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Can We Be Persuaded To Pay For Online News?

 Got any idea of how to make money from news in the online era? Well prepare for the media giants to beat a path to your door, as they struggle with plunging print advertising revenues and an audience that seems to think news should be free.

No wonder then that a young former technology journalist Alexander Kloepping is attracting attention – and investment – from the likes of the New York Times and the Axel Springer group.
His idea is called Blendle, and in his native Holland it has brought hope of better times for newspapers, in much the same way as Spotify has shaken up the music industry. Blendle allows the Dutch papers – which have all signed up to the service – to charge small payments for individual articles.

Blendle subscribers are presented with a series of cards on their home screen, showing the first paragraphs of articles which may interest them. If they click to read on they are charged somewhere between 20 cents (14p) and 90 cents (63p), although if they get to the end and decide they are unsatisfied they can get a refund.

Of half a million people who signed up to Blendle, about 100,000 have actually opted to pay for articles. Kloepping says that is a good start and compares it to the 20% of Spotify users who pay rather than opt to listen to adverts.

Alexander Kloepping

On this week’s Tech Tent he explains that readers are generally choosing to pay for opinion and background pieces rather than hard news. I was surprised that they would pay as much as 90 cents. “It’s not about the price,” he says. “It’s about the ease of use. When you know it’s one click away and you can get your money back, then users are really comfortable spending small amounts on articles that are really relevant to them.”

He is now hoping to bring the Blendle recipe to other countries, notably the United States. But he could find readers far more reluctant to spend money on articles than Dutch customers have been. Newspapers in the Netherlands had been very conservative in putting much of their longform journalism online, which in retrospect seems to have been a wise strategy. Readers have not had access to that content without buying a paper, so paying to get it online is not such a hard choice.

But in other countries, newspaper groups rushed to put everything online for free, before staging a partial retreat and in some cases erecting paywalls. While specialist titles like the Financial Times have made them work, others have found that their readers are reluctant to pay. In the UK the Sun newspaper has just abandoned a two-year experiment with a paywall.

The Financial Times is one of the few publications to make a paywall work

Alexander Kloepping admits that getting cash out of readers is hard, but says media groups have not given up on the idea: “All over the world, publishers are shifting to models on the web where they expect users to pay, but they see it’s not working for them.” His solution is a model which does not tie readers into a subscription to one newspaper but offers them a menu from which they can snack at will.

The other route, which sees online journalism supported by advertising, is certainly looking ever less attractive. This week the most successful exponent of the art of pulling in huge online crowds and serving them adverts, the Daily Mail group, unveiled its latest figures. They showed an impressive 24% rise in online audience to 208 million, and an 18% rise in online ad revenues. But that was not enough to offset plunging print revenues, and with advertisers paying less for every click, the old saw that analogue dollars are being replaced by digital cents looks truer than ever.

But there is one other route to online profits which more and more news sites are now heading down. It is called branded content and is what we used to call advertorial. It involves creating readable and watchable material for corporate customers which does not look like traditional advertising – and it has proved very lucrative for the likes of Buzzfeed.

All sorts of media companies are now trying this out, from the New York Times to the podcast maker Gimlet Media. But it brings with it all sorts of ethical dilemmas. A recent edition of Gimlet’s Startup podcast – which documents its own journey as a new tech business – featured agonised discussions about branded content. During an episode called “Words about Words from Our Sponsors” Gimlet staff try to work out how far they should go in allowing their brand as a journalistic product to be associated with the companies for which they make branded podcasts.

Such debates are going on in all news organisations right now. Turning good journalism into a profitable business has never been easy, but in the digital era it is proving to be more complicated than ever.

By Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC Technology correspondent

BREAKING: Suicide Bomber Hits Muslim Procession In Kano

A suicide bomber on Friday blew himself up among crowds in a Shia Muslim procession in the village of Dakasoye, on the outskirt of Kano, organisers of the procession said.

“It’s a huge crowd so it’s too early to give a precise figure of casualties,” one of the organisers said of the blast in the village of Dakasoye, some 20 kilometres (13 miles) south of the city.


Source: ngrguardiannews

Update! Adele Announces First Tour Since 2011

Adele is to embark on a UK and European arena tour next year – her first tour for five years.

The star will start in Belfast next February and visit Dublin, Manchester, London, Glasgow and Birmingham before moving on to mainland Europe.

Tickets for the UK dates go on sale to members of her website on 1 December before going on general sale on 4 December.

Her third album 25 has sold 737,000 copies in the UK in just six days.

It has also sold almost three million in the US since its release on Friday.
In interviews, the singer has suggested she may not tour, blaming stage fright, her chequered vocal health, motherhood, and saying she finds touring lonely.

In a short video posted to accompany the tour announcement, she said: “I have been bluffing this whole time and I’m so relieved to tell you I am of course coming on tour.”

Her last tour, in 2011, ended prematurely due to the discovery of a haemorrhage on her vocal cord, which required surgery.

With huge demand likely for her gig tickets this time, her tour website carries a request that purchasers do not sell tickets on for a profit.

Reselling tickets at inflated prices is common for sold-out gigs and is not illegal. But it often causes consternation among genuine fans and the site says: “The resale of tickets will not be tolerated.”

The tour announcement came after 25 set a new record for the most albums sold in a UK chart week, overtaking the previous record of 696,000 set by Oasis’s Be Here Now in 1997.

However the Oasis album only went on sale three days before the end of the chart week, whereas Adele has notched up her total in six days.

Sales of Adele’s third album far outstrip those of any other release in recent years. No other artist has even sold 100,000 copies in a single week this year.

One Direction came closest when their LP Made in the AM sold 93,000 last month – including more than 7,000 from streaming data, which Adele does not have because 25 is not available on streaming services.

Last year, Ed Sheeran’s X sold 182,000 in its first week, Coldplay’s Ghost Stories sold 168,000 and Sam Smith’s In The Lonely Hour shifted 101,000.

Benzema ‘Sex Tape Plot’: Mathieu Valbuena Breaks Silence

Footballer Mathieu Valbuena has spoken publicly for the first time about France teammate Karim Benzema and an alleged sex tape blackmail plot.

Mr Valbuena told Le Monde that Mr Benzema had “indirectly” suggested he would need to pay blackmailers to get the tape back.

Mr Benzema is under formal investigation for complicity in attempted blackmail.

A lawyer for Mr Benzema insists his client is not guilty.

The sex tape is said to be of Mr Valbuena and his girlfriend.
Sources have told French media that a relative of Mr Benzema was contacted by blackmailers in an attempt to involve him in the scheme against his teammate. There has been no confirmation from police.

A source close to the inquiry, quoted by AFP news agency, said Mr Benzema, 27, had told investigators he had approached Mr Valbuena, 31, about the tape on behalf of “a childhood friend”.

‘Not sincere’

In the interview in Le Monde, Mr Valbuena said of Mr Benzema: “He was not aggressive in his manner of talking, he did not talk about money concretely, directly. But when someone insists that I meet someone… hmmmm.

“I have never met anyone who is going to destroy a video for free just because they love me! You shouldn’t treat people like idiots.”

He added: “I am very, very disappointed and I can only note that my relations with Karim were not as sincere as he makes out.”

After Mr Valbuena lodged his complaint, he said Mr Benzema had telephoned him via a member of staff of Mr Valbuena’s club, Olympique Lyonnais.

Karim Benzema

Born in Lyon as one of 10 children in a family of Algerian origin
Joined Lyon youth football academy aged nine
Made professional debut in 2005, aged 17
Recruited by Real Madrid FC from Olympique Lyonnais in 2009
Played first senior match for French national team in March 2007
Linked with a move to Arsenal in August
Cleared of charges he slept with an under-age prostitute in 2014

Mr Valbuena said Mr Benzema had said “Mat, my name is out, what the hell is this? I cannot be involved in stuff like this.”

Mr Valbuena said he tried to reassure his teammate, telling him he had done nothing and there was nothing to worry about. But Mr Valbuena said that deep down he still thought it strange Mr Benzema would try to get him to meet the people involved.

“After that he told me, ‘We’ll have to deny it, it’s hot, it’s going to go crazy… I have a daughter and everything’,” Mr Valbuena added.

Mr Benzema’s lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, has insisted his client is innocent, saying: “He took no part, I state this again – no part – in the blackmail or blackmail attempts.”

The striker has been placed under formal investigation for complicity in attempted blackmail and participation in a criminal conspiracy.

His case will be examined by a judge to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for charges.

If formal charges do follow and he is convicted, Mr Benzema could face a minimum jail sentence of five years.

Three other men have been placed under formal investigation.

The scandal has damaged France’s build up to the European Championships, which the country hosts next year.

France coach Didier Deschamps left both players out of his squad for recent friendly matches.

Credit: BBC

Music Trends: Chris Brown – ‘Fine By Me’

Chris Brown recently wowed viewers of “The Tonight Show” in the USA with his first television performance of “Zero.” Not only did it signify Breezy’s impeccable talent, it also declared that his seventh album Royalty will be special.

Recently, he announced a new release date of Dec. 18 for Royalty. Although loyalists of Team Breezy will have to wait a bit longer, he’s promised to make the album available for pre-order on Black Friday (Nov. 27). Once fans do pre-order the project, they’ll get to hear “Fine By MeThe track channels similar vibes Brown has been feeling lately on his previous songs. It’s part ’80s nostalgic and part EDM, which all ties together with a soaring hook.

“She only loves me when the lights are out, lights are out / She only loves me when the sun is down, sun is down / She only loves me when no one’s around, no one’s around / She only loves me cause I put it down / And it’s fine by me,” he sings.

Donald Trump: 21 Things The Republican Believes

Donald Trump is the frontrunner in the Republican race to be the presidential nominee for next year’s election. What are his policies and beliefs?

1. Arab-Americans cheered the attacks on 9/11.Trump repeatedly claimed that on 11 September, 2001, there were thousands of Arab-Americans celebrating in New Jersey after two planes flew into the Twin Towers. He says such public demonstrations “tell you something” about Muslims living in the US. However, there are no media reports to back up the claim.

2. There should be surveillance on US mosques. Trump believes Muslims should be tracked by law enforcement as a counterterrorism initiative. He has walked back some comments about keeping a database on all American Muslims, but says he doesn’t care if watching mosques is seen as “politically incorrect”.

Demonstrators protest surveillance at New York mosques in 2013

3. The US should use waterboarding and other methods of “strong interrogation”in its fight against the Islamic State. The candidate said that these methods are “peanuts” compared to the tactics used by the militants, such as beheadings.

4. Trump would “bomb the hell” out of IS. He claims that no other candidate would be tougher on the Islamic State and he would weaken the militants by cutting off their access to oil.

 5. Create a simpler tax code.Trump wants anyone who earns less than $25,000 (£16,524) to pay no income tax. They would submit nothing more than a single page tax form that reads “I win”. He would lower the business tax to 15%. He would also allow multinational companies keeping money overseas to repatriate their cash at a 10% tax rate.

 6. Hedge fund managers are “getting away with murder” under the current US tax code. Trump found common ground with Democrats like Senator Elizabeth Warren when he said that hedge fund managers and the ultra-wealthy do not pay enough taxes. However, after the campaign released specifics of his plan, analysts argued that hedge fund managers would actually get a tax cut along with the middle class.

A Trump supporter outside NBC studios

 7. He wants to build a “great, great wall” between the US and Mexico. In some of his earliest campaign comments, Trump suggested that Mexicans coming to the US are largely criminals. “They are bringing drugs, and bringing crime, and they’re rapists,” he said. A wall on the border, he claims, will not only keep out undocumented immigrants but Syrian migrants as well. He also believes that Mexico should have to pay for the wall, which a BBC analysis estimates could cost between $2.2bn and $13bn.

8. A mass deportation of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in the US should go into effect. Despite criticism that this idea is both xenophobic and prohibitively expensive – the BBC estimates $114bn – Trump says his deportation plan is as achievable as it will be humane. In addition, his immigration reforms would end “birthright citizenship”, the policy that grants the children of illegal immigrants citizenship so long as they are born on American soil. He does not support creating a new path to citizenship for undocumented workers.

9. He and Vladmir Putin would “get along very well”. In an interview with CNN, Trump said that Putin and Obama dislike one another too much to negotiate, but that “I would probably get along with him very well. And I don’t think you’d be having the kind of problems that you’re having right now”.

Trump addresses supporters in Norfolk, Virginia

10. In order to end mass shootings, the US should invest in mental health treatment. However, Trump does not believe that more gun control is the answer. In a position paper on gun rights, Trump revealed he has a concealed carry permit and that when it comes to gun and magazine bans, “the government has no business dictating what types of firearms good, honest people are allowed to own”. He would also oppose an expansion of background checks.

11. China should be taken to task on a number of issues in order to make trade with the US more equitable. If elected he says he will make China stop undervaluing its currency, and force it to step up its environmental and labour standards. He is also critical of the county’s lax attitude towards American intellectual property and hacking.

12. The Black Lives Matter movement is “trouble”. Trump mocks Democratic candidates like Martin O’Malley for apologising to members of the protest movement against police brutality and casts himself as a pro-law enforcement candidate. “I think they’re looking for trouble,” he once said of the activist group. He also tweeted a controversial graphic purporting to show that African Americans kill whites and blacks at a far higher rates than whites or police officers. However, the graphic cites a fictitious “Crime Statistics Bureau” for its numbers, and has been widely debunked using real FBI data.

13. Current unemployment statistics are wrong. Trump has said repeatedly that unemployment in the US is at 20% – once commenting it may be as high as 42% – despite the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics pegs the number at 5.1%. Trump says he doesn’t believe that figure is real.

14. His net worth is $10bn. Based on Trump’s 92-page personal financial disclosure form, Bloomberg calculated that the real estate mogul is worth about $2.9bn and Forbes put Trump’s worth at $4bn. In response, Trump insisted in a press release that he is worth “in excess of TEN BILLION DOLLARS”. He is self-funding his campaign and describes his start in the business world as a “small loan of a million dollars” from his father.

15. Veteran healthcare in the US needs a major overhaul. Trump wants to clear out the executive level in the Department of Veterans Affairs, saying that wait times for doctor visits have only increased after previous interventions failed. Thousands of veterans have died while waiting for care, he says. He will invest in the treatment of “invisible wounds” like post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. He would also increase the number of doctors who specialise in women’s health to help care for the increasing number of female veterans.

 Trump signs copies of his latest book, Crippled America
Trump registers for the New Hampshire primary

16. Obamacare is a “disaster”. Trump says he favours repealing the president’s Affordable Care Act, which aims at extending the number of Americans with health insurance, but he believes that “everybody’s got to be covered”. A spokesman for Trump told Forbes that he will propose “a health plan that will return authority to the states and operate under free market principles”.

17. Climate change is just “weather”. While Trump believes that maintaining “clean air” and “clean water” is important, he dismissed climate change science as a “hoax” and believes environmental restrictions on businesses makes them less competitive in the global marketplace. “I do not believe that we should imperil the companies within our country,” he told CNN on the issue. “It costs so much and nobody knows exactly if it’s going to work.”

18. The world would be better off if Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddhafi were still in power. Trump told CNN that he believes the situation in both Libya and Iraq is “far worse” than it ever was under the two deceased dictators. While he concedes Hussein was a “horrible guy”, he says he did a better job combating terrorists.

19. He would send back Syrian migrants seeking asylum in the US. He says that the Paris attacks prove that even a handful of terrorists posing as migrants could do catastrophic damage, and so he will oppose resettling any Syrians in the US, and deport those who have already been placed here.



20. Kim Davis should get another job. The Kentucky clerk became a conservative cause when she was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licences to gay couples because of her Christian faith. But Trump said: “I’m a very, very strong believer in Christianity and religion, but I will say that this was not the right job for her.”

21. He is a “really nice guy”. In Trump’s most recent book, Crippled America, he writes that “I’m a really nice guy, believe me, I pride myself on being a nice guy but I’m also passionate and determined to make our country great again”. The news site Gawker points out that he calls himself a “nice guy” throughout the book, and Trump repeated that self-assessment in his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live.

Assembled by Jessica Lussenhop, BBC.

Taiwanese Film ‘The Assassin’ Has Been Voted As Best 2015 By Critics

 

Taiwanese martial arts drama The Assassin has been named the best film of 2015 in a poll of 168 critics.

Set in the 9th Century, the film earned Hou Hsiao-Hsien the Cannes Film Festival’s best director prize in May.

It has now topped Sight & Sound magazine’s Films of the Year poll, ahead of Carol and Mad Max: Fury Road.

Arabian Nights by Portuguese director Miguel Gomes was fourth, followed by Cemetery of Splendour by Thailand’s Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
Seven of the top 10 films had “striking female leads”, according to the British Film Institute (BFI), which publishes Sight & Sound.

They include The Assassin’s heroine, played by Shu Qi, who was kidnapped as a child by a nun, trained in martial arts and sent to kill her cousin, a military leader.

Hou Hsiao-hsien won best director at the Cannes Film Festival this year

Sight & Sound editor Nick James said: “It’s pleasing that such a gorgeous work of revenge, magic and delicate restraint – a work of martial arts cinema only in the loosest sense – should win out with the critics.

“Todd Haynes’ swooning, subtle lesbian melodrama Carol has no peers in terms of craft and guile, so it’s no surprise to see it in one of the top spots.

“On the other hand, finding George Miller’s mega-chase-movie Mad Max: Fury Road in third place might seem a surprise but many critics have waited a long while for such a sharp, vivid and imaginative blockbuster.”

The highest-ranked British film was drama 45 Years, which starred Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay. Asif Kapadia’s Amy Winehouse documentary, simply titled Amy, was also in the top 10.

Other films in the top 20 included Charlie Kaufman’s animation Anomalisa (joint 11th place), horror film It Follows (=11th), Pixar’s Inside Out (=14th), and Tangerine, which was shot entirely on iPhones (=14th).

Carol stars Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett

The full top 20:
1. The Assassin (director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
2. Carol (Todd Haynes)
3. Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller)
4. Arabian Nights (Miguel Gomes)
5. Cemetery of Splendour (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
6. No Home Movie (Chantal Akerman)
7. 45 Years (Andrew Haigh)
8. Son of Saul (Laszlo Nemes)
9. Amy (Asif Kapadia)
10. Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson)
=11. Anomalisa (Duke Johnson & Charlie Kaufman)
=11. It Follows (David Robert Mitchell)
13. Phoenix (Christian Petzold)
=14. Girlhood (Celine Sciamma)
=14. Hard to Be a God (Aleksei German)
=14. Inside Out (Pete Docter)
=14. Tangerine (Sean Baker)
=14. Taxi Tehran (Jafar Panahi)
=19. Horse Money (Pedro Costa)
=19. The Look of Silence (Joshua Oppenheimer)

The poll comes days after The Assassin collected five awards at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, including best film and best director.

Report: President Buhari To 'Decide MTN’s Fate’

 Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari will decide mobile network MTN’s fate regarding a $5.2bn fine, according to reports from that country.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has fined MTN $5.2bn for failing to disconnect five million unregistered SIM cards in a timely manner. Nigeria’s SIM card registration process is designed to curb terror and criminal threats in a country where the military is fighting an ongoing incursion by Boko Haram in the north.
In the wake of the fine, MTN’s share price slide by around a fifth and its group chief executive officer Sifiso Dabengwa quit. Phuthuma Nhleko was then appointed as executive chairperson and talks between MTN and the NCC regarding the fine are said to be ongoing.

Now, reports in Nigeria’s The Nation and the Vanguard said that Buhari, who was voted in earlier this year, will have the final say on the fine.

The reports quoted Nigeria’s communications technology minister Adebayo Shittu, who was said to be speaking on the sidelines of the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) meeting.

“Nigerians should expect that Mr. President will do the best to ensure that public interest is guaranteed,” the reports quoted Shittu as saying.

“The President will take the best decision. It is his responsibility and I am very sure that in his wisdom, he would do what is right. Whether Governors take a position or not, laws have been established about how to deal with an issue like this. It is just like a judgment,” said Shittu.

Shittu added that he didn’t want MTN to “die” but that it must adhere to the country’s laws.

Shittu was sworn in as minister earlier this month in President Buhari’s new cabinet.

The announcement of Buhari's cabinet, though, came more than five months after he took office.

Meanwhile, MTN did not want to give comment on the latest reports regarding its fine in Nigeria.

Source: news24

Rising Star Mys Araya Stunning Pic As She Covers Adele’s ‘Hello’

Mys Araya, also known as A Different kinda of Diva, (#ADKD), the 90’s Akuaba of CNLSU MUSIC is at it again with a cover of Adele’s Hello.

Jumia Black Friday Deals That Will Wow You

I guess you Know that Friday Nov 27 is black friday
Therefore I am using this opportunity to remind us to stay alert as the product (jumia) will be made available to those with smartest finger.

Various product will be available on jumia site ranging from Laptop, smartphone of all kinds, shoes, qualities wears and lots more at cheaper and affordable rate.
Just be smart you all get one. get set for the deal as it will last from 12:00AM - 12:00PM.

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UPDATE! Tanzania’s Newly Elected President Scraps Independence Day Celebration

 

Tanzania’s newly elected President John Magufuli has cancelled independence day celebrations, and has ordered a clean-up campaign instead.

It would be “shameful” to spend huge sums of money on the celebrations when “our people are dying of cholera”, he said, state television reported.

Cholera has killed about 60 people in Tanzania in the last three months.

This will be the first time in 54 years Tanzania will not hold celebrations to mark independence from the UK.

Mr Magufuli’s party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has governed since colonial rule ended on 9 December 1961, winning a new mandate in elections last month.
Many people were caught by surprise by Mr Magufuli’s announcement but have welcomed the move.

They feel it shows his commitment to ending lavish spending and tackling the cholera outbreak which has caused widespread concern.


Mr Magufuli won the election with 58% of the vote

But it remains to be seen whether people will heed his call to spend independence day cleaning up their residential areas and work-places, our reporter adds.

Independence day celebrations are usually marked with a presidential address, a military parade and performances by music groups at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

MPs party targeted

Mr Magufuli’s spokesman Gerson Msigwa did not say how much would be saved by cancelling the event but said the money would be spent on hospitals, and the fight against cholera – a major problem in poor areas where there is a lack of proper toilets.


The president wants people to clean their neighbourhoods, including markets, on independence day

Mr Magufuli has announced a range of cost-cutting measures since he took office, including a ban on unnecessary foreign travel by government officials.

Last week, he ordered the cost of a party to inaugurate the new parliament to be slashed from $100,000 (£66,000) to $7,000.

He also sacked the head of the main state hospital after finding patients sleeping on the floor during a surprise visit to the facility.

Mr Magufuli beat opposition candidate Edward Lowassa in last month’s election to become Tanzania’s fifth president since independence.

Nicknamed “The Bulldozer”, Mr Magufuli is reputed to be a no-nonsense, results-driven politician. He was the works minister, before being elected president.

Source jumpfon

WAje In Her Stunning Shoot (Check It Out)

The popular music artist was tags in Remi Adetiba Shoot For An Upcoming Christmas Party

New Music video: 'The Money' Davido ft Olamide

REPOT!!! Coca-Cola Says Its Mini Cans Are “Reinventing” The Soda Business

 

You might look at Coca-Cola’s 7.5-ounce mini-can and shrug it off merely as a slightly smaller Coca-Cola. Shaving 4.5 ounces off the traditional 12-ounce can may seem like no biggie, strategically
 or physically.

Yet to Coca-Cola, each fewer ounce is a carefully calculated step into The Future.

As sales have declined, Coca-Cola — also owner of brands like Sprite and Fanta — has increased its marketing budget and launched sodas with fewer calories and new sweeteners. But “maybe the most important element in terms of our sparkling [carbonated beverage] portfolio has been the significant and strategic re-architecture of our packaging mix,” said Sandy Douglas, the President of Coca-Cola North America, at a conference this week. The new mini-bottles and cans are “the way that we are reinventing” the soda business, he said.
That’s a lot of enthusiasm for a small aluminum can. But what’s significant about a Coke executive calling little cans and bottles — in other words, less soda — “a core part of our strategy” is the acknowledgement that the American market for soda indeed is getting smaller.

For decades, soft drinks have been seen as high-volume products that people consume frequently. Bottles gradually got bigger starting in the 1950s. Yet what was good for business eventually made calorie-packed sodas a major public health concern; consumers started to curb soda consumption. Coke needs to shift gears.

Enter the mini-can. Offering a downsized alternative to regular cans, is a notable, if also somewhat uncomfortable, decision for the brand. The smaller 90-calorie cans have been around since 2007 (nationally only since 2010), making them a fairly new addition for the 123 year-old company. And with 8.5-ounce aluminum bottles also in the lineup now, the company has added miniaturized alternatives to the 20-ounce plastic bottles commonly found in convenience stores.

Soda makers PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple have their own versions of the downsized drinks.

Coke has reiterated the importance of these new sizes in recent years. As the soda maker said this summer in a blog post “whether it is our mini-cans or small glass bottles, we are better able to provide great-tasting refreshment in moderation.”

But can the world’s largest beverage company succeed if it embraces a philosophy of moderation?

As Americans drink less soda, the company is trying to roll with the trend.

One of the biggest challenges confronting Coca-Cola is that its main products are sugary drinks, which attract almost tobacco-level scorn among many health-conscious consumers.

It wasn’t always that way. For most of it’s long history, Coke had a rare, almost universal appeal that helped it dominate globally, available bottled pretty much anywhere on the planet. Coke reigned as the most valuable brand in the world for many years. It has been, in other words, an extraordinary product.

But a growing numbers of consumers are turning against not just Coke, but soda altogether. In a recent Gallup survey, more than six in 10 adults in the U.S. said they were trying to steer clear of the beverages. Public health campaigns have blamed soda for obesity and other health risks. Consumption of soda — including diet soda — has been declining for a decade, although it still averaged an impressive 40 gallons per person in the U.S. in 2014 — about 14 ounces per day.

As public opinion turns against it, the goal now for Coca-Cola is to keep soda in people’s diets, even if it’s in diminished portions. “Packages by the end of the 90s were all huge, and they were boring,” said Douglas. Rather than waging a losing battle to persuade consumers to drink more soda, Coca-Cola’s strategy has shifted to accepting that consumers — including kids — will drink less of it.

“Smaller packages are re-recruiting consumers of all demographics, particularly upper-income consumers and particularly moms, because moms want to treat their kids, but they don’t want them to have too much, they want to be in control,” Douglas said at the conference.

The company wants consumers to believe soda can be part of a healthy lifestyle, rather than antithetical to one.

This effort includes plenty of messaging, and not just via the company’s uniquitous advertising. In March, the Associated Press reported Coke worked with a number health and fitness experts who had written articles published on blogs and newspaper websites saying small cans of soda could be a useful, portion controlled snack as part of a healthy diet.

“We have a network of dietitians we work with,” Ben Sheidler, a Coca-Cola spokesman, told the AP at the time. “Every big brand works with bloggers or has paid talent.”

In August the New York Times reported the company has also given significant financial support to a group called the Global Energy Balance Network, which argues Americans have paid too much attention to dietary causes of the obesity epidemic, and should also focus on boosting levels of physical activity and exercise.

Coca-Cola later disclosed hundreds of grants it made “with the best of intentions” for research, partnerships with medical groups, and community health programs over the past five years. The company decided not to renew some contracts due to “budget realities,” reported the AP.

As its sales by volume decline, Coca-Cola is making up for it by charging more per ounce for the mini-cans and bottles.

The 7.5-ounce cans, for example, cost about $0.40 each while the larger, original 12-once can costs about $0.32. “A 12-ounce can traded to a 7-ounce can is a 30% reduction in volume, but it’s an increase in revenue,” said Douglas.

Coca-Cola says the strategy is slowly working. The old standard sizes — the 2-liter bottle and the 12-ounce can, which the company refers to in the chart below as its “core” packages — are in decline. Meanwhile, sales of the new smaller sizes, referred to as “transaction” packages because they encourage soda sales, have grown for years. They now represent 14% of sales compared to 10% in 2011.

“Gallonage is declining,” Douglas said. The bright side, in a convoluted sense, is small sodas have “a lot of growth ahead,” replacing many of yesterday’s binge bottles one sized-down can at a time.

Venessa Wong is a business reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York. Wong covers the food industry.


Source: jumpfon

Report!! Angelina Jolie Pitt in “By the Sea,”

Angelina Jolie Pitt in “By the Sea,” which she wrote, directed and stars in. Credit Universal Picture

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — During the filming of “By the Sea,” Angelina Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt — who play a depressed former dancer and her blocked novelist husband — had a go-to method for lightening an often somber mood on the set. “There were a lot of jokes about how nobody is ever going to want to be our neighbor again,” said Ms. Jolie Pitt, referring to how their characters often spy through a peephole on two lovers in the hotel room next door.
“By the Sea” is written, produced and directed by Ms. Jolie Pitt and represents the first time she and Mr. Pitt have appeared on screen together since their 2005 spy thriller “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” The potential pitfalls of directing one’s real-life spouse aside, the movie is a risk in other ways. Set in a quiet seaside town in France, it’s inspired by the deliberately paced European art films of the ’60s and ’70s, and — let the speculation begin — tells the story of an American couple’s imploding marriage.

Sitting in a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel here, Ms. Jolie Pitt, 40, whose last film as director was the World War II survival tale “Unbroken,” seemed sanguine about it all — from the fact-or-fiction parsing “By the Sea” might generate to the possible critical reception of what she called “a bold choice.” She added: “I know some people are going to hate it. Some are going to like it. But it was important to me to feel like an artist again.”

An American couple who are vacationing in a French seaside town begin to examine problems in their marriage.

By UNIVERSAL PICTURES on Publish Date November 1, 2015. Photo by Internet Video Archive.

On her right wrist she wore a thread bracelet acquired during a recent trip to Cambodia; a runic tattoo peeked from the left sleeve of her beige pleated dress. Candid and engaged, she spoke of the grounding influence of having her six children on location and of how hard Mr. Pitt worked on his French. “As we were shooting he’d sometimes say: ‘It’s strange. You seem to have given me 10 times more dialogue in French than you’ve given yourself,’” she said, laughing hard. “I told him, ‘That’s the bonus of being the writer.’” Here are excerpts from the conversation.


Q. Your first films involved lots of research. How do you prep for a circa 1970s marital drama?


A.It helped that it was set in France, so we focused on the culture and the time in history. But it’s really just me from a blank page. It’s like my study of something that I didn’t even understand about my own pain, my own self. It was a very strange experience — and not one I think I’ll do often. [Laughs] I got married right before: Maybe that was my study.


You had been with Brad for roughly nine years by then. Did tying the knot change anything?

Photo



Angelina Jolie Pitt with Brad Pitt on the set of “By the Sea.” Credit Merrick Morton/Universal Pictures




It was just a nice thing. For me, the big moment was when [we] signed the [joint adoption] papers for Maddox and Zahara. That was a decision to parent together, to commit to being a part of each other’s lives for the rest of my life. So [marriage] wasn’t close in comparison. In a way, it was very casual.

The ceremony was in France, but we had to do things legally in California. One day I was in the edit room, and [Brad] was doing something and an assistant said, “You have to sign some papers.” So we came back and between meetings we were told, “Here’s your license.” Then someone said, “The judge is outside.” We both said, “What do you mean, the judge is outside?” Then the judge came in, this lovely guy, and at some point, Brad said, “Shouldn’t we be standing up?” The judge said, “No.” Then suddenly we realized we were married, in the most unceremonial way possible.

Then not much later it was off to Malta to shoot a movie about a relationship in crisis. That’s your idea of a honeymoon?

Phot
Angelina Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt in the movie "By the Sea." Credit Merrick Morton/Universal Pictures.

Well, technically it was a honeymoon. A few days into filming I thought: This is such a bad idea. What was I thinking? This is going to destroy us before we’ve even gotten started. But by the time we got to the end of the film, we’d argued, challenged each other, disappointed each other, had good days, bad days, all of it. We’d pushed through, learned something about each other, found a new working relationship and came to like the idea of “Yeah, it gets really bad, but you work it out.”


When you reread the script for your movie — which you’ve said you didn’t initially intend to star in — what was it like to realize that you were going to be the actress put through the emotional wringer?


There were lots of scenes I wanted to change or cut. I realized it was going to be me [naked] in that bathtub. But I told myself, put all of that aside. Like, you can’t change or cut this scene because you’ve had a mastectomy, or because we’re married and people are going to analyze this or that. That would be cheating.


Talk about the challenge of directing and acting at the same time.

Phot
Angelina Jolie Pitt on the set of “By the Sea” with the film’s script supervisor, Kristin Witcombe. Credit Merrick Morton/Universal Pictures.

As a director I had to be very sure, very strong in opinion, stable. My character? She shouldn’t direct anything. Not even traffic. She’s a mess. The duality — being a director, then having to become a person that vulnerable — would often be hard. There’s a whole reel of me calling “Cut!” If a doctor saw it, I’d be put on medication. I’m hysterically crying and then calling “Cut!” or during a sex scene I am calling “Cut!” on Brad. You had to laugh at how bizarre it was.


There are so few female directors employed in Hollywood that a federal investigation was recently begun into gender discrimination in the industry. Yet you’ve often seemed to resist discussing what it’s like to be part of such a small group. Why?


I just think that sometimes people in the business focus on the fact that you’re a minority. I don’t want people saying, “Should we get a female director?” I want to hear, “Should we get a great director for this movie?” But I’m the first female director that Brad’s ever worked with. That doesn’t seem right when you think about it.


Angelina Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2005). Credit Stephen Vaughn/20th Century Fox.

Sexism is part of every industry and must be addressed. But I try not to focus on the negative but the positive side of what we can bring. I want to support other women because of the opportunities I’ve had — and I’ve had a lot of opportunities. What I try as a female director is to do the best job I can and in the meantime bring attention to as many other female directors and writers as I can. Right now I am producing “The Breadwinner,” an animated film about Afghanistan. Nora Twomey is the director.

What do you think Brad’s first experience with a woman director was like?
I’m not just a woman, but a writer-director. We’re also husband and wife. I think it was doubly hard. We know certain things about each other. At first it was a little uncomfortable. You want to be careful what button you press and what you don’t. At the same time, he later said he felt like he could be the most open in his acting, because he trusted I was genuinely there to help him give the best performance.

In the midst of all this you had children to tuck into bed at night, one of them a teenage boy, Maddox, working as a gofer on a not-exactly-PG movie.

Photo



Angelina Jolie Pitt with her son Maddox this year. Credit Candid/Barcroft Media, via GC Images
He’d be there for the lighter scenes or funnier ones, but obviously we had a rule that for certain scenes he was on lockdown, not on set. I remember one day I was in my robe, my mascara was running down my face, my hair was still in curlers, and we ran into each other in the hallway. He just shook his head, like, “Wow, Mom. Nice.” This business, I grew up in it myself, so I’d almost be happier if the kids weren’t interested. But he loved it.


Let’s talk about the hacked Sony emails that were released last year. Were you surprised when you read the bruising exchange about you between the former Sony co-chairwoman Amy Pascal and the producer Scott Rudin?

Someone told me. There are certain things that bother me and certain things that don’t. Personal attacks on me? I think I’m just so used to it. Honestly, my first instinct was that I was worried about Amy. I had someone call her and ask if she was O.K. Not because I’m a saint, but because I think we have to look at the bigger picture. She’s got kids. I knew it was going to unravel for her.


Returning to moviemaking, do you ever dream of returning to less serious fare, like a romantic comedy?


I love comedies. But I’m never asked to do anything even self-mocking. I tried to do comedy when I was younger. It didn’t work. I don’t think I’m very funny.


In “By the Sea,” there’s plenty of shouting, tears, drinking and, at one point, kicking. Do you mind that audiences will see the film and read into it?


And think, this is what they’re really like? I think you have to accept that. But if people think these are our particular issues, well, that’s wrong. But if they want to think we have terrible fights, are imperfect, have insecurities and can be depressed and emotional, of course that’s true. We have problems, arguments. We are two very human, flawed people. And I think that’s a good thing to show.


Source: filehippo

Report!!! Beyonce To Launch 2016 Clothing Venture

A launch of retail billionaire Sir Philip Green’s new clothing venture with singer Beyonce is planned for spring next year.

The owner of the Arcadia group, which includes Top Shop, Dorothy Perkins, and Burton, has been working with the star on a new athletic street-wear brand.

It had been reported that the global venture would launch this year.

Details came as Sir Philip’s group reported operating profits up 5.5% to £251.6m despite “challenging times”.
Sales for the year to 29 August were almost flat at £2.06bn, according to results published by Taveta Investments, Arcadia’s family-controlled parent company.

The fashion industry was abuzz with speculation earlier this year when the retail entrepreneur and singer announced they were creating an all-new global company, Parkwood Topshop. Deals between retailers and celebrities have traditionally been branding links.

In an update on Wednesday, Taveta said: “We are developing our distribution globally for the launch of this exciting new brand in spring 2016.”

The new company will produce clothing, footwear and accessories. So-called street-wear is a “rapidly growing area of the market”, the company said in a statement.

Taveta’s profit figures, for the year ending 29 August, do not include High Street chain BHS, which was sold in March to Retail Acquisitions for just £1.

Sir Philip said Arcadia delivered “a robust performance in challenging times”. In the first 10 weeks of the current financial year, like-for-like sales were down 2.3% on the same period last year, he said.

UPDATE!!! Why Nigerians Are Saving Up To $50,000 To Pay For UK And US Degrees

More Nigerian families are saving up tens of thousands of dollars in order to pay for their children to study at universities in the United Kingdom, Europe and North America. Data from StudySearch, a London-based start-up that helps African students find universities outside the continent, shows Nigerian parents save up as much as $50,000 to finance their kids’ education outside Africa.

The sum is significant in a country where the minimum wage is just $90 a month and middle class starter jobs for graduates pay between $500 to $1,000 a month.
Getting a degree abroad is believed to give the degree holder an edge in a hyper-competitive Nigerian labor market with few jobs. An international degree can almost guarantee entry to Nigeria’s growing middle class.

The United Kingdom is by far the most popular destination for Nigerian students seeking international degrees, but in general, the top destinations for Nigerian students abroad are spread across Europe, North America and even Australia.

Given the volume of students going abroad, concerns have been raised over the outward flow of capital to these countries. Study Search estimates Nigerian parents spend well above the federal government’s $750 million annual budget for national universities on getting their children educated outside the continent.

StudySearch was founded last year by Frederik Obasi and Taofeeq Alabi, two Nigerians who studied in the UK. It matches prospective students with advisors who are either students or alumni of some of the world’s leading schools in a peer-to-peer system.

“Our feedback reveals that students prefer to take advice from and interact with their peers, who have already been successful in securing international study, rather than get expensive, biased and conflicting advice from more traditional agencies,” said Frederik Obasi, StudySearch CEO.

Even though foreign degrees offer a perceived edge with regard to getting jobs, the poor state of local universities have also been a major deciding factor. In the past, the frequency of strike actions which often result in closure of the schools and an interruption in students’ education made government-run universities less attractive and even though the strike actions do not occur as frequently, there is still a question as to whether the educational system in Nigeria can adequately cater for the those in need.

There are around 150 universities in Nigeria with 50 of them being privately-owned. The average student cost of the government-run universities range from $125 to $500 per annum while the private universities, usually operating with fixed calendars, better facilities and no strike actions, have an average annual cost of $2700.

But regardless of the wide range of options in pricing and location, Nigerian students could clearly do with more schools. Every year, around 1.5 million students seek admissions into the national university system but fewer than half of the applicants can get in as Nigeria’s 150 universities can only accommodate 40% of them. With a national university system that cannot adequately serve a population which has 62.5% being 24 or younger, the option of getting an education abroad is almost too good to be ignored.

Source: Quartz Africa

‘We’re Still Together’ - Kylie Jenner On Tyga

Despite Rumors has carried it recently that Kylie Jenner and Tyga will split,
even last ast week, TMZ reported that the couple broke up due to “pressure from the Kardashians.” But during her appearance on “Ellen” on Wednesday, Kylie set the record straight.
“Honestly, people have it all wrong,” she said. “We’re not broken up. We became best friends before anything happened, so I think that that’s awesome and we’re just like, hanging out.”

When Ellen asked what she meant by “hanging out,” Kylie responded, “We’re still together.”

Ellen reminded her that Tyga bought her a $320,000 Ferrari, to which she said, “I know, I drove it here.”

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Source: zionfelix

UPDATE!!! FIFPro XI Shortlist: Ronaldo’s Real Madrid Outnumber Messi’s Barcelona

Real Madrid dominate the FIFPro World XI shortlist with Cristiano Ronaldo facing a battle against Barcelona trio Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez as well as Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney for a place in attack.

FIFPro, the worldwide players’ union, has announced a 55-man shortlist for the FIFA FIFPro World XI, with nearly 25,000 players from around the world voting in this year’s ballot for their preferred players in a 4-3-3 formation.


Madrid lead the way with 12 representatives on the shortlist, closely followed by Bundesliga champions Bayern (11) and Treble winners Barcelona (10), who thrashed Los Blancos 4-0 in last Saturday’s Clasico at the Bernabeu.

Announcing the 55 finalists chosen by 25,000 players for the @FIFPro@FIFAcom#WorldXI 2015: https://t.co/IxPUTSYtAPpic.twitter.com/mdrR9e6Qjq

— FIFPro (@FIFPro) November 26, 2015

Rafa Benitez’s “BBC” attack of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo are competing for the three striking positions with Barca’s record-breaking triumvirate of Messi, Neymar and Suarez, though Bayern have four attackers on the shortlist in the shape of Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa.

Last season’s Champions League finalists Juventus have three current players nominated in Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Paul Pogba, with former stars Artro Vidal (Bayern), Carlos Tevez (Boca Juniors) and Andrea Pirlo (New York City FC) also up for their respective positions.

There are 10 representatives from the Premier League, with Manchester City leading the way with four nominations. Champions Chelsea are represented by John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic and Eden Hazard.

Man United skipper Rooney and David De Gea — who almost joined Madrid this summer — also make the cut, while Alexis Sanchez is the single Arsenal player to make the grade.

French champions Paris Saint-Germain have four nominations along with Man City, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Luiz, Marco Verratti and captain Thiago Silva on the list.

The FIFPro World XI will be announced on Jan. 11, 2016 at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich.



FIFPro represents more than 65,000 male and female footballers across the globe. The organisation asks players to vote for the best goalkeeper, four best defenders, three best midfielders and three best attackers from all players worldwide.

There is only a distinction between the lines of formation, not the positions themselves, and there is no pre-approved shortlist of players to vote from.

However, players chosen must have made at least 15 official appearances during the calendar year to be eligible for the World XI.

All ballots that have been returned will be counted in December, with FIFPro staff then building the new World XI.

Full FIFPro World XI shortlist:

Goalkeepers (5): Gianluigi Buffon (Italy/Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain/Porto), David De Gea (Spain/Manchester United), Keylor Navas (Costa Rica/Real Madrid) and Manuel Neuer (Germany/Bayern).

Defenders (20): David Alaba (Austria/Bayern), Jordi Alba (Spain/Barca), Jerome Boateng (Germany/Bayern), Daniel Carvajal (Spain/Real), Giorgio Chiellini (Italy/Juve), Dani Alves (Brazil/Barca), David Luiz (Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain), Diego Godin (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid), Mats Hummels (Germany/Borussia Dortmund), Branislav Ivanovic (Serbia/Chelsea), Vincent Kompany (Belgium/Manchester City), Philipp Lahm (Germany/Bayern), Marcelo (Brazil/Real), Javier Mascherano (Argentina/Barca), Pepe (Portugal/Real), Gerard Piqué (Spain/Barca), Sergio Ramos (Spain/Real), John Terry (England/Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Brazil/PSG) and Raphael Varane (France/Real).

Midfielders (15): Thiago Alcantara (Spain/Bayern), Xabi Alonso (Spain/Bayern), Sergio Busquets (Spain/Barca), Eden Hazard (Belgium/Chelsea), Andres Iniesta (Spain/Barca), Toni Kroos (Germany/Real), Luka Modric (Croatia/Real), Andrea Pirlo (Italy/New York City FC), Paul Pogba (France/Juve), Ivan Rakitic (Croatia/Barca), James Rodriguez (Colombia/Real), David Silva (Spain/Man City), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast/Man City), Marco Verratti (Italy/PSG) and Arturo Vidal (Chile/Bayern).

Strikers (15): Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Man City), Gareth Bale (Wales/Real), Karim Benzema (France/Real), Douglas Costa (Brazil/Bayern), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden/PSG), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barca), Thomas Muller (Germany/Bayern), Neymar (Brazil/Barca), Arjen Robben (Netherlands/Bayern), Wayne Rooney (England/Manchester United), Alexis Sanchez (Chile/Arsenal), Luis Suarez (Uruguay/Barca) and Carlos Tevez (Argentina/Boca Juniors).

UPDATE! Xenophobic Attacks Persist In South Africa

Immigrants and foreign African nationals in South Africa say the government has not done enough to reintegrate them into communities after becoming targets of xenophobic violence.

Many moved to refugee camps due to the attacks and some are still too afraid to go back to their homes.

Shop owners in Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal province, say not enough is being done to help them.

 

 

 

Music Video: Reggie N Bollie Cover Fuse ODG’s ‘Dangerous Love’ On X Factor UK

Watch the video above!

X Factor UK 2015 favourites, Reggie N Bollie keep wowing judges and audiences with their energetic performances.

The duo did a mashup of Fuse ODG’s ‘Dangerous Love’ and Walk The Moon’s ‘Shut Up And Dance’. They incorporated some Azonto dance in their set.

Watch!

New Music: Pino Pallacio – One Of A Kind & Like To Party (Covers)

Through back of when Pino Pallacio did covers of this 2 smashing singles Davido’s smash hit single One of Kind and Burna Boys Like to Party

Follow Pino Pallacio on Twitter and Facebook

REPORTS: Paris Attacks Slow France Economic Growth

Signs that the attacks in Paris have impacted France’s service sector have emerged in the latest survey by Markit.

The firm said a rapid fall-off in trade was behind its index falling from 52.7 in October to 51.3 in November.

“We think the key reason for the slowing in services growth is due to the attacks,” Chris Williamson, Markit’s chief economist said.

Markit said 60% of survey responses from services sector firms were received after the 13 November attacks.

The services index remains above 50, meaning that it is continuing to grow, but at a slower pace.
“Clearly there’s been a cut in footfall and any sort of feel-good factor amongst consumers in the wake of the horrific events.

“But history does tell us that these events tend to have a very short-lived impact,” added Mr Williamson.

The “flash” manufacturing PMI rose to a 19-month high, and Mr Williamson said the rest of the survey data suggested “a more encouraging picture of France continuing to lift itself out of its gloom”.

Confidence hit

The survey comes after the boss of the industrial conglomerate Siemens warned that the Paris terrorist attacks and political instability in Europe were making companies more reluctant to invest.

“The biggest economic damage from these attacks is on confidence and confidence is a crucial element in this phase. It is indispensable to help countries exit the crisis,” Joe Kaeser told the Financial Times.

Yet overall, European businesses reported the fastest rates of growth in business activity and employment for four and a half years in November, according to Markit.

Its “flash” purchasing managers index for the eurozone rose to 54.4 from 53.9 in November – the survey’s fastest rate of expansion since May 2011.

Germany, which saw growth in manufacturing and services accelerate to a three-month high, helped drive the overall index higher.

Mr Williamson said the data put the 19-nation euro area on track for growth of 0.4 to 0.5% in the final quarter of the year.

But European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi recently indicated he was disappointed with the current rate of growth and suggested policymakers could take fresh action to boost the economy.

Draghi’s ECB has an inflation target of 2%, but prices in the eurozone have stayed low, with CPI at 0.1% in October.

“If we decide that the current trajectory of our policy is not sufficient to achieve that objective, we will do what we must to raise inflation as quickly as possible. That is what our price stability mandate requires of us,” the European Central Bank chief said last week.

Source: BBC

MUSIC: Adele’s Album To Break Records After First Day Sales

Adele’s long-awaited album 25 has registered one of the biggest first day sales totals of all time in the UK.

Released on Friday (November 20), it had reached 300,000 sales by midnight, according to figures from the Official Charts Company.

Take That’s Progress hit 217,500 sales on its first day, while Oasis’s Be Here Now sold 424,000 copies.

They are the only two albums ever to have sold more than 500,000 copies in a week in the UK.

Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbot said: “With this mammoth first day sales tally, Adele has taken a further step towards greatness.

“Over the next few days we will find out whether it can pass the magic half a million sales mark.”

It’s a similar picture in the United States where forecasters are predicting she will sell at least 2.5 million copies in the first week.

Since officials started tracking album sales like this, only Justin Timberlake’s nineties boy band NSYNC has managed to achieve opening sales of over two million.

These figures come despite the news that Adele won’t be making the album available on music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.

The Official Albums Chart include audio streams in their weekly tallies for album sales.

The 27-year-old’s previous albums 19 and 21 as well as her current single Hello are still available for streaming although she initially withheld her album 21 because the service refused to limit the songs to paying subscribers. 

 

Credit: jumpfon

Solar Plant To Bring Energy To A Million People In Moroccan

A giant plant using energy from the Sun to power a Moroccan city at night will open next month.

The solar thermal plant at Ouarzazate will harness the Sun’s warmth to melt salt, which will hold its heat to power a steam turbine in the evening.

The first phase will generate for three hours after dark; the last stage aims to supply power 20 hours a day.

It is part of Morocco’s pledge to get 42% of its electricity from renewables by 2020.

The UN has praised Morocco for the level of its ambition. The UK, a much richer country, is aiming for 30% by the same date.
The Saudi-built Ouarzazate solar thermal plant will be one of the world’s biggest when it is complete. The mirrors will cover the same area as the country’s capital, Rabat.

Futuristic complex

Paddy Padmanathan of Saudi-owned ACWA Power, which is running the thermal project, said: “Whether you are an engineer or not, any passer-by is simply stunned by it.

“You have 35 soccer fields of huge parabolic mirrors pointed to the sky which are moveable so they will track the Sun throughout the day.”

The developers say phase one of the futuristic complex will bring energy to a million people.

The complex stands on the edge of a gritty, flat, rust-red desert, with the snow-clad Atlas mountains towering to the North.

It is part of a vision from Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to turn his country into a renewable energy powerhouse.


Melted salt inside this tank holds heat into the evening

The country has been 98% dependent on imported fossil fuels, but the king was persuaded of the vast capacity of Atlantic wind, mountain hydro power and scorching Saharan sun.

The king’s plans are being enacted by environment minister Hakima el Haite.

She told me: “We are convinced that climate change is an opportunity for our country.”

As part of its national commitment to the Paris climate conference, Morocco has pledged to decrease CO2 emissions 32% below business-as-usual by 2030, conditional on aid to reach the renewables target.

Currently Morocco imports electricity from Spain, but engineers hope that will not last long.

Paddy Padmanathan predicted: “If Morocco is able to generate electricity at seven, eight cents per kilowatt – very possible – it will have thousands of megawatts excess.

“It’s obvious this country should be able to export into Europe and it will. And it will not need to do anything at all… it needs to do is just sit there because Europe will start to need it.”

‘True revolution’

Morocco’s previously useless slice of the Sahara is proving a blessing for solar power. Solar thermal technology only works in hot sunny countries. The price is falling, and its growing capacity to store energy is arousing interest.

The cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is falling much faster but the International Energy Agency expects them both to play a part in an energy revolution which is likely to see solar as the dominant source of electricity globally by 2050.

Everywhere solar prices are tumbling. Thierry Lepercq, CEO of the Paris-based Solaire Direct, said (controversially) that large-scale ground-mounted solar could already be built without subsidy even in a country like in the UK.

“Solar is a true revolution – that’s the way we define it,” he said. “The $50 mark (per megawatt hour) is now being crossed and prices are going down.

“The long-term decision-making that is prevalent in the energy world is being disrupted; so you are certainly going to see some coal projects coming to fruition in the next couple of years based on previous decisions but what is certain today is that in all the boards of directors of energy companies, those things are being fundamentally reassessed.”

It is, he said, a moment in history.

Source: BBC