THE STRAITS TIMES – Authorities on the Indonesian tropical island Bali released 33 endangered green sea turtles into the ocean yesterday in an effort to boost a population threatened by poachers and illegal traders.
The turtles, from the Chelonia mydas species that is protected in Indonesia, were released on Kuta beach after they being rescued during a Navy operation against poachers in December.
Tourists gathered to watch and film the release on their mobile phones, cheering the turtles on as they trudged across on the beach.
“It’s a great idea for the conservation effort,” said Australian tourist Briant Firth.
“They were getting some of the poachers and they were saving the turtles.”
Indonesia has become a hub of international trafficking of marine turtles, feeding demand from countries like Malaysia, Vietnam and China. Anyone convicted of involvement in the trade can be jailed for up to five years under Indonesian law.
The turtles had been in rehabilitation at the Bali Conservation and Natural Resources Agency, authorities said.
“They are evidence in a naval operation … we are releasing them because we can’t keep these wild animals as evidence long,” Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Ahmadi Heri Purwono told reporters.
Volunteers help release a green sea turtle into the ocean at Kuta beach, Bali. PHOTO: AP
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM (AFP) – Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has downplayed reports of dressing room discontent at Old Trafford, saying unrest is inevitable with a deep squad.
The German has suggested the squad he inherited is too big, with many players unhappy at their lack of playing time.
United suffered a demoralising 1-0 home defeat to Wolves on Monday that could prove costly in their bid to finish in the Premier League’s top four.
The Mirror newspaper reported on Thursday that as many as 17 players wanted to leave the club, who are 22 points behind leaders Manchester City.
“If you have that many players and 10 outfield players can play and three being substituted, then of course you have quite a number of players – in our case 12, 13, 14 players who don’t even play, or not even being in the squad,” said Rangnick on Friday.
Manchester United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick and Technical Director Darren Fletcher. PHOTO: AP
“Then those players are not happy about that situation. It’s obvious, it’s clear.
“In total, we have a big squad. I tend to explain to players every two or three weeks why they are not playing but obviously I cannot do that every game and that is an issue in our team as well as in other clubs.”
Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani are the two highest-profile stars out of contract at the end of the season.
Anthony Martial looks set to leave in January, with Sevilla reportedly close to agreeing a loan deal for the France international.
Dean Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Donny van de Beek could also move on in search of more first-team action.
“We have players with contracts expiring in the summer,” said Rangnick. “We have maybe also one or two players who still want to leave, although they are under contract.
“It’s about the players dealing with that in a professional way. Everybody has the chance and the option to show in training, to show up and then get a chance to play.
“If this is not the case then of course the player together with club and the agents, they need to discuss the situation.”
Tomorrow’s FA Cup third-round clash with Aston Villa could have been an opportunity for Rangnick to use some of his fringe players.
BEIJING (XINHUA) – China’s mainland recorded an increase in passenger trips in its urban transit networks in December 2021, official data showed.
The urban transit lines in 51 cities handled a total of 2.08 billion passenger trips in December, up 2.5 per cent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Transport. The December amount also grew 5.6 per cent on a monthly basis.
By the end of December, China has put 269 urban rail transit lines into operation, with the total length reaching 8,708 kilometres, the ministry said.
The trian G5322 departs Pingtan Station on the Fuzhou-Pingtan railway in southeast China’s Fujian Province. PHOTO: XINHUA
ALMATY (AFP) – The former head of Kazakhstan’s domestic security agency has been detained on suspicion of treason, the agency said yesterday, after he was fired amid unprecedented unrest.
The detention of Karim Masimov, a former prime minister and longtime ally of Kazakhstan’s ex-leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, was the first major move against a top official in the biggest crisis the ex-Soviet Central Asian republic has faced in years.
Nazarbayev’s spokesman meanwhile denied rumours the ex-president had left the country and said he was urging Kazakhs to rally around the government.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sacked Masimov earlier this week after protests over rising fuel prices erupted into widespread violence, with government buildings in the largest city Almaty stormed and set ablaze.
Authorities said on Friday the situation was largely under control, but Tokayev issued a shoot-to-kill order and rejected any negotiations with protesters.
An AFP correspondent in Almaty said the city was quiet but tense yesterday, with security forces firing warning shots at anyone approaching a central square.
Masimov, 56, twice served as Nazarbayev’s prime minister and had been head of the National Security Committee, or KNB, since 2016.
The KNB said in a statement that it had launched an investigation into charges of high treason on Thursday and that Masimov had been detained the same day “on suspicion of committing this crime”.
It said others had also been arrested and that Masimov was being held in a temporary detention centre, but provided no further information.
LONDON (AFP) – Kieran Trippier became Newcastle’s first signing under the club’s new Saudi-led ownership on Friday, with manager Eddie Howe saying he hoped his arrival would pave the way for further additions to his relegation-threatened squad.
The 31-year-old full-back has returned to the Premier League from Atletico Madrid for an undisclosed fee, understood to be in the region of GBP12 million plus add-ons.
The former Tottenham defender has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract and his arrival signals the launch of a new era under Howe, who was appointed as manager at St James’ Park in November.
“It’s a sign that the club has a huge pull – and I’m not talking financial here,” Howe said.
“Kieran hasn’t come for the financial benefits of the contract. He’s come for the club and for the challenge that the team faces at the current time, but also the longer-term vision, so I think that’s a massive thing for the football club.
“Hopefully with his signing, other players around the world will potentially look at that and share his dream and his vision for what he sees. That’s a big thing for us.”
Trippier, who was signed by Howe in 2012 when he was in charge at Burnley, won La Liga with Atletico last season but is relishing his return to England.
“I’m so happy to be joining Newcastle,” he tweeted. “Everyone knows the fans are unbelievably passionate and I will give my absolute all for them. I can’t wait to get to work.”
The defender, capped 35 times by England, could make his debut against League One side Cambridge if the paperwork is completed in time.
Kieran Trippier is Newcastle United’s first signing under the new ownership. PHOTO: AP
LAS VEGAS (AFP) – A wind turbine sitting idle on a calm day or spinning swiftly when power demand is already met poses a problem for renewables, and is one researchers think can be tackled under the sea.
In one vision, offshore wind farms could use seawater to essentially store energy until it’s needed, helping wean humanity off fossil fuels.
“We came up with a solution that we call the ocean battery,” Dutch startup Ocean Grazer CEO Frits Bliek told AFP while showing off the system at the CES tech fair in Las Vegas.
Amid the growing push away from climate-warming energy sources like coal, stockpiling green energy is key, experts say.
That’s because nature does not always deliver wind – or sun – at the moment when electricity is most in demand.
Bliek’s “ocean battery” relies on massive flexible bladders on the seabed, which are filled up with seawater by the wind farm.
ABOVE & BELOW: Dutch startup Ocean Grazer CEO Frits Bliek with an ocean battery; and a model of the Ocean Grazer ocean battery during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. PHOTOS: AFP
When the power is needed, the pressure of the ocean squeezes the water through the system on the seafloor that includes turbines – and the result is electricity.
A key consideration with energy is cost, and storage systems involving some type of battery are not only very expensive but also at risk of leaks or contamination in an ocean environment.
Systems that rely on pressure are already used in hydroelectric dams that pump water into the reservoir behind the dam when electricity demand falls, effectively storing it to come back through the facility’s turbines.
The US Department of Energy traces the concept, called “pumped storage hydropower,” to Italy and Switzerland in the 1890s, though facilities can now be found all around the world.
As for the underwater version of this type of storage, Ocean Grazer is not alone in trying to make it work.
FLASC, a spin-off of the University of Malta, has a system that uses renewably made electricity to pump water into a chamber that contains under-pressure air, which can then turn a hydraulic turbine to generate power.
Another initiative called StEnSea (Stored energy in the sea), uses hollow concrete spheres under the pressure of the deep ocean, and was tested in a German lake in 2016.
Bliek, the Ocean Grazer CEO, said undersea systems take advantage of the pressure below the ocean that is free, while creating a system that he said is about 80 per cent efficient in storing energy.
He sees storage systems as key for renewables, which have boomed as the price to produce such energy has dropped and made them a steadily growing part of the energy mix worldwide.
Renewables are the fastest-growing source in the United States, increasing 42 per cent from 2010 to 2020, according to the non-profit Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.
Yet deploying systems like the “ocean battery” on the scale needed to work as part of an electricity grid is still years away.
Bliek said his company aims to have an offshore system in place by 2025, though one will be deployed onshore in the northern Netherlands by 2023.
Though various aspects of energy storage via pressure are not new, the pairing of it with green energy sources carries significant potential.
“With wind and solar now becoming part of the grid – basically allowing us to get rid of fossil fuels – in that context this is very exciting,” said Claudio Canizares, an engineering professor and renewables expert at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE WASHINGTON POST – “There is something special and sacred about mornings … when we slow down long enough to enjoy them,” Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky write in their latest cookbook, Rise & Run: Recipes, Rituals, and Runs to Fuel Your Day.
Former cross-country teammates – and my fellow alumni – from their days at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the pair knows all about morning routines and the importance of a nourishing breakfast. Flanagan is New York City Marathon champion, an Olympic silver medallist and one of the most accomplished American distance runners ever. And Kopecky is a food writer, nutrition coach and fellow marathoner.
Rise & Run, their fourth co-authored cookbook, is filled with breakfast and brunch recipes packed with whole grains, healthy fats, vegetables and fruit – plus training tips, meal planning guides and more.
The book is changing the way I approach weekday breakfasts. I’ve relied on my morning running routine more than ever during the pandemic, to get fresh air, move my body and feel restored before sitting down for long days of working from home. But rather than simply settling for a piece of toast or a mug of tea, I’m now trying to treat myself to a better breakfast by preparing the book’s apple butter oatmeal bake or one of two dozen Superhero Muffin variations – riffs on Flanagan and Kopecky’s most popular recipe from their debut book, Run Fast. Eat Slow – the night before or on the weekend.
These Apple Cheddar Muffins are a new favourite: fluffy and hearty, a little savoury, a little sweet and packed with whole grains, sweet potato and apples. They make an ideal grab-and-go or post-workout breakfast option, and it’s easy to make (and bake) ahead.
Top them with an aged or extra-sharp cheddar cheese for a bonus pop of flavour. In our testing, a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples helped the natural sweetness of the fruit stand up to the salty, savoury flavours of the muffins.
Baked with hardy spelt flour, the muffins are a handy breakfast to fuel or refuel you for whatever the day may bring.
Apple cheddar muffins. PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST
APPLE CHEDDAR MUFFINS
Active time: 30 mins
Total time: One hour
Servings: 12
Make Ahead: The batter can be prepared the night before baking and refrigerated in a sealed container.
Storage Notes: Leftover muffins can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months. To reheat, microwave the muffins on LOW for about 30 seconds or reheat in a 300-degree oven for 10 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
Two cups spelt flour or whole-wheat flour
One-and-a-half teaspoons baking soda
Three-quarters teaspoon fine sea salt
Three large eggs
One-and-a-half cups coarsely shredded aged or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
One cup coarsely grated peeled sweet potato
Half plain whole-milk yoghurt
One stick unsalted butter, melted
Two large firm, tart apples such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled and cored
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350oF. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, one cup of the cheese, the sweet potato, yoghurt and butter.
Use the large holes of a box grater to grate one of the apples. Chop the second apple into small pieces. Stir both apples into the wet ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined.
Use a spoon to scoop the batter into each muffin cup, filling to the brim. Sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheese on top of the muffins.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the muffins are nicely browned on top, the cheese is melted and crisped and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and let cool to the touch before unmolding. Eat warm or at room temperature.
In the news item ‘Yayasan hands over financial assistance’ published on Page 6 of the Weekend Bulletin yesterday, the article should have read ‘President of the Brunei History Association (PESEBAR) Muhammad Hadi bin Muhammad Melayong received the donation’ and not as stated.
THE STRAITS TIMES – The Philippines has tallied its highest number of COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic, just two weeks after recording fewer than 200 cases a day.
The Health Ministry reported 26,458 cases yesterday as the extremely infectious Omicron variant rages throughout the country.
That topped the previous high of 26,303, recorded on September 11 last year during the peak of a deadly surge caused by the Delta variant.
The number of active cases, meanwhile, has soared to 102,017. The last time the number was this high was on October 9 last year, when the country had over 106,000 active cases.
The government has already placed Metro Manila and dozens of other cities and provinces on the third-highest level of alert till January 15.
Restaurants, amusement parks, tourist attractions, beauty salons and fitness studios are now operating at lower capacity.
In-person classes, contact sports, funfairs and casinos have been suspended, while localised lockdowns targeting specific buildings, streets and neighbourhoods would also be enforced.
Health workers check identification documents of people queueing up for coronavirus swab tests outside a gymnasium in Manila. PHOTO: AFP
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Attendance at this week’s CES gadget show in Las Vegas fell more than 75 per cent compared to its previous in-person event two years ago, its organiser said on Friday.
The Consumer Technology Association said on the show’s closing day that more than 40,000 people attended the multi-day event on the Las Vegas Strip. That’s less than a quarter of the more than 170,000 the CTA said were there for its 2020 convention.
The COVID-19 pandemic led the CTA to take 2021’s conference online, but the trade group decided eight months ago to bring a physical CES 2022 back to Vegas.
That proved challenging amid a global spike in infections caused by the fast-moving Omicron coronavirus variant that emerged late last year.
Conference attendees were required to wear masks on the exhibition floors that opened Wednesday and show proof of vaccination before they arrived. But the rise in COVID-19 cases led a number of big tech companies to pull out of the conference in the weeks before
the event.
People walking across an empty booth spot during the CES tech show in Las Vegas. PHOTO: AP
