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LOS ANGELES – Netflix on Jan 23 blew past Wall Street subscriber estimates in the fourth quarter, driven by a strong slate of shows that included the final season of the long-running British royal drama The Crown and director David Fincher’s original film The Killer.
The company reported it added 13.1 million subscribers in the December quarter, its largest fourth-quarter subscriber growth ever, handily exceeding projected gains of 8.97 million.
That brings the total number of subscribers to 260 million.
Netflix shares were up 8.5 per cent in after-hours trading. The stock gained 65 per cent during 2023.
Revenue rose to US$8.8 billion (S$11.8 billion), topping forecasts and the company’s own guidance of US$8.7 billion in the quarter.
The streaming giant said it expects healthy double-digit revenue growth for full-year 2024, as it continues to add members and invest in its advertising business.
Netflix said advertising is not yet a primary driver of revenue growth, but it aims for that to change by 2025.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that Netflix has won the ‘streaming wars,’” wrote Bank of America media analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich.
The company credited gains to the strength of its intellectual property, including Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality show based on its most-watched TV series, new original series, such as All the Light We Cannot See, feature films like director Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon: A Child Of Fire, and non-English-language programming, including the third season of Lupin from France. It also cited strong demand for licensed titles.
“Looking ahead, despite last year’s strikes pushing back the launch of some titles, we have a big-bold slate for 2024,” Netflix said.
The company predicted possible further industry consolidation, particularly among companies with large and declining television networks.
Netflix said it is not interested in acquiring traditional TV assets.
It said deals involving media companies are unlikely to change the competitive landscape, given the mergers that have already occurred, though it expects ongoing competition for people’s time – including from gaming and social media.
Netflix said there is opportunity to grow, if it continues to improve its programming slate, simplify finding something to watch and cultivate fan bases, and establishes itself in new areas like advertising and games.
While the games business is still in its early days, the company said engagement has tripled.
Hargreaves Lansdown lead equity analyst Sophie Lund-Yates said: “The meaningful growth in subscriber numbers is partly a result of password-sharing crackdowns, but is also testament to Netflix’s ability to keep us glued to screens.”
The streaming service said it continues to invest in and experiment with live programming.
Earlier on Jan 23, Netflix and TKO Group Holdings announced a more than US$5 billion deal to bring World Wrestling Entertainment’s Raw and some other programming exclusively on the streaming service in January 2025.
It also touted its first stage production, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, based on its hit series.
Antenna Research found that Netflix has the lowest monthly churn rate among streaming services, with just 2 per cent of subscribers canceling in the month of December.
Media analyst John Hodulik predicted the company would also continue to benefit from its crackdown on password-sharing, which he forecast would drive a 5 per cent lift to revenue in the quarter.
Ms Ehrlich wrote that this crackdown will likely fuel the growth of Netflix’s advertising-supported tier.
The company recently announced it had 23 million global active users on the version of the service with ads, up from 15 million in November.
Ms Ehrlich said Netflix also is a beneficiary of changing market dynamics, which are forcing media companies to re-evaluate their strategy of retaining movies and television series exclusively for their own streaming services.
She called this a “win-win” proposition, which allows Netflix to reduce its investment in higher-risk original production, even as these licensing deals provide other media companies with much-needed revenue. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/netflix-hits-fourth-quarter-subscriber-record-fueled-by-the-crown-and-the-killer
| 2024-01-24T00:20:58Z
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You are reading the Morning Briefing newsletter. Get the news that prepares you for the day ahead, delivered to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter.
Shophouse market slows amid money laundering scandal; sellers more open to negotiation
Trust between communities hard-earned, needs constant tending: DPM Lawrence Wong
Harmony in religiously diverse Singapore is remarkable, given trends elsewhere, he said.
Man to be charged with attempted murder for allegedly smothering sleeping mother with pillow
The police were alerted to an assault at a residential unit in Serangoon Central on Jan 18.
More potential lapses found at Cordlife; MOH sets end-May deadline to rectify issues
Investigations into the viability of cord blood units in six tanks are under way, with updates due soon.
Malaysia PM pushes anti-graft probes against foes, raising questions over potential abuse
Critics have noted how the Premier’s allies in government have had their corruption cases set aside, writes Azril Annuar.
British band Coldplay light up National Stadium with kaleidoscopic concert
Breaking stigmas: Singapore’s first lion dance troupe for seniors moves to the beat
Active and healthy ageing through lion dance? Here’s how members of the Silver Pride Lion Troupe do it.
Trust – the feature that vending machines and ATMs share, but SimplyGo lacks
At its core, the SimplyGo payment process is unable to elicit in users the critical feeling of trust, says the writer.
Starting a start-up: Social enterprise hires people with disabilities to help reduce social stigma
Foreword Coffee Roasters runs seven cafes and a roastery and will open its eighth outlet by mid-2024.
Bitcoin ETFs will reshape the investment landscape
New investors, institutions will enter the market and the Bitcoin ecosystem will grow, says Vikram Khanna.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/morning-briefing-top-stories-from-the-straits-times-on-jan-24-2024
| 2024-01-24T00:21:08Z
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LONDON – Chelsea reached the League Cup final with a 6-1 thrashing of Middlesbrough in their semi-final second leg on Jan 23, providing coach Mauricio Pochettino a measure of relief after a poor first half to the season.
The big-spending Londoners, who lie a lowly ninth in the Premier League, had squandered a hatful of chances in the first leg away two weeks ago which Middlesbrough won 1-0.
But the game on Jan 23 underlined the gulf in quality between the Premier League side and their second-tier visitors with the tie finishing 6-2 on aggregate.
“Today we were very clinical in front of goal. We missed that in the first leg and we were disappointed. Today we were really good and I think that is the difference,” Pochettino told Sky Sports.
Middlesbrough, missing key players through injury, could not repeat their defensive heroics of the first leg and, after conceding an own-goal through captain Jonny Howson in the 15th minute, were already 4-0 down by halftime.
Cole Palmer put away two for Chelsea, in the 42nd and 77th minutes, as the Blues ran rings round their opponents with a sharp, flowing, passing game.
“I missed three sitters in the first game so it was always in the back of my mind coming into this game. To score two and go through to Wembley, I’m happy,” Palmer told Sky Sports.
“We’ve not had the best of starts, there is no hiding it but to go to Wembley is a great opportunity to get a trophy and we’re looking forward to it.”
Pochettino praised Palmer’s intelligence on the pitch. The forward has now scored 10 goals in his first season with Chelsea.
“He is a player with an amazing talent. It is a player that understands the game. He has the quality and the talent to see the situation and to read the game in another aspect,” the Argentine coach said.
Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Noni Madueke also got on the scoresheet, while Morgan Rogers scored a consolation goal for Boro in the 88th minute.
Chelsea, who have won the trophy five times, most recently in 2015, will meet either Liverpool or Fulham, who play on Jan 24, in the Wembley final on Feb 25. The Blues last reached the final two years ago, losing to Liverpool on penalties. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/chelsea-thrash-middlesbrough-6-1-to-reach-league-cup-final
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BRUSSELS - A “sharp right turn” will sweep European Union elections this year, with populists, eurosceptics and conservatives projected to collectively grab nearly half of the European Parliament’s seats, according to a study on Jan 24.
The report, by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), confirmed other polls suggesting far-right parties will make big inroads in the EU elections in June, rolling back left and centre-left parties.
“There is a strong possibility of pro-Russia party representation in the upcoming legislature,” the ECFR said, pointing notably to three seats that could go to Bulgarian MEPs sympathetic to the Kremlin.
Other resulting policy upheaval could be a weakening of the enforcement of rule of law in Europe and of the bloc’s actions to battle climate change, and a harder anti-immigration stance, said the report’s co-authors Dr Simon Hix and Mr Kevin Cunningham.
Such a swing in Europe may well come five months before the United States votes to possibly bring back Donald Trump as president, which could produce populist and protectionist echoes across the Atlantic.
“Against a backdrop of stirring populism... parties of the political mainstream need to wake up and take clear stock of voter demands, whilst recognising the need for a more interventionist and powerful Europe on the world stage,” Dr Hix said.
“They should make clear... that it is they, and not those on the political fringes, who are best placed to protect fundamental European rights.”
The ECFR’s statistical look at polling across the 27-country EU surmised that the parliament’s biggest political grouping, the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) – from which European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hails – would remain the largest after the vote.
But both it and the next-biggest, the Socialists & Democrats, would lose seats, with more radical movements on the left and right gaining ground to become mainstream voter options.
The Left grouping of communists, eurosceptics and social-democrats, and the populist right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) and Identity and Democracy (ID), would have “a real possibility of entering a majority coalition for the first time ever”, the report said.
Dr Hix and Mr Cunningham said they “expect populist voices, particularly on the radical right, to be more pronounced and involved in decision-making” to a point unseen since the parliament was created in 1979.
Together, a “populist coalition” of the EPP, the ECR and the ID would pocket 43 per cent to 49 per cent of the next Parliament’s 720 seats, they said.
Anti-European populists will likely end up as the top EU vote picks in nine countries – including France, where Ms Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigrant National Rally is polling well ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party; and Italy, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party to consolidate its sway.
Populist parties were predicted to come second or third in another nine countries, among them Germany, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to double its score, as well as in Spain, Finland and Sweden. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/sharp-right-turn-projected-for-eu-elections
| 2024-01-24T00:21:30Z
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UNITED NATIONS - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Jan 23 said it was “unacceptable” for Israel’s government to reject a two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians, warning that the move would “embolden extremists everywhere”.
At a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council on the Middle East, Mr Guterres said: “Israel’s occupation must end.”
The 15-member council has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognised borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.
With war raging in Gaza between Israel and Hamas militants, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel needs security control over all land west of the Jordan River - which covers the Palestinian territories - adding: “It clashes with the principle of sovereignty but what can you do.”
On Oct 7, Hamas fighters launched an attack in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 253 people taken hostage. Israel retaliated by bombarding Hamas-ruled Gaza from the air and launching a ground offensive. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials.
“The entire population of Gaza is enduring destruction at a scale and speed without parallel in recent history,” Mr Guterres told the Security Council. “Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki singled out Mr Netanyahu in his Security Council address, accusing him of being “driven by a single goal - his own political survival at the expense of the survival of millions of Palestinians under Israel’s illegal occupation and peace and security for all”.
Israel focus on Iran
Mr Al-Maliki said it was time for “the admission of the State of Palestine to the UN”. Such a move requires the 15-member council - where Israel’s ally, the United States, holds a veto - to make a recommendation to the 193-member General Assembly.
“Israel should no longer entertain the illusion that there is somehow a third path whereby it can choose continued occupation and colonialism and apartheid and somehow still achieve regional peace and security,” he said.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said that if Hamas turned over those responsible for the Oct 7 attacks and released all hostages, then “this war would be over immediately”. He also said Hamas could not remain in power in Gaza.
But Mr Erdan focused much of his statement in the Security Council on Iran, slamming the presence of Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
“How absurd is it that the foreign minister of the number one state sponsor of terrorism, that aspires to destabilise the Middle East, is here,” Mr Erdan said. “Can you imagine Hitler’s foreign minister participating in a serious discussion on how to defend the Jews during the Holocaust?“
Iran backs Hamas militants in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. The Gaza war has sparked clashes between Israel and Hezbollah militants along the Lebanese border, attacks by Iran-linked groups on US targets in Iraq and Syria, and Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
“Stopping the genocide in Gaza is the main key to the restoration of security to the region,” Mr Amirabdollahian told the council. “The killing of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank cannot continue until the so-called ‘total destruction of Hamas’ because that time will never come.” REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/israel-s-rejection-of-two-state-solution-will-embolden-extremists-un-chief
| 2024-01-24T00:21:40Z
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JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a mounting crisis after Israel’s worst day of troop losses in the Gaza war as well as growing protests over his failure to bring hostages back.
The military’s strategy in the Palestinian territory is under intense scrutiny following the death of 24 troops on Jan 22, Israel’s biggest one-day loss since its ground offensive in Gaza started in late October.
Among those killed were 21 reservists, who died in a single incident.
The incident, which saw rocket-propelled grenade fire hit a tank and two buildings the soldiers were trying to blow up, was deemed a “disaster” by Mr Netanyahu.
Mr Emmanuel Navon, a lecturer at Tel Aviv University, told AFP the troop losses “affect everybody, because almost everybody in the country has a son or brother or a relative (fighting in Gaza)”.
Israelis would now be increasingly asking “what is the strategy... Do we really keep going until we finish Hamas?”, he added.
At the same time, splits have emerged in Mr Netanyahu’s war Cabinet following protests in Tel Aviv and outside his Jerusalem home, where relatives of hostages staged a rally on Jan 22 chanting “everybody and now” to urge the return of captives.
“The current mood in the war cabinet is very bad,” said Ms Julia Elad-Strenger, a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv.
Mr Netanyahu’s steadfast vow to eliminate the Palestinian militant group Hamas in response to the Oct 7 attack is increasingly seen within the Cabinet as incompatible with returning hostages held in Gaza, experts told AFP.
War cabinet divided
Two members of the five-person war Cabinet, Mr Benny Gantz and Mr Gadi Eisenkot, have rejected Mr Netanyahu’s stance that only military pressure on Hamas will allow the return of hostages, the experts said.
“According to Netanyahu there can be no victory with Hamas left standing, according to Gantz and Eisenkot there can be no victory with hostages lost,” said Professor Reuven Hazan, a professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Mr Eisenkot, whose son died fighting in Gaza, gave an interview last week in which he split from Mr Netanyahu’s long-held position.
“It is impossible to return the hostages alive in the near future without an agreement (with Hamas),” he told Israeli broadcaster Channel 12.
Mr Netanyahu has vowed “total victory” over Hamas in response to the attack by its fighters on Oct 7 that resulted in the deaths of about 1,140 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
The gunmen seized about 250 hostages and Israel says around 132 remain in besieged Gaza, including the bodies of at least 28 dead hostages, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli data.
In response to the attack, Israel has launched a relentless offensive in Gaza that has killed at least 25,400 people, according to the latest toll issued on Jan 23 by Gaza’s health ministry.
‘Worst point’
Mr Netanyahu has rejected suggestions that his government should hold another round of talks with Hamas to reach a similar deal to one struck in November that led to the release of 80 Israeli hostages.
Under that deal, brokered by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, a seven-day humanitarian pause was agreed that allowed aid deliveries into Gaza, while hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons were released in exchange for hostages.
The Israeli premier doubled down on his refusal to enter talks with Hamas on Jan 21, saying: “The conditions demanded by Hamas demonstrate a simple truth: there is no substitute for victory.”
Mr Netanyahu said Hamas had set conditions for the release of more hostages that included an end to the war, withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and guarantees that the group will stay in power.
Experts said they expected the Israeli premier to continue the war as a tactic to remain in power, even as pressure to change course mounts.
“I think he has made a decision to keep this war going and not just for his political interests, but endless war is his strategy in general,” said Ms Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group.
“As far as Netanyahu is concerned, if the war lasts beyond 2024 that’s better for him politically because it gets Oct 7 further away from us and it gives him a chance to rebuild,” said Prof Hazan of Hebrew University.
“Right now he is at the worst point in his entire career,” he said. AFP
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| 2024-01-24T00:21:51Z
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WASHINGTON - The United States carried out strikes in Iraq against three facilities linked to Iran-backed militia on Jan 23, the Pentagon said, after a weekend attack on an Iraqi air base that wounded US forces.
US troops in Iraq and Syria have been attacked about 150 times by Iran-aligned militants since the Israel-Gaza war started in October, creating pressure on President Joe Biden to respond militarily, despite political sensitivities in Baghdad.
On Jan 20, four US personnel suffered traumatic brain injuries after Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base was hit by multiple ballistic missiles and rockets fired by Iranian-backed militants from inside Iraq.
“US military forces conducted necessary and proportionate strikes on three facilities used by the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia group and other Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq,” US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
“These precision strikes are in direct response to a series of escalatory attacks against US and Coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias,” Mr Austin added.
US Central Command, which carries out operations in the Middle East, said the strikes targeted Kataib Hezbollah “headquarters, storage, and training locations for rocket, missile” and drone capabilities.
In Iraq, a medical source and a militant source said the US strikes killed at least two militants and that four other people were wounded.
Kataib Hezbollah military spokesperson Jaafar al-Husseini said in a post on X that the group would continue to target “enemy bases” until the end of Israel’s siege in Gaza and singled out US support for Israel’s campaign.
The attacks against the United States are seen as retaliation for its support of Israel in its war against Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas. The war in Gaza has been spreading, with US forces hitting Houthi targets who have launched attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The US has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq, advising and assisting local forces to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large parts of both countries before being defeated.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s office announced moves to evict American forces following a US drone strike in Baghdad earlier this month that was condemned by the government. The Pentagon said that strike killed a militia leader responsible for recent attacks on US personnel.
Mr Sudani has limited control over some Iran-backed factions, whose support he needed to win power a year ago and who now form a powerful bloc in his governing coalition.
The Pentagon has said it has not been formally notified of any plans to end the US troop presence in the country, and says its troops are deployed to Iraq at the invitation of the government in Baghdad.
Following the US strike, Abo Alaa al-Walai, a militia commander sanctioned by the US in 2023 for involvement in attacks on US forces, said Iran-backed Iraqi militias operating under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq should expand operations by “enforcing a blockade on Zionist maritime navigation in the Mediterranean Sea”. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/us-strikes-targets-in-iraq-after-american-forces-are-wounded
| 2024-01-24T00:22:01Z
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Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston has praised the emergence of intimacy coordinators on set, revealing that he once was accused of "copping a feel' by an A-list actress because, he says she "didn't like" him.
The 59-year-old actor, who stars alongside Jodie Foster in the new drama True Detective: North Country, was reportedly asked if he had never felt uncomfortable during a sex scene to which he replied: "Yes. I did a sex scene with an A-list actress – not Nicole Kidman, who was brilliant – and she implied, in front of the crew, that I was copping a feel. Because she didn’t like me."
He continued that he was "fortunate that happened to me before the Harvey Weinstein stuff came to light, so I wasn’t put in the stocks for it," but admitted that the actress' actions left him feeling "betrayed".
Speaking to The Independent, Christopher added: "I have to say to you that I would sooner have put my hands in a food blender than copped a feel of that person. It was an abuse of power, what she did."
"Those are a wonderful innovation in the industry," he shared of intimacy coordinators, adding that the coordinator he worked with on the new HBO aries helped him to realize that they are there to "protect" the men as well as the women.
True Detective has returned for a fourth season – ten years after the first season of the critically acclaimed series aired, and five years after the third – and this time set in Alaska with Jodie and Kali Reis starring as Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro who investigate the disappearance of eight men from a research station.
True Detective has had a rocky time with critics and viewers; season one with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson won five Emmy awards and was a watercooler moment, while season two and three received middling reviews and saw viewership drop.
Jodie, who found fame as an 11-year-old in Bugsy Malone, has had an incredible January 2024 so far, with the release of her new show, and an Oscar nomination – her fifth – for Nyad. Jodie was named in the Best Supporting Actress category, alongside America Ferrera (Barbie), Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer), Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple), and Da'Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers).
Her Nyad co-star Annette Bening also received a Best Actress nod, which surprised many and left Margot Robbie looking in as she missed out for her work in Barbie.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511924/doctor-who-star-christopher-eccleston-co-star-accused-him-copping-a-feel/
| 2024-01-24T00:22:06Z
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In a heartfelt conversation with Sunrise's Edwina Bartholomew on Tuesday, Nicole Kidman offered a rare and intimate portrait of her life as a mother to her daughters, Sunday, 15, and Faith, 13.
The award-winning actress shared: "They’ve watched BMX Bandits...they love BMX Bandits...but they aren’t that interested in my work," acknowledging the independence of her children with a touch of relief and pride.
"It’s kind of great — I don’t have to worry about that...they have very full lives themselves and I just get out of the way".
Her family life, shared with her husband Keith Urban, is a cherished aspect of Nicole's life, one that she guards and respects deeply.
Nicole's appreciation for her children's disinterest in her Hollywood fame reveals a mother grateful for the normalcy and privacy it affords her family.
Nicole also divulged the origin of her series "Expats," crediting her sister Antonia for the inspiration. "I put it out there...if you ever read a good book, let me know, and so I do have people give me novels, and articles," she explained, highlighting her collaborative spirit when seeking stories to tell.
Reflecting on the premiere of "Expats," Nicole recalled the "full circle" moment with profound sentimentality, "It was kind of exquisite to sit at The Verona, just before Christmas...and my sister was in the audience. This actually made this happen. This is all Antonia".
The actress's commitment to her family is also evident in how she approaches her demanding career. Nicole, who values family dinners and church attendance, has worked diligently to give her children a grounded upbringing.
Nicole also has two older children, Connor and Isabella, with ex-husband Tom Cruise. The family dynamics are a tapestry of diverse interests and backgrounds, with Nicole and Keith's children experiencing a Catholic upbringing and attending church regularly, contrasting with Connor and Isabella's following in Tom's Scientology path.
"A lot of my friends tease me...That’s how we are raising our children. Keith has his own beliefs but he comes, too," Nicole shared with Vanity Fair, underscoring the importance of faith in their household.
When it comes to balancing her career and family life, Nicole has a clear strategy to ensure her children are never without a parent.
"We never leave the kids, one of us is always there," she told Entertainment Tonight, emphasizing the couple's dedication to their children's well-being.
As for the more challenging aspects of her career, Nicole doesn't shy away from the sacrifices required.
She conveyed to the New York Times the emotional weight of her conversations with her daughters before leaving for a shoot, "Mum is gonna go now...it doesn't diminish any of my love for you," revealing the depth of her maternal love and the complexities of her dual roles.
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.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511923/nicole-kidman-56-shares-rare-glimpse-into-family-life-with-teenage-daughters-sunday-15-and-faith-13/
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WASHINGTON - Boeing will hold a quality stand down on Jan 25 at the Seattle-area location where it makes 737 aircraft, pausing production and delivery operations for a day, the company announced on Jan 23.
During the stand down, employees will attend quality workshops and “pause, evaluate what we’re doing, how we’re doing it and make recommendations for improvement,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Stan Deal.
The first stand down will occur at the Renton, Washington-area factory where the 737 is built. All other Boeing commercial production facilities and fabrication sites will have stand downs over the next few weeks, Boeing said.
Boeing announced it would hold sessions with workers on Jan 16 as part of a larger list of actions it is taking after the grounding of a portion of the 737 MAX 9 fleet earlier this month following a mid-air cabin panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines jet. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/boeing-to-pause-737-production-for-quality-stand-down-on-jan-25
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WASHINGTON - His father’s voice, the sounds of passing cars and scissors clipping his hair: An 11-year-old boy is hearing for the first time in his life after receiving a breakthrough gene therapy.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Chop) which carried out the treatment – a first in the United States – said in a statement on Jan 23 the milestone represents hope for patients around the world with hearing loss caused by genetic mutations.
Aissam Dam was born “profoundly deaf” because of a highly rare abnormality in a single gene.
“Gene therapy for hearing loss is something that we physicians and scientists in the world of hearing loss have been working toward for over 20 years, and it is finally here,” said surgeon John Germiller, director of clinical research for Chop’s otolaryngology division.
“While the gene therapy we performed in our patient was to correct an abnormality in one, very rare gene, these studies may open the door for future use for some of the over 150 other genes that cause childhood hearing loss.”
In patients like Aissam, a defective gene prevents the production of otoferlin, a protein necessary for the “hair cells” of the inner ear to be able to convert sound vibrations into chemical signals that are sent to the brain.
Otoferlin gene defects are highly rare, accounting for one to eight per cent of hearing loss present from birth.
On Oct 4, 2023, he underwent a surgical procedure that involved partly lifting his eardrum and then injecting a harmless virus, which had been modified to transport working copies of the otoferlin gene, into the internal fluid of his cochlea.
As a result, the hair cells began making the missing protein and functioning properly.
Almost four months since receiving the treatment in one ear, Aissam’s hearing has improved to the point he only has mild-to-moderate hearing loss and he is “literally hearing sound for the first time in his life,” said the statement.
The New York Times reported that despite being able to hear, Aissam, who was born in Morocco and later moved to Spain, may never learn to talk, as the brain’s window for acquiring speech closes around the age of five.
The US Food and Drug Administration, which greenlighted the study, wanted to start the research on older children first, for safety reasons.
The trial, sponsored by Akouos Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, is one of several underway or about to start in the United States, Europe and China, where a handful of other children have already been reportedly cured.
“As more patients at different ages are treated with this gene therapy, researchers will learn more about the degree to which hearing is improved and whether that level of hearing can be sustained over many years,” Dr Germiller said. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/deaf-boy-can-now-hear-after-breakthrough-gene-treatment
| 2024-01-24T00:22:22Z
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SAN DIEGO - San Diego, renowned for its mild, sunny weather, was mopping up on Jan 23 after the heaviest rainfall ever recorded in the city in the month of January, a deluge that washed away parked cars, flooded homes and closed a stretch of highway.
Rain pounded San Diego at half an inch (1.3 cm) per hour on Jan 22 as firefighters and lifeguards worked to rescue dozens of people from flash floods in a city often touted as having the most pleasant weather in the United States.
Daniel Campos, the supervisor of Spill the Beans Coffee and Bagels in San Diego, said on Jan 23 that the sky “just dumped rain” starting at midday on Monday, flooding the parking lot and forcing the shop to close early.
“Water was bubbling up from manhole covers; it was crazy,” he said.
In a city where it is common to see Frisbees tossed for fun, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department posted a video on the X social media platform of a rescue team captain hurling a disc on a rope to a man clinging to a raft in a powerful current.
The man was saved by the “solid throw of the save-a-life disc,” the post said. “Nice work gentlemen!”
Terrified homeowners waded through waist-deep water to escape their homes in some parts of San Diego, California’s second-largest city by population, according to Fox Weather. The channel posted a video taken by resident Hugo Pacheco of himself and a woman struggling to reach higher ground.
“The house I’ve lived in all my life just flooded,” Pacheco said. “Scariest moment of my life.”
One elementary school reported that 3 inches (7.6 cm) of floodwater had accumulated in its classrooms.
San Diego’s mayor declared a state of emergency around 5 pm on Jan 22, urging residents to stay home and never travel on flooded roads.
The storm drew moisture from the Pacific Ocean and dumped 2.73 inches (6.93 cm) of rain at San Diego’s airport, cutting off traffic to the facility, before heading to Northern California, said David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.
Roth said the rainfall, which produced the city’s fourth wettest day on record - not far behind the all-time record of 3.34 inches (8.48 cm) in 1854 - was “very unique.”
“They should be getting some rain this time of year, but not like this,” he said.
Daily rainfall during the city’s wet season from December through March averages just .03 inch (.08 cm), and average annual rainfall is about 10 inches (25.4 cm), according to Roth.
San Diego residents can start drying out on Jan 23, as no more rain is in sight, he said. REUTERS
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| 2024-01-24T00:22:32Z
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MANCHESTER, New Hampshire - Voters in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary on Jan 23 were sharply divided over whether Donald Trump would be fit for office if convicted of a crime.
It is a sign the former president’s legal troubles could dog him in any general election matchup with President Joe Biden.
Early exit polls showed that 50 per cent of Republican primary voters said Trump would be fit for the presidency if convicted of a crime, while 47 per cent said he would not be fit to serve if convicted, according to the preliminary results of an exit poll conducted on Jan 23 by Edison Research.
The exit polls also showed that 49 per cent of New Hampshire primary voters do not think Mr Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election, a false claim perpetuated by Trump since he lost it.
They showed 69 per cent of Republican primary voters said the economy was either poor or not good, an area where Mr Biden has struggled to highlight improvements during his administration.
Republicans made up a smaller share of voters in the primary relative to the state’s 2016 Republican contest in the state, the exit polls showed.
Some 47 per cent of voters considered themselves Republican, compared to 55 per cent in the 2016 primary.
Eight per cent said they considered themselves Democrats, compared to 3 per cent in 2016. The share of independents was little changed at 45 per cent.
Most polling stations in the state close at 7pm (8am Singapore time, Jan 24) but some remain open until 8pm.
Mrs Nikki Haley looked to keep her White House hopes alive in New Hampshire by slowing Trump’s march to the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and scoring enough support to keep her campaign going in bigger, more diverse US states.
Trump had a record-setting victory in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation contest last week. New Hampshire is only the second state to hold a Republican presidential nominating contest.
A resounding win in New Hampshire would help propel Trump to secure the party’s nomination despite multiple criminal counts against him, two impeachments and his chaotic 2017-2021 presidency.
Trump and Mrs Haley, a former South Carolina governor who was his ambassador to the United Nations, were in a two-person race in the New England state after Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, dropped out and endorsed Trump.
Opinion polls show Trump with a wide lead over Mrs Haley, who needs a victory or at least a strong showing in New Hampshire to carry her to the next nominating contest in her home state, where Trump is also dominant in the polls.
The Republican nominee will face Mr Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, in the general election on Nov 5.
Noting the exit poll result showed Mrs Haley dominating among moderates and liberals and even pulling in roughly a third of conservatives, Democratic strategist Joe Trippi said Mrs Haley could be heading for a “good night” relative to Trump.
“If these results hold up, she is eating into his base in a way that did not happen in Iowa,” he said.
New Hampshire’s secretary of state David Scanlan said he expected a healthy Republican turnout on Jan 23 and that results should be in quickly.
‘I’m very confident,’ Trump says
Trump, who is balancing campaign stops with appearances in various criminal and civil courts, denies wrongdoing and has used the criminal charges to bolster his claim of political persecution.
He predicted victory in New Hampshire early on Jan 23, saying the level of enthusiasm was incredible. Later, during a stop at a polling station in Londonderry, Trump briefly addressed supporters.
“So excited. I’m very confident,” he said.
The first ballots in New Hampshire went to Mrs Haley. Voters in the tiny northern hamlet of Dixville Notch - always the first to vote in the state - chose Mrs Haley over Trump 6-0.
Like Iowa, New Hampshire is mostly a white state with a small population, but it has a more moderate Republican electorate and a better record of predicting eventual nominees.
Mrs Haley came in a close third behind Mr DeSantis in Iowa and has focused her early campaign on New Hampshire. “You just want to keep getting stronger and stronger and stronger. That’s our goal,” she said in Manchester.
Mrs Haley’s campaign said on Jan 23 it intends to keep her candidacy alive through “Super Tuesday” in early March, when 16 states vote.
Democrats’ strategy
Mr Biden is not on the ballot in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary, having supported an effort by his party to move their first primary election to the more diverse state of South Carolina.
New Hampshire supporters will still be able to vote for him by writing Mr Biden’s name on the ballot, which could be a barometer of his political strength.
The Democratic president, whose advisers are anticipating a rematch with Trump, took aim at Republicans over their efforts curb abortion rights in a Virginia speech on Jan 23.
But his remarks were interrupted repeatedly by hecklers protesting his policies towards Israel.
Democrats in Virginia secured majorities in the state legislature after making abortion rights a central campaign issue.
The Supreme Court, with a conservative majority made possible by three justices who joined the court under Trump, struck down in 2022 the Roe vs Wade ruling that guaranteed women’s right to abortion.
Mr Biden has cast Trump as a would-be dictator and a threat to democracy.
In New Hampshire, Mrs Haley stepped up her attacks on Trump, criticising his affinity for strongmen such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
Mrs Haley, 52, has also gone after Trump’s age - he is 77 - and mental acuity, attacks she has also regularly levelled at Mr Biden, who is 81.
She took up the theme again on Jan 23, saying the country needs to put someone in the White House that can put in eight years to get it back on track.
“Do you want two 80-year-olds running for president?“ Mrs Haley asked. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/new-hampshire-primary-voters-split-on-whether-trump-should-be-president-if-convicted-exit-polls
| 2024-01-24T00:22:43Z
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On Tuesday, Ryan Gosling, who earned an Oscar nod for his role as Ken in the film Barbie, released a statement underscoring his dismay at the Oscar snubs of his co-star Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig.
Despite his gratitude for the recognition, Ryan was quick to acknowledge that the film's success hinged on the creative forces of Margot and Greta.
"There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film," Ryan said.
He highlighted the integral roles both women played in the creation of Barbie, a film that has been met with global acclaim."
"No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit, and genius," Ryan expressed.
His disappointment was palpable, as he felt strongly that their contributions deserved the same accolades as other nominees. "
To say that I'm disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement," he added.
Ryan's statement began with a nod to the honor of his nomination, "I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films." He candidly expressed his pride in being recognized for his portrayal of the iconic plastic doll, Ken.
Despite his personal achievement, Ryan emphasized the void felt by the absence of nominations for Margot and Greta.
He lauded their efforts: "Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history."
He didn't miss the chance to celebrate his co-star America Ferrera, who received a nod for Best Supporting Actress.
"Having said that, I am so happy for America Ferrera and the other incredible artists who contributed their talents to making this such a groundbreaking film."
Ryan's statement drew mixed reactions from fans. One suggested a bold move: "It would be a powerful statement if he withdrew his name from consideration," pointing to a possible protest in solidarity with his colleagues.
The Academy's announcement of this year's nominees was met with a wave of criticism, particularly focused on the exclusion of Greta for Best Director and Margot for Best Lead Actress. The snubs have been especially biting considering the film's feminist undertones and Ryan's supporting actor nomination.
Fans took to social media to voice their outrage, with one noting, "Ryan Gosling, while deserving, got an Oscar nomination for Barbie while Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie didn’t? Completely proving the point of the movie in 2024 you cannot make this up."
Another expressed a similar sentiment, "Wait Ryan Gosling got nominated for his role as Ken, but Margot Robbie didn't get nominated for Barbie?! And Greta got snubbed for Best Director?!?! Way to justify the literal plot of the movie."
Critics have pointed out that the situation reflects the film's themes, with one user adding, "If Ryan deserved a nom, then Margot certainly did, the fact she wouldn't have won isn't the point. It almost feels like the Academy deliberately played into the theme of the movie to get people talking."
While Margot may not be in the actress category, she's recognized as a producer for the film's Best Picture nomination. Greta, together with her husband Noah Baumbach, garnered a nomination for the adapted screenplay of Barbie.
Both Margot and Greta are no strangers to Oscar nominations. Margot has been previously nominated for her roles in I, Tonya and Bombshell, and Greta has received nods for directing Lady Bird and writing for Little Women.
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.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511925/barbie-star-ryan-gosling-shares-surprising-personal-statement-amid-controversial-oscars-nominations/
| 2024-01-24T01:49:49Z
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SYDNEY - The Australian government on Wednesday named longstanding media executive Kim Williams the next chairperson of the country's national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Williams is currently chair of the board of Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company, an independent body tasked with preserving the Reuters news agency's independence.
He will replace Ita Buttrose at the ABC after her five-year term ends in March.
"Kim is such a perfect fit for the role, it's almost as if he were made for it," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a press briefing. "Kim is someone who gets the ABC and he is someone who understands instinctively what a national broadcaster can and should be."
Williams has held various executive leadership positions since the 1970s, including as chief executive at News Corp Australia, pay-TV operator Foxtel, Fox Studios Australia and the Australian Film Commission.
During the press briefing, Williams described the ABC role as a "solemn responsibility" and pledged to uphold its charter.
His appointment comes at a time when the ABC faces pressure over its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. Union members on Monday passed a vote of no confidence in Managing Director David Anderson "for failing to defend the integrity of the ABC and its staff from outside attacks."
The ABC, in a statement released on Tuesday, said the board passed a unanimous vote of confidence in Anderson but acknowledged "this is a very difficult environment for our staff with many societal issues that threaten to divide us."
Asked for his view on the ABC's coverage of the war, Williams said: "I think at the core of all journalism at the ABC is the imperative of being absolutely verifiably independent, offering at all times true journalistic integrity and to the extent possible in human affairs having an aspiration to freedom from bias."
Thomson Reuters did not respond immediately to a request for comment. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australia-names-media-exec-kim-williams-chair-of-national-broadcaster-abc
| 2024-01-24T01:53:18Z
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TAIPEI – Taiwan’s main opposition party had pinned its hopes of winning the recent presidential election on convincing voters that it would serve their interests, not China’s.
But the Kuomintang’s (KMT) central pitch was undercut by one of its own just days before polls opened.
“You can never fight a war with the mainland. You can never win,” former President Ma Ying-jeou told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
The comments by Mr Ma, who remains a senior figure within the KMT, indicated Taiwan is too powerless to stand up to Beijing, undermining the party’s messaging.
Mr Hou Yu-ih, the KMT’s candidate, immediately distanced himself from Mr Ma, saying their views “differed.”
The former president was also reportedly not invited to the party’s election night rally. But voters were unswayed. The KMT lost an unprecedented third presidential term in a row.
The incident highlights a crisis within Taiwan’s oldest political party: How to appeal to voters who increasingly see themselves as distinct from China, while satisfying the party’s influential old guards who favour eventual unification.
“Its narrative on engaging with China is less favoured by today’s young voters,” said Mr Jason Hsu, a former KMT legislator. “In the past, we had seen efforts by members to be more modern, but those efforts were shut down.”
Tracing its origins back to 1894, the party was instrumental in overthrowing the Qing dynasty and establishing the Republic of China.
The KMT ruled China through much of the first half of the 20th century until defeat by Mao Zedong’s Communists in 1949 forced it to flee to Taiwan.
There, it ruled for decades as a one-party state before implementing democratic reforms in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Now, 28 years after Taiwan’s first democratic presidential election, it is facing a crisis of relevance.
Mr Hou lost by almost a million votes to Vice-President Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has defended Taiwan’s autonomy against threats from China.
The result marks a troubling moment for the KMT. While the party increased its share of the vote from 2020, many voters remain distrustful of its commitment to eventual unification with China, especially under the government of President Xi Jinping.
“The KMT has a pro-China problem,” said Professor Chia-hung Tsai, a research fellow at National Chengchi University’s Election Study Centre.
“Certainly they can distinguish themselves from other parties by claiming they understand China more, but China is becoming more coercive and less popular in the world, so that’s why the KMT lost its presidential bid this year.”
The loss was also a blow for Beijing, which prefers the KMT as its negotiating partner in Taipei and has labelled the DPP’s Mr Lai a separatist who risks sparking a war.
And while the KMT increased its presence in the legislature to 52 seats, one more than the DPP, it fell short of its goal of a majority.
The upstart Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) now controls the balance of power in the assembly, with its eight seats vital to securing a majority in any vote on legislation.
With Mr Hou’s campaign struggling to close the gap with Mr Lai in the final months of the campaign, former President Ma emerged as a key player behind a bid to create a joint opposition ticket between the KMT and the TPP, which ultimately imploded in a public display of bickering.
Mr Ma’s involvement indicates he remains “a pretty powerful figure” in the KMT, said Assistant Professor Sarah Newland from Smith College in Massachusetts. “They haven’t been able to figure out how to move into a new ideological basis that will both satisfy the party’s old guard and appeal to Taiwan voters.”
In its charter, the KMT makes clear its wish to “unite the people,” “oppose separatism” and “champion the interests of the Chinese nation”.
But there is a shrinking market for those goals in Taiwan. Only 11.8 per cent of Taiwanese respondents support unifying with China, according to a Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation poll in August, while 48.9 per cent back formal independence and 26.9 per cent prefer the status quo.
The island’s roughly three decades of democracy have also fostered a growing sense of self-identity, according to a long-running study by National Chengchi University.
Another issue looming over the KMT is its finances. In 1998, it was the richest party in the world, with assets worth NT$91.8 billion (S$3.92 billion), according to the party.
That’s changed. A government probe into improper gains during the KMT’s four decades of rule hit party coffers.
The KMT’s assets stood at US$20.2 billion (S$27.08 billion) in 2022, of which US$19.7 billion are frozen or limited in how they can be used, according to a party financial declaration.
Still, the KMT remains a significant force in Taiwanese politics, particularly on a local level. As well as being the largest party in the legislature, it controls 14 of Taiwan’s 22 cities and counties versus the DPP’s six.
“The KMT built an incredibly strong network of voter mobilisation down to the ultra local level,” said Prof Newland. “People don’t tend to vote on independence-unification issues in local races, so they’re much more willing to vote for the KMT.”
This latest lost could be a moment of reckoning for the party.
“This defeat is not necessarily a bad thing if the KMT can change from within,” said Mr Hsu. “It doesn’t mean it has to disconnect with China, but it needs to provide a more convincing narrative that it’s a party that can be trusted when it comes to China.” BLOOMBERG
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/taiwan-s-kuomintang-party-faces-crisis-after-election-defeat
| 2024-01-24T01:53:28Z
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WASHINGTON – The leaders of the United States House of Representatives Taiwan Caucus, Republican Representative Mario Diaz Balart and Democratic Representative Ami Bera, have arrived in Taipei in a show of support after the island’s election.
The two members of Congress plan to engage senior officials and business leaders during their visit.
“The aim of the trip is to reaffirm US support for Taiwan following their successful democratic elections, express solidarity in their shared commitment to democratic values, and explore opportunities to further strengthen the robust economic and defence relationship between the United States and Taiwan,” their offices said in a statement on Jan 23.
Mr Lai Ching-te from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won the Jan 13 presidential election and will take office on May 20.
China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, has criticised several countries for congratulating Mr Lai on his election victory, saying they should not interfere in China’s affairs.
China views visits by US officials to Taiwan as sending an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp on the island.
Taiwan’s government says Beijing has no right to speak for the island’s people or represent them on the world stage.
The US is Taiwan’s most important international backer, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, and a major arms supplier to Taipei.
Mr Lai says he does not seek to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, sticking by a longstanding policy of neither seeking independence nor union with China and that only Taiwan’s people can decide their future. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/us-lawmakers-arrive-in-taiwan-in-post-election-show-of-support
| 2024-01-24T01:53:39Z
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MANILA - The Philippines armed forces will guarantee the "unimpeded and peaceful" exploration and exploitation of natural resources within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as it shifts its focus to external defence, Manila's defense secretary said.
"We are evolving into a defence concept which projects our power into areas where we must, by constitutional fiat and duty, protect and preserve our resources," Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told the Manila Overseas Press Club on Tuesday night.
Teodoro also said the Philippines will "increase the tempo" of activities with allies and major partners in the West Philippines Sea and other parts of the country and "exercise these partnerships to the full".
Manila calls the portion of the South China Sea that is within its EEZ as the West Philippine Sea, where it has had a series of confrontations with China with both trading accusations of provoking conflict.
In addition to the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts of the South China Sea disputed by China, which claims almost all of the sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China's claims had no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejects.
Plans by a Philippine firm to drill for oil and natural gas on the Reed Bank in the South China Sea have been hampered for years by the territorial dispute.
"We are not the ones encroaching on the EEZ of another country sea. The encroacher has a vast area of sea," Teodoro said. "We do not want a fight, we want peace but it should be based on international law and sustainability."
"We will not bend over backward," Teodoro said.
China and the Philippines agreed last week to improve maritime communication and to properly manage conflicts and differences in the South China Sea through friendly talks. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/philippine-says-armed-forces-to-ensure-unimpeded-and-peaceful-exploration-in-south-china-sea
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DHAKA - At least 569 Rohingya were reported to have died or gone missing while trying to flee Myanmar or Bangladesh in 2023, the highest toll since 2014, the UN refugee agency said on Jan 23, calling for urgent action to protect the ethnic minority group.
The deaths or disappearances occurred during attempted crossings of the Andaman Sea or Bay of Bengal by nearly 4,500 Rohingya, the UNHCR said in a statement.
“The number reported missing or dead is the highest since 2014, when the total reached 730,” it said.
Survivors have shared horrifying accounts of abuse and exploitation during the journey, including gender-based violence, the UNHCR statement said.
“The majority of those attempting these journeys were children and women – some 66 per cent of those embarking on these deadly journeys. The refugees have been departing from Bangladesh and, to a lesser extent, Myanmar.”
Over one million Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar live in bamboo-and-plastic camps in the Bangladeshi border district of Cox’s Bazar, most after fleeing a military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017.
Myanmar has been under military rule since a 2021 coup and the junta have shown little inclination to take back any Rohingya, who have long been regarded as foreign interlopers in Myanmar, denied citizenship and subjected to abuse.
But with prospects in the camps bleak and little hope of returning to Myanmar or being resettled, many are driven to take to boats in pursuit of new lives further afield.
In a single incident in November 2023, the UNHCR statement said, some 200 Rohingya lost their lives when their boat was reported to have sunk in the Andaman Sea.
The UNHCR called on regional coastal authorities to take urgent action to prevent future tragedies. It said more and more desperate people were dying under the watch of numerous coastal states in the absence of timely rescue and disembarkations at the nearest place of safety.
“Saving lives and rescuing those in distress at sea is a humanitarian imperative and a longstanding duty under international maritime law,” the UNHCR said. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/rohingya-death-toll-at-sea-in-2023-worst-for-almost-a-decade-says-un
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SYDNEY - Tuvalu expects to review its diplomatic ties with Taiwan after Friday's election, Finance Minister Seve Paeniu told Reuters, adding voters in the tiny Pacific Island nation wanted more financial support from the international community for climate change and development.
Tuvalu, threatened by rising seas, is one of three remaining Pacific allies of Taiwan, which has only a dozen allies globally, after Nauru last week cut ties to instead recognise Beijing.
A national election will be held on Friday in the atoll nation of 11,200 people, where there are no political parties and voters select two lawmakers in each of eight electorates.
Paeniu, as one of only two candidates for the Nukulaelae island electorate, is guaranteed a seat in the new parliament.
Tuvalu's ties with Taiwan, and a security and migration deal struck with Australia, have been raised as concerns by lawmakers and "need to be debated and reviewed in the new parliament", he said.
"The Taiwan-China issue remains a debatable issue for any government, particularly following a general election. No doubt it will feature once again in the debates following the election and the new government will need to take a stance on it," he said in a statement to Reuters.
The comments by Paeniu, a former economic adviser to Nauru, are the first by a Tuvalu lawmaker indicating diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, held since 1979, could be ditched in favour of Beijing.
"It comes down to whichever partner country is able to respond to and support achievement of Tuvalu's development priorities and aspirations," he said.
In 2019, Tuvalu said it had rejected an offer by China to build artificial islands in return for switching ties.
Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement several Tuvalu officials and politicians had congratulated Taiwan on its presidential election earlier this month "and reiterated their position on the continued firm defence of the friendship between the two countries".
AUSTRALIAN TIES
Tuvalu agreed to consult Canberra before making security arrangements with another nation, a broad definition covering port, telecommunications and cyber as well as policing, under a November deal that provides an Australian security guarantee and visa pathway for Tuvalu citizens to migrate.
The deal was criticised as infringing sovereignty by several Tuvalu lawmakers who want it revised, although Paeniu said it will go ahead if his government is returned.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters on Tuesday that Australia wouldn't intervene in any decision by Tuvalu on diplomatic recognition of Taiwan or China.
Tuvalu's islands stretch across 500,000 square kms of ocean, with infrequent boat links to the outer islands.
Australia provided $15 million in extra funding to Tuvalu last year for a harbour construction project financed by the Asia Development Bank to enable the contract to be awarded on quality rather than price alone. An Australian construction company subsequently replaced a Chinese state-owned company involved in the construction, documents show. Australia has also funded land reclamation in Tuvalu to assist with rising sea levels.
The role of Chinese infrastructure in boosting China's influence in the Pacific was shown in Nauru's decision to switch ties from Taiwan to Beijing, after China Harbour Engineering Company built a harbour project.
Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano did not respond to Reuters request for comment amid a caretaker period before the election.
After votes are counted, government boats collect the new lawmakers from islands and bring them to the capital Funafuti, a journey that can take up to 27 hours. Coalitions are formed before a vote of lawmakers select the prime minister.
Paeniu said Tuvalu wants increased support from the international community for development and addressing climate change.
He said increased cost of living needs to be addressed by the next government, and people want to see a big improvement in public healthcare standards. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/tuvalu-expected-to-review-taiwan-ties-after-election-minister
| 2024-01-24T01:54:10Z
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SEATTLE – eBay will cut about 1,000 jobs, or 9 per cent of its full-time employees, and reduce work for its outside contractors, saying its staffing and expenses have outpaced growth.
The e-commerce company said it needs to be “more nimble” in the face of a “challenging” economic environment.
“While we are making progress against our strategy, our overall headcount and expenses have outpaced the growth of our business,” eBay said on Jan 23 in a statement. “To address this, we’re implementing organisational changes that align and consolidate certain teams to improve the end-to-end experience, and better meet the needs of our customers around the world.”
The announcement marks the second round of job reductions at eBay in a year. The online marketplace in February 2023 said it would cut about 500 employees, or about 4 per cent of its workforce, citing a slowdown in consumer spending following the pandemic-fueled e-commerce boom.
eBay joins more than 60 other tech companies, including Amazon.com and Google parent Alphabet, that have let almost 11,000 employees go so far this year, according to Layoffs.fyi, which tracks tech industry job cuts.
For years, eBay has been losing market share to bigger rivals such as Amazon.com and Walmart and has been gradually selling pieces of the company.
Chief executive officer Jamie Iannone is trying to find niches for the site, such as luxury watches and collectibles, as well as highlighting refurbished items to appeal to cost-conscious shoppers. The company had 132 million active buyers as of Sept 30, down 3 per cent from a year earlier.
The shares gained about 4 per cent in extended trading after closing at US$41.41 in New York. The stock has declined 13 per cent in the past 12 months. BLOOMBERG
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/ebay-to-cut-1000-jobs-reduce-contractors-to-sharpen-focus
| 2024-01-24T01:54:20Z
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SINGAPORE - Singapore-listed GHY Culture & Media on Jan 24 said that it is in talks with Al Nassr Club Company for a partial refund, if any, of a collaboration fee it paid to organise a football tournament in China.
Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was deemed not fit to play in two friendly matches on Jan 24 and 28 following an injury. These matches were subsequently cancelled, and Al Nassr Football Club issued an apology to fans on Jan 23.
GHY previously disclosed that it would pay a US$10 million (S$13.4 million) collaboration fee to organise the tournament with Al Nassr. Its subsidiary, G Yue Culture & Media, would be entitled to exclusive organiser rights, including any and all rights related to sponsorship, licensing, broadcasting, ticketing, advertisement, endorsement, promotion.
Al Nassr Football Club said on Jan 23 that it agreed with the tournament’s organiser and promoter to schedule a new match at “a date to be defined”.
GHY previously said it does not expect the collaboration to have any effect on its net tangible assets or earnings per share for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2023.
Shares of GHY last traded at 38.5 cents on Jan 19. THE BUSINESS TIMES
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/ghy-seeking-refund-for-cancelled-china-football-tournament-after-ronaldo-s-injury
| 2024-01-24T01:54:31Z
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NEW YORK – German software giant SAP unveiled a €2 billion (S$2.9 billion) restructuring plan covering 8,000 roles on Jan 23, as it seeks to better focus on growth in artificial intelligence-driven business areas.
SAP expects generative AI to fundamentally change its business and has pledged to invest more than US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion), while opening a new tab in AI-powered technology start-ups via its enterprise capital firm Sapphire Ventures.
The company said it plans the restructuring to help better focus on key growth areas such as business AI.
The restructuring programme would be implemented majorly through voluntary leave programmes and internal reskilling measures, the company said, adding that it expects to exit 2024 with a headcount “similar to the current levels”.
SAP has more than 105,000 employees, according to the company’s website.
The restructuring expenses would reflect mostly in the first half of 2024, impacting operating profit, the company said.
The business software maker, separately on Jan 23, also forecast 2024 cloud revenue at €17 billion to €17.3 billion and updated its 2025 outlook forecasting adjusted cloud gross profit of approximately €16.2 billion.
Its key cloud business revenue at 2023 end came in at €13.66 billion, falling short of its forecast of €14.06 billion.
The software firm had previously missed analyst expectations for cloud revenues in the third quarter. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/sap-to-restructure-8000-jobs-in-push-towards-ai
| 2024-01-24T01:54:41Z
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WASHINGTON -Atomic scientists on Tuesday kept their "Doomsday Clock" set as close to midnight as ever before, citing Russia's actions on nuclear weapons amid its invasion of Ukraine, nuclear-armed Israel's Gaza war and worsening climate change as factors driving the risk of global catastrophe.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, as they did last year, set the clock at 90 seconds to midnight - the theoretical point of annihilation. Scientists set the clock based on "existential" risks to Earth and its people: nuclear threats, climate change and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and new biotechnology.
"Conflict hot spots around the world carry the threat of nuclear escalation, climate change is already causing death and destruction, and disruptive technologies like AI and biological research advance faster than their safeguards," Rachel Bronson, the Bulletin's president and CEO, told Reuters, adding that keeping the clock unchanged from the prior year is "not an indication that the world is stable."
The Chicago-based nonprofit created the clock in 1947 during the Cold War tensions that followed World War Two to warn the public about how close humankind was to destroying the world. It said on Tuesday that ominous trends continue to point toward catastrophe, including the fact that China, Russia and the United States all are spending large amounts of money to expand or modernize their nuclear arsenals, boosting the risk of nuclear war through mistake or miscalculation.
Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, set to reach its second anniversary next month, has escalated tensions with the West to their most dangerous levels since the Cold War.
"A durable end to Russia's war in Ukraine seems distant, and the use of nuclear weapons by Russia in that conflict remains a serious possibility. In the past year Russia has sent numerous worrying nuclear signals," Bronson said.
Bronson cited Russian President Vladimir Putin's February 2023 decision to suspend Russian participation in the New START treaty with the United States that limited the strategic nuclear arsenals of the two countries. The United States and Russia together hold nearly 90% of the world's nuclear warheads, enough to destroy the planet many times over.
Bronson additionally cited Putin's March 2023 announcement of Russia's deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and the Russian parliament's October 2023 passage of a law withdrawing ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests. Russian analyst Sergei Karaganov last year also spoke of the need to threaten nuclear strikes in Europe in order to intimidate and "sober up" Moscow's enemies.
Traditional nuclear arms control has come to an end for now even as a three-way nuclear arms race is shaping up among China, Russia and the United States, said Alexander Glaser of Princeton University, a member of the Bulletin's board of experts on nuclear technology and climate science.
"The picture is quite bleak on the nuclear side this year," Glaser added.
Israel has been at war with Hamas since the Palestinian Islamist group, based in Gaza, launched attacks in southern Israel in October 2023.
"As a nuclear state, Israel's actions are clearly relevant to the Doomsday Clock discussion. Of particular worry is that the conflict might escalate more broadly in the region creating a larger conventional war and drawing in more nuclear powers or near-nuclear powers," Bronson said.
Climate change was added as a factor in setting the clock in 2007.
"The world in 2023 entered into uncharted territory as it suffered its hottest year on record and global greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise," Bronson said. "Both global and North Atlantic sea-surface temperatures broke records, and Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest daily extent since the advent of satellite data."
Bronson said that while 2023 was a record-breaking year for clean energy with $1.7 trillion in new investments, fossil fuel investments totaled nearly $1 trillion. Bronson called current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions "grossly insufficient to avoid dangerous human and economic impacts from climate change, which disproportionately affect the poorest people in the world."
The Bulletin was founded in 1945 by scientists including Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/atomic-scientists-keep-doomsday-clock-as-close-to-midnight-as-ever
| 2024-01-24T01:55:02Z
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LONDON – The rapid development of novel artificial intelligence tools will lead to an increase in cyber attacks and lower the barrier of entry for less sophisticated hackers to do digital harm, Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) spy agency warned on Jan 24.
That lower entry barrier will also likely contribute to the global rise in ransomware attacks, whereby criminals encrypt computer systems for a digital ransom, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is part of GCHQ, said in a report.
“AI will almost certainly increase the volume and heighten the impact of cyber attacks over the next two years. However, the impact on the cyber threat will be uneven,” the report said.
It suggested the biggest increase in capability for malicious actors in cyberspace would go to opportunistic hackers who do not necessarily possess the skills needed to carry out higher-level attacks.
At the very least, the report said, the use of generative AI tools like chatbots can help create more convincing e-mails or documents used in online phishing campaigns.
On an advanced level, more capable state-backed hackers were “best placed to harness AI’s potential in advanced cyber operations against networks, for example use in advanced malware generation”, said the report, referring to malicious software and computer viruses.
Intelligence agencies across the world are grappling with the rise of potential security problems tied to algorithms that can generate human-sounding interactions – dubbed large language models, or LLMs, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which businesses are incorporating into a wide range of services, including sales and customer care.
The security implications of AI are still coming into focus.
The authorities in Britain, the United States and Canada have said they have seen hackers embrace the technology. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/ai-rise-will-lead-to-increase-in-cyberattacks-warns-britain-s-spy-agency
| 2024-01-24T01:55:12Z
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced the creation of a council to "support entrepreneurship" on Tuesday aimed at bringing business leaders onside in wartime after many expressed outrage at the arrest of a prominent banker.
Zelenskiy issued a decree to enact the formation of the council a day after he met business community leaders in talks he acknowledged had been "difficult".
The decree was issued after a sitting of the National Security and Defence Council, which sets defence policy. The Council also pledged to alter provisions of Ukraine's criminal code allowing for the arrest and prosecution of business figures.
Zelenskiy said the Council for the Support of Entrepreneurship sought to provide "economic security and economic stability, right now. During martial law."
"There are clearly defined steps that will help both Ukrainian entrepreneurs and state institutions to overcome the whole set of problems that have been extensively discussed in recent weeks," he said in his nightly video address.
The council, he said, was made up of well-known business figures from different sectors with a variety of views.
"But there is a single task - to strengthen our economy, our society," Zelenskiy said. "And, in addition, absolute clarity with relation to law enforcement agencies."
Business owners have expressed concern over the detention last week of banker Ihor Mazepa on allegations he engaged in an illegal acquisition of land north of Kyiv to proceed with construction of luxury housing.
Mazepa was released from pre-trial detention on Tuesday, public broadcaster Suspilne reported, with his bail reduced to the equivalent of about $560,000
He has pledged to appeal the court ruling ordering his detention and said the case against him was being pursued because of his frequent criticism of law enforcement bodies.
Mazepa, whose company Concorde Capital has operated in Ukraine for some 20 years, was detained at the Polish border. His brother and officials linked to his company were also detained.
Suspilne said the bail was posted by one of the companies belonging to Concorde Capital.
Ihor Lisky, a business figure who attended Monday's meeting with Zelenskiy, said the talks opened a dialogue with officials with some influence over law enforcement bodies.
"This was a red line when a businessman who earns money for the state and who...remained in the country during the war is treated as a criminal and can be thrown in prison," Lisky told Ukrainian Radio NV. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/ukraines-zelenskiy-forms-business-council-after-outcry-over-bankers-arrest
| 2024-01-24T01:55:22Z
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DOHA/GAZA/JERUSALEM - Israel and Hamas have moved closer to agreement on a 30-day ceasefire in Gaza when Israeli hostages and Palestinians prisoners would be released, sources told Reuters, as Israel pressed ahead with its assault on southern Gaza's main city of Khan Younis.
Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt have held shuttle diplomacy since Dec. 28 seeking to bridge differences between Israel and the Palestinian militant group on a framework for a break in hostilities, which would also allow an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
But the two sides remain at odds over how to permanently end the Gaza war, and Hamas has refused to move forward until this is resolved, the sources said.
The U.S. State Department and White House, Qatar's foreign ministry and Egypt's State Information Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Reuters report.
Meanwhile, in its biggest operation in a month, the Israeli military pressed ahead with encircling Khan Younis where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are sheltering.
Israeli tanks on Tuesday shut the road from Khan Younis towards the Mediterranean coast, blocking the escape route for civilians trying to reach Rafah on Gaza's southern edge bordering Egypt - now crammed with more than half the enclave's 2.3 million people.
Israeli forces killed more than 100 militants in western Khan Younis in 24 hours, military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Tuesday evening. Israel says it has killed around 9,000 militants in total. Reuters was unable to verify the number.
On Monday, Israel's military suffered its deadliest day in over three months of conflict as 24 soldiers were killed in two incidents, bringing the Israeli military death toll in Gaza since late October to 220. Hamas claimed responsibility for a rocket attack that killed 21 of the soldiers.
The latest deaths prompted Israeli officials to reiterate that the objectives of the war against the Palestinian Hamas movement that runs Gaza were unchanged and that efforts were being made to gain the release of more than 100 hostages.
"In the name of our heroes, for the sake of our lives, we will not stop fighting until absolute victory," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said there would be no ceasefire that left Hamas in power and hostages in Gaza, following the militant group's cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.
Palestinian health officials said at least 195 Palestinians were killed over the prior 24 hours, raising the documented death toll to 25,490. Thousands more are feared lost in the rubble.
"The entire population of Gaza is enduring destruction at a scale and speed without parallel in recent history," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council.
"Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," he said, denouncing Israel's opposition to creation of a Palestinian state that would exist alongside Israel.
'CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM'
Diplomacy around a ceasefire deal appeared intense. Qatar said on Tuesday the country had "presented ideas to both sides, we are getting a constant stream of replies from both sides, and that in its own right is a cause for optimism."
Later, White House spokesperson John Kirby said U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk was in Cairo and would travel in the region for "active" discussions on ensuring release of hostages and securing a humanitarian pause.
"The conversations are very sober and serious about trying to get another hostage deal in place," Kirby told reporters.
Each side blamed the other for the collapse of a seven-day truce in November by rejecting terms to extend the daily release of hostages held by militants in exchange for Palestinian detainees.
Women, children and foreign hostages were freed, but mediators failed at the final hour to find a formula to release more, including Israeli soldiers and civilian men.
In southern Gaza, Israel has blockaded hospitals, which Palestinian officials say makes it impossible to rescue the wounded. Israel says Hamas fighters operate in and around hospitals, which hospital staff and Hamas deny.
At the European Hospital, reached by Reuters in southern Khan Younis, Ahed Masmah brought in five corpses, piled on a mattress on his donkey cart.
"I found them face down in the street," he said.
At Khan Younis' main Nasser hospital, the biggest still functioning in the Gaza Strip, bodies were being buried on the grounds because it was unsafe to go to the cemetery.
Martin Griffiths, U.N. coordinator of emergency relief, said on Tuesday that 24 people were killed in strikes on an aid warehouse, U.N. centre and humanitarian zone in the Khan Younis area. A distribution centre where families receive aid came under heavy bombardment, he said on social media platform X. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/plan-for-one-month-gaza-truce-makes-progress-as-israel-hits-khan-younis
| 2024-01-24T01:55:33Z
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ATLANTA - Dexter Scott King, who dedicated much of his life to shepherding the civil rights legacy of his parents, the Rev Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died on Jan 22 after battling prostate cancer. He was 62.
The King Center in Atlanta, which Dexter King served as chairman, said the younger son of the civil rights icon died at his home in Malibu, California. His wife, Leah Weber King, said in a statement that he died “peacefully in his sleep.”
“The sudden shock is devastating,” Martin Luther King III, the older brother of Dexter King, said in a statement. “It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this. We ask for your prayers at this time for the entire King family.”
The third of the Kings’ four children, Dexter King was named for the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served as a pastor when the Montgomery bus boycott launched him to national prominence in the wake of the 1955 arrest of Rosa Parks.
Dexter King was just seven years old when his father was assassinated in April 1968 while supporting striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.
“He turned that pain into activism, however, and dedicated his life to advancing the dream Martin and Coretta Scott King had for their children” and others, the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement. He said Dexter King “left us far too soon.”
US Senator Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached, said he prayed with the King family Monday and extended “my deepest condolences, strength, and solidarity to them during this time of remembrance and grief.”
Dexter King described the impact his father’s killing had on his childhood, and the rest of his life, in a 2004 memoir, “Growing Up King.”
“Ever since I was seven, I’ve felt I must be formal,” he wrote, adding: “Formality, seriousness, certitude — all these are difficult poses to maintain, even if you’re a person with perfect equilibrium, with all the drama life throws at you.”
As an adult, Dexter King bore such a striking resemblance to his famous father that he was cast to portray him in a 2002 TV move about Parks starring Angela Bassett.
He also worked to protect the King family’s intellectual property. In addition to serving as chairman of the King Center, he was also president of the King estate.
Dexter King and his siblings, who shared control of the family estate, didn’t always agree on how to uphold their parents’ legacy.
In one particularly bitter disagreement, the siblings ended up in court after Dexter King and his brother in 2014 sought to sell the Nobel Peace Prize their father was awarded in 1964 along with the civil rights leader’s traveling Bible used by President Barack Obama for his second inauguration. Bernice King said she found the notion unthinkable.
The King siblings settled the dispute in 2016 after former President Jimmy Carter served as a mediator. The items were turned over to the brothers, but other terms of the settlement were kept confidential.
Decades earlier, Dexter King made headlines when he publicly declared that he believed James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty in 1969 to murdering his father, was innocent. They met in 1997 at a Nashville prison amid an unsuccessful push by King family members to have Ray stand trial, hoping the case would reveal evidence of a broader conspiracy.
When Ray said during their prison meeting that he wasn’t the killer, Dexter King replied: “I believe you and my family believes you.” But Ray never got a trial. He died from liver failure the following year.
Dexter King is survived by his wife as well as his older brother, Martin Luther King III; his younger sister, the Rev. Bernice A. King; and a teenage niece, Yolanda Renee King.
Coretta Scott King died in 2006, followed by the Kings’ oldest child, Yolanda Denise King, in 2007.
“Words cannot express the heart break I feel from losing another sibling,” Bernice King said in a statement.
A memorial service will be announced later, the King Center said. The family planned a news conference on Jan 23 in Atlanta. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/dexter-scott-king-son-of-the-rev-martin-luther-king-jr-dies-of-cancer-at-62
| 2024-01-24T01:55:43Z
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LOS ANGELES - A US pastor who sold a worthless cryptocurrency to his flock and pocketed US$1.3 million (S$1.7 million), using some of it to remodel his house, has insisted he was only doing what God told him.
Eli Regalado and his wife, Kaitlyn, face a civil lawsuit alleging they flogged the so-called INDXcoin to fellow Christians in Colorado, with divine guarantees investors would become rich.
According to the complaint filed by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, investigators found 300 people sank $3.2 million (S$4.2 million) into something Regalado and his wife insisted God was backing.
That was despite the fact that the couple, who run an online church, had no experience in cryptocurrency, said a press release from the Colorado Division of Securities, the state body that regulates the securities market.
Faced with the fraud allegations, Regalado doubled down on his message of a God-given mission, and even confessed to using the cash for some home improvements – which he said was also an instruction from above.
“So the charges are that Kaitlyn and I have pocketed $1.3 million, and I just want to come out and say that those charges are true,” he said in a video posted to a forum for INDXcoin investors.
“Out of that 1.3, half a million dollars went to the IRS and a few $100,000 went to a home remodel that the Lord told us to do.”
The couple allegedly also spent funds on a gamut of luxury items, including a Range Rover, jewelry, swanky handbags and snowmobile trips, the complaint states.
Facing the legal action, which was filed in Denver last week, Regalado conceded it was possible there had been some communication issues on his hotline to God, though he was still holding out hope that the Big Man would come through in the end.
“We took God at his word and sold a cryptocurrency with no clear exit,” he said.
“Either I misheard God... or God is still not done with this project,” he said.
“What we’re praying for... is that God is going to work a miracle in the financial sector. He is going to bring a miracle into INDXcoin.”
Colorado Securities Commissioner Tung Chan said potential investors in get-rich quick schemes would be wise not to take them at face value.
“We allege that Mr. Regalado took advantage of the trust and faith of his own Christian community and that he peddled outlandish promises of wealth to them when he sold them essentially worthless cryptocurrencies,” Chan said.
“New coins and new exchanges are easy to create with open source code. We want to remind consumers to be very skeptical.”
NBC News reported that the couple are due to appear in a Denver court next week. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/us-pastor-who-pocketed-investors-17m-says-god-told-him-to-do-it
| 2024-01-24T01:55:54Z
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We just love a mystery egg story, and an absolute cracker was dredged up from the deep this week as researchers announced the deepest free-living flatworms ever found following the discovery of some jet-black eggs. The egg capsules, or cocoons, were found in the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, northwestern Pacific, and mark the first time we’ve achieved such a sneak peek into these worms’ early life stages in the abyssal zone.
The eggs were discovered by Dr Yasunori Kano of the University of Tokyo who was piloting the remote-operate vehicle (ROV) Hakuho-maru and retrieved at a depth of 6,200 meters (20,341 feet). Unsure of what they were, he presented them to Dr Keiichi Kakui of Hokkaido University, who co-authored a new paper on the discovery.
“When I first saw them, as I had never seen flatworm cocoons (and I didn't know what cocoons look like), I thought they may be protists or something,” explained Kakui to IFLScience.
“Under a stereomicroscope, I cut one of them, and a milky liquid-like thing leaked from it; after blowing the milky thing with a pipette, I found fragile white bodies in the shell and first realized that it was the cocoon of platyhelminths. At that time, I didn't know how rare this finding was, and couldn't identify what platyhelminth group they were. I was looking forward to studying them after coming back to my lab.”
And so, the eggy rocks were trawled up from the abyss and ferried to the Invertebrate Collection of the Hokkaido University Museum. The team managed to extract four intact egg capsules from the rocks, and found flatworm remains tucked inside. One worm was fixed in ethanol and dehydrated to make slides that the team could stain and analyze, while two other worms had their DNA extracted.
The results revealed they were looking at the remains of flatworms from the suborder Maricola in the order Tricladida. This is a staggering find because that makes the eggs’ discovery a world record depth for free-living flatworms, and – curiously – reveals that there’s not much difference in the way deep-sea flatworms developed compared to those that lurk in the shallows.
“This study provides the deepest record for free-living flatworms and the first information on their early life stages in the abyssal zone, which were very similar to those in shallow-water forms,” wrote Kakui and co-author Aoi Tsuyuki. “This similarity in development between the relatively benign shallow-water and the extreme abyssal environments suggests that triclads adapting to the latter faced primarily physiological and/or ecological adaptive challenges, rather than developmental ones.”
Some pretty big news for what looked like a few tapioca pearls, then, and there could be more to come!
“Many other precious samples were collected during the cruise we found the cocoons," concluded Kakui. "I'm going to proceed with their research."
The study is published in Biology Letters.
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https://www.iflscience.com/jet-black-eggs-found-in-the-pacific-abyss-reveal-a-new-wormy-world-record-72587
| 2024-01-24T01:59:12Z
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Beauty
Tess McMillan Doesn’t Want To Smell Like Anyone Else
The model and actor has been named one of the faces of Jean Paul Gaultier’s newest fragrance.
Tess McMillan is Gen Z’s jack of all trades. The Texas-born and -bred model has walked in fashion shows all over the world, begun venturing into acting, and held her first solo art exhibition in Paris in the fall. She’ll casually slip into French at the dinner table and can readily produce a book recommendation. She’s the type of person you’d like to be when you grow up — except McMillan is, in fact, still growing up. The ambitious 23-year-old just has a very strong sense of direction — and she’s not slowing down anytime soon.
Now, the New York-based model is cementing her multi-hyphenate status with yet another role, this time as an official ambassador for Jean Paul Gaultier’s latest fragrance. Named Gaultier Divine, the scent is described as a fluid tension between floral and gourmand notes for “audacious women who are proudly and freely themselves,” according to the brand.
Below, McMillan shares the first time she broke into her mother’s beauty bag, what coming into her 20s means to her, and being one of the faces of Gaultier Divine.
What’s your earliest beauty memory?
When I was a kid, I really wanted to get into my mother's makeup, [but] I was absolutely banned. One day I secretly went into her bathroom, locked the door, and I was giving myself a full makeover. And of course, as these things go ... Murphy's Law ... I dropped her blush and it exploded everywhere. I knew I was screwed. I got into a lot of trouble, but the beat was good.
What’s your earliest fragrance memory?
I think so many of my beauty and fragrance memories come from my mother, as I feel is true for a lot of people. I remember I would be going to bed, and she would be getting ready to go out to you know a party or a dinner or whatever, and she would come say goodbye. She always smelled so beautiful and luxurious.
How has your relationship with beauty evolved?
When I was sort of coming into my earlier 20s ... I felt like I really wanted to explore makeup and do bolder colors, bigger eyes. Now as I get to know myself a little bit better, I feel like I'm toning things down. But I still like to experiment a lot.
What does Gaultier Divine remind you of? How would you describe the type of person who wears Gaultier Divine?
I think the fragrance reminds me of summer. It feels light and easy. The kind of person that I think of when I think of Gaultier Divine is somebody who likes to lay out in the sun for hours. I also think of fresh fruit.
Who is your biggest beauty inspiration?
The Italian singer Mina. She is absolutely iconic. I’m obsessed with her. I can not think of anyone I aesthetically admire more than her.
What do you like to smell like?
Um, I think I like to smell like nobody else. [Laughs.] Also, I think the most important thing to me when I’m sort of figuring out what my personal fragrance is — either for an evening or just in general — I want it to be comforting but also sort of hard to pinpoint.
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https://www.nylon.com/beauty/tess-mcmillan-model-jean-paul-gaultier-divine-fragrance
| 2024-01-24T02:07:11Z
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Fashion
Lily McInerny On Shopping at Celine and Working with Chloë Sevigny
Catching up with the lifelong New Yorker during her first trip to Miami.
Lily McInerny has gotten in plenty of miles. Her first major film alone, 2022’s Palm Trees and Power Lines, had her filming all around Los Angeles, hitting Salt Lake City for its Sundance premiere, and then doing a victory lap back in Santa Monica for the Independent Spirit Awards, where she was nominated for Best Breakthrough Performance. Her follow-up, the recently-wrapped Bonjour Tristesse, filmed in the south of France. And yet there’s one city that has alluded her: Miami. That is, until now.
“I know,” the 25-year-old native New Yorker says, shaking her head incredulously at the fact. But no mind — she’s officially made it, and for good reason: to celebrate Celine’s newly redesigned flagship store in the Design District. The two-story store features an architectural design concept by Hedi Slimane, the brand’s creative, artistic and image director; think lots of natural materials and stone, including antique marble, a gleaming staircase lit by full-length mirrors, and a “perfume organ” at it’s base, showing off all of the brand’s covetable scents. When we chat, McInerny fits right into the surroundings, dressed in a sparkling black crochet dress and combat boots. She gazes around the first floor’s expansive leather goods displays, trying to spot her favorite bag from the most recent collection. “I have always been a fan of Hedi's work. They've been so supportive of me since my very first carpets, my very first festivals and yeah...,” she says, trailing off. “I couldn't have wished for this.”
Here, McInerny shares her experience as a New Yorker in Miami.
What did you do with your one day in Miami?
My friend Mitch lives here, so he kind of was able to show me around from a local's perspective. We saw a couple cute classic spots. I'm a big fan of architecture. I'm a really big fan of the Art Deco period and I saw similarities in LA, just in terms of the backdrops and the palm trees, but it borrowed all of my favorite parts of the LA landscape. It was a kind of anomaly of a day, thought, since it was freezing and windy. Couldn't have had worse weather for my first trip to Miami.
I can’t believe this is your first time here!
I know. I love it. Even with the gloom. I wanted to see it all. I went to a tourist shop in South Beath and saw some bike shorts and I Love Miami merch that I definitely need to pick up on my next trip.
Your look today is kind of perfectly New Yorker in Miami, between the black and the sheer crochet.
I know, it’s really… [McInemy gets up to do a full spin]. I had to do a twirl.
Do you have any other favorite Celine pieces in your wardrobe?
I really love just their classic bags. I have a calfskin one with the gold seams that I wear probably the most out of all of my bags. What I love so much about Celine is that it's subtle. I love their jackets, which are so simple. They're so wearable and they're so punk, but also very elegant.
What has been your favorite memory working with the brand? You got to go to the Wiltern show, where The Strokes played, right? I am incredibly jealous.
It was sort of like a FOMO machine. It was kind of like everybody's best night of their lives, myself included. I wish I could tell you it sucked, but it was just awesome. They kept all the acts sort of under wraps until the night of, you just heard whispers, and then when they came on it was like, "Holy shit!" And that was also just a stunning collection. I remember the finale was just all sparkles.
You are also a life-long New Yorker… as a native, what are your go-to spots?
I lived in the East Village during Covid, but besides that, I just have always lived in Greenwich Village. It's extremely nostalgic for me, which is really fun and hard to replace. A lot has changed, but I mean, I still go to Porto Rico for my coffee, which is the beans my parents bought growing up. I still go to Joe's for pizza, Raffetto's for fresh pasta on Houston Street. It's my favorite. Vesuvio Bakery has changed a few times over the years, but I still love it. Whatever's there, I usually love it. Oh, and Olive's for lunch.
Are there any new spots that have opened that you wish would go away?
There’s this weird Instagram popup that is the closest storefront to me and is the most useless store I've ever seen. Basically, it was made to shop brands that you only see online. They don't sell milk, they don't sell eggs, they don't sell butter, they don't sell coffee. It's just deep cuts that you see on TikTok and you think, "oh, maybe I'd try that once,” — but you don't want that to be your main bodega. It just enrages me.
You’re starring in a new play, The Animal Kingdom, which is opening on January 25th – how has preparing for that type of performance been for you so far?
It’'s a very, very tough play, about a very serious subject matter. It takes place in a family therapy session following a suicide attempt of the eldest son, and every rehearsal feels like a five-hour therapy session. It's so draining, but it's so rewarding at the same time. And I love theater. I fell in love with acting on stage. I went to LaGuardia. My background is in theater and you don't have as many opportunities to get back in as you do on-screen… I feel bad, I'm kind of playing hooky for this trip. But we’re on a good track and it's a really amazing group.
You’ll also soon be back on the festival scene with Bonjour Tristesse, which you got to shoot in the South of France with Chloë Sevigny which is… the dream.
We shot that in a small fishing town for two months last spring, which really is as nice as it sounds. And it's a very visual, very beautiful, sensual, striking film. It's based off of a novel by the same name and it was already adapted into a film in the ‘50s. We're taking a very different approach, but the original film I actually got a chance to watch at The Roxy recently. Seeing it on the big screen, it's a beautiful film and I hope ours is.
I play the female lead Cécile. She's an 18-year-old girl finishing up high school, kind of transitioning from adolescence into adulthood. It's a dramatic coming of age story, though Idon't know if I could really define it as that, but because there's a lot of generations of women interacting with each other. There's an amazing character named Elsa, played by Nailia Harzoune, who's this wonderful French actress. And then Chloë Sevigny is, yeah, a dream.
Had you ever crossed paths in New York before?
No. And she is the coolest. She’s just as cool as she seems. And so talented and so elegant and so hilarious. The film was so fun to shoot. It was a challenging role, but I find I'm attracted to very challenging roles. I always find the more I'm being pushed, the more you learn about yourself.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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https://www.nylon.com/fashion/lily-mcinerny-celine-miami-bonjour-tristesse
| 2024-01-24T02:07:17Z
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Fashion
Devon Lee Carlson Stars In Balenciaga’s Le City Bag Campaign
There’s a new It Bag contender in town.
Balenciaga’s bringing a new It Bag back into the fashion marketplace: 2000’s Le City Bag.
Following the return of its City Bag, the 2024 edition of the Le City Bag comes in Arena leather while reprising its vintage design details with original-sized studs, laced zipper pulls, and lacquered leather handles and straps. Photographed and directed by the duo Inez & Vinoodh, the campaign hones in on the concept of an archive as newly minted brand ambassador Kim Kardashian poses alongside the purse in her own closet.
Joining Kardashian are a mix of It Girls and and fashion legends — Devon Lee Carlson and Paloma Elsesser stand in museum-like closets while acclaimed costume designer and stylist Patricia Field smiles in front of candy-colored rows of Balenciaga’s other signature bags, Le Cagole and the Hourglass. The campaign is also styled with trademark Balenciaga touches: sleek black trench coats, exaggerated footwear, and plenty of dangling keychain clusters.
See Balenciaga’s Le City Bag campaign in its entirety, below.
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https://www.nylon.com/life/balenciaga-le-city-bag-campaign
| 2024-01-24T02:07:23Z
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Culture
Sundance 2024: Inside Indie Film’s Star-Studded Festival
A deep dive into the screenings, parties, and celebrity sightings at the first weekend of Sundance 2024.
As Sundance Film Festival 2024 took over Park City, Utah for its 40th year, NYLON was on the ground to take you inside the weekend, from the screenings to the parties to the top of the mountain.
Thursday, Jan. 18
I’ve been in Park City for 45 minutes, and I am already out of breath.
Somewhere between playing Tetris with my schedule and planning which impractical coat to bring, I’d forgotten about the tiny detail that Park City sits at 7,000 feet of elevation, which is approximately 7,000 feet more than New York City. By the time I get to my hotel, I feel like Cameron Diaz in The Holiday when her car drops her off half a mile from Kate Winslet’s country cottage and she has to hoof it the rest of the way, sweat dripping down her perfectly symmetrical face. Luckily, I get a welcome tote bag with Advil, hand warmers, and crucially: electrolyte tablets. I snap a photo of the six Olympic rings hanging above the couch in my room, down the electrolyte water, pour a Smart Pop bag in my mouth, and run out to Sundance HQ (the Park City Sheraton Hotel) to retrieve my press pass.
I hop in and out of snow banks on the five minute walk up the mountain, where a line of skiers are also waiting for the bus. No bus comes, and so, like the local I’m not, I call a Lyft. Sundance HQ is buzzing with volunteers, publicists, and journalists picking up badges emblazoned with our titles. My pass, the Press Flex Pass, is indeed a flex, as it gives me access to Press & Industry screenings, as well as extra 10 tickets to in-person public screenings.
Dinner is at Purple Sage on Main Street, the hub of the festival, where every brand from Dropbox to Acura have taken over storefronts for brand activations and parties. But Main Street also looks like it belongs inside of a snow globe, with lights stretched across the two-lane street, friendly crossing guards, and chalet-like storefronts. I’m joined by a group of journalists, the influencer Owin Pierson and his bestie, the violinist Ezinma, and Chase Sapphire publicists. We drool over cozy dishes like the blue cheese fondue, house-made potato chips, and squash ravioli. I descend the stairs two levels to the bathroom (once again, out of breath) and overhear two septuagenarians gab about which weeks they prefer to visit their Park City second homes, agreeing that this is the best week to ski because everyone is here for Sundance. I’ll take their word for it.
After dinner, my bestie Kim, who’s joined me for the weekend, and I attend the cast party for Freaky Tales, the film following four underdogs in 1987 Oakland starring Pedro Pascal, Ji-young Yoo, and Jay Ellis. The party was at Chase Sapphire Lounge, which takes over the Prospect Gallery on Main Street, bathing it in a neon blue light that you can clock from halfway down Main Street — the kind of savvy brand recognition that has you saying things like, “Should I upgrade to the Preferred card?”
Inside, the space is decked out in comfy couches, fresh flowers, low lights, and a stocked bar. Servers pass around bites: Tiny shot glasses of butternut squash soup, caprese skewers, and tuna tartare. Guests start piling in, including Pascal, who everyone is whispering about, either in reference to him no longer wearing a sling, his dapper white suit, or the way he seamlessly runs court. The biggest fan reaction, though, isn’t for Pascal but for the Bay Area rapper Too Short, who is also in the film, who a colleague of mine nearly screams over. Just when Kim and I are ready to succumb to altitude sickness, we spot the celebrity I had no idea I needed to see in person so badly: Jay Ellis, wearing — wait for it — an oatmeal colored sweater that real Insecure fans can appreciate. We watch him wave to his friends, flashing a big Hollywood smile. We clink glasses and decide the night can’t get better.
Friday, Jan. 19
I wake up early to do soundcheck for a panel I am moderating later that day for Brittany Howard, who is hosting a listening party for her new album What Now, out in February, at the White Claw Shore House. Afterwards, I meet Kim for breakfast at The Bridge restaurant, a Brazilian cafe jutting up against a literal chairlift that provides celebrity sightings all weekend. The first? Will Sharpe of The White Lotus. “This is the first Sundance where I’m, like, not stressed,” he says while eating an omelet while skiers whizz past us.
Then, I’m off to the Eccles Center for the red carpet for Love Me, the sci-fi romance starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun. Eccles Center is a middle school and it is, in fact, a school day, which means kids are sauntering out the door in sweatpants and collegiate sweatshirts, totally unfazed by the 20-person line of photographers, videographers, and journalists camped out. (Fun fact: A friend who grew up in Park City told me they got a week off for Sundance every year.) We are all here to talk to Stewart, a bonafide Sundance sweetheart with 10 festival premieres under her belt. “Kristen is going to be totally inaccessible this weekend,” I hear a reporter say while scrolling through her list of questions. Still, we’re all there to try.
My time as a high schooler camping out in front of venues to try to meet Lady Gaga and the Jonas Brothers has prepared me for this. We file in and I chat with Yeun on the red carpet, who, when I asked what he finds attractive, replies: “a tender touch.” (Reader, I blushed!) Stewart walks the red carpet with her signature DGAF attitude and kindergarten-core outfit of rolled up jeans, a t-shirt, and red sneakers. It’s a casualness she kept up through the weekend, which might mean her Chanel contact is over. Love Me, the touching AI story of a smart buoy and a satellite who find love long after humanity is gone, is perfect. I think about how much I love love. (I’m a sap!) Afterwards, the cast and crew do a Q&A where I am preoccupied with watching Stewart not be able to stand still — she puts the microphone on the ground, picks it up again, shuffles back and forth like a little kid.
A couple of hours later, I’m back at the White Claw Shore House, where I am given a White Claw Staff badge (AKA my new favorite accessory). Howard and I do our panel, which consists of me interviewing her interspersed with songs from her album. While the songs play, she, her partner, and I leave the stage and dance outside in the snow only to walk back in, once again breathless from the altitude. Half the crowd is dressed like Selling Sunset hopefuls (wide-brimmed hats, tall boots, and fur-lined puffers) while the other half are pure après ski (burnt orange puffers, snow pants, etc). Next up is Meredith Marks’ party — who, unlike fellow Real Housewife of Salt Lake City Lisa Barlow, is not the “queen of Sundance.” It’s a low-key cocktail party held at her Main Street boutique, where I have two bites of Meredith Marks caviar, and guests drink cocktails out of containers made to look like perfume bottles. Notable attendees include Chris Colfer, AKA Kurt from Glee, who despite being off network TV for almost a decade, still looks exactly like Kurt from Glee.
Later, at the How to Have Sex screening, the announcer introduces I Saw the TV Glow by director Jane Schoenbrun. I realize we walked into the wrong theater, but Kim sees the A24 logo and whispers, “We’re fine.” I’ve been excited about I Saw The TV Glow because of Schoenbrun’s first film We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, but am ultimately disappointed in her sophomore effort, which follows two teenagers who are obsessed with a fictional ‘90s teen drama called The Pink Opaque. It’s too busy and melodramatic, but I enjoy the original score by Alex G, as well as the Sloppy Jane and Phoebe Bridgers cameos.
Afterwards, I experience nirvana at the cast party for Steven Soderberg’s Presence, a film about a family who moves into a suburban house only to realize they’re not alone, starring Julia Fox and Lucy Liu. Ever since meeting Sarah Jessica Parker and seeing Avril Lavigne at the NYLON’s NYFW party, I don’t get starstruck. This personal theory was proven wrong when I see Lui float through the room as if buoyed by all the love and adoration she inspires. “Lucy Liu is the blueprint,” Kim says. Her posse leads her quickly to an area sectioned-off with a velvet rope, where she joins Fox. I have to sit down from the excitement, so I sip a tequila soda.
Saturday, Jan. 20
I start Saturday at the crack of dawn (9 a.m.), to meet the stars of Ponyboi, a film about an intersex sex worker on the run in New Jersey, at the NPF Inspire Lounge, a hub for press, publicists, and talent to warm up — and get free Botox. While waiting to interview the film’s stars Victoria Pedretti, Indya Moore, and River Gallo (who also wrote the film), a Santa Claus-like man asks if I would like a hot cinnamon roll. I’ve never had someone anticipate my needs more.
Around me, people are in line for injectables, refilling cups of coffee and hot chocolate, and picking at croissants while camera operators fiddle with their equipment and publicists usher talent in and out of the room. I wait my turn and then step outside with the cast, where I meet Dylan O’Brien, who is also in the film. I have to interrupt Pedretti, Gallo, and Moore who are dancing, cheering, hugging, and complimenting each other on how pretty they all look, so I can ask them questions about Sundance, and find out Moore wants to marry Everette Taylor, the CEO of Kickstarter.
Afterwards, I meet up with Kim to grab matcha and hot chocolate at the Chase Sapphire House before taking the bus up the mountain to ride the Funicular, which is basically a gondola, to the St. Regis Hotel. The second we enter the lobby, I know we’re in the presence of celebrity from how many publicists are scurrying around. I don’t have to wait long to find out it is Saoirse Ronan, who dashes into the Funicular for an interview. Security tells us to wait for the next car, which we ride 200 more feet up the mountain. At the bar, we order hot apple cider and rum cocktails and sit in front of a fire that looks like a burning rock garden, while watching people much colder than us ski. I’ve never felt so rich, a sentiment I keep repeating while in Utah.
After a few hours on the mountain, we descend via the Funicular for the evening’s screenings. I attend the red carpet for My Old Ass, director Megan Parks’ second feature starring Aubrey Plaza, Maisy Stella, Maddie Ziegler, and Kerrice Brooks. Everyone is waiting for is Plaza, who is so beloved and does such a good job at seeming like a civilian, that even journalists are geeking out over her. One reporter next to me showed her a picture of them together taken a decade ago. In the spirit of the film, I asked her what advice she would give her 18-year-old self: “Experiment,” she responds. Noted!
My Old Ass is my favorite film of the festival, a truly original summer love story that leaves me sobbing long after the credits are over. While waiting for the screening of Love Lies Bleeding, the Rose Glass-directed lesbian bodybuilding love story also starring Stewart, Kim and I watch the paparazzi carry manila envelopes full of Twilight: New Moon posters in the hopes that she stops for autographs, so they can sell them. Instead, it’s Dave Franco signing autographs, smiling and waving. Soon enough, Stewart exits a Sundance-branded Acura wearing red trousers and a cut-up tank top. Love Lies Bleeding is a brutal queer masterpiece that inspires visceral reactions from the audience — there’s a constant stream of gasps, laughs, or cheers.
We leave the theater around 1 a.m. and stop by a party hosted by Gold House, the non-profit that champions Asian creatives, which held over-capacity panels with Liu and Yeun earlier in the day. The Veueve Clicquot is gone and it’s past last call (which is 1 a.m. in Utah), but there’s leftover Sprinkles cupcakes, which we devour. Afterwards, we pop into a late-night pizza joint on Main Street, where I run into producer and man about town Adam Faze, who tells me he is in Park City “just to ski,” and that this is also his eighth Sundance. I overhear a guy tell his friend he’s trying to be less douchey to which his friend replies, “It’s impossible. It’s Sundance. We’re filmmakers.”
Sunday, Jan. 21
After a few packed days, I’m back at the Chase Sapphire House to eat a breakfast burrito from Melissa King, best known for her appearances on Top Chef, and catch a performance by Ezinma, who chops and screws classical music and reworks hits like “Despacito” and Usher’s “Yeah!” Afterwards, we’re back at The Bridge, where we see something new: a mug signed by Franco. We soak in the Silver King hot tub and I fall asleep watching Sex and the City before I have to depart in the morning. When waiting for my car, I overhear a hotel concierge explaining who-knows-what to someone on the phone: “It’s Sundance, that’s why,” he says. “‘Tis the season.”
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https://www.nylon.com/life/inside-sundance-film-festival-2024
| 2024-01-24T02:07:29Z
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Astrology
January’s 2024’s Full Moon In Leo Packs In The Drama
Let the in-your-face full moon light the way.
The astrology of 2024 begins with a seismic, generation-defining shift: a Pluto in Aquarius transit. While Pluto’s entrance into the water bearer’s domain will reroot and invigorate society’s platforms, systems, and beliefs for the next two decades, it’s immediately followed by a full moon in Leo on Jan. 25. And if there’s one thing to know about Leo, it’s that they peak in the spotlight.
Leo is ruled by the sun, the center of our galaxy — and it’s why many Leo placements may also see themselves as the center of their universe. “For Leo, the world is a mirror, and to be without others would be to go blind,” writes NYLON astrologer David Odyssey.
This is not a bad thing, per se. Leo is powerful, bold, and full of warmth, and a full moon in the lion’s den promises to be roaring with life. What makes this full moon in Leo differ from past lunations is that it sits in opposition Pluto’s new home in Aquarius — and when any planet or luminary comes in contact with Pluto, it’s going to be potent. But wait, there’s more! The full moon in Leo also sits square to Jupiter in Taurus, which brings abundance, fun, and magnifies the lunation. The drama will be ten-fold and the realizations could be life-changing.
With the sun as its ruler, Leo is closely tied to our inner creative spark. How you express yourself and navigate through power dynamics? How do you lead the way and encourage others to follow? “Meditate on what is important to you — and not your judge, jury, and executioners in the digital town square — so that you can be a pumping heart of originality and complexity in this wild new epoch,” advises Odyssey.
A new era is upon us and the full moon in Leo is lighting the way. See where the lunation lands in your own birth chart by reading for your rising sign in NYLON’s horoscope.
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https://www.nylon.com/life/january-2024-full-moon-leo
| 2024-01-24T02:07:35Z
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Nylon Nights
Carlita's NYLON Nights Playlist Will Make You Catch A Groove
The rising party starter curates a selection of nostalgic deep house and disco.
Going out? Need a playlist? Then NYLON’s NYLON Nights playlist is here for you. Each month we invite a guest DJ to curate an exclusive playlist that will keep you going from pre- to post-game. For January 2024, DJ Carlita shares her freshest finds.
If you’re a regular at NYFW or Art Basel then there’s a high likelihood you’ve heard of Carlita and her roving, multisensory party series Senza Fine. Centered around bringing good vibes to unexpected spaces (like a hotel bungalow or an industrial warehouse from 1896), the event’s constant is the music, her nostalgia-laced house sets, and the revolving door of big-named peers she often taps to be her co-hosts, like Diplo, SG Lewis, and designer Heron Preston.
Carlita’s career has burgeoned from unexpected beginnings as a classically trained pianist and cellist since she was 3 years old, to now dominating the global DJ scene as its latest star. In 2023, she played Glastonbury and a hot-air-balloon set with Diplo at Burning Man, and there’s more to come this year: the arrival of her as-of-yet untitled debut album, and a slot at Coachella 2024. The key to any Carlita set is to embrace the throwbacks, an ethos that shines on her upcoming single, “Cash For Love,” which pulls from her love of ‘80s and ‘90s Italo house and disco, as well as the groove-filled playlist she’s exclusively curated for NYLON below. Stream it below, and read on as she explains each pick in her own words.
“Vibrate 2004 (Peace Division Mix)” - Big Black Boot
Recently discovered this track and I love the old-school house sound.
“Trust (Freeform Five & Kevin Mckay Reform)” - Romanthony
The soulful vocal in this track is one which I really enjoy at the moment, super catchy and has a great groove. Fun fact, Romanthony was also the vocalist on Daft Punk’s “One More Time” which is also one of my favorite tracks.
“Stop That” - Maceo Plex
With this track Maceo Plex proves why he's been at the top for such a long time. Pure energy.
“Joy Part II” - Butch
Absolutely love the buildup in this track – the bassline and sexy vocal work amazing together.
“Breathe” - Wallace
Wallace is one of my favorite new producers and his tracks always hit the spot. This one is no different!
“U Rocked My World (Pete Herbert & Tristan Da Cunha Remix 2022 Remaster)” - The Glimmers, Pete Herbert, Tristan Da Cunha
This disco track repeatedly and consistently rocks my world.
“Carry Me Higher Elite Mix (10 Inch Mix)” - The Blessed Madonna, Joy Anonymous, Danielle Ponder
The Blessed Madonna has always been a big influence for me and this collaboration with Joy Anonymous is a perfect match. The vocal in this is so good, and it’s a regular in my sets at the moment.
“Hachi (Short Version)” - Traumer
Traumer is a seriously talented producer, and this track is one of my favorites. It’s so groovy and clean and the vocal is amazing. I play it as often as I can get away with it.
“Fell In Luv (Black Circle Remix)” - Carlita, Calussa, Black Circle
Have been playing this remix out ever since we first heard it and I still can’t get enough of it. It was recently released as well.
“Maravilha Marginal (Aureum Radio Edit)” - Leticia Fialho, Bruce Leroy
Slightly more chill track that I love playing in my sunrise sets. The groovy, deep house sound paired with the Brazilian vocal really pulls this track together nicely.
“Enya Woa (Extended Intro)” - Pat Thomas
Pat Thomas is an amazing Ghanaian musician with super soulful vocals, I find myself listening to his music on the plane on repeat.
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https://www.nylon.com/nylon-nights/carlita-nylon-nights-playlist
| 2024-01-24T02:07:41Z
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JAKARTA – Indonesia’s vice-presidential hopeful Mahfud MD said he plans to quit his role as a senior minister, less than a month away from elections, to prevent any conflict of interest.
Chief Security Minister Mahfud, who is the running mate of former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo in the Feb 14 elections, said he is just waiting for the right time to submit his resignation.
His decision follows Mr Ganjar’s call for candidates to relieve their government roles to avoid the abuse of power in their bid.
There is no requirement to do so under current regulations issued by President Joko Widodo, whose eldest son is contesting as Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto’s running mate.
Some 204 million Indonesians will cast their ballots in February to elect a new leader to succeed Mr Widodo, better known as Jokowi, as he finishes his second and last five-year term in October.
Calls for election candidates to resign mounted in recent weeks amid concern some officials and institutions are backing a particular candidate at various occasions.
This is despite calls by Mr Widodo that the government, as well as military and police forces, must remain neutral. BLOOMBERG
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesian-v-p-candidate-mahfud-md-to-leave-cabinet-post-before-election
| 2024-01-24T03:25:37Z
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SINGAPORE - Hong Kong-based digital asset fund manager HashKey Capital and FTSE Russell, a business of the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), have launched three new cryptocurrency indexes.
The idea is to make it easier for traders to keep tabs on not just a single digital asset but a basket of assets that are aligned with more nuanced investment strategies.
The two entities announced on Jan 24 that they had jointly developed the indexes, which track digital assets by market capitalisation, infrastructure and application. The indexes can be accessed on the FTSE Russell website.
One of the three is the FTSE Custom Digital Asset Top 20 Index, which tracks the top 20 crypto assets based on their market cap.
Currently, this index reflects at least 90 per cent of the overall performance of the digital asset market, to give traders a diversified benchmark of digital asset performance, said HashKey Capital and FTSE Russell.
The FTSE Custom Digital Asset Infrastructure Index, meanwhile, tracks digital assets that make up the infrastructure layer of the crypto ecosystem. These typically include smart contract platforms, protocol interoperability, and distributed computation and storage.
The third new index is the FTSE Custom Digital Asset Application Index, which tracks digital assets’ applications across the ecosystem, typically those linked to staking instruments and decentralised finance.
Staking refers to the process of locking up users’ digital tokens for a certain period to validate transactions on the blockchain, in order for them to get more tokens as a reward.
The two entities said there are plans to make the indexes available through data providers such as Bloomberg, Factset, LSEG Data & Analytics, Morningstar and S&P Capital IQ.
Mr Chris Williamson, head of Asia-Pacific for Index Investments Group at FTSE Russell, said the indexes were developed after a rigorous vetting and monitoring process to meet institutional demand for investability and regulatory integrity in this new asset class.
He said FTSE Russell started market outreach on digital assets in 2018 before engaging American and British regulators in 2019, after which they developed a set of vetting criteria and methodology.
The methodology is meant to enable professional investors and market participants to benchmark digital tokens while mitigating risks specific to this asset class, Mr Williamson said.
FTSE Russell’s first single digital asset index was launched in 2021, while the FTSE Global Digital Asset Index Series, which filters out questionable platforms, assets and trade information, was launched in 2022.
Mr Deng Chao, managing director of HashKey Capital, said the launch caters to the evolving needs of clients as there has been “a significant surge in demand from investors who want to diversify their portfolios beyond the established cryptocurrencies”.
Globally, several crypto platforms have created their own crypto indexes and many traditional index providers have also entered this space in recent years. These include Bloomberg, S&P, MSCI and crypto exchange Coinbase.
Hashkey’s Singapore arm said in December 2023 that it had received a full capital markets services licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Founded in 2015, HashKey Capital is one of the largest crypto asset managers and the earliest institutional investor in Ethereum. It has managed over US$1 billion in client assets since its inception, with investments in over 500 projects in infrastructure, tools and applications.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/ftse-russell-crypto-fund-manager-hashkey-capital-launch-three-indices-tracking-digital-assets
| 2024-01-24T03:25:48Z
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SHANGHAI - For veteran hedge fund investor Chua Soon Hock, 2024 was supposed to herald a multi-year rise in Chinese stocks and the opportunity of a lifetime. Instead, his fund’s sudden demise sends a warning to fellow China bulls: Stick to your guns at your peril.
Mr Chua’s Asia Genesis Asset Management told investors this week the US$330 million (S$443 million) fund would close after it was badly burned by wrong-way bets on Japan, and by falling Chinese markets that he largely blamed on inaction by policy makers, including President Xi Jinping.
“I am writing to you with a heavy heart and utmost regret,” Mr Chua said in a letter to clients saying their cash would be returned after an almost 19 per cent plunge this month. “My confidence as a trader is lost.”
Mr Chua’s plight shows how even the most experienced fund managers have been ensnared by a China market meltdown exacerbated by Beijing’s limited policy support. Li Bei, a long-time China hedge fund bull, admitted to mistakes after suffering the worst losses of her career, while global investment firm T. Rowe Price Group has seen the value of its China holdings fall by 80 per cent over years from its peak.
“All the evidence I’m seeing is that the economic data is a lot weaker than I thought, than anyone thought,” said Justin Thomson, head of international equity at Baltimore-based T. Rowe Price. “You have had your confidence tested harder and for longer than before.”
China’s benchmark CSI 300 Index hit a five-year low on Jan 22 and the prolonged slump has pushed mutual fund closures to a five-year high, in another sign of waning investor confidence. Though reports of a US$278 billion rescue package lifted shares briefly on Jan 23, many remain skeptical it’s enough to end the rout.
China’s market is facing “a serious lack of confidence” with some investors worrying about the possibility of a recession, according to Shanghai Yunhan Asset Management president Zhang Wenchao, whose fund manages about 700 million yuan (S$133 million). When Mr Zhang tried to buy the dip last week, he was quickly forced to sell to cut his losses. He’s since dumped all stock holdings.
“It was so scary - don’t bottom fish,” Mr Zhang said, adding that investors’ hope now hinges on policy support rather than fundamentals or sentiment. “Stock valuations certainly look good at current levels, but we may not be at the real bottom yet.”
Even one of China’s best-performing macro hedge funds has struggled. Shanghai Banxia Investment Management Center’s Ms Li, who manages more than 10 billion yuan predicted a bull market in October 2022, betting on a rebound in corporate profits and the property sector.
Last year her flagship fund plunged almost 15 per cent - the first annual loss in at least six years, according to the firm’s December investor letter seen by Bloomberg. The maximum drawdown, or decline, was 25 per cent from its peak in the middle of 2023, the worst drop in her career.
In all, more than US$6 trillion has been wiped out from the market value of Chinese and Hong Kong stocks since a peak reached in 2021.
Meanwhile, Kamet Capital Partners’ chief executive officer Kerry Goh, who still considers himself a long-term China bull, has reduced his China weighting after steep market losses last year.
“We were wrong on the momentum last year,” he said, adding that its equity allocation to China has fallen to 20 per cent, from more than 30 per cent in the first quarter of 2023. He notes that long-only funds sold billions of dollars of Chinese stocks last year and they continue to sell.
For investors like Luca Castoldi at Reyl Intesa Sanpaolo in Singapore, fundamental analysis is becoming less effective with so much pessimism and doubts about government support. Investors don’t care about China anymore, and those that don’t have to invest there have already pulled out, he said.
“I cannot use the same metrics that we used before,” said Ms Castoldi, who is now trading more on technical indicators and recently turned neutral on China stocks from underweight. “You never know where is the floor.”
True believer
Few money managers have offered up as frank a mea-culpa though as Mr Chua, a veteran of Salomon Brothers and Bankers Trust and a former investment officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
The recent rough trading “has proven that my past experience is no longer valid and instead, is working against me,” Mr Chua wrote in his letter to investors. “I have lost my knowledge, trading and psychological edge.”
It was a remarkable pivot for Mr Chua, who as recently as last month was extolling the virtues of China via his LinkedIn posts, while decrying the “fake narratives” of the country’s critics and the Western media. Toward the end of December, Mr Chua and his team remained true believers, convinced that Hong Kong and Chinese equities were nearing the bottom while Japanese stocks had rallied to a peak.
Chinese and Hong Kong stocks represent “the best risk reward stock investing set-up in my 40-year professional career - I am super bullish,” he posted. “The Chinese are capable, flexible, great businessmen and executors.”
To back that view, his Asia Genesis fund increased leverage to add more China stocks while shorting Japanese equities, according to the firm’s letter to investors on Jan 22. As Japanese assets continued to soar, the firm closed off its short calls on Jan 16 and focused on bets that Hong Kong and China stocks would recover once the People’s Bank of China cut interest rates.
“Alas, the PBOC did not cut rates and President Xi’s speech the day after indicated to equity investors that his focus was not on the markets,” Mr Chua said in the letter. By Jan 18, the fund had lost 6 per cent in a single week. “I still do not understand the inconsistency of China policy makers not fighting against deflation,” Mr Chua added.
Meanwhile, Japanese stocks remain on a tear, rising to a 34-year high this month as authorities and the stock exchange urge companies to boost shareholder value and enhance corporate governance.
“The principle of risk-reward for both the short-term and long-term has turned its head,” Mr Chua wrote. “We made big mistakes in the recent sharp Nikkei and Hong Kong moves which went in opposite directions.”
Not giving up
Still, some China bulls aren’t giving up just yet.
Though T. Rowe Price’s China holdings have dropped to US$15 billion from a peak of US$75 billion, Mr Thomson still backs China as an asset class, even after the protracted three-year decline. He thinks the sentiment is so extreme, the market could snap back quickly.
“Deep down, I still believe that there is a lot of money to be made in China,” he said. “But the period of China’s hyper growth is done. It will be a different China.” BLOOMBERG
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/hedge-fund-stars-who-got-china-wrong-are-paying-a-big-price
| 2024-01-24T03:25:58Z
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SINGAPORE – Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust’s (Reit) distribution per unit (DPU) for the second half of 2023 ended in December 2023 fell by 10.2 per cent to 3.659 cents, compared with 4.074 cents the year before.
Gross revenue was up 6.6 per cent to $238.4 million for the period, which was offset mainly by 29.1 per cent higher property expenses and 57.1 per cent lower interest income, the Reit’s manager said on Jan 24.
Net property income (NPI) fell 1.8 per cent on the year to $159.8 million. Distributable income dropped 9.4 per cent year on year to $106.3 million.
Distribution of 1.866 cents per unit for the period from Oct 1 to Dec 31, 2023, will be paid by the end of February 2024.
DPU for the full fiscal year 2022 was down 19.7 per cent at 7.135 cents. Distributable income fell 19.1 per cent to $206.8 million, compared with $255.5 million a year earlier.
While gross revenue for the full-year period increased 8.3 per cent to $462.7 million, NPI eased 0.8 per cent to $313.2 million.
The manager noted that while operational performance of the Singapore office, retail and convention portfolios continued to improve, the Reit still faced higher financing costs.
It also had lower contributions from overseas properties arising from vacancies at 55 Currie Street in Adelaide, Southgate Complex in Melbourne and The Minster Building in London, and leasing incentives given for 177 Pacific Highway in Sydney.
“(The) Australian dollar has also weakened by 6.6 per cent against the Singapore dollar during these periods,” said the manager, adding that these factors weighed on the distribution.
Units of Suntec Reit were trading up one cent, or 0.8 per cent, to $1.21 as at 9.42am on Jan 24, after the results were posted. THE BUSINESS TIMES
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/suntec-reit-sees-102-drop-in-h2-dpu-on-higher-property-expenses-lower-interest-income
| 2024-01-24T03:26:09Z
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As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their grand arrival at the Carib 5 theatre in Cross Roads, St Andrew, Jamaica for the premiere of Bob Marley: One Love, all eyes were undoubtedly on Meghan's stunning ensemble.
The premiere, scheduled for a Valentine's Day release, was a perfect setting for the couple's latest public appearance, showcasing not only their support for the arts but also their impeccable sense of style.
Meghan's outfit for the evening was nothing short of spectacular. She donned a chic, black skirt and matching top that featured a classic yet modern silhouette, perfectly complementing her figure.
The dress's simplistic elegance was amplified by its backless design, adding a touch of daring allure that captivated onlookers.
The timeless black color of her outfit allowed her natural beauty to shine through, proving that sometimes, less truly is more. Her attire was accessorized minimally, allowing the ensemble itself to make a bold statement.
The premiere dovetailed with news that would undoubtedly amplify Meghan's spirits—the Oscar nomination of The After, a short film directed by her close friend Misan Harriman.
Misan's connection to Meghan and Harry is profound; not only did he capture the tender moment announcing their second pregnancy, but he has also photographed their daughter, Princess Lilibet.
Meghan's support for The After, which has been recognized for Best Live Action Short Film, has been unwavering.
She joined the director and the film's lead, David Oyelowo, at an LA Tastemakers event, engaging in conversations that bridged the realms of art and personal friendship.
The film's synopsis—a tale of a rideshare driver confronting his grief after a harrowing event—mirrors the depth and resilience found within Meghan's own life narrative.
The Duchess's pride in Misan's achievement is palpable. "When you see people who have the connection that they have, it's like reading the pages of a book," Misan has said of Meghan and Harry, acknowledging the duchess's pivotal role in connecting him with Prince Harry.
"I'm grateful for whatever small part I played," he reflected, highlighting the serendipitous nature of relationships that have shaped their lives.
As the film garners accolades, including Best Short Film at the Astra Film Awards and the African-American Film Critics Association, Meghan's celebration is tinged with concern.
During a significant moment for Harry, who was honored at the Living Legends of Aviation, one of their children fell ill, causing Meghan to miss the ceremony. Despite this, the duke's "poetic" speech, as described by director Catherine Hardwicke, resounded with the attendees, reflecting his profound love for aviation and the ethereal experience of flight.
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.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/celebrity-style/511926/meghan-markle-stuns-in-chic-black-outfit-on-the-red-carpet-after-celebrating-oscar-nomination/
| 2024-01-24T03:26:17Z
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SINGAPORE – Nelson Loh Ne-Loon, the co-founder of Novena Global Healthcare Group (NGHG), was charged with 58 counts of forgery, cheating and transferring the benefits of his criminal conduct.
NGHG was set up by Loh and his cousin Terence Loh, and they made headlines in 2020 over their £280 million (S$477 million) takeover bid for English Premier League club Newcastle United.
Loh, 44, was charged in December 2022 with forgery offences. He allegedly forged financial statements of NGHG in 2019, and used them to obtain bank loans amounting to $18 million.
On Jan 24, Loh was handed the 58 new charges and now faces 60 charges in total.
According to the new charges, Loh conspired with his employee, Wong Soon Yuh, to cheat six banks into believing that audits were performed for NGHG, Novena Global Healthcare, and wine trading and distribution company Giron, thus dishonestly inducing the banks to disburse loans to these firms.
Giron is now defunct. Loh’s former wife, Ms Lee Chai Hoon, was a director and shareholder.
The alleged cheating offences took place in July 2019, and involved Maybank, Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank, DBS Bank, UOB and HSBC.
The loans disbursed by each bank ranged from $1.5 million to US$12.7 million (S$17 million), totalling about $69 million.
Loh allegedly transferred multiple sums out of Novena Global Healthcare’s accounts to other accounts. He faces 48 charges of transferring the benefits of his criminal conduct.
Wong, 44, also known as Michael Wong, was handed 12 more charges on Jan 24 relating to forgery, cheating and transferring sums which he had reasonable grounds to believe were benefits from another person’s criminal conduct.
The two men, who have both been remanded for more than a year, appeared in court via video-link.
Appearing gaunt in white prison attire, they did not speak during court proceedings except to confirm their names.
They had left Singapore and gone on the run in early September 2020 amid business troubles.
Within days of their departure, the police received a report that signatures of accounting firm Ernst & Young had been forged on some NGHG financial statements.
A warrant of arrest and an Interpol red notice were later issued against them. The notice is a request to law enforcement units worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or other legal action.
The police had earlier said: “With the cooperation and assistance of our foreign counterparts in the People’s Republic of China, the two men returned to Singapore on Dec 24, 2022, and were arrested by the Commercial Affairs Department on the same day.”
Their cases are scheduled for a pre-trial conference on Feb 1.
Those convicted of committing forgery, intending for the document forged to be used for cheating, can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
The offence of cheating carries a penalty of a jail term for up to 10 years and a fine.
Those who transfer benefits from their criminal conduct, or property which one has reasonable grounds to believe is another person’s benefits from criminal conduct, can be fined up to $500,000 or jailed for up to 10 years, or both.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/nelson-loh-singaporean-linked-to-newcastle-united-takeover-bid-handed-58-more-charges
| 2024-01-24T03:26:19Z
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ABIDJAN – Former champions Algeria crashed out of the Africa Cup of Nations in the group stage on Jan 23 after a shock defeat against Mauritania, but Cameroon secured a last-16 place with a dramatic victory over Gambia.
Algeria won their second Afcon title in Egypt in 2019 but were then sent packing in the group stage at the last edition in Cameroon two years ago with just one point and one goal scored.
This campaign has been equally miserable for Djamel Belmadi’s team, who drew their first two matches in Group D against Angola and Burkina Faso but would have qualified for the knockout phase with a point against Mauritania in Bouake.
Yet Mauritania, who had lost their opening two matches in Ivory Coast and had never won in eight previous attempts at the Afcon, ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a 37th-minute goal by captain Mohamed Dellah Yaly, who plays his club football in Iraq.
The result relegated Algeria – who started the game with off-form Riyad Mahrez on the bench – to bottom spot in their group and they head home having now gone six Cup of Nations matches without winning since beating Senegal 1-0 in the 2019 final.
Mauritania, meanwhile, are now certain to advance to the knockout phase for the first time in their history as one of the four best third-placed teams.
“Nobody was thinking about Mauritania, but football is like that, full of surprises, and we have been rewarded for all the hard work we have put in,” Mauritania coach Amir Abdou told broadcaster Canal Plus Afrique.
Angola finish top of Group D ahead of Burkina Faso after beating the Stallions 2-0 in Yamoussoukro thanks to a goal in each half from Egypt-based striker Mabululu and Zini of AEK Athens.
The Angolans are through to the knockout phase for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010, and will now play a best third-placed team in Bouake in the last 16.
Runners-up in 2013 and semi-finalists two years ago, Burkina Faso will head to the northern city of Korhogo for a tie next Tuesday against the winners of Group E, which will be Mali, South Africa or Namibia.
Earlier on Tuesday, five-time champions Cameroon secured qualification for the next round with a 3-2 win over Gambia in an extraordinary match in Bouake.
Both teams needed a win to stand a chance of going through from Group C, and Cameroon took the lead early in the second half from a Karl Toko-Ekambi header.
Yet Gambia, quarter-finalists two years ago, drew level on 72 minutes when the unmarked Ablie Jallow finished past Fabrice Ondoa, preferred in goal to Manchester United’s Andre Onana.
Ebrima Colley then put Gambia ahead five minutes from time, meaning the Indomitable Lions were heading out.
However, James Gomez turned a cross into his own net two minutes later to make it 2-2, and Christopher Wooh then headed in Cameroon’s winner in stoppage time.
“It is in our DNA, it’s just what we are like,” Cameroon coach Rigobert Song said when it was put to him that his team never know when they are beaten.
They will now head to Abidjan for a heavyweight last-16 tie against Nigeria on Saturday, while Gambia go home with three defeats in as many games.
Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet confirmed after the match that he would be leaving his position, despite having a contract until 2026.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Senegal beat Guinea 2-0 in Yamoussoukro to top Group C with a 100 percent record, Abdoulaye Seck and Iliman Ndiaye scoring their goals in the second half.
They will stay in Yamoussoukro for a last-16 tie next Monday against one of the best third-placed teams, and there is a good chance they will end up playing hosts Ivory Coast who remain in contention to qualify despite coming third in Group A.
Cameroon’s comeback relegated Guinea – who had star striker Serhou Guirassy back from injury – to third place, but they will go through to the next round.
However, those results condemned four-time champions Ghana to elimination.
The group stage concludes on Wednesday, with South Africa playing Tunisia and Namibia facing Mali in Group E, while Tanzania take on the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia meet Morocco in Group F. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/algeria-crash-out-of-cup-of-nations-as-cameroon-qualify-for-last-16
| 2024-01-24T03:26:30Z
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England under-20 international Charlie Hughes gave new meaning to the phrase 'late winner' when he scored after 20 minutes of second-half stoppage time to earn Wigan Athletic a 1-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers in England's third tier on Tuesday.
The unusually long period of stoppage time at the end of the League One match came about because of an injury to referee Adam Herczeg after a fall early in the second half.
Fourth official Steven Rushton replaced Herczeg on the pitch but the restart was delayed while a search was conducted in the crowd at the DW stadium for a qualified fourth official.
Both teams missed chances to take the lead after play resumed but, with the game seconds away from a goalless draw, a cross from Callum McManaman found centre half Hughes in the box.
The England under-20 international caught the ball on the volley to score the latest goal recorded in a match in the long history of the English Football League (EFL) to win the game.
The victory moved Wigan into the top half of League One standings, sitting 11th with 34 points. Wycombe are 17th on 30 points, four above the relegation zone.
Portsmouth are leaders with 56 points. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/wigans-hughes-nets-late-late-winner-to-make-efl-history
| 2024-01-24T03:26:40Z
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MELBOURNE – Australian showman Nick Kyrgios conceded on Jan 24 that his tennis career could be over, but said: “I’m OK with that”.
The talented but temperamental 28-year-old had knee surgery a year ago, then aborted plans to return at Wimbledon after tearing a ligament in his wrist.
He withdrew ahead of the Australian Open as he continues to struggle for fitness, but is at the Grand Slam in Melbourne as a commentator.
He conducted the on-court interview after defending champion Novak Djokovic beat Taylor Fritz to reach the semi-finals on Jan 23.
Kyrgios said a career in the media was looking increasingly attractive.
“I sat down with my agent, Stuart Duguid, a couple of days ago to talk about my future,” he wrote in a column for The Age newspaper in Melbourne.
“The reality is, there is a part of me that knows my time in the sport may be over. And I’m OK with that.
“It’s a conversation that needed to be had. I’m at a crossroads in my career and have reached a point where life after tennis is a prospect that excites me.
“I could travel the world making really good money commentating on the sport... that’s a life people wish they had.”
Kyrgios, who reached a career-high 13 in the world in 2016 and has spoken previously of his struggles with his mental health, said last month he was “exhausted, tired”.
He did not rule out a return to the court but said that after so many surgeries “my body may never be the same again”.
Even if he does make a comeback, Kyrgios said playing at the Paris Olympics will not happen.
“One thing I will guarantee, though, is that if I am fit and ready to play, I won’t be making myself available for the Olympics,” he said. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/australia-s-nick-kyrgios-concedes-tennis-career-could-be-over
| 2024-01-24T03:26:50Z
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MELBOURNE - Nick Kyrgios said he would not represent Australia at the Paris Olympics this year even if he is fit because of the way he had been treated ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The 28-year-old former Wimbledon finalist also made himself unavailable for consideration for the Rio Games after Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller said his behaviour was being monitored ahead of team selection.
"One thing I will guarantee, though, is that if I am fit and ready to play, I won't be making myself available for the Olympics," he wrote in a column in Fairfax newspapers.
"The way I was treated by the Australian Olympic Committee and former Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller will never be forgotten.
"To ban me from playing at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games was a disgrace. I was number 13 at the time and had a genuine chance at winning a medal.
"For them to forbid me from representing my country for behavioural reasons is something that I just can't forget."
Kyrgios has struggled with knee, foot and wrist injuries since pulling out of last year's Australian Open at the 11th hour and has played only one tour match since the Japan Open in October 2022.
In his absence from court, Kyrgios has started building a media career and on Tuesday made his debut as an on-court interviewer at the Australian Open, chatting with his friend Novak Djokovic after the world number one's quarter-final.
Kyrgios said last month that he would play on for two more seasons at best and on Wednesday wrote he was looking forward to continuing the media work after retirement.
The winner of seven ATP Tour titles, Kyrgios has had a chequered relationship with his fellow Australians.
His on-court histrionics and frequent disciplinary issues alienated many fans and was the reason behind Chiller's caution in 2016 as she looked to clean up team culture after a scandal involving the swimming team at the 2012 Olympics in London.
"Eight years ago, I was desperate to represent Australia at an Olympic Games, but my mentality has changed," Kyrgios added.
"I wanted to play for my country, I can't say that I still have that desire. And let's be honest, I haven't exactly felt like Australia has wanted me to represent it either. I've said before, I often feel more at home away from home."
Former Olympic cyclist Anna Meares has been appointed as Chef de Mission of Australia's team for the Paris Games. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/kyrgios-makes-himself-unavailable-for-paris-olympics
| 2024-01-24T03:27:01Z
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MELBOURNE - Dayana Yastremska beat Czech Linda Noskova 6-3 6-4 on Wednesday to book a semi-final spot at the Australian Open, becoming the first qualifier to reach the last four since 1978.
Battling in 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) heat, the Ukrainian's powerful forehand eventually overcame the 19-year-old Czech, who was the youngest player left in the women's draw.
They traded breaks early in the first set, but it was Yastremska who took the lead in the eighth game when Noskova netted a backhand.
Despite failing to get nearly half her first serves in, the Ukrainian kept the pressure on with a string of forehand winners throughout the match.
Noskova failed to capitalise on a break point when she was down 5-3 and Yastremska wrapped up the first set in 36 minutes with another well-targeted forehand.
Both players went off court after the first set, escaping the heat, and Noskova had a long chat with her coach on her return.
The players were level-pegging throughout the second set until the seventh game when Yastremska locked it up on her third break point with a backhand winner that left Noskova stranded on the far side of the court.
She closed out the match on serve when Noskova's backhand return hit the net, ending the Czech's bid for her first tour singles title.
World number 93 Yastremska, who has already beaten two Grand Slam champions during the tournament, next faces either 12th seed Zheng Qinwen of China or Russian world number 75 Anna Kalinskaya, who play their quarter-final later on Wednesday. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/qualifier-yastremska-beats-noskova-to-book-melbourne-semi-final-spot
| 2024-01-24T03:27:11Z
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LONDON - The rapid development of novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will lead to an increase in cyberattacks and lower the barrier of entry for less sophisticated hackers to do digital harm, Britain’s GCHQ spy agency warned on Wednesday.
That lower entry barrier will also likely contribute to the global rise in ransomware attacks, whereby criminals encrypt computer systems for a digital ransom, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is part of GCHQ, said in a report.
“AI will almost certainly increase the volume and heighten the impact of cyberattacks over the next two years. However, the impact on the cyber threat will be uneven,” the report said.
It suggested the biggest increase in capability for malicious actors in cyberspace would go to opportunistic hackers who do not necessarily possess the skills needed to carry out higher-level attacks.
At the very least, the report said, the use of generative AI tools like chatbots can help create more convincing emails or documents used in online phishing campaigns.
On an advanced level, more capable state-backed hackers were “best placed to harness AI’s potential in advanced cyber operations against networks, for example use in advanced malware generation”, said the report, referring to malicious software and computer viruses.
Intelligence agencies across the world are grappling with the rise of potential security problems tied to algorithms that can generate human-sounding interactions - dubbed large language models, or LLMs, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which businesses are incorporating into a wide range of services, including sales and customer care.
The security implications of AI are still coming into focus. Authorities in Britain, the U.S. and Canada have said they have seen hackers embrace the technology. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/ai-rise-will-lead-to-increase-in-cyberattacks-gchq-warns
| 2024-01-24T03:27:22Z
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A small plane carrying Rio Tinto workers crashed near Fort Smith in Canada's remote Northwest Territories on Tuesday during a flight to its Diavik diamond mine, killing some people on board.
There were no details on how many people died or how many had been on board, but Northwestern Air Lease, the plane's registered owner, said on its website it has two types of BAE Jetstreams its fleet, both able to carry 19 passengers.
Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said in a statement that the company was devastated by the crash.
“We are working closely with authorities and will help in any way we can with their efforts to find out exactly what has happened," Stausholm said.
Northwestern Air Lease did not respond to requests for comment, but the premier of the Northwest Territories put out a statement mourning those lost.
"It is with a heavy heart that I express my deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of those who were aboard the Northwestern Air flight that crashed outside of Fort Smith today," Premier R.J. Simpson said.
Chief coroner of Northwest Territories Garth Eggenberger confirmed there were fatalities but said officials would not be providing any further information until next of kin are notified.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Fort Smith Health Centre said it activated its mass casualty protocol at approximately 8:50 a.m. (1550 GMT) in response to "an aviation incident near the community," to free up resources to respond.
Three Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons supported search and rescue efforts for the aircraft, which was found near the Slave River after it lost contact shortly after take-off near Fort Smith, said Maxime Cliche, a public affairs officer with the Canadian Armed Forces.
A team of investigators has been deployed to look into the accident involving a BAE Jetstream aircraft, Canada's Transportation Safety Board said, adding that it was gathering information.
The crash comes a day after three people were killed and four others seriously injured in a helicopter crash in neighboring British Columbia. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/plane-carrying-rio-tinto-workers-crashes-in-canadas-northwest-some-killed
| 2024-01-24T03:27:32Z
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LONDON -Britain said in a joint statement on Tuesday that 24 countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, conducted additional strikes on Monday against eight targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
"In response to continued illegal and reckless Houthi attacks against vessels transiting the Red Sea and surrounding waterways, the armed forces of the United States and United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conducted additional strikes against eight targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," a joint statement issued by the British prime minister's office said.
"These strikes were designed to disrupt and degrade the capability of the Houthis to continue their attacks on global trade and innocent mariners from around the world, while avoiding escalation."
Ambassadors to Yemen from the five countries that are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - Russia, China, France, United Kingdom and the U.S. will meet on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Yemen, Russia's TASS state news agency reported.
"Despite the complexity of the situation in the world, we continue to exchange views within the framework of regular meetings of the 'five' ambassadors to Yemen ... the next such meeting will take place on January 24," Russia's Charge d'Affaires in Yemen Evgeny Kudrov told TASS in an interview. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/uk-issues-statement-from-24-nations-on-strikes-on-yemens-houthis
| 2024-01-24T03:27:42Z
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MANCHESTER, New Hampshire - Donald Trump was projected to win New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary election on Jan 23, according to Edison Research.
It would further assert his dominance over the party as he heads towards a likely November rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.
With 50 per cent of the expected vote tallied, according to Edison, Trump held a comfortable 54.6 per cent to 43.5 per cent for his only remaining rival, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.
Mrs Haley had hoped the north-eastern state’s sizeable cadre of independent voters would carry her to an upset win that might loosen Trump’s iron grip on the Republican Party.
“This race is far from over,” she told her supporters at a primary night party in Concord, challenging Trump to debate her. “I’m a fighter. And I’m scrappy. And now we’re the last one standing next to Donald Trump.”
At his own party in Nashua, Trump opened his speech by mocking Mrs Haley, calling her an “imposter” and saying, “She’s doing, like, a speech like she won. She didn’t win. She lost. ... She had a very bad night.”
His remarks followed a series of angry posts on his Truth Social app, calling her “DELUSIONAL.”
Trump will become the first Republican to sweep competitive votes in both Iowa - where he won by a record-setting margin eight days ago - and New Hampshire since 1976, when the two states cemented their status as the first nominating contests.
While the final margin was still unclear, the results will likely increase calls from some Republicans for Mrs Haley to drop out of the race.
Her campaign vowed in a memo on Jan 23 to push forward until “Super Tuesday” in early March, when Republicans in 15 states and one territory vote on the same day.
The next contest is scheduled for Feb 24 in South Carolina, where Mrs Haley was born and served two terms as governor.
Despite her ties, however, Trump has racked up endorsements from most of the state’s Republican figures, and opinion polls show him with a wide lead.
Mrs Haley finished third in Iowa, just behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, while focusing much of her early campaign on New Hampshire, where the more moderate electorate was expected to offer perhaps her best chance of winning a state over Trump.
New Hampshire was the first contest to feature a one-on-one matchup between Trump and Mrs Haley, after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, once seen as Trump’s most formidable challenger, dropped out on Jan 21 and endorsed Trump.
Despite Trump’s projected win on Jan 23, however, exit polls hinted at his potential vulnerabilities in a general election campaign.
He faces four sets of criminal charges for a range of offences, including his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat and his retention of classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021.
Mrs Haley has questioned his mental fitness and warned another Trump presidency would bring “chaos”, polls had indicated her efforts would be little more than a road bump for Trump in New Hampshire.
“If you want a losing candidate who puts America last, vote for Nikki Haley,” Trump said in his final pitch at a rally in Laconia village.
“But if you want a president who puts America first every single time, you’re going to vote for Donald J. Trump.”
Earlier on Jan 23, voters gathered nearby outside a school turned polling station and chatted about the primary battle.
The state office responsible for organising the vote told Fox News that “voter turnout is very strong”.
New Hampshire, in the north-east United States, is more Haley-friendly than states she will subsequently face, and continuing into February will be a tough sell without a win or at least a narrow loss.
Mrs Haley – aged 52 to Trump’s 77 – sounded defiant on Jan 23 as voting started, telling Fox News “political elites are saying we all need to coalesce around him”.
“This is not a coronation. This is a democracy,” she said.
“We are going to have a strong showing today here in New Hampshire.”
Biden not on ballot
Mr Biden is not on the ballot in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary, having supported an effort by his party to move their first primary election to the more diverse state of South Carolina.
New Hampshire supporters were still able to vote for him by writing Mr Biden’s name on the ballot, which could be a barometer of his political strength.
The Democratic president, whose advisers are anticipating a rematch with Trump, took aim at Republicans over their efforts curb abortion rights in a Virginia speech on Jan 23.
But his remarks were interrupted repeatedly by hecklers protesting his policies towards Israel.
The US Supreme Court, with a conservative majority made possible by three justices who joined the court under Trump, eliminated a nationwide right to abortion in 2022, galvanising Democratic voters in that year’s congressional elections.
Mr Biden also has cast Trump as a would-be dictator and a threat to democracy. REUTERS, AFP
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| 2024-01-24T03:27:53Z
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WASHINGTON - A far-reaching plan to channel Europe-Asia trade through the Middle East is at risk of stalling before it even gets started.
The Israel-Hamas war has halted progress on what is known as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.
It was a project touted in 2023 by Washington and key allies that envisages building new rail links across the Arabian peninsula.
As Houthi attacks disrupt Red Sea shipping and turmoil spreads across the region, IMEC is effectively on ice.
That is a setback for US strategy, because the plan served multiple purposes: counter China’s Belt and Road infrastructure programme, build influence in the so-called “Global South”, and speed up the hoped-for rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
“This is a project that made Iran, China, Russia, even Turkey nervous,” said Ms Romana Vlahutin, the former European Union special envoy for connectivity who is now a distinguished fellow at the German Marshall Fund. “Maybe that is the best proof of its strategic importance.”
Asked whether the regional conflicts had stopped the project, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing on Jan 23 that efforts to lay the groundwork are “ongoing”.
“While it’s principally around a rail system, there would be all kinds of logistics and sustainment hubs along the way, and offer all kinds of opportunities for infrastructure improvement and employment,” Mr Kirby said. “That’s a years-long process.”
A person familiar with the plans earlier said the outbreak of violence in the Middle East has diverted attention away from discussions on IMEC.
‘Game-changing’
In their contest with China for global influence, the US and Europe have struggled to win support in the developing world. Many emerging nations stayed neutral in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and backed an immediate end to Israel’s war in Gaza – declining to follow the American line in both cases.
To bolster their leverage, Group of Seven countries are engaging in what some have dubbed a battle of offers – holding out the prospect of tangible infrastructure projects, rather than appealing to shared values.
IMEC was one of the most ambitious. It was cemented at September 2023’s Group of 20 summit, in a three-way handshake between an unlikely triumvirate: US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The announcement caught many by surprise. Its centrepiece was a new rail route that would link up with existing maritime and truck transportation networks. Mr Biden called it a “game-changing regional investment”.
Analysts also saw the project as a step towards the administration’s real prize: a pact between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
In Davos last week, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the US approach had been “to work towards a package deal that involved normalisation between Israel and key Arab states” as well as “a political horizon” for Palestinians. “That was our goal before Oct 7,” he said.
Hamas’s attack that day triggered Israel’s war in Gaza – which threatens to spill over on multiple fronts, drawing in Hamas allies such as the Houthis and Hezbollah, as well as the US.
‘Promising on paper’
All this chaos put an abrupt stop to IMEC. The 3,000-mile (about 4,800km) route runs through countries now on high alert in case they get caught up in the war.
Arab public outrage over the civilian death toll in Gaza means governments of IMEC participants like the United Arab Emirates must tread carefully. Saudi Arabia is ruling out any deal with Israel unless there is a clear path to a Palestinian state.
Of course, IMEC – a project that fitted neatly into American geopolitical rhetoric but remained light on detail – might have foundered even absent a Middle East war.
“While IMEC certainly looked promising on paper, complex regional dynamics were always going to pose implementation challenges,” said Mr Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington think tank.
Among the signers of September’s agreement, there’s clear impetus to get the deal restarted if regional tensions ease.
The “strategic rationale remains unwavering, even stronger”, said Mr Mohammed Soliman, director of the strategic technologies and cyber security programme at the Middle East Institute in Washington. “Participating countries remain deeply committed to this vision.”
Mr Biden has referred to the “historic” project on several occasions since the G-20 summit – including citing it as a way of countering Belt and Road.
“We’re going to compete on that,” the president told a White House press conference in October 2023. “We’re doing it a different way.”
‘A massive chance’
Mr Biden is gearing up for a November 2024 election that will likely be a rematch pitting him against Donald Trump.
With both US parties committed to a hard line against China, the Biden administration has been seeking to set its foreign policy apart – including by emphasising its readiness to work with allies on multilateral projects.
Architects of the IMEC plan acknowledge that there is an urgency to such efforts right now, amid rapid shifts in the global order led by the US since World War II.
Asked about those changes in Davos, Mr Sullivan cited the importance of “giving greater voice to countries that did not have that voice back after 1945, but deserve it today”.
Ms Vlahutin, the former EU policy maker, said that with Western capital now seeking alternatives to China for investment, “the countries in the so-called Global South, and in particular India, have a massive chance”.
Still, in some respects the US and its allies are playing catch-up with China, which launched Belt and Road more than a decade ago.
“Washington is seriously struggling to counter China’s grand economic vision,” Mr Singleton said. “The collapse of IMEC is a stark reminder that grand strategic plans often stumble in the face of harsh geopolitical realities.” BLOOMBERG
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| 2024-01-24T03:28:03Z
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Backed by a new round of grant funding, Grand Rapids-based ice cream maker Protein Pints plans to develop a new product line and expand the company’s catering footprint.
Only five months after celebrating the first placement of its products on store shelves, the local creamery is poised for further growth in 2024, with plans to bring products into 10 more store locations and to add three new flavors, according to founder and co-owner Paul Reiss.
Currently, Protein Pints offers three flavors — chocolate, peanut chip and vanilla — and boasts 45 grams of protein per pint. The creamery is developing Protein Pops, a new frozen dessert bar, ahead of a 2025 launch.
“Novelties are really hot right now,” Reiss said. “We’re super excited about it.”
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The growth comes as Protein Pints receives a $53,000 grant from the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance. The company was one of three in the state to get grant funding through the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance’s Dairy Business Builder grant program.
The grant funding also will help Protein Pints launch statewide event catering in April, focusing on athletic events like outdoor races, which Reiss said have proven successful so far.
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance awarded 41 grants totaling nearly $4 million for farmstead operations and dairy processing businesses across the Midwest, three of which are located in Michigan.
In addition to Protein Pints, small Bear Lake-based creamery Cream Cup Dairy, and Kentwood-based frozen Italian dessert maker Semifreddo also received grants.
Jordan Shirk, Semifreddo owner, said the company received $100,000, which it will use to purchase a cheese stretching/molding machine that will enable the business to produce burrata, a soft, Italian-style cheese.
Michigan expansion
Created to give health-conscious eaters a way to enjoy ice cream, Protein Pints is the brainchild of Reiss and childhood friend Michael Meadows. The company makes high-protein ice cream by the pint.
Three years ago, they started developing products with help from Love’s Ice Cream’s Chris McKellar. The founders went on to win $20,000 from Grand Rapids business incubator Start Garden, which helped propel the business forward.
In addition to adding a new product, Protein Pints also is moving into Meijer superstores for the first time this year. Since its launch at Bridge Street Market last year, the company has expanded into Capital City Market and Michigan State University’s Dairy Store in Lansing. Other sellers include Grand Rapids City Gym at Boardwalk Condominiums and a Grand Rapids personal trainer who distributes to his clients.
The company’s goal is to sell in 10 Meijer stores across the southern half of the state, from the greater Grand Rapids area to Lansing and into Ann Arbor.
For the small Protein Pints team, the expansion is significant and comes as the culmination of years of work to grow and develop a unique brand, Reiss said.
“It’s definitely a big expansion for us,” he said. “It will be a good test to see how it does. If we do well enough, we’ll expand and if not, then we kind of have to go back to the drawing board.”
Protein Pints also plans to roll out a new strawberry flavor in 2024 and anticipates adding mint chunk and cookies and cream later this year.
According to Reiss, the goal is to offer a stable of six “really strong” flavors for customers.
To accommodate the growth and expected retail demand, the business moved its production to a larger space for additional capacity. Previously, Protein Pints manufactured at Love’s Ice Cream and Chocolate, located in the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, but has recently relocated to Michigan State University’s dairy foods complex in East Lansing, Reiss said.
Protein trends
Reiss credits the brand’s success, in part, to burgeoning health and wellness trends that have given rise to protein-centric eating habits.
With wellness trends on the rise after the pandemic, customers are looking to build healthier diets and bodies, even outside of the gym. This has led to a rise in protein-added products, from traditional protein drinks and bars to packaged breakfast foods like cereal and pancake mix and protein-added snacks such as chips and pretzels as consumers look to increase their protein uptake to increase satiety and build muscle.
According to 2022 ingredient sales data from food industry analyst SPINS, protein sales have remained solid in the mainstream market for several years, with a 25% uptick in whey protein in 2022, while plant protein sales grew 12%.
SPINS Senior Market Insights Analyst Scott Dicker told health-food magazine Nutritional Outlook that protein is one ingredient with “pretty much universal recognition among consumers,” which contributes to its ongoing popularity.
Reiss is counting on the popularity of protein to help his product stay relevant.
“We know that that protein is a trend that is not going away,” he said. “Our bodies need it to survive. It’s here to stay.”
Product updates
At the same time, careful eaters want to be sure they aren’t ingesting too much protein, an issue that Protein Pints is tackling to make its products more appealing to a wider range of customers.
In 2024, Protein Pints is changing its pricing and the volume of protein in its products to make the ice creams more accessible. The company previously offered 600 calories and 45 grams of protein per pint at a price point of $9.99, but now plans to retail its pints for $8.99 per pint, with 450 calories and 30 grams of protein.
The company made the decision after consulting with customers and fans of the brand and noticing some hesitance both at the price point and the volume of protein per pint.
“(With) 45 grams, our assumption was (that) people are going to be like, ‘Holy shit, that’s a ton of protein,’ and that is exactly what happened. But what we found out is that that’s not necessarily a good thing,” Reiss said. “For a lot of people, it’s almost too much protein, whereas 30 grams is more familiar. People also want lower calories. They want to eat the pint in one or two sittings.”
With a lower price, Protein Pints is now more competitive with other frozen desserts in the $8 range on the same shelf.
“$9.99, we were finding, is just a bit of a price barrier for a lot of people,” Reiss said.
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Financing, construction costs stall 39-unit Grand Rapids housing project
Global packaging company to close Grand Rapids-area plant, laying off 111 workers
Talent constraints drive need for pre-planning in 2024 construction projects
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/food-drink/grand-rapids-creamery-plans-new-product-retail-footprint-expansion/
| 2024-01-24T04:07:08Z
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An Indiana law firm has expanded into Michigan with a new office in downtown Grand Rapids.
South Bend, Ind.-based SouthBank Legal, which has two locations in Indiana and one in Washington D.C., recently opened its fourth office in the CWD Building, located at 50 Louis St. NW.
The new space will allow the firm to offer more efficient service to its Michigan clients, executives say.
“As we continue to grow, we have a number of Michigan clients and a number of Michigan industries in which we practice, so that was a very logical next step,” Jesse Barrett, partner at SouthBank Legal, told Crain’s Grand Rapids.
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SouthBank Legal represents clients across the U.S. and has numerous attorneys licensed in Michigan. The firm’s practice areas include commercial litigation, business transactions, appellate and constitutional law, real estate and labor and employment.
The firm’s Grand Rapids operations are headed by Conor Dugan, who previously served for nearly seven years in the U.S. Department of Justice and brings two decades of legal experience.
Prior to joining SouthBank in July, Dugan worked as senior counsel at Warner Norcross + Judd LLP and as counsel at Varnum LLP. His career experience also includes a clerkship for Judge Samuel Alito when he served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. At the Justice Department, Dugan served seven years as an appellate attorney for the department’s Civil Rights Division.
Dugan, who grew up in Grand Rapids, has community ties in the area and in Michigan as the past chair of the board of Catholic Charities West Michigan, a trustee at Aquinas College, and a commissioner on the Michigan Appellate Defender Commission.
Dugan said he had some long-term industry connections to SouthBank Legal and aims to grow the firm’s client base in Michigan.
“I think the experience that (the firm) has built down in Indiana will translate very well to clients in West Michigan and in Michigan at large,” Dugan said.
The firm will start with a small footprint in Grand Rapids as Dugan handles cases with the support of other SouthBank attorneys as needed, though Barrett and Dugan said the firm may be open to hiring more Grand Rapids attorneys if necessary for strategic growth.
This type of work model has become more prevalent across the legal industry, Barrett said, as more lawyers and clients have become comfortable with remote case work in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It really has opened up a lot of new opportunities, I think, in the legal profession,” Barrett said. “We don’t want to abandon (brick and mortar offices) … but the ability to hire people in different locations to work on cases is really a boon to a smaller firm like ours looking to grow in that way.”
The new office for SouthBank Legal adds to other recent downtown law office activity in Grand Rapids in 2023.
In October, metro Detroit-based Mantese Honigman PC unveiled a new office suite in the historic Ledyard Building at 125 Ottawa Ave. NW. The firm cited an increase in West Michigan clients as the reason for its new presence in the region.
As well, corporate law firm Honigman LLP shared plans this summer to relocate and expand its downtown office, moving from 300 Ottawa Ave. NW to space that’s 3,000 square feet larger at 200 Ottawa Ave. NW. The goal was to modernize the growing firm’s workspace, according to leadership.
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Financing, construction costs stall 39-unit Grand Rapids housing project
Global packaging company to close Grand Rapids-area plant, laying off 111 workers
Talent constraints drive need for pre-planning in 2024 construction projects
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/law/indiana-law-firm-opens-first-michigan-office-in-downtown-grand-rapids/
| 2024-01-24T04:07:14Z
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Grand Rapids’ oldest Black Baptist church is making a new push into housing development, and seeks newly available city funding that could help it convert a former Black-owned funeral home into for-sale and rental housing.
Messiah Baptist Church of Grand Rapids on Wednesday will go before the Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, which is considering a $19,900 Emerging Developer Grant from the city’s Local Brownfield Revolving Fund for the church’s project.
The grant would pay for predevelopment consulting services on the church’s early-stage plan to convert the former Ivy K. Gillespie Memorial Chapel at 1865 Eastern Ave. SE into a for-sale and rental housing project called MVillage.
MVillage Project Manager Debra Cross told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business that if awarded, the grant would help the organization hire a consultant to “further assess the property” and “better understand the possibilities” for the development on the city’s southeast side.
“We are excited to be embarked on what we feel is a much-needed journey to help transform the lives of vulnerable families in Grand Rapids,” Cross said.
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Jono Klooster, the city’s interim economic development director, recommended approval of the LBRF grant for the MVillage project. He said in a project memo that the church meets the definition of an emerging developer as a party with “limited experience in the development or redevelopment of real estate who may be supported by a network of more experienced development professionals.”
“We believe this is a good investment because it can set this church up for success in the future,” Klooster said in an interview. “To move a project from one phase to the next, in order to be prepared to submit an application for funding in the future, you need to have your plans developed far enough to be competitive for some funding opportunities.”
Amendments to the state’s Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act signed into law in 2023 made it possible for any local Brownfield Redevelopment Authority in Michigan to use local taxes to fund grants or loans for housing development activities without a brownfield plan amendment. Grand Rapids’ Brownfield Redevelopment Authority board in October then adopted a policy to designate financial support to emerging developers as a high-priority use of its LBRF dollars.
Forming a vision
Founded in 1890 as Messiah Missionary Baptist Church, Messiah Baptist is the oldest Black Baptist congregation in Grand Rapids. Located at 513 Henry Ave. SE in the Madison Area neighborhood, the church is led by the Rev. Daniel Smith, who succeeded longtime pastor Clifton Rhodes Jr. upon his retirement in 2017 after 45 years at the helm.
Cross said the church began creating its vision to develop housing and other supportive services for the community in early 2023.
“Messiah Baptist Church, throughout its 133-year history, has always served as a place of refuge and restoration for families in need,” she said. “Housing assistance has long been a priority for MBC and in early 2023, MVillage was created in response to the escalating number of requests for housing and rental assistance due to skyrocketing rents and inequities within the limited housing supply.”
Sherman Gillespie, the funeral home’s founder and longtime owner who died in 2019, was at one point a member of Messiah Baptist Church, according to his obituary. The Gillespie family listed their funeral home for sale in late 2022, and the church acquired the 2.8-acre property in March 2023 for $1.3 million, according to city property tax records.
In July 2023, Messiah Baptist formed the nonprofit MVillage to help enact a redevelopment plan for the funeral home and other housing and service endeavors. So far, MVillage has taken ownership and management of three residential units on the city’s southeast side, including a transitional home called The Yellow House, according to Cross’ application to the city.
The church also owns property at 500 Henry St. SE, next to the church, on which MVillage plans to build a two-family home that will be called Cliff’s Corner, in honor of Rhodes, Cross said.
The housing plan
Instead of tearing down the former funeral home, the church would like to preserve the building at 1865 Eastern in homage to the Black-owned business that occupied the site for 37 years, Cross said in her application.
The MVillage adaptive reuse project would include market-rate and affordable units, with the latter reserved for those making 60% to 80% of area median income. That is about $45,480 to $60,600 for a two-person household in the Grand Rapids area as of 2023 guidelines from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The organization also would like to include amenities such as a community garden or gathering space, coffee shop and onsite child care facility. It also hopes to include onsite community services such as financial planning and educational and mental health services.
Messiah Baptist plans to maintain ownership of the part of the site not dedicated to homeownership and would consider a Community Land Trust model for the homeownership portion, according to Cross’ application.
Next steps
Cross said MVillage hopes to partner with an established real estate developer on the funeral home conversion project.
Other next steps for the church include additional neighborhood engagement on the project, site analysis, cost estimating and the conceptual design phase.
“Once (predevelopment work is) completed, we will actively engage and partner with our neighbors and broader community to fully communicate and share the deliverables from our site assessments … and get their input and ensure that we have their support for any plans (moving) forward,” Cross said.
Klooster said the grant agreement will spell out that the consultant will be reimbursed for services rendered. There also will be a deadline by which the consultant must complete the work, he said, though that timeline is as yet unspecified.
He added that this early investment “is intended to move the project forward” and prepare the church for permits and debt financing, but there is no requirement that the project be completed.
Klooster said the grant’s goals are to “support access” for groups taking “proactive steps” to meet housing needs.
“I don’t have expectations that Messiah Baptist Church is going to become one of Grand Rapids’ next large development organizations, but I think they are new to this, and this is a significant undertaking for them,” he said. “If we can provide this early-stage support to local individuals and organizations that are making investments in the community that will be designed to meet the needs of the community, I think that’s something that I’m happy to recommend the board invest in.”
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Industrial developer gets creative with partnerships to counter market challenges
Former Proos Manufacturing building in Grand Rapids sells for $7.1 million
Grand Rapids multifamily developer says financing will be this year’s biggest hurdle
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/133-year-old-black-baptist-church-begins-journey-into-housing-development/
| 2024-01-24T04:07:21Z
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A local investor has bought the industrial building that formerly housed Proos Manufacturing LLC, which recently emerged from receivership, on Grand Rapids’ east side for $7.1 million.
An entity registered to Third Coast Development LLC Partner David Levitt sold the 118,000-square-foot building on Dec. 28. Levitt previously acquired the building at the end of 2021 for $2.85 million in a 1031 exchange, which is essentially a swap of real estate investment properties that allows investors to defer capital gains taxes on the profits of the sale.
“Industrial property in Grand Rapids was hot then and it’s hotter now, and so the opportunity came up for us to purchase the building (in 2021),” Levitt said. “For us, this was an opportunity to take this money and invest it in a property that already had a tenant in it.”
The vacancy rate for industrial space in West Michigan was at 2.5% in the third quarter of 2023, when the market also experienced a net absorption of 448,400 square feet of industrial space, according to the latest market trend report from Colliers International’s Grand Rapids office.
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As well, the average asking rental rate for industrial space increased from $5.31 to $5.52 in the third quarter of last year, reflecting stability and continued tenant demand. However, that uptick is directly related to the low supply of desirable and available space, according to the market report.
Proos relocated its operations to a nearly 20,000-square-foot building at 5470 Executive Parkway SE in Kentwood. Transcendia Inc. is currently developing the Oak Industrial space for move-in, according to signage on the front door of the building.
Proos vacated the Grand Rapids building to consolidate operations with its sister companies, Tyler McCoy, president of Proos Manufacturing, told Crain’s Grand Rapids in an emailed statement.
“This co-location has more than tripled Proos’ manufacturing footprint in West Michigan,” McCoy said.
Proos Manufacturing LLC, which had a long term lease at the Grand Rapids building, landed in a receivership in July 2023 after the company defaulted on a $10.5 million loan that it secured in 2020 from First Merchants Bank, as Crain’s Grand Rapids previously reported. The material handling equipment maker owed $7.6 million on the loan, plus $50,542 in unpaid interest, when First Merchants Bank filed suit on July 14 to kick off the receivership process.
Proos Manufacturing emerged in October from the court-appointed receivership in a sale to Chicago-based private equity firm Westbourne Capital Partners, which had acquired a majority stake in the company in 2020.
The Grand Rapids plant buyer, Grand Rapids-based Oak 2555 LLC, had the opportunity to own part of the business and the building together, and it made sense for Third Coast to sell, Levitt said. Third Coast is now working to identify properties for another investment after the Proos Manufacturing building sale, Levitt added.
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Kalamazoo billionaire donates $100M to Black women’s college in Atlanta
Financing, construction costs stall 39-unit Grand Rapids housing project
Global packaging company to close Grand Rapids-area plant, laying off 111 workers
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/former-proos-manufacturing-building-in-grand-rapids-sells-for-7-1-million/
| 2024-01-24T04:07:27Z
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Ada-based industrial project developer Honeycrisp Ventures LLC owner Ben Sietsema remains worried about what high interest rates will mean for new developments this year.
That said, the longtime real estate investor believes West Michigan is “uniquely suited” to weather the potential negative economic headwinds that may arise in 2024.
Sietsema, who has been a broker, manager and investor in the real estate industry since he graduated from Calvin University in 2010, spoke with Crain’s Grand Rapids Business about how West Michigan’s industrial development pipeline is evolving with market forces.
This interview is condensed for clarity and length.
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What are you watching for in the industrial development space this year?
Things will continue to be pretty tight. I think demand will continue to be pretty strong because there is not a ton of supply out there, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see if that comes down a little bit because of (economic) uncertainty. But, there are still companies performing strongly that need to grow because it’s starting to impact their business by not growing.
Building is expensive, construction costs are high, and interest rates are high. In 2023, people were really hammered by the cost of construction and the cost of debt. It seems like people are hinting that there might be some easing both in interest rates and construction costs, so that would be a benefit. But we’ll see if that actually happens.
What other obstacles are companies facing when they attempt to expand in the area?
Finding industrial land that is or can be zoned appropriately is becoming more and more challenging, especially when you layer into that the infrastructure that’s needed like water, sewer and power. Companies will be faced with the realization that building something that is going to be in close proximity to their employees might be challenging.
How is the market changing the way projects get developed?
When things become a little more difficult, you have to be more creative and we’ve tried to do that by partnering with different companies and organizations. One of the things we’re confronted with often is companies saying, ‘What you’re doing is great, but we want to own our real estate.’
We’ve done a couple different unique partnerships like that, and also scenarios with people who own land and want to participate in the future development of it. We’ve got a pretty unique model where we can come in and use our development expertise and the land owners are able to stay in the project. You’ll see more creativity and collaborations like that in the future.
What does your company’s project pipeline look like in 2024?
It’s harder for sure, but we’re staying busy by trying to queue up projects in the future. These projects are months and months, if not years, in the making. Our banking relationship lets us still be active in this environment. We just bought a building (last month) and I don’t think there would be a lot of people that would have been able to get that deal across the finish line from a banking perspective.
We’re excited about the future of West Michigan, and we’re local here. We’re here to stay and are not going to come and go based on the current situation. We’re not fair weather fans. We hope that means people recognize we’ll be active in all parts of the market cycle.
See more executive outlook in the 2024 Crystal Ball edition from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.
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| 2024-01-24T04:07:33Z
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The effect that new federal rules over independent contractors have on employers could hinge on how stringently they are interpreted and enforced.
The final rules that the U.S. Department of Labor issued Jan. 10 and that take effect March 11 essentially return to what was in effect for years through President Barack Obama’s administration. They rescind and replace what was put in place during President Donald Trump’s administration.
The new regulation is more restrictive than the previous “employer-friendly guidance” that’s been in effect since January 2021 and “made it easier to define a worker as an independent contractor,” attorneys for Varnum LLP wrote in a recent legal briefing to clients.
“The (Department of Labor) has now pivoted and returned to previous guidance that made it more difficult for a worker to qualify as an independent contractor,” they wrote. “It is expected that fewer workers will qualify as independent contractors than under the prior rule.”
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Under the new rules, “the emphasis is on whether the worker is ‘economically dependent on the potential employer for work’ or ‘in business for themselves,’” Varnum’s attorneys wrote.
The Department of Labor rules established a six-part test to determine whether a worker qualifies as an independent contractor or a payroll employee.
Brian Calley, CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan, sees the new rule as more subjective to interpretation by regulators in the Biden administration than what’s been in effect for a few years.
“These are literally different people, different regulators. Are they going to read the subjective standards and apply them across the economy more like before, or is it going to be more aggressive than before? We really don’t know,” Calley said in a recent online briefing for SBAM members. “All of these are very, very subjective (of) where you fall on the line, and so this, I think, will be a bit of a frustrating transition, even though it is accurate to say that these rules look and sound a lot like the Obama administration rules.
“The people that are enforcing them today are not required, are not under an obligation whatsoever, to enforce (the rules) how they did in the previous administration. We can’t really fall back on that and say, ‘Oh, well, the way this provision was interpreted back in 2012 was like this, therefore we’re good now.’ Just because it was interpreted (one way) in 2012 doesn’t mean it will be today.”
Among the tests to determine if somebody qualifies as an independent contractor is the extent to which the person’s work is an integral part of the employer’s business.
Calley cites that provision as an example of the new rules’ subjectiveness.
“Why would you hire somebody to do work that is not an integral part of your business? How integral? It’s very, very subjective. It’s difficult to say, in this current environment of the regulatory systems, what does that really mean?” he said. “So, if I do work that is really super-important to my customers as an independent contractor, that counts against me somehow on this in terms of my independence from the employer.”
Another provision in the test states that if the worker is “economically dependent” on one company, then they are not considered an independent contractor, according to attorney Steve Palazzolo, senior counsel at Warner Norcross + Judd LLP in Grand Rapids.
In a recent video briefing posted on the law firm’s website, Palazzolo said that if a person works full time as an independent contractor for one employer, “you’re probably not an independent contractor because you’re economically dependent on that single employer.”
Under the new rule, which received more than 55,000 comments during a public-comment period, “we’ve gone back to where we were for about 40 years before the Trump administration changed the rule” in 2021, Palazzolo said.
Other provisions include the degree of permanence in the working relationship between a company and contracted employee, the degree of control an employer holds over the work, the use of a contracted worker’s “skill and initiative,” and the “financial stake and nature of any resources a worker has invested in the work,” according to the Department of Labor.
Workers who prefer to work as independent contractors are unable to voluntarily waive the right to become classified as an employee under the Federal Labor Standards Act, Palazzolo said.
“Misclassifying employees as independent contractors is a serious issue that deprives workers of basic rights and protections,” Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su said in a statement announcing the final rules. “This rule will help protect workers, especially those facing the greatest risk of exploitation, by making sure they are classified properly and that they receive the wages they’ve earned.”
Business groups nationally, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses and the National Small Business Association, criticized the new rules.
The rules threaten the “flexibility of individuals to work when and how they want and could have significant negative impacts on our economy. Making matters worse, the rule is completely unnecessary, as the Department continues to report success in cracking down on bad actors that are misclassifying workers,” U.S. Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Workplace Policy Marc Freedman said in a statement. “The U.S. Chamber will carefully evaluate our options going forward, including litigation.”
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Kalamazoo billionaire donates $100M to Black women’s college in Atlanta
Financing, construction costs stall 39-unit Grand Rapids housing project
Global packaging company to close Grand Rapids-area plant, laying off 111 workers
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/workforce/business-groups-cry-foul-over-new-federal-rules-restricting-use-of-independent-contractors/
| 2024-01-24T04:07:39Z
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Revel has named Danielle Webb its chief operating officer (COO), effective January 1, 2024. Webb joined Revel in 2011 as an art director. In 2017, she became Revel’s production manager, eventually leading to her role as COO. Webb continues doing creative work with a portion of her time, keeping up-to-date on industry trends. She holds a BFA in graphic design from Western Michigan University. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Spring Lake.
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/people-on-the-move/revel-names-danielle-webb-chief-operating-officer/
| 2024-01-24T04:07:45Z
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SYDNEY - Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday he would consult lawmakers to modify proposed tax cuts for higher earners, potentially breaking an election pledge in a decision likely to face strong resistance from the opposition.
The already-legislated tax cuts were due to abolish a 37% tax band for those earning A$120,000 ($78,960) to A$180,000, as well as applying a 30% tax rate to income between A$45,000 and A$200,000 which currently begins at 32.5%.
Local media reported the 37% band would be retained under the new proposal, with the saving redirected to those on middle and low incomes.
Albanese told a news conference he would be taking a revised proposal to Labour parliamentarians later on Wednesday, without elaborating further.
"We understand that Australians are under pressure. And we're providing support through the plan that I'll take to the Party room this afternoon," focusing on middle Australians, he said.
Albanese has faced criticism over his repeated promise to retain the tax cuts, as many in the country suffer from a cost of living crisis where outgoings including rents and food prices have far outstripped wage growth.
But reneging on his election promise also comes with political risk, with Albanese's approval ratings close to their lowest levels since taking power in May 2022.
Albanese's Labor Party has a majority in the country's lower house of parliament, but will need support of the minority Greens to pass any changes to the tax cuts through the upper house.
The opposition coalition strongly supports the tax cuts, which it first proposed while in government.
The Australian Financial Review reported the modifications would be budget and inflation neutral. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australia-pm-set-to-water-down-proposed-tax-cuts-for-wealthy
| 2024-01-24T04:57:50Z
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LARKANA, Pakistan - Youth appeal and ambitious plans to combat climate change form the core of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's effort to become prime minister of Pakistan, which, if successful, would make him its youngest premier since his mother Benazir was in office.
As general elections near on Feb. 8, the 35-year-old, a former foreign minister and scion of a family that gave the nation two prime ministers, called for new ideas and leadership to calm political and economic instability.
"The implications of the decisions taken today are going to be faced by the youth of Pakistan," Bhutto Zardari told Reuters in Larkana, his hometown in the southern province of Sind, a family bastion.
"I think it would be better if they were allowed to make those decisions."
About two-thirds of Pakistan's population of 241 million is younger than 30, while its prime ministers since 2000 have been older than 61, on average.
The Oxford-educated Bhutto Zardari is less than half the age of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, 74, whom analysts consider the frontrunner in next month's election, and former cricket super star Imran Khan, 71, who won the last election in 2018.
The eventual winner faces the task of reviving a struggling $350-billion economy grappling with historic inflation and an unstable rupee currency that limit growth and job opportunities for the young.
The South Asian nation received a $3-billion loan programme from the IMF in July that averted a sovereign debt default in a standby arrangement set to expire this spring.
Bhutto Zardari plans to tap into widespread anger, saying he has a concrete plan to provide free electricity and boost social safety programmes, despite fiscal constraints.
"What we propose is to completely restructure Pakistan's development model, putting the threat of climate change front and centre," he said, in a reflection of his party's election manifesto.
Making a promise rare in Pakistan, it aims to ensure that funds exceeding $10 billion pledged last year go to fight climate change, after super floods in 2022 that displaced more than 7 million people.
A member of Pakistan's most powerful political dynasty, Bhutto Zardari spoke in an interview during a gruelling four-week campaign that took him to more than 33 towns, while other parties began canvassing just last week.
He is the son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, assassinated while on the campaign trial in 2007, and the grandson of former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, hanged by a military dictator in 1979, both still venerated by Pakistanis.
If Bhutto Zardari won the election, subject to the vagaries of government formation, calculations show he could be just 25 days short of his mother's age on entering office in 1988, at the earliest.
"I haven't actually counted, but ... I think she was the youngest," he responded, when asked how he rated his chances.
ALTERNATIVE CHOICE
However, his Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has lost space to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of Sharif and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Khan, who have been locked in a bruising political battle for more than a decade.
Positioning himself as an alternate to them in 2024, he recently called on supporters of Khan to vote for him while their leader is in jail.
In the 2013 elections, the PPP came second after Sharif's party, garnering 42 of the 342 seats up for grabs. In 2018, with 54 seats, it was runner-up to the parties of both Sharif and Khan.
Bhutto Zardari ruled out joining hands with either contender, however, saying he preferred to form a government with independent candidates.
"You know, lots of independent politicians, probably the highest (number) in our history, are taking part in the coming elections," he added.
Most of the independents belong to Khan's party, which lost the right this month to contest on a single platform, making the approaching election the most open in recent times.
But one analyst felt the role of prime minister might be a tough goal for Bhutto Zardari, saying his party had struggled to build its political strength.
"One might be tempted to look at Bilawal as a dark horse candidate for prime minister," said Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center's South Asia Institute, as he appeared to be favoured by the military and had been foreign minister.
"But I don't see him as prime minister material just yet," Kugelman added. "The election will likely lead to a coalition government, and Bilawal could be in the mix for a cabinet-level position, but the top slot is likely too much of a reach."
Instead, Pakistan's army may prefer more experienced leaders, such as Sharif, he said.
Analysts believe the powerful military has thrown its backing to Sharif following a standoff with Khan, giving the former an edge in a country where army generals exert undue influence over setting up governments.
The military denies the accusations, and says it remains apolitical.
Bhutto Zardari, asked if he thought the military backed Sharif, responded, "He's certainly giving the impression that he is relying on something other than the people of Pakistan to become prime minister for the fourth time."
Questions of transparency will hover over the 2024 elections, just as with earlier ones, he added, but he and his party hoped to win against expectations.
Pushed into the political fray as a teenager in 2007, after his mother's assassination, Bhutto Zardari later inherited her party, but steered clear of politics until he finished his education.
His father, Asif Ali Zardari, was elected president after Benazir's death.
Bhutto Zardari won a parliamentary seat in his first contest in 2018, which was followed by a 16-month stint as foreign minister, until August 2023. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/bhutto-scion-aims-to-focus-on-pakistans-youth-break-with-old-politics
| 2024-01-24T04:58:00Z
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BEIJING - Visitors can expect to see more giant pandas as the construction of a new giant panda national conservation and research centre is underway in Beijing, China.
The first phase of construction is projected to be completed by the end of 2024, a senior official from the capital said during the city’s ongoing “two sessions” annual meetings.
Mr Zou Jinsong, party secretary of Fangshan district, where the centre’s Beijing base is being built, said the government is working to welcome the giant pandas as early as possible.
According to a statement from the city government, the project is located in the Qinglonghu Forest Park in Beijing’s southwestern Fangshan district, which is well-known for its natural environment.
“The goal of the project is to promote the revitalisation of the wild population, enhance the protection of giant pandas and create a world-class giant panda research and education base, as well as a cultural exhibition platform,” said the statement.
Ms Huang Lingli, a graduate student at Peking University, said: “I saw on the map that the Qinglonghu Forest Park is much bigger than the Beijing Zoo. I wonder if this means more giant pandas would have bigger homes and more room to live and play?”
“My family and I are looking forward to the pandas settling in Fangshan as soon as possible, and we will be the first to visit them,” she said.
Some others expressed concern about the Beijing weather and wondered if it would be too cold for the pandas, which mostly live in Southwest China’s Sichuan province. However, experts said the pandas, with their thick coat, prefer cold weather to hot.
People connected with the project said there is still a long way to go before the public will be able to see the giant pandas at the new centre, as the project is still in the construction stage.
“The number of giant pandas to be housed at the centre has not been decided yet. It probably will take three to four years to get to that stage,” said an official.
The reason Qinglonghu was chosen as the home of giant pandas in Beijing is due to the perfect environment of the location, as well as the presence of convenient transportation facilities, which are necessary for the movement of material and personnel for the centre.
Preliminary inspections by experts found that Qinglonghu boasts superior ecological conditions, as it is home to mountains, forests, fields and lakes. It already has a forest park covering thousands of hectares, making it a suitable habitat for giant pandas in Beijing.
During a Beijing municipal government news conference in June last year, officials from Fangshan said that the panda centre would cover an area of about 810 hectares, roughly equivalent to the size of 187 standard soccer fields.
In recent years, Beijing has been working on increasing its forest, wetland and park areas in order to make the city greener, said Feng Da, an official with the city’s forestry and parks bureau. CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/new-panda-conservation-centre-coming-in-beijing
| 2024-01-24T04:58:11Z
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Seated in the back of a white, open-top Bentley, a lion cub was spotted going on a joyride in the streets of Pattaya, Thailand in January 2024.
In a video making the rounds on social media on Jan 21, the calm cub - wearing a fluorescent yellow collar - was seen cruising down the streets of the popular tourist destination while onlookers gazed bewildered.
The video has since chalked up 35,900 likes.
While netizens expressed their amusement over the video, some questioned whether owning such an exotic animal is legal in Thailand.
The Pattaya News reported on Jan 23 that the Thai National Parks Department was investigating a foreign man who was spotted driving the luxury car through the streets of Pattaya with the lion cub in the back.
Mr Atthaphon Charoenchansa, the director-general of the Department of National Parks, said officials were trying to identify the owner of the lion cub to check their ownership documentation, according to the news outlet.
Currently, in the Chonburi province where Pattaya is located, there are only four individuals and one zoo who have legally declared their ownership of 15 lions, The Pattaya News said.
The Bangkok Post reported that ownership of exotic animals like lions is legal in Thailand, but officials will determine if the driver is the owner of the lion cub in question and whether he has the proper permits.
The driver may also be breaking the law by bringing a predatory animal out of the authorised area and driving it around without official permission, Mr Atthaphon added.
Local media also reported that residents in the area said they have repeatedly spotted a foreign man driving around with his lion cub in his Bentley.
He usually brings the animal to Dongtan beach, they said, before going back home in the evening.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/lion-cub-in-a-bentley-enjoys-a-drive-in-the-streets-of-pattaya
| 2024-01-24T04:58:21Z
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WASHINGTON – Two months of missile, drone and hijacking attacks against civilian ships in the Red Sea have caused the biggest diversion of international trade in decades, pushing up costs for shippers as far away as Asia and North America. The disruption is spreading, fuelling fears of broader economic fallout.
Repeated rounds of retaliatory strikes by the United States and its allies, as well as a multinational naval operation to patrol the waters, have not stopped the assaults by the Houthi militants that followed the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
With sailors demanding double pay and insurance rates skyrocketing, shipping lines are steering clear of a waterway that normally carries 12 per cent of the world’s seaborne trade.
More than 500 container ships that would have sailed through the Red Sea to and from the Suez Canal, carrying everything from clothing and toys to auto parts, are now adding two weeks to their routes to travel around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, according to Flexport.
That is about a quarter of all the container shipping capacity in the world, according to the digital logistics platform.
Mr Vincent Iacopella, a logistics expert at Alba Wheels Up, said: “We haven’t seen costs increase this quickly since the last crunch in the pandemic.”
Many of the underlying bottlenecks in supply chains remain, even though prices dropped in 2023 as the Covid-19 disruptions faded, he said.
According to Freightos, a cargo booking company, the cost of shipping containers from China to the Mediterranean Sea has more than quadrupled since late November.
Shipping lines, as well as those that carry oil, say they are planning for the upheaval to last months or more, with vessels for the longer route booked as far out as the summer.
That means every company sending goods has more inventory tied up in transit and needs yet more in case containers get scarce.
Already, the factories that make those ubiquitous metal cargo boxes are working flat out, according to Container xChange, an online industry platform.
Ports as far away as Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada, report delays in getting ships, and higher costs.
Customers are scrambling to adapt.
Volvo Car and Tesla have announced production suspensions at plants in Europe, citing the inability to get components from suppliers in Asia.
British retailers Tesco and Marks & Spencer Group have flagged the risk of higher costs.
Maersk, the No. 2 container carrier, warned last week that disruptions will last for a few months at least.
Though many companies say they still have not felt the effects, the longer the upheaval goes on, the wider the economic impact.
Underestimated risks
“So far, many executives and investors have consistently undershot the potential for this risk to emerge,” said Ms Alexis Crow, who specialises in geopolitics and long-term investing at PricewaterhouseCoopers. “This is perhaps predicated on a misguided assumption that the Israel-Hamas conflict remains contained.”
Though there is no sign the higher costs are boosting inflation yet, central bankers are already warning of the risks.
European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde cited “the coming back of supply bottlenecks” as one of the four key risk factors she is watching. Low water levels are already slowing flows through the Panama Canal.
A spike in oil prices would be another risk for inflation if the conflict disrupted supply.
“So far I think we have been lucky in that we haven’t seen an oil tanker get hit.” said Mr Saad Rahim, chief economist at Trafigura Group, one of the world’s biggest commodity traders. “That could be really something that then focuses the mind.”
Bloomberg Economics says the upside risks from shipping costs could offer central banks another reason to delay interest rate cuts. Economists at JPMorgan Chase & Co forecast a 0.7 percentage point increase in global goods inflation during the first half of 2024 if the shipping crunch persists.
Higher costs
“So far, we’ve mainly felt the higher costs,” said Mr Rainer Grill, spokesman for Ziehl-Abegg, a manufacturer of ventilation technology based in Kuenzelsau, Germany. “The delays are particularly painful for individual shipments – such as components for new production plants that are on their way to Asia.”
Mr Niels Rasmussen, chief shipping analyst at trade group Bimco, said the impact from the Red Sea crisis is already more severe than that from the Ever Given, the huge ship which ran aground and blocked the Suez Canal for about a week in 2021.
If it continues, he said, the effect could rival the 1956 Suez Crisis, which left the canal closed for five months.
Supplies of oil and gas so far have not been affected dramatically.
But rates for vessels carrying fuel from the Middle East to Asia have almost tripled since the US and Britain launched airstrikes on the Houthi rebels – climbing to US$83,000 (S$111,280) a day from about US$30,000, an increase of 182 per cent since Jan 12.
Those ships mostly haul naphtha, a product used to make petrol and plastics.
Earnings for other routes also are spiking.
The security situation in the Red Sea has deteriorated to the point where several oil product tanker companies say they will no longer carry cargoes through the waterway.
That is pushing many ships to sail thousands of miles around Africa, in turn reducing the number of vessels available in the spot market.
China has so far steered clear of the Red Sea conflict.
The world’s biggest trading nation imports about half of its crude oil from the Middle East, and it exports more to the European Union than the US. The Houthis have said they will not target Chinese ships.
By exposing the vulnerabilities in the global supply chain that remain since the pandemic, the Red Sea stress has highlighted risks for other potential hot spots, as well, cautioned Mr Josh Lipsky, senior director of the GeoEconomics Centre at the Atlantic Council think-tank in Washington.
“If anyone expected two years later we’d be able to look at a shutdown in the Red Sea and say, ‘that’s fine because we’ve built up these resiliencies closer to home’ – that’s just not realistic,” he said. BLOOMBERG
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/red-sea-turmoil-sends-economic-shockwaves-far-and-wide
| 2024-01-24T04:58:31Z
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HONG KONG – ByteDance’s TikTok joined a spate of layoffs among technology companies by cutting about 60 jobs, mostly in its sales and advertising division.
The positions affected were based in Los Angeles, New York and Austin in the United States and overseas, a company spokesperson said.
The number is less than 1 per cent of the company’s roughly 7,000 staff in the US as at March, and is one of the smaller cuts made recently by major tech firms.
Alphabet is laying off dozens of employees at its X moonshot division, shortly after eliminating hundreds of jobs at teams including hardware and Google Assistant recently.
eBay is also cutting about 1,000 jobs, or 9 per cent of full-time employees, while Tencent Holdings’ Riot Games is slashing 530 jobs, describing the move as “a necessity”.
The TikTok layoffs were first reported by US media organisation NPR.
For ByteDance, US lawmakers’ questioning over TikTok’s ties to its Chinese parent and alleged links to Beijing have done little to deter the company’s growth.
The app continues to attract an audience of millions and counts the US as its most lucrative market, with its twin app Douyin serving the Chinese domestic audience.
The app had 150 million American users as at March 2023, and became the first non-game mobile app to generate US$10 billion (S$13.4 billion) in consumer spending, according to app tracker data.ai. BLOOMBERG
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/tiktok-cuts-60-jobs-in-sales-and-ads-as-tech-layoffs-continue
| 2024-01-24T04:58:42Z
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SINGAPORE – A 59-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a two-year-old girl in a pre-school may be handed additional charges of a similar nature, a district court heard.
The man, a former pre-school staff member who was charged on Dec 6, 2023, had his case mentioned again on Jan 24. He cannot be named because of a gag order to protect the victim’s identity.
The police prosecutor said the man may face three other similar charges, but did not give more details about the offences.
As the investigation officer requires more time to complete investigations and obtain directions from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the prosecutor asked to adjourn the case.
No bail was offered to the man, who is Malaysian and a Singapore permanent resident.
The man has been remanded for more than a month. He was charged in court on Dec 6 with one count of using criminal force on a person below 14 years old with intent to outrage modesty.
According to court documents, he had allegedly used criminal force on the toddler by placing his right hand inside her diaper and using his fingers to molest her.
The incident happened on Nov 9, 2023, between 1pm and 3pm. The location of the alleged offence was redacted from the charge sheet.
His case will be heard again on Feb 21. He is represented by Mr Revi Shanker of Arshanker Law Chambers.
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) told The Straits Times previously that the man, who is a non-teaching staff member, has been dismissed by the pre-school.
ECDA said it was made aware of the case on Dec 5, 2023, and has instructed the pre-school in question to closely monitor its children and provide close supervision and guidance to its staff.
The regulatory agency also said that before staff are deployed to pre-schools, it will check if they have any previous criminal offences involving children, or were barred earlier from working in the pre-school sector.
“ECDA expects all pre-schools to report all serious incidents that affect the safety of children within 24 hours,” it said.
“If it is proven there is unreasonable delay in the reporting, we will take the pre-school to task.”
Those found guilty of using criminal force on a person below 14 years old with intent to outrage modesty can be jailed for up to five years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of such punishments.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/former-preschool-staff-who-allegedly-molested-2-year-old-girl-may-face-three-more-similar-charges
| 2024-01-24T04:58:52Z
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SINGAPORE – A man who allegedly attempted to kill his elderly mother by smothering her with a pillow denied the act in court and asked to see her.
Yong Chun Hong, 34, was charged with one count of attempted murder on Jan 24.
Wearing a grey T-shirt, a handcuffed Yong attended the hearing via video-link. He appeared calm throughout court proceedings.
Through a Mandarin interpreter, he told the court he did not commit the crime and did not sign the “charge”.
The police prosecutor said investigations are ongoing, and clarified that the document he refused to sign was a cautioned statement.
Yong also asked the police if he could see his mother.
The prosecutor replied: “Obviously no, because she is the victim for this case.”
District Judge Brenda Tan asked the police prosecutor about the condition of Yong’s mother, to which the prosecutor said: “At the moment, I believe it’s not life-threatening.”
As the proceedings came to an end, Yong asked again if he could see his mother. The prosecutor rejected this second request.
The prosecutor asked that Yong be remanded at Changi Prison Complex Medical Centre (CMC) for a medical examination.
This is to determine whether Yong is suffering from any abnormality of mind that may have impaired his mental responsibility regarding the act, said the prosecutor.
The judge said that Yong may wish to state his case to the investigation officer. She granted the prosecutor’s request for him to be remanded at CMC for three weeks.
His case will be heard again on Feb 14.
Police said they were alerted at about 4.45pm on Jan 18 to an assault at a residential unit in Serangoon Central.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Yong had allegedly tried to kill his mother on Jan 16 by pressing a pillow over her face while she was sleeping.
If convicted of attempted murder, Yong faces life imprisonment and caning. He can be also jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned, or both.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/i-did-not-do-it-says-man-charged-with-attempt-to-murder-his-sleeping-mother
| 2024-01-24T04:59:03Z
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Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said he is "desperate" to get his hands on silverware in England after his side booked their place in the League Cup final on Tuesday.
Chelsea, who will play either Fulham or Liverpool in next month's final at Wembley, thrashed Championship club Middlesbrough 6-1 in the second leg of their semi-final at Stamford Bridge. Middlesbrough had won the first leg 1-0.
The 51-year-old Argentine, who previously managed Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Espanyol, won Ligue 1 with Paris St Germain in the 2021-22 season. He also guided them to the French Cup and Trophee des Champions.
Pochettino came close to success with Spurs twice when they finished runners-up in the League Cup (2014-15) and Champions League (2018-19).
"I'm desperate to win a title here," Pochettino told reporters. "In one year and a half in Paris, we won three trophies, and we want to win one here. I'm desperate to win, of course.
"In some point, it's an amazing achievement. I think it was the objective when we started: with no Champions League, no Europa League, no Conference League, to build a team from nearly zero.
"The job is done but now it is about winning the final."
Chelsea are ninth in the league after 21 matches. They next host Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/chelsea-boss-pochettino-desperate-to-snap-trophy-drought-in-england
| 2024-01-24T04:59:14Z
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LONDON - Many travellers are opting to take a plane rather than train between London and Paris despite climate concerns and the Eurostar rail service connecting the two capitals in just over two hours.
“It’s ridiculous to take the plane for such a distance,” said Ms Sabia Mokeddem, a French national who has lived in London for more than five years.
Ms Mokeddem says she is forced to fly, however, because of Eurostar’s “prohibitive” ticket prices for the 492km high-speed link through the Channel Tunnel.
“I think of all the carbon that I’m emitting for such a short flight... But I can’t afford the train,” the 27-year-old bank worker told AFP.
She says she would happily pay a little more to let the train take the strain “because it’s better for the planet” and because she prefers going by rail.
But the difference in price is too great when she can find flights that go over rather than under the Channel for as little as 40 euros (S$58).
Ms Lucy Kelly, a 30-year-old from Ireland who lives in Paris and works in brand management, takes the train to London only when she can reserve a seat well in advance.
“If I’m organised enough I’ll book the Eurostar,” she explained. “Then you can find a return for 110 euros which is fine, I think, even if it’s still more expensive than the plane.
“If I go last minute, prices can be crazy.”
A return ticket often exceeds 350 euros.
Ms Kelly said she took the plane to London in November.
“It was definitely cheaper – a quarter of the price of getting on the train,” she said.
Getting to the airport was a headache, she admitted, but said she would still probably do it again.
“The train should be subsidised. People should be encouraged to take the train, not the plane,” she added.
When asked by AFP, Eurostar declined to provide the price of an average ticket or indicate whether it had increased in recent years, as many travellers suspect.
The subsidiary of French rail operator SNCF says it cannot compare train and air fares, as flying incurs extra costs such as getting to the airport and for luggage.
Despite evidence of passengers choosing to fly for cost reasons, Eurostar said some seven million people still used its service between London and Paris last year.
In comparison, nearly two million flew in the 12 months to October 2023, according to aviation sector analysts Cirium. Both figures are similar to pre-pandemic levels.
Eurostar commercial director Francois le Doze said people “buy Eurostar first” and trains fill up quicker than planes, which may account for the faster increase in prices.
He also said Parisians and Londoners had greater purchasing power compared with people in other capitals across the continent, which means that “these journeys are priced at the amount people are willing to pay”.
“Take-up rates are higher than ever,” he insisted.
The company had said it wants to increase passenger numbers, which could help cut prices, but it said that has become more difficult since Britain’s departure from the European Union, with Brexit causing a “bottleneck” at the border.
Operating costs for running stations, infrastructure, rail lines, energy, personnel and financing are also “very high”, Mr le Doze added.
Environmental campaign group Greenpeace is very active on the issue of high rail prices compared with aviation.
“Government have created an uneven regulatory playing field that benefits the most polluting modes of transport,” it said. “We should tax air travel at a level that reflects the damage it does to the climate.”
Greenpeace notes in particular that airlines do not pay tax on aviation fuel.
According to the group, planes emit on average five times more greenhouse gases than trains. Eurostar estimates that there are 90 per cent less CO2 emissions on the train.
But it is not just Eurostar where the question of price is an issue: it costs twice as much to travel between London and Edinburgh by train compared with flying, Greenpeace says.
Competition could shake up the status quo for Eurostar passengers fed up with high prices.
The Getlink group, which operates the Channel Tunnel, believes that passenger traffic could at least double from its current levels.
Since the line opened in 1994, there has been talk of Eurostar facing competition from other operators, but so far none of the plans has come to fruition. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/passengers-snub-expensive-london-paris-eurostar-train-for-plane
| 2024-01-24T04:59:24Z
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MANCHESTER, New Hampshire - US President Joe Biden won an unusual Democratic write-in vote in New Hampshire’s primary election on Jan 23, an important display of political strength, despite his name not being on the ballot.
Edison Research projected Mr Biden the winner over two Democrats whose names were actually on the ballot - US Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help author Marianne Williamson.
The victory for the incumbent president was the end product of a fervent write-in campaign orchestrated by New Hampshire Democrats, who were troubled by the national party’s decision to send the state’s first-in-the-nation primary election to more diverse South Carolina.
At a watch party by organisers of the write-in campaign, some in the audience booed when the speakers noted that New Hampshire’s proud tradition of vetting Democratic candidates had been ended by the Democratic National Committee.
But the crowd cheered when it appeared Mr Biden was going to do well.
Mr Matt Wilhelm, a Democratic state representative, said the write-in campaign was “certainly unconventional”, but effective.
“Together we sent a clear message that we are going to fight for our democracy, we are going to fight for our fundamental freedoms and we are going to fight to re-elect Joe Biden in November,” he said.
Mr Biden had about 68 per cent of the vote with 40 per cent of the write-in counted, while Mr Phillips had about 20 per cent.
The 55-year Democrat had said in the days leading up to Election Day that he would continue his campaign. He has argued that Mr Biden is weak and unelectable and vulnerable to defeat by the likely Republican nominee, Donald Trump.
At the Phillips watch party in Manchester, Mr Phillips extended his congratulations to Mr Biden but said he won “by no means in a way that a strong incumbent president should”.
He also congratulated Trump for winning the Republican vote.
A statement from the Biden campaign made no mention of the write-in but looked ahead to the general election battle.
“While we work towards November 2024, one thing is increasingly clear today: Donald Trump is headed straight into a general election matchup where he’ll face the only person to have ever beaten him at the ballot box: Joe Biden,” the statement said.
Mr Biden had supported the move by national Democrats to move their first primary election to South Carolina.
Whether his victory will be seen as sufficiently strong will likely be debated by his rivals.
A CNN/University of New Hampshire poll released on Jan 21 showed Mr Biden drawing 63 per cent of the primary vote in that state, with Phillips at 10 per cent.
Democratic supporters had sought to temper expectations.
They pointed to the 39 per cent support that Senator Lisa Murkowski won during a write-in election in 2010 as a sign of what Biden might achieve.
With Trump’s nomination seemingly imminent, Mr Biden’s campaign announced two of the president’s top advisers, Mr Mike Donilon and Ms Jen O’Malley Dillon, will leave the White House for his re-election campaign in February.
The move followed criticism from some Democrats that his campaign needed a jolt. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/biden-write-in-campaign-wins-easily-in-new-hampshire-projection-shows
| 2024-01-24T04:59:35Z
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On a star-studded Tuesday evening at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the luminaries of Hollywood graced the premiere of FX's new series, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.
Among the constellation of stars was Demi Moore, who at 61, encapsulated the essence of old Hollywood glamour in a striking black and white gown, ingeniously designed to resemble a swan.
This sartorial homage to the show's setting in the glitzy era of the 1960s and 70s was accented with sparkling earrings and silver bracelets, making Demi the epitome of timeless elegance.
Her co-star, Diane Lane, matched the grandeur in a monochrome gown that showcased her enduring allure, while Calista Flockhart captivated in a plunging dress that combined a sleek black bodice with a striking striped skirt.
Naomi Watts, ever the embodiment of grace, sizzled in a black lace number complete with side cut-outs and a whimsical swan clutch, complemented by satin gloves that reached her elbows.
Naomi's ensemble was not only a nod to the theme of the evening but also a display of her impeccable taste, further enhanced by her husband, Billy Crudup, who looked every inch the dapper gentleman in his black suit and bowtie.
The series at the center of the evening's festivities stars Tom Hollander as Truman Capote and chronicles his turbulent relationship with the crème de la crème of New York society — the Swans.
His intimate entanglement with these socialites came to a dramatic head when his scathing portrayal of them in "La Côte Basque, 1965" led to his expulsion from their elite circle.
Demi takes on the role of Ann 'Bang-Bang' Woodward, whose scandalous life and tragic end encapsulate the dark underbelly of high society.
Her portrayal promises to delve deep into the complexities of a woman scorned by public perception and haunted by a past that ultimately consumed her.
Diane brings to life Nancy 'Slim' Keith, whose sharp tongue and tumultuous love life were as legendary as her social standing. She embodies a character whose zest for life and disregard for convention ensured her a permanent place in the annals of socialite history.
Calista steps into the shoes of Lee Radziwill, overshadowed sister to Jackie Kennedy, offering a glimpse into the life of a woman striving to forge her own identity.
Naomi portrays Babe Paley, whose devastating betrayal by Capote's pen revealed the fragility beneath her poised exterior. It's a role that underscores the thin line between public image and private agony.
The event also saw Molly Ringwald in a sumptuous black velvet gown, her role as Johnny Carson's ex-wife Joanne Carson marking a pivotal point in the narrative, while Chloe Sevigny dazzled in white, her portrayal of CZ Guest adding depth to the story of a friendship that withstood the test of public scandal.
Emma Roberts, too, graced the event, her white gown and fuzzy bolero lending her an air of ethereal beauty. Her presence served as a testament to the intergenerational appeal of the series, bridging the gap between the golden age of Hollywood and the modern screen.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/celebrity-style/511928/demi-moore-leads-the-best-dressed-alongside-calista-flockhart-and-naomi-watts-on-red-carpet/
| 2024-01-24T05:02:46Z
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King Charles is anticipated to be placed on extended bed rest following a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate, a condition affecting many men globally.
The surgery, which is expected to occur this week, is a common yet significant medical intervention.
Professor Damien Bolton, Vice President of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand, explained the nature and frequency of such procedures, emphasizing their typically minimally invasive nature and the high volume of occurrences annually.
"These procedures are usually minimally invasive and performed without any skin incisions, and an estimated 25,000 are performed each year," stated Professor Bolton.
The King's medical team will likely advise a hospital stay of 1-2 nights, followed by a recuperation period at home spanning 10-14 days.
Such postoperative care is standard practice to ensure a full and uncomplicated recovery. During this time, the King will be advised to take it easy and avoid strenuous activities, though he may engage in light work from the comfort of his home.
Professor Bolton elaborated on the symptoms and potential complications associated with an untreated enlarged prostate.
"A sudden and urgent need to urinate, straining or slow flow while urinating, or getting up multiple times in the night to urinate," are among the changes in urination patterns to watch out for, as per Professor Bolton. He added that in severe cases, individuals might be unable to urinate, warranting immediate medical attention.
While the enlarged prostate, infections, and prostate cancer are the three most common prostate issues, Professor Bolton clarified that one does not necessarily lead to the other.
He stressed the importance of regular PSA blood tests for men over 50, or earlier if there is a family history, citing the PSA test as the best currently available method for early detection.
The King's openness about his medical condition serves as a vital reminder for men to prioritize prostate health checks and take action when necessary.
According to Professor Bolton, King Charles' age is typical for those undergoing prostate treatment, and his decision to share his diagnosis publicly is a positive step in raising awareness about the condition.
Queen Camilla, during her visit to the Aberdeen Art Gallery, reassured the public about the King's condition following inquiries from the Lord Provost. "He’s fine, thank you very much. Looking forward to getting back to work," the Queen commented.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the King's upcoming surgery, which comes alongside the news of the Princess of Wales' abdominal surgery. The timing of these announcements, made within 90 minutes of each other, has drawn significant public interest.
In light of the King's forthcoming surgery, his engagements at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, which were to include a dinner and meetings related to his King's Foundation charity, have been postponed.
The announcement from the Palace serves as a courteous notice to guests, including foreign dignitaries and Cabinet members, who were scheduled to travel to Scotland for the events.
The royal couple was last seen together at a church service at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral last Sunday.
They have been residing in Scotland since the New Year, having spent Christmas at Sandringham in Norfolk. As King Charles prepares for his procedure, the nation sends its best wishes for his swift recovery and return to his royal duties.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511927/king-charles-expected-to-be-placed-on-prolonged-bed-rest-following-surgery-exclusive/
| 2024-01-24T05:02:52Z
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SYDNEY - Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Jan 24 he would consult lawmakers to modify proposed tax cuts for higher earners, potentially breaking an election pledge in a decision some economists worry could stoke inflation.
The already-legislated tax cuts were due to abolish a 37 per cent tax band for those earning A$120,000 (S$106,000) to A$180,000, as well as applying a 30 per cent tax rate to income between A$45,000 and A$200,000 which currently begins at 32.5 per cent.
Local media reported the 37 per cent band would be retained under the new proposal, with the saving redirected to those on middle and low incomes.
Mr Albanese told a news conference he would be taking a revised proposal to Labour parliamentarians later on Jan 24, without elaborating further.
“We understand that Australians are under pressure. And we’re providing support through the plan that I’ll take to the Party room this afternoon, focusing on middle Australians,” he said.
The Australian Financial Review reported the country’s finance ministry has advised the modifications would be budget and inflation neutral, without citing its sources.
Mr Shane Oliver, chief economist at AMP, said the proposed changes benefit low- and middle-income earners, who tend to spend rather than save, risk adding to inflation in the second half of the year and potentially delaying interest rate cuts.
“The (central) bank will be a bit nervous about it, and we’re thinking the first cut could come as early as June, and the risk is this could delay that,” he said.
Markets are wagering Australia’s interest rates have peaked but do not expect the Reserve Bank of Australia to start cutting until November.
Political risk
Mr Albanese has faced criticism over his repeated promise to retain the tax cuts, as many in the country suffer surging living costs where outgoings including rents and food prices have far outstripped wage growth.
But reneging on his election promise also comes with political risk, with Mr Albanese’s approval ratings close to their lowest levels since taking power in May 2022.
Mr Albanese’s Labor Party has a majority in the country’s lower house of parliament, but will need support of the minority Greens to pass any changes to the tax cuts through the upper house.
The opposition coalition strongly supports the tax cuts, which it first proposed while in government. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/australia-pm-set-to-water-down-proposed-tax-cuts-for-wealthy-stoking-inflation-fears
| 2024-01-24T06:29:57Z
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SYDNEY - Some tourist towns along Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and other places in north-eastern Queensland state are bracing themselves for a potential tropical cyclone which is expected to make landfall on Jan 25, the day before the Australia Day long weekend.
The authorities advised residents to stock enough emergency supplies to last for at least three days and avoid unnecessary travel as a tropical low in the Coral Sea, about 700km off the Queensland coast, is expected to develop into a cyclone on the night of Jan 24, the weather bureau said.
“We have already started to see those stronger winds and we expect them to start impacting the Queensland coast tonight,” Ms Laura Boekel, forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, told a media briefing.
Destructive wind gusts of up to 120kmh are forecast for some tourist towns along the Great Barrier Reef with storm warnings stretching for around 900km.
The weather system has been downgraded to a category 2 cyclone, three rungs below the most dangerous wind-speed level, from category 3 but would still pack enough strength to bring heavy rain and life-threatening flash flooding.
The latest storm warnings come roughly a month after tropical Cyclone Jasper caused widespread damage across the region. Australia is now experiencing an El Nino weather phenomenon, which can provoke extremes ranging from wildfires to tropical cyclones and prolonged droughts.
Townsville, with a population of about 180,000, is expected to be one of the worst-hit towns. The airport there will be closed from Jan 25, while public events on the Australia Day holiday on Jan 26 have been cancelled.
An additional 100 emergency personnel have been deployed in the state, Queensland Premier Steven Miles told reporters.
Mr Miles urged people to reconsider travelling ahead of the extended national holiday weekend.
“I just encourage people to look at the forecast and make sensible decisions,” he said. “Given the heavy rainfall, it’s important that Queenslanders consider what travel is necessary in these areas from Thursday and throughout the weekend.” REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/tropical-cyclone-expected-to-lash-australias-queensland-from-jan-25
| 2024-01-24T06:30:08Z
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SEOUL - Hidden camera footage appearing to show South Korea's First Lady accepting a Dior bag as a gift has plunged President Yoon Suk Yeol and his party into a controversy that may threaten their bid to reclaim a parliamentary majority in April's election.
Some members of Yoon's conservative People Power Party (PPP) have urged the president and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, to apologise for the incident dubbed by local media "Dior bag scandal" and admit receiving the purse was, at least, inappropriate, in the hope of putting the matter to rest.
Yoon's office said it had no information to share.
By opting to remain silent and, at the weekend, pushing for the party leader to resign due to a disagreement over some members' stance, Yoon risks creating a flash point that could end up costing PPP the April 10 election, analysts say.
"It is a political bombshell," said Rhee Jong-hoon, a political analyst. "The Kim Keon Hee risks are only going to get bigger."
Yoon won a close election in 2022 but his PPP is a minority in the parliament, which is controlled by the rival Democratic Party.
Analysts said when Kim, as the spouse of a government official, accepted the purse, which had a price tag of 3 million won ($2,250), she may have violated an anti-bribery law.
The president's supporters say Kim is the victim of an illegal plot to set her up and a smear campaign.
The case surfaced in November when a YouTube channel aired a video clip secretly recorded by a Korean American pastor with a hidden camera as he visited Kim and handed her the handbag.
The pastor, Rev. Abraham Choi, who has been involved in religious exchanges with North Korea and is an advocate of engagement with Pyongyang, said he initially sought a meeting with Kim out of concern for Yoon's hardline North Korea policy.
Choi said while Kim was a family acquaintance, her response to discussions over possible luxury gifts - including Chanel cosmetics he claims he gave her in their first meeting - led him to believe such gifts were the only way to secure an audience.
"You might say they were like an entry pass, a ticket for a meeting (with Kim)," Choi told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
Yoon's office said it had no information to provide when asked about Choi's claims.
An unnamed presidential official told Yonhap news agency last week that Choi had deliberately approached Kim with the intention of illegally filming using his family connections, and that gifts to the couple are handled and stored as property of the government.
After a first meeting, Choi said he became concerned about Kim's role in the administration and worked with a reporter at the YouTube channel, which airs left-wing news and commentary, to film her accepting the pricey bag during a second visit.
"A normal person would then say, 'Reverend, I can't see you if you do this,'" he said. "But the First Lady gave me the place and time."
Kim also remains mired in allegations of stock price manipulation from about 12 years ago, a case for which opposition-controlled parliament voted last month to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate.
PPP opposed the bill as a plot by the DP to hamper an investigation into its leader, Lee Jae-myung, and his corruption charges, which he denies. Yoon vetoed the bill as politically motivated.
In 2021, Kim made a public apology after months of allegations of falsified professional record and plagiarism in her Ph.D. thesis overshadowed Yoon's campaign for president.
'MARIE ANTOINETTE'
A number of PPP members have argued public sentiment is focused on Kim and not the hidden camera sting, reflecting growing concern the issue is leaving a bad impression with voters.
Tension between Yoon's office and his party boiled over last week when a member of its leadership, Kim Kyung-yul, likened the situation to the notoriety of Marie Antoinette, the French Queen known for her profligacy.
Local news reports said Yoon was livid and wanted to remove the party's leader, Han Dong-hoon, marking at least a brief split between the president and an official widely seen as a protégé and close associate.
In a poll released by YTN cable news conducted this week, 69% of respondents said Yoon needs to explain his position regarding the controversy around the first lady.
Another poll by the financial publication News Tomato in December showed 53% of respondents believe Kim acted inappropriately, while 27% said she was caught in a trap set up to embarrass her.
"The general public thinks, 'Okay, it may be a trap, but why did she take it (the bag) anyway?'" said Shin Yul, political science professor at Myongji University. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/dior-bag-scandal-lands-skoreas-yoon-ruling-party-in-disarray-ahead-of-election
| 2024-01-24T06:30:18Z
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BEIJING - China and Nauru re-established diplomatic ties on Jan 24, after the tiny Pacific island nation unexpectedly severed relations with its now former ally Taiwan in a move the United States described as “unfortunate”.
The Pacific has become a source of intense competition for influence between Washington, which has traditionally viewed it as its backyard, and Beijing, which has targeted Taiwanese diplomatic allies there.
During a ceremony in Beijing, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Nauru counterpart Lionel Aingimea formally signed a document to restore bilateral relations, with ties at the ambassadorial level resuming with immediate effect.
“Although China and Nauru are geographically far apart and separated by vast oceans, the friendship between the two peoples has a long history,” Mr Wang said.
Mr Aingimea said his country looked forward to their new relationship.
“It’ll be built on strength, built on development strategy. It will have a synergy of policies. It will have good collaboration and shared governmental principles that both our countries enjoy,” he said. “The prospect is bright.”
Taiwan lost Nauru, one of its few remaining diplomatic allies, to China on Jan 15, just two days after a new Taiwanese president was elected.
China regards self-governing Taiwan as its territory to be reunified with it. Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims.
Nauru’s government said it was seeking full resumption of diplomatic relations with China “in the best interests” of the country and its people.
Nauru had recognised China before, between 2002 and 2005.
Taiwan’s 12 remaining diplomatic allies include the Vatican, Guatemala and Paraguay, plus Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands in the Pacific.
Tuvalu expects to review its diplomatic ties with Taiwan after an election on Jan 26, Finance Minister Seve Paeniu told Reuters, adding voters wanted more financial support from the international community for climate change and development.
Taiwan’s presidential office said president-elect Lai Ching-te, currently vice-president, spoke on Jan 24 with Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine and invited her to attend his inauguration on May 20.
“For the people of Taiwan, President Heine’s visit will be a symbol of the firm friendship between the two sides,” it cited Mr Lai as saying.
After Nauru said it was cutting ties with Taiwan, the Marshall Islands offered its firm support to Taipei.
Taiwan’s presidential office said Ms Heine assured Mr Lai that relations are “rock solid” and she was grateful for Taiwan’s development aid.
“Truly, Taiwan can help,” it quoted her as saying. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/former-taiwan-ally-nauru-re-establishes-diplomatic-ties-with-china
| 2024-01-24T06:30:28Z
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Asian Insider: Malaysia Edition helps you connect the dots on the biggest stories playing out in Malaysia every week. Sign up here to get the newsletter in your inbox.
Graft probes against prominent individuals continue to be in the news this week, with Na’imah Abdul Khalid, the wife of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, being charged for failing to disclose her assets.
Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency also summoned 66-year-old Mirzan Mahathir, the eldest son of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, for questioning over his business activities and directed him to declare all his assets within 30 days.
Analysts tell our correspondent Azril Annuar this corruption crackdown by the Anwar Ibrahim government is also viewed by some as political revenge against his former foes, and could be open to abuse.
Meanwhile, household budgets are set to be squeezed this year as the government embarks on economic reforms and slashes subsidies, reports Zunaira Saieed. Water bills will also see hikes, with the added revenue being used to fix leaky pipes and finance new water treatment plants, reports Hazlin Hassan.
Follow ST’s coverage as we continue to bring you the latest developments and thank you for reading The Straits Times.
Anti-graft probes against Anwar’s foes raise questions over potential abuse
While opposition leaders are being probed, the PM’s allies have had their corruption cases set aside.
Economic reforms to hit middle, high-income earners
The government is shifting to targeted subsidies for fuel and electricity, and imposing tax hikes.
Malaysians to pay more for water as nation seeks to replace ageing infrastructure
Malaysia considers legal proceedings against foreign banks linked to 1MDB graft
They did not conduct proper due diligence before facilitating fund transfers, Malaysia said.
Bali bombers may return to Malaysia after sentencing
It was through a secret agreement that was negotiated with a senior Trump-era official.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysia-edition-graft-crackdown-or-political-witch-hunt-crane-gives-woman-a-lift-to-fourth-floor-home
| 2024-01-24T06:30:40Z
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JAKARTA – In a major move to help victims of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Indonesia on Jan 18 deployed a hospital ship to Egypt, carrying more than 200 staff and over 200 tonnes of aid, including hygiene kits, medical supplies, clothing, water and food.
This effort to provide much-needed relief to Palestinians displaced by the conflict, which has been going on for almost four months, was flagged off by Indonesian presidential candidate and Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/using-israel-hamas-war-to-score-points-in-indonesia-polls-could-stir-up-tensions-analysts
| 2024-01-24T06:30:50Z
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SINGAPORE – A ComfortDelGro joint venture (JV) with British transport group Go-Ahead has secured a contract to operate and maintain the Stockholm Metro.
The 11-year contract, with operations starting in May 2025, will be the transport group’s first rail contract in Sweden and its largest rail passenger operation outside Singapore, ComfortDelGro said on Jan 24.
The JV, Connecting Stockholm, will cover Stockholm Metro’s seven lines, including 100 stations, six depots and 107km of track.
It will be responsible for customer service, planning and delivery of rail services, as well as fleet, station and depot facility maintenance.
The contract will also allow Connecting Stockholm to provide project support for Trafikforvaltningen, Stockholm’s traffic administration. This is to develop and expand Stockholm Metro in the future.
The group owns a 45 per cent stake in Connecting Stockholm. Its JV partner Go-Ahead is the majority owner of British rail network Govia Thameslink Railway, with experience in rail operations in Norway and bus services in Sweden.
ComfortDelGro chairman Mark Greaves said the group’s active expansion into the international rail scene is part of its strategy to grow its core public transportation business into new regions.
The new contract brings the total length of track operated by ComfortDelGro to more than 310km.
The company’s shares were trading up one cent, or 0.7 per cent, at $1.41 as at midday on Jan 24. THE BUSINESS TIMES
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/comfortdelgro-tie-up-wins-contract-to-operate-maintain-stockholm-metro
| 2024-01-24T06:31:00Z
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Johnny Keep Walking! (PG13)
117 minutes, opens on Jan 25
3 stars
The story: During a round of layoffs, lowly factory technician Hu Jianlin (Da Peng) is mistakenly transferred to the company’s headquarters in the city.
Not only will Hu survive his ill-qualified promotion in the Chinese fish-out-of-water comedy Johnny Keep Walking!, but the middle-aged bumpkin will also blunder his way further up the management hierarchy under the new name John – more befitting of an “international enterprise”.
His farcical misadventures never stray from realism in exposing a workplace culture of Byzantine bureaucracy, “voluntary” overtime, nepotism, scapegoating and corrupt bosses, who are scheming to shutter Hu’s former factory division by means of sabotage – like the organisation has any compunction about cheating his old friends of their livelihood.
The story is backdated to 2019, to the start of the economy’s digital disruption.
This is how Chinese writer-director Dong Runnian (Mr Six, 2015) averts political sensitivities, because his shrewd and briskly entertaining corporate satire is very much a critique of today.
The movie has been a massive box-office hit in China by clearly striking a chord with the country’s current generation of aggrieved white-collar professionals.
The audience see themselves in the human resource manager Ma Jie (Bai Ke), who has had no career advancement despite his grinding hours, and in the young college graduate (Zhuang Dafei) on contract, who has no job security.
Both are emboldened to ally with Hu to stop the conspiracy. The climax is the company gala, where the three colleagues will commandeer the stage for a rap number on working-class solidarity that is as ham-fisted as it is furiously heartfelt.
Hot take: This crowd-pleasing office satire is for every wage slave who has ever been exploited, overlooked or oppressed, and who has not?
If You Are The One 3 (NC16)
119 minutes, opens on Jan 25
2 stars
The story: Chinese actor Ge You and Taiwanese star Shu Qi reunite, sort of, as mismatched couple Qin Fen and Xiaoxiao. The now elderly Qin has retired alone to a mountaintop villa on China’s Hainan island, and it is an artificial intelligence replicant of Xiaoxiao he has for company.
Feng Xiaogang is China’s most consistent hitmaker, whether directing the disaster epic Aftershock (2010) or the Fan Bingbing caper I Am Not Madame Bovary (2016).
The anti-romance comedy If You Are The One is his hugely profitable two-parter of 2008 and 2010 built around wealthy entrepreneur Qin’s courtship of the unattainable Xiaoxiao, a beauteous flight stewardess half his age.
She agrees to a trial marriage that barely gets under way before she leaves on a whim for charity work.
If You Are The One 3 is set in 2031. With Xiaoxiao gone a decade, he customises an android to ease his loneliness.
The screwball Day-Glo whimsy is more morose than comical and utterly perplexing for its decision to turn a slippery sylph like Xiaoxiao into an automaton and for even existing. It is an unnecessary threequel, where Ge’s voluble delivery of director-cum-co-writer Feng’s clever wordplay is the single pleasure.
Feng takes to literal ends his interrogation into “real” love and all that it implies for desire and intimacy, as Qin develops feelings for the synthetic Xiaoxiao.
The 2014 British science-fiction film Ex Machina contemplated just such an emotional dilemma. This story, despite its shiny futuristic trappings, is dated by a decade and has nothing else except lazy nostalgia, what with every dear friend (including Fan Wei and Chen Yao) from previous episodes dropping by for sappy reminiscences.
Hot take: Third time is not the charm.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/at-the-movies-johnny-keep-walking-a-heartfelt-office-satire-if-you-are-the-one-3-strikes-out
| 2024-01-24T06:31:11Z
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A Shop For Killers
Disney+
4 stars
In this age of overwhelming television options, dramas have to start with a strong hook if they want to reel in audiences.
In the first minutes of the Disney+ K-drama A Shop For Killers, an ordinary-looking young woman hides from a sniper determined to take her out, setting the stage for an intriguing show.
The action series stars Kim Hye-jun (Kingdom, 2019 to 2020) as Jeong Ji-an, a college girl raised by her uncle, Jeong Jin-man (A-lister Lee Dong-wook) after her parents’ death.
When he dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances, she discovers his dark secret – he is the owner of a weapons store for professional killers.
Without his protection, Ji-an finds herself hunted by shady and dangerous characters.
Here are three reasons to tune in.
1. Stylish and thrilling action scenes
The success of a series centred on an underground network of professional killers and mercenaries is largely determined by the action it delivers, and A Shop For Killers has scenes that are both fun as well as tense and high-stakes.
There is a stylish and exaggerated extended sequence dedicated to an attack on Jin-man’s house, when bombs, drones and a skilled sniper descend.
The way Ji-an and her childhood friend Jeong-min (Park Ji-bin) are slack-jawed and confused as they scramble for cover is almost comedic.
In several flashbacks, viewers are also treated to a thrilling chase involving a young Ji-an, injured and recovering in the hospital, when a killer comes for her.
It is terrifying to see a defenceless child stumbling into the morgue and hiding in a cold locker with a corpse to avoid capture.
2. A new Lee Dong-wook
While the show begins with Jin-man’s death, it jumps between the present and the past, so Lee still has a heavy presence.
Known for his more romantic roles in K-dramas such as Goblin (2016), Touch Your Heart (2019) and Tale Of The Nine Tailed (2020), Lee gets a chance to shed that image in A Shop For Killers.
Instead of uttering soulful “I love you”s, he is a haggard and exhausted man who nags his niece to remember her student identity card number.
With his expressive eyes, he conveys the love Jin-man has for Ji-an and the incredible burden of navigating a dangerous life to protect and support her.
And while Lee has tackled action scenes before, they were mostly in fantasy series where his character had supernatural powers.
This time, fans get to see him in more realistic fights, be it throwing punches during hand-to-hand close combat or wielding pistols and firing machine guns.
3. Intriguing mysteries abound
Much of the initial two episodes is spent building the premise and background of the characters and establishing the central relationship between Jin-man and Ji-an.
This sort of context-setting can easily become boring, but so much is being set up in here that entices the viewer to want more.
For one thing, who killed Jin-man? While the police conclude that he committed suicide, his death is highly suspicious and unusual from the get-go – something Ji-an will have to unravel.
The death of her parents – revealed to be a murder-suicide – also looms large over the show, as it seems to be tied to some of the shady characters in Jin-man’s life.
And most importantly is the question of why Ji-an is being hunted. The fact that so many killers are intent on dispatching her after her uncle dies suggests a larger conspiracy at play.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/binge-worthy-a-shop-for-killers-a-stylish-thrilling-action-series
| 2024-01-24T06:31:22Z
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SINGAPORE – In this weekly column, The Straits Times curates the most buzz-worthy music you need to know about now.
Ace Album: Green Day – Saviors
“We are the last of the rockers/Making a commotion,” Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong sings in the title track of their latest and 14th album.
It is an overblown statement, of course, even if it comes from one of the most commercially successful American rock bands in the last three decades.
But even as the three members are well into their middle age – Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool are all 51 – they retain a lot of the energy and spunk that catapulted them from pop-punk upstarts to global stars.
Thematically and musically, Saviors shares a lot in common with Green Day’s two most successful albums – mainstream breakthrough Dookie (1994) and American Idiot (2004).
The lyrics revisit some themes behind the two releases – mostly the breakdown of society (The American Dream Is Killing Me, Look Ma, No Brains!, Coma City), but also puppy love (Bobby Sox) and the love of rock ’n’ roll (Corvette Summer).
The trademark thick power chords, earworm hooks and frantic rhythms are on full display, but the zest and enthusiasm are also tempered by experience and mellowness.
This is most evident in Father To A Son, one of the album’s acoustically driven ballads, a heartfelt ode to parenthood and family ties. – Eddino Abdul Hadi
Chart Champ: Ariana Grande – Yes, And?
American pop star Ariana Grande has another winner on her hands with her latest single, Yes, And?.
The infectious dance-pop tune went straight to No. 1 on the United States Billboard singles chart, her eighth song to top the same chart. The song also topped Billboard’s global chart.
Yes, And?, which has elements of house music and New York City’s ballroom scene, is from her upcoming seventh album Eternal Sunshine, scheduled for release on March 8. If it sounds familiar, that is because it is also heavily influenced by Madonna’s 1990 dance-pop hit Vogue.
The tongue-in-cheek lyrics seemingly take aim at the public’s obsession with her private life – the Grammy-winning singer-actress was allegedly the cause of the split between actor-singer Ethan Slater and his wife in late 2023.
Grande wrote Yes, And? with Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh. Martin now has 24 No. 1s, surpassing The Beatles record producer George Martin as the producer with the most chart-toppers on the US Billboard singles chart.
The song also debuted at the top of the Spotify Global Chart and went to No. 1 on Apple Music’s Top 100 Global. – Eddino Abdul Hadi
Stream This Song: Stefanie Sun – Appearance
Wistful and nostalgic, Stefanie Sun’s new single will have you reaching for that long-forgotten secondary school yearbook.
The sentimental track by the Singaporean singer recounts the appearance of a loved one from decades ago, untouched by the ravages of time, and the idealistic dreams of one’s youth.
Penned by Chinese lyricist Gou Lin, lines such as “Don’t forget your first dream/It was a rainbow dyed by heavy rain” are pregnant with reminiscence.
It is perfect as the theme song of the Chinese drama Love Endures (2024), which recounts the experiences of childhood sweethearts who reunite after a period of separation, and remember the aspirations of their younger selves. – Benson Ang
Must-see MV: 831 – I Love, I Love
Who says you cannot shoot a good music video in just one location? Taiwanese pop-rock band 831 rose to the challenge, and released an entertaining one on Jan 12 for their new rollicking single I Love, I Love.
Filmed entirely at the EZ5 Live House, a pub and performance venue in Taipei, the music video works because it deftly switches up camera angles and modes of storytelling, and cleverly uses props to keep the viewer engaged.
It stars Taiwanese actress Ally Chiu as a cute alien in a metallic spacesuit, who enters the venue where 831’s five members – Sky Deng, Dan Tsai, Up Lee, Orange Yang and Be Liu – portray employees who are off duty.
She proceeds to experience what it is like to be human – from biting into a durian-shaped cake to her first taste of bubble tea – before finally becoming part of the band’s performance.
It is a kitschy concept, but so charming because of Chiu’s performance. The props – from a fake skeleton to a mystical ball to a set of solar system mobiles – add to the video’s whimsical appeal. – Benson Ang
Singapore Scene: Sean Hong Wei & Jeremy Monteiro – The New Jersey Sessions
The New Jersey Sessions is the debut album of Singaporean jazz saxophone player Sean Hong Wei and a collaboration with his mentor, home-grown jazz maestro Jeremy Monteiro.
It briefly went to No. 1 on the overall chart and jazz chart on iTunes Singapore within two days of its release on Jan 1, beating heavyweights such as American pop star Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version, 2023) and K-pop duo TVXQ!’s 20&2 (2023).
Comprising nine tracks, it was recorded in 2022, shortly after the 25-year-old saxophonist moved to New York City.
The album also features other esteemed jazz musicians – bass player Jay Anderson, drummer Evan Sherman, trumpet player Alex Sipiagin and saxophonist Houston Person.
The songs were recorded and mixed by another notable name in American jazz – recording engineer John Lee, who is also band leader of the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band.
Monteiro also notched another feather in his cap recently, when his album Jeremy Monteiro Sings, released in June 2023, cracked the Top 50 of the chart of American publication JazzWeek.
Reaching No. 46, it is his third album to hit the Top 50 on the same chart, which ranks releases based on airplay reports submitted by radio stations. – Eddino Abdul Hadi
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https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/new-music-from-green-day-ariana-grande-stefanie-sun-and-831
| 2024-01-24T06:31:32Z
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Today in Pictures, Jan 24, 2024
Gigantic waves at the World Surf League Nazare Big Wave Challenge in Portugal, Coldplay performing at the Music Of The Spheres World Tour in Singapore, and other photos from around the world in Today in Pictures.
Desmond Foo
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https://str.sg/wKMca
Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira rides a wave during the World Surf League Nazare Big Wave Challenge at Praia do Norte in Nazare, Portugal on Jan 22.
PHOTO : AFP
Chris Martin of Coldplay performing at the Music Of The Spheres World Tour at the National Stadium on Jan 23, 2024.
ST PHOTO : GIN TAY
Mauritania's forward #11 Souleymane Anne falls while fighting for the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group D football match between Mauritania and Algeria at Stade de la Paix in Bouake on Jan 23.
PHOTO : AFP
An aerial view shows tractors positioned to read "STOP !" during a farmers' protest over a number issues affecting their sector, in Maille, central France, on Jan 23.
PHOTO : AFP
Decorated Sri Lankan elephants walk during a parade at the annual Perahera festival at the historic Kelaniya Buddhist temple in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka on Jan 23.
PHOTO : AFP
Ukrainian rescue workers and firefighters clear debris at the site of a missile attack in Kharkiv on Jan 23. Dozens of people were injured and two killed following an overnight aerial barrage by Russian forces targeting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the second-largest city Kharkiv.
PHOTO : AFP
Maans Abersten of Sweden crashing after colliding with Walker Robinson of USA as William Young Shing SWE leads in the Freestyle Skiing Mixed Team Ski Cross during the Winter Youth Olympic Games at the Welli Hilli Park Ski Resort in Gangwon, South Korea on Jan 24.
PHOTO : EPA-EFE
Men from the Dogon ethnic group dance during the Ogobagna Masked Dance ceremony in Bamako, Mali on Jan 22. Due to persistent instability in the central region of the country, the Dogons annually organize a festival in Bamako called Ogobagna to share and showcase their cultural and ancestral traditions.
PHOTO : AFP
A handout picture released by the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) on Jan 22, shows a Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 taking off to carry out Air Strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
PHOTO : AFP
A model presenting a creation by Giorgio Armani Prive during the Women's Haute-Couture Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Week in Paris on Jan 23.
PHOTO : AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/photos/today-in-pictures-jan-24-2024
| 2024-01-24T06:31:43Z
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SINGAPORE – The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has warned the public about a beauty salon in Parklane Shopping Mall, after receiving complaints for two years about the poor quality of services and difficulty in securing appointments.
In 2022 and 2023, 89 complaints were lodged against Diva Lash & Nails, located on the second floor of the mall.
A majority of the complaints were made by customers who had bought packages for nail or eyelash services priced from around $120 to $1,200, said the consumer watchdog on Jan 24.
Customers said they faced difficulty when booking appointments, as the salon was often unresponsive or took a long time to respond.
In cases where customers managed to secure a booking, they were subjected to long waiting times at the salon.
Some complaints arose from the poor quality of lash extension services provided, as the extensions would fall off within days of the session. Consumers also complained of discomfort, swelling and itchiness after the treatment.
The salon had offered to provide refunds to some dissatisfied consumers, but did not honour the agreement, according to Case.
Following the complaints, Case invited the salon to sign a Voluntary Compliance Agreement to stop unfair practices and compensate affected customers, but the salon did not do so.
Case said it is now engaging the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore to consider further action against the company.
Case president Melvin Yong also advises consumers to conduct research and look up reviews to gain insight on the standards and track record of beauty salons before making purchases.
Consumers should be wary of products and services marketed as special discounts, trials or one-time only offers.
Should consumers feel uncomfortable or uneasy during sales pitches made by staff members, they should stop any ongoing sessions and leave the salon.
Consumers are also advised to patronise CaseTrust-accredited salons, which are not allowed to engage in sales pitches during treatments.
These salons also offer a five-day cooling-off period for consumers to seek a refund for unutilised services, should they decide not to proceed with the package signed.
Those who have disputes with Diva Lash & Nails may contact Case on 6277-5100 or visit its website for assistance.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/beauty-salon-in-parklane-mall-receives-89-complaints-in-2-years-case
| 2024-01-24T06:31:54Z
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SINGAPORE - A guide to support outdoor education providers in managing emergencies and improving safety was released on Jan 24.
The document by the Outdoor Adventure Education (OAE) Council – set up in September 2022 – spells out the steps that providers should take before, during and after emergencies.
These include identifying types of emergencies and serious incidents that are commonly associated with certain programmes, such as exposure to weather elements or bone injuries. Providers should also differentiate between minor and major emergencies, which will then guide the organisation’s response and measures according to the severity and impact of incidents.
The guide also states that there should be specific roles and responsibilities assigned to individuals in providers’ emergency action plans. For instance, an activity leader ought to assume ground leadership, cease the activity and report the incident, among other steps.
The announcement of these guidelines comes after the death of a 15-year-old Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student. Jethro Puah Xin Yang fell from a high-element course on Feb 3, 2021, at Safra Yishun during a school activity organised by Camelot, an outdoor adventure learning company.
Muhammad Nurul Hakim Mohamed Din, 23, the volunteer outdoor activities facilitator who failed to do a physical check on the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student’s harness, was sentenced to six months in jail on Jan 16.
In addition, a compulsory set of guidelines to address safety in OAE activities is being developed and will be available for public feedback in the second half of 2024. It is expected to be published by 2025.
Upon completion, this national standard for OAE activities will spell out the expected level of care of safety to be practised by activity instructors, and their accountabilities when conducting such activities – land-based, water-based and height activities.
Key stakeholders such as the Institute of Technical Education and Outward Bound Singapore are among the 17 organisational representatives that have been working together with the OAE council to develop these guidelines.
Currently, OAE providers and instructors offering height-based activities to students need to implement the Ministry of Education’s (MOE’s) enhanced safety measures, which were published in November 2022.
By the first quarter of 2025, the OAE sector can expect support to build their skills through a workforce development road map. It will outline the specific job scopes, prerequisites and possibilities for career progression within the OAE sector.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/new-guidelines-in-managing-emergencies-for-outdoor-adventure-education-sector
| 2024-01-24T06:32:04Z
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SINGAPORE – A Secondary 4 student who considered himself a white supremacist after being radicalised by online far-right extremist propaganda was handed a restriction order under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in November 2023.
Although he is ethnically Chinese, the 16-year-old aspired to conduct attacks overseas to further the white supremacist cause. He had no plans to conduct any attacks in Singapore.
He is the second Singaporean to be dealt with under the ISA for being radicalised by far-right extremist ideologies, said the Internal Security Department (ISD) on Jan 24. It also stated that the first youth, now 19, was released from detention in January after close to three years.
For the 16-year-old, the restriction order means he must comply with several conditions. These include not being allowed to change his residence or travel out of Singapore, access the Internet or social media and issue public statements, without the approval of the director of ISD.
“At the point of (the) investigation, he strongly identified as a white supremacist and pro-white sympathiser, and hoped to be recruited for violent attacks by white supremacist groups overseas to ‘fight for the whites’,” said ISD.
Explaining how the 16-year-old became radicalised, ISD said he had chanced upon videos by foreign far-right political commentator and white supremacist Paul Nicholas Miller and was exposed to violent extremist material online in 2022.
Miller advocates for a race war and has been tied to multiple far-right extremist organisations overseas, including the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo movement.
By early 2023, the youth had developed an intense hatred of communities targeted by far-right extremists, including African Americans, Arabs and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals.
He believed African Americans were responsible for a significant percentage of crime in the US, and deserved to “die a horrible death”, said ISD.
The youth also perceived illegal Arab immigrants as having committed violent attacks against white populations in Western countries and subscribed to the Great Replacement Theory commonly referenced by far-right terrorists like Christchurch attacker Brenton Tarrant. The theory propagates that the indigenous white population in Western countries are in danger of being replaced by non-white immigrants.
Such ethno-nationalist beliefs convinced him that non-white communities such as African Americans and Arabs should be driven away from white-majority countries, said ISD.
The youth participated in far-right online chat groups and channels, where he shared violent anti-African American videos, as doing so gave him a sense of belonging to the white supremacist community.
He considered travelling to Western countries such as France, Italy, the US, and Russia to participate in attacks against the vilified communities, and also expressed interest in a far-right online chat group to conduct a mass shooting in the US in 10 years’ time. However, ISD said he did not take steps to actualise his attack aspirations beyond searching online for weapons, because he lacked the money and know-how to do so.
The youth had not planned to conduct attacks in Singapore as he felt these communities had not caused trouble here, said ISD.
While on a restriction order, the youth will have to undergo a rehabilitation programme aimed at countering the violent extremist ideologies he had imbibed online. It will help him learn that his racial supremacist views are incompatible with Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious society, ISD said.
He will receive counselling by ISD psychologists to address his propensity for violence and the factors that make him vulnerable to radical influences. Such factors include the regulation of his emotions and identity issues, which fuelled his desire to identify as a white supremacist and be part of a like-minded, seemingly powerful group.
ISD case officers will work with his family and school to ensure that he has sufficient support. He has also been assigned two mentors who will provide him with guidance and cyber-wellness skills.
ISD said it is working with partners such as the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group to explore community-based programmes which will equip him with pro-social skills.
On the 19-year-old who was recently released from detention, ISD said he was issued a suspension direction in January 2024. This is a ministerial direction to suspend the detention order. It can be revoked and the individual detained again if he does not comply with any of the conditions, which are similar to those of a restriction order.
The youth was 16 when he was detained in December 2020 after he made detailed plans to conduct terrorist attacks using a machete against Muslims at two mosques in Singapore.
ISD said the youth, a Protestant Christian, went through an intensive rehabilitation programme during his three-year detention and has been receptive to these efforts. He now rejects far-right extremist ideas and the use of violence.
“He no longer harbours any animosity towards Muslims, and has internalised the importance of racial and religious harmony in Singapore,” said ISD.
While he was under detention, ISD worked with the National Council of Churches of Singapore to arrange for a Christian pastor to counsel him and address his extremist mindset, which included the misguided belief that Christians were under attack by Muslims.
The youth also saw a psychologist from the ISD, and three mentors – two volunteers from the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) and his former secondary school teacher. Among other things, they helped him work on his self-esteem, his permissive attitude towards violence, and the socio-psychological factors that contributed to his radicalisation.
The youth’s family also played a key role in his rehabilitation, as their weekly visits and words of encouragement motivated him to stay on track with his rehabilitation.
ISD also arranged for him to sit the GCE N Level and GCE O Level examinations while in detention. He received weekly lessons from at least five tutors, including MOE-trained teachers who are Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) volunteers. He intends to continue studying after his release.
ISD said it will continue to work with his family, school, and other rehabilitation stakeholders to ease his reintegration into society.
With two youths here radicalised by far-right extremist ideology, ISD said there is a need to remain vigilant.
“Far-right ideologies, which often espouse white supremacist, anti-Islam, xenophobic and anti-immigration beliefs, can be adapted to fit the Singaporean landscape. One example is by advocating for the superiority of specific communities, through the lens of cultural, ethnoreligious, or nationalist supremacy,” it added.
ISD said that such divisive rhetoric can create deep societal divides, amplify prejudices, and encourage acts of violence against minorities.
It urged members of the public to be vigilant to signs that others have become radicalised.
These signs include frequently surfing radical websites; posting extremist views on social media platforms; sharing extremist views with friends and relatives; making remarks that promote ill-will or hatred towards people of other races or religions; expressing intent to participate in acts of violence overseas or in Singapore and inciting others to participate in acts of violence.
Those who suspect a person has been radicalised can call the ISD Counter-Terrorism Centre hotline on 1800-2626-473 (1800-2626-ISD).
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/self-radicalised-s-porean-16-who-identified-as-white-supremacist-given-restriction-order-under-isa
| 2024-01-24T06:32:15Z
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LONDON – Formula One’s announcement that Madrid will host the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026 reflects the sport’s push for net zero carbon status by 2030, as well as the desire to race in “destination cities”.
The new 5.47km part-street circuit will be around the IFEMA exhibition centre with easy access by rail and metro from the city and nearby Barajas airport, a positive for the sport’s carbon footprint.
Organisers expect 90 per cent of fans will be able to reach the venue by public transport.
“IFEMA... shares our vision and ambition to make the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid one of the most accessible and sustainable F1 events on the calendar,” F1 chief Stefano Domenicali said on Jan 23.
A press release said IFEMA exhibition halls used 100 per cent certified renewable energy and any temporary structure built for the race would be built with recyclable materials.
Most of the latest additions to Formula One’s calendar, a record 24 races for 2024, have been urban with the Las Vegas Strip, Jeddah’s Corniche, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium and Singapore’s Marina Bay standing out.
Rural favourites like Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, hugely popular with fans but heavily reliant on road access, have long ceased to be the business model.
Taking races to population centres, with concerts and entertainment thrown in, is the name of the game even if the tracks themselves are not necessarily conducive to great racing.
The likes of Germany’s Nuerburgring and Hockenheim, France’s Magny-Cours and Le Castellet and Turkey’s Istanbul Park have disappeared from the calendar for financial reasons but also because public transport was almost non-existent and hotels scarce.
Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, current host of the Spanish Grand Prix, is some 32km from the eastern port city with a roughly 45 minute walk from the nearest station.
“Modern Formula One cars racing on a new circuit in the Spanish capital city of Madrid is an enticing prospect,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the governing FIA.
“As we build towards the introduction of the FIA 2026 Formula One regulations, which have been framed with Net Zero carbon by 2030 in mind, it is pleasing to see that the local organisers have placed a sharp focus on environmental sustainability.”
Formula One cars will use 100 per cent sustainable fuel in 2026 when new engines are introduced but the logistics of getting to races – for teams and fans – provide the bulk of emissions.
Ironically, the sport’s city focus comes as all-electric Formula E – which has been net zero since the start in 2014 – has expanded to permanent circuits.
That series switched its Italian round from a street circuit in Rome, which the cars have now outgrown, to Misano on the Adriatic coast. The permanent Portland International Raceway, used by IndyCar, is also home to the US round after New York ceased to be an option.
“We still want to keep our DNA of street racing... but we are going faster and faster,” series founder Alejandro Agag said. “To show the performance of these cars, which is one of the objectives of Formula E, we are going to have to open up to some races in circuits.
“I think Formula One and Formula E are kind of heading to the same place from opposite sides, in a way.” REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/formula-one/f1-s-madrid-move-fuelled-by-net-zero-goal-and-big-city-glamour
| 2024-01-24T06:32:25Z
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TORONTO – The next installment of The Match will be a mixed event featuring Rory McIlroy and Max Homa of the PGA Tour as well as the LPGA Tour’s Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang, it was announced on Jan 23.
The 12-hole event, to be played on Feb 26 under the lights at The Park in West Palm Beach, Florida, will feature a first-ever mixed skins format with each hole worth a specified amount for charity, according to a report on the PGA Tour’s website.
Each golfer will hit from the same tees for the four par-three holes used during the event, while the remaining holes will use varying tee boxes and yardages for the men and women.
The golfer that raises the most money through the skins format will be declared the winner.
Northern Irishman McIlroy, the only participant who has played in a previous edition of The Match, is a four-time Major winner and one of golf’s biggest names.
He teamed up with 15-time Major champion Tiger Woods in a 3&2 loss to Americans Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in December 2022.
Homa has six career wins on the PGA Tour and is a member of the 2023 US Ryder Cup team.
Thompson is an 11-time winner on the LPGA Tour, including a Major triumph at the 2014 Chevron Championship, while Zhang is coming off a standout rookie campaign in which she became the first player to win her LPGA debut since Beverly Hanson in 1951.
“I’m so excited to play in The Match,” Zhang told Sports Illustrated.
“I’ve enjoyed watching this franchise over the years. They’ve had so many great celebrities and golfers and it’s always entertaining with Charles Barkley on the mic. I’m honoured to tee it up alongside Rory, Max and Lexi and know we’ll have a blast raising money to help make the game more accessible for all.”
The previous eight iterations of the made-for-TV event have featured only men and some even included big-name stars from both the National Football League and National Basketball Association like Tom Brady and Stephen Curry.
Capital One, which has been a partner since the inception of The Match in 2018 when Woods went head-to-head with Phil Mickelson, returns as title sponsor and will collaborate with TNT Sports on social, digital and broadcast integrations.
“It’s been exciting to see how Capital One’s The Match has evolved over the past several years,” said Byron Daub, vice-president of Capital One’s sponsorships and marketing.
“We’re proud to be a part of this year’s inclusive line-up with the addition of Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang, two of golf’s biggest talents.” REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/golf/rory-mcilroy-max-homa-join-lpga-s-lexi-thompson-and-rose-zhang-in-the-match
| 2024-01-24T06:32:35Z
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Mitchell Marsh will captain Australia for their Twenty20 series against the West Indies with regular skipper Pat Cummins being rested, the country's cricket board (CA) said on Wednesday.
Australia are hosting West Indies for three T20s between Feb. 9-13 as part of their preparations for the T20 World Cup, which will be held in the Caribbean and U.S. in June.
Cummins and Mitchell Starc are being managed to prepare for Australia's tour to New Zealand, which begins on Feb. 21, CA added.
"We see these matches as an opportunity to narrow down on those who may be part of the T20 World Cup squad later this year," chair of selectors George Bailey said in a statement.
"There are a further three T20 internationals in New Zealand following this West Indies series where we will continue to build towards the T20 World Cup as required.
"It is likely we will use the block of six games to provide opportunity to players in some different roles and positions. We will then be keeping a close eye on the Indian Premier League before choosing a World Cup squad."
AUSTRALIA SQUAD:
Mitchell Marsh (C), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner and Adam Zampa. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/marsh-to-captain-australia-for-windies-t20-series-cummins-rested
| 2024-01-24T06:32:46Z
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MELBOURNE - Australia took a little over two days to wrap up victory in the series opener in Adelaide and a similar fate could befall West Indies in the day-night second and final test in Brisbane beginning on Thursday.
World Test Champions (WTC) Australia needed seven sessions to seal their 10-wicket romp against a depleted West Indies, who fielded three debutants in the match.
Australia quick Josh Hazlewood, who finished with a nine-wicket match haul, spearheaded the rout with West Indies failing to reach 200 in either innings and Kirk McKenzie the only batsman to make 50 runs or more.
Their task might be even tougher in Brisbane, where Australia beat South Africa inside two days in December 2022 on a minefield of a pitch at the Gabba.
Furthermore, Australia boast a perfect 11-0 record in day-night tests and the tourists look ill-equipped to master the ever-swinging pink ball.
Australia will field an unchanged side with Travis Head, who hit a brilliant century in Adelaide, having recovered from COVID-19.
All-rounder Cameron Green and coach Andrew McDonald have since been diagnosed with the virus, but both are able to play full parts in the match while separated from the rest of the squad until they test negative.
"He's fine," vice captain Steve Smith said of Green on Wednesday. "No physical drama at all – just tested positive. Him and Andrew McDonald are both fine."
Opener Usman Khawaja has also cleared his concussion tests after being hit on the helmet by Shamar Joseph and forced to retire hurt in the last few overs of the Adelaide run chase.
Raw paceman Joseph was the one shining light for West Indies in Adelaide, dazzling on his test debut with 5-94 and a solid batting cameo at number 11 in the first innings.
Smith, who will play his second test in his new opening role having replaced the retired David Warner at the top of the order, said he had been impressed with the West Indies attack.
"They've got some good bowlers in there, and the pink ball, when it's sniffing around and swinging around, it might suit them nicely, like it does our bowlers," Smith added.
West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite has asked his batsmen to draw inspiration from McKenzie's gritty half-century in Adelaide.
"It shows that he has the ability to score runs against world-class bowlers," Brathwaite said after the thrashing in Adelaide.
"And the other guys didn't get runs but from watching Kirk they know now that we could get it done."
Rain has been forecast for the weekend but West Indies will need a much-improved display to make the weather a serious factor. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/rampant-australia-seek-series-sweep-against-timid-west-indies
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At least six people were killed including three firefighters after a truck carrying 60 tons of liquefied natural gas exploded in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar on Tuesday, according to Mongolia's emergency officials.
At least 11 people were injured in the fire near the Dunjingarav market, Mongolia's Emergency Management Office said in a post on Facebook.
More than 600 firefighters 100 vehicles were involved in putting the fire out, which was eventually extinguished.
"Unfortunately, as a result of the accident, three officers of the 63rd Fire Fighting and Rescue Unit of the National Fire Service were killed while performing their duty," the Emergency Management said in the post on Facebook.
According to local online news outlets, the fire quickly engulfed several nearby buildings, including a residential building. Scores of cars were burnt.
"On behalf of the British embassy I extend my condolences to the ... officers who lost their lives during the tragic accident at Dunjingarav," Fiona Blyth, Britain's ambassador to Mongolia said on X.
"Our thoughts are with the families of all those affected and we wish a fast recovery to those injured in this tragic event." REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/three-firefighters-among-six-killed-in-gas-truck-explosion-in-mongolia-officials
| 2024-01-24T06:33:06Z
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The United States has asked China to urge Tehran to rein in the Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea but has seen little sign of help from Beijing, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing U.S. officials.
The U.S. has repeatedly raised the matter with top Chinese officials in the past three months, the report said.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his deputy, Jon Finer, discussed the issue in meetings this month in Washington with Liu Jianchao, head of the International Liaison Department of China's Communist Party, the newspaper said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart, the report said, adding U.S. officials believe there was little evidence that China had put any pressure on Iran to restrain the Houthis beyond a mild statement Beijing issued last week.
Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. military carried out strikes in Yemen, destroying two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed at the Red Sea and were preparing to launch.
On Monday, U.S. and British forces carried out a round of strikes in Yemen, targeting a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities used by the Iran-aligned group against Red Sea shipping.
The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/us-asks-china-to-urge-iran-to-curb-red-sea-attacks-by-houthis-ft
| 2024-01-24T06:33:16Z
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Sleep disturbances, particularly insomnia, are a widespread issue, affecting a significant portion of the population, especially postmenopausal women.
The National Institutes of Health reveals that sleep disturbances vary greatly across different life stages, ranging from 16 to 42 per cent before menopause, 39 to 47 per cent during perimenopause, and a staggering 35 to 60 per cent after menopause.
Insomnia, a serious medical condition characterized by difficulty in either falling or staying asleep, can have profound negative impacts on an individual's life.
Around menopause, hormonal changes can disrupt sleep patterns due to altered sleep requirements, increased irritability, and hot flashes.
Recent research has begun to uncover the potential link between the dietary habits of menopausal women and their risk of developing insomnia. This exploration into dietary patterns was conducted on over 50,000 postmenopausal women (average age 63), who were part of the Women’s Health Initiative study between 1994 and 2001.
READ: Davina McCall reveals which ‘specific workouts’ are key to helping menopause
Researchers assessed their carbohydrate intake in various forms: glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL), amounts of added sugars, starch, total carbohydrates, dietary fibre, and specific carbohydrate-rich foods like whole grains, processed grains, whole fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
Over a follow-up period of three years, they observed the participants' risk of developing insomnia.
The findings were revealing. Women who consumed diets higher in GI, as well as those with increased intake of added sugars (including white and brown sugar, syrups, honey, and molasses), showed a higher risk of developing insomnia. Conversely, a lower risk was observed in women who ate more whole fruits and vegetables.
The researchers meticulously accounted for various potential confounding factors, including demographic (education, income, marital status), behavioral (smoking, alcohol, caffeine intake, physical activity), psychosocial (stress, social connections), and medical (body mass index, various medical diagnoses, hormone therapy, snoring) aspects.
Understanding the glycemic index is crucial here. GI is a scale ranking foods from 0 to 100 based on their effect on blood sugar levels post-consumption.
High-GI foods, which are rapidly digested and metabolized, causing blood sugar and insulin spikes, include processed grains (bread, pasta, baked goods, white rice) and foods with added sugars (sugary drinks, sweets). Low-GI foods, which do not cause significant blood sugar and insulin spikes, include most fruits and vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
Researchers hypothesize that high-GI foods may induce insomnia due to the rapid spike and subsequent crash in blood sugar levels.
After peaking, blood sugar and insulin levels tend to plummet, potentially leading to symptoms that can disrupt sleep. This hypothesis is supported by multiple studies cited in the recent research.
The link between nutrition and various health aspects, including sleep, is well-established. Diet quality correlates with the risk of heart disease, strokes, dementia, depression, and cancer.
This recent study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that diet can also influence the risk of specific sleep problems.So, how can postmenopausal women utilize these findings to improve their sleep and overall health?
Beyond practicing good sleep hygiene, here are some dietary strategies:
Low-GI Food
Focus on consuming fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and lean proteins instead of processed grains and added sugars. For example, choose plain yogurt with berries and nuts for breakfast over cereal or bagels; opt for a dinner of roasted vegetables and grilled salmon instead of pasta and meatballs.
Avoid Large Meals Before Bedtime
Aim to have your last large meal at least three to four hours before going to bed. This prevents going to bed with a full stomach, which can disrupt sleep.
Choose Healthy, Light Bedtime Snacks
If you need a snack closer to bedtime, avoid sugars and processed grains. Opt for balanced, plant-based options like sliced apple with almond butter, blueberries with nut milk, or hummus with carrots.
Faye James is an accredited nutritionist, member of the Australian Menopause Society and author of The Menopause Diet
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/511929/menopause-and-insomnia-tips-on-how-to-manage-it-effectively-according-to-a-nutritionist/
| 2024-01-24T06:34:48Z
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The Prince of Wales is a modern, "hands-on" dad who "won't be fazed" by the prospect of looking after his three young children full time, while his wife Kate remains in hospital following her major surgery.
A source who knows the Wales family well exclusively told HELLO! that Prince William is more than capable of solo parenting and holding the fort at home.
He is already well used to dropping the children – Prince George, ten, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five – at Lambrook School in Bracknell.
"He is a regular at the school gate and events and he's very hands-on as a dad, so being in charge while Kate is away won't faze him," the source said. "They often do things as a full family unit and he's very confident looking after the kids.
"Everyone was very shocked and concerned when they heard. The Lambrook parents are a close-knit group and William and Kate have absolutely become part of it, so I'm certain their class groups will be rallying round to offer any help they can."
Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty magazine, also told HELLO!: "William is incredibly supportive as a husband. It's pretty unusual for the Prince of Wales to cancel engagements because his wife isn't well – that certainly wouldn't have happened in the past – but he's a modern man whose family is more important to him than anything else."
William and Kate live in a four-bedroom property, Adelaide Cottage, on the Windsor royal estate. They used to have a live-in nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, when they resided at Kensington Palace but since downsizing in 2022, Maria – who has worked for the royals since Prince George was eight months old – lives out of the family home, but remains a constant helping hand.
William can also count on Kate's parents Carole and Michael Middleton, who live in Bucklebury village about a 40-minute drive away, to help with the children.
Nevertheless, the Prince's presence at home will be crucial and it's understood that he will be taking a step back from public duties while his wife continues with her recovery at home.
Kate is expected to leave hospital later this week and return home to Windsor, although she'll be out of action until at least Easter. The Princess, 41, had major surgery on her abdominal area last Tuesday and while the planned operation was a success, a long recuperation awaits her.
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.
LISTEN to A Right Royal Podcast and find out why Prince William was 'really hurt' by Prince Harry's 'veiled criticisms of Kate':
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511811/prince-william-wont-be-fazed-full-time-parenting-george-charlotte-louis/
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ASTANA – The directorate for preparation and hosting of the World Nomad Games has approved all protocols for the competition’s fifth edition, scheduled from Sept. 8 to 15 in Astana, said Directorate Deputy Head Abylai Kondybayev at a Jan. 23 briefing in the Central Communications Service (CCS), reported the CCS’s press office.
Presently, Kazakhstan is negotiating with 107 countries who expressed their interest in participating in the fifth World Nomad Games.
Comprising three main directions – sports, culture, and science – the nomad games will see athletes competing for 110 sets of medals in 20 sports, including national equestrian sports, wrestling, traditional archery, fowl hunting and intellectual sports.
“The show program will also include ten different ethnic sports,” Kondybayev informed.
The main venue for the cultural program will be the Nomads’ Universe ethno-village, which will spread over an area of ten hectares adjacent to Kazanat, a hippodrome designed for high-level competitions accommodating 10,000 spectators.
The fifth World Nomad Games is expected to bring together around 4,000 competitors and involve about 1,000 volunteers. Previously held three times in the Kyrgyz Republic and once in Türkiye, the grand event will take place in Kazakhstan for the first time.
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https://astanatimes.com/2024/01/kazakhstan-gears-up-for-spectacular-world-nomad-games-welcoming-107-nations-in-astana/
| 2024-01-24T06:45:43Z
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Inti Creates Reveals Umbraclaw Release Date, Teases New Game - News
by Evan Norris , posted 3 hours ago / 314 ViewsIndie developer Inti Creates has just revealed extensive new details — including the release date — for its upcoming 2D action game Umbraclaw. Directed by Satoru Nishizawa, who previously developed the Blaster Master Zero series, Umbraclaw tells the story of Kuon, a house cat who awakens after death in the Soulplane, a realm of the dead. Players control Kuon as she searches for a way to open the "Boundary" to the mortal world and return home.
The twist is that any single hit to the tiny house cat means instant death. However, it also means a new chance. Kuon has the uncanny power of "Anima Revive", which brings her back to life, each time with a new skill to help her progress further in the game.
These skills include, among others, "Elephant", which grants a trunk to snatch enemy projectiles out of the air; "Crow", essentially a double jump; and "Tyrannosaurus", which attacks with a powerful shock wave. If Kuon dies enough times, she will absorb a "human's soul", with major effects on gameplay and narrative. Indeed, depending on the player's actions and choices, you might see one of several endings.
Apart from high-stakes 2D action, Umbraclaw promises a soul-touching story and a "dark and stunning underworld" rendered in hand-drawn art in the style of paper cut-outs. The game launches digitally for Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on May 30, 2024 (price TBD). For those interested in previewing the game, a demo will be available during the Steam Next Fest February 2024 edition.
Finally, Inti Creates teased an entirely separate, unannounced project via the screenshot below. As opposed to most of the studio's projects, which are 2D action-platformers, this new title looks like a card-based tactics game, with some similarity to the Mega Man Battle Network series.
More information on the mystery game, as well as a playable demo, will be available at PAX East 2024 in March.
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https://www.vgchartz.com/article/459721/inti-creates-reveals-umbraclaw-release-date-teases-new-game/
| 2024-01-24T07:03:11Z
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3DS and Wii U Online Services Officially Shutting Down on April 8 - News
by William D'Angelo , posted 3 hours ago / 488 ViewsNintendo announced it will be shutting down online services for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U on April 8 at 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET.
It will still be possible "for the foreseeable future" to download update and redownload purchased software and DLC from the Nintendo eShop.
"Thank you very much for supporting our products," said Nintendo. "At 4pm PDT on April 8, 2024, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. This also includes online co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution."
Nintendo added, "Please note that if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, we may have to discontinue services earlier than planned.
"We sincerely thank players for using the online services of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software over a long period of time and apologize for any inconvenience"
Update: as of 4/8, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end service for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. Thank you very much for your continued support of our products.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 24, 2024
Find out more: https://t.co/VdIdewGmB5
Read a Q&A below:
Will I still be able to play offline even after online services end?
Yes. Players will still be able to use features and game modes that do not require online communication.
Will any online services still be available even after online services generally end?
It will still be possible to use online services for the following software but that may also end at some point in the future.
- Pokemon Bank
- Poke Transporter
Are you also ending online services for software from publishers other than Nintendo?
With some exceptions, online services will end for all Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. Please contact publishers for information about the online services for their software.
Will it still be possible to download update data or purchased software?
For the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to download update data and redownload purchased software and downloadable content from Nintendo eShop.
When online services end, will StreetPass and SpotPass no longer be available either?
StreetPass uses local communication between Nintendo 3DS family systems, meaning that it will still be available even after online services end. However, because SpotPass uses online communication, SpotPass features will no longer be available.
For example, you will be able to use StreetPass in StreetPass Mii Plaza, which is pre-installed on Nintendo 3DS family systems, but you will no longer be able to use features that use online communication (such as receiving new panels in Puzzle Swap).
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Damn, even the PS3 store is still UP till this day.
Yes that is amazing to think about and now xbox 360 store will be shutting down this year. But I beleive you can still play 360 games despite the store shutting down this year.
This is too soon in both cases, but especially for the 3DS. That system was discontinued in late 2020, which means the shutdown of its online services is occurring about 3.5 years after the system stopped being sold. Way, way too soon. Frankly, I think this is totally unacceptable.
Agreed.
Especially with an install base of 75~ million which puts it inline with the Xbox 360 which still has it's services online... And that console released 6 years earlier.
Plus the 3DS is still a fairly popular console being able to play DS software, wish I could still do eShop purchases... But Alas. They don't want my cash.
Nintendo and console manufacturers NEED to support their platforms for longer periods of time... ESPECIALLY as we start going digital-only.
Blizzard Entertainment for example still has all it's games playable on PC online even the original Diablo from 1997/26 years ago.
Running an old server isn't that expensive or difficult, you can scale the hardware down as the playerbase shrinks... Or in Microsoft's case they allow internet providers to cache their data next to the content delivery networks so it's nearest as possible to consumers which lessens the data costs on their end.
Wow i did not know Blizzard had been keeping those servers up for so long. I thought it was the fans that were doing that.
To be fair, the online data transactions in Diablo 1 are Peer 2 Peer, but they have still kept the patching and authentication servers operational.
Same with StarCraft 1 and WarCraft 2.
Blizzard isn't afraid to release a patch/update after 20 years either which is good...
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https://www.vgchartz.com/article/459722/3ds-and-wii-u-online-services-officially-shutting-down-on-april-8/
| 2024-01-24T07:03:19Z
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Palworld Sells Over 7 Million Units in 5 Days - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted 59 minutes ago / 246 ViewsDeveloper Pocket Pair announced Palworld has sold over seven million units in five days since it released in Early Access.
This figure is up from six million units sold in four days, five million units sold in three days, four million units sold in about three days, two million units sold in in the first 24 hours and one million units sold in the first eight hours.
"Palworld has sold over 7 million copies in only 5 days!," said the developer. "Thank you very much!! We continue to be hard at work addressing the issues and bugs some users are experiencing. Thanks for your support!"
Palworld released in Early Access on the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC via Steam and Microsoft Store, and Xbox Game Pass on January 19.
#Palworld has sold over 7 million copies in only 5 days!
— Palworld (@Palworld_EN) January 24, 2024
Thank you very much!!
We continue to be hard at work addressing the issues and bugs some users are experiencing.
Thanks for your support! pic.twitter.com/8S9xKJEMjR
Read details on the game below:
Palworld is an open-world survival crafting game that supports up to 32 players and is set in a world where mysterious creatures called “Pals” live.
Along your adventures, you will encounter many Pals. Capture them, make them work, fight, breed and even sell them. You can adventure in a large world alongside your Pals.
Over 100 Pals
In Palworld, mysterious creatures called “Pal” live in the wild. There are also many rare pals such as subspecies, bosses, legends, lucky pals, etc. Additionally, more Pals will continue to be added in future updates.
Capture and Train Pals
Every pal has a special skill for you to utilize. There are also Pals that can fly and Pals that can use guns!
Vast Open World and many Dungeons to Explore
There are various areas such as plains, deserts, snowy mountains, and volcanoes, and the pals living there are all different. There are also many dungeons with hidden treasures and special pals. Set out on a great adventure in search of unknown treasures and unknown pals.
Fight Against Leaders of Hostile Factions and Field Bosses
As you explore the vast open world, you may come across giant Pals. In addition, each biome has a hostile faction based there, whose leaders stand in your way and won’t back down without a fight.
Fight Alongside Pals using a Wide Variety of Weapons
From traditional weapons such as bows and swords to modern weapons such as assault rifles and rocket launchers. Some pals can use heavy weapons such as Gatling guns and missile launchers!
Build a Base
Leave production, farming, cooking, power generation, etc. to your pals. Pals work in ways that suit their personalities. However, pals are also living creatures like us. If you forget to give them food and rest, it will negatively affect their motivation.
Supports Multiplayer for up to 32 Players
Palworld can be played alone as well as multiplayer. By forming a guild and cooperating with your friends, you can adventure together towards a common goal. Player Battles will be implemented in a future update.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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https://www.vgchartz.com/article/459723/palworld-sells-over-7-million-units-in-5-days/
| 2024-01-24T07:03:27Z
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ASTANA – In 2023, Chevron Direct Investment Fund (CDIF) made direct equity investments worth $41 million into the managed service marketplace for businesses Top Cleaning Kazakhstan and Orhun Med healthcare company, Chevron’s press service reported on Jan. 18.
Set to expand their businesses using CDIF’s investments, the companies plan to create jobs across Kazakhstan and bring technologies into the country.
Both companies demonstrated compelling business cases, outlining their potential for significant economic and social contributions to Kazakhstan’s development. They met all the eligibility criteria set by CDIF.
Kazakh Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev expressed satisfaction with a partnership between the ministry and Chevron, emphasizing its positive impact on the community through contributions to personnel education and technological advancements in the country.
CDIF aims to contribute to Kazakhstan’s economic development, investing in commercially viable enterprises across various industries, such as manufacturing and oil and gas services, with the potential to bolster the local supply chain, environmental stewardship, and information technologies.
Derek Magness, managing director for Chevron’s Eurasia Business Unit, highlighted Chevron’s three-decade-long investment history in Kazakhstan, stressing the importance of these recent agreements. He noted it is a testament to Chevron’s dedication to supporting the growth of Kazakhstan’s industries and local enterprises.
The company expressed its intention to continue exploring profitable investment opportunities in Kazakhstan, focusing on developing local industries and inviting enterprises to become a part of this growth story.
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https://astanatimes.com/2024/01/chevron-direct-investment-fund-allocates-41-million-to-two-kazakh-companies/
| 2024-01-24T08:00:00Z
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MOSCOW - Russian energy company Novatek resumed fuel loadings on Wednesday at its Baltic Sea Ust-Luga terminal, damaged in a suspected drone attack, according to industry sources and LSEG data.
The attack and ensuing fire have disrupted Russian fuel exports and added to the uncertainty in energy markets, already rocked by geopolitical jitters and tensions in the Red Sea region, one of the key gateways for global oil exports.
According to the data, the tankers Minerva Julie and Chrystal Arctic are currently being loaded with fuel.
Novatek has not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Novatek said on Sunday it had been forced to suspend some operations at the huge Baltic Sea fuel export terminal and "technological processes" at a nearby fuel-producing complex due to a fire, started by what Ukrainian media said was a drone attack.
Analysts have said it would take weeks for the complex to restart large-scale operations, while it may restart tentative operations soon.
According to LSEG data, 5.2 million tons of naphtha were shipped to Asia in 2023 from the port of Ust-Luga, of which 2.8 million tons originated from Novatek's terminal.
The complex gets gas condensate, a type of light oil, for processing some 7 million metric tons per year from Novaket's Purovsky plant in Western Siberia for further production of oil products, such as naphtha, jet fuel and gasoil.
Analysts also said that Novatek will now be forced to export more gas condensate instead of high-marginal fuel via other terminals. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/russias-novatek-resumes-fuel-loadings-at-damaged-ust-luga-terminal-sources-data
| 2024-01-24T08:02:16Z
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