Latest news with #817
Scoop
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
May New Vehicle Registrations Holds Ground In May
New vehicle registrations in May 2025 totalled 10,251, a modest 65 units higher than May 2024 (10,186), signaling stabilisation in monthly demand. However, year-to-date figures continue to reflect a softer market, with 51,621 new vehicles registered to the end of May - a 3 percent decline compared with 53,352 over the same period in 2024. Registration numbers for new vehicles are compiled each month by the Motor Industry Association representing the country's new vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. Association chief executive Aimee Wiley says while the year-on-year result for May shows encouraging signs, the overall market is yet to regain momentum. 'We probably still have a period of subdued activity to come, but these May numbers do offer some cause for optimism and hopes for better times ahead.' For cars and SUVs, new registrations at 6,817 showed a small improvement on the 6,369 registered in May 2024; while light commercial (3,016 units) and heavy commercial (418 units) represented a decrease on May 2024 figures of 3,154 units and 663 units respectively. Toyota's RAV4 was the top passenger model for the month with 666 sales, followed by the Mitsubishi ASX with 457 units sold and the Ford Everest in third place with 277 sales. The RAV4 is also the leading model on a year-to-date basis with 3,806 registrations for a 10.5 percent share of the market. The Ford Ranger held onto top spot in the light commercial category with 1,051 sales and a 34.8 percent market share, followed by the Toyota Hilux with 910 sales and a 30.2 percent share of the market. Year-to-date registrations show a much closer contest with the Ford Ranger on 3,510 registrations and the Toyota Hilux right behind with 3,438 registrations. Registrations of battery electric light passenger vehicles (BEV) remained relatively steady over the month, with 447 registrations slightly higher than the 442 such vehicles registered in April. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) with 2,883 registrations and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) at 351 sales were slightly ahead of those registered in April; (2598 and 177 respectively). Industry Registrations In May 2025 10,251 new vehicles were registered, representing a 0.6% increase (65 units) over May 2024 and a 23.2% decrease (3,103 units) compared to May 2023.
The Star
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Sailing from Oregon to Hawaii after quitting his job turns a man with a cat into social media star
HONOLULU: Midway while sailing across the Pacific with just his cat named Phoenix, Oliver Widger reflected on why he thinks his many followers – more than a million on TikTok and Instagram – are drawn to his story of quitting his 9-to-5 job and embarking on a journey from Oregon to Hawaii. "The world kind of sucks and, like, I don't think I'm alone in how I felt with my work,' Widger, 29, told The Associated Press on Wednesday via Zoom. "You can be making US$150,000 (RM642,260) a year and you still feel like you're just making ends meet, you know what I mean? And I think people are just tired of that and working really hard for nothing and want a way out." People are inspired by someone who found a way out, said Widger, who is among a growing number of people who have undertaken such voyages in recent years. Being diagnosed four years ago with a syndrome that carried a risk of paralysis made him realise he hated his job as a manager at a tire company, a job requiring him to be clean-shaven and wear pressed shirts. He heard about people who sailed from California to Hawaii and decided that was the life for him. He abruptly quit his job with "no money, no plan' and US$10,000 (RM42,817) of debt. "I knew one thing: I'm buying a sailboat,' he recalled. "I'm sailing around the world.' He liquidated his retirement savings, taught himself to sail mostly via YouTube and moved from Portland to the Oregon coast, where he spent months refitting the US$50,000 (RM214,086) boat he bought. Now, Widger is harnessing the power of social media to fund his round-the-world sailing dream. Since he set sail in April, followers have been tuning into his "Sailing with Phoenix' social media posts to view videos of him and his feline first mate battling the waves and bouts of seasickness, enjoying dazzling sunsets, recounting tricky boat repairs or just reflecting on life at sea. As he discussed his journey with the AP, a netted bag carrying bottled water and snacks swung wildly over his head as the boat rocked. He recalled highlights of the voyage so far, including marveling at the speed dolphins cut through the water and finding flying fish on the deck. There have been stretches when there were no birds in sight for days. It can be a struggle to sleep when the boat is creaking while being buffeted by waves or to steady a boiling pot for the MREs he has been subsisting on. There have been harrowing moments like when a rudder failed and the boat tilted sideways in the surf for three hours as he made repairs, and the time he locked himself in the engine compartment and pried his way out with a wrench. Widger acknowledged he is relatively inexperienced as a sailor, but he has implemented safety measures and communication backup plans, including a satellite phone and an emergency beacon. Lt. Cmdr. Jesse Harms of the US Coast Guard in Hawaii hasn't been following the journey closely, but said he is relieved to hear Widger has the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, known as an EPIRB. It's a critical tool for rescuers to locate a mariner's position during an emergency, especially in the Pacific, the largest ocean, Harms said. Widger's journey provides a good opportunity to educate the public about sailing safety, such as the importance of wearing a personal flotation device whenever topside on the boat, monitoring the weather closely and registering emergency tools like the EPIRB, Harms said. "That's a really critical piece for anybody that's getting motivated by his story to go set off on their own adventure,' Harms said. Until his arrival, likely in Honolulu, Widger is making sure everything is in place to avoid Phoenix having to undergo Hawaii's animal quarantine. A mobile vet will sign off on Phoenix's health when they arrive, he said. Widger wasn't aware of the deadly danger of cat faeces to the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, but he has been keeping all his trash, including kitty litter, on board. Even though he said he is legally allowed to throw it overboard, seeing so much plastic in the ocean motivates him not to. In addition to managing the practicalities of daily life on a boat, he is coping with going viral in the middle of the ocean by creating social media content and making decisions about merch his fans want to buy. He credits it all to his neck issue, which "shook up my world and it changed my perspective on everything.' He also hopes he can be an inspiration for anyone who's in a rut. "Everything I've done I thought was impossible,' Widger said. "Sailing around the world is such a ridiculous dream. Whatever your dream is, just go, just do it.' – AP
The Star
07-05-2025
- The Star
Ex-China ‘most beautiful fugitive' banned for promoting legal education via livestreams
A former member of a gang involved in a US$190,000 fraud racket claimed to have 'turned over a new leaf' after her release from prison. — SCMP A woman dubbed the 'most beautiful fugitive' in China has been banned online for promoting anti-fraud education via live-streams following her release from prison. Qing Chenjingliang, 26, from Mianyang in Sichuan province, southwestern China, was expelled from secondary school as a teen for poor grades. Influenced by her boyfriend, she later joined a 10-person fraud ring. Posing as bar staff, the group lured victims online with fake romantic approaches or friendly intentions and forced them into expensive spending, using threats or violence if they refused to pay. In November 2018, police issued wanted posters for Qing and her accomplices. Her striking looks quickly drew nationwide attention and earned her the nickname 'China's most beautiful fugitive'. Qing later turned herself in and was sentenced to a year and two months in prison for fraud. The authorities said the scam involved more than 1.4mil yuan (RM821,817 or US$190,000). One of Qing's former classmates told The Beijing News that she was cheerful, lively, and kind, saying they were shocked that she turned to crime. While in prison, Qing reportedly underwent ideological education, legal training, and labour reform. Following her release in November 2021, Qing opened a bubble tea shop in Mianyang and appeared in a police anti-fraud video, which sparked controversy. Some netizens criticised the move, saying it sent the wrong message by promoting the idea that 'beauty equals justice'. In March, Qing set up a social media account under her full name, using her 2018 wanted photo as her profile picture, and quickly gained nearly 10,000 followers. Her bio read: 'I was a headline figure in 2018 news. Now I have turned over a new leaf.' She live-streamed twice a day, promoting legal knowledge and fraud prevention. 'I want to start over and help ordinary people avoid being scammed,' she said, often reminding viewers of her past as the so-called most beautiful fugitive. Qing encouraged her followers to send virtual gifts if they wanted to hear more about her scam and prison experiences. She emphasised that she had served her full sentence, adding: 'Getting a sentence reduction is very difficult.' When asked if she had met any imprisoned celebrities, Qing said that male and female inmates were kept separate and she had not paid attention to such matters. She also recently posted a video warning people about bar scams, saying: 'Do not believe in something for nothing.' However, Qing's social media account was banned on April 27, her profile became unsearchable, and all her videos were removed. The platform later said it bans content that exploits prison or criminal histories for attention or profit. As of writing, Qing has not responded to the ban. The incident has attracted widespread attention on mainland social media, with related topics racking up over 54 million views. One online observer said: 'Qing has served her time. Becoming a live-streamer is her legitimate right. A prodigal who returns is more precious than gold.' However, another person took a different view: 'She takes pride in being the 'most beautiful fugitive'. This mindset is deeply distorted.' 'We do not oppose former convicts rebuilding their lives and reintegrating into society, but they should do so with humility and a strong sense of justice,' added a third. – South China Morning Post
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sign or decline? Eugene fire fee petition sparks debate over city budget
The future of Eugene's new fire fee and city budget remains uncertain as the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce gathers signatures to put the fee on the ballot, while some city councilors and organizations urge residents not to sign. Eugene's referendum process says that a petition with signatures of 10% of votes cast in the last mayoral election (in this case, 5,817 people), collected within 30 days of the mayor's signature (in this case, Thursday, March 13), may place a City Council-passed ordinance on a citywide ballot. The ordinance then won't go into effect until it receives a majority "yes" vote in an election. Chamber President Brittany Quick-Warner said the chamber was a little over halfway to the needed number of signatures as of Monday morning. State election deadlines would require an election to take place after the new fiscal year begins July 1, and the city would most likely make the budget cuts they aimed to avoid by passing the fee, starting in July. This led three city councilors alongside organizations that use city funds to urge residents to not sign the petition at a press conference last week. According to Eugene City Councilors Eliza Kashinsky and Lyndsie Leech, the fee is needed because of Oregon's property tax limits. These limits say property taxes can't raise more than 3% per year even if property values rise more than that, while inflation has accelerated the cost of providing city services faster than 3%. Leech added that the city plans to provide fee assistance for qualifying low-income residents. Quick-Warner said the fee lacks a time limit or a limit on its growth and that its implementation lacks the public engagement of other taxes. "Our property taxes are crafted (so) voters get a chance to weigh in if there's going to be bonds or levies on their property," she said. "And we believe that if there's going to be a fee that folks have to pay, that goes on into perpetuity, they should have the ability to vote on that. ... What we're finding as we're sharing this information with voters is that most folks have no idea that this was going to happen. (The City Council) has a responsibility to make sure that the community knows this is happening." Leech responded to the view that the City Council shouldn't pass a new fee without voter approval: "We're elected to do a job. If we put every single thing on the ballot, we would never be able to make any kind of cohesive plan for our city," she said. Kashinsky addressed a claim from critics that there are better options for what to cut than what the city manager put forward before the fire fee vote: "I have been through the budget line by line," she said, The cuts that were the ones that we could all say 'maybe we don't need to that,' those happened. Those happened years ago. What is left is services that our community relies on." The Eugene Public Library Foundation and the Friends of Eugene Public Library, two nonprofits that supplement library funding, are among the organizations that have urged people to not sign the petition. "At the last budget cut, the library was decimated," said Linda Ague, president of Friends of Eugene Public Library. "There is no longer any budget for books and materials. It is all being supplied by the Friends, the Foundation and the levy. If this budget (with the fee) is not allowed to go through the decimation will be even worse. There will be hours cut. There will be people gone." Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached over email at atorres@ on X @alanfryetorres or on Reddit at u/AlfrytRG. This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Eugene fire fee petition sparks debate over city budget
