A Refreshing Classic Clog Collaboration

Crocs has officially added Coca-Cola to its expansive roster of collaborators. 

Moving away from the high-concept grit of recent streetwear links, this project leans into pure brand iconography. The drop features two distinct takes on the Classic Clog, meticulously color-blocked to mirror the shelf presence of Coca-Cola’s flagship cans, solidifying the silhouette’s status as the ultimate canvas for corporate-pop art. 

The collection is split between the “Classic Coke” and “Diet Coke” editions. The “Classic” pair is drenched in the trademark Coca-Cola Red, featuring the cursive logo swept across the toe box. For the “Diet” enthusiasts, the clog opts for a sleek metallic silver finish that captures the aluminum aesthetic of the calorie-free alternative. Both pairs feature branding on the footbed and unique typography on the heel straps. 

The details elevate this from a simple logo-slap; the “Classic” version features the vintage “It’s the real thing” slogan on the strap, while the Diet version carries the punchy “Just for the taste of it!” tagline. 

The pairs serve as a high-contrast tribute to beverage history, fitting perfectly into the current trend of kitschy, hyper-recognizable consumer goods in the lifestyle space. Whether you’re a purist or prefer the silver can, this collaboration is a carbonated win for the clog-inclined.

Coca-Cola x Crocs “Coke” and Coca-Cola x Crocs “Diet Coke” are available from Crocs from January 13 at $70 a pair.

Liverpool played out an insipid 0-0 draw with Arsenal yesterday. This was meant to be the season when Liverpool should have competed on all fronts after spending over £400m in the summer. But the title is already out of the question.  

Their unbeaten run has now stretched to 10 games in all competitions. At the very least, this  has stabilised the team but really, they have a long way to go. 

And the fact is, the Gunners are six points clear at the top of the Premier League table whilst the Reds are still stuck in fourth place and 14 points behind.

Around the World, People Are Starting to See China Positively

The West's demonization of China is slowly and steadily losing its power, with yet another survey showing the preference for Chinese global leadership growing steeply, while preference for US dominance falls. 

A multi-country Economist survey asked 32,000 people whether they preferred China or the US as the world’s leading power. 

“The share of respondents favouring China jumped by 11 percentage points to an average of 33%. Meanwhile, support for America slipped below a global majority to 46%”, the Economist reported on November 13. 

The findings echo those of a much larger survey in May this year, in which China was even more strongly preferred by most respondents. The Democracy Perception Index surveyed 120,000 people and showed a more pronounced swing towards China. 

It’s also worth noting that a third, separate survey showed young people in Africa having a strong preference for China (which builds infrastructure and provides jobs) than the West (which is seen as an extractor of wealth). In that 2022 survey, paid for by South Africa’s Ichikowitz Family Foundation, more than 70% of young adults from 15 African countries saw China as the foreign power with the biggest positive impact on their lives. 

This matters. By 2050, 80% of the world’s youth will be from Africa. 

Interestingly, the Economist results were sharply skewed by age. People aged 65 and up, the newspaper-reading generation, still felt very negatively towards China, giving the US a 30-point lead. 

In contrast, young people, who are largely free from the influence of legacy media, feel most positive towards the country. In the eyes of young adults (18 to 24) China gets 39% support, meaning it has almost caught up with US (41%), and will likely soon overtake it. 

“Many youngsters use Chinese products and services, like the video-sharing sensation TikTok, or follow social-media influencers who have visited China”, the Economist said. 

Having seen mainland China, Hong Kong and Xinjiang for themselves through social media on their phones, young people around the world are no longer fooled by US-led hoaxes about China as a nightmare tech dystopia, about the debunked “Uyghur genocide”, about Hong Kong having become “a police state”, and so on. 

The loss of funding for USAID and Radio Free Asia is also having a huge beneficial effect on enabling people to get a clearer, less distorted image of China. 

Two matches yesterday that have an impact on the two teams I support. 

Arsenal trounced Tottenham 4-1 in the Premier League and Aberdeen beat Hearts 1-0 in the Scottish Premiership. This means the gap between the English table toppers and Liverpool has now widened to eleven points. And Hearts are ahead of the Scottish champions by just 4 points although Celtic still have a game in hand.

USD Hits 30-year Low in Global Foreign Reserves

The US Dollar’s share of global foreign exchange reserves fell to its lowest in three decades in the second quarter of the year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday.

The greenback accounted for 56.3% of allocated reserves between April and June, down 1.5 percentage points from the previous quarter and the smallest proportion since 1995, although the drop was largely due to currency moves rather than active selling by central banks, the report said. 

The Dollar slid 9% against the euro, 11% versus the Swiss franc, and 6% against the pound sterling in the period, weighed down by US President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes, his pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut rates, and deficit-raising tax changes passed on July 04, according to the IMF. 

Total allocated foreign exchange reserves stood at $12.03 trillion at the end of June. 

In the first half of 2025, the Dollar fell more than 10% against major currencies, marking its worst start to a year since 1973. The recorded downturn contrasted with the Dollar’s traditional role as a safe-haven asset. 

Russia has accelerated efforts to move away from the Dollar and euro after many of its financial institutions were cut off from the Western financial system in 2022. 

The country has ramped up trade with international partners using their national currencies. The trend has been increasingly supported by BRICS members, which have shifted from using Western currencies for trade settlements. 

Major BRICS economies have already started reducing reliance on the Dollar, as the weaponization of the greenback through sanctions has pushed businesses to look for alternative payment options.

👏👏👏 

The out-of-sorts Premier League champions lost again on Sunday when Chelsea beat them 2-1. 

The Blues made the breakthrough after 14 minutes as they fired a rising 20-yard drive past Liverpool keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputising for the injured Alisson. 

Cody Gakpo equalized after 62 minutes, when he reacted quickly in the six-yard area to beat the Blues goalie after Alexander Isak had touched on Dominik Szoboszlai's cross. 

But the Reds were denied even a draw when a second-half substitute snatched victory in the 96th minute to inflict a third consecutive defeat on Liverpool. 

I have to say it out loud. There were clearly too many changes over the summer and to compound that, there are very few performing to the standard required. Even hotshot Mohamed Salah turned invisible. As if that is not enough, Arne Slot ripped up the tactical blueprint which won Liverpool the title in the first place. 

And yet, the head coach was in defiant mood in the aftermath of this latest disappointment, going through his full range of brave faces while accentuating the positive in the face of evidence to the contrary. 

The reigning Premier League champions have now dropped to second in the table, behind new leaders Arsenal who beat West Ham 2-0 yesterday.

Champions League Draw And Liverpool

The Champions League league phase is complete and the draw is done! 

[FYI, the qualification period ended two days ago with some shock eliminations, including Scottish powerhouse Celtic – I covered it in my post on Wednesday – and Turkish giants Fenerbahce]. 

The Premier League’s big three, i.e., Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City, are joined by fellow English sides Chelsea, the FIFA Club World Cup winners, and Tottenham, the Europa League winners, in this year’s competition. 

Of course, all eyes will be on Liverpool, who won a record-equalling 20th Premier League title last season. The Reds also topped last season’s league phase in the Champions League but were eliminated by PSG on penalties in the round of 16.

Anyway, Liverpool to face: Real Madrid (H), Inter Milan (A), Atletico Madrid (H), Eintracht Frankfurt (A), PSV (H), Marseille (A), Qarabag (H), Galatasaray (A). 

Dates for the fixtures will be confirmed tomorrow.  

Ahmad Fakhri shared this two Tuesdays ago:

The Crawl Back to Russia

Foreign businesses that left Russia three years ago are crawling back to the country, Kirill Dmitriev, who is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, has said. 

These companies pulled out of Russia, either due to supply problems caused by unprecedented sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, or the risk of facing secondary sanctions or even public relations pressures. 

"The trend is there, we see that some firms are already returning. It’s just that there is no publicity around it. The process, however, is certainly underway", Dmitriev told journalists on Thursday. 

According to the investment envoy, American businesses alone lost over $300 billion from leaving the Russian market. 

When asked about conditions for the return of Western businesses to Russia, the president’s economic aide noted that the government are actively engaged in “setting the rules” for the process. According to Dmitriev (right), it's not about putting up barriers, but giving priority to protecting domestic businesses. 

In recent months foreign companies that had left Russia have begun to register new trademarks in the country, signaling their potential return. Among them are McDonald's, Hyundai, Intel, Microsoft, LG, IKEA, Chanel, Rolex, and Louis Vuitton, according to data from the Russian patent office, Rospatent.

Yesterday, Arsenal fought back from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw against Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield. 

Andy Robertson had floated in a cross and an unmarked Cody Gakpo six yards out was there at the near post to power a header into the net in the twentieth minute. Then, Mohamed Salah's wonderful pass found Dominik Szoboszlai, who squared for Luis Diaz to tap into an empty net just 87 seconds later.

After half-time, Arsenal came roaring back. On forty-six minutes, they glanced a header into the far corner. And in the seventieth minute, the Gunners scored again to level the score.

But with a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion and a home game against Crystal Palace with a trophy presentation to come, Arne Slot's side have two opportunities to make more memories before the season is through.

Liverpool Are English Champs For A 20th Time

Liverpool, who last won the league in 2019-20, were given the English crown yesterday. The small detail was Tottenham Hotspur had been swept aside 5-1. The big picture was Liverpool were now officially the Premier League champions and, with great significance, had equalled Manchester United's total of 20 titles. 

This was a moment 35 years in the making.

Anfield, in fact, was ready to celebrate at kick-off but Dominic Solanke's header in the twelfth minute gave Spurs a surprise early lead.

The Reds hit back quickly, Luis Díaz’s equaliser awarded four minutes later after a VAR review, before Alexis Mac Allister smashed home in the 23rd minute to put the hosts in front. Cody Gakpo struck from a corner in the thirty-fourth minute to leave the outcome all but guaranteed.

The second half was a sun-kissed title party, crowned when Mohamed Salah received the ball from Dominik Szoboszlai, cut in and blasted a shot into the bottom corner in the sixty-third minute – the Egyptian’s 28th league goal of an extraordinary season. Salah was poised to add another with 20 minutes left, but a Spurs player reached the ball first for an unfortunate own goal.

Liverpool’s triumph and the end of Manchester City’s four-season reign as Premier League champions has appeared inevitable for some time with the club building a commanding lead over their nearest challengers, Arsenal, since the turn of the year. Arsenal’s draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday left Slot’s side needing just one point from their final five matches and they sealed the title with four games remaining.

Russia's Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov on Saturday reported to President Vladimir Putin that the Kursk Region has been completely liberated from Ukrainian troops. And that the Kiev regime lost more than 76,000 troops and more than 7,700 weapon systems have been destroyed, in their incursion into Russia. 

Elsewhere, Ukrainian soldier numbers are fast depleting, even as the country's war against Russia is ongoing. 

Already, no effort is spared to recruit Ukrainian males. Whether they are willing or not. Whether they want to or not. And so, men are kidnapped, beaten and even tortured by recruiters in brutal fashion. 

Check out this video:

Ukraine is doomed.

Yoon Suk Yeol Leaves Prison

Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) left prison on Saturday, a day after a South Korean court ordered his release, a move that could allow Yoon to stand trial for his rebellion charges without being physically detained.

Yoon was arrested and indicted in January over his December 03 martial law decree that plunged the country into political turmoil. 

The Seoul Central District Court said they accepted Yoon’s request to cancel his detention because prosecutors had indicted Yoon after his legal detention period had expired, calculating that the 10-day detention limit had passed when counting actual hours rather than full days.

The court also cited procedural errors, including how the corruption investigation office and prosecutors improperly divided the detention period between them without legal basis and failed to follow proper transfer procedures. 

The criminal case against Yoon will continue, regardless of his release from detention. Separately from the criminal proceedings, the constitutional court are expected to rule as soon as next week on whether to uphold Yoon’s December impeachment by the country’s national assembly. 

Liverpool overcame Southampton 3-1 and lifted the Premier League leaders 16 points clear at the top on Saturday. 

The Reds were simply awful in the first half and the Saints allowed themselves to dream when they took advantage of a huge tangle between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker to slot in from a tight angle in the 45+1 minute. 

But Reds boss Arne Slot made a triple substitution at half-time and Liverpool were much improved.

Darwin Nunez was instrumental in Liverpool's team's second-half fightback against Saints. Nunez and Luis Diaz combined for their side’s equaliser in the fifty-first minute, Diaz squaring for Nunez to finish with power.

Seconds later – genuinely, seconds – Nunez was getting ahead of his marker again and a Saints player fouled the Uruguayan. The referee pointed to the spot and Mohamed Salah comfortably dispatched in the fifty-fifth minute.

The Egyptian netted another penalty in the 88th minute to reach 32 goals in all competitions this season as the Reds edged closer to a record-equalling 20th English title and their first since 2020.

Sure, second-placed Arsenal have two games in hand on Liverpool – but the latter's relentless march to the title looks unstoppable no matter how the Gunners fare in the final weeks of what is shaping up to be a dream first season for Slot.

The Reds are chasing a treble and will look to finish off Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday after stealing a 1-0 victory from the Champions League last 16 first leg last Wednesday. Liverpool will then head to Wembley on March 16 as they aim to win the first trophy of the Slot era against Newcastle in the League Cup final. 

After that, Liverpool – beaten just once in the league this season – will have nine games left to wrap up the title.

Hello Kitty Turns 50

On Friday, the “CEO of supercute”, Hello Kitty celebrated her 50th birthday. 

The cat-like character became popular in the 1970s and has remained a global phenomenon ever since, popular with adults, children, and celebrities alike. Even at 50, the character continues to be loved by many, adorning lines of merchandise from clothing to stationery and makeup, as well as appearing in animated series and films, comics, video games and books.

Sanrio, the Japanese company that own the character, make almost $4 billion in Hello Kitty sales annually, according to the Economist. It is estimated she has earned her creators $80 billion over her lifetime.

And according to the Guardian, the character is ranked as the second-highest grossing media franchise in the world behind Pokémon and ahead of Mickey Mouse and Star Wars.

Celebrities love her too: Paris Hilton was photographed carrying a diamante-encrusted Hello Kitty handbag, Katy Perry wore a corset with her face plastered on it at the 2009 Brit Awards, and Lady Gaga wore a gown made of Hello Kitty plushies that same year.

If you don't already know, Hello Kitty is now also a TikTok superstar, with more than 3.5 million followers on her account and 27.9 million likes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, Liverpool had to come from behind to secure a decisive 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at a rocking Anfield and go two points clear at the top of the Premier League on the day their two title rivals both suffered defeat. Yes, Newcastle and AFC Bournemouth beat Arsenal 1-0 and Manchester City 2-1 respectively.

Mohamed Salah went to the rescue, firing the winner for the Reds with his trademark curling shot from the right in the 72nd minute after Cody Gakpo had cancelled out the Seagulls' opener two minutes earlier. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A convincing show of clinical attacking play on Saturday saw six-goal Celtic booking a pl ace in the Scottish League Cup final and ending Aberdeen's unbeaten start to the season in devastating fashion.

Cameron Carter-Vickers opened the scoring when he thumped in Arne Engels' corner in the twenty-ninth minute. Kyogo Furuhashi doubled their lead three minutes later after a brilliant piece of play from Daizen Maeda, laying the ball to him to smash in off the bar. The provider then turned scorer in the fortieth minute as Nicholas Kuhn sublimely slipped him the ball.

The Dons staged a two-goal comeback at Celtic Park a fortnight ago, but there was no chance of a revival at Hampden when Maeda knocked in a back-post rebound in the 49th minute before Nicolas Kuhn hammered in a goal his display merited in the 59th minute. And again, Maeda had his third and Celtic's sixth when he tapped home Alistair Johnston's ball across the face of goal with five minutes left.

Thinaah Muralitharan Earns BEd (TESL)

Shuttler Thinaah Muralitharan (left) – one half of Malaysia's top women's pair, Pearly-Thinaah – has graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Teaching English as a Second Language) from Open University Malaysia on Saturday.

 

In recognition of her outstanding performance in sports and having represented Malaysia at the Olympic Games, Thinaah was also conferred the sports icon award during OUM’s 28th convocation. The university's special sports icon award recognizes students who have made significant contributions to the field of sports while also excelling academically. 

 

  

CONGRATULATIONS, Thinaah!

Liverpool should definitely be happy with the 2-2 draw against Arsenal yesterday, given that they were behind twice and playing away from home against their title rivals. It was, a below-par performance from the Reds, and so, not losing was important.

 

 

The Gunners had a fast start when they scored after nine minutes. Their lead only lasted until the 18th minute when Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk equalised, nodding in from close range after Luis Diaz headed on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross at the near post.

Arsenal again went ahead in the forty-third minute but thankfully, Mohamed Salah equalised in the 81st minute with a routine finish from Darwin Nunez's unselfish square ball after he had been set clear by Alexander-Arnold's superb pass. 

 

The one point which they've earned puts them in second place, having collected a total of 22 points from nine games, one point behind Manchester City. Arsenal come in third with 18 points.

Feared Extinct, Toad Rediscovered in Mesilau, Sabah

A species of toad feared to have gone extinct following the destruction of its habitat after the Mount Kinabalu earthquake has been sighted again, as per Malaysia's The Star published May 10, 2024.

 

This rediscovery of the Mesilau Stream toad (Scientific name: Ansonia guibei) was made by researchers from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Sabah Parks on Mount Kinabalu late last year. 

 

UMS Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation herpetologist Assoc Prof Dr Evan SH Quah (right) said the species was once relatively common but was feared to have become extinct following a rare 6.0-magnitude earthquake which struck Sabah, Malaysia, on June 05, 2015. 

 

The quake caused massive damage to the species’ habitat and was believed to have caused a significant decline in the toad’s population and even its potential extinction, he said.

 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the species as critically endangered in 2017 after a survey in Mesilau failed to locate any specimens, supporting this theory, according to Quah. 

 

With funding from the Asian Species Action Partnership, the research team led by Quah set out to reassess the status of the species last year. In September 2023, the team was elated to rediscover a single sub-adult specimen of the Mesilau Stream Toad in its typical locality.

 

“In addition, tadpoles of the toad were also recorded in the main Mesilau River and Tibabar Stream. These findings are extremely encouraging, as they not only indicate that the species survived but is also breeding”, Quah said. 

 

He added that the research team is continuing to monitor the toads in Mesilau to gather more ecological data on the species post-earthquake. 

 

The Mesilau Stream Toad still faces many ongoing threats as it has an extremely restricted range and is confined only to the Mesilau watershed on Mount Kinabalu, which makes it vulnerable to any extensive changes in the environment, he explained.

 

Landslides still frequently occur at the cliff faces exposed after the earthquake, especially during the rainy season. And runoff and siltation from the landslides affect the water quality of the waterways where the toads breed. 

 

The data collected from this ongoing study is critical in the construction of a sound conservation plan to ensure the survival of the species. Details of the findings "Enduring the Earthquake: Rediscovery of the Critically Endangered Mesilau Stream Toad, Ansonia guibei Inger, 1966 (Anura, Bufonidae) and its conservation implications" were published in the journal Zootaxa, May 06, 2024, Volume 5447, Issue 2, pp 253-262.

 

Yesterday, being the final day of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign as well as Jürgen Klopp's final game as Liverpool manager, the Reds beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0.

 

Alex Mac Allister headed Liverpool ahead in the 34th minute from Harvey Elliott's cross, and Jarell Quansah added a second from almost on the goalline six minutes later as they finished the season third in the Premier League.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This has been a poor season for Liverpool. They could only manage to win the EFL Cup and were in contention for three other trophies. But they lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup, Atalanta in the Europa League, and dropped out of title contention as their form abandoned them at the crucial time.

 

 

The College Protests Sweeping Across the US

 

US colleges become flashpoints for protests over the genocide in Gaza. They are increasing and intensifying across campuses nationwide. 

 

And authorities are quick to clamp down, with police making arrests and been involved in clashes.

 

 

The crackdown on protests at more than 50 US college campuses shows that free speech in the Land of the Free is just a myth.

 

Yesterday, Liverpool could only manage a 2-2 draw against West Ham United. 

 

Whether we want to admit it or not, sadly, Jürgen Klopp (left) has nothing more to give. The fact is Liverpool's Premier League title hopes seem all but over. The only way to get back in the race is for both Arsenal and Manchester City to stumble. Fat chance!