Latest news with #CentralSquare
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Woman arrested during protest in Cardiff city centre
A woman has been arrested by police in Cardiff during a rally. Around 100 people joined a protest on the afternoon of Saturday, August 9, outside the UK Government buildings in the city centre over UK Government intervention in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Around ten officers from South Wales Police formed a barricade around the protestor as others began chanting "let her go" before she was removed from the scene by police. South Wales Police has since confirmed there was one arrest at the event, near Central Square, and the woman remains in custody. One attendee, Hannah, was protesting over Israeli actions in Palestine. READ MORE: Storm Dexter to hit UK within hours but Met Office says it's great news for heatwave READ MORE: Statement issued after claims that asylum seekers are staying in Welsh hotel She said: "We have been protesting in Cardiff every Saturday since October 2023. We are here today especially to take a stand against the forced starvation happening in Palestine. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here "We are here to take a stand against the government's complicity in the situation in Palestine." Hussein, who works for Black Lives Matter Cardiff and Vale, said: "We are peacefully protesting to stop the genocide, to hold the government to account for giving weapons to Israel, to letting this continue to happen. "We are showing our solidarity to show Palestinians that people around the world will not stop until this is over. " A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: "South Wales Police supports the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully. "A protest took place in the vicinity of Central Square, Cardiff, today (August 9) and the majority were able to attend safely and lawfully. One woman was arrested and remains in custody." Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice
ABC News
6 days ago
- ABC News
Man attacked by machete in Central Square Shopping Centre calls for ban to be implemented sooner
For 33-year-old Saurabh Anand a trip to his local shopping centre became a matter of life and death. "It is a trauma of hell that I went through," Mr Anand told 7.30. At about 8pm on a Saturday night, the sales representative collected his prescription at Central Square Shopping Centre in Melbourne's inner west when a group of teenage boys allegedly attacked him with a machete. "I used my other hand to feel all the damage that was done. "I couldn't feel any sensation in my wrist or fingers." Until now, he's been too scared to identify himself, but a fortnight on from the attack, Mr Anand is speaking out. He shared confronting photos with 7.30, showing how his arm was nearly severed in the alleged attack. Mr Anand was rushed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for surgery and has told 7.30 he cannot believe he still has his hand. "To be very honest, I cannot believe that whatever instinctive reaction or safety mode I went into got me to a position where I was able to keep my hand together," he said. Four teenagers, all aged between 14 and 15, have been charged with offences ranging from assault to robbery. Mr Anand is in Melbourne on a temporary visa and has a limited support network, so his mother flew in from New Delhi late last week to care for him. In her first media interview since her son's attack, Kirun Anand said she feared the worst after learning of the incident through global news reports. "He's my only son and he's my life," Ms Anand told 7.30. Mr Anand says having his mother here under these circumstances is heartbreaking. "She cries every night and every day seeing my condition because no parent would want their kids to be in such a state," he said. Steve Devono is a regular customer at the Central Square Shopping Centre and says he fears for his safety after what happened to Mr Anand. "You're not safe anywhere. Anywhere. I reckon it was terrible what they've done to that man," Mr Devono told 7.30. In the wake of the alleged attack, Victoria Police confirmed they have increased patrols in the area. Mr Devono says their presence is welcome. Traders have told 7.30 that there is only one security guard employed full-time by the centre, between 12pm and 7:30pm. 7.30 requested an interview and put written questions to Central Square Shopping Centre about this claim, but it declined to respond. Local florist Igli Musa says one security guard at the centre, which has more than 50 traders, isn't enough. "I do think that maybe security needs to be increased a little bit, especially during school holidays when these things tend to happen more," he said. Mr Musa also believes security guards should have more powers and resources. "I have done my security course before, and what we get taught, I think security guards should have a little bit more power when it comes to jumping into situations and having that power to detain," he told 7.30. The alleged machete attack on Mr Anand follows other high-profile incidents inside major shopping centres across the nation. The chief executive of the peak body Shopping Centre Council of Australia, Angus Nardi, declined an interview request from 7.30 but acknowledged knife crime is an issue, in a written statement. "A key ongoing problem is people bringing dangerous knives and weapons to our shopping centres, and in certain cases with the possible intent to use those weapons," he told 7.30. In May, at Melbourne's Northland Shopping Centre, a brawl allegedly between rival gangs involving machetes prompted the Victorian government to bring forward a machete ban to September. Under an amnesty, bins will be placed at police stations to collect weapons. Mr Anand believes these measures should have been implemented sooner. "This [ban] would roll out in September," he said. "But do we still have enough measures to control all the weapons that are being sold?" Asked for his response to Mr Anand's concerns, Victorian Police Minister Anthony Carbines released a statement to 7.30. "What happened to Mr Anand was horrifying and our thoughts are with him during this very difficult time," he said. Figures released to 7.30 from Victoria Police show offences at Melbourne's 13 largest shopping complexes have risen eight per cent year-on-year and have now returned to above pre-pandemic levels. Source: Victoria Police/Crime Statistics Agency, Victoria The centres captured in the Victorian data include major complexes such as Chadstone Shopping Centre, Southpoint in Cheltenham and Preston's Northland. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Victorian government passed laws allowing Protective Services Officers (PSO) to be redeployed from train stations to shopping centres, sporting precincts and populated areas. Unlike security guards, PSOs are armed and have powers of arrest. However, in a statement to 7.30, Victoria Police confirmed the laws had not been used to deploy PSOs to shopping centres and there aren't any active plans to do so. "Victoria Police has used these laws to deploy PSOs to the Land Forces Expo and Australian Grand Prix," a Victoria Police spokesperson said. 7.30 understands a key reason they haven't been used is that it would leave railway stations exposed, given the government's commitment to staff 220 metropolitan train stations and four regional hubs. Shadow Victorian Police Minister David Southwick is calling for the government to hire more PSOs to deploy them directly to shopping centres. "Five years ago, Labor changed laws to allow PSOs into shopping centres but they've done nothing to make it happen," he said. But security experts aren't convinced PSOs are the solution. Security consultant Luke Percy-Dove has worked with shopping centres for 30 years. He says while high-profile incidents at shopping centres are concerning, they aren't common enough to warrant PSOs. "If these sorts of rare instances, like [what] happened at Bondi, if these became more regular, then we would have to look more seriously at what the next level of security [is] applied to public spaces," he said. In Queensland, laws are now in place allowing police to use handheld metal detectors to search and seize weapons from people in public places. Police allege one man had two knives at a Townsville shopping centre last week. Across Queensland in the past fortnight just under 11,500 people have been scanned and 77 weapons seized. Victoria Police Minister Anthony Carbines told 730 the government had strengthened laws to give police similar capability. "We have also given Victoria Police expanded stop and search powers so they can continue to seize a record number of weapons off our streets," he said. Currently, security guards have limited powers; generally they can only report, detain and deter. The CEO of the peak body for security companies in Australia, Bryan de Caires, says classifying security guards as frontline workers would give them the power by law to detain individuals. "If someone is obstructing or hindering them doing their duty, they have grounds either to detain that person or to get them to leave, otherwise, there are consequences," he said. Mr de Caires is also aware of the police's ability to respond. "We're certainly not advocating the additional powers like police because police are the police, security is not the police," he told 7.30. Mr Percy-Dove said some security companies were reluctant to train their guards to intervene due to potential legal issues. "If they overstep, use too much force in proportionate to whatever was occurring and somebody gets injured, that brings risk to the shopping centre operator [and] creates risk for the provider of the security officers," he said. Security guards at Westfield shopping centres now have body-worn cameras; its owner, the Scentre Group, reported it had increased security presence and measures in its 2024 annual report. Scentre Group declined 7.30's request to observe operations in its centres, but instead supplied the ABC previously unreleased footage showing its security guards wearing the devices on their protective vests. The ABC first revealed in March that the cameras had been deployed. Mr de Caires says the body-worn cameras are likely to become commonplace in shopping centres. "We are seeing a greater use of that technology partly as a protection and partly as a deterrent because if people know they're being recorded, they behave in slightly different ways," he said. 7.30 also requested interviews regarding security measures with Scentre Group — which partly owns Westfield — and Vicinity Centres, which owns Northland and Chadstone Shopping Centres in Melbourne. Both declined to take part. As for Mr Anand, the 33-year-old says he's now too frightened to go back to his local shopping centre. "I barely can muster any courage of going out of my own home to the same place where I usually went for a quick walk and come back home," he said. But he faces another challenge. His temporary visa is due to expire next month and he needs to continue his medical treatment. "I cannot go back [to India] with such an impalement or such an injury on my arm," he said. "All my surgeries are done here, all my surgeons, my follow-up appointments are organised here. His mother says she is concerned about how her son will receive medical treatment and wants the Australian government to help. "I want to say that the community and government to help him," Ms Anand told 7.30. Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
GMA Network
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Parisian brand Sandro opens first boutique in Manila
Parisian fashion brand Sandro has officially opened its first boutique in the Philippines. Located at Greenbelt 5, Sandro held a launch event earlier in June, which was attended by Kapuso stars Max Collins and Michelle Dee. Sandro's Makati boutique showcases ready-to-wear pieces, accessories, and footwear that embody Parisian elegance. 'Manila is well known for its unique mix of contrasts and cultural references. Sandro is all about contrast and a mix of influences, so Manila feels like an obvious place for us,' Sandro founder and artistic director Evelyne Chetrite said in a press release. Evelyne and her partner, Didier Chetrite, first opened Sandro in 1984 at Le Marais in Paris, and quickly became known for its distinct refined and quirky quality present in both their men's and women's collections. The Philippine outpost joins Sandro's growing presence in Southeast Asia with boutiques in neighboring countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. From Makati, Sandro is set to open another boutique at Central Square in Bonifacio Global City. — LA, GMA Integrated News
Business Wire
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
CentralSquare Selects AWS as its Preferred Cloud Provider in Five-Year Agreement to Power Solutions for Public Sector Agencies
LAKE MARY, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, CentralSquare Technologies, a leading provider of public sector software, announced a new strategic collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to deliver scalable, secure and resilient cloud solutions for state and local government agencies. Using AWS, CentralSquare is accelerating cloud adoption through a broader initiative to serve more than 1,000 agencies in the cloud by the end of the year. CentralSquare will use AWS to help law enforcement and emergency call centers automate administrative work and reduce costs to focus on helping people in need. 'Our work with AWS brings scalable and reliable cloud solutions to the organizations our communities depend on every day,' said Manolis Kotzabasakis, CEO of CentralSquare Technologies Share 'Our joint approach brings together deep public sector expertise and world-class cloud capabilities,' said Kim Majerus, Vice President of State and Local Government and Education at AWS. 'By moving emergency services to the cloud, we're helping first responders make split-second decisions with better information, while ensuring critical systems remain operational during disasters. We're committed to working side by side with government leaders to deliver secure, scalable, and mission-driven modernization.' In addition to formalizing their collaboration, both AWS and CentralSquare recently commissioned the 2025 Public Sector Cloud Adoption Report, which found that 94% of public sector leaders affirm the strategic importance of cloud solutions to their operations. Early adopters are reporting measurable gains in access to critical data, cross-departmental collaboration, and cyber resilience. Additionally, 86% of all respondents were optimistic about the potential cloud could have on their agency, and nearly three-quarters of survey respondents highlighted the importance of working with providers who have public sector experience. 'Our work with AWS brings scalable and reliable cloud solutions to the organizations our communities depend on every day,' said Manolis Kotzabasakis, CEO of CentralSquare Technologies. 'The research confirms what we're seeing in the field—cloud is no longer a future concept, it's a public sector imperative.' CentralSquare leverages AWS to improve system resilience, accelerate emergency response, and enhance data security as part of a broader commitment to delivering secure, scalable solutions for the public sector. Edgar County, Illinois, utilizes CentralSquare's cloud platform to eliminate the burden of costly server refreshes and maximize ROI, while Fairbanks, Alaska, chose CentralSquare's cloud solution to remove single points of failure and bolster emergency preparedness, a particularly critical need for their remote location. About CentralSquare Technologies: CentralSquare Technologies is the leading provider of public sector software in North America. The best-run communities rely on CentralSquare to manage all aspects of their state and local governments – from public safety to public works. Our comprehensive software suite includes modern cloud-based solutions to support police, fire, finance, payments, permits, utility billing and much more. With more than 40 years of dedication to the public sector, today we proudly serve over 8,000 customers. Learn more at
Business Wire
05-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
CentralSquare Technologies and C1 Enter Partnership to Expand Advanced 911 Call Handling Access
BUSINESS WIRE)-- CentralSquare Technologies, a leading provider of public sector software, announced today a partnership with C1, a global managed services provider that specializes in delivering tailored technology solutions to public sector organizations. "Partnering with CentralSquare significantly enhances the offerings we're able to provide our public sector customers,' said Greg Miles, Executive Vice President, Public Sector, at C1. Through this partnership, C1 will offer CentralSquare's Vertex NG911 Call Handling solution as part of its larger customer portfolio, improving the speed and accuracy of emergency call handling to Public Service Answering Points (PSAPs) across the U.S. Vertex NG911 improves traditional emergency communication systems by integrating advanced capabilities like caller location query, text-to-911, streaming video, automated foreign language translation, and more. These capabilities provide first responders with fast, dependable access to vital information – enabling quicker, more efficient emergency response. 'Partnering with CentralSquare significantly enhances the offerings we're able to provide our public sector customers,' said Greg Miles, Executive Vice President, Public Sector, at C1. 'This collaboration represents a shared commitment to empowering PSAPs with modern, innovative solutions, helping them to keep communities safer.' CentralSquare joins C1's roster of 300+ technology partners, all of which C1 collaborates with to create customized solutions for their clients. "Partnering with C1 strengthens our ability to deliver mission-critical NG911 solutions to the public sector,' said Rob Farmer, National Director of Sales for Vertex NG911 at CentralSquare Technologies. 'C1's deep relationships in the public safety space align with our mission of delivering best-in-class technologies to enhance emergency response and protect local communities.' About CentralSquare Technologies: CentralSquare Technologies is the leading provider of public sector software in North America. The best-run communities rely on CentralSquare to manage all aspects of their state and local governments – from public safety to public works. Our comprehensive software suite includes modern cloud-based solutions to support police, fire, finance, payments, permits, utility billing and much more. With more than 40 years of dedication to the public sector, today we proudly serve over 8,000 customers. Learn more at About C1: C1, a global technology solution provider, is transforming businesses with AI-powered solutions that elevate connected human experiences. Through advisory, professional, and managed services, C1 ensures seamless integration across communications, infrastructure, and security. C1 solutions are tailored to align with client goals to drive innovation and operational excellence. Through partnerships with leading technology providers and an engineering team holding over 7,000 certifications, C1 empowers enterprises to adapt and thrive in a fast-paced digital world. At C1, it's about turning complex challenges into meaningful solutions, enabling businesses to design, deploy, and manage technology that delivers impactful outcomes. Learn more at
