Latest news with #Big5
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
St. Louis chop shop operator pleads guilty in federal court
ST. LOUIS – A chop shop operator appeared in federal court Monday and admitted aiding car thieves connected to a St. Louis gang. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Jorge Alberto Luviano-Martinez, 41, admitted running an illegal business in the 2900 block of Cass Avenue where stolen cars could be scrapped or altered. According to court documents, members of the Big 5 gang discussed obtaining electronic keys from Luviano-Martinez to be used on stolen vehicles, and switching VIN numbers on other stolen cars. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now On June 10, 2024, investigators with St. Louis City and County police, along with the FBI and members of ICE, conducted a court-approved search of the chop shop. Investigators found eight stolen vehicles. One vehicle had its VIN number removed and another had its VIN replaced with a new number. Before the search warrant was served, law enforcement saw Luviano-Martinez leave the garage in a stolen Jeep. Police attempted a traffic stop, but Luviano-Martinez fled. He drove down a dead end street trying to escape police. After realizing he was stuck, Luviano-Martinez scaled a fence to run on foot, but he was arrested. Luviano-Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of operating a chop shop. He'll be sentenced in August and faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Arab News
25-02-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Australian firms set sights on Saudi construction sector as trade ties deepen
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's giga and megaprojects are drawing fresh interest from Australian businesses, with over 90 companies exploring new partnership opportunities to expand their footprint in the Kingdom's booming construction sector. At a business-to-business meeting hosted by the Australia Saudi Business Council at the Federation of Saudi Chambers, discussions focused on how Australian firms could leverage their expertise in infrastructure, sustainable construction, and smart city technologies to support Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 transformation. The event featured a delegation from the New South Wales Government, which is also participating in the Big 5 construction exhibition. This comes as Saudi-Australian trade relations continue on an upward trajectory, with trade volume reaching approximately $1.92 billion in 2023. Australia exported $1.07 billion worth of goods to Saudi Arabia and imported $847 million, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an online data visualization and distribution platform. 'Construction remains a major sector of opportunity, with over 11,000 Australians currently working in Saudi Arabia, primarily on mega and giga-projects. There is immense potential for Australian businesses to expand their presence in the Kingdom,' said Sam Jamsheedi, chairman of Australia Saudi Business Council. This aligns with the memorandum of understanding signed in May between the Australia-Saudi Business Council and Forum and the Export Council of Australia to enhance cooperation across multiple sectors. His Saudi counterpart, Talal Al-Sheer, underscored the importance of deepening economic ties between the two nations. 'The Saudi-Australian relationship is a key driver of growth. Over the past three years, the Official Business Council has facilitated market entry into Saudi Arabia, fostering joint ventures with local firms,' he said. NSW Trade Commissioner Moin Anwar emphasized the significance of direct engagement in strengthening economic cooperation. 'Meetings like these are crucial for expanding our bilateral relationship across various sectors. Construction and infrastructure are among the primary pillars where Australia can contribute significantly to Saudi Arabia's development,' he said. Several Australian firms showcased their capabilities in advanced building solutions, attracting strong interest from Saudi stakeholders eager to incorporate global expertise into the Kingdom's large-scale developments. The networking sessions also provided businesses with opportunities to exchange knowledge and discuss synergies in line with Saudi Arabia's ambitious economic diversification goals. The meeting served as a strategic platform for both nations to reinforce trade and investment ties, positioning Australian businesses as key players in Saudi Arabia's multibillion-dollar infrastructure drive.
Reuters
20-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
La Salle coach, Big 5 legend Fran Dunphy set to retire
February 20 - Fran Dunphy, the La Salle basketball coach who has been a fixture of the Philadelphia Big 5 basketball scene for nearly five decades, will retire at season's end, the school announced Thursday. Dunphy, 76, is the winningest head coach in Big 5 history. As of Thursday, he is 623-376 in 999 career games as a head coach at Penn (1989-2006), Temple (2006-19) and La Salle (2022-25). "I will forever be thankful to La Salle as well as all my fellow coaches and players that I've been fortunate to work with throughout my coaching career," Dunphy said in a news release. "I am looking forward to finishing this season strong with our team, and as I embark on the next chapter of my life, I could not be happier to stay at La Salle." The native of Drexel Hill, Pa., played three varsity seasons at La Salle and graduated in 1970. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Army before taking over at Philadelphia-area high school Malvern Prep from 1977-99. He did two stints as an assistant at his alma mater but got his break as a Division I head coach at Penn. Dunphy's accomplishments include 10 Ivy League regular-season championships at Penn, three Atlantic 10 tournament championships at Temple and 17 trips to the NCAA Tournament. He was the first coach to lead three different programs in the Big 5 when he took over at La Salle in 2022, coming out of a brief hiatus from the profession to do so. La Salle said a national search to find Dunphy's successor would begin immediately. "Fran has been instrumental in bringing pride and the high standards of success to La Salle basketball. We will forever be thankful for his contributions to our University as a player, alumnus, coach and mentor," La Salle athletic director Ashwin Puri said. "I am grateful to call Fran a friend and fortunate to continue to rely on his guidance. Once an Explorer, always an Explorer." La Salle is 12-15 (4-10 A-10) with four games remaining in the regular season.
Daily News Egypt
16-02-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
76 Egyptian companies participate in Big 5 Riyadh to boost building materials exports
A total of 76 Egyptian companies specializing in building materials are participating in the Big 5 exhibition, held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, from 15 to 27 February 2025. This participation is part of Egypt's intensive efforts to boost its exports of building materials to Arab and regional markets, particularly Saudi Arabia, which is considered one of the most promising markets in the region. The exhibition is organized by Expo Consultant in collaboration with the Export Council for Building Materials, the Egyptian Commercial Service, and the Egypt Expo & Convention Authority (EECA). This event is part of a broader Egyptian strategy aimed at strengthening trade relations and increasing the volume of trade exchange between the two countries, which has witnessed significant growth in recent years. It also marks Egypt's largest participation in the building materials sector at an international exhibition. The exhibition aims to showcase the latest products and technologies in the building materials sector, including cement, steel, glass, ceramics, and sanitary ware, in addition to modern and sustainable construction technologies. It also provides an ideal platform for Egyptian companies to connect with key investors, contractors, and buyers from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region. The participating Egyptian companies represent various segments of the building materials industry, including leading producers of cement, steel, ceramics, glass, and heating and cooling systems, as well as companies specializing in modern and sustainable construction technologies. This participation aligns with Egypt's ongoing efforts to boost its non-oil exports, particularly in the building materials sector, which is considered one of the country's most promising industries. Saudi Arabia remains one of the most important markets for Egyptian building materials exports. The Export Council for Building Materials continues to work on overcoming challenges faced by exporters and providing them with the necessary support to strengthen their presence in international markets. In 2024, Egyptian exports of building materials to Saudi Arabia surged to reach $1.5bn. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mohammed Alajlan, Chairperson of the Saudi Contractors Authority, who highlighted the wide participation of major investors and buyers in the construction and building sector. The participation of Egyptian companies in The Big 5 exhibition comes at a time when economic relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia are experiencing significant growth. Both countries are working to strengthen cooperation across various sectors, particularly in construction and infrastructure, which is witnessing a major boom in Saudi Arabia driven by Vision 2030—an initiative aimed at diversifying the economy and stimulating investment in infrastructure development. The exhibition reflects the economic synergy between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with Egypt providing high-quality products at competitive prices and Saudi Arabia offering a large and promising market for these products. The Egyptian participation is expected to boost building materials exports to Saudi Arabia, with a targeted increase of 10% by the end of 2025. The Big 5 exhibition presents an opportunity for Egyptian companies to expand their presence in the Saudi market, which serves as a key gateway to the Gulf and Middle Eastern markets. Through this participation, Egypt aims to solidify its position as a leading exporter of building materials in the region and support the government's economic development efforts to increase exports and attract foreign investment.
Zawya
06-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia gears up for mega Big 5 Construct expo
Driven by the exponential growth of the Saudi construction sector and the kingdom's ambitious Vision 2030, this year's edition of Big 5 Construct Saudi will feature a larger-than-ever exhibition space, dedicated sectors, and a robust conference programme, offering unparalleled opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and business development within the industry, according to the organisers. In an exclusive interview with Gulf Construction, Firas Abou Ltaif, Portfolio Director – Construction at dmg events, shares insights into the expanded two-week format of Big 5 Construct Saudi 2025. Excerpts of the interview with Firas Abou Ltaif: Big 5 Construct Saudi is expanding to a two-week format in 2025. What prompted this significant change? In its 13th edition, the decision to expand Big 5 Construct Saudi into a two-week format was driven by the exponential growth of Saudi Arabia's construction sector and the increasing demand and opportunities in the kingdom's multi-trillion-dollar pipeline of mega and giga projects. With Vision 2030 fuelling the $1.7 trillion construction industry, we saw an opportunity to better serve the industry by expanding the event into two focused weeks due to the growing demand from our international and local potential exhibitors to participate in the event. First Week (15-18 February) will be dedicated to 'Strong Foundations: From Design to Build,' covering essential elements like heavy construction, concrete, HVAC and general contracting. Second Week (24-27 February) will focus on 'Transforming Projects: From Fit-Out to Services', featuring windows, doors, facades, finishing materials, marble and stone, hospital design, urban planning and facilities management. By splitting the event, we allow exhibitors and attendees to engage deeply with their specific sectors while optimising their business and networking opportunities. What can visitors expect from this year's event in terms of scale and new offerings? The 2025 edition of Big 5 Construct Saudi will be our largest yet, covering 140,000 sq m, double the size of previous editions, and welcoming over 2,000 exhibitors from more than 60 countries. We are also introducing new specialised events: •Totally Concrete Saudi Arabia (First Week): Focused on precast, cement and advanced concrete solutions; •Heavy Saudi Arabia (First Week): The largest outdoor exhibition of heavy construction machinery and equipment in Saudi Arabia; and •Urban Design & Landscape Saudi Arabia (Second Week): A dedicated platform for urban planning and sustainable landscape solutions. Additionally, attendees will benefit from more than 100 expert-led Big 5 Talks sessions, covering critical industry topics such as digital transformation, sustainability, project management and modular construction. Some of the other visitor features include Concrete Dash Block, where visitors can show their grip strength and endurance by carrying a concrete block with one hand for the maximum distance; and The Architects' Club, an exclusive programme designed for top architects taking place during the Second Week of the event, providing architecture professionals with networking, learning and growth opportunities. Furthermore, the Vetrotech GlassSmash Challenge will test participants' strength by attempting to break Vetrogard glass. Winners will receive vouchers redeemable at over 150 outlets across Saudi Arabia. Visitors will also have an opportunity to compete against an AI-powered goalie and explore the technology shaping Saudi Arabia's stadiums, from smart infrastructure to sustainable designs at the World Cup Zone. For further details, visit
