Allen & Overy was the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) legal adviser in the Middle East & African region during the first three quarters (Q1-Q3) of 2024 by value as well as volume, according to the latest Legal Advisers League Table, which ranks legal advisers by the value and volume of mergers and acquisition (M&A) deals on which they advised, by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database reveals that Allen & Overy achieved this leading position by advising on nine deals worth $9.7 billion.
Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Allen & Overy was the top adviser by value during Q1-Q3 2023 and managed to retain its leadership position by this metric during Q1-Q3 2023 as well. Interestingly, despite experiencing a year-on-year fall in the total value of deals advised by it during Q1-Q3 2024, Allen & Overy outpaced its peers by a significant margin in terms of value. Meanwhile, its ranking by volume improved from second position during Q1-Q3 2023 to the top position during Q1-Q3 2024.”
Bernitsas Law, Latham & Watkins and Simmons & Simmons collectively occupied the second position in terms of value, with each of them advising on $3.4 billion worth of deals, followed by Linklaters with $2.3 billion worth of deals advised.
Meanwhile, White & Case occupied the second position in terms of volume with nine deals, followed by Webber Wentzel with six deals, ENSafrica with six deals, and Naschitz Brandes Amir with four deals.
Rothschild & Co was the top mergers and acquisitions (M&A) financial adviser in the Middle East & African region during the first three quarters (Q1-Q3) of 2024 by both value and volume, according to the latest Financial Advisers League Table, which ranks legal advisers by the value and volume of mergers and acquisition (M&A) deals on which they advised, by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database reveals that Rothschild & Co achieved this leading position by advising on eight deals worth $4.2 billion.
Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Rothschild & Co was also the top adviser by volume during Q1-Q3 2023 and retained its leadership position by this metric during Q1-Q3 2024 as well. Meanwhile, its ranking by value improved significantly, as there was a more than three-fold increase in the total value of deals advised by it during Q1-Q3 2024 compared to Q1-Q3 2023. As a result, Rothschild & Co went ahead from occupying the ninth position by value during Q1-Q3 2023 to top the chart by this metric during Q1-Q3 2024.”
HSBC occupied the second position in terms of value, by advising on $2.3 billion worth of deals, followed by Fort Capital Investment with $1.6 billion at the third position, whereas Citi and KPMG jointly occupied the fourth position, with each of them advising on $1.4 billion worth of deals.
Meanwhile, HSBC occupied the second position in terms of volume with seven deals, followed by Rand Merchant Bank with seven deals, Deloitte with seven deals, and Clairfield International with six deals.
Unicycive Therapeutics recently announced positive results from its Phase I trial of UNI-494, showing that the drug’s use was observed to be safe and well-tolerated in both single ascending and multiple ascending doses. The trial results also showed that UNI-494 absorption was fast, rapidly metabolized, and plasma concentration increases when dose increases. The drug potentially fills an unmet need in the acute kidney injury (AKI) space as it has an alternate mechanism of action to current marketed therapies, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
AKI can cause a buildup of waste products in the blood and make it difficult to maintain the right balance of fluid and minerals in the body. It can also cause permanent kidney damage, leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD).
According to GlobalData’s latest report “Chronic Kidney Disease: Epidemiology Forecast to 2033,” the total prevalent cases of CKD are expected to increase from 110,299,913 cases in 2023 to 121,072,673 cases in 2033, across the seven major markets (7MM*).
Kajal Jaddoo, Senior Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The aging global population will lead to an increase in the prevalence of AKI, leading to an expansion of the market as well as a growing need for more therapeutic options.”
UNI-494 exhibits therapeutic intervention activating SUR2 subunit of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP channel) and thus reduces oxidative stress and restores mitochondrial function.
The Phase I study was a randomized, open-label, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose, multiple ascending dose, and single centered study to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of UNI-494. The single ascending dose from 10mg to 160mg was well-tolerated. The multiple ascending dose of 40mg twice daily for five days was also safe and well-tolerated.
Jaddoo concludes: “Key opinion leaders interviewed by GlobalData have emphasized that a drug that specifically shows enhanced efficacy in kidney disease patients will most likely receive breakthrough or fast track designations and gain market share.”
China will strengthen regulation of government-funded projects to address payment arrears to enterprises, according to a new official guideline.
Relevant authorities should regularly verify the availability of government funds, intensify oversight of government procurement payments, and urge state-owned enterprises to standardize and optimize their payment management systems, said the guideline issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council.
Efforts should be made to establish a national platform for small and medium-sized enterprises to report related complaints, and optimize the punishment mechanism for acts of bad faith, said the guideline.
Addressing payment arrears to enterprises is vital to protecting businesses’ rights and interests and boosting their confidence, according to the guideline. It urged all local governments to implement tailored measures based on their conditions and fulfill their responsibilities.
A man with a multimillion pound property empire has been convicted for supplying drugs and money laundering as a result of proactive investigation by Met officers.
Richard Baxter, 50 (20.07.1974), of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to the following offences at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 18 October:
Conspiracy to supply Heroin
Conspiracy to supply Cocaine
Conspiracy to transfer criminal property – cash
The conviction demonstrates the Met’s proactive work in tackling the crimes that matter most to London residents. The public regularly tell officers about their concerns of drug dealing within local communities, and how it can bring violence and anti-social behaviour into the neighbourhood. This is why the Met is working harder than ever to tackle these crimes.
In August 2024, Spanish police arrested Baxter in Valencia and he was extradited back to the UK to be remanded in custody.
As part of their investigation, specialist officers investigating criminal gangs operating in London discovered that Baxter was one of the key figures of a group smuggling hundreds of kilos of cocaine and heroin, before laundering money through various companies.
As part of their investigation, officers discovered Baxter owned a home in Surrey, with a property empire across the south-east of England. All four properties and a holiday chalet with a total approximate value of £1.5m of houses have been seized as part of the investigation.
Detective Constable David Lawn, who led the investigation, said: “We have zero-tolerance for anyone who engages in criminal activities and are committed to combat the sale of dangerous and illegal drugs which pose a threat to the public.
“The Met are deploying specialist resources to tackle drug criminality and make the capital a safer place to live.
“Baxter’s conviction sends out a strong message to those who seek to profit from illegal drug trade – you will be held accountable for your actions in front of the court.”
Met officers are working alongside communities to crack down on individuals who supply drugs in London. As part of the Met’s drive to tackle issues that matter most to communities through our A New Met for London plan, officers are focusing on community crime fighting, acting on residents’ concerns, making London safer for those who live, work and raise a family in the capital.
The supply of drugs has devastating consequences on communities across London and beyond – it causes addiction, having devastating health impacts, as well as leading to anti-social behaviour and violence.
With the help of local communities sharing information, Met officers are acting swiftly to pursue those who seek to cause harm by supplying drugs.
If you want to report a drugs crime, call 999 in an emergency, 101 or report online. Alternatively, this can be reported to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Baxter has been remanded for sentencing at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, 5 December.
Chinese drone maker DJI filed a lawsuit to challenge the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on Saturday, seeking to be removed from the blacklist of alleged Chinese military companies.
In an announcement released to Xinhua, the company said the designation is erroneous and decided to seek relief in U.S. federal court after more than 16 months of efforts to engage with DoD.
The company added that it has been dedicated to promoting the application of civilian drone products and opposes the use of its products for military purposes.
“DoD itself acknowledges that DJI makes consumer and commercial drones, not military drones,” said the company.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
    A man who went missing in Tsing Yi has been located.
    Lo Ka-leung, aged 67, went missing after he left his residence in Cheung On Estate yesterday (October 18) afternoon. His family made a report to Police on the same day.
    The man returned to his residence this afternoon (October 19). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.
Seven men who “retaliated to violence with more violence” have been jailed for a total over 102 years following multiple shootings in Peckham in May 2023.
Tyreke Smikle, 26, Kai Davis Francis, 25, Duan Correa, 21, Shaquille Marsh, 26, Tyreece Quartey, 25, Malachi David Francis, 21 and Timothy Newton, 18 appeared at the Central Criminal Court on Friday, 18 October.
The investigation comes as part of the Met’s strategy to tackle firearms and make the capital safer.
Met detectives launched an investigation into the group in May 2023 after an escalation of violence in the Peckham area.
Officers pieced together the movements of the group, speaking to multiple witnesses and analysing hours’ worth of phone data and CCTV.
Enquiries revealed how in the early hours of Sunday, 7 May an acquaintance of Smikle and Newton was stabbed in Peckham. The pair had visited the victim in hospital before going to collect a bag containing weapons. The two men then met with the rest of the group to form a ‘revenge plan’ for those who had assaulted their friend earlier that day.
CCTV showed the group wearing balaclavas and all splitting up between three vehicles, including a stolen moped. Smikle was carrying a loaded shotgun and ammunition, while the others had machetes and knives.
The groups’ two vehicles pursued a vehicle before Tyreke Smikle fired a shotgun through the driver’s window. The group then pull alongside another vehicle on a nearby street and fired a second time at a second victim. They continued to chase the car, which crashed and flipped over as it tried to drive away. As the third victim ran off, Tyreke Smikle chased him into a nearby garden and shot him in the leg at almost point blank range.
Witnesses also later saw the group in the possession of a large machete.
Thankfully, no one involved received life-threatening injuries.
Detective Constable Luke Martinez, who led the investigation, said:
“This group retaliated to violence with more violence, bringing a firearm and other weapons to the streets of London which could have seriously injured or killed someone.
“These shootings took place during daylight hours, with one occurring just metres away from a mother and her child.
“Today’s sentencing has taken dangerous individuals off the streets – I hope it serves as a stark warning to those seeking to threaten the safety of Londoners by brandishing such dangerous weapons.”
When arresting Tyreke Smikle, officers the shotgun and a quantity of Class A drugs, as well as a stab-proof vest, a knife and burner phones.
Tyreke Smikle was convicted of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm, two counts of wounding with intent, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of a firearms and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
The remaining defendants were convicted of conspiracy to commit Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH).
In addition to the conspiracy to commit Grievous Bodily Harm conviction, Kai Davis-Francis and Timothy Newton were convicted of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
The group were sentenced to the following:
Tyreke Smikle, 26 (20.03.1998) of Rupack Street, was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum term of 17 years and seven months.
Kai Davis-Francis, 25 (18.09.1999) of Arngask Road, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison.
Timothy Newton, 18 (30.10.2005) of Brackley Avenue, was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison.
Duan Correa, 21 (20.07.2003) of Nunhead Lane, was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Shaquille Marsh, 26 (19.01.1998) of Rainham South Road, was sentenced to 14 years and six months in prison.
Tyreece Quartey, 25 (11.08.1999) of Woodmill Street, was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Malachi David Francis, 21 (31.05.2003) of Ivydale Road, was sentenced to 14 years and six months in prison.
Smikle was also granted an indefinite Criminal Behaviour Order whilst the others were also given Criminal Behaviour Orders with fixed terms.
Specialist detectives in the Met continue to pursue criminals who use guns and endanger the lives of others. Earlier this year, Met police announced a record low in firearms offences in the last fifteen years across London. Last year alone, 386 illegal firearms were seized across the capital – more than one a day. Since March 2023 there has been a reduction from 196 firearms offences to 145.
Anyone with information relating to firearms or shootings is asked to call 101, while information can also be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Breakdown of convictions
Tyreke Smikle, 26 (20.03.1998) of Rupack Street, previously found guilty of conspiracy to commit GBH with intent and two counts of wounding with intent, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of a firearm and possession with intent to supply class A drugs at a hearing at The Central Criminal Court on the 18 July 2024.
Kai Davis-Francis, 25 (18.09.1999) of Arngask Road, previously was found guilty of conspiracy to commit GBH with intent at a hearing at The Central Criminal Court on the 18 July 2024.
Timothy Newton, 18 (30.10.2005) of Brackley Avenue, previously was found guilty of conspiracy to commit GBH with intent at a hearing at The Central Criminal Court on the 18 July 2024.
Duan Correa, 21 (20.07.2003) of Nunhead Lane, previously previously was found guilty of conspiracy to commit GBH with intent at a hearing at The Central Criminal Court on the 18 July 2024.
Shaquille Marsh, 26 (19.01.1998) of Rainham South Road, previously was found guilty of conspiracy to commit GBH with intent at a hearing at The Central Criminal Court on the 18 July 2024.
Tyreece Quartey, 25 (11.08.1999) of Woodmill Street, previously was found guilty of conspiracy to commit GBH with intent at a hearing at The Central Criminal Court on the 18 July 2024.
Malachi David Francis, 21 (31.05.2003) of Ivydale Road, previously was found guilty of conspiracy to commit GBH with intent at a hearing at The Central Criminal Court on the 18 July 2024.
MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
An additional 3.2 billion rubles will be allocated to implement social development plans for economic growth centers in regions that are part of the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD). The orders to this effect were signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Subsidies allocated on a co-financing basis are intended, among other things, for Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk Krai and Magadan Oblast.
Thus, Primorsky Krai will receive 462.7 million rubles for the modernization of the Mine Town Park in Vladivostok. More than 1.4 billion rubles are intended for Khabarovsk Krai, where it is planned to implement more than 20 different events for the repair, equipment and improvement of social facilities.
In Magadan Oblast, it is planned to reconstruct the building of the regional center for advanced professional training using federal funds. In addition, funding will be used to improve courtyard areas. A total of 303.8 million rubles will be allocated for these purposes.
Commenting on the decision takenGovernment meeting on October 17, Mikhail Mishustin recalled that issues of repairing hospitals, schools, cultural facilities, and improving walking, children’s, and sports grounds were discussed during his working visit to the Far Eastern Federal District in July 2024.
The Government has been supporting the implementation of social development plans for the economic growth centers of the Far East regions on a regular basis since 2018. The program of such support was launched at the initiative of the President. Its main goal is to make the cities and towns of the macroregion modern and attractive. Thanks to federal funding, hundreds of social, engineering, urban, and transport infrastructure facilities have been built and repaired in the Far Eastern regions over the past six years, including kindergartens, schools, hospitals, clinics, sports facilities, roads, and boiler houses.
The documents will be published.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene today (October 19) cancelled the licence of a general restaurant in Sham Shui Po, as the licensee repeatedly breached the Food Business Regulation (FBR) by illegally extending the food business area. The restaurant concerned has had to cease operation with immediate effect.
The restaurant is located at Shop C5 on the ground floor of 353-357 Un Chau Street.
“Two convictions for the above-mentioned breach were recorded against the restaurant licensee in April and July of this year. A total fine of $6,000 was levied by the court and 30 demerit points were registered against the licensee under the department’s demerit points system. The contraventions resulted in the cancellation of the licence,” a spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said.
The licensee concerned had a record of four convictions for the same offence between August of last year and January of this year. A total fine of $9,900 was levied and 60 demerit points were also registered, resulting in a seven-day and 14-day licence suspension in February and April of this year respectively.
The spokesman reminded licensees of food premises to comply with the FBR and other relevant regulations, or their licences could be suspended or cancelled.
Licensed food premises are required to exhibit their licence and a sign at a conspicuous place of the premises, indicating that the premises have been licensed. A list of licensed food premises is available on the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/licence-foodPremises-search.html).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
​The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) is holding the “Sail into Fun” Leisure Fisheries Expo today and tomorrow (October 19 and 20) at Domain Mall in Yau Tong. The Expo showcases the diversity of local leisure fisheries activities through a series of workshops, guided tours, seminars, plays and sales booths featuring fisheries products.
Officiating at the opening ceremony, the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, remarked that the “Sail into Fun” Leisure Fisheries Expo is one of the key promotional initiatives aiming at facilitating the development of local leisure fisheries, as outlined in the Blueprint for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Fisheries. Through participating in a variety of leisure fisheries activities, members of the public can experience and understand the heritage of fisheries’ history and culture, as well as recognise Hong Kong’s precious marine and cultural resources. This initiative aims at promoting the blue economy, facilitating the sustainable development of fisheries, and creating new opportunities for the development of both the fisheries and tourism industries.
The “Sail into Fun” Leisure Fisheries Expo brings together a range of unique leisure fisheries-related activities across Hong Kong, including workshops on fish net weaving, pearl and shell jewellery making, salted fish curing, Gyotaku printing and fish sketching. Additionally, there are Lei Yue Mun Sam Ka Tsuen guided tours and plays showcasing the culture of fishermen. The Expo also features a variety of unique seminars, including firsthand accounts from fishermen about the culture of a fishing village, experts’ sharing on the history of local pearl cultivation and tips on selecting different fisheries products. These activities foster public appreciation of fisheries’ history and culture through the imprints left by the fishermen and the fisheries industry of the past. There are also sales booths offering high-quality local fisheries products and fishery-related handicrafts for members of the public to purchase on-site.
The “Sail into Fun” Leisure Fisheries Expo is open from noon to 7pm. Members of the public are invited to join for free. No prior registration is required for the seminars and plays, while a limited number of seats for the workshops and the guided tours are available on-site for reservation. The event schedule can be found in the Annex.
Developing leisure fisheries is one of the key directions outlined in the Blueprint. Through integrating fisheries culture and ecological resources, the Government aims to assist the upgrade and transformation of the industry. The AFCD will continue to provide fishermen with training courses, exchanges and field visits related to leisure fisheries, and encourage the trade to launch pilot projects of developing leisure fisheries activities based on commercial modes of operation through funding support from the Sustainable Fisheries Development Fund. The AFCD will, at the same time, enhance promotion of local leisure fisheries, as well as explore suitable modes of development for leisure fisheries in Hong Kong and opportunities for jointly developing leisure fisheries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
RAF pilots are one step closer to being equipped with a cutting-edge air-protection laser self-protection system, following 100% successful live-fire trials.
Air protection laser defeats 100% of targets in live firing trial.
Equipment being fitted to UK military aircraft to defeat missile threats.
Collaboration between Dstl scientists and UK industry partners help support 1950 jobs across Scotland.
RAF pilots are one step closer to being equipped with a cutting-edge laser self-protection system, following 100% successful live-fire trials.
The laser is being designed to be fitted to a range of RAF aircraft including the intelligence gathering Shadow R2 and A400M transporter, ready to rapidly detect and defeat threats such as missiles.
During the trial at the Vidsel Test Range in Sweden, the operational system defeated a range of infrared heat-seeking missiles being fired simultaneously.
100% of threats were quickly defeated using a laser with pinpoint accuracy, which has been designed and developed by the Team Pellonia partnership between Leonardo UK, Thales UK, and the MOD’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
Defence Secretary, John Healey said:
Identifying, tracking and defeating threats from the air in seconds is crucial to having the edge over those who try to do us harm.
We’re equipping our Armed Forces with the very latest technology to keep them safe and give them the advantage on operations.
This high-tech laser is another excellent example of joint working between our Dstl experts and the UK’s defence industry.
The system works by Thales’s Elix-IR threat warning system quickly detecting and identifying the launch of missiles, using a series of algorithms to filter out background clutter so that only valid threats are tracked, classified and declared.
Once the threat(s) has been classified, an alert is sent to the Leonardo’s Miysis directed infrared countermeasure which moves to track the incoming missile and directs a jamming laser onto the missile with ultimate precision.
Threats are defeated faster than the time it takes to read this sentence. This UK engineered capability gives the MOD the latest generation best-in-class protection, whilst enjoying full operational independence, and offering the same freedoms to export customers.
The live tests were witnessed by senior military officers from a number of NATO nations.
Dstl’s Chief for Air Survivability, Mark Elson, said:
The UK defensive aids system is the culmination of MOD’s detailed understanding of changing threats alongside years of sustained defence investment in science and technology nurtured within Dstl. This has been aligned with the development capabilities of our commercial partners through Team Pellonia.
The design of the system has the agility to protect platforms now and into the future, providing long-term operational advantage to the UK and our allies. This is enabled through Spiral Development which provides capabilities such as the Dstl developed jamming waveform that defeats the guidance of the missile threat.
Dstl’s research programme and partnerships like Team Pellonia help boost UK economic growth, sustaining 700 jobs at Thales in Glasgow and 1,250 specialist roles at Leonardo in Edinburgh, supporting both the local as well as national economies.
Leonardo’s Senior Vice-President of Radar and Advanced Targeting, Mark Stead, said:
The results of these latest trials speak for themselves, and are a testament to the skills and experience within Leonardo as a global leader in directed infrared countermeasures. Miysis DIRCM has again proven itself as a reliable, effective protection system and is flying operationally on many platforms today.
My thanks go to the Miysis team who demonstrated superb leadership and technical prowess during the trials at Vidsel, working alongside our partners in Defence and Industry to prove our capabilities which help to protect our Armed Forces.
Thales’s Managing Director of Optronics & Missile Electronics UK, Stephen McCann, said:
Once again, as previously witnessed during SALT 3 in 2018, Elix-IR has proved its world leading capabilities as the latest generation multi-function infrared threat warning system during what was a comprehensive and complicated multi-faceted trial.
I am extremely proud of our entire team that supported both the UK, under Team Pellonia, and other NATO member teams in the preparation and execution of this event. UK MOD has adopted Elix-IR as its core reference capability threat warner of choice, based on its maturity and proven capability.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Today’s announcement marks the latest step in the Transport Secretary’s mission to overhaul the railways, ensuring infrastructure works for the whole country.
Transport Secretary announces tough measures to bring the cost and delivery of HS2 back under control
follows the launch of an independent review into the oversight of HS2
forms part of the government’s mission to rebuild Britain and deliver infrastructure that works for the whole country
Action to control the cost of HS2 and bring the project back on track has been announced by the Transport Secretary today (20 October 2024) after years of failed delivery.
Just months into the role, Louise Haigh has warned the extent of the challenge inherited on HS2 has become clear, with costs being allowed to spiral out of control and failure to deliver to budget.
Over the years, the cost of Phase One has soared, due to poor project management, inflation and poor performance from the supply chain, without sufficient explanation of what is to be done to deliver to budget.
In response, the Secretary of State has launched an independent review to ensure lessons are learned to support action and to ensure that the costs for HS2 are brought under control.
The government has been clear it is not resurrecting Phase 2 of HS2, which was cancelled under the previous administration. The government recognises concerns about connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester, but its primary focus now is the safe delivery of HS2 between Birmingham and London at the lowest reasonable cost, and the Secretary of State has made this objective clear to HS2 Ltd.
To achieve this, the government is also reinstating ministerial oversight of the project to ensure greater accountability. This will see regular meetings starting immediately, where both the Transport Secretary and Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, alongside the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, will challenge delivery and remove obstacles to securing the full benefits of the railway more cost effectively.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said:
One of my first jobs as Transport Secretary has been to urgently review the position I have inherited on HS2.
It has long been clear that the costs of HS2 have been allowed to spiral out of control, but since becoming Transport Secretary I have seen up close the scale of failure in project delivery – and it’s dire.
Taxpayers have a right to expect HS2 is delivered efficiently and I won’t stand for anything less.
I have promised to work fast and fix things and that’s exactly why I have announced urgent measures to get a grip on HS2’s costs and ensure taxpayers’ money is put to good use. It’s high time we make sure lessons are learnt and the mistakes of HS2 are never repeated again.
The Major Transport Projects Governance and Assurance Review will be led by senior infrastructure delivery adviser, James Stewart, and will present recommendations back to the government this winter.
It will investigate the oversight of major transport infrastructure projects, including the effectiveness of forecasting and reporting of cost, schedule and benefits, as well as actions to deliver cost efficiencies. The review will primarily draw on experiences of HS2 to date to ensure recommendations and learnings are applied to its delivery as well as to future projects.
Separately, the incentives of the main HS2 contractors are also being reviewed, which could lead to some contracts being renegotiated or amended.
Today’s announcement comes as the Transport Secretary writes to the Chair of HS2 Ltd, recognising the collective responsibility in reaching the current position, stressing the need to focus immediately on action to turn things around and bring costs back under control.
As part of this effort to get a grip on costs, the management of HS2 Ltd will shortly be taken over by a new Chief Executive, Mark Wild, who has an extensive background in delivering transport projects and will be responsible for resetting the project.
On his arrival, the Transport Secretary will task him with assessing the current position on cost, schedule and culture, and providing an action plan to deliver the remaining work as cost effectively as possible, including at a realistic budget and schedule.
The government will also continue to publish 6-monthly reports on the progress of HS2, ensuring complete accountability and transparency on the project’s progress.
Today’s announcement marks the latest step in the Transport Secretary’s mission to overhaul the railways, ensuring infrastructure works for the whole country.
We’ve all been there – caught outside without an umbrella as the sky opens up. Whether it’s a light drizzle or a heavy downpour, instinct tells us that running will minimise how wet we get. But is that really true? Let’s take a scientific look at this common dilemma.
You’re out and about, and it starts to rain – and naturally you’ve forgotten your umbrella. Instinctively, you lean forward and quicken your pace. We all tend to believe that moving faster means we’ll spend less time getting wet, even if it means getting hit with more rain as we move forward.
But is this instinct actually correct? Can we build a simple model to find out if speeding up really reduces how wet we’ll get? More specifically, does the amount of water that hits you depend on your speed? And is there an ideal speed that minimises the total water you encounter on your way from point A to point B?
Let’s break it down while keeping the scenario simple. Imagine rain falling evenly and vertically. We can divide your body into two surfaces: those that are vertical (your front and back) and those that are horizontal (your head and shoulders).
When moving forward in the rain, vertical surfaces such as a person’s body will be hit by more raindrops as speed increases. From the walker’s perspective, the drops appear to fall at an angle, with a horizontal velocity equal to their own walking speed.
While walking faster means encountering more drops per second, it also reduces the time spent in the rain. As a result, the two effects balance each other out: more drops per unit of time, but less time in the rain overall.
When the walker is stationary, rain only falls on horizontal surfaces – the top of the head and shoulders. As the walker begins to move, she or he receives raindrops that would have fallen in front, while missing the drops that now fall behind. This creates a balance, and ultimately, the amount of rain received on horizontal surfaces remains unchanged, regardless of the walking speed.
However, since walking faster reduces the total time spent in the rain, the overall amount of water collected on horizontal surfaces will be less.
All in all, it’s a good idea to pick up the pace when walking in the rain
For those who enjoy a mathematical approach, here’s a breakdown:
Let ρ represent the number of drops per unit volume, and let a denote their vertical velocity. We’ll denote Sh as the horizontal surface area of the individual (e.g., the head and shoulders) and Sv as the vertical surface area (e.g., the body).
When you’re standing still, the rain only falls on the horizontal surface, Sh. This is the amount of water you’ll receive on these areas.
Even if the rain falls vertically, from the perspective of a walker moving at speed v, it appears to fall obliquely, with the angle of the drops’ trajectory depending on your speed.
During a time period T, a raindrop travels a distance of aT. Therefore, all raindrops within a shorter distance will reach the surface: these are the drops inside a cylinder with a base of Sh and a height of aT, which gives:
ρ.Sh.a.T.
As we have seen, as we move forward, the drops appear to be animated by an oblique velocity that results from the composition of velocity a and velocity v. The number of drops reaching Sh remains unchanged, since velocity v is horizontal and therefore parallel to Sh. However, the number of drops reaching surface Sv – which was previously zero when the walker was stationary – has now increased. This is equal to the number of drops contained within a horizontal cylinder with a base area of Sv and a length of v.T. This length represents the horizontal distance the drops travel during this time interval.
In total, the walker receives a number of drops given by the expression:
ρ.(Sh.a + Sv.v). T
Now we need to take into account the time interval during which the walker is exposed to the rain. If you’re covering a distance d at constant speed v, the time you spend walking is d/v. Plugging this into the equation, the total amount of water you encounter is:
ρ.(Sh.a + Sv.v). d/v = ρ.(Sh.a/v + Sv). d
This equation gives us two key insights:
The faster you move, the less water hits our head and shoulders.
The water hitting the vertical part of your body stays the same regardless of speed, because the shorter time spent in the rain is offset by encountering more raindrops per second.
To sum it all up: it’s a good idea to lean forward and move quickly when you’re caught in the rain. But careful: leaning forward increases Sh. To really stay drier, you’ll need to increase your speed enough to compensate for this.
Jacques Treiner ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.
SHANGHAI, Oct. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — We are thrilled to announce that TRYX has entered into a strategic partnership with Pro Gamers Group, making them the exclusive distributor of TRYX products across Europe. Through Pro Gamers Group’s extensive distribution network, including Caseking Germany, Caseking France, Caseking Hungary, Caseking Netherlands, Caseking Iberia, Caseking UK, Overclockers UK, Globaldata, Trigono, and Jimm’s, our products will now be more accessible than ever before.
Why Pro Gamers Group?
Pro Gamers Group has established itself as a leader in the European technology market, known for its strong in retail and distribution of high-performance hardware. With their commitment to quality, customer service, and expertise in system integration, they are the perfect partner for TRYX. This collaboration allows us to deliver on our promise of premium products to a broad audience of gamers, content creators, and PC enthusiasts, all while ensuring quick delivery times, and localized services.
What This Means for Our Customers
Customers throughout the European region can now purchase TRYX products exclusively through Pro Gamers Group’s entities, benefiting from faster shipping, local support, and direct access to the latest TRYX product releases. Whether you’re a gamer, a creator, or simply passionate about high-performance systems, TRYX gear is now closer to you than ever before.
About TRYX
TRYX was established in 2023 by a dedicated group of tech and gaming PC enthusiasts who firmly believe that, in the era of AI, imagination and creativity remain irreplaceable traits of human expression. TRYX is on a mission to empower individuals with more possibilities, enabling gamers to shape their own distinct identities.
Contact: Lucius Liu, Global PR – TRYX Technology Inc. Email: lucius_liu@tryxzone.com Phone: +86 16607554477
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
Football is a game of passion, and passions can become particularly inflamed when the sport represents larger political struggles. In Nigeria in 1977, an Africa-wide football contest fuelled the ethnic rivalry between the Yoruba and the Igbo people to the point that the military had to intervene. The game was to be played as a semi-final in the Africa Cup Winners’ Cup, the club football tournament that would go on to become the Caf Confederation Cup.
As scholars of sports communication, we recently published a research paper about that 1977 confrontation between Shooting Stars of Ibadan (Ibadan is home to a Yoruba majority in the south-west) and Enugu Rangers (Enugu is an Igbo state).
Our study adds to a history of football and politics that is not well documented in Africa. In the process it shows that football represents more than just sport, but can also be a way of understanding cultural and political issues.
Yoruba vs Igbo
The rivalry between the Igbos and Yorubas is almost as old as the formation of Nigeria in 1914. Both groups vie politically and for jobs. Each forms roughly a fifth of the Nigerian population. The Igbo had lost political power after the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1970.
This rivalry became particularly visible in Nigerian football from the 1950s when ethnic groups contested annually for the Alex Oni Cup. The Yorubas often won, the Igbos a close second but the tournament was eventually discontinued because of fights between players and spectators.
After this, Igbos did not have a representative club team in national competitions until after the war ended in 1970. Top Igbo footballers were employed at various clubs across the country, particularly in Lagos. Yorubas played for various clubs in their home region. One such club was the Shooting Stars. They made up the bulk of the Ibadan Lions team that won the national Challenge Cup four times from 1959 to 1969.
After the civil war, most Igbo footballers – who had fought unsuccessfully for the secession of Biafra state – were afraid to live in other parts of the country. Enugu Rangers was formed and the club dominated Nigerian football in the 1970s and 1980s.
Shooting Stars had become the beacon club of the Yorubas and quickly developed a rivalry with Enugu Rangers.
The semi-final that caused all the trouble
This ongoing rivalry escalated when the two clubs beat off opposition from across the continent to meet in the two legs of the semi-final of the Africa Cup Winners Cup in 1977. Shooting Stars were defending the title. Rangers chose not to take part in the more prestigious Africa Champions Club’s Cup – instead they sought to equal Shooting Stars’ feat of winning the Cup Winners Cup.
To add to the tension, Nigeria’s national team was made up of mainly by players from these two clubs – and the national team was competing in the last stage of the qualifiers for the 1978 men’s football World Cup. It was feared that the rivalry would affect its chances. Almost daily, the newspapers reported on accusations levelled by officials of the two teams at each other and the Nigerian Football Association (today the Nigeria Football Federation).
The association had to find solutions – fast. Both teams had played their home matches in their own cities so far. The association decided that their two semi-final games should be played in a “neutral” location: Lagos.
But after the first leg, a designated “home game” for Shooting Stars, ended 0-0, controversy erupted. Lagos is in the west of the country, home of the Yorubas. This was seen to give the Shooting Stars an advantage. There was also controversy about whether the teams could call up some or all of their players in the national team. The association’s authority to re-schedule the second leg was then called into question. These issues were argued at fever pitch and publicly by fans and in the media, with threats and ethnic undertones.
The association wanted to bar both Rangers and Shooting Stars from using their national team players, but was eventually forced to agree on the release of all players to play in the final leg of the Africa Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final. But not before making a very late request that the Confederation of African Football put off the game until after the national team’s World Cup qualifying games.
Shooting Stars, frustrated by the postponement, lashed out publicly and in the media. They accused Nigeria’s federal sports commissioner, Dandeson Isokrari, of ethnocentrism and favouritism. Isokrari was an easterner, from Enugu Rangers territory.
With tension boiling over and threats issued from both sides, the second-in-command of the Nigeria state, Major General Musa Yar’ Adua, stepped in to avoid ethnic strife and possible violence. He instructed the match to move to Kaduna, a northern city, away from the homes of the clubs. This decision by the country’s military leadership calmed nerves.
An overflowing crowd packed the Kaduna venue from the early morning. In the early minutes of the game, Shooting Stars mounted a siege in the Rangers’ goal area. It was so tense that journalists and photographers converged behind the Rangers goal. Angry Rangers supporters claimed they were not journalists and photographers, but disguised juju men concocting mystical incantations that kept the ball rooted in the Rangers goal area.
The match ended in another 0-0 tie but Rangers advanced when goalkeeper Emmanuel Okala helped to turn the penalty kick tiebreaker in the club’s favour, 4-2. Despite the tensions, there were no reported incidents of violence during the match.
This epic contest between two clubs during a continental cup contest in 1977 reminds us of the rivalry that persists even today among ethnic groups across the continent. Football often represents such ethnic rivalries beyond the field of play – and in the case of Enugu Rangers and Shooting Stars it reached a dangerous level that forced the state to step in.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A man who robbed a woman, and attempted to rob another woman, at gunpoint has been jailed after Met detectives worked with the victims to build a strong case against the defendant.
Ismail Tajzai, 26, (29.01.98) of Moberly Road, SW4 appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday, 18 October after he pleaded guilty to robbery, attempted robbery and two counts of having an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, namely robbery.
He also pleaded guilty to making a threat to kill, strangulation and perverting the course of justice.
He was sentenced to 14 years in jail. and a restraining order was put in place banning him from contact with the two victims.
The court heard Tajzai committed the offences on February 21 and 22 after arranging an appointment with two sex workers.
In the first incident Tajzai produced a handgun, tied the woman up and then stole approximately £2,000 from her.
The next day, Tajzai attempted to rob a second woman after producing the handgun, which he hit her with. He also attempted to strangle her after she fought back, before he fled.
Detectives in Westminster launched an investigation and identified Tajzai’s DNA and fingerprints at the scene in Kensington.
An extensive CCTV trawl was conducted, which provided facial imagery of Tajzai. The gun and cable ties were recovered at the time of his arrest in a backpack thrown from the balcony at his home address.
Detective Constable Stephanie Clarke, of the Westminster Public Protection team, said: “This case demonstrates the support police will offer to all victims of crime in order to prosecute violent, dangerous men.
“The defendant sought to exploit vulnerable sex workers, and deliberately aimed to commit crimes against a group of people whom he assumed were scared to report crimes to police.
“I had first-hand experience during the investigation of how scared the victims were to report to police, out of fear of repercussions that could be caused to them. I would urge anyone else who has been the victim of similar crime to contact police and an investigation will be launched with specialist support for the victims.”
Detective Inspective Luke Bacon, of the Westminster Public Protection team, said: “I would like to commend my officers for their dedication in identifying this particularly dangerous individual and the swift action they took to ensure his arrest and prosecution. This was a time-sensitive investigation, and I firmly believe that if it were not for the actions they took, more attacks would have occurred.
“I would also like to reserve particular praise for the victims involved in this terrifying case. They showed immense bravery in coming forward to report to the police in the first instance, and in doing so they have ensured that this dangerous individual was caught, prosecuted and convicted.”
MEDFORD, Ore.— A federal jury found a Klamath Falls, Oregon man guilty after he kidnapped and sexually assaulted two women, and held one in a cell he constructed in his garage.
Negasi Zuberi, 30, also known as Justin Joshua Hyche, was found guilty of kidnapping, transporting a victim for criminal sexual activity, and illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on July 15, 2023, while in Seattle, Zuberi posed as a police officer and used a taser and handcuffs to detain his victim in the backseat of his vehicle. Zuberi then transported the victim approximately 450 miles to his home in Klamath Falls, stopping along the way to sexually assault her.
When Zuberi arrived at his residence, he moved the victim from his vehicle into a cell he had constructed in his garage. The woman repeatedly banged on the cell door until it broke open and she escaped. The victim retrieved a handgun from Zuberi’s vehicle, fled his garage, and flagged down a passing motorist who called 911.
The next day, on July 16, 2023, Reno Police Department officers and Nevada State Patrol officers located Zuberi in a parking lot in Reno, Nevada. After a short standoff, Zuberi surrendered to law enforcement and was taken into custody.
While investigating Zuberi’s crimes, federal agents discovered that approximately six weeks prior to the kidnapping in Seattle, on May 6, 2023, Zuberi kidnapped and sexually assaulted another victim. While being held by Zuberi, his first victim observed stacked cinder blocks in his garage that he later used to construct the cell where he detained his second victim.
On August 2, 2023, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Zuberi with kidnapping and transporting a victim with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Later, on February 15, 2024, a second kidnapping charge and charges for illegally possessing firearms, ammunition, and attempted escape were added by superseding indictment.
Kidnapping is punishable by up to life in federal prison and transporting a victim across state lines with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity by up to 10 years. Illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, and attempted escape are punishable by up to 15 years.
This case was investigated by the FBI Portland Field Office, Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon State Police with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada; Klamath County District Attorney’s Office; Reno, Nevada Police Department; Washoe County, Nevada District Attorney’s Office; and Nevada State Police. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Marco A. Boccato, and Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, with assistance from Appellate Chief Suzanne Miles, also of the District of Oregon.
HONOLULU – Coast Guard members and good Samaritans who responded during the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires received international recognition and awards during a ceremony at the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku, Hawaii, Friday.
For breaking news follow us on twitter @USCGHawaiiPac
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News
Montana – The FBI is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Sa’Wade Birdinground, a 13-year-old member of the Crow Tribe, who has been missing since October 6, 2024.
There have been no known contacts with her family or friends since she disappeared. Sa’Wade has been described as a quiet, kind and artistic child who likes to laugh. Sa’Wade is well liked by her peers and teachers. She has never run away from home or been in any serious trouble. Her disappearance from home is totally out of character for her, and her family is very concerned about her. A Missing Endangered Person Advisory (MEPA) has been issued by the Montana Department of Justice due to concerns for her safety.
“We are doing everything we can to bring Sa’Wade home safely. The community’s help is crucial at this time, and we urge anyone with information to come forward immediately,” said Jeramie Middlestead, Big Horn County Sheriff. “Sa’Wade’s family is deeply worried, and any information, no matter how small, can make a difference.”
“The FBI is working closely with local law enforcement to find Sa’Wade Birdinground,” said Rhys Williams, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Division. “We are asking for the public’s assistance in locating her, and we won’t stop until we have answers. If you have any information, please contact us.”
Based on the investigation thus far and the length of time that she has been missing, we are taking this case very seriously and chasing down every lead. Investigators are searching, canvassing multiple neighborhoods, and interviewing members of our community. We urge anyone with information to please call 406-665-9798. Any details, no matter how small, could assist in bringing her home safely.
Yukon RCMP would like to advise the public that the perpetrator believed to have committed the offences in Mayo, Yukon related to the home invasion and sexualized assault, including the stolen vehicle, has been arrested. The stolen vehicle was located. More details will be released at a later date. Mayo RCMP would like to thank the public for all their assistance with this investigation.
Our thoughts are with the victim at this time. Please consider the following supports available in the Yukon if you or someone you know may be in need.
SART: The Yukon’s Sexualized Assault Response Team (SART) provides a safe and confidential network of services focused on the needs and choices of individuals. SART is available to people of all genders, ages, and sexual orientations who have experienced sexualized assault.
Victim Services: Victim Services provides services and help for victims of sexualized violence and all other crimes, regardless of whether or not the victim has reported the crime, a charge has been laid, or there has been a conviction.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs detects large-scale sea smuggling case and seizes suspected illicit cigarettes worth about $240 million (with photos) Hong Kong Customs detects large-scale sea smuggling case and seizes suspected illicit cigarettes worth about $240 million (with photos) ******************************************************************************************
Hong Kong Customs stepped up enforcement to combat illicit cigarette smuggling activities by sea over the past week and detected two related cases involving seaborne containers. A total of about 53 million suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $240 million and a duty potential of about $170 million were seized. About 20 million suspected illicit cigarettes seized were duty-not-paid cigarettes known as “cheap whites”, accounting for about 40 per cent of the total seizure. In the first case, through risk assessment and intelligence analysis, Customs selected for inspection a 40-foot container, declared as carrying recycled aluminum and arriving from Taiwan en route to Foshan, Guangdong, via Hong Kong, on the morning of October 18 at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized about 11 million suspected illicit cigarettes inside the container. An investigation is ongoing. In the second case, Customs yesterday (October 19) morning intercepted a suspicious cargo vessel in the waters off Tsing Yi. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized a total of about 42 million suspected illicit cigarettes inside four 40-foot containers on board the vessel. Seven non-local men, aged between 28 and 51, suspected to be connected with the case were arrested and they comprise a captain and six crew members. The arrested captain, aged 47, will be charged with one count of importing unmanifested cargoes. He will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (October 21). Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source as well as through its multipronged enforcement strategy targeting storage, distribution and peddling to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities. Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years. Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 80 80 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
I’d like to begin this morning by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we meet, the Kaurna (Gaa-nuh) peoples, and pay my respects to elders past and present.
I extend that acknowledgement to all First Nations peoples joining us today.
I would also like to acknowledge:
Hamilton Calder – CEO Volunteering SA&NT
Louise Miller-Frost MP – Member for Boothby
Jacob Dommerson – Campaign ambassador and volunteer at St John Ambulance NSW
Allira Potter – First Nations campaign ambassador and life coach
It’s so great to be with you all here today.
Volunteers are the backbone of our communities.
Every time you patrol the beach here in Glenelg to keep swimmers safe.
Every time someone cooks the sausages to feed hungry athletes and raise money for their local sports team.
Every time someone visits a local retirement village to have a cuppa and a chat with someone who might be experiencing loneliness.
Every time a volunteer gives up their time to help another Aussie be happy, or safe – you make Australian society richer.
But I have not always had the best relationship with volunteering.
I say this because as a child, I was very close to my grandmother, and I got a bit jealous when I wasn’t able to see her because she was such a dedicated volunteer.
Tuesday was Meals on Wheels. Thursday afternoon she was volunteering at Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia. Every second Friday she was at Probus and she was involved with the local Lions group as well.
I felt more than a little resentful that I wasn’t getting to see my grandmother but as I became an adult, it really instilled in me the importance of volunteering.
To see the pride that she took in the help she gave and the connections she made.
And of course, it didn’t take long until I found myself being a Seacliff Surf Lifesaver volunteer. It really was passed on from generation to generation.
I am proud to support volunteering in Australia on both a personal level and as a representative of the Albanese Government.
Volunteering builds communities. And if you think about connections in the community, those are often built by lending a hand and helping others out.
But COVID interrupted that connection, and we have not seen volunteer numbers return to what they were pre-pandemic.
Many dedicated volunteers have returned, but we are yet to see young people volunteering at that pre-pandemic rate. That’s a real challenge that we need to address.
We had 1.86 million fewer formal volunteers at the start of 2022 compared to pre-pandemic. And while the demand for the help and support volunteers provide remains high, for some volunteering organisations there are not enough new volunteers to fill the gap. 83 per cent of volunteer involving organisations say they are in need of more volunteers.
Decreased volunteering creates significant challenges for volunteer organisations and Australia’s communities. We know that with fewer volunteers, it means that organisations are limited in delivering the amount of work in community than they would like to. Or, existing volunteers are expected to take on more.
There is a clear need for more volunteers across Australia right now.
Our National Strategy gives us the framework to boost volunteering supports nationwide. Of course, this is just one part of our investments.
We are working towards increasing the numbers of young people getting into volunteer roles. Because we know that young Australians have plenty to benefit from when volunteering, and we want young people to be supported to volunteer to the pre-pandemic participation levels.
Though we saw a small uptick in participation in 2023, only 29.7 per cent of young people were participating in formal volunteering, which was still far shy of pre-pandemic levels of 36.5 per cent.
There are many reasons for this drop, including the extra challenges faced by many Australians due to the impacts of the pandemic, and the day to day pressures of balancing school and work.
But recent research has shown that for young people between 15 and 18 years old, a big barrier is as simple as a low awareness about the need for young volunteers, the flexibility and variety of volunteering opportunities available to them, and the personal benefits that volunteering can bring.
Many young people that took part in the research looked on volunteering positively but didn’t think it was something for them.
They were uncertain about what a volunteer actually does, and saw it more as an activity for older people, something that would be onerous and difficult to fit into their lives.
While volunteering offers opportunities to people of all ages, as our National Strategy for Volunteering makes clear, young people are the future of volunteering in Australia.
Which makes it vital for us to reach out to show them what volunteering can be and what it can bring into their lives, and how easy it can be to make it a part of their day-to-day.
We know young people who engage in volunteering prior to entering the workforce are more likely to have a lifelong connection to volunteering.
This is why today we are launching the Hanging out to help out volunteering awareness campaign.
The campaign shows young people that volunteering is something enjoyable and rewarding, an opportunity to give back and do good while hanging out with friends.
It will be a chance to demonstrate to young Australians all the personal benefits volunteering can bring, like gaining lifelong skills, meeting new people, connecting with like-minded young people, and boosting their mental and emotional wellbeing.
While I was in high school, I worked in a variety of volunteering roles, including as a surf lifesaver at Seacliff, and I believe that experience when I was younger has helped shape who I am today.
Yes, sometimes patrolling for five hours along the beach felt like a drag and sometimes the water was freezing, but the friends, experiences and skills I gained throughout my volunteering are invaluable.
I know many of you will share this sentiment and know the great benefits volunteering can bring to you as a volunteer as well as to those you help.
The Hanging out to help out campaign will shine a light on the diversity of volunteering opportunities available to young people to suit all different types of interests, circumstances, and time availability.
The campaign will meet young people across Australia where they are, with a focus on digital communications across social media, including Instagram and TikTok, YouTube, streaming services and podcasts.
This will ensure that young Australians, regardless of their background, know what volunteering opportunities are available to them and how they can access them.
It’s as simple as going to volunteering.gov.au to find opportunities nearby, or talking to people around your community who run local volunteering organisations.
Because we know many young people are looking for opportunities to take a gap year before embarking on further education or entering the workforce following their completion of high school, we are also partnering with Year 13, a website for students looking for information about post-school pathway options.
The partnership will be running through to June 2025 and is expected to reach more than a million 15- to 18-year-olds across Australia and open the door for them to a whole new world of volunteering.
Showing them they can contribute their time and skills in a way that suits them and do meaningful work while enjoying themselves and spending time with their friends.
This new awareness campaign is one part of the Government’s broader suite of support for volunteering in Australia.
The campaign directly supports the objectives of the National Strategy for Volunteering to reshape the public perception of volunteering and recognise the inherent value of volunteering.
The National Strategy for Volunteering, funded by the Government and developed by Volunteering Australia, sets out a 10-year blueprint for a brighter future for volunteering, where more people volunteer more often, in a safe, supported and inclusive volunteering environment.
We are proud to have worked with Volunteering Australia to develop the National Strategy, which is being backed in by our investments in volunteering.
These are not just words on a page for us. The Albanese Government is investing in a strong volunteer sector and encouraging more Australians to enrich their lives through volunteering.
In August, I was pleased to join with Volunteering Australia at the Hectorville Community Centre to launch the first Action Plan under the Strategy, outlining how governments and volunteer organisations will work to achieve the goals of the Strategy.
We’ve invested over $83 million committed between July 2022 and June 2026 for our Volunteering and Community Connectedness programs.
Australia’s volunteers are at the heart of our communities and are vital to a vibrant, inclusive Australia.
I thank Volunteering Australia, Volunteering SA & NT, and Glenelg Surf Life Saving Club for all the hard work you and your members do to give back to keep volunteering strong.
With the introduction of the Hanging out to help out campaign I hope many young Australians will be inspired to make their own contributions and discover all the wonderful things that volunteering can bring into their lives.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the speech by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, at the Racial Diversity and Inclusion Recruitment Fair organised by the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Federation of Hong Kong Ethnic Communities in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 15th Anniversary of the Implementation of the Race Discrimination Ordinace at the Khalsa Diwan Hong Kong (Sikh Temple) in Wan Chai today (October 20):
Ms Linda Lam (Chairperson, Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)), Mr Akil Khan (President, Federation of Hong Kong Ethnic Communities), Mr Bhagt Singh (President, Sikh Temple), Dr Rizwan Ullah (EOC member), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. I am pleased to be joining you today for the opening of the Racial Diversity and Inclusion Recruitment Fair co-organised by the EOC and the Federation of Hong Kong Ethnic Communities (Federation).
Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city with rich tapestry of people connections, vibrant economic activities and a flourishing multi-cultural scene, thanks in no small part to the some 300 000 ethnic minority residents who settled here for generations. It is evident from the latest Census figures (of 2021) that this treasured community continues to play an integral part in strengthening Hong Kong’s workforce and driving our productivity: their labour force participation rate is at 65.5 per cent, which is higher than the 57.7 per cent of the whole population.
Today’s recruitment fair is among the EOC’s celebration events for the 15th anniversary of the implementation of the Race Discrimination Ordinance, a crucial piece of legislation driving Hong Kong’s promotion of racial equality. Following the Racial Diversity and Inclusion Sports Day in April this year, I am excited to be here today to witness another milestone. This fair is also held in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. I trust that you have been enjoying the wide arrays of celebrating events and special offers over the past few weeks. With the new card-type Mainland travel permits for non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents, it has never been easier for many of you to visit the Mainland for business or pleasure, to see for yourself the spectacular transformation in the Mainland today.
Since its inauguration in 2018, the Federation of Hong Kong Ethnic Communities has been uniting and leveraging the support from various ethnic minority communities for greater and wider contributions to the betterment of Hong Kong. We thank the Federation’s support all along in realising our common vision for a harmonious and inclusive society.
The current-term Government places importance on enhancing support and services for ethnic minorities. As just announced in the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address, the Government will engage one more “Support Service Centre for Ethnic Minorities” to provide interpretation and translation services for ethnic minorities next year, so as to reduce language barrier concerns. In terms of education, more resources will also be invested in boosting support for learning Chinese and parental assistance for our non-Chinese speaking students.
Of course, the Government’s support for ethnic minorities does not stop there. As the largest employer in Hong Kong, over 50 civil service grades in the Government have adjusted their Chinese-language proficiency requirements to increase government job opportunities for ethnic minorities. Departments, including the disciplinary forces, are also encouraged to design their own job-oriented language tests suitable for individual grades to provide ethnic minority applicants with an additional avenue for meeting the thresholds. Since 2019, we have been organising an internship programme for non-ethnic Chinese university students and 180 students have since taken part.
In addition, the Racial Diversity Employment Programme launched by the Labour Department has been regularised in 2023 to step up employment support for ethnic minorities. To date, the Programme has provided employment support services to over 400 ethnic minority job-seekers.
Today’s recruitment fair features prominent private enterprises in addition to a number of government departments, offering over 500 employment opportunities, including a wide range of skilled and professional positions, as well as on-the-spot career and employment counselling services. These job opportunities span across eleven signatories of the EOC’s Racial Diversity and Inclusion Charter for Employers from different industries, including aviation, hospitality, education, transportation, and five government departments including our disciplinary forces.
In closing, my great thanks go to the EOC and the Federation for organising this meaningful recruitment fair, the Sikh Temple for the support rendered, and the representatives from different sectors who are here with us today, for your wholehearted efforts in creating opportunities for our ethnic minority community. I wish this recruitment fair great success and all of you an enjoyable weekend. Thank you very much.
Released by: Minister for Regional NSW, Minister for Women
Lismore has been named host of the 2025 Rural Women’s Gathering at a candle lighting ceremony as part of the 2024 event in Harden Murrumburrah.
Tina Irish and Karen Hirst from Lismore City Council joined Minister for Women Jodie Harrison and the Harden Murrumburrah 2024 organising committee for the ceremony, accepting carriage of the 2025 event.
The NSW Government provides $30,000 for the Gathering as part of its commitment to empowering women and girls across regional, rural and remote NSW, including helping them build new connections and learn new skills to ensure they can reach their full potential and thrive.
The NSW Rural Women’s Gathering is an annual event held in a different location each year. 2024’s event in Harden Murrumburrah was themed “Sowing the Seeds of Success – Creating Your Own Work Life Balance”. The program – prepared by a organising committee made up of local volunteers – featured a range of enriching workshops, networking opportunities and cultural experiences.
Attendees heard from inspiring female leaders, including former Australian Olympian and two-time Athletics World Champion Jana Pittman; Founder of Womn-Kind and AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2024 NSW/ACT Finalist Ruby Reithmuller; and AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2022 VIC Winner Kimberley Furness, who is also a magazine publisher and podcaster.
Details for the 2025 Rural Women’s Gathering will be shared via the fortnightly Rural Women’s Network e-newsletter. To subscribe, visit nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/rural-womens-network
Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:
“The NSW Government is committed to empowering women and girls across regional, rural and remote NSW to have full access to opportunities.
“We recognise that women in regional parts of NSW experience unique challenges living in remote locations. We also know women in these communities are doing extraordinary things.
“The Rural Women’s Gathering provides a great opportunity to share their experiences and, in turn, help other women to better support their communities.
“Thank you to our incredible 2024 hosts in Harden Murrumburrah for helping facilitate connection through friendship, mentorship, professional resources and services. I look forward to seeing the tradition continue next year in Lismore.”
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:
“Thank you to the fabulous volunteers who coordinated and delivered a hugely successful 2024 Rural Women’s Gathering in Harden Murrumburrah – your local insights are absolutely invaluable, your dedication and commitment make this important annual event possible.
“The Rural Women’s Gathering links women to information and services, create opportunities to build personal and business resilience, allow us to promote action on rural women’s issues, and ultimately strengthen communities across NSW.
“After 31 years, the Gathering continues to be a key event on the NSW Rural Women’s Network calendar, enabling women from regional, rural and remote areas of NSW to connect, learn and celebrate.
“Each year, there’s a range of diverse speakers and workshops, all of whom bring something new and inspiring to share – and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lismore in 2025.”
Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said:
“I’m excited to have the Rural Women’s Gathering here. I think its fantastic because we have some great women right across our community.
“This is recognition that there’s a whole lot of women’s leadership here, particularly our rural women. They’re in everything, from the CWA, to the SES, to the RFS, to Zonta, we’ve got the lot.
“The Rural Women’s Gathering is a great opportunity to network and having it in Lismore means its easier for local women to take part.”
Released by: Minister for Energy and Climate Change
Power supplies have been restored to communities in the Far West region of NSW using a large-scale back-up generator, but households and businesses are being urged to reduce their usage this evening to minimise demand.
The Far West region is relying on the generator while Transgrid constructs temporary towers to replace those damaged by a serious storm. This could take a number of weeks.
The large-scale back-up generator is not adequate to meet consumer demand at all times of the day, in particular during the evening peak from 5:30pm to 10:30pm (Australian Central Daylight time).
During this time, Essential Energy may need to rotate power between different areas for around two hours at a time. Essential Energy will prioritise Life Support Customers and priority loads such as Broken Hill Base Hospital.
The community in the impacted area can help by taking simple steps to minimise power use between 5:30pm and 10:30pm (Australian Central Daylight Time):
Turn off any non-essential appliances.
Use lights only in occupied rooms.
If you are using air conditioning, consider raising the set point temperature to about 26 degrees and close all blinds, windows and doors.
Outside these times, the community should continue to use electricity as they normally would.
The impacted area incudes Broken Hill, Tibooburra, Wilcannia, Menindee, White Cliffs and several other surrounding communities.
The NSW Government has activated an emergency response and is coordinating assistance across a number of emergency services and government agencies, and is working with Transgrid and Essential Energy.
A NSW Rural Fire Service b-double truck which set off from Sydney loaded with supplies has now arrived in the Far West. The supplies include generators, fuel pods, cool rooms, lighting towers and Starlinks (satellite connections).
The NSW Government encourages community members to follow the guidance of emergency service crews and asks travellers to the Far West of NSW avoid the area surrounding Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Menindee and White Cliffs unless absolutely necessary.
“It’s positive news that power supplies have been restored to Broken Hill and nearby communities via a large-scale back-up generator. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to replace the transmission towers and repair the electricity network.
“I want to thank the Essential Energy and Transgrid workers who have worked tirelessly over the past two days to restore power.
“I also want to thank Perilya Mine for supplying load to the large-scale backup generator, which in turn, has provided security and stability to the Broken Hill grid and helped restore power to communities across the Far West.”
Member for Barwon Roy Butler said:
“We are focused on restoring power to all homes and businesses in Broken Hill and towns across the region.
“We welcome the arrival of supplies including generators to support those on the ground.
“I encourage everyone in our community to please check in on your neighbours and relatives, especially those who are vulnerable, as we work through this situation.”
New Zealand has a widely acknowledged infrastructure deficit, which is holding us back socially, economically and environmentally, Land Information Minister Chris Penk says.
“If we want to improve our productivity and lift our standard of living, we need to fix our pipes, increase the capacity of our schools and hospitals and build more houses, roads and renewable energy sources.
“To help achieve this we are reviewing the Public Works Act, which is a fundamental piece of legislation that allows the Government to acquire land for critical public infrastructure.
“Having not been substantially amended since 1988, the Act is no longer fit-for-purpose, and it is time to make changes to improve its fairness and efficiency.
“An independent expert advisory panel has carried out a targeted review and identified instances where the Act lacks clarity and commonsense.
“For example, all infrastructure projects that use the Act must meet a high threshold of being of ‘nationalandregional significance’. While a high threshold is important for protecting private property rights, there are many worthy and necessary projects that are vital for a particular region or community but may not be nationally significant.
“Similarly, building large-scale modern infrastructure often creates a knock-on effect where existing infrastructure must be upgraded or moved to accommodate the new project. For example, a new state highway often requires new regional roads to connect to it. Or widening a road may mean moving power pylons.
“This necessitates working across government agencies at both a central and regional level and acquiring land for direct and indirect purposes, which the current Act poorly enables.
“If we can make it simpler to acquire land for critical projects, then we reduce the likelihood of budget blow-outs and delays and can get on with growing our economy and delivering the public services Kiwis deserve.
“I’m looking forward to considering the review’s findings and recommendations in more detail and expect to announce policy decisions about changes to the Act by the end of the year, with a view of the Public Works Act Amendment Bill being introduced to Parliament in mid-2025.”
During the recent 6th World Media Summit in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, top TV executive Jack Gao addressed a forum about how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world with boundless potential and evolving at an unprecedented pace.
Jack Gao speaks at a forum during the 6th World Media Summit in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Oct. 14, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Whale TV]
“AI possesses the ability to speak, write, see, create and learn — mimicking the very cognitive capabilities that define us as human,” said Gao, chairman of Whale TV. “I view AI as a new digital species, one that is both our companion and our partner.”
Having spent his career at the intersection of technology and entertainment — from Microsoft China and News Corp. to Fox, Legendary Pictures, AMC Theatres, and now Whale TV — the executive has been uniquely placed to witness firsthand the transformative power of technology in the media industry. He even believes AI’s impact on human civilization may very well surpass that of fire, agriculture or electricity.
Despite its growing prominence, there is still widespread misunderstanding about AI, he pointed out, and many people are either unaware of its potential or hold misconceptions about its capabilities. “AI is not overhyped; if anything, it demands more attention and awareness,” he said. “Today, AI is no longer a buzzword, but a profound force revolutionizing media production and audience engagement.”
The executive has observed several key trends shaping the media landscape: personalization at scale, whereby AI enables highly individualized experiences; interactivity and immersion, with AI, AR and VR transforming passive consumption into active participation; media-commerce integration, allowing audiences to seamlessly purchase products directly from media content; and cross-screen synergy, with AI enabling seamless media consumption across multiple devices.
“These trends offer exciting opportunities — new revenue streams, cost efficiencies and more. However, they also present significant challenges. With great AI power comes the responsibility to navigate issues of privacy, ethics and the preservation of storytelling as an art form,” he noted.
As a former board director of AMC Theatres, Gao noted the significant challenges theatres face in an age of home entertainment. However, he believes AI is revitalizing the cinema experience by offering immersive and interactive content that can be tailored in real-time. Meanwhile, personal computers and tablets have evolved into true creative powerhouses. With the help of AI, virtually anyone can produce professional-quality content, democratizing media creation in unprecedented ways. Whether it is an independent filmmaker or a young child with a great idea, the tools to create are now within reach, he said.
In terms of smartphones, the most personal and ubiquitous screen, Gao explained that AI is personalizing content consumption at an individual level, from bite-sized videos to augmented reality experiences. The executive believes phones have essentially become personal media assistants, curating experiences to people’s preferences. However, this heightened personalization presents challenges in managing attention spans and addressing the ethical implications of AI’s influence on user behavior.
Television has transformed from the bulky analog devices of the past to today’s sleek, connected digital platforms, while streaming now dominates TV consumption, replacing traditional cable and satellite. AI has made connected TV predictive, anticipating viewers’ preferences before they themselves know, Gao said. Television now serves as the central hub of smart homes, linking security systems, appliances and more, which offers media companies dynamic and profitable engagement opportunities, he added.
The promising prospects prompted Gao to join Whale TV, which powers over 100 million connected devices globally, and he eventually became the company’s chairman. “I can confidently say that connected TV operating systems will be a critical component of the media landscape in the years to come,” he said. “These systems will integrate AI and other emerging technologies, creating a future where media is not just consumed, but experienced in ways we can scarcely imagine today.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Representative Ed Case (D-HI-01) today announced that a $40 million grant funded by the landmark 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) will develop a back-up power source for O‘ahu’s electric grid, providing resiliency to both military and civilian communities in the event of disruptions from various sources.
The federal grant award will fund the Pu‘uloa Microgrid and Backbone Project, a partnership between the U.S. Navy, Hawaiian Electric and Ameresco, Inc.
“I strongly advocated for this project with the U.S. Department of Energy when the partnership applied for funding under the Department’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program,” said Case.
“Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) plays a critical role in promoting national security throughout the Pacific theater. Especially given its importance, the Department of the Navy has identified energy resilience gaps that could significantly impact JBPHH’s ability to respond to and recover from grid outages. Further, new state and federal policy directives have required the Department of the Navy to improve resilience and reduce carbon emissions from the installation.
“As the U.S. Congressman in whose district JBPHH is located and a member of the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense, I have focused on the installation’s grid challenges and the potential for disruption of service to our civilian communities as well, and on assuring available funding to address these issues. This GRIP funding is critical to enabling this project to succeed.”
“We are thrilled to be chosen for the Department of Energy’s GRIP program,” said Nicole Bulgarino, Executive Vice President at Ameresco. “Partnering with the U.S. Navy and Hawaiian Electric Company on the groundbreaking Pu`uloa Microgrid project will not only enhance energy resilience and reliability for Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, but also provide significant benefits to the broader O‘ahu community. This project exemplifies our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community engagement.”
According to the project description, the Pu`uloa Microgrid will detect the loss of power during grid outages, disconnect from the broader grid and direct power from Pu`uloa Energy to support JBPHH’s national security needs while maintaining civilian community service. During a full island outage, the system will provide black start capabilities. The project will also improve power quality to JBPHH and the local grid through ancillary services such as frequency response and voltage support.
Pu`uloa Microgrid is designed to strengthen the grid and improve resilience by increasing or establishing interconnections between Hawaiian Electric substations at JBPHH with new 46 kV transmission infrastructure that will be integrated into the microgrid control system and utilize state of the art smart grid technologies.
“Since 2021 I have been working hard to ensure that my government and community partners throughout Hawai‘i are aware of project and funding availability from both the $1.2 trillion BIL, as well as from the $500 billion Inflation Reduction Act (which Congress passed in August 2022). Together these two landmark measures are addressing our country’s most pressing infrastructure needs including those arising from climate change,” said Case.