Indian-owned Jaguar Land Rover is rushing through deliveries of small car parts to Britain from China, where supply chains are hit by the deadly coronavirus, the Financial Times said Wednesday. "We have flown parts in suitcases from China to the UK," said JLR chief executive Ralf Speth, quoted by the FT and other British media. Speth said Jaguar Land Rover's British plants were "safe for this week" and next, but that there was "a risk for overall production" thereafter, owing to further parts being delayed. Britain's biggest carmaker JLR, which is owned by Indian group Tata Motors, ordinarily transports the components by sea, which takes longer but is cheaper compared with transportation by air, the business daily added. Foreign firms from various sectors are facing disrupted supply chains in China because of the deadly virus. The death toll from the epidemic jumped past 2,000 on Wednesday after 136 more people died, with the number of new cases falling for a second ... » Learn More about Virus-hit Jaguar rushes car parts to UK in suitcases: Reports
Electric cars
Lexus accelerates its future with ‘LF-Z Electrified’ world premiere
SINCE the launch of the RX 400h — the world’s first luxury electrified model — in 2005, Lexus customers have purchased nearly two million electrified vehicles as of the end of 2020. Currently, Lexus offers nine models of hybrid electric vehicles(HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in approximately 90 countries and regions around the world. Lexus has always pursued both performance and environmental friendliness. Through its “Lexus Electrified” vision that Lexus announced in 2019, Lexus aims to realize a fundamental leap in vehicle performance by employing electrification technology and to continue to provide its customers with the enjoyment and pleasure that cars have to offer. Lexus held the world premiere of “LF-Z Electrified,” a conceptual BEV that incorporates driving performance, styling and technologies envisioned for realization by 2025. It features ideal dynamic balance achieved through the optimal placement of the battery and electric motors as well as a new ... » Learn More about Lexus accelerates its future with ‘LF-Z Electrified’ world premiere
Putrajaya keen to attract ecotourism projects
Come with creative investment proposals on tourism products and services to make Putrajaya an iconic ecotourism draw. That is the message from Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa to the private sector, as a way to increase the number of visitors to the administrative capital. “As Putrajaya is already a planned city with iconic buildings and complete facilities, private companies can readily utilise them, ” he said during a press conference to announce a glamping project in Putrajaya Wetlands Park. “This means they will not need big capital expenditure but just add value and run promotion programmes to draw attention to their tourism products and services. “We will be open and transparent so that these companies can help make Putrajaya a major recreational city that is eco-friendly and family-oriented, ” he said during the event held in Precinct 3. Annuar noted that Putrajaya was lacking in pull factor, which explained why the 25-year-old administrative capital ... » Learn More about Putrajaya keen to attract ecotourism projects
1st day of Songkran road safety campaign – 356 injuries, 25 deaths
The Songkran road safety campaign is off to a moderate start with a reported 25 deaths and 356 injuries across Thailand on Saturday. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general reports that there were 348 road accidents in the country on the first day of the campaign. Though the figures don’t sound like an achievement, they are actually a fair bit lower than the average road death toll each day in Thailand throughout the year. Officials say that the real rush back home for the annual holiday will probably be tomorrow. About 83% of the accidents involved motorbikes, 7.5% involved pick-up trucks and 4% were with cars. The biggest percentage of incidents happened between 4 and 8 pm, with 28% of accidents occurring in the late afternoon and early evening. Around 20% of crashes were between 8 am and noon, and 17% between noon and 4 pm. Speeding is the number one cause of traffic accidents, with 32% of incidents a result of people driving too fast. Sudden lane ... » Learn More about 1st day of Songkran road safety campaign – 356 injuries, 25 deaths
Minister’s insistence Thailand’s moon mission will go ahead sparks social media debate
Debate is raging on social media following a claim from the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, that Thailand’s plan to orbit the Moon is going ahead. Anek Laothamatas adds that it will be “mission accomplished” within the next 7 years, costing, “only 3 billion baht”. A report in the Bangkok Post says that, according to Anek, Thailand will be producing satellites weighing 50–100 kilograms within 5 years, and in the following 3 years, will start building spaceships capable of going beyond the Earth’s orbit. He says we can all look forward to an official announcement on January 13. “The new economy of space travel will be a way for Thailand to overcome the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and then to escape the middle-income trap, and the ministry will embrace creativity and innovation.” Anek’s announcement has sparked debate on social media, with some saying the poverty and other social issues facing their fellow countrymen should take ... » Learn More about Minister’s insistence Thailand’s moon mission will go ahead sparks social media debate
Myanmar’s post-coup civilian death toll climbs past 700
Relatives surround the body of Su Su Kyi, who was shot in a car on her way home from work at South Korea’s Shinhan Bank, during her funeral at Yayway cemetery in Yangon on April 2, 2021, as the country remains in turmoil after the February military coup. Photo by STR / AFP YANGON — A security guard was wounded in a bomb blast outside a military-owned bank in Myanmar’s second-biggest city Sunday morning, as the civilian death toll from the junta’s brutal crackdown on dissent topped more than 700 at the weekend. The country has been in turmoil since the military removed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. Myawaddy Bank’s biggest branch in Mandalay was targeted on Sunday morning and a security guard was injured in the explosion, according to local media. There was a heavy security presence in the area following the blast. The bank is one of scores of military-controlled businesses that have faced boycott pressure since the coup, with many customers demanding to ... » Learn More about Myanmar’s post-coup civilian death toll climbs past 700
Two years on, Notre-Dame awaits long path to pre-fire glory
This file photo taken on April 16, 2019 shows charred debris inside Notre-Dame-de Paris in Paris in the aftermath of a fire that devastated the cathedral. April 15, 2021 marks the two years anniversary of the fire that devastated Notre-Dame-de-Paris Cathedral, in the center of the French capital. Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN / POOL / AFP PARIS — On the evening of April 15 2019, France and the world watched transfixed in horror as flames ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, fearful that the heritage landmark could be lost to humanity forever. While the spire collapsed and much of the roof was destroyed, the efforts of firefighters ensured the great mediaeval edifice survived the night. Yet the road to restoration has been long and arduous and it is only expected to return to its former glory in April 2024, five years after the fire. The cause of the blaze remains a subject of uncertainty, although investigators are so far rejecting any idea of foul play and focusing on a ... » Learn More about Two years on, Notre-Dame awaits long path to pre-fire glory
Scorched–but not by the Manila heat
Scorched specializes in smoked meats: pork, beef and even chicken. As we stay home and/or work from home, we can’t help but miss restaurant food. Sure, nothing can beat home-cooked food, but once in a while—or maybe several times a week—we still crave food that we can’t exactly replicate at home. Like smoked ribs. That is why I was so happy when my friend, let’s call her Madame M, sent over a kilo of ready-to-heat smoked ribs. It was fall-off-the-bone tender and very tasty that I made a mental note to find out more about the restaurant that it came from. The pretty white box that the ribs came in was labeled Scorched. Apparently, it is a new restaurant. They just opened in 2019 at an obscure food hall of sorts near UST. Just last March, they opened their second branch in SM Center Las Piñas. The name of the restaurant is Scorched because they specialize in smoked meats: pork, beef and even chicken. The smokiness of their meat is distinct. After making a few calls, I ... » Learn More about Scorched–but not by the Manila heat
IMF warns banks of systematic impact
Banks in the Philippines could experience a systemic solvency impact if additional downside risks materialize despite their ability to withstand the exceptionally severe shocks, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In a report released over the weekend, the IMF said the key risks to financial stability stem from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and bank-corporate linkages. “Distress to the corporate sector could be widespread even in the baseline and sharply rise in adverse scenarios, elevating credit risks to banks,” it stressed. In the baseline scenario, the IMF said banks’ total capital adequacy ratio (CAR) slides from 15.6 percent to 11.7 percent by 2022, still higher than the 10-percent minimum requirement even without sectoral policy effects. However, CAR plunges to 9.3 percent in the adverse scenario, and 4.9 percent in the severe adverse scenarios. “The second-round effects from such distress might reduce the real GDP (gross domestic ... » Learn More about IMF warns banks of systematic impact
Suzuki heads north, launches dealership in Pangasinan
SUZUKI Philippines Inc. (SPH), the country’s pioneer compact car distributor, in collaboration with Grand Canyon Multi-Holdings Inc., opened its doors to a new dealership located in what is commonly known as the heartland of the Philippines — Pangasinan. The new Suzuki Auto Pangasinan dealership, introduced virtually to the public last March 26, is Grand Canyon Multi-Holdings Inc.’s 12th Suzuki dealership, adding to its fleet of dealerships strategically scattered across the country. The new 3S dealership, located in De Venecia Road, Barangay Banaoang, Calasiao, Pangasinan, sits comfortably in a 1,670 sqm space with an impressive showroom that can exhibit a total of five Suzuki models simultaneously with a service center that carries six working bays, proving that it will be more than capable of catering to the needs of Suzuki’s loyal patrons and customers in the area. Members of the Grand Canyon Multi-Holdings Inc. Group, including Chairman Peter Po, Comptroller Caroline Po and ... » Learn More about Suzuki heads north, launches dealership in Pangasinan