Latest news with #Okamura
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Man with Ukrainian flag attacked at populist gathering in Czechia
Czech police are investigating an attack on a young man with a Ukrainian flag that took place last week during an event held by the right-wing populist parties SPD, Trikolora, Svobodny and PRO in Brno. Source: European Pravda with reference to Brnensky Denik, a Czech news platform focussing on news from Brno Details: The incident took place on 24 April in the afternoon. As can be seen in the video posted on X (Twitter), several participants of the gathering verbally attacked a group of people, one of whom was holding a Ukrainian flag, urging them to return to Ukraine. They then tried to take the flag away from the young man. During the scuffle, another man knocked the young man with the flag down. After that, several other people joined the incident. The victim reported the incident to the police. Quote from the police spokesman Pavel Schwab: "This person contacted us this morning [Monday 28 April - ed.] to report the incident, we are investigating it and will determine whether it is a criminal offence." SPD leader Tomio Okamura told the iDnes website that the attack took place after a political gathering ended and claimed that the young man attacked first. "On the empty streets of Brno, a Ukrainian activist was the first to elbow a defenceless Czech woman. A man then stood up for the woman. Of course, I condemn any violence," Okamura said. The attack was condemned on X by the human rights ombudsman Klara Šimáčková-Laurenčiková. "The most disgusting manifestation of aggression and prejudiced hatred. I will immediately contact the police. I believe in fair punishment," she said. The news website notes that during the demonstration in front of Brno Town Hall, politicians made harsh statements against the current government, "black migrants", LGBT people and Ukrainians. Okamura, in particular, claimed that Petr Fiala's cabinet had "allocated 232 billion CZK (US$1.4 billion) to Ukrainian refugees at the expense of Czech pensioners". He also promised to deport refugees and "revoke the residence permits of all Ukrainians who receive benefits here and are not working". The leader of the PRO party, Jindřich Rajchl, said that he "agrees with Donald Trump that Ukraine is to blame for the war, that it did not fulfil and did not want to fulfil the Minsk agreements". "I agree with Donald Trump that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a dictator," Rajchl said. Background: Czechs trust Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy more than Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, while Slovaks trust the Russian ruler more. In early February, Czech President Petr Pavel signed an amended law to extend protection to refugees from Ukraine, criminalise unauthorised activities in favour of a foreign state, and tighten conditions for Russian applicants for Czech citizenship. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Asahi Shimbun
26-04-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
Expert develops storage bag that keeps bread like just out of oven
Takehisa Okamura, right, president of Kinou Sozai Co. who developed a bread freshness-keeping bag called "Pan Oishii-mama," and Yukari Yamamoto, owner of the Marugen Kitchen bakery, pose for a photo in Kochi on March 17. (Kazunori Haga) KOCHI--Every time Takehisa Okamura ate bread at home, he wanted to savor the flavor of a freshly baked loaf. However, bread tastes best when it is served fresh out of the oven. It needs to be cooled before being packed in bags. Otherwise, the humidity rises inside the bag and causes mold to grow. Bread is sold in stores only after it cools and loses heat--and its fresh flavor as well. Being a material expert, Okamura, 55, thought that the problem could be solved by allowing only moisture to escape outside while keeping the aroma inside. Okamura is the founder of Kinou Sozai Co., an affiliate of Okamura-Kasei Co., a wholesale company dealing in paper, non-woven fabrics and other products for which he also serves as president. He established Kinou Sozai, which means "functional materials" in Japanese, in 2009 to manufacture and sell products made using such materials. Okamura spent the next three years finding the right material. FRESH EVEN AFTER DEFROSTING Regular food packaging films need to serve as barriers to prevent oxygen, water vapor and other gases from entering and maintain the food quality. Okamura developed a bag designed exclusively to store bread and maintain its freshness in 2020, using a special resin that prevents air entering from outside and allows moisture inside the bag to pass through. Because the bag is impervious to oxygen, it can help prevent oxidation. It also allows moisture to escape, keeping mold from forming. The product received an encouragement prize at the Local Industry Awards hosted by the prefectural government. To utilize it, users simply put bread into the bag and seal it with the accompanying clip. The bag created a buzz among bread enthusiasts as it can retain the aroma and flavor for a longer period. According to estimates from the Kochi Prefectural Industrial Technology Center, the aroma of bread remained unchanged even after the bread was kept in the bag for a week at room temperature. The product was given the straightforward name, "Pan Oishii-mama" (Keeps bread tasty). The innovation proved successful, and the number of bags sold doubled from 1 million in 2023 to 2 million in 2024. Another advantage is that Pan Oishii-mama helps prevent bread from frosting and developing a soggy texture even after it is stored in a freezer because it allows moisture to escape. "There is no need to bake it again, and you can let it thaw naturally to enjoy the flavor as if it is freshly baked," Okamura said. UNEXPECTED DEMAND The Pan Oishii-mama bag has attracted an increasing number of unexpected customers. Yukari Yamamoto, 39, who runs Marugen Kitchen, a popular bakery in Kochi that serves breads made from rice flour, said it is a "liberator" for bakeries run by one person. To prevent the aroma of freshly baked bread from escaping, she previously included a deoxygenating agent in a gas-filled bag used for wrapping sweets to maintain the freshness of her breads. But after she started using the Pan Oishii-mama, she was spared from having to add the freshness-retaining agent and just focus on making bread. For customers who buy a lot, she can tell them with confidence that they can savor the flavor even after the bread stored in a freezer is thawed. "We have been aiming to develop something that is a niche product but creates a steady demand," Okamura said. "We want to keep moving forward with our unique thinking and ideas, doing things different from other companies." A set of three Pan Oishii-mama bags, which are large enough to hold two loaves of bread, is sold at a starting price of 495 yen ($3.40).
Morocco World
03-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Crisis Prevention: IMF Approves 2-Year $4.5 Billion Credit Line Arrangement for Morocco
Rabat – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved on Wednesday a two-year $4.5 billion arrangement for Morocco designed for crisis prevention. The arrangement is under the Flexible Credit Line (FCL), the statement said on Wednesday, noting that Morocco has canceled the previous FCL arrangement. 'The Moroccan authorities stated their intention to treat the new arrangement as precautionary,' the IMF said, noting that this constitutes the second FCL with lower access in line with the authorities' goal of contributing to reducing access as risks permit in the context of their gradual exit strategy. Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair of the IMF, spoke of the new approved credit line, applauding the Moroccan economy's resilience to different shocks, particularly drought that affected agricultural production. 'Morocco's very strong institutional and policy frameworks have been effective in addressing these shocks, with well-calibrated fiscal, monetary, and financial policies,' Okamura said, stressing that Morocco's government is committed to continuing to implement its ambitious structural reform agenda towards a more resilient and private sector-led growth. Commenting on the new FCL arrangement, Okamura said the arrangement will continue to provide Morocco insurance against downside risks, acknowledging that the economy remains vulnerable to a worsening of global economic and financial conditions, higher commodity prices, and new occurrences of droughts. 'The authorities are committed to treating the new FCL arrangement as precautionary and gradually reducing access, in the context of their strategy contingent on the evolution of risks,' Okamura concluded. In March, the IMF's executive board also approved a $496 million loan for Morocco under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility arrangement, bringing the total disbursement under this arrangement to about $1.24 billion.
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USA Today
31-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Volvo Car Open: Tomljanovic [87th] vs. Okamura [183rd] Prediction, Odds and Match Preview
No. 87-ranked Ajla Tomljanovic will face No. 183 Kyoka Okamura in the Volvo Car Open Round of 64 on Monday, March 31. Tomljanovic has -350 odds to earn a win in this match versus Okamura (+260). Tennis odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 2:35 AM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Ajla Tomljanovic vs. Kyoka Okamura matchup info Tournament: Volvo Car Open Volvo Car Open Round: Round of 64 Round of 64 Date: Monday, March 31 Monday, March 31 Court Surface: Clay Watch the Tennis Channel and more sports on Fubo! Tomljanovic vs. Okamura Prediction Based on the implied probility from the moneyline, Tomljanovic has a 77.8% to win. Tomljanovic vs. Okamura Betting Odds Tomljanovic's odds to win match: -350 -350 Okamura's odds to win match: +260 +260 Tomljanovic's odds to win tournament: +15000 +15000 Okamura's odds to win tournament: +25000 Tomljanovic vs. Okamura matchup performance & stats Tomljanovic has a record of 1-3 on clay over the last 12 months. Tomljanovic has won 56.3% of her service games on clay over the past year and 30.0% of her return games. Tomljanovic has converted 40.5% of her break-point opportunities on clay (15 of 37) over the past year. In her most recent tournament, the Miami Open presented by Itau, Tomljanovic fell in the Round of 128 to No. 84-ranked Bernarda Pera, 3-6, 2-6 on March 19. Okamura has taken part in one tournament on clay over the past 12 months, posting a 1-1 match record on that surface. While playing on clay, Okamura has a 58.8% winning percentage in service games and a 47.1% winning percentage in return games. Okamura has won 61.5% of break points on clay surfaces (eight out of 13) which ranks 237th. In the Australian Open, Okamura's previous tournament, she played No. 115-ranked Anastasia Zakharova in the Qualification Round 1 on January 7 and lost 6-7, 0-6. Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Sportsbook Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Billionaire utopian city launches new shipyard plan
A group of Silicon Valley billionaires' plan to construct a utopian 'city of yesterday' remains on hold until at least 2026. In the meantime, California Forever is pursuing an alternative option for some of its 60,000 acres purchased through years of stealth real estate dealings. According to Rio Vista mayor Edwin Okamura, early discussions are underway to transform a portion of California Forever's land into a largescale shipbuilding port. 'A proposed site for this initiative is near Collinsville—an area long suspected as a potential port,' Okamura wrote last week in a social media post. Preliminary conversations also included potential tax incentives, federal infrastructure funding, and 'immediate job creation.' The Solano County town of Collinsville is located roughly 40 miles from San Francisco on the Sacramento River, which ultimately feeds into the Pacific Ocean. Attempts to build a new shipbuilding port in the area date back to at least 1989, and focus on an estimated 1,400 acres previously identified for maritime industrial uses. Although no longer the hub it once was, Solano County and the surrounding region has a deep shipbuilding history that dates back to the opening of Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINS) in 1854. MINS was central to the development and expansion of US naval capabilities for nearly 145 years, particularly when it came to World War II build-up efforts. It also served for decades as a submarine port. The US government finally closed operations for around 7,500 remaining MINS employees in 1996. California Forever publicly announced its $900 million East Solano Plan in August 2023. Envisioned as an idyllic 'city of yesterday,' the new town's founders boasted it would feature 'novel methods of design, construction, and governance.' California Forever's pitch arrived after years of aggressive real estate dealings funded by a group of secretive investors led by former Goldman Sachs trader Jan Sramek. Backers were eventually revealed to include wealthy Silicon Valley venture capitalists like LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Lauren Powell Jobs, billionaire philanthropist and widow of Steve Jobs. The East Solano Plan received almost immediate pushback from both local residents and politicians, who criticized the organization's opaque real estate dealings and lofty promises. Meanwhile, environmental groups criticized the project's supposed eco-friendliness, with the Sierra Club describing the overall goals as a 'hostile takeover' of vital agricultural and natural landscapes. Facing mounting pushback, California Forever withdrew an initial measure to fast-track plans that was slated for inclusion on the region's November 2024 election ballot. Representatives at the time said they would instead pursue the East Solano Plan through standard channels, including a full, independent environmental impact review along with preparing a development agreement with local county supervisors. 'I know from where I stand today, I support this maritime industrial opportunity,' Vacaville mayor John Carli told California's Daily Republic newspaper last week, adding his belief that it presents 'one of the most significant opportunities we have here in Solano County.' Carli also confirmed representatives from the US Navy were a part of the early discussions. The latest pivot arrives less than a month after President Trump announced intentions to revitalize US ship manufacturing. During his first state address on March 4, Trump referenced an impending executive order aimed at jumpstarting efforts to compete with China's longstanding commercial shipbuilding dominance. A draft of the 'Make Shipbuilding Great Again' executive order obtained by The Washington Post also claimed the president would direct Congress to appropriate funds towards the creation of a US Office of Shipbuilding. Executive orders are not functionally identical to federally passed laws, and can be legally challenged. Meanwhile, maritime experts have already expressed doubts about the feasibility of the Trump White House's vows for a quick return to domestic ship and naval manufacturing. 'It appears to be written by people who have absolutely no idea how the maritime supply chain works,' Lars Jensen, CEO of Copenhagen's Vespucci Maritime consultant agency, said of the EO earlier this month. Jensen cited President Trump's ongoing tariff war provocations, particularly those affecting steel and other manufacturing imports, as counterintuitive to any domestic shipbuilding goals. The 'Make Shipbuilding Great Again' order has yet to be published. 'We used to make so many ships. We don't make them anymore very much, but we're going to make them very fast, very soon,' President Trump vowed earlier this month. In an email to Popular Science, a California Forever spokesperson clarified that even if shipyard plans do progress, the project isn't a 'shift away from the city,' but did not provide more details at the time of writing.
