Latest news with #PhilSmith
CNA
19-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Singapore hotels raise their game as World Aquatics Championships draws near
SINGAPORE: Ahead of an expected surge in overseas visitors in July, hotels in Singapore are taking measures such as bringing in more part-time staff and beefing up their menus. The multi-discipline World Aquatics Championships and World Aquatics Masters Championships will be taking place then, coinciding with celebrations for Singapore's 60th birthday. The month-long sports event is expected to attract about 40,000 international visitors, with tourist revenue projected to hit S$60 million (US$46 million). The World Aquatics Championships – which features the six sports of swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving – will be held from Jul 11 to Aug 3. KEEPING THE CROWD SATISFIED Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay hotel, located along Raffles Boulevard, is expected to be at full occupancy during July and August. The luxury hotel has close to 600 rooms. Its general manager Phil Smith said such a global event means the hotel needs to ensure everyone is well prepared. 'Some of the things that we're looking at and are planning for, is obviously additional manning to help with the large amount of arrivals and departures, some of the special requests that may come in from so many international guests being in the hotel, and ensuring that our security is added to,' he told CNA. Other measures include bringing in extra housekeeping equipment and part-time staff to turn over rooms quickly, when guests leave and new ones arrive. The hotel is also adding dishes to its breakfast menu to keep the large and diverse crowd satisfied. Mr Smith noted that the World Aquatics Championship – which was last held in Japan's Fukuoka city two years ago – is 'very unique' and will attract visitors who normally would not be in Singapore during that time. 'When it comes to the front office, how do we make sure that we've got people to help cope with the many different languages?' Mr Smith added. 'Some of these people coming from around the world may not speak English, and we need to ensure that we've got people to assist them.' UPSKILLING HOTEL STAFF For boutique hotel 21 Carpenter, located in Clarke Quay close to the Singapore River, it has seen more bookings for the coming months, as compared to the same period in 2024. 'I would say that (it's a) 7 to 8 per cent increase compared to last year,' said the hotel's general manager Tarun Kalra. Those who have enquired about staying there include staff from the participating nations' sports bodies as well as supporters, he added. 'We are spending a lot of time right now to upskill our staff - give them some more skills to be able to welcome these overseas visitors that I understand are coming from more than 190 countries.' The hotel's front office manager is also being trained to handle food and beverage services. All these will have a ripple effect to improve the hotel's standards beyond the event, said Mr Kalra. Singapore is the first Southeast Asian nation to host the World Aquatics Championships, with Sentosa island and the Singapore Sports Hub in Kallang being the main venues for the competition. Some events will take place in a temporary facility in a car park next to Leisure Park Kallang Mall. Organisers are targeting an end-May completion date for this.
RNZ News
14-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Labour defends raising column as C-word debate spirals
File photo. Labour's Jan Tinetti rejected the notion Labour had used poor political judgment by referencing the column. Photo: Phil Smith Labour has rejected the idea that it was a poor political judgment to reference a column using the c-word in connection to female ministers overhauling the pay equity scheme in Parliament. Labour's Jan Tinetti asked the Minister responsible a question about the piece during Parliament's Question Time on Wednesday, to which Brooke Van Velden dropped the c-bomb in protest over the slur being used. Van Velden has defended the use of the word, blaming Labour for introducing the column in the first place. "I think it's really important that I shone a light on the misogyny that Labour actually did bring into the House. "They brought it here, I responded." But Tinetti rejected that, and said there was nothing in the quote she referenced in her question that brought misogyny into the house. "I deliberately went through that to find the quote that would mention the economic backhander." It was pointed out to Tinetti that the column in question used the c-word, "that c-word I would never use," she said. "That doesn't mean to say that people's emotions aren't riled by the fact there's been choices made here with the budget, and future pay cuts have been made to women. "This has got people very uptight and very angry, and emotions have risen." She rejected the notion Labour had used poor political judgment by referencing the column, and said the party was having a discussion around misogyny, as well as women taking money off other women in "future pay cuts." Labour leader Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The coalition has criticised Labour for not calling out the column itself, with Finance Minister Nicola Willis taking aim at Labour leader Chris Hipkins directly for his past position of believing men should speak out against gendered abuse. Hipkins said newspapers make editorial judgments about what they are and aren't willing to publish, "and that's a question for the editors and the people writing that material." "Given the opportunity to make that exact statement, he did not; instead, he suddenly discovered free speech, and my view is that actually the standard you walk past is the standard you accept," said Willis. NZ First MP Shane Jones said it had been the "most extraordinary day of language in the House" and discussion carried over into General Debate later in the afternoon. Chris Bishop said the c-word had been "thrown around a bit" in the last week. "I want to read out some c-words that I think apply to the Labour opposition: callous, cruel and cowardly." He also said the "double standards" and "misleading statements" put out by the Labour Party over the last week were "cruel." "Because this debate all started because of the actions the government took when it comes to equal pay, and we have heard all sorts of nonsense from the Opposition." Hipkins took aim at Bishop too, for "jumping on his high horse", and saying Labour needed to do better. "I can only say I hope he didn't injure himself as he fell off his high horse when it was flying at breakneck speed in the wrong direction. "Because at the same time he was saying we needed to do better, his own party was posting artificial intelligence-generated images of me when he was saying that we needed to 'raise the tone' of the debate." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Utah's Black Desert, site of this week's LPGA event, has soared in Golfweek's Best rankings
Utah's Black Desert, site of this week's LPGA event, has soared in Golfweek's Best rankings Sunrise hits a little differently in Greater Zion. As morning light comes to life, it's not what it does to the sky. Or to the ground. All eyes are on the towering orange cliffs between – they seem to belong to neither land nor the heavens. The sunlight strikes the tops first, the mountains bursting in color. Time is marked quickly as illumination slides downward, casting aside the last of the night and presenting the full scope of the escarpments. Sunsets are beautiful in this patch of desert, but mornings are magical. This all sound perhaps a little too earthy-crunchy or mystical for you? There are plenty of folks who flood the outskirts of Zion National Park looking for such moments, but this is a golf magazine, after all. Fret not. We're getting to the good stuff. As the shade on the mountains is lowered by the sun's ascent, another darkness shines. The new golf course at Black Desert Resort soaks up the light, a slanted field of ebony lava laced with fairways. The contrasting palette – orange, black, green, blue – plays tricks with the eye, and the whole aesthetic is somewhat overwhelming. Best of all: You can play it. Despite the sea of lava, the course is very manageable, wide where it needs to be and tricky where it counts. Black Desert can accommodate a resort guest or a tour pro, which is good, because it was laid out with both in mind. Opened in 2023, Black Desert was the last course designed by Tom Weiskopf before his death caused by pancreatic cancer. Phil Smith, Weiskopf's partner in golf architecture, finished the job. The layout has quickly climbed the rankings and is No. 1 in Utah on Golfweek's Best list of public-access courses, No. 26 among all resort courses in the U.S. and No. 81 among all modern courses in the country. And it's all part of one of the most ambitious endeavors golf has seen in decades. Click here to read the rest of our extensive review of the course.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Are the American dream and the welfare of the people in jeopardy?
Forty-three Northwest Missouri State University students recently had their visas revoked by the United States Citizen Immigration Services. They were told to leave the country immediately. So long, American dream. - Phil Smith, Kansas City 'Salus populi suprema lex esto,' Missouri's motto appearing on the state seal and flag, translated from Latin to English is: 'The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law.' From their current actions, members of the General Assembly seem oblivious to the motto's existence and meaning. - Nancy M. Ehrlich, Independence Most Americans want to end the practice of changing our clocks twice a year and make either Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time permanent. But which one? The arguments from sleep experts and the medical field are that Standard Time best aligns with our human circadian biology and is better for our physical and mental health as well as our safety. The argument that Daylight Saving allows the enjoyment of an extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day is supported by the recreation industry as well as convenience stores and others. Although that 'extra' hour of sunlight year-round might sound lucrative, permanent Daylight Saving Time was tried during the energy crisis in 1974 and was rescinded after only 10 months because of the extreme dark mornings in mid-winter. In Kansas City, permanent Daylight Saving would result in the sun not rising until almost 8:40 during the last half of December and much of January. Even the current practice of Daylight Saving for eight months of the year results in unnecessary darker mornings in early spring and late fall. It's time to return to permanent Standard Time, which has served humankind well since time immemorial. Contact your representatives in Congress, as they will ultimately decide. - Thomas Harries, Lenexa In his April 14 column, 'Please keep your obvious pronouns out of my emails,' (7A) David Mastio quotes White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: 'Any reporter who chooses to put their preferred pronouns in their bio ...' 'Reporter' is a singular noun. 'Their' is a plural pronoun. Leavitt violated her own preference. The correct albeit awkward usage to follow the practice Leavitt prefers would be 'his or her.' Pronouns are a weak part of speech, often used as a crutch to avoid clarity. Avoid pronouns at all costs. - Michael Grimaldi, Kansas City Contrary to what you might have heard, a Real ID is not required to drive or vote. A Real ID will be required only if you want to travel by plane. This change is designed to further reduce the possibility of terrorism with air travel. Also contrary to what you might have heard, it's not that difficult to update your existing driver's license or non-driver ID. Just go to the DMV with your birth certificate or passport, Social Security card, a utility bill and voter registration card. You'll need a marriage certificate or divorce decree if your last name has changed. This serves as a reminder always to save such documents. And you might as well go ahead and do it now, just in case more places require a Real ID in the future. Let's get Real. - Kevin Lindeman, Kansas City Editor's note: Visit for a complete list of acceptable documentation to obtain a Real ID. Based on the oath of office, the president is compelled to, 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.' Recently, however, the Supreme Court ruled that the president cannot be held legally accountable for actions taken in the performance of 'official duties,' in effect placing the president above the law. The president's continued roundup and arrest of undocumented people, coupled with no judicial oversight, has resulted in an unprecedented constitutional stalemate of sorts. Since the president can't be held legally liable, the courts seem to lack authority to compel the president to legally comply. Meanwhile, a timid Congress seems unwilling to step into this constitutional crisis, while our allies express astonishment and dismay. These events strongly suggest that all of us are at grave personal risk from a lawless and contemptible president. - Phil Anderson, Manhattan, Kansas
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Roof repair underway at Belle Bennett Auditorium
Efforts by the City of London Tourism and Parks Commission to repair the roof of the Belle Bennett Auditorium on the former Sue Bennett College campus remain underway. 'As of now, we have taken care of the damage that occurred last summer,' said Phil Smith, chair of the London City Tourism Commission. 'There are several other things that we can do cosmetically to the building; we just have to see what that process looks like as far as community involvement and the commission's desire to move forward with any additional expense.' The building was donated to the tourism commission in the summer of 2024 after there were structural issues with the roof. Commissioners voted to save the structure by replacing the trusses and installing a new roof. Two new steel trusses were laid for the building Jan. 29, in place of the prior wooden structures, with the intention of providing stronger stability. 'Work is still underway, but the building is sound, solid, and ready for the next steps in becoming a beautiful asset to the London community once again,' City Tourism Director Chris Robinson wrote in a Facebook post. Those interested in staying updated throughout the process can leave their contact information in this google form: London City Tourism will potentially partner with the community to host future fundraising events this spring and encourages those who have ideas about fundraising strategies to also fill out the form. 'There have been potential contributors who came forward offering donations to go toward the renovations and we are hoping for more,' Smith stated. Smith asserted that the commission is approaching the process cautiously and being mindful of 'each dollar spent.' 'It is exciting to think that we may soon have another place where children and adults can study and participate in cultured, art related events in our community,' said Smith. 'Enhancing the opportunities for creativity and art is essential in our region. The future performances and events may substantially impact Tourism. The project is very exciting, however, the funding side is challenging.' All in all, Smith expressed the excitement of commissioners, stating, 'It's an incredible feeling to think we are restoring a historical structure that's so significant to so many people.'
