Latest news with #170
The Star
01-06-2025
- The Star
M'sians flock to China's panda tours
PETALING JAYA: It's a testament to her 'soft power' that some Malaysians are willing to spend at least RM5,000 just to celebrate her fourth birthday. Sheng Yi, the third panda that was born in Malaysia on May 31, 2021, and is now based in Sichuan province, would have Malaysian visitors such as part-time tutor Chin Lee Peng. 'I have brought a special banner to celebrate her birthday,' she said. Chin, 56, said she spent RM1,170 on the flight ticket. The overall expenses for the 12-day trip, which include tickets for high-speed trains and entrance fees, would cost her about RM5,000. Her earlier plan was to visit China on her own to celebrate the birthday of Yi Yi, whose birth on Jan 14, 2018 marked the second panda born in Malaysia. 'Originally, I was planning to go alone to visit Yi Yi and celebrate Sheng Yi's birthday, but another friend wanted to join me,' she said. Yi Yi and Sheng Yi are the offspring of Fu Wa and Feng Yi who were loaned by China to Malaysia in 2014 to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Their older sister Nuan Nuan, born in 2015, went back to China in 2017. Recalling her first time seeing pandas in Malaysia, Chin said, 'I'd never seen pandas then. Now, every time I see them, I feel happy and relaxed. Pandas really do have a special charm.' Chin said that pandas had helped her open up and connect with others. 'I'm quite an introvert. I wouldn't leave the house unless I had to. But pandas made me want to share my experiences and meet people from around the world. They truly are goodwill ambassadors, bridging cultures,' she added. Chin also said she had made many friends in China. 'When people in China hear how well Malaysia cared for the pandas, they're always so grateful,' she added. Travel agent Saw Beng Teik said that visiting a panda base has become an essential part of tours for Malaysians visiting Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. 'This has been a popular request from Malaysians for many years. They love pandas. They are always keen to visit China to see more of them. There are so many famous panda 'stars' there,' he said. Fellow travel industry professional Lily Chin said that since Malaysia welcomed the first pair of pandas, the demand for panda tours has grown steadily, especially from the 'superfans'. 'Many Malaysian tourists now request that their itineraries include panda bases in China. We're planning to include more panda-viewing spots in our tours,' she added. One Malaysian who is eagerly awaiting for such a visit in March next year is retiree Goh Leang Leang, 54. 'I will go with a few of my friends. We're joining a nine-day tour to China just to see the pandas.' She said the tour, which includes meals, transport, a driver and a guide, would cost about 6,500 yuan (RM3,835). The tour, she added, would focus only on visiting panda bases and parks in Chengdu and other parts of Sichuan province. Goh said that pandas have been a source of comfort and healing during her battle with cancer. 'I had stage three breast cancer and was going through treatment three years ago. At that time, I had nothing else to look forward to,' she said. Goh revealed that she once thought of giving up medical treatment, especially after her second round of chemotherapy. 'Because my immune system was so weak, I couldn't be near anyone, so I just stayed in my room. 'It was so hard, but the doctor persuaded me to keep going,' she said. One day, she chanced upon videos of pandas in other countries while browsing the Internet. 'Their adorable and clumsy ways just drew me in. 'Those videos eased my pain and lifted my spirits. I didn't cry anymore,' she said. 'I started paying more attention to Malaysia's own pandas, too.' As she regained her health, Goh began visiting pandas in different places. Besides Zoo Negara, she has gone to see pandas in China and Taiwan. On May 18, the departure of Fu Wa and Feng Yi to China marked the last of the five pandas being sent home. However, a new deal was signed in April during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Malaysia. Under the agreement, Malaysia will receive a new pair of giant pandas for a 10-year period from 2025 to 2035.
Hans India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Naidu sets Rs. 1.34L-cr revenue target for FY26
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed all revenue-generating departments to conduct an in-depth study on opportunities available to significantly increase state's income. The state government has set an ambitious target of Rs 1,34,208 crore in total revenues for the financial year 2025-26, representing a year-on-year growth of 29 per cent. Addressing a review meeting with all revenue-generating departments at the Secretariat on Tuesday, the CM expressed concern that although Andhra Pradesh ranked among the top states in gold consumption, the corresponding tax revenues were not proportionate. He instructed officials to address this and implement strict measures to prevent tax evasion. The Chief Minister also emphasised the need to create a central Data Lake, integrating information from all departments. Each department should have its own AI team, and an AI-driven tax system should be operational within the next two to three months to provide better services to taxpayers, he said. Naidu instructed the officials to take stringent measures to prevent illegal liquor sales from neighbouring states. He directed that the entire process - from supply to retail - should be tracked in real-time to ensure transparency. Questioning why Andhra Pradesh's transport revenue remained lower than that of neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, he called for an immediate investigation and corrective policy measures. He stressed that revenue-generating departments must strive to exceed monthly targets. He suggested forming a committee to facilitate the international sale of red sanders stocks in the state. Noting that Andhra Pradesh is home to red sanders worth thousands of crores of rupees, he said monetising these reserves could bring in substantial income. He asked for a detailed report on the volume and value of red sanders stocks available. Though the state government has set ambitious revenue targets, the performance has been a mixed bag so far this financial year. From April 1 to May 11 this financial year, revenue from Commercial Taxes and Forest departments saw a decline, whereas income from the Stamps & Registrations department surged unexpectedly when compared to the same period last financial year. Meanwhile, transfers from the Central government to the state dropped by 26 per cent during this period compared to last year. While Andhra Pradesh received Rs17,170 crore from the Centre during this period in 2024–25, only Rs 12,717 Cr was received this year, officials noted. The new Excise Policy has led to increased revenue in 2024–25, with the state earning Rs 28,842 crore from liquor sales, a 14.84 per cent rise over the previous year. However, when compared to southern states like Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh's Excise revenue remains relatively low. In April 2025 alone, the state earned Rs 2,116 crore in excise revenue. Officials estimate that total excise income for the year could reach Rs 33,882 crore. The CM noted that a few departments have not met their expected progress in the past year and emphasised the need for improved performance across the board.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio citizens assume costs and risks of carbon capture
() Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is a process where supercritical carbon dioxide (1070+ psi and 88 degrees Fahrenheit) is injected into Class VI injection wells, into underground subsurface rock formations to a depth of at least 5,000 feet. The CO2 gas fills pore spaces located within these formations. Recently, Ohio's legislators introduced bills HB 170 and SB 136, which will give the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) primacy (primary control) over Ohio's Class VI carbon dioxide injection wells. Currently, the U.S. EPA has control and issues the permits for Class VI wells. H.B. 170 and S.B. 136 will allow the ODNR chief to force non-consenting property owners to surrender use of the 'pore space' under their private property. 'A storage operator who has obtained the consent of owners of at least 70 percent of the pore space proposed to be used in a storage facility may submit a statutory consolidation application for the operation of the entire proposed storage facility to the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management,' H.B. 170 states. Private landowners have no rights or the ability to stop this dangerous asphyxiant from being stored under their homes. CCS does not remove any existing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but rather captures carbon dioxide from industrial processes, including ethanol fermentation, methane reforming, Portland cement production, and emissions from fossil fuel power plants. The process is energy intensive and expensive. The CCS equipment can require up to 30% of the energy that a power plant produces. A recent report by the International Panel on Climate Change found 'the levelized costs of electricity (LCOEs) for thermal power generation with CCS are at least 1.5 to 2 times above current alternatives, which include renewable energy plus storage.' In addition to increased electricity bills, taxpayers will be picking up the costs for the 45Q tax credits for carbon dioxide captured. The Inflation Reduction Act established rates per ton of CO2 sequestered at $85 per ton. Considering that a large coal power plant emits 15 million tons of CO2 per year; the subsidy would be $1.25 billion in taxpayer dollars per year for one power plant. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE There are many concerns about safety throughout the entire process, including the toxic chemicals needed to sequester the CO2 gas, the pipelines used to transport the gas, and issues with Class VI wells leaking CO2 gas. Some estimates say at least 900 miles of pipelines would be required to carry CO2 across the state from sources to injection wells in eastern Ohio. In 2020, the Mississippi town of Satartia experienced a pipeline rupture in a 24-inch pipe. The pipe spewed out CO2 at a pressure of 1300 psi for more than three hours. The accident resulted in 200 people being evacuated and 45 taken to the hospital, with many having resulting chronic illnesses. Nearby cars shut off or failed to start because of lack of oxygen needed to operate internal combustion engines. Carbon dioxide gas is odorless, colorless, doesn't burn, is heavier than air. It is also an asphyxiant and intoxicant, which makes releases from CO2 pipelines harder to observe and avoid especially when it spreads and migrates off the pipeline right-of-way. In 2009, concerned citizens living in Darke County successfully mobilized over a 14-month period to stop a proposed carbon sequestration project. 'The 35-member Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Project (MRCSP) cancelled the $92.8 million dollar proposal to inject one million tons of carbon dioxide captured over four years from an ethanol plant in Greenville, Ohio,' according to a report from Recharge News. There is no guarantee that the CO2 will remain in the rock strata in perpetuity. Several factors could contribute to leaking of the super-critical CO2 gas from the underground storage locations. One of these is seismic activity. 'The presence of seismic activity, both natural and induced, is of great importance when evaluating CO2 sequestration potential. Extensive fault zones may provide leakage pathways along which CO2 could migrate,' according to a study published in Environmental Geosciences. Additionally, the very act of injecting high-pressure CO2 into continental crusts could induce earthquakes and jeopardize carbon storage. 'Deep borehole stress measurements at the Mountaineer coal-burning power plant on the Ohio River in West Virginia indicate a severe limitation on the rate at which CO2 could be injected without the resulting pressure build-up, initiating slip on preexisting faults,' according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The fact that Ohio has over 36,000 orphan oil wells also adds to the risks of injecting high pressure CO2 into Ohio's Appalachian counties. Finally, current CCS projects have shown that the process fails to capture the promised amounts of CO2 and many of the taxpayer subsidized projects have been terminated. According to the Geoengineering Monitor, after decades of research, 'there is no evidence that CCS can address the causes of the climate crisis or significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.' CCS is too risky and too expensive. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
New Straits Times
23-04-2025
- New Straits Times
Pontian school administrator hit with 40 charges over RM100k in false claims
JOHOR BARU: A secondary school senior administrative officer pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to 20 charges of submitting false claims amounting to over RM100,000 for learning materials that were never delivered. The 42-year-old Pontian school administrator, Mohd Khairul Md Khalid, was charged under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009. He also claimed trial to 20 alternative counts of using forged documents under Section 471 of the Penal Code, punishable under Section 465 with a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both. He was charged with allegedly using false invoices ranging between RM1,170 and RM7,920 to deceive his principal into approving payments amounting to RM101,218.28. No actual delivery of goods took place. The offences were alleged to have occurred between May 1, 2021 and May 1, 2022. If convicted, Khairul faces up to 20 years in jail and a fine of not less than five times the value of the gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher. Deputy public prosecutor Rais Adha Ramli urged the court to impose RM30,000 bail in total, citing the gravity of the offences. However, defence lawyer Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud pleaded for leniency, saying his client's income had been frozen since his arrest in 2023, and that he had been served with a bankruptcy notice. "He supports a wife, two children, and an elderly mother-in-law. The financial pressure is already immense," said the lawyer. The court fixed bail at RM14,000 with one surety. Khairul was also ordered to report to the MACC office monthly. Mention has been fixed for June 23.
Khaleej Times
06-03-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Dubai-Manila flight: Cebu Pacific offers Dh15 tickets as it kicks off super seat sale
The Philippines' Cebu Pacific, in celebration of its 29th anniversary, is launching the Super Seat Fest, offering its signature low fares and convenient connections through its hubs to various destinations nationwide. From today until March 11, 2025, travellers from Dubai may book flights to Manila for as low as Dh15 one-way base fare, exclusive of fees and surcharges. The travel period will run from July 1 to November 30. From Dubai to Manila, passengers can fly to 29 other Philippine destinations, making it easier than ever to visit the beachfront resorts of Boracay, the iconic Chocolate Hills of Bohol, and more. Through its hubs in Manila, Clark, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao, CEB connects travellers to the Philippines with ease, whether for vacations or long-awaited reunions. 'With its stunning natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage and amazing value for money, the Philippines is soaring in popularity as a destination of choice for Australians seeking an affordable, yet unforgettable, holiday,' said a spokesperson for Cebu Pacific. The number of visitors to the Philippines surged from 112,500 in 2022 to 233,170 in 2023 with the figure expected to cross 250,000 for 2024. CEB operates in 37 domestic and 26 international destinations spread across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. CEB offers multiple payment options, including credit and debit cards, as well as e-wallets, for booking flights and purchasing add-ons.
