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Aston Villa should be proud of going 17 Premier League matches unbeaten at home and try to gain some perspective after Newcastle United ended the run on Tuesday, manager Unai Emery said.
A pair of first-half goals from defender Fabian Schar helped Newcastle to a 3-1 win at Villa Park as they became the first team to beat Villa at home in the league since Arsenal's 4-2 victory in February last year.
Villa had 16 wins and only one draw during their unbeaten home run, and despite the defeat, Emery's side are flying high in the league in fourth spot, just five points behind leaders Liverpool, who have played one game fewer.
"The loss has to come one day and Newcastle deserved it overall," said Emery, who has turned the club's fortunes around since replacing England great Steven Gerrard in October 2022.
"I'm very proud for our supporters and very proud of the players of the way we did (the unbeaten run). It's finished because we lost after a very long time being successful here.
"Always when you are losing it's a little bit frustrating for the players and supporters, but we have to try to get the perspective we have now with everything we were doing."
Villa next visit bottom-side Sheffield United in the league on Saturday. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/emery-wants-villa-to-gain-perspective-after-newcastle-end-unbeaten-home-run
| 2024-01-31T07:48:43Z
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SYDNEY - Scientists have collected 25 extremely rare red handfish from the ocean off Australia, hoping to protect the struggling species from warming seas, human-caused habitat changes and ravenous urchins.
Only about 100 red handfish – which have the appearance of a crimson and brown goldfish with stubby arms and webbed hands – are left in the wild, living in a small section of reef off south-east Tasmania.
About 8cm long, they “walk” along the sea floor on their pectoral and pelvic fins rather than swim.
But overgrazing urchins, run-off from urban areas, disturbances from boats and rising sea temperatures have resulted in “severe habitat loss and degradation”, according to the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.
Scientists at the institute recently made the difficult and risky decision to take dozens of the fish out of the wild for safekeeping.
“This summer has already well exceeded previous temperature maximums,” said marine scientist Jemina Stuart-Smith.
“We can only assume that this additional stressor will impact the already fragile population,” she said.
On Jan 31, scientists said the 25 specimens were doing well in their temporary aquarium homes and were being closely monitored for stress or ill health.
“We have highly experienced staff looking after the fish seven days a week, and a 24-hour call-out roster,” said the institute’s researcher, Dr Andrew Trotter.
“We believe they are quite safe with us – but there is certainly a feeling of heightened responsibility among our team, given how small the wild population is.”
Dr Trotter and his colleagues are hoping to return the fish to their natural habitat when temperatures drop with the onset of the austral winter in June.
Sea temperatures off Australia have been increasing steadily since records began at the beginning of the 1900s.
Scientists say the change is being fuelled by the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere – much of it from burning fossil fuels. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/australia-scientists-pluck-rare-handfish-from-ocean-due-to-climate-risk
| 2024-01-31T07:48:53Z
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NEW YORK – Much of the world has been turning away from nuclear power, with its aging plants, legacy of meltdowns and radioactive waste. But some governments, big companies and billionaires including Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are convinced the technology can help save the planet. Unlike wind and solar sources, nuclear power can be switched on and off at any time, and without the planet-warming emissions produced by gas and coal. Billions of dollars in investments are going toward a new generation of so-called small modular reactors (SMRs), which ultimately could provide a safe and nimble source of carbon-free energy – if they can overcome challenges related to economics, safety and public opinion.
1. How small is small?
Of the more than 70 such reactors that the International Atomic Energy Agency lists as in some stage of design or development, the smallest are less than 5 metres in diameter and 10 metres in height. (The plant that would be built to operate the reactor would be bigger, of course.) SMRs typically have less than 300 megawatts of generating capacity, about a third of that of existing reactors. The “M” in SMR – modular – means these reactors can largely be built in factories and shipped in standardised parts for assembly on-site. That means shorter construction times and greater flexibility to expand to meet demand.
2. Why rethink reactor designs?
Since the Fukushima Dai-Ichi meltdowns in Japan in 2011, there’s been a dearth of investor interest in building expensive new plants, with China, Russia and India as notable exceptions. Instead, utilities have gravitated toward carbon-intensive coal and gas plants to fill in the gaps of intermittent solar and wind resources. That’s led climate advocates such as James Hansen, one of the first scientists to publicly warn about the danger of global warming, to call for more nuclear energy.
3. Do SMRs already exist?
The only ones currently in commercial operation are a pair of 35-megawatt units on a floating power plant deployed by Russia in the Arctic in 2020. China expects to begin trials in 2026 on an SMR being built near an existing power plant on Hainan island. The first commercial SMR project in the US, planned for the site of the Idaho National Laboratory, was supposed to consist of six reactors capable of producing a combined 462 megawatts and be ready by the end of this decade. But NuScale Power Corp, the only company with a licensed US design, cancelled that project in late 2023 because of rising costs.
4. Why are economics a challenge?
Cost competitiveness is an uphill climb. NuScale was aiming for an SMR that could sell power for US$55 (S$73.70) per megawatt-hour. But the cost of its first project ballooned to the point where a price of almost $120/MWh would have been necessary to be viable, and the company was forced to fire more than a quarter of its workers. Wind and solar power has dropped well below $50/MWh in many regions and could fall below $20/MWh by the end of the decade, according to BloombergNEF. A 2020 study by professors at the University of British Columbia found that on a lifetime basis, the cost of electricity produced by SMRs could be 10 times greater than the cost of electricity produced by diesel fuel. The economics might be more favorable when considering SMRs as alternatives to large-scale batteries to serve as at-the-ready backups for solar and wind power when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.
5. Who’s investing in SMRs?
Companies pushing SMR design, in addition to NuScale, include Electricite de France, China National Nuclear, Japan’s Toshiba and Russia’s Rosatom. Gates and Buffett have teamed up to build and test a reactor at an abandoned coal plant in Wyoming. Rolls-Royce Holdings raised 455 million pounds (S$773.4 million) to fund the development of SMRs, with almost half of the financing coming from the UK government. The Canadian and US governments have also offered hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies to kick-start the SMR industry. India’s state-controlled nuclear power industry was considering allowing greater participation of private firms in developing SMR reactors to help curb the country’s reliance on coal. The European Commission is encouraging industry collaboration to roll out SMRs in the next decade to help meet net-zero targets.
6. Are SMRs safe?
Proponents say SMRs will be safer than earlier generations of nuclear power plants. The basic idea remains the same – splitting atoms to release energy, a process known as nuclear fission, that heats water to produce steam that spins turbines to make electricity. About half of the SMR models under development use water as a coolant, as most currently operating reactors do. Explosions at Fukushima and at Three Mile Island in the US in 1979 were caused by heat from exposed fuel rods splitting the hydrogen from the steam used to cool the reactor. Some SMR designs, by contrast, use molten salt and metals as coolants. SMR designs also integrate new kinds of fuel and backup emergency systems that should reduce the likelihood of meltdowns. On the other hand, smaller reactors would ideally be located closer to population centers, increasing the possible danger from an accident. And like their larger brethren, SMRs produce radioactive waste that must be stored safely for centuries. BLOOMBERG
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/can-small-nuclear-reactors-help-solve-climate-change
| 2024-01-31T07:49:04Z
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Russian attack drones hit civilian targets in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, on Tuesday, slightly injuring three people, triggering a fire and causing damage to apartment blocks and infrastructure, local officials said.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said windows had been blown out of two high-rise apartment blocks in the city's Slobidskyi district and several cars destroyed. He earlier said a fire had broken out in one of the blocks.
Kharkiv Region Governor Oleh Synehubov said there had been a number of strikes in two city districts and civil infrastructure had been damaged. At least six drones had been deployed in the region, he wrote on Telegram.
Three people had suffered bruises and stress-related injuries and were given assistance on the spot, he said. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/drones-hit-civilian-targets-in-ukraines-kharkiv-local-officials
| 2024-01-31T07:49:14Z
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KYIV - Ukraine's air defences shot down 14 out of 20 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack that injured one person and damaged commercial buildings, the military said on Wednesday.
The Air Force said in a statement the Iranian-made Shahed drones and also three Iskander missiles targeted five Ukrainian regions in the south and the east.
The southern military command said one person was injured and agricultural warehouses and a shop were damaged in the Mykolayiv region where five drones were shot down.
Details on damage in other regions were not immediately available. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-downs-14-out-of-20-russian-drones-over-5-regions-in-south-east
| 2024-01-31T07:49:25Z
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SINGAPORE - Accused nickel trading scammer Ng Yu Zhi has been hit with one new charge on Jan 31, and remains in remand for another week for a further probe on his alleged involvement in money laundering-related offences involving “many parties”.
According to Wednesday’s charge, Ng has been accused of trying to sell a shophouse at 13 Bussorah Street, which he had allegedly acquired with criminal proceeds, for $500,000 to a Gan Wee Pin in October 2023.
The 36-year-old founder and former managing director of Envy Global Trading and Envy Asset Management was arrested in February 2021, and now faces a total of 106 criminal charges for his alleged involvement in a nickel-trading scam that purportedly cheated investors of US$1.1 billion (S$1.5 billion).
The charges include cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, fraudulent trading and money laundering. About 1,000 investors sank their money into the scheme, which touted average quarterly gains of 15 per cent.
Ng has been in remand since Jan 19, 2023 after his bail was increased to $6 million and he was not able to immediately secure the additional funds to make full bail. He was made a bankrupt in December 2022.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Gordon Oh asked for Ng to be remanded for one week for the police to conduct further investigations because of “suspected incidents of money laundering involving many parties,” and telecommunication devices found in his possession that require further investigations with his assistance.
If Ng was to be released on bail, DPP Oh said there would be risk of tipping off other suspects involved in the case, and computer evidence and investigative leads from the telecommunications devices may be destroyed.
District Judge Brenda Tan granted the request for remand.
Ng’s lawyer Johannes Hadi said intensive investigations have been ongoing, and that his client had attended an interview with the Commercial Affairs Department on Jan 29, 2024.
Ng will be back in State Court on Feb 7.
- Additional reporting by Wong Shi Ying
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/alleged-nickel-trading-scammer-ng-yu-zhi-hit-with-money-laundering-related-charge-remanded-longer
| 2024-01-31T07:49:51Z
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"Thanks for checking out our launch! 🚀 Your thoughts are crucial for us. What do you think about Conferbot's user experience, features, and pricing? Any specific feedback on how we can better serve your needs? Looking forward to your valuable insights! 🌟"
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/conferbot
| 2024-01-31T08:29:42Z
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Free Image Resizer
Free Image Resizer
Resize Image in one click for all social media platforms
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With a single click, you can automatically resize your photographs to more than 50 of the necessary online and social media sizes. The image will be transformed and adjusted to new formats and ratios with the Free Image Resizer.
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Enjoy a ChatGPT-like experience with enhanced privacy and security. Our innovative masking technology ensures your sensitive data stays hidden, allowing GPT to understand the context without exposing your confidential info.
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Leprechaun.ai is the AI role-playing game where you can be any character, acquire any item, and perform any action - your imagination is the limit!
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| 2024-01-31T08:30:01Z
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"Thanks for checking out our launch - we’d love to know if you find our platform useful, engaging and intuitive as a tool to discover and organize your favorite places. We're open to all feedback on what we should improve on or what you'd love to see us build in the near future!"
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/lfg
| 2024-01-31T08:30:07Z
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Outseta Webflow App
Outseta Webflow App
Memberships, CRM & email within the Webflow designer
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Outseta’s membership software is now accessible directly from within Webflow. Protect your content with our payments and authentication tools, or integrate with your CRM, email, and help desk tools using native Webflow forms.
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Removing Google Analytics from websites since 2020. Pirsch is a powerful web analytics solution with new white label features, organizations, and an even more powerful dashboard. Get 25% off your first invoice with promo code PH25OFF until February 29!
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/pirsch-analytics-2-0
| 2024-01-31T08:30:19Z
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Pixeebot is your automated product security engineer, reviewing your code and recommending changes via merge-ready pull requests to improve code security, performance, and quality.
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Share GPT
Share GPT
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OpenAI doesn't allow you to share your GPTs publicly, as it requires a Pro plan. Hence, we've created ShareGPT, an easy way to share your custom assistants with anyone, just like you would share a Google Doc or a Google Sheet.
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| 2024-01-31T08:30:31Z
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Load up your Tailwind code and visually build out your app using cool prefab kits, autocomplete, and AI that’s actually useful
Experience all the goodness of Tailwind in a studio that is actually visual, that not only reads your code but injects clean code too
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/tailwind-studio
| 2024-01-31T08:30:37Z
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"As every startup says, we're just getting started as well. What do you think about our automations? What else should we automate for you?"
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/timeular-automatic-time-tracking
| 2024-01-31T08:30:43Z
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Elisabeth Moss has announced that she is expecting her first child. The Handmaid's Tale star revealed the joyous news on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night.
The 41-year-old actress showcased her blossoming bump on the show, prompting Jimmy to ask: "Are you pregnant or just an incredibly committed method actor?"
"A little bit of both," the Mad Men star responded. Watch her full pregnancy announcement below.
Opening up about her pregnancy journey as Jimmy asked how she'd been feeling, Elisabeth said: "Not bad, actually. I've been really lucky. It's been going really well."
Elisabeth remains very private about her personal life, so it's not known who the father of her child is. As the star celebrates her exciting baby news, we've taken a look back at her love life and previous relationships.
The Shining Girls star's pregnancy comes over a decade after her divorce from Saturday Night Live alum, Fred Armisen, who she met in 2009 through her Mad Men co-star, Jon Hamm.
The pair had a whirlwind romance and tied the knot the year after they got together. Sadly, the marriage lasted just eight months and their divorce was finalized in May 2011.
Reflecting on the relationship during an interview with Vulture magazine, Elisabeth said: "Looking back, I feel like I was really young, and at the time I didn’t think that I was that young. It was extremely traumatic and awful and horrible.
"At the same time, it turned out for the best. I'm glad that I'm not there. I'm glad that it didn't happen when I was 50. I'm glad I didn't have kids. And I got that out of the way. Hopefully. That's probably not going to happen again."
Fred - who quit SNL to work on Portlandia - has previously admitted he was a terrible husband. During an interview with Howard Stern in 2013, Fred said: "I think I was a terrible husband. I think I'm a terrible boyfriend.
"I want it all—fast," he went on, explaining his tendency to rush into things. "I want to be married… the amount of girls I've lived with right away...and then somewhere around a year, two years, I get freaked out.
"I feel bad for everyone I've gone out with," he added.
Two years after her divorce from Fred, Elisabeth began dating Adam Arkapaw, an Australian cinematographer known for his work on HBO's True Detective.
The couple went their separate ways in 2015 and Elisabeth has remained tight-lipped about her love life ever since.
During a chat with Marie Claire in 2019, the actress confirmed that she had a boyfriend but explained her decision to keep her relationship out of the spotlight. "I learned you just don't talk about it," she said. "Who really gives a [expletive] whether or not I'm dating anyone? I hate to put that importance on it. I cringe a little."
Then in 2022, Elisabeth revealed her eagerness to start a family. Speaking to You magazine ahead of her 40th birthday, she said: "I definitely want to have kids because I've been very inspired by the kind of mother my mom is. She did a beautiful thing with me."
Elisabeth then joked: "And then I'll give the child to my mom and she can raise it because she'd do it very well!"
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/512405/elisabeth-moss-pregnant-with-first-child-love-life-explored/
| 2024-01-31T08:44:24Z
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Kim Kardashian gave fans an unfiltered look at her battle with psoriasis when she shared a "painful" update about her struggles with the autoimmune disorder.
The 43-year-old – who was diagnosed with the condition in 2011 – took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday to document a flare-up on her right calf, revealing her inflamed skin.
"How crazy is my psoriasis right now guys," she said as she panned the camera over her leg.
"It's like all up my leg and I don't know what's happening, but I got to figure this out… this is crazy."
Captioning the first clip, Kim wrote: "Not gonna lie, this is painful. Not sure what my triggers are I haven't changed my diet. I've tried everything! Psoriasis sucks."
In another clip, Kim added: "I usually just have this spot, but now I can tell it's going down my leg and up my leg and my thigh, so I just know it's time to figure this out."
Captioning the second clip, she added: "Just wanted to share my journey with you guys #psorasissukcs."
In a third video, Kim stood in front of a mirror and joked that the inflamed rash on her leg resembled the shape of a heart – just in time for Valentine's Day.
"Am I tripping or is my psoriasis in the shape of a heart for Valentine's Day? Kind of, right? Like I think I totally see it," she said.
"Lucky me, I have a heart-shaped psoriasis for Valentine's Day," Kim added.
Kim has been open about her journey with the condition, which causes a rash with itchy, scaly patches, most commonly on the knees, elbows, and scalp, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Earlier this month, she defended her use of tanning beds when she was criticized for having one in her office. However, Kim defended herself and explained how the UVB rays help soothe her condition.
"I have psoriasis, " she wrote on Instagram. "It really helps when it's bad. But I don't use it too often."
In 2019, the mom-of-four penned a heartfelt essay on her sister, Kourtney Kardashian's Poosh website, explaining the physical distress having psoriasis has caused her.
Kim revealed that although it went away during her pregnancies, afterward it crept back all over her face and body and left her unable to use her hands. "One night, I woke up to use the restroom and I physically couldn't pick up my phone," she said,
"I woke up that morning and I still couldn’t pick up my phone. I was freaking out – I couldn't even pick up a toothbrush, my hands hurt so badly."
The reality star has overhauled her lifestyle to try and help her skin condition. "I live a healthy life and try to eat as plant-based as possible and drink sea moss smoothies," she explained.
"With all the stress in life, I try to make sure I take time for myself so that I am centered and keep my stress to a minimum."
As for the visual effect of the condition, Kim confessed that she still gets insecure but stressed that covering it up is just as okay as embracing it. "I am fine with showing it off and other times I don't want it to be a distraction, so I cover it up with body makeup," she revealed.
"If you have psoriasis, you can't let it ruin your life or get the best of you. You have to do what you can to make sure you are comfortable but not let it take over."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/512404/kim-kardashian-painful-psoriasis-update-photos/
| 2024-01-31T08:44:30Z
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CANBERRA – A ship carrying around 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle is marooned off the coast of Australia in sweltering heat after it was forced to abandon a trip through the Red Sea, causing outcry from people concerned about the animals’ welfare.
The vessel left Australia on Jan 5 for Israel, where it was to unload, but diverted from its course in mid-January due to the threat of attack by Yemen’s Houthi militia before being ordered home by the Australian government.
The animals are now in limbo and could be discharged in Australia, where biosecurity rules would require them to quarantine, or be sent back to sea for a month-long journey to Israel around Africa, avoiding the Red Sea, industry officials and the government said.
The stranding underscores the widening impact of militia strikes on ships in the Red Sea, the main maritime route between Europe and Asia, which have disrupted global trade.
It also underscores the risk to Australia’s live animal export industry, which sends hundreds of thousands of animals to the Middle East each year.
Farm and exporter groups say the animals on board the MV Bahijah are in good health but with temperatures close to 40 deg C, animal welfare advocates are appalled.
The animals’ ordeal shows the live export trade is “rotten to its core”, said Mr Josh Wilson, a Member of Parliament for Fremantle, where the ship was loaded.
“What is being contemplated is a 60-day voyage for 14,000 sheep on a stinking hot, and literally stinking, metal vessel,” he told 10 News.
“It’s very hard to imagine that that is consistent with the animal welfare standards that Australians expect to be applied to Australian animals.”
The agriculture ministry said it had seen no evidence of significant health concerns with the livestock, and was working with the exporter and industry bodies to ensure biosecurity and animal welfare standards are maintained.
The exporter, Israeli firm Bassem Dabbah, has asked the Australian government for permission to load more fodder and veterinary supplies and sail for Israel around Africa, said Mr Geoff Pearson, head of livestock at industry body WA Farmers.
Canberra said the ship had applied to unload some animals before sailing with the remainder.
Rough water
Australia is a major exporter of live animals, shipping more than half a million sheep and half a million cattle in 2023.
Most cattle go to Asian markets, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, but the Middle East is by far the biggest destination for Australian sheep.
Israel is a key market, receiving 86,100 sheep worth US$6.5 million (S$8.7 million) and 10,848 cattle worth US$14 million from Australia in the first three months of 2023, trade data show.
Australia’s Labor government has pledged to outlaw exports of live sheep in coming years but faces angry pushback from farm groups who say this would put people out of work and destroy farming communities.
New Zealand banned exports of live animals after a vessel carrying more than 5,800 cattle sank in rough weather in 2020, leaving dozens of sailors missing and dead animals floating in the sea. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/israel-bound-ship-carrying-16000-sheep-and-cattle-stranded-off-australia
| 2024-01-31T09:17:38Z
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WELLINGTON – New Zealand is set to become one of the first countries to ban harmful “forever chemicals” from cosmetic products, environment watchdogs said on Jan 31.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) said it will ban long-lasting substances perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl – known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” – by 2027.
Found in items like nail polish, shaving cream, foundation, lipstick and mascara, PFAS make products more durable, spreadable and water-resistant. They can also be found in non-stick cookware and waterproof fabrics.
The chemicals are virtually indestructible but can build up in the body over time, and studies have linked them to cancer, infertility and environmental damage.
PFAS can be released directly into the air or water from factories or when products containing the chemicals are improperly disposed of.
When in the soil or water, the chemicals may be absorbed by crops and may build up in animals. Consuming them can lead to exposure to PFAS.
The Singapore Food Agency said on its website that it has found low levels of PFAS in seafood, including anchovies, mussels, finfishes and crustaceans.
“Our concern is they don’t break down, either in the body or the environment,” Mr Shaun Presow from the EPA told AFP.
“As they accumulate, they have been linked to a range of harmful effects, like some cancers and hormonal issues.”
New Zealand’s cosmetics industry has until Dec 31, 2026, to phase out the use of the chemicals.
New Zealand will also ban the use of PFAS in firefighting foams from December 2025.
Some American states have adopted policies protecting people from PFAS, and the European Union is mulling a ban, but Mr Presow says New Zealand is among the first banning them from cosmetics.
“We’re one of the first countries to do it, we haven’t seen many others yet,” he added. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/new-zealand-to-ban-forever-chemicals-in-make-up-by-2027
| 2024-01-31T09:17:49Z
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BEIJING - China’s embattled property developer Country Garden Holdings is ramping up overseas asset sales as the company struggles to raise cash to address its debt woes.
The Guangdong-based developer has listed a residential development project in East London for sale, British media reported last week. The divestiture came after Country Garden offloaded two projects in Australia.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/country-garden-offloads-overseas-projects-to-address-debt-woes
| 2024-01-31T09:17:59Z
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BRUSSELS - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday he was hopeful it could be decided later in the day which member state could lead the upcoming EU mission to protect vessels in the Red Sea, adding this operation could de launched before mid-February.
"We have to decide which country will take the command, where the headquarters will be and what navy assets the member states will provide," he said before the start of an EU Defence ministers meeting, adding he hopes that today it will be decided who will take the lead.
"Not all member states will be willing to participate but no one will obstruct (..) I hope that on the 17th of (February) the mission can be launched," Borrell said.
He added the operation will be named Aspires, "which means protector". REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/eus-borrell-hopes-lead-of-eu-red-sea-mission-will-be-known-soon
| 2024-01-31T09:18:09Z
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JAKARTA - Indonesia's Chief Security Minister and vice presidential candidate Mahfud MD on Wednesday said that he would tender his resignation to President Joko Widodo once he has the chance to meet the president.
The president is scheduled to be in Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Thursday. Mahfud did not say why he would be stepping down from the job.
Mahfud is the running mate of former provincial governor Ganjar Pranowo, who is up against Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, and ex-Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan.
"I will say my goodbye to the president with honour. I will report to him that I am done (with the job)," Mahfud said in a statement live-streamed on his Instagram account.
The office of the president did not immediately respond for request to a comment.
Indonesia is to have its presidential and legislative election on Feb. 14.
Mahfud's resignation comes amid speculation and reports in local media about the potential resignation of respected Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
The finance ministry has said Sri Mulyani is continuing to carry out her duties in managing state finances.
Opinion surveys show the pairing of Ganjar and Mahfud in last place in the race to lead the world's third-largest democracy, just lagging another candidate Anies Baswedan, but well behind clear frontrunner Prabowo, whose running mate is President Widodo's son. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/indonesia-chief-security-minister-to-tender-resignation-soon
| 2024-01-31T09:18:20Z
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NEW DELHI - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) next week plans to introduce in one state new laws that will apply across religions, and which other state officials could also adopt.
Hindus, Muslims, Christians and large tribal populations in India now can follow their own personal laws and customs – or an optional secular code – for marriage, divorce, adoption and inheritance.
Framing a national common law is one of the three core, decades-old promises of the BJP. The other two goals – building a controversial grand Hindu temple and removing the autonomy of the Muslim-majority region of Jammu and Kashmir – have been fulfilled.
The northern state of Uttarakhand, nestled in the Himalayan foothills, is expected to unveil a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill next week, officials said.
The move comes ahead of Mr Modi’s bid to win a rare third term in general elections to be held by May, and may further help consolidate the Hindu vote, analysts said.
The UCC is a divisive issue, as many minority Muslims who criticise the BJP for its hardline Hindu-first image see it as interference with centuries-old Islamic practices, including polygamy and instant divorce.
Calling the UCC a “trial balloon” ahead of the elections, federal lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, a prominent Muslim voice, said Hindu nationalists professed to like non-uniformity, except when it came to Muslims.
Although no draft of the UCC has been presented, BJP leaders have said it primarily has to do with modernising Muslim personal laws.
A committee set up in Uttarakhand in 2022 to draft the code will submit its work to the state government on Feb 2. It is likely to be presented to the state’s legislative body next week, two officials said.
National BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli said: “Several state governments across India are looking at whether a uniform civil code could be implemented. The systematic process to get uniform civil code in several states has begun.”
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, writing on social media platform X, said his ministers would study the draft and “start the process to make it into a Bill and then an Act”.
Mr Modi’s government ended special privileges enjoyed by Kashmir in August 2019, and earlier in January unveiled a grand temple to the Hindu deity Ram that took the place of a Mughal-era mosque razed to the ground by radical Hindu groups in 1992.
Personal laws can be legislated by both federal and state governments, and other BJP-ruled states have said they could use the Uttarakhand UCC draft as a template.
Earlier in January, BJP chief minister of Assam state Himanta Biswa Sarma said: “I am waiting to see the UCC Bill of Uttarakhand and once that is done, we will bring the same legislation, with some modifications.”
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said “wherever the BJP is (in power) the possibility of bringing UCC has been and will always be there”. He added that it will be introduced at the right time. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/modis-party-set-to-bring-contentious-common-civil-laws-in-india-through-states
| 2024-01-31T09:18:30Z
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SINGAPORE – The reopening of the National Library Board’s (NLB) Central Public Library on Jan 12 following a revamp reminded me that during the pandemic, scores of people discovered NLB’s trove of e-books.
I was one of them and was delighted to find that its digital collection was wider than expected, especially in the realm of comics and graphic novels, pleasures that I had given up years ago because of the cost.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/don-t-overlook-national-library-board-s-digital-comics-art-books-and-graphic-novels
| 2024-01-31T09:18:41Z
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SINGAPORE – In this weekly column, The Straits Times curates the most buzz-worthy music you need to know about now.
Must-see MV: IU – Love Wins All
It has been more than two years since K-pop superstar IU released an album, so she makes sure to come back strong with a haunting ballad and a BTS member by her side.
Love Wins All, released before her album The Winning drops on Feb 20, is the first song in South Korea to achieve a perfect all-kill in 2024. It swept the top spot on various music charts, such as the daily and Top 100 charts of Melon, the daily and real-time charts of Genie and Bugs, the top songs chart of YouTube Music and more.
But it is the cinematic music video that has garnered the most attention as IU and K-pop boy band BTS’ V play a couple in it. With visuals befitting lyrics such as “go to the end with me, my lover”, viewers see the lovebirds trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.
Directed by film-maker Um Tae-hwa, who helmed the apocalyptic satire Concrete Utopia (2023), the music video opens with the couple on the run from a floating cube – a seemingly dangerous and hostile force.
IU, who communicates with V via sign language, is implied to be deaf-mute, while V is blind in one eye.
During their escape, the couple stumble upon the remains of a destroyed city and civilisation. In an abandoned store, they pick up a camcorder, through which they imagine a different world and happier versions of themselves.
They head to a restaurant and see themselves eating delicious food. When they find a bridal store, IU puts on a dress and a veil, while V suits up in a tuxedo. They dance, but their happiness is cut short when the cube finds them and chases them down.
They put up their best fight, but are ultimately killed. But the cube does not manage to separate the pair, who stay together till the end, proving that, indeed, love wins all. – Jan Lee
Chart Champ: Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears – Selfish
Selfish was supposed to be the big comeback for American singer Justin Timberlake, his first solo song in nearly six years. The emotionally vulnerable R&B tune looked set to be a shoo-in to top the charts.
Alas, fans of Britney Spears had other ideas. Still sore from the damning accounts of their relationship – the pair dated from 1999 to 2002 – revealed in her 2023 memoir The Woman In Me, such as how he pressured her to get an abortion, her supporters mobilised to pit the duo against each other.
Spears stans went on a campaign to stream and purchase her 13-year-old song, also titled Selfish, from the album Femme Fatale (2011), to prevent Timberlake from topping the charts.
The strategy worked. On Jan 27, Spears’ Selfish went to No. 1 on the iTunes charts, while Timberlake’s similarly titled tune was at No. 3. Wedged in between at No. 2 was Facts, a trap song by Canadian rapper Tom MacDonald and American political commentator Ben Shapiro.
Timberlake could have the last laugh, though. On Jan 29, Spears apologised for offending “any of the people I genuinely care about” in an Instagram post, and declared that she was “in love” with Timberlake’s Selfish, which she described as being “so good”.
She also praised Sanctified, another new Timberlake single, as being “wow too”. She then made her Instagram account private.
Timberlake is expected to release Everything I Thought It Was, his first studio album since 2018’s Man Of The Woods, on March 15. – Eddino Abdul Hadi
Ace Album: The Smile – Wall Of Eyes
With the release of their second album, it is clear that The Smile are no mere side project for Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke, members of English rock band Radiohead. The pair formed their outfit with jazz drummer Tom Skinner and released debut album A Light For Attracting Attention in 2022.
Wall Of Eyes is even more esoteric and weird compared with its eccentric predecessor.
The title track, which opens the album, is eerie and haunting, as Yorke gives a cynical toast (“Let us raise our glasses/To what we don’t deserve/What we’re not worthy of”).
Under Our Pillows boasts some mind-bending guitar riffs and odd-time drumming. But one song later, in Friend Of A Friend, the band dial it down with a mix of jazz and 1970s-style piano-pop.
Bending Hectic is a masterful eight-minute opus that features lush strings by the London Contemporary Orchestra – it starts out benign and builds up to a crescendo of distorted guitars.
With no indication of when Radiohead will be active again – their last album A Moon Shaped Pool came out eight years ago and their last tour ended in 2018 – fans can at least bask in the glory that is The Smile for now. – Eddino Abdul Hadi
Stream This Song: Jackson Yee – 4% Vol River
China’s capital Beijing has a reputation for having a frenetic pace of life and many historical landmarks. But the latest track by Chinese singer Jackson Yee emphasises another side of the city – one inhabited by unpretentious ordinary citizens.
4% Vol River refers to the Tonghui River that flows through Beijing, where roadsweepers, kayakers and anglers are a common sight.
The title also suggests the alcoholic content of a light beer, and the song – a carefree, guitar-backed number about spending a stress-free day along the river, watching the world go by – is indeed as soothing as one.
The vibe is relaxed and chill, and even incorporates Yee’s whistling, the sound of a beer can being opened, and of him taking a swig of the drink. A perfect musical accompaniment to unwind to after a hard day’s work. – Benson Ang
Singapore Scene: Sistrum – Vel Vel
Released as a vinyl record and online at Bandcamp (str.sg/oxkzD), Vel Vel is a collection of music and audio from Thaipusam festivities.
The album is released by home-grown art collective Sistrum, whose members are sound designer Ramesh Krishnan, architect Laura Miotto and graphic designer Lim Shu Min.
The recordings were made between 2011 and 2016 from the 4km procession that starts at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road and ends at the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road. Listening to Vel Vel is an immersive experience that takes you to the heart of the procession.
The album is part of Sistrum’s long-term project, also titled Vel Vel, that started in 2020, when Thaipusam was cancelled for the first time in over a hundred years due to the pandemic.
The project also included a Web app commissioned by The Arts House and an installation, Vel Vel: The Burden Dance, held at the Asian Civilisations Museum.
Krishnan explains in a press statement that the various audio materials were carefully edited to make it sound like it was recorded in a single procession. “The album uses sound to explore the places of Thaipusam and to listen to the ways in which communities interact during the festival.” – Eddino Abdul Hadi
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https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/life-listens-new-music-from-iu-justin-timberlake-the-smile-jackson-yee-and-sistrum
| 2024-01-31T09:18:51Z
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SINGAPORE – The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) is having a second look at ride-hailing firm Grab’s acquisition of Singapore taxi operator Trans-Cab.
On Jan 31, the CCCS said it still has concerns about a likely reduction in competition should the deal proceed.
Despite “certain commitments” made by Grab, the CCCS said the company had not adequately addressed the concern that the proposed acquisition may give it “the ability and incentive to leverage its ownership of the Trans-Cab fleet to induce Trans-Cab drivers to use Grab’s ride-hail platform, whilst discouraging them from using rival ride-hail platforms”.
The Straits Times first broke the news on July 20, 2023, that Grab was proposing to buy Trans-Cab, with the ride-hailing firm confirming it on the same day.
In a statement, the commission said it found that the proposed duration of two years for the unspecified commitments is insufficient to address concerns which would arise from a permanent change in market structure.
“CCCS also found Grab’s monitoring mechanism, which was to be self-policing in nature, to be insufficient,” the commission added, noting that it was thus unable to accept Grab’s proposed commitments.
The CCCS has started the second phase of the review, which will be “an in-depth review of the proposed acquisition by Grab Holdings through its wholly owned subsidiary, Grab Rentals, of 100 per cent of the shares of Trans-Cab Holdings”.
The commission first started a review of the proposed acquisition about two weeks after news of the deal became public.
On Oct 16 of that year, it raised competition concerns with both parties after completing its preliminary review.
“Based on the information furnished by the parties and third-party feedback from industry players and members of the public, CCCS was unable to conclude... that the proposed acquisition would not raise any competition concerns,” the commission noted.
On Oct 31, 2023, Grab proposed certain commitments to address the competition concerns. But the CCCS said that without an in-depth review, it was unable to decide if the proposed commitments were adequate.
The CCCS said that during phase two of the review, Grab may propose revised commitments to address any competition concerns.
Grab said in a statement on Jan 31 that it would “continue to support the CCCS on their review of the deal”.
Speaking also on behalf of its acquisition target, Grab added: “Grab and Trans-Cab are committed to ensuring that the acquisition benefits commuters and helps to raise the overall standards of the point-to-point transportation industry.
“Digitalising Trans-Cab’s fleet will lead to improved driver productivity and taxi availability so that consumers can get a ride more easily. This will also improve driver earnings. We remain hopeful that the review will lead to a favourable outcome.”
The CCCS said phase two would take 120 business days to complete, which means a verdict could be out in the middle of the year.
Industry observers said that even if the deal is approved, Grab might call for a revaluation of its offer, which is said to be in excess of $100 million.
This is because Trans-Cab’s fleet would have aged by a year, and by then, certificate of entitlement (COE) prices might have fallen substantially, pulling down the value of existing vehicle fleets.
The development thus far mirrors a December 2017 proposed merger between Singapore taxi giant ComfortDelGro and US ride-hailing firm Uber.
ComfortDelGro had proposed to buy 51 per cent of Uber’s wholly owned car rental unit Lion City Holdings for $642 million.
The competition watchdog conducted a review soon after the proposal came to light.
In February 2018, it decided to proceed to the second phase of the review after raising concerns that the deal might be anti-competitive.
But even before a decision was made, Uber announced in March 2018 that it was exiting South-east Asia.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/competition-body-looking-into-grab-s-purchase-of-trans-cab
| 2024-01-31T09:19:01Z
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DOHA – Jo Hyeon-woo may be South Korea’s second-choice goalkeeper, but he was their hero as the Taeguk Warriors beat Saudi Arabia 4-2 on penalties on Jan 30 to set up an Asian Cup quarter-final with Australia.
Jo stepped up earlier in the tournament when regular No. 1 Kim Seung-gyu was injured in training, and the back-up proved he was up to the job after a nail-biting last-16 match in Doha ended 1-1.
He said that “belief” was the key to stopping spot kicks from Sami Al-Najei and Abdulrahman Ghareeb in the shoot-out, before Hwang Hee-chan converted the decisive penalty for Jurgen Klinsmann’s side.
“The coach told us to believe in the team and I think that’s what really paid off,” said Jo.
“We gave everything on the pitch, and when it came to a shoot-out I had confidence I could make saves.”
South Korea came back from the dead to keep their hopes of winning the Asian Cup for the first time in 64 years alive.
Cho Gue-sung scored a 99th-minute equaliser in normal time to force extra time, after Abdullah Radif had opened the scoring for the Saudis 33 seconds after coming on as a half-time substitute.
Klinsmann’s side had been heavily criticised after coming through the group stage in second place behind Bahrain, following draws with Jordan and Malaysia.
But Jo said that the players have vowed to “forget about the past”.
“We had belief that if we didn’t concede a goal we would score, because we have quality attacking players,” he said.
Klinsmann, meanwhile, said that the win will give the team “an enormous amount of energy”.
“It gives the team even more spirit. This is a group of players that I really enjoy working with because they have a lot of heart,” the German added.
Saudi Pro League sides have shelled out to lure big-name players while Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 World Cup, all part of a broader move into global sport.
But they are now out of the Asian Cup after a tense encounter in front of over 40,000 fans at Education City Stadium.
Saudi coach Roberto Mancini disappeared down the tunnel before Hwang took the final penalty, but according to the Italian it was not intentional.
“I apologise, I thought it was finished,” he said of his early exit.
“I didn’t want to disrespect anyone. I want to say thank you my players for what they did. They are improving a lot.”
But Saudi Football Federation president Yasser Al-Misehal made clear his unhappiness in an interview with Saudi broadcaster SSC, saying that it was “completely unacceptable”.
“He has the right to explain his point of view and then we will decide the appropriate action,” he said.
Former Italy coach Mancini, who led the Azzurri to the European Championship title in 2021, took over as Saudi Arabia coach in August but he was unable to lead them to a first Asian Cup since 1996.
“In football you can lose, you can win,” he added.
“We were playing against a very strong team and we played very well. We lost on a penalty shoot-out. Penalties are a lottery.” AFP, REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/stand-in-goalkeeper-jo-hyeon-woo-leads-south-korea-into-asian-cup-quarter-finals
| 2024-01-31T09:19:12Z
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MELBOURNE - Australia test opener Steve Smith has batted away criticism of his promotion to the top of the order, suggesting doubters take a look at the statistics.
Long settled at number four in Australia's test setup, Smith replaced long-serving opener David Warner for the West Indies series, prompting some scepticism from pundits about his ability to handle the extra bounce and swing on offer from the new ball.
After scores of 12 and 11 not out in the first test in Adelaide, and six in his first innings at the Gabba, Smith carried his bat with an unbeaten 91 in a losing cause in Brisbane.
"There was a lot of commentary around I’d failed in two or three innings or whatever it was," Smith told reporters in Melbourne on Wednesday.
"I had a not out and two low scores. And now I think I’m averaging 60 as an opener.
"I didn't really read too much into it. It was just another position. I've batted against a new ball numerous times coming in early."
Smith will be back down to number four for the opener of the one-day series against West Indies starting in Melbourne on Friday, and will lead the hosts in Pat Cummins's absence.
With Warner also retired from the one-day format and Mitchell Marsh to miss out, Smith will lead a much-changed side from the outfit that won last year's World Cup in India.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis will partner Travis Head at the top of the order, with all-rounder Cameron Green promoted to number three.
Western Australian paceman Lance Morris is poised to make his international debut while uncapped Queensland quick Xavier Bartlett may also feature.
Smith, 34, said his role would be to teach the new faces "the ropes".
"I think it’ll be a good series, and hopefully we can see some of these new players start off their international career as well," he added. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/im-averaging-60-australias-smith-bemused-by-opener-queries
| 2024-01-31T09:19:22Z
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PERPIGNAN – Italy head into the Six Nations as rank outsiders following a dismal Rugby World Cup, but fly-half Tommaso Allan says they have the talent to turn things around as they prepare to kick off against England on Feb 3.
“I think we’re capable of doing well in the tournament this year,” the 30-year-old told AFP.
“We have some really dangerous three-quarters and forwards who are good with the ball. Now we’ve got a new coach and a new staff. We’re a team in reconstruction. We’ll have to adapt, and quickly.”
It is fighting talk from a nation that has struggled since the day it joined the old Five Nations in 2000.
Italy have never come close to winning the title, their highest finish coming in 2013 when they came fourth.
On the flip side, they have taken the wooden spoon in nine of the last 10 years with just 13 victories in 120 matches. Since 2013 they have won twice.
The World Cup was even more catastrophic as they were hammered 60-7 by France and 96-17 by New Zealand.
“Those two defeats were a lesson to players who thought we were better than we were,” said Allan, adding that Italy had the “youngest squad” at the World Cup but the results speak for themselves.
Since then coach Kieran Crowley has given way to the former Argentina fly-half Gonzalo Quesada, whose track record includes a Top 14 title with Stade Francais and taking Jaguares to the Super Rugby final.
“He’s got a good CV,” said Allan. “Gonzalo has a slightly different point of view to Kieran, a little more focused, but he also wants us to keep our DNA and that’s a good thing.”
The fly-half has also brushed off the calls for Italy to be replaced in the Six Nations by Georgia or Portugal which became especially loud during a nightmare 36-game losing streak from 2016 to 2022.
The Italians have a point to prove in the competition. Their ambitions do not yet reach to winning a first Six Nations title but Allan, who has 79 caps to his name, is eager to rack up at least one win on home soil.
“I’d like to win a match in Italy, in Rome, because the only match I’ve won with the national side (in the Six Nations) was in Scotland in 2015,” he added.
“I hope we can do it against England or Scotland.
“All the players and coaches have changed a lot. It’s always like that after a World Cup, so we’ll see. But I think we can do it this year.” AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/italy-in-reconstruction-after-chastening-world-cup-says-fly-half-tommaso-allan
| 2024-01-31T09:19:32Z
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WASHINGTON – US figure skaters, who have been awarded gold after Kamila Valieva was disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics, said on Jan 30 they want a ceremony at the Paris Olympics.
Reigning world ice dance champions Evan Bates and Madison Chock were among nine Americans who became 2022 Beijing Olympic team figure skating champions after Valieva, part of the winning Russian team, received a four-year doping ban from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Jan 29.
Medals have yet to be awarded and Chock and her teammates want to receive the medals in an Olympic atmosphere and as soon as possible.
“We’ve thought about it,” she said. “We would like to have true Olympic medal ceremony. For us, that would be a ceremony at the Paris Olympics this summer... surrounded by the Olympic spirit.
“That would be the dream scenario.”
Following CAS’ decision, Valieva being dropped from Russia’s team scoring lifted the US squad into the gold medal spot in a re-ranking announced on Jan 29 by the International Skating Union (ISU).
Japan moved into silver with Russia third.
Appeals could be pending but Sarah Hirshland, chief executive officer of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, said she was instructed she could award American skaters the gold medals.
“I’ve been given clear direction we should proceed with giving medals to the US team and that’s what we’re going to do,” she said. “There’s no scenario in which Team USA is not the gold medal winner and we’re eager to get these medals awarded. Everybody has a sense of urgency.”
Chock added that when the controversy first unfolded two years ago, she never expected it would take this long to resolve.
“There was a small underlying feeling of disappointment and sadness,” she said. “I didn’t realise it had been weighing on us the whole time until we got the resolution.
“It’s like a weight has been lifted. It’s like we’re celebrating our Olympic experience all over again. It puts a feeling of closure to this whole movement and the Beijing Olympics.”
And at age 31, Chock can finally call herself an Olympic champion.
“Amazing, quite frankly,” she said. “A feeling I’ve always dreamt of, one I almost can’t believe is finally here. It has been a very happy 24 hours.”
Bates added that the past day had been “surreal” and unbelievable” after the long delay.
“It was a long and arduous wait,” he said. “I hope this team will be remembered as much for how we’ve handled this off the ice as much as for the performances we put on the ice.” AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/usa-skaters-want-2022-gold-medal-ceremony-at-paris-olympics
| 2024-01-31T09:19:44Z
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LONDON - British interior minister James Cleverly and his French counterpart Gerald Darmanin on Tuesday agreed to accelerate the deployment of aerial surveillance equipment aimed at reducing the number of migrants crossing to Britain in small boats.
In recent years tens of thousands of migrants have sought to reach Britain from France's north coast, making dangerous and sometimes fatal attempts to navigate one of the world's busiest shipping lanes in small rubber dinghies.
The influx of migrants has become a major political issue for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has pledged to "Stop the Boats", and pushed him to develop plans - currently mired in legal disputes - to deter migrants by sending them to Rwanda.
A statement issued by the British government after the latest talks in Paris said:
"The Home Secretary (Cleverly) and Interior Minister Darmanin welcomed plans to accelerate delivery of the March 2023 UK-France Summit agreement.
"These plans will expedite deployment of key aerial surveillance equipment, ensuring unprecedented levels of coverage to enable French law enforcement to intercept crossing attempts as quickly as possible."
The statement did not set out a timeline for the deployment.
Both Cleverly and Darmanin agreed to build closer ties in law enforcement and discussed convening a meeting of interior ministers from a group of northern European countries, called the Calais Group, on the topic of migration.
"(France and the UK) will also continue calling for a UK-EU agreement on migration issues so as to better manage illegal as well as legal migration," Darmanin said in the statement released by Cleverly's office. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/britain-and-france-to-speed-up-efforts-to-tackle-small-boat-crossings
| 2024-01-31T09:19:54Z
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BERLIN - The German military is looking at a 56 billion-euro ($61 billion) deficit in 2028, once its special fund for defence spending is exhausted, according to a report in Spiegel news magazine that piles fresh doubt on Germany's rearmament pledge.
Germany set up the 100 billion-euro special fund to purchase modern weapons and pledged to reach NATO's target of spending at least 2% of gross domestic product on defence, as part of a major policy shift in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The missing sum, which Spiegel said came from an internal analysis of financing needs from the defence ministry, is based on the assumption that 2% of GDP in 2028 would be around 97 billion euros.
Ministry staff expect that an additional 10.8 billion euros would be needed on top of that to meet the troops' spending needs, Spiegel reported.
However, the regular defence budget was expected to remain at its current level, amounting to some 51.9 billion euros in 2028, the report said.
The defence ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
By comparison, the German government registered defence spending of 89 billion euros with NATO for this year, or 2.12% of GDP, according to Spiegel. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/german-military-headed-for-56-billion-eur-spending-gap-in-2028-spiegel
| 2024-01-31T09:20:05Z
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SANAA - Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired “several” missiles at a US warship in the Red Sea, they said on Jan 31, hours after the US military reported shooting down a missile.
“The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces, with the help of God Almighty, fired several... naval missiles at the American destroyer USS Gravely in the Red Sea,” the Houthi statement said.
Earlier, US Central Command said the USS Gravely shot down a Houthi missile at about 11.30pm on Jan 30 – the latest in a series of such incidents in the Red Sea.
“Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Red Sea,” a Centcom statement said.
“The missile was shot down by USS Gravely. There were no injuries or damage reported.”
The Houthis, part of the anti-Western, anti-Israel “axis of resistance” of Iranian-backed groups, have been harassing Red Sea shipping for months, triggering US and British reprisal attacks.
The Houthis have launched more than 30 attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels since Nov 19, the Pentagon said on Jan 30.
The rebels say the attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians and in protest at the Israel-Hamas war that has been raging in the Gaza Strip since October.
The attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries about 12 per cent of global maritime trade.
In response, US and British forces have launched two volleys of joint strikes targeting Houthi missile sites and other military facilities. The US has also carried out a series of unilateral strikes.
The US heads a coalition to protect Red Sea shipping, and is seeking to apply diplomatic and financial pressure by redesignating the Houthis as a “terrorist” group. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/yemens-houthis-threaten-more-attacks-on-us-british-warships
| 2024-01-31T09:20:15Z
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ASTANA – The analytical center of the Halyk Finance investment bank released a macroeconomic report for the fourth quarter of 2023 on Jan. 30, reporting on the 2023 record economic growth over the past decade.
“For the first time in the last 10 years, the economic growth rate exceeded the 5% mark, reaching 5.1%,” reads the report.
The government’s expansionary fiscal policy with transfers from the National Fund drove the growth. This made it possible to increase investment in fixed assets, which also reached a record level since 2013. The investment surge, however, was not in the traditional oil sector but in public utilities and transport infrastructure, which had been degraded for many years due to low tariffs set by the state.
According to the experts, inflation at the end of 2023 fell to 9.8%, which was halved compared to the beginning of the year. Despite numerous pro-inflationary factors, the National Bank’s tight monetary policy, the tenge exchange rate, and relatively favorable global price dynamics significantly slowed down price growth.
The report noted that the government’s targeting of high economic growth rates has yielded results: by the end of 2023, the economy, in real terms, rose by 5.1% after a 3.2% growth last year.
According to Halyk Finance forecasts, in the absence of additional extra-budgetary transactions, economic growth in 2024 will be at the level of 4.5%, which will be facilitated by the stabilization of inflation and reduction of the base rate, as well as large infrastructure projects of the state.
“Moderate growth forecasts for this year are based on the delay in the launch of future expansion projects at the Tengiz field. At the same time, risks from Russia remain due to ongoing sanctions, which could also negatively affect Kazakhstan,” the report reads.
According to analysts, amid the stabilization of the global economy and reduced pressure on domestic prices, the inflation rate by the end of 2024 will be 8.5%, and the adequate base rate level, in this case, will be 12%.
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https://astanatimes.com/2024/01/halyk-finance-reports-on-2023-record-economic-growth-in-10-years/
| 2024-01-31T09:23:45Z
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ASTANA – Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s PhD composer and pianist Rakhat-Bi Abdyssagin, from Kazakhstan, will premiere his one-hour opera, “The Bruce,” written for the 750th anniversary of the birth of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, in four landmark Scottish churches this year, reported the conservatoire’s press service on Jan. 23.
Abdyssagin will stage a new opera at Glasgow Cathedral on Feb. 17, St. Giles’ Cathedral Edinburgh on Feb. 21, the University of St. Andrews, St. Salvator’s Chapel on Feb. 24 and Dunfermline Abbey on March 3.
Describing “The Bruce,” Abdyssagin said it is about “freedom and virtue, identity and power, struggle and stamina, irrepressible determination and indomitable will, triumph and destiny.”
“It tells the story of how one man is capable of making history, how one decision can dramatically change the life of the whole nation,” he said.
“The Bruce” has been composed as part of Abdyssagin’s doctoral research at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of St. Andrews, with a libretto based on excerpts from the medieval narrative poem “The Bruce,” written in nearly 1375 by John Barbour in Early Scots.
“I have worked with leading linguists and historians to establish and investigate the historical context as well as a pronunciation of Early Scots and we have done a substantial amount of work on decoding the text in both a metaphorical and direct way,” he noted.
According to the release, the opera performances are free to attend, but tickets must be booked in advance.
Abdyssagin, 24, is called the Kazakh Mozart. At 10 years old, he wrote music mature composers could be proud of. At 13 years old, he became an undergraduate student at Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory. At 17, he became a graduate student of Kazakh National University of Arts and completed an internship at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory. At 18, he defended his master’s dissertation. At 20, he completed postgraduate studies at three prestigious universities in Italy.
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https://astanatimes.com/2024/01/kazakh-pianist-to-premiere-robert-the-bruce-opera-in-scottish-churches/
| 2024-01-31T09:23:51Z
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ASTANA – High-speed internet access will be provided to nearly 270 Akmola Region schools, reported by Kazinform on Jan. 30, citing Bayurzhan Rapikov, head of the regional digitalization and archives department.
According to Rapikov, Starlink, a high-speed satellite internet, will provide a stable and fast connection for remote and rural areas, allowing students and teachers to use modern digital educational resources.
“The implementation of the Starlink project is part of an extensive initiative for the digitalization of education in Kazakhstan, the goal of which is to provide more than 2,000 secondary education organizations in Kazakhstan with broadband access to modern educational technologies by the end of March,” he noted.
There are plans to install 56 5G base stations in Kokshetau. Today, seven of them have been launched.
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https://astanatimes.com/2024/01/starlink-initiative-270-schools-in-akmola-region-to-receive-high-speed-internet-access/
| 2024-01-31T09:23:57Z
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Norway's energy minister has emphasised the country's world-leading credentials and ambitions for the offshore capture and storage of carbon dioxide, while on the same day it was revealed the nation's massive oil fund made a record annual return in 2023.
Norway is a pioneer in CO2 offshore storage on the Norwegian continental shelf with two operational projects — Sleipner and Snohvit — where CO2 is captured from gas production streams and reinjected into sub-seabed formations.
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https://www.upstreamonline.com/carbon-capture/norways-bank-balance-swells-as-energy-minister-outlines-its-co2-ambitions/2-1-1591086
| 2024-01-31T09:41:08Z
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The Polvo floating production, storage and offloading vessel has docked at Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry’s Dalian facility in China for refurbishment, even though the vessel’s owner BW Energy is yet to finalise the project finance.
Multiple industry sources said that Cosco is unlikely to initiate the upgrading process until funding is secured.
Despite BW Energy granting approval for initial work, it is limited to a preliminary assessment of the FPSO’s facilities to determine the scope of necessary upgrades.
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https://www.upstreamonline.com/exclusive/bw-energy-fpso-docks-in-china-for-upgrades-amid-financing-limbo/2-1-1591011
| 2024-01-31T09:41:14Z
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Shares of Indian engineering and construction heavyweight Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Wednesday morning fell by almost 6% on Indian stock exchanges over concerns around the company's exposure to multiple projects operated by Saudi Aramco.
L&T is a key member of Aramco's long term agreement (LTA) regime with international contracting players and was said to be in line to win billions of dollars' worth of projects for Aramco’s Safaniyah expansion, Upstream understands.
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https://www.upstreamonline.com/field-development/saudi-impact-shares-of-indian-heavyweight-l-t-plummet-over-concerns-around-aramco-projects/2-1-1591032
| 2024-01-31T09:41:20Z
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China Oilfield Services (COSL), the nation's leading offshore service contractor, has announced a 20% reduction in its capital spending for 2024, adjusting it to 7.4 billion yuan ($1.02 billion).
This decision marks a strategic shift from the anticipated 9.3 billion yuan ($1.29 billion) expenditure projected for the previous year.
According to a statement released by the Hong Kong-listed company, this year's adjusted capital expenditure aligns with the operating conditions anticipated in 2024.
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https://www.upstreamonline.com/finance/cosl-slashes-2024-spending-by-20-in-wake-of-post-covid-peak/2-1-1591132
| 2024-01-31T09:41:27Z
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Thailand’s national upstream company PTTEP is planning this year to invest $6.721 billion in oil, gas and clean energy projects both on its home turf and overseas, with the goal of boosting petroleum production by about 9% versus 2023 to 505,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
PTTEP’s 2024 focus in the Gulf of Thailand includes ramping up production at its G1/61 project — the Erawan, Platong, Satun and Funan fields — to 800 million cubic feet per day of gas in April, maintaining gas output at its G2/61 project (the Bongkot) field and at its Arthit project where a carbon capture and storage scheme is being developed.
The company also plans to accelerate exploration both domestically and internationally to support future energy needs — it has set aside a provisional budget of $2.022 billion for the period from 2024 to 2028 to advance various forms of clean energy.
Net profit up 10%
PTTEP in 2023 generated total revenues of $9.507 billion, down around 6% from the previous year. While last year’s average sales volume of 462,007 boepd was on a par with 2022, the average selling price slumped 10% to $48.21 per barrel as global crude prices fell.
However, the company recorded significantly lower non-operating expenses, including oil price hedging and impairment charges that resulted in a 2023 net profit of $2.208 billion — up 10% year-on-year — around 40% of which came from the business expansion in Southeast Asia and the Middle East over the past years.
Chief executive Montri Rawanchaikul said the company made significant progress in 2023. It won two new Gulf of Thailand exploration blocks — G1/65 and G3/65 — which are adjacent to its existing projects. PTTEP also discovered “petroleum potential” in three discoveries — Bangsawan, Chenda and Babadon — off the coast of Sarawak, East Malaysia, that can be developed as a cluster to accelerate production start-up.
The company also expanded its clean energy business with the award of a large-scale green hydrogen project in Oman’s Block Z1-02 and the acquisition of a 25.5% stake in Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm, the largest offshore wind power plant in Scotland that will immediately generate revenue.
Meanwhile, the first solar power project ‘Lan Sang Arun’ commenced at PTTEP’s S1 project in Phitsanulok Province, Thailand, to reduce reliance on gas-generated electricity and greenhouse gas emissions.
With a stated aim to achieve near-zero upstream methane emissions by 2030, PTTEP has signed a memorandum of understanding to participate in the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0) under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and has also pledged the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter together with 52 oil and gas companies, as part of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28).
In 2023, PTTEP paid 54.28 billion baht ($1.53 billion) of income tax, royalties and other remunerations to the Thai government, plus the profit sharing from the petroleum produced at the G1/61 and assets also directly contributed to Bangkok’s coffers.
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https://www.upstreamonline.com/finance/pttep-to-invest-6-7-billion-as-it-eyes-2024-production-growth/2-1-1591028
| 2024-01-31T09:41:33Z
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Leong Wei Hung has been announced as the new chief executive of Singapore LNG (SLNG), succeeding Tan Soo Koong with effect from 7 April.
To allow for a period of transition, Leong will assume the role of chief executive (designate) of SLNG from 1 February.
Industry veteran Leong has been a non-executive director of SLNG’s board since May 2022 and, in this capacity, he has been playing an important role in guiding SLNG’s strategic directions.
Prior to this, he had a career spanning more than 28 years with Shell, where he served in various roles across several portfolios in refining, chemicals, trading and supply, based in Singapore and the UK.
“We have been keeping a look-out for a possible new CEO as part of a planned succession process. We are fortunate that Wei Hung has agreed to take on the role and continue the good work that has been achieved so far,” commented SLNG chairman Tang Kin Fei.
“He is a well-regarded veteran of the industry, is passionate about SLNG and is eager to take the company to new heights. SLNG is in good hands.”
The incumbent chief executive will be retiring on 6 April.
Tan joined SLNG in April 2019 and, during his tenure, he has set the company on a forward-looking course towards ‘Catalysing New Possibilities in the Energy Transition’ — meeting the infrastructure and operational requirements for future energy needs, advancing the growth of the LNG eco-system and facilitating new energy developments and innovations.
Tan was instrumental in driving operational safety and reliability, championing business and digital transformation, and advocating people development at SLNG, the company said on Wednesday.
Read more
- Azerbaijan to offer a slice of state oil company to private investors
- PTTEP to invest $6.7 billion as it eyes 2024 production growth
- Australia’s oil and gas industry backs EDO funding cuts after court shaming
- Saudi move wipes $1 billion off Weatherford value as oilfield service players shares plunge
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https://www.upstreamonline.com/people/new-chief-executive-for-singapore-lng/2-1-1591034
| 2024-01-31T09:41:40Z
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Saudi Aramco’s spending is poised to take a significant hit in the next few years, as the state owned player is set to pause multibillion-dollar expansion projects that were aimed at building Saudi Arabia’s long-term oil production capacity.
Multiple analysts have claimed that Aramco’s capital expenditure is poised for a significant decline by the end of this decade as crucial expansion projects, including Safaniyah and Manifa, are likely to be either deferred or face execution delays.
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https://www.upstreamonline.com/politics/saudi-aramco-capex-could-shrink-more-than-21-billion-as-expansion-plans-shelved/2-1-1591045
| 2024-01-31T09:41:46Z
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Azerbaijan’s state owned oil and gas producer Socar is to be partially privatised under surprise plans announced by the government ahead of snap presidential elections to be held on 7 February.
The plans, which also involve Socar’s downstream and petrochemical subsidiaries, mark a reversal of government policy.
Metin Eynullayev, head of the country’s state property agency, announced on Tuesday that the government is preparing terms for the sale this year of minority stakes in Socar and the subsidiaries, together with state-run enterprises from other industries.
Eynullayev referred to a decree signed at the end of the last year by Azerbaijan’s long-serving President Ilham Aliyev, instructing the agency to submit detailed proposals on how Socar and other state-owned companies could be privatised to help attract foreign investments.
The government has to draft the proposals within the next nine months, Eynullayev was quoted as saying by Baku-based news agency Trend.
The Azerbaijan government wholly owns Socar, which has always been designated as a vehicle for representing state interests in the country’s foreign-led oil and gas developments.
Previous claims that the state would ever look to reduce its shareholding in the company have until now always been met with strong denials by senior government officials.
Eynullayev said that, as well as Socar’s main oil and gas business, foreign and domestic investors will be offered stakes in the company’s downstream subsidiaries, such as a methanol plant and its polymers and petrochemical manufacturing units.
The government has set ambitious goals to expand Socar involvement in pipeline and liquefied natural gas deliveries, as well as oil products distribution and retail operations on foreign markets.
It has also instructed the company to increase its existing shareholdings in the country’s large foreign-led developments and operate several smaller fields on its own.
Socar is due to become the largest shareholder in Azerbaijan’s leading oil and gas development — the Azeri-Chiraq-Guneshli project — later this year with a stake of 32%, after finalising a deal to buy Norwegian major Equinor’s shareholding in the scheme.
The project is operated by UK supermajor BP, which holds a stake of more than 30% in the development.
One long-term Azerbaijan oil and gas sector insider suggested that government authorities have been quietly preparing Socar for privatisation since 2021, by replacing long-serving industry heavyweights at the company’s top positions with younger technocrats more willing to follow state orders.
However, a partner at Baku-based energy consultancy Ilham Shaban said the government has decided to reduce its stake Socar and other key industry sectors in an effort to help create a larger number of privately held companies and increase “efficiency and competition” throughout the nation’s economy.
Just one Azeri-owned privately held producer currently operates in the country, he noted.
Another factor behind the privatisation decision could be the government’s aim to reduce direct and indirect state subsidies for the country’s energy sector, and the upcoming liberalisation of its electricity market away from state regulation, Shaban added.
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https://www.upstreamonline.com/production/azerbaijan-to-offer-a-slice-of-state-oil-company-to-private-investors/2-1-1590946
| 2024-01-31T09:41:53Z
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Italian contractor Saipem has halted pipelaying operations at Woodside Energy’s multi-billion dollar Scarborough gas project offshore Australia after the second incident this month on its 'flagship' vessel Castorone resulted in a "gaping hole" in the already installed part of the trunkline.
"The initial assessment appears to indicate that the cause of the incident could be [a] software anomaly [which is] under investigation," said Saipem.
"Alongside the investigation, plans for the trunkline remediation works are under way with safety as our priority," added the contractor.
Saipem added that a buckle can occur during pipeline installation and, as such, it has in place "approved procedures and resources available for intervention and remediation purposes".
“Woodside can confirm two separate incidents in January on a contractor vessel while it was working on the installation of the Scarborough trunkline. Neither incident resulted in any injuries to personnel and localised damage to the trunkline was sustained which will be remediated,” an operator spokesperson told Upstream.
“The safety of our teams, the environment and our assets remain the highest priority on all activities. We are continuing to support our contractor in their ongoing work on the trunkline installation.”
The second incident, which occurred early Tuesday morning, is now known to have ruptured the pipeline allowing seawater ingress — one report described it as "a gaping hole" — although Saipem on Wednesday morning European time clarified there was no damage to the vessel. Workers were reportedly evacuated from the pipelay vessel Castorone although there were no reported injuries, or worse.
The Woodside spokesperson added that its teams have been working to support Saipem and ensure the wellbeing of all personnel on the vessel undertaking Scarborough trunkline installation, following the unplanned incident on 30 January.
“The safety of our teams, the environment and our assets are always our highest priority. We are working closely with Saipem and the workforce on board to ensure safe ongoing operations and remediation work to the trunkline,” the spokesperson added, directing all further enquiries to the Italian vessel owner.
Multiple Australian sources confirmed that Tuesday’s accident, which reportedly occurred when the vessel lost control of a section of pipeline during installation, according to local daily the West Australian, was the second potentially fatal incident this month.
“After being lucky not to kill workers on the Castorone earlier in the year in a major incident which resulted in the Scarborough project pipelayer being shut down, Saipem have f***ed things up once again by flooding the pipe,” commented the Offshore Alliance (OA) union in a Facebook post.
“This is a major incident which is almost inevitably going to shut the Castorone down for an extended period.”
The OA added that ever since it and the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) had first inspected the pipelaying vessel prior to it mobilising from Singapore, the unions had been warning Woodside about the “poor safety and maintenance culture of Saipem and the inevitable impact on their members and the project more broadly”.
Earlier incident
The earlier incident occurred on 2 January when there was a problem with the Castorone’s thrusters — part of the vessel’s DP 3 dynamic positioning system — which reportedly caused it to make an uncontrolled movement. Fortunately, there were no known injuries.
Saipem is understood to have reported both incidents to Australia’s offshore regulator Nopsema.
Upstream has approached Nopsema for comment.
“The Offshore Alliance has been in dispute with Saipem since the mobilisation of the Castorone pipelayer for work on the Scarborough project. Saipem have breached numerous occupational health and safety laws and regulations whilst engaged by Woodside and have clearly disregarded the safety of Offshore Alliance & MUA members,” alleged the OA.
“Woodside must take a more hands-on approach with the Castorone and undertake a complete review of Saipem’s health and safety standards and culture,” Brad Gandy, spokesman for the Offshore Alliance union, was quoted by the West Australian.
Scarborough operator Woodside last Wednesday said that the Scarborough project, which will provide feed gas to the company’s Pluto liquefied natural gas project in Western Australia, was 55% complete as of end-2023.
Subsequently, of 22 January, approximately 57 kilometres of the 433 kilometres of pipelaying had been completed.
While Saipem is contracted to install most of the Scarborough project’s pipeline infrastructure with the Castorone, the touted ‘flagship of its fleet’, US contractor McDermott will perform some work with its vessel DLV 2000 as part of a 120-day campaign that also includes decommissioning operations on Woodside’s Stybarrow and Campbell fields.
Updated to include latest comment from Saipem.
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https://www.upstreamonline.com/safety/second-incident-this-month-confirmed-on-saipems-flagship-vessel/2-1-1591046
| 2024-01-31T09:41:59Z
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blocked_url
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Fashion
Celebrating The Fashion Legacy Of Adriana La Cerva
A Costume Party tribute to our favorite Sopranos character.
The Sopranos — that game-changing, enduringly great, surprisingly funny mob drama — recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Countless words have been written about the show's legacy, including how the fashion featured onscreen is a huge part of how the distinctive New Jersey mafioso world was created.
Looking back, the fashions — from the men's tracksuits to the women's perilously long nails and general “mob wife aesthetic” — offer a perfect time capsule of the late-'90s and early-‘00s trends, and costume design is one of the most powerful ways the show navigates issues of class and performance of identities. One could easily write a book on the fashions of the entire ensemble cast of The Sopranos, but perhaps the most recognizably stylish character is the tragically fated Adriana La Cerva, played with a memorable combination of sass and pathos by Drea de Matteo. So, in celebration of the show's anniversary, we're commemorating some of our favorite looks of hers.
Adriana grew up around the mob and, as an adult, is enmeshed in the garish lifestyle. She has a taste for animal prints, and her accessory game is consistently on-point. It would be easy for her to be a caricature of a vapid moll, but underneath her flashy exterior lays a vulnerable, misunderstood woman.
Adriana La Cerva’s Most Memorable Outfits
Adriana puts thought into every component of every outfit. She loves a good matching ensemble, like an ultra-cropped short-sleeved denim jacket and low-cut jeans. The silhouette takes casual staples and makes them wholly impractical and revealing. She even has a wildly Paris Hilton-esque cropped sweatsuit. It admittedly doesn't look very comfortable for lounging in, but it's a way for her to show off her figure, putting a feminine spin on the sweatsuits favored by the brusque men around her.
Adriana puts thought into every component of every outfit. She loves a good matching ensemble, like an ultra-cropped short-sleeved denim jacket and low-cut jeans. The silhouette takes casual staples and makes them wholly impractical and revealing. She even has a wildly Paris Hilton-esque cropped sweatsuit. It admittedly doesn't look very comfortable for lounging in, but it's a way for her to show off her figure, putting a feminine spin on the sweatsuits favored by the brusque men around her.
Most everyone on The Sopranos has swagger, and much of Adriana's comes from wearing outfits that could be dismissed as slutty, if they weren't worn with her appealing confidence. Adriana, though, doesn't want to wear the "classy" suburban mom sweaters that Carmela Soprano favors, nor does she want the comparatively more "subtle" French manicure. Adriana keeps her nails long and red and her hair leonine. She'll wear a black latex mini dress or a leather jacket and look absolutely fierce, but she accessorizes every outfit with a gold crucifix necklace, adding a subversive touch of modesty. There's a classic fashion rule that you should always take off one accessory before leaving the house, but Adriana would laugh at such a notion. In every outfit she wears, more is more. Leather, gold jewelry, red nails, and fully done makeup come together to create a suit of armor.
We don't often see Adriana look casual. Even when she's wearing something a little more laid-back, like a baseball cap and a sweater, she projects attitude. When she plays tennis, she keeps all her jewelry on and wears a tight, fringed, fire-engine red crop top and matching hot pants.
Adriana wears formal outfits with panache. A red dress paired with her side-parted mane gives a touch of old Hollywood glamour. One of her most memorable outfits features a floor-length dress emblazoned with a tiger. Adriana may end up being preyed upon, but she draws power from animal prints in all their glory. The dress is both predatory and unabashedly feminine. Adriana looks the part of the classic femme fatale, with a gaudy twist.
Adriana wears one of her most perfect outfits shortly before her horrible demise. In a tiger-striped catsuit with gold buttons, she looks imposing and fabulous. A diva outfit may not have been able to save her, alas, but Adriana's fashion legacy in all its boldness will never be forgotten.
This article was originally published on
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https://www.nylon.com/fashion/sopranos-adriana-la-cerva-fashion
| 2024-01-31T09:54:35Z
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Nylon; Courtesy of Authors
Bookmark
February 2024’s Must-Read Book Releases
The best novels, memoirs, and more to add to your reading list.
by Sophia June
We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Another month, another fresh set of book releases to devour. See NYLON’s monthly reading list, ahead.
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https://www.nylon.com/life/february-2024-books
| 2024-01-31T09:54:35Z
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Do you make anything in Figma? Do you need 3D Character illustrations?
Well... I have the very best plugin that can do that for you and its completely free.
This plugin has about 25+ 3D characters with 600+ Illustrations
Support docs & customer forums for modern SaaS startups
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"Improve your Figma UI designs with 3D character illustrations for free.
The illustrations are not AI generated, but made using 3D Blender.
So give it a try and let me know what you would like to see be improved!"
The makers of 3D Character Illustrations Figma Plugin
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/3d-character-illustrations-figma-plugin
| 2024-01-31T10:01:08Z
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"I am interested in feedback about capabilities, design, landing page. Anything would be highly appreciated."
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/3pi
| 2024-01-31T10:01:14Z
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Don't build components from scratch. Choose from our extensive collection of ready-to-use components for Figma and React build on Ant Design and spend your valuable time on other aspects of your project.
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AntBlocks UI
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| 2024-01-31T10:01:21Z
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AR Ruler app uses augmented reality technologies to tape measure the real world with your smartphone’s camera. Measure any object using 17 tools in the ARuler app! We've improved the app so that you can easily measure objects even in hard-to-reach places.
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/ar-ruler-3d-tape-measure-app
| 2024-01-31T10:01:27Z
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asciibar
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Effortlessly generate ASCII bar charts for data visualization. Simplify insights and enhance presentations and Markdowns with asciibar. Transform raw data into impactful visuals in seconds.
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ASCII Bar Chart Generator
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/asciibar
| 2024-01-31T10:01:33Z
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Bizzi provides a comprehensive software for SaaS startup founders looking for more direction and structure as they build. Streamline your journey step by step with project management, resources, and personalized tools.
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/bizzi-startup-software
| 2024-01-31T10:01:52Z
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Bonfire
Bonfire
Build a fandom-driven world you control.
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The platform to go direct-to-fan 🔥 Bonfire helps creators, communities, and brands deepen fan engagement, and increase loyalty & retention. We’ve also made it easier than ever to onboard your web2 followers to your web3 community.
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Build a fandom-driven world you control.
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/bonfire-8
| 2024-01-31T10:01:58Z
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Bottled Wisdom helps you get through the day by using AI to pull quotes or phrases from your favorite books. Feel free to use the app if you want advice based on books or public figures.
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Support is great. Feedback is even better.
"We're excited to introduce our new product to you. We invite you to try our application and share your thoughts on our site's user experience. Your feedback is invaluable as we continue to improve."
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/bottled-wisdom-ai
| 2024-01-31T10:02:05Z
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blocked_url
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Use OpenAI's Assistant Creator to build a ChatGPT chatbot, integrate it with your existing knowledge sources like FAQs, and embed it on your website with a free chat interface for OpenAI. The outcome: 24/7 AI-driven Customer Support. No coding skills needed.
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/chat-interface-for-openai-assistants
| 2024-01-31T10:02:11Z
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Master your Codebase with our Desktop apps!
Index your codebase on your machine for full codebase-context chats.
Choose from Open or closed Source models.
Changes made to files are automatically indexed to the AI context.
Switch AI models in the same chat.
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/code-snippets-ai-3
| 2024-01-31T10:02:18Z
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blocked_url
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"Thank you so much for taking a look! Do you have any feedback? It can be ANYTHING!! You might think something like "this button looks terrible" or "the flow of the game is kind of confusing", then please feel free to let me know, I'd like to take care of it seriously!! Once again, thanks so much! 😊"
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/crowdtales
| 2024-01-31T10:02:25Z
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Customer Interview Generator
Customer Interview Generator
Craft tailored interview for your customer in 10 seconds
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Create tailored interview questions for your customers in seconds. Learn to conduct effective interviews by deeply understanding their needs and preferences. 100% FREE!
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Customer Interview Generator
Craft Tailored Interview for Your Customer in 10 seconds
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/customer-interview-generator
| 2024-01-31T10:02:31Z
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"Thanks for checking us out ❤️ Feel free to test our MVP at no cost. Instructions on setting up Cyclops in under 5 minutes can be found on our website. We would love to hear feedback and suggestions to make Cyclops better, so every input you can provide is deeply appreciated.🙏🏻"
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/cyclops
| 2024-01-31T10:02:37Z
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"Hey! Thanks for checking out my project! I would like to hear your opinions, ideas and shortcomings of my application :)"
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/followphoto
| 2024-01-31T10:02:43Z
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GitHub Copilot Chat
GitHub Copilot Chat
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GitHub Copilot Chat is a companion extension to
GitHub Copilot
that provides conversational AI assistance throughout your software development journey in VS Code.
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AI chat features powered by Copilot
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/github-copilot-chat
| 2024-01-31T10:02:49Z
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"Thanks for checking out our launch! We can't wait to hear what you think about Orion AI. What did you like the most, and what didn't quite hit the mark? How do you feel about the stem-splitting quality? Which stems should join the Orion galaxy next? Don't be shy, let us know!"
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This is the latest launch from Lodown
See Lodown’s previous launch →
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Lodown
Lodown
AI note-taking for students
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Lodown records and transcribes audio into notes, allowing students to easily review information from their lectures. Focus on your lecture. Lodown takes care of everything else.
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Your Personal Note-Taking Assistant
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| 2024-01-31T10:03:02Z
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"We'd love your thoughts: 1. Try our free extension by preparing 4-5 of your meetings. 2. Tell us how you currently tackle meeting preparation. 3. Share a meeting horror story where Meetrics could have helped. Partner with us: Join us as an early user and play a key role in how Meetrics is shaped."
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/meetrics-ai
| 2024-01-31T10:03:09Z
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We believe in the power of the personal touch so no generic designs here — let your personal words and creativity take center stage to convey your deepest sentiments. Browse our collection of ideas and use our interactive templates to elevate your messages.
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"Thanks for checking out Merrygram, I'd love to know what your first impressions are and I'm always open to new ideas for our collection or future templates!"
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/merrygram
| 2024-01-31T10:03:15Z
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Nero AI Video Upscaler
Nero AI Video Upscaler
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Power up your video resolution with AI — the simple and super-res video upscaling tool. Upload, choose a model and the output resolution, then wait for the magic to happen. Seamless steps, stunning results!
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Nero AI Video Upscaler
Beyond High-Def: Upgrade Your Videos Instantly.
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| 2024-01-31T10:03:28Z
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OnlyBets is a friendly fantasy platform / social network / statistical tool about sport betting.
The goal is for you to get good stats to show your betting skills, and have other users subscribe to your account, to get access to your exclusive tips.
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"The app was just made publicly available yesterday.
I'm particularly eager to receive feedback on the algorithm from those who have experience with betting.
All feedback is welcome!"
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/onlybets-gg
| 2024-01-31T10:03:34Z
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This is the latest launch from OpenArt.ai
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OpenArt
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App store for AI image apps
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Push past the limits of simple text prompts for AI image generation. Hundreds of developers build their own image apps with customized styles and features on OpenArt. Explore & discover the right AI image app or build your own in minutes.
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OpenArt.ai
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| 2024-01-31T10:03:41Z
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"I’ve got a bunch of fun things in the roadmap like: - Text message reminders - 1-click to continue the conversation on ChatGPT Two things I’d love to get your thoughts on: 1. What would you love to see most from PMF Buddy? 2. Do you have any tips for getting to PMF faster?"
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| 2024-01-31T10:03:47Z
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PosterGPT is an AI-powered tool designed to revolutionize social media management. It automates the creation and scheduling of social media posts by leveraging the latest news content.
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| 2024-01-31T10:03:54Z
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PresetBot
PresetBot
Apply Lightroom/XMP filters over an API
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The easiest (and cheapest) way to apply Lightroom / XMP Presets over an API at scale.
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PromptBase
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PromptBase is a marketplace of 100k+ quality, curated AI prompts from the world's best AI creators. Today we're excited to launch PromptBase apps 🛠️ Build apps with your prompts 📱 Publish them on our app store 💸 Monetize your apps
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| 2024-01-31T10:04:09Z
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Make awesome mascots with AI, fast & simple
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Describe the mascot you want, tell what colors you like, hit generate, and hocus pocus 🔥 – your mascot is ready to be downloaded as SVG (vector format) and PNG (transparent background).
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| 2024-01-31T10:04:15Z
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Refresher AI
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AI-powered tool to create interactive quizzes from your books. Helps you practice your knowledge of professional and casual literature.
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Transform remote teamwork effortlessly. Anticipate and enhance team dynamics with our advanced solution - proactive insights for enhanced productivity.
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Shape Remote Work Culture with Today's Insights
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| 2024-01-31T10:04:27Z
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Stop wasting time, money, and stress on if a new supplement or habit you just heard about actually works. Sandyl integrates with your Apple Health so you can easily see how these impact your sleep, fitness, and heart with A/B tests and control for variables.
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/sandyl
| 2024-01-31T10:04:33Z
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Creating and managing a website's content has never been more intuitive, efficient, and aligned with your brand's voice and identity. Whether you're a small business owner, a digital agency, or a marketing team, SiteForge helps you create SEO optimized sites.
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| 2024-01-31T10:04:39Z
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Automatically Upscale, Reduce Noise or remove the background from images offline with Snapclear our software powered by AI. Remove bg for free or increase resolution of image and get high quality photos on your PC. Available for Windows, Linux and macOS.
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https://www.producthunt.com/posts/snapclear
| 2024-01-31T10:04:45Z
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Storykit
Storykit
The complete AI video creation tool
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Storykit is the complete AI video creation tool transforming your content into high-performing video. Jump straight from text to video Your words in. Compelling video out. On brand. On message. On time. On budget.
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Video for everything, video for everyone
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| 2024-01-31T10:05:05Z
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Translatespace translates your app's content in minutes
Why does this matter? Most users don't speak your language - reaching them doubles markets
We'll prove it - stop by the landing page, check out some success stories and give the free demo a spin yourself!
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"Indiehackers, founders, and copywriters are my people.
I want the little guys to get the benefits of localization without the headache
Lmk any feedback so I can make Translatespace something the community loves and finds valuable!
- Nic"
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| 2024-01-31T10:05:12Z
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"Could you please share your thoughts on TubeSum's user experience? - Is it intuitive and easy to navigate? - Are there specific features or improvements you'd like to see? I'm looking forward to your responses and thank you in advance for your insights!"
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| 2024-01-31T10:05:18Z
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Very Disco
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Everything ever mentioned in your favourite podcasts
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Meet Very Disco — the “IMDb for podcasts”. Discover, listen to, and save every book, movie, TV show, and person ever mentioned in a podcast.
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Everything ever mentioned in your favourite podcasts
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| 2024-01-31T10:05:24Z
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"Thanks for checking out our app, if you have feedback on changes that we should make to the app or game, you can submit a feedback form through the app or use this link: https://forms.gle/TLgFrKKQ7tcEKcKv5 and if you enjoy it, please give us 5 stars on App or Playstore each one brightens our day!"
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| 2024-01-31T10:05:30Z
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Wireframe-Examples offers an extensive collection of perfectly structured, high-level wireframes to inspire and expedite your next project, ensuring you never waste time coming up with component arrangements again.
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Happy building!"
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| 2024-01-31T10:05:36Z
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Aggressive growth plans by a Grand Rapids-area manufacturer have been disrupted as an auto–sector slowdown causes layoffs and reduced work hours for nearly a quarter of its workforce.
RoMan Manufacturing Inc. has laid off 13 employees and reduced the hours of 36 additional workers because of a “general slowdown in the automotive sector,” CEO Nelson Sanchez told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.
The Wyoming-based industrial power systems manufacturer permanently laid off the 13 employees on Monday. The 36 additional employees have transitioned to a work-share arrangement, switching to a 32-hour work week while retaining benefits and eligibility for unemployment for the remaining eight hours.
The company, which employs about 235 people, expects the reduction of hours to last about three months depending on how business progresses, Sanchez said.
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In addition to softness in the automotive sector, major customers in other industries have put work on hold or are laying off employees, Sanchez said.
“We are starting out the front half of the year with a slow, lean workload, and as a result of that, we’ve been reviewing the economics of the situation,” Sanchez said.
Founded in 1980, RoMan is a manufacturer and global supplier of AC water-cooled transformers and DC power supplies used in welding, glass, furnace, resistance heating, plating and solar applications. In addition to the automotive sector, RoMan serves markets such as data centers, semiconductors and other technology-based industries.
The cutbacks come amid RoMan’s expansion plans that included a $3 million investment announced in May 2023 in a new 27,000-square-foot production facility on the same campus as the company’s headquarters at 861 47th St. SW in Wyoming.
As well, RoMan expanded in 2023 with a newly renovated manufacturing facility that the company had owned for several years. That building at 1337 Judd Ave. SW in Wyoming now houses production lines for RoMan’s newer business in the data center industry, Sanchez told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business last year.
Sanchez said 2023 was a “record setting” year for RoMan in terms of revenue and growth, and he views the layoffs and restructuring as a pause in the company’s ongoing growth trajectory.
“It’s a little bit of a pause in our trajectory of where we’re headed,” Sanchez said. “With all of the new buildings and new construction, we had to take a little pause there.”
Sanchez, who was named the company’s first non-family president in early 2023 and then CEO in mid-2023, said last year that the company generated a little more than $45 million in revenue at the end of 2022 and had a three-year plan to grow revenue to more than $100 million. During his 10-plus years at RoMan, the company diversified from primarily resistance welding for the automotive and industrial equipment sectors.
Looking ahead, Sanchez said he anticipates business to ramp up again later in 2024, when the company may transition the 36 workers back to full-time employment and hire an additional 25 to 30 employees to accommodate a higher workload for the back half of the year.
“Despite the slowdown, RoMan is still investing heavily in the future, and we still are very optimistic about the future and what it holds for us,” Sanchez said. “So, even during this time of slowdown, we’re still making decisions and taking actions that are to further expand.”
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Push for new economic development incentives faces uncertain legislative future
Key investments boost Meijer Gardens’ stature as local economic driver, report finds
Frontier Airlines to start nonstop Grand Rapids flights to Dallas
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/manufacturing/manufacturers-growth-plan-stalls-amid-automotive-slowdown/
| 2024-01-31T10:17:44Z
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Urbanists and economic development experts say a study underway in Kent County could help stakeholders get on the same page about the best places to put new housing development.
Housing Next, a group formed in 2018 to address the housing shortage in Kent and Ottawa counties, is working on a study of 21 key commercial corridors in Kent County that would be ripe for housing development based on public utilities like water and sewer, as well as the presence of public transit and underutilized buildings.
The group led by Executive Director Brooke Oosterman hired its former executive director Ryan Kilpatrick, owner and principal of Grand Rapids-based Flywheel Community Development, to help conduct the study.
Housing Next is looking at 21 key commercial corridors in the study. Although Oosterman and Kilpatrick declined to disclose the full list, it includes Plainfield Avenue, Alpine Avenue, Fulton Street, Kalamazoo Avenue, 44th Street and 28th Street. It spans municipalities including Plainfield Township, Walker, Wyoming, Kentwood and Grand Rapids.
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Kilpatrick said a draft report will be ready by March or April to share with community stakeholders, with the final version expected out in late spring.
“We’ve always said that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for housing, and the more we engage with communities, the more we recognize that established neighborhoods are going to stay generally the same as they’ve been for at least another generation,” Kilpatrick said. “But we have a number of corridors in the community that are seeing lack of investment or disinvestment, where retail isn’t working out as well as it did 20 or 30 years ago, and where we have this mix of big-box and small-box retail stores, plus some older residential, plus a lot of underutilized or vacant parking lots or just vacant lots. So right now we’re analyzing those corridors.”
The study is funded by Housing Next’s traditional network of backers, which includes a mix of unspecified foundations, businesses and municipalities, Kilpatrick said.
Early conversations about conducting the as-yet-unnamed study began last July at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce’s Grand Rapids Policy Conference, with a draft proposal outlining the cost and framework shopped around to funders in time for work to begin in late November.
Study details
Kilpatrick said the work started with geographic information systems analysis to look at where utilities and infrastructure already exist.
“Now, what we’re doing is working on a pattern book that essentially outlines the core DNA elements of a really solid, walkable neighborhood along a commercial corridor, so that it’s easy for local municipalities to plan and zone for that land use type,” he said.
The corridors will be evaluated for the presence of trees, adequate lighting and safe driving lanes and crosswalks to determine their pedestrian friendliness, Kilpatrick said. In cases where those elements do not exist, the report would make recommendations.
The study will look at underused retail areas that could accommodate adaptive reuse or new construction housing, particularly in areas that can handle the additional vehicle trips that new housing would generate.
One of the advantages to those areas is they tend to already have public transit in place, which would require less surface parking.
An easier sell for communities?
As Crain’s Detroit Business noted in a report last month on the housing shortage, opposition from neighbors — frequently called “NIMBYs,” short for “not in my backyard” — stands high among the external factors that get in the way of housing development in Michigan, with some of the top concerns being infrastructure capacity, environmental effects, noise and traffic.
Oosterman said developments along commercial corridors would theoretically be less disruptive to residents on all of those fronts.
“If there is consensus around a scalable solution to the housing shortage that offers opportunity and alleviates other challenges that the community is facing, it’s a benefit to all to be able to have that conversation,” she said.
Oosterman said having a corridor plan that city staff and elected officials can use to communicate land use goals with one voice is one piece of the puzzle. Another piece is demonstrating the cost savings associated with putting new development where infrastructure already exists.
Kilpatrick added the study also will evaluate the potential for an increased tax base for cities that redevelop dying corridors.
“We (will) look at how much taxable revenue is coming in as a result of those existing spread-out patterns of just single-story commercial, and how much additional taxable revenue could be generated if we started to think about pockets of mixed-use walkable neighborhoods,” he said.
‘Context-sensitive’ solutions
Kilpatrick said he will be applying to this study some of the lessons learned from his previous consulting work with the city of Grand Rapids to make corridors more developer-friendly, like changing the zoning ordinance to allow four stories by right with residential on the ground floor.
But he and Oosterman emphasized all recommendations will be “context-sensitive” to each area’s unique situation.
“We really are going to be looking for leaders, stakeholders and community members to be a part of the conversation in each municipality that we’re in, because we do recognize that even with that urban core consistency across the board for those key corridors, we know that the history, the architecture, the strategies moving forward are going to look a little bit different … for each of those communities,” Oosterman said.
A local case study
In addition to Grand Rapids, another municipality that has already done a lot of heavy lifting is Plainfield Township.
Suzanne Schulz has been the urban planning practice leader for Progressive AE since 2019, and before that served as planning director for the city of Grand Rapids for 14 years.
After joining Progressive AE, she helped Plainfield Township develop Reimagine Plainfield, a new vision for its main commercial artery, Plainfield Avenue. The two-year process culminated in the township board adopting a new zoning ordinance in 2021 that allows for mixed-use developments on that corridor. Plainfield has struggled with high retail vacancy rates and business turnover since the former North Kent Mall closed in 2000.
She said Housing Next’s study could help other townships accomplish some of the same analysis.
“I think part of it is a discussion … (of) is this corridor being successful? What is our tax base in this corridor? In Plainfield’s case, we found that they went six years without any increase in tax receipts. It was just flat because they weren’t getting any new development,” she said.
Schulz encouraged stakeholders during that engagement process to think how much better places can be when they shift from being “drive-through zones” to “drive-to zones” with a mix of commercial and residential.
“Then, you’d also have the density to support those businesses, so it becomes this virtuous cycle … of more people to shop and eat that support the commercial districts that people want, which attracts more people and more energy into the community, as well as tax dollars, and so it helps keep tax rates low for the rest of the community,” she said. “It also provides us housing opportunities that currently don’t exist … in places where neighbors would generally (not) oppose it.”
While Plainfield has yet to approve a housing project for the corridor since the zoning change took effect, Township Superintendent Cameron Van Wyngarden said he believes that is mostly related to construction costs.
“There’s some additional costs that come with redeveloping an existing site, and then you’ve got that on top of higher interest rates right now, and it really has pushed back on some of those projects that we thought maybe had some potential,” he said. “But we see this as something that we’ll still be working on when the interest rates come back down, and we’re building the story that this is the place to go.”
Van Wyngarden said the township made other changes to the zoning ordinance to pair with allowing mixed-use developments in commercial zones, including protecting existing residential neighborhoods through required buffers, setbacks and landscaping, so that when developers do come knocking, they’re likely to encounter less resistance from neighbors.
He said he’s hopeful the township’s new zoning ordinance — paired with Housing Next’s commercial corridor study — will inspire developers to turn from greenfield sites in floodplains to commercial areas that are development-ready.
“We need to do a better job as local governments to sell those opportunities, to talk about what incentives are available with all the state programs that have recently come out … and really market those areas as an alternative to more greenfield development,” he said. “Even though it’s a lower cost for the developer today, it has a higher economic cost for the community down the road as we have more roads (and) more infrastructure to maintain.”
The bigger picture
Schulz said Housing Next, developers and municipalities need to look no further for examples of suburbs using their limited space to best advantage than the work that Hudsonville has done to create a walkable mixed-use downtown area, or the 10-year effort that led to the creation of Ada Village, which now offers housing, retail and restaurants.
“It’s more than double the value on half the land in those types of scenarios,” she said. “Building new neighborhoods along these corridors really does provide a noncontroversial path that is low-hanging fruit.”
Travis Alden, senior director of community development for The Right Place Inc., said he is thankful Housing Next is tackling a countywide corridor improvement playbook, because if there’s anything that holds back employers from bringing jobs to the region, it’s the lack of housing.
“From an economic development perspective, I don’t know if we have a conversation with a business or major employer where housing doesn’t come into the conversation at some point,” he said. “Maybe eight, 10 years ago, housing was thought of as separate from economic development. That certainly is not the case here in 2024.”
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
New details emerge on the proposed $300M Kalamazoo Event Center
Advia Credit Union to acquire Illinois bank
Priority Health case sparks debate over insurance coverage of high-cost therapies
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/housing-next-studies-21-key-corridors-ripe-for-potential-redevelopment/
| 2024-01-31T10:17:50Z
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Community planning, design and building services firm McKenna is working to expand its offices and staff in Grand Rapids as the company takes on more projects in West Michigan.
Chris Khorey, senior principal planner at McKenna, also works as West Michigan manager whose focus is building the company’s relationships and planning work with municipalities in the region.
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The planning firm was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Northville in metro Detroit, with additional offices in Kalamazoo. McKenna opened its Grand Rapids office in the Loraine Building on Fulton Street in 2018. The firm will soon add another staff member to its Grand Rapids team and has doubled its office space to 1,800 square feet in the building, which it shares with a local landscape architecture firm.
Khorey recently detailed trends he’s seeing in both urban and rural community planning, the need to retrofit some suburban zoning, and why strategic planning is even more important after the COVID-19 pandemic.
With many projects in various planning stages in Grand Rapids right now, what is important to keep in mind from a planning perspective during this time of growth?
As planners, we went a long time saying we need to prevent sprawl, and we do — that’s still an important goal especially in the Grand Rapids area where we have so much beautiful natural space and very lucrative farmland. It is important to protect that, but we also desperately need housing. People are moving to this area, and those people need to go somewhere in Michigan, and we’re not used to growth that is palpable like that.
We need to manage that growth rather than just turning that opportunity into angry public hearings, protests and petitions.
Why is it important for municipalities to strategically plan, especially in the past few years since the pandemic?
In the last 20 years, there has been a renewed interest in creating vibrant cities and communities that attract people. It’s even more important post-pandemic.
Here in West Michigan, a lot of people have the potential advantage of working for a company in Chicago or Detroit because of our proximity, and if you only need to be in those places a few times a month, you can more easily do that. That is a potential positive for the region, but we also really need to think about our planning and zoning.
Are there any common ideas you’re seeing municipalities focus on in their master planning process?
What we’re seeing more of is people in suburbs recognizing a need to create nodes where people can walk and promote more non-motorized travel, and that doesn’t mean a community is going to fully urbanize.
One of the concepts we’ve talked about is the concept of family walkability, allowing things like kids who want to walk to school. It’s possible to retrofit more suburban communities to get there.
We’ve done a lot of that in some suburban communities, and some have gone so far as to add in mixed-use in targeted locations. An example of this is Walker, which is on the cusp of adopting a pretty substantially updated ordinance with overlay districts that would allow for taller buildings, more mixed-use and less parking.
Some complaints I hear about zoning are that it is too prescriptive and needs to be more broad in most cases. Do you think this is true?
I’m a big believer in having a center of the region that will be the most dense and most intense, and slowly working your way out. That’s an organized community that can promote a higher quality of life.
What we’ve done is sometimes create a one-size-fits all system with a pre-zoning area that is more dense and more walkable, but harder to drive and park in. There is nothing wrong with suburbs and drivable areas, but you’ve created a mismatch that has contributed to the “missing middle” in the housing market. That’s because we planned and zoned for this specific land use pattern that doesn’t allow for more flexibility and that middle housing stock. That’s part of what we’re doing now in suburban retrofit work.
What about the more rural communities you work with? What is one of the biggest planning issues they typically face?
In the last couple of years we started working with some communities that either never had local zoning before or didn’t have zoning at all and they asked us to come in and help. The village of Muir in Ionia County is one where they will have their first zoning ordinance. They have never had any zoning before but they want to be redevelopment ready (through the Michigan Economic Development Corp.), which requires a community to have zoning. That’s an interesting line of business we’ve kind of taken on.
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Push for new economic development incentives faces uncertain legislative future
Key investments boost Meijer Gardens’ stature as local economic driver, report finds
Muskegon-area restaurant operator brings brunch concept to Grand Rapids
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/metro-detroit-planning-firm-grows-west-michigan-presence/
| 2024-01-31T10:17:56Z
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The Bagger Dave’s brand looks to be on its last leg.
North Dakota-based fast food operator BT Brands Inc. on Friday announced plans to later this year convert the remaining Bagger Dave’s locations to another concept, according to a news release. BT Brands owns an almost 40% share of Bagger Dave’s.
The proposed change will be put to Bagger Dave’s shareholders to align a new name with a new business strategy, the release states. The restaurants will continue to operate as Bagger Dave’s until a decision on a new concept is made.
Bagger Dave’s, operating as Bagger Dave’s Burger Tavern Inc., currently has six locations, down from a high of more than 25 at its peak. The remaining restaurants are in Cascade Township as well as Berkley, Birch Run and Chesterfield Township in southeast Michigan. Bagger Dave’s also operates locations in Centerville, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Ind. The Berkley location is the original, which opened in 2008.
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“All six stores are in excellent locations representing an original investment of more than $5 million,” BT Brands CEO Gary Copperud said in the release. The stores range from 4,000 to 6,000 square feet, carry full liquor licenses and are in excellent condition, he said.
“We have had several restaurant professionals look at the locations over the last year, and all agree the units provide an outstanding footprint for a conversion opportunity,” BT Brands CEO Gary Copperud said in a news release. “We look forward to identifying a dynamic growth opportunity, providing potential career growth for all current employees of Bagger Dave’s. We see the opportunity for Bagger Dave’s shareholders, including BT Brands, to earn significant returns from a successful conversion.”
Bagger Dave’s officials did not immediately respond to a Crain’s request for more information.
The move comes after the brand has had its share of ups and downs.
Bagger Dave’s at the end of 2014 had 24 locations. But the struggling burger-and-beer fast-casual chain closed 11 locations in 2015 to contain losses. Bagger Dave’s spun off from Southfield-based Diversified Restaurant Holdings Inc. in late 2016 as a separate company and went through a series of restaurant closings as it again tried to stem steep financial losses, as Crain’s reported. The company scrapped five more restaurants in early 2018. A downtown Detroit location lasted just two years.
The company has operated under multiple umbrellas, starting with Southfield-based Diversified Restaurant Holdings Inc., which also operated dozens of Buffalo Wild Wings locations. BT Brands took its 41.4% stake in the company from founder Michael Ansley in June 2022 for $1.26 million.
BT Brands also owns and operates fast-food restaurant chain Burger Time with locations in North and South Dakota and Minnesota, as well as Keegan Seafood Grille near Clearwater, Fla., and Pie In the Sky Coffee and Bakery in Woods Hole, Mass.
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/restaurants-1/struggling-bagger-daves-appears-to-be-nearing-its-end/
| 2024-01-31T10:18:02Z
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As Supermercado Mexico moves forward with a $4.1 million project to add a fourth store by repurposing a vacant building on Grand Rapids’ southwest side, the Hispanic-owned retailer is readying for even more growth in the years ahead.
The local grocery chain owned by the Olvera family is adding a new CEO role to oversee those expansion plans. Under the transition plan, the company will tap current general manager Benjamin Cochran to serve as the new top executive in the coming months.
With the new CEO in place, co-owner Javier Olvera hopes to position Supermercado Mexico to add more stores throughout West Michigan, noting the company currently is eyeing locations in the Lansing and Holland areas.
“We’re going to be expanding a lot faster,” Olvera told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.
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Supermercado Mexico employs around 110 people, 90 of whom are part-time and full-time retail workers at the chain’s three Wyoming locations. The store offers baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, a variety of fresh deli meats and specialty products.
Supermercado Mexico is owned by Olvera Enterprises Inc., an entity consisting of brothers Javier and Pablo Olvera, Javier’s wife Kerry Olvera and Pablo’s wife Maricela Olvera. Maricela Olvera currently is serving as interim CEO as Cochran shifts into his new role, a strategic transition that has been in the works for some time.
Javier Olvera noted that Supermercado has grown to be a well established company that mostly is “running by itself.”
“We saw this opportunity because the Hispanic community is expanding,” he said. “The Grand Rapids community has a lot of opportunities for growth and for grocery stores for our community.”
The U.S. Census Bureau found that between 2010 and 2020, the Hispanic population of Kent County grew by 29%, a trend that is expected to continue in the coming years. According to some estimates, West Michigan’s Hispanic population could grow by as much as 130% by 2045.
“As the Hispanic population in West Michigan continues to grow, we have a duty and a responsibility to continue to serve them as best as we possibly can,” Cochran said, noting that “a lot of our customers are driving 30-plus minutes just to shop at our stores and purchase the products that we offer.”
While Supermercado Mexico’s growth will be concentrated in the coming 10 years, Cochran said it largely will be driven by finding the best opportunities available in areas where potential customers are located. The retailer also is taking an opportunistic approach to growth and will consider new construction and acquisitions of existing facilities.
“The vision is where could we put a store where it makes sense, independent of what it takes,” he said, adding that the company is focused on long-term financial stability as it tackles expansion, with “potentially a mixture of both” investment and internal funding fueling new growth.
“We seem to be growing much more rapidly year over year than the rest of our industry, so I hope that means we’re doing something right,” Cochran said.
Now in his third year at Supermercado Mexico, Cochran previously spent ten years at West Michigan convenience store chain J&H Family Stores, including two years overseeing its Tim Hortons operations.
As Cochran assumes the responsibilities of CEO at Supermercado, the Olvera family will turn its attention to growing Olvera Property Management, a commercial real estate management company they have been cultivating for the past three years.
Supermercado Mexico got its start in 2006 when the Olvera family purchased the former La Tapatia Supermarket at 1546 Clyde Park Avenue SW, which it renamed Supermercado Mexico-Clyde Park.
Since then, the retailer has expanded with two additional locations in Wyoming at 1160 Chicago Dr. and 3355 S. Division Ave. SW.
In 2022, the families announced plans to add a fourth location in Grand Rapids’ Roosevelt Park neighborhood with the redevelopment of a vacant building at 900 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW and 919 Caulfield Ave. SW.
The $4.1 million project would renovate an existing 33,419-square-foot, two-story building while adding 5,400 square feet of additional space and a rooftop deck to the building. The company would also use the facility for its corporate offices.
Work at the new Supermercado Mexico location also includes an upgraded parking lot with 66 spaces and new storefront windows. The company anticipates it will create 55 new jobs with the expansion, according to plans filed with the city.
The Grand Rapids Planning Commission approved the site plan in September; work will begin on the project in the coming months, executives said.
More from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business:
Industrial developer gets creative with partnerships to counter market challenges
Indiana law firm opens first Michigan office in downtown Grand Rapids
Former Proos Manufacturing building in Grand Rapids sells for $7.1 million
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https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/retail/local-family-owned-hispanic-grocery-plots-regional-expansion/
| 2024-01-31T10:18:08Z
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With the average cost of a wedding surpassing £20k in the UK for the first time in 2024, it's no surprise that couples are looking for ways to cut costs on their big day. One way that brides are increasingly saving money is by hiring their wedding dress.
We spoke to leading wedding and events planner Lavinia Stewart-Brown about the rental trend, and she can definitely see the appeal. "There are lots of reasons to look at renting a dress over buying and also buying second-hand," she says.
The main advantages? "The price tag is often lower without having to lose on quality - for those who don’t feel the need to browse in real life, rental platforms can be a great place to start," she says. "In addition, designers only available in other countries often pop up on bridal rental platforms (this happened to a client of mine!!) and lastly, reusing is a much more sustainable option."
Best websites to rent a wedding dress in 2024
Hurr: Has an impressive selection of bridal brands and dresses
John Lewis: Whistles dresses & more at great prices
ASOS: Unbelievably low prices on ASOS design bridal gowns
Selfridges: Free delivery and returns on dresses from a name you can trust
The Devout: With their monthly subscription fee you can get bridesmaid's dresses included
Where can I rent a wedding dress?
"I would recommend trying the more popular sites to find inspiration - Hurr, By Rotation and MyWardrobe HQ," says Lavinia. "However, I would be mindful that you may not find an exact designer or style on there so use these as inspiration or if you have no idea where you want to start! Something Borrowed is a specific platform so this is a great place to start if you have your heart set on a specific style.
"Alongside this, bridal boutiques are moving into the rental space too - definitely have a research of the stores in your local area to scope out if this is an option. One thing worth noting, I had a bride Camilla Elphick who found her dress pre-loved online - this is such a great idea and is becoming increasingly popular - a great site for this is Still White -they have a really extensive range!"
Is there anything to bear in mind if you're looking to rent a dress?
Lavinia advises: "Like when buying anything online, renting the dress won’t be tailored to your body so definitely speak with the owner/seller on the exact measurements - the last thing you want is to fall in love with a dress and it doesn’t fit!
"In addition, rental can be difficult if you have your heart set on something specific - you may not end up finding it on one of these platforms so definitely try to go in with an open heart/mind! Scope out options which allow for lots of time and definitely rent a dress more than once to try it with your shoes/accessories ahead of the big day. You don’t want the first time you try on a dress to be the morning of the wedding!"
Which celebrities have borrowed their wedding outfits?
The likes of Ellie Goulding and Princess Beatrice have worn borrowed items on their big days. Ellie revealed Stella McCartney loaned her some jewellery as her 'something borrowed', Madonna wore an Edwardian diamond tiara loaned by Asprey & Garrard of London and Princess Beatrice's wedding dress previously belonged to the Queen.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's partner Carrie Symonds was a beautiful bride in a bohemian lace wedding dress from Christos Costarellos which she reportedly rented for just £45 from MyWardrobe HQ – much less than the original £2,830 price tag - at their wedding in 2021.
How we chose the best wedding dress rental websites
Expert opinion: We spoke to leading wedding and events planner Lavinia Stewart-Brown (scroll down for more info on Lavinia and why you should trust her.) She told us the best websites tried and tested by her clients.
Variety: We tried to cater to all tastes, so whether you're looking for a vintage wedding dress, something for a beach wedding or even a 50s-style wedding dress, you'll find something to suit.
Reviews: In the rare case we couldn't personally recommend a website or wedding dress hire service, we only included options that had a high volume of positive reviews from verified shoppers
Hurr rental wedding dresses
Grace Loves Lace veil
Rental price: From £49 for 4 days (£12.25 a day)
Retail price: £180
Sizes: one size
Colour: Ivory
Shipping: free
Cleaning: free
Returns: free
Hurr have an impressive selection of brands and dresses - as well as accessories like jewellery, shoes and veils - all available to hire for 4, 8, 16 or 30 days. You can opt for damage protection insurance for £7.50 which will cover you in case of any mishap on the day. This gorgeous Grace Loves Lace veil would reall make an impression walking down the aisle.
John Lewis rental wedding dresses
Whistles Ellis Strapless Wedding Dress
Rental price: From £75.41 for 4 days (£18.85 a day)
Retail price: £499
Sizes: 8-16
Colour: Ivory
Shipping: free
Cleaning: free
Returns: free
John Lewis have a select number of brands available - including Whistles - with more being added each week. Choose between a 4, 8, 16 or 30-day rental and your dress will be delivered on your chosen start date before 4pm. Shipping, returns and cleaning are free, and if the dress doesn’t fit, you can return it withing 24 hours to receive a refun, minus the delivery and cleaning charges. This mermaid-style Whistles dress is the rental that caught our eye.
ASOS rental wedding dresses
Asos Edition Neve Placement Embroidered And Beaded Cami Wedding Dress In Ivory
Rental price: £10 for 14 days (£0.71 a day)
Retail price: £275
Sizes: 8-16
Colour: Ivory
Shipping & Cleaning: £8.50
Returns: free
Most brides are familiar with ASOS, but few know they have a rental section, and the pries are extremely affordable! You can get this lovely Asos Edition Neve Placement Embroidered And Beaded Cami Wedding Dress In Ivory for just 71p a day when it would cost you 275 to buy new. That’s a massive saving, even with the £8.50 shipping and cleaning cost on top. All of the dresses are made by ASOS - you won’t find any big brands here to rent, but even so, it’s well worth checking out.
Etsy rental wedding dresses
Peekaboo Hire 1970s vintage cream wedding dress
Rental price: £64 for 3 days (£21.30 a day)
Retail price: £2995
Sizes: 8-14
Colour: cream
Shipping: £3.95
Cleaning: £20
Returns: £3.95
If you do a bit of searching, there are several companies on Etsy that will rent beautiful dresses for your big day. Both Peekaboo Vintage Store Hire and Propsandrops are two great examples. Every shop has a different set of rules, however, so make sure you read the small print about shipping, returns and what yuo’ll be liable for in terms of damages. How lovely is this 1970s-style wedding dress from Peekaboo Vintage? Yours for only £21 per day.
Selfridges rental wedding dresses
Rotate Birger Christensen Noon dress
Rental price: From £49 for 4 days (£12.25 a day)
Retail price: £340
Sizes: 8-16
Colour: Ivory
Shipping: free
Cleaning: free
Returns: free
As part of their Project Earth initiative, Selfridges offers rentals for 4,8,16 or 30 days. Just select your dream dress and get it delivered straight to your door. Delivery, returns and dry-cleaning services are free (and they use prepaid reusable packaging) If the dress doesn’t fit, you can return it within 24 hours for a refund, minus the dry cleaning and delivery charge. This vintage-style Rotate Birger Christian wedding dress with puffball sleeves is our top pick.
The Devout rental wedding dresses
Whistles Esther bardot Wedding dress
Rental price: From £19 for 7 days (£2.71 a day)
Retail price: £499
Sizes: 8-16
Colour: Ivory
Shipping: free
Cleaning: free
Returns: free
Clothes rental service the Devout has collaborated with Whistles to launch a number of incredible wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses onto its membership platform. Cut those wedding costs and rent your wedding dress - like this lovely Whistles Esther Bardot wedding dress - plus two bridesmaids dresses for as little as £39 per month.
The all-inclusive membership, which features laundry, delivery, collection and damage protection, can be enjoyed on a rolling basis or if you don’t want to sign up for the monthly plan, you can get a one-off 7-day rental for £19.
MyWardrobe HQ rental wedding dresses
Savannah Miller Mathilde dress
Rental price: £185 per day
Retail price: £3,699
Sizes: 12 only
Colour: White
Shipping: £8
Cleaning: free
Returns: free
By Rotation rental wedding dresses
1930s Vintage White Wedding Dress
Rental price: £100 for 2 days (£50 per day)
per day
Retail price: £900
Sizes: 8 only
Colour: White
Shipping: free
Cleaning: free
Returns: Responsibility of the renter
From vintage gowns to chic modern silhouettes, By Rotation has something to suit every bride. Renters simply list an item with prices and minimum rental periods, and those interested can submit a rental request via the secure messaging system. We're loving this silk 1930s dress with puff sleeves.
Meet the expert
As the founder of Lavinia Stewart-Brown Events, Lavinia is one of the UK’s most sought-after wedding and events planners. With a wealth of expertise in the curation and management of spectacular events, Lavinia's career to date has ranged from private parties and intimate and full-scale weddings to corporate events, award ceremonies and much more! Having started her career in the media industry, Lavinia grew her expertise and experience by putting herself at the forefront of a collection of globally prestigious and unforgettable celebrations. As an expert in her field, Lavinia is well-versed in various topics, from curating intimate dinner parties and hosting kids' parties to tips on wedding planning and tablescaping.
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| 2024-01-31T10:20:46Z
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Ralf Little has revealed that DI Neville Parker is "broken" and "ready to give up" on love when we find him in series 13 of Death in Paradise. Teasing the new episodes ahead of its premiere on Sunday, the actor explained how his character is still "very hurt" after being betrayed by his girlfriend Sophie in series 12.
"He's obviously very hurt and bruised by it and mistrustful of people," he told the BBC. "The concept of romance and love has left him extremely jaded. He feels like maybe it's just not for him and that for some people, it just doesn't work for them."
Opening up about where we find Neville in the new series, Ralf continued: "We join him this series very much feeling like he's one of those people and this is all just something he should give up on or he'll get hurt again. He's broken by the whole experience and ready to give up on the idea of loving in any way at all."
Discussing how Neville has evolved since first arriving on the island back in series 9, Ralf explained how Neville has faced up to his issues throughout the series and now lives a "fuller and richer life".
On how this helps him in the aftermath of his relationship with Sophie, Ralf said: "This series we've talked about how, due to the fallout from Sophie, he must do that all over again, but emotionally he has to kind of go, 'No I shouldn't have to hide away, I have to face down everything that's out there, even if it's painful and difficult.' It's a massive emotional journey for him and a really satisfying one."
In series 12, Neville's hopes for a future with Sophie were brutally shattered after she framed him for murder as an act of revenge for sending her sister to prison. It was in fact Sophie who had committed the murder and had conned Neville into thinking she loved him.
When Neville visited her in prison in search of closure, she admitted that while she didn't love him, she "began to like who she was pretending to be with him". No wonder he's scarred!
So, what can fans expect from series 13?
The new season opens with the show's 100th episode, which will see Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (Don Warrington) celebrating fifty years of police service, before having to fight for his life after being shot by a mysterious assassin.
Meanwhile, Catherine (Élizabeth Bourgine) finds herself wrapped up in a murder case, Marlon confronts his future, Naomi lets loose to double date with Darlene, and Neville faces his biggest decision yet.
Fans can also expect to see some new and returning faces arrive on Saint Marie, including Sean Maguire, who becomes the first guest to reprise their role since appearing in the first-ever episode in 2011 as crook Marlon Collins.
Leon Herbert (Outlander), Cathy Tyson (Boiling Point) and Mensah Bediako (Andor) will also appear, as well as Oscar-winning actress Hayley Mills, Motherland star Ellie Haddington, Unforgotten's Kate Robbins, Detectorists actor Pearce Quigley and Last Tango in Halifax's Ronni Ancona.
Death in Paradise series 13 will be available on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 4 February 2024.
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| 2024-01-31T10:20:52Z
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BEIJING – China executed a couple on Jan 31 for throwing two toddlers out of an apartment building window, in a case that caused nationwide outrage.
Zhang Bo and Ye Chengchen were previously found responsible for the fatal falls of the two-year-old girl and one-year-old boy from the 15th floor of a residential tower in southwest China’s Chongqing.
Zhang, the father of the two children, had begun an affair with Ye, who was initially unaware he was married and had children.
She then urged Zhang to kill his two children, which she saw as “obstacles” to their getting married and a “burden on their future life together”, the Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People’s Court said in a statement.
In November 2020, Zhang threw his children out of the window of the apartment in the absence of their mother, whom he had agreed to divorce.
Both were found guilty of conspiring “to kill his daughter and younger son by staging an accidental fall from the 15th floor of his apartment building”, state-backed China Daily reported in 2023.
The couple were sentenced to death in December 2021 and executed on Jan 31, the court said.
The news came the same day as another high-profile execution – of Wu Xieyu, who was found guilty of killing his mother by repeatedly striking her with a dumbbell in 2015, a statement by a court in eastern Fujian province said.
China keeps data on its use of the death penalty secret, although rights group Amnesty International estimates that the country is the top executioner globally, with thousands executed and sentenced to death each year.
Sentences are frequently handed down for crimes ranging from drug trafficking to corruption and murder, with lethal injection being the most common method of execution.
Zhang and Ye’s crime sent shock waves across China for its cold-blooded premeditation, as well as the youth of the victims.
News of their executions quickly rose to the top of a list of trending topics on Chinese social media site Weibo on Jan 31, receiving nearly 200 million views.
“Today is truly a good day,” read one widely liked comment under a related post by state news agency Xinhua.
“The punishment fits the crime,” wrote another. AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/china-executes-couple-for-double-child-murder-that-shocked-nation
| 2024-01-31T10:50:01Z
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MANILA – Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte dialled up his criticism of Mr Ferdinand Marcos Jr, saying his successor is looking to cement his rule beyond the current term limit in the Constitution.
The 78-year-old, in his latest tirade, threatened to separate his native Mindanao – which makes up a third of the Philippine archipelago – from the rest of the nation.
He also stepped up a war of words with Mr Marcos, with the two trading accusations of drug use.
Representative Pantaleon Alvarez is leading efforts for a possible signature drive on the “desirability of Mindanao seceding from the Republic of the Philippines”, Mr Duterte said in a briefing on Jan 30.
“This is not rebellion, not sedition. There’s a process, I think, before the (United Nations) where you would gather signatures,” he said.
Mr Duterte’s daughter Sara Duterte serves as Mr Marcos’ vice-president.
Cracks in the alliance of the Philippines’ two most powerful political families that won the 2022 election have become more visible this week, as Mr Duterte and his successor levelled drug use accusations at each other while a politician son of Mr Duterte called for Mr Marcos’ resignation.
If Mr Marcos withdraws his support for amendments to the Constitution, ties will stabilise, Mr Duterte said at the briefing.
“It’s a mechanism for perpetuation of power,” Mr Duterte said of the moves to tinker with the nation’s by-laws, warning Mr Marcos that if he pushes ahead, he will be ousted like his father who ruled for two decades by revising the Constitution.
Military intervention
He urged Mr Marcos not to be confident about the support of the military, warning him that if the situation becomes chaotic, “they have to intervene”.
The late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr, father of the incumbent, was overthrown by a popular revolt following military defections in 1986.
A year later, under then President Corazon Aquino, a new Constitution was set, whose provisions include limiting the country’s leader to a single six-year term to prevent another abuse of power.
Other presidents after Mrs Aquino also floated plans to amend the Constitution, only to pull back because of public backlash.
Earlier in January, Mr Marcos supported moves to amend the 1987 Constitution, saying it needed to be rewritten for a “globalised world”.
Mr Marcos has yet to issue a statement on Mr Duterte’s allegations about wanting to extend his term.
Mr Duterte on Jan 30 also hit back at Mr Marcos, who accused him of using the synthetic drug fentanyl for years.
The former president said he took fentanyl with a doctor’s prescription, and that he had stopped using it after he got better.
“Now I’m asking you: Do you have (a) prescription for cocaine? Where do you get your supply?” Mr Duterte said, following up on allegations he made on Jan 28 that Mr Marcos was a “drug addict”.
The current President on Jan 29 said he would not dignify the drug accusations with an answer.
Secession survey
Mr Duterte’s secession threat comes after Mr Marcos called for unity on Jan 28. The former president said he has “permanently retired” when asked if he plans to run for public office again.
His public appearances, though, have increased since 2023, and he has done at least two media briefings in January.
A former senator said people allied with Mr Duterte were agitating the military, allegations that Mr Duterte denied.
“We have to educate the people about this advocacy of a Mindanao independence,” Mr Alvarez said in the same briefing on Jan 30, talking about the secession plan.
Communist and Muslim armed separatist movements have flared in the Philippines’ resource-rich southern island of Mindanao since the 1970s, but none have succeeded.
But there is an autonomous region in the south-western portion of the island. BLOOMBERG
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/duterte-steps-up-criticism-of-marcos-pushes-for-mindanao-secession
| 2024-01-31T10:50:11Z
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HANOI - Retired nurse Nga put her life savings into a bond at Vietnam’s Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) but can no longer access her money after being caught up with tens of thousands of other victims in a multi-billion-dollar scam that has shocked the nation.
Property tycoon Truong My Lan is facing a trial in the country’s biggest ever fraud case, accused of embezzling US$12.5 billion (S$16.7 billion) by investigators after she was arrested in a national corruption crackdown that analysts say has hit the economy and unsettled foreign investors.
Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, is said to have swindled the cash from SCB for years, leaving unsuspecting investors out of pocket and leading hundreds to stage rare protests in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Ms Nga, who uses a pseudonym to protect her identity, is among the 42,000 victims of the Van Thinh Phat scandal identified by police.
“My children urged me to spend the money, to travel, but I did not. I put my whole life savings there,” said the 67-year-old Hanoi resident, showing AFP the bond certificates worth around US$120,000 issued by SCB.
“I had planned to use the money to maintain our house... to help my kids.”
The police said those caught up in the scam are all SCB bondholders who could not withdraw their money and have not received interest or principal payments since Lan’s arrest in October 2022.
Lan, who is married to a wealthy Hong Kong businessman, is accused of setting up fake loan applications to withdraw money from SCB, in which she has a 90 per cent stake.
Between February 2019 and September 2022, her driver transported the equivalent of more than US$4.4 billion in cash from SCB’s headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City to her nearby home and Van Thinh Phat’s head office.
Her alleged asset appropriation is equivalent to around 3 per cent of Vietnam’s 2022 GDP.
‘Tip of the iceberg’
Despite a wave of high-profile arrests under the anti-corruption drive, the size of the scandal has shocked the country, said Ms Linh Nguyen, lead analyst for Vietnam at consultancy Control Risks.
“Now it’s raised the question: are there any other cases of a similar scale out there?” she told AFP.
“If one businesswoman with one company and one bank could leverage such huge capital from the economy, then how about in other banks and in other companies?“
Banking expert Bui Kien Thanh also warned that the scandal may be “just the tip of the iceberg”.
“In my view... many, many other banks are doing the same thing, although maybe to a lesser extent,” he said.
Eighty-five other people will face trial alongside Lan, including former central bankers, ex-SCB executives and former government officials.
Among them is a former employee at the State Bank of Vietnam – the central bank – who is accused of accepting US$5.2 million in bribes to conceal SCB’s violations and poor financial situation.
Other top business leaders targeted in the anti-corruption drive and accused of massive fraud include Truong Quy Thanh, the head of soft drink giant Tan Hiep Phat Group.
He is to be prosecuted along with his two daughters for allegedly appropriating US$31.5 million.
Do Anh Dung, chairman of developer Tan Hoang Minh Group, will also face trial for allegedly acquiring US$355 million in a bond sale to more than 6,500 investors.
Economic impact
The anti-graft drive has even dealt a blow to Vietnam’s economy, Mr Luc Can, chief economist at state-owned bank BIDV, said during a recent panel discussion.
In 2023, the government disbursed just 65 per cent of its annual target for public investment capital, he said.
With many fearful of being caught up in the crackdown, everyday transactions within business and the state apparatus have slowed.
The economy grew just over 5 per cent in 2023, missing the government’s 6.5 per cent target.
Meanwhile, the price of gold – a safe haven in times of turmoil and uncertainty – hit a record high in the country in December, surpassing global rates by a third.
Ms Linh, of Control Risks, said the trend showed ordinary Vietnamese feel it is “safer to keep money under your pillow or in gold bars in your safe box at home”.
She added that some foreign investors had also been spooked, even as they have broadly praised what they see as the campaign’s aim to improve rule of law.
“It doesn’t mean that (foreign investors are) going to run away or shift their interests into other countries,” she said. “It might just be they’re delaying... until everything settles down.”
For Ms Nga, who has logged her case with the police, justice cannot come soon enough.
“Those that committed these crimes must be duly punished,” she said. “I trust and I hope that I can get back my money as I did nothing bad to anyone.” AFP
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/the-167-billion-fraud-that-has-shocked-vietnam
| 2024-01-31T10:50:22Z
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