Latest news with #Sir


Scoop
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scoop
PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic Elevated To Full World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Event
The PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic, a longstanding highlight of the summer season in Whanganui, has officially been upgraded to a full World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze-level meet, completing the Summer Circuit alongside four other major events: Allan & Sylvia Potts Classic / NZ Short Track Championships - Hastings PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic - Whanganui Sir Graeme Douglas International - Auckland International Track Meet - Christchurch New Zealand Track & Field Championships - Auckland The Bronze designation acknowledges the continued commitment of the PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic team to creating a premier event for the region and country. An event that continues to attract top international talent, provides an athlete-first meet experience and an engaging track and field spectacle for fans in person and via livestream. The home of the PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic, the Whanganui Cooks Gardens, known as the home of the mile, was awarded the World Athletics Heritage Plaque in 2023 in the 'Landmark' category. 'We are thrilled that our iconic venue, Cooks Gardens is to host a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze event not just for 2026 but also for 2027 and 2028. We are grateful for the Whanganui District Council who in 2024 had the track resurfaced and recertified by World Athletics to enable us to continue to host these types of events in Whanganui,' said meet director, Russell Sears. 'An annual event that will bring over 50 overseas athletes to compete at Cooks to add to the heritage the Gardens holds in World Athletics. The mile will continue to be our signature events for the Classic. By moving to a complete Bronze meeting, we will be able to showcase another 12 events, offering opportunities for more New Zealand athletes to compete against world class athletes.' As a full World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Event, the PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic brings the opportunity for athletes to earn valuable world-ranking points at the Bronze level (C) and compete against leading international athletes right here in New Zealand. Along with the bronze status comes higher prize money for athletes, more internationals travelling to the region, and a bigger spotlight on the event. The 2025 edition of the event drew the biggest crowd in over a decade, as the sport of track and field continues its rise in New Zealand. A big drawcard to the event was Olympic champion, Hamish Kerr, competing on home soil for the first time since winning his historic Olympic gold. The PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic, together with the full Summer Circuit, forms the pinnacle of domestic competition in New Zealand. Dates for each event, event grid, entry information, and ticketing details will be released as available. A bidding process was held by Athletics New Zealand to allocate the third Bronze meet. Applications were reviewed by a panel of five including Athletics NZ CE, Cam Mitchell, Head of Track and Field Events, Keegan McCauley, a representative from the Athletes Commission, a representative from Oceania Athletics and a representative from the Athletics New Zealand board.

South Wales Argus
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Cardiff road closures for The Script, Sting and Maribou State gigs
Maribou State, The Script and Sting will take to the stage as headliners for TK Maxx presents DEPOT Live at Cardiff Castle 2025 on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday (June 25, 26 and 28), respectively. These three headliners follow on from Snow Patrol and Elbow, who performed at Cardiff Castle as part of the same event earlier this month. To ensure concert-goers can get to and from Cardiff Castle safely, there will be a number of road closures in place. Snow Patrol took back the city at Cardiff Castle to launch the TK Maxx Depot Live summer series. — It's On Cardiff (@itsoncardiff) June 13, 2025 Full list of road closures for Maribou State, The Script and Sting concerts at Cardiff Castle The following roads in Cardiff, according to Cardiff Council, will be closed between 9pm and midnight on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday (June 25, 26 and 28): Castle Street Duke Street Kingsway Cowbridge Road East (from Cathedral Road through to Westgate Street) These closures will also affect various bus services, including the 9 21/23 27 28 30 44/45 49/50 52 57/58 There will be diversions in place for these services, more details of which can be found on the Cardiff Bus website. 🎤 The Script @ Cardiff Castle 📅 Thursday 26th June 2025 ⚠️ Road closures and busy services expected More info ⬇️ — Cardiff Bus (@Cardiffbus) June 24, 2025 Cardiff Castle concerts to cause road closures until August The same roads are set to be shut off for all the TK Maxx presents DEPOT Live at Cardiff Castle 2025 concerts, which run until August 25. TK Maxx presents DEPOT Live at Cardiff Castle 2025 concerts Thursday, June 12 – Snow Patrol, Freya Ridings and The Florentinas June 13 – Elbow, The Coral and Billie Marten June 20 – Jamie Jones and Chris Stussy June 25 – Maribou State, Jimwam and Anish Kumar June 26 - Script and Tom Walker June 28 – Sting, The Lilacs and Sophie Grey July 6 - Human League, Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey and Blancmange July 10 – James, Shed Seven and Jamie Webster July 13 - Rag'N'Bone Man and Elles Bailey ELLES BAILEY July 19 – Rock the Castle: Funeral for a Friend, The Blackout, Punk Rock Factory and more July 20 - UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Bitty McLean, Reggae Roast featuring Mr Williamz July 26 – DEPOT in Castle: Jess Glynne, Maximo Park, Sigma, Kate Nash, Professor Green, GLC and Blue Dolphin Wranglers July 30 – Fontaines DC, Kae Temoest and High Vis July 31 - Pet Shop Boys and Dave Pearce August 1 - Faithless, Kosheen and Chicane August 20 – Sir Tom Jones and Stone Foundation August 21 - Sir Tom Jones and Stone Foundation August 24 – Basement Jax, Ezra Collective and Eats Everything August 25 - Will Smith, Nile Rodgers and Chic RECOMMENDED READING: Are tickets still available for TK Maxx presents DEPOT Live at Cardiff Castle 2025 Tickets are still available for the TK Maxx presents DEPOT Live at Cardiff Castle 2025 concerts. They can be found on the Ticketmaster or DEPOT Live website (a link to which can be found above).

The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
MPs slam failure to recover £1.9bn Covid loan fraud
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticised the lack of incentive for lenders to claim back the funds, with an estimated £1.9 billion in suspected fraudulent loans highlighting a significant gap in the programme's oversight. Introduced in the early days of the pandemic, the scheme was created to provide financial assistance for businesses facing the impact of forced closures during lockdown. READ MORE: Scottish Labour 'playing politics' ahead of final vote on education reforms, say SNP Standard credit and affordability checks were waived so companies could have instant access to loans of up to £50,000. While the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has acknowledged the estimated £1.9bn in fraudulent losses, it's thought that the figure could increase due to the number of counterfeit claims yet to be identified. Approximately £130 million has been recovered so far, though the DBT has admitted it cannot determine how much is linked to fraud. The PAC's comments highlight concerns about the large amounts of public money lost through false claims and a lack of action from the Government in holding people to account. The Government had guaranteed it would cover losses incurred by lenders on payments which couldn't be repaid when the scheme began, though it has now withdrawn its backing on £357 million worth of loans where it felt lenders had not done everything possible to recover the funds. Banks will now foot the bill, rather than taxpayers, and earlier this month Starling Bank announced it had agreed to remove the Government guarantee on groups of loans which had potential issues – leading the bank to put aside roughly £28 million. The PAC, however, has said this broader guarantee has led to reduced incentive to recover taxpayer's money lost through fraudulent claims. READ MORE: EU, taxes, and Labour 'out of step': What we learned in John Curtice's polling report Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the committee, said: 'DBT were unable to tell us if even the tiny fraction of that sum recovered was in fact even related to fraud. 'Indeed, relying on government-backed lenders to recover losses, who thus lack any incentive to pursue lost funds, has been a dangerously flat-footed approach. 'Now that the Insolvency Service has taken over responsibility for viable cases, we look forward to hearing how it fares where others have failed.' A DBT spokesperson told The National: 'We will always protect taxpayers' interests, which is why we appointed a Covid Counter-Fraud Commissioner to scrutinise Covid spending and why we will be transferring all ongoing viable cases to the Insolvency Service over the coming months following our review of NATIS's performance. 'We will consider the Committee's recommendations and continue to work across Government, law enforcement and commercial leaders to identify and tackle fraud in relation to the Covid debt schemes.'


Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
The Pain Behind The Smiles: Triple Threat Few Know Anything About
New Delhi: In a startling revelation on The Great Indian Kapil Show, actor Salman Khan revealed a harrowing truth that belied his trademark smile and action-packed persona. The 59-year-old Bollywood star disclosed that he suffered from three life-altering neurological and vascular conditions: trigeminal neuralgia (TN), brain aneurysm and arteriovenous malformation (AVM). The disclosure was as stunning as it was sobering. Though Khan underwent surgery for trigeminal neuralgia in Los Angeles in 2011, he continues to live with the burden of the remaining diagnoses. Yet, defying medical odds and excruciating pain, the veteran actor remains active, often charging through intense action sequences. TN, often described as 'the suicide disease' due to its unbearable pain, causes sudden, shock-like stabs on one side of the face, usually around the eyes or mouth. The condition, which can be triggered by cold water, cold air or touching specific facial areas called trigger points, is notorious for its debilitating effects. While TN isn't lethal, it severely impacts quality of life and mental health. A brain aneurysm, meanwhile, is a ticking time bomb, caused by a weak spot in a cerebral blood vessel that balloons dangerously, threatening to burst at any moment. AVM, a rare and complex condition, involves a tangled web of abnormal blood vessels that bypass the normal capillary system, directly connecting arteries to veins, raising the risk of catastrophic bleeding. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ductless Air Conditioners Are Selling Like Crazy [See Why] Keep Cool Click Here Undo Dr Anshu Rohatgi, vice-chairperson, neurology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, explained that severe cases could present with intense headaches and sub-arachnoid haemorrhage could potentially lead to limb weakness or unconsciousness. Dr P Sarat Chandra, senior neurosurgery professor, AIIMS, added, "Brain aneurysm and AVMs are potentially fatal. If the blood vessels rupture, the consequences can be stroke, irreversible brain damage, even death." Khan's situation is particularly complex due to potential interactions between these conditions. Medical professionals note that aneurysms or AVMs pressing against the trigeminal nerve may intensify neuralgia symptoms. These conditions aren't directly connected. Dr Pooja Anand, associate consultant neurology, Paras Healthcare, Gurgaon, noted that while these illnesses have different causes and mechanisms, vascular abnormalities are common to both aneurysms and AVMs and their coexistence could potentially affect nearby nerves. Regarding causation, Dr PN Renjen, senior consultant, neurology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, explained that these conditions occasionally influence each other. An AVM might affect blood flow patterns, causing aneurysm formation. Both conditions, when near the trigeminal nerve, could cause neuralgia, though TN doesn't cause the other conditions. Dr Sandhya Koche, principal consultant, neurology, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, explained that although uncommon, the concurrent presence of these three conditions is medically feasible, typically resulting from vascular irregularities affecting multiple brain regions. She pointed out that an arteriovenous malformation could lead to both trigeminal nerve complications and aneurysm development. "In addition, patients may experience separate aneurysms or nerve disorders, particularly if they have risk factors, including hypertension, inherited vascular disorders or previous head injuries. Though rare, when these conditions occur together, they highlight the intricate nature of cerebrovascular and neural health, necessitating thorough diagnostic imaging and coordinated care from multiple specialists," said Koche. C handra outlined various treatment options, often customised for individual patients. Microvascular decompression surgery offers effective treatment, while Gamma knife provides a non-invasive alternative, though pain relief may take longer. Aneurysms and AVMs may require surgery, neuro-intervention. Gamma knife treatment could work for AVM only, depending on patient factors and condition severity. "Large aneurysms might need bypass procedures. Neuro-intervention has become increasingly viable, though complete elimination of conditions isn't guaranteed. Complex cases may require combined treatments," he said. Dr Sweta Singla, senior consultant, neurology, Narayana Hospital, Gurgaon, emphasised ongoing medical monitoring through advanced diagnostics and lifestyle modifications. Treatment requires strict medication adherence, avoidance of triggers and prompt attention to warning signs. Risk management includes controlling blood pressure and avoiding smoking and stress. So, behind the glamour of his stardom, Salman Khan is locked in a daily duel with pain and peril. His persistence is not just about celebrity — it is survival.

CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Jay-Z surprises audience by joining wife Beyoncé on her Paris tour stop
Jay-Z and Beyoncé at the Grammys on February 2. (via CNN Newsource) Beyoncé closed out the international portion of her Cowboy Carter tour with an extra special guest. Jay-Z joined his wife onstage in Paris on Sunday night to perform 'Crazy In Love' and 'Drunk In Love' with her as well as his single 'N***as in Paris.' The rapper and music mogul thrilled the Stade de France crowd with his appearance as other tour stops had not included the superstar couple performing together. The Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour has been a family affair. The couple's daughters, Blue Ivy, 13, and Rumi, 8, have also joined their mom onstage in each show. The Carters also have a son named Sir, who is Rumi's twin brother. Beyoncé added some other familiar hits to her setlist in Paris, including the single 'Partition.' Last week, Miley Cyrus joined Beyoncé in concert to perform their Grammy-winning duet 'II Most Wanted' off 'Cowboy Carter.' Beyoncé's tour kicked off April 28 at SoFI Stadium in Inglewood, California and is scheduled to conclude July 26 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. By Lisa Respers France.