Latest news with #Koster
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Bali to ban production of bottled water under 1 litre
The ban is set to take effect in January 2026. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH BALI - Bali Governor I Wayan Koster has announced plans to ban the production of water bottles smaller than 1 litre, in an effort to address the island's growing waste problem, which has been linked to several environmental disasters. On May 29, Mr Koster summoned bottled water producers to a meeting in Denpasar to announce a new policy banning the production of water bottles smaller than 1 litre, which is set to take effect in January 2026. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rivergate Mall redevelopment expected to make multimillion-dollar economic impact in Nashville
MADISON, Tenn. (WKRN) — When the mixed-use development planned for the Rivergate Mall site begins, the Madison and Goodlettsville area will see a significant economic impact — to the tune of nearly $100 million in annual earnings and millions more in tax revenue once completed. Metro Nashville Director of Development Chris Koster told News 2 the project will help 'revitalize' the Madison and Rivergate area of Nashville, a section of Davidson County that has needed the spark of inspiration for a while. 'Over time, when you see deteriorating malls, you get what you would call 'blight' in the area, and that starts to impact the area in and around the mall itself, so [we get] the chance to revitalize this and create an urban, mixed-use environment in that area [that] brings jobs, retail and restaurant amenities to the community, [and] really have a chance for people to fall back in love with that area and drive a lot of residual economic development in and around the area is a real contribution to Nashville over time,' Koster said. 'We have an opportunity here for a small, proportional investment in the public infrastructure, from Metro's perspective, to assist the private sector, in this case, to revitalize an area of Madison on behalf of taxpayers, but really to bring love to the area back.' PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Rivergate Mall on track to see major redevelopment The conceptual site plan includes a number of components, such as multifamily housing, townhomes for sale, senior housing, retail, restaurant, sports and entertainment facilities, medical offices, general offices and hotels. The goal will be an 'integrated mixed-use community' that will 'promote significant economic development,' according to Metro documents. 'We think it's very exciting for the community and a chance for the community to fall back in love with what was the mall,' Koster told News 2. It's an over $200 million investment on about 57 acres of land in the northern portion of Davidson County, Koster said. READ MORE | Click here to view the full economic impact plan for the Rivergate Mall redevelopment 'Over the next five to ten years, as you see this development occur, you'll have people living out there in this area, as well, and you'll have a lot of amenities for this community to enjoy,' he added. He told News 2 the developer, Merus LLC — an Ohio-based company — has been at Metro meetings previously asking for 'proportionate contributions' to the public infrastructure in the area, as the infrastructure currently in place was designed to suit a shopping mall, not a mixed-use residential and retail development. 'The city's contribution is to pay into a proportion of that for public infrastructure, but the return on that is, as you get more property taxes for the increased revenue for the improvements at the mall, really that will pay for itself over time,' Koster told News 2. 'We're going to get a revitalized area that's going to be exciting for everybody to enjoy in the community again.' Neighborhood News: Stories impacting your community | Read More Some of the buy-ins on infrastructure include a bus stop site installed by Merus for future connector routes on the WeGo bus lines that service Goodlettsville and/or Gallatin Pike, as well as future Bus Rapid Transit, per the plan. The site will need to be large enough to accommodate up to two 40-foot passenger transit buses, if need, a bus shelter, and related passenger amenities, per the plan documents. WeGo will then furnish all other necessary items, per the plan. According to the economic impact plan set for Metro Council's May 20 meeting, the project will bring an estimated $4.6 million in new county tax revenues, including $3.2 million in annual property taxes, $330,000 in annual sales tax from new households and $900,000 in annual hotel tax revenue. The overall impact also includes more than 1,000 new permanent jobs, with more than half of those directly employed at the new Rivergate redevelopment project. Construction alone is projected to generate 955 jobs and nearly $100 million in related earnings. An economic impact analysis projects more than $260 million in new sales, over $337 million in private-sector investment, and more than $1.6 million in construction phase sales tax revenue. Do you have news happening in your neighborhood? Let us know by sending an email to neighborhoodnews@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Al Etihad
02-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
ruya becomes world's first Islamic bank to offer virtual asset investments
2 May 2025 14:19 REDDY (ABU DHABI)ruya, the UAE's digital-first Islamic bank, has become the first Islamic bank globally to allow customers to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly through its mobile milestone was made possible through a collaboration with Fuze, an Abu Dhabi-based, VARA-licensed virtual asset service provider. In a freewheeling conversation with Aleithad, ruya CEO Christoph Koster explained the mission of the youngest Islamic digital community bank in the country, which was set up as recently as 2024.'ruya combines cutting-edge digital banking with community engagement,' Koster said. 'What that means is we have full digital onboarding and a completely mobile-first banking experience. It's digital native and cloud native, for both individuals and businesses in the country.' 'But we also have physical community centres. The first one is here in Ajman, where our head office and main community centre are located. We're building one in Abu Dhabi as well, and we're looking at a place in Dubai too.'Elaborating on ruya's community concept, Koster said: 'We have this hybrid approach of a 21st-century digital experience — the way it's supposed to be in this day and age — but at the same time, we provide that physical space where people can come and experience the brand, where they can learn about financial literacy. We even have co-working-like spaces. Customers can sit here with us, have a coffee during the day, and get personal advice from real human beings.'He likened ruya's centres to Apple stores, 'You don't go into an Apple store to buy a new phone, right? You go into an Apple store to experience the brand, to experience the products, to ask questions, to learn, to connect with other people — and that's what these community centres are for.''We are transparent, inclusive, and rooted in giving back to our community,' he it comes to cryptocurrencies, Koster said ruya customers can buy and sell approved crypto on the mobile app securely and seamlessly. At the moment, bitcoin and ethereum are available for purchase and sale.'Assets are split between hot wallets (online, 20%) and cold custody (offline, 80%) to ensure liquidity and safety,' he said. Cold custody is handled by Tungsten, a regulated custodian based in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), while hot wallets are managed using Fireblocks technology, trusted by leading financial institutions.'A closed-loop system means no external wallet deposits or withdrawals, further protecting customers,' Koster the tech partner, executes buy and sell orders and handles custody.'Everything happens inside the ruya app — no external redirection. ruya handles customer onboarding, while Fuze powers the regulated backend. You always stay within the ruya experience, but transactions are executed securely via Fuze,' he the question of Shariah compliance, Koster — a seasoned banker who spent 10 years at Emirates NBD and later helped build investment platforms for the Abu Dhabi government and G42 — said: 'Our Internal Shariah Supervisory Committee has issued a resolution allowing customers to buy and sell virtual assets, including bitcoin, through our platform in partnership with Fuze.'Every asset offered is explicitly reviewed and approved from an ethical Islamic banking perspective. 'We focus on long-term investments, not speculative trading — aligning fully with ethical Islamic finance principles,' he said. 'We operate within a very clear and independently validated ethical Islamic banking framework.'ruya has been expanding its footprint across the UAE. It has welcomed approximately 60,000 customers during its first year of operation. 'At the current growth rate, we are onboarding around 100,000 customers per year. By the second anniversary in 2026, the bank will have well over 160,000 customers,' the CEO about ruya's exposure to the Abu Dhabi market, Koster said almost 25% of its customers are from the capital, the second highest after Dubai. ruya is also building a community centre at Mohammed bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi, which will be completed by the second half of choice of Ajman as headquarters may appear unconventional, but Koster pointed out: 'An innovation-first approach, strong support from local authorities, combined with community values that match our mission, was what made us choose Ajman.'Regarding ownership, Koster didn't name individuals but noted: 'ruya is privately owned by a group of strategic investors from the UAE. They share a common vision for ethical Islamic digital banking and community development.''We're not affiliated with any other bank or corporate, but stand alone and are fully licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE,' he whether the bank is planning an IPO, Koster said: 'It's too early — our focus right now is on building a strong foundation and delivering value to our customers.' For Koster, a German national who has lived in the UAE for 15 years, ruya is more than a job. 'Leading ruya combines my passion for financial innovation, ethical banking and community impact.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Amendment to compensation law for wrongfully incarcerated goes to DeSantis
Florida Channel screenshot of Tampa Bay Republican Rep. Traci Koster on the House floor on April 29, 2025. The Florida Legislature is sending Gov. Ron DeSantis a bill that would remove the barrier that has kept dozens of wrongfully incarcerated people from receiving the financial compensation that they were entitled to over the past two decades. That's because, after several unsuccessful attempts, the House on Tuesday unanimously passed a measure (SB 130) amending a 2008 state law that was designed to provide financial compensation for individuals wrongfully convicted of a crime. The measure previously passed unanimously in the Senate as well. That 2008 legislation called for eligible exonerees to receive $50,000 for each year they were wrongfully incarcerated, capped at $2 million. However, since its passage, only a handful of exonerees have actually received such compensation, due to a 'clean hands' provision barring compensation for people with earlier, unrelated, felonies — the only such restriction of its type in the country. 'Since almost 20 years ago enacting our wrongful incarceration compensation statute, we have 19 exonerees in our state who have lost over 306 years of their freedom, because we as the state of Florida put them in prison,' said Tampa Bay Republican Rep. Traci Koster, who has sponsored this same bill ever since she was elected to the House in 2020. Koster's bill (sponsored in the Senate by Northeast Florida Republican Jennifer Bradley) would remove that clean-hands provision. It would extend the filing deadline for those who have been exonerated from 90 days to two years, and allow a wrongfully incarcerated person both to bring a civil lawsuit and file for compensation under the 2008 law. However, a claimant would have to repay the state if he or she receives monetary awards both through a compensation claim and a civil lawsuit. In presenting the bill, Koster said she believes Florida had one of the strongest criminal justice systems 'in the world.' 'But just because we have one of the best systems in the world, doesn't mean it's perfect,' she added. 'And even the best sometimes don't get it right.' In making a moral case for the legislation, Volusia County Republican Webster Barnaby cited the case of Joseph in the Bible and former South African President Nelson Mandela as individuals wrongfully incarcerated. 'There are people are wrongfully incarcerated,' he said. 'And it's our job as legislators to be truthful for those poor victims, because that's what they are, victims, who were wrongfully incarcerated. It's important for us to see people as people.' 'I've been here seven years and I've watched people come trying to get compensation, and it's been a very, very difficult task,' said Tampa Democratic Rep. Dianne Hart. 'When we incarcerate somebody for 35 or 40 years of their life, there is no compensation that can compensate for the time that they have spent for being incarcerated.' Since 1989, 91 people in Florida have been exonerated or released from incarceration as a result of post-conviction DNA testing, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. That includes Robert DuBoise, who served 37 years on rape and murder charges but was exonerated in 2020 by the Conviction Review Unit of the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office after DNA evidence testing excluded him as the perpetrator. However, the clean-hands provision of state law precluded him from being eligible for compensation because of two nonviolent property felony crimes which resulted in probation when he was a teenager. He ended up suing the city of Tampa in federal court in 2021 and, ultimately, the city council approved a $14 million settlement for him in 2024. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
Bali bans ‘menstruating tourists' from temples in strict new rules to crack down on ‘misbehaving' visitors
Authorities in Bali, Indonesia have unveiled a new policy banning 'menstruating tourists' from entering temples over concerns that 'dirty' period blood will contaminate their holy sites. This unorthodox law is included in a list of policies the tropical island's governor, Wayan Koster, imposed on March 24 to clamp down on 'misbehaving tourists' overrunning the paradise, per a report from Metro. 'I am implementing this circular as an immediate measure to regulate foreign tourists while they are in Bali,' declared the honcho. Under the new rules, women would be prohibited from entering Balinese temples while on their period out of fear that menstrual plasma is 'dirty' and would 'make the temple become impure,' Visit Bali reported. According to stories passed down from 'generation to generation, there are negative effects if you are determined to enter the temple during menstruation,' the site warns. 'Many women experience pain and faint while in the temple. Reportedly, there are also mystical events that can befall menstruating women in temples, such as possession.' And it wasn't just the menstruating women who were affected, per the site, which declared that 'residents around the temple could be affected by natural disasters and diseases' prompted by a period. 'If you are menstruating while on holiday in Bali, don't worry!' they concluded. 'There are many other entertainment spots around the temple, such as watching traditional dance performances.' They didn't specify how they plan to check whether a woman is on her period. These weren't the only rules unveiled to preserve the 'cultural integrity and sacred sites' on the majority Hindu island. The guidelines mandate that visitors should 'dress appropriately when visiting temples, tourist attractions, or public spaces,' and won't be permitted to 'enter sacred temple areas unless they are worshippers wearing traditional Balinese attire,' Timeout reported. Other prohibited behaviors, per the new mandate, include using single-use plastics like plastic bags and straws, being rude to locals, swearing and littering. To enforce these laws, Bali has formed a special task force whose job it is to monitor visitors and punish 'naughty' violators with penalties ranging from fines to jail time. 'We issued a similar regulation before, but as things change, we need to adapt,' announced Koster. 'This ensures that Bali's tourism remains respectful, sustainable, and in harmony with our local values.' 'Bali is a beautiful, sacred island, and we expect our guests to show the same respect that we extend to them,' he added. In February 2024, Bali introduced a tourist fee, charging international tourists 150,000 rupiah ($10) to enter the island through Bali's Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar or any of the island's ports, the Daily Mail reported. The government aims to use the entree fee — and likely the aforementioned fines for rulebreakers — to protect the environment of Bali, which is expected to see between 14 and 16 million visitors this year. These rules come amid a rash of incidents involving unruly tourists, including an incident in 2023 where a foreigner was spotted meditating naked at a Hindu temple. Earlier this month, a Norwegian tourist had his visitor visa revoked after he was caught hiking a cultural and spiritual site without a guide. Bali isn't the only travel destination imposing measures to curb the global tour-nami. Last January, officials in Venice, Italy announced policies to limit large tourist groups in the sinking city, as part of a campaign to curb congestion on the often narrow streets and waterways of the historic hotspot. Meanwhile, Spain attracted a record 94 million tourists last year, stoking complaints about 'overtourism, ' including concerns about overcrowding, water use, and particularly the availability and affordability of housing. In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rolled out a 12-part plan to tackle the housing crisis, with measures aimed at bringing stricter regulations to short-term rentals that mainly cater to tourists.
