Latest news with #1994
IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Why some public servants wish to continue beyond retirement age
According to the Department of Public Service and Administration, the current mandatory retirement age for public servants is 65. Image: landsmann/ SOUTH African public servants facing mandatory retirement at 65, share their experiences and desires to continue working and the challenges posed by financial insecurity. According to the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), the current mandatory retirement age for public servants is 65. 'In terms of the Public Service Act, 1994 (PSA), the normal retirement age of employees is 65 years, and such employees will, on retirement, retire with no pension penalties. Although employees from the ages of 55 to 60 years may retire from the public service, such retirement may be subject to penalties to their pension,' stated in the DPSA retirement document. However, with the rising cost of living and tough economy, many individuals said they would prefer to continue working if it meant getting a stable income or just continuing their passion. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Jason Ramcharan, a welder from Pinetown, retired at 65-years-old. He always wished that he could continue working as he loved his job and felt he was competent enough to continue working. 'I always loved working as a welder, it was my passion. When I finished school, my father asked me what I wanted to study and I said I wanted to get into a trade. While my siblings studied to become teachers, I started an apprenticeship in welding. I never regretted my choice because even though it was hard work, it was exciting and motivating,' he said. Ramcharan, now 68 years old, said he possessed all the knowledge to help others but had to sadly end his welding journey due to the retirement age. 'I was good at my job and because I have so many years of experience under my belt, the job is second nature for me. I was proficient at my trade and had no issues. Sadly, retirement ended my career. 'To be a welder, one has to learn all the time and have a sharp mind – the ability to think on the spot. If I had the opportunity, I would definitely go back to work. A lot of people said the work was strenuous and difficult, especially with age. But for people like myself, we know what it takes to get the job done. My passion drove me. 'I have years of experience and knowledge that could still be used in the industry. Sadly, 65 crept up faster that I knew. I think it would have been great if the retirement age could be amended. It would allow some of us to continue working and sharing our experience a little longer. Well, that's provided we are physically and mentally fit," added Ramcharan. Daniela Govender from Chatsworth, was a pre-school teacher and retired two years ago when she turned 65. 'Initially I wanted to retire at 60 but my husband had taken forced early retirement at 50-years-old. We decided that I should continue working for as long as I could. I loved being a teacher. It was always my dream but sometimes the school environment could be tough and today's children are less well-behaved. However, the income and benefits from being a teacher was great, so I continued teaching until 65.' The now 67-year-old said for the first few months before her retirement she was stressed and worried about the financial implications of her not working. 'At times I even feared signing my retirement papers because it felt so final. The reality is that I would not get my salary every month. Medical aid was our top priority. Fortunately, the government still pays half of the premium each month. Knowing that I was not going to get a fixed monthly income made my stress over the rand and cents. I had to tighten our purse strings. 'Even though we had saved money for our retirement, our lifestyle has changed. Sometimes we feel that my pension income is not going to be enough. I think that stems from my husband retiring early. The funds that he had did not last long and currently there is not a lot of money left. We have children but we don't want to be a burden to anyone. 'I feel that if I was allowed to retire later, we would have been able to save more money to make us comfortable. More especially, I loved being a teacher. In the teaching profession, the older you are, the more knowledge you have. Ultimately it helps the pupils in the long run. We have a lot of experience and we could also guide the younger teachers,' said Govender. THE POST
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Irish Independent
Man who illegally entered 88-year-old's home leaving him in fear has jail term doubled after failed appeal
The appeal court heard that Gerry Cash (33) with an address at Tombrack, Ferns, Co Wexford left the vulnerable pensioner, who has short term memory loss, in a distressed state after entering his Co Kildare house. Cash was convicted in the District Court of trespassing on a building in a manner that causes or is likely to cause fear in another person contrary to section 13 (1) of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994. He was sentenced to nine months in custody with the final six months suspended and later lodged an appeal against his conviction. However his defence counsel, Asma Saleh BL, yesterday informed the court that the case would proceed by appealing the severity of sentence only and the prosecuting garda's evidence was not contested. Garda Padraig Murphy told the District Court Appeals Court that gardai got a report on February 22, 2023 from the daughter of the injured party. He said that a neighbour alerted her that they saw a white van outside her father's house and that a man knocked on the window and the door of the house. Garda Murphy said that the man was heard shouting 'I've got you that' before entering the house. He said that the neighbour saw the man in the sitting room and he later left the property in his van. Gda Murphy said that the victim was left 'very shaken and pale' after the incident. Garda Murphy said that the man was in the care of his daughters, who left him alone for one hour a day. He said this had never happened to the man before and he had no memory of the incident due to his memory loss difficulties. Garda Murphy said that CCTV was obtained and shared with gardai allowing Cash to be identified, arrested and detained. He said that in the interview, Cash admitted to being at the scene and leaving a calling card. He was charged with trespassing and was convicted in the District Court. Ms Saleh said that Cash is 'extremely remorseful' for his actions and that he is aware it was bad behaviour. ADVERTISEMENT She said that her client's doctor reports that he suffers from anxiety, depression and low mood swings. She also said that his wife is currently pregnant after a long time in IVF treatment. The daughter of the injured party gave a victim impact statement, telling the court that she is her father's full time carer and that he used to have one hour on his own. She said when she came into her father's house that day he didn't know what had happened and was very pale. She said that he shook as she showered him and he was very upset. She said: 'that man took every bit of independence from my father'. She said that her father worked all of his life and he 'didn't deserve for that to happen to him'. Judge Dara Hayes said that the court had the power to increase the appellant's jail sentence as well as decreasing it on appeal. He said that the original sentence of nine months in custody with the final six months suspended was 'lenient under the circumstances'. He said that it was clear from the injured party's reaction that he was put in a position of some distress. The judge said that whatever independence the man had was taken away and that the injured party was entitled to be unmolested in his own home. Judge Hayes decided to keep the sentence of the District Court of nine months in custody but only suspended the final three months. This represents an increase from an effective three months in custody in the original sentencing, to six months in custody after appeal. He said that he would suspend the final three months for the period of 12 months on the condition that Cash keeps the peace and does not contact the injured party or his family again. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.
The Sun
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Win a copy of When We Were Young by Elaine Hastings in this week's Fabulous book competition
WHEN Emily falls for busker Billy in 1994, neither can foresee the tragedy that will cut their love story short. More than 20 years later, her daughter hears Billy's music and starts to dig into his past. 1 Gloriously nostalgic and beautifully emotional, this is a great read. 10 lucky Fabulous readers will win a copy of this new novel in this week's book competition. To win a copy, enter using the form below by 11:59pm on July 26, 2025. For full terms and conditions, click here.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Searching for the Ideal 4th of July Movie? Look No Further Than ‘Drop Zone'
Reader, you have been lied to! Film history is littered with unfairly maligned classics, whether critics were too eager to review the making of rather than the finished product, or they suffered from underwhelming ad campaigns or general disinterest. Let's revise our takes on some of these films from wrongheaded to the correct opinion. When director John Badham's skydiving thriller 'Drop Zone' was released by Paramount Pictures in December 1994, the general perception was that it was a ridiculous and disposable programmer. It did OK at the box office (opening at number three behind Barry Levinson's hot-button drama 'Disclosure' and the Tim Allen family hit 'The Santa Clause'), but critics had their knives out for the movie's allegedly indefensible plot holes, and the movie was largely forgotten a few weeks after it opened. More from IndieWire Brad Pitt Says Tom Cruise Dropped Out of 'Ford v. Ferrari' When He Realized He 'Would Not Be Driving That Much' NYC Audiences Will Finally See 'Twin Peaks' Season 3 the Way David Lynch Intended 'Drop Zone,' with its story of a US Marshal (Wesley Snipes) pursuing a gang of skydiving hackers out to infiltrate the DEA computer system on the 4th of July, is ridiculous, but it's not disposable — it's actually one of the great last gasps of practical action filmmaking at the tail end of the form's greatest era. And it's one of the last great movies by Badham, a director who never really got the credit he deserved due to his tendency to gravitate toward the kind of escapist pulp that ages well but is rarely appreciated by the critical intelligentsia in its time. 'Drop Zone' began life as a story by professional skydivers Guy Manos and Tony Griffin — talk show host Merv's son — and got turned into a workable screenplay by Peter Barsocchini, a producer for Tony's dad who would go on to write Disney's 'High School Musical' movies. Action scribe John Bishop ('The Package') was also credited, and rumor has it that a lot of writers of the moment took uncredited passes at the script. In spite of all the cooks in the kitchen, however, 'Drop Zone' has a smooth, classic clarity, and it's perfectly paced to feel swift but never rushed — it's an impeccably calibrated entertainment machine. The movie starts off with a fantastic Badham set piece, in which Snipes and his ill-fated brother and partner (Malcolm Jamal-Warner) transport a prisoner (Michael Jeter) on a plane that's hijacked by psychotic ex-DEA agent Gary Busey and his team of renegade skydivers. Busey and his partners pretend to be terrorists, blow a hole in the plane, and plummet to the earth with Jeter while leaving behind evidence that he's been killed — evidence that placates all the authorities back on the ground, but which Snipes refuses to accept. Determined to avenge his brother, who is killed during the incident, Snipes goes rogue and heads off in pursuit of the evil skyjackers. The hijacking sequence is a clinic in the kind of complex yet straightforward action filmmaking at which Badham excels; it's several minutes of non-stop chaos, yet the director keeps us completely acclimated to the space so that we always know exactly what's happening, where, why, and to whom. The set piece is exhilarating, not exhausting, and the heightened absurdity of it all is part of the fun. By any literal standard the criminals' plan is completely insane, but the insanity is the point; as critic Bilge Ebiri wrote in the liner notes for the Blu-ray decades after the film's release, 'Drop Zone' isn't about suspension of disbelief — it's an embrace and an exaltation of disbelief. What gives the movie its kick is the juxtaposition of a plot in which the characters are governed more by the laws of Looney Tunes cartoons than the known universe and action set pieces more vivid and realistic than anything of their type ever put on screen. Snipes determines that to catch Busey and his team he's going to have to learn how to skydive himself, and he puts together his own makeshift ensemble of mavericks to pursue the bad guys. As most critics at the time of the movie's release pointed out, it's a somewhat bizarre and nonsensical plan, but the logic (or lack thereof) in the plotting is not the point; the point is the generous supply of jaw-dropping skydiving sequences that the plot facilitates. While practical effects and breathtaking stunt work are certainly still with us in the summer of 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,' the sheer abundance of skydiving stunts in 'Drop Zone,' and the way they're spread across the ensemble, remains stunning over 30 years later. Part of what's impressive is the casual quality with which Badham tosses them off; in a 'Mission: Impossible' movie every stunt is an event, and every set piece a showcase for star Tom Cruise's physical mastery, but Badham doesn't linger on his stunts or draw attention to the difficulty of their execution. He simply presents them and moves on, with the confidence of a director who knows there's plenty more where that came from. By the time Badham made 'Drop Zone' he was nearing the end of his feature film career ('Nick of Time' would be the only theatrical release to follow before he returned to where he began, directing episodic TV), and the movie synthesizes all of his strengths and presents them in both their most concentrated form and at their largest scale. In movies like 'Blue Thunder,' 'Stakeout,' 'The Hard Way,' and 'Point of No Return' Badham had proven himself to be a deft stager of cinematic rollercoaster rides (literally, in the case of 'Bird on a Wire'), and 'Drop Zone' distills his skills down to their essence. It's pure action, bodies moving through space and time with just enough emotion and, for lack of a better word, philosophy to give the action weight. That weight is largely the result of Badham's gift for depicting fringe subcultures with a rich sense of anthropological detail — it's the closest his work comes to an auteurist stamp, and the one thing that links movies as disparate as his early realist dramas 'The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings' and 'Saturday Night Fever' with later action and sports movies like 'WarGames' and 'American Flyers.' A movie like 'Saturday Night Fever' is all anthropological study, as Badham burrows into the daily grind and nightly rituals of disco-obsessed Brooklynite Tony Manero (John Travolta). In 'Drop Zone,' Badham manages to dive just as deeply into the subculture he's depicting (in this case, that of skydiving thrill-seekers) without shortchanging any of the genre demands his material places on him — the movie never really slows down, yet somehow finds time for dozens of fascinatingly specific revelations about its characters and the ways they live and work. The sense of documentary reality undoubtedly comes largely from Manos and Griffin's personal experience, as well as from Badham's insistence on fully realizing the specific details on screen. The fun thing about 'Drop Zone' is the way the accuracy of the lifestyle coexists alongside the outrageous premise; when Busey and his team use a 4th of July skydiving exhibition as cover to drop into Washington's DEA headquarters, wearing lit-up suits that make them look like something out of 'Tron,' it couldn't possibly be more implausible, yet in the universe that Badham has established it's both convincing and desirable — we believe it because Badham has made us want to believe it in his creation of such a rich environment in which the lunacy can occur. The visual generosity of 'Drop Zone,' in which the striking images rarely repeat themselves and are hurled at the viewer in abundance, is partly thanks to second unit director D.J. Caruso, who would go on to the top job on films like 'The Salton Sea' and 'Disturbia' but established his action bonafides here by going on well over a hundred helicopter rides to collect skydiving material. This speaks to another one of Badham's strengths, his ability to assemble a top-notch team — in addition to Caruso, key participants in 'Drop Zone' include composer Hans Zimmer, whose combination of orchestral and electronic music works like gangbusters, and director of photography Roy Wagner, whose elegant night exteriors provide some of the most lyrical and beautiful action this side of 'Heat.' That in its moment 'Drop Zone' was seen as run of the mill speaks as much to the different age in studio filmmaking as it does to any perceived failures on the movie's part; as was so often the case in the 1990s, we took 'Drop Zone' for granted because we never thought there would be a shortage of smart, skillfully made escapist entertainments coming from the studios on a regular basis. As of this writing Paramount has released a grand total of two movies theatrically in 2025 — 'Novocaine' and 'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.' In the year that 'Drop Zone' came out the studio released 16, and the range included everything from awards favorite 'Forrest Gump' and the Tom Clancy blockbuster 'Clear and Present Danger' to auteurist oddities like William Friedkin's 'Blue Chips' and Barry Levinson's 'Jimmy Hollywood.' Hollywood, we hardly knew ye. Thankfully, one of the unexpected upshots of the studios losing more and more interest in physical media is that boutique DVD and Blu-ray labels have begun to create a new canon, rescuing gems like 'Drop Zone' from obscurity and treating them with the respect they always deserved. Earlier this year Vinegar Syndrome released exquisite special editions of 'Virtuosity' and several other films from the Paramount catalog, and now the specialty label Cinématographe has put out 'Drop Zone' in a 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo package with hours of special features and a booklet containing some welcome critical reappraisals (including Ebiri's). It's essential viewing, and hopefully the first step toward a long overdue reevaluation and reconsideration for 'Drop Zone' and Badham. The 'Drop Zone' special edition 4K UHD release is now available from Cinématographe. Best of IndieWire The Best Lesbian Movies Ever Made, from 'D.E.B.S.' and 'Carol' to 'Bound' and 'Pariah' The Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in June, from 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window' to 'Emily the Criminal' All 12 Wes Anderson Movies, Ranked, from 'Bottle Rocket' to 'The Phoenician Scheme'
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
This Morning's Alison Hammond at centre of embarrassing blunder that goes completely unnoticed by co-host Dermot O'Leary
This Morning's Alison Hammond was at the centre of an embarrassing blunder on Friday that went completely unnoticed by her co-host Dermot O'Leary. The latest instalment of the ITV show saw the dynamic duo return to our screens to chat about the latest headlines and celebrity guests. Alison, 50, and Dermot, 52, were in high spirits as they spoke to Jake Quickenden, 36, live from Cardiff ahead of the iconic Oasis reunion later today. Alison told viewers: 'Well listen, its the all inspired by the big reunion, we're partying like it's 1994 today with some Brit pop themed Friday juke box throughout the show. 'What have you got for us, Dermot?' Dermot replied: 'Well it's tough for me because I wanted to go with one song but I think someone is going to play that later on. Alison, 50, and Dermot, 52, were in high spirits as they spoke to Jake Quickenden , 36, live from Cardiff ahead of the iconic Oasis reunion later today 'I've got with my second choice, but what a choice. A little bit of Blur... 'Come on give me Song 2!' Dermot and Alison then busted out some moves to the popular tune. Alison then shared her choice, explaining: 'I am going to go way, way, back. I think I am going to go with Supergrass, Alright.' But some eagle-eyed fans were keen to point out that Alison picked a song in the wrong year. One said on X: 'Alright came out in 1995 not 1994 #thismorning.' Supergrass released the song Alright back in 1995 and placed in at number two in the UK singles chart. Moments before, This Morning fans confessed that they were going to switch offf their TV when Alison and Dermot 's Oasis tribute backfired. Friday's instalment of the ITV programme opened with the presenter duo dancing around to the iconic Oasis song, Wonderwall. Both wore black bucket hats and green coats, while Alison donned small, round sunglasses, mimicking Liam and Noel Gallagher. As the music played, they both threw off their coats and hats and lip-synced to the song. Dermot commented to Alison: 'You're the only person I've seen ever that looks good in a bucket hat.' She replied: 'You look really good actually.' 'Oasis fans, you can stop crying your hat out because Liam and Noel have officially decided to stop looking back in anger and are getting back together,' Dermot exclaimed. Alison added: 'After 16 years apart, today the band will finally roll with it on stage once again kicking off their first stop on their comeback tour in Cardiff which is happening tonight!' However, the pair's performance didn't impress some viewers who took to social media to share their thoughts on the Oasis tribute act. One said: '#thismorning F**k sake.' Another commented: 'Oh my f*****g god #thismorning.' 'Yeah not watching this s**t #ThisMorning,' someone else added. One viewer raged: '#thismorning are all programmes on ITV opening today with the presenters dressed as Oasis?' '@ITV why do you do this ? You pick a subject, today it's #Oasis and you rinse it across every single show on your channel. Do you not think they are making enough cash with you giving them free publicity! #ThisMorning,' another commented. However, the pair's performance didn't impress some viewers who took to social media to share their thoughts on the Oasis tribute act Though some did see the funny side and one penned, 'No way #thismorning,' followed by laughing emojis. It comes after Lorraine also opened with presenters, Ranvir Singh, Rishi Davda, Mark Heyes and Claer Barrett dressed in similar Oasis-style outfits. Ranvir commented: 'How else could we start the show today? It's a big day in music.' As the four hosts sat down, she added: 'We got a moment of what it might be like this evening as they come out to rapturous applause.'
