Latest news with #Begbie
The Age
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Age
Perth private school sounds alarm over ‘dangerous' children's crossing
Traffic wardens are refusing to work at a 'dangerous' children's crossing servicing a West Australian private school, citing the significant number of drivers choosing to speed through the area who put their lives – and students' – at risk. Presbyterian Ladies' College has spoken out after receiving a notice from WA Police's Children's Crossing Unit that the latest traffic warden appointed to the role had asked to be removed not long after starting because they felt unsafe. The school has struggled to find a long-term traffic warden for the crossing along Stirling Highway in Peppermint Grove since 2021, with staff having to fill any gaps – sometimes for months at a time. Principal Cate Begbie, who has also taken on shifts at the crossing, said the school had spent the years since warning police and the state government it was unsafe, with multiple near-misses and serious incidents recorded. Begbie said she feared the lack of response would lead to a tragedy unless there was immediate change. No students have been involved in an accident, but there have been several car accidents at the crossing over the past few years and, in 2024, the traffic warden working at the time was hit by a car. He was seriously injured and has been unwilling to return to the job since. WA Police placed a temporary speed camera at the crossing after that incident and clocked 401 cars driving over the speed limit in the space of just 80 minutes. Those 80 minutes were right after school finished for the day.
Sydney Morning Herald
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Sydney Morning Herald
Perth private school sounds alarm over ‘dangerous' children's crossing
Traffic wardens are refusing to work at a 'dangerous' children's crossing servicing a West Australian private school, citing the significant number of drivers choosing to speed through the area who put their lives – and students' – at risk. Presbyterian Ladies' College has spoken out after receiving a notice from WA Police's Children's Crossing Unit that the latest traffic warden appointed to the role had asked to be removed not long after starting because they felt unsafe. The school has struggled to find a long-term traffic warden for the crossing along Stirling Highway in Peppermint Grove since 2021, with staff having to fill any gaps – sometimes for months at a time. Principal Cate Begbie, who has also taken on shifts at the crossing, said the school had spent the years since warning police and the state government it was unsafe, with multiple near-misses and serious incidents recorded. Begbie said she feared the lack of response would lead to a tragedy unless there was immediate change. No students have been involved in an accident, but there have been several car accidents at the crossing over the past few years and, in 2024, the traffic warden working at the time was hit by a car. He was seriously injured and has been unwilling to return to the job since. WA Police placed a temporary speed camera at the crossing after that incident and clocked 401 cars driving over the speed limit in the space of just 80 minutes. Those 80 minutes were right after school finished for the day.
The Citizen
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Global trade war's potential blow to Southern African Customs Union revenue
The trade war will cause a decline in Southern African Customs Union revenue and place additional strain on regional economies. The global trade war is also expected to affect the Southern African Customs Union, especially if the member countries lose their export benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). Lesotho and eSwatini are especially vulnerable to these adverse effects, with economists shaving 4% of projected world trade in goods. Lyle Begbie, economist at Oxford Economics Africa, warns that the implementation of US import tariffs and the effective end of Agoa will significantly affect several regional economies. 'These tariffs will likely reduce global trade volumes, which in turn could shrink the pool of shared customs revenues. As a result, we anticipate that the projected Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) revenues for the 2027 fiscal year will be revised downward. ' The US administration announced substantial global tariffs, including 145% on China and 10% on most of the rest of the world, with several Southern African economies particularly hard hit. 'Consequently, our new forecast assumes that long-run US non-fuel goods imports will fall by over 20% compared to our March baseline, affecting almost every country in the world.' ALSO READ: IMF warns all countries will be caught in crossfire of trade war Effect of global trade war on world trade Begbie says the direct hit to trade in the rest of the world will be magnified in three ways: Lower exports to the US will filter down the supply chain, prompting weaker intermediate imports elsewhere. Reduced export revenues will weaken domestic demand, further dampening imports. Heightened uncertainty will also prompt spending on investment and big-ticket consumer goods to be delayed or postponed, further lowering imports. 'Overall, we have lowered our forecast of world goods trade as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) substantially. In 2026, it is now expected to be about 4% lower than we assumed in March and 10% lower than we anticipated in October. Therefore, we have structurally lowered global trade volumes throughout the forecast period.' Begbie says Sacu enables the sharing of customs and excise revenue between members, with the Sacu revenue-sharing formula adjusted for projected revenue with a two-year lag. 'Given the disproportionate size of South Africa's economy within Sacu and as the main importer, the pool of revenue available for distribution is driven by South Africa's imports. 'However, given recent global events and South Africa's weaker economy, we have lowered our forecasted real imports this year by about 2% compared to the previous baseline. This downward revision of real imports will place pressure on Sacu revenues, starting in the 2027/28 fiscal year.' ALSO READ: Reserve Bank warns global trade tensions can cut GDP by 0.7% Trade war will cause decline in global import prices In addition, he says that lower import prices will reduce South Africa's import bill. 'Our outlook for global oil, non-fuel commodity and food prices has been significantly revised downward due to rising global economic uncertainty. We now expect oil prices to average $67.6pb this year compared to our previous forecast of $76.4pb. 'Negative consumer and producer inflation in China and the country's potential need to redirect exports away from the US may also drive down prices of manufactured goods. This broad decline in global import prices will place pressure on Sacu revenues.' South Africa's 2025 budget review noted a strong upward revision of Sacu revenues in the 2027/28 FY to R91.2 billion, from the previous forecast R84.0 billion. As a result, the pool of shared customs revenues would surpass the record figure of R89.9 billion set in 2024/25 FY. However, Begbie says, the expected weaker real imports from South Africa, along with lower import prices, will likely result in a downward revision of Sacu revenues in 2027/28. 'Consequently, we suspect that it will take some time for Sacu revenues to surpass the record figure reached in the 2024/25 financial year.' ALSO READ: Trump gunning for Lesotho: SA sees opportunity for 'closer collaboration' Smaller countries' growth most affected He points out that, except for South Africa, Sacu revenues play an essential role in the public finances of its members and particularly for Lesotho and Eswatini, the smallest economies in the union. In both countries, Sacu transfers often make up nearly half of the country's total fiscal revenue, creating a structural dependence on this funding source. Therefore, Begbie warns, a downward adjustment to anticipated Sacu revenues will worsen the outlook for these countries' fiscal and external balances and also weigh on short-term economic growth. However, he points out, the impact of US tariffs extends beyond Sacu revenue losses. For Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia, higher import tariffs on diamond jewellery exports to the US, representing about 54% of the $84 billion global diamond jewellery industry, will place added pressure on an industry that is already struggling with the rise of lab-grown diamonds. 'Lesotho is particularly vulnerable. US tariffs on its exports would severely affect the economy due to its heavy reliance on textile exports to the US market. These exports make up around 25% of Lesotho's total exports, 35% of its manufacturing output and nearly 10% of GDP, given the country's high trade openness. The US is also the primary destination for Lesotho's knitted clothing.' Begbie says there was hope previously that the improved outlook for Sacu revenues beyond the current fiscal year would help to cushion the blow of the effective end of Agoa. However, it now appears that US tariffs will harm regional economies through multiple channels instead.
The Herald Scotland
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Irvine Welsh's warning over possible new Trainspotting film
Welsh said he wanted to see a new generation of stars given the chance to take on his characters if Men in Love is turned into a film. However Welsh said he was still hopeful that Robert Carlyle would still be appearing in a TV adaptation of The Blade Artist, his 2017 novel focuses on the seemingly reformed Begbie, his most ultra-violent character. Read more: McGregor, Macdonald, Carlyle, Ewen Bremer and Jonny Lee Miller revived their roles in the original 1996 film for director Danny Boyle's 2017 sequel, T2 Trainspotting, which was set two decades on from the first film. However Welsh said the new book would be set shortly after his debut novel, which ended with McGregor's character, Renton, fleeing for Amsterdam after stealing money he and his friends had made from a heroin deal in London. Irvine Welsh was speaking at Paisley Book Festival. (Image: Iona Shepherd) Speaking at the Paisley Book Festival, Welsh said he was firmly against using the latest cinematic technology to 'de-age' the actors to take them back to their mid-twenties. He also railed against the impact of social media, mobile phones and artificial intelligence in his appearance at Paisley Town Hall. Men in Love, which starts in the late 1980s, sees Welsh's characters leave behind heroin addiction and try to focus on serious relationships for the first time. Ewan McGregor and Ewen Bremner starred in the first two Trainspotting films. Welsh revealed that his songwriting efforts on a planned Trainspotting musical had inspired the creation of a Men in Love soul disco album which will be released to coincide with the book's publication in July. Men in London, which was announced in December, will reunite Welsh's main characters from Trainspotting, including Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie, for the first time since Dead Men's Trousers, the 2018 novel which featured the characters as middle-aged men. They are said to leave heroin behind in favour of 'the search for love' in the new book, which is set against the backdrop of the growing rave culture scene in the UK, which has been described as 'The Second Summer of Love.' Welsh, who was interviewed at the book festival by fellow author Ewan Morrison, who told Welsh that he was convinced that Men in Love would be turned into a feature film, but asked the writer whether he thought the original cast would be 'de-aged' for the new film. Welsh said: 'Why would you want to do that? If you're going to go back, get a bunch of young actors and give them the opportunities. 'Give them the chance to become the next Ewan McGregors and Kelly Macdonalds.' Welsh has suggested that the new book will show his characters becoming 'serious about the quest for romance' and would offer a rare portrayal of working-class characters with 'big emotional lives.' He told the audience in Paisley: 'It starts off with Renton going to Amsterdam. The other three characters are picking up the pieces. Begbie and Spud are back in Leith. Sick Boy is still in London. 'It culminates in Sick Boy's wedding. He gets married to this posh bird that he has been pursuing for ages to try to get himself upwardly mobile. It's quite a funny book in a lot of ways, but it's also quite desperate. 'It's about that time in life for guys when they get into their mid-twenties and they start taking their girlfriends seriously. 'When you're young, your mum and dad are the big influences in your life. When you are older and puberty kicks in it's your mates that are the big influences in your life. Then eventually your girlfriend starts to wear you down and take over. She becomes the big influence in your life. 'These characters are in that position, but they have all the wrong tools for it. 'When you think about it, people are supposed to get serious about life, work, careers, children in their twenties. When you look back, you think: 'How did anybody do anything successful back then?' The book is about people having good intentions, but completely '*******' it up.' Key themes from the novel will be explored in the Men in Love album, which Welsh worked on with musician, songwriter and producer Steve Mac, a long-time collaborator with the author. It will draw on influences as varied as Chic, Shirley Bassey, Luther Vandross and Barry White. Welsh said: 'We wrote lots of songs for the forthcoming Trainspotting musical and decided to carry on with a seventies-style soul and disco album, which is very optimistic and full of love. 'There is so much despondency and gloom around. Instead of adding to that, we wanted to make the album very upbeat. We used every influence we possibly could.' Welsh suggested at the festival that new technology was the modern-equivalent of nicotine because of the mental health problems that were being caused around the world. He added: 'We're not in the same physical danger now because nobody goes out, basically. 'But we are in psychological danger from all the stuff on the internet that is raising people to the ground in terms of their mental health. The internet and the iPhone are just absolutely destroying the mental health of people. 'We don't talk about that at all because we are told 'it is big tech, it is cool, it is our lives and you can't stand in the way of progress.' 'But as sure as nicotine and cigarettes caused cancer, mobile phones are basically set up for addiction. 'When you look at all these old films of people smoking all the time it looks strange and ridiculous. If we survive 50 years, hopefully people will look back. see us walking around looking into our phones and think we were weird. We are, but we are also killing ourselves with this ****.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
05-04-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi-British Business Council to Turn Sustainability, Green Finance Deals into Reality
The Saudi-British Joint Business Council (SBJBC) has revealed ongoing efforts to translate agreements aimed at advancing sustainability, clean energy, and green financing into tangible projects. This comes alongside the development of new initiatives in artificial intelligence and defense technology, as part of expanding bilateral cooperation between the two nations. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Cordelia Begbie, UK Executive Director of the SBJBC, stated that the council is currently exploring new sectoral opportunities as part of its 2025-2026 program, while also hosting a series of events aimed at enhancing collaboration between the two kingdoms. SBJBC is set to support its new research unit through upcoming events that will focus on producing both independent and collaborative research papers, revealed Begbie. These papers will address regulatory changes, sector insights, and opportunities for development, as well as highlight government initiatives designed to assist businesses in these areas. According to Begbie, the council's activities are centered on clean technology projects, linking investors with emerging clean tech companies from both Saudi Arabia and the UK. These initiatives also support specialized task forces that discuss policy developments and long-term opportunities in these sectors, with active participation from both public and private sector stakeholders. The Saudi-British cooperation plan has made notable strides in investment, economic, and commercial projects, particularly through the 'Saudi-British Vision 2030' partnership. This initiative has significantly strengthened ties between the two nations in key areas such as technology, energy, infrastructure, and defense. Additionally, the Saudi Public Investment Fund has made substantial investments in British projects, particularly in clean energy, green hydrogen, and infrastructure. The two countries have also deepened their collaboration in renewable energy, with British companies playing a key role in Saudi Arabia's large-scale solar and wind energy projects. Begbie expressed strong optimism about the future of Saudi-British cooperation in climate, clean technology, hydrogen, and ammonia. The collaboration is seen as highly promising, driven by shared goals to address climate change and diversify the economy, with both nations committed to achieving net-zero emissions. While the UK aims to reach this target by 2050, Saudi Arabia is set to achieve it by 2060, creating significant potential for bilateral cooperation. Saudi Arabia is solidifying its position as a global leader in hydrogen production, with vast opportunities for collaboration with the UK, which has extensive expertise in hydrogen policies and technology. Geopolitical and economic ties also enhance this cooperation, as Saudi Arabia's strategic location serves as an energy hub for Europe, Asia, and Africa. Moreover, the UK's environmental policy goals align with Saudi Arabia's climate objectives, further strengthening the partnership. Bilateral agreements, such as the Saudi-British Vision 2030 partnership, are expected to boost investments in clean technologies and sustainability. The SBJBC continues to work with stakeholders to expand its reach and influence within Saudi Arabia. The council also oversees the ongoing growth of the Saudi-British Technology Center, an integral part of the SBJBC since its launch in 2022. The SBJBC remains committed to enhancing private sector contributions and developing stronger commercial ties between the two nations, offering a range of services and providing access to high-level networks from both the public and private sectors in both countries.
