Latest news with #Perera


Fashion Network
7 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Spanish brand Rocío Jewels eyes global expansion
Spanish handcrafted jewellery brand Rocío Jewels has evolved from an artisanal project to a profitable business and is forging links with global shoppers through retail tie-ups and online expansion. Founded in 2018 by designer Rocío Vicent, the brand's physical store is located at number 4 Danzas Street, in the heart of Valencia. Although the label has no plans to launch offline stores internationally for the time being, Rocío Jewels is prioritising digital development and forging alliances with concept stores and marketplaces across continents. The label has already begun to enter markets such as France, Germany, and the US, where it just recently sent a shipment to Los Angeles. "We want to have more presence outside [Spain]," Rocío Jewels' co-owner Ferran Perera told "There is no loyal customer base yet, but we are working on it." Rocío Jewels is also building international visibility through one-off collaborations with micro-influencers, such as its current partnership with a Paris-based content creator. In Spain, the brand entered the offline retail market with the launch of its first exclusive brand store. "Since opening, we doubled our turnover month by month," said Perera. "This was what allowed Rocío to leave her other job to dedicate herself 100% to the brand." With an offering that prioritises the local and authentic, Rocío Jewels sets itself apart from other major players in the market with a more artisanal and slow manufacturing proposal. "We do not compete with other brands," said Perera. "Our language is different: artisanal jewellery, handmade, with irregular shapes and limited production. Each piece is born in the workshop, with Rocío in charge, and now I am also learning part of the process to take on more of the load without expanding the team for now." Recent commercial development has also been accompanied by a creative evolution. Just a couple of months ago, the company launched "Voltes," its most ambitious collection to date, inspired by dynamic movement. With striking spirals that evoke ideas of transformation, the collection represents a step forward in both aesthetic language and brand narrative. "We wanted to emphasise the message that change can lead you to something good," said Perera.


Fashion Network
7 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Spanish brand Rocío Jewels eyes global expansion
Spanish handcrafted jewellery brand Rocío Jewels has evolved from an artisanal project to a profitable business and is forging links with global shoppers through retail tie-ups and online expansion. Founded in 2018 by designer Rocío Vicent, the brand's physical store is located at number 4 Danzas Street, in the heart of Valencia. Although the label has no plans to launch offline stores internationally for the time being, Rocío Jewels is prioritising digital development and forging alliances with concept stores and marketplaces across continents. The label has already begun to enter markets such as France, Germany, and the US, where it just recently sent a shipment to Los Angeles. "We want to have more presence outside [Spain]," Rocío Jewels' co-owner Ferran Perera told "There is no loyal customer base yet, but we are working on it." Rocío Jewels is also building international visibility through one-off collaborations with micro-influencers, such as its current partnership with a Paris-based content creator. In Spain, the brand entered the offline retail market with the launch of its first exclusive brand store. "Since opening, we doubled our turnover month by month," said Perera. "This was what allowed Rocío to leave her other job to dedicate herself 100% to the brand." With an offering that prioritises the local and authentic, Rocío Jewels sets itself apart from other major players in the market with a more artisanal and slow manufacturing proposal. "We do not compete with other brands," said Perera. "Our language is different: artisanal jewellery, handmade, with irregular shapes and limited production. Each piece is born in the workshop, with Rocío in charge, and now I am also learning part of the process to take on more of the load without expanding the team for now." Recent commercial development has also been accompanied by a creative evolution. Just a couple of months ago, the company launched "Voltes," its most ambitious collection to date, inspired by dynamic movement. With striking spirals that evoke ideas of transformation, the collection represents a step forward in both aesthetic language and brand narrative. "We wanted to emphasise the message that change can lead you to something good," said Perera.


Fashion Network
7 days ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Spanish brand Rocío Jewels eyes global expansion
Spanish handcrafted jewellery brand Rocío Jewels has evolved from an artisanal project to a profitable business and is forging links with global shoppers through retail tie-ups and online expansion. Founded in 2018 by designer Rocío Vicent, the brand's physical store is located at number 4 Danzas Street, in the heart of Valencia. Although the label has no plans to launch offline stores internationally for the time being, Rocío Jewels is prioritising digital development and forging alliances with concept stores and marketplaces across continents. The label has already begun to enter markets such as France, Germany, and the US, where it just recently sent a shipment to Los Angeles. "We want to have more presence outside [Spain]," Rocío Jewels' co-owner Ferran Perera told "There is no loyal customer base yet, but we are working on it." Rocío Jewels is also building international visibility through one-off collaborations with micro-influencers, such as its current partnership with a Paris-based content creator. In Spain, the brand entered the offline retail market with the launch of its first exclusive brand store. "Since opening, we doubled our turnover month by month," said Perera. "This was what allowed Rocío to leave her other job to dedicate herself 100% to the brand." With an offering that prioritises the local and authentic, Rocío Jewels sets itself apart from other major players in the market with a more artisanal and slow manufacturing proposal. "We do not compete with other brands," said Perera. "Our language is different: artisanal jewellery, handmade, with irregular shapes and limited production. Each piece is born in the workshop, with Rocío in charge, and now I am also learning part of the process to take on more of the load without expanding the team for now." Recent commercial development has also been accompanied by a creative evolution. Just a couple of months ago, the company launched "Voltes," its most ambitious collection to date, inspired by dynamic movement. With striking spirals that evoke ideas of transformation, the collection represents a step forward in both aesthetic language and brand narrative. "We wanted to emphasise the message that change can lead you to something good," said Perera.

The National
7 days ago
- Politics
- The National
UK immigration changes are a disaster for Scotland's most elderly area
The 32-year-old Sri Lankan came to Scotland in 2022 with his wife, who was studying for a masters degree. His visa was quickly sponsored by a local care company in Perth. He did his apprenticeship and Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) – a nationally recognised work-based qualification. READ MORE: Scottish policing will be 'seriously affected' by Trump visit, says police body In the meantime, Perera's family grew. His wife gave birth to a baby girl. He then successfully became a qualified carer – satisfying all the immigration requirements at the time. His family planned for a future in Scotland – a country they now love. Then, the rug was pulled from under them on May 12. Prime Minister Keir Starmer – during a speech in which he invoked far-right Enoch Powell-style language – announced significant changes to immigration rules to significantly reduce net migration as Labour seek to head off the electoral threat from Reform UK. This included a new system to end automatic settlement and citizenship for anyone living here for five years, with migrants instead required to spend a decade in the UK before applying to stay. This directly impacted Perera, whose visa is now set to expire in 2028 — with he and his family's future in Scotland thrown into doubt. 'We feel horrendous,' he (pictured below with his family) told The National. 'Why do they do it like this? We just fulfilled all the requirements.' (Image: Yohan Perera) The UK Government immigration changes will impact many sectors, but Scotland's care industry is one that is under particular threat given its high dependence on international workers. This wasn't helped by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also announcing the UK Government is closing the care worker visa route for overseas recruitment. It's a move that has put it in odds with the SNP – who have repeatedly called for a bespoke Scottish visa to attract workers to fill labour shortages. Kaukab Stewart, Scotland's migration minister, said yesterday – as the immigration rules officially came into effect – that Labour's approach 'simply isn't working for Scotland' and will 'hinder the prosperity of Scotland'. She added: 'Ending the international recruitment of care workers, without sufficient notice or any substantial consultation on its impact, will be devastating for the care sector in Scotland and across the UK.' The challenges faced by the care sector in Scotland can also be linked to the country's ageing population. There are more than one million people aged 65 and over in Scotland, according to the National Records of Scotland. READ MORE: Scottish community-owned island announces full boycott of Israel The impact of these changes will be felt across the country but disproportionately so in Perth and Kinross, which has a significantly higher proportion of older people than the national average – including the most over-85s of any area in Scotland. Scottish Care – which represents the largest group of independent social care providers across the country – conducted a national survey of its members in May focusing on immigration and the role of international recruitment in the social care sector. It found that the restriction or end of international recruitment would present serious consequences for the sector's workforce sustainability, financial viability, and most importantly, the ability to deliver essential care and support services to those who rely on them. Scottish Care also did a more focused follow-up in Perth and Kinross to explore the impact at a regional level, including a survey of local care providers – the findings of which it has shared with The National. It found that, if international recruitment ends, many services in the area believe it would have a 'high to significant impact on the sustainability of their workforce'. Lakmal Suranga is another local care worker from Sri Lanka – a community that disproportionately props up Perth and Kinross's care sector – that is also set to be impacted by the UK Government immigration changes. The 36-year-old came to the UK in 2022 with my wife Vishmi and daughter Lithisha, who was just 3 years old at the time. Like Perera, his family sees Scotland as home and was planning for a future here before the immigration changes. 'Our daughter, now 6 years old, is happily settled in school. She has made friends, receives a high-quality education, and has adapted beautifully to life in Scotland. This country has become our home — not just where we live, but where we truly belong,' he told The National. He doesn't feel like the rule changes are fair at all. 'Like many other families, we carefully planned our future based on the existing UK immigration rules, which currently allow people on skilled worker or student-related visas to apply for settlement after 5 years,' Suranga said. 'With that in mind, we've invested emotionally, financially, and socially into our life here. We pay over £700 a month in income tax and around £150 in council tax, and we've also started building our pension savings in the UK. We were even hoping to buy a house soon — a dream that now hangs in the balance.' He added: 'Changing the goalposts halfway through our journey feels not only unfair but incredibly destabilising. It has thrown our future into uncertainty — impacting everything from our financial plans to our daughter's stability and emotional wellbeing. We feel anxious, disheartened, and let down.' Suranga went on: 'We came here legally, we work hard, we pay taxes, and we contribute to the community. All we are asking for is the chance to settle under the rules we arrived with, so we can continue to live, work, and raise our daughter in the country we've come to love. 'Scotland has welcomed us with warmth, and we want to give back. But these sudden policy shifts risk turning hope into hardship — especially for families like ours who came here with trust and long-term dreams.' The local MP, Pete Wishart, has called Labour's immigration changes 'as economically nonsensical as they are morally bankrupt' and called for the Home Secretary to scrap them. 'Like most of Europe, Scotland is facing a demography crisis; an especially acute problem in Perth and Kinross which has the highest proportion of over-85s in Scotland. Against this backdrop, immigration plays a crucial role in meeting the ever-increasing demand on the likes of our care sector,' he told The National. 'Since these new regulations were announced, I have been inundated with heartbreaking enquiries from constituents, particularly from members of Perth's Sri Lankan community, who have made Scotland their home but who are now feeling compelled to leave.' The SNP MP added: 'These are hardworking, taxpaying members of society who provide an exceptional standard of care to our sick and elderly. They are rightly fed up with having their lives continuously made more difficult all so the UK Government can get some trivial numbers down on a spreadsheet. 'Labour plans are therefore as economically nonsensical as they are morally bankrupt, which is why I have called on the Home Secretary to scrap them altogether. I have already heard of constituents' care packages being withdrawn as a result, and this problem is only going to get worse if they don't urgently change course.'


International Business Times
02-07-2025
- International Business Times
2 Crew Members Charged Over Fatal Oil Tanker Collision Near Singapore's Pedra Branca That Left One Dead
Two crew members on an oil tanker registered in Singapore have been charged in connection with a collision that left one man on the other vessel dead and another seriously injured. For the unversed, last year in July, the ship Hafnia Nile, registered in Singapore, collided with the Ceres I, registered in the African island nation of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe. According to media reports at the time, the collision occurred approximately 55 kilometers northeast of Pedra Branca, within Singapore's maritime search and rescue region. Soosai Antony Vainer, a 35-year-old Indian national, and Wickramage Viraj Amila Shavinda Perera, a 40-year-old Sri Lankan, were the two crew members from the Hafnia Nile who were each charged under the Merchant Shipping Act. Charge sheets stated that Perera was the officer in charge of the navigational watch on the Hafnia Nile between 5.40 am and 6 am on Jul 19, 2024. He was accused of failing to maintain situational awareness of the area surrounding the Hafnia Nile, make "a full appraisal of the situation and the risk of dangers to navigation, and ensure that a proper lookout was maintained" in that capacity. This malfunction caused the ship to collide with the Ceres I, resulting in "serious damage" to both tankers and the death of Sellakkannu Shanmugasundaram, who was on board the Ceres I. According to the charge sheets, Ge Junfu, who was also on board the Ceres I, sustained severe injuries. The court documents noted that Vainer was the navigational watch's duty lookout on the Hafnia Nile at the time. He observed that the Hafnia Nile was "approaching close" to the Ceres I, but did not report this to the officer in charge of the navigational watch, his charge alleged. Instead, he allegedly failed to maintain a proper lookout and steered the Hafnia Nile without being instructed to do so. Consequently, the two tankers came into contact. Following the incident, Malaysia arrested the Ceres I tanker, although early reports claimed the ship had escaped. The Malaysian authorities later clarified that the Ceres I had "drifted away" rather than fled. The two men are being prosecuted by the Singaporean Maritime and Port Authority. Both cases were discussed further in the State Courts on Wednesday, July 2, and were postponed until later this month. Public records show that Perera is being defended by Wong Min Hui and Mato Kotwani of PDLegal, while Vainer is being represented by Andy Yeo of Andy Yeo Chambers. If convicted, the men can each be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$50,000, or both.