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Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
All go for global firm's new NZ chairman
Christchurch will remain home for Ian Fraser who has just taken on the chairmanship of GHD, a company with 12,000 employees and turning over $3-plus billion. PHOTO: SUPPLIED New GHD global chairman Ian Fraser will likely spend 100 days away from his Christchurch home over the next year. That is nothing new for the first Kiwi head of the global design, engineering and environmental services company. Earlier this month, he took over the responsibility of leading the governance for a business with a workforce of 12,000 employees, many of them shareholders, and turning over more than $3 billion. Returning from the Philippines only last Saturday, he accepts long-haul flights come with the territory. "In the last few years, it would be in excess of 100 days away a year. That is the reality of the job and it is important for us to remain connected with the business and the owners across the world so that I can hear what they need and what their clients are needing." From experience, he's learnt to travel lightly, avoiding check-in luggage. Christchurch will continue to remain home for him and his family. Unlike many companies, GHD is without a central headquarters and its staff work in more than 160 offices on five continents, while the executive team and board members live and work around the world. "We have a virtual leadership team and a virtual board and always have had this — so as long as people are prepared to work the clock a little bit for the different time zones you can typically live where it is best for you in one of our major offices around the world. We have 140 people here in Christchurch now, so it's quite a decent-sized office for GHD. It's a good lifestyle here. We see the value in people working together in offices, but our executives are typically very mobile, having to travel a lot as part of our jobs. Hence having a home base where you have got your family and extended friends is a really strong thing for when you come home." GHD can be found operating internationally in water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Established in 1928, it delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services to public and private sector clients. More locally, it is among one of three consortiums shortlisted for the tender design for the next stage of the Ara Tūhono project extending the Northern Motorway (SH1) in the upper north. Other work includes supporting local governments' water and transport infrastructure needs and building projects for Corrections and the Ministry of Education among others. Before the new role, Mr Fraser was chief executive of GHD's Australia, Asia and Pacific operations for three years. He started with the company just over 10 years ago, initially managing its New Zealand business and then joining the executive leadership team. That led to him being a board member for the past two years. The transition from former chairman Canberra-based Rob Knott to him has been in the offing for a year. "I worked closely with Rob for 10 years and he's retired, so it's been a planned succession and I've been in a succession handover period for the last year and have had a great apprenticeship. He was a great leader and left big shoes to fill." Ahead of him is the task of running the board and working with executive leaders to seamlessly develop and drive the long-term strategy of the business. Ultimately, he was accountable to the shareholding to make sure the business continued to thrive, he said. GHD is owned by just over a quarter of its 12,000-odd employees. "There's not many large, privately held professional services companies in the world now. About 27% of our employees are shareholders and they receive a dividend for their investment and are the only people with a stake in the company. It enables the company to be self-determined because there's no third-party investors influencing our strategy and it's really managed by us, for us and for our clients." The breadth of its business was diverse, he said. "We like to call ourselves a professional services company now because we definitely do quite a lot of up-front business advisory work right through to engineering design and construction supervision and we are a full services company. Predominantly, we are involved with the built environment in roads, water, buildings and energy infrastructure." Gross revenue for the 2024 financial year of about $3.1b was up on previous years and another good result was likely. "Continued growth in transport, energy and water infrastructure is needed around the world from continuing urbanisation. The growth has slowed a little bit this year, but those fundamentals of a growing population around the world will need good-quality infrastructure." After graduating from the University of Auckland as a geologist, Mr Fraser spent more than 30 years in environmental and engineering consulting, previously living and working in the United States, and working on projects throughout the Pacific, Southeast Asia, South America and Mexico. In northern Mexico's Saltillo, he worked for several months, on and off, preparing plans for a much-needed upgrade of the drinking water system. Another early project was the Tiwi geothermal field in the Philippines in 1992 and his connection with the nation's development has remained strong following many visits since. Closer to home, he's been involved with the environmental assessment and cleanup of many contaminated sites in New Zealand, including industrial properties and petrol stations. About 20 years ago he moved towards leading teams, challenging himself to keep learning which has evolved to the next governance chapter. He said it was an immense honour to take over as chairman, particularly as the first to hold the position from New Zealand. "We have got a very strong leadership team and a great CEO in Jim Giannopoulos in Melbourne and I am supported by a very experienced board. The company is going to turn 100 years old in 2028, so it will be a privilege to be chair at a time when it is celebrating it centenary", Mr Fraser said. Christchurch-born of Scottish parents who migrated in 1961, he started his schooling years in North Canterbury's Hawarden. Continuing to be based in Christchurch had many advantages. The city was a great place for an international role and the time zones were good to work into the US most of the morning, he said. "And it's got an international airport you can get off to Asia and Australia pretty easily in the morning. New Zealand and New Zealanders are well respected overseas and have a lot to offer." A certain Christchurch symmetry in GHD is also not lost on him. "GHD was formed interestingly by Gordon Gutteridge, Gerald Haskins and Geoffrey Davey and Haskins was a Christchurch man who went to Australia and then joined the other two to form GHD. So it is quite a nice parallel there. Haskins' dad was the town clerk for Christchurch city, so there is a Kiwi in the H of the acronym. I love the fact Haskins was there nearly 100 years ago and now there's another Kiwi in the governance of the business."
GSM Arena
10-07-2025
- GSM Arena
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 camera samples
Ro, 10 July 2025 We are reporting live from the big Galaxy Unpacked event that opened a new chapter in Samsung's foldable smartphone design. We even got the opportunity to test out the new cameras. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 upgrades to an 'Ultra 200MP camera' as its main – this uses the large 1/1.3' ISOCELL HP2 sensor. It's joined by a 10MP 3x telephoto and a 12MP ultra-wide cameras. By the way, the ultra-wide lens now has autofocus, which allows it to shoot macro images. The under-display selfie camera inside is gone, replaced by a more standard 10MP punch hole camera with a wide 100° lens. The selfie camera on the cover display also has a 10MP sensor but with a narrower 85° lens. Galaxy Z Fold7 main camera photos Here are some 2x crop zoom and 3x telephoto camera photos from the Galaxy Z Fold7 as well. Galaxy Z Fold7 2x crop zoom photos Galaxy Z Fold7 3x telephoto camera photos We also have some ultrawide shots and tried out the autofocus features on some close-ups. Galaxy Z Fold7 ultrawide camera photos Galaxy Z Fold7 macro photos We even took some selfies with the new front-facing camera. The one on the internal screen is wider, as you can see from the photos below. Selfies: Outer selfie cam • Inner selfie cam The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 sticks to the familiar formula with a 50MP main and 12MP ultra-wide (usable for selfies on the expansive 4.1' cover display) and a 10MP 85° selfie camera inside. New features allow you to enable automatic framing and image adjustments for hands-free operation – the Flip can act as its own tripod. We snapped some samples with the main camera, including some 2x crop zooms. Galaxy Z Flip7 main camera photos Galaxy Z Flip7 2x crop zoom photos Can't go without some ultrawide shots and some selfies. Galaxy Z Flip7 ultrawide photos Galaxy Z Flip7 selfies One major addition on both the Z Flip7 and Z Fold7 is support for 10-bit HDR videos, which offer richer colors and deeper contrast. For now, regular 4K videos should suffice. We will take a deeper dive in our upcoming full reviews. Make sure to check out the YouTube playlist below. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 256GB 12GB RAM $ 1,999.99 $ 1,999.99 512GB 12GB RAM $ 1,999.99 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 256GB 12GB RAM $ 1,099.99 $ 1,099.99 512GB 12GB RAM $ 1,099.99 Why do people say life is too short?? Since when was it short?? Especially if you live till you're old. Yes I agree about the complaining but we have the right to complain when massive companies like Samsung have just become so incredibly lazy w... Also in the future Project Indigo is coming to Android, so even better photos. It's made by the team that created GCam, and since GCam slowly went from extremely realistic processing to quite artificial processing after they left it's safe ... This is a Samsung chatbot. Ignore it.
Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Bollywood star who debuted with Kajol saw his family killed in front of him; father shot mother, sister before turning the gun on himself
Bollywood is often presented like a glamorous town where one's most unimaginable dreams can come true, but the dark side of the film industry, where people deal with their demons is often brushed under the carpet. The discussion of mental health in an industry as public as the movies is often conducted in hushed tones in today's day and age so one can only imagine how people must have addressed it 35 years ago. Actor Kamal Sadanah, who made his debut with actor Kajol in the 1992 film Bekhudi, went through a dark phase in his life and it all started on his 20th birthday when his father shot him, his mother and his sister, and then himself. Kamal was the only member of the family who survived this shooting. Kamal is now 54, but the scars that were inflicted on him at 20, are yet to fully heal themselves. Kamal saw his entire family get killed in front of his eyes as his father, who was in an inebriated state, shot everyone one by one. Kamal was shot as well. The bullet entered from one side of his neck, and exited from the other side, without causing any severe damage. In an earlier interview with Siddharth Kannan, Kamal shared that his father was not in his senses when the incident took place. 'I had to carry my mother and my sister to the hospital while they were bleeding and at that time I didn't realise that I was also shot,' he recalled in the same interview and said that when he reached the hospital with his mother and sister, the doctor wondered why his shirt was soaked in blood. When the doctor realised that Kamal was also injured, he sent him to another hospital as this one did not have enough beds. 'I just told the doctor that you keep my mother and sister alive. I was also trying to check on my father,' he said. Kamal also had to undergo surgery as the bullet has passed through his neck. When he woke up, and was taken home, he saw the dead bodies of all his family members in his house. 35 years later, Kamal continues to live in the same house. 'I have always looked at it that way… I was also shot, I had a bullet go through one side of my neck and come out on the other side of my neck and I survived it. There's no logical reason for me to survive. It's almost as if the bullet dodged every nerve and came out on the other side. And I survived without any physical problems. It went through my neck. There's a reason why I survived it. Let me move ahead and let me find that reason, let me live well,' he said. ALSO READ | Guru Dutt's muse Waheeda Rehman went from being his inspiration to getting banished from his studio: 'He was a married man; didn't kiss and tell' Despite the traumatic incident, Kamal said that even though this was a 'bad incident', it does not mean that his 'entire childhood or my family in their entirety were bad people or my father was a bad person.' Two years after this, Kamal made his debut in films. Following this, he appeared in a few Hindi films through the 1990s. He also directed and produced a couple of films like Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans and Victoria No 203.
Sky News AU
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'She declined': Sarah Ferguson reportedly turned down major Royal Ascot honour from King Charles III to 'spare' disgraced Prince Andrew's feelings
Sarah 'Fergie' Ferguson reportedly declined a significant gesture from King Charles III in to avoid upsetting her scandalous ex-husband, Prince Andrew. The 65-year-old Duchess of York is understood to have been offered a seat in the prestigious royal carriage procession at this year's Royal Ascot - a tradition dating back to 1825 under King George IV which is marking its 200th anniversary this year. But according to royal columnist Ephraim Hardcastle, the invitation was politely refused by Fergie because it was not extended to Andrew. "She was offered a seat in the carriage procession … Another privilege denied since her 1996 divorce," Hardcastle wrote in the Daily Mail on Wednesday. "However, she declined- apparently to spare the feelings of her ex-husband." The 65-year-old Duke of York, who reportedly "loved the pomp of the procession", was permitted to attend the pre-race lunch but was "banned from attending the racing". Despite skipping the ceremonial carriage ride, Fergie made two appearances across the event's week-long program. On Day Four, she stepped out in a 1991 polka-dot wrap dress by Catherine Walker, a favourite designer of both hers and the late Princess Diana, teamed with a wide-brimmed Jess Collett hat, an Ethan K handbag and black-and-white two-tone pumps. She was spotted chatting with her youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie, and son-in-law Jack Brooksbank, and was even seen greeting the King himself, who kissed her hand warmly in a rare moment of public intimacy. Fergie and King Charles, 76, who have known each other "all their lives", are said to have remained on good terms despite the recent controversies surrounding Prince Andrew. "I've known the King all my life and I absolutely adore him," the Duchess recently told The Times. "He's kind and makes me laugh, and I love that he still calls me Fergie." She also spoke warmly of Queen Camilla, 77, describing her as a close friend of her late mother. "Queen Camilla was close friends with Mum, which is why we're so close now," she said. "But Diana was my best friend from the age of 14. That's why it's so big that the Queen and I get on now. "It's rather nice, and she reminds me of Mum." While Andrew has been largely sidelined from royal life following his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and reported ties to an alleged Chinese spy, Fergie has remained one of his most loyal defenders. Speaking to The Times in December, she said she was "totally and utterly in love" when they wed in 1986 and insisted she would "do it all over again, 100 per cent", scandals and all. Although the York's have been separated since 1992, they have continued to live together at Royal Lodge for more than three decades. Their refusal to vacate the dilapidated property, despite King Charles' repeated requests, has become a lingering royal saga. Still, Fergie is increasingly stepping back into the royal spotlight. Most recently, she joined her eldest daughter Princess Beatrice in the Royal Box on the first day of Wimbledon this week. "Sarah's grin from the Royal Box - her first since her divorce from Andrew - confirms her continued rehabilitation under King Charles," Hardcastle observed.
Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Straits Times
Plane becomes sauna and passengers were told to ‘meditate' – so they stewed even more
Passengers on board an unnamed flight could be seen fanning themselves furiously in a now viral TikTok video. PHOTOS: BRIGCHICAGO/TIKTOK Plane becomes sauna and passengers were told to 'meditate' – so they stewed even more A plane sitting on a tarmac suddenly turned into a sauna when its air-conditioning conked out. The flight crew's response? Meditate. This triggered shock and exasperation among some passengers as they fanned themselves furiously with in-flight manuals and magazines. The sweaty situation was captured in a 26-sec TikTok video by user brigchicago on June 24, showing passengers trying to cool themselves down after their flight got stuck on the tarmac and their plane's cooling system broke down. It has since gone viral, with over 1.6 million views by June 30. The account did not say what the airline was, where the plane was or where it was headed. In the video, a flight attendant could be heard telling passengers: 'All right, folks, we're doing our best.' Trying to explain the predicament they were in, she said: 'If we attempt to do a water service right now, it would put us back. We wouldn't be able to get in the air. And the sooner we get in the air, the sooner it'll cool off.' But then she closed her update with: 'Do your best to just meditate and stay calm. Help each other.' It seemed to have immediately got on many of the passengers' nerves, with one of them overheard saying: 'Are you serious right now?' User brigchicago had captioned her video: 'pov it's 130 degrees on the plane & you're being told to meditate'. However, her estimation of how hot it was inside the plane may have been an exaggeration. It was equivalent to 54 deg C, which was the hottest temperature ever recorded in 1913 in Death Valley, California. Not a one-off But it definitely was too hot in there, and something some other travellers have had to endure in the past. In July 2023, a United Airlines flight scheduled to depart Newark for Rome left passengers stewing on the runway for seven hours, without water, food or air-conditioning. That same month, a Delta flight in Las Vegas reportedly kept passengers aboard for up to four hours in 44 deg C, also without air conditioning. Several were treated by medics, and at least two people ended up hospitalised. More recently, in June 2024, dozens of athletes headed to the IFMA World Muaythai Championships were trapped on a Qatar Airways flight in Greece with no ventilation. The cabin got so hot that passengers reportedly passed out and stripped down to stay conscious. Most planes have a cooling system that works when the engines are roaring and the plane is in flight. When the plane is sitting on a hot runway and the engines are off, an auxiliary power unit, which uses jet fuel, can push cold air into the cabin. At the gate, airport workers can connect the plane to an external air-conditioning unit powered by the airport's electrical system, which can pump cool air into the plane through a hose. Aviation consultant Ross Sagun told The New York Times that the problem is that the external air-conditioning units and auxiliary-powered cooling systems do not always function properly because of maintenance problems or neglect. Outrage and sympathy While plenty of TikTok users were horrified, some left sympathetic comments. 'I'd actually be having a medical emergency if it's 130, I'm calling the police at that point because this is a hostage crisis at that point,' said user chuckythelucky69. 'I would have had a panic attack,' another added. 'I'm pulling the emergency door, and we're all getting fresh air,' someone joked. 'Put me on the no-fly list.' Others were more sympathetic towards the crew. 'She's just trying to help,' said user katrainwreck. 'It's not like this situation is her fault.' 'As a former flight attendant… they don't train us on situations like this,' added another user. 'She's doing her best in an awful situation with no other options.' 'People are so rude. She's trying to help everyone understand the situation and cope,' another said. 'Staying still and 'meditating' would lower the spread of heat as well as keep people as cool as possible.' One user, however, tried to find the lighter side of the situation. 'Have they tried having a kid sing Moana?' one person asked. That was a reference to another flight when a young girl serenaded passengers on a Delta flight that had been delayed for over four hours with a song from the movie Moana – and not everyone got that warm, fuzzy Disney feeling. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
