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Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
K-pop in beauty stores: Olive Young diversifies as rivals gather
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Olive Young's expansion sets the stage for fiercer competition, particularly with Shinsegae's beauty brand Chicor. SEOUL - Beauty retail giant CJ Olive Young is tightening its grip on Korea's cosmetics market with a fresh push that fuses Korean cultural trends and hyper-personalized beauty experiences - all while sharpening its global edge. With more than 1,300 stores nationwide, Olive Young has long dominated the local scene - and now it is doubling down. As new challengers emerge in Korea's booming beauty space, the company is evolving its content strategy and store experience to stay ahead of the curve. Olive Young's new three-story Hongdae Playground outpost, which opened on June 11, features a dedicated men's beauty zone, AI-powered skin scan consultations and K-pop sections. Olive Young has increasingly tapped the power of K-pop, creating special zones in tourist hubs like Myeong-dong and Seongsu-dong since 2024. The retailer said it held 19 K-pop pop-up stores in 2024, with six still operating. The strategy has roots in its online success. Since launching a K-pop category on its website in 2022, 71 per cent of first-time overseas customers who purchased K-pop albums also picked up K-beauty products. More recently, Olive Young opened its Central Gangnam Town store on July 2, with a sharp focus on in-store beauty experiences such as skin analyses, personal colour diagnostics and bespoke consultations with beauty advisors. 'The opening of this advanced store seeks to meet the beauty needs of both local and international consumers in the Gangnam area,' an official from Olive Young said, adding that the retailer will continue to launch stores tailored to each district's characteristics and customer base. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4 Asia Japan urges evacuation of small island as 1,000 quakes hit region World Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending Bill wins congressional approval World Trump eyes simple tariff rates over complex talks, says letters going out Friday Sport A true fans' player – Liverpool supporters in Singapore pay tribute to late Diogo Jota Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore Universities like NUS need to be open, to become a sanctuary for global talent: Vivian Balakrishnan Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Olive Young's expansion sets the stage for fiercer competition, particularly with Shinsegae's beauty brand Chicor, which recently rebranded and opened nearby with a renewed focus on Korean products, shifting away from its earlier emphasis on imported labels. Likewise, the Chicor store also offers customized beauty experiences, including an AI personalization service and a K-beauty makeup zone. Following in Olive Young's footsteps, the retailer is eyeing new locations in tourist hotspots such as Hongdae and Myeong-dong. Another potential competitor is Hyundai Home Shopping. The TV shopping operator is finalizing plans to launch its first brick-and-mortar beauty store, Coasis, by October, which will be stocked with its teleshopping bestsellers. However, business specifics remain under wraps for now. Although industry consensus remains that Olive Young's dominance will not be easily toppled, the arrival of new competitors can only be good news for consumers. 'The popularity of K-beauty remains strong both here and abroad, and we're seeing new players continue to enter the offline beauty market,' said an industry official. 'But as the market grows, consumers will ultimately benefit from better quality and more competitive pricing.' Indeed, data shows that K-beauty's growth shows no signs of abating. According to the Korea International Trade Association, Korea exported US$3.61 billion (S$4.6 billion) worth of cosmetics from January to April, surpassing the United States' US$3.57 billion for the first time. This milestone comes just a year after Korea overtook Germany to become the world's third-largest cosmetics exporter, behind only France and the US. The nation's cosmetics exports in the first half of 2025 reached a record high of US$5.5 billion, up 14.8 per cent from a year earlier, according to data released by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Straits Times
20 hours ago
- General
- Straits Times
Mexican mayor says 'I do' to caiman reptile in colorful tradition
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A woman caught in a fishing net during a symbolic marriage ritual of a female caiman named \"princess girl\" Miguelana Estela del Mar Zavaleta Ramirez, a reptile that closely resembles an alligator, and San Pedro Huamelula mayor Daniel Gutierrez Pena, which is rooted in more than 230 years of tradition and joins two of Oaxaca state's indigenous cultures, the Chontal and the Huave, to plead for nature's bounty, in San Pedro Huamelula, Mexico, June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha SAN PEDRO HUAMELULA, Mexico - In the southern Mexican town of San Pedro Huamelula, a unique celebration takes place each year: the symbolic marriage between the town's mayor and a live alligator-like reptile. This ritual, rooted in more than 230 years of tradition, represents the union of two of Oaxaca state's indigenous cultures - the Chontal and the Huave - and is believed to bring prosperity to the community. This year, Mayor Daniel Gutierrez took part in the ceremony, marrying "princess girl," a female caiman, a reptile that closely resembles the alligator. The caiman is known by the name given to her by the town: Miguelana Estela del Mar Zavaleta Ramirez. As part of the ritual, the reptile is adorned in a white wedding gown and paraded through the town, visiting homes as residents dance to festive music. Finally, Gutierrez seals the symbolic union with a ceremonial kiss, symbolizing his love and commitment to his ethnic group. The caiman symbolizes the Huave princess, while Gutierrez represents the Chontal king. As the legend goes, a royal marriage between the two groups centuries ago ended a long-standing conflict. Hundreds of years later, the ritual continues as a symbol of peace and unity. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Seller's stamp duty rates for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4 Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Sport 'Pedal to the metal' for next 2 years, says Singaporean powerlifter Farhanna Farid Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 Sport A true fans' player – Liverpool supporters in Singapore pay tribute to late Diogo Jota Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub "For us, it's a ritual in which we ask mother earth and our creator for abundance in our harvests, fishing, and every product our region can offer," said Luis Manuel Lopez, a resident of the town. The celebration spans three days of music, dance and vibrant cultural displays. The reptile is dressed by a woman known as the godmother in three different traditional dresses, including a regional Zoque dress adorned with bright colors, a multicolored skirt and floral headpieces. The symbolic ceremony, held before a crowd of townspeople, marks the culmination of the patron saint festivities in honor of San Pedro Apostol. "Huamelula is so rich in tradition and culture that today, like every year, Huamelula is in the eyes of the world,' Gutierrez said. REUTERS
Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Tributes pour in for Jota as players at Women's Euros mourn Portugal forward
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BERN, Switzerland - Portugal players were heartbroken ahead of their Women's Euro 2025 game against Spain on Thursday where a minute's silence will be observed following the death of Portuguese national men's team striker Diogo Jota in a car accident. "One of our own," Portugal forward Jessica Silva posted on Instagram. "Diogo wasn't just a star. It was the good, the faithful, the attentive, the simple ... of those who don't need noise to mark their presence! "Football has gone poorer ... and so are we. You will never be forgotten." UEFA announced that a moment of silence will be observed at all of Thursday and Friday's Euro matches "in memory of Portugal international and Liverpool FC forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva who tragically passed away today," European soccer's governing body said on Thursday. England defender Lucy Bronze said she and her teammates were shocked when they woke up in Zurich to the news. "Obviously, we've got a lot of Liverpool fans in our team, but just football fans and people in general," Bronze said at England's base camp. "It's so sad to hear, both him and his brother, and so young as well, everyone was just thinking of them this morning. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Seller's stamp duty rate for private homes raised; holding period increased from 3 years to 4 Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 Sport A true fans' player – Liverpool supporters in Singapore pay tribute to late Diogo Jota Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July "Seeing all the messages on social media, you see what a great guy he seemed to have been as well. So just really sad and really shocked by the news." HEART EMOJIS Hours before kick-off, virtually every player on the Portugal women's squad had posted photos of Jota on social media, many with broken heart emojis. Veteran defender Ana Borges, who is the most capped player in the women's national team's history, wrote "Descansem em paz" -- rest in peace -- under a photo of both brothers. FPF President Pedro Proenca gave a brief statement in Bern saying 28-year-old Jota was "Much more than a fantastic player. "With almost 50 appearances for the National A Team, Diogo Jota was an extraordinary person, respected by all his teammates and opponents, someone with a contagious joy and a reference in his own community," Proenca said. Portugal and Spain are set to meet in Bern at 2100 CET (1900 GMT) in their first Group B game. "We'll be watching the games tonight, and in England too I think everyone at the tournament will be supporting the Portuguese team, because I know they'll be a lot closer to this than we are," Bronze said. "It's just a real sad moment for everybody involved in football. What an amazing year he's had as well, not just for Liverpool, but obviously he's got married a couple of weeks ago, got little kids, it's just so sad." The England team also sent their condolences and support to the Portugal side in a post on X. REUTERS
Straits Times
21 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Do international carbon credits fight climate change?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: A coal-fired power station scheduled to shut down is seen in As Pontes, Spain, February 8, 2022. Picture taken February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Miguel Vidal/File Photo BRUSSELS - The European Commission has proposed an EU climate target for 2040 that allows countries to count carbon credits bought from developing nations towards the EU goal for the first time. Here's what that means, and why the EU move on Wednesday faced criticism from campaigners and some scientists. WHAT ARE CARBON CREDITS? Carbon credits, or offsets, involve funding projects that reduce CO2 emissions abroad in place of cuts to your own greenhouse gas emissions. Examples include forest restoration in Brazil, or converting a city's petrol buses to electric. The buyer counts "credits" for those emission reductions towards its climate goal, and the seller gets finance for their green project. Proponents say the system generates much-needed funding for CO2-cutting efforts in developing nations and lets countries work together to cut emissions around the world. However, the reputation of CO2 credits has been dented by a string of scandals in which credit-generating projects failed to deliver the climate benefits they claimed. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 Sport A true fans' player – Liverpool fans in Singapore pay tribute to the late Diogo Jota Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches new innovation centre here WHY IS THE EU BUYING THEM? The European Commission proposed allowing up to 3 percentage points of the EU's 2040 target - to cut net emissions by 90% from 1990 levels - to be covered by carbon credits bought from other countries. The EU's existing climate targets require countries to meet the goals entirely by cutting emissions at home. The bloc's executive Commission said last year it hoped the EU could agree a 90% emissions-cutting target for 2040, with no mention of carbon credits. Tumultuous geopolitics and the economic woes of European industries have since stoked political pushback, with governments from Germany to Poland demanding a softer target. In response, the Commission said it would add flexibilities, and landed on carbon credits as a way to retain a 90% emissions-cutting goal while reducing the domestic steps needed to reach it. EU countries and the European Parliament must negotiate and approve the goal. WHAT ARE THE RISKS? The EU plan was welcomed by countries including Germany, which had pushed to include carbon credits in the goal, and by carbon credit project developers as a boost for climate finance. But environmental campaigners said the EU was shirking domestic CO2-cutting efforts and warned against relying on cheap, low-value credits. The EU's climate science advisers had also opposed buying credits under the 2040 target, which they said would divert money from investments in local clean industries. The EU banned international credits from its own carbon market after a flood of cheap credits with weak environmental benefits contributed to a carbon price crash. To try to address the risks, the Commission said it would buy credits in line with a global market and rules for trading carbon credits which the U.N. is developing. These include quality standards aimed at avoiding the problems that unregulated credit trading has faced in recent years. Brussels will also propose rules next year on specific quality standards for the carbon credits the EU buys. HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? The EU doesn't yet know. Carbon credit prices today can be as low as a few dollars per tonne of CO2, up to more than $100, depending on the project. EU emissions records suggest the bloc would need to buy at least 140 million tonnes of CO2 emissions to cover 3% of the 2040 target, roughly equivalent to the Netherlands' total emissions last year. One senior Commission official said the bloc was determined not to hoover up cheap junk credits. "I don't think that would have any additional value. The credits we see currently on voluntary carbon markets are very, very cheap, and that probably reflects a lack of high environmental integrity," the senior official said. REUTERS
Straits Times
21 hours ago
- Straits Times
Motorcyclist killed in bear attack on Romanian scenic mountain road
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BUCHAREST - A motorcyclist was mauled to death by a bear on a road in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania on Thursday, emergency service officials said, the latest attack in the country with the European Union's largest population of brown bears. Romania has a brown bear population of 10,000 to 13,000, preliminary results of a multi-year DNA study showed this year, and authorities are struggling to keep residents and tourists in mountain towns safe. Police and emergency services said in a joint statement that tourists had alerted them to Thursday's attack on the Transfagarasan road in the central county of Arges. The bear had dragged the motorcyclist down a ravine, they said. There were no details about the motorcyclist's identity. Almost 30 people have been killed by bears in Romania over the last two decades, the environment ministry has said. Sightings of bears are common and local media regularly report bear attacks on people and livestock. Last year, Romania's parliament doubled the annual bear kill quota to 481 bear kills per year to control the size of the bear population and to remove animals that have become accustomed to entering cities in search of food. Wildlife experts have said bear attacks have increased because of human behaviour as the shrinking of the animals' habitats due to construction, logging and climate change. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Business More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024 Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 Sport A true fans' player – Liverpool fans in Singapore pay tribute to the late Diogo Jota Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches new innovation centre here Many bears are also attracted by rubbish dumps on the outskirts of cities and by discarded food. Officials have not done enough to step up prevention measures, including electric fences and better trash management, wildlife experts said. REUTERS
