Latest news with #Serra
Muscat Daily
2 days ago
- Business
- Muscat Daily
IMF commends ‘strong momentum' of structural reforms in Oman
Muscat – International Monetary Fund (IMF) has commended Oman for its ongoing implementation of structural reforms and continued economic growth, despite a contraction in hydrocarbon output resulting from OPEC+ oil production cuts. An IMF staff team, led by César Serra, visited Muscat from May 21 to 29 to review economic and financial developments, assess outlook and discuss the country's policy priorities. 'The momentum of structural reforms remains strong, supporting Oman's ability to navigate a challenging external environment and accelerate economic diversification,' Serra said in a statement released at the end of the IMF mission. IMF noted that Oman's economy continues to expand, driven by sustained investment in logistics, manufacturing, renewable energy and tourism, while inflation remains low. 'Despite a contraction in hydrocarbon output due to ongoing OPEC+ oil production cuts, real GDP growth strengthened to 1.7% in 2024, up from 1.2% in 2023, supported by robust non-hydrocarbon activity, particularly in manufacturing and services,' Serra said. According to IMF, Oman's economy is expected to expand at a faster pace over the medium term, with overall GDP growth projected at 2.4% in 2025 and 3.7% in 2026. 'This improved performance is expected to be driven by the gradual phasing out of OPEC+ production limits and continued strong non-hydrocarbon growth, underpinned by sustained investments in key sectors,' Serra said. However, he added that lower oil prices are likely to weigh on Oman's fiscal and external positions. 'Following a fiscal surplus of 3.3% of GDP in 2024, the surplus is projected to narrow to an average of 0.5% of GDP during 2025–2026, before improving over the medium term. This recovery will be supported by resumption of oil production and continuation of fiscal reforms.' IMF acknowledged further reductions in Oman's public debt, which declined to 35.5% of GDP in 2024, down from 37.5% in 2023, as the government continued to allocate part of its fiscal surplus towards debt repayment. State-owned enterprise (SOE) debt was also reduced to around 31% of GDP, supported by steady progress on the SOE reform agenda led by Oman Investment Authority. 'Structural reforms are progressing well,' Serra said. 'Oman Tax Authority is making steady progress with its Tax Administration Modernisation Programme, Central Bank of Oman is further refining its liquidity management framework and the financial sector reform agenda continues with several initiatives aimed at expanding access to finance.' He noted that SOE reforms are yielding tangible improvements in governance, profitability and risk management. Limited impact of global trade tensions IMF expects the direct impact of global trade tensions on Oman to be limited. However, lower oil prices and the risk of slower growth among key trading partners may weigh on the economic outlook. 'Risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside. While the direct effects of global trade tensions are likely to be limited – given Oman's modest exports to the United States – indirect effects could be more pronounced. On the upside, accelerated reform implementation under Oman Vision 2040 would strengthen the country's outlook,' Serra said. Commenting on the banking sector, he added, 'It remains sound, supported by strong asset quality, healthy capital and liquidity buffers, and sustained profitability. Banks maintain a positive net foreign asset position, while private sector credit growth remains strong, supported by an expanding deposit base.'
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Serra, De La Salle win baseball section titles, now pursue CIF NorCal crowns
Two of the Bay Area's most storied baseball programs — Serra and De La Salle-Concord — won section titles Saturday on the rebound. Now each hopes to catapult to their ultimate goal: Northern California titles. The one-week CIF Regional playoffs get underway Tuesday with Division 1 top-seed De La Salle and No. 3 Padres hosting games. Serra (26-6) won their first Central Coast Section championship since 2009 with a 3-2 Division 1 win over Valley Christian at Excite Ballpark Stadium, riding a three-run fourth-inning rally and getting fine outings from winning pitcher Riley Lim back by two innings of scoreless relief by Nate Hui. Evan Bradshaw drove home the go-ahead run with an infield single and also made a key diving catch in the outfield. High School Baseball and Softball Playoffs BASEBALL CIF Northern California playoffs Tuesday's first-round games (4 p.m. unless noted) Division 1 No. 8 Del Oro at No. 1 De La Salle No. 5 Valley Christian at No. 4 St. Mary's-Stockton No. 6 College Park at No. 3 Serra No. 7 Los Gatos at No. 2 Franklin-Elk Grove Division 2 No. 8 Hollister at No. 1 Yuba City No. 5 Lodi at No. 4 Casa Grande No. 6 Acalanes at No. 3 Chico No. 7 Central Catholic at No. 2 St. Francis Division 3 No. 8 California at No. 1 Roseville No. 5 Lincoln-Lincoln at No. 4 Fowler No. 6 Kingsburg at No. 3 Rancho Cotate No. 7 Morro Bay at No. 2 Carmel Division 4 No. 8 Durham at No. 1 Woodland Christian No. 5 Menlo School at No. 4 Las Lomas No. 6 Oakland Tech at No. 3 Santa Clara No. 7 Arcata at No. 2 West Valley Division 5 No. 8 Maxwell at No. 1 Etna No. 5 Swett at No. 4 Los Molinos No. 6 Lincoln-San Francisco at No. 3 Vacaville Christian, 6 p.m. No. 7 Torres at No. 2 Stevenson SOFTBALL CIF Northern California playoffs Tuesday's first-round games (all 4 p.m.) Division 1 No. 8 Capuchino at No. 1 Oak Ridge No. 5 Clovis North at No. 4 Whitney No. 6 Rocklin at No. 3 St. Francis No. 7 Willow Glen at No. 2 Del Oro Division 2 No. 8 Foothill at No. 1 Vanden No. 5 Central Catholic at No. 4 Liberty No. 6 The King's Academy at No. 3 Destiny Christian Academy No. 7 Casa Grande at No. 2 Salinas Division 3 No. 1 Hillsdale, bye No. 5 Liberty-Madera at No. 4 Foothill-Palo Cedro No. 6 Pleasant Valley vs. at No. 3 Carondelet at Carondelet Athletic Complex No. 7 Calaveras at No. 2 Cardinal Newman Division 4 No. 8 Woodside at No. 1 East Nicolaus No. 5 Gridley at No. 4 Northgate No. 6 University Prep at No. 3 San Leandro No. 7 Aptos at No. 2 Argonaut Division 5 No. 8 Willits at No. 1 Biggs No. 5 Oakland at No. 4 Miramonte No. 6 Torres at No. 3 King City No. 7 Balboa vs. No. 2 Foresthill at San Francisco State Not only did the Padres rebound from a 1-0 West Catholic Athletic League semifinal playoff loss last week, but also from losing 18 seniors off last season's 22-7 team. Serra boasts such alums as Barry Bonds, Jim Fregosi and James Outman. It now hosts sixth-seed College Park-Pleasant Hill (17-11) in a first-round game Tuesday. All first- and second-round games start at 4 p.m. De La Salle (26-4) won its 15th North Coast Section title and seventh in eight years with an 11-2 win over College Park at St. Mary's College. Stanford-bound shortstop Tyler Spangler continued a mammoth junior season with three hits including a pair of triples. Cal Poly-bound Antonio Castro added two hits and three RBIs. It was De La Salle's 31st NCS playoff win in the last 32 games, the lone setback being a 1-0 loss to Granada-Livermore in last year's title game. That contest took 15 innings and two days to complete. Granada also ended De La Salle's string of four straight Northern California playoff titles as well last season. 'Our whole goal is to get back the dogpile (celebration),' Spangler said after a semifinal win over Foothill-Pleasanton last week. That was secured largely Saturday with six runs in the second inning, with three more tacked on in the sixth. Half of De La Salle's 10 hits went for extra bases and winning pitcher Roman Bartosh allowed four hits in six innings before Mason Cortez pitched one scoreless inning. Softball roundup: Hayden Hummel, Peyton Tsao, Gabby Rocha and Isabella Sandoval drove in two runs apiece as second-seed St. Francis ended top seed Willow Glen-San Jose's undefeated season with a 9-6 CCS Open Division title win that took eight innings. The Lancers (27-3), the third seed, host No. 6 Rocklin (22-6) in a first-round NorCal game Tuesday. … Sophomore Lola Jones struck out seven and allowed six hits and added an RBI single, leading Hillsdale-San Mateo (19-9-1) to a CCS Division 2 title with a 4-1 win over San Mateo. … Liberty-Brentwood (23-4) won its third NCS title and first since 1997 with a 4-0 win over Casa Grande-Petaluma as Kate Skinner fired a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts. … Nicole DiMarco had a triple, homer and five RBIs leading Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (22-6) to a 12-8 NCS Division 2 title win over Carondelet-Concord. Acalanes baseball ends drought: The Dons of Lafayette (17-10) won their seventh NCS baseball title, but first since 2016 with a 7-1 Division 2 win over Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park as Brady Quinn and Austin McManamon combined on a four-hitter. James Stadt had three hits and three RBIs and Jimmy Cusumano had a double, single and three RBIs. Acalanes, the sixth seed, travels to Northern Section power Chico (28-1), for a first-round NorCal D2 game. California baseball wins first: The Grizzlies from San Ramon (16-11) won their first NCS championship, with a 6-1 Division 3 title win over Marin Catholic-Kentfield as Ryan Giffins and Ryken Redondo combined on a three-hitter. Grayden Wright and Nolan Jess each drove in a pair of runs for California High, which is the eighth seed in the NorCal Division 3 tournament. The Grizzlies travel to top-seed Roseville (21-11). Track follow: Three Metro athletes were inadvertently left off the CIF State Track and Field medal list Monday, including girls high jump co-champion Lelani Laruelle, a junior from Monta Vista-Cupertino, who cleared 5 feet, 7 inches. Others were Serra shot putter Luke Lewis (third place, 58-6¾) and Woodside 400 boys runner Mattheo LaCasia, who placed fourth in the state at 47.04. … Clara Adams, a CCS athlete from North Salinas, was stripped of her first-place medal after winning the 400 due to her victory celebration, 'extinguishing' her shoes with a fire extinguisher she took from her dad out of the stands. Since Adams, a sophomore, was disqualified for what was deemed an unsportsmanlike act, she was not allowed to run in the 200 finals, which she was a co-favorite to win. Her season bests of 53.23 (400) and 23.71 (200) ranked first and sixth in the state, according to
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Riley Keough to Star in Albert Serra's English-Language Debut ‘Out of This World,' Exploring U.S.-Russia Rivalry Amid the Ukrainian War (EXCLUSIVE)
Riley Keough has joined the cast of 'Out of This World' directed by Albert Serra, the Spanish director whose 2022 film 'Pacifiction' competed at Cannes and won a pair of Cesar Awards. Keough will star opposite F. Murray Abraham and Liza Yankovskaia ('Frau'). Serra's English-language film debut, 'Out of This World' follows an American delegation traveling to Russia in the midst of the Ukrainian war to try to find a solution to an economic dispute. The project explores the decades-long rivalry between Russia and the U.S. While it will mainly shoot in English, it will also include some Russian dialogue. Kristen Stewart was previously attached to star in the movie. More from Variety Asian Film Collective Maboroshi Makes Cannes Market Launch With Global Vision (EXCLUSIVE) Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' Secures China Release Despite Trade Tensions Cash-Strapped Hollywood Could Turn to Qatar, Which Is Making Moves at Cannes 'Out of This World' is being represented internationally by Alice Lesort's sales team at Losange Films, Charles Gillibert's auteur-driven sales and production boutique which is a sister label to CG Cinema. The feature, which marks Serra's eighth film, is produced by Les Films du Losange, Idéale Audience Group and Andergraun Films in association with Felix Culpa and in co-production with Rosa Filmes and Forma Pro. Les Films du Losange will also be distributing 'Out of This World' in France. 'We are very proud to be boarding Albert Serra's new film — his very first in the English language,' said Lesort who described him as 'one most inventive filmmakers of his generation, with previous works that are both powerful and marked by rare cinematic audacity.' 'The idea of this encounter with Riley Keough is something we're truly passionate about,' Lesort said. 'she is an actress of great intensity, capable of portraying complex characters with rare precision, and her sensitivity brings extraordinary depth to every project.' Serra last directed 'Afternoons of Solitude' which won the Golden Shell at San Sebastian last year. Keough will next be seen in Karim Ainouz's 'Rosebush Pruning.' Gillibert's CG Cinema is at Cannes with three movies across the official selection, notably Bi Gan's 'Resurrection' in competition; Kirill Serebrennikov's 'The Disappearance of Josef Mengele' and Kristin Stewart's 'Chronology of Water' in Un Certain Regard. Coming up at fall festivals, CG Cinema will present Alice Winocour's 'Coutures,' starring Angelina Jolie, and Jim Jarmusch's star-studded 'Father, Mother, Sister, Brother.' Losange Films, meanwhile, represents four Cannes films internationally, 'Resurrection,' 'Chronology of Water,' Nadav Lapid's 'Yes' and Tony Gatlif's 'Ange.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Misela Opens First Manhattan Store In Noho
Inside the new Misela store By now New York City Mayor Eric Adams is infamously known as a big fan of Turkey's but it also seems Turkey is a fan of the Big Apple. At least when it comes to luxury accessories. Two brands, Misela and Serena Uziyel have both opened retail spaces in the past month as their customer base expands. It also points to the ongoing larger trend of brands focusing on DTC in their own retail spaces whose locations are easily determined based on online data. For Misela, founded by Serra Türker Bayr, the downtown cool of Bond Street beckoned. The brand's roots began in New York when Türker Bayr, launched Misela in 2008 with a largely wholesale business model. The brand, whose names refers to the first two letters of Serra and her sisters name, is produced in Turkey and hit the market during the indie accessories boom and garnered prestigious industry recognition, selling at Henri Bendel and Scoop in their heyday. As the brand grew, so did Serra's as she got married and started a family, she eventually returned to Turkey full time. The Anatolia chevron style is a customizable bag in a variety of styles By 2012 she had opened her first store in Istanbul. 'We started growing the brand there slowly, shifting from wholesale to DTC. The brand got bigger so along the way I wanted to expand internationally, and I opened a boutique in London in 2019,' said Türker Bayr adding, 'I always wanted to come back to New York because my heart was always kind of here because I knew this market and this woman, but I was waiting for the right time.' A hallmark of the brand is its chevron leather pattern which can be customized in various color and stitching details on a variety of totes, carryalls, small leather goods and even suitcases. The made-to-order styles cost the same as items in store and on the shelf. A whipstitched leather trim also comes in 80 colors to accent the twelve base colors. Initials and the brand's Eye of the Tiger motif—a design with roots in Ottoman Empire and Eastern philosophy is a modern talisman for strength and vitality—motif can also be added to bags. Once ordered the bags which are made in Turkey, take 15 to 20 days to be created and delivered. Average price points range from $880 for an Edna tote in Anatolia print to the Sienna doctor's bag style in Los Angeles laser cut pattern for $1,300. Türker Bayr promises a special design for New York. 'I'm a textile designer, originally and I wanted to create this fabric to create timeless handbags. I played around with some designs and I created a zig zag within a Chevron,' she explained. The Belgravia taxi cab yellow style is unique to New York. The brand also features soft leather styles such as quilted styles and laser cut styles that recall architecture motifs. 'There's always a source of inspiration. For example, this I call Theia print which is an alternating diamond pattern,' she explained. Since opening the store in the UK, Misela has leaned into digital marketing which helped build a US customer base, currently focused on New York and Los Angeles. Meanwhile back at home base, the brand opened a new headquarters in Istanbul, a four-story building with two floors dedicated to selling. A design atelier and headquarters occupy the other two floors. 'We partner with galleries for creative approaches in seasonal room concepts. These have been so loved so we wanted to do the same idea here in New York,' Türker Bayr added.
New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Five pivotal moments in Pope Francis' relations with Native communities in the Americas
Here are five pivotal moments in Pope Francis' relations with Native communities. Santa Cruz, Bolivia, July 9, 2015 At a world summit of activists against social inequality, Francis asked 'forgiveness, not only for the offenses of the church herself, but also for crimes committed against the Native peoples during the so-called conquest of America.' Going off script, he added that many priests 'strongly opposed the logic of the sword with the power of the cross.' But, he acknowledged, 'we never apologized, so I now ask for forgiveness.' Washington, Sept. 23, 2015 Before a sunbaked crowd outside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in his only U.S. visit, Francis officially declared the 18th-century missionary priest Junipero Serra to be a saint. Serra 'was the embodiment of a church which goes forth, a church which sets out to bring everywhere the reconciling tenderness of God,' Francis said. But some Native activists denounced the decision. They said Serra was a prime culprit in church complicity with destructive colonization and that California's Native people suffered mistreatment and devastating disease outbreaks in the series of missions he founded. San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, Feb. 15, 2016 Francis celebrated a Mass for Mexican Indians that featured readings in the Native languages of Chiapas, a traditional dance of prayer and other blending of Catholicism and Indigenous culture. 'Long live the pope of the poor!' the crowd chanted. Francis presented an official Vatican decree approving another Native language to be used at Mass. Maskwacis, Alberta, July 25, 2022 Francis traveled to a Cree community in the Canadian province of Alberta to deliver a long-sought apology for Catholic complicity in the 19th- and 20th-century residential school system for Canada's Indigenous population of First Nations, Metis and Inuit people. 'Although Christian charity was not absent,' he said, the overall effect was 'catastrophic.' Vatican City, March 30, 2023 Building on years of appeals from Native people to Francis, the Vatican formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the legal theories backed by 15th-century papal bulls decrees that legitimized colonial-era seizure of Native lands by Spain and Portugal and that form the basis of some property laws today in the United States. The Vatican said the decrees, or papal bulls, 'did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples' and have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith. Critics said the pope failed to take a needed step — to rescind the papal bulls.
