KZN school food providers still not paid
DURBAN - The KwaZulu-Natal education department says it's working around the clock trying to fix problems that prevented some school food suppliers not being paid.
The delay has serious repercussions for the school's feeding scheme, with thousands of pupils possibly going hungry.
READ: School Nutrition Programme | Suppliers in KZN have not been paid since June
KZN education MEC, Sipho Hlomuka discussed some of the issues affecting the nutrition programme in the province.
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Fashion Network
4 minutes ago
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Printemps hosts Perelman Performing Arts Center announcement of DVF as next Icon of Culture
Having only been in lower Manhattan for under four months, Printemps New York is proving its good neighbor status and dedication to the Financial District. The French retailer opened its doors for an event to kick off the buzz for this fall's annual Perelman Performing Arts Center, aka PAC NYC's Icon of Culture Gala. Hosted by PAC chair and former Big Apple hizzoner Michael R. Bloomberg; supermodel, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Karlie Kloss; and Printemps Americas CEO, Thierry Prevost, the cocktail announced iconic fashion legend and Légion d'Honneur recipient Diane Von Furstenberg as the 2025 PAC NYC Icon of Culture at the upcoming October black-tie event to benefit the newly opened arts center. The event marks the second Icons of Culture fundraising gala. The kickoff event was held in the new French store—designed by French architect Laura Gonzales that defies the department store moniker— in its famous Red Room shoe salon and adjacent bar, one of five food and beverage locales in the store. While Von Furstenberg was out of town and unable to attend, DVF Studio's CEO, Graziano de Boni, and his wife, Valerie, and VP of philanthropy, Luisella Meloni, showed up in support of the pioneer female fashion designer. Von Furstenberg is being honored not only for her contributions to the city but her 50-year impact on fashion and her role as a mentor and advocate for girls and women around the world. Speaking to a crowd which included Fern Mallis, Derek Blasberg, Drena De Niro, Samantha and Caleigh Perelman, and Born This Way Foundation president and co-founder Cynthia Germanotta, and Lady Gaga's mother. Bloomberg called von Furstenberg "a towering figure in the arts and culture here in New York," adding, "She's one of the most influential names in fashion, an industry at the heart of our city's economy. She's been a tireless advocate for the industry and a generous philanthropist with her leadership on public projects like the High Line and the Statue of Liberty Museum. She's deeply committed to our city, and her support and investment have helped build a bright future here." Following his remarks, a visibly pregnant Karlie Kloss, a longtime collaborator and friend of von Furstenberg, spoke about her relationship with the designer. "I first met Diane when I was 15 years old in New York, and I remember being enamored with her elegance, her confidence, and her style. Diane has been one of my fiercest champions and greatest teachers throughout my career. I've learned so much from her, but especially to be unapologetically myself. She has shown us all what a purposeful life looks like, and I can't think of anyone more deserving of this award," said Kloss. Thierry Prevost, CEO of Printemps Americas, emphasized the brand's commitment to the downtown neighborhood: "Printemps is proud to contribute to the renewal of Lower Manhattan, a neighborhood whose vitality owes much to the vision and leadership of Mike Bloomberg. We're equally honored to host PAC at Printemps New York ahead of their October Icons of Culture Gala. This year, they have named Diane von Furstenberg - an icon of fashion and culture, and a woman whose bold spirit and lasting influence personify the values we stand for - as the 2025 award recipient." Provost reiterated the sentiment of Printemps's chairman Jean-Marc Bellaiche, who spoke to at the store's March opening about the area that "boasts Casa Cipriani, a performing arts center, fashion brands like Altuzarra and the cool crowd over at WSA, another architectural gem, the Beekman Hotel, good schools, green spaces, and Jean Georges Tin Building." At the time, Bellaiche doubled down on his conviction of the area. "We are convinced that this is a neighborhood of tomorrow. It's up and coming. It's more and more residential. The people and businesses that were here are different than 15 years ago. Now, it's not just bankers; it's fashion, it's tech, it's media, and it's all here. It's a vibrant community that is becoming more attractive for any New Yorker," he said. The 108th mayor of New York City was the connector for the event and spearheaded bringing the creatives together. Bloomberg's dedication to the area began when his term started in January of 2002, as the city was still reeling from the 9/11 attacks. The then-mayor and his administration were determined to bring the area back together and make it bigger and better, developing the typically work-only area into a 24-hour neighborhood with housing, parks, and new businesses. Part of the plan was the arts. The idea came to fruition with the help of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, who made the first central pledge, and Ronald Perelman, for which it was named. PAC NYC brings vibrant dancers, musicians, artists, filmmakers, and other creators from across New York City for performances and exhibitions.
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5 minutes ago
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Far from madding crowds: Good planning, modern tech can prevent deadly stampedes
Hell is empty, and all the devils are here. In India, stampedes have become a routine tragedy, taking a heavy toll on lives and often being man-made. At one time, they were largely confined to religious events, triggered by the fervour of devotees. In recent times, they have also occurred at railway stations and celebrity Bangalore tragedy is a case in point. Meant to celebrate RCB's IPL T20 victory, the event at Chinnaswamy Stadium-which has a capacity of about 35,000-drew an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people. The inevitable rush, jostling to get in and lack of discipline led to chaos. The resulting stampede left 11 dead and dozens injured. A senior police officer had reportedly flagged the risks before the event, but no action was taken. Every such tragedy is unique. Yet, the reasons cited are almost always the same. Crowds are always 'unexpectedly large', sudden surges are caused by an 'unplanned event' (VIP or celebrity presence, late opening of a gate) and 'insufficient police presence', which result in poor crowd control. Simple system improvements could prevent-or at least mitigate-such tragedies. Now, there is the additional tool of new technology. Tapping its potential, though, requires something uncommon in India: multidisciplinary teams. Such teams must include technologists, from computer programmers to data scientists to sensor and drone experts, and mathematicians. Crucially, they must also have social scientists-particularly sociologists and psychologists-a breed rarely seen on such start with, such a team would collect as much data as possible from past stampedes and large gatherings to build a basic model of crowd dynamics. It would seek to model how and when crowds suddenly surge and events that lead to this getting out of control. Is there a critical mass or crowd density that sparks uncontrolled pushing and panic? Are problems due to choke points or sudden pressure releases (as when a gate is opened, or a celebrity arrives)? Are there patterns of crowd agglomeration and movement? Analytics based on historical data would help create a model to answer these and other questions. Updates from new events, including large crowds and stampedes, would be used to continuously hone and refine the old data may be difficult-but it is possible. It would have to depend on anecdotal data, social media posts, CCTV coverage and mobile video recordings from the events-from the past and in future-may have drone coverage, which would provide additional data. Collating and synthesising from all this, and integrating it with terrain data, local maps (where are the gates?) and weather information (sudden showers or high temperatures can cause stampedes) can best be done by using that is mentioned above about crowds also applies to mobs-a more focused, often more volatile, form of crowd. Handling them poses similar data-based models with insights into human behaviour can make them significantly more accurate and useful. This is where sociologists-who understand group and crowd behaviour-and psychologists (who have insights on individual behaviour) play a vital addition to statistical correlation provided by data analytics and AI, social scientists would provide the cause-and-effect dynamics that are key to preventing such tragedies. In scientific terms, this is adding physics to mathematics. Also, social scientists can suggest what kind of social media messages, or 'nudges', might prevent crowd accumulation or ensure safe behaviour of crowds. With more data, social science, like data analytics, will be able to improve the model, do predictive modelling, even preventive specific things follow from the above: Data is key: Collecting and collating data from all sources is critical. Going forward, new technologies-drones, sensors, big data analytics, AI-must be used. While models based only on statistical data analytics may be fungible, these will not work well here since crowd behaviour is culture-specific. Study crowd behaviour: There's a growing market for large, live events-sports, concerts, political rallies-involving tens of thousands of people. This makes such models vital. Their culture-specificity highlights the need to develop indigenous models, necessitating the involvement of social scientists. Computational sociology: It requires sophisticated and multi-disciplinary research with a degree of mutual understanding between technologists and social scientists. This needs the development of a new discipline: computational sociology. GoI should support the roll out of dedicated courses and fund them. It is worth noting that any successful use of tech for people's benefit requires the involvement of social scientists. Isro demonstrated the advantages through its pioneering multi- and trans-disciplinary teams for the Satellite TV Experiment (SITE) in 1975. Social media key: Given the role of social media in crowd collection and subsequent behaviour (often triggered by rumours or fake news), prompt corrective and pre-emptive posts would help. These can be created and sent out instantaneously by GenAI, which can be integrated into the model. With our population size and culture, large crowds may be unavoidable. However, what the tech-based models can ensure is that crowds do not equal stampedes. That would be one tragedy we could-and should-finally prevent. The writer is chairperson, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Will Royal Enfield's back to the future strategy woo GenZ? We don't have a global legacy, so our products can be tailor-made: IndiGo CEO HSBC's next move could shake up India's venture debt play Everything 'e' won't make you a millionaire. Just look at e-pharmacies Are Indian banks staring at their worst in 7 years? F&O Radar | Deploy Short Strangle in Nifty to benefit from volatility, Theta Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of more than 28% in 1 year For investors with patience & ability to take moderate risk: 6 mid-cap stocks from different sectors with upside potential up to 36%
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Tony Awards 2025: George Clooney Gives Rare Update on His, Amal's Kids
Originally appeared on E! Online What George Clooney's kids are interested in isn't so up in the air. Indeed, as the Ocean's Eleven alum navigates fatherhood with his and wife Amal Clooney's 8-year-old twins Ella and Alexander, he shared insight into their pop culture diet. 'They want to see ,' George told E! News' Keltie Knight during an exclusive interview at the 2025 Tonys red carpet. 'The funniest part is that they have no idea of references. Robert DeNiro will be at the house and they're like 'Who's that?' They don't care.' His little ones, however, do know the cast of Wicked and can't wait to see Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande dazzle in Wicked: For Good. As he put it, 'They're looking forward to the second part.' (See every star here.) And for George—who is nominated in the Best Actor in a Play for Good Night, and Good Luck—it helps having Amal by his side at home and in his career. More from E! Online Tony Awards 2025: Katie Holmes Wows During Rare Red Carpet Appearance Tony Awards 2025: See the Complete Winners List (Live Updates) See Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Rare Public Outing With Son Rocky 'I have this incredible partner who I couldn't be more proud of,' he gushed. 'She's the bravest human being I've ever met in my life. I am deeply proud of her and the fact that she's in any way proud of me, if just, I can't believe how lucky I am.' Something that Amal—who accompanied her husband in a stunning white gown adorned with pearl—is grateful for? George finally returned to his famed salt-and-pepper locks after going dark for his onstage role as Edward R. Murrow. "I had to cut it all out with a weed whacker to get it all," George teased at Radio City Music Hall. "That black hair dye, I had to cut it out. You can't color that." Although the E.R. alum kept the eyebrow-raising hair color for his latest project, he was ready to rid himself of the look as soon as he and the cast took their final bows. 'We do a matinee, and then by the time we go to the Tonys that night, it'll be gone,' he explained on Late Night with Seth Meyers June 3. 'I may have a shaved head.' Meanwhile, Amal has made it clear that she isn't a fan of the look either. "It's not my favorite look, and my wife, she thinks it's funny," George quipped on CBS Mornings in April. 'Honestly, nothing makes you look older than being 63 and dyeing your hair." For more stars at the 2025 Tony Awards, keep reading. Julianne HoughSarah SnookKatie HolmesAlex Winter and Keanu ReevesDaveed DiggsMegan HiltyAnna WintourRosie PerezJustina MachadoRachel SussmanAudra McDonaldDarren CrissJonathan GroffJean SmartNicole ScherzingerSarah PaulsonDanielle BrooksLaufeySarah SnookCole EscolaPhillipa SooCynthia ErivoCole EscolaBryan Cranston For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
