Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Farmers Block the Port of Antwerp to Show Frustration with Government

Antwerp blockade — Independent farmers used their tractors to block roads leading to the Port of Antwerp (Flemish Traffic Center)

Independent farmers took to the streets around the Port of Antwerp today to show their frustration at slow talks between the government and farmers to improve working conditions. Today’s demonstrations were officially independent but union leaders who staged large-scale protests two weeks ago at both Antwerp and Bruges told reporters they welcomed today’s protests as they continue discussions with the government.

Reports said as many as 500 tractors descended on the roads leading into the port bringing operations at times to a standstill and at other times forcing diversions to alternate routes. The spokesperson for the farmers’ group said they were operating “filter blockades.” They said emergency vehicles would be permitted to pass as well as trucks carrying toxic or perishable cargo.

Trucks attempting to move containers in and out of one of Europe’s busiest seaports however were brought to a standstill. The Flemish Traffic Authority was also reporting long lines of cars and busses on many of the roads around the city. They were advising drivers to stay away from the port area.

Late in the day, they announced that the protestors had agreed to a shift change at the port. Dockworkers were being permitted in and out of the port. It was believed the farmers would withdraw their protest at the end of the day, although the previous protests disrupted operations at Bruges between January 30 and February 2 and Antwerp starting on January 31 also ending on February 2.

Police command in Bruges monitoring the earlier demonstrations

“We want to show our determination and keep putting pressure on politicians,” a spokesperson for today’s demonstrations told The Brussels Times. According to the newspaper, the government and the unions had previously held three rounds of talks with the next meeting scheduled for this coming Thursday.

The farmers are protesting Belgium’s agricultural policies. They cite the difficult working conditions for farmers and are demanding better pay for their crops.

Similar movements have been sweeping across many parts of Europe. Farmers in France, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Poland have all staged similar actions demanding more money, fewer regulations, easing of environmental rules, and higher selling prices.

Like their Belgian colleagues, in France, they are also complaining of slow movement by the government in response to their demands. Last month, French farmers who have been long known for their activism again took to the streets blocking traffic to demand more from the government. Reuters is reporting that the head of France’s largest farmers’ union has said it is likely they will again take to the streets saying the French government has not done enough for farmers.

Oil & Gas Technology Contributes to Carbon Capture

SINTEF's Multiphase Flow Laboratory. Photo: Olav Spanne

[By Silje Grytli Tveten]

It now seems that crucial research, conducted by SINTEF and targeted at the oil and gas sector, can also be applied in the battle to mitigate climate change.

The simulation model called LedaFlow has made it possible for us to understand how we can transport both oil and gas along the same pipeline. This multiphase flow technology has helped the Norwegian oil and gas sector save billions, and the model is now about to be further developed so that we can investigate how CO2 behaves in similar pipelines.

Technologies involving the capture and storage of CO2 (abbreviated to CCS) are crucial to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. In future, we must learn how to handle and store large volumes of CO2. We must therefore also find out the best ways of transporting the gas and injecting it into huge subsurface reservoirs.

Upscaling

Here in Norway, a great deal of effort is being put into the industrial scale application of CCS technologies in the oil and gas sector. Among other initiatives, leading sector companies have been utilizing the Northern Lights project with the aim of sequestering up to 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 in subsea reservoirs during 2024, and a total of five million tonnes by 2026.

At present, there are only very few CO2 storage projects in operation in Norway, and all are based on the injection of gas derived from a single source and using a single well. The Northern Lights project is aiming to store CO2 at a much larger scale, involving more complex operations by which gas from multiple sources will be transported and injected using a network of different wells. The CO2 will be captured from processes such as waste incineration and cement manufacture.

This innovation research project has been given the name CO2Flow.

“The project will directly apply the expertise we have accumulated in the field of flow behavior modeling at the SINTEF Multiphase Flow Laboratory at Tiller outside Trondheim. It will also utilize knowledge obtained from the oil and gas sector during the development of the LedaFlow model”, says SINTEF researcher Ivar Eskerud Smith.

The use of innovative experiments, combined with the development of new data models, will make it possible to predict CO2 flow behavior in pipelines. This in turn will enable us to achieve large-scale CCS for application in the oil and gas sector.

Preventing accidents and shutdowns

“The behavior of CO2 in pipelines may be very different from that of oil and gas mixtures, so there are many factors to take into account”, says Eskerud Smith.

Results from the data models will help to optimize pipeline design, in particular with a view to the selection of important aspects such as materials and pipe diameter. The results will also contribute towards cost-effective and safe pipeline operation – preventing unwanted occurrences such as unstable flow or low temperatures with the consequent formation of dry ice, which may block the pipelines.

For the most part, the development of the new data models will be carried out at the SINTEF Multiphase Flow Laboratory at Tiller.. Additional experiments will be conducted at NTNU’s DeFACTO underground testing facility at Gløshaugen in Trondheim. Testing, quality assurance and commercialization activities will take place at the offices of the LedaFlow model development partner Kongsberg Digital.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

Oil & Gas Technology Contributes to Carbon Capture

[By Silje Grytli Tveten]

It now seems that crucial research, conducted by SINTEF and targeted at the oil and gas sector, can also be applied in the battle to mitigate climate change.

Upscaling

This innovation research project has been given the name CO2Flow.

Preventing accidents and shutdowns

“The behavior of CO2 in pipelines may be very different from that of oil and gas mixtures, so there are many factors to take into account”, says Eskerud Smith.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

Russia’s Shadow Tanker Fleet Runs into Trouble

Every day, millions of barrels of oil are being transported by ships with obscured ownership and origin. But is the game up?

shadow tankers — A shadow tanker registered in Cameroon was caught by Indonesia in an illegal STS operation in July 2023 (Bakamla)

[By: Selwyn Parker]

Barring new evasive techniques by Kremlin technocrats, the rapid rise in Russia’s shadow tanker fleet since the Ukraine war may be reversing as pressure is brought to bear on India and other countries that have discreetly helped Russia beat oil and gas shipping sanctions.

The agency waging its own war on the shadow fleet is the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that, on pain of enforcement, is doing its best to discourage the shipping industry from any involvement with suspicious vessels.

Warnings have been issued to port authorities, ship owners and operators, flag registries, freight forwarders, classification societies and insurance firms among others about the risks of not conducting the due diligence necessary to identify “bad actors”.

As OFAC identified in an advisory to the shipping industry in October 2023, “a shadow trade has become more pronounced, often involving actors and cargos affiliated with countries and persons subject to sanctions or associated with other illicit activity”, citing irregular and often high-risk practices.

For “shadow trade”, read Russia’s new-found, sanctions-busting oil and gas armada that relies mainly on parties that are prepared to risk involvement with it for the right price. However, OFAC is tightening the noose and regularly updates its list of individuals suspected of working with shadow tankers.

Among the main culprits are Indian companies that have set up suspect shipping registries in different countries that sign up vessels that would almost certainly not be registered under a bona fide flag, according to investigations by shipping experts. And although it is land-locked, Laos has also suddenly become popular as a shipping registry.

These nations are following in the wake of Gabon in Central Africa, which is currently reflagging a fleet of tankers on behalf of Sovcomflot, Russia’s state-run shipping giant.

The abrupt emergence of Russia’s shadow tanker fleet, also called the “grey” or “dark” fleet depending on how ships operate, has created confusion in the industry as ports, commodity traders and other parties struggle to decide which ships they can legally work with and which they can’t. As Windward, a maritime risk management consultancy that has analysed the way Russia has tried to out manoeuvre sanctions, explains, the grey fleet is a direct result of Russian oil smuggling.

“The grey fleet is a completely new phenomenon evolving from the Russian war. Overseas companies have been quickly established following the outbreak of the war to obscure vessel origins and ownership, and to appear law-abiding/non-sanctioned”, Windward stated. The consultancy estimates there is a 900-strong grey fleet carrying about 2.6 million barrels a day.

The dark fleet is even larger, up to 1,100 tankers, according to Windward’s calculations. Many of these vessels are defective and have been snapped up at highly inflated prices. They are “dark” because they sail in secret, often with automatic identification systems disabled.

Essentially, this is a clandestine fleet that breaks all the rules, including those relating to insurance.

When Europe and other long-term buyers of Russian fossil fuels ripped up contracts following the invasion of Ukraine, countries such as India, China and Türkiye jumped in as buyers of both legitimate and illegitimate cargoes out of Russia. Simultaneously, shell companies were established in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates to hide the true identity of the owners and operators of the clandestine fleet.

Deceptive shipping practices clearly undermine the rules of the International Maritime Organisation, which is deeply concerned about the shadow fleet. In late 2023, the organisation noted that most of the shadow fleet is composed of virtual rust buckets – “older ships including some not inspected recently, having substandard maintenance, unclear ownership and a severe lack of insurance”.

And because transfers of oil are often made at sea in ship-to-ship operations to avoid detection, there is “an increased risk of oil spill and collision”.

In short, the shadow tanker fleet routinely flouts laws and regulations designed to protect the sea and coasts – and the evidence accumulates regularly. In 2022, a giant crude carrier, Young Young, carrying Venezuelan oil, grounded off Indonesia, and in May 2023, an Iran-linked tanker, Pablo, blew up off Indonesia with the death of three crew members.

Meantime, owners of rust buckets – technically described as “vintage tonnage” – are enjoying a bonanza. According to maritime consultancy Clarksons Research, between 2021 and 2022 the price index for second-hand tankers jumped to the highest level in 15 years. In ordinary circumstances, some of these vessels would have been mothballed or broken up, but they have been snapped up for the shadow fleet.

Blacklisted Sovcomflot has become a symbol of the shadow fleet that deploys a wide variety of deceptive practices to beat sanctions. For instance, Sovcomflot has established a subsidiary called Sun Ship Management in Dubai that controls some of its fleet and, as mentioned above, it is busily reflagging other ships in Gabon.

But these tactics are not without dangers. As OFAC and other regulators move against bad actors in the shadow fleet, the risks rise for any party dealing with them.=

Selwyn Parker is an author and journalist specialising in Asia-Pacific, European and Latin American issues.

This article appears courtesy of The Lowy Interpreter and may be found in its original form here.

Video: Iran Launches Ballistic Missile From the Deck of a Container Ship

Ballistic missile launch — Courtesy IRGC

The Iranian military claims to have launched a large ballistic missile from a militarized container ship, giving it a mobile platform with which to launch attacks.

Iran's Tasnim news agency published a video of the launch and described the munition as a "long range" ballistic missile. The device deployed from a 40-foot container, giving analysts a sense of its maximum length. Open-source intelligence analysts have identified it as a Dezful medium-range ballistic missile, which has a claimed range of about 600 miles at a speed of Mach 7.

According to Tasnim, the missile successfully hit a target site on a range in the Iranian central desert.

"Nowhere is safe for those powers who seek to threaten our security," IRGC commander Hossein Salami said in a statement.

The launch vessel is likely the Shahid Mahdavi, a former Panamax container ship repainted in haze gray and converted to military use in 2023. It is operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a separate branch of the Iranian military and a U.S.-designated terrorist group.

Shahid Mahdavi under conversion (Iranian social media)

The Dezful is a surface-to-surface weapon, but Iran has also developed anti-ship ballistic missile technology and shared it with Yemen's Houthi militants. The Houthi militia has launched more than a dozen anti-ship ballistic missiles at targets in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, damaging at least three vessels since November. It is the first time that this class of munitions has ever been used in a hostile engagement.

Inchcape and Ambrey Partner to Help Enhance Maritime Safety and Security

armed guards on ship — New service will help shipowners and operators to enhance their security programs (file photo)

With security concerns again on the rise for crews and monitoring services warning shipowners to be on guard, leading port agency and service provider Inchcape Shipping Services and risk consultancy Ambrey are launching a strategic partnership. The companies report they will work together to help shipowners and operators to enhance safety and security in the maritime sector.

“It is a hugely uncertain time for global shipping and the maritime sector, threats are incredibly dynamic and this is asking serious questions of the existing ways risks to vessels, crew, and cargo are being mitigated,” said Chris Charnley Group Managing Director at Ambrey. According to the companies, the partnership represents a significant step forward in ensuring a safer and more secure maritime environment for all stakeholders. It is designed to help them assess and manage the emerging threats.

While the safety challenges of sailing in the Red Sea have drawn international attention, organizations including the International Maritime Bureau and ReCaap in Asia highlighted in their year-end reports that the threats for seafarers were far from over in many parts of the world. While the levels declined in the past few years, the threat of piracy persists in areas such as the Gulf of Guinea and along the West Coast of Africa and recently remerged off Somalia in the east. Robbery and assault persist as a high danger, especially in the Singapore Strait as well as many anchorages around the world.

The new service of the partnership will be offered through Inchcape’s dedicated Survey & Inspection Department. Inchcape highlights that it is a service provider to a large portion of the shipping industry. As a leading port agency, they have operations in over 85 percent of the world’s ports across 60 countries and continue to look to grow their presence in key destinations.

"By combining our expertise, technology, and global presence, we are confident that we can revolutionize safety protocols in the maritime industry, ensuring safer operations and ultimately enhancing the commercial outcomes for our valued clients,” said Svend Stenberg, CCO at Inchcape Shipping Services.

The companies report the strategic partnership will allow Inchcape to harness Ambrey's extensive and reputable expertise in safety and security services, complementing Inchcape's global network, data intelligence, and experience in port agency, marine, and survey services. Among the offerings will be citadel inspections, ship security assessments, anti-piracy ship security assessments, ship security plan reviews, and port security assessments on various projects worldwide. The goal is to enable the maritime industry to bolster safety protocols, enhance operational efficiency, and address potential risks.

KiwiRail and Hyundai Terminate Ferry Order After Government Declines Funds

KiwiRail and Hyundai Mipo Shipyard are involved in talks after agreeing to terminate the 2021 construction contract for two large ferries designed to modernize New Zealand’s inter-island transport service. The termination comes after the New Zealand government decided in December 2023 not to provide funding to the project after years of development and casting doubt on the service.

The company currently operates three ferries the oldest of which was built in 1988 while the others were built in 1995 and 1998. The ferry service operates more than 4,000 crossings between the North and South islands each year and according to company data moves US$8.5 billion in freight annually. The three vessels are Ro-Ros with one able to also transport rail cars. Each year the company says it transports nearly 800,000 passengers and 250,000 cars.

Hyundai reported today in a stock exchange filing that the contract valued at US$313 million to build two ferries was canceled at KiwiRail’s request. The shipbuilder says it will see a claim for design costs as part of its negotiations. In a separate statement, KiwiRail confirmed it has now started discussions with Hyundai Mipo for the termination.

The company reports it will look at alternatives including discussions with international shipbrokers on the options to source suitable replacement ferries. At the same time, the government plans to launch an advisory group to provide independent advice on the options for the Cook Strait ferry service. They plan to review the long-term intern-island service requirements and future options.

The company had gone public in 2020 with its plans while continuing to detail the design program through 2022. They had called for two much larger ferries to enter service in 2025 and 2026. Each would have been 50,000 gross tons with a capacity for more than 1,900 passengers versus the current ships which have a maximum capacity of 650 passengers. They would also have accommodated 650 passenger cars versus the current 250.

The design called for a hybrid electric ferry that would incorporate batteries storing power from shoreside charging stations along with an integrated electric propulsion system. The batteries would have had the capacity to power about 30 percent of the three-hour journey ensuring that the ferries would operate with zero emissions in port and while maneuvering. Key suppliers had been selected with Hyundai Mipo, including Kawasaki Heavy Industries for the vessels’ thrusters and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for fin stabilizers. Siemens Energy was providing the Electric Propulsion System and the vessels were to be propelled by pods.

Without government funding, KiwiRail said it was unable to proceed and in December reported it would begin to wind down the project. They also launched a review of the plans for the Cook Strait connection.

Last month, New Zealand regulators openly called into question the company’s operating and maintenance programs for the aging ferries. They reported they were planning to prosecute the company for a 2023 blackout aboard one of its ferries. Inspectors found the vessel was using outdated spare parts and not following maintenance schedules. News of the plan to bring charges against KiwiRail also renewed the debate over the ferry replacement program.

Scandal-Ridden Scottish Ferry Sets Sail at Last

Glen Sannox, 2023 (file image courtesy Ferguson Marine)

The long-delayed ferry Glen Sannox has gotten under way for the first time. It has been eight long years and many hours of rework since her construction began, but her entry into service is finally in sight.

Glen Sannox departed under her own power Tuesday for the first in a series of day trips down the Clyde, which will continue through Friday. All going well, the vessel will finally be delivered to operator CalMac, and will be put into service on the run to the isle of Arran. First, however, the yard will have to complete the pipework for the LNG portion of the ferry's dual-fuel propulsion system. Key piping components are still missing, and this will likely push back the delivery date, according to the BBC.

The program is an example of the steep learning curve that faces national shipbuilding programs, and the resultant cost. Shipbuilder Ferguson Marine started work on the CalMac ferry program in 2015, went bankrupt after serious design flaws emerged, and was nationalized in 2019. The program is $440 million over budget and has spawned multiple calls for an investigation of the procurement process.

Despite its past challenges, Ferguson may be building ferries for CalMac for some time to come. The Scottish government is reportedly considering a plan to place an order for another seven smaller vessels with the yard. Ferguson also plans to build bow sections for the Type 26 frigate program under subcontract to BAE.

CalMac's holding company - publicly-owned Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) - has also ordered four conventional diesel-powered ferries from an established yard in Turkey. Work began in October 2022 and the first is expected to deliver in the fall, on time and on budget. Each Turkish-built vessel will cost about $65 million.

Exposure to Agent Orange damages brain tissue in ways similar to Alzheimer's disease, study reveals

by Brown University

Agent Orange, an herbicide used during the Vietnam War, is a known toxin with wide-ranging health effects. Even though Agent Orange has not been used for decades, there is increasing interest in its effects on the brain health of aging veterans. A new study by scientists at Brown University reveals the mechanisms by which Agent Orange affects the brain and how those processes can lead to neurodegenerative diseases.

The research shows that exposures to Agent Orange herbicidal chemicals damage frontal lobe brain tissue of laboratory rats with molecular and biochemical abnormalities that are similar to those found in early-stage Alzheimer's disease. An early online version of this paper detailing the findings was published on Feb. 13 and is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

The findings could have important implications for military veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, said study author Dr. Suzanne M. De La Monte, a Brown University physician-scientist.

"If we can show that prior exposure to Agent Orange leads to subsequent neurodegenerative disease, then that gives veterans a chance to get help," De La Monte said.

But the study's findings have much broader significance, she added, because the toxins in Agent Orange are also present in lawn fertilizers.

"These chemicals don't just affect veterans; they affect our entire population," said De La Monte, who is a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and neurosurgery at Brown's Warren Alpert Medical School.

Agent Orange is a synthetic defoliating herbicide that was widely used between 1965 and 1970 during the Vietnam War. Members of the U.S. military were exposed to the chemical when stationed close to enemy territory that had been sprayed by aircraft.

Government reports show that exposure to Agent Orange also caused birth defects and developmental disabilities in babies born to Vietnamese women residing in the affected areas. Over time, studies showed that exposure to Agent Orange was associated with an increased risk of some cancers as well as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Research also revealed associations between Agent Orange exposures and later development of nervous system degenerative diseases, and significantly higher rates and earlier onsets of dementia. However, in the absence of a proven causal link between Agent Orange and aging-associated diseases, there has been a need for studies that improve understanding of the process by which the herbicide affects the brain.

"Scientists realized that Agent Orange was a neurotoxin with potential long-term effects, but those weren't shown in a clear way," De La Monte said. "That's what we were able to show with this study."

The analysis was conducted by De La Monte and Dr. Ming Tong, a research associate in medicine at Brown; both are also associated with Rhode Island Hospital, an affiliate of the Warren Alpert Medical School. Their research builds upon their recent studies of exposure to Agent Orange chemicals on immature human cells from the central nervous system showing that short-term exposure to Agent Orange has neurotoxic and early degenerative effects related to Alzheimer's.

The researchers investigated the effects of the two main constituents of Agent Orange (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid) on markers of Alzheimer's neurodegeneration using the samples from the frontal lobes of laboratory rats. The mature, intact brain tissue samples included a full complex array of cell types and tissue structures.

The scientists treated the samples to cumulative exposure to Agent Orange, as well as to its separate chemical constituents, and observed the underlying mechanisms and molecular changes.

They found that treatment with Agent Orange and its constituents caused changes in the brain tissue corresponding to brain cell degeneration, and molecular and biochemical abnormalities indicative of cytotoxic injury, DNA damage and other issues.

The approach used by the researchers helped them better characterize the neuropathological, neurotoxic and neurodegenerative consequences of Agent Orange toxin exposures in young, otherwise healthy brains, as would have been the case for Vietnam War-era military personnel and many local residents in Vietnam.

"Looking for the early effects tells us that there is a problem that is going to cause trouble later on and also gives us a grip on the mechanism by which the agent is causing trouble," De La Monte said. "So if you were going to intervene, you would know to focus on that early effect, monitor it and try to reverse it."

Del La Monte hopes to be involved in additional research on human brain tissue to evaluate the long-term effects of Agent Orange exposures in relation to aging and progressive neurodegeneration in Vietnam War veterans.

The use of Agent Orange was prohibited by the U.S. government in 1971. However, the chemicals remain in the environment for decades, De La Monte said. According to the study authors, the widespread, uncontrolled use of Agent Orange in herbicide and pesticide products is such that one in three Americans has biomarker evidence of prior exposure.

Despite growing recognition of the broad toxic and carcinogenic effects of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, the researchers noted that concern has not achieved a level sufficient for federal agencies to ban its use. The researchers conclude that the results of this study and another recent publication support the notion that Agent Orange as well as its independent constituents (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid) exert alarming adverse effects on the mature brain and central nervous system.

"That's why it's so important to look into the effects of these chemicals," De La Monte said. "They are in the water; they are everywhere. We've all been exposed."

More information: Suzanne M. de la Monte et al, Agent Orange Herbicidal Toxin-Initiation of Alzheimer-Type Neurodegeneration, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (2024). DOI: 10.3233/JAD-230881

Provided by Brown University

TAOIST MAGICK

A Taoist Study of Magic in The Earthsea Cycle

Yini Huang

and

Hongbin Dai

College of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Religions 2021, 12(3), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12030144

Submission received: 25 January 2021 / Revised: 20 February 2021 / Accepted: 20 February 2021 / Published: 24 February 2021

(This article belongs to the Section Religions and Humanities/Philosophies)

Abstract

The Earthsea Cycle by Ursula. K. Le Guin is a fantasy work in Western literature that shines with ostentatiously idiosyncratic sparks of Taoist philosophies. Resorting to Taoism (also translated as Daoism) and its representative work Tao Te Ching, this article aims at exploring the Earthsea magic, a ubiquitous motif in fantasy, with Taoist thoughts and theories including the law of relativity, harmonious dialectics, and equilibrium. This article reconstructs the magical Earthsea world within a Taoist framework and reveals the Taoist connotations of magic. Finally, this article concludes that, radically distinct from its traditional image, magic in Earthsea serves to heal the physical, mental, and spiritual wound of separation; set up harmony of the opposites in binaries; and preserve the delicate equilibrium insusceptible to the ravages of time. Magic in The Earthsea Cycle works miracles in a Taoist manner.

Keywords:

The Earthsea Cycle; Taoism; Ursula K. Le Guin; magic; harmonious dialectics

Religions | Free Full-Text | A Taoist Study of Magic in The Earthsea Cycle (mdpi.com)

Predictions for the Year of the Dragon

By Tony Lai

February 12, 2024

What can we expect in the Year of the Dragon? Who will fare better? Which sectors in Macau can enjoy robust growth? A Macau-based feng shui master shares his predictions

It’s time to unleash the roar! As we usher in 2024, the Chinese zodiac for this year will be the dragon, symbolising power, emperors, and royalty in Chinese traditions. Besides representing majesty, a Macau-based feng shui master indicates that 2024 also represents a new start.

In Chinese feng shui, there is a concept of a mega cycle that spans 180 years and is divided into nine 20-year phases. According to Master Sam Pou (森寶師傅), the world has just concluded the Eighth Phase, which spanned from 2004 to 2023, and this year marks the beginning of the Ninth Phase, which is between 2024 and 2043.

The last three years before the end of a phase, such as the 2021-2023 period for the Eighth Phase, typically bring financial turmoil, says Master Sam Pou. “But we have put the worst behind us for now,” he continues.

As the Eighth Phase represented the element of earth, with robust sectors in infrastructure and real estate during the past two decades, the Ninth Phase stands for the element of fire, according to the feng shui master. “Thus, the Ninth Phase will be a huge boost for the city’s development in hi-tech, healthcare, and high-end tourism sectors,” he adds.

In addition, during the Year of the Dragon, it is worth noting that the east corner of a place—be it a home or an office—represents strong romance and interpersonal relationships, while the south corner signifies financial loss. The south-eastern direction is associated with illnesses, the west indicates severe illnesses, the north symbolises good wealth and career, and the north-eastern direction is linked to academic excellence.

———–

Predictions for 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs

As we celebrate the Year of the Dragon, which begins on 10 February, Master Sam Pou outlines his forecasts for the 12 Chinese zodiac signs in terms of wealth, career, health, and love.