FCA's big cars extended to 2020
Fiat Chrysler will refresh and stick with its stable of large cars until at least 2020, two sources told Automotive News.
The Dodge Challenger coupe and Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans won't be redesigned onto the automaker's new Giorgio platform until the 2021 model year, when FCA is likely to discontinue production of one of the large sedans, according to one internal FCA source and one at an FCA supplier.
Information from those sources confirms vague details released in a contract highlighter sent to union members that explained the company's new four-year labor contract with the Canadian auto workers union Unifor.
The agreement, ratified by Unifor members last month, calls for FCA to invest $325 million Canadian ($242 million U.S.) in the Brampton, Ontario, plant to rebuild its antiquated paint shop. Construction is to begin in the summer of 2017, according to the contract highlighter from union President Jerry Dias.
The Giorgio platform underpins the new Alfa Romeo Giulia, which is due to go on sale in North America by the end of the year.
On the company's third-quarter conference call with analysts late last month, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said he was "encouraged by the versatility of the architecture that was planned at the time in which the Giulia was launched. I think it's proved out to be all and more than we expected, and I think its utilization across a wide range of applications within the group is probably the most beneficial thing we've done from a technical development here in a long time."
The Giorgio platform would be stretched and likely widened for use by Dodge in North America for a next-generation Charger and Challenger. It is also rigid enough to allow FCA to potentially return to the convertible market for the first time since it canceled the Chrysler 200 Convertible in 2014.
At the most recent FCA dealer's show in Las Vegas in August 2015, FCA showed a potential future convertible Dodge that it called the Barracuda -- a name borrowed from Plymouth's muscle car past.
Until the switchover to the Giorgio platform, FCA plans to freshen the Charger, Challenger and 300 for the 2018 model year. The three large rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive cars were last updated for the 2015 model year, but Dodge has wrung further sales out of its two offerings with a continued emphasis on specialty trim levels.
For example, for the 2017 model year, Dodge is returning its T/A name to the Challenger for the first time in 46 years, offering three new subtrims that tack new performance parts and appearance upgrades onto the R/T trim lineup.
However, when FCA begins manufacturing the Giorgio-based Dodge cars, it could mean the end of the line for the Chrysler 300 sedan.
Since taking over Chrysler after its 2009 bankruptcy, FCA's executive leadership has consistently eliminated the badge-engineered twinned vehicles that were so common under former owner Daimler AG. Most recently, that has played out with the Jeep Compass, which will replace both the current model Compass and Jeep Patriot when it goes on sale in North America early next year.
Source-AutoNews
UK halts Facebook's WhatsApp data dip
Facebook has been told it must not use data gathered from UK members of its WhatsApp messaging app to target ads on its core social network.
The country's Information Commissioner said she did not believe the firm had obtained valid consent for the move and added that people must be given "ongoing control" over their data.
Elizabeth Denham said that Facebook had agreed to "pause" its rollout but had not met all her demands.
Facebook has yet to publicly comment.
The California-based company bought WhatsApp in 2014 and pledged to keep the chat app independent.
However, in August, WhatsApp made changes to its privacy policy, prompting an investigation by the UK watchdog.
"I had concerns that consumers weren't being properly protected, and it's fair to say the enquiries my team have made haven't changed that view," blogged Elizabeth Denham, the Information Commissioner.
"I don't think WhatsApp has got valid consent from users to share the information.
"We've set out the law clearly to Facebook, and we're pleased that they've agreed to pause using data from UK WhatsApp users for advertisements or product improvement purposes."
Ms Denham said she now wanted Facebook and WhatsApp to:
offer customers' more details about how their data will be used
let WhatsApp members restrict access to their information beyond the existing 30-day cooling-off period
let users completely opt-out of the agreement at any time
Ms Denham said that Facebook had not agreed to these terms.
"If Facebook starts using the data without valid consent, they may face enforcement action from my office," she warned.
WhatsApp has already been cautioned warned by European privacy watchdogs about sharing user data with its new parent company.
Source-BBC
Stars kick off movie awards season at Hollywood Film Awards
Mel Gibson, Natalie Portman and Tom Hanks are among the stars who were honoured at the Hollywood Film Awards.
Gibson won best director for World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge, a sign he has been accepted by the industry a decade after an infamous anti-Semitic rant.
Portman won best actress for Jackie, in which she portrays Jacqueline Kennedy after John F Kennedy's assassination.
The event styles itself as the start of the awards season, but is regarded with scepticism by some industry observers.
Winners were announced in advance with no nominations. Many of the winning films have not yet been released and an anonymous panel chooses the recipients.
But that did not stop an A-list crowd turning up to the ceremony, which was compered by TV host James Corden - although he did joke at one point that they were "fake awards".
The night was also peppered with references to Tuesday's US presidential election.
"Tonight is actually rigged," Corden told the audience at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, referring to Donald Trump's complaints about the election. "Literally, none of this is real."
He also joked that it was "the last awards show before the apocalypse".
Robert De Niro, who won the comedy award for the film The Comedian, compared Mr Trump to the "totally insane" General Jack D Ripper from Stanley Kubrick's Dr Strangelove.
He said: "It's two days until a frightening election. The shadow of politics is hanging over us whether we like it or not.
"It's hard for me to think about anything else so let me lay it out right here. We have the opportunity to prevent a comedy from turning into a tragedy. Vote for Hillary Tuesday."
Tom Hanks won the best actor award for the film Sully, in which he played Captain Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed a passenger plane on New York's Hudson River in 2009.
Nicole Kidman won the supporting actress award for Lion, while Hugh Grant was named best supporting actor for his role in Florence Foster Jenkins.
He was presented with the award by Andie MacDowell, his co-star in the 1994 film Four Weddings And A Funeral.
Addressing her on stage, Grant said: "I'm just depressed at how much better preserved you are than I am after 22 years. Do you use any special creams or anything like that?
"It's amazing. You're still a southern peach and I am, according to Twitter, a scrotum.
"I almost never get a prize and I'm so pleased with this one. It will not be in my loo or used as a doorstep."
British actress Naomie Harris received the breakout actress award for her work in Moonlight, while Lily Collins, the daughter of singer Phil, was given the New Hollywood award for Rules Don't Apply.
Awards season kicks off in earnest when the Golden Globe nominations are announced on 12 December, and will culminate with the Oscars on 27 February.
The full list of Hollywood Film Awards winners:
Hollywood career achievement award - Eddie Murphy
Hollywood actor award - Tom Hanks for Sully
Hollywood actress award - Natalie Portman for Jackie
Hollywood director award - Mel Gibson for Hacksaw Ridge
Hollywood comedy award - Robert De Niro for The Comedian
Hollywood supporting actor award - Hugh Grant for Florence Foster Jenkins
Hollywood supporting actress award - Nicole Kidman for Lion
Hollywood breakout actress award - Naomie Harris for Moonlight
Hollywood breakthrough director award - Tom Ford for Nocturnal Animals
New Hollywood award - Lily Collins for Rules Don't Apply
Hollywood song award - Justin Timberlake for Can't Stop the Feeling! from Trolls
Hollywood documentary award - Leonardo DiCaprio and Fisher Stevens for Before the Flood
Hollywood blockbuster award - The Jungle Book
Hollywood animation award - Zootopia
Hollywood ensemble award - Gold
Source-BBC
Trump team tries to ease global concern
Donald Trump's campaign team has sought to allay negative views expressed overseas towards their candidate, a day before the US goes to the polls.
Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told the BBC such antipathy "doesn't reflect why Donald Trump is running and who he would be on the global stage".
She also attacked Hillary Clinton's "unremarkable to chequered" record as secretary of state.
Both candidates are undertaking a blitz of campaigning in key states on Monday.
The latest opinion poll, on Fox News on Monday, gave Mrs Clinton a four-point lead, double that of Friday.
Mr Trump has faced a barrage of criticism from some world figures during campaigning. French President Francois Hollande said the businessman made people "want to retch". The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described him as a danger internationally.
Mr Trump "does say America First and he means it", she said, spelling out the reasons - stopping the loss of American jobs overseas, making sure all partners, including Nato, pay their fair share and renegotiating trade deals that are bad for the US.
Ms Conway also responded to a jibe from President Barack Obama that Mr Trump could not be trusted with US nuclear codes.
The president, during a rally in Florida on Sunday, said that if Mr Trump could not be trusted with a Twitter account, he should not be in charge of US nuclear weapons.
He was referring to a New York Times report that Mr Trump's team had taken control of his Twitter account from him.
But Ms Conway denied the Times report and said Mr Trump could be trusted with the nuclear weapons.
She said that Mrs Clinton had herself "not proved to be qualified with nuclear codes" citing her use of a private email server for classified information when she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 in the Obama administration.
Ms Conway condemned Mrs Clinton for allegedly allowing her maid to print off classified documents.
On Sunday, the FBI's director said a fresh inquiry into the Democratic candidate's communications had found nothing to change the bureau's conclusion this summer that she should not face criminal charges.
Source-BBC
GUYANA OPENS TITLE DEFENCE AGAINST JAMAICA IN THE DIGICEL 4-DAY REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
Digicel, in partnership with the WICB, has announced that plans are in high gear for the start of the Digicel 4-Day Regional Cricket tournament on 11th November 2016, in which the Guyana Jaguars, led by Shimron Hetmyer, will defend their title. And for the first time in the Caribbean, the tournament will feature the pink ball - known for its versatility in day/night matches and fitting for the opener under the lights at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.
The first round of the tournament includes three games which will be bowl off in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis from 11th November to 14th November. After which, the tournament will continue through the other islands including Barbados, Jamaica, Digicel markets in the Leeward Islands (Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla and Montserrat) and Digicel markets in the Windward Islands (Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & Grenadines).
President of the WICB, Dave Cameron, said; “The PCL is about to go in its third season and we have seen evidence of performances from the previous seasons that we are proud of. The recent “A” Team tour of Sri Lanka is evidence that the league has tremendous value. We expect a fierce competition. The calendar is fairly full for this year (up to September 2017) and we are sure players will position themselves to be selected for our top teams for upcoming international tours.”
As the tournament makes its way across the region, Digicel is also pulling out all the stops to heighten fan engagement – ranging from ticket giveaways to bring fans closer to the games to live broadcasts of the matches on SportsMax and daily updates on its social media pages.
Digicel Group Director of Marketing, Peter Lloyd, said; “Coming off a successful CPL staging, this is another way of keeping cricket buzzing in the Caribbean and a great platform for young cricketers to show off their talent. We’re very excited about another opportunity to engage our customers and cricket fans with great content throughout the tournament.”
The Police tackles Crime in the TCI
As elections draw near, politicians are busy talking about various issues including the ugly face of crime raising its head in the TCI.
The first of may updates from the detectives of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, have revealed that they have launched an investigation into a report of a Robbery that took place early Sunday 6th November 2016 on Bay Road Blue Hills, Providenciales.
RTC News understands that at around 4:59AM, Police responded to the scene where the victim was met and told officers that he was approached by three (3) masked men who were dressed in dark clothing with shirts over their faces and demanded him to hand over money. While handing over his wallet which contained an undisclosed amount of cash and some documents, He was shot twice by one of them who had a revolver. He received wounds to his left arm and left leg. The culprits then made good their escaped in the bushes.
The victim was taken to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre via Emergency Services.
In an update to our newsroom, detectives are continuing their inquiries into the murder of Gary Mead which occurred on Friday 30th September 2016 at Slots-O-Fun located on the Airport Road, Providenciales. Aggressive measures resulted with two more persons aged 24 and 30 years old, being arrested, and two firearms have been recovered.
Officers of the RTCIPF are still continuing to work hard to prevent and detect crime, arrest and bring offenders to justice our news desk was told by Press Officer, Kevin Clarke.
Finally, On Thursday 3rd November 2016, Officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands conducted a number of Stop and Searches exercises and executed a number of Search Warrants throughout the island of Providenciales.
During these searches, police discovered 50 grams of suspected cannabis in a yard in Kew Town. No one was arrested but we are told that further investigations are ongoing.
The Police continues there plea that if you have any information relating to this crime or any other crime, the police are urging you to call Crime Stoppers on 1-800-8477 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: www.crimestoppers.tc, Chalk Sound Police Station 3385901. The information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter page.
Busy Autumn Programme of International Activities for Invest Turks and Caicos
The months of October and November see Invest Turks and Caicos (Invest TCI) continuing to promote these islands to an international audience while also undertaking overseas developmental training to enhance staff skills and develop best practice in the delivery of its work as an investment promotion agency.
In October, Invest TCI was represented at the 21st annual World Investment Conference (WIC) by CEO John Rutherford. The flagship event of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) which took place in Istanbul October 13-14 brought together Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) from all around the world, as well as multilateral organisations, private sector representatives, prominent economists and researchers. The conference focus was on Foreign Direct Investment as a driver to achieve national sustainable development goals; the influence of technology in IPA service excellence; and analysing factors that determine private sector investments into markets.
Following the WIC, Invest TCI had representation at the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) which took place in Hong Kong, China from October 19-21st. This hospitality industry conference brought together the top hotels and resorts in Asia as well as major investors and developers and Mr. Rutherford was able to meet with a number of representatives of these bodies to promote TCI as the number one luxury destination in the Caribbean.
"These events were extremely useful to promote both Turks and Caicos and the Agency itself', Mr. Rutherford said. 'The World Investment Conference provided an excellent opportunity to learn the latest in best practice in attracting overseas investment, and to compare notes with heads of other investment agencies. The conference's theme of encouraging sustainable development through inward investment is very important for the work of Invest Turks and Caicos and the TCI Government as we try to ensure that the country fully benefits from investment in our islands.'
'I was based in Asia for ten years and the HICAP event in Hong Kong allowed me to resurrect a number of useful corporate contacts and raise the profile of Turks and Caicos with some luxury hotel brands such as Shangri La, Marco Polo, Oberoi and Langham Group. While we currently do not have any Asian hotel brands in TCI there is growing interest in the region and I was not the only Caribbean investment agency presence at the conference.'
Invest TCI's promotional and developmental activities will continue in November as members of the team will be promoting the country at The Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS) in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 10/11 November; and attending the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) Interactive workshop and training session in Jamaica November 8-9. The islands will have representation at an FCO-sponsored conference on Economic Diversification and Resilience on Small Islands in the British Virgin Islands from 7-9 November; the deputy head of Invest Turks & Caicos is looking forward to engaging in dialogue with representatives from other small islands on the issues as it relates to mapping out a pathway for policy making, investment and sustainable growth given the current economic conditions.
CTO CHAIRMAN TO ADDRESS UNWTO-ORGANISED SUMMIT IN LONDON
Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the minister of tourism for the Islands of the Bahamas, Obie Wilchcombe, is among global tourism leaders to address a major summit on tourism and security during World Travel Market (WTM) here this week.
The summit, hosted by the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable tourism, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the WTM, will focus on the major safety and security challenges facing the tourism sector and how to address them; fostering dialogue between tourism and security to strengthen effective coordination, information sharing, and communication in crisis preparedness, management and recovery; advancing the integration of tourism and security and developing a resilient tourism sector through adequate mechanisms, resources and technical skills; how destinations and source markets can work closer together through their public and private sector to promote safe and seamless travel; and maximizing the use of technology to enhance national and economic security.
The CTO chairman will be joined on the panel by the ministers of tourism from Egypt, Malta, Tunisia and Turkey, the president and chief executive officer of the World Travel and Tourism Council David Scowsill, and other global senior travel and tourism and security executives.
The event on 9 November at the WTM Global Stage will be moderated by Becky Anderson, managing editor and anchor at CNN International.
The summit is one of several high-level events and meetings planned for the CTO chairman during his stay in London for World Travel Market - described by the organizers as the leading global event for the travel industry. The CTO's Chairman will also meet with the secretary general of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Baroness Patricia Scotland.
PUBLIC FORECAST NOVEMBER 7TH 2016
GENERAL SITUATION: A SECONDARY COLD FRONT JUST NORTH OF THE AREA IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTHEASTWARDS THROUGH THE ISLANDS BEFORE MERGING WITH A WEAKENING STATIONARY FRONT IN THE VICINITY OF THE CENTRAL AND THE TCI TODAY.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS AND BEACHGOERS ARE STILL BEING URGED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION DUE TO ROUGH SURF AND THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT BEACHES MAINLY ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
FOR ALL AREAS:
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, WARM AND WINDY WITH THE CHANCE OF A FEW PASSING SHOWERS TODAY. MOSTLY FAIR AND BREEZY TONIGHT WITH POSSIBLE STRAY SHOWERS.
ADVISORY: A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT...BOATERS SHOULD ALSO BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS.
WINDS: NORTHEASTERLY AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 82F 28C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 74F 23C
SUNRISE: 6:21 AM
SUNSET: 5:25 PM
MOONRISE: 12:34 PM
MOONSET: 12:04 AM TUE.
LOW TIDE: 6:29 AM HIGH TIDE: 12:48 PM
LOW TIDE: 7:22 PM HIGH TIDE: 1:25 AM TUE.
EXTENDED FORECAST: WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE TO BUILD IN THE WAKE OF THE SECONDARY COLD FRONT.
Turks and Caicos airline boosts regional connectivity
With its new enhanced winter timetable, interCaribbean Airways substantially boosts regional connectivity and convenience via its fast-growing hub at Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI).
"Both the passenger's connecting experience at Providenciales, and the flight connecting schedules are now much improved," explained CEO, Trevor Sadler.
Connecting passengers will in the very near future, bypass immigration, proceeding directly through international security screening and into the departures lounge. This "via Provo" connection for transit passengers will be completely hassle-free following global best practices and avoiding major hubs.
"We can now focus on the needs of travelers in the region," said interCaribbean Chairman Lyndon Gardiner, adding that good air service is crucial and integral to business location decisions.
The Turks and Caicos Airports Authority CEO, John Smith, said, "We are pleased to partner with Immigration and interCaribbean in facilitating in-transit passengers at Providenciales."
Effective November 14, interCaribbean will operate these services to/from the Providenciales hub:
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 4x weekly
Santiago, Dominican Republic, 4x weekly
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 4x weekly
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, 3x weekly
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 4x weekly
Cap Haitian, Haiti, daily
Santiago, Cuba, 3x weekly
Havana, Cuba 2x weekly
Kingston, and Montego Bay, Jamaica, daily
Nassau, Bahamas, 6x weekly
Tortola, BVI, 4x weekly via San Juan onward to Antigua
Connections link the above cities via a typical 45-minute hassle-free transit in Providenciales.
The TCI isn't the first small territory to energetically position itself as a connecting hub, look at Antigua, Panama, Iceland, Dubai, Singapore and other such "mice that roared," noted Gardiner.
Inter-island travel difficulty has been documented and lamented by countless economists, executives, development experts, politicians, NGOs and others. Caribbean islands near each other have been mutually accessible only through extraordinarily circuitous and expensive airline routings via distant hubs.
"We are changing this, with huge passenger savings in time, comfort and trip expense," said Gardiner.
interCaribbean, founded 25 years ago, is based in the TCI. The company operates EMB 120, Twin Otter, BE99 aircraft connecting the TCI, Antigua, Tortola, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Bahamas and Cuba; and domestic flights in Jamaica between Kingston and Montego Bay. The TCI as a UK territory applies rigorous airline regulatory standards.
Source-Carib News