Two youths have been taken into custody following an evade incident on the Bridgewater Bridge this morning. The pair were observed driving a stolen vehicle south on the Midland Highway around 8:30am, when they failed to stop for police. Officers deployed road spikes on the Midland Highway near the Bridgewater causeway. The driver continued to drive the vehicle crashed into two other vehicles causing minor damage. The two 15-year-old youths ran from the vehicle and were apprehended by police nearby. One of the youths has been taken to hospital as a precaution. No other injuries were reported. Traffic was diverted via New Norfolk and the Bowen Bridge. The Bridgewater causeway will remain closed until around midday. Investigations are ongoing, and police urge anyone with information or dashcam footage of the incident to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Police are investigating an incident where a 4 year old boy ran onto the roadway, and was hit by a Gray Suzuki car at 6.40pm on Saturday 8 February 2025 in Franmaree Road, Newnham, Launceston. Prompt attendance by emergency services saw the child stabilised and taken to the Launceston General Hospital by Ambulance Tas. Following this the child was airlifted to the Royal Hobart Hospital where he remains, critically injured but in a stable condition. Anyone who witnessed this incident, or has with dash cam or CCTV footage is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.
A man has died in a fatal crash at One Tree Hill overnight.
Emergency services were called to Uley Road, One Tree Hill about 1.30am on Monday 10 February by reports of a single vehicle collision.
The Holden station wagon failed to negotiate a bend and hit a pole, the impact splitting the car in half.
Sadly, the driver, a 35-year-old One Tree Hill man, died at the scene.
Major Crash investigators attended and examined the scene overnight.
The man’s death is the 16th life lost on South Australian roads so far this year.
Anyone who witness this vehicle driving prior to the crash or has any further information that may assist the investigation into the fatal crash can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au
If you are a parent of a school student, you may have received a form seeking permission to use your child’s image on school social media accounts.
It’s very common for schools to share photos of smiling students on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. This may be to celebrate the start of term, student achievements, or performances and events at the school.
Schools need permission from parents to publish or disclose students’ personal information, including photos and videos, on any online platform.
But research suggests families can lack support and information to provide fully informed consent.
Our recent study showed one of main reasons schools post on social media is they believe it is what parents want. This is part of marketing their school as a positive place to learn.
But some parents take a more cautious approach to social media and don’t necessarily want photos of their children made public online.
There is significant community concern about children’s online privacy and their digital footprint or the information trail about them.
Last month, the Australian Federal Police warned parents about sharing images of their children online, especially back-to-school photos. It recommended parents blur or obscure the logo of the child’s school. Police also noted how background features can identify a school or child’s location.
The AFP has seen non-explicit pictures of children and young people become the target of highly sexualised and inappropriate comments or role play.
The risks also go beyond other people identifying your child online. Photos of children shared online can be used to train AI models or create deepfakes that are increasingly being used in cases of cyber bullying and cyber abuse.
School social media accounts are a way of marketing to families and the community. SpeedKingz/Shutterstock
What are the rules in Australia?
The Australian Privacy Act and related Australian Privacy Principles, say consent to share personal information should be current, clearly explained and specific.
This is why schools need to ask parents at the start of each year, but how they do this will depend on the state education department or individual school.
Here are three questions to consider before you sign.
1. What is the school asking you for?
While approaches vary, it is common for schools to ask for several types of permission in one bundle.
For example, they may ask if they can use photos and videos of your child in the school newsletter, school website, annual report, online learning platforms, traditional news media as well as social media.
So the locations where your child’s information and photo may be shared are quite different in terms of privacy and your child’s digital footprint.
For example, this could involve a photo of your child doing a class activity shared on a secure education app, or a video of your child on a public Facebook page.
Parents have the right to consent and/or decline the use of their children’s information for specific purposes. If you can’t do this on the form, you can contact the school.
2. What does the school post?
Before providing or declining consent, you may want to take a closer look at the kinds of posts the school shares. This includes:
the quantity of information shared (number of photos or videos shared, and how often)
strategies used to protect children’s privacy (no names or locations, or photos in which children are not clearly identifiable or faces are obscured)
the purpose of the posts (can you see the value and benefit of sharing information?).
Think about whether the school’s approach fits with your family’s approach to social media and what you share.
3. How does your child feel?
Research shows children as young as eight are developing an understanding of the risks of sharing personal information online.
Understanding how your child feels about their school’s social media is important in making an informed decision about consent. It also helps teach them about making decisions about their digital footprint.
You could ask your child:
are they aware of the school social media sites?
how does having their photo taken, or not, at school make them feel?
are they asked when their photo is taken, and are they told where it will be used or shared?
These forms can seem routine or presented as if it’s not a big deal. But if you have any questions or concerns you should talk to your school. Schools can help you with more information and can also forward feedback to education departments. This is particularly important as we navigate the changing nature of social media and the potential impacts on children.
Karley Beckman is an Associate Investigator with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.
Tiffani Apps is an Associate Investigator with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child
The Police Force’s National Security Department yesterday arrested a 26-year-old man and today charged him with one count of committing an act or a series of acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice.
The case will be mentioned at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow.
The Police Force’s National Security Department today charged a 26-year-old woman with one count of committing an act or a series of acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice.
The woman was arrested yesterday in Kowloon after a holding charge was brought against a 26-year-old man for one count of the same offence on February 7. She had been wanted in connection with the case.
The case will be mentioned at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jeffrey To, Psychology PhD Researcher, Intergroup Relations and Implicit Biases, McGill University
This week, Google announced it’s halting its DEI hiring initiatives. But DEI training is fleeting and hiring practices need to address systems, not individuals. (Tom Barrett/Unsplash), CC BY
In Canada, however, some companies remain committed to DEI. For example, KPMG Canada conducted 50 DEI training sessions for its 35,000 employees in 2022 and plans to continue its DEI efforts into 2025.
But is this the best way forward?
As a PhD student researching implicit bias, I am examining how DEI training and programs can go awry. For example, one study suggests that while DEI programs can reduce prejudice in some cases, programs that exert control over people may backfire. This happens because they place responsibility for bias and discrimination on individuals when research suggests it is the biased systems that deserve more scrutiny.
We’ve all experienced a moment where we met someone and perhaps without thinking, felt a sense of threat or unfamiliarity. These spontaneous reactions are known as implicit biases. Over the years, researchers have linked these biases to unfair treatment of individuals who differ from us.
Historically, psychologists have considered bias intrinsic to oneself, similar to personality or IQ. However, newer approaches are challenging this view.
Personality tests such as the Big Five show reasonable forecasting ability for job outcomes. However, Implicit Association Tests — a common tool used to measure implicit biases — show only weak relevance to actual discriminatory behaviour. In other words, a white person who holds implicit biases against racialized immigrants, for example, might not necessarily act on those biases.
Recent studies now suggest that biases are better understood as environmental factors, not individual traits. For example, one study demonstrated that implicit biases correlate with behaviour. But this connection only holds when analyzing groups of people within a specific region. In regions where anti-Black biases are more prevalent among white residents, higher rates of police violence against Black individuals are observed.
One key takeaway from implicit bias research is that interventions targeting individual biases often provide only temporary results because bias is embedded within systems.
So, what can organizations do to address systemic bias more effectively?
Let’s look at hiring as an example.
Instead of requiring hiring managers to participate in diversity training, organizations could implement hiring criteria that minimize the influence of race and gender bias in the hiring process. Some research suggests tailoring job descriptions to appeal to underrepresented groups. For example, HR postings that increase the transparency of qualifications or focus on benefits can attract more women for roles in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Policing is another area where systemic change can mitigate bias. Studiesshow police officers are more likely to stop, question, arrest or use force against Black people than white people.
Rather than mandating police officers undergo diversity training to educate them about their biases — something that has only a fleeting effect — a restructuring of the policies and procedures around stops and frisks would reduce bias’s impact.
As DEI programs face increasing scrutiny and skepticism, and many employees feel frustrated by ineffective and repetitive online training, there is a growing need to reframe DEI as systems-focused work. If diversity, equity and inclusion are truly the goals, the solution lies in rebuilding the systems that shape our society.
Jeffrey To receives funding from The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Henning Melber, Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria
Sam Nujoma was an outstanding Namibian leader who personified more than anybody else the country’s liberation struggle history and independence. His death at the age of 95 marks the end of an era. But his legacy will live on.
Together with Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, he was central in the foundation of the national liberation movement, South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo).
Samuel (Sam) Shafishuna (“lightning”) Daniel Nujoma was born on 12 May 1929 at Etunda near Okahao in northern Namibia in today’s Omusati region, the eldest of 11 children. His childhood was devoted to helping care for his siblings, the family cattle and cultivating the land. From 1937 to 1943 he completed primary school at the Finnish Missionary School at Okahao.
Namibia was then South West Africa, a former German colony, administered by apartheid South Africa since December 1920. Aged 17, he became a contract worker in the harbour town of Walvis Bay. From 1949 he worked as a cleaner at South African Railways in Windhoek. For most of his age group, contract labour in the settler economy was the only way out of subsistence agriculture.
In 1959 Nujoma co-founded the Ovamboland People’s Organisation, marking a new chapter of organised resistance against settler-colonial rule. At the time, African residents in the capital Windhoek lived mainly in the so-called Old Location. It was close to the centre of town, while contract workers were accommodated in a separate compound.
Their residents were supposed to relocate to a distant new township, Katutura. Protests against the forced removal escalated on 10 December 1959. Police opened fire, killing 11 and seriously wounding 44.
This was a turning point in the organised resistance. Political activists faced increased repression. Nujoma left for exile in February 1960 to campaign internationally, not least at the United Nations in New York.
In April 1960 the Ovamboland People’s Organisation became Swapo and Nujoma its first president. He remained in office until 2007. In 1967, Swapo resorted to armed resistance against the South African occupation.
The organisation became the family and Nujoma its patriarch. As Raymond Suttner, a scholar and political analyst, observed:
Any involvement in a revolution has an impact on conceptions of the personal.
A warfare of more than 20 years cost thousands of lives. The military component played a big role in Swapo’s struggle history. This is illustrated in the movement’s official narrative To Be Born A Nation.
While never trained for combat, Nujoma liked to pose as the military leader. Testimony to this is the dominant statue of the “unknown soldier” at the Heroes Acre, modelled as Nujoma.
Just as enlightening is Nujoma’s autobiography, ending with independence on 21 March 1990. Its title Where Others Wavered is from one of his statements in the late 1970s:
When the history of a free and independent Namibia is written one day, Swapo will go down as having stood firm where others have wavered: that it sacrificed for the sacred cause of liberation where others have compromised.
(Nujoma’s account) brings into sharp relief the career of a formidable political activist who displayed enormous courage, determination and will to survive against considerable odds.
Heading the state
Nujoma was appointed Namibia’s first head of state by the Constituent Assembly. His initial term (1990-1995) was characterised by efforts to build the nation and foster reconciliation in a deeply divided settler colonial society.
He accepted a constitutionally enshrined status quo when it came to the privileges of the white minority. Continued socioeconomic disparities under political majority rule signified a process in which political power was traded and transferred while fundamental social inequalities were guarded by the protection of existing property relations.
In August 1999 Nujoma declared a first state of emergency when a failed secession in what was then called the Caprivi Strip came as a shock attack. The subsequent treatment of the suspected secessionists was anything but reconciliatory. It resulted in the country’s only political refugees so far.
To allow Nujoma a third term in office (2000-2005), the National Assembly adopted a first constitutional amendment in late 1998. The justification was that his initial appointment was not based on a direct vote by the electorate. The clause was restricted to Nujoma.
Handing over the torch
There were doubts if Nujoma would vacate office. In 2004 he declared:
One cannot ignore the call by the people, because the people are the ones who make the final decision.
This fuelled speculations that he might be tempted to opt for a referendum, banking on an anticipated majority willing to grant him another term.
Facing internal Swapo opposition, Nujoma opted for the party’s unity and announced his retirement at the end of his term. This paved the way for three candidates competing for his replacement.
But, he was adamant that his long-time confidante Hifikepunye Pohamba would become his successor. A heavy-handed approach to bulldoze him through resulted in a break-away new party.
In such a context retirement is a foreign word. One can leave office but remain a leader. Nujoma’s word and view counted in policy implementation – both at party and national government levels. Although his direct impact gradually subsided, he remained an iconic influencer.
Achievements despite the limits to liberation
Many leaders of African countries were shaped by resistance to colonial oppression. This was no romantic picnic, but required perseverance and tough decisions. It came at a cost. Military mindsets and strict hierarchies were fostering authoritarian tendencies.
These are not the best ingredients for civilian rule. But achieving sovereignty elevated the struggle to new levels. Since the end of white minority rule and South African occupation, Namibian people are governed by those they elected democratically.
Nujoma was on the commanding heights of Namibia’s liberation struggle for over half a century. He decided to retire as captain in time. Namibians owe it to him and others for paving the way for a democratic state guided by the rule of law.
This is adequately symbolised in his statue erected at Windhoek’s Independence Museum. Dressed in civilian clothes, Nujoma proudly holds up the Namibian constitution. It might be the best visual recognition of all of his ultimate contribution to Namibian society.
Since independence, the struggle for more equality continues by civil means. Tatekulu (big man) Sam Nujoma deserves credit for his role in this remarkably peaceful transition towards a multi-party democracy in which politically motivated violence rarely occurs. He will always have centre stage in Namibia’s hall of fame.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Henning Melber, Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria
Sam Nujoma was an outstanding Namibian leader who personified more than anybody else the country’s liberation struggle history and independence. His death at the age of 95 marks the end of an era. But his legacy will live on.
Together with Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, he was central in the foundation of the national liberation movement, South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo).
Samuel (Sam) Shafishuna (“lightning”) Daniel Nujoma was born on 12 May 1929 at Etunda near Okahao in northern Namibia in today’s Omusati region, the eldest of 11 children. His childhood was devoted to helping care for his siblings, the family cattle and cultivating the land. From 1937 to 1943 he completed primary school at the Finnish Missionary School at Okahao.
Namibia was then South West Africa, a former German colony, administered by apartheid South Africa since December 1920. Aged 17, he became a contract worker in the harbour town of Walvis Bay. From 1949 he worked as a cleaner at South African Railways in Windhoek. For most of his age group, contract labour in the settler economy was the only way out of subsistence agriculture.
In 1959 Nujoma co-founded the Ovamboland People’s Organisation, marking a new chapter of organised resistance against settler-colonial rule. At the time, African residents in the capital Windhoek lived mainly in the so-called Old Location. It was close to the centre of town, while contract workers were accommodated in a separate compound.
Their residents were supposed to relocate to a distant new township, Katutura. Protests against the forced removal escalated on 10 December 1959. Police opened fire, killing 11 and seriously wounding 44.
This was a turning point in the organised resistance. Political activists faced increased repression. Nujoma left for exile in February 1960 to campaign internationally, not least at the United Nations in New York.
In April 1960 the Ovamboland People’s Organisation became Swapo and Nujoma its first president. He remained in office until 2007. In 1967, Swapo resorted to armed resistance against the South African occupation.
The organisation became the family and Nujoma its patriarch. As Raymond Suttner, a scholar and political analyst, observed:
Any involvement in a revolution has an impact on conceptions of the personal.
A warfare of more than 20 years cost thousands of lives. The military component played a big role in Swapo’s struggle history. This is illustrated in the movement’s official narrative To Be Born A Nation.
Nujoma, centre, as the historic 1989 elections were announced. With him: Hage Geingob, left, Hidipo Hamutenya, Theo Ben Gurirab Moses Garoeb and a bodyguard.HENNING MELBER
While never trained for combat, Nujoma liked to pose as the military leader. Testimony to this is the dominant statue of the “unknown soldier” at the Heroes Acre, modelled as Nujoma.
Just as enlightening is Nujoma’s autobiography, ending with independence on 21 March 1990. Its title Where Others Wavered is from one of his statements in the late 1970s:
When the history of a free and independent Namibia is written one day, Swapo will go down as having stood firm where others have wavered: that it sacrificed for the sacred cause of liberation where others have compromised.
(Nujoma’s account) brings into sharp relief the career of a formidable political activist who displayed enormous courage, determination and will to survive against considerable odds.
Heading the state
Nujoma was appointed Namibia’s first head of state by the Constituent Assembly. His initial term (1990-1995) was characterised by efforts to build the nation and foster reconciliation in a deeply divided settler colonial society.
He accepted a constitutionally enshrined status quo when it came to the privileges of the white minority. Continued socioeconomic disparities under political majority rule signified a process in which political power was traded and transferred while fundamental social inequalities were guarded by the protection of existing property relations.
In August 1999 Nujoma declared a first state of emergency when a failed secession in what was then called the Caprivi Strip came as a shock attack. The subsequent treatment of the suspected secessionists was anything but reconciliatory. It resulted in the country’s only political refugees so far.
To allow Nujoma a third term in office (2000-2005), the National Assembly adopted a first constitutional amendment in late 1998. The justification was that his initial appointment was not based on a direct vote by the electorate. The clause was restricted to Nujoma.
Handing over the torch
There were doubts if Nujoma would vacate office. In 2004 he declared:
One cannot ignore the call by the people, because the people are the ones who make the final decision.
This fuelled speculations that he might be tempted to opt for a referendum, banking on an anticipated majority willing to grant him another term.
Statue of the unknown soldier modelled on Sam Nujoma.Henning Melber
Facing internal Swapo opposition, Nujoma opted for the party’s unity and announced his retirement at the end of his term. This paved the way for three candidates competing for his replacement.
But, he was adamant that his long-time confidante Hifikepunye Pohamba would become his successor. A heavy-handed approach to bulldoze him through resulted in a break-away new party.
In such a context retirement is a foreign word. One can leave office but remain a leader. Nujoma’s word and view counted in policy implementation – both at party and national government levels. Although his direct impact gradually subsided, he remained an iconic influencer.
Achievements despite the limits to liberation
Many leaders of African countries were shaped by resistance to colonial oppression. This was no romantic picnic, but required perseverance and tough decisions. It came at a cost. Military mindsets and strict hierarchies were fostering authoritarian tendencies.
These are not the best ingredients for civilian rule. But achieving sovereignty elevated the struggle to new levels. Since the end of white minority rule and South African occupation, Namibian people are governed by those they elected democratically.
Nujoma was on the commanding heights of Namibia’s liberation struggle for over half a century. He decided to retire as captain in time. Namibians owe it to him and others for paving the way for a democratic state guided by the rule of law.
This is adequately symbolised in his statue erected at Windhoek’s Independence Museum. Dressed in civilian clothes, Nujoma proudly holds up the Namibian constitution. It might be the best visual recognition of all of his ultimate contribution to Namibian society.
Since independence, the struggle for more equality continues by civil means. Tatekulu (big man) Sam Nujoma deserves credit for his role in this remarkably peaceful transition towards a multi-party democracy in which politically motivated violence rarely occurs. He will always have centre stage in Namibia’s hall of fame.
Hamba Kahle (go well), tate Sam.
– Sam Nujoma personified Namibia’s struggle for freedom – https://theconversation.com/sam-nujoma-personified-namibias-struggle-for-freedom-158904
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –DANTE FRAZIER (“FRAZIER”), age 45, was sentenced on February 6, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to 188 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release, along with a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C); and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers responded to an emergency call and found FRAZIER passed out in the driver’s seat of a vehicle. After becoming aware of NOPD’s presence, FRAZIER drove onto the Saint Claude Avenue neutral ground, struck a median, and then drove into a gas station parking lot before fleeing on foot. While fleeing, FRAZIER fired five shots from a Mossberg International Model 715P, .22 caliber handgun, at NOPD, before hiding beneath a nearby house. Soon after the pursuit, NOPD officers located FRAZIER, and his vehicle containing over 50 grams of methamphetamine and 14 grams of cocaine, that FRAZIER intended to distribute. Before this shooting incident, FRAZIER had been convicted of three counts of armed robbery and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –MERVYN LUCAS (“LUCAS”), age 33, was sentenced on February 6, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to 75 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, along with a $300 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and possession of a car stolen from the Norfolk Southern Railyard, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 659.
According to court documents, law enforcement tracked a brand new, $80,000 Ford F-150 Raptor stolen from the Norfolk Southern Railyard to LUCAS’s residence. The vehicle had a fraudulent temporary license plate and inside the residence, in an envelope addressed to LUCAS,there was a second fraudulent plate. Law enforcement also found over 10 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana in LUCAS’s residence that he intended to distribute. Additionally, they found a Romarm/Cugir Model Micro Draco AK-47-style firearm, loaded with over 40 rounds of ammunition, that LUCAS possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Three men have been rescued after being reported missing while rafting on the Waikaia River near Piano Flat.
Police were alerted at around 9.30pm yesterday that the men did not reach their designated pick-up point after a planned trip on the river.
After making initial enquiries overnight, Police Search and Rescue began the search at first light this morning.
Police would like to thank Fire and Emergency New Zealand for providing a Command Truck for a forward search base at Piano Flat.
Southern Lakes Helicopters – Te Anau assisted the search by providing a helicopter, which located two inflatable watercrafts in a gorge section of the river, about 6.5km north of Piano Flat.
At around 11.30am, one of the men was sighted by the helicopter near the river’s edge with a leg injury.
The other two men were located nearby a short time later, cold but otherwise uninjured.
The trio were winched from the river to safety by the helicopter and were medically assessed. The man with the leg injury was transported to hospital by Ambulance.
Police would like to thank Land Search and Rescue volunteers from Southland, Eastern Southland, Catlins, and Fiordland, alongside Amateur Radio Emergency Communications.
Police would also like to thank the public who provided vital information of the area and terrain.
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ROBERT BALL (“BALL”), age 45 of New Orleans, was sentenced on February 6, 2025 to a total of 248 months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, after previously pleading guilty to one (1) count of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), one (1) count of Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), as well as one (1) count of Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(a). BALL was sentenced to 188 months imprisonment on Counts 1 and 2, followed by an additional 60 months on Count 3 to run consecutive. Judge Morgan also ordered that BALL serve five (5) years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, law enforcement in Ontario, California intercepted a package suspected of containing methamphetamine that was enroute to New Orleans. Further investigation revealed that Felipe Garcia had mailed two similar packages from the same United Parcel Service store in California to New Orleans. After determining the intercepted package in California contained methamphetamine, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) intercepted the second package before its delivery to a New Orleans address. It was later determined that BALL was the intended recipient of this drug package. BALL had previously been arrested by the Louisiana State Police after a traffic stop led to the discovery of methamphetamine and firearms in his possession.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, and the Ontario California Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
As people travel back home from the Burt Munro Challenge, we remind motorists that our highways are not racetracks and there is no prize for getting home first.
Thousands of people are leaving the Invercargill region in the coming days, prompting our reminder to drive safely so you reach your destinations safely.
Ensure you plan your journey ahead and allow plenty of travel time in case of delays. With a significant increase in traffic heading out of the region, it is crucial to keep your cool all times.
Please drive to the conditions, obey all speed limits and restrictions, don’t drive impaired and keep your phone away. If you are feeling fatigued, pull over or have somebody else drive.
If you are on a motorcycle, wear all the appropriate safety gear and check your bike is road safe before setting off.
We hope everyone enjoyed the events in our region, and if you’re on the road, expect to see us out and about, making sure everyone’s safe.
There will be a visible Police presence in the Hawke’s Bay on Monday for the tangi of a senior member of the Mongrel Mob.
In the morning, the deceased will be taken from Mahora to Moteo for burial, with more than 100 gang members and associates possibly taking part.
Police have been working with whanau and gang leaders to minimise the impact to the community and the tangi itself. We have also been speaking with residents in the Mahora and Moteo Pa areas advising them of the increased presence of gang members and Police.
Our focus for the tangi is keeping people safe, preventing or minimising disruption to the public and responding to any unlawful behaviour. Neighbouring districts are providing additional policing teams to support the operation and help us monitor the movement of gang members through the region.
Illegal, antisocial or disruptive behaviour won’t be tolerated.
Police will take every opportunity to immediately intervene and enforce the law, including the Gangs Act 2024. In instances where immediate enforcement isn’t possible, officers are instructed to gather evidence that allows us to hold people accountable for their actions.
If you are on the roads, expect to see us; Police will be running checkpoints to breath test drivers, ensure passengers are properly restrained, and check that vehicles are roadworthy.
Everyone in the community has the right to be safe and feel safe.
If you see any illegal behaviour, call police on 111 if it is happening now, or make a report at 105.police.govt.nz if it’s after the fact.
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Khalil “KC” Mohseni, of Sacramento, has been appointed Commissioner of the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, where he has been the Chief Deputy Director since 2023. Mohseni was the Chief Operating Officer at the State Controller’s Office from 2022 to 2023. He was the Deputy Director of Administration at the California Department of Housing and Community Development from 2020 to 2022. Mohseni was a Project Director of Business at the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency from 2018 to 2019. He was the Chief Fiscal officer at the Board of State and Community Corrections from 2015 to 2018. Mohseni earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $224,868. Mohseni is registered without party preference.
Kelly Madsen, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Director of Enterprise Risk Management and Compliance at the California Housing Finance Agency, where she has been the Deputy Director of Innovation and Special Initiatives since 2024. Madsen was a Business Manager at the Waverley Street Foundation in 2023. She was the Director of Scheduling at the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom from 2021 to 2022. Madsen was a Digital Advertising Consultant and Operations Manager at Psyberware from 2017 to 2021. She was a Product Data Analyst at Viator from 2015 to 2018. Madsen held two positions at the California Department of Education, Office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson from 2011 to 2014, including Strategic Initiatives Coordinator and Policy Advisor from 2012 to 2014 and Director of Scheduling from 2011 to 2012. She was the Director of Scheduling at the Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2008 to 2010. Madsen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $152,988. Madsen is a Democrat.
Adam P. Romero, of Los Angeles, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at the Department of Industrial Relations. Romero has been Deputy Director of Executive Programs at the California Civil Rights Department since 2020. He was an Adjunct Professor at University of California, Los Angeles School of Law from 2017 to 2020. Romero held several roles at The Williams Institute at University of California, Los Angeles School of Law from 2014 to 2020, including Director of Legal Scholarship and Federal Policy, Arnold D. Kassoy Scholar of Law, and Senior Counsel. He was Senior Associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr from 2010 to 2014. Romero served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Judge Shira A. Scheindlin at the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York from 2009 to 2010 and for the Honorable Judge M. Margaret McKeown at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 2008 to 2009. He is a member of the Chancery Club of Los Angeles. Romero earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Cornell University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $190,008. Romero is a Democrat.
Janus Norman, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California Workforce Development Board. Norman has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the California Broadband and Video Association since 2022. He was Senior Vice President at the California Medical Association from 2013 to 2022. Norman was a Field Representative at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – AFL-CIO from 2010 to 2013. He was a Government Analyst at the Judicial Council of California from 2008 to 2010. Norman was a Senior Consultant for the California State Assembly from 2002 to 2008. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Norman is a Democrat.
Hala Hijazi, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California Workforce Development Board. Hijazi has been the Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Impact Strategies-SF since 2014. She was a Business Development Manager in the Infrastructure and Labor Division at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission from 2007 to 2014. Hijazi was a Project Director for the San Francisco Department of Public Works from 2004 to 2007. She was Deputy Director of Marketing for the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and Special Assistant to the Mayor at the Office of San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. from 1997 to 2004. Hijazi is the Founder of Professionals VIP Network/Impact Council and San Francisco Bay Area AMEMSA Advisory Board and Muslim Impact Council, Chair of the Board of Directors at Reproductive Freedom for All California PrivacyPAC and Director of the San Francisco Chapter of the Truman National Security Project. She is a Member of the Board of Directors at the American Red Cross, Northern California Coastal Region and Interfaith Center at the Presidio, an Advisor to the Human Rights Studies Program at University of California, Davis and a Member of the Regional Advisory Council for DignityMoves, Democratic National Committee’s Finance Committee, San Francisco Police Department Police Chief’s Community Policing Advisory Forum, and the Leadership Circle at Foreign Policy for America. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Hijazi is a Democrat.
Charles “Chuck” Poss III, of Huntington Beach, has been appointed to the California Apprenticeship Council. Poss has been the President at Earth Construction and Mining since 2004. He was the Chief Estimator and Senior Project Manager at C.W. Poss Inc. from 1980 to 2004. Poss earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering from Purdue University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Poss is a Republican.
Alejandro “Alex” Beltran, of Antelope, has been appointed to the California Apprenticeship Council. Beltran has been the Director of Training at the Finishing Trades Institute of Northern California and Nevada since 2008. He was a Journey Worker at Sacramento Glazing from 1997 to 2008. Beltran is a member of the Glaziers Local Union 767, District Council 16 International Union of Partners and Allied Trades. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Beltran is a Democrat.
Adhitya “Adhi” Nagraj, of Oakland, has been reappointed to the California Housing Partnership Corporation, where he has served since 2016. Nagraj has been the Chief Development Officer at McCormack Baron Salazar since 2022. He was Senior Vice President at McCormack Baron Salazar from 2019 to 2022. Nagraj was the San Francisco Director at SPUR from 2018 to 2019. He was the Director of Real Estate Development at BRIDGE Housing Corporation from 2013 to 2018. Nagraj earned a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School. This position requires Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Nagraj is a Democrat.
Pamela Daniels, of El Granada, has been reappointed to the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, where she has served since 2021. Daniels has been a Chiropractor at Daniels Chiropractic Inc. since 2003, where she is also the Owner and Founder. Daniels earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic West and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Neuroscience from the Carrick Institute. She is a member of the California Chiropractic Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Daniels is a Democrat.
Sergio F. Azzolino, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, where he previously served from 2012 to 2021. Azzolino has been the Clinic Director of Azzolino Chiropractic Neurology & Integrative Wellness since 1995 and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology at the Carrick Institute since 2009. He is President of the American Board of Chiropractic Neurology. Azzolino earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life Chiropractic College West. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Azzolino is registered without party preference.
Press Releases, Recent News
Recent news
Feb 7, 2025
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has signed the following bills: SBX1-1 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Budget Act of 2024.SBX1-2 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) – Budget Act of 2024. A signing message can be found…
Feb 7, 2025
News LOS ANGELES — Governor Gavin Newsom, LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman, Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, and NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson have teamed up through LA Rises to release a new PSA warning fire victims about predatory real estate…
Feb 7, 2025
News What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery for Los Angeles his top priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors. LOS ANGELES – In the one month following the Los Angeles firestorms, Governor Gavin…
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Police today (February 8) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Lantau North.
Choi Ko-king, aged 69, went missing after he left his residence on Yi Tung Road, Tung Chung yesterday (February 7) morning. His family made a report to Police on the same day.
He is about 1.7 metres tall, 58 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a square face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a green long-sleeved down jacket, black long-sleeved shirt, black trousers, white sport shoes and carrying a walking stick.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1176 or 5239 7701 or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nicholas Dombek, age 54, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Damien Boland, age 48, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, and Joseph Atsus, age 48, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania, were convicted on February 7, 2025, for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property, as well as multiple related substantive offense, following a four-week jury trial before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Dombek, Boland, and Joseph Atsus were part of a larger nine-person conspiracy which lasted over 20 years and whose goal was to break into multiple museums and other institutions and steal priceless works of art, sports memorabilia, and other objects. Those objects include the following:
A Christy Matthewson jersey and two contracts signed by Matthewson stolen in 1999 from Keystone College in Factoryville, Pennsylvania;
“Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania;
Ten (10) World Series rings, seven (7) other championship rings, and two (2) MVP plaques all belonging to Yogi Berra, worth over $1,000,000 stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls, New Jersey;
Six (6) championship belts, including four belonging to Carmen Basilio and two belonging to Tony Zale, stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York;
The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy belonging to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum in Fargo, North Dakota;
The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library;
Fourteen (14) trophies and other awards worth over $300,000, stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York;
Five (5) trophies worth over $400,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York;
Eleven (11) trophies, including four (4) belonging to Art Wall, Jr., stolen in 2011 from the Scranton Country Club located in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania;
Three antique firearms worth a combined $1,000,000, stolen in 2006 from Space Farms Zoo & Museum in Wantage, New Jersey;
An 1903/1904 Tiffany Lamp stolen in 2010 from the Lackawanna Historical Society in Scranton, Pennsylvania,
“Upper Hudson” by Jasper Cropsey, worth approximately $500,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey;
Two antique firearms worth over $300,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey;
$400,000 worth of gold nuggets, stolen in 2011 from the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, New Jersey;
Various gems, minerals, and other items stolen in 2017, from the Franklin Mineral Museum in Franklin, New Jersey;
An antique shotgun worth over $30,000, stolen in 2018 from Space Farms Zoo & Museum in Wantage, New Jersey;
Various jewelry, rings, and other items from various antique and jewelry stores in New York, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.
Five additional co-conspirators pled guilty pursuant to felony informations and are awaiting sentencing. Former co-defendant Alfred Atsus was acquitted of the three counts against him at trial.
After stealing the above-described items, the conspirators would transport the stolen goods back to northeastern Pennsylvania, often the residence of Dombek, and melt the memorabilia down into easily transportable metal discs or bars. The conspirators would then sell the raw metal to fences in the New York City area for hundreds or a few thousands of dollars, significantly less than the sports memorabilia would be worth at fair market value.
Dombek burnt the painting “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Cropsey, valued at approximately $500,000, to avoid the painting being recovered by investigators and used as evidence against the members of the conspiracy. The whereabouts of many of the other paintings and stolen objects are currently unknown, however, several antique firearms stolen from the Space Farms Zoo and Museum and the Ringwood Manor Museum, both in New Jersey, were recovered by investigators.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the New Jersey State Park Police, the Newport Police Department (Rhode Island), the Fargo Police Department (North Dakota), the Chester Police Department (New York), the Exeter Borough Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Scranton Police Department, the Franklin Police Department (New Jersey), the Village of Goshen Police Department (New York), the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.), the West Milord Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Montclair Police Department (New Jersey), the Saratoga Springs Police Department (New York), the Canastota Police Department (New York), the South Abington Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Bernards Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Salisbury Township Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Montclair State University Police Department (New Jersey), the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office (Pennsylvania), the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (New York), and multiple other local law enforcement agencies from across the country. Assistant United States Attorneys James M. Buchanan, Jenny Roberts, and Sean Camoni prosecuted the case.
Sentencing is not yet scheduled. The defendants face a maximum penalty of imprisonment for a term of five years for the conspiracy conviction and maximum penalties of ten years’ imprisonment for each additional count of conviction, as well as a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
Police are appealing for witnesses and footage following a fatal collision in Clapton.
Officers were called at approximately 06:50hrs on Saturday, 8 February to reports of a car in collision with a stationery bus in Lea Bridge Road, near the junction of Clapton Road, E5.
London Ambulance Service and HEMS paramedics also attended.
The driver of the car, a woman, was taken to hospital for treatment – she sadly died there a short time later.
Her next of kin have been informed and will be supported by specially trained officers.
No reports of any other serious injuries.
An investigation into the circumstances is under way by detectives from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit. They would like to hear from anyone who was in the area and witnessed this incident, or any road users or pedestrians who may have captured events on film.
Anyone with information that could assist police is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote CAD1388/8Feb.
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“I greatly welcome today’s High Court judgement in the judicial review by NI Retired Police Officers’ Association against the Police Ombudsman.
“For too long the Ombudsman has exceeded the remit of the office to make expansive findings of ‘collusion’ etc which are presented as misconduct, or worse.
“However, in this judgement today we have had an overdue clipping of the Ombudsman’s wings. The language of the judgement is emphatic and clear, “the Ombudsman’s role is investigative and not adjudicative. It is not for the Ombudsman to made determinations (whether express or implied) as to whether criminal conduct or even misconduct has in fact occurred; no more than it is for the police to determine and publicly state that a suspect is guilty of a crime. That is a matter to be determined by others in different processes specifically established for that purpose.”
“Too often the Ombudsman has played to the anti-police gallery by throwing around findings of “collusion” etc – all of which oversteps the investigative role of the office by bolting on adjudicative and prejudicial findings.
“I trust the Ombudsman will take heed of this judgement and not again have to be called into line for overstepping the prescribed functions of the office”.
By building up intelligence around suspects and working at pace, Met officers in Camden arrested a male and recovered 16 stolen phones which are being returned to their owners.
At around 08:00hrs on Thursday, 6 February, officers were alerted to a phone robbery in Euston. The police helicopter had tracked the suspect to the Belsize Park area of Camden, and utilising the intelligence picture built up by the Met, a nearby address was raided.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested at the location after around £1,000 in cash was found at the address along with a quantity of cannabis. 16 mobile phones were found nearby. A Surron electric motorcycle found outside the property was also seized. The boy has been bailed pending further enquiries.
Inspector John Wilde, one of the senior officers policing Camden, said: “This arrest shows what we are doing to deal with theft and robbery offences, including by offenders riding bikes, e-bikes and mopeds.
“We are constantly building intelligence, linking offences and working to establish who might be responsible. And we are responding to robberies at pace.
“These tactics, among others, are enabling us to get significant results like this, recovering stolen goods and drugs, and arresting those we suspect of committing offences.”
If you have been a victim of robbery, please call 999 or, if your phone has been stolen, ask someone nearby to call police urgently. If you have information about those committing robberies or selling stolen good, please call 101, message @MetCC or to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers.
During the turbulent early years of Timor-Leste’s independence, the UN was a constant presence, helping to maintain peace and stability. Twenty-four years on, the country has made the successful transition from a host nation for UN peacekeeping operations, to one that contributes to supporting missions elsewhere.
Timor-Leste’s road to peace has not been easy. In 1976, not long after Indonesia became independent it invaded the eastern part of the island of Timor, formerly a Portuguese colony.
An unhappy period of occupation, punctuated by violent repression, followed until 1999 when, with the support of the UN, the small Asian nation embarked on the path of self-determination.
The United Nations Mission in East Timor, UNAMET, conducted the referendum on self-determination in September 1999. Some 78.5 percent of voters opted for independence, but the population found itself confronted by brutal attacks by militia forces in favour of integration with Indonesia.
ONU News/Felipe de Carvalho
Natércia Martins, a Timorese police officer, and former UN member of staff.
Natércia Martins was 19 at the time. She worked for UNAMET, checking the list of those registered to vote. Her polling station was attacked by anti-independence fighters who stabbed two employees to death and forced UN teams to evacuate. In the wave of violence that followed, 14 UNAMET employees would be killed across the country, including her cousin, Ana Lemos.
The International Force for Timor-Leste, INTERFET, approved by the Security Council, made a major contribution to ending the crisis. Ms. Martins says that her cousin’s strength and sacrifice inspired her to join the police, and “ensure safer lives for people, especially women and children.” According to her, the presence of UN peacekeeping missions made the entire Timorese population feel safe, after the trauma of the loss of loved ones and property in the post-referendum crisis.
In the years that followed Timor-Leste and its institutions became more stable, but in 2006 an internal political crisis shook the country, leading to violent clashes that displaced more than 150 thousand people.
UN News/Felipe de Carvalho
Sister Guilhermina, at the convent of the Canossian Mothers in Dili.
One of these places they sought refuge was the Convent of the Canossian Mothers, in Balide, Dili, which once housed 23 thousand. Sister Guilhermina, responsible for the convent at the time, says that there were “shootings everywhere and the people were very afraid”. She thought that when she opened the gates to welcome people, they would only stay for a few hours, but in the end the situation lasted for two years and nine months.
On many occasions, UN peacekeepers provided security for the site, preventing attacks.
“Through dialogues the United Nations always sought a peaceful intervention among the Timorese,” says Sister Guilhermina. The displaced people sheltering in the convent also received support from UN agencies for medical and food assistance, as well as water and sanitation.
“The most successful missions in the history of the UN”
In all, Timor-Leste hosted six UN missions (four peacekeeping and two political), up until 2012. “The birth of Timor-Leste was made by the United Nations,” former Peacekeeper Major Luis Pinto told UN News, addingthat the missions in the country were the “most successful in the history of the UN”.
UN Photo/Martine Perret
UN and Timor Police Prepare for Presidential Elections in 2012.
Major Pinto said that during the struggle for freedom, the Timorese simultaneously developed military and political skills. Now they are exporting this experience, fostering dialogue between warring parties in other countries, encouraging them to find common cause.
Timorese soldiers have taken part in peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and Lebanon and, since 2011, the country has provided military observers to the South Sudan mission.
One of those observers, Major Zequito Ximenes, told UN News that the UN role in bringing peace to his country was influential in his decision to become a blue helmet. “I wanted to contribute to similar missions around the world and make a difference in conflict-affected regions.”
There has been a peacekeeping operations training centre in Timor-Leste since 2018, preparing male and female military personnel for UN missions. The country is prepared to send more peacekeepers to work in areas such as rescue and protection, and a company of engineers, for the building of roads and schools.
To prevent a return to war, Timorese leaders prioritized national reconciliation, and the normalization of relations with Indonesia. These choices, and the support of the international community, have made the country a model for post-conflict stabilization and show a path to peace and security is possible.
A woman has died following a water incident at the Rakaia river mouth this afternoon.
Around 1pm emergency services responded to the south side of the Rakaia River mouth, following reports a group had become stuck in the river after attempting to cross on quad bikes.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Police, and Hato Hone St John responded, with the assistance of a member of the public in a private vessel.
Of the six people recovered, one person was located deceased and one person was transported to hospital in a critical condition by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
