both highly advanced and compact for all photography needs.
The new lineup features the latest XF zoom lens and GFX series super telephoto prime lens, both highly advanced and compact for all photography needs. FUJIFILM is once again making waves in the camera industry with the reveal of four new products from its beloved camera and lens series at the FUJIFILM X Summit Sydney 2024. This includes the long-awaited FUJIFILM X-T50, boasting a cool classic design with an all-new Film Simulation dial while enhancing usability and flexibility. Also joining the lineup is the FUJIFILM GFX100S II, a powerhouse medium format camera tailored for professional productions. Accompanying these cameras are two outstanding lenses: the FUJINON XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR and the FUJINON GF500mmF5.6 R LM OIS WR. With lightweight yet sturdy construction, these products are ready to accompany photographers on any journey, delivering high-quality results across all genres.
New image processing system further improves AF and image quality Canon Inc. announced today that it is currently developing the EOS R1, a full-frame mirrorless camera, as the first flagship model for the EOS R SYSTEM equipped with an RF mount and is aiming for a 2024 release.
The EOS R1 is a mirrorless camera geared toward professionals that brings together Canon’s cutting-edge technology and combines top-class performance with the strong durability and high reliability sought in a flagship model. This camera will dramatically improve[1] the performance of both still images and video and meet the high requirements of professionals on the frontlines of a wide range of fields including sports, news reporting, and video production. Campari, Italy’s iconic red apéritif, and Centara Grand at CentralWorld are treating discerning drinkers with a new spot to sip and savour Italian-inspired and classic drinks while enjoying the stunning sunset above the city at Sunset Lounge, located on the 56th floor at Red Sky Bar.
Thailand and New Zealand have enjoyed formal diplomatic relations since March 1956. It is a relationship that has remained dynamic, and Thailand has grown to become the eighth most important trading partner of New Zealand, in global terms.
The two countries’ 67 years of formal diplomatic relations is wide ranging, encompassing security, bilateral, political, trade, and economic links The relationship also includes regional issues of common interest, such as disarmament and climate change, as well as working closely together on environmental matters. The three free trade agreements that are currently in effect between Thailand and New Zealand are the:New Zealand-Thailand Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (NZTCEPA), the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Since the NZTCEPA came into force in 2005, total New Zealand exports to Thailand have more than tripled.Tariffs and quotas on all exports will be progressively eliminated before the end of 2025.As members of the AANZFTA since 2010, this agreement has improved opportunities and access for New Zealand service providers in Thailand, particularly in the education sector. New Zealand and Thailand are both signatories to RCEP. It came into force in January 2022 and provides commercial benefits for New Zealand goods exporters. RCEP also lowers compliance costs, reduces the time exporters wait for goods to clear customs, and enhances transparency and predictability for businesses in the RCEP region. Thailand is New Zealand’s 8th largest trading partner, with the total trade in goods between the two countries showing an annual growth rate of about 8 percent. Although the value of the exports to Thailand fluctuates from year to year, since the Closer Economic Partnership (CEP) came into force in 2005, total exports have almost doubled. New Zealand is now also importing twice as much from Thailand as it did before the CEP. New Zealand's goods exports to Thailand reached a total annual value of just over NZ$1 billion in 2021. Top export categories for 2021 were dairy, fruit, aluminium, wood pulp and medical ventilators. The main products that New Zealand imports fromThailand are delivery trucks ($694M), cars ($287M), and air conditioners ($165M). During the last 26 years the exports of Thailand to New Zealand have increased at an annualised rate of 12 percent from $111M in 1995 to $2.11B in 2021. During the past two years, there’s been an unprecedented explosion of Asian American beauty queens, capped by an Asian American Miss USA/Miss Universe (crowned on 14 Jan), so it is special that we were visited by Mrs District of Columbia - the first Thai-American to represent the US capital.
For a few weeks during the recent Christmas/New Year holidays, Thailand was visited by the reigning Mrs District of Columbia (Washington DC), from the Mrs America Pageant. In this sense, she has bust through the ‘bamboo ceiling’ of American beauty pageants. So this crown is quite a notable accomplishment for Asian Americans, and serves as a marker for Thai representation abroad. The ‘a-ha’ moment that inspired Marisha to launch a new career publishing children’s books26/3/2023
Family:
My family is in Canada, and a bit in Costa Rica. I also have in-laws in the United States and Japan, and even a niece in Bangkok. First job and career: My first job was working as a guide on whale-watching ships and at a little marine museum along the St. Lawrence River. That job sparked such a passion in me that I have been working on water-related issues ever since! I have had the privilege of working with high-level policy networks on water security in Japan and throughout Asia-Pacific. I have had assignments with the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, the Asia-Pacific Water Forum, the High-Level Panel on Water and Disasters, the UN-Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, among others. As hydrological systems are changing right before our eyes, water security is a cause that I continue to be whole-heartedly devoted to. While our societies have accomplished so much in terms of water supply, sanitation, irrigation for food security (to name a few of the water-related issues), climate change is spurring a race for water security and we need to be doing a lot more, now, for our children’s future water security. The search for quality fresh and frozen seafood that meets the most rigorous standards of sustainability, and satisfies the high expectations of Bangkok’s diners, is a constant challenge for Bangkok’s chefs.
With its global network of approved suppliers and partners, Thammachart Seafood has become the go-to choice of a long list of local culinary figures. They include Chef Wilfrid Hocquet of Blue by Alain Ducasse, the Michelin-starred restaurant at Iconsiam, Gerard Villaret Horcajo, Chef de Cuisine at Michelin- starred Elements at The Okura Prestige Bangkok, and Daniel Masters, Executive Chef of The Standard Bangkok Mahanakorn, The company’s products can also be found on the menus of Mandarin Oriental, Four Season, Capella, The Waldorf Astoria, and Anantara Siam. Restaurant customers include Michelin-starred Suhring, Le Normandie and Chef Table Le Bua.
The Royal Varuna Yacht Club, Thailand’s premier sailing venue located two hours’ drive south of Bangkok, seemed the most unlikely place to find Matthew Kelly.
Decades ago Kelly played blues harp on three Grateful Dead albums and in several of the group’s New Year Eve concerts. Before that he was the only white guy in otherwise all-black bands, As we skate into 2023, KCG & the Lexicon Lumberjacks are the favourites to capture the Siam Hockey League championship trophy with KCG on top of the leader board by two points. Shrewd drafting by captains Jesse Starosta of KCG and Justin St. Denis of Lexicon have set their teams up for successful seasons.
Pre-season favourite Aware lost its luster early on when two of its top forwards were lost: Corry Day to injury and Oleg Kabakov to suspension. The league’s fourth squad, Siam Mandalay, has had a rough go it, winning only one game to date. A third of the way through the season, KCG’s Jan Isaksson leads the league in scoring with 14 points, followed by Aware’s Kim Aarola and KCG teammate Nick Lampson with 12 points. Interestingly, all three players are luk-kruengs, mixed Thai and foreign background. Fourth and fifth place in the scoring race belong to Mike Freeson & Tomas Stastny of Siam Mandalay. These two players are not used to losing, indeed in the last COVID-cut short SHL season their team, the Novotel Spitfires, dominated the league. Alas, with a new season and a new draft the squad lost its two best defensemen Ken Kindborn to Lexicon & Christoph Anliker to KCG and they haven’t recovered. Stastny comes from Slovakia’s most celebrated hockey family as he is the son and nephew of former NHL stars Anton and Peter Stastny, and his cousin Paul is currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes. An early candidate for the SHL’s rookie-of-the-year award is KCG’s keeper Dominik Vollenweider who leads the league in saves and save percentage. His play has been phenomenal at times, causing opposition players to wonder “who is this guy” after he has foiled scoring chance after scoring chance. SHL games take place at the Thailand International Ice Hockey Arena on Soi 19, Rama 9 Road from 8:30pm onwards on Sunday nights. You can get league updates by listening to Dom Dumais’ podcasts, sponsored by the BigChilli magazine at: www.siamhockeyleague.com. The games are also televised on www.thailandTV.tv and produced by Keith Mueller. The SHL would also like to thank Zack Block for his excellent work as both a podcaster and play-by-play announcer over the last few years. Zack is returning to his home in Louisiana where hopefully he will find some games to broadcast in the Bayou. |