Latest news with #LukeThomas
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kent's only pro volleyball player gets England call
Mickey Hawney will play in the qualifiers for the European Championships [BBC] A volleyball player from Kent has been called up to play for the England under-22 squad at the European Championship qualifiers. Mickey Hawney, captain of Kent Invicta, will play in the qualifiers in Cisterna di Latina, Italy, from 11 to 13 July. Advertisement The 19-year-old said: "There's tens of thousands of people who'd like to be in my position, but I've worked hard for it." Hawney only began playing volleyball when he was 16 and is the only player in the county to have a professional contract. "It's my job, I get paid to train, play games," he said. "In England, it's an underfunded sport so it's really rare to have professional players." Luke Thomas, head coach of Kent Invicta, said while it was "normal" to see professional volleyball players abroad, in the UK there were only a handful of clubs. Advertisement "He's picked things up really quickly, he started very late, it's a really technical sport and difficult to learn, so the fact he's done it is unheard of," said Mr Thomas. Hawney will be hoping to lead Kent Invicta to successive promotions as the team chase the Division 2 title next season in their quest to reach the Super League. "My short term goal is to do well at this tournament, then I want to get into the England team," he added. Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, X and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Kent's only pro volleyball player gets England call
A volleyball player from Kent has been called up to play for the England under-22 squad at the European Championship Hawney, captain of Kent Invicta, will play in the qualifiers in Cisterna di Latina, Italy, from 11 to 13 19-year-old said: "There's tens of thousands of people who'd like to be in my position, but I've worked hard for it."Hawney only began playing volleyball when he was 16 and is the only player in the county to have a professional contract. "It's my job, I get paid to train, play games," he said."In England, it's an underfunded sport so it's really rare to have professional players."Luke Thomas, head coach of Kent Invicta, said while it was "normal" to see professional volleyball players abroad, in the UK there were only a handful of clubs."He's picked things up really quickly, he started very late, it's a really technical sport and difficult to learn, so the fact he's done it is unheard of," said Mr will be hoping to lead Kent Invicta to successive promotions as the team chase the Division 2 title next season in their quest to reach the Super League."My short term goal is to do well at this tournament, then I want to get into the England team," he added.
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
NZ Small Batch Gin Awards
New Zealand's Best Small-Batch Gins Revealed in 2025 Awards; Clarity Distilling and Awildian Shine as Industry Champions. The results of the 2025 NZ Small Batch Gin Awards have been officially announced, showcasing the exceptional talent and innovation driving Aotearoa's boutique gin scene. Now in its second year, the awards celebrate gins crafted in stills under 1,000 litres, with a unique focus on consumer-led judging and sustainability in distillation. With strong backing from sponsors East Imperial and RIEDEL, this year's competition attracted a record number of entries from distilleries across the motu. "This isn't about big brands or slick marketing," says Luke Thomas, organiser of the awards. "It's about flavour, creativity, and authenticity-gins that stand up in the glass, judged by real gin lovers." Major Honours Awarded - NZ Small Batch Distillery of the Year: Clarity Distilling Company Ltd - NZ Small Batch Gin of the Show: Awildian Testamentum Series Tangelo - Sustainable Distillery of the Year: Dr Beak 2025 Champion Gins (Top in Class) - London Dry: Rifters Original Dry Gin - Classic: Dr Beak New Zealand Garden Gin - Contemporary Style: Third Island Gin - Rakiura Distilling - Flavoured: Awildian Testamentum Series Tangelo - Navy Strength: Clarity Navy Gin - Clarity Distilling Company In total, over 60 medals were awarded across Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories, recognising excellence in both traditional and experimental expressions. Sustainability in Focus The Sustainable Distillery of the Year title highlights those going above and beyond in their environmental practices, with Dr Beak earning top marks for initiatives in organic sourcing, carbon awareness, and plastic-free packaging. A Growing Category With the local gin market continuing to thrive, these awards shine a spotlight on New Zealand's ability to compete with the best internationally-through bold flavour profiles, native botanicals, and a commitment to craft. "New Zealand's gin industry is no longer emerging-it's arrived," adds Thomas. "We're seeing distillers take risks, experiment with ingredients, and put sustainability at the heart of their process."
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Australian Telecoms Sector Disconnected by Data Security and Incomplete Data
Appian research reveals that 90% of telcos have invested in digital solutions but data security and access hurdles remain SYDNEY, June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from Appian (Nasdaq: APPN) reveals that the Australian telecommunications industry is being thwarted by data security and accessibility issues. The study surveyed 234 telecoms professionals in Australia. 46% of survey respondents cite organisational challenges of protecting sensitive data and ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations. The survey also found that 74% are operating with incomplete data, which negatively impacts their ability to do their job with accurate and comprehensive information. In a highly competitive and fast-paced industry like telecommunications, where customers expect real-time solutions and seamless service, these data gaps can erode trust, damage a company's reputation and impact the bottom line. Telecoms' data security vulnerability Recent digital advancements are transforming the telecommunications industry yet also creating security challenges. 90% of respondents say their organisations have introduced new digital tools or initiatives over the past five years. But this evolution is not necessarily keeping pace with the increased sophistication and frequency of cyber-attacks. With a rapidly growing digital economy and infrastructure, Australia is becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. This year, Telstra, one of the nation's largest telco providers, was targeted in a data breach that impacted 47,000 customers. The impacts of such data breaches can include financial losses, regulatory fines and reputational damage. "New digital tools and processes can be a double-edged sword," said Luke Thomas, Area Vice President Asia Pacific and Japan at Appian "On the one hand, technology has revolutionised the telecommunications industry, with big data and AI driving innovation to enhance productivity and improve the customer experience. However, if implemented without a clear cyber-security strategy, digitisation and its accompanying data influx can expose organisations to additional vulnerability." Data security also appears to be a more significant challenge for the telecommunications sector, in comparison to other industries. In comparative research, only 36% of supply chain workers and energy professionals cited data security as an issue. To mitigate cyber security vulnerabilities, Appian recommends an enterprise-grade security solution that can provide an organisation with control of its security posture to improve data security and privacy. Single sign-on (SSO) authentication and authorisation, plus real-time intrusion detection monitoring and response are key features. A highly secured system also enhances compliance with policies and regulations at the local, state, federal and global levels. A lack of connection with incomplete, inaccessible data In addition to facing a data security challenge, the telecommunications industry is hindered by incomplete data, or workers lacking access to the data they need. Of those surveyed, 39% cited data accessibility as a common challenge for their organisation, and 35% said that it's difficult for them to access the data they need to do their daily jobs. "In an immediate sense, a lack of complete or accessible data can impact telecommunications workers' ability to make informed decisions. This has wider implications in their abilities to troubleshoot issues, provide reliable customer support, or optimise network performance," explains Thomas. "This can have a detrimental effect on an organisation's workforce, negatively impacting employee experience and morale. It's not a great image for the telecommunications industry, which is in the business of connecting people." Almost half of respondents (49%) reported that the inability to access complete and accurate data impacts their ability to complete reporting and analysis. 29% acknowledge a similar impact on budgeting and planning. "This lack of data visibility limits an organisation's ability to innovate, respond to market demands, and maintain competitive advantage, as decisions made without reliable information are inherently riskier and often less effective. This creates a ripple effect, slowing down processes, increasing operational costs, and ultimately impacting the bottom line," Thomas continued. To address these challenges, Appian advocates implementing a modern process orchestration platform, enhanced by data fabric and AI. This provides an architectural layer and toolkit that seamlessly integrates data across different systems to create a centralised, unified view. Data fabric substantially enhances both security and operational efficiency for telecommunications providers. It allows for precise control over who can view, update, and delete data ensuring that every piece of information is accurately accounted for and securely managed. The potential of AI for telecoms Despite the industry's significant investment in data solutions, 54% of telecommunications workers admit to rarely or never using AI in their roles. With increasing awareness and education available around the benefits of AI for organisations, this highlights the opportunity for Australia's telecoms sector to revolutionise processes, data management, and security with AI. "AI and advanced data management tools can be transformative for the complex data security and data access challenges that the telecoms industry is facing. Real-time threat detection and response and streamlined, connected data help foster a more responsive and resilient data ecosystem that can revolutionise workers' lives, boost operational efficiencies and benefit the end customer," concluded Thomas. In addition, having AI embedded as part of operational telco processes will help with productivity, governance, and accountability — all essential to delivering value from AI. Deploying AI in isolated projects is complex and costly. By embedding AI within a process, enterprises can access valuable AI capabilities when and where they need them, in just a few clicks. Process gives AI data. AI is nothing without data. But most enterprises struggle to feed AI complete data from across systems, while still ensuring privacy and maintaining access privileges. By integrating AI into processes, enterprises ensure AI receives quality, real-time data from all systems. They can enforce privacy controls to prevent unauthorized access and optimize data governance to comply with regulations Download the full Appian Asia Pacific Data Trends Whitepaper to learn how telcos can build resilience by improving data security and data access and automating process orchestration to improve visibility, agility, and profitability. About Appian Appian is The Process Company. We deliver a software platform that helps organisations run better processes that reduce costs, improve customer experiences, and gain a strategic edge. Committed to client success, we serve many of the world's largest companies across various industries. For more information, visit [Nasdaq: APPN] Follow Appian on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). Photo - - View original content: SOURCE Appian
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Fan scorecard: Unsung hero? Overriding emotion?
Season rating: 1/10. I fail to think of anything positive to say about what is possibly the worst season since the Frank McLintock season of with your manager? Is this a trick question? I would be happier with piles. After a few games when things started to pick up and look better, we had Ruud van Nistelrooy going back to his old drawing board against hero: Luke Thomas. One-time target of the terrace boo boys and social media keyboard warriors. After torrid loans at Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, he stood up to the mark when given the chance. He does walk a bit lopsided - probably caused by still having Mohamed Salah in his you would most like to sign: I am going against almost everything I have been saying all season, but I would like to sign... JAMIE VARDY!Not his best season by any stretch of the imagination. Not since 2005-06 have we had a season with the top goalscorer having so low a number as 10. But we love his leadership, commitment and effort. Let's be honest, with the service Vardy got this season, Lionel Messi wouldn't have now, my overriding emotion from the season is: Anger! Anger that this owner has let the club his family turned into champions, and set the example for the likes of Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford to follow, become a laughing stock. The big six, who said they must never let another Leicester happen again, must be celebrating our demise. Tough decisions have to be made at executive level, but can Kuhn Top make them?Do you agree with Chris' answers? Pick one or two categories and send your views Find more from Chris Forryan at Leicester Till I Die, external
