Latest news with #Duong
New Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Vietnamese official questions Harimau Malaya's future if Tunku Ismail walks away
Harimau Malaya's "naturalisation project" may be roaring now, but what happens if its key player, Regent of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, is no longer involved? This question was raised by former Asean Football Federation (AFF) vice president Duong Vu Lam, who voiced his concern over Malaysia's naturalisation drive and Indonesia's as well. "One day, Erick Thohir (Indonesia FA (PSSI) president) and Tunku Ismail will no longer be leading football in Indonesia and Malaysia. "What will happen to the national teams then?" said Duong in an interview with Vietnamese news outlet Dan Tri. "Naturalised players won't come anymore because there will be no one paying them, and local players won't have proper successors. What future will their football?" While fans debate in Malaysia over the rising number of foreign-born naturalised players, Duong's remarks point to a deeper issue — sustainability. He warned that Malaysia and Indonesia's heavy reliance on naturalised players is being propped up not by a robust national structure, but by individuals with deep pockets and global football connections. "The PSSI president is billionaire Thohir, the former president (and owner) of Inter Milan. "Meanwhile, the person supporting Malaysia's naturalisation policy is Tunku Ismail. "He is a prince and once negotiated to buy Valencia. Both of them have immense wealth and powerful connections in the football world." Duong said both leaders have the means to run specialised scouting operations and fast-track naturalisation through their networks. "They even have their scouting teams, groups of experts highly skilled in identifying players from all over the world," he said. "This enables them to find players suitable for Indonesia or Malaysia to naturalise. "At the same time, once they've identified suitable players, they can immediately meet the financial demands. "So the players agree to play for Indonesia or Malaysia." Duong also shared his thoughts on Vietnam's 4-0 loss to Malaysia in an Asian Cup qualifier last month. "They used many naturalised players, so their playing style makes it difficult to find cohesion in small coordination situations. "Moreover, most of Malaysia's naturalised players are currently not of very high level," he said in an interview with Duong added that the Malaysian team under former head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal (2010-2012) had a better balance and identity, relying less on physicality and more on spirit and structure. "I liked the Malaysian team from 2010 to 2012 more. The fighting spirit of the Malaysian players at that time was also higher than now," he said.
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
Going loco for Labubu: Why adults can't stop buying the collectible plush toy
Kevin Duong bought his first Labubu in January 2025 with his boyfriend -- before most Americans had heard of the doll. He remembers the exhilarating feeling of them each opening a "blind box," a mystery toy package in which the specific design is unknown until opened. Duong and his boyfriend each got exactly what they wanted. "I pulled the pink and he pulled the purple, and we just had that rush of yelling, screaming and all of that," said Duong, a 23-year-old YouTuber. "It's a nice little bonding, too, that we got closer." Six months later, Labubu has blown up everywhere. From long lines wrapping around malls to fights breaking out in Pop Mart stores, the little monster doll with a toothy grin -- specifically marketed for adults -- has taken the world by storm. "You have a lot of people on TikTok do blind box opening events," said Markus Maciel, associate professor of toy design at Otis College. "It's kind of like Pokemon where you get your cards, you're not sure where you're gonna get. These blind box motions help inspire people to keep wanting to collect and collect and collect." Besides the blind box phenomenon that has hooked global consumers, the success of Labubu is also largely driven by celebrity endorsement. K-pop group BLACKPINK member Lisa explained her Labubu obsession in a Vanity Fair interview in November, becoming one of the first celebrities to showcase the doll in the United States. Since then, many celebrities have publicly engaged with Labubu. Brad Pitt and his fellow "F1" castmates opened Labubu blind boxes during a Warner Bros. interview. Sarah Jessica Parker learned about it during a "Call Her Daddy" episode. Cher was seen draping one off her handbag at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. "I went from thinking this was the most stupid thing I've ever seen to thinking this is the most brilliant thing," reality TV star Bethenny Frankel admitted in a TikTok post, showing off her Labubu as a bag charm for her "Firkins," or fake Birkin bags. Stars such as Emma Roberts, Tom Brady and Lizzo have also shown their love for the doll on social media. "A lot of stars are taking part in it and actually showcasing [Pop Mart's] product lines," said Maciel. "And that's a huge shift. Once you have somebody that you admire, and they are just showing a product that you may or may not know much about, you're going to [know] now." Created by Hong Kong-born Belgian artist Kasing Lung as part of the picture book series "The Monsters," Labubu is based on figures from Nordic mythology. In 2019, the "monsters" were transformed by Chinese designer toy company Pop Mart into a collectible that eventually unlocked a global mania. The global obsession for Labubu has made Pop Mart a billion-dollar business. The company's revenue doubled in 2024, reaching $1.8 billion, according to Pop Mart's annual financial report. While the doll retails for about $30, they can go for hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars on the resale market. According to Emily Brough, head of licensing at Pop Mart, "recent Labubu drops have sold out within minutes -- both online and in-store." Experienced collectors like Kevy Oh, who describes himself as having "a PhD in Labubunomics," give detailed tutorials on how to get a Labubu on TikTok. "I think a lot of us wanted [it] because it was getting so hard to obtain," said Duong, who has now spent over $1,000 on his Labubu collection. "I just wanted that rush of getting it, and I think the journey and the obstacles of getting the Labubu really made it even more enjoyable." For Duong, the appeal of Labubu is more than its scarcity or collectibility. Like many adult consumers, Duong seeks nostalgia and comfort in the bug-eyed doll. "I had a really good childhood where toys were a big part of my life," said Duong. "Being an adult is very stressful and overwhelming at times, but having just a little part of my life where I can just sit down, open a blind box or look at my toys and be happy about it, it's really good to not overthink about life."
NZ Herald
01-07-2025
- NZ Herald
‘The Bomb Lady': From Vietnam refugee to US military bomb developer
After the United States dropped 14 'bunker-buster' bombs on two nuclear sites in Iran, Anh Duong looked up the weapon's technical details and felt a rush of familiarity. Duong, 65, is a former Vietnam War refugee who escaped Saigon and found a home with her family in Washington, DC.
New York Times
30-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
‘The Bomb Lady' and the Forerunner of the ‘Bunker Buster' Used in Iran
After the United States dropped 14 'bunker buster' bombs on two nuclear sites in Iran, Anh Duong looked up the weapon's technical details and felt a rush of familiarity. Ms. Duong, 65, is a former Vietnam War refugee who escaped Saigon and found a home with her family in Washington. Long determined to give back to the nation that sheltered her, she got her chance a month after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when she was the leader of a team of U.S. military scientists that created an explosive in the same family as the bunker buster used in Iran. It was the BLU-118/B, a laser-guided bomb designed to travel deep into confined spaces like the underground tunnels occupied by Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. BLU stands for Bomb Live Unit, not Big, Loud and Ugly, 'which is maybe what the soldiers say,' Ms. Duong said in an interview at her home in suburban Maryland. The bomb produced a high-temperature, sustained blast, 'so that our guys would not have to flush out these hills or caves by foot,' she said. Used repeatedly in Afghanistan, the weapon developed by the Navy's 'Bomb Lady' and her team is credited by others with shortening America's longest war. Before designing the BLU-118/B, Ms. Duong and her team were working on a new generation of 'high-performance, insensitive explosives, that could take the ride and abuse' of traveling through layers of rock or walls of masonry before detonating. These were part of the family of explosives packed into the bunker buster, officially the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, that the United States used in Iran. A dozen of the bombs were dropped on the Iranian nuclear site at Fordo, which is deep underneath a mountain. Two more were dropped on the nuclear facility at Natanz. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hamilton Spectator
28-06-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Residents to take up search for missing Grimsby man
West Niagara residents are encouraged to take part Saturday morning in a search for a 72-year-old Grimsby man who has been missing for nearly a week. Wolfgang Glaser was last seen about 7 p.m. on June 21, leaving Teddy's on Main Street. 'He's been coming to Teddy's for over 30 years,' said restaurant owner Simon Duong, who is organizing the search. 'I have maps of Grimsby, Beamsville and Stoney Creek and I have broken (the search area) down into 200 quadrants and want to assign one person to each quadrant.' Duong said anyone wishing to help in the search should come to Teddy's at 9 a.m., where they will receive instructions and a map of their search area. As of Friday afternoon, Duong said he had about 50 volunteer searchers lined up, adding that number could grow to as many as 200 by Saturday morning. 'We'll take what we can get,' Duong said. 'My goal is to (have searchers) spend a half-hour driving around each quadrant.' For more information, see the Teddy's Facebook page. Niagara Regional Police said Glaser was reported missing Sunday, June 22. Grimsby resident Wolfgang Glaser is believed to have been driving this silver 2007 Mazda5 hatchback when he was last seen on June 21. Glaser's car was seen near the Niagara Gateway Information Centre on South Service Road near Casablanca Boulevard about 10 minutes after he left Teddy's. He is believed to be driving a silver 2007 Mazda5 hatchback with Ontario licence plate CPYA 061. Glaser is described as white, with brown/grey hair and white facial hair. He was wearing grey pants and a blue shirt with 'REDUCE, REUSE, RETHINK' printed on the back, and he uses a cane. 'If we can find his car, we can get a sense if he's around here,' said Duong, adding his staff told him Glaser appeared to be his typical self and did not show any signs of distress or problems before leaving the restaurant. Duong said Glaser talked about heading over to the Swiss Chalet restaurant on Windward Drive, north of the QEW, but there's no indication he went there. 'From what I know, he doesn't like highway driving,' said Duong. He said Glaser lives near the downtown area. 'He doesn't go far.' Duong said Glaser typically visits a pub on Ontario Street in Grimsby before heading over to Teddy's, where he would usually have a couple of drinks and then go home. 'This time, he didn't go home.' In a recent social media post, Alisha Rullo urged the public to help in Saturday's search. 'I plead with you to find my father,' she said. Meanwhile, police are asking anyone with information about Glaser's whereabouts to call them at 905-688-4111 . Information can be submitted anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by going to . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
