Latest news with #Mats
Press and Journal
03-06-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen defender Mats Knoester signs new four-year deal
Aberdeen defender Mats Knoester has signed a contract extension to keep him at Pittodrie until 2029. The Dutch central defender joined the Dons on a two-and-a-half year contract in January with an option for an extra year. But the 26 year-old's displays for Jimmy Thelin's side had led to him signing a new four-year deal with the Scottish Cup winners. Dons boss Thelin said: 'Mats has been an outstanding addition to our squad, both on and off the pitch, since his arrival at the start of the year. 'Securing his services for the next four years is a significant step for us as we continue to build a competitive team capable of competing on all fronts next season. 'We're pleased that Mats sees his long-term future here at Aberdeen.' Knoester has made a big impression in his first five months at Pittodrie and it is clear the Dons have had an equally positive impact on the player and his family. He said: 'The past few months have been very positive for me and since day one, my family and I have been made to feel very welcome. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. 'Extending my contract feels like the right thing to do. The club has fantastic infrastructure, passionate supporters, and a clear direction for the future. 'I'm looking forward to growing together and I am keen to play my part in the team's future success as we work hard to achieve our goals.'
STV News
03-06-2025
- Business
- STV News
Aberdeen announce extension of defender Mats Knoester's contract
Aberdeen have extended the contract of defender Mats Knoester following their Scottish Cup success. Knoester, who joined the club in the winter transfer window, was player of the match in the Dons' dramatic win over Celtic at Hampden, capping an impressive start to life as an Aberdeen player. The 26-year-old signed a two-and-a-half-year contract when he made the move from Ferencvaros in February but the Pittodrie club have moved swiftly to tie him down on a new deal that runs until 2029. Aberdeen say Knoester 'played a crucial role in the team's recent success and the new deal reflects the club's commitment to building a strong, stable squad for the future.' The defender said everything felt in place for his time at the club to be a success and he was happy to commit his long-term future to the Dons. 'The past few months have been very positive for me and since day one, my family and I have been made to feel very welcome,' he said. 'I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. 'Extending my contract feels like the right thing to do. The club has fantastic infrastructure, passionate supporters, and a clear direction for the future.' Manager Jimmy Thelin said: 'Mats has been an outstanding addition to our squad, both on and off the pitch, since his arrival at the start of the year. 'Securing his services for the next four years is a significant step for us as we continue to build a competitive team capable of competing on all fronts next season. We're pleased that Mats sees his long-term future here at Aberdeen.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Borneo Post
07-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
H2EF 2025 to explore realities, opportunities in hydrogen economy
Mats de Ronde KUCHING (May 7): As the Hydrogen Economy Forum (H2EF) 2025 approaches, anticipation is mounting for key insights from global leaders shaping the future of clean energy. One of the headline speakers is energy markets and strategy lead at DNV, Mats de Ronde, who will unpack the realities and opportunities within the hydrogen economy at H2EF 2025, taking place at Hilton Hotel Kuching this May 13 and 14. In an interview, Mats highlighted the importance of hydrogen in the global energy transition while cautioning against unrealistic expectations. 'The future of energy is clean, which is not just beneficial for the environment but also provides new opportunities. 'Sarawak is well-positioned to become a key player in the regional energy transition due to its high-quality renewables, which it can use to serve its own needs as well as export via subsea cables or produce clean hydrogen,' he said. Mats advised both industry players and policymakers to remain grounded, saying: 'Hydrogen will play an essential role in the energy transition, but is not necessarily the only pathway to decarbonisation.' The H2EF 2025 logo. 'It's easy to get caught up in the hype, but setting unrealistic expectations tends to lead to disappointment. It is, therefore, important to be realistic about where hydrogen will really play a role, and plan accordingly,' he added. Moreover, he emphasised that while the public and private sector collaboration remains essential, governments prefer to take the role of facilitator. 'This means that their primary objective is to reduce barriers, for example, by providing necessary preconditions such as the development of shared infrastructure,' he said. Mats also noted that while hydrogen has long been used across sectors, its role is evolving rapidly. 'Not only are we moving towards new use cases in power generation and transport, but hydrogen will also become a globally traded commodity. 'There is still a lot that is uncertain about how it is best transported, with a lot of innovation and improvement still possible in areas like liquid hydrogen, LOHCs and even metal hydrides,' he said. He added that while hydrogen-related technologies are not new, their rapid evolution is notable. 'It is interesting to see how much advancement has been made in only a few years to help improve performance and reduce costs, especially the influx of Chinese manufacturers into the market has created a lot more competition.' At H2EF, Mats will delve into different sectors that are required to unlock hydrogen's potential. 'There are a lot of opportunities in hydrogen, but unlocking these will require all the pieces of the puzzle to come together across, for example, technology, financing, and policy,' he said. The forum is organised by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Sarawak (MEESty), the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia (Mosti), and Borneo Business Connect, with the support of Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak). It serves as a regional platform to accelerate hydrogen adoption n Southeast Asia, in line with the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR). To register or know more, go to
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Religious maritime pilgrimage mispresented as Chinese ships surrounding Taiwan
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways After China held large-scale military drills around Taiwan on April 1, footage of a convoy of ships spread in social media posts falsely claiming it shows Chinese coast guard vessels off the Taiwanese coast. The video depicts a local temple's religious maritime pilgrimage . "In Anping Harbour, Taiwan, mainland coast guard ships are forming a circle, and you can't see the end at all," reads a simplified Chinese X post shared April 15, 2025. The video shows dozens of ships off the sandy shore of a port and several motorcyclists looking out from the coast. Simplified Chinese text over the video reads: "So, those ships forming a circle belong to our Chinese coast guard?" It also contains what appears to be a user's comment in traditional Chinese that says: "So this is the row of ships I saw outside Anping Port around noon today." Screenshot of the false post taken April 30, 2025 China sent its army, navy, air and rocket forces to surround Taiwan on April 1 for large-scale drills that Beijing said were aimed at practising for "precision strikes" and a blockade of the self-ruled island (archived link). Taipei deployed aircraft, ships and land-based missile systems in response to the ongoing exercises and accused Beijing of being the world's "biggest troublemaker". China has increased the deployment of fighter jets and naval vessels around Taiwan in recent years to press its claim of sovereignty, which Taipei rejects. Reverse image searches on Google, followed by keyword searches on TikTok, found the original video that a user based in Pingtung county uploaded April 10. The caption says it shows a maritime pilgrimage for the sea goddess Mazu (archived link). Screenshot comparison of the video from the false post (L) to the original TikTok video The user also shared several videos featuring the same event from the shore, with #MazuPilgrimage, #FengyunTemple and #Zhongyun (archived link). AFP geolocated the clip to a sandy shore near the Fengyun temple and the Port of Zhongyun (archived here). Screenshot comparison of the video from the false post (L) to the location as seen on Google Maps satellite Keywords searches found a "2025 Linyuan Fengyun Temple Matsu Maritime Pilgrimage" event page published by the Kaohsiung local government on April 8 (archived link). The pilgrimage was held from April 9 to 13. The religious event occurs once every four years and involves parades on land and sea dedicated to the goddess Matsu. According to the website, a sea parade was held April 10 from the Zhongyun port to the Anping port. Several local TV stations also published clips of the event, including the Public Television Service and TVBS News (archived here and here). Screenshot comparison of the video in the false posts (L) and a screenshot of the PTS news report Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration confirmed to the island's state-run Central News Agency on April 16 that no sightings of Chinese coast guard ships had been reported, while the Fungyun temple confirmed ships in the video belonged to them (archived link). AFP has previously fact-checked other misinformation about Taiwan's military.
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
5 Hidden Gems On Netflix, According To Rotten Tomatoes
Helena Zengel and Albrecht Schuch star in the 2019 film 'System Crasher.' I have spent a lot of time highlighting the best movies on Netflix, as well as the most highly rated movies on Netflix according to Rotten Tomatoes. But there are so many more movies that fly under the radar that don't receive the recognition and attention they deserve. Even a service like Rotten Tomatoes can only do so much - even if a movie achieves a score over 90%, the highest achievement a film can achieve in the critical community, they often dissipate like dust in the wind as larger films with bigger budgets (and even bigger narrative issues) receive five times as many reviews. These are the kinds of movies that can change someone's life, that can expose a whole new line of thinking, that can alter our very perception of the world. These movies have gone beyond the 90% barrier - we just didn't hear about it. Well, now that can change - for seven movies in particular, anyway. I scoured the Netflix movie database to find lesser-known films that have achieved critical success. All of the movies below, which were largely released in the past ten years, have scored at least 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, and have been waiting for a wider audience to find them. If you're a Netflix subscriber, you likely didn't even known these movies were available to you - so don't waste anymore time and get to it. 59 reviews — 97% approval rating You don't expect to find the most heartfelt of stories born from games like World of Warcraft. But then again, you probably don't know Mats Steen, Norwegian man who lived with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and passed away at 25. His physical world might have be restrained, but his imagination and ability to connect with others knew no bounds - Mats found freedom and kinship in the online realm of World of Warcraft, a massive role-playing game that currently hosts over 7 million players. In The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, director Benjamin Ree blends together home video footage with animated recreations of Mats' in-game experiences (Ree had access to approximately 42,000 pages of Mats' in-game chat logs), where he embodied the charismatic character of Ibelin Redmoore. After Mats' death, his parents were overwhelmed by messages from his online friends, revealing the profound impact he had on their lives - a facet of Mats they had been unaware of. From the very beginning, the film has enjoyed great success with both critics and audiences - the film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, winning both the Audience Award and the Directing Award in the World Cinema Documentary category. 56 reviews — 93% approval rating The act of revolution, of fighting for what's right at any cost, is a rich subject for cinema, and has been since its early days, tracing all the way back to Abel Gance in the 1910s or Sergei Eisenstein in the 1920s or - and perhaps this is most apropos for Güeros - Fernando de Fuentes Carrau in the 1930s. Carrau, a Mexican filmmaker, crafted the Revolution Trilogy between 1933-1936, a series of movies about the Mexican Revolution. Eighty years later, director Alonso Ruizpalacios used black-and-white cinematography to tell a new story of Mexican rebellion involving three teenagers searching for a folk singer during the bloody 1999-2000 strike at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (the largest university in Latin America). The film deftly recreates many of the issues facing Mexican society at the time, evoking themes like student activism, class disparities and the search for identity in a quickly changing cultural landscape. Güeros garnered widespread critical acclaim upon its release just over 10 years ago, winning five Ariel Awards, including Best Picture, and earning accolades at international festivals like Berlin and Tribeca. 48 reviews — 98% approval rating I already highlighted this movie in a recent article, but it feels wrong to ignore it for this particular article - it's rare for a modern movie to come this close to achieving a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes (there is currently only one negative review) and still be relatively unknown. But hopefully that can change as How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies gains exposure to a wider audience on Netflix, and possibly recreate the massive success the film found overseas (produced on a modest $1 million budget, the film grossed approximately $73.8 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing Thai film of all time). This Thai dramedy follows the character of M (Putthipong 'Billkin' Assaratanakul), a 26-year-old university dropout who attempts to secure his dying grandmother's inheritance by becoming her primary caregiver. But before long, he develops a deep, life-changing relationship with Amah (Usha Seamkhum), forcing M to reevaluate his intentions and understanding of family bonds. Thailand selected the film as its official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars, where it made the shortlist. 46 reviews — 100% approval rating I gotta say: this one took me by surprise. As someone who doesn't watch very much anime, it was a shock for me to discover that a film based upon a 1990s manga series had produced one of the rare 100%-approved flicks on Rotten Tomatoes - so I knew I had to check out The First Slam Dunk. Takehiko Inoue, the original creator of the Slam Dunk manga, took on the roles of writer and director for the film, marking his first time directing an animated feature - and boy did he knock it out of the park. His story centers on Ryota Miyagi (Shugo Nakamura), the quick and determined point guard of Shohoku High School's basketball team - he mourns the tragic death of his brother, Sota, who inspired his passion for the sport, and fights to honor his legacy by winning the Inter-High School National Championship. Such a simple story propels to unbelievably heights thanks to the eye-popping blend of 3D CGI for basketball scenes and hand-drawn 2D animation for everyday moments. Believe it or not, The First Slam Dunk became the highest-grossing basketball film of all time, grossing over $279 million worldwide (it also ranks among the top Japanese films in global box office history), while also winning the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year 142 reviews — 96% approval rating Director Joshua Oppenheimer is undoubtedly best known for his transfixing 2012 documentary The Act of Killing (another movie available on Netflix, by the way), which told the story of those who participated in the Indonesian mass killings between 1965-1966, deepening our understanding of those horrific events and the West's involvement. But slightly lesser known is that film's sort-of sequel, The Look of Silence, in which tells the stories of victims of such atrocities. Specifically, the film centers on Adi Rukun, a middle-aged optometrist who confronts the men responsible for his brother Ramli's brutal murder during the anti-communist purges. Through a series of interviews conducted under the guise of eye examinations, Adi seeks to break the decades-long silence surrounding said barbarity and challenges the perpetrators to acknowledge their crimes - this lends to Oppenheimer's signature approach, which emphasizes authenticity and avoids clichés that might offer false reassurance. The film received widespread recognition upon its release, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Despite challenges, the film has been screened over 3,500 times to more than 300,000 people in Indonesia, reflecting its profound resonance and the growing demand for truth and reconciliation. 92 reviews — 91% approval rating Alice Rohrwacher might just be the most celebrated modern filmmaker you've never heard of, winning the Grand Prix for her 2014 film (The Wonders), directing one of the top five international films of 2023 by the National Board of Review (La chimera), and being nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards (Le pupille). She also won Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival for a transfixing film you can find on Netflix, Happy as Lazzaro. Set in the isolated rural estate of Inviolata, the story follows Lazzaro (Adriano Tardiolo), a kind-hearted and naive young peasant who, along with fellow laborers, is exploited under a feudal sharecropping system by the aristocratic Marchesa Alfonsina De Luna (Nicoletta Braschi). Lazzaro forms a bond with her rebellious son, Tancredi (Luca Chikovani), who enlists him in a scheme to fake his own kidnapping. Then, a sudden twist propels the narrative into a surreal exploration of time, as Lazzaro awakens years later, unchanged, and ventures into a modern world where the injustices of the past persist in new forms. This genre-defying Italian film mixes magical realism and neorealism to create a story that is both grounded and otherworldly in its social commentary, making for an incisive, enlightening experience you've likely never encountered before. 35 reviews — 94% approval rating I have to admit, I'm always a bit hesitant when it comes to dramas starring children as the main characters. It's not that I don't believe they can be great - after all, I love movies like The 400 Blows, Where is the Friend's House? and George Washington - but it always seems the hard-hitting reality of their worlds is lost to the conventions of the coming-of-age formula, which stifles a young actor who cannot break beyond such boundaries. But that certainly was not the case with System Crasher, an unflinching portrayal of childhood trauma that was captured beautifully by the film's star, Helena Zengel. This German drama directed by Nora Fingscheidt follows the nine-year-old Bernadette (Zengel), whose explosive outbursts and violent tendencies make her a 'system crasher,' a term used in Germany for children who defy placement in civilized society. Desperate to reunite with a mother unable to care for her, Benni drifts from home to home, constantly defying the efforts of her dedicated social worker Frau Bafané (Gabriela Maria Schmeide) and school escort Micha (Albrecht Schuch), making for a narrative that's just as much of an exploration of childhood trauma as it is a piercing commentary on the system that fails such children. System Crasher was Germany's official submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards and won multiple German Film Awards, including Best Feature Film and Best Actress.
