Latest news with #SOM
Hamilton Spectator
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
YASSiN & Sean Terrio Bring Genre-Bending Sound to Sound of Music Festival
From June 12 to 15, 2025, Burlington will be host to the annual Sound of Music (SOM) festival once again. The festival has a long history; it began back in 1980 rather more humbly than its current form, as a marching band parade. Since then, scores of musicians, from big names to local musicians, have graced SOM's stages. On June 15, local artists YASSiN and Sean Terrio will join those ranks, performing on the TD Main Stage at 2:30 p.m. Zack Yassin and Sean Terrio have been releasing music since 2020. They met each other a year earlier by pure coincidence. '[We met at] a local venue in Oakville called the Moonshine Cafe,' Yassin said. 'Sean happened to be singing at an open mic for the very first time, and I happened to be going to see this venue to check out the open mic for the very first time.' 'When I walked in, Sean was singing, and I was like, I have to work with this guy,' Yassin continued. 'Before that, I was writing, producing, and managing a bunch of different artists, whether it was hip-hop artists, country artists, or pop singers. And I finally decided that I wanted to be an artist myself. Then I met Sean, and I had a few songs I knew his voice would sound perfect on, and we started working together.' Terrio said that before taking the stage that night, he had never performed publicly. 'It was really just on a whim,' Terrio said. 'I knew I could kind of sing, and I wanted to at least go to one open mic in my life. I definitely come from a pretty musical family, and I have some musical friends, but ultimately, I was really inexperienced and kind of raw.' Terrio said that he had done 20 years of 'quiet dreaming' before stepping on stage, and that he had to develop the more outgoing side of himself before embarking on this new career. The result of that development, and partnering with Yassin, is a sound that doesn't fit into any one genre. Their sound is soulful and bright, with hints of pop, blues, R&B, and even country. Yassin said that playing SOM for the first time is an exciting prospect. 'I spent my whole life going to the Sound of Music Festival, seeing The Trews, Walk Off the Earth, and so many other artists there,' Yassin said. 'So I'm extremely pumped to be playing it.' The duo put out their debut album Just Try in October of last year. Yassin said the streaming numbers for the album have been a 'slow burn,' but that they have been growing every day. 'We're pretty confident that in time it'll get like the respect that we think it deserves, and people will love it the way we love it, because we really slaved over that thing and worked crazy hard on it,' Yassin said. Yassin hopes that events like SOM will help get the word out about the album even more. The duo operates as independent artists and spoke about the benefits of not being signed to a major label. 'It's like people are more interested in our brand over our music, which we completely understand, we want to be entertainers,' Yassin said. 'But with music labels, a lot of the time we've had the experience of like, 'Okay, we'll sign you, but let's change everything about you,' and we don't like that. And I'm a very hands-on person in every aspect of the business.' Yassin said that to him, a label deal is an easy way out. 'It's just a fast pass to what you hope is something grand,' Yassin said. 'But now that's not even guaranteed with labels. So you might as well build your own team and be your own label.' Terrio said that signing with a label would feel like settling at this point. He also said that there are many skills that he wouldn't have learned had he not been forced to as a result of working independently. As YASSiN and Sean Terrio, the two often post comedic videos to their social media pages, many featuring Terrio performing impressions of public figures and celebrities. Yassin spoke about the genesis of this content. 'We're 31 and 30, we're not TikTok people,' Yassin said. 'But as independent artists, we're like, 'We need to figure this out to market the album.' And as we were trying to figure it out, we saw all these other things that other artists are doing on TikTok, like singing your song in your car and stuff like that, but it wasn't working for us. And we finally just said, 'Let's do something that just makes us laugh.'' 'It felt like we were forced, out of necessity, to get ourselves out there more,' Yassin continued. 'And then we realized, 'Oh, we actually love comedy,' and people seem to like it as well.' Yassin said that he and Terrio have always shared a similar sense of humour, so it was very natural for them to be funny on camera and in front of audiences. 'It's so nice not having to force a different online persona to get views,' Yassin said. 'It's literally just us, which we're grateful for.' Terrio said that his family moved around frequently in his youth, and developed ways to entertain himself in between making friends, one of which was impressions. YASSiN and Sean Terrio will be performing at Mills Hardware in Hamilton on June 6, as well as at the Sound of Music festival on June 15. Click here to find links to their music and social media pages. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
The Star
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Malaysia to host Special Olympics Asia Pacific Badminton in September
Fresh off the heels of hosting the 46th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is now preparing to welcome another meaningful event - one that celebrates the sporting talents of athletes with intellectual Sept 16-21, the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Badminton Competition 2025 will take place, for the first time in Malaysia, at Dewan Sri Putra, Bukit Jalil, KL. The regional event provides athletes with intellectual disabilities a platform to compete at their own level, showcase their talents and promote true inclusivity in sports. Organised by Special Olympics Malaysia (SOM), the competition will see the participation of over 100 athletes from countries that include Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, Singapore and Papua New Guinea. There will be 32 Malaysian participants in the event. SOM, established in 1999, is a non-profit accredited by Special Olympics International - the world's largest sports organisation for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Working with non-governmental organisations, schools and government agencies, SOM promotes inclusion through sports, health, education and community programmes. The aim is to celebrate abilities, break down barriers, and create a more inclusive society. The Special Olympics Asia Pacific Badminton Competition provides a vital platform for individuals with intellectual disabilities to showcase their talents. Photo: 123rf SOM president Bong Koi Sin, 57, says the competition highlights the importance of recognising the talents of individuals with different abilities. "All this while, Malaysia has mostly played the role of a passenger at Asia Pacific-level competitions. When the opportunity came to host it, we grabbed it. We want to create greater awareness because athletes with intellectual disabilities are often overlooked. "There is a lot of attention given to the Olympics and Paralympics, but hardly any to this group, who include individuals with Down syndrome, autism and slow learners. Individuals with different abilities are citizens too and deserve the chance to be seen and supported," says Bong after the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony with badminton racket label FLEXpro in KL on May 21. The company will support SOM athletes during the competition. Representing the sports brand was its director and executive vice president Sun Yan Hua. Bong, who has been a volunteer with SOM for 27 years, explained that the MoU marks a milestone in the ongoing efforts to provide athletes with intellectual disabilities the resources they need to succeed in their athletic pursuits. "This collaboration represents a major step forward in empowering our athletes with the resources they need to compete at the highest level. We can provide them with the equipment and apparel that will not only enhance their performance but also boost their confidence on the field. We are deeply grateful for this generous contribution." Bong emphasised that the competition welcomes all participants regardless of gender, age or ability level. One doesn't need to be an athlete with SOM to participate in the event. Bong (left) and Sun during the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony. "We want to give everyone a fair shot - whether they are low-, medium- or high-functioning. As long as they are able to participate, we will provide the opportunity," says Bong, a lecturer with Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Perempuan Melayu in Durian Daun, Melaka. SOM (Melaka) badminton coach Lee Zong Siang, 29, travelled from Bukit Berendam in Melaka for the MoU signing ceremony, accompanied by SOM (Melaka) deputy president and sports director Kristil Tan Ai Teng, along with their athletes Nur Syafiqah Mohamad Zanman, 22, and Pua Siew Shin, 21. Lee says his athletes have been training since January, and are very enthusiastic about the international event. "It is not just about winning. We want to give them a chance to build confidence, to see others like them, and enjoy the experience." Lee believes that with time, patience and passion, athletes with intellectual disabilities can thrive in sports. "You can train them - it just takes consistency. It's not something that happens overnight. It takes months of effort. During each lesson, I have to repeat the same things, over and over again. It might seem tedious but I know they can improve, if given the chance."
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Locus Technologies Releases Service Order Management App
Enterprises boost productivity, reduce costs, and capitalize on AI-driven insights MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Locus Technologies, the sustainability and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) compliance software leader, announced the release of its Locus Service Order Management (SOM) app, a user-configurable software-as-a-service (SaaS) to help complex organizations efficiently manage any work order lifecycle and streamline any service workflow with transparency, auditability, and AI modeling. The Locus Service Order Management app automates the scheduling, dispatching, and tracking of service tasks for any department, from inception to closure, all within a single unified platform. Locus SOM integrates with 30+ purpose-built apps in the Locus ecosystem, enabling seamless integration with adjacent apps for service order-centric initiatives, such as EHS and water compliance, incident response, and asset management. 'Locus Service Order Management is the missing piece for organizations looking to streamline field operations and compliance response without adding another disconnected system,' said Neno Duplan, founder and CEO of Locus Technologies. 'It makes little sense for customers to license and manage standalone service order software when they can use our fully integrated, AI-ready platform to initiate, track, and document corrective actions—whether responding to a water compliance alert, a refrigerant leak, or any other field event—directly from within the same system they already use to manage environmental data.' Locus SOM includes end-to-end workflow automation, dashboards and reports, process analytics, field service management (FSM), tasking, notifications, routing/territory planning, asset and equipment management, incident management, and corrective action tracking. All Locus apps are metadata-driven, which empowers users to configure the interfaces and workflows within Locus Service Order Management to meet the needs of any department, from compliance to customer service and ITSM. 'There's no limit to the types of business processes our customers can manage with Locus Service Orders; it could be equipment maintenance or service outages. The app flexes to any use case,' said Duplan. All Locus software is delivered via a multitenant cloud that centralizes and secures customers' data, enabling scalability and AI that continually improves as the collective data grows. 'The Locus Service Order app improves service delivery and reduces operational costs through the efficient, automated management of work orders and the generation of insights to optimize workforces and transform processes,' said Duplan. To learn more about Locus Service Order Management and the ecosystem of 30+ purpose-built apps for Locus Platform, please visit About Locus TechnologiesLocus Technologies, the global environmental, social, governance (ESG), sustainability, and EHS compliance software leader, empowers companies of every size and industry to be credible with ESG reporting. From 1997, Locus pioneered enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) for EHS compliance, water management, and ESG credible reporting. Locus apps and software solutions improve business performance by strengthening risk management and EHS for organizations across industries and government agencies. Organizations ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises, such as Sempra, Corteva, Chevron, DuPont, Chemours, San Jose Water Company, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Port of Seattle, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, have selected Locus. Locus is headquartered in Mountain View, California. For further information regarding Locus and its commitment to excellence in SaaS solutions, please visit or email info@ Media Contact:Brenda MahedyLocus Technologiesmedia@ in to access your portfolio
New Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Tropicana taps global design giant SOM to lead Johor's Lido Waterfront masterplan
KUALA LUMPUR: Tropicana Corporation Bhd has appointed renowned architecture and urban planning firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to lead the masterplan for the 163-acre Lido Waterfront Boulevard (LIDO) in Johor Bahru. This strategic partnership marks a major milestone for the development, which is set to transform LIDO into a world-class, future-ready coastal metropolis and smart city in the southern region of Malaysia. The masterplan will integrate seven key components—residential, commercial, wellness, education, hospitality, recreational, and lifestyle—into a unified, sustainable waterfront destination. Tropicana's founder and group executive vice chairman Tan Sri Danny Tan Chee Sing said LIDO is poised to become the new heartbeat of Johor Bahru City Centre, leveraging its proximity to the upcoming RTS Link and the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). "LIDO is one of our most innovative projects in Johor, and this impressive masterplan will be the new pulse of Johor Bahru City Centre," he said in a statement. Tan said that the LIDO masterplan design was awarded to SOM with the collective aim to set new standards for sustainability and innovation in the continually growing Johor Bahru city. "This is our second collaboration with SOM. Our first was the successful and iconic W Kuala Lumpur & The Residences, located within the Kuala Lumpur City Centre. With their impressive track record and global talents, the LIDO masterplan design was awarded to SOM with our collective aim to set new standards for sustainability and innovation in the continually growing Johor Bahru city." SOM's recent work on the Bandar Malaysia master plan, a major transit-oriented, mixed-use project in Kuala Lumpur, demonstrated its capacity to envision future-ready cities. These successful track records captured Tropicana's interest, making SOM the preferred choice to bring the ambitious LIDO development vision to life. SOM, famed for iconic projects such as the Burj Khalifa, One World Trade Centre, and master plans across major global cities, will bring visionary urban planning and international expertise to the project. Douglas Voigt, Partner at SOM, said the project presents an opportunity to create a vibrant, inclusive urban hub. LIDO has the potential to be one of Malaysia's most engaging civic spaces, celebrating culture, enhancing liveability, and strengthening Johor Bahru's social fabric, he said. As the first residential phase of the development, Skypark Kepler will comprise two 54-storey towers on a 4-acre freehold site. It will feature 1,596 fully and semi-furnished designer units, with layouts ranging from 1+1 to 3 bedrooms (463 to 807 sq ft), starting from RM790,000.
Malaysian Reserve
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Malaysian Reserve
ASEAN to review Ukraine's bid for dialogue partner status
By AUFA MARDHIAH & HIDAYATH HISHAM ASEAN will review Ukraine's application to become a Sectoral Dialogue Partner, with further deliberations to be undertaken at the senior officials' level. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (picture) said the matter had been referred to the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) to explore how the grouping can engage with Ukraine moving forward. 'We want to explore how best we can work in Ukraine in the agreement,' he told reporters during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today. According to official meeting documents, Mohamad on behalf of Malaysia as ASEAN Chairman, noted that the review process is ongoing and requested the SOM to proceed accordingly. No timeline has been set for a decision, but the matter may be discussed at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting scheduled for July. Ukraine's push to formalise relations with ASEAN follows its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in 2022, which marked a key step towards institutional engagement with the regional bloc. In 2023, Ukraine submitted a draft Priority Plan to the ASEAN Secretariat proposing cooperation in areas such as food security, digital economy, energy, trade, disaster management, and socio-cultural exchange. The application for Sectoral Dialogue Partner status is part of Kyiv's broader strategy to deepen ties in the Asia-Pacific amid its ongoing conflict with Russia. The move is seen as an effort to diversify diplomatic engagement and secure support from emerging regions.
