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This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 11 FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Union is taking another big step toward cutting its energy ties with Russia. The 27-nation bloc is banning Russian refined oil products like diesel fuel and joining the U.S. and other allies in imposing a price cap on sales to non-Western countries. Europe's ban takes effect Sunday following its embargo on coal and most oil from Russia. The move is meant to further slash reliance on Russian energy and payments into the Kremlin's war chest as the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine nears. The newest energy sanctions have risks: Diesel prices have already jumped since the war started on Feb. 24, and there's uncertainty about how the EU embargo and price cap by the Group of Seven major democracies will affect the market for a fuel crucial to the global economy. Most things people buy or eat … [Read more...] about How will EU ban and West’s price cap on Russian diesel work?

WHEN Lyle Lovett went to Trinity Lutheran Church in Klein last Sunday -- it's the church his family has attended forever -- several members congratulated him on headlining the upcoming RodeoHouston. "I could tell from the greetings that, finally, because I'm playing the rodeo, I'm doing OK. This (music career) might work out," he says with a grin. The 43-year-old singer-songwriter, who has won several Grammy Awards and acted in movies (he's a favorite of director Robert Altman 's), is thrilled about performing at the rodeo for the first time, on Feb. 19. But if music is Lovett's passion, motorcycles rank a close second. When Lovett was 7, his family vacationed in Galveston. His father rented a small Honda sport bike, and they took a ride on the beach. "It was exhilarating. I had never felt anything like it," he recalls. "And I felt comfortable and safe, because I had my arms around my dad." Ever since that day on the beach, Lovett has held intense feelings about … [Read more...] about Lyle Lovett found peace on the seat of a Harley

Mattel is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Matchbox brand by introducing a line of limited-edition die-cast vehicles that pay tribute to its heritage of producing highly detailed toy vehicles. The celebratory line will feature special platinum details and be available in seven different assortments, showcasing iconic vehicles from around the world over the past seven decades. The limited-edition toy vehicles will be available throughout the year and are the first of several celebrations that the brand has planned for 2023. "We are so excited to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Matchbox and the trusted legacy this brand has imprinted on kids and collectors all over the world," said Roberto Stanichi, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Vehicles at Mattel. "We look forward to continuing to redefine the die-cast category as we move towards a more sustainable future." In line with this, a portion of the 70th-anniversary collection is made from recycled zinc. It's also … [Read more...] about Matchbox Marks 70th Year With Toy Vehicles Made From Recycled Zinc

If you ever find yourself cruising around Los Angeles, you might see Erika Nuri Taylor's signs announcing a house for sale in Simi Valley or a condo listing in Van Nuys. What you might not know is that the Realtor is also a Grammy-nominated songwriter with a long and storied career working with the likes of Enrique Iglesias, Janelle Monáe and Fantasia. Or that she co-wrote the Meghan Trainor song "Woman Up" playing in that "80 for Brady" movie trailer that's sure to dominate our televisions during the Super Bowl. So, you might wonder, why on earth is she selling houses? The 65th Grammy Awards ceremony, that annual celebration of (mostly mainstream, American, Top 40) radio, arrives once again on Sunday, with performances from the industry's top earners, including Lizzo, Harry Styles and Luke Combs. The glitzy gathering can obscure the fact that making a living in the industry is increasingly hard for most songwriters and musicians in the streaming era. Royalties tend to be … [Read more...] about In the Spotify era, many musicians struggle to make a living

Mitsubishi Motors reported fourth quarter and annual results this week, with year-on-year increases across the board in sales and production. Despite the fact that industry-wide supply constraints imposed limitations, the company saw increases across its markets in Asia, Europe, and North America. In the Japanese home market, the production of Mitsubishi cars and trucks increased 172 percent year-on-year in December to 44,091, totaling 440,762 units for 2022. Overseas production increased to 42,718, a gain of 67.7 for December, and totaled 571,646 for the year. Altogether, Mitsubishi produced 1,012,408 vehicles across Japan, Thailand, China, and Indonesia. Likewise, export numbers were up, with Japan exporting 23,538 units in December, for a total of 222,242 for the year. Exports for the rest of the world totaled 14,577 for December and 133,729 for the full year. Mitsubishi Motors did not provide a breakdown of vehicle sales by model in its report. However, in the US, the … [Read more...] about Mitsubishi Announces Production, Sales and Export Figures for 2022

George Russell used the example of his Mick Schumacher radio comments in Singapore as proof there is zero privacy in F1. Mercedes driver Russell collided with Haas racer Schumacher at Turn 1 during the 2022 Singapore GP, a difficult outing for Russell as he lapped outside of the points at that stage. His “Schumacher is defending like it’s the race of his life, crikey” comment did not sit well with some, Russell believing that now that he is competing with a front-running team, it shows that nothing is safe from the public. This then is a fact which he is working to grow accustomed to, as his dream was always to be a racing driver, not to be famous. “These are things that are part of the experience when you are at the front,” said Russell, as per Motorsportweek.com. “Everything is under the microscope and that kind of comment last year [in 2021] would not have been picked up on. “But I think there are two parts of it: one, it’s fighting your case; but two, it’s you just … [Read more...] about George Russell discusses lack of F1 privacy as fame comes as career consequence

The second campaign of the DTM’s GT3 era will be remembered for a number of good storylines, but one race that grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons was the opening leg of the Hockenheim finale. While all eyes were on the title battle out front, a number of incidents erupted lower down the grid, with videos of a high-speed crash between David Schumacher and Thomas Preining in particular being circulated widely on social media. Such was the extent of the damage from the spate of incidents that seven cars were forced out the final race the following day, with some chassis even having to be written off completely. Driving standards in the DTM have come under question repeatedly in the past and teams do factor in damage costs when preparing a budget for the season. But the number of accidents in 2022 were beyond most had expected, forcing Mercedes squad GruppeM to exit the series due to what it described as “unpredictable” cost of repairs. One way to tackle this problem … [Read more...] about Why some DTM teams take out crash insurance but others gamble

On the back of Ferrari’s strongest Friday – and Red Bull’s weakest – for many months in Hungary, cynical observers questioned just how Ferrari would manage to end up being beaten to pole position on Saturday. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free As it turned out, those expectations were well founded. But it was not Max Verstappen who denied Carlos Sainz Jnr and Charles Leclerc pole position at the Hungaroring and nor was it Sergio Perez. It was not even the man with the most poles in the history of Formula 1 – Lewis Hamilton. Instead, Ferrari were stunned by George Russell , who delivered a fantastic final lap to deny Sainz and take a shock maiden pole position of his career, despite not setting a single fastest sector in the process. For Mercedes, it was a stunning turnaround from their poor Friday – and no one was more stunned than the team themselves. “It’s a total unknown,” Russell admitted. “We’ve turned the car upside down since yesterday.” … [Read more...] about Is Mercedes’ mystery “big step forward” enough for Russell to beat Ferrari? · RaceFans

Abortion rights advocates delivered a stark warning to the Biden administration's top health official in a private meeting last week: It's time to take seriously "fringe" threats that could wind up blocking abortion access across the country. Driving their anxiety is a Texas lawsuit brought by conservative groups seeking to revoke the decades-old government approval of a key abortion drug. The suit has been widely ridiculed by legal experts as rooted in baseless and debunked arguments. But in recent weeks, abortion rights advocates and some in the Biden administration have grown increasingly concerned that the case is likely to be decided entirely by conservative judges who might be eager for a chance to restrict abortion access even in Democrat-led states where the procedure has remained legal since the fall of Roe v. Wade. "It's hard to really comprehend the full and terrible impact if what the plaintiffs have asked for in that case is actually granted," Liz Wagner, senior … [Read more...] about Texas lawsuit stokes fear among abortion rights advocates