Latest news with #BrianCole
West Australian
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
IN PICTURES: Opening event of 2025 Taste Great Southern in new four-day format
The Great Southerns annual food and wine festival Taste Great Southern returned on May 1 in a new four-day format. The opening event was held at the Earl of Spencer Historic Inn on May 1 after a welcome to country and smoking ceremony at Albany town square. The 2025 theme Wander With The Wild delivered 20 new culinary experiences from chefs across WA and Australia with a line-up that included Paul 'Yoda' Iskov, Brian Cole, Evan Hayter, Blaze Young, Albany's Amy Hamilton of Liberte, and Mark Labrooy. The festival delivered a culinary journey across the region, including in Albany, Katanning, Denmark, Mt Barker and Frankland River. Taste Great Southern wrapped up on May 4 with a riesling session at the Earl of Spencer Historic Inn, gin-making at Giniversity, seafood prepping and plating at Kirby's Atelier, and the Elite Pie Party closing event at Bred Co.
South China Morning Post
29-03-2025
- South China Morning Post
How Brian Cole, one of Australia's best chefs, was so close to becoming a child soldier
'We're going to play a game of hide-and-seek.' Advertisement An otherwise fun activity for any five-year-old turned out to be one that saved Sierra Leone-born Australian chef Brian Cole from being abducted and recruited as a child soldier 28 years ago. The chef de cuisine at Hearth, the signature fine dining restaurant at Perth's Ritz-Carlton, in Western Australia, still vividly remembers that harrowing moment. His mother told him and his cousin, another boy, to hide under the stairs of the house and wait to be found. However, Cole could feel something was wrong. The adults were running around scared, and there were sounds of people screaming all over the neighbourhood. Soon after, there was a loud banging on the door, followed by a booming voice asking, 'Where are the boys?' Advertisement 'There are no boys here,' his mother said defiantly.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ClearScore secures $38m to undertake growth initiatives
ClearScore Group, a fintech based in London, has obtained €36.1m ($37.8m) in debt financing from HSBC Innovation Banking UK. This financing will help bolster the company's growth initiatives across both domestic and international markets. ClearScore and HSBC Innovation Banking UK, a part of HSBC, have been collaborating since 2017, with the bank playing a significant role in ClearScore's global expansion over the last eight years. This latest round of funding is a continuation of their partnership, aimed at furthering ClearScore's reach and product offerings. ClearScore Group chief financial officer Brian Cole said: 'As a profitable fintech operating at global scale, we have options when it comes to choosing how to invest for the next ten years of growth. 'This funding allows us to expand the range products we can offer our users and the channels through which we can reach them. HSBC Innovation Banking has been a key strategic partner to enable us to scale at pace and become one of the UK's leading fintech brands.' Founded in 2015, ClearScore launched with an app designed to enhance financial wellbeing for users. The app allows individuals to check their credit score and report, gain personalised financial insights, and access customised credit deals without affecting their credit rating. The platform also features tools such as 'Credit Health' for a detailed financial overview and 'Protect' for dark web monitoring to prevent identity theft. Since its inception, the group has experienced rapid growth, now serving over 24 million users across five countries, including the UK, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. ClearScore has also diversified its services with DriveScore, a data-driven marketplace, and D•One, an open banking service tailored for credit marketplaces. Recently, ClearScore acquired Aro Finance, a Manchester-based credit marketplace supplier. This deal has expanded ClearScore's secured loan offerings and marked its entry into embedded finance. In 2022, the company acquired Moneyboard, an online personal financial management service. HSBC Innovation Banking UK FinTech Coverage director Nick Conway said: 'ClearScore has been a valued long-term partner, and we're thrilled to have been able to support their growth with this financing. 'We look forward to continuing our collaboration as they continue to transform the way people manage their financial health. This is a great example of how HSBC Innovation Banking helps our UK FinTech clients achieve their ambitions, scale and build world class, innovation driven businesses.' In February 2024, ClearScore released a whitepaper that stated the UK non-prime lending market contracted by more than a third (34%) since 2019, while unsecured loans from unregulated lenders have risen significantly. "ClearScore secures $38m to undertake growth initiatives" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BrightNight and Cordelio Power sign PPA with Arizona Public Service
BrightNight and Cordelio Power have signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) that will see Arizona Public Service (APS) buy clean energy from their Pioneer Clean Energy Center. The Pioneer Clean Energy Center is a planned hybrid power generation facility in Yuma County, Arizona. It will have 300MW solar capacity and a 1,200 megawatt hours (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS). APS vice-president of resource management Brian Cole stated: "At APS, we thoughtfully evaluate and select projects that bring the most long-term value to our customers. 'The Pioneer Clean Energy Center is part of our expanding solar power and battery energy storage portfolio developed to meet growing demand with reliable service. Projects like Pioneer will help deliver cost-competitive energy to Arizona's communities over the next several decades." Pioneer Clean Energy Center is a significant investment in Yuma County and the state of Arizona that will generate clean power while creating hundreds of jobs. Construction is expected to begin in September 2025, with operations from April 2027. The facility is expected to support APS's 'commitment to meeting Arizona's growing power demand with reliable, cost-effective clean energy'. Besides providing tax revenue for local schools and public services, it will ensure a sustainable energy source without straining local infrastructure or water resources. BrightNight CEO Martin Hermann stated: "Our agreement with APS underscores BrightNight's commitment to providing reliable and affordable clean energy solutions that benefit our customers and the communities they serve. "The Pioneer Clean Energy Center is a shining example of how renewable energy projects can drive local economic growth, support energy resilience and create a lasting positive impact. We are proud to work with APS and Yuma stakeholders to help meet Arizona's energy goals and deliver meaningful benefits to Yuma County." In October 2024, BrightNight and Cordelio Power secured a $260m tax-equity financing agreement for the Box Canyon solar project in Arizona's Pinal County. "BrightNight and Cordelio Power sign PPA with Arizona Public Service" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
