Taking inspiration from the 2018 cave rescue in the northern province of Chiang Rai, one billion baht will be invested in a new attraction and exhibition called The Caventure. A soft opening is expected in October next year. The 17-day rescue in 2018, or the Tham Luang cave rescue, at Tham Luang Nang Non Cave in Chiang Rai, was an extraordinarily dangerous mission that had the globe captivated. It was a massive operation and cooperation was needed from several Thai and international departments to save a football coach and 12 youngsters from the Wild Boar football team. International divers, rescue workers, soldiers, police officers, and many other specialists joined the mission drawing worldwide public attention. The incident was later highlighted in books, documentaries, and finally, in Ron Howard’s wonderful movie Thirteen Lives. Now, the event agency, Index Creative Village, wants to create the nail-biting misadventure again with a permanent exhibition and an attraction … [Read more...] about 2018 Thai cave rescue inspires new attraction in Chiang Rai
Deadline canada tax 2018
Food inflation eases, but uncertain crops slow wider relief
- A + A CHICAGO (Aug 10): While the outlook for global crops is improving from the tumultuous weeks after Russia's attack on Ukraine, the threats of drought, flooding, and blistering heat are keeping supplies tight and prices elevated. Crop futures have retreated to pre-war levels, and the UN's monthly measure of food prices sank the most since 2008. That is offering some relief to consumers who have faced rampant food inflation since the start of the pandemic. Still, the war is putting more pressure on farmers from the US to India to replace crop losses and make up for the shortfall in supplies from Ukraine, normally a key shipper to poorer nations in the Middle East and Africa. How much they can provide is in question. Major producers like the US, Brazil, and Argentina have been facing yield issues over the last few years thanks to scorching heat, supporting prices at higher levels. Global production of corn and soybeans in 2021-2022 fell short of initial … [Read more...] about Food inflation eases, but uncertain crops slow wider relief
MAHB, Capital A discontinue all legal proceedings against each other
MAHB, Capital A cease legal proceedings - A + A KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 10): Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd and Capital A Bhd have both decided to drop legal proceedings against each other that they initiated via their subsidiaries Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd (MASSB) and AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd (AirAsia Group). The two groups have locked horns since the end of 2018, when AirAsia Group's Malaysian operations refused to collect the higher passenger service charges (formerly known as airport tax) from passengers that MAHB and MASSB demanded, after the rate was raised to RM73 per pssenger in 2018 from RM50. This escalated into a series of lawsuits between the groups, starting with three civil suits MAHB filed against AirAsia Group's units — AirAsia Bhd and AirAsia X Bhd — to claim for the unpaid PSC and late payment charges related to them. They obtained a summary judgement from the High Court in 2019, which the Court of Appeal upheld earlier this year. MAHB … [Read more...] about MAHB, Capital A discontinue all legal proceedings against each other
MACC officer: I only investigated Zahid in UKSB bribe probe
Zahid is facing 33 charges of receiving S$13.56 million (RM42 million) in bribes from UKSB as an inducement. (Photo by Patrick Goh/The Edge) - A + A SHAH ALAM (Aug 10): Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Mahendran Vrejenan told the High Court here that when he began investigating Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on suspicion of receiving bribes from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB), he omitted other ministers also alleged to have received bribes from the company as he was only tasked with probing Zahid. Mahendran was responding to questions posed by both the prosecution and the defence over the names of politicians in a ledger kept by a former UKSB manager as a record of whom he paid bribes to. Testifying at Zahid's corruption trial, Mahendran told the court that while the names of a number of politicians and ministers had appeared in the ledger, he did not concern himself with them as his main task was to investigate Zahid and the … [Read more...] about MACC officer: I only investigated Zahid in UKSB bribe probe
Swift Haulage to acquire Singapore-based Watt Wah Petroleum Haulage
- A + A KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 10): Swift Haulage Bhd plans to buy Singapore’s Watt Wah Petroleum Haulage Pte Ltd, which is involved in the transporting of petroleum products, for S$1.6 million (RM5.18 million) cash. It will also take over Watt Wah's shareholders' loan that amounted to S$8.5 million as on June 30. In a Bursa Malaysia filing on Wednesday (Aug 10), the integrated logistics service provider said it has entered into a binding order (BO) with Watt Wah’s sole shareholder, DLT Enterprise Pte Ltd for the acquisition. The BO is subject to a definitive share and purchase agreement to be inked between Swift Haulage and DLT. Besides the cash consideration, Swift Haulage said it will repay Watt Wah's shareholders' loan in full by refinancing the loan within two weeks after the acquisition is completed. "The amount of the shareholders' loan is subject to changes resulting from further repayment(s) between June 30, 2022 and the completion date," Swift Haulage said. … [Read more...] about Swift Haulage to acquire Singapore-based Watt Wah Petroleum Haulage
Small nuclear reactors finally get the nod from regulators, but they still have a lot to prove
Congress is finally moving this week on the Inflation Reduction Act , a bill that could drive a 40% reduction in carbon emissions over the next decade. But another government arm, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, made its own (far quieter) news this month when it gave final certification to a new kind of nuclear reactor called a small modular reactor (SMR). While the announcement received basically no fanfare, proponents say it could play an important role in decarbonizing the world’s energy supply. advertisement advertisement The agency first performed a safety review of reactor company NuScale Power’s SMR design in 2020. A year later, the NRC completed its standard rulemaking process, which included a review of public comments. On August 2, the commission issued a final approval for the SMR, though NuScale says it’s unlikely to become operational until 2029. Technically, nuclear power is capable of delivering large amounts of emissions-free … [Read more...] about Small nuclear reactors finally get the nod from regulators, but they still have a lot to prove
How to make decision fatigue more bearable
Staring at a lengthy dinner menu while eating out last night, I couldn’t bring myself to contemplate its many choices, however delightful. “I’ll just take whatever is most popular,” I said when the waiter arrived. For a foodie like me, what? Decision fatigue is what. advertisement advertisement Every day, we face thousands of decisions, both big and small—from what to wear, to what to eat, to what to say and how to say it, to whether to change jobs or careers. In total, this amounts to approximately 35,000 remotely conscious decisions a day. And while this number sounds absurd, researchers at Cornell showed that we make 226 decisions each day on food alone. When we face so many choices and make decision after decision, it depletes our mental energy and willpower . This biological price tag is called decision fatigue —or a state of cognitive overload and strain that can hamper your ability to make additional decisions. In this state, our … [Read more...] about How to make decision fatigue more bearable
Revised bill that addresses President’s concern on Bulacan freeport filed in House
FILE PHOTO: Albay Rep. Joey Salceda. INQUIRER MANILA, Philippines — A revised version of the bill creating the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport, this time addressing the concerns raised by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he vetoed the bill, was filed before the House of Representatives. According to Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda — a staunch proponent of the said ecozone — he is confident that House Bill No. 2228 answers all the questions Marcos had for the bill. The veto of the said bill was one of Marcos’ first actions as President, citing supposed substantial financial risks to the country. READ: Bongbong Marcos vetoes bill on Bulacan Airport City ecozone “The proponent is confident that the proposed safeguards materially, if not completely, address the concerns that the President manifested to Congress in his veto message for HB 7575,” Salceda said in the bill’s explanatory note. “In fact, the proposed safeguards and amendments, go … [Read more...] about Revised bill that addresses President’s concern on Bulacan freeport filed in House
Vedanta plans Rs 2 billion capex in FY24, doubling it from FY23
The company said that dividends from the profit will also help the parent company, Vedanta Resources, pare its debt. Vedanta Resources plans to reduce debt by $4 billion in the next three years. Mining and metals company Vedanta Ltd is planning to spend Rs 2 billion on capital expenditure (capex) across businesses in FY24, doubling it from the FY23 capex, senior management said over a conference call on April 28. The company reported a five percent year-on-year decline in consolidated profit after tax (PAT) at Rs 7,261 crore for the fourth quarter of 2022-23 as it had a significantly higher base in the previous year due to exceptional items. The company said that the PAT, before the exceptional item and one-time tax credit, was Rs 7,570 crore, up 48 percent on-year. The consolidated quarterly revenue for the March quarter was Rs 39,342 crore, up 41 percent on-year. The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) for FY23 was over $6 billion, of … [Read more...] about Vedanta plans Rs 2 billion capex in FY24, doubling it from FY23
India seeks to oust China firms from under Rs 12,000 phone market
A Realme mobile phone on display in the Realme showroom store in the Karol Bagh district in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. China’s Realme closing in on market leaders Xiaomi, Samsung, yet hurdles loom in treacherous market where many stumbled. Photographer: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg India seeks to restrict Chinese smartphone makers from selling devices cheaper than 12,000 rupees ($150) to kickstart its faltering domestic industry, dealing a blow to brands including Xiaomi Corp. The move is aimed at pushing Chinese giants out of the lower segment of the world’s second-biggest mobile market, according to people familiar with the matter. It coincides with mounting concern about high-volume brands like Realme and Transsion undercutting local manufacturers, they said, asking not to be identified discussing a sensitive matter. Exclusion from India’s entry-level market would hurt Xiaomi and its peers, which in recent years have increasingly relied on India to drive … [Read more...] about India seeks to oust China firms from under Rs 12,000 phone market