The risk of railway strikes causing major disruptions to New Year's Eve celebrations was exaggerated by the NSW premier, the head of the state's rail union has said. Amid concerns for Sydney's world-famous New Year's Eve party , the NSW Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) dropped eight major work bans late on Monday, casting the last-minute changes as necessary to help ward off actions to "effectively crush" its bargaining strategy. They include distance limits for drivers and various signalling bans that had forced more than 680 cancellations over the weekend. READ MORE Cancelled trains, a call for free travel and a warning about NYE fireworks Following a Fair Work Commission (FWC) hearing on Tuesday, NSW RTBU branch secretary Toby Warnes took aim at the state government's recent rhetoric. "We have always said it was a stunt by Premier (Chris) Minns and his friends in the big business community. There was never going to be any rail shutdown or major disruptions on New Year's Eve and now there certainly won't be," Warnes said. "We trust people can now safely assume the fireworks will go ahead. They were never not going to go ahead, but we understand people were uncertain of that because of the government's rhetoric over the past three weeks." In a subsequent social media post, the union criticised what it called a "government...If You, Like Me, Are A Sheep When It Comes To Beauty Products, These 33 Popular Ones Are Worth It
Canadian fund drops bid for Spanish pharma firm GrifolsStormont minister Maurice Morrow told an official he would not raise the issue with the Northern Ireland Executive, despite similar measures being considered in England and Wales. A file on planning arrangements for the jubilee celebrations reveals a series of civil service correspondences on how Northern Ireland would mark the occasion. It includes a letter sent on January 11 2001 from an official in the Office of the First Minister/Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) to the Department of Social Development, advising that a committee had been set up in London to consider a programme of celebrations. The correspondence says: “One of the issues the committee is currently considering is the possibility of deregulating liquor licensing laws during the golden jubilee celebrations on the same lines as the arrangements made for the millennium. “It is felt that the golden jubilee bank holiday on Monday 3 June 2002 is likely to be an occasion on which many public houses and similar licensed premises would wish to stay open beyond normal closing time.” The letter said a paper had been prepared on the issue of extending opening hours. It adds: “You will note that paragraph seven of the paper indicates that the devolved administrations ‘would need to consider deregulation separately within their own jurisdictions’. “I thought that you would wish to be aware that this issue is receiving active consideration for England and Wales and to consider whether anything needs to be done for Northern Ireland.” Some months later a “progress report” was sent between officials in OFMDFM, which again raised the issue of licensing laws. It says: “I spoke to Gordon Gibson, DSD, about Terry Smith’s letter of 12 January 2001 about licensing laws: the matter was put to their minister Maurice Morrow (DUP) who indicated that he would not be asking the NIE (Northern Ireland Executive) to approve any change to current licensing laws in NI to allow for either 24 hour opening (as at the millennium) nor a blanket approval for extended opening hours as is being considered in GB. “In both cases, primary legislation would be required here and would necessitate consultation and the minister has ruled out any consultation process.” The correspondence says individual licensees could still apply for an extension to opening hours on an ad hoc basis, adding “there the matter rests”. It goes on: “DSD await further pronouncements from the Home Office and Gibson and I have agreed to notify each other of any developments we become aware of and he will copy me to any (existing) relevant papers. “Ministers may well come under pressure in due course for a relaxation and/or parity with GB.” The document concludes “That’s it so far...making haste slowly?” Emails sent between officials in the department the same month said that lord lieutenants in Northern Ireland had been approached about local events to mark the jubilee. One message says: “Lord lieutenants have not shown any enthusiasm for encouraging GJ celebrations at a local level. “Lady Carswell in particular believes that it would be difficult for LLs to encourage such activities without appearing political.”Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights
The year 2024 has witnessed significant milestones in China-Zimbabwe cooperation in the agriculture sector, a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy. Trade between the two sides increased, while China’s support for Zimbabwe’s technical expertise and human resources development in the agriculture sector also expanded. According to the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency, a national investment promotion body, the agriculture sector sustains more than 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s population, provides 63 percent of raw materials for the manufacturing sector, generates 30 percent of export earnings, and contributes 15 percent to gross domestic product. In a bid to further open China’s market to Zimbabwean agricultural products, a trade protocol on the export of Zimbabwean avocados was inked during Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s state visit to China in September, ahead of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Rodwell Choto, an avocado farmer from Bindura, Mashonaland Central Province, is among those preparing to meet the expected surge in demand from China. “Exports to China will give us foreign currency, our economy will grow, and our livelihoods will improve,” Choto told Xinhua in a recent interview, noting that avocado farmers are ramping up production. According to the Horticultural Development Council, an organization representing horticultural exporters in Zimbabwe, the Southeast African country is projected to produce a record 6,000 metric tons of avocados in 2024, with its avocado industry set to expand the growing area from the current 1,500 hectares to 4,000 hectares by 2030. This builds on earlier successes, including a 2022 trade agreement enabling the export of fresh citrus to China, which saw its first shipment in 2023. “This is a chance for African agriculture now to become part of the global food value chain,” said Christopher Mutsvangwa, politburo member and secretary for information and publicity at the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) party. Zimbabwe’s tobacco sub-sector has also flourished in 2024, bolstered by China’s market access. Tobacco, an important economic activity and a major foreign currency earner for Zimbabwe, Africa’s largest tobacco producer, saw exports to China rise 38.3 percent to 790 million U.S. dollars in the first nine months of 2024, accounting for 40.6 percent of Zimbabwe’s total exports to China, according to data released by the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe. The overall trade figures between Zimbabwe and China grew 25.6 percent to 3 billion dollars in the same period, the Chinese embassy added. Despite these significant milestones this year, a severe drought has caused crop failures and livestock losses, greatly undermining the agriculture sector. In response, China launched a project to drill 300 boreholes in four provinces of the country. “These boreholes will not only provide safe water to the affected community, but will also serve as a stepping stone towards resilience building in view of the current El Nino-induced drought, and will also save the lives of our livestock which is also in dire need of water,” said Zimbabwe’s Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities Daniel Garwe. China’s support extends beyond infrastructure to human resource development. Collaborative efforts have focused on capacity building and technical assistance to enhance agricultural productivity. As part of this initiative, Zimbabwean officials and professionals have attended seminars and workshops in China, equipping them with skills to modernize agriculture. Jotamu Dondofema, director of agricultural education in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, is among the officials who attended a seminar on the construction of green, low carbon, and circular economic systems in China this year. “This program has already yielded significant benefits. We have witnessed large numbers of successfully trained personnel, improved technologies in the agricultural value chains, the establishment of renewable energy sources and systems, and information and technology-sharing platforms anchoring capacity-building initiatives. These efforts have enhanced the employability and competitiveness of Zimbabwean professionals while also promoting the adoption of green technologies and sustainable practices,” Dondofema said.The NFL won the head-to-head battle for viewers with the College Football Playoff. Front Office Sports, citing figures from Nielsen, reported Tuesday that the Kansas City Chiefs' 27-19 win over the Houston Texans on Saturday averaged 15.5 million viewers on NBC, more than double the average of 6.4 million people who watched Penn State defeat SMU 38-10 on TNT Sports in the same time frame. The Baltimore Ravens' 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers drew an average of 15.4 million for Fox Sports, while 8.6 million viewers tuned in to see Texas defeat Clemson 38-24in the College Football Playoff on TNT. The CFP games returned stronger ratings when they weren't matched up against an NFL game, however. Ohio State's 42-17 victory over Tennessee, played in primetime on Saturday night, averaged 14.3 million viewers on ESPN. The network also saw strong ratings for Notre Dame's 27-17 win over Indiana on Friday night with an average of 13.4 million. All four first-round CFP games were played at campus sites. They averaged 10.6 million viewers overall, per Front Office Sports, which noted that figure exceeded the ratings for all but four college football broadcasts this season. --Field Level MediaAre you tracking your health with a device? Here’s what could happen with the data
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