Latest news with #Champagne
Edmonton Journal
14 hours ago
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Canada won't pause digital services tax despite pressure from U.S., finance minister says
Article content OTTAWA — Canada won't put a hold on the digital services tax on big tech companies set to take effect on June 30, the finance minister said Thursday. Pressure has mounted on Ottawa to pause the tax ahead of trade discussions with the U.S. Article content Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Thursday the legislation was passed by Parliament and Canada is 'going ahead' with the tax. Article content 'The (digital services tax) is in force and it's going to be applied,' he told reporters before a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill. The digital services tax will hit companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb with a three per cent tax on revenue from Canadian users. It will apply retroactively, leaving U.S. companies with a $2 billion US bill due at the end of the month. A June 11 letter signed by 21 members of Congress said U.S. companies will pay 90 per cent of the revenue Canada will collect from the tax. Canadian and U.S. business groups, organizations representing U.S. tech giants and American members of Congress have all signed letters in recent weeks calling for the tax to be eliminated or paused. It's set to take effect just weeks before a deadline Canada and the U.S. have set for coming up with a new trade deal, following months of trade conflict between the two countries. Article content Rick Tachuk, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada, said the plan to go ahead with the tax 'undercuts those talks and risks derailing the agreement.' 'A retroactive tax like the DST, weeks before a new deal is supposed to be done, isn't a bargaining chip. It would likely be viewed as a provocation,' he said in an emailed statement. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and other organizations have warned retaliatory measures in a U.S. spending and tax bill could hit Canadians' pension funds and investments. Champagne said Canada isn't the only country that could be affected by those retaliatory measures. 'These are discussions at the global level,' he said in French. Champagne said there's a wider discussion going on among G7 nations about tax regimes. David Pierce, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's vice-president of government relations, said in an earlier interview his organization fears Canada could 'aggravate an already very tricky trade discussion with the Americans' if it goes ahead with the tax and the retroactive payment requirement. Article content Latest National Stories
Vancouver Sun
14 hours ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Canada won't pause digital services tax despite pressure from U.S., finance minister says
OTTAWA — Canada won't put a hold on the digital services tax on big tech companies set to take effect on June 30, the finance minister said Thursday. Pressure has mounted on Ottawa to pause the tax ahead of trade discussions with the U.S. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Thursday the legislation was passed by Parliament and Canada is 'going ahead' with the tax. 'The (digital services tax) is in force and it's going to be applied,' he told reporters before a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The digital services tax will hit companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb with a three per cent tax on revenue from Canadian users. It will apply retroactively, leaving U.S. companies with a $2 billion US bill due at the end of the month. A June 11 letter signed by 21 members of Congress said U.S. companies will pay 90 per cent of the revenue Canada will collect from the tax. Canadian and U.S. business groups, organizations representing U.S. tech giants and American members of Congress have all signed letters in recent weeks calling for the tax to be eliminated or paused. It's set to take effect just weeks before a deadline Canada and the U.S. have set for coming up with a new trade deal, following months of trade conflict between the two countries. Rick Tachuk, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada, said the plan to go ahead with the tax 'undercuts those talks and risks derailing the agreement.' 'A retroactive tax like the DST, weeks before a new deal is supposed to be done, isn't a bargaining chip. It would likely be viewed as a provocation,' he said in an emailed statement. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and other organizations have warned retaliatory measures in a U.S. spending and tax bill could hit Canadians' pension funds and investments. Champagne said Canada isn't the only country that could be affected by those retaliatory measures. 'These are discussions at the global level,' he said in French. Champagne said there's a wider discussion going on among G7 nations about tax regimes. David Pierce, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's vice-president of government relations, said in an earlier interview his organization fears Canada could 'aggravate an already very tricky trade discussion with the Americans' if it goes ahead with the tax and the retroactive payment requirement. Matthew Holmes, the chamber's executive vice-president and chief of public policy, said in a statement that a Liberal government announcement on counter-tariffs to protect the steel and aluminum industries Thursday was 'geared toward the 30-day deadline, so we see no reason why DST's timeline shouldn't be as well.' He said a 'short-term pause would still be a prudent move to keep negotiations on track and respectful.' The Liberals first promised the tax in the 2019 election. It was delayed for years due to global efforts to establish a broader, multinational digital taxation plan. Following significant delays in that process at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada went ahead with its own tax. Other countries, including France and the United Kingdom, also have digital service taxes in place. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here .
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Interested in a Luxury Sleeper Train Journey? Here's What It's Like
Even before I've had a drop of Champagne with my four-course meal, I'm teetering on my heels. I'm dressed to the nines in a floor-length gown, making my way down a wood-paneled hallway that could be straight out of Downton Abbey, though it happens to be on a moving train. The Belmond Royal Scotsman is gliding along at 65 miles an hour through the rolling Highlands of Scotland, rocking me gently until I make it to the cozy safety of my red velvet seat in the dining room. There, at a long table set with custom china for half the train's guests—about 16 of us—I'm served hand-harvested scallops and a tender cut of beef. It's a country mile from the usual bag of chips and can of Coke I'd scarf down on a train trip, I think to myself, admiring how the suit-wearing waiters can refill tall crystal flutes with precision, never spilling a drop. Then it occurs to me: Getting back to my stateroom is going to be even harder.
Wales Online
2 days ago
- General
- Wales Online
'I tried best Champagne in the world and the price left me floored'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info What springs to mind when you think about the best Champagne in the world? You likely think of a hefty price tag and purchasing it from somewhere seriously fancy where you'd seldom frequent. While the bubbly is a gorgeous celebratory drink, many are priced out of its luxury thanks to the eye-watering amount many bottles cost. So, what if I told you that the best Champagne in the world actually doesn't have a huge price tag? In fact, it can be found at your nearest Aldi supermarket for just £15. You'd likely laugh at me. But it's the truth. Aldi's Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut has been named World's Best Champagne at the prestigious World Champagne Awards 2025, outshining luxury rival G.H. Martel Honoré de Balzac Edition Limitée, which retails for almost £50. When I found out that the best Champagne in the world was not only affordable but could be picked up at my local supermarket, I was sold. £15 is the top end of what I'd usually pay for a supermarket Prosecco, so to have the luxury of a Champagne for that price feels super decadent. (Image: Danielle Kate Wroe) Let me tell you, I was not disappointed with the taste. The Champagne is crafted from a classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, and matured in cellars to enhance its complexity and length, and as a result, it is sweet, easy to drink, and delicious. As a usual Prosecco drinker, I've turned my nose up at Champagnes in the past, even opting to slyly pour vintage Moet away at parties (please don't judge me) because I'm just not fond of the taste. But the world's best Champagne has possibly converted me - provided that I can drink just the £15 bottles, rather than ones that cost in excess of £100. Aldi shared that the Champagne is known for its aromas of ripe apple, soft red fruit, and delicate florals - a testament to expert winemaking without the premium price tag. This is a statement I can back, because the Champagne is the most delicious I've ever tasted. It was sweet, delicious, and didn't give that acid-reflux feeling that a lot of Champagnes tend to, which was a huge bonus. In fact, I'd say it went down almost too easily! (Image: Danielle Kate Wroe) I poured my dad a glass and asked him to guess how much the best Champagne in the world costs. He guessed a whopping £200 a bottle, so I feel like Aldi should be really proud of themselves. Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: "To have our £14.95 Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut recognised as the best in the world is proof that exceptional quality doesn't have to come with an eye-watering price tag. "It's a proud moment not just for Aldi, but for our customers who can enjoy world-class champagne without breaking the bank."
Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Times
English sparkling wine magnum beats champagne in global award
Champagne has long been the choice to mark life's greatest moments, but connoisseurs believe English sparkling wine is in prime position to compete after it beat the French fizz to a prestigious international award. Sugrue South Downs' The Trouble with Dreams 2009 has become the first sparkling wine magnum to be crowned as one of the top 50 wines in the world at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025. The white sparkling wine from Sussex took home a Best in Show medal, something champagne has never achieved in the 1.5L bottle format (the equivalent of two standard 750ml bottles). Amongst the other sparkling wine magnums in the running was a £598 per bottle champagne, Henriot's Cuvé 38 Edition 6 Blanc De Blancs Brut, which received a Platinum medal, one down from Best in Show. The judges said: 'Our competition has been open to champagne magnums for the last three years, while this year we opened the competition to sparkling wine magnums from all origins. And guess what? It's an English sparkling wine that's the first to find its way in magnum to our Best in Show selection, not a champagne.' Dermot Sugrue, founder and winemaker at Sugrue, told The Times: 'It's no longer what has become a slightly outdated narrative of England versus champagne when it comes to sparkling wine. Now it's England and champagne, because we really are on the world stage, beside champagne and the other best sparkling wines in the world.' His wineis made from a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes. The 2009 vintage's 600 bottles are sold out, but were selling for £185 with sales limited to one magnum per customer. Sugrue, who has been making wine at the highest level for 23 years and has spent time in Champagne, said: 'Bottling sparkling wine in magnums is almost like the zenith of what you can achieve quality wise, because magnums have got the ability to age in a wonderful way.' He said the win demonstrates the 'ageability' of their wines. It's a matter of being 'very, very patient and having confidence that we're using the correct vintage to age for a long time', he said. What sets The Trouble With Dreams apart is Sugrue's 'attention to detail', he added. The magnum is from Sugrue's first vintage of The Trouble With Dreams. The previous year should have been the first but the grapes were devoured by birds, prompting the name. Sugrue said the name also resonates with the challenges of making wine in the UK, a 'marginal climate for winemaking' where global warming in recent decades has allowed these types of wines to flourish. Ronan Sayburn, a master sommelier and one of the five co-chairs of the awards, said the magnum is 'generally regarded as a better format for sparkling wine'. The UK broke its record for total medals awarded, with 188 medals including two Platinum, six Gold, 80 Silver and 99 Bronze. This was up from 186 medals last year, when Chapel Down's Rose Brut was the first UK sparkling rose to achieve a Best in Show, and 143 in 2023. The awards saw wines from 57 countries evaluated by 248 top international wine experts. France took home the most Best in Show awards with 14, followed by Italy with six and Portugal and Spain with five. The UK was on a level with New Zealand, South Africa and Slovenia with one Best in Show. China was amongst those to pip us to two of the top accolade. Sayburn said a mixture of time, allowing the vines to age, global warming, and the increasing skill and experience of UK winemakers has led to the production of 'world-class wines'. 'Maybe 15 years ago English wine was a bit of a joke, but people take it very seriously now,' he said. 'In places like America they are absolutely going desperate to get English sparkling wine. It jumped in there as a category above Cava and Prosecco and just under Champagne.' Sayburn cites the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011, the late Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and the 2012 London Olympics for giving English sparkling wine 'a big boost'. Looking to the future, 'the only way for English sparkling wine to go is up', he said. He pointed out that some Champagne vineyards were established a thousand years ago while it's only in the last 50 years that they are emerging in the UK. 'So it may take a hundred years to really get the best sites,' he said. The south of England is well-established as the most successful area in the UK for wine growing, but this year the first medals for North Yorkshire came from Dunesforde with a bronze for their Queen of the North Brut 2020, a sparkling white, and their Pinot Gris 2022, a still white. Ian Townsend, owner of Dunesforde, said they planted Pinot Gris in 2016 'as a bit of an experiment' encouraged by records of the Romans producing wine in northern England 2,000 years ago. 'We're testing the boundaries,' he said. 'It gets riskier and riskier the further north you go.'
