Latest news with #JBA
BBC News
14-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Ryde flooded after delay over barrier, report says
More than 100 properties were flooded after a defensive barrier was only partially sealed after a delay of more than two hours, a report has submerged streets and basements in Ryde, Isle of Wight, on 25 October 2023 following a night of extreme consultancy firm JBA said it could not determine whether the Environment Agency's decision not to build up the barrier to its maximum height made the flooding agency has been approached for comment. The "intense" rainstorm exceeded forecasts and caught the Environment Agency (EA) with only one emergency team on standby, JBA deluge filled cellars and stranded cars by 10:00 BST, according to The Strand, a pregnant nurse told the BBC she had to dive underwater to escape her basement flat. The report said the EA decided to partially seal the flood barrier as a precaution at 03: it was unable to contact its contractor ATM in a series of texts and phone 04:15, water began to pour from Monktonmead Brook into Simeon Street Recreation Ground, which is designed to contain floods behind a wall.A second contractor finally sealed the wall at 05:19, more than two hours after the decision was made, JBA two out of five or six "stop logs" or drop boards were installed in each of three gaps in the barrier, the report added. The contractor was then sent to an emergency in Newport rather than staying to monitor the situation as protocol dictated, according to report concluded: "Floodwater in the recreation ground should have been able to have been contained, with some remaining capacity, if the stop logs had been installed fully."It was not possible for the incident response contractor to complete the installation as they were unable to return to the site due to flooding."Was the flooding of nearby houses exacerbated by the fact that only two boards were fixed at each opening? Not possible to determine at this stage." Ryde resident Dan Thomas, whose home was flooded, said the report was overdue and said: "I don't think enough attention has been given to the outflow of water from the recreation ground."Why wasn't the water expelled by the time of the high tide at 09:00?"JBA, which was commissioned by the EA to write the "phase one" report, recommended "further hydraulic modelling work" in order to fully learn lessons. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Pink Villa
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
LiAngelo Ball files for divorce from Rashida Nicole, cites ‘irreconcilable differences' just 7 days after pregnancy news
In a surprising turn, LiAngelo Ball officially filed for divorce on July 3, just one week after Rashida Nicole announced they were expecting their first child together. Court documents reveal that the athlete-turned-rapper cited 'irreconcilable differences' in his petition at a Southern California courthouse. The split comes after a whirlwind romance that saw the couple marry on March 24 and separate on June 15—barely three months later. The news blindsided fans, especially given Ball's visible online support of the pregnancy announcement just days prior. A sudden split following pregnancy reveal Rashida Nicole stunned followers on June 26 when she revealed her pregnancy with Ball's child, a post he 'liked' and adorned with a heart-and-key emoji, as reported by TMZ Sports. Barely seven days later, the 2018 JBA champion had the divorce paperwork filed. Nicole's announcement made it seem as though the couple was cementing their future together; instead, legal filings show their relationship had already unraveled before she went public with the news. Marriage timeline and previous heartbreak According to court records obtained by the publication, LiAngelo and Rashida exchanged vows in late March 2025 and officially separated by mid-June. The 'Tweaker' rapper's petition requests joint custody and visitation rights for their unborn child and asks the court to terminate spousal support for both parties. This abrupt breakup echoes allegations by Nikki Mudarris, mother of Ball's two older children, who claimed he abandoned their family shortly after their second child's birth earlier this year. Per the outlet, Mudarris stated on her Instagram that Ball had allegedly gotten 'someone else pregnant and now is creating a new life with her.' Moving forward amid legal proceedings While Ball appeared in good spirits during a recent stream with Kai Cenat, having made no reference to the divorce, the couple remains embroiled in pending court action. As fans and followers await further developments, the legal teams for both sides will now iron out custody arrangements as well as the division of any marital assets.
Daily Express
10-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Water Department slammed for Labuan water crisis
Published on: Thursday, July 10, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jul 10, 2025 Text Size: The empty water cistern in Wong's house. LABUAN: The Labuan Chinese Chamber of Commerce (LCCC) has criticised the Water Department (JBA) for its continued failure to resolve the island's worsening water crisis, calling its response slow and inadequate. Its President, Datuk Wong Kii Yii, said he was personally affected after his home was left without water for several days, and despite repeated calls to JBA, no water delivery was made. 'My family, along with other residents nearby, had no access to clean water. I contacted JBA several times asking for a water tanker to be sent, but there was no prompt response,' he said in a statement on Wednesday. He said it was only after contacting the Chief Executive Officer of Labuan Corporation (Perbadanan Labuan), Sukuran Taib, that a water delivery was arranged using a PL tanker. He commended the swift action by Sukuran and his team. Wong called on JBA to be more responsive to public complaints and act quickly to assist residents in need of water, especially during prolonged supply disruptions. He also criticised the Public Works Department (JKR) and JBA for failing to properly cover up a road section near his house, where pipe repair works had been carried out, causing inconvenience to road users. Wong urged the Government to take serious and immediate action to address the worsening water situation in Labuan, stressing that it is affecting daily life and investor confidence. 'The Government has grand plans for Labuan's development under the Federal Territories Department (JWP), including programmes like the Borneo Flora Festival, but the people are suffering from basic shortages. Even the flowers at the event get watered daily, but not the people,' he said. He said he has hesitated to bring potential investors and tourists to Labuan due to the unresolved water issues and warned that it may affect the island's image and economic prospects. Wong reiterated his call for the government and related agencies to stop ignoring the needs of the people and prioritise essential services like water supply. 'Don't let the people of Labuan continue to suffer. JBA must respond to water supply complaints quickly, especially for rural residents,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Chamber criticises water crisis in Labuan
The empty water cistern in Wong's house. LABUAN (July 9): The Labuan Chinese Chamber of Commerce (LCCC) has voiced strong disappointment over the Water Department's (JBA) failure to proactively address the island's worsening water crisis. Its president, Datuk Wong Kii Yii, expressed dismay at the department's slow response, revealing that his own household was left without water for several days despite repeated requests for assistance. 'I contacted JBA several times to send water to my house, but there was no immediate action. The delay left my family and nearby residents without clean water,' he said on Wednesday. Wong said he eventually sought help from the Chief Executive Officer of Labuan Corporation, Sukuran Taib, who promptly dispatched water tankers to the affected area. 'I appreciate the swift action by the CEO of Labuan Corporation. This is how it should be done — quick, efficient and understanding of the people's hardship,' he said. He urged JBA to be more responsive and sensitive to the needs of Labuan residents, especially during periods of water shortages. 'JBA must remain alert and ensure timely water delivery to households and villages whenever issues arise. Don't leave the people suffering without clean water,' he said. Wong also criticised JBA and the Public Works Department (JKR) for abandoning excavation works near his home after pipe repairs, leaving the area unsafe. 'The dug-up road near my house has not been properly restored. This is not only inconvenient but also poses a danger to road users,' he pointed out. Calling for urgent and long-term solutions, Wong said the government must act decisively to resolve Labuan's chronic water supply issues. 'I know the government has big plans to develop Labuan — but while they focus on grand projects, they are ignoring daily problems that burden the people,' he said. He cited the ongoing Borneo Flora Festival (BFF) as an example of misplaced priorities. 'Today, the Federal Territories Department (JWP) is organising major events like the Borneo Flora Festival to boost Labuan's economy. But those flowers are watered every day, while residents don't have enough clean water. 'Flowers get water, people don't — where is the logic in that?' Wong asked. He warned that the lack of basic utilities like water could discourage both investors and tourists from choosing Labuan.
Japan Forward
03-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Forward
Tomoya Higashino Brings Basketball Passion and Smarts to His New Job
After nine meaningful years as the Japan Basketball Association's technical committee chair, Tomoya Higashino is the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins' new president. Tomoya Higashino (second from right) served as the Japan Basketball Association's technical committee chair for nine-plus years until June 30, 2025. Japan men's national team head coach Tom Hovasse (left), JBA President Yuko Mitsuya (second from left) and former women's national team coach Toru Onzuka are also seen in this June 2022 file photo. (©SANKEI) After nearly a decade as the Japan Basketball Association's technical committee chair, Tomoya Higashino is embarking on a new challenge. At the end of June 2025, Higashino left his position at the JBA after, according to his own official calculations, 3,330 days. Tuesday, July 1 marked the start of the next chapter of Higashino's career in basketball. He is the new president and general manager of the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins. The team had a 35-25 record in the 2024-25 season, finishing in fourth place in the Central Conference. "I feel a sense of responsibility for the future of the club, which is rooted in this region and has been supported for many years by the local community, fans and partner companies, and I feel a sense of responsibility for the future," Higashino, who turns 55 on September 9, said in a statement. He continued: "I am convinced that basketball is an extremely attractive sport that combines speed, strategy and teamwork, and that it has a very strong affinity with the vibrant city of Nagoya." Higashino brings to Nagoya a wealth of experience from various basketball leadership roles over the past two-plus decades. From 2004-06, for example, he was an assistant coach for the Japan men's national team, working under Croatian bench boss Zeljko Pavlicevic. And he led the JBL's Rera Kamuy from 2007-10. He also led the bj-league's Hamamatsu Higashikawa Phoenix from 2013-15. With Higashino patrolling the sideline, the Phoenix won the league title in May 2015. Those experiences ― along with several other coaching gigs since the early 1990s ― prepared him well as he began to put his stamp on the Japan Basketball Association's identity and the hallmarks of its national teams' play. Tomoya Higashino (left) and former Japan men's national team coach Julio Lamas in a September 2018 file photo. (©SANKEI) In his position as the technical committee chair, Higashino was in charge of identifying and hiring coaching candidates for national teams. He was also an important voice in working with head coaches to make player selections for top tournaments. Based on his experience and basketball acumen, the JBA's executive board relied on and trusted Higashino's decision-making ability. His dedication to the job paid off. "Simply put, the technical committee takes initiative to develop the competitive power of Japan's basketball," Higashino told reporters in September 2021. "Under the five pillars of 'promotion, discovery, development, training, and strengthening,' the personnel in charge work together to make improvements and accumulate know-how." And he made some important coaching hires, paving the way for success for the men's and women's national teams. Argentine Julio Lamas became the men's coach in April 2017. A well-respected coach in international basketball circles, he led his home country's squad to a fourth-place showing at the 2014 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Tom Hovasse guided the Japan women's basketball team to a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In January 2017, Tom Hovasse was promoted from assistant to women's national team head coach. Both coaches raised the standard of play for the national teams. Although the Japan men were winless at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, team-building tactics and Lamas' leadership during his tenure were important in planting the seeds for future accomplishments. Most notably, Hovasse guided the Japan women to a silver medal at Tokyo 2020, the nation's best-ever result in a major international basketball competition. Years ago, plenty of people were skeptical that the Japan Basketball Association was positioned to climb in relevance on the global scale. But Higashino embraced that challenge when he began his former job in May 2016. He took the job during a period of transition for basketball, following years of infighting among Japan's stakeholders. It was, after all, less than two years after FIBA, basketball's world governing body, had suspended the JBA (in November 2014) for its failure to restructure based on FIBA's general statutes and to merge the bj-league and the NBL (the JBL's successor) before a deadline. Looking back, Higashino recalled that he wanted to be at the center of the challenge: to overhaul JBA operations. "Still, I believed that we had to aim for a higher standard — to align our everyday basketball culture with global expectations," Higashino wrote in a letter to friends and colleagues. "With this in mind, I led reforms focused on strengthening domestic players, identifying young talents abroad, raising the standards of youth development, and building sustainable systems for coaching education. "The path was not always smooth. But together with passionate colleagues, I remained committed to moving Japanese basketball forward, one step at a time." Title-winning coach Tomoya Higashino of the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix (second from left) after the bj-league final in May 2015 at Tokyo's Ariake Coliseum. (©SANKEI) For the JBA, there were four primary achievements during the years in which Higashino oversaw the technical committee. Higashino outlined those feats in his farewell letter. Looking back, I take great pride in the milestones we achieved together: The men's national team qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics on their own merit through the [2023 Basketball] World Cup The women's team earning a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics The rapid rise of 3x3 basketball And the success of our youth national teams on the world stage In hiring Higashino to lead the technical committee, the JBA made a "good decision," according to Pavlicevic, a successful hoop mentor in the former Yugoslavia, Spain, Greece and elsewhere. The Croatian coach said Higashino made the most of the opportunity to work for the Japan national team in the run-up to the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan. He was "very systematic and serious and helped me a lot," Pavlicevic recalled in an interview with Odds and Evens. "In that time, I feel he started to prepare for top positions like head coach or top management. After a few years, the JBA picked him for the technical committee chief." Josh Hawkinson led Japan in scoring (21.0 points) and rebounding (10.8) at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. (©FIBA) In Pavlicevic's assessment, Higashino did a "great job" in that role. He cited the Ishikawa Prefecture native making solid decisions in selecting big import players for the men's national squad (including Gavin Edwards, Nick Fazekas and Josh Hawkinson) and coaching hires. Hovasse replaced Lamas as the men's team bench boss after the Tokyo Olympics and strengthened the team. And after Toru Onzuka's stint ended as the top coach of the women's squad, Higashino hired former WNBA title-winning head coach Corey Gaines in early 2025 to fill the vacancy. Gaines was on Hovasse's men's team staff at the 2023 Basketball World Cup and the Paris Olympics. Corey Gaines (Courtesy of the JAPAN BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION/via KYODO) "Many young players developed due to the good sports policies of the JBA," Pavlicevic told me. "And the national team, season by season, is getting better." Since the 1976 Montreal Summer Games, the Japan men's team qualified only once as a non-host to compete in the Olympic basketball tournament. But the Paris Games are now in the rearview mirror. So it's time to keep moving forward. But Higashino, even as he stays busy in his new job with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, remains passionate about the future of Japan's national basketball landscape. It was never just about one tournament or one team for him. "My vision has always remained the same: to make Japanese basketball strong, to make it mainstream, and to build an environment where everyone involved can pursue it with joy and passion," Higashino underscored in his letter to friends and colleagues. "That dream continues to guide me, even as I take on new roles." He went on: "This transition also marks an opportunity for generational change and fresh ideas to take root within the JBA. I look forward to watching the next generation of players soar even higher — this time, from a step removed, but with the same heartfelt support. "To everyone I met and worked with over these past nine years: thank you again from the bottom of my heart. I will forever be grateful for your trust and support. [And] I sincerely hope our paths will cross again — perhaps at a gym or arena somewhere down the line." In 2011, he wrote an award-winning master's thesis at Waseda University on Argentine basketball, studying and researching everything about it. Years later, that project helped him outline how he wanted to improve Japanese basketball. Tomoya Higashino's love of basketball and deep knowledge of the game were assets for the Japan Basketball Association. Expect the same to be true for the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
