text
stringlengths 102
112k
| url
stringlengths 37
240
| crawl_date
timestamp[us, tz=UTC]date 2024-01-04 00:15:18
2024-01-31 23:10:45
| exclusion_reason
stringclasses 1
value |
|---|---|---|---|
Niecy Nash has officially waved goodbye to Simone Clark, two months after her hit show, The Rookie: Feds, was canceled by ABC. Speaking in the press room at the Emmys, Niecy was asked if she had plans to reprise her role in the flagship series, The Rookie.
"It was one of my favorite casts and jobs, but there are no plans for it, I am living in the moment - I don't go back," she said. After portraying special agent Simone Clark for a year, the actress learned that The Rookie: Feds had not been renewed for a second season.
ABC's decision to cancel the show was finally announced in November 2023, after an arduous six-month wait. Following the season one finale, the show was initially put on hold in May, but with the subsequent SAG-AFTRA strikes, the network was forced to postpone all decision-making abilities.
Prior to the announcement, Niecy had revealed her hopes for a series renewal in an interview with Variety. "I love my job so much, I love the people that I work with, and I love the fact that I get to work with my better half over there," she said.
During season one of The Rookie: Feds, Niecy's wife and musician, Jessica Betts, was cast as Simone's love interest on the show.
"What I love about that particular character [Simone] is that I have not seen her on mainstream television," added Niecy. "I'm happy for little Black and brown girls to see something that they can aspire to be. Less than 1% of Black women make up the FBI. She's a Black woman over 40 in the FBI. She's not married. She's an equal-opportunity dater, if you know what I mean. Like, who is this unicorn?"
While Niecy has been disappointed by the show's cancelation, the actress is surely riding high after her big win at the Emmys on Monday night. Crowned Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie for Dahmer, the TV star delivered a moving speech.
MORE: The best dressed stars at the Emmys 2024
"I'm a winner, baby! Thank you to the most high for this divine moment," she said. Thank you, Ryan Murphy for seeing me. Evan Peters, I love you. Netflix. Every single person who voted for me. Thank you. My better half, who picked me up when I was gutted from this work. Thank you.
“And you know who I want to thank – I want to thank me," continued Niecy. "For believing in me and doing what they said I could not do. I want to say to myself in front of all you beautiful people, 'Go, girl, with your bad self. You did that.' Finally, I accept this award on behalf of every Black and Brown woman who has gone unheard, yet overpoliced, like Glenda Cleveland, like Sandra Bland, like Breonna Taylor."
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511322/niecy-nash-at-emmys-star-wont-appear-on-the-rookie-after-feds-cancelation/
| 2024-01-16T09:37:40Z
|
blocked_url
|
Kelly Ripa's youngest son Joaquin Consuelos lives in Michigan and the doting mom misses him very much.
The Live with Kelly and Mark star and her husband, Mark Consuelos, often make the trip to Ann Arbor to visit the college student, and did just that this weekend.
Throwing her support behind the aspiring wrestler's college team, Kelly shared an update from her new location on social media, and posted a photo of the family dogs, Chewy and Luna, both dressed in Michigan University winter jackets to stay warm. "Go blue" Kelly captioned the image.
Joaquin enrolled at the University of Michigan in 2021, and Kelly and Mark recently opened up the bittersweet change while chatting to People.
"It was deep, it was like a loss," Mark told the publication. Kelly added: "When Joaquin left, it was hard, the two of us and the dogs staring at each other, like 'Well, now what?'
"The first dinner I cooked, I'm not kidding, was for 12 people, and it was just the two of us. We sat there with this inordinate amount of food, neither one of us hungry at all."
Luckily, Kelly and Mark are able to regularly go and visit their youngest son in his new home – where he is thriving.
Mark also told People that out of all their children, Joaquin is "a little reserved" and when it comes to watching his famous parents on Live, he likely wouldn't.
"Joaquin's a little reserved. But he would turn it on. He's a drama student and he could turn it on for that hour, but I think he probably wouldn't want to do that," he explained.
MORE: Kelly Ripa looks tiny in strapless swimsuit alongside ripped Mark Consuelos during vacation
Along with Joaquin, Kelly and Mark are also parents to 25-year-old Michael, an aspiring actor, and 22-year-old Lola, an aspiring musician. Both Michael and Lola have appeared more regularly on Live in recent years as they both live in New York City.
They recently featured in a holiday segment on the ABC daytime show in December, while their younger brother was still in Michigan.
Kelly and Mark's oldest two children have also spoken out about their close bond with their parents. Michael previously told Entertainment Tonight that his parents were role models in his eyes.
MORE: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelous' family wedding revealed as fans swoon over photos
"They’re great, not just in like a relationship sense, but they're great role models. I try to conduct myself the way I think they would," he said. Lola, meanwhile, even went on holiday with her parents after returning back to living at home after graduating from college earlier this year.
The New York University graduate went away to Greece with her famous parents in June, and afterwards, Kelly shared a number of photos from the trip on social media.
MORE: Mark Consuelos teases potential for grandchildren with Kelly Ripa
The trio were all smiles in a series of photos posted on social media by Kelly, and it sounds like it's made their relationship even stronger too.
Soon after the former Hope and Faith star shared photos on social media of their vacation so far, Lola responded, writing: "The best travel buddies... and roommates!"
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features, and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511291/kelly-ripa-throws-support-behind-rarely-seen-son-new-personal-photo/
| 2024-01-16T09:37:47Z
|
blocked_url
|
Michael Weatherly has some unfinished business with his NCIS character, Tony DiNozzo. The actor, who starred in the CBS drama alongside Mark Harmon for 13 years until 2016, revealed his plans to reprise the role while replying to a fan on social media.
When asked to pick his favorite role out of Tony DiNozzo and his Bull character Dr. Jason Bull, Michael responded: "There will be more DiNozzo someday because he is the one character that felt unfinished… that's my plan! We shall see…"
Fans rushed to the comments section to share their excitement, with one person writing: "M_Weatherly that's awesome Michael, thanks for the continued mystery of the unknown to look forward to. Shall I say welcome back DiNozzo," while another added: "Fingers crossed your plan will be accomplished in the near future amazing news that you consider continuing with Dinozzo character."
A third person commented: "Oh I hope so!! Miss you playing #Tony!! Hopefully #Ziva and #Tali will be joining you!"
Michael's latest post comes amid renewed speculation over his return to the drama following the passing of David McCallum – aka Ducky Mallard – in September last year.
Towards the end of 2023, NCIS co-showrunners Steven D. Binder and David North revealed that the upcoming 21st season would feature a tribute episode to David. While they remained tight-lipped over potential cameos from returning cast members, they did tease "a very touching and special moment you won't want to miss" during an interview with TV Line.
Since then, fans have been hoping that Michael, along with former co-stars Mark Harmon and Cote de Pablo, would return to the show to honor David.
One person penned on social media: "I would love to see Anthony DiNozzo make an appearance in tribute to #ducky #DavidMcCallum #NCIS."
Michael stepped down from his role in NCIS in 2016, with the season 13 finale marking his final appearance. Speaking about his departure at the time, he said: "It came about at the right time. I was burnt out by NCIS and I was ready for a new challenge. Sometimes change is as good as a rest."
In a previous interview with TV Line, Michael revealed that he started to consider leaving the show following the exit of his co-star, Cote, who played Ziva David from 2005 until 2013, before briefly returning in 2019.
Talking about their on-screen romance, Michael explained: "Their great dynamic, the badinage and sparring and flirting between those two characters and how they would swing from siblings to near lovers and back to buddies, that was gone. Then I got to the point where I felt I'd stayed at the party for too long."
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511325/michael-weatherly-reveals-plans-reprise-ncis-role-tony-dinozzo/
| 2024-01-16T10:21:27Z
|
blocked_url
|
Denmark has a new reigning couple, King Frederik X and Queen Mary, after the monarch's mother Queen Margrethe chose to officially abdicate last week.
And judging by the stars, Frederik, a Gemini, and Mary, an Aquarius, were born to be together and are "perfectly poised to make a great team," says astrologer to the stars, Debbie Frank.
Speaking exclusively to HELLO!, Debbie, who was Princess Diana's close confidante, explained why they are so compatible.
"Although there have been rumours about the state of King Frederik's marriage to his wife Queen Mary, they are perfectly poised to make a great team," said Debbie. "Gemini's chief requirement in relationship is a meeting of minds and this is what makes him compatible with Queen Mary, an Aquarius and fellow Air sign.
"The Air element need friendship as the basis for a compatible partnership, things to talk about, explore and discover together. Both Gemini and Aquarius enjoy meeting people, connecting and communicating. This marriage is a professional working relationship and neither of them are romantic idealists.
"Whatever distracted her Gemini husband, they are bound together with his love planet Venus exactly on her Saturn. It is their karma to be together."
Debbie also explained what attracted Frederik to Mary in the first place. The couple famously met at a bar in Sydney during the 2000 Olympic Games, and the rest is, as they say, history.
"Queen Mary, brought up in Tasmania, is literally a breath of fresh Aquarian air. She exudes the Aquarian ease at getting on with people and is already hugely popular.
"Aquarians are innovative, wanting to bring about change, and she is perfectly placed to be an initiator of new programmes which capture public interest. Her crowning glory is her Moon in harmonious Libra placed close to effervescent Uranus, giving her great personal magnetism. This is what attracted the then Prince Fredrik and will always surprise and intrigue him."
Now that he has the "top job," it seems King Frederik will fully be in his element, Debbie also argued. "He was born on a New Moon in Gemini close to Mars, giving him a laser-like mind, needing constant mental stimulation. Now in the 'top job', he's going to thrive on the busyness and engagement."
And what about Queen Margrethe's abdication? Was it truly written in the stars?
"Even for a dominant, quick-fire Aries like Queen Margrethe, her all-conquering decision was breathtaking. What made her do it?" Debbie said. "At age 84, Uranus makes its return to the place it was in at birth and with Queen Margrethe approaching her 84th birthday she was well aware of the need to make radical changes.
"Coupled with this, Pluto is opposing Pluto in her chart, another marker point with an end-of-an-era feel.
"She couples stealth tactics with her Aries assertive and forceful will. Abdication was another opportunity to shape things as she wishes, pulling off a blinder with her formidable celestial blueprint. Her intervention is perfectly in sync with her stars."
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511326/why-king-frederik-queen-mary-denmark-born-to-be-together/
| 2024-01-16T10:21:33Z
|
blocked_url
|
BEIJING – The son of former Chinese leader Hu Jintao, who was dramatically escorted out of a major political meeting in 2022, has been appointed to a senior ministerial position, the government said on Jan 16.
Mr Hu Haifeng has been named vice-head of China’s Human Resources and Social Security Ministry, according to a statement on the department’s website. It did not provide further details.
Mr Hu, 51, is the son of former president Hu Jintao, who ruled as China’s paramount leader for a decade before his successor, Mr Xi Jinping, rose to power in 2012.
Mr Hu Jintao was at the centre of a political firestorm that erupted at a key Communist Party congress in October 2022 as Mr Xi broke precedent to secure a third term in office.
The frail former leader was abruptly led off-stage at the event’s closing ceremony, seemingly against his will and to the shock of the assembled global media.
Officials later said he was experiencing an episode of poor health, but the move sparked speculation that he had been purged on Mr Xi’s orders.
Mr Hu Haifeng has held a string of mid-level official posts in his career to date, most recently serving as party committee secretary in the eastern city of Lishui, according to his official biography. AFP
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/china-appoints-son-of-ex-president-hu-jintao-to-senior-gov-t-role
| 2024-01-16T10:33:41Z
|
blocked_url
|
TOKYO - Two planes – one from Korean Air and the other from Cathay Pacific – collided at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido on Jan 16, the Japanese media reported.
The incident occurred at about 5.30pm local time (4.30pm Singapore time).
There were 289 passengers and crew on board the Korean Air flight, Yahoo Japan reported, adding that no one was injured.
The Cathay Pacific aircraft had no passengers on board.
This is a developing story.
The incident comes two weeks after a collision between a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane and a coast guard aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
Five people – all from the coast guard plane – were killed in that incident on Jan 2.
The JAL flight, which caught fire after the collision, had 379 passengers and crew on board. All of them escaped the blaze.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/korean-air-cathay-pacific-planes-collide-at-hokkaido-airport
| 2024-01-16T10:33:51Z
|
blocked_url
|
SHANGHAI - Mr Victor Li is determined to get married soon, but like many other young Chinese grappling with an uncertain economic outlook, the well-heeled Shanghai entrepreneur is not sure he can afford to.
“It’s very expensive for us to get married, especially in a big city like Shanghai,” the 32-year-old said, as he took a break from a ticketed networking event for wealthier, top university-educated singles at an upmarket Shanghai jazz bar.
“In terms of financial ability, it actually puts a lot of pressure on young people, including me.”
As the world’s second biggest economy slows, an increasing number of people are opting to stay single due to poor job prospects amid record youth unemployment and chronically low consumer confidence, leading to a record slump in marriage registrations in 2022.
This reluctance to tie the knot is worrying policymakers grappling with a decline in births and a rapidly ageing population in a country that was once the world’s most populous, and where marriage rates are closely tied to birth rates as unmarried mothers are often denied child-raising benefits.
China’s fertility rate is currently one of the world’s lowest, and official data on Jan 17 is expected to show that the population fell for a second consecutive year, renewing concerns about the demographic decline.
In 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping said it was necessary to “actively cultivate a new culture of marriage and childrearing” to foster national development. Local governments have also announced various measures to encourage new families, including tax deductions and housing subsidies, as well as cash “rewards” for marriages if the bride is aged 25 or younger.
Ms Julia Meng, whose company Julia’s Events organised the Shanghai singles event, said an increasing number of people aged 35 and older had effectively “given up” on marriage.
Younger Chinese, like event attendee Jack Jiang, say they want to get married, but high housing prices, uncertain job prospects and the general economic situation is not helping.
“It’s not that we want to be single, it’s the urban structure, economic situation that have led to this result,” the 32-year-old entrepreneur said. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/some-wealthier-chinese-say-they-cant-afford-marriage-as-economy-slows
| 2024-01-16T10:34:02Z
|
blocked_url
|
DUBAI - Iran said on Tuesday it had launched ballistic missiles at targets in Iraq and Syria in defence of its sovereignty and security as well as to counter terrorism.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they attacked the "spy headquarters" of Israel in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region late on Monday, in addition to also striking in Syria against the Islamic State.
Iraq has summoned the Iranian chargé d'affaires in Baghdad on Tuesday to protest against the attacks in Kurdistan, the Iraqi state news agency reported on Tuesday.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said Tehran respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries but at the same time was using its "legitimate and legal right to deter national security threats".
"After the enemy miscalculated by targeting the Islamic Republic, Iran retaliated with its high intelligence capability in a precise and targeted operation against the culprits' headquarters," Kanaani added.
Iraq condemned Iran's "aggression" on Erbil that led to civilian casualties in residential areas, according to a statement by the country's foreign ministry.
The Iraqi government would take all legal measures, including filing a complaint at the United Nations Security Council, said the statement. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/iran-says-it-launched-missiles-toward-iraq-and-syria-to-deter-security-threats
| 2024-01-16T10:34:12Z
|
blocked_url
|
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet decided on Tuesday to double the planned amount of emergency budget reserves for fiscal 2024/25 to help recovery from the deadly Noto peninsula quakes, government officials said on Tuesday.
The magnitude 7.6 earthquake devastated the Noto peninsula, northwest from Tokyo, on New Year's Day, leaving over 220 people dead and dozens of others missing, making it the deadliest since the 2016 quake in Kumamoto in the southern Kyushu region.
Authorities will issue additional Japanese government bonds (JGBs) to double the amount of emergency reserves to 1 trillion yen ($6.86 billion) from the initially planned 500 billion yen.
The move will slightly raise the debt-dependency ratio of the annual budget to 31.5% from 31.2% earlier planned, increasing the industrial world's worst debt burden which is more than twice the size of Japan's gross domestic product.
"With this measure, we thoroughly prepare for all eventualities," a finance ministry official told reporters.
It is rare for the government to revise an annual draft budget already sent to parliament for debate and approval by the fiscal year-end in March. Parliament begins regular sessions later this month.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said last week the budget reserves would enable the government to flexibly respond to any funding needs, without seeking advance approval by parliament.
For the current fiscal year, the government has decided to spend 4.7 billion yen on evacuation centres.
In addition, Kishida ordered his administration to compile a disaster relief package worth more than 100 billion yen by the end of this month to provide makeshift shelters, road and other infrastructure, and to help people make a living.
Of a total budget spending plan worth 112 trillion yen for the next fiscal year, 500 billion yen is earmarked for general budget reserves.
Budget reserves are often described as a useful fund for the government as they can be tapped at its own discretion and without the need for parliamentary approval. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/japan-doubles-planned-emergency-budget-reserves-to-back-noto-quake-relief
| 2024-01-16T10:34:22Z
|
blocked_url
|
ISLAMABAD - The party of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been stripped of its traditional electoral symbol of a cricket bat in a court ruling, the latest blow to the jailed leader ahead of a national election in February.
Here are some facts about the significance of electoral symbols and the challenges facing Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
WHAT IS AN ELECTORAL SYMBOL?
Electoral symbols - unique pictorial identifiers - are handed out by the election commission to political parties and candidates. Parties usually have long-standing symbols, which, for the PTI, was the cricket bat, referencing Khan being a celebrated former captain of the national cricket team.
The symbols appear on ballot papers, with voters able to put a stamp on their symbol of choice. The ballot paper also has names, but over 40% of Pakistan's 241 million population are illiterate, making the pictures extra important for recognition.
A majority of Pakistan's constituencies are in rural areas where the literacy rate is around 50%, according to the economic survey of 2022-23.
Pakistan's election process involves thousands of candidates and dozens of political parties and symbols. A single ballot paper has a long list of options for voters.
A total of 150 symbols have been assigned to political parties and another 174 will be given to independent candidates for this election.
Three time prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party uses a tiger, while the party of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of slain premier Benazir Bhutto, uses an arrow.
Symbols available to independents include a donkey cart and an ironing board.
WHY WAS THE SYMBOL REMOVED?
The Election Commission of Pakistan stripped the PTI of the symbol on technical grounds that it had not held intra-party elections, a prerequisite for any party to take part in the Feb. 8 vote.
The party challenged that ruling in the Supreme Court, which ruled against it on Jan. 13. The party alleges the powerful military is attempting to keep it out of the election race, a charge the army denies.
WHAT CHALLENGES DOES THIS POSE FOR IMRAN KHAN?
Alongside Khan's legal troubles, his party now no longer has a single electoral symbol to rally behind. Instead, each of his hundreds of candidates have been given separate symbols from the independent symbol list - including dice and a bowl.
That means confusion for his voters and also extra costs to produce separate campaign material, such as banners, for each candidate.
Khan's party has, for now, also lost its registered status with the election commission, which means that his candidates' bloc will not be eligible for reserved seats handed out to political parties.
There are 70 seats reserved for women and religious minorities in the National Assembly, given to parties in proportion to the number of their candidates winning elections. This provides a boost to party positions in parliament. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/pakistan-election-symbols-and-their-importance
| 2024-01-16T10:34:33Z
|
blocked_url
|
SEOUL – South Korea and the United States have agreed to start early talks on how to share the cost of keeping US forces in the country in a bid to reach a deal before the possible re-election of Donald Trump as president, local media reported on Jan 16.
Trump, who has emerged as the undisputed front runner for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 election, had during his presidency accused key Asian ally South Korea of “free-riding” on US military might and demanded it pay as much as US$5 billion (S$6.7 billion) a year for the US deployment.
Negotiations for the Special Measures Agreement were gridlocked for months under the Trump administration, and the deal was finalised when South Korea agreed to a 13.9 per cent increase in its contribution, the biggest annual rise in nearly two decades.
The agreement is set to expire in 2025 and Yonhap news agency as well as news service Newspim quoted unnamed diplomatic sources as saying South Korea and the US had agreed to start talks in 2024 on extending the deal to 2026 and beyond.
Talks are usually held just before the existing deal is due to end.
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Lim Soo-suk declined to comment on the reports, saying the government would prepare for the next negotiations in a “systematic, strategic” manner.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US troops are deployed in South Korea as part of both nations’ efforts to deter North Korea, which has been accelerating its nuclear and missile programmes.
South Korea began shouldering the costs of US deployments, used to fund local labour, the construction of military installations and other logistics support, in the early 1990s. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-korea-us-to-start-defence-cost-talks-early-before-us-elections-media
| 2024-01-16T10:34:43Z
|
blocked_url
|
The main business of the World Economic Forum kicks off on Tuesday with a speech by Chinese premier Li Qiang top of the agenda.
Li's address to global business leaders and investors comes as Beijing grapples with a sluggish post-pandemic recovery and a real estate slump.
We'll be watching to see if Li sits down with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken or Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy for bilateral meetings.
Zelenskiy and the Swiss have called on China - an ally of Russia - to help end the war in Ukraine by joining peace talks.
Blinken touches down in Davos on Tuesday morning. He and national security adviser Jake Sullivan will both deliver speeches at Davos as the spectre of Donald Trump looms.
Trump secured a resounding win in the first 2024 Republican presidential contest in Iowa on Monday - and the global elite is starting to factor in what a second presidential term might look like.
As wars continue in Ukraine and the Middle East, how U.S. foreign policy will play out after the election is dominating Davos discussions.
Here are some key events to watch out for on Tuesday:
0800 GMT: Zelenskiy meets business leaders and financiers
0845 GMT: Qatari PM Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani speaks
0950 GMT: Chinese Premier Li Qiang speaks
1020 GMT: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks
1315 GMT: Zelenskiy's speech
1400 GMT: Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks
1600 GMT: Sullivan's address
1630 GMT: Jordan's Prime Minister Bisher Han Al Khasawneh speaks
1730 GMT: Zelenskiy and Polish president Andrzej Duda attend official opening of Ukraine House
Parties on the sidelines Tuesday: Google reception, wine tasting with SecurityScorecard, Green Night by the Institute of Sustainability and Technology and the LGBTQ+ leaders dinner. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/what-to-expect-from-davos-on-tuesday
| 2024-01-16T10:34:53Z
|
blocked_url
|
It may be time to witness a miracle again during Chinese New Year.
A man believed to be Taiwanese magician Lu Chen, who created the mantra for his magic shows, was recently spotted at the first joint rehearsal for China Central Television’s (CCTV) Spring Festival Gala on Jan 15.
The video went viral on Chinese social media and prompted speculation that the 47-year-old will return to the show on Chinese New Year’s Eve for the first time in five years.
Lu was previously a judge on the magic show contest segment in Taiwanese veteran host Chang Fei’s variety show Variety Big Brother (2002 to 2011).
The magician rose to further fame in China when he performed at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala in 2009, and it led to appearances in subsequent editions.
However, there was controversy in 2013 when he performed his magic act with Chinese classical pianist Li Yundi and teased Li about his rumoured relationship with Taiwanese-American singer Wang Leehom.
Lu’s comments set tongues wagging and CCTV was quick to issue a statement distancing itself from his remarks, adding that they would be removed from the repeat telecast.
He returned to the gala in 2019, and came under great pressure when his magic trick was allegedly exposed.
Some viewers pointed to slow-motion footage to claim that his feat was accomplished with the aid of his assistant, though Lu denied this. He disappeared from the small screen after that.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/taiwan-magician-lu-chen-may-return-to-cctv-s-spring-festival-gala-after-5-years
| 2024-01-16T10:35:04Z
|
blocked_url
|
Taiwanese actor Wu Kang-jen has added another feather to his cap after winning the Best Actor award at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society on Jan 15.
The 41-year-old received the award for his role in the Hong Kong film Fly Me To The Moon, a story about the relationship between a father and his two daughters, spanning 20 years from the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.
The film’s director Sasha Chuk won best screenplay for her feature debut.
Wu beat celebrities such as Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu Wai (The Goldfinger), Hong Kong actor Gordon Lam (Mad Fate) and Mirror singer Lokman Yeung (Mad Fate) for the award.
According to the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, the race was tight and the winner was selected after five rounds of voting.
Wu’s latest accolade came after he won Best Leading Actor at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards in November 2023 for Malaysian movie Abang Adik.
He was lauded for his performance as Abang (Elder Brother) – a menial worker who is deaf and mute, and has no legal papers – opposite Malaysian actor Jack Tan, who played Adik (Younger Brother).
The race for Best Actress was equally tight, with Hong Kong actress Jennifer Yu named the winner after four rounds of voting.
She took home the prize for her role as an investigative journalist in In Broad Daylight, a movie on the abuses taking place in a nursing home.
This was the first time Yu, 30, received the award after being shortlisted a few times in the past.
She beat actresses Rachel Leung (In Broad Daylight), Yoyo Tse (Fly Me To The Moon), Renci Yeung (A Guilty Conscience) and Chung Suet Ying (The Lyricist Wannabe) for the award.
The Best Film award went to mystery crime thriller Mad Fate, directed by Soi Cheang, while the Best Director award went to Jonathan Li for Chinese crime movie Dust To Dust.
The prestigious annual awards ceremony, which started in 1994, is now in its 30th edition.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/wu-kang-jen-beats-tony-leung-to-hong-kong-film-critics-society-s-best-actor-award
| 2024-01-16T10:35:14Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – By now, those resolutions you made at the giddy turn of the new year may have started fading from memory.
Perhaps you had planned to be at the gym right now. Maybe you swore off the biscuits your hand is inching towards. And whatever happened to picking up that new skill?
Well, you are not the only one. New year goals are so infamously fleeting that Jan 17 has been dubbed “Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day”.
But just because your fresh start has gone stale, it does not mean you are doomed to stasis for the rest of the year.
As it turns out, January might not be the best time to reinvent yourself.
While the dawn of a new year serves as a metaphorical reset button for some, others see it as a stark reminder of how another year is over, says The Psychology Practice’s clinical psychologist Sara-Ann Lee, 34.
“The festive period can be a time when individuals may feel complex emotions that interfere with their ability to plan or think ahead. They may feel pressured or compelled to make New Year’s resolutions and work on them as it has become increasingly trendy on social media.”
And that kind of pressure could be dangerous if you are not in the right headspace.
“If you are struggling with existing issues, prioritise your mental health and seek help for those issues first. In such cases, it may not be the best time to set diet-related, or non mental health-related resolutions,” Pulse Allied Health’s senior clinical dietitian Adelyn Khoo, 33, told The Straits Times.
Besides, there are practical considerations too.
“During the holiday period, people are actively meeting friends and families over meals, travelling and participating in parties,” says medical personal trainer Paul Kuck, 51, founder of home-grown gym Fitness Tutor.
“This period also coincides with the flu season from November to February, when many people catch bugs, making serious commitment harder.”
Ms Khoo adds that a little holiday indulgence is all right.
“It is a misconception that dietitians do not enjoy festive seasons – we do. And we enjoy them guilt-free. Food is meant to be enjoyed, and it is a social aspect in many Singaporeans’ lives,” she says.
So, instead of in January, Mr Kuck suggests setting your goals in March, after the Chinese New Year feasting has died down.
How to set goals
Regardless of when you begin your journey of self-improvement, how do you make the changes stick?
Most of the experts ST spoke to suggest eschewing sweeping changes and starting small instead.
“I recommend kicking off your goals in ways that have little to no barriers to entry – by setting a walking or steps goal, for example, or ordering from a healthy meal delivery service rather than grabbing lunch outside,” says health coach Amanda Lim, 40, director of Lift Clinic, which helps clients with weight management and nutrition therapy.
And though it might take a while for these everyday changes to yield visible results, freelance personal trainer Tyen Rasif, 28, urges patience.
“I am a bigger advocate for cultivating sustainable habits needed for a healthier and stronger body, instead of wanting quick fixes or fast results. The clients who have achieved the best results are those who are the most consistent, not the ones who train or diet the hardest.”
It is also important not to lose sight of why you have set certain resolutions, says life coach Ruchi Parekh, 42. On Jan 24, she is conducting a goal-setting workshop, where participants will be taught how to stay motivated.
“I’m going to make them visualise what it will feel like when they achieve their goals. What are the emotions that they will feel? How will it impact them? How will it impact other people?”
She says this will help convince participants that their goals are worth their time, resources and effort.
Above all, experts urge, be kind to yourself – especially when you trip up.
“It’s very important to note that life plays a huge role in your momentum to achieve resolutions. There will be times when it’s easier to follow through, there will be times when work and other aspects take over, and you take a pause,” says Ms Khoo.
“But the pauses or breaks do not mean that you have given up or failed.”
You are, after all, a work in progress – and the year is still young.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/life/given-up-on-new-year-s-resolutions-experts-say-to-try-again-in-march
| 2024-01-16T10:35:24Z
|
blocked_url
|
Trade policy is where the rubber meets the road between Mr Joe Biden’s two favourite interest groups – American workers and American allies. Consider the recent statement about Japanese giant Nippon Steel’s bid for US Steel by the US President’s top economic adviser, Ms Lael Brainard.
While Mr Biden welcomes “manufacturers across the world building their futures in America with American jobs and American workers”, she said, “he also believes the purchase of this iconic American-owned company by a foreign entity – even one from a close ally – appears to deserve serious scrutiny in terms of its potential impact on national security and supply chain reliability”.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/america-needs-straight-talk-on-trade
| 2024-01-16T10:35:35Z
|
blocked_url
|
The Boeing 737 Max is in the news again, this time because the door plug on a brand-new plane came off soon after take-off. The pilots of the Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, managed to return the Max 9 safely to Portland International Airport, but the consequences would have been far more serious had the incident occurred at cruising height a few minutes later.
Alaska Airlines and fellow United States carrier United Airlines have also discovered loose hardware and connections on their fleets of 737 Max planes. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has now grounded 171 Boeing aircraft, mostly operated by Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, pending inspections.
The 737 Max is a series of narrow-body commercial aircraft developed as an upgrade to the highly successful Boeing 737 Next Generation series. First delivered in 2017, it was designed to be even more fuel efficient and with more power supplied by bigger engines.
It has attracted more demand than Boeing can supply, but has faced significant challenges. Most notable were crashes in Indonesia (2018) and Ethiopia (2019), which were partly caused by technical problems and killed 346 people.
So why have there been all these problems and what can be done?
Design and manufacturing
An investigation following the Indonesia crash revealed issues with an automated flight control system called the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). This was designed to prevent the 737 Max from stalling, which had been made more likely by its larger engines. Yet the system’s complexity and reliance on a single sensor made it vulnerable to failure.
The MCAS was also involved in the Ethiopian crash, albeit the US safety agency argued pilot errors were the main cause. Boeing subsequently issued a software fix for the MCAS problem. So far as we are aware, it has now been resolved.
Besides the most recent issues with Alaska and United, quality and safety problems have included unsatisfactory wing components in 2019. In 2023, suppliers were poorly attaching aircraft fittings and drilling unnecessary holes.
While these defects could be blamed on manufacturing, unwieldy designs make it difficult to manufacture products at scale while meeting quality requirements. So, you have to question whether poor design and unrealistically high volume expectations are ultimately what has happened to the 737 Max.
The fact that door plug problem and loose bolts are cropping up at a time when Boeing is trying to ramp up 737 Max production to about double the pre-pandemic level – and the pressure to achieve the pre-pandemic stock price – makes design all the more suspect.
Moreover, leaked internal documents from 2015 to 2018 have revealed that employees who worked on the Max planes believed the design was unsound. Hundreds of internal messages showed them referring to the “piss-poor design” and one “designed by clowns” who were “supervised by monkeys”.
A US Congressional report in 2020 into the 737 Max crashes said: “Boeing failed in its design and development of the 737 Max, and the FAA failed in its oversight of Boeing and its certification of the aircraft.” It also pointed to too close a relationship with the FAA.
Boeing’s approach to manufacturing costs may also be a factor. Former employees previously suggested it had imported a culture that was very focused on cost-cutting when it bought rival US aerospace manufacturer McDonnell Douglas back in 1997. Boeing has denied that it has compromised on product safety or quality for any reason whatsoever.
Assembly line workers on the 737 Max have reportedly faced intense pressure to meet production deadlines, while a former senior manager claimed in 2019 he had sent urgent emails and letters to the company’s leadership to shut down production. Boeing has denied that assembly-line pressure had any bearing on the crashes, and pointed out that the company’s commitment to safety was reflected in the fact that the whistleblower was able to brief its general counsel over his concerns.
Despite these alleged assembly-line issues, Boeing has not faced anything like the same problems with the other 737 variants or indeed with other planes like the 787 Dreamliner. Again, it indicates that the problem may ultimately be more to do with design of the 737 Max.
What next
So what happens now? Going by the previous debacles, the play book is clear. The FAA will lift the grounding order in the coming weeks as politicians start complaining about orders being lost to Airbus. Boeing will swear all the planes are safe and that the production processes of the parts’ vendor in question, Kansas-based Spirit AeroSystems, have been reviewed (Spirit has said it is committed to ensuring every Boeing plane meets the highest safety and quality standards).
Then, the White House will push developing countries to buy the Boeing 737 Max, as President Biden did in his visit with business leaders to Vietnam last September. All will be well – until it is not.
Instead, Boeing should suppress its political muscle and take a different approach. The 737 Max brand is so tarnished that it may be better to let go. More importantly, if the design is also ultimately unworkable at scale, it would be better to scrap it too rather than trying to push production even harder.
The good news for the company is that the 737 has been highly successful commercially going back to 1968, with a solid history of safety, not including the 737 Max. The 737 variants’ safety record until the end of 2019 was the same as the narrow-body offering from Airbus, including the A320, but it has now become much worse with the 737 Max.
Boeing should arguably design a new narrow-body plane again based on the 737 Next Generation with higher efficiency and larger engines. The supply chain will not need to be changed dramatically. It worked for previous 737s, so there is no reason it cannot work again. If cost-cutting has resulted in suppliers cutting too many corners, that needs to be revisited, of course.
Boeing president and chief executive Dave Calhoun said at an all-employee safety meeting on January 9: “We’re going to have to demonstrate trust by our actions, by our willingness to work directly and transparently with them (customers).”
This is true, but the company’s first priority has to be to make sure it has the trust of its workers by listening to their safety concerns and taking them onboard.
Only by addressing its culture can Boeing really end this crisis. There has been such a catalogue of sequential errors that anything short of a complete overhaul is likely only to compound the problem and put more lives at risk.
- Professor ManMohan S Sodhi is a professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management, City University of London. This article was first published in The Conversation.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/boeing-s-737-max-should-probably-be-scrapped
| 2024-01-16T10:35:45Z
|
blocked_url
|
Here’s some good news for electric cars: They are cheaper than ever. Here’s some bad news for electric cars: They are cheaper than ever.
If this sounds like a paradox, it should not. On Jan 12, Tesla cut prices in China for its best-selling Model 3 sedan by 5.9 per cent, lowering the starting price to 245,900 yuan (S$46,220). That pushes the cost of a new vehicle below US$35,000 (S$46,825) – a fabled level that entrepreneur Elon Musk has been promising since 2016, but (mostly) has failed to deliver.
Just hours earlier, one of the biggest buyers of Model 3s announced a sudden change to its electric-vehicle strategy. Hertz Global Holdings will sell a third of its US EV fleet and buy petrol-powered vehicles instead, in what looks like the start of a dramatic reversal to the aggressive electrification policy it pursued in recent years.
The two events have identical causes. The falling cost of EVs is a boon for prospective buyers who want to get hold of an affordable ride. They are a disaster, however, for financially-attuned fleet owners such as Hertz, which will see depreciation accelerate and the value of their assets decline.
That makes Hertz’s decision to buy 100,000 Model 3s in October 2021 – its first major policy since exiting bankruptcy earlier that year – look inexplicably foolhardy in retrospect. Mr Musk (who locked in car sales) and everyday consumers (who are now getting cheaper cars) did well out of this episode. Car rental companies, not so much.
Granted, it was a strange time, when Covid-19 appeared to have torn up many financial rules.
Hertz had sold about a third of its fleet to pay its creditors, but then had to bulk back up. Shortages of semiconductors were causing delays in new car deliveries, and prices for used automobiles were rising as much as 45 per cent year on year in the United States. Mr Musk, meanwhile, had been making the always-dubious claim that the rules of economics did not apply to his vehicles: In a 2019 podcast interview, he said that a Tesla was “an appreciating asset – not a depreciating asset”.
Laws of nature, however, have a nasty habit of reasserting themselves. Depreciation is a key risk for rental companies, which can see a huge slice of their asset base wiped out at the stroke of an accountant’s pen – roughly what happened in 2016, when Hertz shares fell 23 per cent after it announced resale values were coming in well below its estimates. As a result, they have traditionally demanded steep discounts from manufacturers to provide a cushion against such losses – but Hertz appears to have neglected this in its Tesla deal, as Mr Musk boasted at the time.
In retrospect, that looks like a fatal mistake. Mr Musk’s master-plan – start off building premium cars and invest the proceeds in making ever-cheaper mass-market vehicles – has always been predicated on rapidly falling costs for EVs. History has proved that bet right: Official prices for Model 3s are now about a third lower than when Hertz struck the original deal, Chief executive officer Stephen Scherr told an earnings call in October. Buying at full price from a man whose wealth was based on speeding the pace of EV depreciation looks like a remarkably bad business decision.
Hertz’s loss, however, is ordinary consumers’ gain. Individual owners do not appear to care that much about depreciation. The average car loses about half its value in the first three years, and yet people go on buying new cars regardless. Indeed, our inability to properly calculate how much we pay for our cars has long been a bugbear for EV promoters. Since we also fail to factor in the additional money we spend on fuel and maintenance, most people do not realise how much money they could be saving by going electric, and instead focus almost exclusively on the driveaway price they will get from a car dealer. It’s precisely carmakers’ determination to get retail prices to parity with petrol-powered equivalents that has caused such a depreciation headache for Mr Scherr.
Price parity now appears to be arriving. That is great news for the electric car industry, and for drivers who have not been able to afford a battery vehicle – but it offers a silver lining for the beleaguered rental companies, too. Consumer appetites for EVs appear to be getting sated just as production of the vehicles ramps up, and manufacturers’ recent scaling back of electrification plans may not happen fast enough to prevent another wave of oversupply and discounting.
Hertz’s original Tesla deal was made at the top of a sellers’ market for EVs – but over the next 12 months, the advantage will move back to the buyers. For rental companies, and individual car owners, that’s going to be the ideal time to make a purchase. Bloomberg
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/electric-cars-are-cheaper-than-ever-and-that-is-bad-for-ev-owners
| 2024-01-16T10:35:56Z
|
blocked_url
|
After months of intense campaigning, the Democratic Progressive Party emerged victorious in the 2024 Taiwan presidential election, securing a historic third consecutive term. However, the party’s dominance has gone from absolute to relative; it secured only 40 per cent of the presidential votes, and fell short of retaining the majority of legislative seats.
Meanwhile, the Kuomintang failed to retake the presidency as well as the majority of legislative seats. The remaining seats are held by Taiwan People’s Party.
The Taiwan People’s Party, despite occupying third place in the Legislative Yuan with eight seats, achieved a remarkable 26 per cent in the presidential race, punching above its weight considering its limited resources and recent formation.
These results signify a shift in Taiwan’s political landscape. The longstanding two-party system appears to be transitioning into a messy three-party dynamic.
Why is there a third-party rise?
While the Democratic Progressive Party’s third consecutive presidential term may seem like a victory, cracks in the foundation of Taiwan’s political landscape are widening.
The roots of this instability stretch back to 2020, when anti-establishment sentiment simmered beneath the surface, even as the China factor dominated headlines. This time, the discontent is boiling over.
The Democratic Progressive government, once riding a wave of youthful support, now faces accusations of power abuse and, crucially, a failure to address the very issues that propelled it to power in 2016: skyrocketing housing prices, stagnant wages and widening inequality. These woes fuelled the rise of the Taiwan People’s Party.
The Kuomintang, the other pillar of the old order, struggles to offer solutions. Its proposed subsidised interest rates risk further inflating the housing bubble, alienating the young generation the party desperately needs to win over.
Meanwhile, the Taiwan People’s Party proposes alternatives – public housing, rent subsidies and even property tax hikes – aimed at making housing truly affordable.
For decades, power has swayed between the Kuomintang and Democratic Progressive Party, yet voter satisfaction with Taiwanese democracy languishes below 50 per cent.
This stark statistic betrays a profound representation crisis, an outcry against the established parties, often due to a perceived failure to tackle core issues.
The Taiwan People’s Party, riding this wave of disillusionment, attracts those who yearn for a political shift, focusing on domestic woes. It emerges as a beacon of hope for those who have lost faith in the two-party system.
Why did the DPP win again?
Pre-election polls painted a clear picture: More than 60 per cent craved a change, a break from the Democratic Progressive Party’s grip on power.
But the tide of discontent splintered, dividing voters between the established Kuomintang and the rising force of the Taiwan People’s Party.
Youth flocked to the newcomer, while the Kuomintang found favour among older demographics.
To unseat the government, a united front seemed logical. Yet cooperation crumbled, replaced by escalating animosity between the opposition parties. This fractured landscape handed the ruling party an advantage – a divided opposition meant its own victory was practically guaranteed.
The Kuomintang, desperate to tip the scales, resorted to strategic voting, aiming to marginalise the Taiwan People’s Party.
Negative campaigns against the Taiwan People’s Party intensified after failed negotiation attempts on Nov 23. With Taiwan’s traditional media heavily aligned with either the Kuomintang or the government, the Taiwan People’s Party faced an uphill battle for airtime.
Instead of ceding the stage, it went digital, launched a YouTube channel, and supporters spearheaded online and offline campaigns and created alternative news channels. This counteroffensive transformed the fight into a three-pronged clash.
The battle became more than just a contest between the establishment and the anti-establishment. It morphed into a clash between traditional media and the burgeoning power of social media.
The Taiwan People’s Party’s digital insurgency challenged the long-held dominance of traditional media and carved out a space for its voice to be heard.
While the outcome of the election may be set, the digital battleground shows a new force has emerged in Taiwan’s political landscape.
Future of cross-strait ties
On the international front, continuity seems to be the watchword.
The established relationship with the United States, nurtured by President Tsai Ing-wen, is likely to continue under the guidance of Vice-President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim. Her esteemed record as former de facto ambassador to the US inspires confidence in maintaining strong ties.
However, cross-strait relations with China face a potential storm.
With both the President and Vice-President openly supporting Taiwan’s independence in the past, China perceives them as a united “independence duo”. This stance may trigger harsh responses, from further curtailing trade via terminating the free trade agreement, to heightened military tensions.
The path forward requires navigating a delicate balance of upholding Taiwan’s democratic values while recognising the complex geopolitical realities. The future of Taiwan’s cross-strait relationship hinges on how well this balance is upheld. The governing Democratic Progressive Party will be judged on how it walks the tightrope.
The Taiwan People’s Party’s emergence may seem to add another layer of complexity, with its potentially divergent views on cross-strait policy.
The party believes demonstrating goodwill can lower the temperature and avoid harsher measures like trade restrictions or military escalation.
Yet, unlike the Kuomintang’s focus on appeasement, the Taiwan People’s Party advocates strengthening national defence to deter aggression and ensure peaceful coexistence with China.
Therefore, while the immediate outlook for cross-strait relations may be turbulent, the robust growth of Taiwan’s democracy offers a glimmer of hope for a future where pragmatism holds sway.
Taiwan’s election has presented a paradox: a familiar victory yet a fundamental shift in the political landscape.
While the immediate future may be uncertain, the rise of the Taiwan People’s Party and the continued US support offer hope for a more open and responsive democracy.
- Kai-Ping Huang is Associate Professor of Political Science at National Taiwan University. This article was first published in The Conversation.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/taiwan-keeps-status-quo-but-political-landscape-transformed-after-poll
| 2024-01-16T10:36:06Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – Embattled cord blood bank Cordlife has requested a halt in trading of its shares, pending the release of an announcement.
Cordlife shares last traded at $0.305 before trading was halted on Jan 16.
The private cord blood bank has been embroiled in controversy after it was found to have improperly stored cord blood units, rendering those of over 2,150 clients unusable for stem-cell transplants.
The Ministry of Health had said on Nov 30, 2023, that unannounced audits at Cordlife in August and November that year had uncovered temperature lapses at seven of its 22 storage tanks.
This exposed cord blood units to sub-optimal temperatures at different periods from November 2020.
MOH is currently investigating the viability of the cord blood units in six tanks that were affected by temperature lapses.
Minister Ong Ye Kung announced on Dec 8, 2023 that investigations would roughly take six weeks.
While the results of the official investigation are not out yet, a Business Times report on Jan 15 shed more light on further lapses by Cordlife.
The revelations were based on a report obtained by BT that was prepared by Cordlife in response to queries from the regulatory arm of the Singapore Exchange (SGX RegCo).
Temperatures in one of the cord blood bank’s storage tanks were found to have been as high as 20.4 deg C in 2021.
Cord blood units have to be stored at temperatures below minus 150 deg C, or they could thaw and be damaged.
Cordlife’s internal standard for its storage tanks is minus 165 deg C.
The BT report also stated that a significant number of samples may have been moved to a dry shipper that had irregular temperatures in 2019.
Dry shippers are typically used to transport cord blood units, and are not meant for permanent storage.
Senior members of management were made aware that there were samples in the dry shipper only in November 2023, added the report.
Additionally, the company’s monitoring system failed to send an alert when temperatures in a storage tank were out of its parameters in one instance in June 2022.
The Straits Times reported on Jan 10 that SGX RegCo is reviewing information received from Cordlife before making an assessment on whether the company had breached regulations under the Securities and Futures Act 2001 (SFA).
The regulatory authority had asked Cordlife why its board did not make any earlier announcements about temperature irregularities or the audit by MOH before health authorities revealed the lapses in 2023.
In response, the company said on Dec 10 that it did not make any announcement as it assessed that there would be “no material impact on the financial performance of the group” for the 2022 and 2023 financial years.
Under the SFA and the Singapore Exchange’s listing rules, a listed company and its directors must ensure timely disclosure of information that may materially affect the price or value of its listed securities.
Failure to do so is a breach under the SFA if it is committed intentionally, recklessly or negligently.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/cordlife-requests-trading-halt-pending-announcement
| 2024-01-16T10:36:17Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – Dog training firm Xavian and Pack has suspended two of its employees after videos which show the pair pushing and hitting dogs were widely shared on social media.
The videos, which were posted by user monkey_bear2 on Jan 15, show two individuals in navy blue tops bearing the company’s name with a group of six dogs. The caption says that they are arranging the dogs for a “photo op”.
In one of the videos, one of the men pushes down on a dog’s back to get it to sit.
When the dog stands back up, the man uses both his arms to shove the dog down again and it eventually sits.
The other employee drags another dog, before appearing to hit it on its body and head to get it to stay in place.
In a statement on his company’s Instagram page posted late on Jan 15, the firm’s owner, Mr Xavian Mar, said he is aware of the videos, which he said displayed “disgustingly inappropriate behaviour” toward the animals in its care.
He said: “This is definitely not what Xavian and Pack stands for and will not condone any of such behaviours. As a dog parent myself, I would definitely not want my dogs to be treated that way.”
Mr Mar also clarified that he was “not present in the video”.
He added that the two employees in the video had been “suspended with immediate effect and will not be part of Xavian and Pack”, and also vowed to conduct a review.
“We will be scrutinising all aspects of our services moving forward to avoid such events from happening,” he said.
Mr Joshua Teoh, director of the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), said that it is aware of the videos and is investigating the matter.
Mr Teoh also said that safeguarding animal welfare is a “shared social responsibility” and urged members of the public to report suspected cases of animal cruelty to AVS via its website at www.avs.gov.sg/feedback or through its Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600. Information shared with AVS is kept strictly confidential, he said.
Ms Aarthi Sankar, executive director at the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said that the society is against the use of “aversive training methods”, which includes the use of tools such as shock, choke or prong collars.
“Force should never be used on animals. They are sentient beings, capable of expressing their preferences and feelings,” she said. “It is essential to understand and respect their behavioural cues.”
Ms Sankar said that the trainer’s attempt to manipulate the dog into a sitting position against its wishes or forcing dogs to take part in activities they are not comfortable with can cause unnecessary distress and even injuries.
She said there were nine cases of dog abuse involving trainers in 2023, and added that animal training providers should have stringent recruitment processes, regular training and auditing of staff, and a code of conduct for employees to adhere to.
“All staff should also go through proper assessment and obtain the relevant certification from governing bodies before they are allowed to handle animals without supervision,” she said.
Under the Animals and Birds Act, any person who is found guilty of animal cruelty in the course of an animal-related business can be fined up to $40,000, jailed for up to two years, or both. A disqualification order of up to 12 months may also be considered.
First-time offenders caught abusing an animal may be charged under the same Act, and can be fined up to $15,000, jailed up to 18 months, or both.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/dog-trainers-suspend-pair-after-disgustingly-inappropriate-behaviour-pushing-hitting-animals-avs-investigating
| 2024-01-16T10:36:27Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – To help Singaporeans locate cheaper meals amid cost-of-living pressures, a new crowdsourcing initiative called the Great Budget Meal Hunt, which lists meals for $3.50 or less, was officially launched on Jan 16.
Since the pilot of the initiative began in late October 2023, members of the public have submitted over 1,600 recommendations for budget meals and verified over 2,500 budget meals across some 310 coffee shops islandwide through the CrowdTaskSG portal.
These public recommendations will be available on the portal and added to the BudgetMealGoWhere website from Jan 16, the Housing Board and Government Technology Agency (GovTech) said in a joint statement.
The public can also identify stalls serving budget meals by looking out for a circular budget meal decal on display.
Speaking to the media at City Foodcourt in Bendemeer, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann said that the Government is aware that the cost of living, including the price of cooked food, continues to be a very important concern for Singaporeans.
“We also know that members of the public are aware of very affordably priced food and drinks, coffee shops elsewhere, and we want to encourage them to also list these budget meals and drinks on our website,” said Ms Sim.
The BudgetMealGoWhere website (www.go.gov.sg/budgetmeal) allows users to search for the nearest coffee-shop budget meal options. Drinks priced at $1.20 and below are also listed.
Since the site was launched on May 19, 2023, it has received 300,000 unique visitors. The number of HDB coffee shops that must offer budget meals as part of their lease agreements has increased from 40 at the start of the Great Budget Meal Hunt in October to the current 130.
To participate in the Great Budget Meal Hunt, Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 18 and above with a Singpass account can register as CrowdTaskSG users at https://www.crowdtask.gov.sg/quest/budget-meal
Users can unlock badges and gain stars on the portal by completing challenges. They can also access the latest statistics on the Great Budget Meal Hunt Info-bites webpage on the CrowdTaskSG portal.
HDB and GovTech said the Government will continue to work closely with food and beverage businesses and operators to expand the implementation of budget meals, while also considering the outlets’ commercial interests.
There are 776 coffee shops in Singapore, of which more than half, or 402, are privately owned. From 2018 to 2023, 97 per cent of HDB’s 374 coffee shops have not had their rents increased, said the agencies.
Since May 2023, all HDB rental coffee shops have had to offer budget meal options upon their tenancy renewal and, by 2026, budget meals will be offered at all HDB rental coffee shops.
For HDB rental coffee shops leased out through Price-Quality Method (PQM) tenders since 2018, their rental rates have also been lower by 27 per cent on average compared with those awarded under the previous e-bidding system.
The PQM tenders are reviewed on a range of criteria instead of price alone, to ensure rents remain sustainable for operators.
For other HDB rental coffee shops not leased through PQM, HDB will be offering a rental discount of 5 per cent off the market valuation-based renewal rents for one year from the time of the tenancy being renewed. This is subject to verification that the new budget meals and drinks have been implemented.
Over the past five years, HDB has built 31 new coffee shops. Another 21 are slated to be completed in the next five years, in line with new Build-To-Order developments.
Meanwhile, some privately owned coffee shops have made headlines in recent years after they changed hands for more than $40 million.
Asked if the Government plans to mandate that privately owned coffee shops offer budget meals, Ms Sim noted that several privately owned coffee shops with budget meals are listed on CrowdTaskSG, and that the issue was being studied.
The privately owned coffee shops may eventually have to offer budget meals in order to continue using nearby outdoor seating areas.
“HDB is also studying the conditions with regard to the renewal of use of the outdoor refreshment areas... to see how this can encourage more privately owned coffee shops to provide budget meals,” she added.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/great-budget-meal-hunt-initiative-officially-launched-to-allow-public-to-crowdsource-cheap-meals
| 2024-01-16T10:36:37Z
|
blocked_url
|
DAVOS, Switzerland - Singapore has proposed a new governance framework for generative artificial intelligence and is seeking international feedback on it.
The new Model AI Governance Framework for Generative AI builds on an existing framework from 2019 that covers only traditional AI, and comes at a time when the generative AI scene is still developing.
The framework, developed by the AI Verify Foundation and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), is part of Singapore’s contribution to the global conversation in this space, said Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo on Jan 16.
Speaking to The Straits Times in Davos, Switzerland, where she is attending the World Economic Forum annual meeting, Mrs Teo said AI governance cannot be done only at the country level.
“Our contribution to the global conversation is partly why we have chosen the World Economic Forum to be the launch pad for the updated framework and to seek international inputs,” she said.
“It’s also partly because this field is so nascent. We believe that in order to make progress, somebody has to offer something, put it on the table, and then the global conversation can be further enriched.”
The framework – termed the MGF 2.0 – is expected to be finalised in mid-2024.
Mrs Teo added that the progress of this framework was in parallel with that of the National AI Strategy 2.0 launched in December 2023.
Examples of generative AI include popular content creation tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney, while traditional AI include tools that can predict fraud, diseases and employee flight risks.
The new framework, which is meant to be quite comprehensive, identifies nine key dimensions of AI governance, such as accountability and security, as well as testing and assurance, said Mrs Teo.
It builds on efforts such as a discussion paper by IMDA in 2023 on the risks associated with greater use of generative AI, as well as work to provide guidance on the safety evaluation of generative AI models and ongoing evaluation tests on AI products, said IMDA in a statement on Jan 16.
While Singapore is not the only one contributing to the global discussion, the practical ways in which the country has approached AI governance – including the development of a testing toolkit like AI Verify – have led to the Republic being well regarded as pragmatic and forward-thinking, said Mrs Teo.
AI Verify is a toolkit meant to help organisations validate the performance of their AI systems against internationally recognised AI governance principles such as safety, reproducibility and transparency.
The AI Verify Foundation, set up by IMDA in 2023, lists companies such as Google, IBM, Microsoft and Salesforce among its members.
When asked how lessons learnt from the original framework shaped the new one, Mrs Teo said that when the 2019 version was launched, different sectors such as financial services and healthcare built on top of it to develop something specific to them.
MGF 2.0 will likely see a similar path, as different sectors will use generative AI in their own ways and have to find an expression of governance most suited to their circumstances, she said.
On how Singapore will raise awareness of MGF 2.0 worldwide, Mrs Teo noted that Singapore participates actively in global conversations on AI, such as through the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, of which Singapore is a founding member, among other avenues.
Singapore and the United States have worked to find areas of alignment between the US’ AI risk management framework and Singapore’s governance framework, she added.
“They are in discussion with us, they are very interested in the fact that not only have we already developed a framework, we have a testing toolkit to go with it,” said Mrs Teo.
Having done the alignment, the conversation is being taken to international standard setting bodies to see whether this alignment between the two models can serve as a foundation to develop international standards that even more countries can be part of, she said.
“These are steps that we are taking in order to promote an environment where AI can be implemented in a responsible way. AI safety is attainable. And by doing so, we hope to provide a firmer foundation for AI innovations,” she said.
On some potential challenges that may arise in the governance of generative AI, as compared with traditional AI, Mrs Teo said that the way generative AI is being used is still being tested out by organisations and even the Government, making it difficult to tell which particular uses will become widespread.
This means that AI governance at this stage is largely still at a level of setting principles and identifying what is of greater importance, she added.
On how jobs and the economy will be affected by this framework and the use of generative AI, Mrs Teo said the testing and validation of AI tools is a potential industry that could grow out of this development.
Singapore sees technology in general, and not just AI, as impacting the workforce in three ways – enhancement of productivity, potential job displacement and job reinstatement.
The Republic’s approach is to enhance the effect on productivity such that it is as widespread as possible, while minimising the displacement effect by training people to take on new jobs or jobs enhanced as a result of the technology adoption, Mrs Teo added.
In announcing the National AI Strategy 2.0 in December, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had unveiled plans to triple the country’s AI talent pool to 15,000 by training locals and hiring from overseas.
He also spoke of the Government’s commitment to building a trusted environment for AI and addressing moral and ethical issues in the field, such as whether AI is suited to make decisions in place of humans.
Governments now have to play an active role to shape AI, which has raised even more profound issues, and Singapore will find a pragmatic balance to regulation without choking innovation, he said then.
In its statement on Jan 16, IMDA said that while generative AI remains a dynamically developing space, there is growing global consensus that consistent principles are needed to create a trusted environment.
This is so that end users can use generative AI confidently and safely, while space is allowed for cutting-edge innovation.
“This proposed framework aims to facilitate international conversations among policymakers, industry and the research community, to enable trusted development globally,” said IMDA, referring to MGF 2.0. Feedback on the new framework can be sent to info@aiverify.sg by March 15.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/s-pore-seeks-international-feedback-on-new-governance-framework-for-generative-ai
| 2024-01-16T10:36:48Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – The Community Ageing in Place Ecosystem (Cape) – a project to make the Republic a better place for elderly citizens to live and thrive in – is a key part of the agreement that SingHealth and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) signed on Jan 16 to deepen their collaboration in research, innovation, enterprise and education in population and preventive health.
SingHealth started work on the project in June 2022 in Marine Parade and Bedok, with SUTD as one of its key partners. Cape engages elderly residents, healthcare professionals, urban planners, caregivers and other stakeholders to build communities that combine health and social care, utilise smart technologies, and adapt urban spaces to be elder-friendly.
“As lifespans grow, we must now focus on increasing healthspans – the number of years spent living healthily, productively and with full functionality,” said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat at the signing ceremony held at Changi General Hospital.
“Enabling our seniors to age well is one of the core planks of the Government’s plan to refresh our social compact under the ForwardSG movement,” added DPM Heng, who is also Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies.
According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, the proportion of residents aged 65 and above rose to 17.3 per cent in 2023 from 16.6 per cent in 2022. The 2023 Action Plan For Successful Ageing also expects about one in four citizens to be aged 65 or above by 2030.
Cape is expected to benefit about 1,000 seniors from selected areas in Marine Parade and Bedok from 2024 to 2027. Associate Professor Low Lian Leng, director of SingHealth’s Centre for Population Health Research and Implementation, is optimistic about applying lessons learnt from the trials to other locations and hopes to reach at least 200,000 elderly residents in Singapore’s east in the future.
For instance, through photographs that elderly residents took of places they frequented in their neighbourhood, Prof Low and his team learnt that public benches helped the seniors travel farther by giving them places to rest along their journey.
“That’s something that is not (directly related to) healthcare – like your blood pressure or diabetes – but rather your functionality on a day-to-day basis,” he added.
Thus, to improve the seniors’ quality of life holistically, one of Cape’s aims is to expand the number of places that they can travel to by improving their neighbourhood’s facilities.
“We hope (the collaboration agreement) will yield even more innovative and transformational initiatives that will impact not just those living in the east, but for all Singaporeans and beyond,” said Professor Ivy Ng, group chief executive of SingHealth.
The Jan 16 agreement is the latest in SingHealth and SUTD’s decade-long partnership, which started in 2013 between SUTD and Eastern Health Alliance, now part of SingHealth’s healthcare cluster in the eastern region of Singapore.
Professor Chong Tow Chong, president of SUTD, highlighted how the collaboration has benefited SUTD students by nurturing them to become “clinician innovators” who are adept at practising medicine and harnessing technological advancements across disciplines to impact healthcare.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singhealth-sutd-renew-partnership-to-enhance-seniors-health-and-lives
| 2024-01-16T10:36:58Z
|
blocked_url
|
Sarina Wiegman has extended her contract as England women's coach and will remain in charge of the team for the 2027 Women's World Cup, the Football Association said on Tuesday.
Wiegman, who took the reins in September 2021, led the team to their first major trophy at the 2022 European Championship and to the final of last year's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where they finished runners-up to Spain.
The Dutchwoman's new deal will also see her lead the team in the defence of their Euros title in 2025.
"I am so happy to have the chance to lead England through to 2027 after an incredible two and a half years," Wiegman said.
"Looking forward, we have unfinished business and I know we are capable of even more, although nothing will come easy. Our game is becoming so competitive at the top level.
"I relish that opportunity and can't wait to start the EURO qualifiers, followed by the World Cup."
Qualification for the 2025 Euros begins in April.
"We are thrilled Sarina has agreed to extend her time with us as we head into another significant period of international football," FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
"She has achieved so much through her outstanding work as a coach and leader, and there is more to come.
"The aim with our England teams is to be a consistent competitive force in major tournaments, and Sarina has helped us achieve that - building on what had been several years of positive progress." REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/england-womens-coach-wiegman-extends-contract-to-2027
| 2024-01-16T10:37:09Z
|
blocked_url
|
TRIPOLI – Under the watchful eye of her father, Libyan Retaj Al-Sayeh practised discus throws near the edge of a dilapidated running track at Tripoli’s Sports City.
Despite injury, a patriarchal society uninterested in women’s sport and disruption from Libya’s chronic insecurity, Sayeh has set her sights on this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
She has won numerous national and continental medals from a young age, and although Al-Sayeh is yet to reach the standards required to qualify for the Olympics, the 23-year-old remains unbowed.
“I believe in my own abilities... which will take me to the top,” she said confidently as she warmed up.
Libya has been wracked by fratricidal violence since the 2011 revolution that toppled Moamer Kadhafi, while there is little funding for, or interest in, women’s sport.
“I challenge myself... despite the adversities and difficulties in Libya, but above all the lack of resources,” she added.
Rain or shine, she has been training relentlessly in an abandoned area of the Sports City strewn with debris, under the proud gaze of her father, who coaches her.
Once done with her warm-up and after a moment of stillness, she whirled in circles and hurled the discus, which lands a few dozen metres away to applause from her father.
Al-Sayeh is set to take part in a competition in the UAE in February, then in June at the African Championships in Athletics in Cameroon, where she hopes to break her personal record of 57 metres.
To qualify for Paris, she must hit a minimum distance of 64.5 metres. The bronze medal-winning throw at Tokyo 2020 was 65.72 metres.
As a child, Al-Sayeh showed promise in a discipline that traces its origins to the ancient Greek Olympics and requires strength, technique and endurance.
Aged 10, she won her primary schools discus competition, and by the time she was 12 she had a bronze medal from her first international competition in Qatar.
Her father, Salem Sayeh, a former volleyball player and captain of the Libyan national team in 1982, has been ever-present in her career.
“My father believed in my abilities and constantly supported me,” she said, sitting next to him by the running track.
“He always devoted his time, his financial support and his energy to me even when I almost threw in the towel. He kept telling me that I was a budding Olympic champion and that nothing should lessen my determination.”
Despite a lack of resources, her 60-year-old father is bent on persevering alongside her, convinced that she can compete at a higher level.
“My family and I will continue to support Retaj despite limited resources because she has tremendous potential to establish herself internationally,” said the father.
His daughter, who has just recovered from back surgery, said she was up for the challenge despite years of uncertainty.
“In 2016, I went through a difficult time that made me think about retiring,” she said.
“Because of the war, I could not get a visa to participate in the Junior World Championship in Poland. I was very sad because I was convinced that I could win gold. I was at the peak of my abilities.”
She was persuaded, however, by her loved ones and fellow Libyan athletes to change her mind and went on to win a silver medal at the African Championships in Algeria in 2017.
“Thanks to God, my Olympic dream will become reality,” said Al-Sayeh as she embraced her father. AFP
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/libyan-olympic-hopeful-defies-war-patriarchy-and-adversity
| 2024-01-16T10:37:19Z
|
blocked_url
|
MELBOURNE - Stefanos Tsitsipas was left yearning for the quiet decorum of Wimbledon after playing doubles with his brother Petros on the Australian Open's new "party court" on Tuesday.
Echoing the party holes that have become popular at some golf events, Court Six at Melbourne Park now has a double-decker bar running down one side of it and the thump of music played by a DJ accompanies the action.
Tsitsipas won his opening singles match in the more traditional confines of Rod Laver Arena on Monday but had less luck in the doubles, going down 7-5 7-5 with Petros to Daniel Altmaier and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela.
While they admitted the atmosphere was a distraction - Petros described it as a "very weird concept" - neither of the Tsitsipas brothers blamed it for their poor performances.
Stefanos said he understood there was always a desire to improve tennis as an entertainment product but said any moves to let fans wander around and make noise as they can at other sports events would need serious consideration.
"You don't know until you're a tennis player, when you're trying to zone in, get in the zone, it's difficult when you see movement and when you see stuff happening around you," he said.
"There is a tiny little yellow ball flying around, and it requires your concentration sometimes over 100%. If that can affect you at 5%, we're in trouble.
"I don't know what the science behind it is. I would like for people to sort of do experiments and try and see how much it affects concentration."
Petros said he had experienced similar noise on outer courts at other tournaments, including the U.S. Open, and Stefanos said he had managed to block it out for the most part.
"I'm not a huge fan of it," the singles seventh seed added. "That's why Wimbledon is one of my favourite tournaments, because there is silence and you can just concentrate and focus on your game." REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/tsitsipas-hankers-for-wimbledon-quiet-after-party-court-outing
| 2024-01-16T10:37:29Z
|
blocked_url
|
BRUSSELS – Northern Europe’s big freeze will give way to unseasonably warm weather next week.
Parts of Britain were expecting snow on the morning of Jan 16, but London will shift from a minimum of minus 2.5 deg C on Jan 16 to 7 deg C a week later, according to forecaster Maxar Technologies.
The sub-zero temperatures will also come to an end in Paris and Berlin over the weekend. The weather will even moderate in Scandinavia. Oslo was forecast to experience a low of minus 24.5 deg C on Jan 16.
The cold snap is pushing up heating demand, but European natural gas futures have tumbled to a five-month low.
This is because the region amassed record reserves of the fuel in 2023 and industrial consumption remains muted.
The transition to warmer weather, which is forecast to last till the end of January, will further dampen demand.
The Mediterranean region is already experiencing balmy weather, with Madrid forecast to hit a high of 15 deg C on Jan 16. Rome will reach 15.5 deg C on Jan 17, according to Maxar. BLOOMBERG
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/europe-s-arctic-weather-to-shift-to-much-warmer-spell-next-week
| 2024-01-16T10:37:40Z
|
blocked_url
|
GENEVA - Global tobacco use has tumbled in a generation with one in five people smoking versus one in three in 2000, the World Health Organization said on Jan 16.
The drop comes despite what the UN global health agency said were ongoing efforts by Big Tobacco to seek to influence global health policies to its own advantage.
"Good progress has been made in tobacco control in recent years, but there is no time for complacency," said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of WHO Department of Health Promotion. "I'm astounded at the depths the tobacco industry will go to pursue profits at the expense of countless lives."
The global report said 1.25 billion people aged 15 or over used tobacco in 2022 versus 1.36 billion in 2000.
Tobacco use is set to fall further by 2030 to around 1.2 billion people even as the world's population grows, the study said.
One example of tobacco companies' efforts to win influence cited by the WHO was their offers of technical and financial support to countries ahead of a major WHO meeting on tobacco control in Panama in February.
The regions with the biggest portion of smokers are South-east Asia and Europe, the WHO said, with roughly a quarter of the population. In a handful of countries, tobacco use is still rising, including in Egypt, Jordan and Indonesia, according to the study.
The report published every two years gave some preliminary data on the prevalence of vaping on which the WHO is urging governments to apply tobacco-style control measures.
It said there were at least 362 million adult users of smokeless tobacco products globally but admitted this might be an underestimate due to missing data. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/global-tobacco-use-tumbles-despite-industry-lobbying-who
| 2024-01-16T10:37:50Z
|
blocked_url
|
REYKJAVIK - A volcanic eruption in Iceland that had threatened to engulf a seaside town appeared to have calmed down early on Tuesday, although authorities and geologists warned that danger still persisted.
A flow of red-hot lava on Sunday reached the outskirts of Grindavik, a fishing town of some 4,000 residents, setting three houses ablaze but causing no harm to people who had been evacuated for a second time since November.
Live video footage on Tuesday morning no longer showed signs of molten rock erupting from the ground, even as experts warned that new fissures could emerge at short notice.
Grindavik resident Hrannar Jon Emilsson watched his almost-finished house burn down on live TV after the volcano erupted on Sunday.
"You sit and watch the news showing everything go up in smoke," Emilsson told Icelandic independent broadcaster Channel 2.
"Last week I asked the electricians to start their work so that they could finalise their part of the work with the view of arranging for moving in before springtime. Things change fast," he said.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) late on Monday said new cracks could still open in the earth's surface without warning, adding that it was difficult to assess how long the eruption would last.
It was the second eruption on the peninsula of Reykjanes in four weeks, and the fifth since 2021.
The Icelandic Civil Defence, the IMO and other experts are due to meet later on Tuesday to discuss the situation.
Located between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, among the largest on the planet, Iceland is a seismic hot spot, with more than 30 active volcanoes. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/icelandic-volcano-calms-down-but-risk-remains
| 2024-01-16T10:38:01Z
|
blocked_url
|
DAVOS - The United States-led coalition meant to safeguard commercial traffic in the Red Sea against attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis is weak because regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt did not take part, Yemen’s Vice-President said on Jan 16.
The Houthis have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea to protest against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, a war that threatens to spread across the Middle East.
“This Bab al-Mandab corridor is of interest to the whole world and to the region, so regional intervention is key,” Yemen’s Vice-President and head of the Southern Transitional Council Aidarus al-Zubaidi told Reuters in an interview, referring to the narrow strait at the entrance to the Red Sea.
He was speaking at the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos.
Mr Zubaidi, who opposes the Houthis, said the turmoil created by the attacks had taken a heavy toll on Yemen’s economy, which had already taken a beating during the Houthis’ conflict against the Saudi-led coalition.
Yemen’s Houthi movement will expand its targets in the Red Sea region to include US ships, an official from the group said on Jan 15, as it vowed to keep up attacks after US and British strikes on its sites in Yemen.
Attacks by the Houthis on ships in the area since November 2023 have impacted companies and alarmed major powers in an escalation of Israel’s more than three-month war with Hamas militants in Gaza. The group says it is acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
The Houthi movement, which controls the most populous areas of Yemen after nearly a decade of war against the Western-backed and Saudi-led coalition, has emerged as a strong supporter of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its war against Israel.
Mr Zubaidi said the Houthi attacks on the Red Sea froze efforts to reach a peace deal in Yemen.
“How will there be a peace process with strikes on commercial ships? How will that happen?” he said.
Late in 2023, the Yemeni government and Houthis both committed to steps towards a ceasefire.
The Houthis, who control north Yemen, have been fighting since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80 per cent of Yemen’s population dependent on humanitarian aid.
The Saudi-led coalition intervened against the Houthi movement after it ousted Yemen’s internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government from Sanaa, the capital, in 2014.
“The economic situation is very difficult. The rise in freight costs made food and medicine prices go up,” said Mr Zubaidi.
“The devaluation of the currency and living conditions for Yemen means we are facing a humanitarian crisis.” REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/red-sea-coalition-weak-because-regional-powerhouses-abstained-yemen-vp
| 2024-01-16T10:38:12Z
|
blocked_url
|
WASHINGTON – The world saw former United States president Donald Trump in the unfamiliar role of unifier in his victory speech on a freezing winter night in Iowa on Jan 15.
He could afford to be generous – the Republican Party’s first nomination caucus in the 2024 presidential election gave him a resounding win in all but one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/trump-takes-higher-ground-after-big-iowa-caucus-win
| 2024-01-16T10:38:22Z
|
blocked_url
|
Salma Hayek had an emotional message for fans on Monday when she took to Instagram to share her heartache over the untimely death of one of her co-stars.
The star posted a clip from her comedy movie, Grown Ups, in which Alec Musser, set pulses raising in a funny shirtless poolside scene.
The All My Children actor tragically died aged 50 on January 13 leaving his loved ones devastated.
Salma paid tribute to him when she wrote: "In loving memory of Alec Musser. He was so kind professional and absolutely hilarious.
"His early departure breaks my heart. I feel so blessed that I got to meet him. My sincere condolences to his family and loved ones for this great loss."
She accompanied the message with a black, heart emoji and was immediately inundated with messages from fans who shared their sadness over his death.
Alec's fiancee, Paige Press, also commented and said: "Thank you @salmahayek for your kind words. I am Alec Musser’s fiancé and he spoke so highly of you and I know working on grownups was one of his favorite memories."
While his cause of death hasn't been confirmed, Paige told Fox News that she believed he died from a "severe case of Covid".
Alec was vaccinated and boosted but passed away at his home in Del Mar, California. Paige said: "He was a very healthy person. I mean he took exceptional care of his body and what went into it. He'd eat some cookies and that was the worst thing I ever saw him do.
"Alec was a wonderful man. He was the best fiancé. The best dog dad. Very kind hearted person.
"Seeing how many messages and people have reached out to me from his childhood in the last couple of days, people I’ve never even met, sending me photos from him from high school and when he was in their wedding. He was so loved and touched by so many people."
She also posted a message on her Instagram stories which read: "Today is the worst day of my life. We were so happy … You were the best fiancé I could of ever asked for."
Adam Sandler also paid his respects with a message about his Grown Ups co-star. "I loved this guy," he wrote alongside a photo of Alec in the movie.
"Cannot believe he is gone. Such a wonderful, funny good man. Thinking of Alec Musser and his family and sending all my love. A true great sweetheart of a person."
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511324/salma-hayek-shares-heartbreaking-message-amid-tragic-news-death-alec-musser/
| 2024-01-16T11:09:44Z
|
blocked_url
|
Danny DeVito was quick to give his estranged wife Rhea Perlman a sweet shoutout when he appeared on stage at this year's Emmys. Appearing with the cast of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, as part of a tribute segment for awards show, the 79-year-old actor quipped: "Even Rhea won four for Cheers".
Just prior to the main event, the former couple posed on the red carpet together and were joined by their daughter Lucy. Danny and Cheers actress Rhea, 75, split after 30 years of marriage in 2012, but never officially divorced.
The actors originally began dating in 1971 and married in January 1982. After their split, they reconciled in March 2013, but in March 2017, both Danny and Rhea called time on their relationship for good.
Despite their breakup, the Hollywood stars – who share three children; Lucy, 40, Grace, 38, and Jake, 35 - have remained close.
Back in June, during an appearance on Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, Wiser Than Me, Rhea opened up about their relationship as she explained how her ex is a big part of her life. "We are still very good friends and we see each other a lot," she explained. "And our family is still the most important thing to both of us."
Speaking about their split, Rhea divulged: "I'm not going to like sugarcoat it, it was difficult. It was very difficult at first. There were a lot of reasons as to why we separated, which I'm not going go into. But it took time for us to come to this somehow pretty decent understanding and relationship with each other."
She added: "Danny and I have always loved each other. We have three amazing children together, and we really agree on almost everything important. Our relationship] is much better because all the tense stuff is gone. Not in your face, I'm not in his, he's not in mine."
Danny also discussed their friendship, and agreed with Rhea's sentiments during an interview with Parade last summer. "We're like this! [He puts two fingers together]. We're thick as thieves," he said. "We're really close and see each other a few times a week and have dinner and breakfast.
"We just became grandparents, so now we're insufferable. If I weren't doing this right now, I'd be looking at photos of my baby granddaughter, Sinclair. Auntie Lucy and Uncle Jake love her very much too."
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511328/danny-devito-shoutout-estranged-wife-rhea-perlman-emmys/
| 2024-01-16T11:09:50Z
|
blocked_url
|
Roy Battersby, Kate Beckinsale's stepfather, has died aged 87. The actress shared a heartbreaking announcement and tribute to the respected film and television director.
"It is with great sorrow that the family of film and television director Roy Battersby announce the news of his recent death after a brief period of illness", the announcement read.
"He passed away peacefully on 10 January 2024, in Los Angeles surrounded by family, aged 87. Funeral will be held in London, details to follow."
Fans speculated that Roy had died after Kate posted a black square to her Instagram on the 10th, which saw many people commenting their condolences. She had gone straight to the hospital from the 81st Golden Globe Awards, where she presented the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama with Don Cheadle.
Within his own right, Roy Battersby was a beloved director of British television. With his filmography stretching back to the 1960s, he directed episodes of Britain's best loved shows, like Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost, and Between the Lines. In 1996 he won the Alan Clarke Award at the BAFTAs for his outstanding contribution to television.
Kate went on to share a heartfelt tribute to Roy, created by a fan account. She wrote: "I have no words yet. Thank you @katebeckinsale_slovakia2 for making this beautiful thing. I fought for you with everything I had. Oh Roy I am so sorry I lost."
The video involved footage of Roy speaking about life during World War Two, and eating banana sandwiches to celebrate the end of it. The clip was followed by a montage of personal photos of the director with his stepdaughter and wife, actress Judy Loe.
Kate remained close to her stepfather throughout her life, who came into her life after the sudden death of her father from a heart attack when she was five. She has said that the loss of Richard Beckinshale was incredibly traumatic as she "started expecting bad things to happen".
Back in 1997 Kate told The Independent that she "couldn't have knitted a better" stepfather. She explained that Roy knew she was a "traumatised little person".
She continued that he "didn't expect this idyllic little girl in plaits who'd be nice to him. I wasn't sure whether I wanted my mom to marry anyone else… And I certainly didn't want any brothers. Roy had four sons and one daughter. I wasn't in a boy mood. He's been so brilliant. He wasn't pushy, he let me come to him."
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511333/kate-beckinsale-confirms-death-stepfather-roy-battersby-heartbreaking-post/
| 2024-01-16T11:09:51Z
|
blocked_url
|
It has been a historic week for young Princess Josephine of Denmark as her grandmother Queen Margrethe abdicated the throne on Sunday and her parents became King Frederik and Queen Mary. The Princess, 13, was seen in a car with her siblings Crown Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, Prince Vincent, 13, and on the way to Christiansborg Palace for the proclamation of the new King and Queen.
Princess Josephine was spotted waving from the moving car on the way to back to Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen wearing a navy £3,800 double-breasted Prada coat that had borrowed from her mother. The midi-length piece featured gold buttons down the front in two vertical lines with a crisp collar. Princess Josephine also borrowed a pair of earrings from her mother to mark the special occasion – a pair of gold drop earrings with pink gemstones that Queen Mary previously wore in 2016 to the Stephen Hawking 'Quantum Black Holes' lecture in Copenhagen with a pink summer dress.
The young royal wore her hair tied in a half-up style and wore a light touch of makeup for the historic event. Her mother looked every inch a queen as she made history as she became the first Australian-born Queen of Denmark. Mary was seen wearing an angelic white gown designed by Copenhagen-based fashion brand Soeren Le Schmidt. The piece featured a sweeping neckline and regal draped fabric that trailed down her back. Her brunette locks were swept her brunette hair into a ballerina-esque bun which revealed her revealing the glittering Danish Ruby Parure Earrings, a staple in her collection.
Josephine was seen waving from the balcony with her parents and siblings. Their Majesties were even seen in their first royal kiss moment of their reign. Josephine's spirited conduct on the big day has led royal fans to dub her the Danish Prince Louis. She waved enthusiastically to the crowd, and at one point posed with a hand on her hip as she smiled next to her mother. Prince Louis, the son of the Prince and Princess of Wales is known for his spirited behaviour at public events. He was even seen publicly shushing his mother Princess Kate at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 and was seen acting like any other five-year-old at an RAF flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour in 2023.
It has been a week of sublime fashion moments for the Danish royal family. The King and Queen stepped out on Tuesday minus their three children for their first appearance since their accession. The Queen looked so elegant in what appeared to be an Audrey Hepburn-inspired look. She paired her Ole Yde and Birgit Hallstein navy jacket which was a peplum style with a scalloped detail across the bust and a cinched waist. She added the matching navy skirt by Ole Yde which was an A-line style that we have seen the royal in before.
DISCOVER: Queen Mary of Denmark's 10 beautiful bridal looks: Grecian gowns, form-fitting frocks and more
Mary added a dramatic Susanne Juul hat with a feather detail, alongside a pair of chic navy leather gloves and coordinating leather pumps by Gianvito Rossi, a favourite with Princess Kate. She rounded off her look with the ‘Konvo’ clutch in navy croc print by 1602 and her jewellery was dazzling. The mother-of-three donned the Connaught sapphire brooch and a pair of diamond earrings in the shape of daisies by Bruun Rasmussen.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/royal-style/511330/princess-josephine-sweet-mother-queen-mary-jewellery/
| 2024-01-16T11:09:52Z
|
blocked_url
|
Gracefully gliding across the room, Strictly Come Dancing champion Ellie Leach is glowing with a new-found confidence when she reunites with her professional dance partner Vito Coppola – and with good reason.
"Strictly has changed my life," the former Coronation Street star tells HELLO!, as we join her at rehearsals for the Strictly Come Dancing: Live Tour. "I'm not scared any more. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone has done me the world of good. I'm really proud of myself for that."
The change in 22-year-old Ellie hasn't gone unnoticed by her family and friends, she adds. "My mum likes to use the word 'blossomed'. They can see I've become a more positive person."
Having gained so much from being on Strictly, Ellie jumped at the chance to take part in the 30-show tour, alongside fellow 2023 celebrity contestants Annabel Croft, Layton Williams, Bobby Brazier, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Angela Scanlon and Angela Rippon and dancers Graziano Di Prima, Nikita Kuzmin, Dianne Buswell, Jowita Przystal, Carlos Gu, Kai Widdrington, Nadiya Bychkova, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Robbie Kmetoni, Jake Leigh and Nancy Xu.
Ellie wasn't the only one quick to say yes: tennis player turned TV presenter Annabel is relishing being back on the dancefloor. "I understand why dancers do what they do, because it's so joyful," she says. "I had to decide between doing the Australian Open and this, but I've done that for many years and I can do it again in the future. What an opportunity to dance in these amazing venues and see everybody again – it's like one big family."
Annabel, 57, made the semifinals with Johannes Radebe, but will be teaming up with Graziano as Johannes's own touring commitments means he's unable to join them this time.
Signing up for Strictly after the death of her husband Mel Coleman from cancer last May was a brave step. But the joy of the show – and the close connection she formed with Johannes – showed her a way through her grief, she says. "It was a perfect time [to do it]. It's not to say that the grieving process was halted, but it helped. To have your brain focusing on something as positive as dancing is very helpful. And now, rehearsing with Graziano takes my brain away from it, otherwise, you're focusing on somebody that's not there every day, all day."
"Of course, it is still there," she adds. "But this is a very positive, joyful experience which helps."
There's certainly plenty of joy in store for audiences around the country, as the tour – which opens at Birmingham's Utilita Arena on Friday 19 January and visits venues from Glasgow to Liverpool– promises roof-raising routines, group dances and live music. Judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood will take their place on the panel, while Strictly: It Takes Two presenter Janette Manrara resumes tour hosting duties.
Joining Annabel in feeling a ream of benefits from his time on Strictly is Channel 4 News lead presenter Krishnan, who says the show not only gave him a "new perspective" on life at 53, it also brought his son a taste of fame. Jay, 16, who had originally begged Krishnan not to do the show out of embarrassment, became an unlikely star after supporting his dad in the studio audience every week. "He's very modest about it all," says the journalist. "He's in a band, so we're always saying: 'You should use your new-found fame to promote the band.' But he's like: 'No, no, that's your thing.'"
Meanwhile, 20-year-old EastEnders star Bobby has a renewed sense of excitement about his future and is looking forward to "great opportunities to be around some great people who I can learn from", he says. "I feel like my dreams are starting to come true."
Bobby and his partner Dianne are clearly delighted to be back together after the festive break, when they both jetted off to soak up some sun with loved ones. Dianne visited her family in Australia with boyfriend Joe Sugg and Bobby enjoyed an exotic family holiday to Mauritius, where he was able to flex his dancing muscles at salsa classes. It no doubt helped him through the post-Strictly comedown, which, he says, resembled a break-up. "I was shocked with how I responded – there was a lot of ice cream!"
Dianne's trip was an emotional one as she was reunited with her dad Mark, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy amid a health battle. "He's doing really well," she says. "I went to his treatment with him and he's told everyone so much about [Strictly]. I was worried because there were so many nurses around him at one point. I was like: 'What's going on? Is he all right?' And they said: 'Oh yes. We just came to say hi to you.'"
Also enjoying the break, Nikita squeezed in not one but three holidays, travelling to Dubai, Rome and Egypt and enjoying quality time with his family and model girlfriend Lauren Jaine. And Ellie and Vito – who insist they are just good friends, despite rumours of romance – didn't get a chance to miss each other during their time apart.
"I've been annoying her every day, she'll never get rid of me," says Vito, laughing. Ellie adds: "Some mornings, I'd hear my phone ring and think: 'I'm not answering that – I'm still half-asleep.' But I'd always ring him back!"
Annabel, who rang in the New Year in the Swiss Alps, spent her break fuelling up with good food after losing a lot of weight during her time on Strictly. "My children were getting worried about me because I have never been that light. I've never felt so supple and agile, but by the end of the series, I couldn't stop the weight falling off. My clothes were dropping off my arms."
Having formed an incredible close bond with Johannes, she will miss the South African dancer on tour. "It was a magical experience with him. We just clicked. I can't put my finger on what it was." She speaks to her friend "most days", but says she and Graziano have "slotted together effortlessly". Graziano, who started on Strictly in 2018, the same year as Johannes, tells us: "Me and Johannes are good friends so I had the chance to get to know Annabel [during the series]. "When they asked me to the arena tour, I was so happy because I knew Annabel was such a beautiful person."
Although the pressure of the main competition is off, there are sure to be a few nerves ahead of performing in front of tens of thousands of people at vast arenas, including London's iconic O2 – not that West End star Layton is fazed. "I was born ready for this moment," says the actor, who made the final. "Arenas are a bucket-list venue for any performer." His partner on the show Nikita adds: "The tour always feels like a celebration," while Kai says he is looking forward to hearing the roar of the crowd when he and 79-yearold former newsreader Angela once more perform her high-kick. "
I can't wait for Angela to have that moment in the spotlight," he says. Of her decision to join the tour, Angela says: "I thought: 'Why the hell not?' I shall be 80 in October. I'm going to fit in as many adventures as I can." As you might imagine, the tour bus will be rather lively – but who is the biggest troublemaker? "Neil – he's known for his pranks," says Jowita with a laugh. "If you want to have a quiet time, you sit far away from him on the bus!"
The tour will herald the start of an exciting 2024 for the cast. "You do get surprising opportunities coming your way after Strictly," Krishnan says. "The surprising one was musical theatre – I never thought I'd be approached to do that, but I have!" But above all, each of them will be cherishing the bonds they've formed. "After dancing together every single day for three months and going on tour, it would be hard to not find a friend for life," says Ellie.
The Strictly Come Dancing: Live Tour is on from 19 January to 11 February. For info, visit strictlycomedancinglive.com
Pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale now. Subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511331/strictly-stars-reveal-how-show-changed-them-tour-rehearsals/
| 2024-01-16T11:09:53Z
|
blocked_url
|
Rob Kardashian is notoriously private when it comes to posting on social media, but paid tribute to a much-adored family member this week.
The reality star took to Instagram on Monday to post a never-before-seen picture of his seven-year-old daughter Dream sitting in a restaurant with her cousin Chicago West.
The pair were pictured in matching T-shirts and were all smiles during the fun outing. The photo was posted to mark Chicago's sixth birthday, with doting uncle Rob writing: "Happy birthday Chi," alongside a slew of love heart emojis.
Rob very rarely posts on social media and the last time he did was back in June when he paid tribute to sister Khloe Kardashian on her birthday.
He posted just three times in 2023, with the other both uploaded in February, paying tribute to his late father Robert Kardashian Sr., on what would have been his birthday.
While Rob keeps out of the spotlight, his daughter Dream often features on her family members' social media pages.
The adorable little girl - who Rob shares with ex Blac Chyna - is particularly close with her aunt Khloe.
Khloe has revealed the reason why Dream spends so much time at her family's home in a past episode of The Kardashians, admitting that she was like the little girl's "third parent", and is there to help Rob - who is notoriously private - out whenever he needs it.
"Rob does such an incredible job with her and I'm just there to help whenever he needs. Rob and I are crazy close to one another, we’ve always been," she said.
She also explained: "Dream is one of my babies too, just like all the rest of them, and I absolutely love being a mom to people. I love mothering people, I don't know if they like that or not but it’s in my blood just to be a mom, I wouldn’t have it any other way."
Khloe added: "I feel like I'm like a third parent for Dream. I do know how important it is for Dream to have a great maternal influence — whether that be from me or her own mom or whoever, it's important and wherever she gets it from she gets it from."
Rob is more than grateful for Khloe's close involvement in his family life and this was more than evident when he paid tribute to her on her birthday.
His message read: "Happy Birthday @khloekardashian. Wishing you nothing but good health and happiness forever my darling buttercup! I love you so much and so thankful to have u in my life and for all that U do for Dream and I. I don’t know what I would do without you."
Read more HELLO! US stories here
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511329/rob-kardashian-breaks-social-media-silence-rare-family-photo-daughter-dream/
| 2024-01-16T11:10:05Z
|
blocked_url
|
Mike and Zara Tindall looked besotted on the red carpet on Monday evening as they stepped out to attend the world premiere of Six Nations: Full Contact.
The couple, who recently got back from Australia, twinned in blue and paused to pose for a slew of photographs. For the special occasion, equestrian star Zara, 42, wowed in a petrol blue silk shirt which she teamed with a pair of black cigarette trousers, a sleek blue tweed coat and pointed heels.
She wore her platinum blonde locks in loose waves and accessorised with glittering hoop earrings and a quilted leather handbag complete with a metal chain. As for makeup, the mother-of-three amped up the glamour with bold, black eyeliner and a glossy pink lip.
Former rugby ace, Mike, meanwhile, nailed smart casual in a tailored navy blazer, a crisp white shirt, blue jeans and a pair of brilliant white trainers.
Much to the delight of royal fans, Mike, 45, was quick to upload a romantic image of the pair on his personal Instagram account. In the snap, the duo looked more loved-up than ever as they appeared to gaze adoringly into each other's eyes. Swoon.
In his caption, he wrote: "Zara was allowed a plus one to the premiere of #SixNationsFullContact and I managed to get the call up!"
Fans and friends flooded the comments section with heartfelt messages. Bowled over by their romantic display, one follower gushed: "Find a partner who looks at you like these two look at each other," while another wrote: "You can see how much they love each other. Beautiful couple".
A third remarked: "The look of love" and a fourth added: "Looking good, Tindalls!" See their love story in the video below...
It's been a whirlwind month for the couple who recently returned to the UK after their whistlestop tour of Australia for the Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Race Day. During their sunny getaway, the couple mingled with polo players and packed on the PDA as they enjoyed a splash in the sea.
Zara is the royal patron of Magic Millions Racing Women and served on the judging panel for this year's awards. The couple venture to Australia every year - and it's quickly earned a special place in their hearts. Not only is it the place where Zara and Mike first met in 2003, but it's also among their favourite holiday destinations, with Mike admitting that the duo "love the lifestyle" and "pace of life" Down Under.
Mike and Zara are due to celebrate a huge milestone on Wednesday - their daughter Mia's tenth birthday. While it's not known how the family intend to celebrate, we imagine the occasion will be a special family affair with Lena and Lucas also in attendance.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511321/mike-zara-tindall-smitten-world-premiere-six-nations-full-contact/
| 2024-01-16T11:10:11Z
|
blocked_url
|
ASTANA – The Kazakh passport ranked 66th, moving four spots up in the Henley Passport Index 2024 released on Jan. 9.
The citizens can travel to 78 destinations visa free, according to the report.
The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. In 2023, Kazakhstan ranked 70th.
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain secured the top spot, offering an impressive 194 visa-free travel opportunities.
Afghanistan, with access to 28 visa-free destinations, holds the 104th position at the bottom of the ranking.
The Henley Passport Index, drawing from historical data spanning 18 years and regularly updated expert analysis, relies on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority to reflect the latest shifts in passport power.
|
https://astanatimes.com/2024/01/kazakhstan-advances-in-2024-henley-passport-index/
| 2024-01-16T11:20:56Z
|
blocked_url
|
ASTANA – The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) and the National Payment Corporation compiled the first results on the newly designed Open API and Open Banking pilot project in a report published on the bank’s website in early Janury. The initiative aims to modernize the country’s financial sector and transform digital financial services.
The Open Banking concept implies a standardized exchange of financial information between financial institutions and third-party providers on the initiative and consent of the client. The exchange is provided by Open API, application programming interfaces, for secure access to consumer data.
Apart from managing multiple accounts and making regular payments and transfers, Open API technology allows the client to optimize financial statements, analyze income and expenses.
The pilot project was carried out with the participation of focus groups of 128 clients and second-tier banks, including Bank RBK, Altyn Bank, Home Credit Bank, Bank CenterCredit, and Otbasy Bank.
Following the results over the past year, Kazakhstan updated a roadmap for the implementation of the Open Banking concept for 2024.
This year, it is planned to focus on the inclusion of market participants in the account aggregation process and the development of account aggregation scenarios adapted for use by legal entities.
The bank’s report emphasizes the importance of ensuring equal conditions and opportunities for all participants, transparency of processes, a high degree of confidentiality, and protection of personal and financial data of clients.
Kazakhstan’s financial system is characterized by a bank-centric model – banks form closed ecosystems, contributing to a high concentration of financial services, and hindering the development of competition and cooperation in the financial market.
In addition to fostering innovation and protecting the interests and data of the citizens, it is expected that the Open Banking model will enhance the building of a transparent and competetive financial ecosystem.
The country now follows the concept of development of Open API and Open Banking for 2023-2025, which was approved by the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the Agency for Regulation and Development of Financial Market, and the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition in December 2022.
Open banking is changing the financial industry globally.
The data from the report indicates its growing demand – approximately 100 countries have developed the Open Banking model or are at the stage of its implementation. For example, the experience of Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Russia, the European Union countries, the United Kingdom, and the United States has proved its efficiency.
Today, the volume of transactions worldwide within the Open Banking model is estimated at $57 billion, reads the report. By 2027, this volume is expected to grow to $330 billion, and experts suggest the increase of the number of transactions from $102 billion to $508 billion.
The Online Banking concept is applied not only to banking operations. It now expands its influence on related industries, such as insurance, real estate, trade, offering new ways to create value and increase the efficiency of business processes.
|
https://astanatimes.com/2024/01/kazakhstan-joins-open-banking-countries-produces-initial-results/
| 2024-01-16T11:21:02Z
|
blocked_url
|
ASTANA – In more than 30 years of cooperation, Kazakhstan and the World Bank have implemented 48 projects worth over $8 billion, Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said at a Jan. 16 meeting with World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia Tatiana Proskuryakova, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
Six projects are in the implementation stage.
The cooperation is aimed at supporting Kazakhstan’s reforms for inclusive and sustainable development, evident in the Joint Economic Research Program operational for over two decades.
Smailov underscored Kazakhstan’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the World Bank.
Proskuryakova noted that the World Bank has intensified preparation of new projects facilitated by negotiations in August, including initiatives such as connecting remote villages to the internet under the government’s program.
“I think this will be a very good example for all countries of Central Asia. I believe that Kazakhstan’s role as a regional leader will be strengthened,” she said.
|
https://astanatimes.com/2024/01/kazakhstan-world-bank-implement-48-projects-worth-8-billion/
| 2024-01-16T11:21:08Z
|
blocked_url
|
ASTANA – The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) began the Year of Environment, chaired by Kazakhstan, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov said at a Jan. 15 briefing, reported the ministry’s press service.
In July, SCO member states unanimously endorsed Kazakhstan’s initiative to declare 2024 the Year of Environment. The corresponding plan of events was adopted in October.
“We consider the initiatives put forth by Kazakhstan’s chairmanship to be a significant contribution of the organization to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Kazakhstan will continue to promote the adoption of practical measures by the SCO in environmental protection,” Smadiyarov noted.
In 2024, Kazakhstan chairs the SCO. In line with Kazakhstan’s recommendation, the Year of Environment will feature thematic events in educational institutions and individual initiatives organized by the SCO Secretariat.
Environmental organizations plan to host nearly 20 joint events on diverse topics related to World Environment Day, World Water Day, International Day for Biological Diversity, and International Day of Forests.
Besides SCO, in 2024, the nation also chairs several other international organizations, including the Organization of Turkic States and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.
|
https://astanatimes.com/2024/01/sco-kicks-off-year-of-environment-chaired-by-kazakhstan/
| 2024-01-16T11:21:15Z
|
blocked_url
|
Emma Raducanu stunned tennis fans back in 2021 when she beat Leylah Fernandez in the final of the US Open at the tender age of 18. She became the first ever qualifier in history to win a Grand Slam event and thereafter enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom.
She is hoping to make magic once again this January at the Australian Open following an eight-month injury absence.
The 21-year-old missed the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open in 2023 after undergoing three surgeries on both wrists and her left ankle. At the time, she said: "It is safe to say the last ten months have been difficult as I dealt with a recurring injury on a bone of both hands.
"I tried my best to manage the pain and play through it for most of this year and end of last year by reducing practice load dramatically, missing weeks of training as well as cutting last season short to try to heal it. Unfortunately, it is not enough. It pains me that I will miss the summer events and I tried to downplay the issues so I thank all my fans who continued to support me when you did not know the facts."
As the tennis ace continues to stake a claim Down Under, join HELLO! as we take a dive into her eye-watering net worth…
How much has she made from career earnings?
According to Forbes, Emma earned £581,700 in prize money during her first full year on the WTA Tour. In 2021, the British youngster netted a cool £1.8 million - her biggest winnings yet - when she won the US Open. In 2023, meanwhile, Bromley-born Emma reportedly raked in £189,000 from prize money.
How much has she made from her sponsorship deals?
Off the court, Emma has made a small fortune. Since her historic win, she has seen her net worth rocket as a result of numerous lucrative brand deals. Her portfolio of endorsements spans the likes of Nike, Wilson, HSBC, Vodafone, British Airways, Evian, Dior and Tiffany & Co, all of which net her £134,000 a week, according to the Mail.
Beyond this, the British youngster is also a brand ambassador for Porsche. While the sports star has been spotted behind the wheel of several gleaming vehicles, Emma has confessed that she's never going to get rid of her Dacia Sandero. In conversation with The Sun, she explained: "It was funny, I passed my test three days before the first lockdown and we sort of knew it was going into lockdown, so we needed to buy a car ASAP. I bought it second-hand for £5k. I take care of her. I’m never going to get rid of it."
Despite amassing a lost list of impressive sponsorships, Emma has been quick to fend off criticism. She previously told various news outlets: "Maybe you just see, on the news or on social media, me signing this or that deal and I feel like it's quite misleading because I'm doing five, six hours a day [of training], I'm at the club for 12 hours a day."
She went on to say: "I feel like my days [with sponsors] are pretty limited. I'm not doing crazy days. I'm doing three, four days every quarter, so it's really not that much."
What is her total net worth?
Emma's total net worth is estimated to be an eye-watering £10 million. In August 2023, she was named by Forbes as the sixth highest-paid tennis player in the world. Wowza. The future is looking bright for the professional tennis player as experts argue that one day, the star may be worth in excess of £100 million.
In the wake of her US Open victory, a leading sports agent told MailOnline: "She can easily earn £100 million or more. She appeals to a broad crowd and is so young she can only get better.
"The offers have already been pouring in. She's the biggest thing in sports right now. The sky's the limit."
The Times, meanwhile, stated that Emma could become "the first $1 billion British sports star because of her global appeal".
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511335/emma-raducanu-staggering-net-worth-revealed-australian-open/
| 2024-01-16T11:53:37Z
|
blocked_url
|
Khloe Kardashian's latest Instagram post has sparked concern. Taking to the platform on Monday, the reality star shared a snap from her latest photoshoot with TMRW Magazine. Pictured crying, Khloe captioned the shot: "[tear emoji] I promise I'm done now."
While the mom-of-one was referring to the fact that she'd posted several photos from the shoot in a short space of time, fans were nonetheless sad to see Khloe crying. Shortly after posting, fans reached out in the comments. "Why are tears in your eyes, what happened? Keep smiling and stay blessed," wrote one.
"I hope when you say you're done, you mean crying over people who don't deserve your tears," added another. Meanwhile, a third commented: "The best human ever! Hope to never see tears in your eyes again."
Among the comments section, fans also speculated that the caption, and photo, could be linked to Khloe's on-off relationship with her ex-boyfriend, and the father of her two children, Tristan Thompson.
The former couple – who began dating in 2016 – have experienced turbulent times over the past few years.
In April 2018, Tristan came under fire after he was videotaped getting close to a woman in New York City. In photos and footage published by the Daily Mail, the star can been seen speaking with – and seemingly kissing – a brunette at the PH-D Lounge in Manhattan. TMZ and The Shade Room subsequently released a video purportedly showing Tristan and the same woman entering his hotel at 5am.
The reports come just one day after a then-pregnant Khloe shared an Instagram photo of her and Tristan kissing as he held her baby bump.
After calling it quits, Khloe and Tristan eventually reconciled in May of that year, but the basketball player was continually faced with cheating allegations. The pair decided to split for good in December 2021, after it was revealed that Tristan had fathered a child with personal trainer Maralee Nichols.
READ: Rob Kardashian will become a dad again 'in time' according to sister Khloe
In her latest interview with TMRW, Khloe opened up about her tumultuous relationship with Tristan. Explaining that she has no interest in talking badly about her ex, the 39-year-old said: "With me and Tristan, would it be really easy to never talk to him again and to just badmouth him or whatever? Of course. But it's way harder to be nice.
"It's way harder when you're really mad at someone, it's really hard to sit in their face in front of your kids and be like: 'Hi!' Trust me, that's not how I feel every day."
"I had to learn to take control of my feelings," she added. "There were so many times that my feelings got control of me and I was impulsive and I tweeted something or posted something and things that you regret. But in my opinion, I'll never regret being a nice person."
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511336/khloe-kardashian-tearful-photo-has-fans-concerned/
| 2024-01-16T11:53:43Z
|
blocked_url
|
Love Island: All Stars left viewers stunned on Monday night when exes Callum Jones and Molly Smith were reunited after walking through the villa doors as bombshells. The former couple found themselves in a sticky situation when host Maya Jama explained that Callum would have to steal one of the girls from a fellow islander or couple up with his ex.
While the episode ended on a cliffhanger, Molly and Callum's arrival has had fans wondering what exactly went down between them. Keep reading for their relationship timeline, from their Casa Amor beginnings to their recent breakup.
Molly and Callum meet on Love Island
Molly and Callum's love story began when they first locked eyes in Casa Amor during the 2020 season in South Africa. While Callum, 27, was originally paired with Shaughna Phillips, he found a strong connection with Molly and decided to bring her back to the main villa.
The couple lasted 38 days together before leaving the villa ahead of the finale.
Speaking about his relationship with Molly, 30, after returning home, former scaffolder Callum told MailOnline: "Molly and I are very strong. It's good between us, we have no arguments whatsoever. I am confident Molly and I can go the distance."
Molly and Callum's lavish Manchester flat
Within months of landing back in the UK from South Africa, Molly and Callum decided to take the leap and move in together.
The couple moved into a stylish Manchester flat, which featured crushed velvet sofas, neutral furnishings and a spacious kitchen and garden.
Over the next three years, the couple seemed to go from strength to strength, with the pair often posting love-up snaps from their cosy home, as well as from various romantic getaways abroad.
In June 2022, Callum even spoke about the possibility of marriage in the future. "We are perfect," he told MailOnline. "We've got two dogs so we've got a proper little family going, it's lovely.
"There is other things we want to focus on at the minute but obviously in the future it's definitely something we both want together. We've just not really decided when. We're just enjoying things that we've got at the minute and then family and marriage will eventually come into it."
Breakup rumours start circulating
Rumours of Callum and Molly's breakup began circulating late last year after fans noticed that it had been a while since the couple had posted photos together on social media.
Then in September, it was reported that the reality stars had decided to go their separate ways, with Callum allegedly moving out of their home after taking custody of their pet pug, Winnie. Meanwhile, Molly kept their Pomeranian, Nelly.
While Molly and Callum didn't comment on their breakup, a source told The Sun that Molly was keen to get engaged, which didn't end up happening.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511339/love-island-molly-callum-relationship-timeline-manchester-flat-break-up/
| 2024-01-16T11:53:50Z
|
blocked_url
|
New year, new me sound familiar? While January might be the time of year when we all dust off our gym clothes and get serious about our health, it can be hard to stay motivated for more than a few weeks. If you're finding your resolve to cut the crips and hit the treadmill waning already, booking into an exercise class might be the way forward.
Here at HELLO!, we've been swapping boozy nights at the pub for some of London's most popular workouts that get our blood pumping and our endorphins flowing. According to fitness expert Sarah Spence, you're way more likely to stick to your guns if you book a class, planning your schedule around your workouts and not vice versa. Plus, exercising in a room full of people is the best way to stay motivated. "You've got to build the discipline; set your clothes out, plan your week, set your alarm, book your classes, do your food shop when you’re not hungry, plan your meals, and show up on the days you don’t want to. If that’s still tough; book a class with a friend so you can’t let them down or tell someone your plan for the week and get them to keep you accountable," she says.
From high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to rowing, hot yoga, spinning and Pilates, check out the best fitness classes in London.
1REBEL
What is it?
Pounding music blasting pop and EDM anthems, dimly lit studios and disco lighting, 1REBEL is high energy and high intensity. The studios are very chic and pride themselves on being LGBTQ+ friendly – and the changing rooms have hair straighteners and beauty essentials on-hand if you're heading straight to work or post-spin drinks. Choose between RIDE (cycling), REFORMER (Pilates), RUMBLE (boxing) or RESHAPE, their signature class mixing treadmill sprints and bench work. Classes are 45 minutes long and trust me, they live up to the hype.
What’s it like?
I’ll confess – I am a 1REBEL addict. I am now the kind of person who turns down evening plans so I can get up at 6am for RIDE. Having started my (fairly recent) spinning journey in 2023, I find 1REBEL the best option in London. The resistance is higher, the music is better and the teachers will push you harder than other classes, but it's also a lot more fun. The playlists and structured format of the sessions are motivational; you're sweating, but you're enjoying yourself. I particularly love the themed sessions which tend to take place on a Friday – *NSYNC v. N-Dubz was a personal highlight.
Is it good for beginners?
It’s intense, but everyone has to start somewhere. When I first bit the bullet and tried RESHAPE (their hardest class), I nearly fell off my treadmill in shock at how fast everyone was going. But when I emerged, red-faced and panting, the sense of pride I felt was unparalleled. Tell reception that it’s your first time and make sure you’re waiting outside the class for a pre-session induction. 1REBEL also offers special Rebuild Sessions every Monday which are 75% of the intensity of a normal session and a great way to ease in for beginners.
How much is it?
I’m not going to lie, it’s expensive. The best deal financially is to book the 12-month fixed contract, which ranges from a two-session pass for £38 per month all the way up to £179 per month for the top level of commitment. 1REBEL does a special introductory deal of 3 Sessions for £49 so you can see if you like it first. I book via the Classpass app which costs £70 a month and works out as one session a week with credits left over.
Reviewed by: Kate Thomas, Lifestyle Managing Editor
HOTPOD YOGA
What is it?
Yoga in 37 degree heat in a giant purple tent. The practice is Vinyasa Flow, a yoga style that synchronises movement and breath, helping work the body and calm the mind. Hot yoga benefits improving your flexibility, bone density, and cardiovascular fitness. It's meant to burn a lot more calories than regular yoga, but the mental benefits for me are key. I find it reduces stress, helps clear my mind for the challenging day ahead, or relaxes me at the end of a busy day.
All you need is a mat, a towel to mop up your sweat and a water bottle - rehydration is key. Classes also include Nurturing Flow (perfect for relaxing at the end of the day) and Dynamic Flow (to work up even more of a sweat), but I find the regular Hotpod Flow to be the perfect mix of dynamic and zen.
What's it like?
A big sweaty hug. The giant purple tent is one of the most relaxing places on earth; the room is dark, the air is filled with essential oils and a jangly soundtrack accompanies the flow. Hotpod is now so integral to my weekly routine that I find myself feeling anxious if I miss entering a meditative state and the chance to sweat out all my worries. The temperature is high so be warned - if you don't like being hot and clammy, it's probably not for you. As a very sweaty human, I love the fact it's dimly lit, reducing any embarrassment from beads of perspiration dripping off your body.
Is it good for beginners?
Absolutely. Every class begins post warm-up with the teacher talking you through the three basic levels of Vinyasa so first-timers are always able to follow along. The vibe is very much moving at your own pace and only doing what you feel comfortable with, while more experienced yogis are given space to try advanced moves they might be working on. I was a complete yoga novice before trying Hotpod and now I can't get enough of a Downward Dog.
How much is it?
A mini membership is currently £48 per month for one class per calendar week (an excellent deal pre-cost of living increases), and £120 per month for unlimited classes. Otherwise, it's £18 for a single class pass. They have some amazing intro offers like £22 for 10 Days Unlimited at select studios so it's worth keeping an eye out for deals.
Reviewed by: Kate Thomas, Lifestyle Managing Editor
ROWBOTS
What is it?
The popular rowing-based exercise classes promise to burn up to 800 calories during 50 minutes of high-intensity, low-impact mental and physical conditioning. Their signature class offers maximum intensity training, with split intervals between the floor (think burpees, weighted squats and jump lunges) and the rowing machine. Rowbots prides itself on being backed by science – they have an in-house psychologist and classes boast unique themes, integrating psychological, mental conditioning and mindfulness techniques into their classes to help build your stamina and willpower.
What's it like?
Rowbots is not just a fancy fitness studio with high-tech equipment; it's a place that seamlessly melds physical endurance with mental resilience…The type of class I'd never quite experienced before! Led by an expert instructor, I found that the class had the perfect balance between pushing me to my limits and providing much-appreciated guidance. The studio boasts state-of-the-art rowing equipment and well-maintained facilities, ensuring a seamless workout experience. What's more, Rowbots created an environment where individuals (like myself) of all fitness levels could challenge themselves and support one another in their fitness journey. After the class was done, I left feeling impressed and that I had achieved something quite challenging.
Is it good for beginners?
In short… no. While the class pushed me to my limits and the instructor was very encouraging, allowing me to do as much as I felt comfortable with and suggesting adaptations where necessary, it was definitely not suitable for anyone brand new to exercise. However, for those looking to challenge themselves, it's a fantastic option to get you moving and break you out of your comfort zone.
How much is it?
A single class will set you back £24 or you can buy a bundle of £69 for three. The cheapest deal is £12 for an Express 30-minute lunchtime class, which for London is pretty decent value.
Reviewed by: Sharnaz Shahid, Deputy Online Editor
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/511286/best-fitness-classes-london-tried-and-tested/
| 2024-01-16T11:53:56Z
|
blocked_url
|
BEIJING - China is gearing up for a record number of trips during the coming Chinese New Year and has vowed efforts to ensure safety as hundreds of millions of people take to the skies, roads and rails.
“According to our estimation, a record high 9 billion trips will likely be made during the 40-day holiday travel period,” Vice-Transport Minister Li Yang said at a conference in Beijing on Jan 16.
The next Chinese New Year, the Year of the Wood Dragon, is officially celebrated in mid-February, but the holiday rush will start from Jan 26 and last more than a month as workers in the cities travel home to visit family and friends.
Driving will be the most popular form of transport, according to Mr Li, with some 7.2 billion self-driving trips expected and 1.8 billion trips made via other forms of transport, including water.
As one of the most traditional travel methods, China’s railway system is expected to see 480 million passenger trips during the holiday period, an increase of 38 per cent from 2023, when people were still getting back to travel after Covid, and 18 per cent from 2019, Mr Huang Xin, a senior official with China State Railway Group said.
With so many people criss-crossing the vast nation, officials also pledged efforts to ensure safety.
“Safe Chunyun is the major theme for us this year,” Mr Li said, using the Chinese name for the Chinese New Year. “We’ve urged local governments to conduct safety checks on major transport infrastructure.”
The authorities have also required the comprehensive inspection and maintenance of all vehicles, ships and transport facilities before the holiday rush, Mr Li added, without elaborating.
Bloomberg reported on Jan 15 that China’s aviation regulator has temporarily halted the restart of Boeing 737 Max jet deliveries to the nation as the US plane maker grapples with a raft of safety issues.
Chinese airlines fly scores of 737 Max jets, single-aisle planes that have long been workhorses of the skies.
An accident involving a different type of Max model, a 737 Max 9, rocked Boeing earlier this month when a desk-sized door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines flight as the plane was ascending. Fortunately no one was sucked out of the hole, but the incident has rattled consumer confidence in other Boeing models. BLOOMBERG
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/china-sees-record-nine-billion-trips-over-this-chinese-new-year
| 2024-01-16T12:06:14Z
|
blocked_url
|
SEOUL – A Korean man in his 30s suspected of attacking a female Singaporean student in broad daylight last week was arrested by the police on Jan 16.
The suspect, whose name and age were withheld as of afternoon on Jan 15, is accused of punching the student several times in the face at around 4pm on Jan 12, according to the Dongdaemun Police Station.
The victim was walking at a crosswalk in Hwigyeong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu in Seoul when she was attacked.
According to the police, the suspect has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and has difficulties with communication.
The victim, who wanted to be known only as Ms Ng, reportedly sustained a slight injury to her face, including swelling. She filed a police report after she escaped the scene.
As the suspect was crossing the road with a family member, he suddenly attacked the victim, according to a post shared by the victim on an online college community before the suspect’s arrest.
The family member attempted to pull the suspect away from her, she added.
The police said they offered the victim a smartwatch to protect her from other potential attacks. The device can identify the location of the wearer in emergencies for the authorities to respond to potential crimes.
It is provided to victims of stalking and other potential crimes. When the victim presses the “emergency” button, a report is immediately filed with the police.
The police plan to investigate the incident further.
The victim has been identified as an international student from Singapore. She is reportedly attending a university in the vicinity of the incident. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/suspect-who-attacked-singaporean-student-in-south-korea-arrested
| 2024-01-16T12:06:24Z
|
blocked_url
|
DAVOS - The West must not let up supplying Ukraine with weapons and money if it wants Kyiv to succeed in its war against Russia, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned on Tuesday.
"Ukraine can prevail in this war but we must continue to empower their resistance," she told business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, urging Kyiv's western allies to continue their arms deliveries and financial support of Ukraine.
"Ukrainians need predictable financing throughout 2024 and beyond. They need a sufficient and sustained supply of weapons to defend Ukraine and regain its rightful territory." REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/eus-von-der-leyen-warns-west-against-slackening-support-for-ukraine
| 2024-01-16T12:06:35Z
|
blocked_url
|
BEIJING - Hu Haifeng, son of former Chinese President Hu Jintao, was appointed on Tuesday by the cabinet as a vice minister of civil affairs, making a leap into the senior ranks of the central government from a small city in an eastern province.
Prior to his central government appointment based in Beijing, Hu, 51, had served for five years as head of the Communist Party of the city of Lishui in Zhejiang province.
Born in November 1972, Hu was among the youngest vice civil affairs ministers to be appointed.
During his tenure as Lishui party chief, Hu even received open praise from President Xi Jinping for the city's green development.
Hu entered Chinese politics after a major Communist Party Congress in 2012, becoming the deputy Party head of Jiaxing, another city in Zhejiang province.
His debut coincided with his father's stepping down as general secretary of China's ruling Communist Party as Xi took the helm.
His father Hu Jintao, 81, reached China's pinnacle of power as Communist Party chief in 2002 after a decade as heir apparent, and became the country's president in 2003.
Hu Jintao himself was a political star, picked to join the party's seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, the country's highest tier of political power, in 1992 at the age of just 49.
The younger Hu graduated with a degree in computer science from Northern Jiatong University in Beijing and later obtained an executive Master of Business Administration at the prestigious Tsinghua University.
He later became president of Nuctech, a major manufacturer of security inspection scanners owned by Tsinghua University. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/former-chinese-presidents-son-becomes-a-vice-minister
| 2024-01-16T12:06:45Z
|
blocked_url
|
JAKARTA - Indonesian government said on Tuesday there was a strong indication of a safety procedure violation that led to a fire at a nickel smelter on Sulawesi island that killed 21 workers.
A fire broke out on Dec 24 at a furnace in a smelter operated by Tsingshan Stainless Steel Indonesia, located in the country's largest nickel hub, the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP).
There was a strong indication of standard procedure violation and negligence in the implementation of safety requirements that allegedly led to the fire incident, Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah said in a statement on Tuesday.
She did not elaborate on the suspected violations.
In the same statement, Central Sulawesi police chief Agus Nugroho said the police were investigation into the cause of the fire.
Indonesia, the world's biggest nickel producer, has banned exports of unprocessed nickel ore as it moves to boost domestic smelting and processing, but the sector has suffered several fatal incidents in recent years.
Senior cabinet minister overseeing the mining industry, Luhut Pandjaitan, called for law enforcement to take firm action to avoid similar incidents .
"We have to show that we do need investment, but they have to comply with regulations in our country. They cannot ignore the rules," Mr Luhut said.
IMIP spokeperson Dedy Kurniawan said the companies within the industrial park comply with government regulations. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/indonesia-says-strong-indication-of-safety-procedure-violation-in-nickel-fire
| 2024-01-16T12:06:56Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE - Shares in Singapore pulled back in tandem with most key regional bourses, taking the cue from European markets’ declines and lower US stock futures.
Wall Street was closed for a public holiday on Jan 15.
Investors are wondering if they have been overly enthusiastic about central banks’ early rate cuts, as officials have been pushing back against such bets. While inflation is falling, there are fears that tensions in the Middle East could escalate and the rising freight rates stemming from diversions from the Red Sea might push prices of consumer goods higher.
The Straits Times Index (STI) lost 0.5 per cent or 14.43 points to 3,184.99, with only six out of the 30-stock blue-chip gauge closing higher. Fifteen index counters ended lower while nine were unchanged.
Across the broader market, decliners beat gainers 330 to 224, with 1.07 billion securities worth $795.26 million changing hands.
The banking trio all closed lower. DBS Bank fell 1 per cent to $32.34, UOB slipped 0.7 per cent to $28.20, while OCBC Bank lost 0.5 per cent to end at $12.87.
Shares of China-based electric vehicle maker Nio closed within a whisker of their 52-week low at US$7.06 (S$9.46) after dropping 1.5 per cent.
Samudera Shipping, another transportation stock, has been on an upward trajectory since the Red Sea crisis heightened in December. Its shares rose 5.5 per cent to $0.765 on Jan 16. Carriers’ shares have benefited from diversions from the Red Sea amid rebel attacks that have sent freight rates soaring. THE BUSINESS TIMES
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/singapore-stocks-retreat-amid-uncertainty-over-rate-cut-outlook-sti-down-05
| 2024-01-16T12:07:06Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – The much-delayed 75th Primetime Emmy Awards finally took place on the night of Jan 15 in Los Angeles, coming on the heels of a months-long labour strike by writers and actors in Hollywood.
Hosted by Black-ish star Anthony Anderson, the milestone edition of the show honoured primetime television programming which aired from June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023.
Family drama Succession and restaurant tale The Bear were top of the class with six wins each.
Succession’s wins were for its acclaimed final season, while The Bear swept the board for its debut season, which was released in June 2022. Its second season, which was released in June 2023, will be eligible for the next edition of the Emmys.
Here are five highlights from the event.
1. Black and Asian actors win big
The comedy Beef (2023), about a bitter feud that erupts after a road-rage incident, swept the limited series category with five wins, marking a historic night for Asian Americans in television.
Its leads Steven Yeun and Ali Wong won best actor and actress in a limited series. Wong is the first Asian to win in her category.
Series creator Lee Sung-jin took home three major Emmys – for outstanding limited series, directing and writing. He is the first Asian to pull off this feat.
The first two wins presented during the ceremony went to African-American women. The Bear’s breakout star Ayo Edebiri won in the supporting category, while Quinta Brunson, the creator and star of the elementary school-set workplace comedy Abbott Elementary, won for lead actress. This is the first time both awards have gone to black women in the same year.
After five nominations, actress Niecy Nash-Betts got a standing ovation during her speech when she won her first Emmy, supporting actress in a limited series, for true-crime adaptation Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
In one of the most rousing speeches of the night, the 53-year-old star thanked herself. “I want to thank me for believing in me and doing what they said I could not do, and I want to say to myself in front of all you beautiful people, ‘Go on, girl, with your bad self. You did that.’”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, five of the 12 acting Emmys were given to performers of colour, which ties with the 1991 edition for the most number of wins awarded to minority actors.
2. Grey’s Anatomy cast reunites
To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the Emmys paid tribute to television and stars through the decades. The cast of beloved comedy Cheers (1982 to 1993) returned to the series’ famous bar set, the cast of Ally McBeal (1997 to 2002) did a dance number, and cult-favourite comedy Community (2009 to 2015) co-stars Ken Jeong and Joel McHale presented together.
But no reunion garnered as much attention as the one of the cast of Grey’s Anatomy (2005 to present). On the cusp of its 20th season, the show’s original cast members Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr, Chandra Wilson and Katherine Heigl commemorated the longevity of the hit series.
The appearance of Heigl was particularly noteworthy as she famously had a feud with series creator Shonda Rhimes before her exit in Season 6.
3. The fake Kieran Culkin and Pedro Pascal beef
At the Golden Globes earlier in January, Succession star Kieran Culkin won best actor in a drama series for his portrayal of a media mogul’s good-for-nothing son.
As Pedro Pascal was also a hot favourite in the same category for apocalyptic drama The Last Of Us, Culkin joked in his winning speech then: “Suck it, Pedro.”
While presenting at the Emmys, Pascal, who showed up in an arm sling, said: “Kieran Culkin beat the sh** out of me.”
In truth, the actor had injured his shoulder in a fall. Still, that did not stop Culkin from presenting a stone-cold face when the camera panned to him, although he eventually cracked up in laughter.
Pascal and Culkin were both nominated for best actor in a drama series at the Emmys. The win went to Culkin.
4. Winners and smooches
The Emmys were marked less by tears of happiness and more by kisses of joy.
Notable smooches included Wong sharing a sweet kiss with her beau, Barry (2018 to 2023) star Bill Hader, when she was named best actress for Beef. Wong, who announced her separation from ex-husband Justin Hakuta in 2022, had made her first public appearance with new boyfriend Hader earlier at the Golden Globes.
While they might play a dysfunctional father-and-son pair in Succession, series star Brian Cox shared a quick and affectionate peck with on-screen son Culkin when the latter won his best actor trophy.
But the biggest and longest smooch of the night belonged to The Bear stars Matty Matheson and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. When the cast went onstage to collect their trophy for outstanding comedy series, Matheson, a real-life chef who plays a handyman in the series, thanked restaurant workers in his speech.
He was interrupted by Moss-Bachrach, who was so excited by the win that he grabbed Matheson by the face and kissed him, drawing cheers from the cast and audience.
5. Goodbye to a Friend
American singer Charlie Puth took the stage and played the piano for the In Memoriam segment with a rendition of his 2015 hit See You Again.
The segment remembered stars like Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast member Andre Braugher, who died of lung cancer in December 2023; Dame Angela Lansbury, who died at age 96 in 2022; and Euphoria actor Angus Cloud, who died of an accidental overdose at 25 in 2023.
When it came time to honour late Friends star Matthew Perry, who died of acute effects of ketamine at age 54 in October 2023, See You Again segued into a soulful rendition of the comedy’s theme song, I’ll Be There For You.
List of winners
Best drama series: Succession
Best comedy series: The Bear
Best limited or anthology series or movie: Beef
Best comedy actor: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Best comedy actress: Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Best drama actor: Kieran Culkin, Succession
Best drama actress: Sarah Snook, Succession
Best actor, limited or anthology series or movie: Steven Yeun, Beef
Best actress, limited or anthology series or movie: Ali Wong, Beef
Best drama supporting actor: Matthew Macfadyen, Succession
Best drama supporting actress: Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
Best comedy supporting actor: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
Best comedy supporting actress: Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Best supporting actor, limited or anthology series or movie: Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird
Best supporting actress, limited or anthology series or movie: Niecy Nash-Betts, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Best directing, drama: Mark Mylod, Succession
Best directing, comedy: Christopher Storer, The Bear
Best directing, limited or anthology series or movie: Lee Sung-jin, Beef
Best drama writing: Jesse Armstrong, Succession
Best comedy writing: Christopher Storer, The Bear
Best writing, limited or anthology series or movie: Lee Sung-jin, Beef
Best writing, variety series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Best talk series: The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Best scripted variety series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Best variety special (live): Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium
Best reality competition: RuPaul’s Drag Race
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/the-life-list-reunions-smooches-and-pretend-beef-at-the-75th-emmy-awards
| 2024-01-16T12:07:16Z
|
blocked_url
|
Taiwanese TV and talk-show host Dee Hsu spoke for many mothers when she penned her thoughts on the birthday of her eldest daughter.
Hsu, 45, is married to businessman Mike Hsu and they have three daughters: Elly, Lily and Alice. Elly turned 18 on Jan 16.
“My eldest baby Elly is 18 years old and I must let her go,” Dee Hsu wrote on social media on Jan 16, posting a rare photo of her family of five.
“I will let her experience the world with her own strength.”
Hsu, also known as Little S, was dressed casually in a T-shirt, while her three daughters were in more formal wear.
The TV host shared a short clip of herself giving Elly a kiss, and then wiping tears away, at her daughter’s birthday party. She also posted a photo of Elly holding a cake in the shape of the number 18.
“Remember that mum will always love and support you,” Hsu continued. “I admit that sometimes I try to look cool, but actually, I am already feeling lonely.”
Her celebrity pals, including TV host Patty Hou and singer Christine Fan, also wished her daughter a happy birthday.
Hsu tagged Elly in the post, who wrote in the comment section: “Thank you mama. ILY (I love you).”
Elly posted on Instagram Stories several photos of herself and friends who attended her birthday celebration, as well as her friends’ birthday greetings. She wrote: “I’m 18.”
Her sister Lily, 16, also posted on Instagram Stories photos of herself with her sister, writing: “Happy sweet 18.”
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/tv-host-dee-hsu-shares-rare-photo-of-family-of-five-as-eldest-daughter-turns-18
| 2024-01-16T12:07:27Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – Singaporeans can expect the weather to be wet and chilly till the end of January, with temperatures going as low as 23 deg C on some days.
Wet weather is likely to continue in the first week of the coming fortnight, said the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) on Jan 16, adding that there may be widespread continuous rain – which may be heavy and accompanied by thunder at times – between Jan 18 and 20.
Some places may experience short, thundery showers in the afternoon in the second half of the next two weeks.
MSS added that total rainfall for the second half of January is expected to be above average in most parts of the island.
Daily temperatures are likely to range between 23 deg C and 29 deg C on days with continuous rain, while the maximum temperature might go up to 33 deg C on other days, said the MSS.
Singapore welcomed the first two weeks of 2024 with rainy weather. Most places across the island experienced thundery showers in the afternoon on most days, with the rain extending into the night on some days.
The rainfall levels were well above average during this fortnight, said MSS. Kranji recorded rainfall that was 184 per cent above average levels.
On Jan 4, there were moderate to heavy thundery showers in many parts of Singapore in the afternoon. The daily total rainfall of 121mm recorded at Pulau Tekong that day was the highest recorded for the first half of January 2024.
The daily maximum temperatures during this period were below 33 deg C on most days, MSS said, with the highest daily maximum temperature of 33.6 deg C recorded in Clementi on Jan 2.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/wet-and-cold-weather-expected-to-continue-until-end-of-january-met-service
| 2024-01-16T12:07:37Z
|
blocked_url
|
You are reading the Evening Update newsletter. Get up to speed with the important stories from the day. Subscribe to our newsletter.
S’pore seeks international feedback on new governance framework for generative AI
Speaking to ST in Davos, at the World Economic Forum, Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said AI governance cannot be done only at the country level.
Over 1.1 million or 88% of S’porean households have claimed CDC vouchers: Low Yen Ling
Outram Secondary School to relocate to Sengkang
The move will cater to the higher demand for secondary school places in the north-east area.
Telok Blangah, HarbourFront MRT stations to close 1 platform each from Jan 20 for Circle Line works
This is to facilitate track works for the integration of Stage 6 of the Circle Line with the existing network.
PM Lee, King of Bhutan discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation
Pre-school teacher used ‘inappropriate method’ to push child away from window: ECDA
ECDA has reviewed the closed-circuit television footage from Jan 2 to Jan 5 when the child was in school.
Jail for ex-FAS deputy director who duped sports body of over $609k; wife gets discharge
Rikram Jit Singh Randhir Singh cheated FAS into disbursing money to firms linked to him and wife.
Trump wins Iowa caucus, DeSantis edges Haley for second spot
Najib pardon unlikely due to other charges and reputational risk to Malaysia: Analysts
Can a nap make up for a bad night of sleep?
Short naps of less than 90 minutes typically include only the lighter phases of sleep.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/evening-update-today-s-headlines-from-the-straits-times-on-jan-16-2024
| 2024-01-16T12:07:48Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – Even in his 90s, former national hockey player Ajit Singh Gill’s love and passion for sport and the Olympics never diminished.
Singapore’s oldest Olympian, who competed in the 1956 Melbourne Games, died on Jan 16 aged 95 after battling end-stage renal failure. He is survived by his 92-year-old wife Surjit Kaur, five children, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
His family and friends in the sports community remember him as a sport-loving man whose kind and indefatigable spirit inspired many.
His eldest son Dr Mel Gill, who is a psychologist, said that his father fractured his hip last February after a fall but “healed sufficiently in three months”. However, his health deteriorated later on owing to renal failure.
He added: “I was with him in his final moments. He had difficulty breathing and stared at me, and I believe he wanted to tell me to take care of myself. That was how he was, always concerned about others’ welfare, and very generous in his giving without expecting anything in return.”
His daughter, former English teacher Inderbeer Kaur Gill, teared as she recounted how as a young girl her father had encouraged her to participate in the New Nation Big Walk, and how heartened she felt to see him driving along the route to cheer her on.
She said: “He pushed his children to be the best we could be without overstepping boundaries.”
Singapore National Olympic Council president Grace Fu was saddened by the news of his death. Extending her condolences to his family, she said: “Ajit was the quintessential sportsman of his time... he remained active in Singapore sports after his competitive sporting career and participated in many activities. He will be greatly missed.”
Noting that he was then one of two surviving members of the 1956 Olympic team, Singapore Hockey Federation president Mathavan Devadas said: “I’d known him for over 50 years since he was a school teacher. He was an iconic figure. He was someone who even into his 90s was very active, still playing golf and he would always be available to come for events, to talk to players and share his experiences – he was an inspiration.”
Born in Kuala Lumpur in 1928, Ajit Singh Gill was the oldest of 10 siblings and lived by his father’s teachings, which were to “work hard, don’t drink, don’t smoke, speak the truth and don’t be afraid of anyone”.
Having lived through the Japanese occupation in Malaya during World War II, he would take a train to Singapore to buy goods from the now-defunct Sungei Road Market, return to KL and cycle up to 80km to sell his wares in the countryside to support his family.
Scrawny as a young boy, he overcame childhood asthma through playing sports in the kampung and at 17 was good enough to represent Selangor in hockey, excelling as a full-back.
His commitment to the team was unmatched and he told of how he was once whacked in the face by an opponent’s stick in an inter-state game against Malacca. Despite five broken teeth, he played on and helped them win the match.
He moved to Singapore in 1951 to enrol in the Teacher’s Training College and five years later, he was on a flight to Melbourne for the 1956 Olympics, where he and his teammates finished eighth in Singapore hockey’s first and only appearance at the Games.
That Olympics was also special as he bought a proposal ring for Surjit Kaur from the gold mines of Ballarat, which is 90 minutes from Melbourne by car.
In the 1960s, he swopped his hockey stick for a cricket bat and kept swinging as a Singapore international, hitting fours and sixes with ease – legend has it that the 1.58m man nicknamed the “big-hitting Sikh” once scored a century in 68 minutes in 1968.
After retiring from coaching cricket and hockey in 1985, in his later years he played golf and race walked. And he kept winning. In 1990, he topped the Asean Senior Amateur Golf Championship and 26 years later, he claimed gold in the 5,000m race walk at the Asia Masters Athletics Championships on home soil.
Another proud sporting moment for the former English and mathematics teacher came in 2010, was when he was one of 2,400 torchbearers – and the oldest – of the Singapore leg of the Youth Olympic Games torch relay.
Former The Straits Times sports editor Godfrey Robert, who knew Ajit Singh Gill for more than five decades, said: “I attended his 90th birthday celebrations at the Singapore Island Country Club and was not amazed he was performing the bhangra dance to energetic loud music at that age, as he was still playing golf, pulling the cart over nine holes at the Island course most mornings.
“A cheerful, sprightly small man who made a mockery of size as he weaved past big hockey defenders, and feared no opponent in golf, cricket or athletics, Ajit will still be a perfect role model to young, aspiring athletes.”
Ajit Singh Gill’s wake is being held at 65 Munshi Abdullah Avenue from Jan 16 to 17. The cortege leaves for Mandai Crematorium Hall 3 at 6.45pm on Jan 17.
• Additional reporting by Kimberly Kwek
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/ajit-singh-gill-singapore-s-oldest-olympian-dies-at-94
| 2024-01-16T12:07:58Z
|
blocked_url
|
DOHA - Tajikistan coach Petar Segrt said on Tuesday the Asian Cup debutants will take the game to hosts and defending champions Qatar in their second Group A match, aiming to earn the three points as well as the respect of the home fans.
Tajikistan gave a good account of themselves in their group opener when they drew 0-0 with China, earning praise for how they held up against a team 27 spots above them in the rankings.
Although the coach was happy with the point, he said he wished the game had ended "2-2 or 3-3" instead and hopes to see his team score their first goal in the competition against Qatar at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday.
"It is not the character of Tajikistan people to play defence, the character is to play attack ... Every country, every culture has its character and for us, in this situation, we will also try to play our football against Qatar," the Croatian told reporters.
"But we must also respect that Qatar is much stronger than China and Qatar has a lot of very great players. And I don't know how big the influence of the spectators will be.
"All the players in the first game were only happy to be here. Now they see that maybe we can have a good result."
Segrt also launched a charm offensive, praising Qatar and its people, hoping to win over the supporters with the vast majority of fans at the 68,895 capacity stadium ready to root for the hosts.
"The culture of Qatar is very friendly but for 90 minutes you must excuse us. I know that most of them will support Qatar in the beginning, but I hope that at the end that they will also respect (us) and give us sympathy and applause," he said.
"We will try to play our maximum football and after the game I will be not unhappy when we have four points, but what is more important is how we play because it was working against China and we are playing with much more self-confidence."
For Qatar coach Marquez Lopez, the strategy is to get an early goal to control the game.
"Success in attack would help a great deal but we must not forget that Tajikistan could create dangerous opportunities," the Spaniard said.
"We will use all tools available to score as early as possible so the match doesn't become complex.
"The objective is to stay top of the table but the most important objective is to move to the second round." REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/asian-cup-minnows-tajikistan-plan-to-go-on-offensive-against-qatar
| 2024-01-16T12:08:09Z
|
blocked_url
|
MELBOURNE – Angelique Kerber’s Grand Slam comeback ended with a whimper in the first round of the Australian Open on Jan 16, but the new mum said she was determined to keep going.
In her first Slam following an 18-month hiatus to give birth, the 35-year-old German fought hard but succumbed to 2022 Melbourne Park finalist Danielle Collins 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
The unseeded Collins will now play world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
Reunited with longtime coach Torben Beltz, Kerber’s return from pregnancy leave has been rocky – she lost four of five matches at the United Cup before her latest defeat at the tournament she won in 2016.
“For sure it is a long way to be back and to play on a high level again. But on the other side, I have the experience, I know how it is,” she said.
“I played so many Grand Slams over the years. So I’m more trying to find my rhythm on court and feeling good again.
“I mean, I played here, won the tournament, and you want to get far in the draw. But it is my first real tournament (after giving birth), and I know that it needs time. It’s a completely new situation off court, so I have to get used to that.”
Swiatek, meanwhile, survived a tough test against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
The Polish world No. 1 came through 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 against the player she beat to win her first Grand Slam title, at the French Open in 2020.
The in-form 22-year-old twice came back from a break down in a gruelling first set lasting 68 minutes but stepped on the gas in the second, winning the final five games to finish with a flourish.
“It wasn’t the easiest first round,” admitted Swiatek, who is now on a 17-match winning run after triumphs in Beijing and the 2023 WTA Finals as well as her United Cup heroics.
“I tried to find my rhythm, play the important points well in the opening set. But I felt off in terms of the timing. For sure the temperature was higher than any match I’ve played here and I needed to adjust as the balls were flying.”
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu posted an impressive 6-3, 6-2 win over Shelby Rogers as she looks to get her career back on track.
Now ranked 296th after an eight-month layoff with ankle and wrist injuries, the 21-year-old showed glimpses of her best against the 161st-ranked Rogers, converting three of five break points.
It earned her a second-round clash with China’s unseeded Wang Yafan.
World No. 3 Elena Rybakina, like Swiatek, also overcame a slow start and saved a clutch of set points to beat Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion, who won the Brisbane International warm-up tournament, broke in the third game of the second set to establish a firm grip on the match and suffered few scares after that.
She will face unseeded Russian Anna Blinkova in the second round. AFP, REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/angelique-kerber-undeterred-after-hitting-grand-slam-comeback-roadblock-in-australia
| 2024-01-16T12:08:19Z
|
blocked_url
|
MELBOURNE - Sumit Nagal, India's top-ranked singles player, was left with less than a thousand dollars in his bank account at one point last year so it was no surprise he was beaming on Tuesday after ensuring a bumper payday at the Australian Open.
The world number 137 had battled his way through three rounds of qualifying and in the first round proper guaranteed himself a cheque for at least A$180,000 ($119,016) by stunning 31st seed Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-2 7-6(5) on a rowdy Court Six.
It was the biggest win of his career and he became the first Indian man in 35 years to beat a seeded player in a Grand Slam singles draw, matching Ramesh Krishnan's feat in ousting defending champion Mats Wilander at Melbourne Park in 1989.
"Obviously, I'm not crying right now but at the same time it hasn't completely sunk in," the 26-year-old told reporters.
"These moments you'll go through as an athlete. Sometimes you have a good year, sometimes a bad one.
"Last year was probably one of the best years ... (from having only) 900 euros, not getting into events for the first few months and relying on wild cards ... to finishing inside the top 130.
"From where I started, I was pretty proud of myself to be able to give myself another chance to be here, to qualify and play a second round. It's a good feeling."
Like most children growing up in India, Haryana-born Nagal wanted to be a cricketer but it was his teacher father who insisted he swap bat and ball for a racket.
He famously took a set off Roger Federer in a first-round loss at the 2019 U.S. Open on his Grand Slam main draw debut and reached the second round the following year before losing to eventual champion Dominic Thiem.
The Indian, who trains in Germany, endured a tough time with injury and had hip surgery in 2021 but battled back and captured two challenger titles last year to climb into top 150.
"I've worked very hard with my team and I'm proud of myself to be able to handle the things I'm going through and be able to perform the way I want to," Nagal said.
The eyes of the world's two most populous nations will be on Nagal when he takes on China's Shang Juncheng in the next round but the Indian is not dwelling on the match too much.
"I want to go through this moment, take my time, enjoy being with my coach and have a conversation," Nagal said. "Maybe eat a burger and call it a night." REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/indias-nagal-guaranteed-big-payday-after-stunning-win-in-melbourne
| 2024-01-16T12:08:29Z
|
blocked_url
|
MELBOURNE - Third seed Elena Rybakina made a slow start but shifted into top gear when it mattered to down tricky Czech Karolina Pliskova 7-6(6) 6-4 in the opening round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Broken to open the contest on Rod Laver Arena as her serve faltered and 6-3 down in the first-set tiebreak, Rybakina showed great fight to get back in the contest and finish it in two sets.
"It was a really tough match for me today, Karolina played really well," Rybakina said.
"But I'm really happy that I managed to win and survive the first set and in the second set it was a little better. I just want to enjoy it here and go as far I can."
The Kazakh admitted to being upset when scheduled on Court 13 for her opener last year when she was reigning Wimbledon champion but, after reaching last year's final, got primetime billing on Melbourne Park's main showcourt on Tuesday.
She came into the Grand Slam in fine form after thrashing Aryna Sabalenka, her vanquisher last year, to win one warm-up tournament in Brisbane before reaching the quarter-finals of another in Adelaide.
It took until the third game for her to even get a point on the board, however, as Pliskova broke the Kazakh to love to open the contest and then held her own serve in similar style.
Former world number one Pliskova has the weapons to hurt any player and for most of the first set was landing two first serves for every one Rybakina managed.
Despite the onslaught, Rybakina got the set back on serve at 2-2 and did enough to stay with the Czech until the tiebreak, where she saved three set points to wrestle back control before going 1-0 up at the first time of asking.
The world number three again pounced to break for 2-1 in the second set and looked like she might finish the contest on Pliskova's final service game only for the Czech to rally to save a match point.
Pliskova came up with a couple of fine winners to make the final game interesting but Rybakina would not be denied and moved on to a second-round contest against Anna Blinkova when the Czech went long with a forehand. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/primetime-rybakina-fights-her-way-past-pliskova-into-second-round
| 2024-01-16T12:08:40Z
|
blocked_url
|
NEW YORK - Donald Trump could be ordered to pay millions of dollars more to E. Jean Carroll at a second civil trial after the writer accused the former U.S. president of raping her decades ago.
Jury selection for the second trial is scheduled to begin on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court. Trump has said he wants to attend and testify at the trial, unlike at Carroll's first trial.
Another jury last May ordered Trump to pay Carroll $5 million for having sexually abused her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan and defaming her by denying it in 2022.
In the second trial, the jury must determine how much more Trump owes the former Elle magazine columnist for similarly defaming her in 2019, when he was president.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who has overseen both cases, has barred Trump from arguing that he did not defame or sexually assault Carroll or that she made up her account. In both cases, Trump, 77, claimed that he did not know Carroll and that she invented their encounter to sell her memoir.
Carroll, 80, is seeking $10 million in compensatory damages plus punitive damages.
He is appealing the $5 million award, and could appeal any award at the second trial. Appeals could take years.
NEW ATTACKS
In recent weeks, Trump has escalated his attacks on Carroll, including a false accusation this weekend on his Truth Social website that she did not know the decade of their encounter.
He also branded Kaplan, an appointee of former Democratic President Bill Clinton who has spent 29 years on the bench, a "terrible, biased, irrationally angry Clinton-appointed judge."
Trump has separately pleaded not guilty to 91 felony counts in four separate indictments, including two for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.
He is also a defendant in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial against the Trump Organization. The judge in that case, which had no jury and saw closing arguments last week, could rule as early as this month.
Trump's legal woes have become part of his campaign for the Republican nomination to challenge Biden in November's election.
Trump in court appearances last week in Washington and New York attacked the judicial system and said cases against him are meant to undermine his quest for a second White House term. None of the cases has so far dented Trump's lead for the Republican nomination.
Kaplan on Friday denied Trump's request to delay Carroll's trial by one week for the funeral of his mother-in-law.
LIMITS ON TRUMP'S DEFENSE
Trump may face an uphill fight to escape significant additional damages because of Kaplan's pre-trial rulings.
These include banning Trump from suggesting he did not rape Carroll, as New York's penal law defines the term, because the first jury did not find that Trump committed rape.
Kaplan has ruled that because Trump used his fingers in the assault, Carroll's rape claim was "substantially true."
Trump also cannot discuss DNA evidence or Carroll's sexual activities, or suggest that Democrats are bankrolling her case. Carroll is a Democrat.
And as at the first trial, jurors will be able to see the 2005 "Access Hollywood" video where Trump graphically described the ability of famous people like himself to have sexual relations with beautiful women.
Trump did not retract his comments when asked about them in a 2022 deposition. Kaplan has said that the video could offer "useful insight into Mr. Trump's state of mind" toward Carroll.
Trump lawyer Alina Habba on Sunday assured Kaplan that he was "well aware" of the court's rulings "and the strict confines placed on his testimony." REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/donald-trump-heads-to-trial-again-against-e-jean-carroll
| 2024-01-16T12:08:50Z
|
blocked_url
|
DAVOS - Military strikes will not contain attacks by Yemen's Houthis on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea, but an end to the war in Gaza will, Qatar's prime minister said on Tuesday during the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described the current regional situation as a "recipe for escalation everywhere" and said Qatar believes that defusing the conflict in Gaza will stop the escalation on other fronts.
"We need to address the central issue, which is Gaza in order to get everything else defused...if we are just focusing on the symptoms and not treating the real issues, (solutions) will be temporary," he said.
Conflict has spread to parts of Middle East since the war between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas began on Oct. 7, with groups allied to Iran carrying out attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group has since November been attacking vessels in the Red Sea, part of a route that accounts for about 12% of the world's shipping traffic, in what they say is an effort to support Palestinians in the war with Israel.
U.S. and British forces have responded by carrying out dozens of air and sea strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since Friday.
Sheikh Mohammed said U.S. and British attacks create "a high risk of further escalation and further expansion of" the conflict.
"We always prefer diplomacy over any military resolutions," he said.
Without a viable, sustainable two-state solution in Israel and Palestine, the international community will be unwilling to finance the reconstruction of Gaza, Sheikh Mohammed said.
"The bigger picture cannot be ignored," he said, urging the international community to require Israel to agree to a time-bound, irreversible pathway to a two-state solution.
"We cannot leave this just at the hand of the Israelis," he said. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/end-gaza-war-to-stop-houthi-attacks-qatari-pm-at-davos
| 2024-01-16T12:09:01Z
|
blocked_url
|
DAVOS – Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella on Jan 16 defended his company’s multibillion-dollar investment in ChatGPT developer OpenAI after the European Union (EU) and Britain launched probes into whether it resembles a merger.
Mr Nadella was speaking on the sidelines during an event organised by Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos.
“If we want competition in AI against some of the players who are completely already integrated, I think partnerships is one avenue of, in fact, having competition,” Mr Nadella said.
“I’m sure the regulators will look at it and say, ‘Is this a pro-competition partnership or not?‘ And to me, I think it’s a no-brainer.”
Microsoft has poured billions of dollars since 2019 into OpenAI, which thrust artificial intelligence (AI) into the spotlight with its chatbot, ChatGPT, in late 2022.
ChatGPT demonstrates AI’s dizzying advances as it can produce eloquent poetry and concise essays within seconds as well as pass medical and legal exams.
But with popularity comes greater scrutiny and now anti-trust regulators in the EU and Britain are examining the Microsoft-OpenAI partnership.
Mr Nadella insisted that AI’s recent rapid developments come after Microsoft’s risk-taking.
“If Microsoft had not taken the highly risky (decision) – and this is now all conventional wisdom – but when we made those investments, when we backed OpenAI, went all in on a particular form of computing that led to all of these breakthroughs, it would have not been what we had.
“And more importantly, the incumbents would have been the winners,” he said.
OpenAI faced a tumultuous period late last year when its chief executive, Mr Sam Altman, was ousted and then made a shock return, all while he maintained Mr Nadella’s support.
Mr Nadella said Microsoft now just wants “stability in the partnership”.
He also seemed confident about limiting the risks of AI on elections as billions prepare to head to the polls this year, including in the United States, where Microsoft is based.
“It’s not like this is the first election where disinformation or misinformation, and election interference is going to be a real challenge that we all have to tackle,” he said. “We as a company have to do our best work.”
Mr Nadella was set to speak later on Jan 16 during an official WEF event. AFP
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/microsoft-ceo-defends-openai-partnership-after-eu-uk-launch-probes
| 2024-01-16T12:09:11Z
|
blocked_url
|
DAVOS - A number of European states, "concerned" Arab countries and the United States are working on a concept for a unified Palestinian government that could attract reconstruction funds, Norway's foreign minister said in an interview in Davos.
"A number of countries are working with us... trying to build a broad unity government," Mr Espen Barth Eide said, without naming the specific countries.
Norway was of the view that a unified Palestinian territory should be run by the Palestinian Authority, but "prefacing everything, it has to be what the Palestinians want", he added.
Norway served as a facilitator in the 1992 to 1993 talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) that led to the Oslo Accords in 1993.
The Palestinian Authority, set up under that agreement, exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and held talks with Israel on a Palestinian state before they collapsed in 2014. Islamist Hamas has ruled in Gaza since 2007 and is sworn to Israel's destruction.
Since the Oslo talks, Norway has chaired a donor group coordinating international assistance to the Palestinian territories, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), and worked with others to try to revive a diplomatic channel between Israel and the Palestinians.
Mr Barth Eide said work on a two-state solution was becoming urgent as the conflict was spreading in the region, but that only the United States and the Israeli people could influence Israel's position.
"What we can do is work on Palestinian unity, and think about models with interested countries," he said.
Calls for a two-state solution have grown in the wake of attacks on Israel on Oct 7 in which Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages, prompting an Israeli bombardment and ground offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza. Health authorities in the territory say more than 24,000 people have been killed.
A two-state agreement would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized so as not to threaten its security. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/norway-allies-working-on-concept-for-unified-palestinian-government
| 2024-01-16T12:09:21Z
|
blocked_url
|
Canada's abnormally dry winter is worsening drought conditions across the western provinces, where most of the country's oil, gas, forest products and grain are produced.
Western Canada is slowly emerging from a blast of arctic temperatures over the weekend, but the winter had otherwise been unusually mild.
Many cities experienced their warmest December ever recorded and British Columbia's snowpack is on average 44% below normal, according to provincial data. The dry winter follows Canada's hottest summer on record, partly due to the El Nino weather phenomenon, and is raising concerns that 2024 could be another record-breaking wildfire year.
Despite plunging temperatures in recent days, the winter overall is likely to stick to a milder, drier pattern, said Weather Network meteorologist Doug Gillham.
AGRICULTURE
As of Dec. 31, 70% of the country was abnormally dry or in drought, according to Agriculture Canada, with the worst conditions in southern Alberta, western Saskatchewan and north-central British Columbia.
Virtually all of the Prairies have received less precipitation than normal during the past 60 days as of Jan. 8, with large stretches of each province collecting less than 40% of usual precipitation.
In Alberta, three years of drought have raised the cost of feeding cattle and drained dugouts that the cattle drink from. This has forced some farmers to reduce their herds. Canada's cattle inventory hit its lowest level on record in 2022, according to Statistics Canada.
Farms in southern Alberta depend on irrigated river water to sustain crops of potato and sugar beet. Non-irrigated Prairie farms produce most of Canada's wheat and canola, much of which are exported.
OIL AND GAS
Regulators in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada's main oil and gas-producing provinces, have urged companies to cut back on water use because of drought. In December the Alberta Energy Regulator said it may restrict access to water due to extremely low levels in many parts of the province, especially the South Saskatchewan river basin.
Firms are taking steps to manage potential shortages although companies are not changing development plans yet, said Tristan Goodman, CEO of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada.
Companies that usually take their water from tributaries are looking for larger sources within the same basin, while others are building more permanent and temporary water storage facilities or planning drilling programs to coincide with the peak of the spring snowmelt, Goodman added.
HYDROPOWER
BC Hydro's largest water reservoirs in British Columbia's north and southeast are below normal levels, a spokesperson for the province's electric utility said. BC Hydro imported 10,000 gigawatt hours of electricity in 2023, about one-fifth of its total energy needs, the spokesperson said.
FORESTRY AND WILDFIRES
Alberta still has 60 active wildfires burning and British Columbia more than 100, illustrating the dry and mild state of conditions.
Reduced snowpack means snow will likely melt faster in the spring, prolonging fire season and stretching firefighting resources, said Mike Flannigan, a professor of wildfire science at Thompson Rivers University.
Widespread wildfires could reduce the areas forestry companies are allowed to harvest, while prolonged drought weakens trees by making them more susceptible to disease, he added.
WINTER SPORTS
Western Canada's 92 ski areas typically receive around 9 million skier visits every year, according to the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA), and the sport contributes C$2 billion ($1.49 billion) a year to British Columbia's economy.
This year a number of ski hills including Red Mountain in Rossland and Big White near Kelowna delayed their opening dates due to warm temperatures and lack of snow.
Conditions are improving but CWSAA CEO Christopher Nicolson said reports from a number of ski hills suggested visitor numbers were lower than usual over the Christmas period. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/explainer-western-canadas-dry-winter-heralds-worsening-drought-for-2024
| 2024-01-16T12:09:32Z
|
blocked_url
|
GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories - Israel pummelled southern Gaza on Jan 16, killing dozens, even as authorities announced the winding down of the intense phase of the war that has inflamed tensions across the Middle East.
The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under mounting international pressure to end its offensive in Gaza launched in response to Hamas’s unprecedented Oct 7 attacks.
But fears are mounting the war could be widening, with Iran and its proxies stepping up attacks across the region in solidarity with Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the Palestinian territory.
Overnight, a wave of Israeli strikes killed at least 78 people in the Gaza Strip, Hamas’s press office said. An AFP correspondent said the southern city of Khan Yunis was hit hard.
On Jan 16 morning, a barrage of 50 rockets was fired at southern Israel, near Netivot, without causing any casualties, the Israeli army said.
Fighting has ravaged Gaza since Oct 7, when Hamas militants carried out an unparalleled attack on Israel that resulted in about 1,140 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also seized about 250 hostages and dragged them back to Gaza, 132 of whom Israel says are still in the coastal territory, including at least 25 believed to have been killed.
More than 24,000 Palestinians, around 70 per cent of them women, young children and adolescents, have been killed in Gaza in Israeli bombardments and ground operations since Oct 7, according to the Hamas government’s health ministry.
AFPTV live footage showed trails of smoke and explosions ring out as Israel’s air defences intercepted rockets near the Gaza border.
Khan Yunis has been the focus of Israeli military operations since the army said on Jan 6 that it had dismantled Hamas’s military structures in the north and was shifting its focus to the south.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had told a news conference on Jan 15 that intense operations would soon be winding down in south Gaza.
“In southern Gaza we will reach this achievement and it will end soon, and in both places, the moment will come when we will move to the next phase,” he said, without specifying a time frame.
The health ministry said on Jan 16 that the war had claimed the lives of at least 24,285 people in the Palestinian territory.
The Israeli army also announced early Jan 16 the death of one more soldier in Gaza, bringing the total number killed since its ground invasion began to 189.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Jan 15 reiterated calls for a stop to the fighting.
“We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure sufficient aid gets to where it is needed, to facilitate the release of the hostages, to tamp down the flames of wider war – because the longer the conflict in Gaza continues, the greater the risk of escalation and miscalculation,” he said.
Israeli officials, including Mr Netanyahu over the weekend, have repeatedly warned the fighting in Gaza will go on for months.
Violence involving regional allies of Iran-backed Hamas – considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union – has surged since the war began.
Yemen’s Huthi rebels, who say they act in solidarity with Gaza, claimed a missile strike on a US-owned cargo ship on Jan 15, just days after the United States and Britain bombed scores of targets inside the country in response to repeated attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Overnight, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out a missile attack that destroyed “the Zionist regime’s (Israel) spy headquarters in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
The IRGC said it also struck a “gathering of anti-Iranian terrorist groups” in Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, and hit a number of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group targets in Syria.
Iraq condemned the strikes as “attack on its sovereignty” and said authorities “will take all legal steps”, including “lodging a complaint with the (UN) Security Council”, the foreign ministry said.
It also summoned Iran’s envoy in Baghdad and recalled its ambassador from Teheran for consultations.
Iran defended the strikes, saying they were a “targeted operation” and “just punishment” against those who breach the Islamic republic’s security.
The United Nations says the Israel-Hamas war has displaced roughly 85 per cent of Gaza’s 2.4 million population, many of whom have been forced to crowd into shelters and struggle to get food, water, fuel and medical care.
As temperatures plunge, families living in makeshift tents in Rafah have resorted to burning plastic to ward off the chill, despite the noxious fumes.
“At night, I feel like we’re going to die from the cold,” said Ms Haneen Adwan, 31, a mother of six who was forced to flee from central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp.
The Israeli public, meanwhile, has kept up intense pressure on the government to secure the return of the hostages seized by Hamas on Oct 7, with the militant group on Jan 15 announcing the deaths of two more captives.
Hamas’s armed wing released a video showing a woman hostage, speaking under duress, revealing that two men she was held with had been killed in captivity.
In a statement released with the video, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades blamed “the Zionist army’s bombing” for the deaths of the hostages.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari rejected the cause of death as a “lie”, but added: “We know that we hit targets near the location where they were held”, saying an investigation was under way.
Ms Hagit Chen, the mother of one of the hostages, said at an event in Berlin that it was “hard to live, to sleep, to breathe, to eat” because she had heard nothing from her son Itay, 19, since Hamas took him captive. AFP
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/israel-continues-to-pound-southern-gaza-as-fears-grow-of-widening-war
| 2024-01-16T12:09:42Z
|
blocked_url
|
GAZA/ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER - Israeli tanks stormed back into parts of the northern Gaza Strip they had left last week, residents said on Tuesday, bringing back some of the most intense fighting since the New Year when Israel announced it was scaling back its operations there.
Massive explosions could be seen over northern areas of Gaza from across the border with Israel - a rarity over the past two weeks after Israel announced a draw-down of forces in the north as part of a transition to smaller, targeted operations.
The rattle of intense gunfire carried across the border through the night. In the morning, contrails snaked through the sky as Israel's Iron Dome defences shot down rockets fired by militants across the fence, proof they retain the capability to launch them despite more than 100 days of war.
Israel said its forces had killed dozens of Hamas fighters overnight in clashes in Beit Lahiya on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip. Gaza health authorities said the last 24 hours of Israeli bombing had killed 158 people in the enclave, raising their toll for the war, now in its fourth month, to 24,285, with thousands more bodies feared lost in the rubble.
Israel launched the war to eradicate Hamas after militants stormed across the border fence on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 240 hostages. The war has driven nearly all Gazans from their homes, some several times, and caused a humanitarian crisis, with food, fuel and medical supplies running low.
Under pressure from Washington to reduce civilian casualties, Israel had said it was shifting tactics, transitioning from a full-scale ground assault to targeted operations against the Hamas militants that control the enclave.
It began that shift with a pullback in the north, where its forces had begun their ground offensive in October. On Monday evening, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also said the more recent ground assault in the south was drawing to a close.
But any path toward de-escalating the war still seems remote, with Israel saying it will not halt until Hamas is destroyed, and the fighters showing no sign of losing the ability to resist. Israeli officials said Hamas rockets hit an electronics shop in southern Israel on Tuesday morning. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Some of the hundreds of thousands of residents who fled the north earlier in the war had begun returning last week to bombed-out areas where the Israelis had withdrawn. But residents who spoke to Reuters on Tuesday said the abrupt resurgence of fighting in the north would now halt plans to try to go home.
"We almost planned to return to our house in Nazla, east of Jabalia, but thank God we didn't. This morning people living nearby arrived here and told us the tanks pushed back there," said Abu Khaled, 43, a father of three now living with relatives in severely damaged Gaza City.
"The sounds of bombing from the tanks, from the planes didn't stop all night. It reminded us of the first day of the ground incursion," he said. "I will only believe tanks are out when a ceasefire agreement is announced."
'FORGIVE ME, MY SON. I COULD NOT PROTECT YOU'
In the south of the enclave, Israeli forces have fought their way to the centre of the main southern city Khan Younis, and into towns north and east of the central city of Deir al-Balah.
Defence Minister Gallant's announcement on Monday that the major ground offensive in the south was soon coming to an end raises the question of whether the Israelis will still try to advance into the remaining southern areas.
Most of Gaza's 2.3 million people are now crowded into the few southern areas that Israeli troops have yet to enter, including Deir al-Balah and Rafah, which is located on the southern edge of the strip.
In Khan Younis, Zaher Abu Zarifa wept and cradled a black plastic body bag holding his seven-year-old son Saif, one of at least 11 bodies brought out at a hospital morgue.
The boy was killed, his father said, by a missile while playing on a bicycle by a school gate. Later, by a small freshly dug grave, a gravedigger unzipped the bag so the father could kiss the boy's face, then zipped it back up, took the boy and gently laid him in the ground.
"Forgive me, my son. I could not protect you," the father repeated. "Forgive me, my son. I could not protect you."
In Rafah, residents were combing the rubble of the house of the Ibn Germy family, which had been bombed overnight.
"What is their fault? They were having dinner, we want peace not war," said neighbour Salem al-Loulahy. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/israeli-tanks-storm-back-into-north-gaza-areas-where-they-had-withdrawn
| 2024-01-16T12:09:53Z
|
blocked_url
|
DAVOS - Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday accused Iran of killing innocent civilians in its strikes on the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards earlier said they attacked an Israeli spy centre in the region.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos after the attack, Barzani said the Iranian allegations were baseless and added that now was not the time for U.S forces to withdraw from the country.
"What's surprising - we are not a part of this conflict. We don’t know why Iran is retaliating against civilians of Kurdistan, especially in Erbil," Barzani told reporters.
At least four civilians were killed and six wounded in the Iranian missiles strikes, the Kurdistan government's security council said.
Iraq condemned Iran's "aggression" on Erbil and recalled its ambassador from Tehran for discussions, according to a statement by the country's foreign ministry.
Asked about recent calls in Iraq to remove the U.S.-led international military coalition from the country, Barzani said: "The U.S. is in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government and their mission is to fight terrorism."
"We don't think terrorism has ended and last night's event is an indication that instability in the region is still very much at stake," he added.
The U.S. has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq on a mission that it says advises and assists local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large parts of both countries before being defeated. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/kurdish-pm-says-iran-is-attacking-civilians-accusations-of-israeli-spy-hq-are-baseless
| 2024-01-16T12:10:03Z
|
blocked_url
|
In an interview with the Voice of America, Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev gave details of Bulgarian military aid to Ukraine, including old Soviet-era systems and ammunition, which are, however, in good working condition and which the Ukrainian military already knows how to use without the need for additional training.
“The most important thing is the production of ammunition, small arms, and light weapons in Bulgaria. This is the area of production in which Bulgaria specialized back in Soviet times, and this specialization is still there. So, the defense industry operates almost 24/7, and the bulk of this production goes to Ukraine, either directly or through third parties,” Tagarev said.
According to VoA, Bulgaria’s assistance played a key role in the first months of the all-out war, when Bulgarian weapons began to arrive in Ukraine, accounting for 30% of all military aid.
Tagarev suggested that at the beginning of the all-out war, the Bulgarian deliveries might have included small arms, light weaponry, RPGs, self-propelled artillery units, 122mm and 152mm caliber shells, and landmines.
He also revealed that Bulgaria’s defense industry plans to start the production of ammunition according to Soviet-era standards. Furthermore, they intend to establish additional manufacturing capabilities for NATO-standard ammunition, specifically 155mm and 105mm calibers. To facilitate this, the minister mentioned that several Bulgarian companies have submitted applications for investment under the European Commission’s ASAP program. This initiative sees the EU allocating a total of 500 million euros to support investment projects, amounting to up to 1.4 billion euros in total. These projects aim to stimulate the growth of ammunition and missile production within the European Union.
Tagarev said he believes Ukraine will win its war with Russia, provided it receives continued military, political, and financial support from its allies. According to him, the greatest role in achieving this goal could be played by providing Ukraine with combat aircraft to reduce Russia’s air superiority and, when Ukraine is ready to launch an offensive, to protect ground forces.
Read more:
- Türkiye, Romania, and Bulgaria sign agreement for joint Black Sea mine clearance
- Bulgarian Parliament approves € 3.6 bn aid package for Ukraine
- Bulgaria to send 100 armored vehicles to Ukraine, ignoring president’s veto
- Bulgaria to grant access to its skies for Ukraine’s F-16 training
- Bulgarian President Radev vetoes donation of 100 armored vehicles to Ukraine (updated)
|
https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/16/bulgarias-military-industrial-complex-working-almost-24-7-for-ukraine-defense-minister-says/
| 2024-01-16T12:37:20Z
|
blocked_url
|
On 16 January, Artem Lysohor, Head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, reported that the Russian forces shifted their assault vector in western Luhansk Oblast, moving it to the region’s southwest.
In Ukraine’s northeast, Russians activated their assaults months ago, trying to seize Ukraine-controlled parts of Luhansk Oblast and capture the key railway hub of Kupiansk in adjacent Kharkiv Oblast. Despite massive ground attacks, the frontline did not change significantly during the Russian campaign.
“The occupiers have changed the vector of their assault operations, shifting it from Makiivka to Serebrianka Forest and Bilohorivka. In these areas, 19 Russian attacks were repelled yesterday,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
According to Lysohor, most of the Russian assaults in the area were supported by air forces.
“The enemy tried to force our defenders out of the [Serebrianka] forest. In particular, a powerful assault attempt was organized at the position of the Volyn Territorial Defence Brigade. However, the Russians failed there [suffering losses of] about 90 wounded and killed invaders, three destroyed tanks, and a number of other vehicles,” Lysohor reported.
Also, Russia’s Air Force attacked Novoliubivka, while the Russian ground forces shelled nearby Nevske with mortars and artillery. The villages are located halfway between Makiivka and Bilohorivka. Lysohor notes that civilians remain in both Novoliubivka and Nevske.
Read also:
- Russia bombed occupied Rubizhne in Luhansk Oblast
- Regional leader: Russia’s latest assaults focused on Kharkiv’s Kupiansk sector
- Official: Russian army “eliminated” almost all Ukrainian literature in occupied Luhansk, Donetsk
- Alleged attack on occupied Sorokyne, Luhansk Oblast, causes explosions, secondary detonations (video)
|
https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/16/official-russians-changed-assault-vector-in-luhansk-oblast/
| 2024-01-16T12:38:00Z
|
blocked_url
|
On the evening of 15 January, Russian troops conducted an air strike on New York, Donetsk Oblast, with four KAB-500 guided bombs, injuring three people. More people may remain under the rubble of a half-destroyed three-storey apartment building, according to the regional police.
Donetsk’s New York is located near the frontline, facing Horlivka, a town occupied by the Russian forces since 2024. Russians have been attacking all settlements near the front using artillery, aviation, and drones. The KAB-500 is a Russian 500-kilogram bomb equipped with a guidance kit that converts unguided FAB-500 “dumb bombs” into precision-guided munitions.
“As of 9:00 a.m. [16 January], we know about three injured civilians. Five people are probably under the rubble,” the police said.
According to the police, the attack damaged six three-storey buildings and five detached houses in New York.
The bomb attack occurred at 18:00 on 15 January. A 62-year-old woman who was on the street at the time of the bombardment sustained shrapnel wounds. Men aged 66 and 68 were also injured, according to the regional prosecutor’s office, public broadcaster Suspilne reports.
Clearing the rubble will continue until the blocked people are freed. There are no children under the rubble, Stanislav Baldin, a spokesman for the Donetsk Oblast State Emergency Service, told Suspilne Donbas.
Read also:
|
https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/16/police-russia-bombs-donetsks-new-york-injuring-three/
| 2024-01-16T12:38:40Z
|
blocked_url
|
Vadym Skibitskyi, the representative of Ukrainian military intelligence, reports a shift in Russian targeting from Ukraine’s energy sector last winter to the facilities of the Ukrainian defense industry. However, the threat to the country’s energy sector still looms, according to him.
Russia conducted a campaign to destroy the Ukrainian energy infrastructure that lasted from the fall of 2022 to the spring of 2023, damaging multiple energy facilities across the country and causing massive blackouts in multiple regions. Russia’s latest air attacks did not target the power facilities.
“As of today, the main efforts of the Russian Federation are focused on the destruction of our infrastructure facilities. These are primarily the facilities of our defense industry, headquarters, command and control systems, and individual units deployed on the front line,” Skibitsky told RBK Ukraine.
However, Skibitskyi said, Russia doesn’t achieve its goals:
“The weapons used by Russia, in particular the Kinzhal [hypersonic missiles], are very inaccurate. And, unfortunately, it is mostly the civilian population that suffers from them,” he said.
The intelligence representative stressed that the fact that the Russians do not currently target energy facilities does not mean that they do not monitor the state of Ukraine’s energy sector. Skibitskyi says Russia continues to regularly take satellite imagery of our energy facilities in order to strike whenever possible and if necessary. Therefore, the threat to the Ukrainian energy sector remains.
In recent weeks, Russia carried out several massive air attacks against Ukraine, which involved hundreds of missiles of various types.
Read also:
|
https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/16/ukrainian-intel-russias-recent-missile-attacks-targeted-ukraines-defense-industry/
| 2024-01-16T12:39:21Z
|
blocked_url
|
Congratulations once again to Kieran Culkin who has picked up yet another win for his iconic role as Roman Roy in HBO's Succession after attending the Primetime Emmy's on Monday. But while his multiple wins this awards season have undoubtedly been in the spotlight, his super sweet shout-outs to his wife Jazz Charton during his acceptance speeches have had everyone talking about the cute couple.
The actor took to the stage to accept the win for Lead Actor in a drama series, where he pleaded with his wife for more children which left Jazz, and the audience, in fits of laughter.
Kieran and Jazz are an adorable couple and have been together for many years. They met back in 2012 at a bar in New York City and married a year later. They've also become parents to two children, Kinsey Sioux, aged four, and Wilder Wolf, aged two, but before they entered parenthood, they were enjoying time as husband and wife after tying the knot in a seriously unconventional way.
After meeting in the Big Apple, Jazz, who is British-born, and Kieran were enjoying spending time travelling together and, in June 2013, while on a road trip in Iowa, they decided to get married on the side of the road.
At the time, they kept details of the nuptials private but did share a sweet photo of two cushions with the words "Mr. Culkin" and "Mrs. Culkin." In more recent years, they've shared further insight into their big day.
In 2017, Jazz said on her Instagram: "#TBT to taking time out of our road trip to get married by the side of the road in Iowa during a storm four years ago today. Still the best pit stop I've ever made."
In 2020, Jazz posted a gorgeous photo of the two holding hands as she wrote: "Seven years ago we went on what was supposed to be a 6 week road trip but ended up taking 3 1/2 months. Seven years ago we fell in love with Iowa. Seven years ago we met a girl named Kinsey who helped us get our marriage license and seven years ago today we said I do in the rain with three strangers. Whose genius idea was it to have Father's Day right before our anniversary? One gift counts for both right?"
Although the wedding was beautifully non-traditional, the bride insisted on wearing a gorgeous white gown with a low-cut back and white flowers in her hair. Kieran looked dapper in a dark suit and we adore the photo of them walking through the country fields.
MORE: How the 2024 Emmys paid an emotional tribute to Friends actor Matthew Perry
MORE: 2024 Emmys best moments: From history-making wins to a heartbreaking tribute to Matthew Perry
In 2022, another photo was shared by Jazz which showed the couple embracing on their special day. As Jazz mentioned in previous posts, their wedding took place in a storm and this snap sees them hugging despite being wet. But they didn't let the bad weather dampen their spirit, and we think it adds even more of a romantic feel to the gorgeous image.
Jazz is clearly her husband's biggest cheerleader. After the Succession star picked up his win at Sunday evening's Critics' Choice Awards, she wrote on Instagram: "He's only bloody gone and done it again! While looking like a dream no less in custom @zegnaofficial styled by @mjonf."
A separate post showed off their brilliant sense of humour as a couple. After the Golden Globes, the mother-of-two posted a photo of her carrying Kieran's award, writing: "Considering I have been mocking him for the better part of a decade for never winning it's only fair that he made me lug his award around all night as a walk of shame."
Kieran won the award for Lead Actor in drama series at Monday evening's Primetime Emmy Awards, which came just a day after his win at the Critics Choice Awards and a week after his triumph at the Golden Globes.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/511327/kieran-culkin-and-stunning-wife-jazz-chartons-wedding-was-seriously-unconventional/
| 2024-01-16T12:41:55Z
|
blocked_url
|
Prince Mateen of Brunei's wedding with the Sultan's special advisor Pehin Dato Isa's granddaughter Anisha Rosnah is coming to a close following ten days of celebrations, which included the ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman on 14 January. This saw his bride step out in an ivory wedding dress with a delicate pattern, long sleeves and a mini V-neck, which she accessorised with dazzling diamond jewellery.
Alongside her chunky necklace, matching drop earrings and a non-traditional bouquet made of jewels, the Princess secured a floor-length embellished veil over her brunette hair with a tiara that belonged to her sister-in-law, Princess Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah. Azemah tied the knot with her first cousin Prince Bahar ibni Jefri Bolkiah in January 2023 wearing a bespoke headpiece created by Singapore jeweller Flower Diamond, which is estimated to be worth a whopping £10 million.
Alexandra Michell, Gemologist at Prestige Pawnbrokers of Channel 4’s Posh Pawn, told HELLO! there could have been several reasons Anisha chose to carefully adjust Azemah's "practical" yet symbolic bridal tiara for her big day. "The 838 diamonds totalling 132 carats set in white gold piece was designed in 2023 as an easy to wear and lightweight tiara but with an impressive effect for HRH Princess Azemah’s wedding. I would estimate the value to be upwards of £10 million.
"Heavily laden tiaras can become uncomfortable to wear, especially when they must be worn during lengthy ceremonies. It is possible that this one was chosen for Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Isteri Anisha Rosnah to wear for practical reasons so as not to encumber her during the formal proceedings," Alexandra explained.
Commenting on the symbolic design, she added that there are subtle links with the emblem of Brunei. It is made up of a swallowtail flag and a royal parasol, which are both regalia of the sultanate's monarchy; wings, which symbolise the protection of justice; two upturned hands, which reportedly indicate the government's duty to preserve the welfare of the citizens; and a crescent, which is a symbol of Islam. The gemologist also noted the "classical" features of symmetry and geometry, adding: "There is also a strong naturalistic aspect to it, with the ocean featuring within the tiara. There are undulating waves in the design, terminated by oval cut diamonds, possibly representing Borneo, on which the Sovereign State is located."
Meanwhile, Mateen looked dapper in a white military jacket and black trousers. Next to a photo of the royal couple on Instagram, the jeweller wrote a congratulatory message and revealed their honour at being involved. "Congratulations to the beautiful royal couple, His Royal Highness Prince Mateen & Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Isteri Anisha Rosnah binti Adam! We appreciate the privilege of being part of your special day and sharing in the joyous celebration. It’s truly an honour for us to design and craft the royal tiara worn on this meaningful and commemorative occasion. Wishing you a lifetime of blessings & joy," the message read.
Following their ceremony, Mateen and Anisha rode through Bandar Seri Begawan in an open-top Rolls-Royce to greet crowds who gathered to celebrate with them, before enjoying a banquet to mark the end of their nuptials on Monday night. For the latter, the bride left a lasting impression by slipping into yet another gorgeous ivory gown – this one covered with sparkling gems and featuring a subtle mermaid skirt – which she teamed with a different tiara.
Earlier in the week, she was pictured by Muash Rosman at her Berbedak Mandi ceremony in an elegant gown by Teh Firdaus swathed in lace with a round neck, long sleeves and a column skirt. After an outfit change, Anisha wore a striking red ensemble featuring brown leather detailing and chunky gold jewellery.
PHOTOS: Princess Kate's £250k wedding dress: all the photos, details and the fascinating story behind it
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/511342/why-prince-mateen-brunei-bride-borrowed-10-million-tiara-princess-azemah/
| 2024-01-16T12:42:01Z
|
blocked_url
|
There is something so irresistibly polished about an all white outfit, as proven by the royal style set, who have been embracing the simplicity of monochromatic dressing for decades.
For formal occasions, white has connotations of purity, simplicity and blankness, which is why it is such a popular palette for royal weddings. Queen Camilla opted for ivory ceremonial robes designed by Bruce Oldfield for her coronation; no doubt symbolic of the dawn of new beginnings and her new reign.
HELLO! spoke to colour expert Gabi Winters from Chromology, who explained that scientifically speaking, "white contains an equal balance of all the colours of the spectrum." With this in mind, Gabi says that white's most fundamental feature is "equality, neutrality and independence."
She added: "Culturally speaking white is a symbol of purity, cleanliness, immaculacy and perfection, which is why it's the natural colour choice for bridal dresses, doctors' coats and seafarers."
Yet monochrome dressing has proved a popular sartorial choice for the royals outside of formal occasions, too. Princess Kate's immaculate Wimbledon wardrobe is often peppered with porcelain-hued dresses, while the Duchess of Edinburgh's crisp and clean Royal Ascot looks have contributed to some of her best style moments.
MORE ROYAL STYLE
Here, see 11 best all-white outfits from royalty's monochrome mavens.
Princess Kate's Anzac day white ensemble
The Princess of Wales opted for a beautiful all-white ensemble for the Anzac Day Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on 25 April 2022.
Zara Tindall's brilliant white dress and boater
The mother-of-three turned heads at Royal Ascot's Ladies' Day in 2022 in a beautiful satin tea dress from Laura Green.
Her bright green boater hat, however, was the real showstopper. Adorned with a gravity-defying rose perched on the brim, Zara's pink and green accessory perfectly matched the candy-pink buttons on her dress.
Princess Beatrice's serene white sheer dress
Princess Beatrice looked breathtaking in 2014 when she stepped out in a sheer white dress adorned with ivory petals for the the annual Serpentine Gallery Summer Party.
The auburn-haired royal added a classic red lipstick and candy pink strappy heels to elevate her monochrome moment.
Duchess Sophie's powder-white Royal Ascot dress
The Duchess of Edinburgh opted for a classical white colour palette at Royal Ascot in June this year.
The royal donned an ultra-feminine, silk dress from Suzannah London named the 'Allison Pure Dress'.
Inspired by a 1940's vintage archive piece, the Allison Pure dress is cut from a high quality Italian ivory silk crepe.The dress has a semi-fitted bodice with full fluid skirt which falls elegantly to midi length.
With its beautiful bow-effect neckline, belted waist and soft, silky skirt, Duchess Sophie shone at the Berkshire racecourse as an emblem of royal elegance.
Princess Anne's fit-and-flare white suit
The Princess Royal opted for a fitted peplum suit to watch the Veterans Parade On VJ Day.
The archival photograph, captured in 1995, shows Princess Anne's sartorial prowess of the time, with slightly puffled, retro sleeves, a cinched waist and flared hem teamed with a smart pencil skirt, the royal completed her look with a unique white headpiece.
Queen Mary of Denmark's accession gown
Making history as the first Australia-born Queen, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark made her first appearance as Queen wearing a beautiful white gown designed by Copenhagen-based fashion brand Soeren Le Schmidt, who told HOLA! USA: "I am very honoured, happy and grateful that Queen Mary wore my dress today. The first dress as a Queen, and it was mine."
Princess Charlene's glittering sheer dress
Princess Charlene of Monaco exuded timeless glamour in a billowing ivory gown as she dazzled at the 74th Red Cross Gala in Monaco beside her husband, Prince Albert, in 2023.
Turning heads at the illustrious fundraising event, the Monégasque royal donned a spellbinding tunic dress layered with a sheer overlay adorned with glittering crystals. Complete with a scooped neckline, romantic cuffed sleeves and a waist-cinching belt, Princess Charlene's angelic gown highlighted her athletic silhouette.
Princess Eugenie's snow-white Christmas Day outfit
Back in 2014, Princess Eugenie stepped out in Sandringham with her royal family on Christmas Day, looking resplendent in a flared white coat and electric pink hat.
Queen Letizia's puff-sleeved porcelain dress
Queen Letizia of Spain is well acquainted with a white colour palette, often opting to wear head-to-toe white to most formal occasions. Here, she beguiled in a fitted long-sleeve ivory dress, complete with romantic puffed sleeves and a sophisticated leg slit.
Meghan Markle's crisp power suit
It's hard to forget the Duchess of Sussex's power suit at the Invictus Games in 2022. The raven-haired beauty looked angelic in a white wool two-piece suit from Valentino, featuring an oversized blazer with a double-breasted fit and straight-leg trousers as she supported her husband Prince Harry at the charity event.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/royal-style/511340/royal-ladies-wearing-white-kate-middleton-princess-beatrice-zara-tindall/
| 2024-01-16T12:42:07Z
|
blocked_url
|
Katie Holmes, 45, not only has a strong physical resemblance to her daughter Suri Cruise, whom she shares with her ex-husband Tom Cruise, 61, but she has also passed on her passion for the arts. The Dawson's Creek actress revealed she "always" asks her lookalike daughter, 17, to help contribute to her projects. So far, that has included lending her singing voice to her mother's films Alone Together and Rare Objects, with the credits for the latter even reading: "This film is dedicated to SURI".
Speaking about the "very meaningful" process of working with her daughter, Katie told Glamour: "I hope she always does something on my films. I always ask her. But both of those experiences came out of the same sense of what I love about our industry, which is, you have these projects and you become a family with people. And it’s this safe, beautiful, creative space." She continued: "So it comes out of love for me to include someone who I love dearly. That’s how I like to work. I like to have that kind of feeling. It was very meaningful to me to have her there because she’s my heart." Listen to her singing voice below...
Katie has taken every opportunity to praise her daughter's talents. When asked about Suri singing "Blue Moon" in the opening credits for Along Together, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022, she told Yahoo! Entertainment: "She's very, very talented. She said she would do it and she recorded it and I let her do her thing." The doting mother sweetly continued: "I always want the highest level of talent, so I asked her."
Katie was married to Tom Cruise from 2006 until 2012, with the couple stating their divorce was partly due to his Scientology beliefs. They welcomed Suri in April 2006, but Katie has tried to keep her out of the spotlight throughout her childhood. She admitted she wanted to "protect" Suri from the limelight "because she was so visible at a young age." The Batman Begins star has been raising her daughter in New York, where the pair are thought to live in a SoHo district in a $12,000-a-month apartment.
The mother-daughter duo moved to the east coast from Los Angeles after Katie and Tom's divorce. As well as commenting on her supportive friends and neighbours, Katie has also heaped praise on her mother Kathleen for her parenting advice and help.
She said Kathleen "is always willing to fly to me if I need her, and even when I don't," according to People. Speaking of her girlfriends, she added: "I lean on them. For advice, for recipes, for all of that stuff: 'What am I supposed to do? Can you come over and watch? Can you be a helping hand?' And I do have help, yes, but… it's your baby, you know? You want to be the one who is there."
DON'T MISS: Why didn't anyone warn me how bad mum guilt would be?
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511344/katie-holmes-asks-lookalike-teenage-daughter-suri-cruise-for-meaningful-help/
| 2024-01-16T12:42:13Z
|
blocked_url
|
Though the 75th Emmy Awards ceremony was postponed by four months due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes, it was absolutely worth the wait for the fashion and beauty on display
In the clothing department, Suki Waterhouse took red carpet pregnancy dressing to new heights in a cut-out Maison Valentino dress, Selena Gomez nailed 2024's flower power trend in an Oscar De La Renta gown and Wednesday's Jenna Ortega looked every inch the 60s siren in a haute couture dress by Christian Dior.
You may also like
Granted, the gilded Emmy award statue was the must-have accessory of the evening. But the diamonds dripping from Hollywood's chicest A-listers were equally as stellar.
From $75,000 lab-grown necklaces to Chanel, Dior, Bulgari and more, here are our favourite jewellery moments from the evening.
Selena Gomez
Selena stunned in a showstopping platinum and 18k gold Bird on a Rock necklace from Tiffany & Co. which features a morganite stone of over 35 carats with diamonds and pink sapphires.
Ayo Edibiri
Emmy winner Ayo opted for timeless glamour in lab grown 9ct diamond stud earrings, a diamond tennis necklace and an emerald eternity diamond ring, all from Brilliant Earth.
Meghann Fahy
The White Lotus star Meghann paired her rose-clad red Armani dress with High Jewellery earrings in pink gold with 6 square diamonds, High Jewellery bracelet in pink gold with 27 step cut diamonds and the Serpenti Viper Pink Gold 18K ring, all from Bulgari.
Ali Wong
Statement glamour was on history maker Ali's agenda, pairing her Louis Vuitton gown with dazzling earrings from Chopard.
Rachel Brosnahan
Rachel gave her edgy plum Atelier Versace dress an extra touch of punk with a stack of cuff earrings from Rainbow K and Suzanne Kalan.
Jenna Ortega
Jenna paired her stunning 60s-style Dior dress with an art-deco style necklace also from the brand.
Juno Temple
Ted Lasso star Juno Temple wore a statement lab diamond choker necklace from Brilliant Earth worth $75,000.
Christina Ricci
Low-hanging jewellery is proven to be a trend to watch for 2024 thanks to this awards season. Christina wore an emerald green statement necklace from High Jewellery Atelier Martin Katz
Riley Keough
Riley paired her elegant sheer Chanel dress with diamond-shaped diamond drop earrings also from Chanel.
Arianna DeBose
Arianna was dripping in diamonds from De Beers, including a showstopping Classic Bezel Set dangling Diamond Necklace with Clip set in 18K White Gold.
From Kylie Jenner's lace-pannelled vintage dress to Selena Gomez's showstopping red Armani gown, there were some standout trends at this year's awards ceremony
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/hfm/fashion-trends/511323/best-jewellery-emmys-2024/
| 2024-01-16T12:42:19Z
|
blocked_url
|
Last night Hollywood’s most famed faces gathered together to celebrate the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. Like all good events, the real celebration starts when the formalities are well and truly over. Suit jackets come off, heels are swapped out for a more comfortable option and most importantly, champagne is flowing.
You may also like
From Heidi Klum's mermaid-core look to Este Haim in full Louis Vuitton, here are the best-dressed celebs from every Emmy Awards after-party.
Este Haim
⅓ of the Haim sisters sported a full Louis Vuitton look to attend HBO's official Emmys after-party. Pairing knee-high black boots with a one-sleeved sequin t-shirt dress, Este proved that opulent after-parties can be kept a little casual.
Storm Reid
Zendaya’s on-screen sister opted for a striking Maticevski dress with pops of neon yellow to attend HBO's Emmys after-party, topping off her party ensemble with a wrist full of Van Cleef & Arpels bracelets and a structured gold choker necklace.
RuPaul
Our queen RuPaul chose to don a Valentino-approved hot pink blouse and black sequin tuxedo last night. The voluminous blouse was complete with a large bow tie, warranting a sea of approval amongst the coquette-core girlies.
Eiza Gonzalez
Mexican actress Eiza Gonzalez showed up to the Walt Disney Company's Emmys after-party in a vibrant teal gown from Magda Butrym. The plunging neckline dress was paired with a simple diamond choker necklace from Bulgari and her brunette locks effortlessly cascaded down her back.
Lizzy Caplan
Lizzy proved that sheer lace is here to stay in 2024 with her Dior SS24 after-party ensemble. She paired her black gown with a bold red lip and curtain bang updo.
Natasha Lyonne
Orange is the New Black’s Natasha Lyonne swapped out her suspenders for a glistening silver-sequined dress, chunky black boots and a cropped black blazer. The full look was paired with her iconic firey locks and a satin cross-body clutch.
Heidi Klum
Channelling her inner mermaid mantra, supermodel Heidi Klum sported a striking teal-toned gown with matching earrings to attend the Walt Disney Company's Emmys after-party. Leaning right into the mermaid-core aesthetic, Hedi chose a side parting and loose waves to frame her iconic face card.
Anne Hathaway fronts the latest campaign for the collaboration which has supported Save the Children since 2009 and raised over $150m for children in need.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/hfm/fashion-trends/511332/emmy-awards-2024-best-after-party-looks/
| 2024-01-16T12:42:25Z
|
blocked_url
|
If January wasn’t already busy enough, this year, the 2024 Emmy Awards have entered the conversation. Traditionally, the celebration of the best in TV takes place in September, but thanks to 2023’s writers and actors strikes in Hollywood, we’ve got another major red carpet to kick off the new year — and we’re not complaining. This year, you can expect a big night for fan favorites like The Bear and Succession, and big fashion turns for NYLON favorites, including Ayo Edebiri, Aubrey Plaza, Jenna Ortega, and more. Here, find all of the best style moments of the night.
Joy SundayFrazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Samantha HanrattyJay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
Sophie NélisseKevin Mazur/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Liv HewsonFrazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Courtney EatonFrazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
|
https://www.nylon.com/fashion/2024-emmy-awards-red-carpet
| 2024-01-16T13:01:41Z
|
blocked_url
|
Harrison Ford looked totally besotted as he held wife Calista Flockhart's hand at the Apple TV+ Emmy Awards Post Ceremony Reception.
The 81-year-old actor joined his wife of 13 years at the afterparty, as the former Ally McBeal star was presenting at the ceremony. The couple looked super sleek as the Indiana Jones star donned a classic black tuxedo with a white dress shirt for the event, while Calista stunned in a sequined suit jacket and black pants.
The couple beamed at one another as they held each other's hands. Harrison had tearfully paid a loving tribute to his wife to Calista on stage at the Critic's Choice Awards where he received a lifetime achievement award.
He said: "I'd like to thank my lovely wife", his voice breaking. "She supports me when I need a lot of support and I need a lot of support."
"I'm really happy to be here tonight to see what our business is turning into and all of the talented people that are getting opportunities that probably would not have existed in the early part of my career," he continued.
"I'm very happy about that. I'm here because of a combination of luck and the work of wonderful directors, writers, and filmmakers. I feel enormously lucky. I'm happy for this honor and appreciate it very much. I'm grateful for all of the fine actors that I have worked with."
To finish his speech, he said: "I'm deeply happy to have had the opportunities that I have had and I'm grateful. Thank you. I won't take any more of your time. Thank you."
Calista accompanied her husband to the Critic's Choice Awards, where they kissed before he went up to accept his award. The actress was in floods of tears as he spoke.
Last year Harrison revealed that his wife had started acting again after she had taken time off to raise their son.
"She's just going back to work after having devoted herself to the raising of our son, Liam, for the last 20 years, and she's enjoying going back to work. I'm hoping we will find something to do together."
He explained that while they "haven't found one yet", they'd "love to find one we could do together."
The couple's son Liam went to liberal arts college in 2020, being dropped off for his fall semester in style in Harrison's private plane. The couple hugged their son before leaving.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511350/harrison-ford-wife-calista-flockhart-dazzles-figure-hugging-suit-emmy-red-carpet-appearance/
| 2024-01-16T13:25:51Z
|
blocked_url
|
Amanda Seyfried skipped the Emmy Awards on Monday, but she still made sure to celebrate the achievements of her peers in style from the comfort of her own home.
The 38-year-old, who was not nominated at this year's Emmys, marked the awards ceremony by still dressing up for the occasion – but instead of her usual red carpet designer glam, she wore a homemade dress designed by her six-year-old daughter, Nina.
Taking to her Instagram Story, Amanda shared a black-and-white photo of herself modeling a makeshift mini dress adorned with various ribbons hanging from the hem.
Due to the lack of color in the photo, it is hard to make out what material the 'dress' is made from, but Nina did an incredible job piecing it together to highlight her mom's physique, creating a nipped-in waist that showcased Amanda's curves and long legs.
Captioning the snap, the proud mom wrote: "Celebrating the Emmy's with a handmade creation by a six year old," implying it was her daughter who made the dress.
The Mean Girls actress shares Nina and her son, Thomas, three, with her actor husband Thomas Sadoski. The family lives on a farm in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York with 34 animals.
The couple, who starred in Newsroom and Life in Pieces together, prefer to keep their children out of the spotlight, instead sharing glimpses of their quiet life upstate with the occasional social media photo.
In 2022, when Amanda won a Primetime Emmy Award for her leading turn in Hulu's The Dropout, she made sure to pay tribute to her husband and children, speaking directly to her daughter in her speech, adding: "Hi! Bubs, you gotta go to bed now, but thanks!"
She exclusively told HELLO! about Nina's reaction to the moment, saying: "My daughter actually cried. She was confused about how I spoke to her through the TV. And I was like 'Are you kidding?'
"So, I called her, she was supposed to be in bed to go to school tomorrow. I didn't expect that to be the reaction. But I think in ten years she'll appreciate it," she continued.
Amanda explained at the time why sharing her joy with her family is so important to her, adding: "I really wanted to do that for them, and my husband was like 'You've got to just talk to them when you get up there, you've just got to talk to them. Those are the people that matter, and this is what you're doing it for now.'"
It might not be long before Nina follows in her parents' footsteps as Amanda previously revealed that her daughter is a "natural-born actor". "She's not working, but I know in my bones that this is what she is. She's a performer," she told People.
"My husband's like, 'I'm terrified'," she added. "And I was like, 'Let her do what she's going to do. She's a child of actors. What do you expect?'".
Amanda also explained that Nina is at an age now where she is finally understanding what her mom does for a living. "She's starting to really appreciate that this is what I do for a living, and she understands it as much as any 6-year-old can," she explained.
"When I say 'I'm going to go do this, you'll see me on TV,' she'll be like, 'Okay mama,' and she misses me, but when I come back, she's proud ... She has this pride."
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletterand get them delivered straight to your inbox.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/celebrity-style/511347/amanda-seyfried-wears-dress-made-by-six-year-old-daughter-nina-photo/
| 2024-01-16T13:25:58Z
|
blocked_url
|
Jodie Foster is back on our screens in the hotly-anticipated returning drama, True Detective: Night Country, in which she stars alongside Kali Reis as police officers investigating the mysterious disappearance of eight men in the fictional mining town of Ennis, Alaska.
The new HBO revival marks Jodie's first television role in almost 50 years, with the 61-year-old last appearing on the small screen back in 1975. While Jodie is a household name across the globe thanks to her long-standing film career, how much do you know about her life away from the cameras? Keep reading for all we know about her very private relationship with her famous wife.
While Jodie is a frequent fixture on movie theatre screens, the actress likes to remain out of the spotlight when it comes to her private life.
The LA-born star is married to photographer and director Alexandra Hedison. She is the daughter of late actor David Hedison, who was perhaps best known for playing CIA agent Felix Leiter in two James Bond films: Live and Let Die (1973) and Licence to Kill (1989).
The 54-year-old, who previously dated talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, is a fine art photographer whose work has been displayed in public and private collections worldwide.
Like her wife, Alexandra is no stranger to the small screen, having had various acting roles in the 1990s before quitting the business. "I was supporting myself, but I was miserable,'' she told The New York Times in 2004. ''Actors need to be front and center all the time. That's not me.''
Alexandra is clearly a woman of many talents as she's not only an artist and actress but a designer, too! Back in 2014, a 1956 Hollywood Hills West home was rebuilt and updated by Alexandra before going on sale for $2.75 million.
The same year, Alexandra and Jodie tied the knot in a private ceremony after almost a year of dating. While the couple kept details about their nuptials under wraps, it's likely that they wed in California.
Alexandra sometimes shares glimpses into her life with Jodie on social media. Posting a sweet birthday message in November last year, the photographer gushed over her wife as she shared a snap from Jodie's 61st birthday celebrations.
"Loving you is easy as cake. Happy birthday, beautiful."
Clearly a supportive wife, Alexandra congratulated Jodie back in 2021 following her Golden Globes nomination for her role in the thriller film, The Mauritanian.
"What happens in quarantine stays in quarantine. Every day I'm a proud wife but today you get a special shout out in the remote land of IG," she penned. "I'll have to show you my phone for you to see this but still...I'm shouting from the rooftops. Congratulations to you, @taharrahimofficiel & everyone involved in this important film @themauritanian #goldenglobes photo by @brettglam."
Having been with Jodie for over a decade, Alexandra has no doubt helped the actress raise her two children, Kit and Charles, who the Oscar winner shares with her ex-partner Cydney Bernard.
Opening up about raising her two sons, who are both in their 20s, in a female-heavy household, Jodie told The Guardian: "They like to watch movies and sit at home, and they’re really into their female friends. They're super feminist. And there was a moment with my older one when he was in high school, when, because he was raised by two women – three women – it was like he was trying to figure out what it was to be a boy.
"And he watched television and came to the conclusion, oh, I just need to be an [expletive]. I understand! And I was like, no! That's not what it is to be a man! That's what our culture has been selling you for all this time."
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511348/meet-jodie-foster-famous-wife-alexandra-hedison/
| 2024-01-16T13:26:04Z
|
blocked_url
|
Jake Cornish has already left the Love Island: All Stars villa, after being partnered with his ex-girlfriend, Liberty Poole when the show premiered on ITV on Monday.
According to The Sun, the reality show star was surprised to see Liberty on the show after having "no idea" that she would also be taking part in the series, which sees former fan favourite Love Islanders take another chance at love in the Mallorca villa. The insider added that Jake had an emotional chat with the show’s presenter, Maya Jama, before stepping away from the reality series.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to discuss, one person wrote: "That's so quick, but pairing him with Liberty doesn't mean he has to stick with her though," while another fan added: "What a waste of a flight."
A third person tweeted: "He doesn't want to play the villain again. Don't blame him."
Ahead of entering the villa, Jake opened up about why he was taking part again, telling ITV: "There is nothing major I would do differently but I have definitely matured in the two years since first being on the show. I look at things differently and respond differently. When it comes to people's opinions, I don’t sit on the fence anymore. That is my way of life now, so I will take that into the Villa."
Speaking about how he would feel if he came across an ex-partner on the show, he added: "Well there is only one and that’s Liberty. We never ended with any bad blood between us and everything happens for a reason. We just become two different people in the end."
Speaking about why the villa is the perfect place to find love, he added: "It’s high spirits. The sun's out, everyone is happy and you’re taking part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Who wouldn’t be excited to go into the Villa?!
Despite Jake’s exit, the new episode of Love Island went down a treat with fans, who took to social media to discuss. One person wrote: "Wait the producers have actually given us a good first episode," while another person joked: "Chris is the only non-evil man in that villa… it’s looking bleak for the girlies."
A third fan added: "I take back everything I thought and said… I think we might be about to witness an ICONIC series #LoveIslandAllStars."
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511349/love-island-all-stars-jake-cornish-quits-show/
| 2024-01-16T13:26:10Z
|
blocked_url
|
Counting many celebrity and royal fans, Reiss is the premium womenswear brand loved for its timelessly chic tailoring and elegant eveningwear.
And if you've had your sights set on refreshing your workwear wardrobe for the new year, you'll be pleased to hear the brand is currently holding a sale with savings of up to 60% on co-ords, suiting, smart dresses and hero blazers, plus many more office-appropriate pieces.
Whether you're searching for the perfect pair of suit trousers for work and weekends or a pleated midi skirt to make a stylish impression at an interview, we've selected our favorites in the womenswear sale.
How I chose the best Reiss workwear items
Versatility: For this edit I selected the items likely to go the distance and give you max cost per wear season after season, so that your purchases are a more sustainable, considered choice. Think neutral colorways, flattering cuts and style classics.
Office appropriate: I've included items suitable for both more corporate and more casual work environments, whether you're dressing for a Zoom call or an important in-person pitch.
Stock availability: I searched for items with the best availability across all sizes at the time of going to press.
Why you should trust me
Having worked on shoots and editorial for HELLO! Fashion for over 8 years and at other leading glossies before that, I have a strong market knowledge of fashion brands and trends whilst being aware of the demands of dress codes for different job roles. My personal style mantra is to invest in items of higher quality for an effortlessly chic wardrobe that doesn't date.
Marlie Ombre Pleated Midi Skirt
Wear with...
An oversized blazer and sleeveless knitted body or a cosy cashmere knit.
This high-waisted knife-pleat skirt will look smart for meetings or evening socials, and the always-stylish navy tone means it won't date.
Mara Slim Leg Tailored Trousers
Wear with...
A blouse or knit in navy, grey, black or white and the camel or black blazer.
Fabricated in a premium wool blend, these flattering tailored trousers in timeless beige have added stretch for all-day comfort. They feature side slip pockets with stitch detail and a zip fly with a hook closure.
Ellis Oversized Long Sleeve Shirt
Wear with...
A denim midi skirt and ankle boots or matching linen trousers.
Borrow from the boys in this Ellis long-sleeved shirt, crafted from a linen blend with traditional touches including a point collar and button closure. The oversized fit lends a modern feel.
Lina High Rise Wide Leg Trousers
Wear with...
A denim or chambray shirt with pointed slingbacks or ankle boots.
These cream Lina trousers are cut in a high-rise, wide-leg profile that falls loosely over the silhouette. Sleek stripe detailing adds a contemporary, sportive look.
Sasha Fitted Ribbed Asymmetric Neck T-Shirt
Wear with...
Cream trousers, a beige belt and your favorite gold jewellery.
With a striking asymmetric neckline, fitted silhouette and soft ribbed fabric, this top will prove versatile layered under a blazer then paired with skirts or shorts in the warmer months.
Mabel Modern Fit Wool Double Breasted Blazer
Wear with...
Flared jeans, tailored trousers or a full-length fitted dress.
Spun from wool with a double-breasted cut for a modern fit, this blazer in goes-with-everything black will become one of your most worn pieces for work and play. Size up for a Cool Girl take on the trend.
Beau High Rise Skinny Flared Jeans
Wear with...
A v-neck tee in charcoal and smart jacket.
Throwback to the 70s with these flared jeans in black denim, with a high waist and flattering leg-skimming shape to elongate your frame.
Celia Lace Cut-Out Blouse
Wear with...
Linen trousers in a contrast tone or a denim pencil skirt.
With its delicate cutwork detail, this blouse will add a feminine accent to your existing workwear staples. It's also available in ivory if you prefer a monochrome look.
We hope you love the products we recommend. We may receive compensation via a service called Linkby when you click on the links in this article. We only collaborate with brands on Linkby that align with our values and develop products that our team approves of. Prices accurate and items in stock at time of publication.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/hfm/511282/reiss-workwear-favourite-pieces/
| 2024-01-16T13:26:16Z
|
blocked_url
|
On this day 50 years ago an icon was born. That's right, it’s Kate Moss’ birthday.
It’s unlikely that at the time Linda Rosina Shepherd (Kate's mum) realised she’d just welcomed one of the world's most notable fashion moguls into the world (but that’s still up for discussion).
MORE: Kate Moss is collaborating with Anine Bing again, but this time it's not fashion related
RELATED: Emily Ratajkowski’s leather micro shorts are a Kate Moss cosplay
From her off-duty casual looks and red carpet showstoppers to her muddy Glastonbury Hunter gumboots, the supermodel has made fashion history more times than I can count in her 50 years spent earthside. So, in honour of one of our nation's most respected treasures on her big day, we take a look back at the most iconic looks Kate Moss has ever sported.
Walking the Isaac Mizrahi Spring Show - 1994
A baby-faced Kate Moss took the Isaac Mizrahi catwalk back in 1994, sporting the cutest grey mini skirt, blazer and shirt combo. Although this was not a self-styled look, I couldn't help but not include this look, mainly so I can add it to my 2024 spring fashion mood board.
Her model off-duty airport look - 1994
Before dressing cute for the airport was even a thing, 20-year-old Kate had her casual style sorted. Wearing a pair of fitted blue jeans, a plain distressed tank top and a cheetah print bag, this look is what we all strive for on our days off today.
On set for 'You' magazine - 1995
Kate spent most of her youth backstage in makeup chairs, but that didn’t stop her from showing up in certified cute-girl looks. In 1995 she wore a simple lilac block outfit consisting of a velvet mini skirt and knitted tank top, a simple outfit that sparked a wave of summer outfit inspo for years and years to come.
Her cottage-core wedding dress - 2011
Back in 2011 the supermodel tied the knot and opted for the coolest of cool wedding dresses. We all know that nuptial fashion is a make or break in the world of style and Kate proved that despite her high fashion career, her true style will always be understated glam.
Her Union Jack jacket at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant - 2022
A true UK stan, Kate Moss channelled her inner patriotic prowess to celebrate The Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Reverting back to her days spent at various music festivals in the ‘90s, Kate chose to don a Union Jack print jacket, a pair of rose-tinted glasses, an oversized crystal pendant necklace and a few floral hair pieces.
Behind the scenes at Miu Miu Spring/Summer Show - 1996
If there’s one image that shows Kate's natural beauty it has to be this BTS from Miu Miu’s 1996 spring-summer show. I mean how can someone sport a simple pink cami and look high fashion?
Her most recent slay at The Fashion Awards - 2023
It would be rude not to commemorate her last red carpet look as a 49-year-old. Kate wore an all-black vintage ensemble from David Fielden dress and paired it with a YSL cape and Aquazzura shoes.
Her LBD she wore to the Danziger Gallery - 1995
Pictured here posing with Johnny Depp, the model sported the most iconic little black dress for a likely very eventful night at the New York Danziger Gallery. Like everything Kate does, her LBD comes with a twist in the form of chest cutouts.
Her raver-girl gumboots - 2005
If there's ever been a party girl in the public eye it has to be Kate Moss. The icon has been to more festivals and gigs than any of us could ever even dream of. Not to do things in halves, the model and muse doesn't let a little rain or mud stop her from celebrating. Spotted at Glastonbury in 2005, she paired her Hunter wellies with a sparkly gold long-sleeve top, a chunky black belt, bedhead hair and a pair of micro shorts.
BTS of Vivienne Westwood’s A/W fashion show - 1994
This is just another example of how Kate slayed the off-duty model look, coincidentally whilst actually on duty in the hair and makeup chair for Vivienne Westwood’s 1994 A/W show. Wearing her trusty leather jacket and a graphic t-shirt, a bare-faced baby Kate untangles her hair with a little help from the appointed hairdresser.
She’s always had a thing for sheer- 1994
Brb, just adding this look to my Pinterest board. Spotted hand in hand with her then-beau, Johnny Depp, Kate styled a sheer black maxi skirt over a cream slip dress and paired it with white sneakers and a leather jacket to match Johnny's.
Her oversized crystal necklace strikes again - 2022
Leaning into her love for all things sheer (we all know the dress I'm talking about), a then 48-year-old Kate dons the most gorgeous sheer hooded gown to attend the WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art. Pairing her Star Wars-esque gown with her beloved crystal necklace ( which she also wore to the Platinum Jubilee Pageant that same year) Kate showed off her stunning figure, proving that once a supermodel, always a supermodel.
Her buttery yellow slip dress - 1995
After seeing this dress I am taking it as my civic duty to petition that butter yellow makes a comeback in 2024. Keeping things effortlessly elegant, as per usual, Kate chose to sport a strappy-backed, square-neckline dress in pastel yellow to attend a Costume Institute exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.
A night of culture at the theatre- 1999
Kate has attended many events in her time but this one in particular proves her personal style is unmatched. Sporting a moss-green silk dress to attend a theatre show in NYC, the fresh-faced beauty spiced up her subtle outfit with a pair of hot pink heels and a gold handbag, all of which don’t match but somehow look perfect together when on her.
So with that, we wish the icon that is Kate Moss a very happy 50th birthday. May your day be filled with love and laughter and hopefully end in the same way as it did back in 2009 at Virgin Atlantic's 25th birthday party when Sir Richard Branson carried you on a wing of a jumbo jet at Heathrow Airport.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/hfm/fashion-trends/511343/kate-moss-most-iconic-looks-of-all-time/
| 2024-01-16T13:26:22Z
|
blocked_url
|
The cold weather doesn't seem to be going anywhere just yet, and if you're anything like us, you're looking for ways to beat the winter chill without breaking the bank.
Finding a trusty pair of warm gloves is a winter essential, and this year we're swapping out our regular knitted styles for heated and thermal gloves as the temperatures continue to drop.
We've scoured the web for the best heated gloves for men and women, and we've found everything from USB electric styles that will make your hands feel like they have their very own radiator, to insulated thermal gloves that lock in the warmth for that extra cosy feel.
And don't worry, the cosy gloves don't need to compromise on style, so we've found plenty of pairs that look great while still being super comfortable.
How we chose
- Variety: Whether you're looking for thermal gloves for everyday wear, USB heated gloves for work, or insulated running gloves, we've selected a range of styles in men's, women's, and unisex.
- Price: We've chosen a mix of price points ranging from affordable to luxury, so there should be something to suit every budget.
- Trusted brands: While we may not have tried all of the heated gloves in the list, we've only included brands that are known and loved by members of the HELLO! team, so they should be of the highest quality.
Amazon Unisex Heated Gloves
Sizes: S, L
Shipping: Free standard delivery
Returns: Within 30 days
Amazon's waterproof heated gloves come with two rechargeable batteries that heat the entire back of the hand and fingers, with three adjustable settings that can be changed at the touch of a button. The buckle wrist strap keeps the warmth insulated, while the waterproof design makes the gloves suitable for wearing for outdoor work, snow sports and everyday wear. The gloves feature anti-slip materials on the palm for extra grip, along with a touch screen function for seamlessly using your phone.
M&S Women's Thermowarmth Gloves
Sizes: S-XL
Colours: Black, navy, khaki
Shipping: £3.99 or free with a £60 spend
Returns: Within 35 days
M&S's cosy gloves feature Thermowarmth™ technology that provides enhanced insulation, with a fleece lining and ribbed cuffs for extra warmth. The water-repellent Stormwear™ finish means the gloves will offer protection even in extreme conditions, while the touch screen pads on the middle and index fingers make it easy to use your phone without removing the gloves.
The North Face Fleece Gloves
Sizes: XS-L
Shipping: £5 or free with a £80 spend
Returns: Within 60 days
North Face has so many unisex winter gloves, and the Etip fleece gloves are designed specifically for using your phone while wearing them. Along with full touchscreen compatibility, the gloves feature a grippy silicone palm and stretchy fleece lining that's warm while still being super comfortable. Available in sizes XS-L, the cosy gloves are great for everyday use in the cold winter weather.
Montane Stretch Fleece Gloves
Sizes: XS-L
Shipping: £4.50 or free with a £50 spend
Returns: Within 30 days
Montane is a go-to for protective outerwear, and the women's Protium Gloves are designed for those cold days hiking or skiing. The insulated gloves feature Thermo Grid fabric that provides temperature regulation, and the lightweight design means they can be worn alone or with cosy mits for an extra layer of warmth.
Wowcher USB Heated Gloves
Shipping: £3.99 for standard delivery
Returns: Within 14 days
Wowcher's heated gloves are USB-powered to keep your hands at a temperature of 50°C throughout the cold months, with a charging cable included and three methods of charging. The waterproof design makes them suitable for all weather conditions, and the elasticated design provides a snug fit for all hand sizes. Complete with a velvet lining for a cosy feel, you won't want to take the winter gloves off all season!
Columbia Insulated Waterproof Gloves
Sizes: XS-XL
Colours: Black, beetroot
Shipping: £4.99 or free with a £70 spend
Returns: Within 60 days
The Columbia Snow Diva gloves feature synthetic down insulation and a waterproof design that makes them great for snowsports. The knitted cuffs provide extra warmth, while the elasticated wrist ensures comfort for all-day wear. Complete with touch screen compatibility on the palm and fingers, the breathable gloves are worth the investment for those who want a pair that they can reach for every year.
John Lewis Sheepskin Gloves
Sizes: S-XL
Colours: Brown, black
Shipping: £4.50 or free with a £50 spend
Returns: Within 30 days
Sheepskin gloves are a great option for winter, as they keep the hands warm while still looking stylish. John Lewis's pair feature a cosy shearling lining, with a smooth design that will block out the cold.
Decathlon Padded Thermal Gloves
Sizes: M/L
Shipping: £2.99 for standard delivery
Returns: Within 30 days
Decathlon's women's thermal gloves are designed for wearing in the snow, but the thick padded style will keep you warm wherever you are. The gloves are shower and windproof so they'll keep your hands dry all day, while the Heat Holders plush fur lining keeps the maximum amount of heat close to the skin for longer for extra warmth. The gloves feature an adjustable wrist strap and a longer cuff for insulation, and the palm and thumb have extra grip for convenience.
|
https://www.hellomagazine.com/shopping/511241/best-thermal-heated-gloves/
| 2024-01-16T13:26:28Z
|
blocked_url
|
MOSCOW - North Korea's foreign minister lauded comradely ties with Russia on Tuesday ahead of a rare meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been invited by Kim Jong Un to visit the reclusive nuclear-armed country.
Putin has deepened ties with North Korea since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the United States and its allies have condemned what they say have been significant North Korean missile deliveries to Russia to help its war effort.
Both Russia and North Korea have repeatedly dismissed the criticism. Moscow says it will develop ties with whatever countries it wants and that its cooperation with Pyongyang does not contravene international agreements.
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui began talks in Moscow with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, hailing progress on implementing agreements struck during Kim's visit to eastern Russia last September.
"The fact that now the foreign ministers of the two countries often meet and deepen comradely ties is yet more proof that the Korean-Russian friendly relations, with a long history of friendship and tradition, are energetically moving forward in accordance with the plans of the leaders," Choe said.
Lavrov said they would discuss the broader situation on the Korean peninsula, and cautioned the United States that threats from Washington would achieve little.
Putin will accord Choe the rare honour of receiving her later on Tuesday, along with Lavrov - who visited Pyongyang in October.
PUTIN VISIT?
During Kim's visit last year, the Kremlin chief accepted an invitation to visit North Korea and Choe's talks in Moscow are expected to include discussions about that potential trip.
"As for Putin's visit, yes, it is on the agenda - there is a current invitation and Putin will definitely use it at a convenient time, by mutual agreement of the parties, of course," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Russia has gone out of its way to publicise the renaissance of its relationship, including military ties, with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the then-Soviet Union.
For Putin, who says Russia is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war.
For Kim, who has pledged to accelerate production of nuclear weapons to deter what he casts as U.S. provocations, Russia is a big power ally with deep stores of advanced missile, military, space and nuclear technology.
When accompanying Kim on a tour of one of Russia's space launch sites in September, Putin said that Russia would help Pyongyang build satellites and the two leaders discussed the possibility of sending a North Korean cosmonaut into space.
After taking over as president from Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999, Putin visited Pyongyang in July 2000 for a meeting with Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/north-korea-lauds-comradely-ties-with-russia-putin-to-meet-kims-foreign-minister
| 2024-01-16T13:38:42Z
|
blocked_url
|
KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he met with executives of JPMorgan, the largest U.S. lender, and other major international investors on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday.
"It is important for us to attract private capital to the reconstruction of Ukraine. We hope that JP Morgan will help attract a large number of global investors and corporations to the Ukrainian economy," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app.
JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) CEO Jamie Dimon, other senior JPMorgan executives and top management of BlackRock, Bridgewater Associates, the Carlyle Group, Blackstone, Dell and ArcelorMittal took part in the meeting, Zelenskiy's office said.
The economy ministry said about 100 senior executives joined the meeting, which focused on the need to bring in more private investment to help Ukraine rebuild and modernise its economy and infrastructure devastated by nearly two years of Russia's war.
Ukraine's economy performed better than expected last year with officials estimating gross domestic product growth at about 5% in 2023 after a 28.8% fall in 2022. The government expects GDP growth at 4.6% this year.
During the meeting, Zelenskiy stressed the need to develop and implement financial instruments blending both private and public capital, his office said in a statement.
Yulia Svyrydenko, first deputy prime minister and economy minister, said the government had kept up economic reforms required to improve the investment climate and make doing business easier despite Russia's invasion.
The Kyiv government was also working to expand war insurance for businesses and wanted to strengthen its air defence further, she added. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/ukraines-zelenskiy-meets-jpmorgan-executives-other-major-investors-in-davos
| 2024-01-16T13:38:53Z
|
blocked_url
|
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has exempted the imposition of capital gains tax and taxes on foreign-sourced income on unit trusts, said Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah Azizan at an event on Jan 16.
The exemption on foreign-sourced income took effect from Jan 1 this year and will last until Dec 31, 2026. The exemption on capital gains tax also took effect from Jan 1 this year, and it will be in force until Dec 31, 2028.
“This is to ensure that investors will continue to benefit wholly from the gains of their hard-earned money and continue to invest in the future,” he said at an event organised by Bursa Malaysia.
Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah, the former chief executive of the Employees Provident Fund, was appointed as second finance minister last month to assist Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister.
In a speech, Mr Amir Hamzah noted that in the government’s engagement with various stakeholders, it realised that an unintended area impacted by the capital gains tax was unit trusts. More than 90 per cent of unit-trust holders in Malaysia are individuals, he said.
The government will impose a capital gains tax on the disposal of unlisted shares by companies starting from March 1 this year. For shares acquired before that date, investors can choose to pay a capital gains tax of 2 per cent on the gross disposal value, or 10 per cent on the net gain on disposal.
During the event that Mr Amir Hamzah attended in Kuala Lumpur, Bursa Malaysia commemorated its pivot to a multi-asset exchange.
The bourse launched a new gold investment product – the Bursa Gold Dinar – and several solutions for investors, including a customer portal and a new platform to connect investors with dealer representatives. It also unveiled a new logo.
The Bursa Gold Dinar is a Shariah-compliant gold trading platform, which allows Malaysian investors to use a mobile application to invest in gold with an investment of as low as RM10 (S$2.85).
The new platform provides options for investors to transfer gold to others and redeem every 4.25 grams of gold into a physical custom-designed coin.
“We are demystifying the notion that investing is difficult and costly, and that investments are only for a certain income bracket. Investing is for anyone with as much as they wish to start with,” said the bourse’s chairman Abdul Wahid Omar.
He added that the new launches are part of Bursa Malaysia’s efforts to democratise investment opportunities, capture fresh interest and encourage greater investor participation.
With the new addition of these asset investments, Bursa Malaysia chief executive Muhamad Umar Swift said he expects the bourse to operate as a competitive multi-asset exchange to promote financial inclusion and wealth creation.
At a separate press conference on Jan 16, Tan Sri Abdul Wahid said that some RM448 million worth of foreign funds flowed into the bourse in the first 15 days of 2024, which pushed the benchmark index to trade above the 1,500 level.
He said that the average daily trading volume (ADV) also went up to RM3.25 billion over that 15-day period – 15 per cent higher than the RM2.06 billion in ADV that was recorded for the whole of 2023.
“Coming from a low valuation, we are hopeful that the market will continue to grow in 2024,” he said.
Overall in 2023, Malaysia had the second-lowest foreign outflow among other securities markets in the region with an outflow of US$509 million, second only to Indonesia, said Mr Abdul Wahid.
“In contrast, other nations in the region experienced outflows ranging from US$863 million to US$5.5 billion,” he said. THE BUSINESS TIMES
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/malaysia-exempts-capital-gains-tax-foreign-sourced-income-taxes-on-unit-trusts
| 2024-01-16T13:39:03Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – A Japanese bakery at Takashimaya Department Store in Orchard found out that you cannot have your cake and eat it too, when it accidentally sold a cake “sample” on Jan 14.
In a Facebook post on Jan 15, the mall said bakery DonQ at its basement food hall had accidentally sold a sample of Galette des Rois, also known as a king cake, on Jan 14 at 11.18am.
A Galette des Rois is a puff pastry cake filled with a sweet almond-flavoured custard. Variations of the cake can include a chocolate, apple or candied fruit filling.
“We wish to advise the customer who has purchased the product to contact our staff immediately. Please do not consume it.
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused,” the statement said.
The mall also posted the same statement on its other social media channels.
In response to The Straits Times’ queries, a Takashimaya spokesperson explained that the cake was baked and put on display on Jan 9. The cake has an expiry date three days from its manufacture date, which explained the mall’s urgency in wanting to recover it and prevent its consumption.
It was accidentally sold after a customer took it from the display and put it into a box before paying for it, the spokesperson said.
ST has contacted DonQ for more information.
Netizens were amused by the mistake, while others were concerned about food safety.
A Facebook user said: “Good luck to whoever scored a limited edition cake!”
Another wrote: “(Isn’t this statement) posted a bit too late? (The cake) is probably all eaten by now.”
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/cake-me-home-takashimaya-looking-for-customer-who-bought-cake-sample
| 2024-01-16T13:39:14Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – A woman cheated multiple victims into giving her over $100,000, including for products she did not have and investment opportunities that did not exist.
One victim even handed her over $60,000 which she claimed would “release frozen bank accounts” for a business venture.
Nikeal Lim Shi Hui, 31, pleaded guilty to seven cheating charges and two criminal breach of trust charges on Jan 16.
She was sentenced to 35 months’ jail and an enhanced sentence of 40 days’ jail for offending while on remission.
Lim was subject to a remission order from Oct 15, 2018, to April 24, 2019.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sunil Nair said that in 2019, Lim listed tickets to Universal Studios Singapore (USS) for sale on online marketplace Carousell for the price of $55 per ticket.
Twelve victims saw her online listing and paid her a total of $2,305 to get tickets.
“In truth, the accused did not have the USS tickets to sell and was not intending to procure them from any supplier for the victims’ orders,” said the DPP.
In 2020, Lim listed Rolex watches for sale on Carousell.
A victim, who saw the online listing, was interested in getting four watches and paid Lim $5,000 as a partial payment to secure the watches.
However, Lim did not have any Rolex watches to sell and had no plans to get the watches to fulfil the orders.
That same year, Lim deceived two other victims on Facebook Marketplace into believing that she would sell them mobile phones when she knew she was not going to. One victim paid her $800, while the other gave her $840.
In 2021, Lim told a colleague at the restaurant where she was working that there was an investment opportunity at a mask company.
“The accused told the victim that the investment was risk-free, would give interest of 10 per cent and would result in (10-fold) yields,” said the prosecution.
Her colleague gave Lim a total of $4,210 on multiple occasions for the investment.
When her colleague asked for details about his investment, Lim lied that the agents for the investment were to blame and were unresponsive to her.
Separately, in 2018, Lim talked to another colleague about starting a business together to open a noodle stall.
As some initial capital was needed to start up such a business, she asked her colleague to lend money to her.
Lim told her colleague that for every $1,000 the victim lent, she stood to gain $100 to $200 interest within one to two weeks.
From 2019 to 2020, Lim told her colleague that there had been complaints from creditors to the police, which caused bank accounts used by the offender to be frozen.
Lim told her colleague that the latter’s money was stuck in these frozen accounts and asked for more funds so debts owed to the creditors would be repaid.
As the victim was hoping to recover the money that she had previously given to Lim, she handed Lim over $60,000 across multiple occasions between May and July 2020.
The prosecution said there were a total of 29 victims in Lim’s ruses and she has since made a restitution of $6,500.
Those convicted of cheating can be jailed for up to 10 years and are also liable to a fine.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/35-months-jail-for-serial-cheat-who-duped-multiple-victims-into-giving-her-over-100k
| 2024-01-16T13:39:24Z
|
blocked_url
|
SINGAPORE – A lawyer who falsely attested that she had witnessed the signing of several documents, even though they had not actually been signed in her presence, was handed a one-year suspension on Jan 16.
The Law Society of Singapore had argued for 30 months’ suspension for Ms Kasturibai Manickam.
But the Court of Three Judges, led by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, said this was an instance of a “grave error of judgment” rather than a character defect.
There was no dispute that the documents were signed by the intended signatories, said the Chief Justice.
He said Ms Kasturibai’s error was to decide to attest that she witnessed the signing of the documents because she knew the parties and thought no harm would ensue.
Ms Kasturibai, who has more than 25 years’ experience as a lawyer, had acted for a pair of siblings who were the registered owners of a condominium unit.
Ms Santha Devi V. Puthenveetil Kesava Pillay and her brother, Mr Raman Puthenveetil Kesava Pillay, had sold the property in September 2020 to two individuals.
Ms Kasturibai’s firm, East Asia Law Corporation, had previously acted for the siblings in several matters prior to the sale of the property. Mr Raman’s wife was also a long-time employee of the law firm.
In the course of acting for the siblings, Ms Kasturibai prepared six documents for the transaction, which were all signed by Ms Santha Devi.
Between Sept 7, 2020, and Nov 5, 2020, Ms Kasturibai signed as a witness to Ms Santha Devi’s signature, even though the lawyer did not in fact witness the signing.
Five of the documents, including a transfer instrument, a seller’s stamp duty declaration, and a letter of authority for the sale proceeds to be paid to the firm, were sent to the law firm acting for the purchasers.
Ms Santha Devi later lodged a complaint to the Law Society against Ms Kasturibai, and a disciplinary tribunal was appointed in May 2022 to formally investigate the matter.
The tribunal’s report, issued in October 2022, did not elaborate on the events leading to the complaint.
During the tribunal hearing, Ms Kasturibai admitted that she signed as a witness to Ms Santha Devi’s signature despite not having witnessed the signing.
Ms Kasturibai’s lawyer, Senior Counsel N. Sreenivasan, argued that she did not act for her personal benefit and that her motivation for doing so was to help her elderly clients avoid travel during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also argued that there was very little harm caused, as the transaction was legitimate.
The tribunal found that Ms Kasturibai’s act of false attestation involved an element of dishonesty and constituted grossly improper conduct.
The tribunal found that the case was serious enough to be referred to the court, which has the power to suspend or disbar lawyers.
During the court hearing on Jan 16, Mr Sreenivasan said Ms Kasturibai would like to tender her deepest apologies to the court and to the profession.
The court allowed the suspension to take effect on March 7, to give her time to find another lawyer to take over her files.
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/lawyer-suspended-for-falsely-attesting-that-documents-were-signed-in-her-presence
| 2024-01-16T13:39:34Z
|
blocked_url
|
BERLIN - Hertha Berlin president Kay Bernstein, a former ultra fan who surprisingly took over the presidency in 2022, has died at the age of 43, the club said in a statement on Tuesday.
Bernstein was a longtime ultra supporter and his presidential election win -- a first for Bundesliga clubs -- was hailed across Germany as a win for fans against the commercialisation of the sport.
"Hertha BSC are mourning the death of Kay Bernstein. The club received the terrible news on Tuesday that president Kay Bernstein has passed away unexpectedly aged 43," the club said.
"The whole club, its governing bodies and staff members are shocked and deeply saddened by the news. The whole Hertha family is mourning the passing of Kay and are thinking of his family and friends."
Hertha, who were relegated from the Bundesliga last season, are seventh in the standings in the second tier of the league. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/hertha-berlin-president-bernstein-dies-aged-43-club
| 2024-01-16T13:39:47Z
|
blocked_url
|
MELBOURNE - Carlos Alcaraz made a winning return to the Australian Open on Tuesday but the Spanish second seed faced some early resistance from French veteran Richard Gasquet before cruising to a 7-6(5) 6-1 6-2 victory in the opening round.
The muscular 20-year-old, who skipped last year's tournament with a right leg issue, appeared overly exuberant at times as he sought quick progress at Melbourne Park but composed himself to grind down his seasoned opponent and blow him away.
"It's always great to play here in Australia, it's the third time that I'm playing here," said Alcaraz, who will meet Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the second round.
"I didn't have a good run in the years that I've played here but I enjoyed it a lot today. I missed last year and felt really good playing here.
"I struggled a little bit in the first set with his game but every set I've been playing a bit better and in the end I was at a good level."
Gasquet looked like he had just taken a dip in the nearby Yarra river for much of the first set as Alcaraz made him sweat for points but the 37-year-old held firm and drew level at 3-3 in the tiebreak with a breathtaking backhand winner.
However, Alcaraz raised his level from there to go a set up and the floodgates opened as the Wimbledon champion racked up a 3-0 lead in the next before doubling his advantage in the match, showcasing a mix of explosive forehands and deft shots.
With Gasquet fading, Alcaraz stepped up another gear on a balmy evening on Rod Laver Arena for the early break in the third set and settled the contest on serve, finishing with a fiery ace out wide on his fifth match point. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/alcaraz-hits-his-stride-to-sink-gutsy-gasquet-at-australian-open
| 2024-01-16T13:39:58Z
|
blocked_url
|
MELBOURNE - British world number 55 Jack Draper had no time to enjoy sealing what he described as one of the most satisfactory wins of his career at the Australian Open on Tuesday as he was forced to race to a courtside bin to throw up.
The 22-year-old took three hours and 20 minutes in the hot Melbourne sun to see off Marcos Giron 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-0 6-2 but was not even able to offer his American opponent the customary handshake over the net.
"It was weird," he told reporters. "I obviously played such a long point, maybe it was sort of a reaction to finally getting over the line. I don't know.
"I kind of felt bad because I obviously just beat the guy, and I was saying, 'I need to shake your hand, mate, but I need to get to that bin'.
"I don't really do that often, but it was a reaction."
Draper, who reached the final of the Adelaide warm-up last week but fell short of landing his first ATP title, thought it was the tension of the occasion rather than the sweltering conditions that caused him to vomit.
"It was obviously a physical match. It's tough conditions (but) it wasn't that long for a five-set match," he added.
"I played three hours, 40 last week in hotter conditions, and I was physically absolutely fine. I think it's obviously a Grand Slam.
"I think it was more kind of psychological stress today that was causing my sort of fatigue rather than the physical nature because I felt better in the fifth set than I did the first."
Draper will face 14th seed Tommy Paul, a Melbourne Park semi-finalist last year, in the second round later this week, his first match at that stage of the Australian Open.
He said he would take confidence from the fact that he beat Paul in the quarter-finals in Adelaide last week but felt the American might be a tougher proposition on one of the game's biggest stages.
"The match I played against him, I was really solid. I played great tennis. But obviously five sets is different," Draper said.
"It will be a tough match, and he'll be wanting to get some revenge on me for sure." REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/briton-draper-leaves-it-all-on-court-and-in-the-bin
| 2024-01-16T13:40:08Z
|
blocked_url
|
MELBOURNE - Local hopes will take centre stage on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open on Wednesday as 10th seed Alex de Minaur takes on Matteo Arnaldi for a place in the third round, while Alexei Popyrin faces world number one Novak Djokovic.
De Minaur, the Australian number one, carries the hopes of his expectant host nation at the tournament and represents their best shot at ending a 47-year wait for the first Australian men's singles champion at Melbourne Park since Mark Edmondson in 1976.
The 24-year-old, who has been in fine form recently and dealt Djokovic a rare defeat in the United Cup, faces unseeded Arnaldi and is out for revenge after being part of the Australian squad that was beaten by Italy in the Davis Cup final last year.
"It's been shattering the last couple of years just to get so close to the Holy Grail and just barely miss out," De Minaur told reporters.
"I do associate Matteo as the guy that beat us in the Davis Cup final. I'll do my best to hopefully get some revenge. He's a quality opponent. I'll be ready for it hopefully...
"I said last year that it felt pretty special to play on Rod Laver on my own terms, like I'm the one being scheduled, not because I'm playing Rafa (Nadal) or someone like that."
De Minaur's compatriot Popyrin has his work cut out for him as he takes on 10-time Australian Open champion Djokovic.
However, despite Popyrin having lost in straight sets in his only previous meeting with Djokovic at the Japan Open in 2019, the 43rd-ranked Australian said he was confident in his ability to cause the 24-times Grand Slam champion some problems.
"I don't think he's got any weaknesses...," Popyrin said. "He is the greatest of all time in our sport, so to get there, you have to have no weaknesses. But I have big weapons in my game that I believe can do some damage."
In the women's draw, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka faces 16-year-old Czech Brenda Fruhvirtova, the younger sister of Linda, who made it to the fourth round of the Australian Open last year.
Top-10 seeds Coco Gauff, Barbora Krejcikova, Maria Sakkari and Beatriz Haddad-Maia are all in action, while former world number one Caroline Wozniacki faces Russian Maria Timofeeva. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/home-hopes-aim-to-sparkle-in-australian-open-spotlight
| 2024-01-16T13:40:18Z
|
blocked_url
|
CARDIFF - Louis Rees-Zammit is an absentee from Wales’ Six Nations Championship squad after quitting rugby union to play American Football, a shock for coach Warren Gatland as he named his squad on Tuesday.
Rees-Zammit, 22, will join the NFL International Player Pathway (IPP) and turn his back on rugby, a massive blow to Gatland to lose a versatile player who would likely have been a key figure for the next decade.
"I have had the incredible honour of playing rugby for my country which, as a proud Welshman, I’ve never taken for granted," Rees-Zammit said in a statement.
"However, I believe that this is the right time for me to realise another professional goal of playing American football in the US. Those opportunities don’t come around very often."
Lock Dafydd Jenkins will become the second youngest player to captain Wales when he leads them in the Six Nations, spearheading a squad that has five uncapped players.
Wales squad:
Forwards (19): Corey Domachowski, Kemsley Mathias, Gareth Thomas, Elliot Dee, Ryan Elias, Evan Lloyd, Keiron Assiratti, Leon Brown, Archie Griffin, Adam Beard, Dafydd Jenkins, Will Rowlands, Teddy Williams, Taine Basham, James Botham, Alex Mann, Mackenzie Martin, Tommy Reffell, Aaron Wainwright
Backs (15): Gareth Davies, Kieran Hardy, Tomos Williams, Sam Costelow, Cai Evans, Ioan Lloyd, Mason Grady, George North, Joe Roberts, Nick Tompkins, Owen Watkin, Josh Adams, Rio Dyer, Tom Rogers, Cameron Winnett. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/wales-wing-rees-zammit-quits-rugby-to-play-american-football
| 2024-01-16T13:40:29Z
|
blocked_url
|
DURA, West Bank - A Palestinian shop owner said Israeli troops used him as a human shield to protect themselves during a raid on the town of Dura in the occupied West Bank.
Mobile phone footage showed Baha Abu Ras being marched up a street by a soldier who guided him from behind with one hand and kept a rifle resting on his shoulder with the other. Two Israeli soldiers advanced carefully behind them, their rifles raised.
Abu Ras said he had been taken from his mobile phone shop on Monday in Dura, near the city of Hebron, after Israeli soldiers searched the premises during a raid in which Palestinian officials said two Palestinians were shot dead.
"He (the first soldier) told me that he will use me as a human shield, that young people shouldn't hurl stones," Abu Ras told Reuters. "'You will walk in front of me.' That's what happened and he took me toward the centre of the town."
Asked about the incident, the Israeli military had no immediate comment. It said in an earlier statement that troops in Dura had used live fire to disperse about 100 people who had thrown stones and fire bombs at them.
Israel has carried out repeated raids on West Bank towns since gunmen from the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip went on the rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7, sparking the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The use of human shields is widely condemned under international law. Israel has accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields in Gaza, allegations that the militant group has denied. REUTERS
|
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/palestinian-says-israeli-soldiers-used-him-as-human-shield-in-west-bank
| 2024-01-16T13:40:39Z
|
blocked_url
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.