Latest news with #Transition
Times of Oman
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Rohit, Virat, Ashwin retirements mark start of transition for Indian Test team, says Sachin Tendulkar
Leeds: As India prepares to face England in the high-stakes Test series starting June 20, the shock retirement announcements of stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin have sparked widespread debate. While fans mourn the end of an era, legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar offered a grounded perspective, emphasising the natural progression of generational shifts in Indian cricket. Tendulkar, speaking on the development, acknowledged the emotional void left by the trio but maintained that the process of transition is nothing new to Indian cricket. "We are going through a transitional phase in the Indian team. There are young faces, and some of the senior players are still around to guide them and this churning process will continue for years to come. It has been going on for decades," he said. Drawing from personal experience, the Master Blaster recalled how similar changes have occurred in the past, when his own generation passed the baton. "At some stage, the players have to retire, and at some stage, the new faces replace them, and they start their journey. Even when we were playing, be it Sehwag (Virender), Ganguly (Sourav), Dravid (Rahul), Laxman (VVS), myself, Anil Kumble, Yuvraj (Singh), or Dhoni (MS), at some stage, we all retired and the next generation took over," Tendulkar added. "So, it will continue, this process and I have no doubt that the new generation is talented," he noted. Tendulkar also expressed confidence in the talent pool available in India, calling for patience and faith in the newcomers. "As far as skill is concerned, in our country there are so many skilful players. I hope they make the most of the opportunity given to them," he added. Reflecting on the retirements of Kohli, Rohit, and Ashwin, Sachin was clear-eyed but appreciative. "So, that process, what you said about Virat and Rohit and I'll add another name to that, Ashwin has also retired. These three retirements, I mean, that will go on. Their contribution will always be appreciated," he noted. India tour of England will take place from June 20 to August 4, 2025, with matches to be played at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London). A new era beckons for India in the Test format as the modern-day giants gear up for their first assignment without the prized batting bigwigs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill, India's youngest Test captain, has taken the baton from Rohit to guide the nation to success and challenge for the World Test Championship mace. India's squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Alexander Dennis: FM warned a year ago over firm 'reconsidering' Scotland
The First Minister was also told they had already been 'forced' to offshore certain manufacturing functions to China. The Labour MP for Falkirk, Euan Stainbank, said it was 'absolutely astonishing that John Swinney' had been informed of the risk to hundreds of Scottish jobs and 'done absolutely nothing to avert this'. Notes seen by The Herald show the First Minister intervened after learning of potential redundancies at the firm, suggesting 'further capital support' and advising Scottish Enterprise to 'exhaust all options to support the business'. Scottish Government records show ADL has received £58 million in public 'subsidy' for green vehicles since 2020 under two schemes aimed at transitioning Scotland to green buses. Some £30m in job grants for research and development over 10 years came from the Scottish Government's economic development agency, Scottish Enterprise. A delivered Alexander Dennis bus (Image: Pic supplied) Despite this, ADL said there was not enough support from government and issued a stern warning about its future in Scotland in August last year. READ MORE by Martin Williams "We are regretfully left with the impression through recent developments that the Scottish Government has little regard for domestic bus manufacturing jobs in Scotland and we have no choice but to reconsider our entire investment in the Scottish operations of Alexander Dennis," the Canada-based executive told the First Minister. "In fact, in an attempt to enhance our price competitiveness we have already been forced to offshore certain fabrication functions to China. "I would appreciate an urgent face-to-face meeting with you and key members of your Government to further discuss this critical situation." The First Minister and Deputy First Minister set out the economic case for Scottish independence in 2013 at the Alexander Dennis Falkirk plant. (Image: NQ) He said that in Canada and the United States, governments and transit agencies are 'incredibly proud' of their domestic manufacturers and support them accordingly. "Alexander Dennis operates in a market that had left them with the impression that governments do not seem to care about domestic economic importance," he added. "Indeed, this seems to fly in the face of Scotland's flagship policy plans for a Just Transition, which aims to deliver a fairer, greener future for all, delivered in partnership with those impacted by the transition to net zero. "Alexander Dennis is a key manufacturer in Scotland assisting in delivering a Just Transition through the manufacturing of zero-emission buses with their workforce. "Alexander Dennis should be considered a business of strategic economic importance to Scotland." ADL expressed frustration in May 2023 over the Scottish Government's Zero Emissions Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB). A Scottish Government memo to the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, revealed a series of letters from ADL and NFI raising concerns about the outcome of the fund. While a Scottish Government memo said ADL received orders for 363 zero-emission buses – more than any other manufacturer – a separate briefing stated ADL was awarded only 17%, or 44 buses, from phase two. A meeting was set up between the First Minister and Mr Soubry in August last year over levels of support rooted in Scottish Government schemes launched in 2020 to accelerate zero and low emission bus manufacture and 'help drive a green recovery out of the Covid pandemic', worth £155.8m to date. The relationship between Alexander Dennis and the SNP goes back to 2013, when then First Minister Alex Salmond and then Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon used its Falkirk base to launch the economic case for Scottish independence. He said while ADL received 17% of the orders under ScotZEB2, no other UK manufacturer benefitted — despite all being part of the Scottish Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce. He expected 83% of the 252 buses ordered under ScotZEB2 to go to manufacturers based in either China or Egypt. He said there was a 'further disappointing revelation' in the final round of ScotZEB — that the winning bid would leverage £3.20 of private sector investment for every £1 from the Scottish Government for 252 vehicles. Mr Soubry said 'this was surprising to read' as the unsuccessful Alexander Dennis-led Phoenix consortium bid planned to deliver up to £3.94 of private investment per £1 of ScotZEB2 funding for a volume of 300 zero-emission buses. "With recent decisions by UK bus operators to acquire largely imported buses with no domestic economic, technology or labour requirements or benefits, we feel we have no choice but to now begin preparations to put a number of people within our team at risk of redundancy, which could decimate the communities we operate in and have important historic ties with," he said. (Image: Alexander Dennis) Mr Stainbank said the letter to the First Minister was a damning indictment of the SNP's failure to act. "It is absolutely astonishing that John Swinney was informed of the real risk to Alexander Dennis's Scottish operations close to a year ago," he said. "He appears in the interim to have done absolutely nothing to avert this. "This is a monumental failure of SNP industrial policy. Greater Manchester bought more than five times as many buses from Alexander Dennis than the SNP did - operating under the exact same legal framework. John Swinney should be embarrassed by that." A month after Mr Soubry's letter, a further call between the First Minister and NFI and ADL showed that Mr Swinney advised and asked that Scottish Enterprise 'exhaust all options to support the business'. A note of the meeting cleared by Mr Swinney stated that he requested that 'all options are exhausted before any final decision is taken by ADL'. An official note of a meeting between Mr Swinney and representatives of Alexander Dennis from 12 August says the First Minister 'noted the potential for further capital support should be explored'. By then Alexander Dennis had already benefited from taxpayer-funded grants and support from the Scottish Government worth £90m since 2005. In the same year of the 2023 ScotZEB2 launch, Scottish Enterprise sanctioned a £13.2m grant on top of a £49.7m ADL investment into the development of zero emissions technology for battery-electric and hydrogen fuel powertrains. Some £11.2m was drawn down. John Swinney (Image: PA) Last week, Mr Swinney told MSPs he was 'deeply concerned' about the proposed job losses and said the government was 'exploring all viable options' to support the workforce. He defended the government's record, stating that Alexander Dennis had received more orders than any other manufacturer under the first phase of ScotZEB and was supported with significant research and development funding. However, he acknowledged that UK-wide subsidy control rules limit what the Scottish Government can do to directly support or prefer domestic manufacturers. 'We must work within the law,' he said. 'But we are trying to find a way through the Subsidy Control Act to ensure we can support manufacturing in Scotland.' Union leaders are calling for more urgency. Unite Scotland estimates that up to 1,600 jobs could be at risk when supply chain roles are included and warned of a 'devastating' impact on communities already reeling from the Grangemouth oil refinery closure. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'We are exploring all viable options throughout the consultation period to allow the firm to retain their hard-working employees and manufacturing and production facilities at Falkirk and Larbert. 'Since 2020, ADL secured orders for more zero emission buses than any other single manufacturer through the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund and its predecessor the Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme. "ADL has received £58m of Scottish Government subsidy for vehicles under these programmes. ADL have secured orders for more than 360 vehicles through Scottish Government zero emission bus funding programmes, compared to the 160 currently on order from Manchester. 'In response to correspondence in August 2024, the First Minister met with the company that same month, and Scottish Enterprise have been supporting the company with additional supportive measures.'
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Alexander Dennis: FM warned a year ago over firm 'reconsidering'
The First Minister was also told they had already been 'forced' to offshore certain manufacturing functions to China. The Labour MP for Falkirk, Euan Stainbank, said it was 'absolutely astonishing that John Swinney' had been informed of the risk to hundreds of Scottish jobs and 'done absolutely nothing to avert this'. Notes seen by The Herald show the First Minister intervened after learning of potential redundancies at the firm, suggesting 'further capital support' and advising Scottish Enterprise to 'exhaust all options to support the business'. Scottish Government records show ADL has received £58 million in public 'subsidy' for green vehicles since 2020 under two schemes aimed at transitioning Scotland to green buses. Some £30m in job grants for research and development over 10 years came from the Scottish Government's economic development agency, Scottish Enterprise. A delivered Alexander Dennis bus (Image: Pic supplied) Despite this, ADL said there was not enough support from government and issued a stern warning about its future in Scotland in August last year. READ MORE by Martin Williams "We are regretfully left with the impression through recent developments that the Scottish Government has little regard for domestic bus manufacturing jobs in Scotland and we have no choice but to reconsider our entire investment in the Scottish operations of Alexander Dennis," the Canada-based executive told the First Minister. "In fact, in an attempt to enhance our price competitiveness we have already been forced to offshore certain fabrication functions to China. "I would appreciate an urgent face-to-face meeting with you and key members of your Government to further discuss this critical situation." The First Minister and Deputy First Minister set out the economic case for Scottish independence in 2013 at the Alexander Dennis Falkirk plant. (Image: NQ) He said that in Canada and the United States, governments and transit agencies are 'incredibly proud' of their domestic manufacturers and support them accordingly. "Alexander Dennis operates in a market that had left them with the impression that governments do not seem to care about domestic economic importance," he added. "Indeed, this seems to fly in the face of Scotland's flagship policy plans for a Just Transition, which aims to deliver a fairer, greener future for all, delivered in partnership with those impacted by the transition to net zero. "Alexander Dennis is a key manufacturer in Scotland assisting in delivering a Just Transition through the manufacturing of zero-emission buses with their workforce. "Alexander Dennis should be considered a business of strategic economic importance to Scotland." ADL expressed frustration in May 2023 over the Scottish Government's Zero Emissions Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB). A Scottish Government memo to the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, revealed a series of letters from ADL and NFI raising concerns about the outcome of the fund. While a Scottish Government memo said ADL received orders for 363 zero-emission buses – more than any other manufacturer – a separate briefing stated ADL was awarded only 17%, or 44 buses, from phase two. A meeting was set up between the First Minister and Mr Soubry in August last year over levels of support rooted in Scottish Government schemes launched in 2020 to accelerate zero and low emission bus manufacture and 'help drive a green recovery out of the Covid pandemic', worth £155.8m to date. The relationship between Alexander Dennis and the SNP goes back to 2013, when then First Minister Alex Salmond and then Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon used its Falkirk base to launch the economic case for Scottish independence. He said while ADL received 17% of the orders under ScotZEB2, no other UK manufacturer benefitted — despite all being part of the Scottish Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce. He expected 83% of the 252 buses ordered under ScotZEB2 to go to manufacturers based in either China or Egypt. He said there was a 'further disappointing revelation' in the final round of ScotZEB — that the winning bid would leverage £3.20 of private sector investment for every £1 from the Scottish Government for 252 vehicles. Mr Soubry said 'this was surprising to read' as the unsuccessful Alexander Dennis-led Phoenix consortium bid planned to deliver up to £3.94 of private investment per £1 of ScotZEB2 funding for a volume of 300 zero-emission buses. "With recent decisions by UK bus operators to acquire largely imported buses with no domestic economic, technology or labour requirements or benefits, we feel we have no choice but to now begin preparations to put a number of people within our team at risk of redundancy, which could decimate the communities we operate in and have important historic ties with," he said. (Image: Alexander Dennis) Mr Stainbank said the letter to the First Minister was a damning indictment of the SNP's failure to act. "It is absolutely astonishing that John Swinney was informed of the real risk to Alexander Dennis's Scottish operations close to a year ago," he said. "He appears in the interim to have done absolutely nothing to avert this. "This is a monumental failure of SNP industrial policy. Greater Manchester bought more than five times as many buses from Alexander Dennis than the SNP did - operating under the exact same legal framework. John Swinney should be embarrassed by that." A month after Mr Soubry's letter, a further call between the First Minister and NFI and ADL showed that Mr Swinney advised and asked that Scottish Enterprise 'exhaust all options to support the business'. A note of the meeting cleared by Mr Swinney stated that he requested that 'all options are exhausted before any final decision is taken by ADL'. An official note of a meeting between Mr Swinney and representatives of Alexander Dennis from 12 August says the First Minister 'noted the potential for further capital support should be explored'. By then Alexander Dennis had already benefited from taxpayer-funded grants and support from the Scottish Government worth £90m since 2005. In the same year of the 2023 ScotZEB2 launch, Scottish Enterprise sanctioned a £13.2m grant on top of a £49.7m ADL investment into the development of zero emissions technology for battery-electric and hydrogen fuel powertrains. Some £11.2m was drawn down. John Swinney (Image: PA) Last week, Mr Swinney told MSPs he was 'deeply concerned' about the proposed job losses and said the government was 'exploring all viable options' to support the workforce. He defended the government's record, stating that Alexander Dennis had received more orders than any other manufacturer under the first phase of ScotZEB and was supported with significant research and development funding. However, he acknowledged that UK-wide subsidy control rules limit what the Scottish Government can do to directly support or prefer domestic manufacturers. 'We must work within the law,' he said. 'But we are trying to find a way through the Subsidy Control Act to ensure we can support manufacturing in Scotland.' Union leaders are calling for more urgency. Unite Scotland estimates that up to 1,600 jobs could be at risk when supply chain roles are included and warned of a 'devastating' impact on communities already reeling from the Grangemouth oil refinery closure. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'We are exploring all viable options throughout the consultation period to allow the firm to retain their hard-working employees and manufacturing and production facilities at Falkirk and Larbert. 'Since 2020, ADL secured orders for more zero emission buses than any other single manufacturer through the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund and its predecessor the Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme. "ADL has received £58m of Scottish Government subsidy for vehicles under these programmes. ADL have secured orders for more than 360 vehicles through Scottish Government zero emission bus funding programmes, compared to the 160 currently on order from Manchester. 'In response to correspondence in August 2024, the First Minister met with the company that same month, and Scottish Enterprise have been supporting the company with additional supportive measures.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Can emerging markets balance climate goals and jobs? IEEFA says it's time for co-investment push
New Delhi: What happens to coal workers when the last mine shuts down? How will small rural livelihoods survive the shift to clean energy? A new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis ( IEEFA ) warns that as emerging economies transition away from fossil fuels, millions of workers and communities face the risk of being left behind—unless targeted co-financing models and just transition strategies are adopted. According to the report, ensuring vulnerable workers and communities are not excluded during the energy transition is one of the biggest challenges for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). At the same time, the shift opens up new job opportunities and avenues for economic growth if planned with social equity in mind. 'Combining climate action with social equity can facilitate the energy transition in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) without disrupting sectors that rely solely on fossil fuels,' said Shantanu Srivastava, IEEFA's research lead, sustainable finance and climate risk. 'A Just Transition aims to manage this change fairly by protecting affected workers and communities, creating opportunities for economic growth and ensuring the benefits of the transition are shared widely,' Srivastava said. While fossil fuel industries face the risk of stranded assets, large companies often have the resources and access to capital to adapt. The report noted that the greater risk for governments lies in the potential economic disruption to entire communities dependent on fossil operations. The report proposes a 'co-investment' approach to support asset closures and community resilience. This includes combining investments in renewable energy with Just Transition activities such as labour reskilling, social support, and micro-enterprise development. These programmes often require concessional or grant-based finance. 'Just Transition activities encompass a mix of hard energy transition assets, such as renewable energy, climate smart agriculture, and climate-resilient infrastructure, and 'softer' Just Transition aspects like responsible coal asset closures, stakeholder capacity building, labour reskilling, support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and community resilience,' said Soni Tiwari, energy finance analyst at IEEFA. The report draws on case studies from India, the Philippines, Ethiopia and South Africa to illustrate how targeted planning and coordinated intervention can enable a socially inclusive energy transition. In the Philippines, the Accelerating Coal Transition (ACT) investment plan demonstrates how securing early-stage grant commitments for Just Transition support helped mobilise concessional and commercial capital for fossil fuel asset closure and repurposing. South Africa's Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) highlights the importance of institutional coordination, governance frameworks, and dedicated platforms that link funders with project developers. In India, a targeted programme for MSMEs enabled coordination among domestic, multilateral, and philanthropic investors to drive clean energy adoption. Another programme, Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), focused on capacity-building to create self-sustaining, low-carbon agricultural models for vulnerable communities. In Ethiopia, a rural water programme financed by the United Nations Green Climate Fund (GCF) demonstrated the role of grant-based funding in fragile contexts and the importance of empowering local institutions. 'With fiscal pressures mounting and fossil fuel revenues expected to decline, EMDE governments should look beyond their own budgets to a diverse set of capital providers, including multilateral development agencies, private investors, development banks and philanthropies,' Tiwari said. 'The financing challenge is not only about scale, but also about targeting suitable forms of capital for the right activities based on their risk-return profiles and developmental impact,' Srivastava added. The report concludes that by strengthening monitoring systems, aligning national schemes and fostering partnerships, EMDEs can mobilise funding more effectively and advance a just and inclusive transition to clean energy.
Daily Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Energy Asia 2025 opens with call for coordinated action on net zero
Published on: Monday, June 16, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jun 16, 2025 Text Size: Energy Asia opens with a powerful call for bold and unified actionable solutions to advance Asia's transition towards net zero. KUALA LUMPUR: Energy Asia 2025 opened today at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre with a call for collective, practical action to drive Asia's transition towards net zero. The three-day conference, hosted by Petronas with CERAWeek by S&P Global as a knowledge partner, brings together 38 industries from over 60 countries under the theme 'Delivering Asia's Energy Transition'. Advertisement Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officiated the event, which convenes policymakers, industry leaders and energy professionals amid growing regional energy demands and climate commitments. Petronas President and Group CEO Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik, also Chairman of Energy Asia, said energy security and climate action must be pursued together through a unified ecosystem approach. A key feature was the inaugural Energy Asia Global Leadership Executive Forum, gathering over 30 CEOs and C-suite leaders from sectors including oil, renewables, power, technology and finance. Held under the Chatham House Rule, the forum outlined four main areas of collaboration: sharing best practices, enhancing project bankability, improving stakeholder engagement on sustainability, and accelerating innovation. The forum's recommendations aim to lay the groundwork for scaled-up partnerships and coordinated action to support energy system transformation across Asia. The conference will feature over 180 international speakers, including OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais, TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné, and Woodside Energy CEO Meg O'Neill. More than 50 strategic dialogues will address topics such as energy security, renewables, decarbonisation, technology transfer, and sustainable development in the region. The event also includes the Energy Park showcasing innovation platforms, along with the Energy Asia Awards and Future Energy Leaders programme to recognise leadership and emerging talent. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
