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Economist
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economist
Cha chaan teng, Hong Kong's quirky fusion cafés, are going global
Culture | World in a dish Photograph: Getty Images Jul 22nd 2025 | HONG KONG | 2 min read S upposedly 'only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun', but Hong Kongers brave it too for Lan Fong Yuen. The cha chaan teng, or tea restaurant, is one of the city's oldest and attracts queues even on a sweltering day. With its sticky Formica tables, it is not glamorous. But diners are drawn by the smells of fried toast with coconut jam and buns served with crispy pork. World in a dish Hong Kong Culture Our picks ask why people believe in religion, ideology or conspiracy theories For decades the country's officials turned international adoption into a money-making racket Kits encode all sorts of information, Joey D'Urso argues It is not just vinyl. Film cameras and print publications are trendy again, too Three new books look at the blind spots of the intelligence services Why dressing up is now an essential part of the live music experience
Axios
11-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
The White House's new line of attack against Powell
In the Trump administration's war with Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, there is a new front — ostensibly about beehives and rooftop gardens, but really a fight for control of the U.S. central bank. Why it matters: The White House and allies in Congress appear to be using the Fed's over-budget $2.5 billion headquarters renovation to build a case for removing Powell for cause before his term ends next spring. It's part of an all-out assault on Powell that has expanded in recent weeks as the president has become enraged that the Fed isn't cutting rates. Driving the news: Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, sent a letter to Powell Thursday stating that President Trump "is extremely troubled by your management of the Federal Reserve System" and asking a series of pointed questions about what he called an "ostentatious overhaul" of the Fed's Washington, D.C., real estate. State of play: The project includes the Fed's main headquarters on the National Mall and another historic building next door — a long-term effort by the Fed to consolidate its operations. Planning documents include high-end features that critics have seized upon, like a private elevator leading to an executive dining room and rooftop gardens with beehives. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said in a hearing last month that "when senior citizens can barely afford Formica countertops, it sends the wrong message to spend public money on luxury upgrades that feel more like they belong in the Palace of Versailles than a public institution." Yes, but: Powell told Congress that many of these high-end features are not included in the final project. "There are no new water features. There's no beehives and there's no roof terrace garden," Powell said, adding that "inflammatory things" in media coverage of the project — presumably referring to the New York Post, which has been all over the story — are "not in the current plan." Vought's letter posits that if those elements, included in the Fed's submissions to the National Capital Planning Commission approved in 2021, have indeed been scrapped, then the project is out of compliance with a law governing National Mall construction. Between the lines: The subtext of the letter is clear — either Powell lied to Congress or the Fed has violated the National Capital Planning Act. Of note: The project has been underway for years without Congressional outcry. It's hardly been a secret, either. Planning documents submitted to the NCPC were made public in 2021. The Wall Street Journal published a front-page story about cost overruns in 2023. The Federal Reserve Act quite explicitly gives the Fed control over its real estate, stating that the Board of Governors "may maintain, enlarge, or remodel any building or buildings" it has acquired or built "and shall have sole control of such building or buildings and space therein." What they're saying: "The problem is not that the Fed should never be questioned about its budgets," wrote Peter Conti-Brown, at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. "Those questions are well within the realm of appropriate oversight." "The problem is that these questions, from these sources, with these kinds of florid metaphors, are coming in a context of rank partisan hostility toward the Fed for precisely one reason: interest rates are not low enough to satisfy the sitting US president," he added.
Metro
02-07-2025
- Health
- Metro
Drivers warned to take care to avoid seagulls which appear to be 'drunk'
Animal rescuers have urged people to take extra care around seagulls due to a phenomenon linked to flying ants which makes them act oddly. Every summer swarms of flying ants emerge from their nests and move to new areas to try to establish new colonies. While the popular myth of a single 'flying ant day' persists, they typically over a period of several weeks, triggered by hot weather, with a peak lasting a few days. In some parts of the country, flying ants have already begun hatching. Sompting Wildlife Rescue in Sussex today said this is 'bringing unexpected trouble for our local seagulls'. Seagulls are known to flock to these swarms of ants and gorge on them. 'When gulls gobble down a feast of ants, it can cause them to appear disoriented or 'drunk', stumbling around and struggling to fly properly,' the charity told The Argus. Social media users have begun sharing pictures of flocks of seagulls in places they typically wouldn't linger, such as road surfaces or a busy cricket ground. Residents of warmer regions have already remarked on an unusual number of seagulls apparently killed by cars. Commenting on one such image, Tilly from Eastbourne, East Sussex, said she had seen six seagulls dead on local roads because 'no one can be bothered to toot or go around them'. A man driving through the town said he saw one killed by a car after failing to move out of the road with the rest of the flock. It was previously thought that this so-called 'drunkenness' caused by formic acid contained in ants. The substance is toxic to birds in sufficient amounts but can have a stimulant-like effect on them. But experts now doubt that common ants of the kind seen flying around at the moment contain enough formic acid to have such an effect – and believe the effect is akin to the sluggishness humans experience after having a heavy meal on a scorching day. Royal Society of Biology entomologist Rebecca Nesbit previously told BBC Countryfile her research indicates that formic acid 'is found in higher concentrations in Formica ants than in the species we're seeing most commonly on flying ant day'. 'My answer to the question 'can gulls get drunk on flying ants?' would be no,' Dr Nesbit added. 'Although formic acid can be toxic to birds, it is more likely that they are just too hot and full.' More Trending Regardless of the cause, this phenomenon is agreed to be a threat to the birds' lives. 'This sadly makes them much more vulnerable near roads, as they may not move quickly enough to avoid traffic. 'If you see a gull behaving strangely by the roadside, please slow down and give them space – they might just need a little time to recover. 'These gulls can show symptoms that look like bird flu, which raises concerns. But in many cases, they're not sick at all.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
The Herald Scotland
28-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Can this landmark pub remain unique in a world of chains?
It's called the Star Bar because its location points to five of Glasgow's most storied southern highways: Cathcart Road, Victoria Road, Eglinton Street, Maxwell Road, and Pollokshaws Road. It's the unofficial gateway to Govanhill, Queen's Park and Shawlands with Maxwell Park and Pollokshields just off to the right as you look south. The distinctive Star Bar building. (Image: Colin Mearns) It rarely changes hands and when it does, each new custodian chooses wisely to remain faithful to its glorious décor, an unrepentant monument to 1960s Formica cheeriness with a black and white tiled floor, red leather upholstered seats and hammered bronzed table tops sitting beneath wood-panelled walls. On crossing its threshold yesterday, you're transported back to the pubs your dad and uncles once frequented and where occasionally you'd be taken as a youth to learn how to conduct yourself in west of Scotland male company: you'll have a coke; you'll say nothing until you're asked and you'll listen and observe closely. The only haute aesthetic are the haute pies; the haute soup and the deftly-imported haute goods of uncertain provenance. It's the home of the legendary '£4 lunch' – now edging towards £5 – consisting of three courses and featuring a robust bill of fayre that includes those pies, macaroni cheese and roast beef. For a modest premium you can have something a little more exotic such as the breaded fish and the Ashet pie. There was always a white notice on the wall outside – in the shape of a jaunty white guitar – telling you that the kenspeckle and lately departed Glasgow musician, Ken Manners, was the house entertainment. Read more Kevin McKenna: Today, I'm with its new owner David Low and his brother Kenny, who'll manage the day-to-day running. They're native south siders and I too once spent several happy years not far from here, up the road in Govanhill. We're mourning the loss of Paddy Neeson's, anther legendary tavern which was reputed to serve the best pint of Guinness in the city, but which has now become an insipid style bar selling artisan tomfoolery. 'I hope you're not thinking about doing anything similar,' I tell them. 'No chance,' says David. Owner David Low. (Image: Colin Mearns) Today, I'm on the mince and tatties with the mint peas and he's with the breaded fish. A bowl of rice pudding with a wee steeple of tinned fruit on the top sashays by. 'Apart from a lick of paint here and there, I'm changing absolutely nothing,' he says. 'Why would you? Money can't replace what's already here. This is already a busy pub, no matter what day of the week. I'd like to build a wee stage area and bring back a house band. I'd like to restore the darts team too. 'I'm very much into community pubs and I'm planning on acquiring several more. I feel as though I'm rendering a service to the community.' Pubs like the Star Bar reside in the folk memory of generations of Glaswegians. Memories of grand social occasions and family events here get handed on. They are in the DNA of their local communities. Older men from working class communities are prone to social isolation and the loneliness that comes from the erosion of masculinity and the sense that their language and their lifestyles – no matter how innately decent they might be – are no longer permitted in polite society. They come in here for the company, the conversation and the comfort that comes from knowing they're not being judged. These places maintain social cohesion by keeping it real, honest and affordable. 'All the customers are on first name terms,' says Kenny Low, 'and that's not a cliché. They've been coming here form many years and they look out for each other.' 'It's a really eclectic mix,' says David, 'rich man, poor, man, old woman; young woman. This area of Glasgow is becoming a destination for the hipster generation, attracted by those big apartments which are more affordable than in the west end and smart cafes selling coffee at prices that won't choke a horse.' Outside, there's also something unique in Glasgow: a busy cycle lane. 'Community pubs is a seam I want to mine,' says David. 'It's those places where people talk to each other and no-one remains a stranger for long. I've always liked this pub and other pubs of its kind.' He speaks with affection about The Tower Bar on the north side of the city which he once owned. Read more: So, what qualifies as a community pub, I ask. 'It's a place where you can spend some time and have a drink and food at a reasonable price,' says Kenny. 'It's a place that really belongs to the customers and their families, often stretching back generations.' Neither of them want to appear patronising when discussing this. So, I'll say what they won't: by keeping the food at such low prices, this place can be a lifeline for some people facing profound social challenges. And by serving it in an attractive lounge area with knowledgeable staff, there's a patina of dignity and decorum and respect. Could more pubs offer affordable lunches to help address food poverty? Could it be something that the government might encourage and support as a sustainable business model: achieving a balance between proportionate profits and assisting the community? David Low is cautious: 'It's a difficult challenge to satisfy the interests of the council with those of the business owner and the customer as they're all trying to get as big a slice of the money pie as possible. I don't think it works in the city centre as too much goes on rent and rates. We're proving though, that it can work in outlying communities where costs are lower.' Behind the bar, May Di Mascio is telling me that the camera makes her nervous. If so, the she's hiding it well. She's been working at the Star Bar for 14 years, while her colleague, Andrea Purdie, has devoted most of her working to this pub. If they didn't exist then you'd have to invent them. They both set the tone of this establishment: warm, welcoming but taking no nonsense. May tells me about the older couple who come here in full cowboy gear prior to a show at Govan's Grand Ole Opry. 'Sometimes, when it's going like a fayre in here, they don't make it to the Opry and can be found swinging their lassos in here instead. This isn't unusual. People come in here en-route to concerts and events but get caught up in the atmosphere in here and don't actually make it to the gig. She tells me that it took a few weeks to get acclimatised to the robust language and boisterous interactions of the customers. This is a city, after all, where the citizenry have taken the darkest profanities and re-imagined them with a measure of virtue and purity. Thus you can be a good c**t or a decent c**t or a clever c**t. 'Now when I suggest that they might have had enough and to get up the road, they don't need to be asked twice,' she says. When a customer dies, the hearse will pass here and the bar will empty on to the street with their drinks and wave them on their way, as they did with her beloved sister-in-law, Giovanna, a few weeks ago. Friends Andy O'Donnell, 73, and George Robertson, 56, in the lounge bar. (Image: Colin Mearns) Andy and George are at the Star Bar most days. 'Once you've had a meal in here,' says Andy, 'you're set up for the day.' They've seen all the other pubs disappear that once thronged this neighbourhood disappear one by one. 'The Star Bar is still here because it has always kept that community spirit and never altered its character,' says George. They both exhort me to 'take it easy', which you can't really fail to do when you've spent some time here with May and Kenny and Andrea, fortified by a £5 lunch and the Glasgow cowboys and a line of chat that takes no prisoners but leaves the heart and soul intact.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Powell calls reports of lavish Fed building renovations inaccurate
By Michael S. Derby NEW YORK (Reuters) -Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday pushed back against reports the central bank was spending money excessively on renovations, saying that the almost 90-year-old headquarters "was not really safe," while acknowledging cost overruns. "The media reports ... are misleading and inaccurate in many, many respects," Powell said in an appearance before the Senate Banking Committee. Powell spoke as part of testimony for the central bank's semi-annual report on monetary policy to Congress. Senate Republican Tim Scott criticized the Fed over the renovations, saying at the hearing: 'During this time of hardship, the Fed has spent billions on lavish renovations to its D.C. offices.' Scott cited what he said were a series of luxury upgrades, coming at a time where the Fed has been in the unusual position of losing money due to its efforts to contain inflation pressures with high short-term interest rates. 'We can all agree that updating aging infrastructure is a legitimate need, but when senior citizens can barely afford Formica countertops, it sends the wrong message to spend public money on luxury upgrades that feel more like they belong in the Palace of Versailles than a public institution,' Scott said. Powell pushed back on the criticism. 'We do take seriously our responsibility as stewards of the public's money,' he said as he defended the need to upgrade the buildings the central bank counts as its headquarters for the Board of Governors. The Fed's 12 regional banks also have their own home bases. Powell said the Fed's Eccles building, constructed between 1935 and 1937, 'really needed a serious renovation,' saying that among the building's issues, 'it was not really safe and it was not waterproof.' He said reports of huge luxury upgrades were wrong and went on to detail what the Fed was doing to modernize the buildings. 'There are no new water features, there's no beehives, and there's no roof terrace gardens.' The Fed is also upgrading a building nearby. But Powell acknowledged that 'the cost overruns are what they are.' In a statement on its website, the Fed said the renovations 'will consolidate most Board staff into one campus; reduce off-site leases; and provide a modern, efficient workspace for employees to conduct their work on behalf of the American people.' Earlier this year, a report from the Federal Reserve's Inspector General, an in-house watchdog, said that as of February the cost of the renovations was expected to stand at $2.4 billion, up from $1.9 billion two years ago. The rise in costs comes as the Fed has faced notable and unprecedented losses due to how it manages monetary policy. The Fed is self-funded and earns income from bonds it owns and services it provides. The Fed has almost always been profitable but has not been in the last few years due to high interest rate costs aimed at setting rates to lower inflation pressures. The Fed deals with losses via accounting measures and has repeatedly noted the red ink does not impede its work, but those losses now have some elected officials targeting the system that led to the losses. (Reporting By Michael S. Derby and Dan Burns; Editing by Leslie Adler)
