Latest news with #Wulff
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Kuwait Times
Moveable feast: Danish chef serves up gastronomic journey by bike
Hopping off his custom-built bicycle-turned-portable kitchen, Danish chef Morten Kryger Wulff started whipping up a feast of tantalizing, original dishes -- served with a generous side of nature. The 56-year-old chef, a veteran of prestigious kitchens across Europe, got the idea more than two decades ago to take his cooking to the great outdoors, leading customers on a gastronomic bike ride through Copenhagen -- with delectable food served at every stop. On a sunny weekday in July, grilled seaweed, dill cream, bean fricassee, Nordic pizza, and blackcurrant ice cream were on the menu for the ride from the Danish capital's harbor to the Amager Nature Park. 'This is as close as I can come to nature, cooking-wise, in a chef way,' said Wulff. The tour lasts about four hours total, covering three to five kilometers (around two to three miles). It is broken into bike rides of about 15 minutes each, in between which the chef gets off his bike, unfolds his table and starts cooking. 'You take away the walls of a traditional restaurant and you expose yourself to the city and to the elements you're in,' he told AFP. In his cargo bike -- a contraption he designed himself, measuring over two meters (six feet seven inches) long and weighing 130 kilograms (287 pounds) -- he brings everything he needs: a foldable work surface, a refrigerator, a gas burner and all his ingredients. Danish chef Morten Kryger Wulff cooks on his self-designed kitchen-bike during a stop of a gastronomical bike tour in Copenhagen, Denmark. 'It is impressive to watch him cook from that small kitchen, to see how compressed everything is,' said Pernille Martensson, a Copenhagen local who joined the tour with her husband to celebrate his birthday. The route is 'part of the menu', said Wulff. 'For example, the dish with fish or shellfish or seaweed are typically served by the channels,' he said. On the docks, he sautes shrimp before serving them in shells. As Wulff and his group gradually move away from Copenhagen's city center, the chef -- who has worked at The Savoy hotel in London and Geneva's InterContinental -- shares stories about the city and the project. It all began in 2002, when he was kicked out of a municipal park for trying to have a barbecue with friends, and decided to start cooking outdoors legally. Locally produced Wulff takes an ecologically gentle approach. 'The food we get for these tours is, of course, all harvested and bought locally,' he said, adding that even the wines come from around Copenhagen. 'Bicycle, it's the most sensible vehicle, the smartest vehicle. It does not use any energy. You can have a battery, but it's pedal-powered,' he said. The mobile approach to dining means he and his customers 'meet the city, we meet the locals', he said. The self-proclaimed 'bicycle chef' said he is 'very passionate about cargo bikes and what they can do'. He frequently participates in the Danish cargo bike championships, an unconventional competition held annually in Copenhagen. In 2016, he was named courier of the year. The award committee said he had 'demonstrated the many possibilities of the cargo bike with his mobile kitchen project'. Bicycle-loving Copenhagen has over 385 kilometers (239 miles) of bike lanes, the oldest dating back to 1892.—AFP
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Moveable feast: Danish chef serves up gastronomic journey by bike
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Danish chef Morten Kryger Wulff cooks on his self-designed kitchen-bike during a stop of a gastronomical bike tour on July 2 in Copenhagen. COPENHAGEN – Hopping off his custom-built bicycle-turned-portable kitchen, Danish chef Morten Kryger Wulff started whipping up a feast of tantalising dishes – served with a generous side of nature. The 56-year-old veteran of prestigious kitchens across Europe got the idea more than two decades ago to take his cooking to the great outdoors, leading customers on a gastronomic bike ride through Copenhagen – with delectable food served at every stop. On a sunny weekday in July, grilled seaweed, dill cream, bean fricassee, Nordic pizza and blackcurrant ice cream were on the menu for the ride from the Danish capital's harbour to Amager Nature Park. 'This is as close as I can come to nature, cooking-wise, in a chef way,' said Wulff. The tour lasts about four hours in total, covering 3km to 5km. It is broken into bike rides of about 15 minutes each, in between which the chef gets off his bike, unfolds his table and starts cooking. 'You take away the walls of a traditional restaurant and expose yourself to the city and to the elements you're in,' he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore to train more aviation and maritime officials from around the world Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore What's in a name? Local author traces the evolution of Singaporean Chinese names Business From wellness zone to neurodivergent room: How companies are creating inviting, inclusive offices Singapore Swift action needed to stop vaping's slide from health risk to drug epidemic Singapore Govt will continue to support families, including growing group of seniors: PM Wong at PCF Family Day Singapore Art by Pathlight students to be displayed along Singapore River Sport Jannik Sinner dethrones Carlos Alcaraz to capture maiden Wimbledon crown In his cargo bike – a contraption he designed himself, measuring more than 2m long and weighing 130kg – he has everything he needs: a foldable work surface, a refrigerator, a gas burner and all the ingredients. 'It is impressive to watch him cook from that small kitchen, to see how compressed everything is,' said Copenhagen local Pernille Martensson, who joined the tour with her husband to celebrate his birthday. The route is 'part of the menu', said Wulff. 'For example, the dish with fish or shellfish or seaweed is typically served by the channels.' On the docks, he sautes shrimp before serving them in shells. As Wulff and his group gradually move away from Copenhagen's city centre, the chef – who has worked at The Savoy hotel in London and Geneva's InterContinental – shares stories about the city and the project. It all began in 2002, when he was kicked out of a municipal park for trying to have a barbecue with friends, and decided to start cooking outdoors legally. He takes an ecologically gentle approach. 'The food we get for these tours is, of course, harvested and bought locally,' he said, adding that even the wines come from around Copenhagen. 'A bicycle is the most sensible vehicle, the smartest vehicle. It does not use any energy. You can have a battery, but it's pedal-powered,' he said. The mobile approach to dining means he and his customers 'meet the city, we meet the locals', he added. The self-proclaimed 'bicycle chef' said he is 'very passionate about cargo bikes and what they can do'. He frequently participates in the Danish cargo bike championships, an unconventional competition held annually in Copenhagen. In 2016, he was named courier of the year. The award committee said he had 'demonstrated the many possibilities of the cargo bike with his mobile kitchen project'. Bicycle-loving Copenhagen has more than 385km of bike lanes, the oldest dating back to 1892. AFP
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Why Germany's former chancellor has triggered fresh outrage
AP Image Parties of the far-left and far-right in Germany are criticizing the decision to afford former Chancellor Olaf Scholz his own office with a staff of eight — on top of his regular office as a member of the Bundestag. Stephan Brandner, parliamentary whip for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), said he could understand former chancellors receiving a staff of three as well as a driver. "But what eight employees are supposed to do for an ex-chancellor who has not completed a full term of office remains completely unclear, and is nothing more than a waste of tax money," he told Die Welt newspaper. Christian Görke of the socialist Left Party took a similar line, arguing that the entire idea of giving former chancellors offices to work from should be scrapped, "They don't need their own court for life," he said. "The offices must be dissolved." Staff for an ex-chancellor Former German chancellors and presidents are traditionally given their own offices for life after their terms end, on the grounds that they can never simply retire and become private citizens again and are considered to still have responsibilities to the state. In Scholz's case, the Finance Ministry has said the former chancellor's work is likely to be especially vital because Russia's all-out war in Ukraine began during his tenure. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius told reporters that the Social Democrat's expertise would still be required, as the war in Ukraine was "still a really central foreign policy and security policy issue." He added that Scholz's successor and opponent in the last federal election, Friedrich Merz of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), considered Scholz's planned staffing appropriate. Wulff and Schröder cases Scholz's eight employees is one fewer than his predecessor Angela Merkel was afforded when she left office in 2021, but it is four more than the parliamentary budget committee recommended in a 2019 review. The committee proposed that former chancellors be allotted one office manager, two advisers, an office assistant or typist and a driver. The tradition of giving former German leaders offices and staff has come under increased scrutiny following various controversies. In 2012, the Bundestag afforded the former President Christian Wulff an office with a staff of three, even though he was still under investigation by state prosecutors for allegedly accepting bribes. The scandal, among other things involving a film producer who allegedly paid for his holidays, prematurely ended Wulff's brief tenure as the German head of state, though he was later cleared of any wrongdoing. More recently, in 2022, the Bundestag wound down the office of former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, with a staff of five, after Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine. Though the Bundestag argued that the decision was made because Schröder no longer had any important tasks to fulfil, it was widely believed — and Schröder argued — that the decision was made because of the former chancellor's close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Schröder sued the Bundestag over the decision in state courts before a federal court decided that the administrative courts had no authority to rule on the case in the first place. Schröder, now 81, then decided to drop the case altogether. New rules, new authority But the Schröder case did have an effect, according to Klaus Herrmann, a specialist in administrative law at the legal firm Dombert in Potsdam. During the legal wrangling, the courts established that former chancellors and presidents (or indeed any government office holders) don't automatically have a legal claim to an office and staff on the state's costs. All they are entitled to is a pension. Nevertheless, Herrmann thinks the costs of financing an office for former chancellors are justified, as former heads of state and government are vital resources for their successors, as well as journalists and historians. "They have networks, they have telephone numbers," he told DW. "They can be asked for advice, and if they have an office, they are reachable. They don't sit around at home and look after their roses. They can be called upon to help with state business, in order to support the parliamentary government — with ideas, with contacts, and so on."
The Star
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Feature: U.S. tariffs disrupt German ports, global supply chains
HAMBURG, Germany, June 20 (Xinhua) -- At a checkpoint in Germany's Hamburg industrial zone in early June, a long line of trucks crawled forward slowly, inching towards a bustling logistics hub. Among the waiting drivers, Horm Wulff jumped down from his cab and slammed the door shut, clearly irritated. Standing beside his truck, he tilted his head to glance at the snaking line ahead and sighed. Rolling his shoulders to ease the tension, he muttered under his breath, "If this line doesn't start moving soon, I'll be late again." Wulff has been in the freight industry for over 20 years, but he has grown increasingly anxious in recent months. "My colleagues and I are increasingly worried that U.S. tariffs will cause major backlogs at the ports, with ships unable to unload on time. That would disrupt my working hours and delay the entire logistics chain that follows," he said. U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his so-called global reciprocal tariffs on April 2, followed by a temporary 90-day pause. Tariffs are a major source of uncertainty for the logistics industry and What was even more worrying was that no clear solution was in sight, Wulff said. "Assuming that we have got a done deal of reciprocal tariffs today, there will still be more tariffs in the pipeline tomorrow," he added. German truck drivers have been forced to spend more time in congested lines as Hamburg and Bremen, the country's two major seaports, have been crowded with ships waiting for berth. From late March till mid-May, the time lost for berth increased by 49 percent at Hamburg port and 77 percent at Bremen port, showed a report published by Drewry, a maritime consultancy in London. Meanwhile, Europe's largest port Rotterdam and the UK's Felixstowe have also reported longer waits. Thorsten Dornia, general manager of Brelog Freight Forwarding and president of the Bremen Freight Forwarders' Association, attributes much of the congestion to the ongoing restructuring of global shipping alliances. However, the U.S. trade policy has sparked an explosive increase of freights as U.S. importers rush to ship their goods into the United States before the pause expires. "These erratic U.S. policies are placing considerable strain on port infrastructure," Dornia said. "Port delays are stretching transit time, disrupting inventory planning, and forcing shippers to carry additional stock," the Drewry report stated. The bottlenecks at European ports are taking a toll on companies. Dornia pointed out that increased container dwell times, rerouting of shipments, and restricted delivery windows are leading to substantial additional costs for freight forwarders. The wider impact of U.S. trade policies is already being felt across the international logistics industry. Peter Sand, chief analyst at freight analytics firm Xeneta, warned that U.S. tariff policy is pushing global trade into uncertain territory. "You can't make critical decisions about your supply chain when the rules of the game keep changing," Sand said. "The trade conflict is a wake-up call for our economy," said Peter Klimek, a complexity researcher and director of the Supply Chain Intelligence Institute Austria. "It clearly illustrates how swiftly political decisions can lead to very real bottlenecks -- both at ports and across supply chains." Hans-Joachim Schramm, senior lecturer at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, noted that U.S. tariff policies have significantly driven up transportation costs, particularly for goods shipped in smaller volumes. "These additional costs are inevitably passed down the supply chain," he said, "meaning that American consumers ultimately bear the burden of their own country's tariffs."
Mint
16-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Australian shares end flat as energy rally counters gold dip
Santos backs $18.7 bln takeover bid; shares soar Oil prices surge on Middle East tensions Energy stocks hit highest levels since mid-Oct Banks and gold stocks fall on profit-taking - analyst June 16 (Reuters) - Australian shares closed flat on Monday, as a rally in energy stocks driven by higher oil prices was partially offset by weak performances across gold miners, even as gas producer Santos surged following an $18.7 billion takeover bid. The S&P/ASX 200 index held its ground at 8,548.4 points at the close of trade. The benchmark ended 0.2% lower on Friday. The Australian energy sub-index benefited from higher crude oil prices after renewed strikes by Israel and Iran over the weekend deepened fears that the conflict could spill across the Middle East region and severely disrupt oil exports. Local energy stocks surged more than 5%, extending their winning streak to a sixth consecutive session and climbing to highest levels since mid-October. The energy sub-index got an additional lift from Santos , Australia's second-largest gas producer, which backed an $18.7 billion all-cash takeover bid led by Abu Dhabi's National Oil Company (ADNOC). This sent Santos shares soaring up to 15% in their best single-day performance since April 2020. On the other hand, Australian gold stocks dropped more than 5%, dragging the broader mining sector lower and marking their weakest intraday performance since May 13, despite a surge in bullion prices. Sector majors Northern Star Resources and Evolution Mining slumped almost 8% each. "Investors are likely profit-taking today from the record gold price hit on Friday as well as portfolio adjustments in a bid to adapt exposure to weather the current uncertain geopolitical and macro conditions," said Grady Wulff, a market analyst at Bell Direct. Financial stocks slipped 0.2%, led by a 0.3% decline in Westpac Banking Corp. Wulff said that, similar to gold, investors are likely taking profits from financial stocks and repositioning their portfolios in anticipation of heightened market volatility amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose over 1% to finish the session at 12,690.13 points. (Reporting by Adwitiya Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
