for running as “fucking weird.”
In a video released on Thursday, O’Rourke confirmed that he would seek the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, combined with an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair outlining his progressive vision for the country.
“I think I’d be good at it,” O’Rourke said when asked why he wanted to be president. “I want to be in it… Man, I’m just born to be in it.”
“I’m sorry, nobody is born to be president,” Meyers said in his’ Closer Look’segment. “Nobody is born to be anything. Springsteen said he was ‘born to run’ and then he wrote 400 songs about New Jersey. I mean look at Trump—he wasn’t born to be president. If he was born to be anything it was selling fake Rolexes in Times Square.”
“Now, in the run-up to 2020, we here at Late Night, we’re going to try really hard and we’re going to ask ourselves, ‘Would we make fun of Trump if he said that?’” he continued. “That was fucking weird. Seriously, I did not know that weed was legal in Texas.”
The 47-year-old former congressman rose to national prominence last year despite losing his bid to unseat incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Despite being popular among progressives, he will intense intense competition for the Democratic nomination, with at least a dozen candidates already announcing their intention to run.
“This is going to be a positive campaign that seeks to bring out the very best from every single one of us, that seeks to unite a very divided country,” O’Rourke said in his announcement. “We saw the power of this in Texas.”
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at [email protected].
Ongoing debates of EU reforms in the field of energy and energy security should also include the problems of the LNG Terminal in the port of Klaipeda. | POLITICO
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Energy independence: is Lithuania getting away with state aid?
The EU says Lithuania can levy funds from gas consumers to finance its own energy companies. Achema, Lithuania’s largest consumer, disagrees.
The European Commission and the European Court of Justice are currently considering state aid complaints against Lithuania. The outcome could have repercussions for every gas consumer in the country and massive ramifications for one company in particular.
Achema is the largest fertilizer producer in the Baltic states, and part of a group that employs 4,500 people. The company manufactures nitrogen fertilizers, dry fertilizer mixtures and liquid fertilizers for outdoor and indoor plants, all requiring gas as a raw material. So much, in fact, that Achema is by far the largest gas consumer in Lithuania, using approximately half the natural gas produced in the whole country.
Before 2013, Lithuania was entirely dependent on a Gazprom pipeline for its gas supply. In the interests of energy security Lithuania set up its own liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the port of Klaipeda and imposed a levy on all gas users to make this economically viable. This levy, established by the LNG Terminal Law of 2012, falls disproportionately on Achema: the company was imposed to pay the levy between 2013 and 2015 while it did not use the terminal at all. From 2013 to September of 2017 the LNG Supplement amounted to €187 million, and Achema alone has paid €73 million — 39 percent of the national figure. The funds raised are transferred to Klaipedos Nafta, a state-owned company, to run the terminal.
Ramunas Miliauskas, Achema’s Chief Executive Officer, explains why the company is contesting the Commission’s decision not to declare this illegal state aid.
How is the LNG terminal at Klaipeda currently funded?
Klaipėdos Nafta is the project development company for the terminal. The supply of gas through the LNG Terminal is carried out by LITGAS, a Lithuanian state-owned natural gas trading company.
Since 2012 the LNG Terminal Law has imposed a levy on all users of the natural gas transmission system. This levy is transferred to Klaipedos Nafta, as state aid, to finance the costs of building and operating the terminal and related infrastructure. The law also requires certain energy producers to buy allocated minimum quantities of natural gas from the terminal.
In 2015 Lithuania extended the law even further to cover LITGAS’s costs as well. This levy makes up any shortfall between the price, higher than the market rates, LITGAS pays its supplier, Statoil, and the price at which it sells it. This guaranteed fixed profit for the terminal creates a situation where LITGAS does not bear any risk.
The funding of Klaipedos Nafta was first assessed by the Commission in 2013 and found to be state aid. But the extension of the levy to cover LITGAS has never been notified to the Commission.
Are there other options?
Yes, Achema planned to set up its own terminal in a public-private partnership in 2008, but the government pulled out after the economic crisis and the Commission was not even informed. We then planned a new project in the Smelte Peninsula in 2012, but this was refused by the government and by the Port of Klaipeda, which recommended using the premises of Klaipedos Nafta. No suggestion of implementation of another terminal was made.
In a worst-case scenario, Achema would have seen a price reduction of somewhere between 3.5 to 7 percent. However, the project was refused by Lithuania, because, according to the government, the LNG Terminal would provide sufficient natural gas to cover Achema’s needs. So, Achema was not only prevented from reducing its costs, but has since been obliged to pay even higher levies.
No, the terminal has huge overcapacity. The current terminal handles 4 billion cubic meters per annum and all 3 Baltic states need only 3.2 billion cubic meters. The excess is sold to Estonia and Latvia at market prices.
The Commission took Lithuania’s statement that there is a need for an annual capacity of 4 billion cubic meters at face value. In reality, Lithuania only needs around 2 billion cubic meters a year and this massive overcapacity has not been disclosed to the Commission. Instead, the country provided some extremely exaggerated statistics from a sole source: the Lithuanian Department of Statistics, and told the Commission, without any direct evidence, there was a market failure in Lithuania.
We believe it breaks the directive on public procurement and that it does not fit in the official energy strategy of Lithuania, which should promote alternative energy sources, not just LNG.
What is the impact of this on Achema?
This heavy financial burden reduces our profit margin and hinders investment, damaging the sustainability of the whole group. This jeopardizes 4,500 jobs and places the company at a significant competitive disadvantage with its competitors, at EU and global levels.
About 75 percent of Achema’s total output is exported. To a broader extent, it also increases the prices of the products sold to farmers in the U.K., France, Germany, or Belgium.
What is the future outlook?
Technically, the terminal is a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) under a 10-year lease from Hoëgh LNG. Three years of that lease have already passed, but the government is working on a plan to extend it. It’s also worth noting that Klaipėdos Nafta is appointed, without objective criteria, to run the project for 55 years.
In addition to three legal complaints for infringement of state aid, public procurement and energy law with the Commission, Achema has lodged an appeal for the annulment of the original Commission state aid decision with the European Court of Justice. The Commission has now until October 19, 2017 to respond.
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A long battle between streaming services such as Netflix and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences came to a close this week.
As a result of a recent decision, streaming video platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu will still be able to submit their films for Oscar consideration so long as those films run for a week at a theater in Los Angeles. The decision marks a continuation of the existing policy.
Earlier this year, Netflix won three oscars for its film Roma, which was directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Some feared that the Academy would move to eliminate non-theatrical films from consideration.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a statement this week announcing that their current policy would not change.
Academy President John Bailey said that his organization still supports the experience of going to a theater. At the same time, they have recognized that audiences have changed how they consume entertainment.
Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.
The EU must see movement from the U.K. in Brexit talks within two weeks in order to give a verdict of “sufficient progress” at the European Council summit in December, the bloc’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said Friday.
Speaking at a press conference concluding the truncated sixth round of formal Brexit talks in Brussels, Barnier was asked if he would need “clarifications or concessions” from Britain in the next fortnight in order for EU leaders to give the green light to move on to a transition period and the U.K.’s future relationship with the bloc.
Barnier responded simply: “My answer is yes.”
Without specifying whether he was referring to the U.K.’s financial obligations, the status of EU citizens in the U.K. or the question of the Northern Irish border — or indeed, all three — Barnier managed with one word to put British feet to the fire.
David Davis, the U.K. Brexit secretary, did not respond or comment directly on the two-week deadline, though he seemed to smirk at Barnier’s response to the question.
He put the onus on Brussels to give some ground: “We need to see flexibility, imagination and willingness to make progress on both sides if these negotiations are to succeed.”
Continuous talks
On one of these measures — flexibility — the Brits think they have finally won the argument.
London has been pushing for months to break the rigid structure of the formal Brussels talks and enter “continuous” negotiation. This is now where the talks are, Britain’s negotiators believe. There is no formal round scheduled within the two weeks Barnier set out, so something will have to give in the ongoing, informal and regular contact between the two sides’ “coordinators,” Olly Robbins and Sabine Weyand.
“Continuous talks is the territory we’re getting into even if it’s not being labeled as that,” said one U.K. official.
British negotiators now concede a breakthrough can only be achieved through political bargaining. If it was just a question of finding a technical definition of the U.K.’s financial obligations, for instance, the matter could have been settled weeks ago, one individual familiar with the U.K. position said.
Without being explicit, Davis conceded this point. “This is now about moving into the political discussions,” he said, “that will enable both of us to move forward together.”
Barnier noted that much of what happens during these set-piece negotiating rounds in Brussels depends on “technical experts … working with each other between the rounds.”
Technicalities and politics
On the key issue of the money, Davis said that the two sides had made “clear progress in building a common technical understanding on every item.”
For the EU, the big-ticket items, as set out in their negotiating documents as far back as May, are the reste à liquider — the sums still unpaid from the U.K.’s 12-13 percent share of the various EU spending commitments such as regional and overseas aid, estimated at around €30 billion — and contributions to the pensions of EU staff, thought to be roughly €8.75 billion.
Barnier gave a clue to how far the EU wants the Brits to go on this when he met British MPs earlier this week. For sufficient progress, he wants “principles and commitments to principles on the basis of which a final number can be calculated,” according to the Conservative MP and House of Commons Brexit committee member Jeremy Lefroy, who was present.
That means Theresa May will have to move on one or both of those big-ticket items to get to where she wants to be by December.
Whether she can corral her unruly Cabinet into backing a major political decision on money will be the difference between a great leap forward and further stalemate.
Talks truncated
The sixth formal round of negotiations — really just a day and a bit of talks — ended on Friday with no substantial advancement, the chief negotiators said.
The talks, landing between the October and December European Council summits, had been an opportunity for “deepening our discussions, clarification and technical work,” said Barnier. The Brits, for their part, are not even referring to what happened this week as the sixth round of negotiations. In their eyes, talks are now continuous.
Barnier described serious outstanding differences on all three key divorce issues being discussed in Phase 1: citizens’ rights, the Northern Irish border and the financial settlement.
On citizens’ rights, he noted three key areas of continuing disagreement: family reunification, the exporting of social security benefits and the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
And on Northern Ireland, Davis repeated the U.K.’s commitment to avoid “physical infrastructure” at the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, but there was no clearer indication of how that would be achieved in conjunction with the U.K. leaving the EU’s customs union and single market.
Eriksen, who signed for the Serie A club in January, scored his first goal for Inter in Thursday’s 2-0 Europa League last-32 win away at Ludogorets.
The Denmark international opened the scoring with a fine strike and also hit the crossbar with a powerful drive before Romelu Lukaku’s late penalty put the Nerazzurri in complete control ahead of next week’s second leg in Milan.
More teams
However, Conte feels there is a lot more to come from Eriksen.
“I’m happy for him, the goal always gives confidence,” Conte told Sky Sport Italia after Inter bounced back from successive domestic defeats in Bulgaria.
“Christian just needs to work to find the right physical condition, to find the brilliance of his best moments at Tottenham.
“He can do even more than what he showed us today, but we are very happy because we know what he can give us.”
Inter were again without goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, although deputy Daniele Padelli was completely untested as Ludogorets mustered only a single shot.
“It is a situation that we monitor day by day,” Conte said of Handanovic, who has a hand injury.
“We have confidence in Daniele Padelli, and when he is ready to resume his place, he will. Until then, we continue with Padelli.”
Inter started the last Serie A weekend at the top of the table, but tumbled to third after Juventus reclaimed the summit with a 2-0 win over Brescia and Lazio leapfrogged the Nerazzurri by beating Conte’s men 2-1.
They will be hoping to regain momentum in the Scudetto race on Sunday, when Sampdoria visit San Siro.
Musician Queen Latifah said in a new interview that she still supports indicted felon Jussie Smollett because she hasn’t seen “definitive proof” that he staged an attack against himself, as Chicago police now believe.
“The guy I’ve seen has always been someone who cares about people, who cares about others, and who’s very kind and who’s always been cool and sweet,” Queen Latifah said of Smollett in an interview with Yahoo News.
“And that’s just the guy I know,” she added. “So until I can see some definitive proof–which I haven’t seen yet–then, you know, I gotta go with him until I see otherwise.”
Queen Latifah, real name Dana Elaine Owens, has been outspoken about racism in America before.
“I don’t care how much money or things I have, or Puff has or Missy has,” she said in 2016. “If I go outside and try to hail a cab and he passes me for the white woman standing right there, that racism is still alive and kicking. And we have to change that.”
“And I’m not blaming the white lady, she needed a cab too … I’m just saying we got to change this attitude.”
However, Chicago police said last month that Smollett took advantage of anger over racism to stage a fake hate attack against himself.
“This announcement today recognizes that Empire actor Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career,” Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said last month.
“I’m left hanging my head and asking why. Why would anyone, especially an African American man, use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations?”
Smollett was indicted in February after allegedly staging an attack against himself. Chicago police said that the 36-year-old falsely led police to believe that his “attackers” were white.
Daniel Ek, CEO of Swedish music streaming service Spotify at the Politico Playbook Cocktail | Wiktor Dabkowski
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek calls on Europe to move faster on tech
EU lawmakers should move with the speed of tech innovation and keep up its antitrust action.
The CEO and founder of Spotify has a love-hate view of EU lawmakers.
Spotify’s Daniel Ek critiqued EU policymakers Tuesday for not adapting quickly enough to digital advancements.
“If we were to move faster, then the whole of Europe’s marketplace would be in much better shape,” Ek said at a POLITICO Playbook Cocktail, adding that the pace of technological change was only growing more swift. “I think the right things are being said and I believe the right things are being done, but we have to move faster.”
The EU should spend less energy crafting policies and regulations, he said, praising voluntary forums instead. He did, however, praise Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager’s approach to the tech industry.
“We want there to be a fair marketplace and we want there to be more people to compete,” he said. “We think that will bring more innovation. She seems to be all for that.”
The comments come after a spat between Spotify and Apple over their competing streaming services. Spotify has publicly accused Apple of causing “great harm” to its business and consumers. (Ek didn’t mention Apple specifically at the event.)
Spotify opted not to file a formal complaint against Apple for abusing its market power with EU authorities to avoid the bureaucratic and financial drain involved in the process.
Ek also said it was much easier in Europe to grow a company today than it was 10 years ago, praising the EU’s fintech sector and the Estonian ride-sharing firm Taxify.
Le 67e festival de Cannes fait la part belle à Marcello Mastroianni. L’acteur italien devient le héros de la croisette grâce à la célèbre affiche de l’événement.
Un regard, comme une invitation au voyage en cinématographie. Marcello Mastroianni vous emporte d’un seul clin d’œil. Cette image de l’acteur, baissant ses lunettes sur le bout de son nez est déjà culte mais entre aujourd’hui dans l’histoire. Comme le révèle le site de la chaîne d’information BFM TV, ce cliché de Marcello Mastroianni illustre cette année le festival de Cannes.Il succède au baiser fougueux de Paul Newman et Joanne Woodward.
Le regard malicieux de l’acteur italien a été choisi pour faire l’affiche de l’évènement et figurera bientôt tout le long de la Croisette. Extrait du film Huit et demi cette séquence célèbre toute la folie du personnage incarné par Marcello Mastroianni. Devant la caméra de Frederico Fellini, il est Guido Anselmi un réalisateur dépressif emporté par son imaginaire débordant.
Marcello Mastroianni est avec, Jack Lemmon et Dean Stockwell, le seul acteur à avoir reçu deux fois un prix d’interprétation à Cannes. Le festival lui devait donc bien un hommage de la taille de cette affiche. Chiara Mastroianni, la fille de l’acteur et de Catherine Deneuve a jugé cette image «très belle et très moderne». La comédienne est elle même «très fière et très touchée» que le festival est choisi son père pour illustrer la grande fête du cinéma internationale. Dans ce regard complice de Marcello Mastroianni, sa fille retrouve «une douce ironie et la classe du détachement. Tellement lui !».
A 56 ans, Arturo Brachetti, le juré de The Best, le meilleur artiste se joue des préjugés et parle de ses amours sans illusion.
Gala: Vous ne faite pas du tout votre âge. Avez-vous peur de vieillir?
Arturo Brachetti: Oui. Je crains surtout de ne plus pouvoir faire ce que j’aime. Malheureusement, même si la tentation est forte, je ne peux pas me déguiser en adolescent. Ça serait pathétique… Un jour, je devrais affronter la réalité. Assumer mes soixante ans. Encore que le problème n’est pas de les avoir. C’est de les ressentir. Pour le moment – Dieu merci! – ça tient encore… Rester en forme me coûte beaucoup d’énergie. Je fais de la gymnastique, beaucoup de stretching. Je surveille ma ligne et je suis continuellement à la diète : peu de matières grasses, jamais de sauces, rien de frit…
Gala: Pour quelqu’un qui a passé six ans au séminaire avec le désir de devenir prêtre, vous menez toujours une vie quasi-monacale!
A.B.: C’est vrai. J’en ai gardé l’esprit. Je me vois comme un missionnaire de mon travail. Je suis prêt à faire beaucoup de sacrifices parce que le plaisir est plus fort encore. Même pour ce qui est de ma vie affective: ce n’est pas facile d’avoir une vie de couple quand on est toujours sur la route, qu’on change de ville toutes les deux semaines. Certes, il n’y a pas de routine – le pire ennemi! – mais ce sont des choix douloureux.
Gala: Vous n’avez jamais eu de relation longue?
A.B.: Si! Bien sûr que si. Et mes relations amoureuses se transforment toujours en amitié. Je suis parfois ouvertement infidèle mais je deviens amis avec mes ex. Ceux qui ont fait partie de ma vie un jour, le font toujours.
Gala: Regrettez-vous de ne pas avoir eu d’enfant?
A.B.: Quand j’avais trente-trente cinq ans, oui. Mais maintenant, c’est passé. J’ai cinq neveux extraordinaires. Quand ils étaient plus jeunes, je jouais avec eux. J’étais l’oncle rigolo. J’avais du mal à être responsable et sérieux parce que je suis toujours le premier à faire les bêtises. Dans le fond, c’est moi l’enfant!