BMW outsells Mercedes & Audi for 2nd year in a row

Jan 11 2023

BMW, the German automaker, outsold rivals Mercedes-Benz and Audi throughout 2022. According to vehicle sales numbers released on Tuesday, BMW sold 2.1 million cars globally last year.

This is still a fall of 5% when compared to 2021, but it nonetheless managed to outpace Mercedes-Benz’s 2.04 million cars sold.

The decrease in sales for both giants were blamed on various factors, including the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 virus as well as supply chain bottlenecks and semiconductor shortages.

BMW highlighted how its hybrid and electric vehicles sales went up by 35.6% last year, bringing in a total of 372,956 units. Mercedes sold 319,200 plug-in and fully electric cars, an increase of 19%.

Almost every second car sold by Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars in 2022 was battery powered. Audi’s global sales figures for last year are 3.9% less than 2021 at 1,680,512 cars.

Meanwhile, the best-selling Mercedes in 2022 was the MBW X3, which rivalled GLC with 342,900 units, or 3%, more than in 2021.

#MaltaDaily

Young job seekers: the INTERCEPT project is here to empower a green & sustainable future!

Jan 11 2023

2023 is all about self-growth & sustainability – but what if you can invest in your future and make money doing it?

Thankfully, Jobsplus is doing just that. Aimed at unleashing the potential of a young generation aged between 25-29, the INTERCEPT project will help jobseekers build a career pathway with a positive impact on the environment.

The project aspires to empower 300 NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) across Italy, Malta and Lithuania by offering a paid training and 3-month internship programme with employers.

From talk to action, this ground-breaking pilot experience brings together individuals, universities and various institutions from 6 European countries to carry out research on youths and green companies by identifying needs and opportunities in the respective areas.

Today’s young generation will undoubtedly be the most affected as climate change drastically alters the world we live in.

New solutions and investments in the green economy are needed to help secure a just and equitable future that improves people’s lives through the advancement of environmental and social well-being.

INTERCEPT project benefits from a € 2.18M grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.

Interested parties can get in contact or submit their applications via the project’s website:https://interceptproject.eu or email: [email protected].

Are you ready to invest in your future?

#MaltaDaily

Persons watching porn in Louisiana must confirm they are over 18

Jan 11 2023

A new law in US state Louisiana status that pornographic websites must check that users are over the age of 18 or risk being sued.

Republican state legislator Laurie Schlegel introduced the bill, saying that she was ‘inspired’ by singer Billie Eilish after the musician spoke about the effect watching porn as a child had on her.

However, she is facing backlash by US adult industry campaigners, saying that the law is the wrong solution.

Under the Louisiana legislation, most users are expected to use a smartphone app called LA Wallet to verify their age. The app requires a driving license or an official state identity card to establish the age.

Users of Pornhub, one of the largest pornographic websites, are directed to an age verification process. On-screen text says that the law requires the site to put in place a process for verifying the age of users who connect from the state.

The message also ‘guarantees’ that it does not collect data during the process. The law does not make it illegal to allow children to access porn sites but it does enable people to sue websites that do not have age checks.

Some lawyers are however questioning whether the legislation is compatible with US constitutional protections for freedom of speech.

Mike Stabile, working for the Free Speech Coalition, told BBC that simple, free filters available on most devices would prevent access to adult content by minors in the same way. Meanwhile, he said, the legislation is a dangerous step towards censorship and should ‘be seen in the context of an effort by conservative and faith-based groups to “remove sex and information about sex” from the public square.’

#MaltaDaily

Titanic to make brief cinema comeback for Valentine’s Day

Jan 11 2023

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the remastered version of James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ will be re-released to various cinemas on February 10th.

The 3 hour and 15 minute cinematic phenomenon will be screened in 3D 4K HDR with high-frame rate, giving the 1997 film a fresh new vision to retell the now historic story.

Cameron further sedimented his role in the film industry through this movie, having won 11 Academy Awards in 1998 and holding No.1 box office spot for 15 straight weeks.

The film earned $2.2billion worldwide and became the highest-grossing movie of all time until 2009’s Avatar – also directed by Cameron.

We’re hoping that this return to the big screen is something Maltese cinemas consider, being a move that can not only boost ticket sales but also give the perfect valentine’s date idea for couples on the island.

This comes as the sequel to Avatar, ‘The Way of Water’ takes the number one spot at the domestic box office for the fourth consecutive week. It brought in $45 million in North American ticket sales, and becoming the seventh biggest movie in history worldwide.

Cameron is planning to move ahead with the success as he plans on releasing at least 2 more sequels to the block buster.

#MaltaDaily