Power market brokers in the Chinese industrial hub of Guangdong are moving to cancel long-term supply deals with factories as the Iran war drives a surge in spot prices and erodes their margins. Some of the brokers are now trying to back away from the contracts , or are at risk of defaulting on them, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation. Given recent price shifts, the brokers...
Power market brokers in the Chinese industrial hub of Guangdong are moving to cancel long-term supply deals with factories as the Iran war drives a surge in spot prices and erodes their margins. Some of the brokers are now trying to back away from the contracts , or are at risk of defaulting on them, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation. Given recent price shifts, the brokers are being forced to buy power from the more-expensive spot market to cover their obligations, said the traders, who declined to be named discussing sensitive matters. The Guangzhou Power Exchange Center — the local bourse that hosts spot trading — issued notices earlier this month to warn users that some brokers faced risks of default as they were struggling to deliver contracted volumes after prices spiked, according to copies of the releases seen by traders. Guangdong — a powerhouse province with an economy comparable in size to South Korea’s — has spearheaded China’s electricity-market reforms, and requires all generators to compete through the local exchange. Given the Iran war , seaborne liquefied natural gas deliveries have dropped, boosting prices. Local rates have also been supported by a spate of maintenance at coal plants. The brokers — who had bet on spot prices remaining below long-term contract levels — have been caught out by the shift, and are now having to pay millions of yuan to make up the balance, the traders said. Read More: China’s Factory Hub Faces Gas Price Shock as War Tightens Supply Beyond the fallout from the war, the provincial government recently reiterated a call for coal-power plants to replenish fuel inventory through mid-June, as concerns grow that a stronger El Nino climate pattern could push up air-conditioning demand or undermine hydropower generation. At the same time, gas-power generators have been keeping burns — the rate at which they generate — at a low level to conserve supply for the more crucial peak-summer season, according to p...
The Dutch ex-punk and Jim Jarmusch bandmate talks about his passion to free up a hidebound repertoire and make its strings ‘a real pop instrument’ Nobody can accuse Jozef Van Wissem of doing things by halves. The musician, very likely the world’s most notorious contemporary lutenist, owns a sonic arsenal of eight of the string instruments: some bespoke, and all boasting remarkable features. With t...
The Dutch ex-punk and Jim Jarmusch bandmate talks about his passion to free up a hidebound repertoire and make its strings ‘a real pop instrument’ Nobody can accuse Jozef Van Wissem of doing things by halves. The musician, very likely the world’s most notorious contemporary lutenist, owns a sonic arsenal of eight of the string instruments: some bespoke, and all boasting remarkable features. With them he has created a huge body of work, nearly 50 titles to date. Another album, This Is My Blood is released this May. Each Easter, Van Wissem settles down to compose a new record. He finds the peace of Warsaw, where everyone has “gone away for the holidays”, more amenable for work than “noisy” Rotterdam, where he also has a flat. Continue reading...
Distracted, listless and unambitious – the PM’s true form has finally emerged. But whatever comes next must end this ruinous cycle Finally, belatedly, an honest portrait of Keir Starmer has been allowed to form. It’s been a hell of a journey. At first he was sanctified as the Labour saviour, finally arrived. That gave way to pleas that he was essentially a good sort, new to politics and in need of...
Distracted, listless and unambitious – the PM’s true form has finally emerged. But whatever comes next must end this ruinous cycle Finally, belatedly, an honest portrait of Keir Starmer has been allowed to form. It’s been a hell of a journey. At first he was sanctified as the Labour saviour, finally arrived. That gave way to pleas that he was essentially a good sort, new to politics and in need of time. Now an impression is emerging that he is, in fact, quite a bad egg. To quote a brutal recent summation from a Labour insider speaking to Politico : “Lots of people think Keir Starmer is a good man who is out of his depth. Wrong. He’s an asshole who’s out of his depth.” The charges are now coming thick and fast. He cannot manage teams. He throws people under the bus to save his own skin. He cannot do the job . The whole Peter Mandelson affair, the latest instalment of which is the revelation that Mandelson failed his security vetting, and that Starmer claims not to have been told of this, has at least come with one silver lining. As his own ministers distance themselves from him and give up the ghost on live television , even loyal stalwarts can’t sustain their tedious, misguided speculation that he might be rebooted and come good. The broad conclusion is that Starmer is now beyond rehabilitation, and his fate only a matter of time. So what now? Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Forget intimidating white spaces, forbidding barriers and draconian gallery rules – a great place for kids to experience art is outdoors (even if it might start raining) So, you want to introduce small children to art. Why not ease yourselves in? No white walls. No string barriers. No alarms. No beady-eyed gallery attendants. Just a whole lot of green space in which to charge about and come across...
Forget intimidating white spaces, forbidding barriers and draconian gallery rules – a great place for kids to experience art is outdoors (even if it might start raining) So, you want to introduce small children to art. Why not ease yourselves in? No white walls. No string barriers. No alarms. No beady-eyed gallery attendants. Just a whole lot of green space in which to charge about and come across awe-inspiring art while you’re at it. There are several outdoor sculpture parks offering free-range art exploration in the UK, but one above all beckons. That’s right, it’s time for this toddler’s first trip to Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP). Admittedly, my timing is a smidge off. When we head there, it’s mid-February, and don’t we know it. As we pull into the car park, the sky is a grisly blanket of greyish white. The drizzle starts soon after we open our doors, and doesn’t stop. As I’m pushing the buggy uphill, struggling to get a grip as my boots slip in the mud, I briefly wonder whether I should have saved this series for summer. But then I look around me at the tiny people in wellies and waders running wild around the Barbara Hepworths, and I reconsider. Continue reading...
From a disgruntled maid in the 18th century to an Iranian influencer facing snide nationalists, four stories explore what it is to be trapped and longing for more This is surely not how the German Romantic poet and philosopher Friedrich von Hardenberg (known by his pen name Novalis) would like to be remembered – by a giant poo in a chamber pot. But that is the lingering image in this absurdist com...
From a disgruntled maid in the 18th century to an Iranian influencer facing snide nationalists, four stories explore what it is to be trapped and longing for more This is surely not how the German Romantic poet and philosopher Friedrich von Hardenberg (known by his pen name Novalis) would like to be remembered – by a giant poo in a chamber pot. But that is the lingering image in this absurdist comedy-drama from Julian Radlmaier, which is mostly set in the present day, but begins in the late 18th century where a rebellious teenage maid called Lotte (Paula Schindler) is sick of cleaning up after haughty aristocrats. Inspired by the French Revolution, Lotte sticks two fingers up at up the lot of them and takes off on a Bonnie and Clyde adventure, which does not end well for her. It’s an enigmatic opening to a strange and funny film, bittersweet with visual gags and a political point to make. It’s set in the scenic German town of Sangerhausen, and features four interlocking stories about people who feel trapped in their lives, longing for more. After Lotte, we land with a bump in the 21st century where Ursula (Clara Schwinning) is working two jobs, cleaning in the mornings followed by waitressing in a cafe. It’s a case of different century, same gender and class barriers – and there is a surge of sadness as she remembers the night she got pregnant, her entire life shaped by a moment when she was 18. Schwinning’s sensitive sympathetic performance is the heart of the film. Ursula bunks off work to spend the day with a trio of classical musicians who are in town to perform at a concert. Continue reading...
After her sister died, Victoria Bennett left Cumbria for the remote Scottish archipelago, where she learned to go with the ebb and flow of life It was during her first winter in Orkney that the nature writer Victoria Bennett experienced the joy of baying into the sea during a storm. “There’s something very physically releasing about howling,” she says. “It’s quite animalistic and powerful.” On a s...
After her sister died, Victoria Bennett left Cumbria for the remote Scottish archipelago, where she learned to go with the ebb and flow of life It was during her first winter in Orkney that the nature writer Victoria Bennett experienced the joy of baying into the sea during a storm. “There’s something very physically releasing about howling,” she says. “It’s quite animalistic and powerful.” On a stormy beach, when waves are crashing on the rocks, “you can really let rip”, she says. “The sound just disappears.” Until that moment, Bennett had been struggling with her decision to move to the remote archipelago off the north coast of Scotland. “I was beginning to feel like I was in a fight against the sea, and against the weather.” Continue reading...
Candle-making kits and rubber toys among products recalled after revelation about play sand sold by Hobbycraft More than 30 children’s toys have been recalled in the UK after the Guardian revealed that play sand sold by Hobbycraft was contaminated with asbestos. Over the past three months, other children’s products ranging from candle-making kits to stretchy rubber toys have been recalled by retai...
Candle-making kits and rubber toys among products recalled after revelation about play sand sold by Hobbycraft More than 30 children’s toys have been recalled in the UK after the Guardian revealed that play sand sold by Hobbycraft was contaminated with asbestos. Over the past three months, other children’s products ranging from candle-making kits to stretchy rubber toys have been recalled by retailers including Tesco, Primark, Matalan and M&S after being found to contain the substance. Continue reading...
Half of respondents to RCN poll said patients ‘frequently come to harm’ because caseloads are too high Mental health patients in the UK are routinely coming to harm because of high caseloads, understaffing and overwhelming administrative work, according to a poll that found only a fifth of specialist nurses felt their workload was manageable. Prof Nicola Ranger, the general secretary of the Royal ...
Half of respondents to RCN poll said patients ‘frequently come to harm’ because caseloads are too high Mental health patients in the UK are routinely coming to harm because of high caseloads, understaffing and overwhelming administrative work, according to a poll that found only a fifth of specialist nurses felt their workload was manageable. Prof Nicola Ranger, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said mental health nurses were caught in a “perfect storm” and unable to keep up with rising demand, with patients paying the price by missing out on crucial care. Continue reading...
A pasta bake combining tender chicken and hearty chickpeas, and a Middle Eastern spring salad layered with spices, refreshing herbs and sweet peas My ideal way of entertaining is completely fuss-free, with everything prepared ahead of time so I can enjoy being with my guests rather than worrying about cooking. I like to put big, generous dishes in the middle of the table, such as this one-tray chi...
A pasta bake combining tender chicken and hearty chickpeas, and a Middle Eastern spring salad layered with spices, refreshing herbs and sweet peas My ideal way of entertaining is completely fuss-free, with everything prepared ahead of time so I can enjoy being with my guests rather than worrying about cooking. I like to put big, generous dishes in the middle of the table, such as this one-tray chicken, pasta and chickpea bake, alongside a fresh salad, so everyone can serve themselves and share a simple, delicious meal. Continue reading...
Francine Lacqua sits down with Emma Grede — the power behind Good American and a founding partner of Skims — to unpack what it really takes to build a billion-dollar brand. Grede goes beyond the headlines, revealing the chaos behind her $1 million launch day and the mindset that helped her push through challenges. From "radical honesty" in leadership to bold views on work, ambition and success, sh...
Francine Lacqua sits down with Emma Grede — the power behind Good American and a founding partner of Skims — to unpack what it really takes to build a billion-dollar brand. Grede goes beyond the headlines, revealing the chaos behind her $1 million launch day and the mindset that helped her push through challenges. From "radical honesty" in leadership to bold views on work, ambition and success, she reveals the principles that have shaped her rise — and why she’s now stepping into the spotlight to help others do the same. (Source: Bloomberg)