The European Commission has approved an investment of more than €136 million from the Cohesion Fund for the construction of a 29.67 km section of the S19 express road which is connecting Lublin and Rzeszów in Poland The new road allows for safer travelling and shortens journey times between major Polish cities The construction of the road section is linked to other investments that are key elements of regional emergency passages and bus lay-bys were built or rebuilt anti-glare shields and fences were installed passages for animals and other environmental protection devices were constructed The project thus contributes to the creation of a cohesive high-capacity road system connecting major regional centres with the TEN-T network and For more information on projects funded by cohesion policy in Poland, please visit the Cohesion Open Data Platform and Kohesio he will first have to earn the right to be heard EnglishEnglishРусскийLink copiedby Artyom ShraibmanPublished on May 17, 2022blog Carnegie PolitikaCarnegie Politika is a digital publication that features unmatched analysis and insight on Russia Carnegie Politika has published contributions from members of Carnegie’s global network of scholars and well-known outside contributors and has helped drive important strategic conversations and policy debates has started signaling his unease over how the war in Ukraine is unfolding Despite being Moscow’s only ally in Europe Lukashenko has lamented that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military campaign is “dragging on.” He has also urged the West not to lump Belarus in with Russia as a co-aggressor.  It is not clear exactly when Lukashenko learned that Russia planned to use his country and military facilities as a staging ground for its invasion of Ukraine Russia publicly claimed that it had moved troops into Belarus for a joint military exercise Belarus’s participation in such an exercise would have been a no-brainer displays of loyalty to Russia in the military sphere have always been the quickest way to Putin’s coffers.  the exercises turned out to be a pretext for a very real war it is plausible that Lukashenko was kept in the dark about Moscow’s actual plans until the very last moment it was clear that Lukashenko was hoping for and predicting a quick Russian victory.  Lukashenko resumed his traditional balancing act He still parrots many of the favored Russian narratives such as claiming that Ukraine was preparing to attack first Yet Minsk is also trying to shape its own messaging which departs—a little—from the Kremlin’s official line he even said he had not expected the war to “drag on” for so long directly challenging the Russian mainstream position that everything is going according to plan.  Lukashenko seems particularly anguished about the fact that he is being described by the international community as a “co-aggressor.” In 2015 he had cultivated a whole new regional identity for himself by facilitating the talks aimed at ending the conflict in Donbas and by providing the venue for the signing of the Minsk agreements that were supposed to lead to a durable ceasefire and political resolution of the conflict Belarus’s diplomatic contributions are forgotten new packages of Western sanctions keep piling up.  Even before the war, Minsk was already heavily sanctioned for its violent crackdown on post-election protests in 2020, the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in order to arrest a dissident on board, and the creation of a migrant crisis on the EU’s eastern borders in 2021 Recent trade restrictions have effectively put a stop to most of Belarus’s exports to the West through EU territory and ports.  In addition to claiming he is somehow actually pro-peace Lukashenko has repeatedly vowed not to send troops to Ukraine There are good reasons for this reluctance the Belarusian armed forces could probably generate five to ten battalion tactical groups should Lukashenko make the political decision to send them across the border such an intervention would not fundamentally change the situation on the battlefield The Belarusian army has mediocre equipment and no combat experience Considering the heavy casualties that even elite Russian forces suffered in the north of Ukraine Belarusian units would likely have fared even worse if they had joined the initial phase of the war Moreover, and contrary to what polls appear to show about Russian society, the prospect of direct military involvement in the war with neighboring Ukraine is highly unpopular in Belarus. Available polls suggest support for sending Belarusian troops to Ukraine is between 6 and 11 percent This means that even among Lukashenko supporters (25–35 percent of the country there is no majority in favor of entering the war it is risky to defy the will of such an overwhelming majority especially when it comes to life and death decisions the army’s loyalty to Lukashenko in the event of an unpopular and ill-fated war would be far from guaranteed Minsk is also making clumsy diplomatic attempts to gain once again some independent standing in the region. Lukashenko and his foreign minister Vladimir Makei have demanded that Belarus be included in the Russia-Ukraine talks Belarus—just like Russia and Ukraine—is seeking its own post-war security guarantees Makei sent a confidential letter to a number of European counterparts asking the West to lift sanctions against Belarus He insisted that his country was not a direct party to the war and would not become one in the future The letter was met with little understanding in the EU and was leaked to the media by one of its recipients.  Lukashenko’s special pleadings were hardly convincing Nor should one expect a positive Western response going forward There are too many obstacles to overcome in the foreseeable future in the wake of the contested August 2020 presidential election neither the EU nor the United States recognizes Lukashenko as a legitimate president focusing instead on supporting Belarus’s opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya who has sought refuge in neighboring Lithuania even the most ardent advocates of the realpolitik approach to Belarus cannot ignore Lukashenko’s abysmal human rights record The country of 9.5 million has more than 1,000 political prisoners including dozens of journalists and opposition leaders There are credible reports that Belarusian security services have routinely engaged in torture and the beating of detainees Several opposition activists have died at the hands of law enforcement since 2020 Until these practices are in some way curtailed and the remaining people in custody are freed No leading Western capitals are likely to engage with him in the meantime As is often the case with autocratic regimes any prospect of liberalization frustrates the hardliners who usually hail from the security and law enforcement agencies Lukashenko must think very carefully whether he is prepared to alienate the leaders of the special services any concessions from Minsk to the West would not go unnoticed by the Kremlin and such a prospect would not sit well with Putin.   even if Minsk is given the benefit of the doubt there is considerable skepticism over how independent it can be and missile systems have not been fully withdrawn from Belarus Even in the event that Russia removed its forces This perceived loss of sovereignty is a huge challenge for Lukashenko if he wants anyone in the West to take his words seriously.  The fourth problem—and arguably the most important—is somewhat banal Short of becoming a neutral territory with no Russian military presence (which is unlikely to happen anytime soon) Belarus has very little to offer the West.  The main venue for Russian-Ukrainian peace talks moved from Belarus to Istanbul and negotiations have now effectively stalled out altogether The main battleground of the war has also shifted from the Kyiv region which is close to the Ukraine-Belarus border Belarus is becoming less relevant as a transit route for Russian petrochemicals as the EU reduces its energy dependency on Moscow Trade issues are also losing their salience amid the effects of numerous rounds of sanctions on Belarusian raw materials European consumers have already found alternative suppliers Even if Lukashenko gets serious about attempting a new balancing act Such a high bar could in itself be a major constraint on Minsk which would risk irritating the Kremlin by openly flirting with its enemies once again.  If Putin’s regime somehow is weakened to the point where it cannot subsidize its remaining allies and project military power in its immediate neighborhood Belarus may well repeat a process seen in the region in the late 1980s Just as Central European communist regimes fell apart when the Soviet Union showed itself unable to prop them up Belarus will be forced to reform and Westernize if Putin’s Russia becomes weak enough that Minsk has managed to keep its statehood intact up until that moment arrives Carnegie Politika is a digital publication that features unmatched analysis and insight on Russia The differences between Moscow and the Vatican have been laid bare in recent years by the war in Ukraine and the ideological convictions of Pope Francis While informal diplomacy helps the Kremlin to be more nimble in the long term it risks undermining Russia’s reliability as an international partner Although the Russian regime is sliding into brutal dictatorship balancing an unpredictable foreign policy with a rational economic course Russian statistics will retain at least some value for researchers Putin clearly hasn’t decided whether to ditch Trump and his attempts to bring the war to an end or whether to keep trying to manipulate the U.S Minsk has a window of opportunity while the Trump administration is interested in the region—but it also wants to preserve its excellent relations with Moscow Suggestions or feedback? In order to avoid the worst effects of climate change, the United Nations has said we’ll need to not only reduce emissions but also remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere One method for achieving carbon removal is direct air capture and storage Such technologies are still in their infancy but many efforts are underway to scale them up quickly in hopes of heading off the most catastrophic effects of climate change is working to accelerate direct-air carbon removal with a low-power modular system that can be mass manufactured and deployed around the world The company plans to power its system with renewable energy and build its facilities near injection wells to store carbon underground Using third-party auditors to verify the amount of carbon dioxide captured Noya is selling carbon credits to help organizations reach net-zero emissions targets “Think of our systems for direct air capture like solar panels for carbon negativity,” says Santos who formerly played a role in Tesla’s much-publicized manufacturing scale-up for its Model 3 electric sedan “We can stack these boxes in a LEGO-like fashion to achieve scale in the field.” The three-year old company is currently building its first commercial pilot facility and says its first full-scale commercial facility will have the capacity to pull millions of tons of carbon from the air each year Noya has already secured millions of dollars in presales to help build its first facilities from organizations including Shopify which is driven by the urgent need to scale carbon removal solutions “I need to thank all of my MIT professors,” Santos says “I don’t think any of this would be possible without the way in which MIT opened up my horizons by showing me what’s possible when you work really hard.” Santos says he first recognized climate change as an issue by experiencing the increasing intensity of hurricanes in his neighborhood One year a hurricane forced his family to evacuate their town “The storm left a really big mark on me and how I thought about the world,” Santos says “I realized how much climate change can impact people.” When Santos came to MIT as an undergraduate he took coursework related to climate change and energy systems eventually majoring in chemical engineering He also learned about startups through courses he took at the MIT Sloan School of Management and by taking part in MIT’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) which exposed him to researchers in the early stages of commercializing research from MIT labs Santos says MIT instilled in him a desire to make a positive impact on the world in part through a four-day development workshop called LeaderShape that he took one January during the Institute’s Independent Activities Period (IAP) “LeaderShape teaches students how to lead with integrity and the core lesson is that any privilege you have you should try to leverage to improve the lives of other people,” Santos says and it makes me feel like I have a responsibility to put that privilege to work to the betterment of society Eventually he decided electric vehicle technology couldn’t solve climate change on its own so in the spring of 2020 he founded Noya with friend Daniel Cavaro The initial idea for Noya was to attach carbon capture devices to cooling towers to keep equipment costs low The founders pivoted in response to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 because their machines weren’t big enough to qualify for the new tax credits in the law which required each system to capture at least 1,000 tons of CO2 per year Noya’s new systems will combine thousands of its modular units to create massive facilities that can capture millions of tons of CO2 right next to existing injection wells Each of Noya’s units is about the size of a solar panel at about 6 feet wide A fan blows air through tiny channels in each unit that contain Noya’s carbon capture material The company’s material solution consists of an activated carbon monolith and a proprietary chemical feedstock that binds to the carbon in the air When the material becomes saturated with carbon electricity is applied to the material and a light vacuum collects a pure stream of carbon The goal is for each of Noya’s modules to remove about 60 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere per year “Other direct air capture companies need a big hot piece of equipment — like an oven or kiln — that takes electricity and converts it to get heat to the material,” Santos says “Any lost heat into the surrounding environment is excess cost We skip the need for the excess equipment and their inefficiencies by adding the electricity directly to the material itself.” Noya is putting an experimental module through tests to optimize its design Noya will launch its first testing facility which should remove about 350 tons of CO2 per year It has already secured renewable energy and injection storage partners for that facility Over the next few years Noya plans to capture and remove thousands of tons of CO2 and the company’s first commercial-scale facility will aim to remove about 3 million tons of carbon annually “That design is what we’ll replicate across the world to grow our planetary impact,” Santos says “We’re trying to scale up as fast as possible.” Noya has already sold all of the carbon credits it expects to generate in its first five years and the founders believe the growing demand from companies and governments to purchase high-quality carbon credits will outstrip supply for at least the next 10 years in the nascent carbon removal industry which also includes approaches like enhanced rock weathering “We’re going to need something like 30 companies the size of Shell to achieve the scale we need,” Santos says “I think there will be large companies in each of those verticals Santos believes the carbon removal market can scale without government mandates but he also sees increasing government and public support for carbon removal technologies around the world “Carbon removal is a waste management problem,” Santos says “You can’t just throw trash in the middle of the street The way we currently deal with trash is polluters pay to clean up their waste and we should have regulations in place that are requiring polluters It’s a public good to provide cleaner air.” This website is managed by the MIT News Office, part of the Institute Office of Communications Massachusetts Institute of Technology77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, USA Menu.page-86428113{--metaColor:#17256B;--navColor:#17256B}LifestyleI'm A Teacher And I'm Brokeby Leslie RutherfordUpdated: Feb 2019GraphicaArtis/GettyLet me be entirely honest: the next person who responds with “you get to play with kids all day” or “you’re doing what you love” when we discuss educators and financial insecurity is getting an ear full I’m exhausted by the sentiment that because I chose to teach All of us are spectacular in our own unique ways balancing responsibilities like spinning plates on sticks and walking the high-wire under the harsh scrutiny of parents My role happens to be early childhood special education I work primarily with 3-5 year old students who fall somewhere on the vast and varied autism spectrum I spend my days training appropriate social skills de-escalating tantrums and aggressive behaviors teaching foundational reading and math skills collecting and analyzing data to inform individualized education programs and behavior intervention plans negotiating the ever-eroding landscape of district politics designing effective differentiated instruction comforting and guiding parents who are in the deepest throes of mourning the child they thought they would have and soothing and instilling confidence in these children who I love I am important within the paradigm of public education And if you are the parent or teacher of a child with special needs who functions appropriately in a mainstream classroom who can go to the store or park without anxiety Did you count the number of jobs I do in the classroom packing up my teacher bag to go home to my own children where I will cook a nutritious meal and help them with homework Your bartender at Chili’s last night is a veteran third grade teacher by day That Amazon delivery driver who didn’t drop your package until 8pm spent his day instructing 6th grade art We’re everywhere doing everything because the majority of us have second jobs I tutor kids with special needs after school until 7 p.m and freelance or develop web content for various teacher support sites on the weekends Both my second and third job carry through the summer as well and I usually try to pick up extra hours from the district working on special education evaluations and professional development classes for my peers; so don’t come at me with that “you get summers off” mess I don’t know any teachers who get summers off I juggle my bills as adeptly as I do my professional responsibilities Now, I’m certain you think I must be prone to hyperbole, to sensationalism, so let me offer up a short, personal anecdote to provide context. My husband sprained his ankle earlier this summer He’s in construction and works two jobs as well We had to take out a loan from his IRA just to pay our monthly bills because we have no savings I do realize that we are in the same irreparably damaged boat as thousands of other Americans just another casualty of the unexpected medical bill So please don’t spam my DMs with crap about my lack of global perspective I empathize with anyone teetering on the edge of financial destruction It’s about good teachers who are also good waitresses and good Mary Kay representatives because we can’t afford to just teach anymore So here I sit (broke, broken, exhausted, and angry), with my feet dangling over the edge of a financial chasm ready to swallow me up. I can’t make ends meet, and I can’t keep working like this. So, as I do every summer, just before the start of school, I am seriously considering making a dramatic, stage-right exit from public education a phantom in the realm of educators: a single job that pays me fairly One job that would allow me to pay my bills and possibly keep the $25 that automatically rolls over into my savings account each month This article was originally published on Aug Nat Love: This is a wanted man Turn his body in and you will get $5,000 for your church Father Esparza: Why aren't you taking him yourself Nat Love: I'm worth 10 Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb a new exhibition will open in Rudnik nad Sanem — a town in Nisko County organized by the Stanisława Tutka „Saving from Oblivion” Foundation will showcase photographs made during the 1930s at a local atelier ran by sibling photographers Eugeniusz and Stanisława Skoczylas The preserved photos show Jewish residents of Rudnik – most of them unidentified We ask for your help in identifying the people seen in these photographs If you know anyone whose family comes from Rudnik www.fundacjaocalicodzapomnienia.pl Gallery (available also at the Facebook profile): TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2025 PlayLoading... Authorities have deported four Israeli nationals following a series of disruptive incidents at Pai Hospital in Mae Hong Son province.The case gained public attention after the Facebook page "AggressiveDoctor" shared a post on February 6, 2025, detailing the individuals' unruly behaviour. According to the report, the four foreigners engaged in various misconducts, including verbally abusing medical staff, scolding and pointing fingers at doctors, making threats, damaging hospital property, smoking within hospital premises, charging their phones inside the facility, refusing to pay for services, stealing, banging on the emergency room doors, and frequently getting into road accidents due to reckless driving without a license. Following the social media post, Mae Hong Son Immigration, in collaboration with Pai Police Station, launched an investigation and took legal action against the individuals identified as Daniel, Aviv, Or Emanoel, and Dan Nisko. All four admitted to their offences and were charged with causing public disturbance by bullying, intimidating, harassing, or humiliating others. They were each fined 3,000 baht at Pai Police Station, and their visas were revoked. On February 13, 2025, the Immigration Bureau (IB) deported the individuals via a Suvarnabhumi–Israel flight, as confirmed by Pol Lt-Gen Panumart Boonyaluck, Commissioner of the IB, during a press conference on Tuesday ( February 18) at 10am. He further disclosed that an order issued on February 11, 2025, officially blacklisted them, barring their future entry into Thailand. Panumart emphasised that such behaviour poses a threat to society, warning that individuals who show disregard for Thai law could escalate their actions in the future. He stressed that the enforcement was not specifically targeted at Israeli nationals but at any foreigner who caused a public disturbance, stating that all violators would face legal consequences and deportation. Meanwhile, National Police Chief Pol Gen Kittirat Phanphet has instructed the Immigration Bureau to tighten control over the entry, stay, and exit of foreign nationals. He assured the public that strict measures are in place and urged citizens to report any suspicious activities to immigration authorities immediately. BRN denies targeting civilians, calls for transparent investigation into Deep South violence  Cabinet delays 3rd phase of 10,000-baht handout pending input from govt agencies Thaksin case shifts politics, conservatives may rethink strategy Marketing Oops! Summit 2025 returns bigger than ever with new global & SME stages  April’s headline inflation falls 0.22% – first decrease in 13 months Jun 30 2020CONSTRUCTION workers in Poland have uncovered a 500-year-old mass grave containing the remains of over 100 children A total of 115 corpses were unearthed by archaeologists near the site in the southeast of the country - with many found with coins stuffed in their mouths the burial ground dates back to the late 16th century - with around 80 percent of the corpses belonging to children All were found with their backs on the ground and their hands at their sides and archaeologists were surprised to find many lying with a coin placed inside their mouths Katarzyna Oleszek, who is working at the site, told First News that this is driven by a pre-Christian folk tradition of preparing the dead for the afterlife by placing a coin in the mouth of the corpse. The coin acts as a bribe for folk legend 'Charon' - the ferryman who takes souls across the river that divides the living world from the world of the dead. Archaeologists at the site dated the coins back to the reign of Sigismund III Vasa, who was king of Poland from 1587 to 1632, while other coins date back to John II Casimir's rule from 1648 to 1668. The discovery confirms a long-standing myth held by locals of a children's graveyard. The cemetery was discovered at a site near the town of Nisko in Podkarpackie province, where builders were clearing a forest for Poland's new S19 motorway, that will stretch from Greece to Lithuania. Oleszek added that the fact that the bodies were laid carefully side by side shows the discovery was a Catholic cemetery. She said: "The arrangement of the skeletons, the state of their preservation, shows that the discovery is a Catholic church cemetery, which was certainly taken care of. No grave is damaged by another. Teams on the site did not find any other items apart from the coins suggesting that the site may have been used by poor individuals in the area Investigations are underway as to whether there is another site nearby containing the graves of the children's parents BURSASGXHomeBy KUALA LUMPUR (June 19): Sand Nisko Capital Bhd has officially changed its name to Mpire Global Bhd The notice of registration of new name was received from the Companies Commission of Malaysia on Monday (June 19) which is involved in the furniture and timber business Please sign in with your Snow-Forecast account details below Create a free account to receive instant Snow-Alerts and save your favourite resorts on your personal MySnow page Niseko Grand Hirafu Weather (Next 3 days): The snow forecast for Niseko Grand Hirafu is: Some drizzle Niseko Grand Hirafu Weather (Days 4-6): Heavy rain (total 37.0mm) Latest snow reports near Niseko Grand Hirafu: Several North American ski areas that are still open plan to celebrate the unofficial Star Wars Day tomorrow The above table gives the weather forecast for Niseko Grand Hirafu at the specific elevation of 706 m. Our sophisticated weather models allow us to provide snow forecasts for the top, middle and bottom ski stations of Niseko Grand Hirafu. To access the weather forecasts for the other elevations, use the tab navigation above the table. For a wider view of the weather, check out the Weather Map of Japan Click here to read further information on freezing levels and how we forecast our temperatures Resort name is also written as Niseko Hirafu Overall 3.9 Based on 71 votes and 120 reviews think of all of the many worse things that you could be doing Overall: 3.9 Based on 71 votes and 119 reviews Read 119 more reviews of Niseko Grand Hirafu or submit your own View detailed snow forecast for Niseko Grand Hirafu at:snow-forecast.com Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 11): Sand Nisko Capital Bhd on Tuesday (Oct 11) announced the resignation of Lee Ping Wei as its executive director less than eight months after he was appointed resigned “to focus on other matters that require his full attention” Lee has more than 10 years of experience in engineering serving as project director and corporate finance director in China’s GLC-listed companies.  “He is also the director and managing director in several local IT Under the guidance and brilliant leadership of Lee the team has managed to complete billions worth of highly claimed projects in China he had served as the executive director of HB Global Ltd but stepped down in August last year after helming the group for about six months is involved in the manufacturing of rubberwood furniture in Malaysia with the group’s main products comprising furniture for the bedroom Sand Nisko announced the appointment of Datuk Seri Yeong Joo Hock as non-independent and non-executive director He holds 3.24 million shares in the company Yeong, 50, started off as a property entrepreneur specialising in brokering land deals and property development besides also being involved in the conversion and enhancing of land base properties.  He then became involved in the bulk purchase of completed houses launched and proven himself to replicate this process for a few projects with combined gross development value exceeding RM2 billion.  “He also diversified his investment portfolio via his expertise into various industries and segments such as industries’ products and investments into valuable assets internationally,” added Sand Nisko Shares of Sand Nisko closed unchanged at 32 sen on Tuesday valuing the furniture maker at RM74.2 million BURSASGXHomeHot StockBy KUALA LUMPUR (May 10): Sand Nisko Capital Bhd shed as much as 20.24% or 8.5 sen to 33.5 sen a share on Wednesday (May 10) after announcing that its unit had entered into a heads of agreement (HOA) with another company for a mixed-use development in Melaka the property developer and furniture maker's stock had recovered slightly to 34 sen down eight sen or 19.05% from its closing price of 42 sen on Tuesday This gave the company a market capitalisation of RM84.86 million Sand Nisko's wholly owned Len Cheong Industries Sdn Bhd signed the HOA with Evergreen More Sdn Bhd to express interest in developing three adjoining plots of land in Alor Gajah Melaka measuring 519.5 acres (210.23 hectares) into a RM1.75 billion project named Meswara City comprising affordable and luxury homes it will "review and improve" the project to ensure that it is more viable and marketable before entering into a final agreement with Evergreen More with an option to extend it by a further six months Evergreen More is 70% owned by Teow Wooi Huat The 56-year-old was wanted in Malaysia and had earlier this year been reportedly extradited to China from Thailand for his alleged involvement in fraud and dubious investment schemes which has been loss-making for the past five quarters reported a net loss of RM18.44 million for the financial year ended Dec 31 versus a net profit of RM1.43 million for FY2021 with revenue falling 51.5% to RM27.90 million from RM57.47 million its cash and cash equivalents stood at RM554,311 NEWSPAPER SECTION: News Tourist police and Immigration Bureau (IB) officers are cracking down on tourism-related offences in Pai district of Mae Hong Son province following the deportation of four Israeli nationals involved in a violent rampage at Pai Hospital They broke into the hospital's emergency room caused chaos and vandalised public property after a motorcycle crash left a fellow Israeli injured The situation escalated when the agitated Israeli tourists who came to visit the injured individual refused to leave and caused disturbances prompting hospital staff to contact the police The four were subsequently fined 3,000 baht each The arrests came after a doctor at Pai Hospital shared an account of what happened on social media saying that this was not the first time the hospital had encountered rude aggressive and law-breaking visitors from Israel She said she felt unsafe and was considering resigning from the hospital as a result of the incident with some illegally operating motorcycle riding schools and others driving without a valid licence This incident has raised growing concerns about the behaviour of foreign tourists in the province prompting the tourist police to take action commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau (TPB) has ordered TPB agencies to strictly enforce the law against foreign tourists who violate regulations the TPB and IB conducted a series of raids in Pai district on Saturday involving over 50 officers who fanned out over various spots authorities arrested a foreign national who had illegally entered the country an employer who hired illegal migrant workers and a homeowner who allowed an undocumented migrant to stay on their property without notifying authorities Authorities have warned that stricter law enforcement will continue in an effort to curb illegal activities and maintain peace and safety in Pai district By subscribing, you accept the terms and conditions in our privacy policy Total Croatia News Less than an hour’s drive from Split, in the rugged karst landscape of the Klis hinterland, you’ll stumble upon an extraordinary site. Known as Rajčica, the valley near Nisko village is home to a cluster of 10 ancient wells. And when we say ancient, it’s actually a bit hard to pinpoint the moment in time when the wells were built. They are commonly referred to as Roman wells, some believe they’re from the Illyrian times, and it’s also said they date to late Middle ages, namely the 13th or 14th centuries. Whatever the case, there’s a certain mystical quality to the picturesque site; it appears to be timeless. The wells are all alike in size and design; they’re closely spaced, each encircled by a dry stone wall and fitted with stone steps descending to the water surface. Three of the ten wells are shrouded by greenery and have a lower water level, making them somewhat harder to spot. Since the site is located in a valley, heavy rain will often leave the area flooded; during summer droughts, the water level drops. It’s unknown whether there are any underground rivers in the area, or if the wells are mainly getting water from precipitation. Nestled among the wells is a small pond where the cattle roaming the area often comes to drink.  A post shared by Dalmatian Zagora (@dalmatianzagora) The name of this wondrous site is another mystery that remains unsolved. Why Rajčica valley? The name literally translates to tomato in Croatian, but it’s believed to be more likely to refer to the place being a paradise in nature (raj = paradise, heaven). Finally, there are sources that claim the toponym originates from a family name that had a historical presence in the area (the valley of the Rajčić). The wells of Rajčica used to be a seldom visited site, hidden away in a somewhat inaccessible location where one would have to fight their way through the thicket to get to the untouched clearing. These days, it’s more visitor-friendly. Backed by EU funding, Klis Municipality first had a forest road restored that connected the nearby villages of Brštanovo, Nisko and Matase, and which also doubles as an access road to Rajčica valley. In a more recent part of the project, they had a picnic site built near the ancient wells. As of late 2021, there are seating areas, a grill, and even a balota rink as a nod to one of Dalmatia’s favourite pastimes.  Rajčica valley gained in popularity since it was touched up a bit, especially as the pandemic drove more people to forgo urban destinations and spend time in nature instead. It’s not overcrowded yet, so if you happen to be looking for trip ideas, it just might be the perfect moment to visit the mystical wells before they become too popular among the locals and tourists alike.  Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. BURSASGXHomeBy KUALA LUMPUR (May 9): Teow Wooi Huat appears to have returned to Malaysia’s corporate scene Stock exchange disclosure reveals that the businessman’s 519.5 acres land in Melaka has piqued the interest of Sand Nisko Capital Bhd to participate in a RM1.75 billion mixed-used development who is widely known as Tedy Teow and was wanted in Malaysia had earlier this year been reportedly extradited to China from Thailand for his alleged involvement in fraud and dubious investment schemes it is unclear whether the MBI Group founder has cleared his name in all three countries Sand Nisko announced that its wholly owned Len Cheong Industries Sdn Bhd entered into a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Evergreen More Sdn Bhd to express interest in participating in the project on three adjoining plots of leasehold lands in Alor Gajah which is 70%-owned by Wooi Huat and 30%-owned by Teow Chee Chow owns these three lands and is desirous to work with a strategic partner in carrying out the development plan Sand Nisko said in a stock exchange filing on Tuesday (May 9) Past media reports indicated that Chee Chow is the son of Wooi Huat Checks with Companies Commission Malaysia (SSM) data on identification card number showed that both of the Evergreen More’s shareholders are the same individuals who are directors and shareholders of MBI Marketing Sdn Bhd Bank Negara Malaysia’s website shows that nearly five years ago on Aug 16 MBI Marketing pleaded guilty through its director Teow Ee Meng to the charge under Section 25(1) of Payment System Act 2003 and was sentenced to a fine of RM2.5 million pleaded guilty to one of his two charges and was sentenced to a fine of RM3 million Another entity that pleaded guilty was Mface International Sdn Bhd which was founded by Wooi Huat according to BNM SSM data shows that MBI Marketing is currently 85%-owned by Chee Chow and 15%-owned by Ee Meng with Wooi Huat and a person by the name of Chiok Kian Chau as its directors while Kau Fong Seng and Wong Wen Torng own 22.5% each Mface’s directors also include Ng Mei Wan and R Malathi Rajagopal Sand Nisko said the HOA entered into by both parties was meant to set forth the intentions and commitments to establish a collaboration between both parties for the development with the first one involving building 294 units of two-storey shop offices four units of two-storey drive-through restaurants The second phase consists of 2,920 low- to medium cost residential units while the third phase involves 45 units of two-storey bungalows and 660 units of two-storey semi-detached houses Sand Nisko’s executive chairman Datuk Goh Soo Wee said the collaboration is in line with the group’s strategic direction to expand into property development from its existing furniture and construction businesses “We also intend to expand our construction and property development business via various initiatives such as strategic partnerships or joint ventures acquiring land banks in strategic locations for potential developments and acquiring companies that have construction and/or property development projects “Sand Nisko will continue to explore new business opportunities to build a robust pipeline of projects,” said Goh who controls 27.66% stake in the group via Mayapada Capital Sdn Bhd The group’s executive director Song Peng Wei said management will “review and improve” the existing development plan to ensure better viability and marketability of the project before entering a final agreement with Evergreen More “Subject to the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities we will kickstart the RM1.75 billion project progressively with the first phase of commercial properties to build more traffic to the area followed by low- and medium costs houses and finally luxury semi-detached houses and bungalows and a University Campus that can fit 10,000 students,” he said in a statement on Tuesday Sand Nisko has been loss-making over the past five fiscal quarters The group posted a net loss of RM18.44 million for financial year ended Dec 31 versus a net profit of RM1.43 million in FY2021 with revenue falling 51.5% to RM27.90 million from RM57.47 million Shares of Sand Nisko jumped 16 sen or 61% to 42 sen on Tuesday The stock was trending downwards in at least the past one year It fell 32% year-to-date prior to the spike on Tuesday Doctor says incident was not the first of its kind in popular tourist town in Mae Hong Son Four Israeli men are set to be deported after their aggressive behaviour deteriorated into violence in an emergency room at Pai Hospital in Mae Hong Son province in northern Thailand on Sunday They have been charged with conspiring to threaten The charges amount to disturbing the peace or risking the safety of the public and thus disqualify them from holding a Thai visa an inspector with the Mae Hong Son Immigration Police The arrests stemmed from a recent social media post by a doctor at Pai Hospital She said the incident followed a motorcycle crash that injured another Israeli The four men broke into the emergency room and went on a violent rampage causing damage to the hospital’s property The extent of the damage was not specified which prompted the hospital to call the police The doctor said the Feb 2 incident was not the first time the hospital had encountered rude aggressive and lawbreaking Israeli visitors adding that she felt unsafe working there and may ultimately end up resigning She said in her post that Pai district had become a hub for Israeli tourists with some of them illegally operating a motorbike riding school and others driving without licences resulting in a higher rate of road accidents It also prompted an order that local police take further action against the four tourists KUALA LUMPUR: Sand Nisko Capital Bhd has changed its name to Mpire Global Bhd, according to Bursa Malaysia’s announcement. The company’s new stock short name will be quoted as “Mpire” with effect from June 26, replacing the old stock short name “SNC”, Bursa said in a statement. It added that the company’s stock number remains unchanged. The group is involved in furniture manufacturing, construction, and property development, among others. We would love to keep you posted on the latest promotion. Kindly fill the form below KUALA LUMPUR: Sand Nisko Capital Bhd’s wholly-owned subsidiary Len Cheong Industries Sdn Bhd has entered into a heads of agreement (HOA) with Evergreen More Sdn Bhd (EMSB) to undertake a RM1.75 billion mixed-use development project known as Meswara City in Alor Gajah, Melaka. EMSB is the owner of three adjoining plots of leasehold development land with a total land area of 210.23 hectares (519.5 acres). In a filing with Bursa Malaysia today, the company said the HOA is in line with the group’s objective to expand its construction and property development business. "The board believes that the HOA has the potential to contribute positively to the group’s future earnings and improve the group’s financial position, should the project materialises,” it said. The HOA is not expected to have any immediate material impact on the net assets, earnings and gearing of Sand Nisko Capital group, it added. - Bernama BURSASGXHomeEdge WeeklyBy This article first appeared in Capital Notable changes in shareholding during the week of Feb 28 to March 4 included those at Boustead Plantations Bhd where its parent company — the armed forces fund or Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) — trimmed its direct shareholding by 4.75 million shares to 266.21 million shares A check on Bursa Malaysia’s website indicates that LTAT had not sold shares in Boustead Plantations ever since the plantation company’s shares were floated in June 2014 LTAT also has an indirect 57.42% equity interest in Boustead Plantations via its 59.42%-owned unit Boustead Holdings Bhd Boustead Plantations manages 45 oil palm estates translating into a market capitalisation of RM2.37 billion The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) acquired 39.99 million shares in credit information provider CTOS Digital Bhd during the week in review nudging its shareholding up to 117.84 million shares and resulting in its being a substantial shareholder British Virgin Islands-registered Inodes Ltd snapped up 1.8 million shares in CTOS strengthening its shareholding to 696.92 million shares Inodes is the vehicle of private equity outfit Creador CTOS’ initial public offering (IPO) at RM1.10 a share in July 19 last year raised RM1.2 billion The stock ended trading last Tuesday at RM1.35 who has been a substantial shareholder of the company since January 2008 sold out of the property development and contract manufacturing outfit when it disposed of 2.5 million shares in an off-market deal FCW is controlled by businessman Tan Sri Robert Tan Hua Choon who has 30.61% equity interest in the company giving the company a market value of RM259.99 million Privately held Goldpeace Corp Sdn Bhd sold 24.89 million shares in furniture maker Sand Nisko Capital Bhd and ceased to be a substantial shareholder It is not clear who is behind Goldpeace Corp Datuk Seri Sow Chin Chuan and his family sold 43.93 million shares in Sand Nisko trimming their stake to 31.34 million shares Mayapada Capital Sdn Bhd — the vehicle of Datuk Goh Soo Wee and Teh Kok Liang — surfaced as a substantial shareholder in Sand Nisco giving it a market capitalisation of RM125.13 million Padini Holdings Bhd’s stock hit a two-year high of RM3.37 The run in Padini’s stock can be attributed to a good set of financials announced in the later part of February For its second quarter ended December 2021 Padini announced a net profit of RM60.89 million Padini chalked up a net profit of RM10.65 million on the back of RM245.96 million in revenue Padini also announced a second interim dividend of 2.5 sen this time around hived off 1.14 million shares in the garment company reducing its shareholding to 50.83 million shares The EPF trimmed its stake by 449,700 shares Padini ended trading at RM3.30 last Wednesday power generator Malakoff Corp Bhd has seen its shares shed more than 17%; its stock hit a multi-year low of 58.5 sen on March 7 the EPF cut its stake in Malakoff by 7.35 million shares to 566.04 million shares Ministry of Finance Inc-controlled Urusharta Jamaah Sdn Bhd sold 5.05 million shares in the company reducing its stake to 484.81 million shares