Latest news with #thriving
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
'SA should know leverage with US and act on it' Rasool says
Rasool said SA should also review whether the 49 Afrikaners should keep their citizenship. US President Donald Trump meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2025 amid tensions over Washington's resettlement of white Afrikaners that the US president claims are the victims of 'genocide'. Photo; AFP Former SA ambassador to the United States Ebrahim Rasool says South Africa should know what leverage it has on the US, act on it, and stay out of unnecessary discussions with America. In April Trump slapped a universal 10% baseline tariff on all imports into the US and additional reciprocal tariffs for several countries, including 30% for South Africa. 'They have got some bad things going on in South Africa. You know, we are paying them billions of dollars, and we cut the funding because a lot of bad things are happening in South Africa. They don't want to report it,' Trump said. Trump tariffs However, Trump later announced that all tariffs on Washington's 'worst offenders' list would be walked back to the standard 10% rate applied globally – except for China. By strategically pivoting inward to further leverage its domestic market, vigorously supporting technological advancement, diligently managing its intricate financial system and proactively diversifying its global economic engagements, China demonstrably adapted and reinforced its long-term economic trajectory in a complex global environment, defying Trump. WATCH Ebrahim Rasool speaking about leverage Former Ambassador to the United States Ebrahim Rasool says South Africa should know its leverage with the U.S., act on it, and stay out of unnecessary discussions with America. Rasool adds that the country should also review whether the 49 Afrikaners should keep their… May 27, 2025 ALSO READ: WATCH: 'Dim the lights' — Ramaphosa pokes fun at Trump meeting China approach Rasool said South Africa should take the 'Chinese approach' and know what leverage it can use against the US. 'We should take the Chinese approach, know what our leverage is. In this case, the president was very aware that critical minerals would be our leverage, the thriving 600 US companies in South Africa is our leverage, the 20 South African companies that employ US citizens in the United States can be our leverage. 'China has taught us to know your leverage, act on the leverage and then absorb the punishment and stay out of unnecessary discussions with the United States,' Rasool said. Rasool added that the country should also review whether the 59 Afrikaners who have gone to to the US as refugees should keep their citizenship. 'If Afrikaners insist on making a false defamatory case against South Africa, if they accept US citizenship, we should have a serious debate about what is the status of those who accepted that. 'Do they have the right of return, even to visit their family here, and do they have the right to dual citizenship.' ALSO READ: Piers Morgan slams Ramaphosa for defending 'Kill the Boer' chant [VIDEO] Afrikaner refugees The 59 Afrikaners granted refugee status by Trump departed from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg earlier this month on a private charter flight for the United States. Some in the group, which included young children, appeared to be in a jovial mood, while others were reserved as they headed for their new home. President Cyril Ramaphosa said at the time the Afrikaners who had flown to the US as 'refugees' had committed a 'cowardly act' and were clearly unhappy with efforts to redress the inequities of the apartheid past. 'It's a sad moment for them. They may be feeling excited that they left the country, that they've got somebody like President (Donald) Trump,' Ramaphosa said at an impromptu press briefing at the annual Nampo harvest festival near the Free State town of Bothaville. Ramaphosa ambush Last week, with a line of reporters in the room, Trump ambushed Ramaphosa by playing a video of EFF leader Julius Malema – startling those present with footage he believed supported his claims of an alleged white genocide against farmers. Despite the unsubstantiated claims made by Trump about genocide in South Africa, Ramaphosa said the meeting with Trump was fruitful. After his private lunch meeting with Trump, Ramaphosa told the media there was 'doubt in Trump's head about genocide in SA'. Rasool returned to South Africa in March after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expelled him and stripped him of his diplomatic privileges. ALSO READ: Trump changes tune and 'agrees' to participate in G20 Summit, Ramaphosa says
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hammondsport and Urbana to receive $4.5m in community development funding
HAMMONDSPORT, N.Y. (WETM) — Two municipalities in Steuben County were awarded millions in funding to help better the communities as part of the NY Forward Projects initiative, according to a release from Governor Kathy Hochul's Office. The Village of Hammondsport and the Town of Urbana are set to receive $4.5 million in total funding for six projects designed to uplift the community and local economies. The projects are six out of 31 happening across the state and are part of two programs, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and NY Forward. 'From revitalizing historic landmarks to expanding housing and creating new civic spaces, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward are driving smart, including growth to the Southern Tier,' Governor Hochul said. The town and village were awarded the funding after being recognized for having a strong sense of community and rich history in areas like winemaking while having a unique blend of scenic beauty and local character. Millport to receive state aid to strengthen water infrastructure The following projects were listed for Hammondsport and Urbana as NY Forward Projects: Reconstruct Liberty Street and Mill Street in Hammondsport to be pedestrian-friendly and improve existing drainage issues. ($1,606,000) Replace Champlin Beach Pier to increase access to Keuka Lake. ($1,357,000) Renovate the historic Curtiss School into rental housing and multi-purpose community space. ($885,000) Create a branding and marketing plan and a historic heritage trail with wayfinding signage. ($362,000) Establish a bike-friendly neighborhood coffee shop and cafe at a former service station. ($172,000) Renovate 31 Shethar St. to include additional means of egress to support a restaurant and bar on the lower level. ($118,000) The NY Forward Program was part of the 2022 state budget as a way to build on the momentum created by the DRI. The program works with smaller communities to accelerate and expand the revitalization of smaller and rural downtowns in the state. Urbana Town Supervisor, David Durepo, is thankful for the support and is hoping to attract new people to the town. 'The New York Forward projects bring a major economic support to Urbana's business community that is reinvigorating a new area to attract customers and families alike,' he said. 'We thank Governor Hochul for her great vision in revitalizing downtown areas in the state that will lead Urbana to become a thriving community for our residents, businesses, and visitors,' Durepo said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
SoraNews24
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Ginza's Vampire Cafe offering special food and drink in honor of its 24th anniversary
How can you kill a cafe which does not die? Long-time — and I mean loooong-time — readers of this website may remember back in 2015 when we reported on the Vampire Cafe, an establishment in Ginza where you don't have to be vampiric to dine there, but it helps. Turns out this eatery may very well be immortal because it has not only survived the pandemic but is still thriving as it celebrates its 24th anniversary. Yes, it was June of 2001 when Count Rose was summoned by destiny to the Vampire Cafe and every year during the same month a special full-course feast of darkness is held in honor of this momentous occasion. ▼ Count Rose There are two types of full-course anniversary meals served from 1 to 29 June. Each one features some of Vampire Cafe's most popular dishes. Although only introduced last year, the Dark Coffin Consumed by Searing Flames: Wagyu Steak with Chaliapin Sauce quickly rose to such ranks. Its delicious onion sauce and the fact that the entire plate is set on fire at your table are just a few of the reasons for its popularity. ▼ Dark Coffin Consumed by Searing Flames: Wagyu Steak with Chaliapin Sauce Conversely, a classic dish of the Vampire Cafe is the Resurrection Ritual to Summon the Dark One: Prosciutto & Avocado Salad with Framboise Dressing. Said to be the first entry in the cafe's cooking grimoire, it involves drizzling a dressing made with the blood of raspberries over dead vegetables to bring them back from the other side. ▼ Resurrection Ritual to Summon the Dark One: Prosciutto & Avocado Salad with Framboise Dressing The Dark Poisonous Spider which Nests in Evil Castles: Homemade Ground Wagyu Ragu Pasta uses delectably fatty, coarsely ground beef, which adds the perfect texture to the slow-cooked ragu sauce. They both intermingle in a web of pasta spun by the spider of darkness. ▼ Dark Poisonous Spider which Nests in Evil Castles: Homemade Ground Wagyu Ragu Pasta The Demonic Hand of the Count which Drags You into a Sea of Blood: Pescatore Rosso is a surprisingly literal name because the sea of blood this pasta is swimming in is a tomato-based medley of seafood broths with shrimp, clams, and squid added in. It's a sea the Count is going to have to drag me out of if I don't eat that hand first. ▼ Demonic Hand of the Count which Drags You into a Sea of Blood: Pescatore Rosso Speaking of seafood, another truly enticing dish is the Dark Butterfly of Sorrow Enticing its Sacrifice: Tuna Cutlet with Honey Mustard Sauce. It's some strips of chutoro tuna sashimi which have also been battered and flash fried so that the outside is hot and crispy while the inside is cold and tender. It also comes with a tangy and spicy sauce for an added kick. ▼ Dark Butterfly of Sorrow Enticing its Sacrifice: Tuna Cutlet with Honey Mustard Sauce And last but not least, we have the Accursed Cross Towering Over the Corpses of Victims: Profiterole Tower. An unholy structure of cream puffs and chocolate rolls with demonic eyes and bats will be the perfect dessert to cap off your time at the Vampire Cafe. ▼ Accursed Cross Towering Over the Corpses of Victims: Profiterole Tower These dishes and others will be found in these anniversary full-course meals. The Vampire Cafe 24th Anniversary Dinner Course sells for 5,000 yen (US$35), while the Vampire Cafe 24th Anniversary Premium Dinner Course can be yours for 8,000 yen ($56). ▼ Vampire Cafe 24th Anniversary Dinner Course ▼ Vampire Cafe 24th Anniversary Premium Dinner Course And with any course meal, you'll want to have a palate cleanser, so why not try a chalice of Anniversary Blood, made with the juices of blood oranges and grapes? ▼ Anniversary Blood These can all be enjoyed in Vampire Cafe's wide range of booths and tables, both intimate and majestic. ▼ The Victim's Room ▼ The Altar of St. George It all looks incredibly delicious, but remember these full meals are only to be sold during the month of June and seating is limited, so be sure to make a reservation to accept Count Rose's hospitality and dine in the cafe that never dies. Restaurant Information Vampire Cafe / ヴァンパイア カフェ Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Ginza 6-7-6, La Paix Building 7F 東京都中央区銀座6-7-6ラペビル7F Hours: 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Closed: Mondays (Unless Monday is a holiday, then the next normal weekday is closed) Website Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Scoop
6 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Budget 2025 Misses Opportunity To Give Primary Care A Leading Role In Addressing And Improving Healthcare In Aotearoa
The 2025 Budget has missed an important opportunity to recognise the value that the general practice and primary care workforce can have on improving the health outcomes of New Zealanders. The bulk of healthcare happens in the community by specialist GPs and primary care teams, not in the hospitals. Our workforce provides sustainable and patient-focused care that is cost effective and saves the sector money in the long-term. The lack of any immediate funding for general practice and primary care in the Budget announcement to implement solutions that will alleviate pressures both on our workforce and in hospitals and EDs will be felt by all New Zealanders who access our services. College Medical Director Dr Luke Bradford says, "The decision to extend prescription lengths from three- to 12-months is not something that the College sees as beneficial to improving health outcomes and health equity. "During the consultation process, the College supported a six-month prescription length for medically stable patients, and we reiterate that this is dependent on clinical suitability and discretion as well as consideration of the work that needs to be done by general practice teams to ensure that a patient remains monitored and safe on their prescribed medications. "The enhanced capitation funding commitment announced recently is still light on details and we await further information on both what will be required to get this funding and if this will result in an annual uplift in current capitation funding. We have, for many years, been significantly underfunded for the work that we do and look forward to receiving details on this Budget promise." College Chief Executive Toby Beaglehole says, "The College has welcomed recent announcements to improve access to GPs, rural hospital and primary care services as well as growing and retaining the workforce. What is missing is the funding to make this a reality such as a fully funded GP training programme, pay parity for primary care nurses and supporting current GPs who train the next generation. "Seeing the bulk of health funding again being put into secondary or hospital-based care, instead of reprioritised into primary care is frustrating, given the sheer volume of care that general practice and primary care teams provide to New Zealand's communities." Read the pre-Budget opinion editorial published in the NZ Herald from College President Dr Samantha Murton and Medical Director Dr Luke Bradford highlighting why investing in general practice and primary care is essential if we want to have healthy and thriving communities:
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boynton Beach moves closer to creating its very own downtown
Give the city of Boynton Beach credit. It finally has moved a critical downtown development project that had been stalled for almost eight years a big step closer to becoming reality. The city's Community Redevelopment Agency approved a plan to bring in a new developer to finish the Town Square Project, a development that will give the community something it has lacked for some time — a viable and potentially bustling downtown. For years, the city's $250 million effort to revitalize a four-block area off Boynton Beach and Seacrest boulevards has been left half finished and mired in legal proceedings. The project's government features — a new city hall and library complex, a children's museum, a cultural center and an outdoor amphitheater — were completed on time and had attracted residents and visitors with a promise of more to come. Unfortunately, the commercial side of the project that included office space, upscale restaurants, upscale condos and apartments, and a parking garage never materialized. That all changed earlier this month when the CRA approved a plan to use $35.2 million to build two eight-story buildings that would include almost 900 apartments, including workforce housing, 23,000 square feet of retail and parking — the missing but essential elements to build a thriving core community that has eluded Boynton Beach for years. It was not an easy decision, but the vote to move forward was the right call. More importantly, they made the decision the right way. They aired the proposal in public deliberations that at times had both the public and the city commissioners who serve as the CRA board going back and forth on the proposal's merits. Cost and the impact of development are always important considerations, but those conversations led to the right outcome — approval. Boynton Beach has had its challenges when it comes to downtown development. Much of the area's growth skirted the city itself, occurring in unincorporated Palm Beach County. The city's geographic disadvantage of having limited access to the ocean, along with a lack of leadership and resources, has made it difficult to fashion an attractive downtown. In 2018, the city came up with the Town Square project, a plan to build a downtown community around a new city hall and library. City officials found a developer and thought they were well on their way to revitalization. Three years later, half of the project was complete. The city could boast of a new city hall, library, children's museum and cultural center. The new plaza consistently drew crowds to cultural and music events at its amphitheater. Editorial: Florida's leaders need to craft a budget to avoid our own government shutdown Unfortunately, what remained undone was the private sector component of retail and residences that would have cemented the creation of a downtown Boynton Beach. The dispute with the initial developer dragged out in court and ended up costing the city because the 2018 agreement lacked a "reverter clause" that would have given the city the land back if the developer failed to meet its end of the bargain. Hopefully, the city has learned from that experience. City residents grappled with the idea of a new developer and a proposal calling for the city to come up with $35.2 million in tax incentives to start construction next summer. The financing plan prompted criticism of unwanted growth and traffic that would change the city into a smaller and more congested version of Fort Lauderdale. In the back of many minds, though, was the notion that the city had been here before, and it had with the previous developer. Editorial: With Trump's tariffs and federal cuts, Florida's tax plan comes at a bad time "This isn't a perfect situation. This isn't a perfect project," Commissioner Thomas Turkin said. "You know how I feel about the project in its entirety. You know how split and divided the residents are. But, I think if you look at this economically and you look at the metrics ... they don't pick sides. I'm not going to let perfect be the enemy of good." Boynton Beach now has the chance to develop a downtown that at the very least will generate new tax revenue and at most will become a new South Florida destination in the county's third-largest city. With so much promise on the line, the challenge for city officials is to ensure the final phase of development is completed without delay or drama. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: At last, a downtown Boynton Beach is closer to reality | Editorial
