Latest news with #Wilcox
The Age
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
Enough is enough. End the starvation in Gaza
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. Enough is enough Those photos, those stories in TheAge in the last week and the Wilcox cartoon of Gaza, of children starving to death, people dying in the attempt to get food – enough. It is unforgivable that we continue to stand by and do virtually nothing. I don't care whether you call it genocide, I don't care whether you call me antisemitic – I am not, but the killing must stop now. Benjamin Netanyahu must be stopped. If the only real tool of influence we have at our disposal is sanctions, then use them Anthony Albanese. Not only are innocents dying daily, but generational hatred is being cultivated. The Palestinians who manage to live will never forget. Hate will continue to grow exponentially, babies and children will continue to die meaningless slow and horrible deaths, and our world is in deadly peril. Please, our wise and cautious leaders, do something substantive. Karen Morris, Newport This is hatred High school students verbally attacking primary school children with hateful comments in a public area: if that is not antisemitism, racism and pure ignorant hatred, then I don't know what is. Marie Nash, Balwyn Israel the problem . . . Your correspondent (Letters, 26/7) claims the crisis in Gaza is of Hamas's making. Apparently, the real problem is that Hamas won't surrender, not the siege imposed by Israel. Not the bombed hospitals. Not the people who die while collecting food. Not the blockade on baby formula. Just Hamas. But let's be clear: This is not a war between equals. Israel is one of the most advanced militaries on Earth unleashing its power on a captive population. It is Israel that controls Gaza's borders, and blocks humanitarian aid. It is Israel that has killed tens of thousands, levelled cities, and made famine a weapon of war. Pointing the finger at Hamas while babies die of hunger under siege is not just misdirection – it is moral cowardice. Pressure should go where the power lies. And in this case, that's not Hamas. Nadia Green, Sunshine North . . . And the solution Your correspondent (Letters, 26/7) completely misses the point. There is starvation in Gaza and it is Israel causing the starvation through its blockade, and only Israel can end the blockade. Whether there is a ceasefire or not, or whether Hamas goes to Qatar is irrelevant; food, medicine, water and fuel can be let into Gaza today to feed the starving people, but Israel is stopping it. Anastasios Moralis, Ormond Follow France example Israel will continue its deadly actions in Gaza and the West Bank until it is prevented from doing so. Australia should stand with France and the other countries who recognise the state of Palestine. Yes, it's a symbolic gesture, but it also offers a pathway to peace.
San Francisco Chronicle
23-07-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Justin Wilcox still frustrated by Cal football's close losses: ‘Those are difficult'
In putting together a 6-7 record for the second consecutive season last year, Cal went 2-5 in games decided by one score. The Bears endured one particularly painful stretch in which they lost four straight games by a combined nine points. On Tuesday, when a reporter at the ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, N.C., asked Cal head coach Justin Wilcox about the Bears' struggles in tight games in 2024 and how they plan to remedy that issue in '25, Wilcox had a ready response. 'You didn't need to remind me, but I know the stat, yeah,' said Wilcox, who's entering his ninth season leading the Bears. 'Those are difficult, frustrating losses. We had plenty of opportunities to win those games. 'I wish it was as simple as, well, we need to do this one drill or address this one position or fix this one problem. It's not that simple.' Wilcox then listed several components, from coaching and schematics to class schedules and admissions to 'support from every level of our institution. … I could name 50 things that can help us.' The Bears will need help from either new players or ones who haven't had major roles in their time at Cal. From last season, the Bears lost their starting quarterback (Fernando Mendoza, transferred to Indiana), top two running backs (Jaivian Thomas, transferred to UCLA; Jaydn Ott, transferred to Oklahoma), top wide receiver Nyziah Hunter (transferred to Nebraska), top tight end (Jack Endries, transferred to Texas), top tackler (Teddye Buchanan, fourth-round pick by Baltimore) and top interceptor (Nohl Williams, third-round pick by Kansas City). One man expected to provide a lot of help to Wilcox and the entire team is Ron Rivera, the former Cal and Chicago Bears linebacker and longtime NFL head coach who was named the football program's general manager in March. Wilcox said he and Rivera 'get to talk about anything and everything that has to do with Cal football. … He's a Cal Bear through and through, and he will tell you that. He will carry that flag.' Who will carry the flag as Cal's starting quarterback for its opener at Oregon State on Aug. 30 remains uncertain. The competition centers on Devin Brown, who spent the past three seasons as a backup at Ohio State, and heralded freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, the left-hander from Hawaii who committed to Cal but signed with Oregon, then quickly transferred from Eugene to Berkeley. Redshirt freshman EJ Caminong is also in the mix, Wilcox said, but the fact that Cal brought Brown and Sagapolutele to Charlotte would lead you to believe they're the top two candidates. 'The history of the quarterback position at Cal is long with Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff,' Brown said. 'The list goes on and on.' Brown then went on about making the transition from the Buckeyes to the Bears. 'The biggest thing was building relationships on and off the field,' Brown said. 'The O-line had to be able to trust that they could be my friend off the field. They're not going to want to block for somebody that they don't like, right?' This will be the third straight year in which the Bears begin preseason camp with their starting QB uncertain. In 2023, Sam Jackson V and Ben Finley were the top candidates. They alternated as starters for the first five games before Mendoza took the job. Last year, Mendoza held off Chandler Rogers to remain QB1. 'We feel like this team at each position is probably as competitive or more competitive than any team we've had in our tenure there, so that's a good thing,' Wilcox said. 'The goal is to bring in as many good players as we possibly can who fit us, who fit Cal, and let the competition sort the depth chart out.' Briefly: Cal also brought defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina and linebacker Cade Uluave to Charlotte. In an interview on the ACC Network, Wilcox hinted that Uluave might get playing time beyond his duties on defense. Uluave was both a linebacker and running back at Mountain Ridge High in Utah and he returned four kickoffs. … Brown wore No. 33, not the typical quarterback number, at OSU as a tribute to Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Sammy Baugh. Brown is wearing No. 13 at Cal as running back Dean-Taylor Chapman has No. 33. Brown jokingly said that Chapman 'is being a little stingy, but I wanted (No. 33), so we'll see what happens.'
Daily Mirror
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Families of Air India crash victims are sent the WRONG bodies in glaring blunder
Funeral plans were abandoned after one family of a British victim were told their coffin contained the body of an unknown passenger, rather than their loved one Bereaved families of victims of the Air India crash have been sent the wrong bodies, it has emerged. The remains of some of the deceased were wrongly identified before being flown home to the UK, an error which has caused further distress to grieving families. Relatives of one victim had to abandon funeral plans after being informed that their coffin contained the body of an unknown passenger rather than their family member, it is reported. And the "commingled" remnants of more than one person killed in the crash were mistakenly placed in the same casket in another shocking blunder. They had to be separated before the internment could go ahead last weekend, according to reports today. Of the 261 people who died when Air India flight 171 lost power and crashed, seconds after leaving Ahmedabad for London Gatwick, 52 were returning Britons. Two instances of mistaken identity have so far come to light, but there are fears that more such errors could have been made, leaving families under a shadow of uncertainty. The scandal reportedly came to light when Inner West London coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox sought to verify the repatriated Britons' identities by matching their DNA with samples provided by the families. Reacting to her discovery, aviation lawyer James Healy-Pratt, who represents many of the British families, said: "I've been sitting down in the homes of these lovely British families over the last month, and the first thing they want is their loved ones back... But some of them have got the wrong remains and they are clearly distraught over this. It has been going on for a couple of weeks (and) I think these families deserve an explanation." Keir Starmer is expected to address the issue with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during his state visit to the UK next week. The UK government has told the media, though, the families are experiencing an "extremely distressing time". Mr Healy-Pratt, also fighting for compensation in the courts following the the catastrophe, told the Daily Mail: "Family X have no-one to bury because it was the wrong person in their casket. And if isn't their relative, the question is, who is it in that coffin? Presumably it's another passenger and their relatives have been given the wrong remains. The coroner also has a problem because she has an unidentified person in her jurisdiction." Inquests into 12 deaths were opened and adjourned on July 10 by Dr Wilcox. Approached by the Mail, Dr Wilcox said it would be inappropriate for her to comment on the scandal. But it is understood complex work is now being done to try to establish the precise chain of events in the recovery and identification process, beginning when the bodies were pulled from the jet's smouldering wreckage and ending when they reached Britain. A government spokesperson said: "Formal identification of bodies is a matter for the Indian authorities. We understand that this is an extremely distressing time for the families, and our thoughts remain with them."
ITV News
20-07-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Home Secretary announces inquiry into Battle of Orgreave
The Government has announced a public inquiry into a violent confrontation between striking miners and police which became known as the Battle of Orgreave. Campaigners have long fought for an investigation into the police's actions during and after clashes at the South Yorkshire coking plant on 18 June 1984. Dozens of people were injured and 95 picketers were arrested and charged with riot and violent disorder, but all charges were later dropped after evidence was discredited. The inquiry, expected to launch in the autumn, will investigate the events surrounding the incident and will have powers to compel people to provide information where necessary, the Home Office said. The Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, has agreed to chair the inquiry, which the Home Office said is intended to 'aid the public's understanding of how the events on the day, and immediately after, came to pass'. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said what happened at Orgreave 'cast a shadow over communities in Yorkshire and other mining areas'. Ms Cooper added: 'The violent scenes and subsequent prosecutions raised concerns that have been left unanswered for decades, and we must now establish what happened. 'I pay tribute to the campaigners who never stopped in their search for truth and justice, and I look forward to continuing to work with them as we build an inquiry that gets the answers they and their communities deserve.' The Home Office said formal consultation between the Home Secretary and the Rt Revd Wilcox on the inquiry's terms of reference has begun. The Rt Revd Wilcox said he did not 'underestimate the weight of expectation or the significance of the task'. He added: 'I look forward to engaging with stakeholders in the coming weeks over the draft terms of reference, and to working with the government to identify experts to support me on the independent panel. 'I expect the panel to begin its work in the autumn, and we will endeavour to deliver an inquiry which is thorough and fair, and which will uncover what happened at Orgreave as swiftly as possible.' The Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign (OTJC) said it wanted to know who was responsible for 'organising and ordering the deployment of multiple police forces, including mounted police armed with truncheons, shields and dogs, against striking miners'. The campaign group said it wanted the inquiry to find out how it was decided that 'striking miners should be attacked and arrested at Orgreave and charged with riot and unlawful assembly, which carried heavy prison sentences'. It added that it wanted to know why 'the police operational order for police deployments that day disappeared and other evidence been destroyed or embargoed until 2066 and 2071'. OTJC secretary, Kate Flannery, said the announcement of an inquiry was 'really positive news'. Ms Flannery added: 'We now need to be satisfied that the inquiry is given the necessary powers to fully investigate all the aspects of the orchestrated policing at Orgreave, and have unrestricted access to all relevant information including government, police and media documents, photos and films.' The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) general secretary, Chris Kitchen, said the inquiry was 'hugely welcome'. Mr Kitchen added: 'The events at Orgreave, and throughout the strike, destroyed the trust between the police and mining communities even now, 41 years later. 'It is vital that this trust is won back and the NUM believe this inquiry will go some way to rebuilding that trust.' Kevin Horne, a miner arrested at Orgreave, said: 'It is now over 41 years since a paramilitary style police operation was planned at Orgreave and it is important to remember that some of the miners attacked and arrested there are now dead and many others are old and ill. 'We need a quick and thorough inquiry with a tight timescale so that surviving miners can at last obtain the truth and justice they have been waiting for.' Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, said the inquiry was a 'landmark moment for justice and accountability'. Mr Coppard added: 'The Inquiry represents an opportunity to examine not only the actions of South Yorkshire Police and other forces on that day, but also the broader role of government at the time. 'It's a step towards setting the historical record straight, ensuring lessons are learned, and restoring public trust.'
NZ Herald
16-07-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Ellerslie-Eden Park double looms in mammoth day for Auckland sport
And by complete fluke that Group 1, renamed the Proisir Plate, will now be run at Ellerslie. The first Group 1 is usually held at Hastings and has recently been known as the Tarzino Trophy, but the Hastings track is closed this spring for re-cambering work. That means Ellerslie wins the battle to host the race that officially launches spring racing, the Gold Trail Stakes and, quite appropriately considering the rugby tie-in, the Sir Colin Meads Trophy. The other two legs of what is usually the Hawkes Bay Triple Crown have also been moved, with NZTR announcing on Wednesday they will also come north after earlier programming them for Awapuni. The $400,000 1600m Group 1 formerly known as the Arrowfield Plate will now be held at Te Rapa on September 27 while what was known as the Livamol, the $550,000 Group 1 over 2040m, will also be held at Ellerslie on October 18. But it is the September 6 meeting which promises a unique racing-rugby crossover in Auckland. As anybody who has traveled to an All Blacks test in New Zealand knows, test day features hundreds, sometimes thousands, of rugby supporters dressed in black wandering from cafes to bars filling in time before the now usual 7.05pm kick-off. Wilcox has a ready made gathering point for them. 'It is going to be a huge day for Auckland sport and we are as excited as anybody about the Springboks coming to Auckland,' says the Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chief executive. 'But having our new Proisir Plate day on in the hours before is too good an opportunity to miss. 'So we are looking at ways of accommodating rugby fans who are in town and want to get warmed up for the test with some world-class racing and a place to get together. 'We are open to options and that at time of the season the racing is over nice and early so it gives the heaps of time to get to Eden Park. 'You can even get the train there from here so it is going to be a very cool day for people who love their racing and rugby. 'We know a lot of people will be heading to their hospitality options at the test around 5pm but we will give them somewhere to start their day first.' Star stallion Proisir will be the new name on the first Group 1 of the season over 1400m, with Rich Hill Stud jumping at the chance to help launch spring racing. The September 6 date will now loom large not only for rugby fans but also racing participants already growing tired of the constant heavy tracks this winter has dished up. While there are winter highlights like West Coast's attempt to win a fourth Grand National at Riccarton and the Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa on August 23 still to come, Ellerslie's first meeting of the season will now be the one circled on many calendars. Ellerslie have finished a hugely successful season where after a tricky bedding first stint for their StrathAyr track, it raced beautifully this term. 'We were stoked with the track and it has had its annual maintenance and is looking really good,' says Wilcox. Ellerslie has already started looking even further into the 2025-26 season, which starts on August 1, with tickets on sale for its major racedays. That includes tickets for most meetings up until January 1 but also next year's Karaka Millions meeting (January 24) and Champions Day (March 7). Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald's Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world's biggest horse racing carnivals.
