Latest news with #Cologne
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Rain raises Rhine river levels in Germany, but ships still only part loaded
HAMBURG, July 23 (Reuters) - Rain has raised water levels on the river Rhine in Germany, but most of the river is still too shallow for cargo vessels to sail fully loaded, commodity traders said on Wednesday. Dry weather and a heatwave in June and July meant the river became too shallow for vessels to sail at full capacity. Ship operators imposed surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels sailing partly empty, increasing costs for cargo owners. Rain this week has caused a strong rise in water levels, traders said. The impact of the heatwave had been larger than expected, as fields which drain into smaller streams and rivers feeding into the Rhine were especially dry. Shallow water continues to hinder shipping on much of the river in Germany including Duisburg, Cologne and the chokepoint of Kaub, but vessels are able to take on larger loads, traders said. Vessels can now sail around 70% full at Kaub, and around 60% full in Duisburg and Cologne. More rain forecast in river catchment areas in coming days is expected to raise the river to approaching normal levels later this week, they said. The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, chemicals, coal and oil products, including heating oil. German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in summer 2022 after a drought led to unusually low water levels on the river.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pyrotechnics: Cologne fined almost €160,000 by German FA
Promoted Bundesliga club Cologne have been fined another €159,500 ($185,800) by the German Football Federation (DFB) for the forbidden use of pyrotechnics at matches by their fans. The DFB said on Wednesday that Cologne were fined €93,300 for incidents at a November match at Hertha Berlin, and another 66,200 for the same reason at the home game against Kaiserslautern in Mai where they clinched a return into the top flight. The latter game also saw fans enter the stadium without tickets and a pitch invasion after the final whistle. Cologne can use €51,100 for their own security measures and for the prevention of violence at games. Cologne are repeat offenders and in 2024 alone were fined €630,000 by the DFB.
Auto Express
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
What is a Gazoo? And how does it make today's fast Toyotas special
Gazoo might sound as if it comes straight from the Black Lace songbook, but in fact it's Toyota's performance brand, which has gone from zero to hero in just under a decade, securing wins on both road and track. What is it, though, what makes it special, and why does it have such a strange-sounding name? To find out, we got behind the wheel of arguably Gazoo's finest creation, the GR Yaris, and headed to the firm's headquarters in Cologne, Germany, for an exclusive tour of its development facilities and historic racing museum. Producing cars for both keen drivers and the upper echelons of motorsport, Gazoo Racing is Toyota's motorsport division. However, those familiar with the manufacturer's history will know that it's not the only one, nor is it the first. Advertisement - Article continues below GR was founded in 2007, and Toyota's previous racing and road car achievements can be attributed to both Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) respectively, both formed years earlier. With Toyota having already secured victories in rallying through the Celica and Corolla, plus strong finishes in sportscar racing (including Le Mans) with the GT-One, Gazoo Racing arrived at a time when TMG was struggling with its entry into Formula One; Toyota was bleeding cash and off the leading pace, despite having drivers of the calibre of Ralf Schumacher and Timo Glock. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below GR was originally devised as a means to train up junior mechanics, with the goal of entering the Nürburgring 24 Hours race, and Toyota's so-called Master Driver, Hiromu Naruse, was called in to supervise. The concept of a Master Driver might seem a bit cheesy, but it's something Toyota takes very seriously, with the person bearing this title getting final say on the driving dynamics of the firm's cars. We sat down with GR's current Vice chairman, and three-time Le Mans winner, Kazuki Nakajima, who told us, 'Having a Master Driver is what makes Gazoo Racing really stand out.' Today, Toyota's Master Driver is Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the company's founder and sitting president. But it was only through intense training under Naruse that Toyoda was able to gain this title and take on his racing pseudonym, Morizo. Advertisement - Article continues below Nakajima famously told his corporate bosses, 'Somebody in [his] position, who doesn't know the first thing about driving, shouldn't make passing comments about cars. The least [he] can do is learn how to drive.' While such a comment in any other scenario would have resulted in the test driver being fired, the Japanese hold the utmost respect for racing drivers and their skills. This being the case, Naruse instead took Toyoda under his wing, setting him on a path of transformation. This would take him from what some might perceive as a company executive who'd gained his status thanks to his family connections, to the next 'Master Driver', and stepping into the racing seat himself. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below 'What's important for GR is that we always have our Master Driver,' Nakajima said. 'We can clearly say that [Morizo] is a true car lover. I mean the passion he has for driving, as well as his capability to feel the car properly, is real.' Gazoo Racing got its name from a website Toyota was operating at the time; was set up in the mid-2000s to sell second-hand Toyotas using photographs posted online. The name Gazoo itself is derived from the Japanese word for 'picture', and given that the name 'Toyota Racing' was already taken, Naruse and Morizo went with GR instead. Advertisement - Article continues below While GR's first racing entry in the 2007 Nürburgring 24 Hours was unexceptional – Team Gazoo finished a mediocre 104th – it still sparked the idea that racing could be an invaluable tool for developing road cars. With this in mind, Gazoo returned to the Nürburgring the following year with a mysterious development car, which bore the designation LFA. Yes, that's right; Gazoo Racing was very much involved with the development of what has become one of the most beloved modern supercars: the shrieking V10-powered Lexus LFA. Following this, Gazoo also raced pre-production versions of the Toyota GT86 – another lauded future classic – and continues to compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours to this day. Nakajima told us that the philosophy of racing closely mirrors that of the GR development team, explaining that 'The cycle of 'Push the limit, break the car, fix the car', which we use in motorsport, is exactly the same as what's used on the road car side. Because of this endless effort, our product is getting better and better, and it's nice to see that customers feel that and share our excitement.' Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below However, disaster struck in 2010 when Naruse was testing the hardcore Nürburgring Edition of the LFA and suffered a fatal crash. Morizo reflected on the early days of Gazoo with Naruse, saying, 'Back then, I was overcome by various disappointments: the disappointment of not receiving any support; the disappointment of not being taken seriously, no matter what we did; [and] the disappointment of being belittled, no matter what we did.' Advertisement - Article continues below Morizo said that such disappointments are the reason why he champions the phrase 'let us make ever-better cars', and the team at GR appeared to take this rather literally, spending the next few years tinkering around and developing a hardcore version of the GT86. With Morizo designating Gazoo Racing as Toyota's official performance arm in 2015, the Japan-only, limited-edition GT86 GRMN (Gazoo Racing, Meisters of the Nürburgring) took learnings from Gazoo's time endurance racing with the GT86. It boasted more power than the regular car, along with a custom crankshaft, upgraded suspension, bucket seats and a fairly lairy aero kit. However, it wasn't the first car to wear the GRMN designation; that was, would you believe, a souped-up version of the iQ city car. Like the GT86, this was limited to 100 models and was only sold in Japan; unlike the GT86, however, a second version was sold later, packing a supercharger and more punch. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The UK's first experience of Gazoo was the Yaris GRMN, which was limited to just 600 units worldwide and like other models from Toyota's performance arm, got a heavily revised chassis compared with the standard model. Putting out a healthy 209bhp from its fruity-sounding 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, the GRMN was a tantalising taster of what hot hatch buyers could expect from GR in just a few years. Before then, however, Gazoo needed to make the jump from building limited-run specials to series-production performance models. That time came in 2018, with the GR Supra – the fifth generation of the long-running sports car and successor to the legendary A80 Supra. Advertisement - Article continues below Created in collaboration with BMW, the Toyota GR Supra was designed to be more focused than the soft-top Z4 with which it shared many of its parts – including the 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine. Like a thoroughbred, the GR Supra has been developed to be as darty and frisky as possible, with a chassis that, according to Toyota, is more than two times stiffer than even the carbon-fibre tub used by the LFA. Around the time of the Supra's launch, Gazoo Racing was also making history because, after re-entering the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2012, the team won Le Mans in 2018. The winning car was piloted by Nakajima himself, with F1 legend Fernando Alonso, and F1 racer and future Formula E champion Sebastian Buemi. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below From here on, GR's racing success only grew, with two more consecutive Le Mans wins at the hands of Nakajima and team, as well as a win in the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2018 with a rally-tuned version of the Yaris. However, with WRC regulations about to change in 2020 and Toyota feeling a three-door bodystyle would suit its racing efforts the best, the team at Gazoo Racing was set to work to build a full-on homologation special version of the Yaris, similar to the likes of the Audi Sport Quattro and Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 decades before. Advertisement - Article continues below The result was the Toyota GR Yaris: one of the greatest modern hot hatches, or performance cars in general, for that matter. Yet despite an impressive 261bhp output (280bhp in updated models), benefitting from four-wheel drive and reaching 62mph in similar time to an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, none of this is what's most impressive about the hot Yaris. You see, the GR Yaris shares only its lights, mirrors, and antenna with the standard car. Its roof is made of carbon fibre and the entire car sits roughly 6cm wider than the regular hybrid courtesy of aggressively flared wheelarches. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Bearing this in mind, Nakajima explained how the Yaris specifically, as well as the GR brand as a whole, 'is symbolic because it [represents] a change of culture at Toyota, focusing less on the volume and cost-competitiveness of a car and more on making the best car possible.' If you've never driven a GR Yaris, it's important to try and convey how tactile an experience it is, and we certainly don't mean that in a sense of the car being draped in plush, sumptuous materials – something which it most definitely isn't. The gearbox, for example, is superbly rewarding to operate, with the gearstick perfectly positioned, a short-yet-satisfying throw and emitting the sort of deep 'clunk' whenever you shift that would feel right at home in one of those ASMR videos you see and hear online. Advertisement - Article continues below Plus, despite its four-wheel drive system being electronically controlled – drivers can select Normal or Track settings to adjust the torque distribution – the sensation of the car shifting its power around in order to maintain maximum grip is palpable, with the Yaris' rallying pedigree most evident when you're pushing on through the tight, twisting roads of places like the Peak District, where we've explored the GR's abilities. It's no surprise, then, that the GR Yaris and its rallying success – three World Championships since 2022 – has turbocharged support for the Gazoo Racing brand; the hot Yaris, for example, has been notoriously hard for buyers to secure an allocation for, while the GR86 (the successor to the aforementioned GT86) made the ticket sales for the Oasis reunion tour seem slow, selling out in just 90 minutes. Toyota knows this, though, and is beginning to lean heavily on the Gazoo brand with the launch of GR Sport trim levels across the company's line-up, bringing sportier styling and often mild chassis upgrades to more mainstream models. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below But those whose appetites won't be whetted by a somewhat sporty trim level now that production of the GR Yaris and GR86 has ended, should fear not; Auto Express recently revealed that the previously US-only GR Corolla will soon be available to UK buyers, with the car being built in Burnaston, Derbyshire, from next year. Advertisement - Article continues below In the longer term, however, the team at GR is looking at sustainability as part of Toyota's 'Multi-Path Solution' approach. 'There are a lot of interesting projects going on with which we can transfer our technology to [series] production,' Nakajima said. 'For example, with powertrain engineers working on our H2 hydrogen [WEC] racing concept, this naturally creates conversations of how to bring this sort of technology to the road.' Almost certain to have the GR badge when it reaches production, the FT-Se will be an electric sports car. Toyota has also hinted at a revival of the Celica and MR2 nameplates in the future.'For years, electric power [for Toyota] has been used for fuel economy, in both hybrids and EVs; as a driver, I think there's a lot more to come, and a lot to play with to create some excitement,' Nakajima hinted. Ultimately, GR's rise to the top has been nothing short of incredible, especially given the short time in which it has been achieved. Toyota's performance arm has managed to churn out future classics at such a speed that it makes the firm's renowned factory Production System look inefficient in comparison. Akio Toyoda is often quoted for his analogy of a tree, saying that 'when unusually rapid growth causes the rings to grow abnormally thick, the trunk weakens and is easily broken'. And while this is certainly the case for most firms, the evident passion and expertise at Gazoo Racing are likely to mean it'll be as solid as an oak for years to come. Did you know you can sell your car with Auto Express? Get the highest bid from our network of over 5,500 dealers and we'll do the rest. Click here to try Auto Express Sell My Car now ... 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ABC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
The best-selling album that nearly didn't happen: Keith Jarrett's The Köln Concert, 50 years on
Today it's the best-selling piano and solo jazz album of all time. But 50 years ago, Keith Jarrett's The Köln Concert nearly didn't happen. Between the substandard piano, an exhausting car journey, missing meals, and chronic back pain, Jarrett's iconic performance in the Cologne Opera House had the makings of a disaster. Instead, Jarrett turned it into something that has captured audiences for half a century. As the Köln Concert turns 50, the jazz world explores Jarrett's remarkable legacy and pays homage to an album that has inspired countless pianists. Jarrett was born in 1945 in Pennsylvania, USA. His parents fostered his early musical abilities, with the young Jarrett having perfect pitch and a knack for improvising at the piano. Jarrett started lessons at age three and gave his first recital when he was just seven. The young artist was a fan of classical music. Throughout his career Jarrett has noted the influence of classical composers like J.S. Bach. Jazz became a part of Jarrett's musical world when he was in high school, starting with artists like Dave Brubeck. "Brubeck taught Jarrett about form and structure in jazz, and he could see how it behaved in a similar manner to the classical styles he'd already been mastering," shares Jazz Legends presenter, Eric Ajaye. Keith also became a fan of jazz artists pushing the boundaries, like pianist Paul Bley. When he was 16, Jarrett had the chance to further his classical music studies in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, who taught some of the most famous musicians of the 20th century, from Daniel Barenboim to Quincy Jones. The young pianist pulled out at the last minute and took a different direction. Jarrett "knew that if he really wanted to have an impact as an artist, he'd have to make his own discoveries and forge his own path," says Ajaye. Instead, Jarrett went to New York in 1964 and got his first big break playing Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. "Blakey wasn't Boulanger. Instead of teaching harmony and form he simply built bands around the energy of his youthful musicians," Ajaye says. From there, Jarrett's work spans the who's who of jazz. He worked with musicians at the top of their game like Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis, as well as producers including George Avakian who worked with artists from Louis Armstrong to Edith Piaf, and Manfred Eicher, founder of the renowned ECM record label. Ajaye credits Davis as the first person to encourage Jarrett to perform solo. Davis's trumpet improvisations would also have a significant on Jarrett's future solo style. "Both rely on extreme discipline and command of instruments and audiences, but both also required the daring to know when to abandon technique and simply play on impulse," Ajaye says. That daring would go on to help create the biggest-selling solo jazz album of all time. The events that lead up to the Köln Concert hardly seem the right mix to create a record that would go on to sell over 4 million copies. But somehow it became a career-defining performance. "This is a gig where everything went wrong, but the music still carried the day," says Ajaye. 18-year-old concert promoter Vera Brandes invited Jarrett to perform the first-ever jazz concert in the Cologne Opera House. The pianist arrived in the city in the late afternoon after an arduous car trip from Zurich. Jarrett had been suffering from chronic back pain and turned up at the venue in a back brace to help him manage it. Instead of the full-size concert grand piano Jarrett had requested, the venue provided a baby grand from a rehearsal room that was in poor shape. It was out of tune, the sound quality wasn't great, and the pedals weren't working. Jarrett already had a reputation for being demanding, but somehow Brandes and Eicher convinced him to go ahead with the sold-out concert, and to keep the recording engineers around to document the performance. Jarrett and Eicher left for dinner while the piano technicians to tried to make the instrument playable. After a missed meal thanks to a restaurant error, at the very late starting time of 11:30pm, Jarrett started the performance that would go on to make history. In the Köln concert, "Jarrett produced one of the most profound improvised concerts of his career," says Ajaye. The pianist took the confines of the "shoddy" instrument and worked around them or even using them to his advantage, "drumming up improvised rhythms on the noisy pedals and using the tinny upper registers to create new texture." "Jarrett was able to find some sort of magic within the confines of that old piano producing a brilliant performance full of lyrical melodic moments all on the fly," Ajaye says. Australian jazz pianist Matt McMahon agrees. "I think in a strange way, what happened with the Köln concert, and this piano that was subpar, is it really clarified his playing," he shares with The Music Show's Andrew Ford. Like much of Jarrett's work, The Köln Concert encompasses sounds that echoed then-familiar American musical traditions, like blues and gospel. McMahon believes this might be a part of the album's success. He suggests that "even though from second to second, no one knows exactly where this is going next," the sounds of familiar genres help the audience feel more comfortable with the uncertainty. Jarrett was already popular by the time of the Köln concert, but the success of the recording really put him on the map. His career continued to grow with solo and group performances and an enduring, fruitful relationship with ECM. His output spanned classical composers like Bach and Shostakovich, as well as his original work. Following disruptions to his career from back pain and chronic fatigue, in 2018 Jarrett had a series of strokes that caused some paralysis. After rehabilitation, Jarrett regained enough mobility to play piano with his right hand, but "we may never see the master perform a live concert again," says Ajaye. However, Jarrett's incredible influence on jazz is still being felt today. "Keith Jarrett will forever be remembered for the way he elevated not just the piano but also jazz as a whole, taking the art of improvisation to places where it hadn't gone before," says Ajaye.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🚨 Amid exit rumours: double contract extension at Köln
Just yesterday, there were reports about a major multi-million offer for Cologne talent Saïd El Mala, but now the 18-year-old attacking player himself is putting a stop to these rumors! Both he and his older brother Malek are extending their contracts with the Billy Goats. 1. FC Köln announced this this morning, among other places, on its social media channels. According to the club, both brothers have extended their contracts with FC early until 2030. This should put an end to any early departure this summer, especially for Saïd El Mala, to the Premier League. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here. 📸 Selim Sudheimer - 2025 Getty Images
