Latest news with #258
New Straits Times
28-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Perlis Customs seizes untaxed ciggies, liquor, arrests senior citizen
PADANG BESAR: Perlis Customs seized untaxed cigarettes and liquor worth over RM34,000, with unpaid duties exceeding RM70,000, in two separate raids in Taiping, Perak and Sungai Petani, Kedah over the weekend. The contraband was found stored in residential homes repurposed as makeshift warehouses. During one of the operations, a 60-year-old man believed to be the mastermind behind the illegal activity was arrested. Officers also seized three vehicles allegedly used to transport the untaxed goods. State Customs director Ismail Hashim said the first raid was conducted at 2.15am on May 17 following a tip-off about suspicious activities at the suspect's residence. "We found three cars parked outside the house. Upon inspection, 24,210 sticks of undeclared cigarettes and 113.25 litres of liquor were found in the boot of the vehicles," he said. The suspect, a trader, allegedly confessed to running the smuggling operation from his home for the past year. Authorities believe the goods were sourced from the Klang Valley. "The seized cigarettes include cigarettes from Indonesia and Germany. They were believed to be intended for distribution around Taiping," he said. In the second raid at about 1.30pm the same day, officers stormed a vacant house in Bukit Banyan, Sungai Petani and found 73,040 sticks of cigarettes worth RM50,563.80 hidden in a living room. "Although the two cases are not directly linked, we believe the modus operandi is similar, using cars or vacant premises as storage sites before distributing the items around Taiping and Sungai Petani," Ismail said. He added that the cigarettes and liquor found in the vehicles during the first raid appeared to have been recently acquired from suppliers. In total, 97,250 sticks of cigarettes worth RM33,258 were seized, involving unpaid duties estimated at RM67,510.80. The 113.25 litres of liquor were valued at RM1,489.52, with duties totalling RM2,734.41. "All three vehicles, believed to belong to the suspect, were also seized. Each is estimated to be worth around RM10,000," Ismail said. Cigarettes and liquor are restricted items and subject to import permits issued by the Customs Director-General under Items 1 and 3, Schedule III, Part II of the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023. The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967. If convicted, the offender may be fined not less than 10 times the value of the goods or RM100,000, whichever is higher, and not more than 20 times the value or RM500,000, or face imprisonment of between six months and five years, or both.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
BTS holds the crown in May's boy group rankings — even while on a break!
The Korean Business Research Institute revealed its monthly brand reputation rankings for male idol groups for May. A multitude of data collected between April 10 and May 10 to track shifts in public sentiment and popularity form the basis of this research. Remarkably, BTS has maintained a firm grip on the charts even after taking a hiatus since 2022. Numerous important indicators, such as customer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community indexes, were thoroughly examined in order to determine the rankings. The Top 5 and the subsequent groups are examined in more detail below. BTS The 7-member boy group topped the list once again with a brand reputation index of 7,811,108, marking a 2.54% increase from April. Their positivity-negativity analysis revealed a remarkable 92.02% positive response rate. The members — Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook — will make a comeback as a group in June 2025 after being on hiatus due to mandatory military service. SEVENTEEN The 13 members of SEVENTEEN — Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino — maintained their strong hold on second place with a brand reputation index of 5,729,258, reflecting their continued popularity. The group is set to make their highly anticipated comeback with the HAPPY BURSTDAY album on May 26, 2025, celebrating their 10th anniversary. BIGBANG The three members of BIGBANG — G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung — climbed to third place this month with a score of 3,381,072, marking a strong return to the top ranks. This month, they also earned an official platinum certification for their iconic hit FANTASTIC BABY after it surpassed 100 million streams in Japan. TWS The 6 members— Shinyu, Dohoon, Youngjae, Hanjin, Jihoon, and Kyungmin — helped TWS rise to fourth place with an 85.77% increase in their brand reputation index, reaching 3,135,194. They will launch their first local tour and debut in Japan this July with the 24/7:With:Us in Japan tour, set to run for about a month. THE BOYZ THE BOYZ, composed of members Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Ju Haknyeon, Sunwoo, and Eric, secured fifth place with a brand reputation index of 2,819,185, maintaining a solid presence among the top boy groups. However, this marks a 7.53% decrease compared to April's index of 3,048,818. Check out the Top 30 6. EXO 7. SHINee 8. Super Junior 9. ENHYPEN 10. NCT 11. Stray Kids 12. BTOB 13. ZEROBASEONE 14. ATEEZ 15. ASTRO 16. INFINITE 17. HIGHLIGHT 18. BOYNEXTDOOR 19. MONSTA X 20. Wanna One 21. 2PM 22. TVXQ 23. RIIZE 24. TREASURE 25. B1A4 26. TXT 27. ONF 28. FTISLAND 29. VIXX 30. PENTAGON
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Four stars who could be in line for a NBA Playoff trading card value boost
LeBron James and Stephen Curry don't need a momentum boost within the sports card world. A robust, lucrative market continues to run strong and will remain intact for a long time to come. But who will be the next big NBA player with unflinching trading card hobby staying power to emerge? Victor Wembanyama was a popular pick, but his injury has put the brakes on his rapid ascent. Advertisement During playoff time last year, the hobby latched on to the Minnesota Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards. His most recognizable rookie card — 2020 Panini Prizm #258 — in the popular Silver parallel with a gem mint PSA 10 grade sold on average for $597 via Market Movers, which tracks card sales across multiple marketplaces, as of April 15, 2024. A monster run during last year's playoffs by Ant-Man during which searched for his name on eBay shot up 1,850 percent compared to the start of the season launched this card into orbit with average sales on May 9 up to around $1,840. One week later, Edwards' cards drastically dipped in value to average sales of $1,120. The Silver rarely reached or topped that daily average ever since. In fact, we're right back where we started with Edwards. His 2020 Prizm Silver in a PSA 10 is even lower than where it sold one year ago before his sharp uptick. This card sold for $561 on Monday. So again, a hungry sector of the industry will watch this year's NBA Playoffs salivating for the next undeniable superstar. Let's take a glimpse at a selection of players who could be in line for a playoff bump if results go their way: The Oklahoma City Thunder guard could be hoisting his first regular season NBA MVP award after this season, and his card market is responding accordingly. SGA's 2018 Prizm Silver rookie card in a PSA 10 went from an $831 average price on Feb. 9 to a $1,550 average on March 13, a 107 percent increase. The price has fluctuated since then, but stood with a $1,180 average price as of April 13. It certainly appears expectations for Gilgeous-Alexander are reaching fever pitch with his market building up to this point for the last few years. What will it take for SGA to maintain this height? Or build even further on this? Probably an NBA Finals appearance and a title, respectively. After all, the Thunder enter the postseason as the oddmakers' favorite to capture the crown. Los Angeles' next cornerstone superstar represents the closest candidate to eventually enter James and Curry territory. This started well before the forward's seismic trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers a couple of months ago. Moving across the country to the NBA card hobby's version of the New York Yankees should only accelerate his market. Still, Dončić's rookie cards received an NBA Finals bump about a year ago. Advertisement His 2018 Prizm Silver parallel in a PSA 10 built average sales of $1,120 on May 21 last year. The Mavs' trip to the finals against the Boston Celtics propelled the card's sales as high as $2,060 on June 1. The loss to Boston probably didn't aid in maintaining prices close to the peak, however, with sales falling as low as $991 three weeks later. Then came the Lakers' bump for Dončić. The card jumped to as high as a $1,770 average price on Feb. 3, leveling off to a $1,410 average price as of Monday. It would be hard to imagine a massive dropoff for the forward if the Lakers flounder in the playoffs since it's clear he's the next face of the franchise, though. An increase up to last year's peak and even higher wouldn't be a shock if Los Angeles navigated its way to this year's finals. Apologies to the Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell and the Celtics' Jayson Tatum. An Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks playoff resurgence in the Eastern Conference could re-energize a once flourishing card market for the Greek Freak. Sales for Antetokounmpo's 2013 Prizm Silver in a PSA 10 will always be far less frequent given the card's small PSA population count of just 88. For perspective, Dončić's version has a pop count of 2,375. That's also why the price for the Bucks star's cards will be much higher. The last sale for Antetokounmpo's version went for $6,370 on March 25. That's down 26.7 percent from a year ago. And in February 2022, the two average sales for the card were $34,700. The card's current value is at its lowest point since 2019. Given the Bucks rank fifth to win the Eastern Conference via BetMGM at +6000, the likelihood of an NBA Finals run probably seems slim. But maybe any sort of playoff heroics could provide a shot of adrenaline into his card market. This feels like a potential Ant-Man 2.0 situation. The 2021 No. 1 pick will make his NBA Playoff debut when the Detroit Pistons challenge the New York Knicks in the first round. Cunningham is in the midst of the best season of his career, and the Knicks feel vulnerable. In mid-November, his 2021 Prizm Silver in a PSA 10 averaged only $203. The price popped as high as $660 in early March and now averages $561. That's right along where Edwards' version landed last year at this point. Any sharp upward turn could be sudden and the staying power might be quick like Edwards last year since this Pistons group carries no playoff history at all. The addition of Cunningham and the Pistons into the playoff picture has at least brought a budding star player into the conversation. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.
Korea Herald
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Yeji hopes to show off potential in solo debut
Singer admits feelings of excitement, pressure as first from Itzy to go solo Yeji of Itzy made her highly anticipated solo debut Monday with the release of her first EP, 'Air,' six years after debuting with the girl group in 2019. At her debut showcase in Seoul, Yeji admitted to both the excitement of the moment and pressure as the first member of her group to go solo. 'My heart is still racing and I'm nervous. When I first heard the news that I would be going solo, I was beyond happy, but I also thought, 'Has that much time already passed?'' Yeji said. 'I believe I was chosen as the first soloist because I'm the eldest and the leader of the team,' she added. "I think the company trusted me to take on this challenge first." The album embodies Yeji's passion for music, performance and the stage. The EP consists of four tracks: main song 'Air,' along with 'Invasion,' 'Can't Slow Me, No' and '258.' 'Air' is a synth-pop track characterized by strong bass and an addictive hook. Yeji participated in writing the lyrics. JYP Entertainment founder Park Jin-young also contributed. 'The message of 'Air' is about showcasing my presence, my aura, through my first solo debut. There's a lyric that says, 'You take my breath away,' and when I think about those overwhelming moments, they were always on stage. That's the message I wanted to convey,' Yeji said. Regarding her comparatively late solo debut — K-pop group members typically strike out as solo artists in their third or fourth year — Yeji shared that she had been focused on group activities until her agency suggested she pursue a solo project. And the suggestion came at the right time. 'Last year, I felt like I was falling into a rut, repeating the same schedule. That's when the solo proposal came, and for me, it was an opportunity. Through this process, I realized just how much I love what I do,' she said. Ultimately, Yeji hopes that 'Air' will allow her to prove herself as a solo artist. 'Just debuting solo is already a huge achievement for me. My goal with this promotion is to show people that Yeji, as a solo artist, has real potential,' she added.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Labor groups ring alarms over proposed changes to Nebraska minimum wage, paid sick leave laws
Anahí Salazar, policy coordinator at Voices for Children in Nebraska, spoke at the Nebraska statehouse on Mar, 6, 2025, about bills seeking to soften voter-approved ballot measures on requiring paid sick leave and increasing the minimum wage. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Labor activists stood in the Capitol Rotunda during Thursday morning's agenda and criticized a pair of legislative bills seeking to weaken voter-approved minimum wage and paid sick leave laws, which continue to march on in the Nebraska statehouse. Worker advocates and union leaders spoke out against the proposed changes as attempts to undermine the will of Nebraska voters, who over the past three years have approved increasing wages and paid leave for all workers via ballot measure. Nebraska voters approved a ballot measure last November to establish a minimum level of paid sick leave for all workers. The initiative mandates that Nebraska businesses provide employees up to seven days of paid sick leave for businesses with at least 20 employees and five days a year for those with fewer than 20 employees. In 2022, Nebraska voters passed a ballot measure to increase the state minimum wage to $15 per hour starting next year. The measure's design raised the minimum wage by increments to reach that point. Legislative Bill 258, by State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln, would limit who can get a wage increase in 2027. The proposed change to the initiative would cap the minimum wage at $13.50 per hour for Nebraskans younger than 16 years old, except for those legally free from parental control and responsibility. LB 698, proposed by State Sen. Paul Strommen of Sidney, would raise the minimum number of employees a business must have to be obligated to provide paid sick leave from one to at least 11 employees instead of 10. His bill would make workers under age 15 and temporary and seasonal agricultural workers ineligible for the mandatory paid sick leave. It also would remove a section that allows workers to sue businesses if they violated the new paid sick leave law. LB 258 and LB 698 both advanced from the Legislature's Business and Labor Committee. Raybould proposed changes in LB 258 that also would cap the annual minimum wage increase at a lesser rate of one and one-half percent instead of being linked to the Consumer Price Index to keep up with inflation, which was what voters approved. Another change would modify the 90-day training wage for new employees under 18 to $13.50 and to '75% of the minimum wage' in 2027. The youngest someone can work in Nebraska is 14 years old, with hour restrictions. 'LB 258 does not reflect the will of Nebraska citizens who voted overwhelmingly for stepped increases to minimum wage,' said Anahí Salazar, Policy Coordinator at Voices for Children in Nebraska. Raybould, whose family owns grocery stores 'throughout the state of Nebraska' wrote in her conflict of interest form filed with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission that 'providing a youth and training wage would benefit our company with some savings. The cap on the increases in 2027 would also keep the projected minimum wage increase to a more reasonable and predictable one. This would also benefit our company.' She explained in the form why she won't abstain from voting on LB 258 despite the conflict of interest, because, 'this legislation would impact more businesses besides our grocery stores, including, but not limited to, all retailers, restaurants, detasselers, day care facilities and other small and independent businesses in our state.' Raybould has made LB 258 her priority bill this session. Strommen described his sick leave measure during its hearing as an attempt to 'clean up' initiative language and shield workers from 'unintended consequences.' Some business owners and groups that testified for the bill referred to it as a 'lifeline' and said costs could rise and be passed along to the consumer. Others said they welcomed the initiative's original language. State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair also said the Legislature with LB 698 must determine a balance between what voters supporting the paid sick leave initiative want and what the state can provide. Student activist Sam Washburn said both bills disappointed him as a young person in the workforce, because they aim to 'undermine protection for workers at small businesses' for young workers. 'I don't understand how democratically elected senators can so easily go against these democratically supported initiatives,' said Washburn. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
